North Sails history

One of his first projects was a new Star mainsail, which he first hoisted at the 1959 Midwinter Championship in Los Angeles.

By 1960, polyester Dacron had begun to replace stretchy cotton as the sail material of choice.

In 1973 British Whitbread Brewing Company sponsored the first Whitbread Round the World Race.

North products also began to dominate long-distance racing fleets like the 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race (now The Ocean Race).

One of the most dramatic events in modern sailing occurred in 1983.

In 1984, Lowell North (nicknamed “The Pope” by his peers) sold his company and retired from sailmaking.

Since its founding in 1987, the brand combines a classic Italian design with the history and real heritage of the American brand.

In 1989 (its fourth running), New Zealand ketch Steinlager 2, (ironically sponsored by a New Zealand brewing company), changed everything.

In 1990, North Sails began a secret sail development program under a tight lid of security.

At the 1993 event, with fingers crossed, North equipped seven boats with the new 3DL sails.

North Sails unique technology has proved itself worthy of this epic adventure and has been the sail of choice of all 6 winner boats since 1997-98.

Rossi Milev sailed his first J/24 Worlds in 2000 in Newport.

When North introduced its breakthrough 3Di composite sails technology in 2009, it was an immediate success on race courses around the world.

Skippered by Sir Peter Blake and equipped with North Sails exclusively, Steinlager 2 won all six legs of the race in dramatic fashion. As a result of the remarkable durability of North’s latest 3Di composite sail technology, the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race organizers awarded North Sails the first ever contract to supply sails to the entire VOR fleet.

Fastest sails around the world.North Sails holds all 4 Around-The-World speed records since 2016