Sailrite started back in 1969 after founders Jim and Connie Grant took an interest in building their own sails. The story goes, that Jim was in need of new sails for the Cal 20 National regatta and a local sailmaker couldn’t make them in time. So Jim bought the material and made a full set of sails himself. He sailed in the regatta and won second place! This, naturally, sparked interest among the other sailors and soon Jim, a college professor, had begun selling a correspondence course on sailmaking. These courses were the beginning of Sailrite and the rest, they say, is history.
Over time, we realized that our community of DIYers was sewing for more than just their sailboats so we expanded our product line and instruction to include projects for powerboats, pontoons, outdoor living and home décor. Now we are fully equipped to help you sew both at home and on the water.
Today, Sailrite is owned and operated by the second-generation of the Grant family, Matt and Hallie Grant. Together they lead Sailrite’s constantly growing list of crewmembers, including the third generation of Grants.
