driven by a passion for being on the water

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We keep sailors safe whilst they get on with pushing boundaries in their chosen field - whether they're crossing oceans, racing around buoys on their local coast, or simply cruising on a summer day with their family.

TeamO: Meet Oscar

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In 2009, Oscar was the youngest person ever to enter and complete Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (the OSTAR) from Plymouth, UK, to Newport, Rhode Island, when he was just 18 years old.

 

“It doesn’t mean anything to be the youngest ever starter, that’s do-able, racing the Atlantic , and finishing, that’s harder!”

 

With an achievement like that, it should come as no surprise that the Mead family have a long history of racing and sailing - Oscar's Dad Laurence Mead owns Bainbridge International, one of the longest established sailcloth manufacturers in the world.

 

He then went on to Southampton Solent University to earn a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) (Hons) degree in Naval Architecture (Small Craft). 

 

The combination of academic training in naval architecture and hands-on experience in sailing and product design has been instrumental in shaping TeamO Marine - which Oscar launched with his sister Lauren.

 

The Inspiration for BackTow Technology

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In 2011, a sailor in the UK lost his life after falling overboard while tethered to his boat. He was dragged face-down in the water and, despite the crew doing everything they could, they were sadly unable to revive him. This accident, as well as other fatalities in the sailing community, got Oscar thinking. 

 

He realised that there was a fundamental flaw in the design of lifejacket deck harnesses, and he set out to address this, developing BackTow - the system that pulls lifejacket wearers that are attached to their vessel backwards, rather than forwards. When BackTow is activated, it stabilises the user, helps to maintain a clear airway, and acts as a recovery point. It also buys critical seconds for rescue, greatly improving survival chances and reducing secondary drowning risk, especially at boat speeds exceeding 4 knots where conventional designs can be deadly. 

Bringing BackTow to Market

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Despite the clear need for the design, Oscar and the family met significant resistance, and were told by many in the industry that it simply wouldn't be possible to break into the market. 

 

It took four years of design, rigorous testing, and patenting to get BackTow recognised by the official test bodies required to be able to sell lifejackets. 

 

TeamO launched BackTow in 2017, earning ISO approval and industry innovation awards for its safety-enhancing approach.

 

In May 2018 the business successfully campaigned on Crowdcube to raise funds for product development. Nearly 200 investors joined the business to raise £270,000 for essential funding.

 

In October 2018, Oscar and Lauren brought production from the Far East back to Southampton. 

 

Amongst the day to day running of the business, the team are often out and about at different events - Southampton Boat Show and Metstrade. Follow us on social media to see where we're at!

Innovation and Winning Awards

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As Oscar and the team have continued to innovate in safety products over the years, so the recognition has continued to come in.

 

In 2013, TeamO was named a finalist in the James Dyson Awards for BackTow.

 

At the 2014 Pittman Awards, BackTow was recognised in the Safety category. 

 

The Autolock Tether was nominated in the Lifesaving and Safety Equipment category at the DAME Design Awards in 2017.

 

The Autolock Tether was awarded Overall Winner at the 2018 Pittman Innovation Awards (USA).

 

On 26th March 2019 Oscar and Lauren were honoured to jointly accept the award for Young Business Person of the Year at the British Marine Awards - the first time the award has been given to two people.

 

in 2024, the Offshore 150N Hi-Lift Lifejacket & Harness won the Personal Equipment category and was the overall winner at the DAME Design Awards at Metstrade.

 

Partnerships and Sponsorship

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2018 - Sponsor of the 18ft Skiff UK Solent Grand Prix Series

2018 - Party sponsor of the 10th Dubarry Women’s Open Keelboat Championships

2020 - Safety Partner for the inaugural Lonely Rock Race

2021 - Partner with the Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA) 

2021 - Partner with Ocean Revival Row

In September 2018 TeamO became the official lifejacket supplier for Tracy Edwards' relaunched 'Maiden' sailing team, who sail around the world raising money for, and promoting equal access to education and sport for women and girls. 

 

The crew were supplied with custom branded TeamO lifejackets for their mission.

TeamO Today

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Today, BackTow Technology is recognised as the leading-edge in harness design, setting new safety standards for offshore, coastal, and recreational sailors.

 

In November 2023, TeamO appointed Bainbridge International our global distributors to help us grow sales. Merging the TeamO family with the Bainbridge team allows us to grow faster as serve customers in more regions across the world. With new production facilities in the Far East supporting the UK team, TeamO is finally in a position to compete at scale on the world stage.

 

Our company mission remains the same - innovating to keep sailors safe on the water, so they can focus on their adventure.