One of many markets in which Elvstrøm Sails is expanding now, is in the UK.
Run by Tristan Walker-Hutt, Eddie Birdle and Oliver Southgate, the trio has not only set up a new base for the brand in the United Kingdom – they have also developed a wider presence as they run their business from three locations in total - with Hamble Point Marina in Southampton as the base.
And now, after a rebranding, the company behind Elvstrøm Sails in the UK is now represented by VMG, Velocity Made Good.
- We took over the UK market for Elvstrøm Sails a couple of years ago with Tristan and Eddie. They first started off with East Coast Kit, which we’ve rebranded as VMG. It’s a good sailing terminology with Velocity Made Good, and furthermore, it also reflects our idea of delivering a product of good performance and of course a solid customer support of our products. That’s how the name came about – and what Tristan and Eddie started before I joined the team this year, Oliver Southgate says.
And with the relatively new debut of the HQ in Hamble Point in Southampton, 2025 has also been the biggest year so far for the new alliance, Eddie Birdle adds:
- This has been our best year so far. We’ve opened the new HQ, and now, Oliver is also there to represent us in Cowes, and Tristan is in Essex. We’ve started spreading our activities more in terms of the geography, too. It does take a lot of talking on the phone to make the company run in three different places, but we try and support each other as much as we can – and I think we’ve found a good formula to do so.
Ambition with a laser focus on the customer and the sport, Tristan adds:
- Working with Eddie, Oli and the wider team at Elvstrøm HQ is a true privilege. We all love the Elvstrøm brand and this journey has been exciting both for our team and the sailors in the UK using or considering Elvstrøm sails. Personally I have taken great pride in seeing what we have been able to achieve in a relatively short period of time and feel confident that our approach is both refreshing and energizing.
Cruising and racing
In essence, the trio all share a racing background. And to help in servicing the blue water and cruising segments of sailors, recent experience for Oliver Southgate comes in handy, too. Prior to joining VMG, he just returned after three years of sailing:
- The timing was really a good match for me. I’ve known both Tristan and Eddie for years, and when we first got talking about me joining the shop, I was still sailing the world with my family. We just came back after three years on the go, so it was perfect timing.
He adds:
- And it allows me to use a lot of experience from our big journey professionally, too. Great for the cruising segment, but I also enjoy my racing, so I do my best to make a good trim no matter what. Two boats on the water is a race, right?
It also holds for a promising future for Elvstrøm Sails in the UK as the trio has gathered good traction, Eddie ends:
- Our aim is very customer satisfaction-heavy. We are keen to work with clients who have Elvstrøm Sails already - or want to head our way. We are getting some good traction, and we are even seeing customers return after a few seasons, and that’s of course always a great sign. We are super excited to see what the winter and indeed the next season has in store for us.