---
title: "Where it all began: Carl Crafoord on the development of Sail Exchange"
description: Learn about the journey of Carl Crafoord, one of Australia's most experienced ocean yacht sailors, and his establishment of Sail Exchange, the world's leading marketplace for new and used sails.
image: https://blog.sailexchange.com.au/hubfs/Bettina%20%26%20Carl.jpg
---

August 23, 2023 Bettina Crafoord

# Where it all began: Carl Crafoord on the development of Sail Exchange

#### ![Carl Craaford has competed in 33 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Races](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0723/8818/2336/files/Large_SOLAS2016_01141_4384d919-66b2-4ecc-b84b-372e0dacac07_480x480.jpg?v=1676442271)

With thirty-six Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht races under his belt and a lifetime on the water, Carl Crafoord is one of Australia's most experienced and respected ocean yacht sailors. And with a marine career that began as an apprentice sailmaker with Hugh Treharne in January of 1977 and saw he and wife Bettina represent brands such as Harken, Lewmar and Quantum, few in the industry have Carl's breadth and depth of knowledge.

It's with this experience, expertise and passion that Carl and Bettina Crafoord established Sail Exchange in 2014, the world’s leading global marketplace for new and used sails.

![Sail Exchange carries a huge inventory of new and quality used sails](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0723/8818/2336/files/Large_2017_SailEx_Racks_89281_480x480.jpg?v=1676443401)

Sail-World's John Curnow met with Carl in 2017. Read his profile of the beginnings of the Sail Exchange journey and the entrepreneur behind it [here](https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Carl-Crafoord-%E2%80%93-Getting-it-right/-154228?source=google).

[ Previous article Get Ocean Race Ready ](https://blog.sailexchange.com.au/get-ocean-race-ready)

[ Next article SE | Introducing SailX: Data Driven Design and Construction for High-End Racing and Cruising Sails ](https://blog.sailexchange.com.au/introducing-sailx-data-driven-design-and-construction-for-high-end-racing-and-cruising-sails)

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