OXLEY Sails & Service

What OXLEY Sails & Service does

OXLEY Sails & Service, operating through GYBE Trading GmbH and headquartered in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, designs and sells self-stabilizing sails for sailing yachts. Founded in 2010 and built on expertise from Ralf Grösel Design (22+ years in 3D fabric structures for water and air sports), the company adapts paragliding and kitesurfing airfoil technology into sailing applications. The core product line consists of two sail models — BORA, designed for long-distance voyages with maximum gust damping via an integrated lift-generating wing profile in the upper sail opening, and LEVANTE, a versatile cruising sail with an earlier-activating, technically simpler wing. Both products use a 44 g/m² ripstop sailcloth (30 g/m² for the wing) supplied by TECHFIBER and are manufactured by Aqua Dynamics in Sri Lanka.

The company's business model is direct-to-consumer with quote-based pricing, complemented by a global dealer network spanning Germany, Austria, France, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Croatia, Hungary, New Zealand, South Africa, and Malaysia. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of custom-configured sails (with color and digital sublimation printing options) plus accessory sales such as the Bergeschlauch inflatable snuffer system. Customers are recreational cruising sailors — primary use case is bluewater/long-distance sailing with secondary weekend and holiday cruising applications — and the company cites more than 1,000 satisfied customers and over 250,000 square meters of sail area delivered since inception. The company is privately held, founder-operated (CEO Sven Mohr), and discloses no external funding or institutional ownership.

Name

OXLEY Sails & Service

Legal name

GYBE Trading GmbH

Website

https://oxley-sails.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OXLEY Sails & Service designs and sells self-stabilizing sails (BORA and LEVANTE models) for recreational cruising yachts, using wing-profile technology adapted from paragliding. The Wilhelmshaven-based company serves individual bluewater and leisure sailors worldwide via direct-to-consumer sales and a multi-country dealer network, with manufacturing by Aqua Dynamics in Sri Lanka.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Sailing Equipment

NAICS

Boat Building (336612)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMAIAG

Sailing & Rigging Retail (Sailboats, Sails, Hardware)

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail

Keywords

• Self-stabilizing sails
• Cruising sail equipment
• Sail manufacturing
• Marine accessories
• Yacht sails

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilhelmshaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sail Products: OXLEY generates revenue through the sale of their self-stabilizing sails (BORA and LEVANTE models) and related accessories including the inflatable snuffer bag and sail bags. Products are customizable with color options and sublimation printing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OXLEY designs and sells self-stabilizing sails for sailing yachts, featuring a proprietary lift-generating wing profile integrated into the sail opening. The portfolio centers on two sail models — BORA (long-distance sailing with maximum gust damping) and LEVANTE (versatile cruising) — supplemented by handling accessories such as the Bergeschlauch inflatable snuffer hose and dedicated sail bags. All products are custom-quoted and manufactured in partnership with Aqua Dynamics in Sri Lanka.

Product overview

OXLEY Sails & Service offers a focused portfolio of self-stabilizing sails for sailing yachts, combining classic sailing techniques with wing technology adapted from paragliding. The core product line consists of two sail models—BORA (designed for long-distance sailing with maximum gust damping) and LEVANTE (a versatile cruising sail for relaxed sailing)—both featuring proprietary lift-generating wing profiles. The portfolio is complemented by the Bergeschlauch (Snuffer Hose), an inflatable sail handling system, and an online sail configurator tool for custom color design. Products are manufactured by Aqua Dynamics in Sri Lanka and designed by Ralf Grösel Design. The company has been on the market since 2010 with over 1,000 customers and more than 250,000 square meters of sail area delivered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BORA: Self-stabilizing sail designed for long distances and maximum gust damping, combining spinnaker and gennaker characteristics with a lift-generating wing in the upper part of the sail
• LEVANTE
• Bergeschlauch

Products and services

• BORA Self-stabilizing long-distance sailing sail featuring a lift-generating wing profile in the upper sail opening that provides gust damping and a 30-40% larger wind angle operating range. Constructed from up to seven different materials, including a 44 g/m² RipStop TECHFIBER sailcloth with water-repellent coating and UV stabilizer. Combines spinnaker and gennaker characteristics in a single sail for blue water and offshore cruising sailors.
• LEVANTE Self-stabilizing cruising sail combining spinnaker and gennaker characteristics with a technically simpler wing profile that stabilizes the sail earlier in light winds. Offers 30-35% larger wind angle operating range and is designed for relaxed cruising, weekend trips, and holiday sailing without the need for spinnaker poles.
• Bergeschlauch (Snuffer Hose)

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-40% larger wind angle operating range
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Aqua Dynamics Sri LankacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAqua Dynamics Sri Lanka is the world's leading manufacturer of wind and water sports equipment and serves as OXLEY's long-standing production partner for all sail products. They are a top manufacturer in the fields of paragliding, kitesurfing, and windsurfing, bringing expertise in complex fabric structures to OXLEY's sail production.
• Ralf Grösel DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRalf Grösel Design is the design studio behind OXLEY products. With over 22 years of experience in industrial design and complex 3D fabric structures for water and air sports, their attention to detail is reflected in market-leading products for brands like DUOTONE Kiteboarding and ICARO Paragliders.
• GYBE Trading GmbHcoreOthersGYBE Trading GmbH is the parent company and legal entity operating OXLEY Sails. Located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, they manage all business operations including sales, distribution, and customer service.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neil Pryde Sailing: Hong Kong–based sailmaker with windsurfing heritage now focused on sailing performance products. Directly comparable as a wind-sports-derived sailmaker that migrated adjacent fabric expertise into the sailing market, mirroring OXLEY's paragliding-tech roots.
• Doyle Sails: International sailmaker with operations across New Zealand, Australia, the US, and Europe serving racers and cruisers. Directly comparable as a global premium custom-sailmaker with overlapping bluewater customer base.
• Ullman Sails: US-based custom sailmaker serving cruisers and racers across North America. Directly comparable as a multi-model sail manufacturer combining direct sales and dealer channels, similar to OXLEY's go-to-market.
• Elvstrom Sails: Danish/European sailmaker founded 1954 producing membrane and cross-cut cruising sails. Directly comparable as a premium-positioned European sailmaker with established dealer footprint and similar customer base.
• North Sails: World's largest sailmaker producing racing, cruising, and one-design sails globally. Directly comparable because they sell performance and cruising sails to the same yacht-owner buyer OXLEY targets, with much broader scale and brand recognition.
• Hood Sailmakers: Established US sailmaker producing custom cruising and racing sails. Directly comparable as a legacy sailmaker serving the same bluewater cruiser segment OXLEY targets with BORA.
• Quantum Sails: Global custom sailmaker serving racers and cruisers with regional lofts worldwide. Directly comparable as a multi-model sail manufacturer addressing the same performance and cruising segments as OXLEY.
• UK Sailmakers: International sailmaker network with UK, US, Canada, and European operations. Directly comparable as a sailmaker with offshore dealer model; note that several UK Sailmakers entities also serve as OXLEY dealers, so they are simultaneously a peer and channel partner.

Others

• Duotone Kiteboarding: Global kitesurfing/windsurfing brand that shares Ralf Grösel Design as a key product design partner. Comparable as a wind-sports brand adopting similar fabric/wing technology for water sports and an adjacent ecosystem participant to OXLEY's tech base rather than a direct sail competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Beneteau Group: Europe's largest sailboat manufacturer producing Oceanis, First, and Lagoon catamarans. Broadly comparable as the dominant upstream sailboat OEM whose end customers are OXLEY's target buyers; Beneteau does not specialize in self-stabilizing sails but its installed base is the funnel for the cruising segment OXLEY addresses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/oxleysails

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OXLEY Sails & Service