NORTH SAILS IS THE SUPERYACHT SPECIALIST
THE SUPERYACHT SPECIALIST
The North Sails Industry-Leading Team Offers Unparalleled Support
At North Sails we understand that every superyacht is unique. And this philosophy shapes the North approach to serving this premier segment of our sport. Each superyacht project combines North design tools with decades of experience, which is why we are known for finding solutions to any challenge. And with each new yacht, the North Sails team of superyacht experts is uniquely positioned to deliver an experience as custom as the design of each boat.
Our Superyacht group is led by Jens Christensen, who is well-known and highly respected, and whose superyacht expertise is in demand by the world’s most high profile projects. Alongside him, North Sails has amassed a group of superyacht experts across design, sales, and aftercare sail service who deliver industry-leading customer support.
“We are well aware that our products are only as good as the people that work for us,” Jens says. “We need to have the leading experts working for us across design, development, cloth, sailing, and everything in between to make sure we stay at the forefront of the superyacht industry.”
“We are also aware that people want to go sailing for a whole lot of different reasons – some want to cruise the world, some want to focus on charter, and some want to race (and win). So making sure that any boat is fitted and optimized for purpose is at the core of what we do. We want clients to have the best possible experience whatever they are doing and wherever they are going. And we are able to do this through our extensive network of salesmen and designers backed by our world-class selection of product, Design Services, and our global network of lofts. It is a complete package for any boat owner, that is unmatched.”
True to the company’s heritage, many North Sails superyacht sales experts and designers sail on the yachts to make sure they understand how a sail interacts in real terms. Jens explains: “When you have a ketch with an inner forestay, and you have to furl the jib through the tacks in St. Barths in 20 knots of breeze, you see the beating that everything takes. It is essential that we’re there with clients to see all the small improvements that can be made to a sail: the kind of details that you’d never know about if you didn’t get out on the water with the crew.”
Expert Sail Consultation: A Stable of Superyacht Specialists
The North Sails stable of superyacht specialists is second to none. Veterans such as Mike Toppa, Tom Dodson, Ken Read, and Tom Whidden are currently mentoring the next generation of North Sails Superyacht experts, who continue to work together to expand our ability to service clients.
The coordinated effort by the North Superyacht group has resulted in location and personnel acquisitions that have helped shape the future of the business. In 2018 North Sails acquired the former Doyle Palma, enhancing our presence at the heart of superyacht activity. North Sails Palma, led by Quinny Houry, is now the largest sales and service site within our global network. We have also made other key hires to support the segment, including Andrew Schneider, Peter Grimm and the latest addition, sail designer Glenn Cook who was attracted to North from Doyle for access to the best tools and products on the market.
Better by Design: World-Class Analytics To Deliver Optimized Performance
North Sails goes beyond just traditional sail design. North Design Services is an elite team of engineers who help yacht designers bring an owner’s vision to life. Headed up by Jeremy Elliot, North Design Services works directly with yacht designers, project managers, boatbuilders, sparmakers and riggers to test and optimize virtually any part of any sailboat in any sailing environment, even before the boat is built. Analysis can range from determining load ratings for specific winches to complex relationships of yacht balance, target speed, wind angle, sea state, rig loads, sail shapes, ratings and more. Once the owner’s brief is understood, North Design Services works with all external parties, and alongside a North Superyacht sail designer, to create the optimum solution for the boat and type of sailing. It is a unique service that gives clients the very best solutions for their new boat.
Superyacht Service and Support: A Global Network of Sales & Service
As any superyacht owner knows, the journey only starts when the boat is delivered – support and service is a huge part of life on the water. And that is why North Sails have put so much time and effort into North Sails Certified Service. It gives superyacht crews and boat owners the benefits of convenience and experience through an unrivaled global network of sail lofts. In the last two years, North Sails has an expanded presence in Palma, Mallorca, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Newport, Rhode Island. With 14 dedicated superyacht service lofts across five continents, clients get the best service and results thanks to local experts, loft space, and technology. All of these facilities can handle the unique logistical needs of superyacht sails, including trucks, cranes and specialty sailmaking equipment. You will also find North Certified Service offered at key regattas on the Superyacht racing circuit.
With a yearly maintenance check-in offered on all sails and a stringent 10 point inspection, the team works hard to ensure any issues are spotted early and dealt with quickly. But its the North Sails Blue Book that really stands the company apart from anyone else. The Blue Book ensures that wherever you are in the world, whatever loft you go into, your sail will get the same world class treatment as if you went back to where you bought it. It is a manual for company-wide consistency and depth of knowledge from the Pacific Islands to the Canary Islands and everywhere in between.
