Aquanaute’s Rendez-vous Nautique

–   Ontario Power Generation Boating Safety Initiative of the Year Award   –

A Fun Twist on Driving The Boating Safety Message Home

If you are looking for boating promotion, safety, event logistical planning, and training of all kinds for the marine industry and the public, your one-stop shop is Aquanaute. And this year, CSBC is proud to award Aquanaute Best Boating Safety Initiative for 2013 for their Rendez-vous Nautique program.

Aquanaute is a truly dynamic organization – always ready to seize the opportunity to serve the needs of the boating world. This multi-faceted marine promotion and safety organization was established to provide planning, promotion and logistical support to any group looking to hold marine-related events. Theirs is a winning recipe that combines the right amount of pizzazz and safe and responsible boating controls that result in the perfect event. They also provide courses that include preparing for the PCOC program, practical on-water training, peripheral boating instruction, and specialized training for rescue teams and enforcement personnel. Aquanaute also have an on-water team that promotes safe and responsible boating in southern Quebec. Their well-trained boating and water sports enthusiasts patrol various waterways in the Montreal area.

But Aquanaute’s pièce de résistance, and the reason for this award, is their annual Rendez-vous Nautique, now in its tenth year. This event is designed to embrace the fun and family nature of boating and to promote safety and responsibility at the same time. They understand that in order for safety to ‘stick’ with the public, it must be packaged just right. Rendez-vous Nautique is that perfect packaging. Hundreds of boaters and personal watercraft (PWC) riders assemble each year to participate in games, music, entertainment and, most importantly, in on-land and on-water safety demonstrations. Aquanaute’s messaging goes beyond the physical boundaries of the event; they carry out superb media outreach and messaging to all boaters.

All this and, best of all, it’s free to everyone.

Congratulations to Aquanaute for ten years of unique and successful boating safety promotion, and here’s hoping Rendez-vous Nautique is here to stay.

Vahé Vassilian (President) and Marc Vassilian (VP Marketing & Business Development) of the Aquanaute Training Centre in Quebec receive the Ontario Power Generation Best Boating Safety Initiative Award from OPG’s Bill McKinlay for their annual “Rendez-vous Nautique” event. Left to right: Vahé Vassilian, Marc Vassilian, Bill McKinlay, Ted Rankine.