NORTH SAILS BLOG

Nanushka Forestay Sailing Team 2022-es versenyszezonra a testek frissítése, újrafestésével párhuzamban tervezte lecserélni a teljes vitorlakészletét. Vitorlák beszerzésében a csapat komoly tapasztalata és a kompromisszum mentes hozzáállás volt a döntő. NORTH SAILS 3Di kompozit vitorlákra esett a választásuk. Csapat: Horváth Áron, Botos Bálint, Várady-Szabó János, Petheő Tamás, Lukáts Csaba, Jankovics Gábor. 📸NANUSHKA FORESTAY SAILING TEAM READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: CATGURU RENDEZVOUS Weekend of Fun and Learning with North Sails Expert Bob Meagher After a two-year COVID hiatus, Stephen and Estelle Cockcroft of Catamaran Guru reinvigorated their Abacos catamaran Rendezvous and attracted 27 catamarans to rally to and through the northeastern Bahamas last month. Naturally, North Sails jumped in with North Sails multihull expert Bob Meagher arriving on a Monday evening when the party was just winding down. Tuesday morning featured a short distance race with a 10:00 start off of White Sound, with the fleet of 25 cats flying a variety of sails to catch the southwest breeze. Boats flew sails in the widest range of configurations, with winged genoas and mains, gull-winged genoas and screechers, asymmetrical spinnakers sheeted to either side off either bow, with mainsails doused, reefed, or full depending on how each crew thought they’d serve best. Meagher chased them all, offering trim tips to each competitor, guiding them through experimenting with different setups, commenting "rallies like this are about learning: by doing it and seeing what works, by watching others, and from outside advice." A dying breeze gave the race committee time to restock with ice before shortening the course to enable an on-time happy hour at Grabbers on Guana Cay. Continued light breezes forced a leisurely motor sail the next day to Green Turtle Cay, home of the Bluff House, as the evening's host. But first, there was more learning to be had! Half the fleet gathered aboard Zuri, the Cockcroft's own Bali 5.4, where Meagher led a hands-on class in setting, sailing, and dousing asymmetrical spinnakers. Almost two dozen people participated. “Our goal with this annual rendezvous is two-fold. We lead our group on our own cruising catamaran to the islands to help them gain confidence and to show our boat owners a good time. But more importantly, we invite our industry colleagues like Bob, to help educate the boat owners on how to operate certain components of their boats and therefore better enjoy their boats. Bob did not disappoint and we are very grateful to North Sails and Bob for generously donating his time and expertise.“ The fleet capped off the week with the awards party ashore at Bluff House. Rick Walker's Voyage 430 Endangered Species claimed first prize in the previous day’s races (using a rare thing on a cat - a spinnaker pole!), and other prizes were awarded for more… creative competitions when the sun went down. All-in-all, the Catamaran Guru Rendezvous highlighted the best about sailing: fun with friends, and learning to improve. North Sails was happy to help with both. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS & SORC CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP North Sails Chosen As Official Performance Partner of 2022-2023 Edition North Sails is pleased to announce its continued partnership with Southern Ocean Racing Conference for the 2022-2023 edition. The series consists of four distance races that draw a fleet from across the country and includes a range of yachts from super maxis to corinthian cruisers. The series prides itself on accessibility for a wide variety of sailors and offers storied races from South Florida to destinations like Key West, Nassau, Palm Beach, and Cape Canaveral. North Sails will continue to work with participants to help them prepare and plan for the series of four races. As the Official Performance Partner, North Sails experts will be offering measurement days across the South East lofts and an educational webinar on ORC Ratings. The measurement days will provide participants an opportunity to discuss their inventory with North Sails experts and how to optimize their rating, have their sails measured and drop them off for any necessary pre-race service. Stay tuned for dates and timing. “SORC is a fabled brand that continues to challenge sailors of all skill levels today. This initiative helps teams plan for first class winter sailing and get the most out of their sails,” shares North Sails expert Bob Meagher. As the industry leader, North Sails is committed to helping clients achieve success whether it’s their first race or thirtieth. We look forward to supporting SORC participants in their journey throughout the 2022- 2023 SORC series. READ MORE

DARK ’N’ STORMY’S ALL ROUND From Dinghy Sailing to Roaring Around The Solent on a GP42 Photo © Paul Wyeth Fresh from his triple triumph at this year's Round the Island Race taking Monohull Line Honours, winning IRC Zero and the race overall we caught up with Ian Atkins, owner of GP42 Dark ’N’ Stormy, long standing North Sails customer and sailing enthusiast. From learning to sail in a Mirror dinghy from Hamble River Sailing Club in the 60’s to roaring around the Solent on GP42 Dark ’N’ Stormy (ex Jean Genie) in 2022; Ian has had quite the sailing career. Born and brought up in Hamble, England, Ian sparked his love for sailing as a kid on the Hamble River with dinghies. His love for sailing morphed into his career when he joined the North Sails team in the early 80’s. After a few years at North and making some great connections, Ian joined and subsequently ran yacht sales company Ancasta. He spent the next 10-15 years in the sales business whilst also sailing professionally both inshore and offshore on various race boats. Ian was also heavily involved with Beneteau race boats as they came onto the scene. Off the water, in 2000 Ian was one of the founders of online marketplace, boats.com. On the water he was campaigning a series of small one design boats. With stints in a 1720, J80 and J70 Ian built up a series of good results with his own teams. Several J80 and J70 Nationals wins and a fourth at the J70 World Championships in 2015 were the highlights for the team. After 2 years out of the game, while selling his business, Ian came back wondering what his next steps were. Fast forward to 2019, Ian put his sights towards the new IC37 One-Design. Along with Nick Griffifths and Ancasta, they purchased the first IC37 with the goal of it being promoted as a One Design class. Whilst racing around in the IC37 having a great time, they kept being overtaken by Fast 40s, which sparked the idea of the Fast 40. Ian reflected, “if I’m going to go big boat sailing I need one of those” so he bought Peter Morton’s Jean Genie in October 2021. He renamed her Dark ’N’ Stormy after his team’s favorite post race tipple. Whilst Ian explained that 2022 is about “getting to know the boat, and learning how to sail it,” the team has already been getting some top results. From literally taking home the chocolates at the Royal Ocean Racing Club Easter Challenge (the prizes being chocolate easter eggs) to being runner up to Niklas Zennström’s Ran at the 2022 IRC National Championships, it’s fair to say that the team has gotten to know the boat pretty well. With the recent Round the Island victory to top it off the only way is up for Ian and his crew. Dark 'N' Stormy crew after their Round the Island Race Victory. North Sails team members Ruaridh Wright (right), Ian Walker (second from left), Jono Macbeth (third from the left). Photo © Paul Wyeth Ian has accredited the developments behind this success to boat Captain Nick Bonner, Ian Walker and Ruaridh Wright at North Sails, “I’m delighted to have got Ian Walker to come sailing with us and even more delighted that he committed to the whole season with us. Knowing that his new North Sails career will probably take him all over the planet, we're lucky to have the opportunity whilst it was available. Ruaridh Wright is our upwind trimmer and crew boss - he does a great job of making the boat go fast too. We are lucky in having the North expertise we have on board.” The next key event for the team is Cowes Week where Ian will be adding two new Helix Jibs and a spinnaker to his current full North Sails inventory. The team also hopes to be on the start line at the IRC Europeans in Holland later this year. North Sails is proud to have been a part of both Ian’s career and his sailing campaigns over the years and looks forward to following his progress in the future. To speak with Sail Expert Ruaridh Wright about maximizing your sail inventory, get in touch today. Photo © Paul Wyeth READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CONTINUES SUPPORT OF J CUP REGATTA Key Yachting J Cup Regatta Outlook Davanti Tyres, J112 - Landsail Tyres J-Cup - photo © Paul Wyeth The 2022 J Cup Regatta is taking place from 30th June - 2nd July. Hosted by Key Yachting and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the J-Cup is an annual regatta exclusively organized for racing yachts of the J/Boats brand, and all J/Boat models are invited to compete. North Sails is thrilled to be supporting the event and competitors by providing on the water coaching with North Sail experts Ben Saxton; accompanied by drone footage from Shaun Roster. The North Sails loft in Cowes Yacht Haven will also be offering regatta repair service after sailing on Thursday and Friday. Connect with North Sails service expert James Hobson for all your service needs during the event. Wayne Palmer, Owner of Key Yachting shares, “We are grateful for the ongoing support from North Sails with the J Cup Regatta and thrilled with the technical support they are providing.” The regatta entails three days of exciting and competitive racing and incorporates the J/70, J/109 and J/111 National Championships. The program is coupled with a daily prize giving and lively shore-side entertainment to make the J-Cup a must for many of our owners and clients. 'The J-Cup is a highlight event in the J-Boat racing calendar every year. North Sails is delighted to continue supporting the regatta in 2022 and beyond, and we can't wait to see you all there'' said Ben Saxton. The North Sails team will be scattered throughout the fleet with Jeremy Smart racing on McFly and Charlie Cumbley on Eat Sleep J Repeat. Ben Saxton, Pete Redmond and Ruaridh Wright will be in the coach boat over the weekend. Stay tuned for updates over the weekend and keep an eye on results here and here. Standfast, J70 - Landsail Tyres J-Cup - photo © Paul Wyeth READ MORE

FÖRSNACK INFÖR BOHUSRACET OCH SHORTHAND-SM Vem tar hem det allra första SM-tecknet i shorthand-kappsegling? Det avgörs under Pantaenius Bohusracet 2022. 📸 Peter Gustafsson På fredag förmiddag går startskottet för 2022 års upplaga av Pantaenius Bohusracet. Det som gör årets tävling till något utöver det vanliga är att den i år har officiell status som svenskt mästerskap. Totalt är snudd på hundra båtar anmälda till Bohusracet och över fyrtio är med och kämpar om SM-medaljerna. För att få segla SM krävs verifierat SRS-mätbrev, tävlingslicens och medlemskap i Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundet, och med tanke på detta är fyrtio båtar en bra siffra. Det kan faktiskt bli årets största SM-klass för kölbåtar. Det finns många anledningar till att Pantaenius Bohusracet blivit så populär. För en del är det totalsegern – i år dessutom toppad med en SM-plakett – som hägrar. För andra är det äventyret och utmaningen som är det viktiga; bara att ta sig runt den 170 sjömil långa banan är en bedrift. Trevlig samvaro med regattamiddag dagen före start och fisksoppa efter målgång får man på köpet. Plus varsin exklusiv T-shirt som bevis för att man fullföljt det långa, krävande racet. Starten går i Uddevalla och därifrån seglar tävlingsbåtarna söderut mot Marstrand. De rundar Hättebergets fyr och viker sedan norrut. Efter avstickare runt märken i Fjällbacka och Strömstad seglar de upp till Tresteinene i Norge, innan de vänder tillbaka mot målet i Smögen. Till skillnad från exempelvis Gotland Runt är det inte någon havskappsegling utan en skärgårdssegling, så säkerhetskraven är modesta. Det finns exempelvis inte några krav på mantåg, vilket öppnar upp för ett brett spektrum av båtar. Man kan delta med nästan vilken båt som helst. North Sails representeras i år av Andreas Turesson från North-loftet i Göteborg. Han kommer segla en X332:a tillsammans med sin pappa Dan. Far och son har framskjutna placeringar sedan tidigare och har siktet högt inställt. "Men det är ett svårt race", säger Andreas. "Det brukar alltid finnas många tillfällen där det kan gå fel." Att man någon gång under racet blir liggande i bleke är regel snarare än undantag. Var detta inträffar, och hur man klarar sig igenom det, blir ofta avgörande för slutresultatet. Vill du följa kappseglingen så är kappseglingens Facebook-sida en bra början. READ MORE

UPPSNACK INFÖR GOTLAND RUNT OCH SHORTHAND-VM På söndag startar Gotland Runt. Att ORC Double Handed Worlds seglas parallellt på samma bana höjer temperaturen ytterligare. 📸 Anders Dahlsjö Inte mindre än 225 båtar är anmälda till årets Gotland Runt. KSSS hade hoppats på runt 40 deltagare på shorthand-VM men det blev över 80. Det innebär att regattan totalt samlar över 300 båtar från 14 länder. Fantastiskt kul! Om vi tittar lite närmare på VM-fältet kan vi konstatera att minsta båt är en Mini Transat på 21 fot, att den största är en Shogun 50 och att påfallande många ligger i spannet 30-36 fot. När detta skrivs är det ännu oklart hur klassindelningen ser ut, men gissningsvis blir det tre klasser. Det känns inte meningsfullt att försöka utse några förhandsfavoriter. Men ur ett svenskt och nordiskt perspektiv finns det några besättningar som är värda att ha lite extra koll på. Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg i nya Z30+ är ett exempel. Team Pro4u, med Patrik Forsgren som skeppare, är ett annat. Patrik är en Sveriges allra mest framgångsrika havskappseglare och båten är mycket väl optimerad för ORCi. Sunfast 3300:an Hyrrokkin med skepparen Sigmund Hertzberg från norska Tönsberg är ytterligare ett ekipage att ha under uppsikt. Båten är specifikt utvecklad för shorthand-segling, och de har förberett sig mycket väl inför VM. Att de var trea totalt på årets Raymarine2star och fyra på Kolfibedrrodret visar att de kan segla bra i Stockholms skärgård. Och det kan visa sig vara väldigt viktigt. Starten för Gotland Runt och VM går nämligen precis utanför Gröna Lund. Tävlingen inleds alltså med inomskärssegling ut till Sandhamn. Sträckan är knixig och utmanande även för lokala seglare, och det ska bli intressant att se hur de utländska deltagarna hanterar det här. En del kommer ju från länder där det knappt finns skärgård över huvud taget. Vi är förstås på plats både inför och under Gotland Runt – om du behöver hjälp med service eller reparationer är det bara att kontakta oss. Martin Angsell och Anders Lewander från North Sails Stockholm är för övrigt med på VM i varsin båt. Martin seglar Shogun 50 tillsammans med Anna Drougge, och Anders seglar Bénéteau Figaro 3 i par med Linnea Floser. Båda båtarna har lite nischade egenskaper, men om någon av dem får sitt favoritväder har de potential att gå långt. Vill du ta en titt på tävlingsbåtarna så ligger de fram till starten på ett stort eventområde vid Vasahamnen. Själva seglingarna följs nog bäst digitalt. KSSS kommer exempelvis ha en Youtube-baserad Gotland Runt-Studio med uppdaterade nyheter två gånger om dagen. READ MORE

BEHIND THE SCENES: NORTH SAILS PALMA Step Inside One of Our Largest Service Lofts This episode of Behind the Scenes steps into the North Sails loft in Palma and highlights our team working in one of the world’s biggest sail lofts. North Sails Palma is a vital hub within the North network and expanded to twice its previous size in the Spring of 2022. This 4,720 sqm loft serves double duty as the on-island sailing community hub and a key destination for international sailors and boat captains. So whether you’re a superyacht arriving from a transatlantic delivery, in town for one of the many Grand Prix regattas, or cruising Europe during the summer season, there’s a good chance you’ve met the North Sails team dockside. Over 30 experts, including sail designers, sailmakers, service professionals, and Superyacht experts sit under one roof, just a quick 10-minute drive from the harbor. The Palma team prides itself on delivering a level of customer service that is unprecedented. And while the team consists of consummate professionals, their passion for sailing and their motivation to keep raising the bar fosters a fun and dynamic atmosphere. Join us as we spend a day in our Palma loft and get to know the North Sails team. 📸 Atila Madrona READ MORE

PALMARÈS DE NOS VOILES EN CETTE SAISON 2022 Les voiles North Sails commencent fort la saison! Un immense BRAVO à tous les concurrents des deux grandes régates traditionnelles lémaniques, la Genève-Rolle-Genève et le Bol d'Or Mirabaud. Voici les résultats obtenus par des navigateurs équipés par North Sails: © Yves Ryncki Genève-Rolle-Genève: Classement général mono, temps réel: 1er ,2ème (partiel), 3ème, 4ème (partiel) Classement général, temps compensé: 3ème Par catégorie: M1: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème M2: 3ème TCFX: 1er ,2ème (partiel), 3ème, 4ème (partiel) TCF2: 2ème, 3ème TCF3: 1er, 2ème (partiel) TCF4: 1er ,2ème, 3ème, 4ème Grand Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème, 6ème, 7ème Surprise: 2ème , 3ème - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bol d'Or Mirabaud: Classement général, temps réel: 1er, 2ème, 3ème Classement général, temps compensé: 3ème, 4ème, 5ème Par catégorie: M1: 1er, 2ème, 3ème M2: 3ème TCFX: 1er, 3ème (partiel), 4ème TCF1: 1er TCF2: 2ème ,3ème TCF3: 2ème (partiel) TCF4: 2ème Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème (partiel) Grand Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème, 6ème © Yves Ryncki READ MORE

PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD A Recount of The 2022 International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu The “International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu” (www.brindisi-corfu.com) was founded in 1986. During the first two years, the competition was limited to vessels from Brindisi. It was three years later that the participation of aggressive Corfiot boats began. In 2022. I was able to be a part of a multinational crew - a French boat under Greek flag, a Bulgarian owner, and a Bulgarian - Croatian crew. So we added a nice mixture to the already colourful image of the race - 78 entries from Italy, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Bulgaria, Sweden, Great Britain, Spain and USA. Our boat was lying in Corfu, so Nikola and I flew there to prepare everything for the delivery to Brindisi. The boat is a Sun Fast 3600, named after the American rock band from the 60s - “Iron Butterfly”. The first look at the boat already showed that it is fitted to be fast - custom Southern Spars carbon rig, full North Sails 3Di inventory, B&G instruments and lots of other racing gadgets. All in all, it makes you smile. Corfu, see you in a couple of days.. Anyhow, the boat is ready, we meet the owner Nasco and his friend Dobry and we are ready to sail to Brindisi. A nice south easterly makes the first 30-40 miles pass by quickly, but than the unstable atmosphere with a low passing by shows us a good time. The first squall hits us around 8 PM, just before sundown. The first squall The second one comes around 1 AM with lots of wind and a lot more rain. It’s all part of the game, the only problem is that between the squalls there’s no wind and we are slowly motoring towards Brindisi. Early in the morning, around 6 AM we enter the rather big Italian port of Brindisi. A lot of industrial buildings make it hard to appreciate the traditional Mediterranean architecture. The nice, Mediterranean part of Brindisi In the next days we are preparing the boat for the race, gathering and installing all the safety equipment, checking the sails and finally - making some tourist routes around the city. The other part of the crew - Marko and Sapa are coming on Saturday evening, bringing a brand new 3Di mainsail for the race. Unfortunately, as the forecast predicted, there is a lot of wind on Sunday (30+ knots of north westerlies), and after a short wait around the starting line, the Race Committee postpones the start until Monday morning at 6AM. Marko & Nasco shortly after the start There are 78 boats racing in this year’s edition with a variety of different designs and lengths, all racing under the ORC rule. So, a fair chance for everybody. We are pretty psyched about the start so we start full power in 25 knots of north westerlies, under full main and A5. Soon after the start we change to A2 as the waves become longer and the surfs faster. Iron Butterfly (aka Buffy) at her best The wind varies from 20 to 25 knots, getting stronger near the Italian coast. After consulting our routing options, we decide to stay closer to the Italian coast before crossing the Otranto strait. Again, I was surprised at how little ships we met crossing the Otranto. There were definitely better days for the shipping industry. Back to sailing - the route to Corfu is 104 miles long, meaning there is plenty of time for the conditions to change. And so it is, some 40 miles before Corfu the wind starts to drop slowly, knot by knot. 15 miles before the finish there are only 10 knots of wind left, 10 miles from the finish only 5 knots and we knew we were headed into some really light winds just before the finish. Nerves of steel But we keep our morale high, Marko is making some good strategic choices and we are gaining on the boats ahead, mile by mile, minute by minute. A mile from the finish line we come to a complete stop, and the AIS is showing others boats closing in at higher speeds. But they will stop too, no worries. The dynamic duo - Marko & Nikola The slow motion finish finally comes to an end around 11 PM and we are all excited and proud to have entered 5th in real time. Now we have to wait for the compensated times, but with such a good race behind us we can only expect the best. But the but is always there, and just minutes from our finish Marko gets a message from the RC that we have to be present at the official crew weighing tomorrow at 9.30 AM. We know that our weight is close to the max allowed limit because we changed a lighter (read: female) crew member for a heavier (read: male) in the last moment, so we decide there’s no more food or water until tomorrow. Not an easy decision, after 17 hours of racing we can’t eat a nice steak? Merde. But it is all for a greater cause, so we don’t mind. After a good night’s sleep, we wake up for an early walk and prepare for the weighing. And, as usual, the scale is showing more than expected. We are 5 kilos over, and we have an extra hour to get rid of them. There is no other way - foul sailing gear on, and all of us are out for a nice jog in the Greek sun. Why not? It’s 30 degrees out and we are sweating like crazy. The regular folks are pretty confused seeing 6 guys running around the marina in sailing suits. The real connoisseurs of the ORC races are just smiling, they know what is really going on. On the second weighing, we are 2 kilos below limit meaning we managed to dry out 1.5 kilos each in just one hour. Not bad, not bad at all. When we draw the line, we managed to enjoy a really nice race in perfect weather conditions with a super happy crew, in a great boat with an excellent result - 1st in ORC C, 1st in real time for the Groups B, C and D (the ones that started 10 minutes after the ORC A and Multihulls), and 1st in compensated times for the same Groups. And not to mention 3rd in ORC overall - www.brindisi-corfu.com/en/classifiche/ . One of many trophies for the Iron Butterfly crew You must admit it: it sounds pretty, pretty, pretty good. READ MORE

SNART VIND I SEGLEN FÖR PRINCESS SVANEVIT Renoveringen går mot sitt slut - och vi har fått uppdraget att förse henne med segel 📸 Sjöhistoriska museet Princess Svanevit är en klassisk 12mR-yacht från 1930. Det är en magnifik båt, dessutom med en spännande historia. Hon beställdes av förläggaren Erik Åkerlund inför KSSS:s hundraårsjubileum 1930, ritades av Gustaf Estlander – "Trollkarlen från Nyland" – och byggdes av Carl Plym på det legendariska Neglingevarvet. Åkerlund kappseglade båten med framgång i både Sverige och England, men sålde henne redan efter några år. I mitten av 50-talet seglade tredje ägaren ner Princess Svanevit till Spanien, där hon försvann spårlöst. Femtio år senare bestämde sig träbåtsbyggarna Bobby Cyrus och Andreas Millde för att försöka leta upp henne. Med hjälp av bland annat Google Earth lyckades de hitta henne uppställd på en kaj i södra England, och de ägnade sedan sju år åt att övertala ägaren – en excentrisk miljardär som gjort sig en förmögenhet på fastigheter – att få köpa henne. Precis innan kontraktet skulle undertecknas avled ägaren och det tog dem ytterligare något år att komma överens med dödsboet. Men i augusti 2017 var allt äntligen i hamn och Princess Svanevit skeppades till Sverige. Hon fördes till Stockholms Båtsnickeri i Saltsjöbaden, inte långt från den plats där hon en gång byggdes. Sedan dess har hon under Andreas Milldes ledning genomgått en oerhört genomgripande renovering, som nu börjar gå mot sitt slut. Om allt går som planerat seglar hon i slutet av augusti! Vackra segel till en vacker båt North Sails har varit involverade i 12mR-klassen sedan Lowell North rattade US 27 Enterprise i America’s Cup 1977. Intresset för såväl klassiska som moderna tolvor har ökat kraftigt på senare år, inte minst i Nordeuropa där klassen nu samlar runt 25 båtar, och North Sails-gruppen har lagt ner stora resurser på utveckling av design och konstruktion av segel. För moderna tolvor finns inga begränsningar när det gäller segelmaterial, men för klassiska tolvor står valet mellan vävd duk eller laminerad polyester. 3Di-segel byggda i polyester ryms inom regeln, och om det är max prestanda man är ute efter är detta det självklara valet. Mycket riktigt sitter det 3Di 330 RAW-segel på de flesta klassiska tolvor som används för kappsegling. De segel vi nu tar fram till Princess Svanevit är dock av mer klassiskt snitt. Tanken är att hon ska återställas till det skick och utseende hon hade som ny, och det gäller så långt möjligt även rigg och segel. "De estetiska värdena har stått i första rummet", säger North Sails Anders Lewander, "men de har fått vägas mot de praktiska fördelar som modern teknik ger oss. Det har ju ändå skett en del utveckling på materialsidan sedan 1930." Tankarna bakom seglen har utvecklats i nära dialog med Christian Harding och Janne Björnberg, som är knutna till projektet som koordinator respektive sakkunnig. Christian är välkänd mångsysslare inom segling och Janne har varit segelmakare sedan 70-talet och driver idag Next Sails. Båda har massor av erfarenhet, inte minst av classic-båtar. Krysseglen sys på traditionellt vis i högkvalitativ dacronduk, men panelerna är smalare än vanligt. Fock och genua får en gammaldags vådlayout som kallas för "mitre cut", med en söm som går diagonalt mellan skothorn och förlik. Även förstärkningarna får ett utseende som minner om svunna tider. För att klara de höga laster som en så tung och styv båt genererar kommer några av seglen sys med two-ply-teknik, det vill säga dubbla lager duk längs akterliket. Two-ply är väl något man i dag främst förknippar med 80-talet, men i det här fallet har vi försökt hitta en estetik som ansluter till ett betydligt äldre ideal. Mer av "uppvisningssegel" är racingsegel, skulle man kunna säga, men syftet är även att göra en noggrann utvärdering av laster och den helt nya moderna trämastens karaktär. Just uppvisningssegling är också det som väntar framöver. Visionen är att Princess Svanevit ska bli "Hela Sveriges båt" och efter sjösättning och sedvanliga tester kommer hon visas upp i hamnar och på kappseglingar runt hela Sverige. Princess Svanevit ägs av ett aktiebolag, som i sin tur kontrolleras av den ideella föreningen Svenska Träbåtar. För dem har renoveringen ett bredare syfte än att bara ge en vacker gammal båt nytt liv. Förhoppningen är att Princess Svanevit ska öka intresset för klassiska träbåtar och bidra till att de bevaras i Sverige. Bland de långsiktiga målen finns bland annat att få upp båtbyggnadskonsten på Unescos världsarvslista och driva igenom rotadrag för renovering av klassiska båtar! Lästips På projektets hemsida och Facebook-sida finns massor av information. Och i premiärnumret av helt nya tidskriften Båtklassiker ägnas ett trettiotal sidor åt Princess Svanevit, Erik Åkerlund och klassiska tolvor. 📸 Sjöhistoriska museet READ MORE

DAHLSJÖ / STRÖMBERG RENSAR PRISBORDEN MED NYA Z30+ Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg gör en satsning mot ORC Double Handed Worlds 📸 Malcolm Hanes Och det har börjat bra, med bland annat totalseger i Raymarine2star. Våren 2021 publicerade vi en artikel med rubriken Snart är nya Z30+ färdig! Det visade sig vara lite väl optimistiskt, och det borde vi kanske ha insett redan då. Att nya, tekniskt avancerade båtar går över tiden är ju en regel utan kända undantag. I april i år sjösattes den första båten, SWE 301 Zeit. Den ägs av initiativtagaren Johan Larsvall men kappseglas fram till och med VM av Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg. Anders har två America’s Cup och ett Volvo Ocean Race i ryggen. Martin är professionell kappseglare, med bland annat fyra Volvo Ocean Race på sitt CV – och han är en av mycket få svenskar som vunnit totalt. Anders och Martin seglade båten första gången i början av april och ägnade några helger åt att bekanta sig med den. På Lidingö Runt ställde de upp tillsammans med Johan Larsvall och slutade tvåa av sjutton båtar i SRS 1. Och på Raymarine2star slog de alltså till med totalvinst. Helgen därefter vann de för övrigt även även shorthand-klassen i KSSS Havskappseglingsregatta. Det lovar gott inför VM, som ju avgörs på delvis samma vatten. Ett ovanligt koncept Vi ska inte fördjupa oss i tekniska detaljer eller gå in på hur z30+ utvecklades (det kan du läsa om här). Men kortfattat kan man säga att Johan Larsvall tagit in ett gäng experter med Jimmy Hellberg i spetsen för att göra en total makeover på gamla Z30:an. Modifikationerna är så genomgående att det i praktiken rör sig om en helt ny konstruktion. Snudd på unikt i den här storleksklassen är att Z30+ byggs från topp till tå i kolfiber, vilket gör båten lätt och samtidigt extremt styv. I övrigt är den medvetet enkel, särskilt jämfört med andra båtar utvecklade för shorthand-kappsegling. Z30+ har inte dubbla roder, inga chines, ingen vattenballast och definitivt inga foils. "Z30+ är en spännande båt", säger Anders Dahlsjö. "Enkel men extremt förfinad, med all kolfiber. Den går som en raket och det märks att den har mycket i bulben. Den känns nästan som en 40-fotare när man kliver ombord, för den gungar inte till som lätta båtar i den här storleken brukar göra." Även segelgarderoben är enkel. Den togs fram redan för ett år sedan, och det som har hänt sedan dess är att ytterligare en fock har tillkommit. Den är designad för hårdare vindar och är 7 kvm mindre än allroundfocken. Två revpunkter i förliket och en i akterliket gör att den får ett väldigt brett register. Fullt hissad är det en hårdvindsfock (på 18 kvm) och med ett rev motsvarar den en J5:a (13 kvm). Dessutom kommer den användas som ett reaching-stagsegel (11 kvm,). Den halsas då i centrumlinjen 2,3 meter framför masten (ca 60 % av J-måttet). "Man kan nästan säga att man får tre segel i ett", säger Anders Lewander på North Sails Lidingö, som tillsammans med sin bror Tore har varit ansvarig för utvecklingen av seglen. Vägen mot VM Enligt SRS-brevet ska Z30+ vara snäppet långsammare än Farr 30 med full besättning, men något snabbare i shorthand-figuration, vilket ju låter rimligt med tanke på det rätande momentet. Inte illa med tanke på att Z30+ är en båt med full ståhöjd och att den är tänkt att kunna användas även som semesterbåt. På VM är det dock ORC som gäller. Det ser för övrigt ut att bli ett riktigt getingbo; i slutet av maj var nästan 90 besättningar anmälda och anmälningstiden går inte ut förrän i mitten av juni, så 100 båtar till start är ingen omöjlighet. Säsongen har som sagt börjat bra, men Anders och Martin hoppas kunna jobba upp farten ytterligare i den nya båten. Sedan gäller det bara att toppa formen lagom till VM i början av juli. READ MORE

KLART DU SKA SEGLA SPINNAKER PÅ SEMESTERN Det är faktiskt enklare än många tror En spinnaker ger en enorm prestandaökning på läns och slör i lätta till måttliga vindar. Dessutom är det ett roligt segel som ger seglingen en ny dimension. Vi vet att många tycker att det kan känns svårt och komplicerat, men gör du bara på rätt sätt så är det inget att vara orolig för. Här tar vi en titt på hur man hanterar såväl konventionella spinnakers som asymmetriska cruisingspinnakers – även kallade gennakers. Fokus ligger på avslappnad cruisingsegling med liten besättning. Sättning av gennaker En gennaker riggas med ett fall, en halslina i fören och två skot, ett på vardera sidan. Skoten leds genom block längst bak på däck och går sedan framåt till varsin vinsch. Gennaker-skoten kan antingen ledas innanför eller utanför förliket. Båda varianterna fungerar och båda har sina fördelar. Du får helt enkelt testa och se vad som fungerar bäst på din båt. Tänk på att det bästa alternativet kan variera beroende på vindstyrka. För en liten besättning är en spinnakerstrumpa ett riktigt bra hjälpmedel. Seglet packas inuti strumpan som då får en korvliknande form. Eftersom seglet inte fyller på vägen upp är det enkelt att hissa. Väl i topp drar du i strumpans manöverlina, vilket drar ihop strumpan och frigör seglet. För att förhindra att seglet snurrar runt sig själv – vilket kan förorsaka timglas – bör halslinan spännas innan hissning. Ett om möjligt ännu ännu enklare alternativ är att investera i ett bra rullsystem. Numera fungerar de faktiskt bra även för länsbetonade gennakers. Då är det bara att hissa det inrullade seglet, lossa inrullningslinan och skota hem så att seglet rullas ut. När seglet ska ner upprepas manövern, fast i omvänd ordning. Behöver du en halsstropp? Ibland kan det vara bra att använda en så kallad halsstropp. Den kopplas till halshornet och fästs runt det inrullade förseglet. Därmed hindras halshornet från att röra sig i sidled. Om förliket på din gennaker är så långt att halshornet hamnar bara lite ovanför pulpiten behövs inte någon halsstropp. Men har du ett kort förlik ger halsstroppen ökad kontroll och stabilare segling. Sättning av spinnaker En konventionell spinnaker som sätts på spinnakerbom ger dig ökade trimmöjligheter och oftast högre prestanda. Men det är ett mer komplicerat segel än en gennaker. Även här är spinnakerstrumpa något vi gärna rekommenderar, särskilt om du seglar med liten besättning. Riggning och hissning sker på samma sätt oavsett om du har en strumpa eller inte. Du börjar med att fästa fallet i spinnakerns fallhorn. Därefter sätter du upp bommen, koppla den till lovartsgajen och hänger bommen i liften. Innan du hissar drar du i lovartsgajen tills det främre hornet ligger dikt an mot spinnakerbommen. Så fort spinnakern är i topp tajtar du läskotet så att spinnakern inte börjar rotera och drar upp strumpan. På lite större båtar är det vanligt att man seglar med dubbla gajar och dubbla skot. Bommen kopplas till en gaj som går ner till ett fast block ganska långt fram på däck (strax bakom vanten är lagom) och därifrån till en vinsch. Lähornet trimmas med ett skot som går till ett block längst bak i båten och som därefter leds framöver till ett spärrblock eller en vinsch. I gipparna hanteras spinnakern med enbart skoten, vilket innebär att gajen, som bommen ska fästas på, alltid är obelastad. Detta gör att det aldrig blir tungt att sätta bommen i beslaget på masten. Nedtagning av gennaker När du ska ta ner gennakern underlättar det om du plattar ner lite så att gennakern skuggas av storseglet. Släpp på skotet så att seglet faller ihop och dra ner strumpan över seglet. Sedan är det bara att släppa fallet och stuva undan seglet i sin säck, alternativt dra ner det genom fördäcksluckan. Nedtagning av spinnaker När du river spinnakern gör du på samma sätt som när du hissade den, fast i omvänd ordning: Lägg dig på öppen slör, släpp läskotet, dra ner strumpan och lägg loss lovartsgajen. Nu är det bara att sänka fallet och stuva undan strumpan med seglet. I hårdare vindar underlättas nedtagningen om du skuggar spinnakern bakom storseglet. Processen inleds, precis som i sekvensen ovan, med att du lägger dig på en öppen slör. Men istället för att bara släppa läskotet, så kan du lägga en lina i en loop runt skotet och använda detta för att straffa ner lähornet mot en punkt precis bakom masten. I och med att du tvingar ner akterliket bakom storseglet tappar spinnakern trycket och blir lättare att hantera. 📸 Amory Ross READ MORE

NS KLIJENTI NAJBRŽI I U REGATNOJ I U OBITELJSKOJ SKUPINI NA OVOGODIŠNJOJ FIUMANCI Ovogodišnja regata Fiumanka ponovno je okupila vrlo impresivan broj sudionika, a među njima i nekoliko najvećih jedrilica na Jadranu. Među njima su se posebno isticali Portopiccolo i Maxi Jena i s obzirom na uvjete sasvim opravdano je bilo među njima očekivati generalnog pobjednika ove manifestacije. Za razliku od mnogo ranijih izdanja ove Riječke manifestacije pod jedrima, ova je bila izrazito vjetrovita. Na startu je puhalo 10-12 čvorova burice koja je jačala kako se flota približavala prvoj bovi koja je bila postavljena ispred Viktora Lenca. U toj zoni vjetra je bilo i preko 20 čvorova, tako da je taj dio regatnog polja sigurno pružao i užitak i hrpu adrenalina svima koji su u tim trenucima u laškoj orci jedrili u tom kursu. Nakon obilaska ove bove regatna skupina jedrila je prema sredini Riječkog zaljeva gdje je bila postavljena druga bova, dok su obiteljski krstaši jedrili direktno natrag prema vrhu Molo Longa. Do Molo Longa je nakon obilaska druge bove jedrila i regatna skupina, tako da su se u završnoj fazi regate na cilju susreli svi i stvorili vrlo atraktivnu i sliku i situaciju koja se rijetko može vidjeti na regatama. Što se tiče najvećih, do prve bove nadmetanje Portopiccola i Maxi Jene bilo je poprilično izjednačeno iako je Portopiccolo startao dosta lošije u odnosu na perjanicu Crnogorske regatne flote. Do preokreta dolazi baš na samoj bovi na kojoj dolazi do pucanja vanga Maxi Jene i to vrlo spretno Talijanska posada iskorištava i ostvaruje prednost koju nisu ispuštali do samog kraja. Zanimljivo je bilo i u završnom dijelu regate jer je vrlo brzo za najvećima u Riječku luku uplovila i Bubamare, najbrža jedrilica iz obiteljske skupine. Sve u svemu regata je bila vrlo brza po pitanu obje skupine, a ono što je organizatore posebno veselilo je to što su skoro svi koji su isplovili uspješno dojedrili do cilja. Bogatu fotogaleriju iz Rijeke možete pronaći na ovom linku. READ MORE

TRADITIONS AND CHANGE WVYC RNSA NYC Singlehand/Doublehand Regatta What’s unique about this regatta? After all, there are now many solo sailing regattas now; the impact of that concept has evolved over the years since it was first launched in the 1970’s by Capt. John Horton of the Royal Naval Sailing Association here in Vancouver BC. Or has it? Now in it’s 48th edition, this regatta’s Ancient Mariners (75+ years ) and Old Salts (65-74 years) remind and inspire the rest of us that one of the milestones of a keelboat sailor is the test of a solo crossing of the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver to Nanaimo, and back the next day. A glance of the winners’ names engraved on the coveted Janet Stamper Memorial trophy for the fastest overall singlehand racer reminds us of those who have gone on to make further impacts in the sailing world. Nowadays a doublehand division has been added - today’s way of developing tomorrow’s solo sailor. The West Vancouver Yacht Club as the organizing authority had 29 entries this year, a respectable number given the uncertainty that COVID has brought. Racers drifted across the start line at Point Grey bell buoy but the breeze kicked in soon after to allow spinnakers to fly to the mark off Bowen Island, then across to Nanaimo. The Nanaimo Yacht Club graciously hosted a dinner with generous door prizes given out. The Second day of racing offered fantastic winds that allowed the racers to finish well within the 5pm time limit. The 55’ orange Delta Lifeboat with the Captain and 5 crew members presided over the event, and was a super host for the 4 person Race Committee, allowing us to focus on race management. This vessel built in 1944, had served in the Second World War at Pearl Harbour and was a definite highlight for RC to be aboard. The nuances of categories from the age categories, to predicted elapsed crossing times, to novice first timers, continue to be a part of the tradition…and a great excuse to participate! For full results, see here. To learn more about racing or cruising in West Vancouver, connect with a team member from North Sails Vancouver today. READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: NIC BOL North Sails Expert Nic Bol (56) geeft sinds 2017 als Sales Manager Benelux leiding aan de North Sails vestigingen in Nederland en België. Met zijn enorme zeilervaring in vele verschillende wedstrijdklassen, adviseert hij klanten om hen zo succesvol en plezierig mogelijk te laten varen. Zeilen is voor Nic een ‘way of life’. Hoe is North Sails op jouw pad gekomen? Mijn carrière in de zeilmakerij is gestart in 1993. Toentertijd heb ik agentschappen in Nederland opgezet voor het merk wat ik destijds vertegenwoordigde. Toen de productievestiging in 1997 van merk veranderde, ben ik met hen meegegaan en heb ik mijn eigen dealernetwerk opgebouwd in Nederland. In 2017 werden we benaderd door North Sails. Aangezien de missie en visie van North Sails op dat moment veel beter bij het team en mijzelf paste, hebben we besloten om van koers te veranderen. Je bent zelf geen zeilmaker. Is dat een bewuste keuze? Zeker! Mijn achtergrond ligt op het gebied van financial management. Waar ik goed in ben, is het verkopen van zeilen en het verzamelen van goede mensen om mij heen. Momenteel hebben we zowel in Rotterdam als in Antwerpen en Almere een topteam. Aan mij de taak om goed voor deze mensen te zorgen. Wat is het leukste aan jouw baan? Uit het meevaren met klanten haal ik de meeste voldoening. Het kost veel weekenden en het is vaak ook hard werken, maar wij hebben een zeer bevoorrechte baan. We brengen graag onze expertise over op onze klanten. Op die manier kunnen zij nog beter, sneller en plezieriger varen. Zij geven vaak veel geld uit, dus voor hen is dat heel belangrijk. Dat begrijpen wij en stellen ons als doel om mensen blij te maken. 📸 Sander van der Borch Zeil je zelf ook nog weleens voor het plezier? Met klanten varen is ook heel plezierig. Zo staat er een reis met een Swan 58 in het Caribisch gebied op de planning. Daarnaast verheug ik mij op het Europees Kampioenschap ORC in de Middellandse Zee, maar Laser zeilen blijft eigenlijk het leukste. Ik doe vaak mee aan de avondcompetitie op de Kralingse Plas in Rotterdam. De wind is daar meestal minimaal, maar dan is het juist de kunst om zo hard mogelijk te zeilen. In de Laser ligt het allemaal aan jezelf. Dit is echt de basis van het zeilen en dat maakt het zo leuk. Wat is je mooiste zeilervaring? Voordat ik de zeilmakerij in ging, was ik ‘gewoon’ professioneel zeiler. Ik heb regatta’s gevaren die als een reizend circus van Key West naar Japan trokken. In de grote klassen van toen, waaronder de one tonners, 50 voeters en J/47. We zijn twee keer Wereld Kampioen geworden in de J/22, waarvan de tweede titel het meest bijzondere was, aangezien mijn zoon ook meevoer. Ook in de X35 waren we heer en meester. Maar voor het eerst met North Sails ORC Wereld Kampioen worden in 2018, was tevens een mooi moment. Wat is het beste (zeil)advies dat je ooit hebt gekregen? Mijn vader zei altijd; werk om te leven, leef niet om te werken. Wij woonden in Zuid-Afrika en na een reis naar Nederland, waar mijn vader had gezeild met vrienden, kocht hij bij terugkomst in Kaapstad een toerboot van 22 voet. Het zeilen heb ik dus vanuit huis meegekregen en het was het beste ingrediënt om te kunnen voldoen aan dat advies van mijn vader. Ook al ben ik aan het werk, vaak voelt het niet zo. Toch verlies ik niet uit het oog dat andere zaken, zoals familie en vrienden ook belangrijk zijn. En dat geef ik ook mee aan mijn team. READ MORE

WIJ ZIJN VERHUISD Terug in Antwerpen North Sails België is verhuisd. Het team verruilt de zeilmakerij in Stabroek voor een plek in het nieuwe Antwerp Nautical Center aan het Asiadok, in Antwerpen. Vanaf 1 juni kunt u hier terecht voor advies, onderhoud en service voor uw zeilen. Na vele jaren gevestigd te zijn in Stabroek, kwam de mogelijkheid om intrek te nemen in het gerenoveerde pand van het Antwerp Nautical Center. “Hier zitten we weer op een centrale plek. Stabroek lag voor veel klanten in het weekend wel redelijk op de route, maar doordeweeks was het te ver om. Daarnaast worden we nu onderdeel van een one-stop-shop,” vertelt Sales Manager Nic Bol. Het Antwerp Nautical Center biedt alle services voor de watersporter, waaronder een scheepswinkel, reparaties, onderhoud en verkoop. Het beschikt over een unieke ligging waardoor het zowel uitstekend via de weg bereikbaar is en in de nabije toekomst ook via het water. Vernieuwingen zeilmakerij Rotterdam Naast Antwerpen zijn de klanten in de Benelux ook nog steeds welkom in de zeilmakerij in Rotterdam. Hoewel onze full service zeilmakerij in Rotterdam nog steeds op dezelfde locatie zit, heeft de vestiging wel een grote verbouwing achter de rug. De werkvloer is volledig vernieuwd en er zijn putten gekomen, zodat de naaimachines in de vloer zijn ‘gezonken’. Hierdoor is het werkoppervlak verdubbeld. Ook is er een vide gebouwd, zodat er extra opslagruimte voor zeilen is gecreëerd. Onze service zeilmakerijen zijn te vinden op onderstaande locaties. HIernaast bent u natuurlijk ook nog steeds van harte welkom in ons kantoor in Almere. North Sails Antwerpen Asiadok-Oostkaai 28F 2030 Antwerpen België North Sails Rotterdam Anthonetta Kuijlstraat 7 3066 GS Rotterdam Nederland North Sails Almere Televisieweg 44-46 1322 AM Almere Nederland READ MORE

BACK AT IT WITH THE SUSAN HOOD TROPHY RACE Chilly But Fun For The Overnight Adventure In classic Susan Hood fashion, it was breeze on at the start for the first three divisions then let off towards the remaining few. 77 boats showed up for the 2022 Susan Hood Trophy Race sponsored by DriveHG. It was exciting to see so many clients out on the water again after trying restrictions for the past two years. Father-daughter duo Doug Folsetter and Zoe Folsetter were on the line again in their Farr 30, Sabotage. By now, Zoe is a pro at the Susan Hood Trophy Race, having first sailed the 75nm overnight race back in 2017. She even convinced her mom, and fellow sailor Marnie, to join the Sabotage team this year, making the overnight race a family affair. Reflecting on the race at the dock Saturday morning, Zoe shared, “The race was a lot of fun and it was great to do it again. I learned a lot and remembered much more of the race as I hardly slept. The race was as cold as ever but I would do it again! It was good to see a few more younger sailors out there but more kids should give racing like this a try.” Meanwhile her dad Doug Folsetter, skipper and North Sails expert, shares “It’s nice to be back sailing across the lake again. This race always offers up something different. This year it was more about keeping the boat moving towards the next mark and finding the best sail combination to do so. Irrespective of how you do, this race always provides a lesson for the next one.” Joining the Folsetter family was North Sails designer Phil Williamson who has a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to racing on Lake Ontario. On this year’s race, Phil shares, “I am always amazed by the great effort owners and crew put forth to get their boats race ready, provisioned and on the start line. No easy task especially early in the season. The Susan Hood is an excellent race to kick off the distance race season. It gives everyone a chance to shake down their boat, assess sail selections and re-evaluate personal gear. Better to learn, or remember lessons, on a shorter course that can throw many challenges your way.” North Sails expert Hugh Beaton joined Soto 40 Afterburn for the season kick off. He shares, “ Aside from more jib reaching than we would have liked, it was a beautiful night for racing with a clear sky, some stars and wind that stayed up for the entire race. Congratulations to Hooligan and the other class winners for a well sailed race, and to all competitors for making it a fun event. Thanks must also go to LOOR for making the event possible - Great job.” Podium sweep for North Sails powered customers Hooligan, Xoomer Xpress, and Afterburn in the ORC division. While High Tea, powered by 3Di Raw, took first in the flying sails short handed division and Arrow took third with their new 3Di Raw mainsail. Congratulations to all competitors and a big thank you to RC and all the volunteers who helped make the event happen. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the water the rest of the season. READ MORE

VOOR DE WIND CRUISEN MET VERSCHILLENDE SPINNAKERS North Sails Heeft Wat Je Nodig Hebt 📸 Laurens Morel Spinnakers kunnen voor enorme prestaties zorgen bij het voor de wind varen in lichte tot matige wind. En dat is ze maar geraden ook, als je kijkt naar de problemen die ze kunnen veroorzaken! Hoe hanteer en trim je de verschillende spinnakers? We behandelen zowel de gennaker (een asymmetrische cruising spinnaker welke zonder spinnakerboom wordt gevaren), als ook de conventionele spinnaker die met een spinnakerboom wordt gezet. Een gennaker zetten Een gennaker wordt bij het hijsen op drie punten verbonden met het schip. Middels de tacklijn op de boeg of boegspriet, de val uit de mast en de schoten welke naar beide zijden van de achtersteven worden geleid. In geval van een kleine bemanning (shorthanded zeilen) wordt aanbevolen om een spinnaker slurf te gebruiken. Deze hoes houdt de gennaker bijeen tijdens het hijsen en strijken van het zeil. Het zeil wordt in deze beschermende slurf gehesen. Eenmaal in top wordt aan de lijn van de slurf getrokken om de slurf op te halen en het zeil te bevrijden. Om te voorkomen dat het zeil gaat draaien, dient de tacklijn voorafgaand aan het ophalen van de slurf strak te worden gezet. Wat betreft de gennaker schoten; deze kunnen zowel binnendoor als buitenlangs het gennaker voorlijk worden geleid. Beide mogelijkheden werken en allebei hebben ze voordelen. Door te experimenteren komt u erachter welke manier het beste werkt op uw schip. Dit kan overigens ook variëren per windsterkte. Door de schoten tussen de voorstag en het voorlijk van de gennaker te voeren hoeft u niet om te kijken naar de schoten, maar kan het zeil tijdens het gijpen wel moeilijker overkomen doordat het tussen het voorlijk en de voorstag door moet. Door de schoten buitenlangs het zeil te voeren wordt gijpen makkelijker, maar dient er continu op de losse schoot gelet te worden, zodat deze niet onder het schip terecht komt. Een spinnaker met boom zetten Met een conventionele symmetrische spinnaker met spinnakerboom heeft de zeiler over het algemeen meer controle over de projectie van de spinnaker en de vorm van het zeil, dan bij een gennaker. Dit kan prestatie verhogend werken, maar het gaat wel gepaard met de nodige uitdagingen. Ook bij deze spinnaker wordt voor shorthanded zeilen een slurf aanbevolen. Voor de voorbereidingen en het daadwerkelijke hijsen maakt dit echter niet uit. Het proces verloopt hetzelfde, of er nu wel of geen slurf wordt gebruikt. Bevestig eerst de ophaler om de spinnakerboom omhoog te houden en een lijn om de boom naar voren te trekken. Sommige schippers geven er de voorkeur aan om ook een lijn naar achteren te zetten, om op die manier de boom tegen te houden. Anderen laten de voordekker hiervoor zorgdragen. In beide gevallen kan er veilig en succesvol worden gezeild, echter met een lijn naar achteren beweegt de boom veel minder tijdens het hijsen en neerhalen van de spinnaker. In alle gevallen bevindt de loefwaartse spinnaker schoot zich in ieder geval aan het uiteinde van de boom. Zodra de spinnaker hijsklaar is, trekt u de loefschoot naar het einde van de boom. Hierna kan de spinnaker worden gehesen met de val. Zodra deze de top bereikt, moet de schoot worden gevierd om draaiingen van het zeil te voorkomen. Tot slot kan de slurf omhoog worden getrokken, tot deze in top zit. Hierna kunnen de lijnen van de slurf losjes worden vastgemaakt aan de mast en kan het trimmen van de spinnaker middels de schoten beginnen. Het neerhalen van de gennaker Om het zeil neer te halen, valt u af met het schip tot bijna voor de wind, zodat het grootzeil de wind uit de gennaker neemt. Daarna moeten de schoten zo ver worden gevierd, dat de gennaker tot een compact pakketje kan worden teruggebracht door de slurf, die van boven naar beneden over de gennaker wordt getrokken. Zodra de slurf volledig over het zeil is getrokken, kunt u de val laten zakken en stopt u de gennaker in de zak op dek, of laat u deze door het luik op het voordek zakken. De spinnaker weghalen Om de spinnaker weg te halen, wordt de hijsvolgorde omgekeerd uitgevoerd: creëer voldoende manoeuvreerruimte, vier de schoot, trek de slurf naar beneden, laat de loefschoot vieren en laat de val zakken. Bij een hogere windkracht wordt het makkelijker om de spinnaker weg te halen, wanneer er eerst wordt afgevallen zodat het grootzeil de wind uit de spinnaker wegneemt. Nog een tip: in plaats van de schoot te vieren, kunt u ook een extra lijn bevestigen aan de schoot, welke naar voren wordt geleid. Op deze manier creëert u een zogenaamde ‘choker’ en trekt u de schoothoek van de spinnaker richting de mast. Na het lossen van de loefschoot kan de slurf naar beneden worden getrokken. Deze techniek - waarbij ook het achterlijk van de spinnaker achter het grootzeil wordt getrokken - zorgt ervoor dat de gehele spinnaker wordt afgedekt door het grootzeil. Veiligheid voorop: ga zitten! Bij zeilen staat veiligheid altijd voorop, maar zeker bij shorthanded zeilen en het werken op het voordek, is het van belang om hier extra bij stil te staan. Bij het naar beneden trekken van het zeil, is het aan te raden om te gaan zitten. Op die manier kunt u niet vallen. Zeker op een rollende boot met rond wapperend en glad zeildoek waar u op kunt stappen, is misstappen of overboord vallen zo gebeurt. Ga er dus lekker bij zitten! 📸 Laurens Morel READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: JACCO HUIJGEN North Sails Expert en Operations Manager 📸 Laurens Morel Jacco Huijgen (33) ondersteunt als Operations Manager Benelux, Nic Bol bij het leiden van de vestigingen in Nederland en België. Hoewel hij het zeilen niet direct met de paplepel heeft meegekregen, is hij inmiddels een bekende in het wedstrijdcircuit met de nodige titels op zijn naam. Je ouders zeilden niet. Hoe ben je toch met zeilen in aanraking gekomen? Mijn ouders hadden wel een motorboot. We lagen in de jachthaven van Drimmelen en daar ging een klasgenootje iedere zaterdag zeilen met zijn Centaur. Ik was 12 en vond het prachtig, dus ik stapte ieder weekend aan boord. Net als Nic ben je geen zeilmaker. Wat is jouw achtergrond? Ik heb commerciële economie gestudeerd in Breda, waarna ik een minor business management heb gedaan in Engeland. Ook geen studie waar je zeilmaker mee kunt worden, maar letterlijk spelenderwijs ben ik de zeilmakerij in gerold. Eigenlijk al op mijn veertiende. Op een gegeven moment had ik een eigen bootje, een soort van 470. Daar had ik op een gegeven moment nieuwe zeilen voor nodig, maar ik had geen geld. Dus verdiende ik de zeilen door allerlei klusjes te doen voor de zeilmakerij in Drimmelen. Deze zeilmaker was verbonden aan het merk dat Nic destijds vertegenwoordigde, dus zodoende kwam ik met Nic in contact. En nu ben je onderdeel van North Sails. Hoe is dat? Het was een gezamenlijk besluit om verder te gaan als North Sails, dus ik sta er voor honderd procent achter. Ik heb nu meer het gevoel dat we onderdeel zijn van een groter geheel. Ook mag ik meedenken over projecten buiten Nederland en België. Het is een prachtig merk met een goede naam en met onze service kunnen we veel betekenen voor wedstrijdzeilers, maar zeker ook voor toerzeilers. 📸 James Tomlinson Photography Wat houdt jouw functie bij North Sails in? Wat niet, kun je beter vragen. Officieel ben ik Operations Manager, maar ik pak naast de operationele kant ook backoffice taken op, zoals het inkopen van materialen. Daarnaast krijg ik de kans om nieuwe processen te bedenken en te laten slagen. Zo zijn we bezig met een ERP-systeem, om ook de achtergrondprocessen nog professioneler aan te pakken. We leveren prachtige producten en dat moet weerspiegelen op alle facetten van het bedrijf. Waar haal je de meeste voldoening uit? Als we adequaat en à la minute een probleem kunnen oplossen. Wanneer klanten nieuwe zeilen aanschaffen, is dat vaak een grote investering. Dan wil je er ook optimaal van kunnen genieten. Als er problemen voordoen, dan lossen we dat snel op. Als we daarmee iemands weekend kunnen redden, dan worden wij daar ook gelukkig van. Sowieso is het fantastisch om klanten te helpen het beste uit hun boot te halen. Op welke zeilprestatie ben je het meest trots? Dat is een lastige keuze.. Ik vaar veel met klanten en verheug me op het Europees Kampioenschap ORC in Italië, waar we met een Dufour gaan varen. Zelf heb ik nog een Laser voor op de Kralingse Plas in Rotterdam, maar als ik moet kiezen, dan heb ik voor mijn gevoel het grootste aandeel (gehad) in de J/80. Afgelopen april ben ik voor derde keer Nederlands Kampioen geworden. Het team is zo goed op elkaar ingespeeld. Als alles zo gesmeerd loopt, geeft me dat nog steeds een kick! 📸 Laurens Morel READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: ABYC COASTAL RACE An Afternoon On The Water 📸 Arlene Taylor The 2022 ABYC Open Regatta weekend saw 18 boats race eastward from Ashbridge’s Bay under sunny skies on Sunday May 29th. The Coastal Race is a point-to-point middle-distance race so for both casual sailors and the more seasoned sailor it’s a chance to have a great afternoon on the water. Thanks to our friends at North Sails, three lucky skippers also went home with brag-worthy North Sails swag. Wendy Loat, a seasoned skipper and owner of Looney Tunes, a 26” Thunderbird, recounts the day on the water. “The Coastal Race started in a light breeze of about 5 to 6 knots. As always, the trick is deciding to sneak along the shore or to go out into the lake. A small number of us chose the lake, having heard the wind would go from southwest to east in the afternoon. That turned out to be the right decision. The boats that went in shore ran out of wind before the rest of us. Eventually, the wind died completely. We watched the GPS speed drop to zero and saw that no one anywhere was moving. Then we realized that the buck we were on had turned into a broad reach and up went the spinnakers for a sprint to the finish in about 8 knots of easterly wind.” All boats were welcomed back on shore by the ABYC house band The Weathered Legs while they enjoyed a couple refreshments to hydrate after the long day. Top finisher overall was the smallest boat on the course - a Thunderbird - proving that staying on the lake paid, and that age and treachery can indeed beat youth and strength. Joanne Chwalek Chair 2022 ABYC Open Regatta 📸 Arlene Taylor 📸 Arlene Taylor READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: ROUND SALT SPRING Great Racing with Great Sailors Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Round Salt Spring 2022 had a good turn out with 79 boats and ended up being a very challenging race for competitors. Racers showed up on Friday at Salt Spring Yacht Club where a BBQ with live music was held. It was great to see racers before things kicked off and hear all the chatter on which way to go this year. For the 2022 race, the race management decided to let the sailors decide which way to go around the island. With the forecast calling for sun but minimal wind, most racers thought that clockwise would be the way to go around. If the wind showed up the fast boats might have been able to go counterclockwise and be "heroes". Almost identical to the round Thetis race earlier this year, as all 7 divisions got out to the start line, a small wind line showed up. Everyone was beating out of Ganges and headed clockwise around the island, a few boats chose a quick end to their race by choosing to go counter clockwise. Getting around Salt Spring Island is always challenging with many "holes", passes, narrows and currents. After the nice beat out ganges the wind lightened then everyone creeped around the south end of the island and made it through Samson Narrows in the daytime. At about dark most the fleet was at or near southey point, which is the northern point of the island, yes confusing! Some boats retired, others continued to creep down the east side of Salt Spring. The sunset was amazing but it got very cold once the sun went down. I personally was lucky enough to be on a boat that finished around 2 am after being spat out of the captain's passage about 3 times just as the sun was setting. It took us about 5 hours to finish the last 3 miles of the race! After finishing a few crew stayed up to see when the rest of the fleet would come around the corner and head to finish. Just after the sun came up the rest of the fleet that was still racing came around captain passage and all started sailing into the finish. Pretty neat to see boat after boat round the corner and head to the finish after a long night of sailing. Awards were planned for roughly noon and boats were still coming across the finish line as the race committee did not have a posted finish time. Once the majority of boats were finished most sailors made it up to awards. After 24+ hours of racing there is nothing better than walking around congratulating everyone on their race, hearing stories about the "issues" and "success" getting around the island in little to no wind. The awards were great fun for the 7 different divisions and sailors of all ages accepting awards. The Fugitive Race team had a few sailors under the age of 15 and another boat had a sailor close to 90 years old! Round Salt Spring was another challenging fun round island race. Congratulations to the Salt Spring Yacht Club and all the volunteers who put on a fantastic race. Looking forward to returning next year! Full results here. Photo Credit: Lin Parks Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Photo Credit: Lin Parks READ MORE

CELEBRATING DAVID FORBES & HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE One of North Sails Australia’s Early Leaders It’s with great sadness that we mourn the loss of one of North Sails Australia’s early leaders, David Forbes. A successful businessman and close friend of North Sails founder Lowell North, David embraced the position of interim manager of the loft in the late 1970s, to find stability and determine the future of the company. David’s vision to ensure North Sails Australia was a success led him to Michael Coxon, appointing him Manager of the loft in 1982 which was the beginning of a life-long friendship. Michael Coxon remembers his mentor sharing his vision clearly, “In the beginning, David came into the loft one to two days a week.” Coxon said. “And the other days, had me out to his business where we’d look at everything from business admin, to the production lines. I spent my time learning from David and he gave me confidence and taught me what business was about. On weekends we sailed Etchells and yachts together where my higher level of education continued on the water under Dave's watchful eye. After a year under Dave's mentorship Dave recommended I purchase North Sails Australia, at which point I stated that we needed to introduce a big boat specialist to compliment my sailmaking, one design, skiff and dinghy expertise. Dave introduced Grant Simmer, fresh from winning the America's Cup as navigator on Australia 11. Dave showed great foresight in pairing Grant and I, recognizing our diverse skills complemented one another and over a 17 year partnership we positioned North Sails Australia to be a highly respected business within the North International Group.” Forbes had great foresight in both business and on the water as an Olympic Gold Medalist in the Star Class from the Munich 1972 Olympics. Coxon says, “Dave is the most naturally gifted yachtsman I’ve ever sailed with. He had the ability to feel the boat, and know what to tweak. Balance, trim, sail shape, rig tune, Dave could always put his finger on it after a few minutes on the helm. Naturally gifted and always generously investing in me." “I became his protégé. I could always call him up and get his advice. If I’ve picked up just a little bit of his skill set, I know I’m better off for it. He’s helped me in both sailing and business and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.” “He touched so many people, and there’s no one else in my life who’s helped me more than Dave - though he’d deny it and laugh at me saying that.” Coxon finished, “Dave Forbes vision positioned North Sails Australia to be where it is today.” David was a friend to many, and North Sails would like to send our condolences to David's family and friends. READ MORE

North Sails klanten tonen krachten tijdens NSR Offshores | Regatta Service tijdens NSR Inshores Veel zeilers in top drie Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race Prachtig resultaten...! In de uitslagen van de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race zijn veel North Sails klanten in de top drie beland. De Vuurschepen Race werd op 24 mei voor de 75 ste keer gevaren en voerde het veld van Scheveningen naar Harwich. De North Sea Race vormde traditiegetrouw de terugreis, welke op 27 mei van start ging. In de verschillende ORC, IRC en double handed klassen gingen de deelnemers de strijd met elkaar aan. De resultaten van de twee races maakt Jacco Huijgen, Operations Manager North Sails Benelux, trots. “In alle klassen zijn onze klanten hoog geëindigd. Dan zie je dat alle energie die we samen met de klanten in de voorbereiding hebben gestoken, zich ook echt uitbetaald. Het is voor ons niet alleen een kwestie van goede zeilen leveren, maar we denken graag mee om de zeilers zo optimaal mogelijk aan het raceseizoen te laten beginnen. Een zeilgarderobe die goed op elkaar aansluit en geschikt is voor de geplande wedstrijden, is hierbij key.” Komend weekend, van 4 tot en met 6 juni, staan de Inshore races van de North Sea Regatta op het programma. Deze worden gevaren vanuit Scheveningen. Voor de ORC 1 en ORC 2 worden de resultaten van de Inshore races opgeteld bij de uitslagen van de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race. De overall winnaar wordt de nieuwe Nederlands Kampioen ORC. Het wordt dus een spannend weekend... Regatta service tijdens NSR Inshore races North Sails is tijdens de Inshore races aanwezig om eventuele schades aan zeilen, waar mogelijk, te herstellen. Heeft u schade? Neem dan na de wedstrijden zo snel mogelijk contact met ons op. U vindt onze trailer op het stallingsterrein van Malherbe, direct aan de haven. Iedere wedstrijddag vertrekt de bus met reparaties om 17.30u uit Scheveningen, zodat u de volgende dag weer gebruik kunt maken van uw favoriete zeilen. Contactpersonen tijdens NSR Inshores Nic Bol(ORC 2, X-362 Extra Djinn ): +31 (0)6 55376636 Bart Overgaauw(SB20 Manta) : +31 (0)6 50730512 Wouter Köllmann(ORC 2 J99 Lallekönig): +31 (0)6 42156449 Tom van der Vecht(ORC 1 Luffe 40 Kreutz Ass): +31 (0)6 46140346 Joost Houweling(Finn): +31 (0)6 22798462 Trots op onze klanten De volgende klanten zijn op het podium beland bij de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race: Vuurschepen race ORC 1 1: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 2: Ronald Prins, Sailmon JR, J122 3: Frederic de Visser, Spitfire, J121 IRC 1 1: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 2: Ronald Prins, Sailmon JR, J122 ORC 2/ IRC 2 1: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport ORC 3 1: Simeon Tienpont, Fever, J35 ORC Double handed 2: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 3: Paul Manuel, Jongeheer, J99 IRC Doublehanded 1: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 North Sea race IRC Zero 1: Van Uden, Gert Jan Poortman, Ker 46 2: Oyster cathcer xxxv, 2: Richard Matthews, CF520 IRC 1 1: Il Corvo, Astrid Vin, JPK 1180 2: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 IRC 3 1: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport 2: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 3: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 ORC 1 1: Van Uden, Gert Jan Poortman, Ker 46 2: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 3; Jan-Friso Blacquiere, Blacq Magic, TH38 ORC 2 2: Paul Manuel, Jongeheer, J99 3: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport IRC Double handed 1: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 2: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 ORC Double handed 2: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 3: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH LOOR AS EXCLUSIVE SAILMAKER Supporting Local Distance Racing A partnership spanning over 15 years, North Sails is proud to continue its support of LOOR racing for the 2022 season. North Sails will sponsor the Susan Hood Trophy Race and Lake Ontario 300 presented by DriveHG, as well as the LOSHRS series, as the exclusive sailmaker. After a year without the races and then a hybrid version in 2021, we are excited for these races to come back like old times. They are such staples in the sailing community and we know many sailors are excited for them.” shares Hugh Beaton of the Toronto loft of North Sails. He adds, “These events offer many sailors the opportunity to test their overnight skills and distance racing skills. We at North Sails are pleased to continue our support as exclusive sailmaker sponsor for all events; continuing our support for racers and racing on the Great Lakes.” The coveted embroidered flags will make a return for the 2022 season. As well, North Sails will provide regatta repair, as in previous years, with post event sail pick up for the Susan Hood Trophy Race and Lake Ontario 300. Aligning with Access Abilities, North Sails will offer a special prize to the LOSHRS fleet. “The partnership Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) has with North Sails is a natural and synergistic one and we are thrilled that once again we will be working together to help promote distance racing on Lake Ontario.” shares Monica Doedens, chair of Lake Ontario Offshore Racing. Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) of the Port Credit Yacht Club (PCYC), is dedicated to bringing the offshore sailboat racing experience to Lake Ontario. This is accomplished with its running of the Lake Ontario 300/600 Challenge Races (LO300/LO600), including the Solo Challenge, the Susan Hood Trophy Race (SHTR) and the Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series (LOSHRS) offshore sailboat races. Whether you race or cruise, your sails are a major investment, and we are committed to helping you maximize their performance and lifespan. The Toronto team of North Sails is available to help you get ready for the season ahead. Connect with a North Sails expert today and receive personalized advice on your sail or service buying questions. READ MORE

Get Ready for the Newport Bermuda Race When heading offshore, there are many things to keep in mind that can help you make it to the finish line in one piece. Planning ahead can contribute to your success and assure your crew and your boat is set up to take on anything mother nature can bring. Here are some articles that will help you plan ahead, expect the unexpected, and get the best results in the upcoming Newport Bermuda Race. Good luck, sail fast, be safe, and sail smart! Finding the Right Fit Ken Read has plenty of experience in building ocean racing teams. Here is his advice for speed and success when it comes to finding the right players for the positions. BUILD YOUR TEAM Planning Ahead Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (or a similar race that heads well offshore such as the Newport Bermuda Race, Fastnet or Transpac), you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. FORECASTING Fueling Your Crew For many teams, preparing for any offshore race begins immediately after the finish of the previous edition. Here’s what Sarah O’Kane from Shorebase, a logistics company, says is important to properly provisioning for your next offshore adventure. LEARN MORE The Solution To Every Hoist When it comes to hoisting your spinnaker, there are some details to consider that make everyone’s life easier (or harder). Having zippers instead of bands is a great way to achieve a smoother, cleaner and quicker hoist, as well as help keep trash out of the ocean. LEARN HOW Shift Changes: Know Your Role It is important to always have a clear strategy for the team on deck to follow, so that rest periods by the navigator do not lead to missed opportunities or mistakes. LEARN MORE To Reef or Not to Reef Shortening sail quickly and easily when the breeze comes on is key to looking after your sails and your crew. LEARN MORE Safety is No Accident Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. North Sails President and offshore veteran, Ken Read, shares his tips and best protocols for sailing offshore. LEARN MORE Get Downwind, Fast! Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. More often than not there are conflicting suggestions: Go up. Go down. Be more aggressive. Steer less. Hear our thoughts on how to manage feedback from the crew. HOW TO The Trip Home is Just as Important Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing an offshore race you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. LEARN MORE Inventory Checks Have you made arrangements for sail check-ups after the delivery home? Every sail serviced in a North loft undergoes a thorough inspection designed to identify maintenance issues early, so they do not become major problems later on. Contact your nearest loft when you hit the dock after your delivery. We look forward to helping you maintain your sail inventory so you are ready for the next event. CONTACT US READ MORE

FATHER-SON DUO WINS NEW ZEALAND SUNBURST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Catch Up With Winner Andrew Wills, Who Sailed With His His 9-Year-Old Son Leo North Sails Sales Expert Andrew Wills is a 2 time World Maxi title winner and an Etchells class World Champion, in which he has also won North American and European titles. Wills has also claimed over 30 national championships in various classes and has also successfully coached many Youth National and World champions who have become America’s Cup and Olympic winners. All of that is quite impressive, but now Andrew can say he is a National Champion in the Sunburst Class, alongside his 9-year-old son, Leo. The Sunburst Class was originally designed in the late 1960s in New Zealand, by John Balmain Brooke. It became an extremely popular class, as it was a great vessel to teach beginner sailors, and kids. Intended as a two-person boat, the Sunburst is easily sailed single-handed in light to moderate conditions. The Sunburst is usually rigged with a mainsail, jib, and a small spinnaker. The perfect boat for a parent-child duo… Leo had only recently completed his first learn to sail course prior to hopping in the 3.5 meter dinghy with his father. According to Yachting New Zealand, the father-son duo had never sailed the Sunburst together before, so Thursday after school, Andrew scooped Leo up for a shake down sail. At the top mark Leo made it absolutely clear to his father that they would not be flying the spinnaker, and Andrew listened to his son’s demand. Going into day one of racing, Andrew considered entering the non- spinnaker division, to ease Leo into the boat, but Bruce Yarton, the event organizer, stated that the two fleets would start together, so Andrew should pack the spinnaker, and only hoist it if Leo is ready. Bruce also gave Andrew some winning words of wisdom - “take some lollies, and give him one every time you hoist the spinnaker.” (Yachting NZL). Conditions over the three-day event saw light breeze and flat water, the perfect recipe for the Wills team, sailing on Starblaze. Being such a family friendly event, the Sunburst Nationals saw several family teams competing. The seven-race series saw five teams in total winning a race, and eight of the top nine teams were family teams, they also swept the podium. Andrew and Leo Wills won the event by four points. Andrew told Yachting New Zealand that he “doesn't really know where his sailing journey will take him as a parent but is keen to do more with his children, even if it means parting with a few more lollies.” North Sails and the Sunburst Class - Over the years North Sails has worked with quite a few teams refining our Sunburst designs. Each time just making the design a little better. What we have come up with is a very fast all round set of sails which is very easy to set up and trim. We also have the very best team making the sails with over 40 years of experience. Both Derek Scott and Rod Chave have been working for North Sails New Zealand for over 20 years and that proves they love and care about making the fastest sails they can. SUNBURST CLASS PAGE READ MORE

LET'S GET SAILING 2022 Racing Season Kicks Off at Mimico Cruising Club Photo Credit: Bobyk Media Mimico Cruising Club (MCC) has been building its reputation as the 'it' racing venue for mid-week racing in Toronto over the past few seasons. With a racing fleet in the 40-boat range, offering both white sail and flying sail divisions, it has attracted competitive racers with full crews and those with more shorthanded crews, including double handed. These Wednesday night races have attracted racers from Etobicoke Yacht Club (EYC ), Lakeshore Yacht Club (LSYC) and Boulevard Club to name a few. It has been wonderful to have boats from neighboring yacht clubs join us on the start line the last few years. Last Monday May 9th, MCC kicked off racing with a pre-race shake down sail after new race marks were splashed the last week of April. After a long and cold winter, it was time to get everyone out on the water before Wednesday night racing began on May 11th. The first start resulted in a general recall. You would never have thought this would occur after a 6-month winter hiatus, yet this is indicative on just how competitive MCC race nights are. Watching the large Flying sail division of 13 boats comprising of J122 Hooligan, 36.7's including Neptune's Car, C&C 115s, Beneteau 10R's, J112E High Tea, FARR 39ML, J105s, Archambault 35 Great Escape, Archambault 40 Arrow and Entourage from LSYC to name a few. Photo Credit: Bobyk Media The post-race event in the club house resembled a camaraderie and buzz that was enjoyed by all, reminiscent of the experience that we have all been waiting for after two years of pandemic restrictions. Racing is back and with all the fan fair it; we look forward to racing this season at MCC. Photo Credit: Bobyk Media READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: THETIS ISLAND RACE Focus on Fun and Good Times for Sailors The Maple Bay Yacht Club's Thetis Island Race was one for the ages and the North Sails Vancouver loft was proud to support the 2022 edition of the race. With the PNW's spring yet to show, rain showers, cold temperatures and low winds were expected. The one positive of the race was that the current, which is always a big factor in this race, was going clockwise around the entire island during the hours we were planning to race. Most teams arrived Friday, some with motherships to stay on and others just the boat they planned to race on. Per usual, there was no shortage of good sailing banter going on around the docks well into the late hours of the night. On Saturday morning, the sun showed up and the wind forecast was looking better. After a quick skippers meeting where Penny, the race organizer, made sure everyone knew the regatta was about having fun and strongly discouraged on-water protests, all 30 boats got out to the start line. As boats headed out there was zero wind but just as the first gun went for the Division 1 boats, the wind filled down the channel. The first leg up the east side of the island was quite condensed, as it was a beat, and the faster boats were slowly catching the slower divisions. As the fleet approached the northern end of the island, it looked like we may have had one of the famous Thetis island "parking lots" but the wind filled as the fleet approached the hole. Everyone was still sailing hard on the wind until reaching the southern end of Reid Island and the spinnakers started to go up across the fleets. The wind had decreased from earlier in the race but was still present. Teams focused on gybing all the way down to the south end of Thetis in order to stay in positive current lines. Once most of the fleet rounded the southern tip, it was then a fetch to the finishing line. Most boats tried to sail as close to Thetis as possible without being caught in the wind shadow. A few of the last boats got caught in a dying breeze which made their finish time slightly longer than originally hoped. Post racing, the Maple Bay Yacht Club and the Thetis Island Marina ran a regatta dinner buffet that rivaled the morning breakfast. After most sailors finished dinner, awards were held outside as the sun continued to shine. There were some fun awards such as a painting of a sailboat that was donated by the artist herself, PRO Judy Button. Once the awards were finished, the dock party continued and everyone had a great night chatting about the race and summer racing plans. Maple Bay Yacht Club and the Thetis Island Marina did a fabulous job hosting and running a spectacular event. With sun, wind, and positive current the entire race competitors could not have asked for better conditions. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this race happen. I recommend it to any boat with a PHRF cert looking for a fun race and good time on Thetis Island! See here for full results. To learn more about getting involved or how to get your inventory ready for racing, connect with our North Sails experts in Vancouver. READ MORE

REHABBING AN OLD-ISH RACE BOAT Five Tips to Upgrade Your Boat North Sails expert Doug Folsetter shares his best tips for upgrading your old-ish race boat after modifying his new (to him) Farr 30 Sabotage. Doug sails Sabotage out of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and is a veteran when it comes to racing on Lake Ontario. "Without enough distraction available during one of the prolonged covid lockdowns, I found myself spending far too much time online, looking at boats that were for sale. This culminated in the purchase of an older, Farr 30 (that had been modified with a 5’ bowsprit) sight unseen, 5,000 km away. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for others (or do it again myself), we ended up with a good boat that can be great with some thoughtful updates." "Despite having a few online tours of the boat, as well as a survey and rig inspection, I really wasn’t sure of what we were getting until it arrived. Once I was able to access the boat and equipment, I prioritized the upgrades in the following order in an effort to make the boat as competitive as possible while, at least, attempting to keep to a budget:" Sails "No surprise here. They’re the “engine above the deck” after all! I knew that the bulk of the inventory was approximately six years old and would need to be replaced. I didn’t have the budget to do it all at once so we looked to fill any holes in the inventory and replaced the worst or most frequently used sails first. Before the boat arrived, we ordered a Helix Code 0 with top down furler. The boat didn’t have a code zero and we know if would be a perfect sail for the distance races we had planned. Next, we discovered that there wasn’t a usable J3 onboard, so we moved that to the top of the list. We got through the remainder of the year with the existing inventory but replaced the Main and J2 with 3Di Raw this winter and will work on replacing the downwind sails later this year. After that, we should be able to work on a one (ish) sail / year rotation to keep costs under control." Bottom "While new sails are great, a slow bottom is... well... slow! We had planned to spend a couple of weeks sanding, fairing and painting before the boat went in the water. That said, working in the marina was questionable under the lockdown rules at the time and we we didn’t want to start a job that we couldn’t finish before our fixed launch date. Luckily, it turned out that the boat's bottom wasn’t too bad so we burnished the old paint and hoped for the best. We also bought a new bottom brush so we we could scrub regularly as it would inevitably be needed." Running Rigging / Control Lines "There is nothing worse than breaking a control line or ripping the cover off a halyard in the middle of a race. New lines also look good and don’t smell like dead fish (like the moldy saltwater crusted sheets the boat came with) when you put them down below. We ended up changing out almost all of the rigging and sheets after we had a chance to sail just to confirm that the existing lines lengths and diameters were correct." Cosmetics "While it won’t make the boat faster, I’ll admit that I’m vain enough to want good looking boat. Farr 30’s are well known to have have gelcoat issues but I was assured that all issues had been dealt with. Upon further use, I realized said issues weren’t dealt with and this became a project for last winter." Electronics "We ended up replacing our chart plotter right away. The older one that came with the boat only had a PNW chip and there was was not a Great Lakes chip available. We’ll look into replacing our current Nexus instruments with an integrated system over the next year or two." "Overall, I’m happy with the boat and have created a competitive package in a reasonably cost effective way. In the end, I learned that the most return comes from tackling the jobs that make the most difference first, such as the sail inventory and the bottom. The to-do list never really gets shorter but the jobs become smaller as you go along!" Connect with Doug to learn more about his upgrades, ask questions or gain insight into the sail package he put together for racing on Lake Ontario. READ MORE

Get Ready for the Pacific Cup When heading offshore, there are many things to keep in mind that can help you make it to the finish line in one piece. Planning ahead can contribute to your success and assure your crew and your boat is set up to take on anything mother nature can bring. Here are some articles that will help you plan ahead, expect the unexpected, and get the best results in the upcoming Pacific Cup. Good luck, sail fast, be safe, and sail smart! Finding the Right Fit Ken Read has plenty of experience in building ocean racing teams. Here is his advice for speed and success when it comes to finding the right players for the positions. BUILD YOUR TEAM Planning Ahead Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing the Pacific Cup (or a similar race that heads well offshore such as the Newport Bermuda Race, Fastnet or Transpac), you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. FORECASTING Fueling Your Crew For many teams, preparing for any offshore race begins immediately after the finish of the previous edition. Here’s what Sarah O’Kane from Shorebase, a logistics company, says is important to properly provisioning for your next offshore adventure. LEARN MORE The Solution To Every Hoist When it comes to hoisting your spinnaker, there are some details to consider that make everyone’s life easier (or harder). Having zippers instead of bands is a great way to achieve a smoother, cleaner and quicker hoist, as well as help keep trash out of the ocean. LEARN HOW Shift Changes: Know Your Role It is important to always have a clear strategy for the team on deck to follow, so that rest periods by the navigator do not lead to missed opportunities or mistakes. LEARN MORE To Reef or Not to Reef Shortening sail quickly and easily when the breeze comes on is key to looking after your sails and your crew. LEARN MORE Safety is No Accident Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. North Sails President and offshore veteran, Ken Read, shares his tips and best protocols for sailing offshore. LEARN MORE Get Downwind, Fast! Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. More often than not there are conflicting suggestions: Go up. Go down. Be more aggressive. Steer less. Hear our thoughts on how to manage feedback from the crew. HOW TO The Trip Home is Just as Important Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing an offshore race you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. LEARN MORE Inventory Checks Have you made arrangements for sail check-ups after the delivery home? Every sail serviced in a North loft undergoes a thorough inspection designed to identify maintenance issues early, so they do not become major problems later on. Contact your nearest loft when you hit the dock after your delivery. We look forward to helping you maintain your sail inventory so you are ready for the next event. CONTACT US READ MORE

NORTH SAILS WINTER SERVICE Prepare for the Winter Sailing Season Today The Winter sailing season is coming. Count on your local service team to provide our signature Certified Service and get you ready for the next big event. Now is the perfect time to get your sails in after the busy summer season. Make an appointment with your local team for post-season service today: NORTH SAILS SYDNEY NORTH SAILS MELBOURNE NORTH SAILS BRISBANE It’s our mission to provide you with expert repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. We know that whether you race or cruise, your sails are a major investment, and we’re committed to helping you maximize their performance and lifespan. READ MORE

IL EST L’HEURE DE RETOURNER SUR L'EAU ! Les beaux jours approchent, le début de la saison nautique également ! Afin de vous préparer au mieux pour cette nouvelle saison, nous vous proposons quelques conseils que vous pourriez appliquer à votre bateau : - Vérifiez le gréement dormant: nettoyez les traces de rouille sur les ridoirs, resserrez les pièces qui ont du jeu, vérifiez les sertissages et inspectez le mât et la bôme sur toute leur longueur, - Nettoyez l’intérieur de la gorge du mât: montez au mât avec un chiffon doux, du produit nettoyant et un tournevis (ou petit outil) afin d’éliminer les dépôts accumulés pendant l’hiver, - Vérifiez le gréement courant: inspectez vos drisses et écoutes, ainsi que tous les bouts qui sont répartis un peu partout sur votre bateau, - Retendez les lattes de vos voiles, en espérant que vous les aviez détendu en fin de saison dernière ;-) ! - Appliquez du Teflon sur les coulisseaux de vos voiles, - Si vous disposez d’un système réglable sur le guindant de votre grand voile, vérifiez les offsets (tout en hissant votre grand voile, mesurez la distance entre le mât et l’avant de la voile. Il faudrait avoir le même écart sur toute la hauteur de la voile afin d’obtenir la forme idéale), - Vérifiez les coutures de toutes vos voiles ou demandez à votre voilier de le faire. Une petite reprise de couture vaut mieux qu’une grande déchirure :-) ! - Contrôlez l’état de votre sellerie: housses, tauds et poches à bouts, - Vérifiez, graissez et huilez vos winches, - Faites le tour de tous vos anneaux brisés et sécurisez-les avec du scotch de protection autour s’il n’y en a plus (le but est qu’ils soient lisses si la voile venait à s’y frotter), - Vérifiez vos amarres. N’hésitez pas à faire également appel à nos services d’enlèvement, de contrôle et de rapatriement de vos voiles ! Êtes-vous plutôt conseils à terre ou coaching sur l’eau ? Faites appel à notre équipe pour bénéficier de conseils ou d’un coaching personnalisé ! Profitez de conseils sur-mesure, d’un workshop suivi de l’application sur votre bateau, et encore d’autres démonstrations grâce aux North Expériences ! Julien, Michel et Nicolas sont à votre écoute et se feront un plaisir de vous répondre, par email ou par téléphone au 022 782 32 22. Nous vous souhaitons un beau début saison et restons à votre entière disposition ! Votre équipe North Sails Suisse READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TRIM CUP 2022 Ett Samarrangemang Mellan Halmstad Segelsällskap Och Oss På North Sails 📸 Daniel Stenholm Sista helgen i april samlades ett tiotal besättningar i Halmstad för att vara med på en kombinerad tränings- och kappseglingshelg. Coacher var Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från North Sails i Göteborg. North Sails Trim Cup är ett samarrangemang mellan Halmstad Segelsällskap och oss på North Sails. I år vände vi oss främst till CB66:or men kul nog tog även en lokal J/70-besättning tillfället i akt att haka på. Vädret gick inte att klaga på. Det var klart och soligt under hela helgen, möjligtvis lite småkyligt ibland, med måttlig frånlandsvind under fredagen och lördagen och lite mer därtill under söndagen. På programmet stod träning under fredag och lördag förmiddag, och kappsegling under lördag eftermiddag och söndag förmiddag. Planen var att köra ”så många seglingar vi hinner”, och det blev till slut tio genomförda race. Hur det gick är egentligen mindre viktigt. Syftet med helgen var framför allt att seglarna skulle få jobba bort ringrosten och förhoppningsvis få lite nya lärdomar och intryck som de har nytta under den kommande säsongen. För coachningen stod Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från North Sails i Göteborg. De fokuserade särskilt på två områden: besättningens placering i båten under olika förhållanden och på olika bogar – en oerhört viktig faktor i lätta sportbåtar som CB66 och J/70 – och samspelet mellan focktrim och storsegeltrim. 📸 Daniel Stenholm HSS har fina seglingsvatten precis utanför piren, vilket gör det möjligt att på ett effektivt sätt kombinera segling med lunch och genomgångar på land. Varje dag inleddes med dragning i klubbhuset innan båtarna skickades ut på vattnet. Henrik och Andreas åkte runt i var sin RIB-båt och kunde ge snabb feedback. De tog foton och filmer, och detta låg sedan till grund för de uppföljande genomgångarna. Det var med andra ord ett ganska intensivt program, med två segelpass och tre genomgångar om dagen. Men det är ett trevligt upplägg som ju också ger utrymme för umgänge med seglarkompisar som man kanske inte träffat sedan förra säsongen. Tack till Halmstad Segelsällskap för ett som vanligt fint arrangemang. Tack också till Hotell Clarion Collection Norre Park, som hade fixat bra priser på hotellrum och som ordnade en väldigt fin regattamiddag på lördagskvällen. 📸 Daniel Stenholm READ MORE

OUR FAVORITE UK CRUISING DESTINATIONS Sights Set for Summer Cruising What makes for a good sailing destination? Sheltered bays, great scenery, cosy pubs, swim spots and good weather. Top it off with a North Sails loft and a chandlery in case of any breakages and you have everything you need. North Sails shares their favorite UK destinations and where you can drop your sails in to be serviced or repaired on your travels. Wales - Pwllheli Pwllheli, Abersoch and the Llyn Peninsula in Wales is a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s said to be the best sailing venue in Wales, one of just four in the UK that are suitable for hosting International Olympic and Youth and Junior class competitions. Filled with beautiful seaside resorts and friendly yacht clubs such as the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club in Abersoch, paired with a lovely climate from May-September, it is easy to see why this part of coastline is a magnet for both cruising and racing. Devon - Plymouth, Dartmouth, Salcombe If you fancy exploring the South Coast, Devon has lots to offer. With a North Sails representative loft in Plymouth, you are never far from a quick fix or service. Plymouth Sound’s most popular summer anchorage is Cawsand Bay, although it can be a bit exposed in strong south westerly winds. There is a quieter alternative in Barn Pool, north of the Bridge Reef. Pop ashore for a walk around the Mount Edgecumbe Country Park. Fancy spectating some high performance sailing? Head to Plymouth for Sail GP at the end of July, if you’re not taking part in Cowes Week that is! If you have more time we also recommend popping around the corner towards Dartmouth and Salcombe. With so many secluded spots and sheltered harbors only a few hours away, you will be spoilt for choice on this dramatic coastline! Solent - Cowes/Gosport Home to high performance racing, the Solent is always a great place to hop from one anchorage to another, especially if you are short on time. With Cowes on the Isle of Wight as a base for amenities, yacht clubs and pubs, there are plenty of lovely spots within a few miles to explore. Surrounded by a nature reserve is the stunning Newtown Creek. Watch out as it can get busy here on weekends, but if you manage a mid-week getaway you may be lucky enough to have it to yourself. The Beaulieu River in the New Forest is sheltered and home to the National Motor Museum if British summer time catches you out with bad weather. Scotland Whilst the weather may leave a lot to be desired, Scotland has some of the best cruising waters in the world. Head to the Kyles of Bute and the Isle of Arran for sheltered cruising amongst small islands. For those looking for dramatic scenery, whirlpools and whisky, the Inner Hebrides is the place for you. If you do decide to venture up to Scotland, North Sails representative Kevin Aitken will be on hand to assist should you need it. ALL NORTH SAILS LOCATIONS READ MORE

MAKING WAVES FOR THE FUTURE North Sails Australia Has Partnered With the Australian Optimist Class North Sails are proud to support the Australian National Optimist Class, including various state championships across all fleets, with more than 120 young sailors participating in the nationals earlier this year. “We see this as an opportunity to encourage the younger generation to get out on the water and to stay involved in sailing,” said North Sails Australia’s Sale Manager, Alby Pratt. “Donating new sails and North Sails vouchers for the National and State Associations to give as prizes is something we were adamant on, in the hope of providing new opportunities for the sailors who may not always be at the front of the fleet.” “We’re committed to growing junior sailing in Australia with the Optimist class, and hope we can continue that into the future.” Australian International Optimist Dinghy Association (AIODA) President, Jeremey Atkinson, was excited to bring North Sails onboard as a partner, commenting, “Alby approached us to support the class in 2021, and of course we jumped at the opportunity.” “It’s unlike any of our other class partnerships and supports all levels of our Optimist sailors, combining at a state and national level, which is a great initiative from North Sails.” “The AIODA saw this partnership as an opportunity to support Australia’s younger immediate sailors coming up through the ranks.” Jeremey highlighted that, “one of the best things we’ve benefitted from so far was the coaching day North Sails put on at the 2022 National Championships at Georges River earlier this year. North Sails Expert, Noel Drennan came down and did a class tuning session for the sailors and their parents, and the feedback we’ve received was extremely positive.” This North Sails initiated coaching session for the Nationals fleet also showcased the newly launched V-Series ranging from the Optimist V-1, V-2 to the V-3 mainsail and the best tuning guide for each skill-level sailors. “We’re looking forward to this highlight at the next Australian Championships at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for the 2022/23 nationals in January next year” Jeremey finished. In addition to the coaching support, the North Sails sponsorship includes a three year partnership with the Australian Optimist Class to present two new sails and two North Sails vouchers for the national titles, while one new sail and vouchers will be gifted to all state titles as well. The North Sails team has a long tradition of promoting grassroots fleets around Australia. Our network of one design experts and dealers are available to help you get the most out of your sails so you can reach your goals anytime you’re on the water. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *Local service expert for these events will be Kelsey Tostenson. 510-334-0203 EXPRESS NATIONALS May 20-22 Location: Richmond Yacht Club ALDO ALESSIO/SWIFTSURE REGATTA August 19-21 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES September 15-18 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club J105 NORTH AMERICANS September 29 - October 3 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *Local service expert for these events will be James Hobson. +44 7557 941069 ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB NORTH SAILS MAY REGATTA May 7th & 8th VICE ADMIRALS CUP May 20th & 22nd IRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP June 10th & 12th J CUP June 30th - July 2nd COWES WEEK July 30th - August 5th ETCHELLS WORLDS September 18th - 24th ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB SEPTEMBER REGATTA September 24th & 25th Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

OCCASIONSLISTE Gebrauchte- und Lagersegel von North Sails Schweiz Hier geht es zur aktuellen Liste: OCCASIONS SEGEL READ MORE

VÄLKOMMEN TILL NORTH SAILS OFFSHORE CLINIC 2022 13-15 maj har du chansen att drillas av vår egen Anders Lewander. På schemat: Allt från fartträning till nattsegling och man-över-bord-träning North Sails Offshore Clinic genomfördes första gången 2018 och har blivit något av en tradition för havskappseglare som vill skaka ringrosten ur kroppen och få några dagars intensiv träning innan kappseglingssäsongen drar igång på allvar. Nytt för i år är att vi vänder oss till såväl fullcrew- som shorthandedseglare. Förra årets upplaga präglades av pandemin men i år körs evenemanget utan begränsningar, så du kan dessutom se fram emot ett trevlig socialt program med bland annat morgongympa, gemensamma måltider och bastubad. Träningshelgen genomförs 13-15 maj utanför Sandhamn av North Sails och Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundet i samarbete med KSSS. Träningen leds, som brukligt, av Anders Lewander från North Sails Stockholm. Clinicen vänder sig främst till ambitiösa havskappseglare och syftet är att på ett strukturerat sätt ta oss an de delar som är viktiga för att prestera på ett internationellt mästerskap. På programmet står bland annat startträning, banracing, nattsegling och man-över-bord-träning. Dessutom fartträning på både kryss och öppna bogar med lätta skot. Det gör det till ett gyllene tillfälle att exempelvis testa stagsegel eller få ett bra underlag för att uppdatera segelvalstabellen eller polardiagrammen. Vill du vara med? En formell inbjudan med detaljerat program finns på Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundets hemsida. Maxantalet är satt till tjugo båtar, så vänta inte för länge med att anmäla dig. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *All pickups will be 4:30-5:30pm and drop offs will be 7:30-8:00am. NYYC ANNUAL REGATTA June 10-11 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers NYYC RACE WEEK AT NEWPORT July 13-15 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers SAFE HARBOR RACE WEEKEND August 12-13 Location: Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard 12 METRE NORTH AMERICANS September 15-17 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers IC37 NORTH AMERICANS September 22-24 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

CRUISING DOWNWIND Feel the Power of Simplicity Spinnakers provide an enormous performance boost in light to moderate air when sailing downwind—and well they should, considering the trouble they can cause! We’ll take a look here at how to handle and trim both cruising spinnakers—also called Gennakers, which fly without a pole—and conventional spinnakers with poles. Setting a Gennaker A cruising spinnaker or Gennaker is set with a tack line from the bow, a halyard, and a sheet led to the aft quarter. For shorthanded sailing, a spinnaker Snuffer is recommended. The sail is hoisted within a protective sock, and once up, the Snuffer line is pulled to retract the sock and free the sail. To prevent twisting, the tack line should be tightened prior to the hoist. Do you need a tack strap? Depending on the luff length of the Gennaker, it may also be advantageous to rig a tack strap. Rigged around the rolled jib, the tack strap prevents the tack from wandering. If your sail has a long luff and a low tack—just above the bow pulpit—then a tack strap is not required. For a sail with a short luff and a high tack, a tack strap adds control. The Gennaker sheets can be lead inside or outside the Gennaker luff. There are advantages to each set up, and both work.... you’ll have to experiment to see which works better on your boat, and the best option may vary with the wind strength. Setting a Spinnaker Conventional spinnakers with spinnaker poles offer more control over spinnaker trim and sail shape, which can increase performance—but it comes at the price of additional complexity. For shorthanded sailing, a Snuffer is recommended, though the setup and hoist steps are the same with or without it. First, rig the pole with a topping lift—to hold the pole up—and a foreguy—to pull the pole forward. Some skippers also rig an afterguy directly to the pole to hold the pole back. Others allow the spinnaker guy to handle this function. You can sail safely and successfully either way, though before and after the spinnaker is deployed, the pole will not move around as much if a separate afterguy is rigged. Either way, the windward spinnaker sheet—called the guy —is rigged to run through the end of the pole. Once the sail is rigged and ready, trim the guy to pull the tack of the spinnaker to the end of the pole, and then hoist. As you reach full hoist, take slack out of the sheet to prevent twists, and then raise the Snuffer. When the Snuffer tops up, tie off the Snuffer lines loosely near the mast base, and trim the spinnaker sheet. Gennaker Takedowns To take the sail down, turn to a very broad reach to hide the Gennaker behind the mainsail, ease the sheet until the sail carries a big curl, and pull the Snuffer down over the sail. Once the sail is snuffed, lower the halyard and stuff the sail into its bag on deck, or pass it down the forward hatch to be bagged below. Sit Down One important safety detail when shorthanded and working on the foredeck: Sit down while you pull the sail down. If you sit, you can’t fall. When gathering a sail on a rolling boat, lurching around and stepping on slippery sail cloth, it is easy to fall down—or even overboard. Feel free to take a seat! Dousing the Spinnaker To douse the spinnaker, reverse the hoist sequence: turn to a broad reach, ease the sheet, pull down the Snuffer, ease the guy, and lower the halyard. In stronger winds, hiding the spinnaker behind the main will make the snuffing process easier. Once again, the process starts on a broad reach. Rather than ease the sheet, though, put a loop of line around the sheet, and use this “choker” to pull the clew of the spinnaker in close behind the mast. Ease the guy to luff the spinnaker, and pull down on the Snuffer. By pulling the leech of the spinnaker in close behind the main this technique assures that the spinnaker will be blanketed behind the main. As always, sit down on deck while pulling down the Snuffer. 📸 Amory Ross READ MORE

SÅ SKAPADES VÄRLDENS STÖRSTA SEGEL Få en inblick i designerns, duktillverkarens och segelmakarnas arbete med Perseus^3:s nya gennaker – som är stor som tio tennisplaner. 📸 Ryan Borne ”Det är väsentligt större än allt annat där ute”, säger Glenn Cook. Han är designer av segel till superyachts och ringer från St Barth, där han testseglar seglet för allra första gången. Det är en process som han beskriver som både ”nervpåfrestande” och ”den bästa delen av jobbet”. Att utveckla och producera detta 2604 kvadratmeter stora A2-segel har nämligen krävt en massa människors medverkan, en massa tid och en massa resurser. Processen har krävt ett omfattande arbete av ett designteam i USA och en specialbeställd duk som det tog Contender Sailcloth åtta veckor att få fram. Och själva produktionen tog mer än 15 dagar för tio segelmakare. ”Teamet bakom båten var uttryckligen ute efter ett segel som skulle prestera väl i förhållande till mätetalet”, förklarar Cook. ”Så designen fick styras av det. Och eftersom Perseus^3 är en väldigt stor båt (hon är 58,6 meter lång), svarar hon inte så snabbt på roderrörelser. Även justeringar i trim tar sin tid. Så det vi siktade på var ett segel med en väldigt stabil flygande form. Dessutom måste seglet kunna fungera i ett brett spektrum av förhållanden. Vi har därför gjort en mer förlåtande design än vad vi brukar göra till mindre båtar.” De hanteringsmässiga utmaningarna var också en faktor som påverkade designen; förliket är så långt att seglet kan hamna i vattnet under gipparna. ”Vi utvecklade ett system ovanför halshornet som samlar ihop underdelen av seglet och förhindrar att det går i vattnet under en gipp.” Grundmaterialet i seglet är Contender Sailcloths Supercote 350 – den tyngsta och starkaste duk de har – i kombination med Supercote 250 i förstärkningarna, vilket sparar lite vikt. ”Båten är gigantisk och genererar exceptionellt höga krafter”, tillägger Duncan Skinner, chef för Contender Sailcloth USA. ”Vi går från en duk som väger 32 gr/kvm till något som väger 150 gr/kvm, räknat på den Supercote 350-duk som används i den här gennakern. När vikten går upp ökar även styrkan, och det är det som krävs för ett segel i den här storleken.” ”Val av fiber är det första steget – det blev en höghållfast nylon. Därefter tittar vi på konstruktionen, exempelvis hur många fibertrådar vi ska väva in i varje riktning. När så duken är vävd kommer finishen in, och det är en knepig uppgift. Du måste färga duken innan du lägger på finishen. I finishen lägger vi på en coating som stabiliserar duken och tar ner porositeten till noll. Det är en väl beprövad kemisk process som resulterar i dukar som kan hantera den typ av krafter som uppstår på dessa gigantiska båtar.” Skinner ler. ”Den här saken är verkligen stor!” Det går åt många rullar duk till ett sådant här segel, och jämn kvalitet i produktionen är en nyckelfaktor för att seglet ska prestera på ett bra sätt utan lokala variationer. ”I dessa stora spinnakers är duken konstruerad på ett sätt som gör att den får lite inbyggd elasticitet. På så sätt leds inte stora chocklaster vidare genom riggen och ner till själva båten – seglet absorberar en del av kraften. Det som skapade mest huvudbry var, kanske något förvånande, seglets specialbeställda grå kulör. ”Färgningen var det som tog längst tid, eftersom det inte är möjligt att färga så mycket material på en och samma gång. Maskinerna är helt enkelt inte så stora. Så du måste vara väldigt uppmärksam på blandningen av färgen och hur länge den får dränka in… men när du tittar på det färdiga seglet så ser du att vi har kommit väldigt nära! Och det underlättade väsentligt för Manuel när han skulle sätta samman själva seglet. Manuel Lastra och North-loftet i Cuntis i norra Spanien var sista delen i detta stora pussel. ”Det tog ungefär åtta veckor innan vi fick allt material”, säger Lastra över telefon, och berättar att de beställde 400 löpmeter extra duk, detta för att vara säkra på att kunna göra en bra färgmatchning i seglet. Totalt fick han och hans team 3323 löpmeter nylonduk, fördelat på 48 rullar, skickat till sig, plus ytterligare 500 löpmeter av den tunnare Supercote 250-duken. Med 3500 kvadratmeter duk fördelat på tre stora golvytor kunde Lastras team steg för sten montera ihop de olika sektionerna. För att få plats på skärbordet gjordes seglets undre del av fyra sektioner, istället för som brukligt två. ”Det tog fem dagar för två personer att skära ut våderna”, säger Lastra. När det var färdigt sorterades de 850 våderna i olika grupper och monterades ihop i sektioner. Därefter gick de genom symaskinerna.” De olika sektionerna syddes ihop separat. Sedan monterades de ihop och hornförstärkningarna sattes på plats. ”Det tog tio dagar för tio personer. Parallellt jobbade två personer med det grafiska mönstret.” ”När seglet var färdigt fick det torka i fyra dagar innan det veks ihop och skickades till Antigua.” Och det var på den närliggande karibiska ön St Barth som vi fick tag på designern Cook just som han höll på med sina segeltester. ”Jag är här nere den här veckan och seglar St Barths Bucket Regatta med dem. Det krävdes 16 personer för att packa upp seglet och montera det i spinnakerstrumpan.” Seglet väger in på 550 kilo. Försökte han lyfta det? ”Det kan vi inte!” skrattar han. ”Vi använder vinscharna ombord. Vi kan släpa det, men det krävs tio till femton personer för att rubba det. ”Det är stort.” READ MORE

'HOW TO' MED BOUWE BEKKING En video-serie i 7 dele til cruisere Vi har slået os sammen med vores venner hos X-Yachts og er stolte over at kunne præsentere en helt ny 'How To' video-serie tilegnet alle slags cruisere. Alle syv videoer er live og kan ses på North Sails YouTube kanal. Den professionelle hollandske sejler og 8 gange Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Bouwe Bekking, deler ud af sin viden og erfaring ombord på en X-Yacht i selskab med North Sails Ekspert Jesper Feldt. Bekking taler os igennem de vigtigste aspekter af tursejlads, fra bådmanøvre til trimning af alle sejl i sejlgarderoben. Videoerne er filmet på Øresund henover sommeren og indeholder tips og tricks til håndtering af en cruising båd fuldt udstyret med North 3Di ENDURANCE. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CLIENTS DOMINATE DRAGON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 5- 30 Knots of Breeze - Competitors Faced it all in Sanremo 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina A fleet of 63 Dragons from 18 countries raced in Sanremo, Italy, to determine the 2022 European Champions. Crowned after five races are Wolf Waschkuhn and his team Charles Nankin and North Sails expert Ruairidh Scott (SUI 318). With Wolf at the helm and Charles trimming the genoa and spinnaker following their regatta win, we caught up with Ruairidh, mainsail trimmer, and tactician onboard to hear how they did it. Joining the team for the ‘Paul and Shark Trophy’ just three weeks before filling in for Joao Vidina, Ruairidh, Wolf, and Charles raced the Italian Championships (also held in Sanremo) in very windy conditions before going on to race for the European title in the more traditional lighter winds of Sanremo. “Our speed was excellent in the varied conditions we had all week. We raced with the A-14 Mainsail on a standard petticrow mast alongside the V-6L, V-6M and V-6H Genoas. However, we mainly used the V-6M as we were never sure if conditions would change during the race.’’ 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina “We sailed with lots of twist as the conditions were quite choppy all week. Careful adjustment of the runner and mainsheet ensured we were fast as the wind fluctuated. A key ingredient to our speed throughout the week was the work rate from our headsail trimmer Charles Nankin. He stayed active on the headsail sheet in light, choppy and shifty conditions. When a gust hit, we responded quickly by easing the genoa sheet and trimming back in as the boat pointed higher. The sheet ease allows the boat to accelerate and naturally turn up to point higher, so the result was sailing higher and faster than before. In these conditions, little mainsheet adjustment was required until we were sailing at the new angle, which allowed me to get my head up and look around more often. Charles and Wolf did this very well all week, and the constant communication between them meant we were quick all the time.’’ Between the two regattas, Wolf’s team showed excellent speed in 5 - 30 knots. “Thanks to the nice, big crossovers with the North sail designs," Ruairidh explains, “we were fast even if we were not on the perfect sail for the conditions all the time.’’ Congratulations to all North clients who raced at the Europeans and Wolf, Charles, and Ruairidh for fighting through the pack to finish with the title. Shop the North Sails winning Dragon sail designs today. RESULTS 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina READ MORE

Läs Berättelsen om Argo: Del 2 här Berättelsen om OPAL 46: AN Argo, och de traditioner som omger henne, fortsätter Efter många års segling med sin pappa på den älskade skonaren Argo har John Ingvar Ravelius blivit delägare i båten och äger den nu tillsammans med sin bror och sin pappa. Han har uppdaterat och utrustat henne med drömmen om att skapa nya minnen med sin unga dotter och föra familjetraditionen vidare. Här delar Ravelius med sig av andra delen av berättelsen om hur en segelbåt, och det arbete som följer med den, kan knyta samman tre generationer. Läs Berättelsen om Argo: Del 1 här. Förberedelserna inför den långa seglingen Efter att ha kappseglat med Argo under två säsonger i Stockholms skärgård, kände sig Ingvar allt mer hemtam ombord. Drömmen om en jorden runt-segling var på att uppfyllas. Men först behövde båten förberedas för den långa resan. Ingvar hade planerat att segla iväg med en god vän. Någon uttalad destination fanns inte, de skulle bara segla iväg och se vart vindarna förde dem. 1983, innan Ingvar gav sig iväg, träffade han min mamma Leena. Hon var 25 år gammal och hade ingen erfarenhet av segling. Hon hade aldrig ens varit ombord på en segelbåt. Invar ändrade sina planer och bad min mamma att segla med honom på resan. Hon sa ja, och Ingvar tog nu språnget han väntat så länge på och sålde allting som inte behövdes ombord på Argo, inklusive huset i Sollentuna på vars tomt han hade byggt båten. En eftermiddag lämnade de hamnen i Stockholm med drömmar om varmare breddgrader och utan planer på att återvända. Deras resa började, och de gick genom Kielkanalen och ut på Engelska kanalen. Min mamma förde dagbok. 21 augusti 1984 – Biscayabukten I sin dagbok skrev mamma: ”Vinden ökade mer och mer och regnet kändes som vassa nålar i våra ansikten. Vi hade revat seglen och hade en fart på sex knop. Jag kunde höra vinden som ett vrål. Natten var så mörk, och jag kunde inte se en enda stjärna.” Några dagar senare: ”Loggen visade sex knop när vi seglade fram över havet. Det var ungefär sex sjömil till kusten när loggen helt plötsligt visade noll. Vi undrade om den var trasig. Det kändes fortfarande som sex knop och vi hade vind i seglen. Det visade sig att Argo hade fastnat i ett fiskenät. Vi funderade på vad vi skulle göra. Ingen av oss hade lust att hoppa ner i vattnet och skära loss nätet som fastnat runt båten, så Ingvar och jag väntade och visste inte vad vi skulle göra. Så såg vi en fiskebåt passera oss på ungefär 500 meters avstånd på väg mot hamnen. Vi vinkade åt dem och de såg oss och vände kurs mot oss. Lyckligtvis var de villiga att hjälpa oss, och de skickade över en lång käpp med en kniv fastsatt i ena ändan. Ingvar började skära i nylonnätet men hade ingen större framgång. Till slut klättrade en av fiskarna ombord på Argo. Han vässade kniven och skar loss oss!” Motorn startade men de hade ingen styrförmåga, de insåg att nätet hade skadat Argos roder. Efter att ha vridit rodret fram och tillbaka lossade till slut delar av nätet från rodret, och de kunde fortsätta sin färd. När de började färden igen hörde de ett konstigt dunkande ljud och blev rädda att propellern hade lossnat. Senare insåg de att fiskenätet höll sig flytande med hjälp av fotbollar i plast, och att ljudet de hörde uppstod när bollarna slog mot skrovet på ömse sidor av rodret. Senare på kvällen kom de fram till La Coruna Yacht Club, och besättningen på en fransk båt skrek och vinkade att något hade fastnat på Argo. Leena och Ingvar skrek tillbaka: ”Ja, vi vet!”, log och vinkade tillbaka, lätt skamsna för det som hade inträffat. De sparade fotbollarna under många år som ett minne. Flera år senare skulle en av dessa röda bollar bli den allra första fotboll som jag sparkade på. Efter att ha tillbringat en tid i Biscayabukten bestämde de sig för att segla in i Medelhavet, och en vän till familjen bjöd in paret till det hotell som denne ägde på Ibiza. När de passerade Gibraltar och styrde in i Medelhavet visste de inte att Argo skulle bli kvar där de närmaste fem åren eller att Ingvars och Leenas två barn skulle födas där. Utdrag från min mammas dagbok Den 5 oktober 1984 skrev Leena: ”Solen lyste på den mäktiga Gibraltarklippan när vi passerade den röda och vita fyren vid Europa Point och satte kurs mot Puerto Banùs. Vi seglade in i Jose Banús Marina med sex knops fart i plattvatten med vinden från sidan och det kändes som att vi flög fram över vattnet.” Håll utkik efter del 3 och läs om hur mina föräldrar tog hand om ett nyfött barn samtidigt som de seglade omkring i Medelhavet. READ MORE

ULTIMATE FAMILY CRUISING ONBOARD OYSTER BELLE Around-the-World Adventures with Stefan and Emily Hunger With tales of adventure, fickle winds, good food and wonderful wildlife, we spoke to Stefan Hunger, North Sails client and owner of Oyster 435 Oyster Belle. He talks about his recent ocean crossing and his family's biggest adventure yet. Stefan Hunger has always had a passion for the water. Stefan grew up dinghy sailing in Austria, venturing further afield to the UK and Mediterranean after meeting his wife Emily. This is where the young couple decided to give ocean sailing a go. Following the discovery of ocean sailing, they soon began the search for the perfect yacht to sail around the world with their young children. International salesman Stefan, and geologist Emily, spent a long time looking for the boat that fit their dreams and once Oyster Belle was found, they set out on a mission to get her ready for their adventure. A few years were spent getting to know Oyster Belle; living on board, cruising in the mediterranean with some longer passages to introduce their young children to the ocean. Oyster Belle underwent a full refit before they ventured further afield - a fresh deck was installed, the engine had a full revamp and the couple also purchased a new sail inventory. Their first experience with North Sails was shortly after they bought Oyster Belle and discovered that they urgently needed a new Genoa. “The fit of our North Sails Genoa is exactly what we are looking for. The cut and shape is perfect for our boat.” A year later, the couple decided to replace their mainsail, opting for an NPC Radian Mainsail with three reefing points to ensure that they were ready for anything that the Atlantic Crossing may throw at them. Speaking positively about their experience with the team of experts at North Sails UK, Stefan commented: “We had fantastic service, our mainsail was very bespoke. The shape, the way the sail behaves is beautiful - so good that we have since ordered a storm jib/staysail and an asymmetric spinnaker.” When Stefan decided to enter the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) he worked with Jeremy Smart to replace his old symmetric spinnaker with a furling asymmetric. They installed a small bowsprit per Jeremy’s recommendation. “It works beautifully, it drives the boat forward much better, it’s easy to handle, and we can use it at many different angles. It’s a joy to sail with.” In January 2022, it was time for Stefan to pursue a lifelong goal to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the family decided to join the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers trip from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. Oyster Belle set sail on the ARC, heading for the Caribbean with a crew of two Austrians and two British sailors, one of whom was the person who introduced Stefan and his wife to ocean sailing who is now a good family friend. Stefan and Emily would have loved to take their kids on the journey, but with the older of the two in school the timing didn’t work out. Oyster Belle dealt with the crossing perfectly. The crew reflected on the trip on their daily blog which mentioned weather extremes of gale force winds to no wind, torrential rain and tropical sunshine, stunning moon rises, spectacular sunsets, and a clear view of the Milky Way with an array of shooting stars on many occasions. And as if all that wasn’t enough excitement for one trip, the crew had a near collision with a whale and their onboard ‘masterchef’ treated them to deliciously prepared fresh Mahi Mahi. The weather they encountered during the crossing wasn’t exactly what they were expecting, Stefan recalled. “Something is changing in the global systems, they used to say to go south until the butter melts and then you turn right. That didn’t happen for us. The trade winds didn’t really set in.” Stefan explained that they had to go a long way south in search of some solid breeze. As a result, the crew on Oyster Belle didn't have the usual expected downwind weather conditions which meant that their North G1 Furling Gennaker with Spinex system was a ‘godsend.’ The sail came into its own during the crossing, helping the crew a lot against the other boats that didn't have asymmetric sails. Looking forward to future adventures, Stefan is working on a twin head sail solution with Jeremy and North Sails. The goal of this is to make crew work easier when it’s just Stefan and his family on board. Oyster Belle is now tucked up in Grenada awaiting the family’s arrival, where they plan to take advantage of the school holidays to cruise around the Caribbean. Longer term, the plan is to go further afield, potentially towards the Pacific. They hope to use their kids' school holidays to hop around the world under sail. North Sails is inspired by Stefan and Emily’s family cruising adventures and we wish them fair winds on their travels. To speak with Sail and Cruising Expert Jeremy Smart about your sail inventory, get in touch today. READ MORE

SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE NAVIGATION DEBRIEF Watch the Live Webinar with North Sails expert Mark Bradford + Black Jack's Navigators Rewatch this live webinar with North Sails expert Mark Bradford debriefing the 2021 Sydney to Hobart Race with Black Jack navigators Alex Nolan and Kevin Costin. More on the 76th Edition of the Sydney Hobart Race Line Honors Winner Black Jack - When Black Jack’s mast fell over the side during a record-setting run last April, the team quickly decided to turn their devastating loss into a performance upgrade. That decision paid off when Peter Harburg’s team claimed line honors in the 76th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The RP100 had always struggled upwind against Christin Beck’s wider LawConnect, a Juan-K design. So we wanted to understand how an experienced team of sailors and North Sails design engineers overcame this boat’s known weak point. The answer? A new aero package that took advantage of Helix’s load-sharing technology. Story continued below... BLACK JACK'S WINNING COMBINATION READ MORE

Nova Generacija North Sails Flokova za Klasu Zvijezda Radi Izvrsno! 📸 Martina Orsini Pozivna regata kojoj je glavni sponzor tvrtka Bacardi, a koja se jedri u Miamiju, okupila je neke od najboljih svjetskih jedriličara u klasama Zvijezda, Melges 24, J70, Viper 640, 69F i VX One. Među njima našle su se i dvije hrvatske posade u klasi Zvijezda, a riječ je o Marinu Mišuri i Tonku Baraču, odnosno Tonču Stipanoviću i Tudoru Biliću. Dvojcu Mišura - Barač ovo je bio već šesti nastup na ovoj regati, dok su Stipanović i Tudor imali premijeru. Ukupno je sudjelovalo preko 160 posada, a ovisno o formatu natjecanja nisu svi krenuli s regatom u isto vrijeme. Posade u klasi Zvijezda krenule su prve jer je njihov program jedrenja predviđao samo po jedan plov u danu, dok je za jedrenje bilo predviđeno šest dana. Ostale klase imale su nešto kraće boravke u Miamiju, ali zajedničko im je svima bilo to da su kraj jedrenja svi imali istog dana. Što se tiče logističkog dijela regate, domaćinstvo je podijeljeno između više klubova, jer smještaj tolikog broja jedrilica traži dosta prostora, što na kopnu, što u moru. Da je u pitanju ozbiljan organizacijski zahvat mogli su se uvjeriti i svi koji su prošlog ljeta bili u Splitu za vrijeme Europskog prvenstva klase Zvijezda, odnosno svi koji prate događanja oko regata klase Melges 24. Vremenski uvjeti su po riječima naših jedriličara bili zahtjevni, jer je puhao južni vjetar od prosječnih petnaestak čvorova s oscilacijama od 3 - 4 čvora. U klasi Zvijezda to zahtjeva dosta truda, jer je ovaj vjetar bio u kombinaciji s kratkim i oštrim valovima koji su i inače uobičajeni u Miamiju, a ako posada nije dobro pripremljena za takve uvjete može imati ozbiljne probleme s jedrenjem u orcu jer ako se ne jedri koncentrirano jedrilica značajno uspori. S obzirom na njenu popriličnu masu ponovno ubrzavanje zahtijeva dodatno vrijeme i malo po malo se gube dragocjene sekunde i prejedreni metri. Unatoč predviđenih šest dana za jedrenje jedrilo ih se pet. Razlog je što je posljednjeg dana regate Obalna straža zabranila isplovljavanje zbog prejakog vjetra koji je ostao kao posljedica noćne nevere. Zato su se rezultati računali na osnovu najbolja četiri rezultata s obzirom da je bilo moguće jedno odbacivanje. Naše dvije posade na kraju su završile na 10. i 14. mjestu s tim da je ovogodišnji ulazak u top ten posade Mišura - Barač njihov najbolji rezultat do sad ostvaren u Miamiju. Jedrili smo dobro s obzirom da praktički nismo trenirali. Jedini trening pred regatu bio je nastup na Kairos Kupu u Trogiru. Ali kad se pogledaju rezultati mislim da ne možemo biti nezadovoljni. Istina, u Miami smo stigli tri dana prije početka regate, ali dva dana je bio previše jak vjetar pa nismo htjeli ići u rizik oštećivanja opreme s obzirom da smo morali uzeti charter brod. Najlošiji rezultat nam je 33. mjesto iz drugog plova. Tada nam je najveći problem bilo to što smo na bovu od orce stigli na lijevim uzdama i nismo se uspjeli ubaciti, a kad se to desi onda nema se što nego propustiti flotu. Kasnije smo nadoknađivali izgubljeno, ali bolje od ove pozicije nije moglo. Najbolji rezultat bilo nam je 3. mjesto četvrtog dana regate. Taj plov smo dobro jedrili od starta pa do cilja. Dobro smo odradili krmu, ali orca nam je ove godine stvarno bila najbolja do sada. Promijenili smo model floka i to nam se u orcu pokazalo kao izvrstan potez. Mislim da mogu reći da so čak i bili malo komodni po pitanju brzine u orcu. Riječ je također o North Sails floku, jer inače jedrimo samo s Northom, i to o najnovijem modelu kojeg su izbacili na tržište. Mislim da je od rujna prošle godine i još uvijek ga se dosta ljudi boji staviti. Mi smo ga naručili i nismo puno razmišljali već smo ga tamo odmah podigli i već prvi dan vidjelo se da je to bio dobar izbor, pa nismo dalje ništa mijenjali. Što se nas kao posade tiče mislim da je jako dobro to što smo iz regate u regatu tehnički bili sve bolji. S obzirom da ne treniramo to nam je izrazito drago... jer nismo stagnirali već smo radili progres. Marin Mišura, CRO 8531 - kormilar Regata u Miamiju bila je samo prva stavka u popisu regata posade Mišura - Barač, a iduća je Prvenstvo istočne hemisfere koje će se jedriti u Napulju od 27. travnja. Potom slijedi Europsko prvenstvo u srpnju u Danskoj, pa povratak na sjevernoamerički kontinent na Svjetsko prvenstvo u rujnu u Bostonu. Druga Hrvatska posada, Stipanović - Bilić, također je jedrila s charter jedrilicom, ali od proizvođača s kojim surađuju posljednjih godinu - dvije. Međutim, ipak postoje razlike jer jedrilica na kojoj jedre u Europi napravljena je baš po njihovim karakteristikama i potrebama. 📸 Martina Orsini Bodovna razlika između naše dvije posade, nakon odbacivanja, bila je deset bodova. Mišura i Barač imali su u konačnici 41 bod dobiven zbrojem 11., 14., 13. i izvrsnog 3. mjesta, dok su Stipanović i Tudor uknjižili 51 bod dobiven od 9., 17. 13. i 12. mjesta. Ovo nam je bio prvi Bacardi Cup, a konkurencija je bila izvrsna. Bilo je sigurno 10-15 najboljih svjetskih posada. Mi smo jedrili u posuđenom brodu, kao i svi što iz Europe koji dođu u Ameriku, pa smo iskoristili priliku za testiranje neke druge opreme poput mekšeg jarbola, drugog floka itd. Tako dok se nismo utrimali nismo bili baš zadovoljni brzinom kakvu smo inače imali, pa se nismo nešto pokazali na početku regate. Imali smo i par dobrih i par loših starteva, tako da je rezultat stvaran preslik našeg jedrenja... nije ni dobro ni loše... Jedrili smo po jedan plov dnevno, a regate su trajale oko sat i 50. Puhalo je između 12 i 20 čvorova, a mi s našim oscilacijama nismo bili u vrhu kao što smo jedrili na prošlom svjetskom. Razlog za to je jednim dijelom bio manjak treninga, ali i to testiranje opreme. Mislim, Zvijezda nije samo ono sjedneš u brod i voziš. Osnovni problem bilo je to što smo stavili taj novi jarbol, a to napraviti pred regatu nije baš dobra stvar. S novim jarbolom mijenjaju se sve mjere, ali sve u svemu bilo je OK. S druge strane Marin i Tonko jedrili su malo bolje od nas, jednom ušli i kao treći i ostvarili svoj najbolji rezultat na ovoj regati. A sama regata kao regata je stvarno veliki event koji zajedno organizira nekoliko klubova. Tudor Bilić, CRO 8540 - flokist Stipanović i Bilić preskočit će Prvenstvo istočne hemisfere zbog Stipanovićevih obaveza u njegovoj matičnoj klasi ILCA i Bilićevih poslovnih obaveza, ali zato planiraju nastupiti na EP u Kopenhagenu i to s novim brodom koji im stiže u travnju. Također planiraju nastup i u Bostonu gdje će braniti srebro osvojeno u Kielu, a posebnu draž jedrenju u Massachusetts dat će obilježavanje stote godišnjice od kad su se počela jedriti svjetska prvenstva klase Zvijezda. Zanimljiv detalj vezan uz regatu klase Zvijezda na Bacardi Cupu je što tu ne vrijedi ograničenje u masi koje se inače primjenjuje po pravilima klase na svim ostalim regatama i iznosi 200kg. Po pitanju klase Zvijezda u Hrvatskoj, mora se reći da je ponovno ušla u fazu stagniranja, jer na spomenutom Kairos kupu, koji je izvorno regata klasa Optimist i ILCA, jedrilo je samo pet posada iako je to bila prva regata klase nakon EP u Splitu. Trenutno je u Hrvatskoj između 10 i 15 ovih jedrilica, a s povratkom u kokpit koketira i naš olimpijac iz Londona Marin Lovrović mlađi. Pitanje je kako ih motivirati i privući na regate, ali to je sad neka druga tema s kojom se susreću i u drugim klasama. READ MORE

Universitas Nova savršenim skorom prvog dana do ukupne pobjede u Opatiji 📸 regate.com.hr Treća regata CRO Melges 24 Cupa za 2022 odjedrena je u aranžmanu YC Croatia, a na njoj je sudjelovalo 15 posada među kojima su po prvi put zajedrile Fjonda, She i Razjaren, a i jedna slovenska posada došla je u ispitivanje konkurencije pred nastup na prvoj regati iz ciklusa Europskog kupa koja će se između 1. i 3. travnja jedriti u Rovinju. Marčanska bura puhala je i 19. i 20. ožujka, oba dana regate, te stvarala poprilične probleme kako Regatnom odboru tako i natjecateljima. Ali s druge strane dozvolila je svima da se naspavaju, pogotovo u odnosu na prethodnu godinu kad su se jedriličari u ACI marini Ičići okupljali već od 5 sati ujutro da bi stigli jedriti na Vološčanskoj tramontani. U subotu najviše problema imali su suci na brodu RO-a, jer su imali problema sa sidrenjem s obzirom da je puhala vrlo jaka bura, a sidrenje velikog Firsta 45 se moralo obaviti na dubini većoj od 60 metara. Kad su se potopili svi lanci i produljili sidreni konopi moglo se krenuti s jedrenjem. Bura je i dalje puhala, ali problem jedriličarima više su predstavljali prateći valovi. To su redom kasnije priznali svi sudionici, jer na svim dosadašnjim regatama nikad nije bilo ovako jakog vjetra, kao ni oštrog vala od bure. Subotnji program odrađen je do kraja. Odjedrila su se sva tri predviđena jedrenja. Međutim, kako je dan odmicao vjetar je pomalo slabio i u jednom trenutku otišao je u drugu krajnost u odnosu na jutro. Da se nastavilo s tendencijom slabljenja realna je bila mogućnost prekida jedrenja zbog nedovoljnog vjetra. Da jedriličarima bude još teže pobrinula se mareta koja je i dalje bila značajna i u takvim uvjetima još neugodnija. Treći plov ipak je odjedren po malo boljim uvjetima jer je vjetar ponovno malo pojačao, ali bilo je to daleko od jutarnjih petnaestak čvorova. U sva tri jedrenja apsolutni primat imao je Universitas Nova, jedrilica za čijim kormilom je Ivan Kljaković Gašpić, a u čijoj posadi jedre i dva člana AJK Universitas Marin Golem i Filip Miroić i Ivanova kćer Mia, te Šime Markić. Jedini koji su im se uspjeli bar donekle približiti bili su momci s Panjića Luke Šangulina. Oni su u prvom i trećem jedrenju zauzeli drugo mjesto, dok je u drugom plovu to pošlo za rukom slovenskoj posadi na Ariji s Peterom Podunavcem za kormilom. Inače, oni stariji će se sjetiti, Peter je osvojio broncu na Europskom prvenstvu klase Optimist 1988. godine. Dosta dobro ponovno su jedrili i momci s Matarana, te ekipa s PointOne, dok je možda neke iznenadila ekipa Fjonde koji su kiksali samo u drugom plovu kad su završili 10. dok su u prvom i trećem jedrenju u cilj ušli kao 4. i 3. Inače, to je posada iz susjedne Opatije i riječ je o vro iskusnim jedriličarima s Goranom Ivankovićem za kormilom. Nedjelja se još u prognozama najavljivala kao mnogo teži dan od subote, a to se i potvrdilo prilikom dolaska u marinu Ičići. Stalno je puhalo preko 15 čvorova, a s početkom regate i bura je počela jačati. Takvi uvjeti stvarali su dodatni pritisak na natjecatelje za hvatanje što bolje pozicije na startnoj liniji, pa su se na ovom startu dogodila čak tri prijevremena prelaska startne linije. Tada su po 16 nepotrebnih bodova dobili PointOne, Aria i Obi Wan. Zanimljivo je da je oba dana izniman pritisak bio na lijevoj strani startne linije, što je u subotu rezultiralo i s naslanjanjima na pin brod. Naravno, nije to bilo bez razloga, pogotovo što je to bio i izbor, odnosno preporuka poznavatelja lokalnih vremenskih prilika. Definitivno je lijeva strana bila opravdano poželjan izbor. Po ovim, značajno težim, uvjetima Universitas Nova nije uspio dominirati kao dan ranije. U prvom plovu malo brži od ovog Melgesa bio je Mataran 24, dok je u drugom plovu da, koji je inače bio i skraćen, pobjedu odnio Panjić. Taj drugi plov startao je po više od 20 čvorova vjetra, a u trenucima obilaska privjetrinskih oznaka puhalo je i preko 25. Posljedica svježih refula bilo je skoro pa istovremeno izvrtanje na bok nekolicine jedrilica! Nakon prolaska kroz gate slijedio je povratak u vjetar i sigurno je bila riječ o najnapornijem jedrenju u Melgesima do sada za većinu sudionika. Regatni odbor je bio više nego svjestan situacije i kako je donesena odluka da se regata pusti dalje, da bi se bar malo olakšalo svim natjecateljima, odlučeno je da se postavi pomoćni cilj na idućoj oznaci. Osim Panjića, ovaj plov, vrlo dobro je odjedrio i PointOne. Ovako su se bar malo "iskupili" za kiks s prethodnog starta, dok je Mataran ovog puta ušao kao treći. Pobjeda iz prethodnog plova i ovo treće mjesto osiguralo je posadi Matarana titulu najuspješnije posade dana. Vjetrovita nedjelja sigurno će u lijepom sjećanju ostati i posadi Melgesa - Razjaren. Kao što je već spomenuto ovo je njima bio premijerni nastup, a kako im je za kormilom Ante Ćesić i očekivanja su im bila velika. U subotu su još hvatali ritam broda, dok su u nedjelju osvojili 3. i 4. mjesto. Inače, za neupućene, Ante Ćesić je u kombinaciji s Antom Kujundžićem 2004. godine osvojio titulu svjetskih prvaka u klasi 470, dok su godinu ranije bili srebreni iza Šime Fantele i Igora Marenića. Na kraju, kad se obavi finalni izračun, subota je Universitas Novi osigurala uvjerljivu pobjedu, dok su se srebrom i broncom okitili Panjić i Mataran 24 koji je imao jednak broj bodova kao PointOne. Ukupne rezultate regate možete pronaći na ovom linku, a idući event klase Melges 24 u Hrvatskoj bit će velika međunarodna regata u Rovinju koja će se jedriti od 1. do 3. travnja. 📸 regate.com.hr READ MORE