Ocean racing expert Jono Swain has recently come on board with Doyle Sails Newport to bolster their dynamic sales team.
Swain is a prominent figure in the Ocean Race circuit, having sailed around the world five times. His journeys include:
– 2012 with Puma Ocean Racing
– 2008 on Telefonica Blue
– 2005 with Movistar
– 2000 with Team Tyco
– 1997 with Chessie Racing in the Whitbread
Additionally, he participated in the 1999 America’s Cup with Aloha Racing/Abracadabra Challenge and was a specialised sail trimmer for Team Shosholoza early in the 2003 campaign.
With all these experiences, Swain has certainly accumulated a wealth of ocean sailing miles!
The Grand Prix sailing world has been a huge part of Jono’s career spanning decades – South African-born Swain, learned to sail in an Optimist at age 8 years old at Durban’s Point Yacht Club, representing South Africa twice at the Optimist World Championships. From here, there was no looking back, progressing through junior classes before moving into keelboats and taking his sailing to a professional level at the age of 22.
The leap into pro-sailing saw Swain living in Spain, Japan, New Zealand and the USA with various campaigns, Basing himself in Annapolis, Maryland as a hub for the east coast sailing for many years, but relocating to Florida in 2001 where he now resides.
As a highly sought-after trimmer with an eye for detail and experience which can only be gathered from many years of being on the water, Swain will bring his wealth of knowledge to clients of Doyle Sails, adding his expertise to an already strong team.
Jono has extensive experience sailing on Doyle-powered Grand Prix teams, where he has witnessed the advantages of collaborating with Doyle experts from the teams’ inception. This week, he is racing on the ClubSwan 50 Niramo, a campaign he has been part of for four years since the class’s early days. As competition among the teams intensifies, Doyle Sails is committed to supporting the ClubSwan fleets with specialized expertise.
Additionally, Jono is a member of the successful Botin 52 Caro team, where he has been sailing for the past few seasons in preparation for the 2025 Admirals Cup alongside fellow Doyle Sails expert and professional sailor, Justin Ferris. He is also racing on the Botin 85 Deep Blue in various inshore events across Europe and North America.
Furthermore, Jono has been heavily involved with the superyacht Hetarois, a Doyle-powered campaign, sailing on the 218-foot ketch since its launch in 2011. His diverse racing experience equips him with a wide range of skills and insights that he can share with our Doyle customers.
“We are thrilled to have Jono Swain joining us. I have sailed with Jono for several years, and admire his professionalism, exceptional skills, and his dedication to maximizing performance. Jono certainly bolsters Doyle Newport’s ability to serve our clientele.” says Dave MacMillan
“I am excited to join the team in Newport, I feel I bring to the table a lot of experience and personal expertise from years of racing, along with extending the benefits of the Doyle Sails by sailors for sailors ethos first-hand to my new customers” says Swain.
ABOUT DOYLE SAILS // Doyle Sails strives to deliver success through high-performance, high-quality, custom sails that continue to redefine the boundaries of sailmaking technology and innovation; whilst connecting sailors to inspire, support and encourage sailing.
Our obsession with sailing takes us to every corner of the world and onboard every yacht. We become part of teams, share in the adventures of friends and families, sharing our knowledge and experience with those with the same passion. Sailing is in our DNA, and we are the custodians of a legacy that has been supporting sailors for four decades and counting.
Great news, congratulations to both of you, Doyle team and Jono. All the best
Fuzzy