Meet Kevin Sproul, Owner of New UK Sailmakers in England
Kevin Sproul is one of the newest additions to the UK Sailmakers world-wide group of sailmakers with his loft in Hamble, England. Ultimate Sails, his independent loft, has a long standing relationship with the sailing community in Southampton on England’s Southern coast. Kevin has been in sailmaking for more than 30 years and has also had a prominent sailing career, winning multiple world, European, and national championships in one-design racing including seven times national champion for the J/80 class. He has competed in numerous Cowes Weeks, Commodores Cups, and the five big European Regattas (Palma Vela, Capri Rolex Cup, Carlo Negri Regatta, Porto Fino, Copa Del Rey Palma, Voiles St. Tropez). Most race days he can be found on the Solent or sometimes further afield making sure his clients and customers are getting the best from their sails. The UK Sailmakers group is growing with the addition of two more new lofts in the United States, see the next article.
Kevin is gifted with the talent to take what he sees on the water and put it directly into designs. He is very excited about joining the UK Sailmakers, and connect with a network of lofts around the world. In regard to joining UK Sailmakers, Kevin said, “We’ve always admired the quality and performance of UK sails from afar, especially the fact that they offered a wide range of construction and efficient production lofts that allow sails to be made for everyone at every price point. When Barry Hayes of UK Sailmakers Ireland made contact almost five years ago, we agreed to start working with his loft on a trial basis. It was obvious from the first sails made that their quality was even better than we imagined from the outside. [Ultimate Sails] has a history of developing, manufacturing, and selling membrane sails in the UK that goes back more than 30 years. In that time we’ve not been able to produce or source membrane sails that match the quality of the UK Sailmakers’ production.”
During the 2022 UK Sailmakers Managers Meeting held in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, Kevin was introduced to other loft owners and managers. Commenting on that meeting, Kevin said, “The sharing of ideas was a breath of fresh air, it’s obvious that the lofts are owned by sailmakers who are sailors at heart, and that they really care about their customers. The decades of experience in the group, in terms of manufacturing and design, paired with the willingness to share data, will allow us to make the perfect sail for our customers’ needs. Many sailmakers claim they design the “best” sails, but in my experience, however, often the customer ends up with a sail that doesn’t suit their needs due to poor communication between salespeople and sail designers. This is where UK Sailmakers shines and joining with the UK Sailmakers Group using the best technology in the market has given us the ability to improve every sail we deliver. And by the way, it is about time UK Sailmakers has a loft in the UK😊”
Connect with Kevin at the new UK Sailmakers England location located in Port Hamble, and sail with confidence!
Contact Information
+44 (0)2380 456205
england@uksailmakers.com
UK Sailmakers England
Unit 20 Hamble Yacht Services
Port Hamble
Southampton, SO31 4NN
