NORTH SAILS BLOG

THE NATIONS TROPHY North Sails Clients Represent at Nautor Swan’s Inaugural One Design Challenge Launched by Nautor Swan, the Nations Trophy is a one-of-a-kind event that promotes a national approach to competition across three classes. The trophy goes to one nation based on their performance in the ClubSwan 42, Swan 45, and ClubSwan 50. Real Club Nautico de Palma, a gracious host to 11 teams this past week, was honored to be a part of the inaugural event and committed to providing top quality racing for competitors. Each fleet raced under one design standards, scored separately, and the winner of the Nations Trophy was determined by a Nation’s “top two” overall finishing places across the three competing fleets. “The teams were very close all week which made some nice photo finishes. The starting line approach was very important in this fleet since the boats need more time to get to their target speed. Time on distance was crucial. Every maneuver could cost us seconds and even meters, so it was very important we had our tactical decision made,” said Giulio Desiderato, strategist on Swan 42 Mela. In the ClubSwan 42 and 45 classes, Spain’s North-powered Nadir and Porron IX came away with the overall win. In the ClubSwan 50 it was Germany’s Earlybird who stole the victory, and in second was Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec, followed by Leonardo Ferragamo’s Cuordileone. Congrats to Spain for being the top performing nation team, and well done to our clients for a hard fought regatta amongst some of the world’s most elite sailors. This year is one for the history books. “The event was a success and the Swan families together on the same race course is simply amazing. Throughout the week there was great racing and fun social experiences. I look forward to competing in the Nations Trophy next time”, said Giulio. READ MORE

8 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE SAIL INVENTORY © Benoit Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team North Sails have powered eight out of nine Volvo Ocean Race winners to victory since 1989 – here are 8 things you should know about the bespoke sails designed and manufactured 2017-2018 Race. 1 ) Paneled vs. 3Di Composite Instead of assembling cloth panels into a particular sail shape, the Volvo Ocean Race sails are composites. 3Di material “tapes” are laid in a specific arrangement, offering stable structure to the sail where it is needed most. This leads to an unmatched weight to stiffness ratio and advanced durability. This is a patented process at North Sails, the exclusive sail provider to the Volvo Ocean Race. 2) Above and Below Deck Sail design today encompasses a lot more than it used to. When a new boat is commissioned, design stakeholders will often bring North Sails into the early stages of planning and collaborate to produce a well balanced boat. In the case of the VO65, Farr Yacht Design worked together with North Sails and Southern Spars to create a cohesive package where the hull, appendages, spars, and sails were each designed with the next in mind. The effect of this relationship sees each team receive a bespoke VPP (Velocity Prediction Program), which illustrates the potential performance of their boat according to inputs such as true wind speed and angle, and further, advises the proper sail to be used in each condition. 3) Eight Piece Puzzle Similar to a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces of a sail inventory assemble to create a package. The VO65 eight-piece sail inventory combines to form a clear performance landscape, with the same options available to all teams. While the sails are identical, the difference is in how they are used – the slight variations of angle, trim and tuning. Each team will push their boat, rig and sails slightly different, inching out every bit of performance possible. The VO65 teams will start in October with all-new sails. So what’s changed? 4) We Love Feedback Loops Sailors are experts at a lot of things – boiling water for coffee at 20 knots, bathing in a rainstorm, dressing up like Neptune and oh – making boats go fast. Feedback, including lots of data from the 2014-15 edition of the race, proved there was a need for another sail in the VO65 One Design inventory, pushing the final count from seven to eight. North Sails designer, Gautier Sergent explains: “The teams were forever changing configurations in 10-15 knots upwind and tight reaching. When using the masthead zero the teams were pushing the boat too hard. Changing to the J1 made them under powered. So one of the changes we made for 2017 was to add a J0, which fits between the MHO and J1 and covers that range.” 5) Domino Effect The introduction of a J0 led to a few key changes in the new inventory, most substantially to the Fractional Code Zero (FRO). Previously used in a very small upwind range between the J1 and masthead zero, the addition of a J0 meant it could now be a dedicated downwind sail. The 2017-18 FRO is made of 3Di FORCE, a new downwind application of North Sails 3Di composite sailmaking. The sail is more stable with a 3Di structure throughout an increased range of conditions, a benefit sought by designers and sailors alike. The added bonus of 3Di is the sails are more easily repeated, as molded sails offer more streamlined manufacturing and assembly than their panelled counterparts. Each type of sail can be made in sequence: the mold is set once and the sails are consolidated one by one, ensuring One Design standards are met. Nathan Quirk, head of the Sail Loft Division for the Volvo Ocean Race explains: “The process of producing the raw sail shape is now fully automated and several quality control steps are taken along the way to ensure consistency. In the past, manually joining panels to produce a sail meant no two sails were ever identical. North Sails 3Di has solved this problem and is the only option for a One Design race at this level.” 6) Surf’s Up The Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 round-the-world course features three times as much Southern Ocean sailing as the last. That means twice as many skivvies for the crew, big breeze and even bigger swell. Thanks to extensive weather routing, the new VO65 sail inventory is well suited for a decidedly downwind course. The downwind FRO we mentioned? It’s full shape and straight exit are designed to harness the wind and send them surfing down 20ft swell. 7) Fortune Telling There is no crystal ball when it comes to predicting a race around the planet, but sail designers can study the race route and draw decision making data from historical weather patterns. “We have done extensive routing with the two inventories, the 2014-15 inventory and the new one, to ensure we were using the right balance. By introducing the J0 and changing the FRO, we’ve noticed there are a lot less sail changes required,” Gautier explained. “Typically, with the addition of one more sail, the crew are quick to point out that it’s one more sail to handle, one more sail to stack. After looking at the inventory as a whole and assessing the available configurations, we found that the amount of sail changes actually reduces significantly with the addition of the J0.” 8) Easy Maintenance The VOR Boatyard travels with the teams, setting up and breaking down at each stopover port. This team of riggers, builders, and sailmakers receives the boats as they arrive, and work around the clock to maintain and repair areas of wear and tear. The sail loft crew were adamant that, no matter how fast they were, the sails had to be simple to care for. “90% of all damage to sails happens during manoeuvers and sail changes,” Nathan said. With the knowledge gained from the last race, we were able to make subtle changes to the finishing of the sails to improve handling and speed up service. With between 60-80 sails to check each stopover the sails need to be reliable.” The luff length on the code sails was reduced to allow for easier sail “peels” or changes, and a relatively simple fitting was added to the A3 (the biggest sail on board) called an integrator. This enables top-down furling which is preferred over bottom-up for larger running sails due to a faster, neater result and less chance of damage. © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

INSIDE THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE: THE BOATYARD AND NORTH SAILS © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race With the Alicante in-port race kicking off this weekend and the start of Leg 1 fast approaching, the Volvo Ocean Race’s Boatyard Sail Loft manager Nathan Quirk and Neil Cox, head of the Boatyard, explain how North Sails 3Di technology has changed the game in port. It’s been 30 years since North Sails began making sails for the Volvo Ocean Race. During that time North Sails has equipped VOR teams with the highest quality sails to see them through the round the world epic. But a lot has changed in the past three decades, and as the race has evolved, becoming faster, more extreme and more professional, so the demand for cutting-edge sails has grown. The development of North Sails 3Di technology was in many ways a response to the sailors’ demand for lightweight sails with increased durability. North 3Di sails are made using tiny pre-impregnated filament tapes to mirror the load-bearing and shape-holding qualities of a rigid aerofoil wing while remaining lightweight, durable, and easy to handle. It was to prove a breakthrough in technology, one that completely overhauled the way Volvo Ocean Race teams approach sail management. North Sails: What does 3Di technology bring to the Volvo Ocean Race? Nathan Quirk: 3Di sails stand up amazingly to what the Volvo Ocean Race crews put them through. They push the sails harder than in any race, and yet the sails hold up. Also, the sailors have a lot more confidence in 3Di than other fiber film sails, to the point where most teams don’t take an onboard sewing machine anymore. If you think back two or three races ago, we were taking a lot of repair material and glue plus a 50kg sewing machine on each leg. As 3Di came into the race, teams realized they weren’t making anywhere near as many repairs. Then they started to leave the sewing machines on the dock, and these days most teams don’t even own one. That just shows the progress of these sails over the last eight to ten years. It’s a big change. © Benoit Stichelbaut/Dongfeng Race Team NS: How does the Sail Loft work within the Boatyard? NQ: I have two full-time guys with Volvo Ocean Race, and North Sails supplies two sailmakers for each maintenance period we have. There are five guys in the loft at peak times during the stopovers, which isn’t many when you compare it to the old system, where teams independently managed their loft team – some with three or four sailmakers for their team alone. Neil Cox: Nathan and the guys in the loft are really smart and efficient about how they do the servicing. They’re aware of how many hours each code has done, so they know which sails have been used the most. They work through the whole inventory knowing which sails have seen more miles. From Nathan’s perspective, the way the boats finish the leg and the way they sails are returned to him is second to none, and that’s reflected in the service they can provide to the teams. NS: What does 3Di mean for the Sail Loft team? NQ: We still have to service the sails, check for chafe and stay on top of the general condition of the sail, but we have very, very few major repairs to do. Across the whole fleet in the 2014-15 race, we only had four sails that had problems. Thanks to 3Di we could repair them easily whereas in the past we’d have thrown away those sails. We have five days to service between 50 and 60 sails. Previously teams would re-cut and modify the shapes of their sails to keep them straight and performing at their optimum level. We don’t do that anymore because we don’t have to – we can get these teams around the world with the 3Di sails, and they’re still in great shape. The mainsails in the last race did 40,000 miles without an issue. Three races ago, each team needed three mains to get around the world, and the course was shorter then. © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race NS: What financial impact has 3Di had? NC: It’s definitely made things cheaper for the teams – they can buy two suits of sails and know they could probably get around on one set. The costs are definitely reduced for the Boatyard too – the loft is a tight unit with only three to five sailmakers and they handle the work nicely. It’s helped everyone in the Boatyard. With 45,000 miles ahead of them, sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race will set off on an eleven leg, ten-month lap of the planet on October 22nd. North Sails 3Di will be their only engine – it’s proven durability and lasting performance backed up with a qualified team of sail technicians. North Sails is proud to provide sails that are not only a result of the company’s long-standing relationship with the race and its sailors; the 2017-18 sail inventory now has proven benefits to sailing performance as well as efficiency in organization, repair and overall cost. Good luck to all six teams – we’ll see you at every stop! © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race © Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DESIGN AND 3D TECHNOLOGY SHINE AT MELGES 20 WORLDS North clients win World and Corinthian title in Newport, RI Drew Freides (USA) and his Pacific Yankee crew have been crowned Melges 20 World Champions after eight races in conditions ranging from 6-20 knots in Newport, Rhode Island. Friedes has put his time in with the Melges 20 over the last three years, and his first world championship is a sweet reward. Special congratulations to Justin Quigg (CAN) who is the 2017 Melges 20 Corinthian Champion. Justin and his CHARACTER 2.0 crew commanded the World all-amateur division and finished 19th in the regatta overall. With North 3D technology and design expertise as the common denominator, clients secured six of the top 10 World Championship places with North Sails inventories. Freides relied on the tried and true 3DL to power this win, while Quigg put all his trust in the new 3Di Melges 20 inventory. “Not all sails are created equal. Most sails are fast out of the bag, but where 3Di shines is its longevity over a series,” said Tim Healy, North Sails One Design President. “The Melges 20 Worlds has proven 3Di as an all-purpose inventory that is versatile and holds its shape over a wide wind range. North’s development and design team have been able to adapt this Grand Prix sail technology to fit small keelboats with limited season buttons. We hoped that the Melges 20 fleet would embrace 3Di and we now have the results to support this.” Shop the winning North Sails Melges 20 inventory or get in touch with a One Design expert. Full Results READ MORE

2017 ETCHELLS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP San Francisco Yacht Club hosts top Etchells sailors in the country, North Sails clients place top five overall and 1st place Corinthian Stella Blue, 2017 World Champions! On Tuesday September 26th, 51 of the world’s top Etchells teams gathered at SFYC for the opening day of the 2017 Etchells World Championship. The day began with a postponement on the water until the breeze filled in, but the fleet was able to sail two good races in challenging conditions. Winning the sides paid off, and those who got stuck in the middle felt the wrath of sailing amidst the competitive fleet. Sailing was tough in this fleet – some would say tough is an understatement. Tuning, rigging, and sail set up made the difference between the front of the pack and the back of the fleet. North Sails Expert, Skip Dieball was on board Warcanoe and said there was always a constant flow of information about boat set up, since that was one of few things each team could actually control: “Because the fleet is so tight and the sailors are top of the line, it never really felt great with our lanes being so thin and everyone’s speed is very much equal in comparison.” Day two of the event was very much like day one; light air early on, building to wet and wild conditions. The RC postponed competitors onshore until proper racing conditions filled in for the afternoon. With a little extra prep time with their boats, sailors gained a sense of relaxation and the opportunity to get their heads in the game. When it came time to race, the wind gods provided great sailing conditions and two very competitive races were added to the scoresheet. Thursday’s breeze filled in much earlier, allowing the fleet to launch on time. Race five provided winds between 10-12 knots, with the right side of the first leg being favored. Because this fleet is so tight competitively, sailors were forced to balance course tactics with fleet management. The windward mark roundings were a test for all, whether you worked the favored side of the course or not. Throughout the first race of the day the wind was increasing and built to a solid 15-18 knots by the start of race six. Conditions downwind were perfect for the Etchells. Surfing and being able to connect the wave pattern gave a ton of power and speed. Carving down waves was vital, as Etchells rely on their edges in bigger breeze. Senet Bischoff and his team on KGB extended his lead in race six after taking a bullet. The top of each fleet was tight in scores, with still plenty of chances for big gains to be made with just a few points. Friday was wet and wild one. Steve Benjamin’s North-powered Stella Blue moved up to first overall, with Magpie close behind in second place. KGB still held on to first in the Corinthian division, and was in third overall going into the day. Saturday the scoreboard was solidified for good. Congratulations to 2017 Etchells World Champs, Stella Blue, with Steve Benjamin at the helm and David Hughes, Ian Liberty, and Michael Menninger rounding out the crew. Stella Blue also took first in the Masters and Senior divisions. Congrats to Dirk Kneulman and team on Tiburon for being the top boat in the grand masters division and Senet Bischoff’s KGB for winning the corinthian division. Learn more about Worlds-winning Etchells products from North by clicking here, or contact your local expert. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di RAW POWERS TP52 SUPER SERIES SUCCESS Azzurra was crowned 52 Super Series champions when they bested the fleet in the final series act in Menorca last week. Alberto Roemmers’ Azzurra, helmed by Guillermo Parada and tactician Vasco Vascotto, is the only team to win two series regattas in 2017, placing them seven points ahead of Platoon and eleven points ahead of 2016 series champs Quantum Racing. The 2017 52 fleet may be the most competitive since the Super Series inaugural year in 2012. North Sails is proud to share in our clients’ success, with North-powered teams winning four of the six regattas – Azzurra finished 1st place in Miami and Menorca, Rán Racing topped the fleet in Porto Cervo with owner/driver Niklas Zennström and tactician Adrian Stead, and Ergin Imre’s Provezza claimed victory in Puerto Portals with helmsman Peter Holmberg and tactician Tony Rey. North-powered teams sailed well through the season, winning the last three events and the series overall; a testament to improved crew work and evolution of the 3Di RAW product within the fleet. Much of the North-powered results are attributed to the development of 3Di RAW 880, a Grand Prix 3Di product with limited distribution. “3Di RAW 880 received proof of concept this season, coming on strong in the final three events of the Super Series,” commented Paul Westlake, North Sails Grand Prix sales leader and mainsail trimmer on Bronenosec Gazprom. “The product development of RAW 880 has led to a refinement of flying shape, and directly contributes to aggressive mode sailing abilities on the race course. The product has shown its strength and durability as the season progressed, as the class limits the number of sails that can be “carded” in a given year which allows 3Di’s performance to shine as the racing hours build up.” “3Di RAW 880 is North Sails most current and ever evolving answer to perfect aerodynamic foils for inshore Grand Prix teams looking for the ultimate edge,” said Gautier Sergent, head of North Sails R&D. “Our 3Di RAW composite structure gives the sailors and designers the ability to push the limits of strength to weight ratio and stability. The performance and shape holding of these composite structures are exceeding our expectations based on our analysis and customers’ feedback. We had two very clear mandates and we were pretty spot on.” With proof of concept complete, the North Sails 3Di RAW 880 development path will focus on fine-tuning the structure to maximize the range for each specific sail, resulting in more performance control for the trimmers and a wider groove for the helmsmen. With nine new boats expected on the start line in 2018, 2017 may quickly become the second most competitive year in the Super Series history. Countdown to the 2018 season is on. READ MORE

BRIAN KEANE, J/70 WORLDS RUNNER UP Sail development, team consistency and practice-practice-practice – The keys to Team Savasana’s success Brian, congratulations from all of us here at North Sails One Design on your second place finish at the just completed J/70 Worlds in Sardinia! You have been sailing the boat pretty much when it started. What is the appeal of the J/70 to you? Brian – Many thanks for the kind words. We worked hard for this event and we are pleased with our performance and result. Porto Cervo is a beautiful place to sail, and we enjoyed conditions ranging from raging mistral to relatively moderate breezes. As for the J/70, I have been in the class from the beginning. In fact, I have been a long-time J Boat owner having previously raced both a J/105 and a J/80. I love the J/70 and believe it may be the most exciting and competitive keelboat class anywhere in the world. Throughout the year, it is possible to attend numerous events with 30, 50 or even 70 boats competing. The biggest events, like the Worlds, can have more than 160 boats representing 24 countries. And the depth of the class is incredible, with dozens and dozens of boats having teams comprised of world champions, Olympians, and America’s Cup competitors. “If you love one-design sailing and you like to compete against the best in big fleets, then the J/70 class is the place to be.” Second overall in a 160+ boat fleet, the biggest one design championship we have had in decades, maybe ever, is not small feat. Can you tell us what you did to prepare for this big event? Brian – Preparing for an event like this takes time and careful planning. After last year’s Worlds in San Francisco where we placed 8th, we got together as a team and discussed our goals for 2017. Obviously those goals were primarily focused on the World Championships in Porto Cervo, Italy. , As the year progressed, we knew that we were making advancements on multiple fronts. It sounds trite, but one of the most important things we did was make sure that we participate in enough events and had enough practice days as a team so we could build on our knowledge base week to week. “Another important area of progress was in sail development, particularly as the class started moving towards more aggressive use of weather sheeting. We were pleased to work with North Sails and shared our thoughts about improvement opportunities.” Sailing with North Sails, can you tell us what models you used and give us some insights on how you set your boat up? Watching the regatta it appeared to be a pretty windy week. Brian – In terms of sails, we went with the latest and greatest from North. This includes the XCS-1 main, which we believe is very versatile across a variety of conditions. In the breezy conditions, we had the ability to make the main very flat, and when necessary in lighter conditions, we had the ability to add depth and power to adapt to the conditions. “For the jib, we went with the new North J-6, which we really like a lot. It has a high clew which makes it very easy and efficient to weather sheet into the cabin top when the conditions are right. This allows us to maintain equal speed with competition while often providing us a height advantage. This is especially important in getting off the line and maintaining a lane in big fleets.” For the spinnaker, we used the same North AP-1 spinnaker design that we have loved for the past few years. Starting with that many top boats is a real challenge. Any pointers for the rest of us on how to get consistently good starts in such and large and competitive fleet. Brian – The race committee at the Worlds did a terrific job in some challenging conditions. Generally, the lines were square and the first windward leg was pretty long, generally 1.4 or 1.5 miles. The race committee also located the course far enough away from geographic factors so it wasn’t a race to the left side of the course. The combination of these factors, plus our confidence in our speed, meant that we didn’t need to win any start. Instead, our focus was to start in lower density areas and try to hold our lane for at least 3-4 minutes. If we could do that, we figured we would already be in the top 25 percent of the fleet. And racing near the top of the fleet is way easier than being buried. We also recognize that in big fleets random bad stuff can happen to anybody at the start. When this inevitably happens, it is important to be timely, yet smart about when to clear out so you can find a new lane. Hanging on too long will most certainly increase the difficulty and time required to find a lane. Bailing out too soon may result in excessive ducks and bad positioning. Can you tell us a little bit about your crew and what roles each one plays on the team? Brian – I am amazingly fortunate to have sailed with the core Savasana team for the past few years. Team consistency is currency for performance. Stu McNay, who is originally from my home club in Marion, Massachusetts, is our tactician. Stu is incredibly thoughtful and analytical and helps the program continue to move forward with continuous innovations and excellent use of data. Stu has also represented the United States for the last three Olympiads skippering a 470. Thomas Barrows is the trimmer on the team and he has such an amazing feel for the boat, which he translates into subtle tweaks in upwind sail trim. Downwind he is a natural talent and is magical in orchestrating sail and weight trim to take maximum advantage of the sea state. Thomas is also a valuable sounding board for Stu in discussing tactics. Thomas represented the United States in the Rio Games skippering the 49er. Ron Weed, from Annapolis, is our bow, but that doesn’t nearly capture what he really does for the team. He keeps us from getting into trouble. Sets, jibe, takedowns, and mark roundings are where most trouble happens in big fleets, especially in windy conditions. Ron is the guy who makes all of that a non-issue, even when we give him no notice. Ron is also “owner of the rig”, which means he knows where we are at any given time and he even knows how much the rig will stretch from day to day based on temperature. And finally, Ron is our conscience. He periodically throws out thoughts or observations about trim, backstay, traveler, or any other adjustment. These continuous contributions help our performance and help ensure that everyone’s head is fully into the game all the time. Thanks so much Brian and congrats again. What’s next for team Savasana? Brian – We will be participating in the North American Championships at American Yacht Club in a couple weeks. Unfortunately, we won’t hove our full core team, but we look forward to the event. Then we will head south for the winter circuit. READ MORE

2017 J/24 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP North Sails clients conquer extreme light air conditions in Toronto, topping the podium Sixty-three teams from nine nations traveled to Toronto, Ontario for the 2017 J/24 World Championship. With support from our experts, North Sails clients raised the speed bar in the extreme light air conditions to step onto the podium. The week began with a practice race and a debrief hosted by Tim Healy and Will Welles, who have a history of memorable finishes in the J/24. Every team took something away that would be critical in aiding their light air performance. Rig setup questions included: Mast butt placement to flatten the main and tighten the headstay, fine-tune adjustments for lowers (half a turn depending on turnbuckle style). Other questions focused on starting in light air and big fleets, since getting off the starting line was one of the most difficult parts of each race. Here are some of the answers: 1. The key to getting a hole in the front row was to set up early, around 1:30 seconds, and get the boat going at full speed by 45 seconds. 2. Identify the boats coming from behind to steal your hole in time to shut them out. 3. A slightly lighter crew weight was desirable for predicted conditions. Some teams were closer to the maximum weight (880 pounds) than others. 4. Boat should be at minimum builder’s weight, with no extra stuff onboard. Carry tools and spares, no extra optional equipment that can’t really help you in the long run. 5. Adverse current is very unusual on Lake Ontario, but it truly existed and was a huge factor during the week, especially at the start and windward mark roundings which wasn’t very noticeable unless you were at the top of the course. “What made it tricky is that you couldn’t see the current on the water. Maybe because the wind was so light and there was pollen in the water, which made it slick so you couldn’t see it on the water. I saw adverse current coming into the top of the leg. It was noticeably there.” -Tim Healy Once racing started, teams battled the highs and lows of light air racing through trial and error. Starting each race with a clear mind made it possible to accomplish what sometimes seemed to be the impossible. The Race Committee did their best to get off as many fair races as possible, keeping in mind the World Championship level of competition that makes this type of event so challenging. “Don’t let yourselves get down on a bad race. Keep your chin up and never give up till it’s over. That’s the key.” -Will Welles Thursday there was no wind until the late afternoon. “J/24 fleet, welcome to Thursday night racing,” joked the Race Committee chair over the VHF, before starting the final race of the day at 5:00 pm. With only eight races, teams close on points were forced to take big risks in order to move up the results sheet. Sometimes starting away from everyone paid off, though the boats starting at the favored end would come out ahead. Straight line speed off the line was also a major component of success, allowing teams to break free and stay in clear air. Going into the last day, Tony Parker and his team Bangor Packet and Rossi Milev’s Clear Air were close on points, which put some serious pressure on the two teams. Race eight started in just barely enough pressure to sail. The last leg was shortened, and a 25 degree left shift rewarded the boats that stuck it out to the port layline. Rossi finished second, moving his team into first overall. When race nine was blown off with the entire fleet in a giant clump at the bottom of the course, Clear Air shut Bangor Packet out of the championship. Amongst the many cheers and whistles when the RC posted AP over A, there was relief and celebration for those who held their own, and for some, there was no chance of recovery or redemption. A fantastic week in Toronto sailing against the best J/24 teams in the world made for a great event and many lessons in patience, the power of positivity, and teamwork. Thanks to the race committee and all the volunteers who made this event a success and did their best to get in the most races possible. Thank you to Port Credit Yacht Club and Chris and Julie Howell for your support in the J/24 Class. Congratulations to all of our clients, and special congrats to Rossi Milev’s team on Clear Air; hard work and not giving up after double-digit finishes really makes a difference and doesn’t mean you can’t win a regatta. We also congratulate the Women’s Sea Bags Sailing Team for being the top all-female finishers, winning the Jaeger Women’s Trophy. Full Results For more information on World Championship winning J/24 sails, contact your local North Sails Expert. 5th Place, Carter & Molly White, team YouRegatta Team Clear Air, 2017 J/24 World Champions! 2nd Place, Bangor Packet 3rd Place, LULL Women’s Sea Bags Sailing Team, first all female team overall. Winners of the Jaeger Women’s Trophy. READ MORE

LUKE GOWER WINS OK DINGHY UK NATIONALS North design powers 1,3,5,6 teams in Herne Bay Luke Gower – OK UK National Champion The OK UK National Championship hosted at Herne Bay in Kent gave the competitors a mixture of conditions, from blustery 25+ knots on the first day, letting the heavy weight teams in the class have an advantage, followed by a canceled day due to lack of wind! For the final day a consistent light breeze from the southeast allowed for three races. Luke Gower sailed an extremely consistent final day with 3 bullets to take the Championship title. All the North-powered sailors in the top 10 used the M-19 mainsail. The dedication that the North team has devoted to the OK Dinghy class in the UK was shown with more than half of the fleet using North Sails. We spoke to North Sails one design expert and sailmaker, Tom Lonsdale who finished in 6th place using his M-19. “The full radial panel layout of the M-19 enables the head of the sail to be completely depowered so it is dead flat in the windier conditions, this was key to going fast upwind in the stronger conditions as shown by Richard Burton on day one where we had 20+ knots with him dominating with two wins.” “The other advantage of this sail is in the lighter conditions, using less cunningham and mainsheet tension, you can put the power back into the sail whilst keeping the top ⅓ of the sail open and avoiding the ‘hooky’ leach you get on some OK sails. It gives good height and speed without the sail stalling out and enough power in the bottom half to get through any chop, plus giving great downwind pace. We saw it on day 3 when we had sub 10 knots all day and Luke Gower won all three races, with a total of six out of the seven races won by the North M-19.” If you are interested in any of our OK Dinghy products, get in touch with one of our One Design Experts. READ MORE

NEW VERSATILE SAIL COMPLETES NORTH SAILS VOR INVENTORY North Sails has unveiled a game-changing addition to the sail wardrobes of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet – the J0. North Sails has been the exclusive official supplier to the Volvo Ocean Race since the debut of the VO65 one design fleet in the 2014-15 edition. Now, after analyzing extensive race data,further modeling and listening to feedback from Volvo Ocean Race sailors, North has created a new 171m² sail to fill an apparent gap between the masthead code 0 (MH0) and the J1 jib, boosting the performance of the VO65s in the process. In the most recent edition of the historic race, sailors reported having to constantly switch between the MH0 and the J1, two of the biggest sails carried onboard, in search of the configuration that gave them the best speed. Crucially the introduction of the J0 will eradicate the need to change headsails so frequently – welcome news for the sailors, who expend thousands of calories a day manually hoisting the massive sails. “The most important feedback we got from the last race was that there was a gap between the J1 and the masthead zero,” said North Sails designer Gautier Sergent, a Volvo Ocean Race expert. “Between ten and 15 knots of wind the crews were forever changing sails as they looked for the best configuration. We wanted to provide a solution for this gap, so we introduced a new J0 that fits perfectly between the J1 and the masthead 0. “The teams will still have to stack the J0 but they don’t need to tack or gybe every day when they are sailing offshore, so overall it is a net gain with fewer sail changes. “ North Sails has spent a lot of time comparing recent race data with historic weather routings, using software developed with Great Circle, to guarantee the J0 strikes the perfect balance among the VO65 fleet’s sail inventory. Targeted for conditions between eight and 15 knots upwind and up range reaching, the bowsprit-set J0 is already proving a useful tool in a much wide range of conditions. Not only will the Volvo Ocean Race crews now have a new sail to play with but they will also get better use of their existing arsenal. The masthead code 0 will be much more effective while the fractional code 0, which had a very narrow range in upwind conditions in the 2014-15 race, becomes a dedicated downwind sail. “The addition of the J0 is better suited to the new race course, which has more of a Southern Ocean routing,” Sergent added. “It also allows the fractional and masthead code zeros to become more efficient and the fractional zero to become more downwind-oriented.” The current crop of Volvo Ocean Race sailors got their chance to put the new sail through its paces during Leg Zero, the four-stage qualifying series that included the iconic Fastnet offshore race. Early feedback from the teams has been overwhelmingly positive. “North Sails have done a really good job – they listened to the feedback and developed the J0 for this edition, which is what we need,” said Dongfeng Race Team crewman Daryl Wislang. “Upwind it’s a very versatile sail but it can be used at the wider angles as well. It’s going to get a lot of use.” Dee Caffari, skipper of Turn the Tide on Plastic, added: “It’s the first time we’ve even seen a J0, and I think it’s my new favorite sail. It’s a really interesting space that it fits into so we’ll have a look at that in more detail. It’s a big change for the sail wardrobe for this edition of the race.” Pablo Arrarte, watch captain on MAPFRE, said each team must decide how best to use the J0. “It is a critical sail, new for everyone, and we have to test it intensely,” he said. “Each team will make their own conclusions while training about how to use it to their best advantage.” Just like the rest of North Sails’ Volvo Ocean Race inventory, the cutting-edge J0 is made from its unique 3Di technology that pushes the boundaries of sail design. The patented technology, developed for the Volvo Ocean Race, uses tiny pre-impregnated filament tapes to mirror the load-bearing and shape-holding qualities of a rigid aerofoil wing while remaining lightweight and durable. The Volvo Ocean Race begins in Alicante, Spain, on October 14, with the opening round of the In-Port Race Series before the fleet departs for Lisbon, Portugal, on the first of 11 offshore legs on October 22. READ MORE

MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP North-powered boats win six of seven classes at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, sweep the podium in Super Maxi, Maxi, Mini Maxi RC1 and Wally divisions © Carlo Borlenghi The 28th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Maxi 72 Worlds regatta welcomed 46 yachts to the docks of Porto Cervo, Italy. Clients of North Sails sailed extremely well, winning six of seven classes and claiming 16 of 21 podium positions. The week’s racing offered a spectacular platform for the breathtaking fleets, boasting beauty in both lines and engineering on Costa Smeralda’s blue waters. Open to yachts 60’ and over, the regatta sorts entries into divisions determined by technical characteristics. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda teamed up with the International Maxi Association and lead sponsor, Rolex, to organize the annual event and, yet again, have done an excellent job; the 28th edition went off without a hitch, and North-powered teams sailed fast and furious on the race course. Competing in a variety of inshore and coastal races, the regatta spanned six days of sailing in conditions ranging from calm to fresh. In the Mini Maxi R class, Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou had a stronghold on the fleet with six bullets in six races, finishing seven points ahead of the Frers-designed Spectre. Jethou and Spectre are active UK programs with a number of North Sails experts among the crew. Both boats raced with complete North 3Di inventories. “With a few new faces onboard, the crew pulled out all the stops and we had some of the best coastal racing we’ve ever had in Porto Cervo, a great week. We’ve worked really hard on our off-the-wind setup on this boat, in particular on our reaching sails. Our 3Di FORCE Masthead Zero, Fractional Zero, and A3 ensure that, at whatever angle, we are always fast,” said North Sails expert Sam Richmond, trimmer on Jethou. North Sails clients filled the podium of Mini Maxi RC 1 – 1st, 2nd and 3rd place – with Roberto Lacorte’s Supernikka winning the division. Like the majority of her competitors, Supernikka races with a North Sails 3Di sail inventory, managed by North expert Alessio Razeto. “During the Maxi races in Sardinia we had to fight on corrected time, with boats behind us by 16 minutes, which meant there was nothing we could do if our boat speed was not 100%. This week the mistral pushed hard and we carried our brand new 3Di Code Zero in tighter angles, taking bigger risks. We felt our sail inventory, specifically the 3Di A0 did a fantastic job contributing to our success at the event.” We asked Alessio how North Sails 3Di was making a difference on the water. He replied: “We built a new 3Di RAW main, medium jib and code zero. It was impressive the improvement in performance it brought our team. We could easily sail over our target range, and saw differences when sailing upwind against our usual competition, which was historically much faster than us. Our crew has been impressed to have no failures this week, even during the strong winds we experienced from the mistral. Our maneuvers were executed perfectly, and I think this could not be achievable without our 3Di sails.” © Zerogradinord At the regatta, the largest fleet was in the Wally division with 11 yachts competing in over six races. In the 100% North-powered fleet, ultimately David M. Leuschen’s Galateia claimed the trophy after racing concluded yesterday, with the leaderboard showing a five point lead over Nahita. “It is surprising to us!” said Leuschen of Galateia‘s 1st place win. “The boat is new. We raced half the season last year when the crew was new. We have improved because the crew coordination is better. We did a lot of work on the boat over the winter and we bought a new suit of North Sails, which we like a lot more.” An impressive week in the Super Maxi’s was won by Ribelle, a Mckeon design which scored six points in five races while using North 3Di sails. And in the Maxi division, North-powered Highland Fling prevailed with owner Irvine Laidlaw at the helm and North Sails expert Mike Toppa onboard. Congratulations to all North Sails clients competing at the 2017 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. © Carlo Borlenghi © Zerogradinord © Zerogradinord © Fabio Taccola/ Aerial view of the Supernikka’s 3Di FORCE masthead code zero. © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

Peter Galloway Wins 2017 Sonar Worlds Lunenburg, pristine location and great atmosphere! Peter Galloway and his team of Ched Proctor, Garin Pace and Judy Lugar had to overcome multiple hurdles, both on and off the race course, to win the 2017 Sonar World Championships hosted by by the Lunenburg Yacht Club. Trailing 2 teams going into the final day Galloway and team posted a final day score line of 1,2,2 to complete an impressive, come from behind win. The sailors in Lunenburg are somewhat spoiled by a pristine location that has escaped much of the hubbub of modern civilization. The small clubhouse, a bar, wooden porch overlooking the mooring area and comfortable, rustic gathering great room offered a great atmosphere for the 25 teams competing for the title. The Sonar Worlds is the one major Sonar title that had eluded Galloway and just getting to the event proved a daunting task. Paul Steinborn, long time Fast Forward co-owner and crew, had a last minute injury that threw the entire program into scramble mode, including finding a replacement crew, housing and a tow vehicle just to get USA 701 to the starting line. The weather was unusual for early September. The regatta started with heavy winds of 18-20 knots for practice day. The scheduled start of racing brought a rainy day with 30 knots on the race course which made the race committee decision to abandon for the day well received by the competitors. Given a “bonus day” to tour the area many teams visited the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and enjoyed a waterfront stroll around town dodging rain squalls. Seven races were sailed to a very tight last race where three boats had the chance to win. Congratulations to Peter Galloway’s Fast Forward team, winners of the 2017 World title. Full results READ MORE

2017 PROVES NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MELGES 32 North-powered clients reap benefits of 3Di sail development at Melges 32 season finale in Cala Galera The Melges 32 Worlds welcomed 17 boats from seven nations to Cala Galera, Italy. Ten races in steady wind and sunshine rounded out the class’s 2017 season, showing teams with North 3Di sails in the front of the pack. Introduced to the Melges 32 in 2016, North Sails 3Di is making it’s way through the fleet as sailors upgrade to achieve the utmost in sail performance. “The Worlds was a great event with 10 races and we are happy to say that the second and third boats were North-powered teams, ” said North Sails expert Giulio Desiderato, who works to advance North’s product development efforts in the class. In the Melges 32, a growing number of teams are making the switch to 3Di. One example is 2017 European Champions Torpyone, who finished second overall in the Melges 32 World League. Torpyone opted for a 3Di RAW mainsail and headsail, which they’ve used consistently throughout the season. North Sails 3Di is a proprietary sail technology that reduces stretch and sail weight, while increasing the structural and performance life. 3Di sails are composed of ultra-thin unidirectional spread filament tapes, which are pre-impregnated with thermoset adhesive and arranged in a complex multiple-axis array. The process allows designers precise control over the placement and orientation of material within each sail, and results in resistance to stretch in all directions. First tested and proven in larger inshore and offshore racing boats, North Sails 3Di is now making its way into popular one design classes like the Melges 32, Melges 24, Melges 20 and Melges 40 Grand Prix. In an interview following the event in Cala Galera, Giulio stresses the investment from North in competitive one design racing. “The Melges 32 is a competitive class that has been active for a long time. North Sails is invested in the development of the sails, and at every regatta we are here to collect feedback from the competitors. We work with our specialists to develop the best product we can for the teams.” READ MORE

3Di FOR RACING | C&C38 RENAISSANCE Peter Kirkwood upgrades to North 3Di, brings new life to his 40-year-old boat We caught up with Peter Kirkwood, on his C&C 38 MK 1 Renaissance, from London, Ontario. Peter just recently purchased a 3Di main and genoa and has been using them this summer at his home club. When his old 3DL sails were coming to down to their last leg, Peter knew Renaissance, now 40 years old, was ready for something new and different. “When I bought this boat I bought 3DL #1 jibs. They were great performance sails, but they didn’t last very long,” he recalled. After speaking with his local expert, Hugh Beaton, Peter was convinced he should try 3Di.“Tremendous durability was the thing that got me,” said Peter. “Considering a performance sail for my type of boat and the racing I do, it turned out to be a neat way to get back in the game. 3Di is great for those of us with older boats”. He paired his new genoa with a matching mainsail, and now he couldn’t be happier. “I think the new #1 and the new main at the same time made the biggest difference. Because I got two new sails at the same time, I got the best of both worlds. The boat has never gone faster upwind and pointed higher at the same time. I was so excited about it. It was like a whole different world. I think that has been the biggest thing I’ve noticed- It has brought life back in my old boat.” Renaissance sails a couple nights per week and, after the time changes in Autumn, the team will sail in weekend club races. They frequently match up against a J/133, X35, and Beneteau 40.7, and have noticed a big improvement with the new sails. “I’ve had a couple nemesis boats that I’ve had a hard time catching over the last few years. Now we are beating them – we are right there, boat for boat, pointing higher, going faster.” What’s more, Peter explained a few added bonuses he wasn’t expecting. “I’ll be 62 years old next month and I can pick up this genoa by myself. For a 155%, it’s featherlight! That was a big deal for me when choosing to buy new sails. The sails were the talk of the party, too. Lots of wows from all at the club. They look really cool. They look good.” We wish Peter and the Renaissance team the best of luck this fall! READ MORE

KOHLER CUP 2018 North Sails and J-Class Association announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup Following the success of the first ever J-Class overall season championship, the inaugural 2017 Kohler Cup, the J-Class Association and North Sails are proud to announce the 2018 Kohler Cup schedule. The 2018 Cup will be comprised of a total of four events as opposed to just three in 2017. The other notable difference is for the upcoming year events will be weighted equally, with boats that take part in all four events able to discard their worst result. The Kohler Cup is a perpetual trophy named in memory of Terry Kohler, the former owner of North Sails, who was also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The inaugural Kohler Cup was presented to Lionheart during prize giving for the J Class Worlds in Newport, Rhode Island. The trophy has certainly played a part in developing the J Class fleet, with at least six boats at key events. Louise Morton, J Class Association Secretary, commented: “With six yachts on the start line last week, there is no doubt that the J Class fleet is enjoying an unprecedented resurgence. It is a testament to the owners of these yachts, the competitiveness of the fleet, and the professionalism of the crew, that going into this event the top three boats were only separated by one point. However, with the J Class Worlds worth double points, everything was at play in Newport.” The Kohler Cup is the first ever season-long points championship for the fleet, aimed at promoting and enhancing the racing for the celebrated world-class fleet of J Class yachts. The 2018 season will consist of the following events: St Barth’s Bucket, Caribbean Superyacht Cup, Palma Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo Les Voiles de St Tropez, France Ken Read, President of North Sails and Skipper of Hanuman commented: “The Kohler Cup is here to stay, as it is clear that the J Class owners want to stick together from event to event which provides amazing racing. The World Championship was the perfect end to the year. I am delighted that we as North Sails, have also been able to play a part in keeping these boats together over the season through the trophy. I feel this year was unique in that regard and I can’t wait to start it all again next year with even more events and hopefully even greater racing.” The Kohler Cup Scoring System: The Kohler Cup presented by North Sails is awarded at the end of the J Class racing season using the high point scoring system Each boat will receive point(s) equal to the number of boats she beat, plus one point. The end season score will be the sum of all the points of the individual races The J Class yacht with the highest number of cumulative points wins the Kohler Cup Each event has the same coefficient Points will be calculated on the final scores at the end of each event J Class yachts not entering an event or a race will be scored with zero (0) points Only J Class yachts participating at least in three (3) events will be eligible to compete for the seasonal Kohler Cup Yachts competing in all four (4) events drop their worst score prior to final tally In case of a tie, the better position in the final event will determine who breaks the tie on top READ MORE

THE KEY TO SUCCESS AT J/111 WORLDS North 3Di powers Skeleton Key to winning victory in San Francisco After Peter Wagner’s Skeleton Key won the 2017 J/111 Worlds on San Francisco Bay, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club. North Sails caught up with tactician Seadon Wijsen, North Sails J/111 class expert and salesmen based in San Francisco, CA. Seadon identified four key points that contributed to their first place finish at one of the most competitive regattas of the J/111 season. North Sails clients have won every major J/111 Class event since Worlds in Newport, RI in 2015. This year, Skeleton Key was equipped with North Sails MNi-4 Mainsail, MHi-4 Jib, Hi-2 Jib, HWJi-2 Jib, A2-4 Spinnaker, and the A4-2 Spinnaker. Thanks to our clients and expert feedback, our designers are constantly improving sail designs, pushing to create the best products for high performance competition. 1. Experience – We have sailed a number of J/111 regattas over the years and know how to sail the boat well. 2. Consistency – Having seven of the eight crew we had at the Worlds last year, and the same team we had in Key West this past January, really helped. 3. Confidence – Knowing our rig tune and sail set up gave us a lot of consistent speed. While this time we were not always the fastest around the marks, we were consistently fast upwind and downwind throughout the wind ranges. 4. Patience – If I were to add one more thing, it is that we had a lot of patience. We were a little frustrated to not be winning after each day and sometimes we beat ourselves up, but overall we were patient, did not try anything too radical, kept covering and chipping away at the competition. Contact your local North Sails expert to get the latest information on the fastest sails for the J/111 READ MORE

NORTH SAILS INTRODUCES NEW RADIAL JIB FOR THE LIGHTNING CLASS Extended Testing Proves V17 Jib Delivers Improved Performance in All Conditions North Sails sail designer and Lightning legend, Ched Proctor has devoted many years and thousands of sailing hours perfecting fast Lightning sail designs. The “King of the South”, a nickname earned by winning a record seven Southern Circuits, Ched is one of the most renowned and respected Lightning sail designers in the 80 year history of the class. The Lightning sails produced by North Sails have been the Lightning sailors’ choice for decades, so developing a new, faster radial jib was no easy task. “I feel confident in our products and feel our sails are, by far, the fastest and the most versatile sails in the market. That said I am always looking to create a faster sail. Getting the V17 to the point where I feel confident enough to use and sell it to our clients was quite a challenge!” said Ched Proctor. The new V17 jib was developed based on the design of the R75 and the shaping of the 5A+ jibs. Utilizing a radial head and clew section, the V17 has proven to be incredibly fast and versatile in all conditions. The prototype was tested at the 2017 Southern Circuit where it won all the events and, after further testing and minor tweaks to make the sail smooth and easy to trim, the V17 is now ready and available to help you and your team get to the podium. “Ched has been very focused on making improvements to our radial sail program. After many hours of testing and tweaking, he has created the V17 which has proven to be a very fast and pretty sail. I think it is the perfect compliment to our winning lineup and a great option for someone looking for that performance edge,” said North Sails Lightning Global Class Leader, Brian Hayes. The new V17 is now in stock and ready to ship for your next Lightning regatta. Contact your nearest North Sails Lightning expert today. READ MORE

LIONHEART CLAIMS KOHLER CUP SEASON-LONG POINTS TROPHY Inaugural J Class World Championship wraps up in Newport Newport, Rhode Island welcomed the J Class Association for the inaugural World Championship this week. Six yachts competed over five days of racing, battling for the World Championship title and season-long points trophy, the Kohler Cup. Competition was tight between the six yachts, Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Svea, Topaz, and Velsheda, with frequent lead changes throughout tactical courses on Narragansett Bay. The final leaderboard is a true reflection, showing seven points between first and third place and only a 13 point difference from top to bottom. North Sails is the official sailmaker of the J Class Association and is proud to have taken part in a historical year of racing. All the yachts at the World Championship raced with North 3Di sails, a unique combination of the industry’s most advanced sail technology paired with the classic lines of the J Class fleet. Congratulations to Lionheart, the first J Class World Champion as well as winner of the 2017 Kohler Cup. North Sails would also like to commend Hanuman and Ranger who finished second and third respectively. “Thank you very much to the New York Yacht Club for hosting this fantastic regatta, it’s been phenomenal. I would of course like to thank my crew and family. This is a family boat, I sail with my sons and my wife and it’s really a gift to be able to do this,” said Lionheart’s Harold Goddijn at last night’s prize giving. “Congratulations to the Lionheart team for doing an amazing job this week and throughout the year,” said Ken Read, skipper of Hanuman and president of North Sails. “Thank you to our hosts, the New York Yacht Club and to the city of Newport for their strong support on the water. This was an opportunity for sailing to come back, for crew work and sail handling to be front and center in the world again. All the teams here did an amazing job, everyone had their day, and it was so fun to be a part of. On behalf of the entire Hanuman team, it’s been a pleasure.” Competitive racing in the J Class will continue with the release of 2018’s Kohler Cup schedule early next week. View all 2017 race results at jclassyachts.com. READ MORE

NORTH U FUELS GREAT COMPETITION AT 20TH J-CUP Post-racing debriefs offer added value for J-Cup sailors in Torquay Sweeney – J-Cup 2017 Hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, the 20th J-Cup saw forty-one J boats come together for three days of racing. The J/109 was the largest fleet, with fifteen boats. In true British summertime style, the competitors had everything from sunshine to hail, but a consistent 15+ knots each day meant the boats had a fantastic time racing. North Sails was proud to be one of the partner sponsors of the event. Daily prizes for the overall winners were provided as well as daily weather forecasting briefs. The North U post-racing sessions, run by North experts, brought the crowd together for a recap and tips for the next day. Perhaps the most hotly contested fleet was the J/88. After Day 1 the top four boats were separated by only two points, with Kirsty & David Apothorp’s J-Dream and Paul Ward’s Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat tied in 1st place, followed by Gavin Howe’s Tigris and Tim Tolcher’s Raging Bull tied in second. This battle went on until the final day when Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat took the title with finishes of 1-2-(4)-2-1-2-2-3, giving them a 2 point lead over J-Dream. Congratulations Paul Ward and team for a great regatta! In the J/111 class, the competition between Sweeney and McFly continued on from Cowes Week with the two boats battling hard against each other to take the win. Between the two of them, they won all the races. However, Sweeney squeezed ahead of McFly in the end with a four point lead. The outstanding performance of the week and the overall winner of the J-Cup went to Divanti Tyres, Marie-Claude & Paul Heys in the J/112E class, who completed the series with all bullets! North Sails is proud to be the stand-out sailmaker of choice at the J-Cup. Get in touch with a North expert to learn about latest offerings and how to up your game next season! Divanti Tyres – J-Cup 2017 Raging Bull – J-Cup 2017 Jelly Belly – J-Cup 2017 Eat,Sleep,J,Repeat – J-Cup 2017 Full results READ MORE

CONSISTENT GOOD STARTS – THE KEY AT THE ETCHELLS NORTH AMERICANS Scott Kaufman and Team American Jane 11 best a fleet of incredible talent Twenty nine teams including World champions, Olympic medallists, America’s Cup sailors and many other talented sailors, raced in typical Southern California light-medium conditions for the Etchells 2017 North American title. With such a high level of the talent, there was no better place to tune-up and prepare for the World Championship in San Francisco next month. “The regatta was very challenging,” said North Sails Brian Janney, who sailed with Argyle Campbell and finished third place. “Good starts were key as the line favored the right side. Scott (Kaufman) sailed well, he had really good starts.” The top teams used the North Sails PC-F mainsail, LM-2L and LM-2H jibs and VMG and Full Radial spinnakers. Congratulations to Scott Kaufman and team American Jane 11, the 2017 North American Champions, and Keith Whittemore for winning the Corinthian division! Heading to the Worlds in San Francisco? Contact our experts today for the fastest Etchells sails. Full results 2017 North American Champions – L to R: Alex Curtiss, Jesse Kirkland, and Austen Anderson and Scott Kaufman Corinthian champions – L to R: Brian Thomas, Kevin Downey, Patricia Stadel (presenting the trophy), Keith Whittemore and Peter Busch (not pictured) Scott Kaufman earns a great start on American Jane 1, winning the boat end The youngest sailor at the regatta, nine year old Anton Schmid READ MORE

2017 MELGES 20 US NATIONALS North Sails clients finish 1,2,4,5 in the class National Championships in Newport © Double Shot Studios The 2017 Melges 20 Nationals started off with a bang with 22 teams from six nations arriving in Newport, RI for the last U.S. event before the World Championship in October. Light air ruled the day for the North U Melges 20 Speed Clinic on Wednesday. North U experts Tim Healy, Chuck Allen, Jeremy Wilmot, and Melges 20 sailor and Olympian, Stu McNay focused on sail trim, boat speed, and weight distribution. After sailing, images and video were shown on the big screen at Sail Newport, triggering a lively discussion on set-up techniques. Sailors of all experience levels were able to take something away that would be handy for the predicted light air racing during the event. Thursday was tricky with light air conditions as predicted, giving sailors a chance to use the techniques they had practiced during the clinic. Drew Freides’ Pacific Yankee won the second race of the day, putting them in the lead going into day two. On Friday conditions were more promising with an approaching frontal system bringing a solid twelve knot breeze. Samba Pa Ti with skipper John Kilroy started the day with a 1-1, putting them at the top of the scoreboard. Drew Freides was able to finish strong, securing the lead yet again with a 2-1 at the end of the day. Samba Pa Ti held onto 2nd place, followed by Liam Kilroy’s Wildman. Saturday’s conditions brought a nice southerly which gave the Race Committee ample wind to run two races before the cut off time. North-powered Pacific Yankee was able to hold on to their lead, winning this year’s National Championship Title. Samba Pa Ti stayed consistent, maintaining their 2nd place finish. Liam Kilroy’s Wildman ended their regatta in 4th position, followed by James Wilson’s Oleander in 5th. Congratulations to Drew Freides and John Kilroy for their performances. Click here for more information on 3Di for Melges 20, or to speak with a class expert North Sails 3Di Debuts in Small Boat One Design Pacific Yankee, 2017 U.S. National Champions! © Double Shot Studios © Double Shot Studios © Double Shot Studios READ MORE

EXPERT TIPS Leave the dock at 100% with these tips on how to prepare for racing offshore, thanks to North Sails expert and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, Charlie Enright © Amory Ross/ Volvo Ocean Race North Sails expert and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, Charlie Enright, has logged thousands of miles on the world’s oceans. As Charlie looks toward his next adventure onboard Team Vestas / 11th Hour Racing in the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, he shares a few rules of thumb with us. Following are the “top three” areas in need of your attention. Provisioning Sustenance is important because it keeps the team going. Without proper food and water consumption, the crew will get tired and have a hard time reacting to what happens unexpectedly on deck. For instance, as I look ahead to the Chicago-Mac, we’ve planned for two freeze-dried meals a day, plus a breakfast. That will be supplemented with protein bars, snacks, and tons of fluid – the little things make a difference in the long run. In case you didn’t know, ‘Starbucks Via’ has the ability to split a watch in half! © Matt Knighton/Volvo Ocean Race Team Supplies and Equipment What should your crew have on their person? What should they have in their gear bag? These are the essentials: On Each Crew Member: Harness AIS Unit Knife Torch Headlamp Strobe In Your Crew Bag: Base layers Socks Gloves iPod Sunscreen Lip protectant Floppy hat/head protection © Amory Ross/ Volvo Ocean Race Daily Routine To maintain consistency ondeck, we run a 4 hours on, 4 hours off schedule with the team split into groups. Switching every two hours will maintain sufficient overlap so the crew has time to communicate about conditions, configurations, and trends to look out for. It’s important to be up and awake at the same time before each of your scheduled watches. Being properly dressed, well fed, and ready to go before your shift has started is important and allows the group that is finishing their shift to come down and rest. Off watch time is just as, if not more important. Focus on managing your sleep by establishing a routine you can follow – know when to eat, and when to take care of your hygienic needs so they do not interfere with your time to rest. Believe it or not, it’s little things like this that can have a great affect on performance. The more predictable and routine oriented you are, the more it helps your team do the same, making it easier for everyone to adjust to life onboard for distance racing. © Brian Carlin / Team Vestas Wind READ MORE

J/70 YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP North Sails partners with J/Boats to create a unique platform opportunity for youth sailing at a championship level Nine youth teams from Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, and Rhode Island met in Newport, RI to compete in the J/70 Youth Championships to further develop high performance racing and get more young sailors on the water. To start off the weekend, North Sails Tim Healy and Will Welles held a clinic with the youth teams to get them race ready. The main focus of the clinic was rig tuning, weight placement, and techniques. Sailors were able to take what they learned and use it during the actual regatta. After the weekend of racing, youth team Santa Barbara came out ahead with flying colors, winning 1st place at the Championships as well as free usage of a fully equipped J/70 with sails and a trailer to race for twelve months. Consisting of SBYC, Severn Sailing Association, Sail Newport, Annapolis YC, CRYC, Little Traverse YC, the Mudratz, Eastern YC, and St. Pete Youth Sailing Team, the Youth Champs was a great event for younger sailors to gain experience in a high-performance racing boat. Congratulations to the youth team representing Santa Barbara YC! Skipper Lucas Pierce and his valiant crew sailed a fantastic regatta and were well deserving of this win. Next year, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida will be the host of the 2018 Annual J/70 Youth Championships. Thank you to SPYC for stepping up for next year to promote youth sailing. We look forward to seeing more youth sailors on the water in the future. For more information on J70 products, or to speak with a Class Expert READ MORE

2ND ANNUAL J/FEST NEW ENGLAND Sailors fight the tides in the tricky conditions in Newport, North Sails clients win six divisions and enjoy the J/24 40th Anniversary race This past weekend, in Newport, RI, was the 2nd Annual J/Fest Regatta. On Friday, the J/24 class celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a fleet of 20 boats that sailed a longer race around government marks on the Eastern side of Jamestown. Starting to the South of Rose Island, sailors raced up to Ft. Wetherill G9 off of Jamestown, then to GR can at Halfway/Fiske Rock down past Prudence Island. It was a very long downwind haul against the flooding current and only 5-7 knot s of wind. After rounding GR, they beat back upwind up to the Southern tip of Rose Island, keeping R12 and GC1 to Port. Finishing 50 yards South of Goat Island, it was an awesome race that took the fleet roughly four hours. North U provided on the water support both Friday and Saturday. By taking photos and video, Chuck Allen worked with the J/24, J/105, and J/109 fleets on trimming techniques, crew placement, and rig tuning. Lots of good feedback and things to practice to improve overall boat speed. “Thanks again for your help this weekend! It really gave us big gains in speed! We still need to learn more, but we are getting there. I greatly appreciate everything you and your team does. I know you don’t have to, and there are times that you make special trips to help us out. I do recognize this and appreciate what you do even more.” -Brooke Mastrorio, J/109 Corinthian team ‘URSA’ Friday evening, past J/24 World Championship duo, Sail Newport’s Brad Read and North Sails President, Ken Read provided some insights to local knowledge and possible scenarios for what the weather would bring for the weekend. Giving sailors intel on geographics and certain weather and tide conditions around Narragansett Bay, Brad and Ken wanted sailors to be ‘in the know’ so they could focus more on tactics and align that with the tricks only a local would know. The weather report for the weekend was a bit frightening, as a low-pressure system was moving just south of Newport, creating wet and humid air, with warm temps, and pulsing sea fog which would end up affecting the wind conditions on Saturday and Sunday morning. The second annual J/Fest NE Regatta was composed of a variety of J/Boats, including J/22, J/24, J/37c, J/70, J/105, J/109, J/110, J/30, J/92s, and a PHRF division. Racing on Saturday was unfortunately impossible due to the thick fog creating zero visibility, and lack of wind mainly due to the fog and low-pressure system passing to the South of Newport. On Sunday, the Race Committee team did their best to get the most quality racing in for the sailors, achieving four races for the J/24, J/70, and J/22 fleets. The PHRF fleet got in two races, and the J/105, J/109, and J/30s were able to get in three races. Tough sailing conditions made it hard for the event, luckily ending with a solid day on the water and fun for all. North Sails is a proud sponsor of the 2nd Annual J/Fest NE, partnering with J/Boats and other local sponsors to create a platform for sailors of all kinds to sail with friends and family. North U was on the water providing coaching Friday for the J/24 fleet sailors. Chuck Allen worked with each boat on trimming techniques, crew placement, and rig tuning. Thank you to Sail Newport for hosting the fleets this past weekend, as well as RC officials, volunteers, and on the water support. Thanks to all sailors for being an intricate part of the 40th Annual J/24 Anniversary Race, making this year a special one for everyone. Full Results Here Steve Kirkpatrick and his team giving thanks to J/Boats and the J/24 sailors for making Friday’s 40th Anniversary race a great one Steve Kirkpatrick and his team on the mighty ‘Buckshot’, taking 1st overall in the 40th Anniversary race for the J/24 Fleet READ MORE

SNIPE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP North-powered Raul Rios and Mac Agnese are the 2017 Snipe World Champions! 170 Snipe sailors from 16 countries flocked to Real Club Nautico de La Coruña in Spain for the 2017 World Championships. Sailors were challenged in a three-race qualifying series, which would dictate whether they would compete in the Gold or Silver division. After the qualifying round, sailors competed in a 4 race Championship round within their divisions for the #1 spot. After a week of racing, North-powered Raul Rios and Mac Agnese came out 5 points ahead in the Gold Division, taking the 2017 World Championship title using the R3-LM jib and SW-4 mainsail. Mitsugu Nakajima and Kazuhiro Ito from Japan took the top spot in the Silver Division, working hard all week to stay ahead of team USA’s Watt Duffy and crew Asher Zittrer by four points. In conditions of all kinds, Raul and Mac worked hard and kept fighting to achieve their first World Championship win. Raul Rios is no stranger to the Snipe Class, being the National Champion the last three years, he is known for his remarkable speed and talent. Congratulations to Silver Division winners Mitsugu Nakajima and Kazuhiro Ito and Gold Division World Champions Raul Rios and Mac Agnese for sailing an amazing regatta, and proving that hard work really does pay off when you have the tools you need to succeed. Click here for more information on World Championship winning Snipe products, or to speak with an expert. READ MORE

NEW J/70 JIB DEBUTS WITH TWO CLEAN SWEEPS 1,2,3 at the NOOD Regatta in Marblehead and 1,2,3,4 at the Corinthian Nationals Powered by the New J-6 Jib Brian Keane and his team on Savasana, 2017 Corinthian National Champions. © Chris Howell From light to heavy conditions, the new J-6 jib has been tested and proven to hold its own as the leading tool for all-purpose abilities. The top 3 teams at the NOOD Regatta in Marblehead: John Baxter’s Team Vineyard Vines, Bruno Pasquinelli’s Stampede, and Brian Keane’s Savasana used the new J-6 jib and showed excellent speed. “The J/6 is sweet!” said John Baxter, winner at the Marblehead NOOD Regatta. The story was no different than the report from Buzzards Bay last week where 28 teams competed at the J/70 Corinthian Nationals. The top 4 boats on the scoreboard were also using the powerful J-6 high-clew jib. Brian Keane and his team on Savasana took the title with four bullets. “We are very pleased with the new J-6 headsail from North Sails. We believe it is highly versatile, balanced, and allows for aggressive weather sheeting.” –Brian Keane, owner-driver of J/70 Savasana and winner of the 2017 Corinthian Nationals. The North Sails new high-clew jib, optimized for more in-hauling cross-sheeting abilities across the cabin-top, has proven to be the best choice for the J/70. “It is great to see our clients testing our new products and winning the events. We were 100% confident in the performance of the J-6 jib when we released it. These results prove that there is no better all-purpose jib in the market for the J/70 class and we highly recommend it for the Worlds.” – Tim Healy, North Sails One Design President and J/70 World champion. Learn more about North’s fastest J/70 sails Full Results : Marblehead NOOD | Corinthian Nationals Heather Gregg’s MUSE sailing upwind, using her new J-6 jib. © Chris Howell Glenn Darden and crew on HOSS, also using the new J-6. © Chris Howell READ MORE

WINNERS ROUND FASTNET ROCK WITH NORTH SAILS 3Di A nail biting finish for the VO65s and another class win for father-son duo on Night and Day – North Sails clients find success in the 2017 Fastnet Race. © Jen Edney / Volvo Ocean Race The Fastnet Race is among the most challenging offshore races in the world, and this year was no exception with a record 368 boats crossing the start line in Cowes. Corinthian and professional teams lined up off the Royal Yacht Squadron, following a course around The Lizard (the most westerly point of mainland Britain), through the Irish Sea to round Fastnet Rock, and back to Plymouth on the UK’s South coast. While conditions this year did not serve a record-breaking run, some 2700 sailors aboard everything from 30 footers to the 115 ft Nikata, took on the highs and lows of this 605 nm offshore race – starting with an upwind slog out of the Solent in a 15-20 knot Westerly. First to go were the multihulls including Tony Lawson’s MOD70 Team Concise, who rounded the needles at the furthest end of the Solent before most boats had entered their starting sequence! Team Concise finished the race in a remarkable 42 hours and 55 minutes, just as the fastest Monohulls were arriving at Fastnet Rock. The IRC classes followed which included defending double-handed champions Night and Day. The French father-son duo once again took the double handed win as well as winning IRC 4. Ron O’Hanley’s North-powered Cookson 50 Privateer took the top spot in IRC Z and narrowly missed the overall IRC win to Didier Gaudoux’s Lann Ael 2. Racing in IRC 1, Lann Ael 2 completed the race in a corrected time of 3 days, 23 hours, 55 mins and 27 seconds, giving them the overall IRC win. George David’s Rambler 88 took monohull line honors in 2 days 9 hours 34 mins and 21 seconds, which is over six hours faster than their 2015 time. The VO65s were the last to set off. With the Volvo Ocean Race start on the horizon, the Fastnet Race is part of their “Leg 0” – a final shakedown for these around-the-world sailors before taking on the trip of a lifetime. True to form, the competition was tight. After nearly three days of racing, the seven boats were separated by less than 40 minutes! The fight for the lead came right down to the wire between Team Mapfre and Dongfeng Race Team, who in the end benefitted from a crucial sail choice. They had a smaller headsail up when a large gust came in, which powered them across the line just 56 seconds ahead! North Sails is proud to be the Official Sailmaker of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, in which all teams will race with 3Di sails. All but one of the VO65s competing in the 2017 Fastnet used North Sails 3Di mainsails from the previous race, boasting over 50,000 nautical miles logged. We estimate this is equal to about 12 years of use for the average sailor, offering superior performance with unprecedented durability. North Sails is proud to supply sails to competitors across the 2017 Fastnet fleet. Racing in the Fastnet is a right of passage for many sailors, just reaching the starting line is often an achievement in itself! Full results © Ugo Fonolla / Volvo Ocean Race © Martin Keruzore / Volvo Ocean Race © Jeremie Lecaudey / Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CLIENTS CLAIM 16 DIVISIONS AT COWES WEEK Another great week in Cowes, with North-powered wins and a new monohull record for the history books! North Sails clients are successful in both IRC and One Design racing at Cowes Week this year. Cowes Week has been running since 1826 and is the UK’s longest running regatta, proving to be one of the most popular sailing events on the global sailing calendar. This year with thirty-four classes entered from cruising boats to VOR’s, Cowes showed her true colors, and her competitors made history on the race course. The week supplied a variety of conditions. In the beginning, boats had the leverage along the North shore of the Isle of Wight due to the lack of wind. Racing was eventually called off for all but class zero and the VOR teams. By the end of the week, a low-pressure system settled in and brought big winds, giving competitors exactly what they came for. Overall, the British summer weather behaved, with just two days of rain, with the extreme days bringing a prevailing Westerly at 15-20 knots. Cowes week attracts sailors from all over the world, allowing an amazing experience on the Solent from its complex tidal system to the hidden sand banks, the Solent really is one of the top sailing race tracks that exists. The week fell just before the start of the Rolex Fastnet race, meaning larger boats such as the Class 40’s were seen practicing before the start of the prestigious RORC event. One of the unrivaled highlights of the week was watching Team MAPFRE break the around the island monohull record in a time of 3 hours 13 mins 11 sec, and they did it in 30+ knots which shot them around the needles at the Western edge of the Isle of Wight! Nice job team! Cowes Week was a success in both One Design racing and IRC racing across the board for North Sails, being the dominant sailmaker for most classes. North-powered boats took the lead in IRC 0 – IRC 4. Some of the highlights were Peter Morton’s Girls on Film winning the Fast 40 Division. There was much excitement in the fleet when 42 South broke their mast on the second day of racing. IRC 1 was swept by Sam Cox and his team on Nifty Racing, a King 40, but not without a fight from Tony Mack’s J/111, McFly who benefitted as the wind picked up using their asymmetric spinnaker allowing them to settle in and get in the groove downwind. IRC 0 was won by Bernard Langley’s TP52 Gladiator while IRC 2 with Andrew McIrvine’s La Reponse who had a great scoreboard of 4-1-1-1-1-5 across the series. In IRC 3, Adam Goslings Yes! had an impressive 1-2-1-1-1-2 run, and IRC 4 with David Franks’ Strait Dealer sweeping his competition in utmost speed. Within the One Design fleets of the week, North Sails clients took the lead with Tony Mack’s J/111 McFly winning their division. In the J/70 fleet, Jack Davies’ Yeti, took the lead, with his crew all under the age of 25! In the XOD fleet – the local One Design class member John Tremlett and his team on Lass took the win, followed by Swallow, skippered by Simon Russell. Oliver Morgan’s Christianna took the title in the Dragon Fleet and Robert Elliot’s Bon Vivant won the Etchells Division, sailing a great regatta. North Sails is a proud sponsor of Cowes Week each year, offering the best in customer service to competitors in all classes. Congratulations to our clients for excelling in all divisions, and big thanks to our loft team for working overnight to keep sailors on the race course having fun! For more information on our regatta-winning products, contact your local loft today! READ MORE

RECORD BREAKING ENTRY AT THE 36TH COPA DEL REY North Sails clients win nine out of ten classes in 36th Annual Regatta in Palma Copa Del Rey – ITA 5016 A record breaking 138 boats entered into the 36th edition of the Copa Del Rey in Palma last week. This included ORC and One Design racing. The Bay of Palma is well known for its reliant 12-18 knot sea breeze, which comes in consistently as the land heats up. Due to the extreme temperatures this year, Copa Del Rey did not see these conditions until the final day of racing. Despite the light winds, the race committee managed to fit in at least nine races in all divisions. North Sails clients won all Swan One Design classes in the regatta: Hendrik Brandis and Team in Early Bird (GER 5005) in the Swan 50 fleet, Jose Maria Meseguer’s Pez de Abril (ESP 4225) in the Swan 42 fleet, and Christian Plump and team Elena Nova in the Swan 45. In the foiling GC32 fleet, all the podium positions used full North Sails inventories. Japanese team, Mama Aiuto, won the event after the 14 race series followed by US Team Argo and the Swiss Real Team. Rafael Carbonell’s Swan 45, Rats on Fire (ESP 9400), racing in ORC1 won the class by two points followed by Luis Senis’ Swan 45 Parron IX (ESP 10222) – who were tied in equal points with Maserati (ESP 1234) in their DK 46. As Parron IX was carrying four-1st place finishes, this put them into runners up position. In ORC 2 Sum Innovation (ESP6746) took the lead in their Rodman 42. The ORC 3 podium was also dominated by North Sails clients, however, the stand out performance goes to Grupo Ceres (ESP 6928) in their Dufour 45 who finished the regatta with eight bullets out of nine races, giving them an impressive 11 point lead ahead of British team Just the Job (GBR 7897R) on the J/97, who also sailed a great regatta. Congratulations to all our North Sails clients! Find out more about our products, or get in touch with a North Sails Expert Full results Copa Del Rey 2017 READ MORE

Buzzards Bay Regatta & J/70 Corinthian Nationals North clients top the board at BBR, sweep second annual Corinthian National Championships in the J/70 © Chris Howell The 2017 Buzzards Bay Regatta and J/70 Corinthian National Championships saw a great turn out for its 45th year with 141 crews competing on a variety of sail-powered boats and boards in New Bedford, MA. From kiteboards to J/105’s, 505’s to Shields, New Bedford hosted sailors from all over the country to compete in one of the best events for summertime sailing. J/70 sailors came to test their skills in the class’ Corinthian Nationals, fighting for the top spot in this amateur-only regatta for the class. Breeze ranging from 8-15 knots gave sailors plenty of races to get a discard. North-powered teams led across the board in the 505, J/70, and J/105 fleets. Ethan Bixby, with crew Parry Barclay, won the 505 fleet on Pressure Drop, with four bullets over seven races. In the J/105 division, Nicole Breault with Good Trade topped the fleet, winning all 10 races in a perfect winning streak with nine points after a discard of one point. Mark Lindquist’s Sterling came in 2nd place, fending off third position by five points. Brian Keane’s Savasana came out at the top of the 28-boat J/70 Corinthian fleet. Heather Gregg’s Muse was close behind in 2nd, followed by Glenn Darden’s HOSS. The top teams in this event all used North’s new J-6 Jib. New on the market is North’s J-6 high-clew jib, designed for enhanced inboard sheeting. Similar to results at the Marblehead NOOD, J/70 teams at the Corinthian Nationals fine-tuned the J-6 for speed, power, and punch to claim the top four places overall. For more on the New J-6 J/70 Jib or to speak with one of our J/70 Class Experts Brian Keane and his team on Savasana hauling in the mail upwind, showing the new North Sails J-6 Jib cross-sheeted over the cabin top. © Chris Howell © Chris Howell Heather Gregg’s MUSE sailing upwind, using her new J-6 jib. © Chris Howell Glenn Darden and crew on HOSS get ready to set at the top mark, also using the new J-6. © Chris Howell Kiteboarding clinic with Brendan Healy © Brendan Healy READ MORE

KENT HAEGER WINS THE WYA C SCOW CHAMPIONSHIP Top 10 Teams Powered by North Sails A full round of congratulations goes out to Kent Haeger, the 2017 WYA C Scow Champion! Haeger finished with close to half as many points as the rest of the podium. After four races in very shifty, puffy, challenging conditions on Nagawicka Lake, the B-12 finished with 16 points and not a single finish in the double-digits. Only one point separated silver from bronze. Ed Eckert and Matt Schmidt (A-136) took second place, edging out Will Haeger, Will Hutchings, and Hannah Noll (B-1) who finished in third. Rounding out the top five were Jim Gluek and Alby Rolfs (V-137) in fourth and the family program of Steve, John, and Wendy Schmidt in the E-88. North Sails powered the top 10 in the event with many top competitors using both their Harecut and I-1 Gold throughout the three-day event. The best way to stay at the top of your game is to keep your sails fresh. Learn more abut North’s fastest C Scow sails. First Place Kent Haeger Second Place Ed Eckert and Matt Schimidt Third Place Will Haeger, Will Hutchings and Hanna Noll Fourth Place Jim Gluek and Alby Rolfs READ MORE

INTERLAKE NATIONALS Congratulations Jim & Jayme Ward and Matt Fisher! The Interlake Nationals were held at the Lorain Yacht Club this year. Four days of racing were scheduled, but only four races were sailed due to a cold front that made its way across Lake Erie. Jim Ward and his team won the title with very consistent scores of 1-1-2-1. On the Masters Division, congratulations Peter Frissell! Also powered by North Sails. Learn more about North’s fastest Interlake sails. READ MORE

2017 CAN AM CHALLENGE Where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, North Sails Clients come out on top in the J/22, Beneteau 36.7, 8 Metre, and PHRF Division Hosted by Youngstown Yacht Club on Lake Ontario, this year’s CanAm Challenge saw an excellent turnout with a variety of One Design fleets, as well as four PHRF divisions representing the United States and Canada. Never ceasing to disappoint, the hospitality at YYC is one of a kind, complete with a fantastic Race Committee team. Saturday evening after racing, North Sails Mike Ingham and Dan Fien recounted their day on the water with fellow sailors. Key takeaways included: making smooth maneuvers, having consistent crew work, trimming the jib without disturbing the flow, and using the headstay to balance power and point while racing. Thanks to the North U crew for providing technical insights to support the competitors and help keep the level of competition at its highest! A highlight of the weekend was the J/22 Grant Team North Sails, led by Alfonso Bringas coming out on top of the fleet with flying colors. North Sails One Design is proud to partner with the US J/22 Class Association to build its Scholarship Boat Program by providing new sails for the team selected for the grant. With fostering youth sailing in the J/22 Class as the main goal, our team at North Sails has created this unique opportunity for young sailors. Congratulations to Alfonso and his team for placing 1st in the J/22 fleet after only their 2nd event in the boat in a highly competitive fleet. Alfonso and his team racing to the #1 spot at the 2017 CanAm Challenge The J/88s, competing in their North American Championship, had an amazing turnout with 13 boats on the line making for some very competitive racing and one of the biggest roll calls at an event for the class. Congrats to Douglas Newhouse and his team on Yonder for staying consistent and finishing 3rd overall in the North Americans. Richard Reid’s Zingara powered by North Sails 3Di won the Beneteau 36.7 fleet with five straight bullets, defining perfection in crew work, fleet management, and tactics. John Mitchele and his 8 Metre team on Thisbe won all but one race, sailing very consistent to take home 1st place in their class. Dan Berezin and his Melges 24 team on Surprise, powered by North Sails, on took 1st overall in their division by three points. In the PHRF 1 – Spinnaker division, Andrew Kooiman and his J/35 team Loyalist took first place in PHRF 1 Spinnaker Division. In PHRF 2 -Spinnaker division, the C&C 29-2 Sting with skipper Joel Doyle claimed 3rd overall. North Sails is a proud sponsor of the CanAm Challenge, keeping sailors out on the water racing each day with overnight sail repair services. Nice job this year, sailors! Full Scores READ MORE

FAIR WEATHER ROUNDS OFF A TIGHTLY FOUGHT OUT ORC EUROPEANS IN GDANSK North Sails clients top the scoreboard in three divisions! ORC Europeans 2017 Eighty-two boats from 14 nations came to Gdansk, Poland to compete in the ORC Europeans last week. With wet and windy conditions, competitors duked it out all week sailing six races over four days. The sun finally appeared at the end, giving sailors two final races in beautiful weather and a steady breeze, completing the series where the ORC European Champion would be decided. Keeping things interesting, the first race of the series was a distance race offshore. Five inshore buoy races followed, allowing for a different type of sailing experience where sailors used their local knowledge, fine-tuned crew work, and short course tactics to get around the race course. In Class A, Tea Ekengren’s Swan 45 Blue Nights scored 2-2-1-2-2-(6) giving them a 5 point lead ahead of Erik Berth’s Tarok VII in second place. Class B saw the X-41’s dominate the top end of the fleet, with all podium places being of this class. Martin Estlanders’ Xini Freedom came out on top with only a 2 point lead on second placed Dockenhuden skippered by Thomas Jungblut, who was also only 1 point ahead of third place Premium, with skipper Priit Tammemägi, completing the top 3. Patrick Forsgren’s Pro4u/Malin took the title for class C with 1-1-3-(8)-1-3.5 on the scoreboard, with Kaivar Tuulberg’s Katariina II following closely behind in second place. Overall, the ORC Europeans was a successful week for North Sails customers. Congratulations to our clients on a job well done! Full Results ORC Europeans 2017 ORC Europeans 2017 ORC Europeans 2017 READ MORE

2017 X INLAND CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDED IN EPIC LAST RACE Congratulations Nathan & Graham Hetzler! With an unbelievable tie after seven races, the stage was set for an epic showdown between D-30, I-25 and I-11. In the who-beats-who final race, Nathan Hetzler, Chapman Petersen, and Kyle Navin finished first, second, and third. Delavan Lake’s Nathan & Graham Hetzler are your newest X Boat Champions! Congratulations to the Simon siblings who earned the title in the junior fleet of 67 X Boats! Pewaukee’s Meta & Fritz Simon sailed an incredibly consistent event averaging less than four points. Every X Boat has a place in this lifelong Inland community. In the words of Dr. Tom Hodgson: “Treasure this moment kids. It is a very special moment in your life. You are making friends here that will be your friends for life.” The Melges X Boat is the path to the Inland. A community of fast, FUN, family sailing. After kids age out of X Boats, they move into the Melges MC, C, E, and A. This is scow country! Home to Olympians, Rolex Yachtsmen, and Inland Legends. Learn more about North Sails fast X Boat sails Full Results READ MORE

2017 Thistle Nationals Thistles descended on the challenging Lake Chautauqua for the 2017 Nationals with North Sails taking top positions at Women’s, Youth, President, and Open Nationals Championship Divisions. The 2017 Thistle Nationals was a big success with close to 90 boats on Lake Chautauqua in New York. Past U.S. Sailing President, Tom Hubbell, hosted the event out of the town park in Mayville, NY. With so many boats and no physical clubhouse, the event base was at a public park so it had a different social feel than other events we’ve seen. Throughout the week sailors were tested throughout a variety of weather conditions, keeping things interesting and exciting on the water. The regatta festivities were casual and fun. Two of the nights, the local fire department hosted a BBQ for the competitors which was a big hit. Another night we took the Chautauqua Bell (a classic steam paddle wheel boat) over to event organizer Tom Hubbell’s home for a neighborhood dinner which made for a nice evening with our fellow competitors. PRO Matt Bounds had his hands full, not only with 90 boats but also in dealing with a shifty inland lake conditions. It’s one thing to manage a shifty small lake with a small fleet, yet another to set good courses and complete a series successfully with so many boats. Matt pulled it off well, and the sailors were happy to get some great racing in. Each morning about an hour before we launched, Paul Abdullah and I hosted Coffee with North and provided sailors with some tips for the day under the North tent. The crowd was quite large, with roughly 140 sailors tuned-in, so the tips session was moved under the main regatta tent to accommodate everyone. Between the North U Clinic, the Women’s and Junior Nationals, the practice day, and 5 days of championships style racing, it was an intensive week of Thistle sailing. Managing the shifty and puffy conditions while maintaining boat speed and making good tactical decisions were key topics of each group discussion. Thanks to the Chautauqua Yacht Club and the Thistle Class Association for organizing a great event. Congrats to our clients for your hard work at Nationals last week and your dedication to the Thistle Class! For more information on Thistle Class Sails, contact your local North Sails Expert, or visit our Products Page Thistle sailors eager to learn at the morning briefings with North U tips for the day Full Results READ MORE

ZEKE HOROWITZ & COLE ALLSOPP WIN 2017 SANDY DOUGLAS MEMORIA REGATTA Deep Creek Lake, mountain lake sailing at its finest! This past weekend 52 Flying Scots descended upon Deep Creek Lake – home of the Flying Scot Inc. factory to race for the Sandy Douglas Memorial Trophy. This is the biggest event in Deep Creek which is the biggest Flying Scot fleet in the country. It is mountain lake sailing at its finest! The breeze is constantly shifting and it’s rare to be sailing in the same wind as the boat 10 yards away from you. This regatta is all about having fun in one of the most beautiful venues you could ask for. Five races were sailed in fantastic conditions, with Zeke Horowitz and Cole Alsopp coming out on the top of the leaderboard with 8 points. Tyler and Carrie Andrews were close behind with 11 points, taking 2nd overall. Before racing on Saturday, Zeke offered some insights to the fleet with a key tip: TIP FROM ZEKE: Remember in shifty and puffy conditions to always have a hand on the vang! It might even be prudent to have the crew playing the vang because it is so important to ease the mainsheet and tighten the vang hard when you get a big puff. As soon as the puff leaves, the vang must get eased back off quickly to power the boat back up. You should be adjusting the vang nearly as often as you adjust the main sheet! Learn more about North’s fastest Flying Scot sails Full Results READ MORE

THE JUG 4 1 TOPS OFF THE FLEET AT THE J/22 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Former World Champion, North-powered Chris Doyle and his team Jug 4 1 win the J/22 North Americans in Buffalo, NY Will Harris, Chris Doyle and Adam Burns on team ‘Jug 4 1’, the 2017 NA Champions! Thirty J/22 teams met in Buffalo, NY for the 2017 North Americans. Weather predictions had many different outlooks and it came down to the very day to know what the weather was going to bring. The practice race was cancelled due to thunderstorm activity, some teams were able to get sailing time in after the weather cleared and before the wind died off completely. North Sails Expert Mike Marshall organized a Q & A panel with the keg at arm’s reach, and 60-70 competitors asked a ton of questions that helped sailors get in the right frame of mind for racing. Nine races were successfully completed over three days in a light to moderate breeze that built to the low teens for the final day. The chop emphasized the importance of changing gears as quickly as possible while keeping things smooth in the boat. Immediately after the start it was a race to the course left side, with little to no room for errors in tactics or boat speed. Familiar face to the J/22 Class, Travis Odenbach, lead the debrief after the first day, with a panel of familiar faces. Previous World Champion Chris Doyle gave insights on sail trim and boat speed, along with Luke Lawrence and North Sails Expert Zeke Horowitz. On the last day of the regatta the breeze shifted between 30-40 degrees, which made it impossible to recover from a bad decision ( some of us found that out the hard way!). The first race worked well for North Sails Expert Jeff Todd with his team Hot Toddy, moved into the lead by escaping out to the right side with amazing boat speed. After an hour delay, the second race started in very light air. Local team and previous World Champion, Chris Doyle and his team on Jug 4 1 were faster than ever and left no chance for their competitors as they were going, going, gone! In the overall standings, consistency was key. Only the top two boats were able to get away with all single digit finishes. Congrats to our clients for your outstanding performance. Thanks to the Buffalo Yacht Club for hosting this years North Americans. It was a great event and a lot of fun for competitors! Tips from North Sails Experts Zeke Horowitz & Mike Marshall: Boat Setup and Crew Positioning 1. Don’t be afraid to loosen the lowers a lot. It’s important to generate 3/4 of an inch of mast sag, which requires aggressively loose lowers. Maybe it sounds risky, but it worked 100% of the time! 2. Using main leech tension to power up the boat and get people to the high side was important. It seemed a relatively tight main and slightly eased jib was fast in under ten knots and flat water. 3. A lot of concentration on sail trim was a key factor. The helmsman needs to focus on maintaining a balanced helm, not over steering, and letting the boat ‘steer itself’. Moving the crew weight was essential to achieve a neutral helm. Boat speed and Decision Making 1. Jib halyard tension was pretty critical. Over the range of conditions, the goal was wrinkles just forming off each of the snaps. Scallops meant the luff was too loose and no wrinkles meant the luff was too tight. 2. Match the boat speed of the boats around you before trying to match the height. We were able to point higher when the boat was up to speed and the keel was working. 3. Staying out of the middle of the course was also very important. When the wind was that light, the breeze would fill in from either edge. If you were in the middle, you could lose out on both sides, especially if you tried to run to the side with the shift instead of waiting for pressure on the side you were on. Patience was key! Click here for more information on North Sails J/22 Products or to speak with a North Sails J/22 Class Expert. Full Results READ MORE

FLYING SCOT FAMILY SAILING: WIFE-HUSBAND CHAMPIONSHIP Couples gather in Rockport, MA for a fun, competitive sailing event Race one winners Sharon and John Wake It is fair to say that the Flying Scot Class is one of the biggest supporters of family sailing in the US and the Association strongly supports and encourages families to sail and race together. To that end, the class holds an annual Wife/Husband North American Championship which is, perhaps, the most well attended and competitive spouses-only event in the country. This years W/H NAC, which attracted 29 teams, was held in beautiful Rockport, MA and hosted by the Sandy Bay Yacht Club. The teams arrived Friday throughout the day and after rigging the boats they were hooked up to the SBYC hoist for the 15-30 foot (depending on the tide) descend into Rockport Harbor where all 29 boats spent either on club docks or courtesy moorings. On Friday evening North Sails Expert Brian Hayes gave a short tuning and trimming talk to the group going over rake settings, vang tension and sail trim tips before the group dispersed throughout the town to enjoy the area restaurants and shops. PRO Stephen Oulette greeted the group on Saturday morning with the traditional competitors briefing with the exception of mentioning that the protest committee would not be hearing any “intra-boat” disputes! Even though all the teams were ready to roll the breeze was not, and a 1 1/2 hour postponement was whittled away reviewing some archived Scot footage that Brian had from previous events and sharing tips with the fleet. Saturday afternoon mustered up enough breeze to create tricky “current vs. breeze” conditions with large position changes in both fleets. Sharon and John Wake figured it out in Race 1 with a 2 minute race win while Amy and Jeff Linton sailed through the fleet in Race 2 for another convincing win. Sunday brought a fresh, new wind direction and more velocity. Some teams used the wind speed/marital harmony equation and opted to sit out the days races, but a majority of the gang hit the water in a fresh 15 mph of breeze with big, open water, waves testing their abilities. Those who ventured out were rewarded with two more great races in a consistently softening breeze with Amy and Jeff Linton leading the way in both races to win the 2017 Wife/Husband Championships with 5 total points. Full Results Tyler and Carrie Andrews with winners Amy and Jeff Linton in front Regatta Chair Margot Hintlian and Ralph Block Charlie and Cindy Clifton READ MORE

FLEET CHARGES LAKE MICHIGAN IN 109th EDITION OF RACE TO MACKINAC North-powered teams win ten divisions and Chicago Mackinac Trophy in Chicago Yacht Club’s annual race to Mackinac Island © Onne Van der Wal Sailors on 301 boats joined a quest for speed in the Chicago Yacht Club’s 109th Race to Mackinac. North-powered teams held on strong to the finish and won 10 classes, including the Chicago Mackinac Trophy, won by David and Peter Askew’s Wizard. This year Lake Michigan delivered a race of all sorts, with moderate reaching conditions turning to running conditions and a severe frontal passage that hit hard for some of the teams. Many encountered gusts over 50 knots on the evening of the 15th, upping the level of competition as well as endurance for some. The 20 crew members on 74’ Reichel Pugh Wizard saw nothing stronger than 30 knots, reported crew member Charlie Enright. “Our takeaways were that we got a jump on the competition through smooth and timely sail changes,” he said, noting that the conditions lighted up substantially toward the end of the race. David and Peter grew up running boats on the Great Lakes and have a fair amount of local knowledge in the bank, which paired nicely with Wizard’s well-planned sail inventory. After rigging a new 3Di mainsail for the Pineapple Cup in February, Wizard started the race to Mackinac with a fresh 3Di jib, genoa staysail, and masthead zero. As a North Sails expert based in Portsmouth, RI, Charlie manages the inventory for Wizard in between a number of independent offshore projects. His next adventure will be onboard Team Vestas / 11th Hour Racing in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. “3Di is a robust product that gave us a lot of confidence. We’ve noticed the differentiation of 3Di to string sail products is indisputably better, especially within offshore racing.” Wizard’s corrected time of 38:45:04 earned them 1st in the Turbo division and 1st place in the Big Boat Division, claiming the the Mackinac Trophy. Congratulations to our clients for your steadfast performance this year in one of the most challenging distance races in the country. Glad you made it home safely! Full Results For more on preparing yourself for offshore racing, check out our Expert Tips by Charlie Enright READ MORE

TORPYONE PROVES CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO WINNING AT THE MELGES 32 EUROPEANS ©Mauro Melandri The Melges 32 Europeans, hosted in Sibenik, Croatia brought 17 teams together for three days of some highly competitive and close racing. This was the final test event for the class before the Worlds in Monte Argentario, Italy in late August. The first day of racing was tough racing in light air with only two races completed before the wind completely shut down. The fleet went back ashore in hopes the weather would cooperate the next day. Day two unfortunately was very light again, and only one race was completed leaving all-to-play for the series on the final day of racing. With no discard on the scoreboard yet, the podium positions were an open to anyone, making things exciting as the stakes were very high coming into the final day for the European title. On the last day, the weatherman delivered! The wind was oscillating out of the South at 18-20 knots, which gave the competitors a thrilling day on the water. While conditions were prime, this allowed teams to push the boundaries in speed downwind and be much more physical upwind while hiking. Torpyone scored a 9-3-4, using up their only discard. Despite having to discard their 9th place, their incredible consistency showed that winning races is not essential to winning a regatta, but that achieving consistent podium results is. With all but one race finishing in the top three, the European Championship title was theirs this time around. This win is their best result in the Melges 32 fleet to date. G-spot skippered by Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio fought hard on the final day scoring 2-1-2 making them runners up, followed by Richard Goransson’s team on board Inga. Both teams discarded a 12th place, but G-Spot was able to keep 2nd overall with a 1st place finish in race five, winning the tiebreaker. Congratulations to all North-powered customers in the Melges 32 fleet and good luck at the World Championships in August! For more information on North Sails Melges 32 products Full Results Team Torpyone -European Champions! ©Mauro Melandri ©Mauro Melandri ©Mauro Melandri ©Mauro Melandri READ MORE

MELGES 24 SAILORS REAP THE WIND AT THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE North-powered MiKEY tops the fleet at the 2017 North Americans © Jan’s Marine Photography One of the most famous places in the United States, the Columbia River Gorge serves its visitors the ultimate “wind” experience, typically ranging in the 20-50 knot range is one of the best-known places for kiteboarding, windsurfing, and sailing. The Gorge is a part of our Earth’s natural history, and with its amazing geography, it creates the best recipe for wind, as it functions as a wind tunnel with its steep walls and narrow river. With dangerous rapids and very strong river flow, her beauty distracts travelers from her daunting and potentially perilous waters. We can’t think of a better location for the Melges 24 Class to host the 2017 North Americans! Twenty-nine teams showed up to Hood River at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and they were greeted with pristine and breeze-on sailing conditions, not to mention breath-taking views! Twelve races completed over four days was a great experience for all, and gave competitors plenty to share with their families and friends when they returned home. Kevin Welch’s team MiKEY was unstoppable claiming 1st place by sixteen points, followed by Michael Goldfarb’s Warcanoe. Kent Pierce’s Average White Boat came in 4th, followed by British Columbia’s Kirk Palmer, with his team on Light Scout. Congratulations to our clients for your performance last week, having the opportunity to experience one of the Earth’s most unique places in North America. Full Scores READ MORE

ILYA E SCOW INVITATIONAL Congratulations Tom Burton and Team M-9! A full round of congratulations is in order for Tom Burton and the M-9 team, champions of the ILYA E Scow Invitational Regatta! Cygnet earned three race wins in the first three races. The top ten regatta leaders all sailed North. The North Sails E Scow Whomper was truly the spinnaker to use this past weekend on Pewaukee Lake – The top five teams all sailed with the new Harry Melges designed kite, allowing them to sail lower angles downwind yet still maintain top speeds. Learn more about the North Sails Whomper Full Results READ MORE

Y-FLYER NATIONALS Congratulations Bill Totten and Paul Abdullah! Paul Abdullah and Bill Totten, 2017 Y-Flyer National Champions The 2017Y-Flyer National Championship was hosted by the Louisville Sailing Club. Twenty two teams faced the challenge and excitement of Ohio River in a six-race series dealing with strong currents and variable conditions. Bill Totten, sailing with Paul Abdullah, won the title with results 2-8-4-1-3-3 for a total of 12.75 points. Bill and Paul used the North Sails DSD design. This was Bill’s first ever Y-Flyer Regatta! Congratulations Bill! Thanks to Paul Abdullah for the great interviews during the event: DAY 1: Drew Daugherty’s tips from day 1 DAY 2: Bill Totten recap on the second day DAY 3: Shelby Hatcher on winning race #5 Learn more about North’s fastest Y-Flyer sails. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS POWERS 2017 OPTIMIST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WIN IN THAILAND Recently launched Radial R2 design powers María Perelló to win the Optimist Worlds Girls Division Spanish sailor María Perelló won the 2017 Optimist World Championship Girls Division in Pattaya, Thailand. Using the Radial R2 North sail, she finished 15 points ahead of 2nd place. The R2 design was developed by the team at North Sails in Japan for better pointing capability and maximum acceleration. North’s Radial Series consists of four sails: R1,R2, R4 and the recently launched R5, each optimized for the sailor’s weight. The Worlds was hosted by the Royal Varuna Yacht Club with a record-breaking 281 sailors from 62 nations attending the event. Authentic Thailand weather brought the best of everything from rain storms to wind storms, and extremely light wind towards the end of the week. Principal Race Officer Neil Dunkley worked hard around the variety of weather conditions, achieving six quality races for the fleet into the qualifying series and three races into the final medal fleets, making for a very successful event overall. At just 12 years of age, María has demonstrated amazing talent in the Optimist. Among other titles, she also won this year’s Spanish National Championship. Congratulations María! Learn more about the fastest sails for the Optimist READ MORE

THE ISLAND SAILING CLUB HOSTS THE 69th EDINBURGH CUP Thirty-eight teams came to Cowes with the hopes of engraving their names in the prestigious Edinburgh Cup Trophy The Dragon Edinburgh Cup this year was sponsored by Oliver Morgan Architects and Stoneham Construction Ltd. and came to a stylish conclusion in Cowes with a thrilling race which determined the winner. A spectacular prize giving dinner and closing ceremony created the perfect ending to this successful event. Going into the final day, four boats were in contention to claim the prestigious Edinburgh Cup, which was first raced out of Cowes from the Island Sailing Club 69 years ago. This year 38 teams from six nations challenged each other for the right to engrave their names onto the trophy. With a week of mixed weather conditions from light winds to heavy, sun and rain, the sailors were tested in all conditions making this a true competition of who could overcome all obstacles. Congratulations to Graham Bailey, Julia Bailey, Will Heritage and Will Bedford for clinching the title in the final nail-biting race of the series. North sails clients finished strong, placing 2, 3*, 4, 6*, 7, 8 ,10 and were a dominant feature in the fleet. Congrats to Andy Beadsworth and team on Provezza Dragon for hanging in there! (*Denotes partial inventory) Full results Provezza Dragon – Edinburgh Cup 2017 Edinburgh Cup 2017 READ MORE

STELLAN BERLIN WINS HIS 10TH 2.4mR GOLD WITH FIVE BULLETS Heavy winds followed by no wind welcomed 84 teams from 14 countries to Holland 2.4mR Worlds 2017 Eighty-four boats representing 14 different nations headed to Sneekemeer, Holland for the 2.4mR Worlds, hosted by Koninklijke Watersportvereniging. The first five days of racing brought the sailors an average of 19 knots gusting up to 24 knots of wind which is towards the upper limit of racing conditions in the class. Despite the strong winds, the race committee got in 3 races for all 4 flights. The fleet was split in 2 starts with 42 boats in each, a total of 84 boats. The first 6 races were qualifiers where the best sailors were split in different fleets. The following days would bring light air conditions which made it shifty and tricky for sailors when it came down to making tactical decisions. Unfortunately, due to the lack of wind on the last day, the race committee was unable to achieve any additional races, as conditions were not sailable. Despite the conditions, ten great races were completed in the series allowing for two discards in the scoreboard. “The days with strong and steadier winds the North heavy air sails are really good to find the balance and boat speed needed. On the light and shifty days, I sailed more conservative and could compensate not going all the way to the corners by very good downwind speed thanks to the CA-T75 light air jib.” Stellan Berlin North Sails clients placed within the top 10 finishers. There was a variety of North sails products being used amongst the top of the fleet. Stellan Berlin, SWE 379, who took the World Championship title with 5 bullets in the gold fleet, while using the sails designed for the Charger Mast, the FL-4, FH-2, CA-T75, TB-5, and HB-4. This was his tenth gold title within the fleet using North Sails winning sail design. Immonen, FIN 166; Cichocki, POL 7; and Kokkala, FIN 190 who finished 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively, were also using partial North Charger designs. Pascoe, GBR 141, who finished in 4th place used the North Sails Superspar Design. North Sails 2.4mR Products Full results 2.4mR Worlds 2017 2.4mR Worlds 2017 READ MORE

J/80 WORLDS North Sails, proud sponsor of the J/80 Worlds, supporting yet another successful event for sailors in Hamble The J/80 Worlds was a successful event for all, hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, UK, where sailors tested their strengths on the infamous Solent. 48 teams met at the Yacht Club on Monday, July 10th, representing six different countries to battle for the World Championship. The week started out windy, with plenty of on-the-water action keeping things interesting and exciting for competitors. The J/80 is very swift in the bigger breeze, making for fun downwind runs surfing in the waves, and tough and physical upwind legs testing strategy and seamanship. Team Baby J – Corinthian Three-time World Champion skipper, Rayco Tabares and his team on Hotel Princesa Yaiza were faster than ever, achieving five bullets, having only 3 races out of the top 5 positions. With 18 points to throw-out, they were untouchable with their outstanding consistency. Wednesday was North Sails Day, where prizes were given to the top sailors in the fleet. Prizes went to the Top Youth Team, Boysterous skippered by Angus Gray-Stephens. First overall for the day was awarded to Brezellec Eric with his team on Courrier Junior taking a 3-3-1, being the best team average for the day on the scoreboard. Prizes were awarded to the first Corinthian team HM Hotels with skipper Javier Chacártegui Cirerol, as well as a special award that was given to team Startijenn with skipper Claire Montécot for having a breakdown and being able to get her repairs done so her team could get back out on the water to continue racing. Another breakdown on the racecourse on Wednesday involved team Baby J who was also able to get put back together so they could continue racing. Big thanks to the North Sails team that was on-site to support the J/80 World Championship, making this one of the best years yet. Full Results Here Team Boysterous – Corinthian Team Courrier Junior Claire Montécot – Startijenn READ MORE

TRANSPAC 2017: ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS North Sails clients win seven classes, set three race records in the 2017 Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu Division 2 winner, Pyewacket 2 © Sharon Green The Transpac Yacht Race first kicked off in 1906. As one of the longest ocean races, it is now considered one of the oldest distance races in the sailing world. North Sails is proud to support clients throughout the fleet in their pursuit of unique performance goals, ranging from the Hobie 33 to the MOD 70! Competitors began their journey from Los Angeles, CA to Honolulu, HI beating against rough conditions as they worked offshore. In true Transpac fashion, the fleet found sweet relief by reaching the Eastern trade winds, sending them on an easier heading to Diamond Head, Oahu. “Even the most hard-core offshore sailors will experience seasickness in that first offshore stretch,” explained Steve Calder, North designer and main trimmer on H.L. Enloe’s Mighty Merloe, which broke the multihull course record this year. The Transpac can be a trying race for sailors of all ranks and ages, with wind reports often ranging from 15-50 knots. A diverse fleet of yachts reflects the depth of offshore racing in Southern California, with each owner, charterer, and navigator completing a minimum of 150 nm offshore before entering, as well as a list of safety checks for the boat and crew. In its 49th edition, we have witnessed three elapsed time records set and a strong performance by North Sails clients throughout the Transpac fleet, which was split into four starts. The record-setting Maxis, MOD 70s and ORMA 60s of the 3rd and 4th start were sipping Mai-Tai’s onshore after a five-day sprint. This year the faster-rated boats managed to fare well on corrected time by staying ahead of a high. Some of the sailors are still working their way toward Hawaii, with a large crowd of fellow sailors there to greet them. Setting a new time-to-beat for multihulls, ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe won 1st in Line Honors and 1st in Multihull Division 0. Second place in Division 0 was Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70 Phaedo3, followed by Gunboat 62 Chim Chim, MOD 70 Maserati, and LoeReal, a Jeanneau Trimaran. North Sails is proud to power all multihulls in the fleet this year with a mix of 3Di upwind and downwind sails. Super-maxi Comanche was another North-powered boat making waves this year, setting the monohull course record and covering 484.1 nm in 24 hours on the way, thereby setting a new 24hr Transpac speed record. Comanche, finishing in 5 days 1 hour 55 minutes 26 seconds, also secured the race’s Merlin Trophy: the fastest elapsed time by a power-assisted yacht. Manouch Moshayedi’s Rio 100, secured the Barn Door Trophy for the second time in a row for the fastest elapsed time by an unassisted monohull, racing this year with an A3 from North Sails. The Pac 50’s in Division 1 had great speed in the conditions. North-powered Invisible Hand placed 1st in Division 1 followed by Bad Pak in 2nd. Invisible Hand also took First Place Overall in ORR. Congrats to Roy Disney’s Pyewacket, Transpac winner in 1997 and 1999, who won Division 2 this year. Followed by fellow North client’s Catapult and Merlin, finishing 2nd and 3rd in Division 2. Division 5 winner, Summit 40 Locomotive, finished July 15th after covering 2,342nm. Team Loco is happy! © Betsy Crowfoot Enloe’s ORMA 60 Mighty Merloe cruises into a record-breaking finish at sunset. © Sharon Green Pac 50 Invisible Hand took 1st place in ORR #1 and Division 1. © David Livingston/ Invisible Hand Super Maxi Comanche on her record-breaking 2017 Transpac run. © Sharon Green READ MORE

PROSPECTOR SETS MARBLEHEAD TO HALIFAX RACE RECORD Powered by North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE, Mills 68 Prospector sets new race record in Marblehead to Halifax race by more than 2 hours The 363 nm race from Marblehead to Halifax dates back to 1905, and this year welcomed a strong fleet of 73 boats to the starting line. Charging into the finish at 16 knots under main and jib, the crew on Mills 68 Prospector was unaware they had broken the race record until the crowd congratulated them at the dock Monday evening. Paul McDowell, David Siwicki, Larry Landry and the Prospector team beat the record set by Tripp 75 Bella Pita in 2011 by two hours, with a race time of 28 hours, 28 minutes, and 50 seconds. Built in 2008, Prospector is a well oiled machine. After building offshore experience at events such as the Middle Sea Race, Les Voiles de St. Barth, the Fastnet Race and the Pineapple Cup, she entered Marblehead to Halifax ready to show her best, and she did just that. The breeze went from light to breeze-on, so they decided to hoist all three sails and were hauling the mail at 17 knots in smooth seas, feeling faster than ever and confident she would be leading the charge. Carrying the A3 and genoa staysail as long as they could, they went for a peel, which then favored the A3 and spinnaker staysail, allowing them to carry a better true-wind course. “She was jumping and charging like an animal that wants you off its back, and only got faster and more stable as she figured we weren’t going anywhere”. Upon arrival in Halifax, the crew celebrated with their onshore team – libations and cigars all around! © Craig Davis Photography READ MORE