North Sails sets up shop in Lorient
The project was in the cards for many months. The North Sails sailmaker has officially opened a floor in Lorient. Initially planned in the Défis building, built to host French America's Cup projects, it had to be revised after the building fire on June 9, 2018 . North Sails has finally set its sights on the former Tonnerre sail loft, near Lorient-La Base. "With the development of the bases of all the ocean racing teams, the Ultims, all the minis on the platform... We can't imagine not being there. And that also brings us closer to Port-La-Forêt", summarizes Philippe Touet, arrived at the head of North Sails France in Vannes in tandem with Gautier Sergent, in June 2019 .
A floor dedicated to the service of sails
The new North Sails premises have a floor area of 500 m². It is entirely dedicated to service activities. "There are no plans to manufacture sails for the boats. The objective is to always have 2 people on site. These will be people from the Vannes team who live near Lorient, and who will also avoid having to travel. This allows us to keep the same contacts with the customers. The principle is to always have one person in the design office and one sales person. Eventually, the floor in Lorient should replace our second building that we rent in Vannes. The sails of the IMOCA boats will be handled in Lorient, while the Ultim boats will remain managed in Vannes
Service also for boaters
The establishment of a North Sails service sailmaker in Lorient does not only satisfy the offshore racers. "There was no sailmaker present in Lorient for the service. When we announced our arrival, there were already sailors from the port of Kernevel who came to see us for sail repairs" explains Philippe Touet. If the sailmaker is mostly recognized in the racing and regatta world, it continues to consider yachting as a growth potential. "The first assembly with shipyards like Outremer, Gunboat, Marsaudon or IDB Marine corresponds to our marketing image. We will also make the next sails for the schooner Tara" concludes Philippe Touet.
