lay it on the line
The Layline story is a simple one. Crazy sailor dude (Walt) starts sailing biz in a shed in North Carolina. Biz grows into one of the premier specialty marine retailers in the country, largely on the strength of the fun and knowledgeable people that worked there. Walt sells biz to other dude, who moves biz and eventually gives it back when he can’t pay for it. While other dude wasn’t minding the store, biz suffered, and not-so-crazy dude buys it from Walt with big visions for the future. That brings us to today, and we’re proud to welcome apparel, equipment, rigging, and boat retailer Layline back to the SA fold.
New owner and longtime SA’er Travis Weisleder finally has the all-new Layline website close to where he wants it, and he’s excited to introduce it to the Anarchists. Layline has been a staple in the Southeast and Atlantic Coast for a long time, and Weisleder promises to bring an entirely new and modern approach to serving sailors in today’s environment. "As was the case with Walt, we’re racers first and salespeople second, and providing great service at great prices will always be Layline’s model," said Weisleder. He already brought back Trish and Henry (18 years rigging everything from a Melges to a Cape Dory) from the good ol’ days and recruited scow and Melges crew Bill Wiggins to man the shop and the phone, but what we’re really looking forward to is the creative concepts that Layline will be bringing forward to help one-design sailors of every level. Working along with top industry pros like Skip Dieball, George Peet, Allan Terhune, Kelly Gough, and dozens more, Layline will show you what they recommend while "not only bringing you best-in-class apparel, gear, rigging, and accessories, but also relevant content, tips, tricks, insight and more on the boats you sail." This would be mere fluffery from most folks, but from a guy with a track record of launching extremely successful businesses, it’s for real.
Check out the site and let ’em know what you think. They are still adding inventory, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, give them a call. You’ll also be able to hook up with Layline at their brand new custom rigging and equipment trailer – Layline will be carting the beast around in support of their new role as the Exclusive Official Equipment Supplier to the International Melges 24 Class and the Exclusive Platinum Sponsor of the US Optimist Dinghy Class. We also expect Layline to continue helping OTWA bring you great coverage from big events as the Clean Clan’s official apparel provider, and we hear that Travis will be throwing its support in a big way into other upcoming events – more news to come on that front. Finally, Travis invites you to come over and say ‘hello’ when you see Team Lucky Dog / LayLine at a Melges 24, E-Scow, J105 or Flying Scot event.
