If you’ve ever visited a sail loft, it can be a hub of activity. But you’ve surely never seen a sail loft the likes of the one just opened by North Sails. Located in Gosport, England, it’s said to be the world’s largest.
Just how large, you ask? The raised floor is nearly 20,990 square feet (1,950 square meters). This North Sails loft opened for business last week. It is also intended to become the European flagship facility, complementing existing manufacturing sites in the United States and Sri Lanka.
The new North Sails loft specializes in superyacht sails. The location is further home to other departments, including service, one design sail creation, and North Sails 3Di. (North Sails holds a patent for 3Di, a composite manufacturing process that lets high-performance sails approach the load bearing and shape holding of a rigid foil.) All told, nine designers and 82 other craftspeople and staff are on site.
This time-lapse video provides a good overview of the immense space, which is split into two bays. Two J-Class headsails plus a mainsail can easily occupy the floor in one bay, while the other takes care of the one design sails and service. You also gain appreciation for the labor it takes to make just one of these massive sails.
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