Ethan Bixby
Ethan has raced extensively at International levels. He won the 1981 International 505 Class World Championships as helmsman, and has won 7 National Championships in a variety of classes. More recently he has been trimming sails on many Grand Prix racing boats, including Roy Disney’s new 86’ Pyewacket and many Farr 40 and IMS racers in Europe and in the states. Ethan actively races in the 505, Snipe, and Windmill classes. With 3 World Championships in keelboats and extensive experience in other classes, he brings a broad racing background to your assistance. But don’t let all this racing fool you! Ethan spent six years living aboard and two years cruising from the Bahamas to Newfoundland.

Here at the loft in St. Petersburg, Ethan uses this range of experience directly in recommending new sails and equipment and showing how to get the most out of existing sails. As a hands-on sailmaker for 27 years, there are few in the St. Petersburg area with this amount of sailmaking experience. ethan@sales.northsails.com

Lin Robson
Lin brings an extensive background to our group. A lifelong sailor, he grew up in the Tampa Bay area racing dinghies and larger boats regionally and nationally. He has sailed well over 100,000 worldwide ocean miles as a yacht captain on vessels to 90 feet, and has built and successfully raced his own PHRF boat. Lin is a multiple US National and North American champion in the FD class, and is currently campaigning in the 505 and FD classes internationally.

Lin has worked as a sail consultant for seven years, and looks forward to assisting any project, from dinghies to keelboat racing and bluewater cruising programs. Lin@sales.northsails.com

Dave Beatson – Jacksonville
Dave has been involved in sailing all of his life. He was a long time Royal Canadian Yacht Club member, spending his youth sailing with the junior sailing program and later working as an instructor there. Racing Lasers and other dinghies he was exposed to top level international competition in both youth and open events. He went on to compete on many offshore and one-design keelboats in the Toronto and Detroit circuits.

As an avid windsurfer, Dave worked in the industry and competed in international events for eight years. He subsequently joined his father’s sail loft and worked six years learning the fundamentals of sailmaking and rigging for larger yachts.

After moving to Florida in 1994, he ultimately became the production manager of a large local loft. In 1999 Dave eagerly accepted an invitation to team up with Ethan Bixby and crew at North Sails Gulf Coast. Now representing North Sails out of Jacksonville, he can help clients in the northern part of the state. daveb@service.northsails.com.