How it all began

Rick McBride and Phil Leitch started up Leitch and McBride Sails in 1976 in Sidney, B.C.
The business expanded quickly, and Brett Willetts opened an affiliated Leitch and McBride
Sails in Vancouver. By 1981, driven by the need for more space, Rick had moved the Sidney
loft to a space on Mills Rd.

Phil Leitch left the organization in 1982 to pursue other business interests and the next
year, Rick added CAD design software and a plotter to increase accuracy and speed up the
production of new sails.

In 1993, Rick moved the business again to its present location, a purpose-built loft on McDonald Park Rd.

 

New Technology and New Faces

Leitch and McBride Sails became a sales agent for Sobstad Sails in May of 2007, so that
the loft could provide a state-of-the-art, continuous string product, in the form of
Genesis.

Leitch and McBride Vancouver moved to their current location in North Vancouver in 2008.

In 2010, Paul Betts joined Rick and Wendy at the Sidney loft, bringing his expertise in
systems, hardware, rigging and sail making.

Colleen Miscovitch was hired in 2011, with her blend of experience not only in sail
making, but also in customer service, computer work, and sailing, both locally and across
the South Pacific.

New Ownership

Rick and Wendy sold the loft to Paul in January 2012. Rick, now retired, spends time
golfing and is available to consult when needed. Wendy stayed on with the business until
May 2013, and has now “retired” in her own special way. This means she is busier than
ever with her many friends and recreational activities, as well as teaching sewing at the
local community college.

The Present

Today, Leitch and McBride still design and build their sails in North America,
using only quality materials and cloth supplied by Challenge, Bainbridge, and Dimension
Sailcloth. Rick’s designs have stood the test of time, and a few minor tweaks are often
all that are required to optimize them for your boat.