Jean-Baptiste, founder of 727 Sailbags:
JB, a sailing addict, wants to make a living out of it
The year is 1999: Jean-Baptiste Roger is the Hobie-Cat 16 (catamaran) world vice-champion. Bottle-fed seawater from his childhood in Morbihan (Britanny), he firmly intends to make a living off of it. He enjoys teaching others; however his long Physical Educator studies left a bad taste in his mouth.
When it clicked: an 18th century sail cloth bag
JB sails a lot, notably on the family Farr 727… He wanders around on the pontoons during a visit to the Navy Museum and stumbles upon this old bag cut out of a Napoleonic era sail. This is when it clicked. JB gets a-hold of an old sewing machine, learns the basics, and gives birth to this never-before-seen multicoloured bag that clearly breaks away from the classical white bags that are already available.
727 Sailbags takes off
JB’s bags are all the rage, his sewing machine becomes his best friend. He designs his wife’s wedding dress from a spinnaker; the Roger family expands… so does the customer demand. His bags, poufs, tables, lamps, etc. are a real success.
2008, 2009… Local and national media spread the word about this success. Estelle Denis, from the M6 TV channel, is under the spell of 727 Sailbags and even orders two deckchairs. Then, a whole range of issues come into play: customer demand, collecting and recycling the sails, designing the bags, making ends meet… In other words, the company must grow.
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