The Yachting Ventures Startup Spotlight series goes beyond the pitch decks and press releases to share the real stories behind early-stage startups.

We sit down with founders in our community to explore their journeys, from the first spark of an idea to the realities of building a company in leisure marine.

This week, we sat down with Sjaak Haakman, founder of Resail Group.

What’s your story?

RESAIL was founded from a lifetime spent sailing. I am a former Olympic sailor (Los Angeles ’84) with multiple national and European titles. Sailing has never been just competition to me, it shaped how I think, work, and build.

Alongside competitive racing, I ran a sailing school during my law studies for many years, which gave me countless opportunities to see the world.

During my business life, I founded several companies within the marine industry. These experiences gave me a deep understanding of sails, sailors, and the choices we make on the water.

Over time, one question became unavoidable: What happens to sails when they are replaced?

Why does the industry need your solution?

The sailing industry has a huge ecological footprint using big plants, lots of chemicals and recycling is not part of the business model. For the future of our planet and the watersports industry, we need to change this.

What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?

Meeting old friends and lots of support from within the industry and sailors.

What challenges did you face at the beginning?

Finding the right IT platform.

What’s next for your business?

Scaling up to multiple locations in co-operation with sailmakers, we started Resail Ltd with partners;in 3 years we will give 1000’s of sails new life.

Any advice for entrepreneurs just starting out?

Start and keep going, problems will solve along the way.

A quote you live by:

Be friendly, stupid questions don’t exist, it is merely a quest for attention.