Another scot at Sobstad

UK office signs up talented young sailor

Ruairidh Scott (above) has had the best season yet of his sailing career, winning the Swan 45 Europeans as tactician on Fever, the Cork 1720 OD UK Nationals and Europeans and the J80 World Championships. His successes have not gone unnoticed. Now the promising young Scotsman has joined Sobstad Sails to expand their sail design capabilities and significantly enhance their on the water support for customer campaigns.

Scott is an exciting addition to the Hamble based Sobstad team. Not only has he proven his ability on the water over recent seasons but he is a naval architect with a background in small boat and race boat design, graduating from Strathclyde University two years ago.

He will work alongside Sobstad's Technical Director Jeremy Robinson, taking what they learn from the race course to develop new moulds and sail shapes for One Design keelboats and big boats to ensure the brand continues to be one of the most successful in terms of regatta successes, and most importantly customer satisfaction.

Sobstad's Managing Director Kevin Sproul explianed the new role: "There is no shortage of young talent in the UK looking to forge a career making boats go fast, but we were attracted by Ruairidh's range of skills. We have just invested heavily in new design software and Ruairidh's training as a naval architect means he has been able to learn to fully utilise the new systems very quickly and make an immediate impact on how we design our sails. He also has a very firm understanding of rigs and sails and what works best across the range of boat sizes and performance types that our customers sail.

"We were also impressed by his drive and enthusiasm and have watched his successes closely recently and have seen his professionalism and good humour up close, and these are important attributes in our business."

Ruairidh's first project will be to update and refine Sobstad's J80 and 1720 sails, drawing on his extensive experience and successes and bringing these to the market to allow customers in these classes to benefit.

"I am delighted to be taking up this new role with Sobstad. It is a great opportunity which allows me to fully utilise and develop my interest in design, but means I will be required to continue an active sailing programme in a number of different classes and designs. Sobstad are a progressive and forward looking company who have the strength and ambition to offer a solid career in an industry which continues to undergo many changes." Commented Scott.