The history of Gaastra begins in 1897, when the 22-year-old Douwe Gaastra sets up his sailmaking company in Sneek, with the ambition of making sailing faster as well as more competitive and efficient. In a short space of time, Gaastra then becomes a household name in the global world of sailing.

"Once captured by the sailing spirit,
Your heart belongs to the sea forever.
There's a fine line between fear and passion,
Douwe Gaastra lost his heart to the sea.
Dedicating himself to making the finest sailing gear,
He was overwhelmed with love for the great waters.
He knew what dealing with the sea is all about,
Respect.
You don't ask the sea any questions,
You just dress for the occasion."

Between 1970 and 1990, Gaastra was primarily recognized as a prestigious windsurfing brand. Many leading surfers - including Robby Naish, Stephan van der Berg and Frank Maass - won major international prizes with the help of Gaastra accessories.

In 1996, the Gaastra sailing brand launches two clothing lines onto the European market: Gaastra Pro and Gaastra Sportswear. Gaastra Pro is the professional clothing line with sailing outfits for all conditions, ranging from the roughest sailing regattas on the ocean to recreational sailing on the local lake. Gaastra Sportswear is the clothing collection intended for use on land and consists of a contemporary and innovative lifestyle collection with a clear nautical signature.

Since 2000, Gaastra has been part of the McGregor Fashion Group B.V., which was established in 1993. The McGregor Fashion Group B.V. is a European fashion house focused on designing, marketing, distributing and selling men's, ladies' and children's clothing in the upmarket segment. McGregor and Gaastra are the group's largest brands.

Since 2005, Gaastra has sponsored Les Voiles de St.Tropez, the most prestigious sailing event of the entire year, during which almost 300 yachts - ranging from the traditional to the hypermodern - make the Bay of St. Tropez come alive.
No other sailing event is as steeped in pure nautical passion as Les Voiles de St. Tropez. Each year, in its role as a proud sponsor, Gaastra pays homage to this unique race with a brilliant special edition limited collection of beautiful clothing.

In July 2008, Gaastra moved its headquarters from Leusden to Amstelveen. The move was the result of its explosive growth in recent years and its international targets for the coming years. A new and more appropriate accommodation had to be found, and the choice fell on the centrally located Commerce Parc “De Stelling” in Amstelveen, directly adjacent to the A9 motorway.

Gaastra is one of the sponsors of the K-Challenge, a lightning fast sailing yacht. In 2010, the K-Challenge will compete in the America’s Cup, probably the most prestigious sailing competition in the world.

Gaastra’s resounding advance continues. In the beginning of June it opened it's first flagship store in the Italian yachting haven of Porto Cervo: the home port of the prestigious Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS). As well as opening the store, Gaastra has also formed a special partnership with YCCS, which will involve more extensive collaboration on collections and regattas.

Gaastra Headsponsor Sail 2010

Finaly the 8th edition of Sail Amsterdam will start coming 19th of August 2010.

Nowhere in the Netherlands will you find and experience such an imposing, grand and free accessible public event with such a nautical style.

An impressive fleet of Tall Ships and maritime heritage will be admired for five days around the IJ. In short, it is a nautical meeting between past, present and future.

Gaastra has established itself as one of the main sponsors associated with SAIL 2010. The event SAIL is invariably associated with core values ​​such as "unique, pleasant and attractive, this image is also true for the lifestyle brand Gaastra. This commitment has led to a special collaboration. Exclusively for SAIL Gaastra designed a Limited Edition Collection inspired by the nautical passion with this unique event involves.

Since 2010 we started with a professional sponsorship deal with The Jethou.

The Jethou is a state-of-the-art IRC racing yacht built by Green Marine in Lymington. It is named after one of the smaller Channel Islands, situated just off the east coast of Guernsey. The Jethou will sail constanly in famous regatta’s such as; the Palma Vela, Copa de Rey, Les Voiles the St. Tropez, the Maxi Rolex World Championship and the Giraglia Rolex cup. The Jethou was pronounced ‘best looking IRC boat of the year!’ by Seahorse magazine. Looking at this elegant black beauty with its high- tech looks, it is easy to imagine why.