I have received a press release from Firecrown Media Group who has acquired Active Interest Media the parent organization of SAIL, Soundings, Cruising World, Sailing World and other marine publications. Here is the content of the press release:
FIRECROWN MARINE GROUP REORGANIZATION PRESS RELEASE
Firecrown Media today announced the completion of a strategic realignment of its marine portfolio, bringing its leading fishing, boating, sailing, and yachting brands into a more integrated and clearly defined operating structure.
Following the acquisition of marine assets previously held by Active Interest Media, Firecrown has aligned editorial and sales operations to sharpen audience focus, create clearer brand distinction, and deliver more effective marketing solutions for advertisers across its marine platforms.
Under the new structure, Firecrown Marine’s 14 consumer brands will operate within three distinct audience groups—Power, Sail, and Fish—supported by a unified sales organization and coordinated editorial leadership.
“Our core focus is providing audiences with the most comprehensive and engaging content across the marine category,” said Craig Fuller, CEO of Firecrown. “The Firecrown marine portfolio serves the largest audience of boaters, fishermen, sailors, and yachting enthusiasts on the planet.”
“By creating a new comprehensive platform and structure, we aim to reach these audiences with fresh and innovative content offerings that take advantage of all forms of media, including print, digital, podcasts, video, and experiences,” Fuller added.
“2025 was a pivotal year for Firecrown’s marine portfolio,” said Fuller. “Despite ongoing disruption across the media landscape, our team outperformed expectations, with operating income up 44%. This performance was driven by strong subscription growth—up 10% across the portfolio—and growing demand from legacy print advertisers for our expanded digital offerings, which generated a 202% year-over-year increase in digital advertising revenue.”
Sales and Editorial Leadership Appointments
Industry veteran Wade Luce has been appointed Group Publisher and will lead the sales teams for the Sail and Power groups. Luce brings broad experience across multiple segments of the marine industry, positioning him to guide these teams through the next phase of growth and advertiser engagement. The Group Publisher role for the Fish group remains open.
On the editorial side, Patrick Sciacca, editor-in-chief of Yachting, will assume the role of editorial director for the Power group. Andrew Parkinson, editor-in-chief of Cruising World, has been named editorial director for the Sail group. In their expanded roles, Sciacca and Parkinson will be responsible for editorial strategy and day-to-day management of the brands within their respective groups.
Shawn Bean will continue in his role as editorial director of the Fish group, providing continuity and leadership across Firecrown’s fishing-focused titles.
Brand Group Structure
The Power group includes Power & Motoryacht, Passagemaker, Yachting, Boating, Soundings, and Wakeboarding.
The Sail group includes Sail, Sailing World, and Cruising World.
The Fish group includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Angler’s Journal, The Traveling Angler, and Skinny Water.
As part of this alignment, Angler’s Journal and Sailing World join several other Firecrown brands in digital-only formats, reflecting continued audience growth on digital platforms and evolving reader preferences.
Firecrown’s marine B2B publication, Soundings Trade Only, will continue to operate independently within the portfolio, with planned investments in reporting, digital capabilities, and industry events. Firecrown will also continue to expand its consumer event portfolio, including Trawlerfest and the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series.
Leadership Perspective
“Structuring Firecrown Marine group around distinct audience segments enables us to create real value for our advertising partners,” said Jonathan Keller, Chief Revenue Officer. “By cultivating the most engaged brands in the marine industry, we’re able to offer smarter, more targeted marketing solutions that help clients connect with the right customers, strengthen their brand, and accelerate opportunity.”
“Realigning our marine group positions us for long-term growth,” said David Carr, Marine Group President. “This structure strengthens collaboration across brands, improves operational focus, and ensures we are well positioned to serve both our audiences and our partners as the market continues to evolve.”
For more information about Firecrown Media and its marine brands, visit www.firecrown.com.
Explore Our Award-Winning Marine Brands
ANGLERS JOURNAL
BOATERS UNIVERSITY
BOATING
BOATING SAFETY
CRUISING WORLD
PASSAGEMAKER
POWER & MOTORYACHT
SAIL
SAILING WORLD
SAILING WORLD REGATTA SERIES
SALT WATER SPORTSMAN
SFTV
SKINNY WATER
SOUNDINGS
SPORT FISHING
THE TRAVELING ANGLER
WAKEBOARDING
TRADE ONLY
TRAWLERFEST
YACHTING
YACHTS INTERNATIONAL
It seems the interests of older more economical boats went down a notch. Look for more glossy ads for boats very few can afford.
FIRECROWN MARINE GROUP REORGANIZATION PRESS RELEASE
- Firecrown Media Team
- January 9, 2026
Firecrown Media today announced the completion of a strategic realignment of its marine portfolio, bringing its leading fishing, boating, sailing, and yachting brands into a more integrated and clearly defined operating structure.
Following the acquisition of marine assets previously held by Active Interest Media, Firecrown has aligned editorial and sales operations to sharpen audience focus, create clearer brand distinction, and deliver more effective marketing solutions for advertisers across its marine platforms.
Under the new structure, Firecrown Marine’s 14 consumer brands will operate within three distinct audience groups—Power, Sail, and Fish—supported by a unified sales organization and coordinated editorial leadership.
“Our core focus is providing audiences with the most comprehensive and engaging content across the marine category,” said Craig Fuller, CEO of Firecrown. “The Firecrown marine portfolio serves the largest audience of boaters, fishermen, sailors, and yachting enthusiasts on the planet.”
“By creating a new comprehensive platform and structure, we aim to reach these audiences with fresh and innovative content offerings that take advantage of all forms of media, including print, digital, podcasts, video, and experiences,” Fuller added.
“2025 was a pivotal year for Firecrown’s marine portfolio,” said Fuller. “Despite ongoing disruption across the media landscape, our team outperformed expectations, with operating income up 44%. This performance was driven by strong subscription growth—up 10% across the portfolio—and growing demand from legacy print advertisers for our expanded digital offerings, which generated a 202% year-over-year increase in digital advertising revenue.”
Sales and Editorial Leadership Appointments
Industry veteran Wade Luce has been appointed Group Publisher and will lead the sales teams for the Sail and Power groups. Luce brings broad experience across multiple segments of the marine industry, positioning him to guide these teams through the next phase of growth and advertiser engagement. The Group Publisher role for the Fish group remains open.
On the editorial side, Patrick Sciacca, editor-in-chief of Yachting, will assume the role of editorial director for the Power group. Andrew Parkinson, editor-in-chief of Cruising World, has been named editorial director for the Sail group. In their expanded roles, Sciacca and Parkinson will be responsible for editorial strategy and day-to-day management of the brands within their respective groups.
Shawn Bean will continue in his role as editorial director of the Fish group, providing continuity and leadership across Firecrown’s fishing-focused titles.
Brand Group Structure
The Power group includes Power & Motoryacht, Passagemaker, Yachting, Boating, Soundings, and Wakeboarding.
The Sail group includes Sail, Sailing World, and Cruising World.
The Fish group includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Angler’s Journal, The Traveling Angler, and Skinny Water.
As part of this alignment, Angler’s Journal and Sailing World join several other Firecrown brands in digital-only formats, reflecting continued audience growth on digital platforms and evolving reader preferences.
Firecrown’s marine B2B publication, Soundings Trade Only, will continue to operate independently within the portfolio, with planned investments in reporting, digital capabilities, and industry events. Firecrown will also continue to expand its consumer event portfolio, including Trawlerfest and the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series.
Leadership Perspective
“Structuring Firecrown Marine group around distinct audience segments enables us to create real value for our advertising partners,” said Jonathan Keller, Chief Revenue Officer. “By cultivating the most engaged brands in the marine industry, we’re able to offer smarter, more targeted marketing solutions that help clients connect with the right customers, strengthen their brand, and accelerate opportunity.”
“Realigning our marine group positions us for long-term growth,” said David Carr, Marine Group President. “This structure strengthens collaboration across brands, improves operational focus, and ensures we are well positioned to serve both our audiences and our partners as the market continues to evolve.”
For more information about Firecrown Media and its marine brands, visit www.firecrown.com.
Explore Our Award-Winning Marine Brands
ANGLERS JOURNAL
BOATERS UNIVERSITY
BOATING
BOATING SAFETY
CRUISING WORLD
PASSAGEMAKER
POWER & MOTORYACHT
SAIL
SAILING WORLD
SAILING WORLD REGATTA SERIES
SALT WATER SPORTSMAN
SFTV
SKINNY WATER
SOUNDINGS
SPORT FISHING
THE TRAVELING ANGLER
WAKEBOARDING
TRADE ONLY
TRAWLERFEST
YACHTING
YACHTS INTERNATIONAL
It seems the interests of older more economical boats went down a notch. Look for more glossy ads for boats very few can afford.
