Jay Hansen

A racing sailor since the age of eight, Jay sailed Lightings all over the world in his youth. After a stint teaching at a private school, Jay joined Fogh Sails in Toronto in 1977. In 1980 and 1984 Jay was the project manager and mainsail trimmer for two Canada’s Cup victories. Also in 1980, he helped merge Fogh Sails with North Sails and in 1984, was asked to be the VP of North, which caused he and his family to move to the US.

From 1984 to June of 2014, Jay was the VP and COO of North, then North Sails Group and then North Technology Group, helped build the company from $16m in revenues to $150m. At the time of Jay’s retirement, NTG owned the largest sailmaking, mast building and composite rigging companies in the world.

Once retired from North, from 2014 until 2019 Jay consulted for US Sailing, Nautor Swan and Grand Banks Yachts and wrote most of a technical book on sails and sailmaking.

Jay has raced in most of the world’s prestige races events as tactician, trimmer or navigator on various offshore boats, for example, 14 Bermuda races, about 20 each of the two “Mac” races in the Great Lakes, many Southern Circuits in the 80’s (winner of the last one in 1987 as tactician), a Fastnet Race and countless course races on offshore boats. He continues to race long distance in his own X-49. He estimates his total nautical miles raced at about 75,000.

His passion for sailing and particularly safety in boating has led him to be a proud Board member of the BBA.