180 Sails | Powered by Evolution Sails | Chicago
Every October, a good chunk of the sailing world squeezes itself onto a few floating docks in downtown Annapolis. Boats rafted bow to stern, tents lining the waterfront, and thousands of sailors wandering around with a tote bag and a list of things they swear they’re only “looking at.” This year we’re going to be there too. The Annapolis Sailboat Show runs Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18 at City Dock, and you’ll find us at the Evolution Sails tent on Dock F1 and at the J/Boats tent. We’ll be the ones talking about sails to anyone who stands still long enough.
1. Two tents, one team
We’ll be splitting our time between the Evolution Sails tent at Dock F1 and the J/Boats tent. The Evolution Sails tent is the place for sails: cloth samples, design conversations, and anything to do with the boat you already own. The J/Boats tent is where to find us if you’re shopping for a J, or already own one and want to talk sails for it. If you can’t find us at one, check the other!
Show hours are 10:00am to 6:30pm Thursday through Saturday and 10:00am to 5:00pm Sunday. City Dock construction has shuffled the layout this year, so grab the official show guide at the gate. It has the map.
2. You get to talk to the people who build your sails
Most of what we do happens on Lake Michigan, but a lot of the sailors we work with have never been to Chicago. We build sails for boats on the Chesapeake, in New England, in Florida, and a few that are somewhere in the South Pacific right now. Most of those people we’ve only ever talked to on the phone. Annapolis is the one place every fall where we get to meet sailors from all over the country at once. The sail business keeps consolidating, and the big brands will have big tents down the dock. We’re an independent loft. When you stop by, you’re talking to the people who actually design, build, and stand behind your sails, not a regional rep reading off a spec sheet.
3. You still remember what the boat needed
The season just ended, or is about to. You know exactly where the boat was slow, which sail you never trusted, and what you swore you’d fix “next year.” By spring, those memories get a little hazy. Come tell us now while it’s fresh.
4. You can see and feel the options side by side
Dacron, laminates, the newer woven cloths. Furling mains versus slab reefing. Windseekers and code zeros for the days everyone else is reaching for the engine key. We can describe the differences all day on a website. It’s a lot more convincing when you can pick the cloth up and fold it in your hands.
5. You can step aboard a J and talk sails in the same visit
Through J/Boats Midwest, we’re the J/Boats dealer for the Midwest. At the J/Boats tent you can look at the deck layout and sail plan up close, then talk with the people who build sails for them. New boat, used boat, or a new sail package for the J you already love, we can cover all of it in one conversation.
The bottom line
Spring is when most sailors buy sails. Boat show season is when the sailors you’re chasing around the course start planning theirs. Come find us at the Evolution Sails tent on Dock F1 or the J/Boats tent, October 15 to 18, say hi, and tell us what’s wrong with your sails. We’ve heard it all.
Want to make sure we have time for you, or can’t make it to Annapolis? Call 180 Sails, at 312-300-0518 or email loft@180sails.com and we will set up a time to meet at the show or talk on the phone.
