About
Our journey
Our sailing performance relies on trim built on subjective observation, which limits accuracy and optimisation. Sail Controls was born from the will to move beyond these limits by offering objective, reliable and reproducible analysis of sails in real time — turning a constraint into genuine innovation.
Our mission
Redefining the way we see our sails
After more than 30 years of top-level sailing, I have always faced one persistent difficulty: objectifying the shape of the sails at any given moment.
Until then, my trim and adjustments relied on visual observation, shaped by one person's subjective interpretation. This widely accepted method lacks objectivity. However skilled, the human eye is no longer enough to capture the complexity and subtlety of sail shapes underway.
For me, this approach was a constant source of questions: how do you get reliable, measurable data to optimise performance? Sail Controls grew out of this thinking, to characterise the shape of sails accurately and instantly.
By moving beyond the limits of subjective observation, Sail Controls gives sailors a tool that captures, models and analyses sails with precision — and changes the way you sail!
Vision
Sail Controls — The technology redefining performance
Sail Controls is a breakthrough solution that turns sailing into an exercise in objective optimisation. Combining advanced LiDAR sensors with real-time analysis, Sail Controls captures and models the real shape of your sails while you sail.
Whether you are a passionate sailor or a competitor chasing performance, Sail Controls gives you the opportunity to adjust, optimise and push your limits.
News
October 2026
Sail Controls sails aboard SVR-Lazartigue for the Route du Rhum
The Ultim trimaran SVR-Lazartigue, skippered by Tom Laperche, is equipped by Sail Controls for the 2026 Route du Rhum. Its sail shapes are measured by LiDAR while sailing, with Perception4D as technology partner.
March 2026
Partnership with Madintec: sail shape feeding the autopilot
Sail Controls and Madintec, designer of the MADBrain autopilots used in offshore racing, are joining forces. The sail-shape indicators measured by Sail Controls are sent to the autopilot in real time, so it can anticipate changes in rig power and adapt how the boat is driven to the sail trim. The first integrations are being tested ahead of upcoming offshore races.
Read the announcement on madintec.com
Our journey so far
2017
Launch of the research programme
During a design meeting for the construction of an IMOCA, my team raised the question of recording sail settings. We quickly realised that this field needed further exploration. Guillaume Verdier then recommended a few contacts.
That is how I met Virginie and François Nivelleau, inventors of a photometry process used in the America's Cup. A specification was drawn up and, a few months later, the first hardware tests were carried out on an IMOCA.
2018
First software — code name SV4you
Once hardware meeting the requirements had been found, an integration process and working methods had to be developed. Extensive testing led to a first program.
2019
First sea trials
A first series of tests on a Figaro Bénéteau 3 gave promising results, paving the way for further optimisation.
2020
Slowing down
Our resources were running low while development still had a long way to go. The project was put on hold.
2021
Development resumes
We resumed development with caution. The arrival of a new generation of LiDAR forced us to rework our programs in depth.
2022
Sea trials on an Ocean Fifty trimaran
On board an Ocean Fifty, we kept experimenting with different configurations, pushing the limits of the LiDAR and of the program's features.
2023
Even bigger sails!
On board an Ultim trimaran, we pushed the limits further still, in LiDAR power and in their integration on board a boat.
2024
A one-off scanning service is born
With the techniques now mastered, we developed a new approach. A temporary installation is now possible, enabling high-resolution scans under sail to determine the shape of the sails precisely.
2025
Commercial phase
Now technically mature, it is time to share this system!
2026
Measurement goes racing
Several boats now sail with Sail Controls, in offshore racing and top-level inshore regattas. On the most demanding race courses, sail shape is no longer estimated: it is measured.
Technical partners
A French company specialising in computer vision and real-time 3D perception, whose expertise helps Sail Controls turn LiDAR measurements into usable information.
perception4d.com
Designer of high-performance autopilots for offshore racing: the sail shape indicators measured by Sail Controls feed directly into its steering algorithms.
madintec.com
Spanish specialist in data analysis for racing yachts (Volvo Ocean Race, America's Cup, SailGP): the sail shapes measured by Sail Controls are natively compatible with its performance analysis tools, synchronised with the boat's own data.
sailingperformance.com