Home

Henry Bossett - Sail Consultant, North Sails New Jersey

Henry Bossett is a lifelong sailor, racer, sailmaker, and sail designer. He began sailing and racing at age 15, moving on to local and regional championships and then All American status at the Univerity of Rhode Island. His professional start was as a 1976 garage startup in Awosting, New Jersey producing DN sails. The name was X Cel Sails, a play on the X Ray business of Lester Kuyrlo, who financed the new operation. The next step was diversifying into Tornado sails as part of his goal of representing the United States in that class.

In a return to his geographic roots (having been raised in Brielle), in 1979 he had moved the business to Pt. Pleasant, NJ as Bossett Sailmakers. Almost immediately afterwards, the dream was realized through victory in the 1980 US Olympic Trials (after several years on the United States Sailing Team). After affiliation with another loft, he joined the North system, becoming North Sails New Jersey in 1995.

Henry is a three-time world champion in the DN ice boat class as well as having wins in North American and Eastern Championships in the DN, M-Scow, and Tornado classes (also representing the U.S. Olympic Team in the Tornado in 1980). Having begun sailing locally at the Manasquan River Yacht Club and in many Barnegat Bay events on dingys (notably M-Scows and E-Scows) he never looked back, adding extensive keelboat, offshore, and catamaran sailing to his experience. In addition to no- or small-crew programs, he's also scored great finishes in full-crew events such as Key West Race Week and the Newport NOOD.

Hiss proven on-the-water skills and decades of expertise as a sailmaker helping other sailors get top results competitively or just enjoy their cruising are the reason he's still keeping clients happy after 34 years as a sailmaker.

Some key racing achievements: