Scene: "Out of the niche" - Interview with North Sails Category Manager Vincent Langer
Manuel Vogel
· 13.01.2026
Regatta course, own neoprene brand, Olympic coach - Vincent Langer hasn't been able to complain about boredom in recent years. Now he is starting a new project - as a category Manager Windsurfing for North Sails. In this surf interview, he reveals how he wants to lead the cult brand back to its former strength.
Vincent, how did you become Brand Manager at North Sails in the first place?
One of the shareholders asked me after the German Championship 2025 on Sylt whether I could imagine working for North Sails. My first gut reaction was "no". According to him, there were two possible scenarios: Either North Sails pulls out of the windsurfing sector, or the brand makes a new start and really steps on the gas - the new position should be Category Manager Windsurfing be created. I thought about it for a while, wrote concepts and got an overview of the market, listened to the ideas - and then decided to go for it.
How has North Sails been organised to date and how will this change?
The brand is currently in a state of upheaval. There were previously two offices - in the Netherlands and in New Zealand, where all the development for the water sports sector had taken place. The office in New Zealand has been closed and a completely new team has been set up in Europe with four new divisions - Mystic, Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling and Windsurfing. I am now responsible for the future direction of the windsurfing division. Above us sits a new Brand Manager Water SportsClinton Filen, who has previously been Managing Director at Starboard, Severne and most recently at the foil brand AK Durable Supply. In November 2025, I wrote a concept of how I thought our goals could be achieved and how we could win world titles again with North Sails. That's how I ultimately got this job.
You were probably not hired to manage the status quo. Despite its well-known name, North is currently only a marginal phenomenon in windsurfing. What needs to happen for that to change?
We are currently a high-performance brand, with products that contain exceptional materials but are also priced extremely high. For too long, we have focussed on the top end of an already small market. This naturally makes it difficult to appeal to the masses and gain market share.
For too long, we have focussed on the top end of an already small market
After all, you had a unique selling point with your laminated sail models, called 3Di...
The 3Di models will continue to be available as performance models, but there will also be an attractively priced sailing line with which we can also equip our centres (Club North). There are currently six Club North centres, with ten centres planned by mid-2026. The number of Club North centres is set to triple by 2030 and we naturally want to be able to equip them comprehensively with affordable models as well as beginner sails and boards.
Who will develop the conventional sailing lines?
This will be in the hands of Pieter Bijl, who as a former World Cup rider and sail developer has a wealth of experience. Alex Udin, the former owner of Phantom and also a sail designer, will be working with him. Together, the two have already developed a completely new racing line and will be equipping our team riders with it in the spring. The new racing line will then be officially launched at the end of 2026 and will be available to everyone.
These are not laminated 3Di sails but conventional mono film models, right?
Exactly! However, expertise from the yacht sector and from 3Di development has now been incorporated. That's really exciting.
As a result of your racing career, you also have a lot of experience with sail designs yourself. Do you also give your input there? Or do you stay out of it completely?
My focus is changing, of course. I will now not only sit at my desk, but also take the products out on the water. But I will stay out of product development, too many cooks spoil the broth. The guys here have enough expertise. To support them, we have hired two top-class riders who will provide plenty of input - news on this will follow at the end of January. In the medium term, we want to build up a complete sail range that serves the market and includes everything from wave, freemove and freeride to slalom sails. This will all be visible by the end of 2026. Only the racing sails will come earlier, they will be called North Prisma.
So "back to the roots"!
Exactly. The reference to old, successful models will appear even more often in the new range, that much I can already reveal.
Will North remain a pure sailing brand? Or is there more in the pipeline?
I believe that a successful brand has to offer the entire portfolio. Many other brands have demonstrated this in the past, the most recent example being Patrik, which has developed from a pure board brand into a full-service provider. In order to equip surf centres properly, everything should come from a single source. Sooner or later we will have to talk about boards, and it remains to be seen how big the range will be. But we no longer want to concentrate solely on niches. We want to get out of the niche!
You also worked for the DSV away from the regatta course and organised your kids camps. How will that continue?
North Sails will be my main task. However, certain camps and events will continue to run under the North umbrella. It will be the North Experience Race Week to which a North One Hour Regatta will be linked to this. There are three North 2026 One Hour Races planned - on Lake Garda, in Soma Bay (Egypt) and on Fehmarn or the surrounding area (13/14 June 2026).
What about your Kids Camp? That was always a project close to your heart that you put a lot of energy into.
The Kids Camp will continue and will continue to be supported by Duotone. The cooperation with Duotone has always worked really well in the past. I will of course also be there in 2026 and help with the organisation.
