Glenn Ashby on the new North Sails ‘Ashby’ signature line
Photo above: Glenn at A-Cat Punta Ala Worlds 2015. Short Q&A with Glen Ashby on the North Sails to offer an Ahsby Line announcement. Glenn has been offering his sails for a while, but never had a major distributor. The partnership with North will get his sails a wider reach and will put more alternatives in the market. Quality will be there, lets check their price too when launched.
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– CSN: New sails will keep your ‘Ashby’ branding or they will be ‘North’ plus your signature?
– I saw a great gap in performance in Punta Ala A-Class Worlds, specially in early foiling, how much can be assigned to the new decksweeper sails designs?
– GC32s have shown you can have top notch foiling without hard wings.
In the long term, do you think the A-Class will end sailing hard wings sails like the ones tested by Hall or Thilo? Or better keep developing soft sails to maintain costs down and practicality?
Glenn Ashby: The sails will be a signature line of north sails. So they will have an Ashby logo along with a North logo to identify it as an Ashby signature sail.
– This move will get your sails a wider distribution, for ie in Arg we have a North sail Loft supplying South America, Are your sails going to be available world wide ?
GA: Yes they will be available Worldwide through the North Sails Network of lofts and dealers.The Ashby line will be centrally manufactured and distributed internationally.
– The sails range will be restricted to A, Tornado and Taipan as announced, no F18 signature sails now or in the future? And Since when you’ve been building sails
GA:The F18 may be a added to the Ashby line in the future. North Sails has recently put a lot of work into developing fast F18 sails and a great product is available now.
I started GA- sailmaking at the age of 16 in 1994. In 2002 I started Ashby Sails and this company has been operating since then.
I started GA- sailmaking at the age of 16 in 1994. In 2002 I started Ashby Sails and this company has been operating since then.
– I saw a great gap in performance in Punta Ala A-Class Worlds, specially in early foiling, how much can be assigned to the new decksweeper sails designs?
The decksweeper sails have made foiling more efficient, it locks the boat in more.
– You will sail Medemblik with a North/Ashby decksweeper? New tramps will part of the package? New devels like double luff a la Windsurf sails? I hope to sail in Medemblik with the latest development for sure. It is not yet clear what my commitments will be at that time but I hope it can work. I guess nothing is off the table but that would take some development work for sure.
– GC32s have shown you can have top notch foiling without hard wings.
In the long term, do you think the A-Class will end sailing hard wings sails like the ones tested by Hall or Thilo? Or better keep developing soft sails to maintain costs down and practicality?
The soft sail in my opinion suits the smaller boats very well. Both for performance and practicality.
– When the new signature sails will be available? The Ashby signature sails will be available in about a month. Keep an eye out for the announcement.
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