Paul Newell Sails

Paul Newell Sails is a small company making bespoke sails for yachts and dinghies and imaginative useful designs in recycled and new sailcloth.

Everything is designed and made at our sail loft in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.

Paul has been a sail maker since 1971 when he started his apprenticeship with Ratsey and Lapthorn in Cowes. He was brought up in Seaview with his family who were boat builders.

He has sailed all his life and in 1977 he completed the Whitbread Round the World Race on Condor as sailmaker with skipper Sir Robin Knox Johnson.

With the skills acquired over 40 years in the trade, he and his wife Vanessa, a designer, have launched a new exciting range of unique, colourful and stylish recycled products: sailcloth kitbags, wash bags, children's bags, cushions and other items for use on the water, at the beach and in the home. We are happy to personalise any of our sailcloth products.

With years of experience in the business, we want to make products which will be hardwearing, practical and look great too. You will see recycled sailcloth when available, or, new excellent quality sail cloth, triple stitched ends on the bags, chunky coloured zipping, internal pockets, heat sealed edges to prevent fraying, and U.V. resistant sailmakers thread. The decoration is stitched on with sailmakers traditional zig zag stitch.

All of the component parts of these hard wearing bags use the same webbing, eyelets, cord, rope, zips, numbers and letters that are used in the manufacture of the sails and covers that Paul makes in his loft.