Technology
Smart choice
As Doyle Sails snap up (yet) another goodie
For four years Brad Marsh, now chief technology officer at Doyle Sails, arguably had one of the most stressful jobs in international sailing. As technical director for the SailGP circuit, he was responsible for the logistics of moving the event infrastructure from venue to venue around the world against immutable deadlines, setting up the onshore facilities and then overseeing the technical crews that maintain the fleet of F50 foiling catamarans at the centre of the sailing spectacular. Throw in a global pandemic with
its attendant supply chain and communications disruptions and the challenge becomes mind boggling. ‘It was a wild ride,’ he concedes. Yet, even as the event and the number of global venues grew ever more complex, the team he led thrived under the pressure. However, with a professional
sailing resumé that includes the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, TP52 and maxi circuit racing, the SailGP “circus master” role exposed a personal problem: while tackling the multi-dimensional demands of the job satisfied his passion for problem-solving, it came at the expense of his passion for sailing. Now, by joining Doyle Sails,
Marsh will combine both passions in a tidy solution that benefits the company and his own ambitions. Finding that balance between a
stimulating business path and high- level sailing has occupied Marsh’s
62 SEAHORSE
imagination since leaving school. ‘While I was at university, I trained as a rigger and worked part-time at NZ Rigging,’ he says. ‘I went to university, so that I could go sailing as often as I liked. I worked as a rigger so that I could pay for university.’ It was a typically pragmatic
solution, which furthered his professional sailing career and gave him a business degree, majoring in marketing and information systems. ‘It meant I took five years over a four- year degree,’ he says – but he ticked off multiple objectives in the process. When sport went into recess during
the Covid lockdowns,Marsh was involved in a piece-by-piece analysis of SailGP. ‘The whole operation was heavily critiqued and analysed, which led to a total recalibration. ‘It made me realise how much I
enjoy business analytics and working with a team with plenty of robust discussions. Once the SailGP re-start was up and running again, I knew I would be moving on, because to a large extent I felt my job was done. ‘That is when the conversation
with Doyle Sails began about whether I would apply the same vision and processes to their design and project management teams, while also taking on the technology development role. ‘There is an opportunity between
selling the sail and building the sail where we can make strides in developing new technology and that is the area I will be exploring. Joining
Above: it is an exciting time in the development of sails for maxi racer boats and superyachts, with Doyle Sails at the forefront of innovation. In the wake of advancements like Stratis, Cableless and Structured Luff, the next big thing from Doyle will be an ultra-light product line called Hybrid
the senior leadership team is also a chance to work with Doyle Sails globally and the industry to make sure we make the right steps going forward to capitalise on the good work that has already been done. ‘The interesting thing forme is that
over the past 15 years, Doyle Sails has led some of the biggest changes in sailmaking, sail trimming and sailing. Right back to the beginning of Stratis and the generational developments that have continued with that technology. Add Cableless Code Zeros and external cable furling sails. That led to Structured Luff, which was another great step forward fromthe design teamthat has been accepted, respected and copied by the industry.’ And Doyle Sails is set to change
the world of sailmaking again with a new development in which Marsh has been actively involved. While the details are yet to be revealed, the new product, called HYBRID, is already tracking well in tests. ‘It is going to be the next generation in lightweight sails,’ says Marsh. ‘We will see it in the Grand Prix market first and then watch it migrate into the superyacht and performance racing markets.’ Pointing to the impact these
developments have had on the wider industry, he says they have enabled significant improvements across the full spectrum of yacht design. ‘As you reduce sailplan loads, the mast-makers and
JAMES TOMLINSON/LEOPARD
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