Please select your home edition
Edition
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

UK Sailmakers opens first-ever loft in New Zealand

by Adam Loory on 30 Sep 2015
Phil Houghton at his loft in Whangarei Becky Jeffries
For the first time in the company’s 69-year history UK Sailmakers has a loft in New Zealand. Lennart Dalhström, President of UK Sailmakers International, announced that Phil Houghton, with his loft in Whangarei , has joined the group of nearly 50 UK lofts around the world.

“Phil who goes by ‘Phizzle,’ has 33 years of sailmaking experience will add a great deal to the UK group in addition to expanding the groups global footprint,” said Dahlström. As for why he joined the UK Sailmakers group, Houghton said, “I find it a significant business strength that all the lofts in the UK Sailmakers group are independent businesses yet they work together seamlessly to offer sailors around the globe excellent sails at competitive prices.”

The loft in Whangarei is located in the marine hub two hours north of Auckland. Whangarei is the destination for cruisers who cross the Pacific to be out of the cyclone belt for the summer months.

Phil’s vast sailmaking experience goes back to making sails for New Zealand’s first America’s Cup challenger, KZ1, in 1986 as well as for the Whitbread maxi’s Steinlager I and II. He was also the shore sailmaker for Yamaha, which won the Whitbread 60 class in the 1993-1994 Whitbread Round the World Race.

In October 1994 Phil, together with Richard Bouzaid, opened the first New Zealand Doyle Sails loft in Westhaven, Auckland. The company grew to three separate lofts in Auckland. Phil sold his share of the business in 2008.

Working on a contract basis for Doyle Sails, Phil has been busy overseeing their Superyacht services. His final project at Doyle before becoming a UK loft in Whangarei was Head Sailmaker for Sanya 2011, the first Chinese entry in the Volvo Round the World Race.

Phil’s racing experience is vast with thousands of miles of ocean races that include Sydney to Hobart races, races to Fiji and Noumea as well as major international race weeks including Key West and Hamilton Island. And, if that isn’t tough enough, twice he raced double-handed around New Zealand’s North Island.

UK Sailmakers was founded in 1946 as Charles Ulmer, Inc., in New York City. In the 1970s, when computers made sharing sail designs possible, Ulmer Sails branched out with lofts around North America. In 1984 the company changed its name to Ulmer Kolius Sailmakers and in 1987 the name was shortened to UK Sailmakers. The group has grown over the years taking in Horizon Sailmakers as well as Halsey Lidgard.
Maritimo M50Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterExcess Catamarans

Related Articles

Admiral's Cup 2025 | D3 Inshore Racing Videos
More light and tricky conditions on the Solent. Three races? More light and tricky conditions on the Solent. Three races?
Posted today at 1:55 am
O'pen Skiff World Championship in Japan
Team USA delivers a solid performance Five US sailors traveled to Nishinomiya, Japan for six days of challenging conditions, hot temperatures, and world class sailing. USA sailor Lucas Doran was in third place in the U17 fleet before the final day of racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
Admirals Cup: Day 4 - All hanging on the Fastnet.
The end of the beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup. Rán runs aground - claims redress. Today marked the End of the Beginning of the 2025 Admirals' Cup with the conclusion of Inshore racing on what is known as the "Central Solent". The Baltic teams' TP52 Rán hit a sandbank and has claimed redress.
Posted on 24 Jul
Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49ers Series
Happening for the first time at Hamilton Island Race Week Palm Beach Motor Yachts is proud to be the naming rights sponsor of the Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49er Series, which will debut at the 2025 Hamilton Island Race Week, celebrating its 40th edition in August.
Posted on 24 Jul
Less than 48 hours to Rolex Fastnet Race
Battle lines are being drawn up Battle lines are being drawn up for the RORC's centenary Rolex Fastnet Race. As the final day of Admiral's Cup inshore racing took place in the Solent, so several yachts due to take part in Saturday's main event were out training.
Posted on 24 Jul
A Day at the WASZP Games
Video interviews with some of the sailors and supporters of the class The WASZP Games 2025, being held at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in the UK, has attracted 248 of the foiling dinghies to take part in a week of varied and high intensity racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
Admiral's Cup David Maynard Thursday Gallery
First race of the day, captured for our viewing pleasure David Maynard was out on the water to catch the action from the first on Thursday of the Admiral's Cup Inshore Racing.
Posted on 24 Jul
World Sailing's inaugural Impact Report
Charting a new course for a sustainable future in sport World Sailing, the global governing body for the sport of sailing, today released its first Impact Report, a comprehensive overview of the federation's significant progress in environmental sustainability and social contribution.
Posted on 24 Jul
Yoann Richomme returns to Fastnet
Says Elodie Bonafous' is the boat to beat This weekend's biennial Rolex Fastnet Race - one of the oldest classics in sailing - sees the IMOCA Class return to the racetrack, with eight boats on the startline on Saturday for what is the second round of this year's IMOCA Globe Series Championship.
Posted on 24 Jul
2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior Worlds kicks off
Over 20 races scheduled across eight days, with the world's top young windsurfers chasing the title The world's fastest young windsurfers are arriving in Brittany as the 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior World Championships get under way in Brest.
Posted on 24 Jul