EDITORIAL ICON
8/27/2007 4:43:15 PM by Sandy Lindsey
Bill Klimas is creditied with bringing a unique editorial scope to International Yachtsman that sent ripple effects way past the title’s readership — his vision spread through the entire industry, influencing the way people viewed yachting and its corresponding lifestyle.
Bill Klimas is an industry icon. As the executive editor of International Yachtsman, Klimas helmed the publication through its important growth years, bringing it from editorial adolescence into full-on publishing adulthood. Yet oddly enough, he hadn’t planned on being the magazine’s editor at all.
“I got a call from another writer who had an assignment they couldn’t cover and wondered if I could do it,” he says. “So I met with the International Yachtsman team and pitched them another idea as well. After those two articles — on Roberto Ferretti and Hugh Westbrook — ran, I was asked to come in as a contributing editor. Within days, I became the executive editor.”
Klimas says he brought his own unique vision to the then-emerging publication. His plan was to cover esoteric notable yachtsmen such as Bubba Rich, Gabriel Vidal, Richard Schmidt, Nyko Hanse, Mathew Sawyer and Alian Levenfiche. This allowed him to introduce, via these profiles, elite yachtsman to industry leaders that thought they knew everyone, thereby keeping the advertising base well-served. The readers were equally catered to, with content that enlightened them to the passions of these owners. Regular industry event coverage and attendance solidified the magazine’s presence and helped yield some promising leads, both from an editorial and a sales perspective, ensuring the magazine’s success on both fronts.
“I came from The Boating News which had a strong B2B focus,” Klimas explains. “I focused on building International Yachtsman’s B2B relationships and contacts without using B2B content in the magazine. The idea was to give advertisers and readers stories about owners that they could relate to. I worked to enhance the magazine’s industry presence while engaging the readers.”
After Kevin Hernandez’s Perfect Vision Media Group sold the publication to HPJ Media Ventures Fund, Klimas continued to expand the publication by way of additional sections that included toys and tenders coverage and prime golf destinations. “Our readership wanted a book that covered the yachting lifestyle, usage and people, not just yacht reviews,” says Klimas. “The focus of International Yachtsman changed when I expanded the editorial to what the owners of megayachts most embraced: the experience.”
When asked what he is most proud of regarding his time and achievements at International Yachtsman, the answer comes to him as though it were second nature. “What made me most proud was the industry response to the magazine and, of course, our double-digit growth.”
Besides his editorial savvy, Klimas has a strong background in the field of business development and is currently working on several projects he will soon announce, which may see him back in the publishing field. After 20 years in the industry, and “watching yachts increase from 60 feet to over 300 feet,” Klimas plans to take some time to catch up on some much-needed family time, and, to quote the nautical term to rest and demagnetize a ship, “degausse.”
As for the future of International Yachtsman, Klimas says he’s optimistic. “I hope the magazine stays the course,” he concludes. “I hope to see it stay flexible within the yachting industry, which itself is in a constant state of flux, and I hope for the continued success of the magazine’s publishers and advertisers.”