The seaport of Cowes on the Isle of Wight is often described as the cradle of yachting. Its big draw is Cowes Week, one of the oldest and largest sailing regattas in the world, founded in 1826 and held every August on the Solent, the busy stretch of tidal water between the island and the mainland.
But even before Cowes Week, there was Ratsey & Lapthorn. The British company has been handmaking sails since 1790. It has furnished some of the most famous vessels in the world, including Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory; King George V’s yacht, Britannia; the Gucci family’s Creole – the largest wooden sailing yacht on the seas; and British and American challengers for the America’s Cup.
Ratsey & Lapthorn’s loft in New York, 1902
Ratsey & Lapthorn claims to be one of the oldest bag makers in the world
Now operating between its headquarters outside Cowes and a loft in Barcelona, it is owned by friends Simon Brazier, a former City fund manager, now the firm’s chairman, and Jim Hartley, a sailing industry veteran and the brand’s current CEO. Having steadied its sailmaking business – it recently restored Ratsey & Lapthorn sails to John F Kennedy’s former yacht, Manitou – in August the firm is making its first foray into consumer luxury with a range of unisex canvas and leather bags.
