NORTH SAILS BLOG

World’s Leading Sailmaker continues its support of the Fast Growing, Owner Driver One Design Class North Sails is proud to have worked closely with the Cape 31 Class since launching the first boat in 2017, developing the optimal sail wardrobe for One Design and IRC racing. The Cape 31 is a high-performance grand prix design, asymmetric boat designed by internationally renowned yacht designer Mark Mills. The boat has proven itself as an exhilarating one design boat that planes downwind in over 13 knots and rates well under multiple rating systems, making it attractive to many sailors. The Cape 31 Class began racing beneath Table Mountain in Cape Town, SA but has taken the global sailing scene by storm in the last two years. With over 30 boats racing in the UK and several heading to the US, the Mediterranean, and Hong Kong, there are now worldwide class calendars forming for 2023 and beyond. David Lenz, North Sails designer, notes; “It’s awesome to have been involved with the Cape 31 class in the UK since the start. Picking up from the excellent work done in Cape Town, we had a great starting point for the sail designs. Since then, as with any new class, there has been tremendous progress as we work to understand what makes these boats go fast and how to use our technology, experience, and passion to produce the fastest sails in the fleet.” David Lenz is not only a Cape 31 designer but has also been very successful racing in the class, including winning the 2022 Race Circuit overall on Russel Paters’ Squirt. Additionally, the class is filled with North Sails designers and experts, which results in theories being tested firsthand with developments and advancements being made weekly. Commenting on the partnership, Tor Tomlinson Cheney, of Cape 31 Class, shares; “North Sails has worked closely with the class since its inception and has been a major factor in the success of the class in the UK. Their support is invaluable, and we are pleased to extend our partnership with North Sails to an International level.” The North Sails Cape 31 inventory is fully optimised for handicap and one design class racing and consists of one all-purpose 3Di Raw Carbon Square Top Mainsail and three 3Di Raw Helix Jibs. All 3Di sails have carbon leech battens and come ready to race. Downwind there are four spinnakers which all use a string drop system: an A1, A2, and A4 for running, plus an A3 for reaching. As the class expands globally, North Sails is working to ensure that the best sail package can be provided to teams worldwide. Get in touch with North Sails expert Ben Saxton, Cape 31 class leader at North Sails, to learn more about the class and available sail options.   READ MORE

Proper boat speed depends mostly on constant and consistent adjustments to your rig and sails. The following measurements are those we have found to be the fastest settings for your new North Sails. READ MORE

LET’S TALK LIGHTING Changing Gears Lightning Class Expert Brian Hayes and special guest Greg Fisher share tips on how the top teams change gears and keep the boat going fast in this interactive live session. READ MORE

NEW RJF RADIAL JIB FOR THE LIGHTNING The Perfect Match For The MF-2 Fisher Mainsail For years the question of “what’s new” for Lightning sails has been answered as “not much”. Today there is a new answer. Following the heels of the success of the V17 Radial jib, the North Sails Lightning team has developed a new radial jib that sets and trims to match with the MF-2 (Fisher) mainsail. After extending testing, we are excited to introduce the RJF Radial Lightning jib. North Lightning expert Brian Hayes explains about the new sail, its development process and the success it has had on the race course: “We had been working on radial panel layouts on several of our designs for a few years. Ched Proctor went through several test runs as we developed the successful V17 that is designed to match up with the M-5 main tuning system. We had been pushing for a “radial” layout for the MF-2 setup as well with the goal of developing a sail with similar shape as the JF-2 jib, using a radial construction to maximize the ability for the sail to hold its designed shape, for ultimate durability.” The orientation of the cloth panels is a big deal in Dacron sails. Getting the shapes to do what we wanted takes time and extensive testing. “I’m really pleased with how the sail flies and the boat speed has been really good.” The goal was to develop a jib with similar shape as the JF-2, using a radial construction to maximize the ability for the sail to hold its designed shape, for ultimate durability. When final RJF version was completed (October 2018) Brian took it to the Charleston Wild Oyster, snapped it on Steve Davis’ boat and they won the event. “We still wanted to look at it some more at the Kings Day Regatta. I convinced Ched to use it with an MF-2 mainsail (I know… gasp!) and he won that event as well. A couple of clients noticed the sail and asked if they could buy it to try. In that short period of time those teams reported two second place finishes in two regattas. We felt confident the RJF jib was fast.” Brian Hayes is heading to the World Championship in Espoo, Finland sailing with Steve Davis and Laura Jeffers. Then they head to the North Americans in Buffalo in August. They will have a new RJF jib in their inventory. “We are hoping we have as much luck as we did in Charleston” said Brian. Shop Lightning sails. READ MORE

LIGHTNING PANAM TRIALS Jody Starck, Iain Jones and Skip Dieball to Represent the USA in Lima Congratulations to Jody Starck, Ian Jones and Skip Dieball on securing the US Lightning berth for the 2019 PanAm Games in Lima, Peru. Held at the Buffalo Canoe Club the weekend of September 7-9, the event had six of the eight races contested in “Peru-like” conditions with 15-25 mph winds. The winning team scored six race wins along with a 2nd and a 6th to dominate the series and best the team of Allan Terhune, JoAnn Fisher and Jody Lutz by 12 points. 2015 PanAm Silver medalist Justin Coplan finished 3rd followed by current North American Champion Ched Proctor in 4th and current North American Masters Champion Tom Allen in 5th. Dave Sprague as PRO did an excellent job of running races with courses featuring four windward leeward legs with no offset mark. This made the jibe-set timing crucial to positions in the race. North Notes: 15 of the 45 sailors competing had either won a North American Championship or World Championship (or both) as a skipper or crew. 15 boats competed with the top 14 using full North inventories. READ MORE

LIGHTNING ATLANTIC COASTS North Powers Rob Crane to Win and All Top 10 Boats The month of July features a packed schedule of events for the Lightning class this year and the Atlantic Coast Championship, held at Nyack Boat Club, Nyack NY this past weekend, were the featured “mid-point” event. Twenty-three teams found there way to the Hudson River venue sailing just underneath the newly constructed Tappan Zee Bridge. Olympian Rob Crane, with his sister Kelly and Andrea Fisher, mastered the challenging currents and wind shifts that the river brought and posted a 1,1,5,2,1 scorecard over the 5-race series to bring home the title. Saturday brought warm weather, plenty of sun and pleasant 5-9 mph southwesterly breezes which allowed the race committee to press on and provide four fair and challenging races. The teams that stayed patient and found the stronger velocities were rewarded with consistent finishes while those who “chased” the puffs often times found themselves arriving to late to catch the breeze that those ahead had found. Sunday morning dawned with far less promise of sailable breeze to get the final scheduled race completed. Undeterred, the fleet “sailed” to the middle of the river and, after a 45 minute postponement, a light southwesterly filled and the fleet headed off on a 5-leg WL race. Bucking a strong incoming tide the balance was between finding wind and getting towards the shallower water near the west side of the river. Rob Crane and his team found some great lanes in the middle of the course which got them to the weather mark with a nice lead which they held to the finish. Congratulations also to Bob Sengstacken and his crew, wife Penny and Maud Lindsay (and Dan Zitin as a Sunday fill in) who won the Met Districts that were held in conjunction with the ACCs. The big takeaways from the weekend were to stay patient and keep your head out of the boat. The importance of teamwork really played out as the skipper needed to constantly work on boat speed in the ever changing velocities and shifts while the crew worked on finding wind and the best path to the next pressure while monitoring the current. Learn more about North fast Lightning sails. 2018 Lightning Atlantic Coast Championship 1 Rob Crane / M5, 5A+, R2 2 Justin Coplan / M5, 5A+, R2 3 Stephen Constants* / North R75 jib 4 Doug Clark / MF2, JF2, R2 5 Jim Crane / M5, 5A+, R2 6 Bill Bogardus* / MF2, JF2 7 Eric Heller / MF2, JF2, R2 8 Bob Sengstacken / MF2, JF2, R2 9 Brian Hayes, Jr / MF2, JF2, R2 10 Hugh Hutchison* / MF2, JF2 * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

2018 LIGHTNING YOUTH WORLDS North Powers US Team GEN 5 To Dramatic Comeback Not all World Championships are won with unlimited budgets and on-hand support staff. Some are won by sailors who are just determined to make their dreams happen. Team Gen5, consisting of Jeffrey Hayden (helm), Brian Hayes Jr. (tactics) and Meredith Ryan (bow), qualified for the 2018 Lightning Youth Worlds last August in New Jersey, and while they all had a desire to compete in Greece, they lacked one important component; the financial resources. They decided to overcome that obstacle by selling t-shirts, setting up a Go-Fund-Me account, organizing talks and presentations to local sailing clubs to gain donations, and got the support from family and friends so they could take their grass-roots program overseas and sail against the best Youth Lightning sailors in the world. The result was three-young adults, with only a small amount of sailing time together, who strung together back-to-back race wins in the final two races of the championship that moved them from 7th place to the top of the podium on the final day to win the 2018 Lightning Youth World Championship. The event was held in Voula, Greece by the NAOV of Voula, with support from the Yacht Club of Greece. Sixteen teams from seven countries with many top junior sailors in the field including three-time Junior North American Champion, Tanner Probst, Jenna Probst and Maya Weber. Strong teams from Brazil, Chile, Greece and Canada were also in attendance. The seven-race series featured a fabulous mix of conditions with light to moderate breeze in five of the seven races. Two races had much trickier conditions that gave the fleet puffy and shifty offshore seabreeze (yes, offshore!) that made it very challenging for sailors, testing their skills and endurance. On day one light-dying breeze from the WNW greeted teams. Jeff Hayden’s team (USA 14748) took an early lead in the light air and extended to a large lead as the breeze died, which worked out well when the RC shortened the course. One hour later, the seabreeze filled in over the Greek peninsula rewarding teams with a solid 14-22 mph offshore breeze with large shifts and a variety of pressure changes. Each of the final two races of day-one were sailed in these beautiful conditions. Team Brazil (BRA 15333) won the second race, and locals (GRE 14817) took the win in the last race of the day. Day two had a more typical Voula 6-10 mph breeze from the WSW eventually shifting SSE. BRA 15333 and GRE 14817 both found the conditions to their liking and each won one race to set the stage for a final day of racing. The scores were scattered with some protests and redress hearings, which put the pressure on the competitors on Saturday, the final day of racing. The final day brought a little bit of everything. USA 14748 did very well in race six, repeating their win with a nice lead. Now that the fleet had completed six races, a throw-out was granted which really tightened up the top of the scoresheet. Going into the final race with five teams within three points of each other was the real deal. The key was to find a clear lane and be on the correct side of the shift. Team Gen5 executed a near perfect start ⅓ up from the pin. Having a nice hole to leeward, they were able to accelerate and punch-out from their competitors. They sent it to the port layline, extending their lead to win the final race of the World Championship and seal the deal for team USA, deeming them the 2018 Lightning Youth World Champions. Way to go team USA! All top ten teams were powered by North Sails. Learn more about North fast Lightning sails. Start of race #7. Note hole to leeward of 14748 as they race to the left. © Nigel Vick READ MORE

2018 LIGHTNING EUROPEANS North Teams finished 1,2*,3,4,5! The 2018 Lightning European Championships were held June 28th-July 1st at the Yacht Club of Greece in Pireaus. Twenty-two teams representing six countries were in attendance for what was a fabulous weekend of sailing. Team Verginadis, sail number GRE 14791, with 10 points in the 5-race series, including 2-race wins, secured the European Championship and the coveted Lightning Class Silver Flash. The first day of the championship brought sunny skies and warm temperatures however a weather system also brought strong winds that averaged near 25-knots all day, with gusts reaching 40-knots. Though the Race Committee held out with hopes of getting some racing in, they eventually cancelled for the day. During the delays, North Sails Lightning expert Brian Hayes held a tuning session for many of the competitors in the parking lot and fielded questions on prebend and rig tension. After lunch, roughly 60 sailors squeezed into the meeting room as Brian did some video reviews from the practice race showing where each team may find some opportunities for improvement when it comes to sail trim, rig set up, or sailing style. This “brief” gathering lasted until nearly 5:30 pm that evening, which showed the eagerness of the fleet to continue to get information on how to improve and get their boat up to speed. The second day of racing opened with a brisk breeze near 15-knots which softened all day to around 10-knots. The top three teams began their string of consistent finishes as all three kept their finishes in the top four, creating a three-way tie on the leaderboard by the end of the day. This basically created a showdown on Sunday between the top three teams for the European Championship crown. The first race saw Team Verginadis chase down Team Argyropoulous on the final run to gain the win while Team Vasilas held their own at 11 points. Team Tsoulfas had nine points. The final race was dramatic as Team Vasilas caught the big left shift and had a large lead at the first mark with the other two teams deeper in the fleet. However, the Race Committee weighed the fairness of this large 50-degree shift on the first beat and abandoned the race. Not to be dissuaded, Team Vasilas once again leapt out to a big lead but the other two teams stayed close behind and finished third and fourth, giving the title to Team Verginadis by a slim two-points. Team Vasilas’ last race win earned them the runner-up position, followed by Team Tsoulfas to round out the podium. Thanks to the Yacht Club of Greece and the event organizing committee for an outstanding event and gracious hospitality. The Lightning Class in Europe is excited to be hosting the 2019 World Championships in Finland next June and the entire fleet at the Europeans is eager to test their skills against sailors from around the world. Race results | Event Photos by Nigel Vick Learn more about our championship winning Lightning sails. Tem Verginadis, 2018 European Champions. North Sails Brian Hayes’ parking lot boat tuning session READ MORE

2018 LIGHTNING SOUTHERN CIRCUIT North-powered Teams Dominate Grassroots Circuit Events In Miami and St. Petersburg For many the annual pilgrimage south to the Lightning Southern Circuit is a tradition (to steal from a famous golf tournament) like no other! So, our team of Steve Kirkpatrick, Lightning legend Neal Fowler and myself decided that we needed to head to Florida and see what all the fuss was about. Since two of us were newbies to the boat, class and events we quickly found out what it was all about. It seems the Lightning Winter Championships and Midwinters, the two events that comprise the Southern Circuit, are all about great competition, tremendous comradery, and serious grassroots fun! Unique to this event, the ILCA sponsors a program called the “Mentor Program” which is run, on a volunteer basis, by Nick Turney of Nick Turney Sailing Services. Nick provided on-the-water assistance, coaching, clinics, and racing briefings each day and everyone who signed up for the program learned a lot from the group briefings and individual attention. Helping sailors get up to speed to contend with the experienced sailors seems to be the prevalent theme in the class and the support and openness of the top sailors, who were often guest panelists for the program, really seemed a positive way to create a fun, learning experience for everyone on the scoreboard. For us, the circuit allowed us to experience what a special class the ILCA is. Lightning sailors, to me, seem a special breed and the entire atmosphere of the events seems to be about some good old fashioned racing buddies working with each other to help the fleet grow. As I walked around the boat park it was easy enough to find sailors helping sailors, asking questions, sharing tricks, etc. This is what helps to grow the class! Our team benefitted from this spirit when, in Miami on the way out to the race course, our main halyard broke. We sailed in to find only 2 or 3 teams still on the dock but all of them quickly jumped in to help as we flipped the boat at the dock and several folks held our, now sideways, Lightning steady while Steve and Tom Allen (boat builder extraordinaire) tied the main to the top of the mast and pushed us off so we would not miss any races! Winter Championship – St. Petersburg Yacht Club- March 24-26 The Winter Championship, hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club, was a nice way to kick off the series as 52 teams descended upon Tampa Bay traveling from far and wide to race with friends and family. Light air greeted the fleet on Saturday, yet still provided racing conditions in the later afternoon to allow us to get in one race and get the series started. Day two was very much the same, with winds on the lighter side and shifty from the ESE, still allowing for great racing conditions as the day progressed. Monday arrived with fog which burned off as the day went on, bringing a little more wind than what was originally predicted. Once the sun came out and heated things up, the wind died off, but still gave the fleet two more solid races to conclude the event. Congratulations to clients from team Argentina, Javier Conte, Julio Alsogaray, and Paula Salerno for taking first overall. In second was Team PatStrong with David Starck, PJ Shaffer, and Kelly Barnash. In third, fleet newcomers, Church of the Great Outdoors, with Steve Kirkpatrick, Neal Fowler, and Hillary Noble. Congratulations also to Masters Division winner and “Lightning King of the South”, Ched Proctor with team Abigail Preston and Jeff Eiber on the swift Veggie Sub. Special thank you to Todd Fedeszyn and the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and Sailing Center volunteers for your outstanding job running races and setting the courses. In what certainly were trying race conditions, their race management experience and overall understanding of the area and weather patterns made it so everyone was dealt a good hand. North-powered teams finished 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 this year at the St. Petersburg Winter Championship. Well done! Full Results Midwinter Championship – Coral Reef Yacht Club- Miami, FL- March 28-30 The Midwinters hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami was also a not-to-miss event, with 29 boats competing in hopes finding idyllic Biscayne Bay conditions and looking to either improve their series standings or hold of the charge of their nearest competitors. Several new teams joined in with those who travelled across the state from the Winter Champs making for a fun and fresh new start to the 2018 Midwinter Championship. Breeze was quite “fresh” on Wednesday as teams enjoyed hiking hard through the puffy and wavy conditions. An easterly wind direction was the end result, as over the three days of racing the wind slowly clocked right, making for a beautiful southeasterly pressure that allowed for great racing conditions each day for sailors. With Nick Turney Sailing Services there at the scene, sailors could gain helpful insights and racing video replays to review each day. With added drone footage being shared each evening, the excitement of the mark roundings and crossing tacks was renewed over evening refreshments and comments such as “Boy that was close!” were shared amongst the gang. Having on the water support from Nick, top-notch fleet management, and spot-on race committee volunteers makes events like these a true success for all involved. Congratulations to David Starck’s Team PatStrong for winning the tie-breaker with previous World Champion Javier Conte and his team Argentina. Tito Gonzalez’s team came out hot with a win in the final race, giving them third overall. Tito sailed with his family on Ojo de Lince, with his daughter Trini and son Alberto Gonzalez Jr, making it a true family affair. Congratulations to our clients once again for your spectacular performances across the board. Clients finished 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 at the Miami Midwinters. Congratulations to our clients for finishing at the top of the fleet, proving teamwork and speed are the keys to success. Full Results Congratulations to series winners on Argentina, with Javier Conte, Julio Alsogaray, and Paula Salerno for winning the series total out of 14 races and to Javier for winning the Humphrey New Comer Award. Jack Mueller Grand Master Award winner this time around was Grand Master Ched Proctor, and the Dr. Georges Peter Great Grand Master Award winner, Bill Mauk. Congrats to Mark Allen from Michigan for winning a new North Sails Jib! Three Takeaways 1. Starts are crucial. Not setting up too early, having a hole below you to accelerate, and starting as close to the favored end as possible are very important. Don’t be afraid of a port-tack approach- this can be helpful in finding the right hole on the line that will give you a nice gap to leeward to accelerate. 2. Boat speed. Boat speed. Boat speed. Get out there early and speed test with another boat. Make sure your rig is set up for the lulls. Adjust your leads for waves/chop/flatwater. Straight line speed, especially off the starting line is very important in larger fleets. Being able to hold your own lane with speed after the start is a winning move. 3. Be comfortable. Be ready. Practice maneuvers before you start the race. Give yourself time to adjust to given wind conditions. Be comfortable with your abilities, and be confident in your position. Executing quick-yet smooth maneuvers, (especially in light air or chop) is beneficial. Being able to throw in a last minute roll- jibe, or double tack on the starting line to gain height are valuable techniques you can’t plan ahead, but you have to be ready to execute in a snap. Being ready and being one step ahead of your competitors makes a huge difference, and will help you stay in front of the fleet. (l to r) Karen Park presenting the Colin and Karen Park Trophy to Kristine and Todd Wake-Top performing wife/husband at the Winter Championships Ched Proctor – Grand Master Circuit winner Circuit VP David Starck shows everyone how to be a class volunteer and still win regattas! 1st in Miami, 2nd in St. Pete and 2nd overall in the circuit! My team Church of the Great Outdoors, with Steve Kirkpatrick, Neal Fowler, and Hillary Noble Neal Fowler showing Steve and I how to “properly” tune the rig! Always learning! (l to r) Brian Hayes and Nick Turney give a tuning clinic during a postponement at the Winter Championship Mark Allen with Skip Dieball and Emily Simon on their way to 5th place at the Winter Championships Josh Goldman, with Jackson Benvenutti and Monica Morgan sailing Hard Asset to 8th place overall in the circuit (note: the “Gold Man” Sailing Team shirts!) The “King of the South” Ched Proctor, with Jeff Eiber and Abigail Preston chasing down the pack in St. Pete on their way to the Masters win. READ MORE

North Sails interviews Steve Hayden, 2017 Overall Winner of St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta The St. Pete NOOD is the first NOOD event of the series with boats from all over the country coming together to sail in key locations along the east and west coast of the United States. At the end of the series, the overall winner from each event competes in the overall championship held in the British Virgin Islands later this season. After the regatta we had a chance to catch up with Steve and asked him some questions about his win at the NOOD. Steve (Gen5) and his son, neck and neck, rounding the leeward mark Steve, how long have you been sailing the Lightning? “Over 40 years.” Have you ever crewed for your kids? “Yes, almost as much as they’ve crewed for me.” What would you say were the key factors to your win at the St. Pete NOOD? “Patience and sticking with our game plan. I was also very confident in our North Sails and the setup we use. And staying with some long-time friends…Mike and Junia Milvain.” What is the most important thing to know about sailing a Lightning? “That it’s a great boat with a great class of people who are willing to help you and include you. There is great competition because the boat is technical enough and challenging enough it attracts, and retains, many outstanding sailors of all ages.” What was the funniest thing that happened on the water at the NOOD? “Taking compass headings before one of the day’s races started. Pretty much wrote down the entire compass…” Have you been to the BVI’s before? If not, how excited are you!? “No. Very excited! Looking forward to it greatly! My Dad has been down a few times, so I’ve heard some great things. I’m sure it’s going to be a great time.” In preparation for the championship in the BVI’s, what are the top three things you will focus on? “Who is going with me…family and friends…I’ve been hearing from a lot of people I haven’t heard from in awhile for some reason.” Steve Hayden, doing what he loves A new overall winner of the St. Pete NOOD, but Steve is no new face to the Lightning Class. Steve grew up sailing the Lightning and got his kids involved too. For Steve back at home, it’s just a family affair. READ MORE