News

Doyle Sailmakers is proud to introduce the Doyle Anomaly Headboard, winner of a 2012 Pittman Innovation Award by SAIL Magazine.

Each year SAIL honors the memory of Freeman K. Pittman, their Technical Editor of 14 years who succumbed to Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1996, with the Pittman Innovation Awards. The Pittman Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative and interesting new products on the market.

SAIL’s team of judges — senior editor Adam Cort, executive editor Charles J. Doane, technical editor Jay Paris, electronics editor Ralph Naranjo and editor-at-large David Schmidt — went through the fall boat shows looking for the latest and greatest in new gear.

The Doyle Anomaly Headboard allows a Square Top mainsail to be lowered and flaked with ease.

Sail Magazine | Doyle Anomaly Headboard
By Adam Court

Square-headed mainsails are a fantastic way of adding power to a boat’s sailplan, concentrating sailcloth up high where the wind is. Most square-headed mains carry a horizontal gaff batten at the very top of the sail with a diagonal batten angling down from the top of the leech to support the extra sail area. When it comes time to lower the sail, however, these battens cause trouble, as they don’t flake nicely, requiring that the sail’s head and/or the gaff batten be removed from the sail track. Hoisting sail is also problematic and sometimes calls for harness-dangling heroics, especially aboard large boats. Doyle’s Anomaly headboard solves these dilemmas by affixing the head of the sail to a detachable composite “carriage,” which is attached via a 2:1 tackle to the top sail car on the mast track. When raising sail, halyard tension automatically pulls the carriage into the car where a toggle locks it in place. No more having to attach the head of the sail to the track manually. When it comes time to lower the sail, the carriage comes free again as the halyard tension comes off, allowing for easy flaking. From $1,950. Doyle Sailmakers Inc. doylesails.com.

To learn more about the Anomaly Headboard and how Doyle Sailmakers can make it easier for you to enjoy your boat, visit doylesails.com/anomaly.

In an exciting finale to the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championship, Mark Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.) and Brian Fatih (Miami, Fla.) won a bronze medal in the Star Class. Mendelblatt and Fatih qualified for the country and earned them the USA berth at 2012 Olympics in Weymouth.

Photo Credit: Leandro Spina

“We’ve been working hard and training hard, and it’s all coming together,” said Fatih soon after arriving back at the dock.

Dana Paxton explains: The Star duo started ahead of the German and Swedish teams, but at the gate, both teams passed the top Americans when Mendelblatt chose the wrong lane. The Swedish needed to put two boats between them, but Mendelblatt went on to explain that if he could hold them out they would medal. “Plan A was to get the silver and it was going well halfway down the run, but the mistake I made down at the bottom put us into plan b for the bronze,” said Mendelblatt. “Even though we finished last, we made sure they finished second to last.”

Listen to the full audio interview with Mendelblatt and Fatih:

Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih Dec 17 after medal race ISAF Worlds by USSTAG

Utilizing innovative 3D modeling and rigorous testing, Doyle’s Technology Team continues to develop fast, winning Star sails. Designed and assembled in the USA, Doyle sails will proudly power Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih in the 2012 Olympics.

For more information on Doyle Star sails, click here.

Complete Results

Doyle Sailmakers is pleased to announce its continued expansion with Yancy and Bucky Smith joining the group to run Doyle Sailmakers South East Queensland in Australia. Yancy and Bucky have been designing and making sails for 18 years having joined their father’s sailmaking business, which was established in 1975. As part of the Doyle Group, Doyle Sailmakers South East Queensland will have access to Doyle’s patented Stratis™ membrane technology, supplied exclusively to Doyle lofts worldwide.

Doyle South East Queensland employs eight staff at its 400 square metre loft, and in recent years Bucky and Yancy have become one of the dominant sailmakers in the region particularly in the multihull market.

Yancy Smith runs the design and production of the loft having joined his father’s business from school in 1997. Yancy actively, and very successfully, races performance multihulls. Yancy comments, “We are very excited to be joining the Doyle group as it will give us access to the development, technology and design expertise that only the very largest sailmaking groups worldwide can afford to invest in. Doyle Sails is an industry leader in terms of the investment that goes into the development of laminated membranes and we consider Stratis™ to be the leading product worldwide in laminate technology. Joining the Doyle group will allow us to pass on the benefits that these superior materials provide to our customers.

“On the design side, having the support of Richard Bouzaid and the resources of the Auckland design team is going to help us develop higher performing sails for our customers. From the recent dealings we have had with Richard, it is not hard to understand why he has developed such a good reputation as both a designer and a sailor.”

Bucky Smith, an extremely active sailor, won the Etchells Worlds in 2009 and the Audi IRC Australian Championships also in 2009. Bucky has a vast depth of experience campaigning all classes of boats from Sabots, Sharpies, Fireballs and Finns through to maxis.

Bucky comments, “The link up with Doyle was a logical choice which will enable us to continue to grow. Mike Sanderson’s investment into Doyle has definitely opened doors at the top end of the race market which will be of great value to us, as it has been for the whole group. Doyle’s very strong presence in the superyacht sector is also an area that we will benefit us; at our loft we have the ability and facilities to service the increasing number of superyachts visiting our area, many of which are Doyle customers.”

Doyle Australia is very pleased to welcome the loft into the group as the South East Queensland team will be sharing their unrivalled knowledge and experience in the multihull market. Doyle Sails Australia has identified the multihull market as a rapidly expanding sector of the sailboat industry and a market that they have a lot to offer.

<->Doyle Sailmakers has a network of 80 lofts worldwide. Doyle’s Stratis™ laminated membranes are made by Doyle New Zealand exclusively for Doyle lofts around the world.