BETTER TOGETHER: NORTH SAILS & HYLAS YACHTS

Pushing The Boundaries For Cruisers

Building a strong partnership in 2021, North Sails and Hylas Yachts are focused on delivering the best cruising experience for sailors both on and off the water. Through continued innovation, teamwork, and cutting edge technology, sailors can expect nothing but the best from both. Bob Meagher, North Sails expert out of the Ft. Lauderdale loft of North Sails, checks-in with Peggy Huang of Hylas Yachts on the latest happenings.

The design philosophy and commercial success of Hylas Yachts has been transformed in the last few years. Can you tell us a little bit about this philosophy that’s governing the design of the boats in your business practice in general?

Although the latest Hylas H57 design certainly appears to revolutionize what we do, that's not really the case. Our primary goal continues to be the same - to build luxurious, safe, performance cruisers capable of transoceanic voyages. It's really an industry-wide technological evolution that is allowing us to enhance every aspect of what we do. From the hull construction to some lifestyle game changers, the key is to be willing to make changes that are appropriate to meet the needs of our increasingly sophisticated and knowledgeable clients. In the same way, North has developed the 3Di range, sail construction with as many advantages for our cruising clients with furling systems as it does the America’s Cup. Why would we not want to share this development?

It seems to be paying off! Most recently the Hylas 57 won Sail Magazine's "Yacht of the Year," on the heels of the Red Dot Award as Best Product Design 2022, “Best in Show“ Newport International Boat Show 2021, “Best Boat of the Year” Cruising World Magazine 2022, ”Best Systems” SAIL Magazine 2022. Did we miss any of them?

Hylas has never been a stranger to winning industry awards and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention folks like Frers, Dixon and more recently Salthouse as designers. Another important part of the mix is our partners which include yourselves at North. We particularly benefit with the consultative style approach you guys take that has been developed over the years. Industry awards have to be objective and focus on comparisons. This certainly isn’t a bad thing and it helps us tremendously from a marketing point of view. What is far more important to us is client satisfaction. We don’t have huge production capability so word of mouth is where we really see the benefit.

Can you tell us a little about why you chose North Sails to partner with?

We look for partners that are not only aligned with our own core values of quality, consistency and service but also embrace cutting-edge technology as a way of ensuring continuous improvement. I don't believe there is a Hylas owner out there that doesn't know who Peter Grimm is, and if they don’t they should make an effort to get to know him. Peter and the team at North are a very important part of why we continue to be successful. I mentioned the importance of a "consultative approach" when dealing with our clients. We genuinely enjoy introducing prospective clients to our sail team as you will always stay focused on their best interests and not the need to "up sell." I think a lot of credit should go to someone at North that allows the largest sail manufacturer in the world to provide such a highly personalized service. To learn more about North Sails sail inventory options for Hylas Yachts or similar boats, connect with Peter Grimm Jr. or Bob Meagher of North Sails Ft. Lauderdale.