The Scott Sails Story

Background & Purpose

Scott Sails was established by Sydney local Bret Scott in 1982. Bret's driving force was the desire to have more control over the full life cycle of the sailmaking craft - from the definition of customer need to the production of the most appropriate technical solution and subsequent aftercare.

Bret has always been committed to a holistic sailmaking process that fully recognises the nuanced needs of individual sailors. However, in the early Eighties, local sailmakers were increasingly being absorbed by larger offshore entities. Bret believed this posed two risks.

Firstly, Bret was concerned that the management of these larger companies was becoming detached from both the craft of sailmaking and the specific needs of individual customers - that company first was replacing customer first as the mass production model took hold.

Second, that the specialisation of the workforce - cutting only, sewing only, eyelets only - was creating a siloed workforce detached from the overall purpose of the exercise. Bret believed that too many were confusing outputs with outcomes - that a sail in the bag was more important than how a sail performed within a sailor's specific context.

Bret was concerned the holistic craft of bespoke sailmaking was in decline, and with it, the value proposition to a market increasingly populated by recreational sailors - of varying experience, knowledge, and boat - was being eroded.

And so Scott Sails was born - a loft that is passionate about the craft of sailmaking and a loft that strives to put the client's specific needs at the centre of every decision.

“Scott Sails cares about ensuring you get what you need to meet your own personal sailing objectives.
We are customer-centric to our core.”

What Makes Us Different

Why Scott Sails

The Scott Sails Point of Difference

Although comprising a small team in an unassuming loft in Manly Vale, Scott Sails has a lot to be proud of. Some little known facts include:

Scott Sails was one of the first sailmakers in Sydney to introduce a computer plotter cutter and design software. A culture of technical awareness and advancement is embedded in the loft.
All Scott Sails branded product is produced in-house in Manly Vale. This includes all design, manufacture, and repair. All associated IP can therefore be captured and made accessible to the whole Scott Sails team, enabling easy information share across projects.
Scott Sails is one of the few sailmakers able to take calculated risks on design due to a lack of managerial hierarchy. A small flat-structured team working in close physical proximity enables fast and agile decision making. This drives innovation.
The small friendly team enables effective communication between sailmaker and end-user. This, in turn, enables a feedback loop on the effectiveness of design, feeding a continuous improvement process that can significantly benefit returning customers.

“Scott Sails is an outcomes driven design loft at its core. Informed experimentation is encouraged, all thanks to its forward thinking owner, agile organisational structure and strong customer relationships.”

Sails by Sailors

The experience we bring

Our Sailing Pedigree

The Scott Sails team represent a diversity of engagement with the sport - racing and cruising, inshore and offshore, keel boats and dinghies. Bret’s experience alone spans 16 foot skiffs, the 50ft European IOR circuit, offshore racing, one design classes like the Thompson 7 and 5.5 meter boats, and more recently, multi-hulls such as the trimaran Morticia. At the opposite end of the high-performance spectrum, in 2019, Bret and his partner Leah cruised around Ireland on a 29’ bilge keeler without so much as an outboard motor for the dingy or a working fridge. They loved every minute of it.

Our Values

And how we live them

We believe in

**Respect**
for both customers and the Scott Sails team
**Passion**
for the craft of sailmaking
**Learning**
continuous improvement for both sailor and sailmaker
**Diversity**
in thought, in customer base, in the Scott Sails team

Our Commitment to Our Customers

Scott Sails will actively work with you to understand what outcomes you are seeking from your sails, whether that be speed for racing, maximised longevity for tight budgets, and/or ease of handling to meet crew capabilities i.e. for solo sailors. We will talk you through size, cut, fabric, and colour selections.
Scott Sails prioritises safety in design at all times. We seek to provide sails that will always work for you in terms of safety and reliability - not only when hoisted, but also when you need to change or move them. This is especially important for storm sails. We get this.
Scott Sails appreciates that sometimes you need to recycle and reuse a sail wardrobe. Scott Sails is skilled at assessing a sail’s fit and can recut and reshape any sail so that you can maximise its performance and your sailing enjoyment.
Scott Sails will never recommend a product or design if we don’t believe it is the best solution for you. Sometimes this may even mean talking ourselves out of business! We believe in long term relationships built on value and trust, not quick wins.

Our Commitment to the Sport of Sailing

We pride ourselves on the diverse and inclusive culture of our Scott Sails team. We believe that everyone should have equal access to sailing and be equally as supported and respected whilst in pursuit of this passion. To this end we actively seek to employ all ages and genders, offer flexible working opportunities, and have sponsored a diverse range of sailing events including the Manly Yacht Club’s Women’s Challenge and the Lock Crowther Multihull Regatta.