Sailing technology firm Vakaros acquires Sailmon Instruments
Sailing technology firm Vakaros, specialist in small boat instrumentation, has acquired Sailmon, a premier brand of sailing instruments.
This strategic acquisition strengthens Vakaros’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions for sailors worldwide while enhancing customer service and technical support.
Vakaros was founded by Jake Keilman and Todd Wilson in 2018 with the goal of creating better sailing technology and turning the instrumentation market on its head. Its devices, the Atlas 2 and Atlas Edge, are industry standard across a wide range of classes, from TP52s to Optis. Vakaros’ RaceSense technology automates OCS calls, timing, and pings, and has been used at hundreds of events and for over 50,000 start line determinations worldwide.
Keilman said:
“We welcome the Sailmon community to our family. We’ve worked adjacent to the brand for years and witnessed their innovations on the water. Sailmon customers are passionate sailors, and we look forward to ensuring they’re well taken care of for the foreseeable future.
“We look forward to being stewards of North Technology Group’s efforts to elevate the Sailmon brand and use data to drive sailing forward.”
Sailmon is a Dutch pioneer in sailing instrumentation. Founded in 2014 by Kalle Coster, Enno Romkema and Peter Houtzagers with a dream of using the latest available technologies to improve on-water experiences for sailors around the world, its instruments became the choice of sailors around the globe, bringing new innovations to the forefront of yacht racing globally. Devices include the Max and Max Mini, a tracker working in collaboration with a mobile app, plus the Element displays.
North Technology Group originated with worldwide sailmaking leader North Sails in 1957. Founded by Lowell North in San Diego, USA, NTG has grown into a diverse family of companies serving marine and manufacturing markets worldwide. Other NTG companies include North Sails Apparel, North Actionsports, Mystic Boarding, Doyle Sails, Quantum Sails, Southern Spars, Future Fibres, Hall Spars, and RigPro and Yacht Scoring.
The acquisition of Sailmon marks a new chapter for both companies. Sailmon’s existing Max customers will continue to receive the same world-class customer support they expect. North Technology Group will continue to support all Sailmon Element products under Synapse, a Future Fibres brand.