Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

Company founders help North Sails celebrate opening of new loft

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 17 Jul 2016
Dinghy classes on display on the new loft floor - North Sails NZ Loft opening - July 15, 2016 Richard Gladwell www.photosport.co.nz
North Sails NZ celebrated the opening of their new loft on Auckland's North Shore on Friday evening. The move is the fourth for one of New Zealand's top sailmakers, who opened their doors in Parnell's Bradford and Earl Streets in 1978, before moving to Grey Lynn, and then Packenham Street adjacent to Auckland's Viaduct harbour.

Redevelopment of the downtown Auckland area prompted the move to the new facility at 217 Archer's Road in the Wairau Valley industrial zone.

Tom Schnackenberg told how he started the New Zealand arm of what was to become the North Sails empire after he returned to New Zealand having worked with North Sails in San Diego.

'There were just four of us when we started - his sister Lizzie, Ross Blackman, Kent Luxton and Tom.

'When we had finished the loft he had our first Friday night party which became something of a six monthly tradition.'

At the time Schnackenberg was working with the Auckland loft, as well as for North Sails Inc, and was also part of the Alan Bond America's Cup program in 1980 and 1983.

'Ross pretty well ran it. He was the only one there when they walked in the door!'

'We went for several years like this.'


They were the years when New Zealand was subject to import controls, and North Sails had to buy their luff tapes through John Street of Fosters - who had the license. 'We weren't allowed to bring them into the country. He would never stock anything, so he would have to order it, and we would take delivery, and then be able to finish the sail.'

Muldoon was the Prime Minister at the time and imposed a 25% Boat Tax, which slowed the industry, but on the other side, exporters would receive an 11% Government subsidy. 'It was crazy. Then there was 40% duty on computers!'

Others such as Dave Schmidt, John Clinton, and Brad Butterworth joined before going off to do their own thing with Sobstadt Sails.

'Tom and Richard Dodson came on board about ten years after we started, and we started a new loft North Sails NZ in Mackelvie Street in Grey Lynn. Then the loft really took off.'


'That was a big step for us,' explained Tom Dodson, taking up the story. 'Earl and Bradford was a loft that had been successful for the company for a long time, he said. But the same as has been done with this new loft, you have to think of future-proofing the company, and we have now made four moves. Five if you include the Kumeu loft where we built a lot of sails for the Maxis, the round the world boats and America's Cup including the K-Boat, which is down on Auckland's waterfront.'

'Whenever I travel around the world, and I often get asked why Kiwis punch above their weight in NZ - you've got to ship your sails a long way and with a world-wide customer base. My response has always been-been that in other countries if you are a high achiever you want to go into the automotive industry or engineering or something like that. But in New Zealand, the top people in schools want to come into the marine industry.'

'A lot of those people come to North Sails,' he added.

'We are also fortunate in New Zealand that there is plenty of wind, and our customers like to use their boats and wear their sails out. We've been blessed with good people working for us and good customers.'


'Packenham Street was a great site for us,' explained Burns Fallow. 'It was a bold move to build a loft that size at the time. But it paid big dividends.'

'A year ago it became obvious we couldn't stay there with all the development that was taking place in the Wynyard Quarter - so we pulled the trigger and left the Council know we would be moving out. Three weeks later the wrecking ball descended - we timed our exit well!'

'This new loft has been a massive project - much bigger than I imagined it would be when we signed up the lease about a year ago.'

'Today we have one of the best sail lofts in the world. I'm proud of it, and everyone who works here is proud of it,' he added.

The official opening, by cutting a ribbon stretched across the loft floor was performed by Sally, North Sails' longest serving employee and founder Tom Schnackenberg.

North Sails have maintained a presence in downtown Auckland with a sales and pick-up office in Westhaven Drive.




Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERJeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

Related Articles

36th SCIBS set to make waves
Ready for record-breaking attendances at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show The countdown is over - Australia's most prestigious marine event is ready to make a splash! The 36th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show kicks off today, and it's set to be the biggest, boldest, and most breathtaking showcase in the event's history.
Posted on 21 May
Int'l Youth Match Racing Champs dates released
RPAYC announce the dates for the 2025 Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship RPAYC is pleased to announce the dates for the 2025 HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Championship, with the 31st edition set to again be conducted on the beautiful waters of Pittwater, scheduled to occur 19 to 23 November 2025.
Posted on 21 May
Eighth edition of the Foiling Awards wraps up
Overall Forlanini Award goes to France's Erwan Jauffroy The prestigious accolades recognising the world's top foiling athletes, products, projects and events over the past 12 months were presented in Genova (Italy), based on online votes cast by the international foiling community.
Posted on 21 May
Introducing the Calibrator from SailingPerformance
Onboard electronics from Sailling Performance Have you ever sailed on a boat where the wind numbers coming from the onboard electronics were constantly wrong, where every time you tacked, the wind seemed to back by 15 degrees?
Posted on 21 May
IMA Maxi Europeans day 2
Small boats to the fore after formidable coastal course The second coastal course of the IMA Maxi European Championship in Sorrento, Italy was an action-packed affair, taking the maxis on a complex course visiting local hotspots including the Amalfi Coast and lapping Capri.
Posted on 21 May
SailGP Docuseries Spotlights Spithill's Sacrifices
Showcasing growth of the most exciting racing on water SailGP announced it will launch its first-ever, long-form premium docuseries Uncharted next month in order to highlight how the global championship has flipped the narrative on traditional sailing through the lens of Jimmy Spithill.
Posted on 21 May
2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race preview
To date, yachts representing ten nations have confirmed their participation There has been an encouraging early wave of entries for the 46th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, set to commence on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Posted on 20 May
52 Super Series fleet is out into the Atlantic
11-strong fleet is now mustering in Galicia Following the successful shipping of most of the TP52s from Nice in the Mediterranean out into the Atlantic and to Vigo on rugged northwest of Spain, the race fleet is now mustering in Galicia ahead of the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES Royal Cup.
Posted on 20 May
Puget Sound sailing, Etchells, J/70s, Cup news
Seeking Goldilocks conditions on Puget Sound, Etchells NAs, J/70 U.S. Nationals, AC38 news As the saying goes, 'you don't know unless you go'. While I've mostly heard this phrase applied to climbing, skiing, and mountaineering, four late-winter and springtime races on Puget Sound this year exemplified the fact that this line.
Posted on 20 May
2025 edition of fivepointfive magazine published
5.5 Metre Class now off to Poland for the first time The 2025 edition of fivepointfive Magazine was launched during the recent Alpen Cup at Riva and is now available to read online and download.
Posted on 20 May