Loft 57: The North Sails Podcast: Recent Episodes
North Sails
Welcome onboard. Loft 57 is a conversational podcast that opens the doors to North Sails, the world’s leading sailmaker. With host Ken Read, this series goes behind the scenes with product creators and the passionate sailors who trust North Sails to power their adventures. We’ve been on this journey since 1957 and continue to make history by looking ahead.
Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Nathan Outteridge and Orient Express Racing Team CEO Bruno Dubois join the conversation in this episode of Loft 57. Nathan shares first-hand experience sailing the AC75 – from technical advancements in these foiling monsters to the challenges of getting this machine around the racetrack. Bruno, who has more than a few high-profile wins, including an Ocean Race with Dongfeng, discusses the difficulties of mounting a competitive America's Cup challenge on a limited budget and timeline.
And in a bonus feature, Cup legend and longtime North Sails leader Tom Whidden sits with Ken Read to chat about how this event, the boats, and the sailors have evolved over the last five decades.
America's Cup Hall of Famers Grant Simmer and Simon Daubney stop by Loft 57 to reflect on the America's Cup and their experience within yachting's most prestigious regatta. Between them, these two have won the Cup nine times. Their insight is second to none, and their unique point of view provides an in-depth look at the evolution of the America's Cup.
Host Ken Read recorded Season 2 of Loft 57 on-site at the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, Spain. This season goes behind the scenes with America's Cup personalities past and present. During the conversations, Ken collects first-hand accounts of what it's like inside a Cup team, what it takes to win the Cup, and why North Sails is the sailmaker of choice for every America's Cup defender and challenger since 1980.
In recent years, offshore sailing has seen a dramatic rise in popularity and awareness. This sector of our sport pushes sailors, their boats, and the equipment to the limits.
In this episode of Loft 57, our guests are synonymous with offshore racing. Volvo Ocean Race legend, Bouwe Bekking, and master sailmaker, Nathan Quirk, join us to talk about their personal experiences as well as their unique perspective of sail evolution, specifically with North 3Di. Together, their collective experience includes thousands of offshore racing miles; Bekking onboard as a sailor, and Quirk in the sail repair loft.
In this episode, we are joined by our friends from NorthActionsports (the brand behind North Kites and North Windsurfing). Professional kiteboarder Nick Jacobsen, and aero engineers Chris Williams and Steve Calder stop by Loft 57 to talk about the future of their respective sports, and how North is applying aero-engineering and high-performance innovation to their wind-powered sports.
Episode 3 is a tack from our normal conversations but we had a blast discussing how North is leading the way in all things wind, and helping professional athletes achieve their wildest dreams. You won't believe what Jacobsen wants to do next!
North Sails boasts a design team with unparalleled breadth and depth resulting in sails that are, naturally, ‘better by design.’ With a team of 60-strong, North Sail designers are innovators and opinion leaders– their collective experience is our competitive advantage. In episode 2, we sit down with two figureheads in this team to better understand how the North Sails designers work together to create the world's best products. From performance racing to performance cruising, the team at North Sais is driven and determined to lead sailing into the future.
JB Braun, Director of Design and Engineering at North Sails, is the driving force behind the team. Design teammate Dave Lenz is the North Sails European Design Manager based at the North Sails loft in Gosport. Together, Braun and Lenz oversee a roster of the industry's most talented and sought-after expertise.
Advanced mathematical modeling complements the North Sails innovative spirit. In this episode, we talk design, simulation, and the bespoke North Design Suite with three generations of sail engineers. Michael Richelson, Marco Capitani, and Brodt Taylor all bring their unique skills to the table and help create the cutting-edge products that give North Sails its signature competitive edge.