Stu Bannatyne, triple round the world race winner, joins Doyle Sails

by Sail-World.com NZL on 5 Feb 2016 Doyle Sails New Zealand has announced that Stuart Bannatyne has joined their team as Grand Prix Race Sales & Projects rep.

Best known for his Volvo Ocean Race record of seven events winning three. He has broken the world 24 hour monohull record on five occasions. He wss named New Zealand Yachtsman of the Year in 2009. Bannatyne is also an ISAF World Youth Champion in the Laser class.

Stuart Bannatyne has participated in and won some of the world’s most prolific and challenging offshore races including seven Volvo Ocean Races, with three wins, eight Fastnet races, three Transpacs, 11 Sydney Hobarts, working as tactician on several high profile race programmes and with significant racing experience on the smallest through to the biggest yachts.

“I am really looking forward to working with guys I have known for a long time, who command a lot of respect within the industry; sailing is ultimately a people business and you have to have the right people on your team,” says Bannatyne. “It’s a dynamic company and I am particularly excited about the team’s flexibility to work on new ideas and ability to adapt to and create new technologies. I believe that Doyle Sails New Zealand is cutting edge in terms of technology and offers top level service for clients.”

With a background in engineering coupled with his huge wealth of experience on the water Stuart will work alongside Head of Sales Mike Sanderson and the rest of the sales team to provide expert rounded advice and support to Doyle Sails New Zealand’s customer base.

“Doyle made sails are increasingly in demand from performance yachts and Stu’s appointment supports our work in continuing to grow our presence in the Grand Prix racing sector,” says Sanderson. “Sailmaking has become more of a science than an art and Stuart’s engineering qualifications together with his sailing experience will provide the perfect blend of expertise for our clients.”

Doyle Sails New Zealand places huge importance on the customer service side of sailing, working with customers to explore all avenues of getting the most out of their boat performance-wise. “Building world class sails is one thing, but we want to offer more than that and help the teams with the full package, complete integration between all major facets of the game ,” says Sanderson. “The way the sport has evolved means you need to look at the whole picture including sails, rigs, boat design, crew selection and rating optimisation, in order to help clients to get the best return on their investments.

'That is where the experience of our team, all those years and ocean racing miles on the water as part of professional programmes is so important. This rounded approach is the direction we want the company to move in and Stu is the perfect candidate to help make that happen.”

Bannatyne is the latest in a line of impressive appointments to the Doyle Sails New Zealand team and the company is proud to have its strongest sales and support team to date with some of the industry’s most respected and experienced names from the cruising and racing sectors alike. Other recent appointments include David Le Pelley as Stratis Research and Development Manager, John Martin as Cruising Rep, Chris Blunden as Project Manager and Simon Lacey in Superyacht Sales.

To see the pedigree of Doyle Sails full team click here