Ullman Sails’ ambassador Skip Novak was recently in Cape Town preparing his boat and doing an offseason spruce up ahead of his upcoming expeditions to South Georgia, the Antarctic and the South Sandwich Islands. As part of his maintenance programme, his FiberPath sails were given a new lease on life with the addition of some hardware and small repairs. After many hours battling cold unforgiven and stormy seas, the team at Ullman were chuffed to see his sails still looking in mint condition.

Ullman Sails staff take to the seas

During a refit of his sails, we were lucky enough to take some of our Ullman Sails staff along for the ride. A few of these staff have never stepped foot on a boat before and the opportunity gave them a chance to see what all their hard work is for!

Our seamstresses experienced a new world

After the trip, Nicolette Reynolds, Stephanie Cozyn and Nontombi Beauty Saziwa, who work tirelessly as seamstresses for Ullman Sails Gear, said that, “We were so grateful and appreciative to be able to step out onto the water for the first time and to see all the hard work from the factory pay off with such beautiful, clean, well-sewn sails. We have worked on sails for most of our lives so it was an absolute privilege to see our handiwork go up and it made our hearts so happy to experience that. It was also amazing to see how hard the guys work on the boat. It was an absolutely incredible day and we will never forget the feeling of being on the water.”

Gavin Burns, Ullman Sails International CFO agreed:

“This was my second time on a yacht, but the first time where it was actually under sail. I was amazed at the teamwork that went into sailing the boat. The guys had such an intuition about what needed to be done. Watching Skip steer the boat also seemed like wizardry where he could read the direction of the wind, which was imperceptible to me, and direct the boat accordingly. With all the moving parts and the care and attention that was afforded it by the crew, the boat became a living, breathing thing for me. It was an extension of Skip and his crew’s body. This was very inspiring to me as it showed how teamwork combined with technology can make inanimate things come alive.”

Shané Mouton, Marketing and Social Media Liaison for SA found new inspiration

“I’ve always been in love with the ocean, but I never thought I would get the opportunity to actually go out on a boat. When I found out that we are going out on a boat I was beyond excited. It was my first time on a boat and it’s not just any boat. It’s Skip Novak’s boat; Pelagic Australis! The fact that this boat has been to Antarctica is amazing. Even though I got seasick, I felt giddy with excitement, and I felt so free. In a way, I also felt very small, yet we have such a big impact on the environment around us. Seeing the plastic in the water while being on the boat while looking out over beautiful Cape Town and Table Mountain made me so sad. We need to start seeing the bigger picture and help the environment.”

All in all, it was a great day out and we thank Skip for giving our staff this opportunity. We wish him all the best on his journey and look forward to hearing all about his adventures!