Newport Shipyard
Loft Info
Newport Shipyard
1 Washington Street
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
954 560 6665
Specialties
Bend on / Bend off, Certified Service, New Sails
North Sails Experts
Mike Toppa
Loft Manager
Mike.Toppa@northsails.com
401 683 7997
954 560 6665
Ken Read
President
ken.read@northsails.com
401 849 7997
Eric Wakefield
Service Manager
eric.wakefield@northsails.com
Bill Fortenberry
Commercial Director
Bill.Fortenberry@northsails.com
401 965 3433
401 965 3433
Contact
Local News
Would you like to work in a fun fast paced environment with the Worldwide leader in sailmaking? North Sails in Portsmouth, RI is looking for a new Office Manager. Since 1957, North Sails has led the sailmaking …
Drew Freides is a well-known face in the sailing world. His list of impressive results includes back to back Melges 20 World Champion in 2017 and 2018, two IC37 Winter Series wins, 2019 Farr 40 …
North Sails is pleased to announce that John Baxter and Christina Donnermeyer have joined the Chicago loft team. Baxter, the former owner of Doyle Midwest, brings over three decades of sailmaking industry experience and consolidates …
North Sails Expert Tom Davis is particular about sail storage. He’s shared his best tips below to ensure your sails remain in top shape for next season. Given how strange 2020 has been in many respects, …
It wasn’t flashy imagery or action sports videos that got Steve Calder, North Sails designer, interested in kiting. His love for the sport began when his son decided he wasn’t interested in sailing optis while …
Pros at the top of the fleet share how the North 9DSX Moth sail takes them through the range of conditions and their personal tuning tips. Shop Moth Sails
Making a name for himself in the fiercely competitive Optimist fleet is 14-year-old British sailor Santiago Sesto-Cosby. Having sailed the Optimist for an astounding 10 years, we were eager to find out about his journey …
By the time most people are making their morning coffee, Jesse Fielding and Francesca Clapcich have logged a 20-mile bike ride with their team. Getting to their goals includes a training regimen on par with …
Diving headfirst into a new style of sailing has made for an exciting and competitive summer for North Sails President Ken Read. Join Ken live with special guests Suzy Leech and Brad Read as they …
Onne Van der Wal’s Pearson 36 didn’t always shine as she does now. Before she was Snoek, she was tired and tangled on her mooring in Newport Harbor. Now, she’s a gem of the New …
November 8th, the next edition of the Vendée Globe race is set to start from Les Sables d'Olonne, North Sails has designed the sails for the ¾ of the IMOCA fleet, 17 of which have …
Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. The spinnaker trimmer often has as good a feel for performance as you do while driving, and together …
The most important element of upwind boathandling is tacking, though every once in awhile an efficient reef or genoa change could also win you a race. Tacking seems like a minor thing, but the difference …
A: Having higher loads is the biggest issue. Because the boat does not heel and release the load, when the pressure hits it means every aspect of the sails and rigging must be up-specked for …
In 2018, Mr. Enrico Bonatti purchased Kinina, a Swan 78. Why a Swan 78? “I prefer the best quality,” he said. “And the 78 is the right size for me.” Mr. Bonatti then met with …
https://youtu.be/vIhnL3AB_oY It took until mid-July but it finally feels like summer on Narragansett Bay. This past weekend 24 boats of various shapes and sizes participated in IYAC’s 2020 Newport Cup to race around Conanicut Island. Local …
Call us competitive but sitting down to write this article is very exciting because it’s the first week in a while where we have a healthy dose of race results. The noteworthy point in sharing …
Doublehanded sailing has gained momentum globally, as the gateway to getting back out on the water while remaining socially distant. It is also the latest event added to Paris 2024, so now is the time …
Owner and co-skipper, Catherine Pourre and co-skipper Pietro Luciani are the winning duo onboard Class40 Eärendil. Together, the pair are the reigning Class40 World Champions, have twice won the RORC Caribbean 600, The Atlantic Cup, …
With nearly 20-thousand miles under his belt, Sam Fitzgerald is no stranger to the challenges of going offshore, especially with only two sets of hands onboard. A naval architect and seasoned Class40 racer, with accolades …
In 2016, Ken and Liisa Bacco set sail from Newport, Rhode Island on December 1st during a snow storm onboard their Oyster 47.5 cutter rig, Altair, to meet up with the Oyster World Rally (OWR) …
A few months ago, North Materials Expert Tom Davis wrote an article titled “What are the Best Sails for Club Racing”. It only seems logical to have a companion piece to that, but with a …
The ClubSwan 36, which made its debut in May 2019, is seeing significant signs of growth. Despite a delay in sailing in 2020, the North Sails team has spent the first half of this year …
Southern Spars, a North Technology Group company, is proud to announce they have joined forces with Magma Structures to deliver a new generation of DynaRigs. The DynaRig concept has proven itself as an effective alternative …
A: 3Di OCEAN is the newest line of 3Di sails from North Sails, designed and engineered exclusively for cruising. A: 3Di OCEAN is for you if you are looking for a premium cruising product, providing high …
After an exhaustive research and development program, North Sails is thrilled to launch 3Di OCEAN 370, our latest innovative sail product that completes a line-up of 3D molded sails dedicated to cruising. This new product is …
You know when it feels right. It’s that moment when you could almost let go of the wheel and the boat could steer itself. A boat in perfect balance. Racing sailors will go to extraordinary …
North Sails announces an exciting new partnership with leading sailing rally organizers World Cruising Club. The aim of the partnership is to inspire sailors around the world to embark on a cruising adventure, using North …
It’s still a complicated time in many places around the world, and a huge thank you to our entire North Sails team, clients, and friends who have pulled together in a way that is quite …
By Tom Whidden One of the goals for our book, The Art and Science of Sails, is to connect the theoretical with the practical. An understanding of the physics of aerodynamics will help us better trim …
Fill your social feeds with all things sailing. Each day North Sails is curating our social media channels with content that showcases our passion for being on the water. We're collecting images that inspire us …
Catch your local teams live this week with our upcoming interactive webinar schedule. North Sails Class Experts from around the world have joined forces to bring you the best tips and techniques that will help …
Personnel, lofts, clients, and friends of North Sails are navigating this global crisis together. Many of our local Certified Service Centers have taken the initiative in their areas to build masks when possible and support their …
Lightweight, reliable, unique. North 3Di sails are engineered to minimum weight and maximum performance. By eliminating the use of mylar, 3Di will not delaminate. Each 3Di sail is precisely shaped on full-sized molds and built …
Spring launch dates may be delayed but when it does arrive, you don’t want to miss a single second of the 2020 sailing season. We’re especially looking forward to seeing our harbors full of boats …
North Sails President Ken Read checked in to give us an update on what’s going on at North Sails this week. Ken, like all of us, is working from his makeshift home office in Rhode …
Do you race, cruise or do both? North Sails offers a broad range of sail materials to meet a wide variety of needs. This can make navigating sail material choices daunting. Depending on whether you …
Our experts have created a variety of articles to help you gain confidence for your next getaway. Topics include battens, weather, safety, durability of cruising sails, and more. Whether you are leaving land behind or …
Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. Practices from racing around the world, including the toughest conditions of the Southern Ocean, can apply to sailors of all …
Libby Greenhalgh has navigated around the world twice with the Volvo Ocean Race; she's a director with the Magenta Project and has an offshore resume that ranks her among the top sailors in the world. …
There are many ways you can help prolong the life of your sails. Here are some pointers to keep you aligned with our sail care maintenance practices, which can be part of your regular routine …
What happens if you furl your sail the wrong way? - with the sun cover on the inside instead of the outside of the furl? Unfortunately, we see the effects of this in our service …
The North Sails teams around the world have received a bunch of calls and emails recently. A quick Q+A has been put together to help provide you with information on where we are at during …
Thinking about battens? Preparing for a new season is something that is on everyone’s mind. Whether you’re staging your boat to launch, planning an extended cruise, or hoisting your sails for a weeknight club race, …
Cruising sailors demand durability. Yet, durability is not an easily quantified element of sail performance. Predicting durability is a tough challenge, because sails are subjected to so many different forms of use and conditions. That …
For Chad Atkins and Oliver Moore, winter means fast apparent wind sailing on their DN iceboats—whenever they can find ice and wind within driving distance of Rhode Island. We recently spoke with them to learn …
Due to our current state of social distancing, we are cancelling the in-person event. If you have not RSVP'd please do so below, and we will still connect you to the fleets/groups you are interested …
For some sailors, “club racing” means a casual jib-and-main evening race aboard a well-stocked cruising boat carrying roller furlers and its anchor and chain in the bow. For others, it means a no-holds-barred weekend race …
North Sails Certified Service gives Superyacht crews and boat owners the benefits and convenience of experience through a global network of sail lofts and Regatta Repair pop-up lofts. With unparalleled experts, technology and 14 dedicated …
The basic rig dimension for a yacht are generally understood. However, there are some differences in how some sailors describe these dimensions. Here is how we define them at North Sails. I – Height of Foretriangle Elevation …
Ken Read explains why he raced double-handed in a new 33 footer from Fort Lauderdale to Key West. I just broke a cardinal rule that I was told a long time ago by a Bermuda Race …
Calling all weekend warriors! The New York Yacht Club in Newport, RI, USA will be hosting the ORC/IRC World Championship this year, on September 25th - October 3rd. This is the first offshore championship to …
North Sails is offering complimentary weather forecasts to all teams competing in the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. Sign up today for your free daily forecast delivered right to your inbox, prepared …
Rochester Yacht Club hosted the J/24 Nationals on the beautiful waters of Lake Ontario, with 48-boats in attendance. North Sails clients had the upper hand on the competition, bringing their best game to the race …
As the Official Performance Partner, North Sails is hosting three seminars with ocean-racing expert Peter Isler, Race Meteorologist Chris Bedford, and local North Sails Experts to help prepare you for the Newport Bermuda Race. The …
RSVP by September 9th and include your favorite summer sailing 📸. We'll pick our favorite 50 and the winners will receive a North Sails hat and a ticket to the Newport International Boat Show.
Congratulations to Sirona who went home with all the candy and champagne at the Candy Store Cup Regatta. The 22m Sloop was named the overall winner of the Newport, Rhode Island-based event, co-hosted by Bannister’s …
Have A Question On How To Improve Your Game On The Race Course? Ask Our Team North Sails is excited to support the 2019 Camden Classics Cup and Youth Regatta. Our experts will be on hand …
2019 marked the 175th year of the New York Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta, first run in 1844. A variety of yachts with an LOA of 30 feet or greater came to Newport, RI, and sixteen …
North Sails is excited to continue our sponsorship of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas, and Marblehead is the next stop on the circuit. North Sails local team will be on hand for all your sail …
North Sails is proud the be the Official Sailmaker to the 12 Metre World Championship, which began in Newport, Rhode Island on July 8th. Our sponsorship included bringing in sailing photographer Ian Roman, to document …
There was a distinct shift in the vibe at Block Island Race Week this year. The new title sponsor Margaritaville injected the 28th edition of the weeklong regatta with a new energy, impressive onshore activities, …
Lowell North founded North Sails in 1957, one year before the America’s Cup ushered in 30 years of storied racing in the 12 Metre Class, creating some of the most memorable moments in sailing history. …
Block Island Race Week is just around the corner. Our experts created this Tool Kit to help your team prepare for racing in one of the most idyllic sailing destinations on the east coast. Long time …
North Sails Collection, renowned for its lifestyle clothing and sailing crew collections in Europe has opened a new US flagship sportswear store in Newport, RI .The new store location is significant, placing it in the heart …
This article has been republished from the May/June issue 26 of Superyacht Times, author Charl van Rooy. Talking superyacht racing with sailing legend Ken Read. From a humble sail-making background in his hometown of Newport to the …
Who said the lay day should be non-eventful? Not us. The Storm Trysail Club has decided to change things up this year, and proud partners Margaritaville, North Sails and New England Ropes jumped on board …
North Sails is pleased to announce the opening of a new sales office in Newport, Rhode Island. Located in the heart of the vibrant Newport Shipyard, the team believes that this location will give Grand …
North Sails is excited to continue our support of Block Island Race Week. The race, entering its 28th edition in 2019, is one of the Northeast’s most anticipated and attended regattas. The expansion of racing formats …