North Sails was contacted by Troy McNamara aka “Creative Troy” about 2 weeks ago with a different project that he thought we could help out with. Troy’s company Creative Others was commissioned by Translink to design an oversized novelty mask for the front of one of their buses to help market their new initiatives titled “Wearing is caring”. Translink has planned to give away 15,000 Translink branded masks to Vancouverites and wanted one of their buses to wear a similar looking mask. Dennis and Chris, the two service team members in Vancouver put their heads together with Troy and came up with a plan to make a mask that would fit on the front of the bus. They needed to make a mask that would resemble the masks that Translink has produced and stand up to the harsh Vancouver weather. Dennis and Chris get "neat" and "fun" projects like this a few times a year so they said that they were excited and willing to help. They had a pretty tight deadline of about 11 days. They proposed using the same method for creating bimini tops and inserting battens to create the bulging nose. First, they sourced the material in the correct colour as well as made a rough template that Troy could take to the bus depot and size up with the Translink team. Once the template was reviewed it was returned to the loft to start the production of the new mask. Within the deadline the North Sails team got the job done in time, Translink loved the end product and most importantly the process was an enjoyable one.
Troy, why did you contact North Sails and how was working with NS Vancouver during this custom project with such a tight deadline?
Being an avid sailor all my life I knew that North Sails would be the perfect team to fabricate this. I’ve met Dennis and Chris out on the water from time to time and when you get on so well with guys like that on the racecourse I was confident they’d be fun to work with too. This timeline was intense as with a company like Translink there’s always feedback and requests for alterations. I was confident that the guys would be able to produce the goods and I was right. One of the most important things for me out of this whole experience was how clear in communication the guys were, the ease in how they collaborate, and their willingness to get the job done. I will certainly be looking to partner with North Sails again for future projects.
We're excited to share that the North Sails New Zealand team has relocated and expanded into three new sites, each tailored to deliver specialized service and support to the sailing community.
After decades of dedicated service to the Pacific Northwest sailing community, long-time North Sails expert Jack Christiansen is passing the torch. North Sails Seattle will transition to the capable hands of Tim Scanlon and Alyosha Strum-Palerm, marking an exciting new chapter for the loft.
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Nous avons collaboré avec l’artiste Sophie Scott pour créer un t-shirt en édition limitée dédié à la Rolex Fastnet Race 2025, capturant l’esprit de cette régate hauturière emblématique. Disponible au stand North Sails dans le village de course de Cherbourg-en-Cotentin — et bientôt en ligne. Découvrez l’histoire derrière le design dans notre interview avec Sophie.
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