Sam Haines joins North Sails Australia
by Alby Pratt on 14 Jul 2015
Mid winters 2012 North Sails Australia
North Sails Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Sam Haines to our team. Sam has over 17 years sailmaking experience, first starting out at Finlay Sails in the Whitsundays in 1998 before working for North Sails in 2006-2007 when he decided to set up his own shop based in Melbourne.
Sam is excited to come full circle and join the team in Melbourne where he will work alongside Aaron Cole and John Warren to service the needs of the racing and cruising community on Port Phillip Bay and Victoria.
Michael Coxon, Managing Director on North Sails Australia, “North Sails was established in Melbourne in the 1970’s by John Bertrand then later carried on by Ross Lloyd for many years. Port Phillip Bay remains an important sailing area in Australia and we are excited to have someone with Sam’s experience deciding to join us and sharing his knowledge and expertise with our clients.
Both Aaron and Sam worked with Ross previously and we are pleased that he has re-joined our team to provide Melbourne with the best sails and service on the bay.”
Sam has extensive offshore sailing experience commencing his ocean racing career at 16 in the notorious 1998 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. He has now completed ten Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races finishing with a Performance Handicap victory in 1998, and several divisional wins in the Sydney 38 class, some IRC divisional wins, and another second Line Honours result. In recent years, he has raced on boats such as Chutzpah, Living Doll, Shogun and Skandia Wild Thing.
More than just a keelboat sailor though, Sam was also the 505 Junior World Champion in 2003 and since then has regularly competed in the 505 class at an international level. He is also active in the Etchells, J24 and OK Dinghy classes.
When Sam is not racing he can be found cruising on Port Phillip and Bass strait with family and friends.
Sam can be contacted on 0403294228 or Sam.Haines@northsails.com or at the North Sails Melbourne loft located at 23/354 Reserve Rd Cheltenham.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/136448