THE BRAND
“You make history by looking ahead” (Lowell North).
Since 1957, North Sails is the world’s leading sailmaker. Our sails make champions. Our apparel
clothes winners.
Our founder, Lowell North, was a champion and a visionary. An elite sailor, a golden Olympian, an
outstanding engineer and a man prepared to reach beyond what others could imagine. His sailing
career was glorious: twice an Olympic medallist; his record 5 Star Class World Championship victories
remains unsurpassed. Yet his appetite to achieve was not satisfied; he wanted to create the fastest
racing sails the world had seen. He formed a ‘Team of Tigers’, individuals prepared to challenge
preconceptions of what was possible. His ambition was realised and he dreamt again; to keep going
further and keep going faster. He called this company North Sails.
Lowell’s spirit threads through everything we do, leading the development of our cutting-edge
products and propelling our future aspirations; to create pioneering sails and apparel through an
adherence to exploration, innovation and conservation.
BRAND PILLARS – Exploration. Innovation. Conservation
The North Sails’ motto is "Go Beyond":
To go beyond what others think possible
To break new waters
To believe in the possibility of further and faster
To see current achievements as the start line for future advancements
To forge a passion that sustainability should underpin how we do what we do
EXPLORATION – North Sails has a deep heritage, attained through 60 years of leading the world in
sail making. From the ethos of our founder, we look ahead and focus on reaching new waters. We
enable sailors to experience environments once thought impossible. Our clothing empowers
customers to chart their own adventures.
INNOVATION – North Sails is built upon a belief in innovation. We look forwards; to constantly
improve, to harness technological developments, to equip champions. We retain our status as the
world’s leading sailmakers by never resting on past achievements. We always look to progress; to
make the lightest, fastest, most durable sailcloth and apply these technological advancements to
produce exceptional apparel.
CONSERVATION – We exist because of the sea. We’ve made the mission to protect it a core value of
our business. It’s evident that the disposable-lifestyle of the modern world has brought us to a
critical point in the future of our oceans; we’re taking responsibility to turn the tide. We’ve applied
the flagship principles of reduce, re-use and recycle to guide how we do what we do. We’ve applied
significant innovations in manufacturing and use of sustainable materials. We’re dedicated to
educating future generations. We reinforce conservation-leaders through our wholehearted
support of the Ocean Family Foundation. We believe in harnessing the support of our customers by
speaking loudly about our efforts to lead change and providing transparency on our progress.
