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Choosing sails used to mean ordering a custom set of white Dacron sails for your boat. Over the years, more and more interesting sail fabrics have been developed, all with special characteristics to suit the preferences of many different looks. But what happens when the number of options increases tenfold and the choices become more complicated?
First of all, the importance of getting qualified advice from a local certified sailmaker, who knows and understands your specific needs, has increased. But since most of our research today evolves around digital platforms, Elvstrøm Sails' sail configurator is an invaluable travel tool for sail selection.
One of the world's leading sailmakers, the Danish sailmaker has offered customers the possibility of previewing a large number of sail types and shapes and modifying, for example, sail combinations for monohull - and multihull - yachts in the same way in an online 3D universe : Sailconfigurator.elvstromsails.com
The digital experience
Inspiration came from other industries, which had a clear objective to condense and visualize numerous options in a single tool. Configurators are widespread in other industry sectors, with some boat builders, for example, offering their customers the option of configuring their new boat, and even before that, this possibility had already become the norm, as in the automotive sector.
For us, the Elvstrøm Sail Configurator offers a unique way of visualizing our product and making it easier for potential customers to get an overview of the relevant options before personal contact with our qualified local yacht masters.
" Some may play with this tool just for inspiration, while they're still dreaming of new sails, while others are clear on what they're looking for in the next sailing season "says Lise-Lotte Møhring Larsen, Elvstrøm Sails Marketing Manager.
She adds: " In the end, it quickly proved to be a valuable tool, facilitating many aspects of a âeuro sail order on both sides of the table. Being accessible has never been more important than now in our digital age. "
Sailmaking is a traditional art, so it's not by default the most digital of businesses. But still, the process around finding your new sail is a mix of digital and physical shopping. That's one of the reasons why Elvstrøm Sails has started researching and developing digital tools.
One of the great advantages of the sail configurator is that it interacts directly with important internal systems at Elvstrøm Sails. It provides an excellent starting point for customer advice. Once the customer has filled in a configuration and sent it off, we already have an idea of what he wants âeuros and what kind of boat the customer possède. Then it's time to continue the discussion about material choices, options, accessories and much more, because different materials and configurations are of course suitable for different boat sizes and types of âeuros applications, but the key is that both parties already have an idea of what they want to buy or offer.
Knowledge and relationships
Elvstrøm Sails is the sailmaker that supplies the most boat builders. Supplying over 30 of Europe's leading boat builders means that many sailors start their adventure with a new boat that is fitted with Elvstrøm sails from the outset.
However, the customer is not necessarily then in contact with an Elvstrøm network Master Sailmaker for future service. Elvstrøm Sails takes ongoing service and support very seriously, which is why Elvstrøm Sails has launched mysails.elvstromsails.com
A product registration platform, allowing you to select and connect with your preferred point of service for ongoing support, advice and service.
Elvstrøm MySails also comes with a free gift voucher for Elvstrøm SailWear (https://elvstromsailwear.com/) which gives you a discount on your first Elvstrøm Sailwear order as a thank you for registering your sail, as well as other benefits.
The journey continues with Elvstrøm SailTips
However, digital sail configuration and support are just the beginning of Elvstrøm Sails' ambitious digital plans. There's more on the way, adds Lise-Lotte Møhring Larsen: " We have already carried out a number of initiatives, and we also provide digital advice on sailing and rigging " : Tips for using and adjusting sails .
But there's more on the horizon in terms of digital tools and support for our customers and our network of master sailmakers.
