FLAVIA TOMISELLI: 2024 RICHMOND AWARD WINNER AND RISING STAR AT NORTH SAILS

The Palma-based superyacht sail designer has gone from a junior designer to working on significant North Sails projects in just a few short years

Meet Flavia Tomiselli, the Palma-based superyacht sail designer and the recipient of the 2024 Richmond Award. This peer-nominated award highlights North Sails’ brightest young stars who exude confidence, dedication, hard work, and leadership on or off the water.

The Richmond Award was established in memory of Sam Richmond, a beloved colleague and friend who passed after a tragic sailing accident. Sam was a rising star who left an indelible mark on his colleagues and the sailing community. 

North Sails President Ken Read comments:

“Part of being a manager in any company is searching not just for talent but potentially the next generation of talent. Sam was clearly on that path. He was personable, smart, and a great sailor. He understood the product and the clients. 

“In that respect, his loss hit that much harder and this is really the spirit of the Richmond Award; to find those types of people who are, in their own unique way, out of that Sam Richmond mold.”

Introduced in 2023, the Richmond Award is awarded annually to an up-and-comer employee within any division of North Sails who showcases passion and expertise, and exceeds expectations. The 2024 nominees list featured an overwhelming number of sail designers, which is not surprising but refreshing. Flavia, the runners-up and honorable mentions, all have diverse design experience, from Superyachts to One Design, the America’s Cup, and improving the North Design Suite.

But Falvia stood out to the nominating committee, which includes Sam’s wife and 2023 award winner Ruaridh Wright. 

In a few short years, Flavia has gone from a junior designer to working on some of the most important sails that we build in the world. She’s now helping design and service Grand Prix TP52 programs, and Raven, one of the most innovative superyachts on the water. Jens Christensen, North Sails Superyacht Leader applauds Flavia's growth, citing her humility and authenticity as standout qualities. 

“Flavia is extremely dedicated to her work and always keen to learn more. Her diligence and smarts have helped us secure some of the best sail orders on the best-performance sailboats in the world. I think she'll be a wonderful Richmond Award ambassador this year and certainly is incredibly well deserving.

“It has been a pleasure seeing her grow as a sailor and designer. I am very proud to have her work with the entire team at North Sails and look forward to seeing her shine even more.”

Flavia's journey from a passionate teenager in Italy to a formidable sail designer in Palma epitomizes dedication, skill, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Flavia's background is as diverse as it is impressive. At age 14, she discovered her love for sailing, joining a local sailing school and quickly immersing herself in the sport. 

At the time, her main sport was gymnastics, but sailing slowly took over, starting with dinghies in Sardinia. She moved on to larger yachts with the local sailing club at Civitavecchia on the weekends. It was never going to end there. 

“I remember when I was 16 years old and everyone said ‘Oh, I don't know what I will do when I'm older’, but I knew I wanted to do boats. It's always been quite clear.”

With a natural affinity for racing, Flavia transitioned from dinghies to keelboats, excelling in classes such as the Este 24, Melges 24 and 32. Her ability and featherweight stature made her an invaluable asset on the water, earning her rides at one design European and World championships. 

Her sailing journey continued to evolve as she graduated to larger boats, including the highly competitive RC44 circuit and TP52 Super Series. Flavia's athleticism and adaptability allowed her to transition into various roles onboard, from bow to pit, showcasing her versatility and determination.

Flavia recognized she needed an engineering background to achieve her ambitions. Despite previously specializing in the classics -- Greek and Latin -- she began a civil engineering course at the University of Rome, after being advised that the core of engineering courses was all the same. “The first year there was a lot of talk of cement… and I was like, okay, I don't really see the links here.” She completed the year successfully but moved to a five-year nautical engineering course in La Spezia, run by the University of Genoa. 

Flavia's education and passion for sailing led her to pursue a career in sail design, where her hands-on experience and deep understanding of boat dynamics have helped set her apart. Joining North Sails in 2019, Flavia is now an integral design team member, contributing insights and expertise to projects ranging from Grand Prix to superyachts.

“I kept doing all this racing and also got involved a bit more in the design side. Specifically last year I was sailing on the RC44 Charisma, and got a bit more involved with the development of the sail, and the sails program. This year I'm not sailing, I'm just trying to focus more on sail design, and I have another person in the office that I'm training. So, I think it's good to dedicate a year to that.”

Flavia has worked across all aspects of the design process. “I like to see the project as a whole, and then if I need help with something, I'm going to ask someone who will know more about it than me… I think that’s my approach to learning in general, and North Sails is really good for that because the company is so wide and there are so many people with such specific knowledge.”

Her recent involvement in the Baltic 111 project Raven highlights her evolution as a sail designer. Working alongside lead sail designer Steve Calder, Flavia played a vital role in supporting the boat during sea trials, analyzing sail performance, and collaborating with the team to optimize finishing details and sail shapes.

“I like the superyacht sail design a lot, but I also like the racing. And if I could keep the two things going at the design level, I would really like it. It's a pretty different concept of design and it's interesting to see the differences and how both worlds work.”

For Flavia, sailing is a source of inspiration and learning. She approaches each day on the water as an opportunity to refine her skills and gain valuable insights that inform her work as a sail designer. 

North Sails and North Technology Group President Ken Read concludes:

“Flavia, and all the nominees this year, are proof that we are succeeding in developing the next generation of North Sails Tigers. Flavia is an exceptional example of dedication, hard work, and leadership on and off the water - all of the attributes Sam carried with him. It would be easy for these smart young engineers to sit behind a desk and do their job, but the reality is that they want to both design and understand the sails they’re creating - on the water under pressure.” 

In addition to Flavia, we’re proud to recognize runners-up: INEOS sail designer Tono Martinez and offshore and America’s Cup designer Mathieu Guillard. We’ve extended this year’s award to include honorable mentions: Gosport-based designer Mathias Sabate, sail designer and superyacht project manager John Warren, One Design specialist Mike Marshall, North Design Suite developer Quinten Abeille, and American Magic sail designer Max Tringale.

Ken continues, “Sail design has always been about bridging the gap between theory and practice. Flavia and all 2024 Richmond Award nominees are the future leaders tasked with ensuring North Sails remains at the forefront of innovation and performance in the sailing industry.”

BELOW ARE A FEW WORDS ON THE 2024 FIELD OF WINNERS.

Head of North Design Service Jeremy Elliot on Tono Martinez:

"Tono is an example of the diligence, commitment, and technical expertise that will secure North Sails’ position as the market leader well into the future. He is the kind of guy who makes our many ambitious promises a reality. Game-changing projects like Koru, Sarissa, Vela, NB33, and America's Cup are with North because people like Tono continue to ensure that we will always be ‘Better by Design’.”

Alinghi Red Bull Sail Designer Julien Pilate on Mathieu Guillard:

“A dedicated person. Jumping from Class 40 to AC projects and also IMOCA projects. Mathieu has the right attitude and is very committed to providing the very best to our customers. Besides his skills, he is a really nice person.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Design Director Dave Lenz on Mathias Sabate:

“Sam helped recruit and hire Matias. Since he started, Matias's attitude has been fantastic, full of enthusiasm, questions, and hunger to learn. He works hard and is a great team player. He is now a very capable sail designer, organizing the 2023 TP52 debrief, working on the new Cape 31 sails, and supporting Alpha+ on the 52 circuit, in addition to his day-to-day design work. His progress today would be exactly what Sam would have wanted to see.”

ANZA Regional Sales Manager Mark Bradford on John Warren:

“As a career sailmaker, John has spent a decade working his way up from the floor into sail design. He is largely self-trained and hasn't followed the traditional design career path. He was passionate about design and detailing and worked on small projects after hours. John has since graduated to a Junior Designer and has filled a real gap between sales and design. His recent appointment as a Project Manager for Superyachts will see him expand his knowledge even further. While it is early days for John in design, his hunger, drive, and thirst for knowledge will see him go all the way.”

North Sails President Ken Read on Mike Marshall:

“Besides being a world champion sailor, Mike is known for taking on hard projects. He helped pioneer ISO structure in 3Di sails and nailed applying 3Di technology to the 49er and Star class sails. Great sailors often make great designers and in Mike's case, great designers make great sailors.” 

North Sails France General Manager Thomas Normand on Quinten Abeille

“Quinten is clearly embodying North Sails’ values and pushing hard to develop the best design software. On top of that, he's a very good salesman and plans to participate in the next Mini Transat. He's also a solution-maker who can propose quick wins on a daily basis and a proper road map on our design software to the management team. He’s humble and focused, skilled and efficient.” 

Sail Designer Juan Messer on Max Tringale:

‘He is the future of sail design.”