Doyle Sails - Loft Cannes

Doyle Sails is an international sailmaker founded in 1982, present on the French Riviera through its Cannes loft at 141 avenue Jean Mermoz in Mandelieu-la-Napoule. The local team brings together Johan Ravier, Dorothee Ravier and Fabrice Hudelot, and draws on an international network of lofts sharing the same methods.

The loft covers the programmes served by the brand: racing, grand prix, cruising, performance cruising, multihull, superyacht, one design and classic yachts. Each sail is designed to the boat's own measurements, then commissioned with a Doyle representative on board. Service includes the recommended annual inspection, repair assessment with a quotation, restoration or recutting, sail washing, and advice on UV protection and dry storage. The Doyle Rigging activity, run with Future Fibres within the North Technology Group, adds composite rigging solutions for racing, cruising and superyachts.

Sailmaking is organised into four ranges. TELA covers panelled sails in Dacron, laminate or nylon, repairable in any loft. DELTA is a membrane for yachts under sixty feet, delivered in four to six weeks. STRATIS, the in-house membrane developed in 2001, lays continuous load-bearing fibres along the load paths and builds the sail in one piece, with no length limit and warranties of three, four or five years. HYBRID, launched in 2023, adds unidirectional filaments and removes Mylar film from the laminate. To these are added the Structured Luff, Structured Luff Downwind and Cableless technologies, the latter developed since 2016 to do away with the torsion cable, along with Stratis Sail Art customisation.

The brand sets out its commitments in a written warranty covering the fit, the function, the quality of materials and the durability of the sail. It also pursues a sustained environmental approach, from recycling the plastic backings of its membrane plant to planting a native tree for every sail delivered from New Zealand.