Death of Lowell North
The founder of the sailmaker North Sails died on June 2, 2019, at the age of 89 in San Diego, USA. Nicknamed "The Pope," Lowell North left his mark on the yachting industry, as did his competitor Danish Paul Elvstrom, who died in 2016.
A high level Star sailor, he created his sail loft in 1957 in a garage in San Diego. He produced sails for Snipe and Star. Bronze medalist in dragon at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he was crowned Olympic champion in Star in Mexico in 1968. At the same time, he continued to develop his sailmaking business to find high-performance solutions through the study of materials. As early as 1962, he began to work on sail dunnage, elongation and fatigue of fabrics. He simulates the process by attaching samples to a car antenna driven by a rotating wheel.
Developments continued with the arrival of the first laminated sail in 1977 for the America's Cup and the 12M JI Enterprise. In 1980, North Sails launched NorLam, a Mylar Polyester laminate. He finally sold his sailmaking business in 1984, but the brand continued to grow after the founder's departure, thanks in particular to 3DL technology, a pioneer in filament sails on 3D molds. Lowell North continued to race his Sleeper sailboat.
North Sails salutes its founder
The CEO of North Technology Group, which owns the sailmaker, Tom Whidden, praises the spirit of Lowell North. " Lowell's philosophy in building North Sails was simple. Have the best, which he called tigers, and dedicate yourself to the science and technology to make the best products. He pioneered new ways of building and new forms of sails. His clear purpose, creativity and competitive spirit continue to guide North Sails today, even as the company explores areas he could never have imagined. "
