WITH lofts all over the world, Doyle Sails has secured its place as
one of the leading sailmakers. The company was founded in 1982 by
Robbie Doyle and originated in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA.
Now there is over 80 lofts around the world including the Stratis
manufacturing facility in New Zealand – which opened in 2009.
Doyle Sails New Zealand is proudly Kiwi owned and
operated by Chris McMaster (Managing Director), Richard
Bouzaid (Head of Sales) and Mike Sanderson (Head of
Design). We recently spoke to Doyle Sails New Zealand
about the company and their research and development.HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BASED
IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA?
Doyle Sails Australia originated as Fraser Sails before joining
forces with Doyle Sailmakers, while Doyle Sails New Zealand
resulted from two three-generation lofts, founded in the 1920s,
combining as one. The Australasian lofts all work closely
together, sharing expertise and technology, to offer a strong
network of support to our customers throughout the countries.THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN THE USA.
IS THAT THE MAIN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT BASE?
Richard Bouzaid, Head of Design at Doyle Sails New Zealand,
is also Head of Design for the whole Doyle Group. New
Zealand is home to the Stratis technology, which is exclusively
designed and manufactured in New Zealand before being
distributed internationally.WHAT PART OF THE MARKET IS MORE
IMPORTANT TO YOU CRUISING OR RACING?
Both are very important, with each segment representing
a significant part of our portfolio.DO THE STAFF HAVE EXPERTISE
IN SPECIFIC AREAS?
We take pride in the fact we have a diverse offering and
the experts to support that. From Optimists, to mid-size
racers to 100ft canting keel yachts to a 70m superyacht,
we have expertise in-house for every type of yacht and sail.
The message we want to send is that if you come to Doyle,
you will speak to the right person for your yacht. Our team
is well-rounded in terms of knowledge, but everyone has
their own specialisation that ensures that our customers are
receiving the best possible advice and can benefit from our
significant practical experience.DO YOU OUTSOURCE ANY OF YOUR WORK?
Our Stratis range is produced exclusively in house here in
New Zealand, and distributed throughout the global Doyle
network. It is a very proudly Kiwi made product.SOME SAIL MAKERS ARE NOW USING ASIAN
BASES TO BUILD STOCK SAILS. IS THIS THE
CASE WITH DOYLE AND IF SO HOW DOES THIS
BENEFIT THE BOAT OWNERS?
There is a time and a place for this type of process if it can benefit
the end user. For example, we recently built 25 Optimist sails for
a youth programme, with the part-offshore production process
being driven by their budget. This enabled a project to go ahead
that could not otherwise have been undertaken. For the most
part, almost all work is undertaken in-house with design work
and materials being supplied out of New Zealand.WHERE IS YOUR BIGGEST MARKET IN THIS
REGION - AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, ASIA?
New Zealand has the biggest market share, but we treat all
three markets with equal importance – again this is where
we see benefit from the Australasian lofts all working closely
together as one joint network.YOU ARE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN
THE SUPERYACHT SCENE. WAS THAT
MARKET DELIBERATELY TARGETED OR
DID IT SIMPLY EVOLVE?
Initially, moving into the superyacht market was more of an
evolution than a targeted decision, but today superyachts are a
key part of our strategy. Importantly, the technology and R&D
that sails for superyachts and large race boat projects demand has
a trickle-down effect throughout our entire product range so all
our customers see the benefit of our investment into this sector.76
DOYLE
SAILS
AUSTRALIAN SAILING (^) + YACHTING
APRIL-MAY 2015 MYSAILING.COM.AU
MAIN: Maxi Rio 100
has a wardrobe of
Stratis sails.
ABOVE: From left
to Right: Richard
Bouzaid, Chris
McMaster and Mike
Sanderson.
INSIDE