North Sails has inaugurated its new loft in Genoa. Designed by architect Mattia Villani, the new facility, which joins the global network of lofts belonging to the world’s leading sail manufacturer, is located in the new Waterfront di Levante, behind the iconic Blue Pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel, which houses engines and boats on the ground floor along with marine equipment and components on the upper floor during the industry leading Genoa International Boat Show.
The new North Sails hub, which spans 3,500 square metres with a working area of 2,000 square metres, is a structure raised 20 metres above street level and can accommodate sails up to 75 metres long and weighing 1,800 kg.
An external 4-tonne hoist allows even the largest sails in the world to be moved and worked on thanks to three rotating pits (pictured) that allow the sewing machines to rotate 360 degrees.
The new North Sails loft in Genoa, which employs 40 people and produces more than 1,000 sails and repairs over 2,000 every year, is equipped with a motorised sail tensioning system that simulates real-time rigging conditions on board, allowing operations such as hoisting, adjusting and lowering that would otherwise be extremely complex to perform while sailing, particularly for superyacht and Grand Prix racing sails.
“This incredible new loft,” commented Alessio Razeto, Commercial Director of North Sails Italy, “is a celebration of the booming sailing industry in Italy and a testament to the passion, hard work and vision of our extraordinary team. We look forward to seeing the impact this loft will have on North Sails customers in Italy and around the world.”
NorthSails.com
