Winning sailors know that when the boats are identical, sails become the major opportunity to gain a performance advantage.

Doyle Sails Salem utilizes a computational simulation environment to engineer sails that are faster out of the bag, easier to trim, and maintain their designed shape through a greater wind range.

ABOUT THIS LOFT

Doyle Sails Salem is a full service and production loft based in Salem, Massachusetts There are currently 16 employees working in the 32,000 square foot Doyle Sails loft on Swampscott Road in Salem, where the operation moved in 2007.  The loft is owned and operated by well-known Marblehead sailors  Jud Smith, Chris Howes, Robbie Doyle.

Chris Howes is the VP of Sales, Chris has been selling sails for Doyle for 32 years, making him the longest tenured employee for the brand. He has had racing success in both PHRF and One Design, serving as tactician for a winning Bermuda Race campaign in 2014 and for many PHRF New England Championships. Chris has set the second-fasted corrected time in the history of the Halifax race as well as first-place finishes in every major ocean race on the East Coast and Great Lakes. Chris’s “leisure sailing” is in the Marblehead Town Class, where he has won the Season Championships for the past five years as well as two Nationals  Championships and the Marblehead NOOD regatta.

Jud Smith oversees Doyle’s well recognized One Design department which encompasses the One Design sales and production, Jud’s sailing ackolades include 2006 and 2018 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, along with 10 world titles to his name across the J70, Etchells, IOD and Mumm 30 classes. Jud was the mainsail trimmer on Stars and Stripes during Dennis Conner's 1995 America's Cup campaign. Smith has been a sailmaker for over 30 years and is regarded as one of the finest One Design sailmakers in the world.

Robbie Doyle is semi-retired, still designing sails and managing special projects at the loft in Salem. Doyle also spends time racing on various customers yachts around the world.

Jud’s daughter Lindsay Smith, manages the One Design team and has been working in the sailmaking industry since 2012. Tomas Hornos, who is known to campaign in the prestigious Star class and the stable Rhodes 19 class alike, has been in sales and sail making for a decade with Doyle. Willem van Waay offers his expertise in numerous One Design classes as an outside sales rep. Our in house sailmaking team has been together for over a decade creating consistent products you can count on.