Contact | Ratsey & Lapthorn

AHOY THERE!

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Our Sail Loft is based in Cowes, and we have agents in Europe and on mainland UK.
Please get in touch with any enquiry, whether in relation to our sails or bags and we will get back to you ASAP.

Ratsey & Lapthorn

Unit 14, Somerton Works, Somerton Industrial Park, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8PB, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1983 294051 | hello@ratseyandlapthorn.com

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Apr 6

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Congratulations to @harris_wooden_boats and @jackgiffordnavalarchitect for winning the New Sailing Vessel Award in the Classic Boat Awards.

It was a pleasure to be involved.

#traditionalsailmaker #traditionalsails #traditionalboatbuilding #traditionalboat #woodenboat #craftsmanship #sailsbuilttolast

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Mar 30

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The search is on. We’re looking to recruit a new apprentice to work in our Cowes Loft.

A really fantastic opportunity for the right person. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

#apprenticeship #sailsbuilttolast #craftsmanship #skills #traditionalcraft #modernsailmaking #learnaskill #niceplacetowork

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Feb 28

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Hand roping this enormous #clippercanvas sail for a working boat is time consuming but satisfying.

Look 👀 at that stitching! Perfect.

#stitchperfect #canvassails #woodenboat #traditionalsails #heritagecraft #oldschool #craftsmanship #attentiontodetail #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn

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Feb 23

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Attention to detail is everything.

17 stitches every 2 Inches for these classic cotton sails.

#mink #herreshoff #1914 #buzzardsbay25 #ratseysails #handcrafted #handbuilt #attentiontodetail #straightstitching #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn #woodenboat #woodenboatrestoration #boatrestoration #asitwas

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Jan 15

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Meanwhile over at @ratsey_sails_europe in Barcelona new sails for a J70 being trialled.

#j70class #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn

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Jan 10

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Here’s an excellent bit of old R&L sail re purposing from @mytailorbrussels thank you for sharing this with us!

An incredible suit- I think you will agree - made from a 1959 Ratsey and Lapthorn sail.

Anymore sail transformations out there? We’d love to see them.. this is going to be hard to beat though!

#ratseyandlapthorn #bespokesuit #handcrafted #skilledcraftsman #skilledcraftsmanship #sailmaker #sailsbuilttolast #ratseysails

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Nov 30

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Really great job on this clew by our apprentice Sam, handsewing through 13 layers of cloth for this hardworking sail.

#farr65 #uksa #handsewing #clewcorner #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn #maxiring

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Nov 24

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Handroping and external cringles in progress. Broken palms, broken needles and broken backs!

Sewing through 12 layers of #clippercanvas at the corners of this enormous gaff mainsail for @sailingirene

#traditionalboats #woodenboats #workingboats #gaffrig #gaffrigged #ireneofbridgewater #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #traditionalskills #sailmaking

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Nov 10

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More cotton sails!

What an incredible heritage project to be involved in.

‘Mink’ is hull 733, a Buzzard Bay 25 Herreshoff built in 1914 that underwent the most incredible restoration in 2017 - see linktree in bio for a link to a Classic Boat Magazine article to read more.

Our task is to build two absolutely authentic to the period suits of sails. We will be building one set as Herreshoff and one set as Ratsey and Lapthorn (a superior sailmaker at the time!)

The sails for the original restoration were designed and built by Mark Butler from James Lawrence Sailmakers

‘Every detail in the sails is as it was in 1914. We used the same number of stitches. The cotton cloth is the same weight. We used sisal bolt ropes, rarely used in the UK. Instead of brass eyes on the sails, they’re all galvanised steel. They’re going to rust. Herreshoff didn’t think the sails would last more than three years, so he used what rings he could get hold of. Galvanised rings would have been used in their bucketload back then.’

#herreshoff #buzzardbay25 #sailinghistory #heritagecraft #woodenboat #boatrestoration #sailmakers #traditionalskills #craftsman #endangeredcraft #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn

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Nov 3

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New sails for this minitransat from @ratsey_sails_europe in Barcelona looking awesome.

Nice touch with fluorescent tell tales and draft stripes for easy sail trim on dark nights.

@romagosagonzalo doing a great job on the design and build.

@emilioenatlantico @dimensionpolyant

#minitransat #velesperalzheimer #minitransatboulangère2023 #dimensionpolyant #offshoreracing #oceanracing #sailsbuilttolast #ratseysails #ratseyandlapthorn #sailingbarcelona

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Oct 10

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Lofting a cotton mainsail for a very special Flying Fifteen. Using all of the traditional sailmaking skills and craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations of sailmakers.

#flyingfifteen #uffafox #skills #sailmaking #cottonsailsdesign #cottonsail #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #craftsman #traditionalsailmaker

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Oct 5

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Sep 27

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A bit of action from the J99 we made sails for earlier this year.

#j99 #teamneurored #racingsails #sailsbuiltolast #ratseysails #ratseybarcelona #jboats

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Sep 22

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Amelia- 58ft Ed Burnett Schooner - Full Suit of Sails

The brief: Combine modern technology with classic styling to increase the performance, and make sails that are light and easy to use for a reduced crew.

Material: Powerplast filmless membrane with white taffeta and gold tecnora filament. Gives a classic look despite its ultra lightweight modern heritage.

Design: Gonzalo @ratsey_sails_europe experienced yacht racer/sailmaker/sail designer used his expertise and the latest sail design technology to produce the designs.

The Build: built here in Cowes, the sails got the Ratsey treatment for high quality attention to detail and those hand finished leather touches.

The Result: Millimetre perfect sails and a very happy customer!

#dreamteam #sailmakers #saildesign #performancesails #powerplast #filmlessmembrane #membranesails #yachtrestoration #edburnettdesign #schooner #schooneramelia #sailsbuilttolast #ratseysails #ratseyandlapthorn

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Sep 8

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We are deeply saddened by today’s news and would like to express our truly heartfelt sympathies to her family.

Her lifetime of service cannot be quantified. She was the absolute definition of ‘The Pride of Britain’.

How lucky we have been to have had her.

Elizabeth the Great.

HM Queen Elizabeth II - 1926 to 2022

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Jun 27

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Lovely feature on ‘Craft Works’ in this weekend’s @obsmagazine which included a cameo from our very lovely Matt.

Great to be included alongside papermaker Zoe Collis, @rushmatters amazing rush weaver Felicity Irons, fellow @heritagecrafts supported sievewright, Steve Overthrow @overthrowsieveandriddlemakers and Glass eye maker, Jost Haas.

#heritagecraft #sailmaker #craftsman #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn #mastersailmaker #leatherwork #handsewn

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Jun 22

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Thrilled to be involved in the ‘Craft’ issue of @suitcase magazine. What a beautiful publication it is.

#craftsman #sailmaking #traditionalskills #thebounty #ratseysails #sailsbuiltotlast #ratseyandlapthorn

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Jun 9

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Medal winning fun in Barcelona this week!

New r&l sail on the winning boat of the Patin Class in the Campeonato de Catalunya.

Good work @ratsey_sails_europe !

#paticatala #patinclass #regatta #regattalife #ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn #winners #dimensionpolyant

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Jun 8

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Lovely big Jib from Tenacious @jubileesailingtrust come in for a bit of TLC. Brightening up the loft on this wet and windy June afternoon.

Paint job by @oceanartltd

#bigjib #tenacious #tallship #ratseysails #ratseyandlapthorn #sailsbuilttolast #careandrepair #sailmakers

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May 26

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Glorious conditions on board Swan 56 Clem.

Take me to the Ionian immediately!

#ratseysails #sailsbuilttolast #ratseyandlapthorn #swan56 #nautorswan

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AHOY THERE!

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Ratsey & Lapthorn

Unit 14, Somerton Works, Somerton Industrial Park, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8PB, United KingdomTel: +44 (0)1983 294051 | hello@ratseyandlapthorn.com

ratseyandlapthorn

CONNECT WITH US

Unit 14, Somerton Works, Somerton Industrial Park, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8PB, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1983 294051 | hello@ratseyandlapthorn.com