Shane Hughes joins North Sails Ireland
by North Sails Ireland 30 Dec 2016 00:06 PST
30 December 2016
North Sails Ireland is strengthening its sales and service line-up ahead of what promises to be a strong year for the Crosshaven based company.
Renowned international yachtsman Shane Hughes will join the team in January 2017 working alongside company founder Nigel Young in Crosshaven and Prof O'Connell in Dublin.
Now, with Ireland set for an extended period of economic growth, Young believes the time is right to bring Hughes on-board to help deal with what he expects to be a busy year in Irish yachting.
"I'm delighted that Shane will be joining Prof and myself as we begin 2017. Shane brings an unrivalled level of expertise as a racer and equally importantly is somebody who is highly-respected and well-liked."
Born in Dublin, Hughes began his racing career at the age of nine in Howth Yacht Club. He competed nationally and internationally in Mirrors and 420s and began racing keelboats at the age of 15.
When Hughes was 20 Nigel Young invited him to become a member of the famed North Sails 1720 crew. Soon after Hughes joined North Sails UK as a sailmaker. He went on to run the company's service floor before being recruited to the sales team.
This resulted in many years competing at the highest level on the UK and international regatta circuits and he quickly earned a reputation as an expert across a range of high-performance one-design classes.
Hughes sailed with Oman Sail for the gruelling Tour Voile marathon race around Europe and won the 2015 Sailing Arabia The Tour event as part of the EFG Bank Monaco crew. As project manager and trimmer for several years with prolific British sailing team, 'Red', Hughes secured victories at the Melges 32 European Championship and in the Farr 400 and Farr 280 classes at Key West Race Week.
In his new role, Hughes will be working with new and existing North Sail Ireland clients all across Ireland, but will have a special focus on developing relationships along the east coast of the country.
"I can't wait to get started," Hughes said. "I have always believed that North Sails research and development and production capabilities set them head and shoulders above the competition and I'm thrilled to be back home working in the Irish sailing community."
Shane Hughes can be contacted on:
Mobile: 083 8103539
Email: