North Sails President Ken Read is one of the world’s most accomplished and celebrated sailors. He has twice won the US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award and has nine World Championship titles. He joined North Sails in 1996 when the company acquired the sail-making business he’d started with Dan Neri.
In twenty-plus years at North, Ken has mainly been on the selling side of the company while mixing in four sabbaticals; helming two of Dennis Conner’s America’s Cup programs and two PUMA Ocean Racing’s Volvo Ocean Race campaigns.
In 2013, Ken returned to his business and sail-making roots as President of North Sails Group. He is still sailing actively, most recently making a name for himself in double handed events. Ken is an ambassador for the sport of sailing and serves as an NBC Sports color commentator for The America’s Cup.
This past weekend, Ken and teammate Suzy Leech won the Ida Lewis Distance Race in the Double Handed and Mixed Gender Classes.
“The 17-boat Doublehanded Class, which sailed the 153 nm “Block Island Course”, was won by the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 Alchemist, sailed by Ken Read and Suzy Leech (Newport). This team also took first among three Mixed (Co-ed) Doublehanded crews. This category was included in a nod to a new such class at the 2024 Olympics.
“It was spectacular and hard,” said Read, “but that’s why we race,” Read and Leech had to deal with an hourglass in their spinnaker at the start, taking it down to unwrap it and losing precious time. “Everyone had their problems, but we just had the biggest one,” said Read. “We recovered in one piece, which was important, since that was our only full-sized spinnaker and we could use it again.”
On the final approach to Buzzards Bay Tower, Read and Leech trailed by two miles behind the Figaro 3 Fearless, another Mixed Doublehanded entry sailed by Jesse Fielding (Newport, R.I.) and Francesca Clapcich (Park City, Utah) of State Street Marathon Sailing Team. The Alchemistcrew got its break on the second long run to Block Island when they decided to break towards the coast while Fearless continued offshore. The move put them in more wind pressure and allowed Alchemist to pass Fearless. “We were surprised as anybody,” said Read, “because if Fearless was going to have conditions that were theirs, this was it. Downwind their foils just must have lit up!”
Ken Read and Suzy Leech celebrate with Prosecco provided by sponsor Zardetto
(photo courtesy North Sails/Ellinor Walters)
You’re Invited: North Sails Double handed Debrief Webinar on Monday
Join North Sails President Ken Read live with special guests Suzy Leech and Brad Read as they debrief their summer of double handed sailing.
Ken’s year of double handed sailing kicked-off in February, a few weeks before we knew close-to-home, short-handed sailing would be so popular this summer. Luckily for Ken, talented crew and world-class competition are never hard to find in Newport, Rhode Island.
Inspired by the growing double handed trend, Ken has been alternating races with his brother Brad and Suzy Leech. They’ve been getting to know their boat Alchemist, a Sunfast 3300, and bonding as teammates. Putting in their miles on the Sunfast has brought them several successes, including winning the mixed gender and double-handed classes in the recent Ida Lewis Distance Race.
Join the live webinar session on August 24 at 3:00 pm ET:
