Why Banks Sails?
WHY BANKS SAILS
Banks Sails Northwest stays at the forefront of custom sail manufacturing throughout the United States
Over the years, we’ve been asked to join virtually every sailmaking group. After weighing all the options, we have always chosen to remain an independent sailmaking operation. So now, why Banks Sails? From our earliest conversations in 1995 with Banks Sails USA president, Steve Benjamin, it was apparent that Banks Sails was a sailmaking group that was young, aggressive, and on the way up. It was also apparent that they listened to what their group members wanted and acted on it, rather than telling the group members how it was going to be.
As well as being one of Europe’s most established sailmakers, Banks Sails is well established on the East Coast, appearing on some of the hottest racing machines in the area. The United State’s Admiral’s Cup Team’s big boat entry, “BLUE YANKEE”, sported a full inventory of Banks sails.
The Waagmeester team was always known for making some of the fastest spinnakers available, and it would have been difficult to join up with a group whose spinnakers were not up to snuff. Fortunately, Banks Sails has a reputation for making some of the fastest spinnakers in the world. Banks Sails in England is known for having one of the world’s most innovative sail designers in Ken Rose. Ken is one of the world’s pioneers in computer aided sail design. He is largely responsible for the Banks’ edge in computer technology. He is responsible for the Checkmate Main and Genoa programs, as well as the new Series 2000 Spinnaker programs.
We at Waagmeester Canvas Products were thrilled to become the first Banks Sails loft on the West coast, and the opportunity presented to us as Banks Sails Northwest has been outstanding. It appears many other lofts in the United States have been anxious to jump on the Banks bandwagon as well. Banks Sails has added many lofts in the United States this year. Many of these lofts are switching over from other loft affiliations. Banks Sails has systematically built a network of lofts that have the technical knowledge to help design, and then build, some of the most advanced sails in the world. Banks Sails Northwest is proud to be a part of this cutting edge team of world class sailmakers.
