Mainfurl Team

The Mainfurl Team

MAINFURL consist of four enthusiastic and professional yachters and boat builders. The team has many years of sailing and working in the yachting industry behind them. They have extensive knowledge and experience and have perfected the furling boom over many years to the product it is today.

Steen Kjølhede

Technical Director

Steen has worked with yachts his whole life, participating in the Olympics in the Finn class and winning several international and national championships in multiple classes. From building dinghies, in 1973 he designed the successful Ylva, which, as a class, is still going strong. While working as a sail designer at Elvstrøm Sails, Nordic Mast asked Steen to be a part of their engineering team making aluminum and later on carbon masts. The past 20 years Steen developed an in-boom furling system which has become a popular product in modern yachting. Based on Steen’s experience the new Mainfurl is born.

“I have been fascinated by yachting since my childhood. I think that water is my true element, and I love the feeling when the sail catches the wind.”

Peter Westfal

Sales and Marketing Director

Peter started sailing when he was a young boy and still has a profound fascination for the sea and the sport of yachting. He is rather competitive and loves to win when he races professionally, but even more so, he loves being on the water. Having worked in the yachting industry since 1994, Peter has a thorough insight into the different aspects of yacht building. He started his career as a sail maker, and since 1996 he has worked in sales for Elvstrøm Sails, Nordic Mast and North Sails.

“I love the smell, sound and sight of the ocean, as well as the interaction between the nature, sails, yacht and the crew when you’re sailing.”

Claus Hulegaard

CEO and Production Manager

Claus started sailing an optimist dinghy when he was 7. He loves the feeling of working together as a team that becomes more and more tight knit, the more time you spend together. He often spends three weeks of summer vacation with his family in their yacht. He loves this time together with his family and the feeling when the yacht sails at max speed. Claus used to be a co-owner of a shipyard, which has giving him a thorough insight into the profession of building ships. He is also a sailing instructor at a local sailing club.

“It fascinates me how the crew becomes stronger and stronger as a team, whether you’re 2 or 8 people on the yacht.”

Carsten Mikkelsen

Lawyer & Chairman of the Board

Carsten Mikkelsen is an experienced lawyer and businessman who first started to sail later in life. But he was immediately fascinated by sailing and for many years he cruised the Scandinavian waters with his family every summer as well as taking part in some races including the ARC 2014 Atlantic crossing. His interest in sailing has also evolved into yacht financing. Carsten participated in the outlining of specifications for a new yacht, including the need for an outstanding furling boom. This work resulted in a contact to Steen Kjølhede where Carsten urged him to design such a boom, as this was not on the market yet. And with this contact, a new business adventure started.

“Being together as a family on a yacht is quite a unique experience, which gave us a bond and a shared hobby we all love.”