North Sails has officially opened its latest flagship loft in Genoa, Italy.
The loft is one of the world’s largest sail lofts and has been purpose built to service some of the largest sails in use.
The new building has been designed by architect Mattia Villani and will function as a focal point for North Sails Italy and North Sails clients visiting the region.
“This beautiful new sail loft is a celebration of the vibrancy of the sailing industry in Italy and a testament to the passion, hard work and future ambitions of our amazing team here,” said Alessio Razeto, sales director for North Sails Italy.
“We can’t wait to see the impact of this loft with North Sails clients, from Italy and beyond.”
We are excited that this cutting-edge loft will be one of the jewels in the crown of North Sails’ global footprint
Daniele Cassinari
Daniele Cassinari, CEO of North Sails Italy and Southern Europe sales manager, added: “We are experiencing sustained growth at North Sails Italy and we are excited that this cutting-edge loft will be one of the jewels in the crown of North Sails’ global footprint.
“We are confident that it will play an important role within Genoa and the Mediterranean sailing community.”
The facility has been constructed at an elevation of 20 meters above ground level to maximize light and visibility and extends over a total area of 3,500sqm, with a working platform of 2,000sqm.
The sailmaking floor can sustain a weight of 2,200 kg per square meter, equivalent to supporting 2.5 meters of water across its surface, or two Olympic swimming pools stacked on top of each other.
Largest sail in the world
The loft can accommodate the layout and handling of sails up to 75 meters in length and weighing up to 1,800kg, with three rotating pits which allow sewing machines to manoeuvre 360 degrees.
Due to its elevation, the main structural pillars of the building each support a load of 1,000 tons and a custom-made external freight elevator with a load capacity of four tons means that even the largest sail in the world can be managed inside the facility.
Inside the loft, a motorised sail-tensioning system allows for real-time simulation of on-board rigging conditions, enabling operations such as hoisting, trimming, and furling of sails.
In addition to the sail loft and office floor, there are two climate-controlled warehouse levels for storing sails as well as an outdoor 550sqm sail washing area equipped with a water filtration station.
Important milestone
Genoa is a critical base for North Sails, with a staff of more than 40 selling more than 1,000 sails and servicing more than 2,000 sails per year – more than 85,000sqm of sail cloth passing through the facility every year.
“This is an important milestone for North Sails as we seek to strengthen our position as the world’s leading sailmaker and marine brand,” said Sam Watson, CEO of North Sails.
“We are committed to providing the best products and world-class service to our customers and we pride ourselves on offering an unrivalled network of sail lofts.
“Alongside flagship lofts in Palma, Gosport and beyond in Europe, this incredible new facility in Genoa is pivotal to our offering of world-class customer support.”
