NORTH SAILS BLOG

3Di Outlasts The Adventure Francois Gabart and his 30-meter trimaran Macif broke the solo around-the-world speed record in December 2017 with a 3Di mainsail that had 45,000 miles BEFORE the start of his record run. 3Di powered all three around-the-world speed records currently held.   No Film. No Delamination. 3Di is composite technology, not a sail laminate. All other sailmakers use laminates of which Mylar film is an integral component. Moisture, sunlight, and fatigue degrade both the adhesives used with the film, and the Mylar itself. These cause delamination and film failure over time.   Another Dimension North Sails created 3D technology and is the only sailmaker to utilize full-sized molds. 3Di uses reconfigurable molds that are set to the sail’s intended flying shape.   Made By Robots (mostly) The only sewing on a 3Di sail is for attaching details such as corner reinforcements and clew straps. The majority of the 3Di process is automated and run by computers.   Unique To You North Sails has four versions of 3Di to suit different sailing styles and budgets.   It Has To Be North 3Di is a patented sail technology that is exclusive to North Sails. There are many “black” and “gray” sails on the market, but they are actually Mylar based string sails hidden underneath a cover layer giving them the superficial appearance of 3Di without the performance. READ MORE

TRIM TALK AT ARKLOW SAILING CLUB North Sails Ireland will be hosting a Sail Trim talk at Arklow Sailing Club on Friday 25th January at 19.30. Presented by Shane Hughes. North Sails Ireland would like to offer the members of Arklow Sailing club and visitors a presentation on the latest theory and techniques for improving and refining upwind trim and boat speed. The presentation draws on the North U syllabus so successfully used around the world by North Sails representatives and includes the use of North Sails proprietary Sail Trim Simulator to help illustrate some of these trim solutions. Upwind Sail Trim & Boat Speed Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air All are welcome, members and visitors. No entry fee. READ MORE

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW Visit The North Sails Team at Booth 1623 Our Toronto team kicked off the 2019 Toronto International Boat Show this past weekend with a bang! The team including Hugh Beaton, Louisa Sonosky, Doug Folsetter, Miro Balcar, and Kyann Rentzelos were on hand for preview day to welcome friends and customers. The team will be on site for the entire show to help you find the right sail for your needs. Take advantage of North Sails Boat Show Special by placing your order today for preferred pricing. Calling all Beneteau owners! Learn how North Sails can assist you! Make sure to sign up for product information and expert advice. Ask the Toronto team how when you visit the booth. Not to mention North U Seminars with expert Bill Gladstone will be occurring throughout the show. Bill will be sharing information on Tactics, Tips & Tricks as well as Upwind Sail Trim. Join Bill for these hour-long complimentary sessions, and don’t forget to stop by booth 1623 to talk to our local crew about finding the right sail for you. Looking for cruising sails? Check out our award-winning 3Di NORDAC for a better cruising experience. 3Di NORDAC reinvents the traditional dacron cruising sail providing more aerodynamic shape without compromising control, speed and comfort; rather it enhances and improves all the above. Order the revolutionary cruising product today! Interested in our products? Visit us at the Toronto Boat Show or Contact our local loft today! READ MORE

HELIX WITH LOAD SHARING TECHNOLOGY North Sails Is Changing The Narrative on Cableless Sails This article is republished from Seahorse Magazine, February 2019. There are few areas of race boat technology harder to keep secret than the latest sail designs and engineering solutions. One of the hottest – and most publicly visible – areas of development right now is perfecting a cable-free headsail that not only goes fast… but that also lasts. There has been a significant amount of hype and hyperbole about the development of headsails without furling torque-cables, and, like most good ideas, this concept has been around for a while. At North Sails their designers began working on this concept with Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand during the 34th America’s Cup, when radical boat designs placed extreme loads on the 3Di headsails. The design and engineering challenge was to deliver a solution where headsail loads were redistributed from the torque cable/headstay and shared with the sail. Known within the North offices as Load Sharing Technology, this feature, when paired with a 3Di Helix Luff, is the North Sails answer to what others may call the cable-less headsail concept. North Sails new Helix Luff technology transitions headsail loads out of a traditional anti-torsion cable and redistributes them, optimizing the load distribution throughout the sail and potentially reducing the overall loading. 📸North Sails / Ian Roman North’s head of engineering and design JB Braun explains; “Trying to reduce loads on boats and rigs while maintaining headstay tension has begun a trend and has opened up design ideas to rethinking the significance of luff cables, and in the case of Helix sails, to transition load out of a traditional anti-torsion cable and redistribute it into the sail.” 3Di technology is better suited to the sharing application because all 3Di sails are engineered with tapes laid in varying orientation and depth to optimize load distribution throughout the sail. 3Di’s intrinsic load sharing properties, coupled with a Helix Luff effectively move load reliance away from a cable/headstay and into the sail structure thus potentially reducing the overall loading. “The critical breakthrough with Helix sails is that redistributed loads allow the headsail to project forward the structure on the front of the sail to achieve headstay tension and luff projection while reducing the load on the boat, mast, and rigging. The engineering emphasis is focused on the innovative, barely visible carbon Helix Luff structure, a 3Di design manipulation which projects the sail forward, punching the luff out in front of the boat.” Load Sharing Technology coupled with the Helix Luff is empowering North to reimagine both roller furling downwind (Code Zero and A-3 style sails), reaching sails, and even may translate to some styles of upwind sails. It’s almost like another trim point. The 3Di technology paired with the powerful North Design Suite tools enables mapping and displacing loads to deliver lighter, more efficient, and beautifully smooth sails. North Helix sails are not aimed at one size or class of boat, but are suitable for most boats from mid-size IRC designs to TP52s, Imocas, Volvo Ocean Race boats, WallyCentos and 100-foot Maxis and even Superyachts. Recent feedback from Steve Benjamin’s TP52 Spookie using North Helix sails was that they were recording about half the tack loads of a conventional Code Zero with similar or even better luff projection. This means less mast tip sag, less sideways sag, significantly less loading on the bowsprit, ropes, winches and deck gear… all with a sail that is projecting better and creating more forward driving force. Many of the loads on an existing boat are reduced – and for a new design, there is significant new potential for weight reduction throughout the entire boat. North Sails Group president Ken Read expands, “Helix sails are the latest advancement of 3Di, a technology where North Sails focuses the majority of our R&D effort. We often move ahead without a great deal of fanfare because making lighter, and faster and more efficient sails is the bedrock of North Sails.” “The big gains with Helix and Load Sharing Technology, especially on reaching and broad reaching furling sails, is overall weight reduction and the ability to really adjust the leading edge of the membrane’s shape with a very small luff cable or rope. Not the large and heavy Torque cables that have become commonplace. We are very excited as to all of the avenues that this has opened for the use of 3Di in this process.” Above: TP52 Spookie. Using North Helix sails they have reduced the tack loads by half while also achieving more forward drive. This creates a lot of potential for weight reduction throughout the boat. 📸North Sails / Ian Roman Ken Read, President, North Sails Group comments; “The beauty of North Sails is the amount of technology and software that goes into what we create. We made some new Helix Code Zeros in the summer when our brief was to be conservative. Now we are reaching into the finer details with our North Design Suite which allows us to map deeper into these same sails. The best part of being a part of this company is letting our smart people loose to go explore with our North Design Suite. This is a generational opportunity for using 3Di structure and how it all works; these sails will keep evolving and have already spread into non-furling sails, where load-sharing is going to potentially allow upwind headsails to have similar characteristics without the sideways sag. We believe that the North Helix sails are now lighter and faster than any other sail out there.” “I can tell you that the new sails coming out now are nothing short of phenomenal! With any new concept, North Sails are always searching for a downside. Right now, we are aware that none of these new types of furling sail have been in the marketplace long enough to fully assess their true working life; we are also aware of longevity issues with sails from other manufacturers. That said, 3Di sails outlast the most extreme conditions, and of all the options, we’re confident 3Di will always stand up better than a mylar laminate.” “What is important for us now is to cover all the bases with a focus on both performance and longevity. Our commitment is to a smoother sail that will furl and perform better than anything else out there. With North Helix sails, this is happening right now.” Click here to request information about Helix Sails READ MORE

GET AHEAD OF THE GAME For the ORC Worlds in Croatia, 2019 Get in touch with your local expert today and order your race-winning sails! Contact Your Local Loft in Croatia Today READ MORE

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU! Portugal, Continent and Islands Missing summer already? Contact North Sails Cascais and make sure your sails are ready for next season! Our Certified Service experts are here for you to guarantee your sails inspection and maintenance. Contact us and get information about services provided for sails and canvas. 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. Estamos aqui para si 365 dias por ano! Portugal, Continente e Ilhas Já está com saudades do Verão? Contacte a North Sails Cascais e garanta que tem tudo pronto no início da época! Os nossos especialistas em Certified Service estão cá para assegurar a inspecção e manutenção das suas velas. Contacte-nos e receba informação sobre os serviços prestados para Velas e Capas. É a nossa missão prestar-lhe serviços especializados de reparação, manutenção e upgrades. Sabemos que, tanto em cruzeiro como em regata, as velas são um grande investimento e por isso temos o compromisso de ajudá-lo a optimizar a sua performance e durabilidade. Book your Service Today/ Faça Hoje o Agendamento Winter Sails Check It's that time of year to bring your sails in for their annual check up and winter storage. Schedule your 10-Point Inspection now. Our service 1 Year Free Sail Care If your sails were delivered within the last 12 months, you qualify for our sail care program. Read more READ MORE

NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS Start The Year On The Right Track By Preparing For Your Season Of Sailing READ MORE

DAVE LENZ TAKES ON THE MERLIN ROCKET Announcing Our One Design New Class Leader As the Head of European Design for North Sails, Dave Lenz likes making sailboats go a little faster. He spends his workday with his “fingers in lots of pies,” developing sails for big boats like the TP52 and Fast 40. Now, on the weekends, he’ll be trying to make a Merlin Rocket go a little faster—with his wife as crew. “She’s a good sailor,” he says. “She was keener than I was actually. It’s a personal sort of thing, just to go sailing and have some fun.” Dave started sailing as a small child and then moved into Optimists and up through the British Youth Squad system. Olympic skiff sailing eventually led him to big boats, which led to a few jobs in sailmaking before he landed at North Sails in 2006. “Back then, one design was in a separate building,” he remembers. “Now there’s less distinction, although with unique challenges. Dave was a member of a top Melges 32 team in the late 2000s. “We won a European championship, and the combined winter championship at Key West, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. Second and a third in Key West; good, solid results.” Solid results in the Merlin Rocket will have to wait for more time in the boat. “We’ve only sailed it three times, and only one race,” he laughs. “Hit a top mark, the spinnaker sheets came untied…” The Merlin Rocket appeals to Dave because it is a development class and tweaky enough to keep his interest. “You can work on sails or rig or foils for slightly different crew weights. There’s lots of controls to power up and depower the rig. And it isn’t as weight sensitive as some other classes.” Newer designs with less rig controls come and go, Dave says, because a lot of people like to be able to fiddle with their boat. For a sail design expert, there’s also a fresh challenge written into the class rules. “It has a combined sail area between mainsail and jib, so how you distribute the area between the two sails can vary. There’s definitely development to be done there. We’re also working on developing a 3Di mainsail, and longer term I think we’ll try a jib. The Merlin is a class that lends itself to that technology, and lessons we learn there will be very applicable to the rest of the things we do. It’s a good area for us to grow.” Yet another appeal is fleet size and quality around the UK. “They have a seasonal circuit of open meetings, you’ll get between 30-60 boats at those events. National championships will be about 70-80 boats. Every year, there’s a regatta in Salcombe, a very nice town; they limit the entries to 120 boats. The boats are cool. And because it appeals to lots of good sailors, it appeals to lots more good sailors which means it is very competitive.” Dave’s Recommended Inventory for 2019 A new mainsail model will launch very soon, Dave says. “We’re also looking at developing a larger jib than people have been using. That will be a good option, but doesn’t fit a lot of boats at this stage. You have to have a different measurement certificate, but it’s very feasible if it makes crews faster.” Dave is also focusing on other challenges to prepare for next season; “We need to get a bit fitter. It’s a hiking boat, and there’s a bunch of youngsters that crew on these boats and they’re probably very fit.” Dave steers and his wife crews, which he says suits the boat well.“The boat does lend itself to slightly heavier helm. It can be a bit nosey downwind, quite a handful when it’s windy.” The couple sailed together before their two kids, currently five and seven, came along. “It’s quite nice to get a chance to do it again,” Dave says. “And there’s a fleet of twelve boats at our local sailing club.” Looking ahead, he’s excited about their kids joining the fun. “As they get a bit bigger, they’ll be able to come out with us, or replace us at some point.” Meanwhile he’ll just keep trying to make big and small sailboats go faster, seven days a week. READ MORE

INTRODUKTION Formålet med denne tuning guide er at give vores BB-10 meter kunder nogle retningslinjer i, hvordan man får størst mulig udbytte af sine nye North Sejl. Tuning guiden er udarbejdet af Theis Palm.Følg vejledningen så nøjagtigt som muligt. Det er dog altid en god idé at eksperimentere på sin egen båd, da mandskabets vægt, bådens balance, riggens beskaffenhed samt lokale forhold også kan have indflydelse på det absolut optimale trim. MASTETRIM 1. Salingshornenes længde og vinkel er vigtig for storsejlets facon, da disse er med til at kontrollere mastens krumning og dermed også forstagets spænding. Længden af salingshornene måles fra siden af masten til wiren der er placeret i salingshornet, målet er 86 cm, målet tages i midten af salingshornet. Salingshornenes vinkel måles ved at binde en tynd snor fra det ene overvant til det andet og her efter måles afstanden fra snoren og ned til bagkanten af masten skal være 12 cm. Ved samme lejlighed afsættes et tapemærker på 76 cm målt fra siden af masten. Dette mærker bruges senere til trim af fokken. 2. Herefter holdes forstaget og overvanterne ind langs masten og strækkes så meget som muligt. Der afsættes et mærke på wirerne, ud for overkanten af det sorte ved bomfæste. Dette mærke er nu udgangspunkt for mastens hældning. 3. Forstaget placeres i det forreste af de fem huller i skinnen på fordækket. 4. Kontroller at afstanden fra overkanten af det sorte mærke ved bomfæste til dæk målt på siden af masten er 64 cm. Differencen skal korrigeres på det mål på forstaget som følger. 5. Mastens hældning bestemmes således, afstanden fra det afsatte mærke på forstaget til dækket målt parallelt med forstaget til dækket er 1,39 m. 6. Kontroller nu – når den korrekte mastehældning er konstateret – at masten hviler på hele sin trædeflade på mastens fod. I modsat fald vil rig trykket blive ukonstant og forstaget hermed uroligt. 7. Mærkerne på overvanterne bruges til at kontrollere at masten står lige i båden ved at måle fra mærke til dæk i begge sider. Dette er mere præcist end at måle fra mastetoppen. 8. Riggens spænding er svær at definere, da ikke alle er i besiddelse af den samme rigmåler.Til denne vejledning har vi anvendt en Loose Gauge type PT-2 M, hvor vi har følgende mål. Overvant Undervant Let 0-2 m/sek. 27 23 Mellem 3-9 m/sek. 31 28 Hård 10+ m/sek. 4 34 9. Når undervant spændingen er sat, kontrolleres om masten står lige. Tallene på undervanter er kun en guideline, som er erfaringer fra vores egen båd. Det er vigtigt at masten står lige op til 10 m/sek. Herefter strammes undervanterne til masten falder 5-10 cm til læ ved fokke godset alt eftermandskabets vægt. 10. Strutten sætte meget let, masten skal krumme i en jævn kurve fra mastetop til fod. STORSEJL TRIM AF STORSEJLStorskødet er meget kritisk og små justeringer har stor betydning for højde og fart. Skøder man hårdt, lukker agterliget mere og giver større rorpres, men til gengæld mere højde. Dette trim kan anvendes i mellemluft på fladt vand, så længe man kan hænge båden ned. I let vind slækkes skødet således at ticklers ved den øverste sejlpind flyver ret bagud. I hård vind skødes godt hjem og hækstaget hales indtil båden igen bliver let på roret uden at man mister højde. I forholdsvis store bølger skal sejlet twiste mere, for at få så stort et styreområde til vinden som overhovedet muligt, samtidigt giver det også bedre fart og hermed også højde. Som tommelfingerregel trimmes den bagerste halvdel på den øverste sejlpind parallelt med bommen i stort set alle vindstyrker. UDHAL PÅ BOMUdhalet er en anden vigtig trimfaktor. I let vind (0-2 m/sek.) skal sejlet være 4 cm fra sort mærke. I mellemvind (2-5 m/sek.) 2 cm fra sort mærke og over 5 m/sek. hales helt ud på mærke. CUNNINGHAMUndlad helt at bruge cunningham i let vind. I mellem vind hales kun så meget at rynkerne langs forliget forsvinder. Når vinden er over 7 m/sek. hales der hårdt for at medvirke til at åbne kappen og holde faconen fremme i sejlet. LØJGANGENJustering af løjgangen påvirker rorpresset væsentligt og bruges alt efter mandskabets vægt. Løjgangsvognen justeres således at bommen, så længe som overhovedet muligt, er på centerlinien af båden, altså til luv (dette for at bevare så stor vindkanal mellem storsejl og genua/fok som overhovedet muligt og for, at kunne sejle maximal højde). Når vinden så frisker og hækstaget er halet maximalt køres løjgangen til læ indtil båden er i balance og let på roret. HÆKSTAGETHækstaget har to funktioner: at kontrollere dybden i storsejlet og hvor meget forstaget falder mod læ. Det vil sige, at et strammere hækstag betyder et fladere og mere åbent storsejl, mindre forstags fald og hermed også fladere genua/fok. Vi har mærket vores hækstag op for hver 3 cm, så vi hurtigt kan komme tilbage til et godt trim og have båden veltrimmet lige efter mærke rundningerne. BOMNEDHALBrug aldrig bomnedhalet på kryds. Bomnedhalet bruges på følgende måde: hal til den bagerste halvdel af den øverste sejlpind står parallelt med bommen, både på halv vind og læns, under alle vind forhold. GENUA/FOK SKØDEPUNKTSkødevognens placering er kritisk for forsejlenes trim. Som udgangspunkt måles 4,90 m. fra pinboldt i forstag til centrum af skødeblokken til genuaen og 3,10 m til fokken. Forsejlene skal luffe jævnt langs forliget, det vil sige, at ticklers skal stå ens både i top og bund. SKØDESPÆNDINGGenuaen halse til den står 3 cm fra enden af sallingshornene i alle vindstyrker, underliget er helt inde ved overvant fæste i over 3 m/sek og 1 cm fra under 3 m/sek.Fokken hales til den lige røre salingshornet og akkurat bliver stram langs underlig mærkrt på salingshornet bruges som reference. FALD SPÆNDINGStræk aldrig faldet for hårdt, da faconen ellers kommer for langt frem. Stræk kun lige så folderne ved løjerterne forsvinder. I let vind må der gerne være små folder ved løjerterne, idet faconen i fokken derved flyttes lidt bagud og dybden øges en smule, dette giver det bedste profil. SPILER Spilerstagens fæste på masten bør sidde i en højde af 1,60 m. over ruffet. Stage justeres således, at den står vandret. Derved opnås den størst effektive længde af spilerstagen og det størst mulige projicerede areal til vinden. Vores spiler er designet hertil. I let vind justeres stagehøjden således, at skødebarmene på spileren flyver lige højt, for at få den bedste indfaldsvinkel på det luv sidelig, samtidig med at det læ sidelig er maximalt åbent.På skæring i hård luft må spilerstagen under ingen omstændigheder komme nærmere til forstaget end 50 cm for at forhindre båden kommer ud af kontrol og skærer op. READ MORE

Download – Knarr Trimguide (Danish) The purpose of this tuning-guide is to give our clients in the Knarr class some guidelines on how to get the most out of their North Sails. This tuning-guide was compiled by Henrik Søderlund and Theis Palm. Always experiment and try finding your own trim using these guidelines. The weight of the crew, the balance of the boat together with specific local wind and sea conditions all have influence on the fastest and final trim. MAST TRIM Before stepping the mast in the boat, some very important measurements have to be checked to follow this tuning-guide correctly:  Lead the upper shrouds and forestay along the mast, the upper have to be out of the spreader tips. Pull them as hard as you can and put a mark on all three wires at the top at the black near the gooseneck on the mast. These three marks are now used to check if the mast is centered in the boat, and to check the mast rake. Place the mast foot the following way. First measure 1.21 meter from the bow and place the forestay here. Move the foot of the mast aft, until you measure 2,00 meter from the forestay position (this is the maximum J measure to the class rules) block the mast on the backside. Leave 20 mm free space on the front side of the mast.The mast foot adjusts the following way: In light winds (0-8 Knots) the mast should be relative hard on the aft edge and pressed 10 mm aft along the mast foot rail for the mast to bend smoothly, and make the forestay loos. In winds above 8 knots move the mast foot back to basic position. Set the mast rake. Pull the permanent backstay until the forestay stays straight. Then measure the distance from the black mark on the forestay to the deck (along the forestay) the distance is 1,13 meter. Control the distance from the deck to the upper black band at the gooseneck measured on the backside of the mast, the measurement is 80 cm. If there is a difference it should be adjusted on the forestay measurement. The upper shrouds proper position is located measuring perpendicularly from the center of the mast to the attachment point on the shroud base. The marks on the upper shrouds (from step 1) are now used to verify that the mast is vertical. This is best done by measure from the mark on the upper shrouds to where the turnbuckles enter the deck – the distance should be the same on both sides. It is very important, that the mast is straight from side to side and not being distorted at deck level. The lower shrouds are placed 35 cm behind the upper shrouds according to the class rules. All rig tension measurements we used a Loose Gauge PT-2. The upper shrouds should read 11 as a base setting. In 9 – 15 knots tighten 1½ turn and from 16 knots and up, another 1½ turn. The lower shrouds are tensioned, so that the mast is completely straight in the boat. The lowers is tighten in the same time as the upper shrouds. In general the rig is very slack to get the mast as fare forward as possible on the downwind leg. The jumpers are adjusted by pulling the permanent backstay. Then look up along the sail track and check that the jumpers are equally tight on both sides. If this is not the case, they should be adjusted till the mast is completely straight. When the mast is relaxed it will bend slightly forward. SAIL TRIM Mainsail Trim The mainsheet is critical in setting the shape of the sail and small adjustments can have a big effect on speed and pointing. If the mainsheet is sheeted tight, the leech will close and put more pressure on the rudder – on the other hand pointing ability is improved. This can be used in medium winds and flat water, where the boat can be kept flat by hiking. In light winds the mainsheet is eased so that the top tell-tale flies straight. In heavy winds, sheet tight and pull the backstay until the rudder feels light again (but without losing pointing). In large waves, let the leech twist a little more to have a wider steering angle. This increases speed, and therefore pointing, at the same time. As a thumb rule the top batten is trimmed parallel to the boom in almost all wind strengths. OUTHAULThe outhaul is also an important factor when trimming as it controls the draft in the bottom of the sail. In very light winds (0-5 knots) the sail should be 2 cm from the mark. In medium winds (5-12 knots) about 1 cm from the mark and in more wind than this pull the sail all the way to the mark. CUNNINGHAMDo not set the cunningham in light winds. In medium winds set the cunningham so that the wrinkles along the luff disappear. When the wind exceeds 15 knots pulled it hard to open the leech and keep the draft forward in the sail. TRAVELLERAlways to windward in any condition BACKSTAYThe backstay has two functions: To control draft in the mainsail and to control forestay sag. When the backstay is tightened, the mainsail flattens, the leech opens, and there is less forestay sag and therefore, a jib with less draft. It is a good idea to put marks on the backstay, e.g., every 5 cm, to facilitate finding the right trim after mark roundings, etc. KICKINGSTRAP/BOOM VANGThe kickingstrap is used when sailing upwind in strong wind and also downwind. Upwind, the kickingstrap push on the mast and opens the leech in the bottom part of the mainsail and keeps the boom down when easing in the gusts. Never use the kickingstrap upwind in less than 18 knots and use caution. Remember always to ease the kickingstrap for downwind sailing when bearing off, otherwise the boom might break. Downwind the kickingstrap is trimmed so that the top batten is parallel to the boom – on all sailing angles and in all conditions. Jib Trim North Sails jibs are made for sheeting points both on deck and cabin top. However, we recommend sheeting from the cabin top to make the jib-leech twist more freely and thus allowing the gap between main and jib to be as wide as possible. Furthermore, the control of the jib is improved (particularly in heavy winds) because of the shorter distance from clew to block. The jib-lead track is placed with its center 48 cm (fig2A) from the boat’s centerline. When sheeting from the cabin top, we recommend using a swivel block on the deck, so that the jib sheet does not create an overwrap on the winch. SHEETING POINTThe position of the jib lead is crucial for the jib trim. As a reference point measure 2.68 m from the pin in the forestay to the centre of the block (if the lead is on the cabin top). The jib shall luff evenly, i.e. tell-tales must fly at the same time in top and bottom. JIB SHEETAs a general rule sheet the jib so that the middle batten is parallel to the centerline in most conditions, but in light winds (0-5 knots) leave 2-3 degrees of twist. If the sea is lumpy, move the jib lead 2 – 3 “holes” forward to get more draft and power in the jib (the middle batten shall still be parallel to the boat’s centerline). In heavy winds move the lead 1 – 2 “holes” back without letting the foot of the sail become tight and flutter. HALYARD TENSIONNever pull the halyard too tight. This will cause the draft of the jib to move too far forward. Pull it until the wrinkles in the luff disappear. In light wind the best shape is obtained when leaving small wrinkles in the luff. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

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PUFF RESPONSE UPWIND IN HEAVY AIR By Bill Gladstone This article is derived from the North U Trim Seminar. North U offers seminars, clinics, books, media, online training, and coaching. Visit NorthU.com to Learn More Proper response to a puff is critical to optimum performance in variable conditions. In our previous segment, Puff Response Upwind, we covered the best response to a puff in moderate air. In this segment we’ll look at Puff Response Upwind in Heavy Air. Heavy Air vs Moderate Air We’ll start by drawing a distinction between heavy air and moderate air: In light to moderate conditions as the wind speed increases our boat speed increases. We define Heavy Air, at least for the purposes of this article, as winds where an increase in wind speed does not result in an increase in upwind boat speed. Many boats cross this threshold around 15 to 20 knots True Wind Speed. Fig. 1: As the wind increases in heavy air our boat speed does not. The Puff Hits As a puff hits the True Wind increases (“GUST!”). The stronger True Wind creates a stronger Apparent Wind and a wider Apparent Wind Angle. The best response is to trim sails to match this wider Apparent Wind Angle – usually by lowering the traveler. The trim response maintains a balanced helm and consistent angle of heel. It can be helpful if crew looking upwind can call or count down the arrival of puffs so the main trimmer and driver can be ready (“Puff in 3-2-1!”). Ideally the jib would be eased in concert with the main but in reality that can be hard to do – and even harder to retrim. On boats where you can play the jib it can be very fast. J22s come to mind as one boat where the jib and main are both played through the puffs. See Figure 2. Fig. 2: A puff results in stronger Apparent Wind and a wider Apparent Wind Angle. The proper initial response is a change in trim – lowering the traveler (or making other adjustments) to match the new wind angle. Acceleration – NOT The trim response maintains a balanced helm and consistent angle of heel. In heavy air we then feather up to point a little higher. Feathering up will push the apparent wind forward… See Figure 3. Fig. 3: As we feather up in the new wind the apparent wind moves forward and we can re-trim. Limits You can feather up in puffs to a point… but your rig can never outpoint your keel. At some point you’ll be lowering the traveler (or adding twist or… see below) and leaving it down. Wasted If we don’t respond to the puff with a change in trim then we waste the energy of the puff in heeling force, weather helm and leeway rather than take advantage of it with a smooth feather up to a higher angle. More… Why a Trim Response? Why not just feather the helm? Why not just feather through the puff? Because a Trim Response is faster. A trim response maintains a balanced helm and reduces leeway. A feathering response gives you a brief bit of height (usually accompanied by more heel and leeway). In actual practice your response will likely be a combination of both trim and feathering. Feathering alone will not be fast or sufficient in most conditions. Why use the Traveler? In this depiction we use the traveler to respond to a puff. Lowering the traveler reduces angle of attack. This is often the preferred method on a moderate displacement keel boat. Alternatives to the Traveler On some other boats – for example high performance boats with square top mains and high aspect keels, and on multi-hulls – it is more effective to play the mainsheet and change twist. On still others – for example, Etchells – a big pull on the backstay is very effective. Some boats use “Vang Sheeting” (where the mainsheet controls angle of attack) and respond to puffs by playing the main. Which is Best? Snappy Answer: Whichever is fastest. Longer Answer: You’ll have to test to see what works best on your boat; but the bottom line is that a Trim Response is preferred to just feathering/ steering through the puff. Puff Response in Heavy Air In actual practice your response will likely be a combination of trim and feathering. Feathering alone will not be fast or sufficient in most conditions. © copyright Bill Gladstone READ MORE

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NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS Start The Year On The Right Track By Preparing For Your Season Of Sailing READ MORE

WIR SIND DABEI! Vom 19. - 26. Januar ist Daniel Schroff an der BOOT in Düsseldorf. Den North Sails Stand finden Sie in der Halle 11, Stand H24. Gerne können Sie schon heute einen Termin mit ihm abmachen: 071 680 00 80 READ MORE

WELLES & HOROWITZ MAKE THE US SAILING YACHTSMAN OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST A Successful Year On The Water Pays Off For North Experts The annual rundown of the year’s “best in the U.S.” represents a wide range of accomplished sailors from various disciplines and at different stages of their respective careers. All Yachtsman finalists earned their spot on this exclusive list by winning a J/Boat World Championship in 2018. These finalists are seasoned veterans in the sport, and have been tested over time and exceeded expectations. Each sailor on this list represent their own unique pathway after a victorious season on the water within their respective classes. Some of these sailors were selected based on their consistent exceptional performances throughout the 2018 season and some were chosen for their signature win(s) at major international or national events. These sailors have mastered their craft and have focused on the importance of precision and performance in their competitive sailing efforts, which has shown as a result in their success at major events. Among the group of fantastic sailors chosen for the shortlist, we are pleased to share that our very own Will Welles and Zeke Horowitz have made the Finalist List for US Sailing’s 2018 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award. Both Will and Zeke have shown utmost talent in One Design classes all over the world, and we couldn’t be happier for the both of them after all of the hard work they have put into their 2018 sailing season. Will Welles (Portsmouth, R.I.) – Will Welles is a Two-time J/24 World Champion works out of North Sails Rhode Island and has more than eighteen years of sailmaking experience. Will has won multiple National and North American titles since he joined North in 2007. In 2018, Will won his second J/24 World Championship title in five years. Welles was the runner-up at the J/24 North American Championship and later in the year he dominated the fleet of 89 boats at Worlds. Zeke Horowitz (Annapolis, MD.) – Zeke Horowitz is also a two-time World Champion and is a key member of the North Sails One Design Team based in Annapolis, MD since 2015. Zeke attended the College of Charleston where he was selected as an Honorable Mention All-American twice as well as an Academic All-Conference All-American. Zeke holds eight North American / National championship titles in various classes. In 2018, Zeke won the J/22 World Championship and secured the Flying Scot North American Championship title. He also placed second at the Viper 640 North American Championship. Awards Criteria: What Makes A Yachtsman? Must be eligible to represent the USA under World Sailing regulations, and actually representing the USA at the event(s) for which the nominee is being considered for the award. Awards recognize the individual male and female U.S. sailor who has demonstrated on-the-water excellence in the calendar year. In the past, there have been outstanding situations resulting in a skipper and crew nomination being accepted (Olympic years). Must have won a major international or national event and/or performed at a high level consistently in multiple events against elite competition. There is no minimum age required to win the award. The awards are not based on career racing results (lifetime achievements) or philanthropic contributions to the sport. Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. READ MORE

2018 DESIGN MEETING DEBRIEF North Sail Designers Combine Forces In Marblehead © North Sails In the final weeks of 2018, 23 North Sails designers from eight countries gathered in Marblehead, MA for a team debrief about progress in 2018 and what they’ll be working on in 2019. Hosted by JB Braun, this international brain trust talked through sail development, refinements to the North Design Suite, and 2019 baseline packages for race teams. “Everybody said it was a tremendous meeting,” JB said when we caught up with him at his office a week later. “They felt that it was worth their time; not only valuable to the company, but also valuable individually.” Then he laughs. “Now we’re trying to figure out why.” 2018 TP52 Super Series © Nico Martinez Mickey Ickert has an answer. “Face to face contact with the guys is good, as most of our work is remote,” he says. “Rather than presenting topics we worked through them, progressing as a whole group.” Magnus Doole chimes in to define that progress in more detail. “As designers, we are encouraged to push the boundaries of both the design and structures of the sails we create; doing this as a team to pull our collective thoughts and reasoning was reinforced. I guess that’s ‘Go Beyond’!” The North design team first came together for a global meeting in 2017. One year later, the core group—leading designers from key grand prix classes (TP52, Pac52, RC44, Mini Maxi, etc.), covering almost every time zone—were joined by some new blood for three days of collaboration and discussion. “Seeing these talented people – some a little younger,” Mickey says with a smile, “working ‘full noise’ on the same goals…it was refreshing, and everyone felt able to contribute.” Brodt Taylor, a first-time attendee, agrees. “It flowed together really easily. We were constantly trying to move to the next thing, but at the same time, we didn’t let anything fall by the wayside.” Technical Breakthroughs The agenda included summarizing achievements from 2018 and stating goals for 2019. Magnus Doole says, “Each head of department was pushed to take the next step (whether defined or out there in the ether to be found).” JB is more specific. “All the designs that we did, we made a spreadsheet analysis in the kind of detail that a sail designer would be interested in. We did the graphs…” he points to a model on his enormous computer screen. “Each one of these was done per class. Then the lead designer summarized what they did.” Helix Another innovation reviewed by the design team was Helix sails, which use Load Sharing TechnologyTM to transition luff loads away from an anti-torsion cable and move it into with sail structure in offwind sails. “We’re taking the structure of the sail, and supporting the luff,” JB explains. “That allows the luff to kind of rotate to weather.” As soon as you’re off the wind, a straight luff is no longer ideal. “You want positive luff curve to match the bend in wind from top to bottom. The entry is very nice, more consistent and even up and down. There is still a very small luff cable or rope, so you can adjust the tension.” Load Sharing Technology coupled with the Helix Luff reimagines both roller furling downwind (Code Zero and A-3 style sails), reaching sails, and even may translate to some styles of upwind sails. Baseline Packages: TP52 2018 marked the first year that baseline packages were offered in the TP52 class, which is on the leading edge of sail development. The approach worked well and 2019 packages are well under development. “The individual design teams can tweak from there—or just use the baseline designs,” JB says. 2018 TP52 Super Series ©Nico Martinez One significant breakthrough from this approach was the “bubble-less” jib. When designers spotted an area of extra drag created by narrow sheeting angles, they used the North Design Suite to tweak an already highly refined sail.“We used our tools and design to try to minimize this separation zone,” JB explained. The result was a faster jib. Development continues for the 2019 TP52 season, of course. “We’re going to make a new layout and structure that’s going to be higher modulus and lighter than we did last year. We have a whole team set up to look at that.” Once a design tweak like this proves successful in one class, it can be applied elsewhere. “Some things like tape density, or how the tapes are laid into the sail, that can go in and globally affect every single sail that North builds,” JB adds. “All this work filters back, even to your cruising customer, if it’s appropriate for that type of sail.” 2018 Yachting Cup, Pac 52s @ Bronny Daniels / joysailing.com Tool Tweaks The North Design Suite is constantly improving as well. Michael Richelson, who heads up NDS development, attended the meeting. Mickey Ickert says, “Having the latest tool updates available with the guys who write the software right there is pretty powerful. It was an impressive mix of people working well together.” 2018 RC44 World Champions, Nico Poon’s Charisma © Studio Martinez A “Tremendous Success” After three days of focused discussion in one room, JB says all 23 designers went home freshly inspired—though he admits the technical nitty-gritty may not be that exciting to anyone else. “We have talented designers that are passionate about making boats go faster. North Sails is providing us a unique opportunity, in software, machinery and organization, allowing us “designers” to operate at a super-high level, to get out and build sails, then get instant feedback from professional sailors. And this whole thing is happening right in front of them!” “Passionate people, doing something that they love…” he shrugs. “They’re being heard, and they’re contributing to something bigger than what they’re doing individually. Maybe that’s why our meeting was such a tremendous success.” North Sail Designers in Marblehead, MA, USA 2018 © North Sails READ MORE

North Sails experts Kimo Worthington and Chuck Allen answer questions in this speed guide for the J121 class. Who sails a J121? There are several distinct types of people who sail a J121, and most are experienced sailors. Some race the boat one design, some race shorthanded or fully crewed offshore, and some head south and cruise the Caribbean. Many are individualists who have been changing keels and adding sails. In the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race, four J121s raced in three different configurations. The point is, the J121 is a versatile boat that’s ready to sail offshore, and the sailors who do buy one all seem to agree that they’d rather do something other than race windward-leeward course configurations. The J121 is a versatile boat that’s ready to sail shorthanded and/or offshore. What’s the ideal J121 crew size? That’s a trick question for this boat. The most crew you’ll ever need is five or six, total, for an event like Block Island Race Week, but the boat was designed for sailing doublehanded. It sails well without water ballast, but it really shines when you fill the windward tank with 850 pounds of water; that’s like having four or five extra people on the rail. Testing in a strong breeze, we have found the performance is spectacular with a reefed main and inner jib. The most crew you’ll ever need on a J121 is five or six, and the boat is designed for doublehanding. How do you move a J121 around between races? The boat is 40 feet long and weighs 11,900 pounds with 4,800 pounds of ballast, so you’re going to move this boat on its own bottom or with a professional trucker. It’s equipped with a 30hp Yanmar diesel and saildrive, so it moves along well under power. And remember, even with only a couple of delivery crew you can add water ballast and power right up. What sails are recommended? The boat is billed as a five-sail boat. There’s one mainsail and two jibs, one that roller-furls on the headstay and the other that roller-furls on the inner headstay. The boat has an extendable sprit that can fly a Code Zero/gennaker on a roller-furler, or you can use an all-purpose asymmetric spinnaker. For a closer look at all these sails, view the North Sails product page, but it’s worth talking to a North class expert to make sure you match your sails to sailing style and location. Other speciality sails include smaller and flatter spinnakers and spinnaker staysails. J121 Tuning What are the keys to rig set-up? The J121 has wide spreaders with chainplates outboard at the rail. We recommend easing your headstay length enough to rake the mast, inducing prebend to help keep it stable and secure. Use a rod-rigging tension gauge (e.g. Loos RT-11) and the numbers in the table below as a starting point. The rig is set up for heavy air with 52 on the uppers. Any tricks to tuning a boat with multiple headstays? The inner jib is a big upgrade for most people. Now, instead of wrestling to set and douse a heavy air jib, you can raise and furl it anytime on the inner headstay, which has a halyard lock-off. The lower end of the inner headstay has a 3:1 purchase, and before deploying the heavy air jib we grind the daylights out of it—enough to make the forward headstay just start going slack. What’s involved in setting up and hoisting the mainsail? The mainsail has luff slides that live on the mast track. Before bending them on for the first time, tension and secure the battens and check that the main halyard purchase has no twists. Be sure the headboard is on the track and that the battens aren’t too tight. Check that the pressure is evenly distributed between the bottom car and the tack point, which is adjustable. You should be able to hoist the sail by hand; don’t use a winch, because you might over-hoist the sail. With track cars and batten tension set correctly and no twists in the two-part halyard, you should be able to hoist the sail by hand. What’s involved in adjusting the bobstay tension? The bobstay on a J121 counters the upward pressure on the pole from the Code Zero or spinnaker, and your goal is to keep the pole projecting forward in alignment with the sheer line of the hull. The adjustment is in the center of the bobstay and can be set at the beginning of the season. Be sure that the pole is all the way out and that you have a mark on the pole control line before adjusting the bobstay tension. When the pole is extended all the way, there should be a ½ inch between bulkhead and turning block. J121 Upwind Sailing What sail combinations do you use upwind on a J121? One of the exciting things about this boat is that you can use different combinations depending on the situation. Standard upwind configuration is a full main and J1 (the bigger jib). As the wind builds, you might reef the main and keep the big jib going; offshore, you might not reef and use the inner jib instead. In enough wind, of course, you’ll use the inner jib with a reefed main. The inner jib sets up on the inner forestay. Note the furling line, which should be rigged along the windward side. Upwind, where does the crew sit? The goal is to keep your “bow knuckle” in contact with the water. So if you have a full crew of five or six, in light air most should be sitting well forward. At 10 knots, you’ll still have two crew sitting in front of the shrouds. At 14 knots, one crew is forward; at 18 knots, everyone will move back to normal hiking position. If your weight placement is correct fore and aft, the knuckle will just kiss the water. If your weight is too far aft, the bow knuckle will always be out of the water. Upwind on the J121, when do you add water ballast? As soon as you’re heeling 18 to 20 degrees, start adding water to the tanks to maintain a constant angle of heel. With a full crew, that’s likely to be around 15 knots true wind. Doublehanded, it might be at 12 knots. Don’t forget to add water when you’re cruising or doing a delivery, too. Not only will it reduce heel and improve speed, it can also settle the motion of the boat. The boat is heeled too much; it's time to add water ballast (or depower). How do you trim the main and jib upwind? In light to medium air, center the boom by raising the traveler, and then sheet as hard as you dare to get some rudder angle and heel the boat over 12 to 15 degrees. Don’t head up and slow down; let the foils work and the boat will gain height. Look for the top telltale to be stalling about 25 percent of the time in light air, 50 percent in medium air. When the breeze comes up, keep the traveler high; ease the sheet to add twist when you have trouble reaching the target numbers. In medium air, the traveler should be raised well to windward to keep the boom on centerline. For the jib, add three marks on the spreader that line up with the leech for eased, normal, and tight trim. We also recommend marking the deck for the inhauler to set the lead angle between 7 and 12 degrees. Set the angle tightest in flat water and moderate breeze. The inhauler is set at 8 degrees. How do you trim the heavy-air jib on the inner headstay? As mentioned, you need to crank on the inner headstay until it is carrying about three-quarters of the rig load and the forward headstay loosens just a little. The jib sheets lead to the same floating lead as the J1 and you will still trim to the same spreader marks, as well as watching to keep the leech telltales flowing. What are the key gear changes for sailing upwind? We’ve developed a playbook for five wind speeds. It goes like this: Zone 1 (0-8 knots):You’re looking for power; move weight forward, and keep backstay and headstay loose and outhaul eased. Try to get some heel; pull in the mainsheet. Zone 2 (9-12 knots): Start moving weight to the rail. Pull on backstay, jib halyard, and outhaul. Sail shape should still be deep. Trim the mainsheet hard. Zone 3 (13-18 knots): Max outhaul, backstay, cunningham, and jib halyard. Find “magic heel angle” (12 to 15 degrees). Crew weight starts moving aft, sail shape becomes flatter. Consider moving jib leads back. Zone 4 (18-22 knots): Now you need less power. Consider a single reef. All controls should be maxed. Find the “magic heel angle” (12-15 degrees). Sail shape should be really flat. Trim sails so the boat is easy to steer and fast; ease main (if it flogs, open the slot by easing the jib or moving the jib lead back). Zone 5 (23+ knots): Smaller jib on inner headstay and/or reefed main. Strive for “magic heel angle” (12-15 degrees). Make the boat easy to sail and keep it going fast through the water. The Magic Heel angle for the J121 is 12-15 degrees. J121 Reaching and Downwind Sailing What are the best J121 sail combinations when reaching? When close reaching in lighter winds, an eased J1 is very efficient because it has leech battens. As you bear off, switch to the Code Zero well before you think it’s time—about 70 to 80 degrees true wind. By easing the tension on the front of the Code Zero and letting it scallop you can sail even higher, but don’t overdo it. Crew should remain forward, in upwind position. Not all Code Zeros are the same. North’s are a little smaller and not as deep as some other sailmakers. They also have a shorter foot and lower clew with less girth at the top, for a wider range; you can sail them from 70 to 120 degrees apparent before setting the A2 spinnaker. Learning the crossover from spinnaker to Code Zero is a key to best reaching speeds on the J121. What are the crossovers between downwind sails? Learn your sail crossover chart (see below) to determine the correct angles for the two jibs, Code Zero, and A3 and A2 spinnakers—and keep the leech of your main and headsail well-matched. The main and Code Zero leeches are well-matched, a fast combination. At the top end of Zone 3 (18 knots) from 90 to 125 degrees true wind angle, sail with a double-slotted Code Zero and inner jib. In winds over 18 knots, you may be able to carry the combination to 135 degrees. If you have one, you can use a spinnaker staysail at 135 degrees and deeper. When it’s really windy, an A4 (small spinnaker) and inner jib can be a very effective double-slot reaching combination. This team should be switching over to the Code Zero. Where does the J121 crew sit when sailing downwind? Under spinnaker in light air, crew weight should be forward and on the leeward rail, similar to upwind sailing. As the breeze comes up to 8 to 10 knots, you’ll sail with three in front of the shrouds to windward. For wind in the low to mid teens, those crew come aft of the shrouds. When power reaching, they will move halfway back to companionway, or even right back to the skipper. Both upwind and downwind, light air crew position is well forward to keep the bow knuckle touching the water. Video of power reaching: https://youtu.be/BUi29Wpw0r8 J121 Maneuvers How do you set and drop the Code Zero? Always hoist a Code Zero on the weather side of the headstay. Raise it until the tack is 1 meter above the pole and tie off the halyard, then tension the luff via the 2:1 tack line. The Code Zero should run through a twing and then aft to the primary block. Unfurl when ready. To drop a Code Zero: Furl the sail and bear away, tensioning the windward sheet to pull the sail to weather of the headstay as you ease halyard. Accordion it onto the foredeck. When dropping the sail while going upwind, you may have to luff up to get the furled sail to weather of the headstay. How do you furl the Code Zero? The key to furling this big sail when it’s windy is to ease the sheet far enough to take the pressure off the sail—but not so far that the sail completely luffs. Maintain a little tension to ensure a tight furl. https://youtu.be/ytJ8iJ-G6Qw How do you reef the main? Mainsail reefing is straightforward on the J121. Ease the halyard and take up the tack line until the new tackpoint is snug. Next, trim the reefing line until the clew is snug against the boom and put a sail tie around the loose sail aft. Then raise the halyard enough for proper luff tension. How do you change from J1 to inner jib? Hoist the furled inner jib to its halyard lock with the tack eased off one meter. Then tighten the tack until the luff rope is quite tight—with significantly more load than the headstay. Keep the tack line on a winch for further adjustment and deploy the inner jib, then furl the J1. Your furling lines should run along the weather side of the boat. How do you set the J121 spinnaker? The key jobs when setting the J121 spinnaker with a crew are as follows: The sail starts in the bag, typically zipped up and tied off to the foredeck. Bear off to hoist, and raise the sail at least halfway before pulling out the tack and pole. The driver should call for the set when the boat is sailing at the right angle—if windy, bear off so it’s well hoisted before it fills. Also, don’t furl the jib(s) until the kite is up and flying, or you may mistakenly furl a lazy sheet or other part of the spinnaker. For shorthanded sailing, use a snuffer system or spinnaker zipper system. How do you jibe the J121 spinnaker? We recommend an outside jibe, so the clew travels forward around the luff before sheeting in on the new leeward side. The new sheet must be in the “gybulator” or “sheet catcher” before the jibe begins so it doesn’t accidentally drop below the sprit pole. (The gybulator is mounted about six inches above the tack on the luff of the sail.) The “gybulator” is located about six inches above the tack and the sheet must be in it for jibing. https://youtu.be/nZjE3G0vN7U Any tips on the starting line? Be careful not to sail too slowly when approaching the starting line. If your speed falls below 2.5 knots, it can take a long time to get back up to speed and you’ll make a lot of leeway until the water starts flowing effectively over the foils again. How do you tack a J121? In light air, roll tacking the J121 is important; use all the crew weight you have. When using water ballast, plan ahead and start shifting the water from one side to the other a minute or two ahead of time. The goal is to come onto the new tack with the water ballast already transferred. How long does it take to fill, move, and empty the J121’s water ballast? It takes five minutes to fill the windward tank, one minute to transfer it to leeward before a tack, and two minutes to empty the tank. The water ballast tanks are filled and drained with three control lines. What are the keys to sailing a J121 well? Keep your crew weight out of the aft end of the boat. Plan ahead for tacks so you have time to shift the water ballast. In most breezes, max out the backstay to improve headstay tension. What is the coolest thing about sailing J121s? We think what’s best about the boat is all the different types of sailors it attracts. J/Boats listened to its clients and introduced a boat that people can sail fast with their families or a few friends, either near shore and for long-distance adventuring. READ MORE

DAVIS ISLAND J/70 WINTER SERIES EVENT 2 North Experts Tips & Takeaways Corinthian team Victory skippered by Buddy Cribb, powered by North Sails. © Phil Pape Another great weekend at the second event of the 2018-19 J/70 Davis Island Winter Series with fifty-three teams racing in the beautiful waters of Tampa Bay. Congratulations to Joel Ronning on Catapult for winning Event #2. Brian Keane’s Savasana was third overall in the five-race regatta. Tough racing conditions ranged from light and shifty to puffy and shifty, keeping the game close and the battle for the podium even closer. North clients took seven of the top ten spots, with Andrew Fisher’s Button Fly first overall in Corinthian division. We asked our experts to share some insights from the weekend. When to Change from Planing to Displacement Mode Downwind? By Tim Healy One of the questions that came from sailing this past weekend was: When planing and the breeze drops a bit, when do you commit to displacement mode? The answer is when the boatspeed can no longer average above 9.5 knots, even after heading up for more power. Then it is time to furl the jib, bear off, move crew weight forward, and commit to displacement mode. At this point you will be going only about 7-8 knots, but your angle is much lower so your VMG is better. You can also consider wing-on-wing mode. This will take you almost dead downwind with a speed of 6-7 knots, depending on the puffs. Wing-on-wing works especially well at bottom of runs when you want to minimize jibes and keep clear of traffic. Mike Marshall adds: This weekend, you could save some of the transitions to displacement by chasing the plane a bit more than you normally would. Since the changes in pressure were normally very short, you would lose a bit of VMG by staying on the plane but be back on it again sooner when the next puff came. It translated into a net gain on the downwinds. Dividing Up the Work By Mike Marshall On Saturday, we had the opportunity to sail in some very variable conditions where the peak wind was 16 knots and the lulls were around 8 knots. These variations required frequent sail control adjustments. Something that the top boats do really well is divide up the tasks, making sure that everything is trimmed correctly more of the time. Here’s an upwind example: Driver holds the traveler and the tiller Mainsail Trimmer holds the mainsheet and the backstay Jib Trimmer has the windward jib sheet Bow Person has the vang This allows all controls to be changed at the same time, which is critical to keeping the boat going when the wind changes from 8-16 knots or back down to 8 again. Pinching the Puffs By Will Welles For the flat water sailing out of Davis Island, you can really pinch in the onset of the puffs to help keep the boat under control. Make sure not to pinch too long or after the puff has gone by, so you don’t lose speed. The key is to maintain a constant angle of heel through puffs and lulls. This is done with vang sheeting, playing the weather sheet of the jib, and steering. J/70 Davis Island Winter Series – Event 2 Powered by North Sails 1 Catapult / Joel Ronning * 3 Savasana / Brian Keane 5 Dark Horse / Greiner Hobbs 6 New Wave / Will Welles 7 Polar / Doug Clark 8 Black River Racing / Douglas Strebel 10 Button Fly / Andrew Fisher – 1st Corinthian! * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory Full results Learn more about North’s J/70 products. Brian Keane’s Savasana, third place. © Phil Pape © Phil Pape READ MORE

NEW CLASS LEADER FOR THE 5.5 METRE World Champion Christoph Burger Takes On New Role © Robert Deaves Christoph Burger has sailed a lot of different one designs since childhood, including two Olympic campaigns in the Finn, but he’s always returned to the 5.5 Meter class. “My dad built one of the first modern boat in 1994, when I was 18. That was my first link and I never really stopped sailing this beautiful boat.” Taking over as 5.5 class leader for North Sails has been desirable, he says, because “it is one of my favorite classes to sail.” Based in Switzerland, Christoph joined North Sails in 2013 and now combines professional sailing and coaching clinics with selling sails. “That’s often a win-win situation. When you introduce someone to sailing or help him to get better, then the orientation to North Sails is very helpful and simple.” He continues to sail other classes, including the Finn, J70, Dragon, and Star, as well as campaigning the 5.5 as middle crew on New Moon, a Bahamian team that won the 2018 Worlds. They also finished either first or second at the other big 2018 regattas. “I’m always saying you don’t have to win every regatta to be a good salesman,” Christoph says, “but it helps now and then that you’re on top and people look up to you. I’m really happy that other North Sails clients are performing well; I think we won all the regattas in 2018 and all the podiums with our sails.” Which is easier to do when ninety percent of the top 10 during the 2018 worlds, of the fleet is using North Sails. © Robert Deaves Sail Development 3Di is an “absolute rocket ship” in moderate to heavy winds, and Christophe says he’s quite happy with the current three jib designs (light, medium, and heavy air). “The designers just finished a lightweight jib and clients are buying.” The spinnakers are also fine up and down the range, so the next development project is to tweak the mainsail design to be more dynamic in light air. “Only a year ago, we were the only team having 3Di sails,” Christoph reminds us. “We decided not to use them because they were not officially for sale yet and it would’ve been too much of a speed advantage. Now one year later, we’re already talking about new mainsails again!” Technology unique to North makes it possible to continually improve designs, but that can be potentially confusing to his customers. “I have to communicate really well what we have right now and where we want to go, and make a steady clever but sustainable development of the product.” The 5.5M presents some specific challenges compared to other classes because it is not strictly one design in hull shape. Like twelve meters and other meter classes, “5.5” is the output number of a formula that includes hull displacement, waterline length, and sail area. “So if the boat designer chooses to have maximum sail area, he has to build a heavier boat or choose a shorter waterline,” Christoph explains. “Each boat has its own sail plan; they all look the same but they’re optimized for each boat.” At the end it is still the crew that makes the biggest difference. 5.5 sailors like to be kept informed about sail developments, he says. “It’s not their profession like ours, they don’t have their heads 24/7 around sails. So whenever they see me, they’re really excited. What’s the new guy’s doing, what have I been doing, what’s the latest.” That’s a nice entry point for Christoph to explain the latest design tweaks. © Robert Deaves On the boat Christoph won the second title during the 2018 5.5M Worlds with a team that has sailed together for three years. “Basically I’m responsible for the boat setup,” he says. “Which sails and then what tuning, getting the whole setup ready to go sailing. On the water, I’m doing strategy and tactics and a little bit of everything. The helm focuses on the steering and the bow is calling wind and current.” Christoph adds “But at the end we are a team with equally importance. We stand and fall together”. His team is excited to compete at the 2019 Worlds, the 100th anniversary of the class, in Helsinki—where the very first Gold Cup was sailed. Off the boat Christoph isn’t home much during the sailing season, so he tries not to schedule any travel in December to January in order to have time with his wife and three kids—aged eight, six, and three. The family enjoys skiing, as well as all kind of sports. “It’s very cool to see the little ones growing up,” he says. “I’m always the first one suffering when I’m going sailing for two weeks.” A few winter boat shows are also on the docket this year. “It’s always good to get to see clients in a different environment. At regattas, everyone is in their own focus.” The sailing season starts up again in early February with a J/70 regatta in Monaco, which makes Christoph grateful for his access to other North Sails experts. “As soon as I have a question I shoot an email to a colleague and he responds normally within a day, so I have a perfect first-hand answer. I do the same with the others. “You have to keep on working and do your homework so you can be better,” Christoph adds. “I’m trying to get better every year.” © Robert Deaves © Robert Deaves © Robert Deaves READ MORE

SAIL POWER: FULL POWER & MIX OF POWER By Bill Gladstone This article is derived from the North U Trim Seminar. North U offers seminars, clinics, books, media, online training, and coaching. Visit NorthU.com to Learn More In our first segment we defined the three sources of sail power: Angle of Attack, Depth, and Twist. Segment two focused on twist and the impact of twist on performance. In this segment we address how our three sources of power combine to create our total power, how we add and reduce power to match the conditions, and how we can change not just the total power, but the mix of power. Later segments will explore the relationship between the main and jib and also describe how each of our sail controls impacts shape and power. Optimum Performance Each sail gets its power from a combination of angle of attack, depth and twist. It is time to explore how these combine and how we can adjust both the total and the mix of power to optimize performance in different wind speeds and sea states. Total Power, Full Power, Mix of Power Our first goal is to get to full power – neither overpowered nor underpowered. Full power means the crew are fully hiked, the boat has its designed angle of heel, and the helm is well balanced and easy to steer. Fig. 301 Our total power is the sum of power from each source: Angle of Attack, Depth, and Twist.Once we are at full power we can fine tune to suit the conditions. Here are a few generalizations to help in finding the best mix of power. First, understand that we can trade one kind of power for another. We can add power from one source, reduce from another and have the same total but a different mix. For example: Adding depth adds power while adding twist spills power. By adding depth and increasing twist we can get the same total power, but a different mix. Fig. 302 On the left, trimmed flat with little twist. On the right, a deeper (more power), more twisted (less power) shape. Same total, different mix. Moderate Air Trim By moderate air we mean enough wind to get the boat to full power – as described above, this means, the crew fully hiked and the boat sailing at its designed angle of heel, and the helm balanced. On most boats we transition from light air to moderate in 6 to 7 knots of true wind speed. Some boats need more, some less. Once we are at full power we can fine-tune performance by changing the mix of power. Here’s what we mean: Waves or Chop In wavy conditions a deeper more twisted shape is preferred. The extra depth provides power to punch through the waves and better acceleration to build speed as each wave slows the boat, while the extra twist provides a wider steering groove and is less prone to stalling. The waves make a narrow course hard to hold, and each wave slows the boat, so we are constantly accelerating. The downside is a slight compromise in pointing ability compared to smooth water sailing. But remember: you’ll never point if you are slow. Speed First. Similarly, coming out of a tack our sails are initially trimmed with extra twist to ease flow at a wider angle of attack, and with extra depth for acceleration, with final trim coming only as the boat accelerates to full speed and is brought up to a narrower, high pointing angle of attack. Smooth Water In smooth water and that same full power wind speed we trim with less twist – adding power and pointing ability – while sailing with a flatter sail – reducing power and drag. We have the same total power, but a different mix. The downside to flat sails with little twist is a narrower steering groove and poor acceleration. In smooth water we can sail in a narrower groove, and once we are up to speed we won’t be slowed by waves. It only works if you can sail to it; you won’t point well if you use high pointing trim in unsuitable conditions. You’ll just stall and go slow. Fig. 303 As conditions vary across the spectrum of smooth to choppy we can fine tune our mix of depth and twist. Across the Spectrum We’re rarely in perfectly smooth or ferociously chopping conditions. Mostly we sail in something in between. For best performance we’ll adjust the mix of depth and twist to suit the prevailing conditions while maintaining full power. The differences are nuanced and often the performance advantage is small… but critical. The difference between good and great, between mid-fleet and winning is just a couple percent and is often comprised of several things each contributing fractions of a percent. Never relent. Every little increment matters. It adds up. Fig. 304. Across the spectrum, from flat with little twist to deep and twisted. We do most of our sailing in the middle, making incremental changes as wind and sea state fluctuate. Next Time… In our next segment we’ll look at the role of Angle of Attack in upwind performance and look at de-powering in heavy air and powering-up in light air. © copyright Bill Gladstone READ MORE

TRIM TALK AT GREYSTONES SAILING CLUB Thursday 17th January at 19.30. Presented by Shane Hughes & Nigel Young North Sails Ireland would like to offer the members of Greystones Sailing club and visitors a presentation on the latest theory and techniques for improving and refining upwind trim and boat speed. The presentation draws on the North U syllabus so successfully used around the world by North Sails representatives and includes the use of North Sails proprietary Sail Trim Simulator to help illustrate some of these trim solutions. Upwind Sail Trim & Boat Speed Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air All are welcome, members and visitors. No entry fee. READ MORE

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OK DINGHY AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP North Client Snatches The National Title At Black Rock The famous dinghy club, Black Rock Yacht Club, in Melbourne, Australia held the 57th OK Dinghy Nationals. With a 40-boat fleet, Roger Blasse won with a series score of 12 points total, including seven first place finishes- all using his new main, the North Sails KAP-1. Roger commented; “Using North Sails for the first time, I found it easy to get up to speed and was immediately on the pace. My mainsail has a great range of modes, and can be trimmed for height or speed throughout a broad range of conditions. My downwind speed wasn’t a problem either.” With the 2019 World Championships in Wakatere, on Auckland’s North Shore this February, this regatta has been a great lead-up event for training. Want to know more about North Sails OK Dinghy suggested inventory? Contact your local expert. READ MORE

OK DINGHY AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP North Client Snatches The National Title At Black Rock Roger Blasse, OK Dinghy Austrlian National Champion 2019 © Lara Blasse / Blue Peter The famous dinghy club, Black Rock Yacht Club, in Melbourne, Australia held the 57th OK Dinghy Nationals. With a 40-boat fleet, Roger Blasse won with a series score of 12 points total, including seven first place finishes- all using his new main, the North Sails KAP-1. Roger commented; "Using North Sails for the first time, I found it easy to get up to speed and was immediately on the pace. My mainsail has a great range of modes, and can be trimmed for height or speed throughout a broad range of conditions. My downwind speed wasn’t a problem either." With the 2019 World Championships in Wakatere, on Auckland’s North Shore this February, this regatta has been a great lead-up event for training. Want to know more about North Sails OK Dinghy suggested inventory? Contact your local expert. READ MORE

Noel's new role will allow him to pursue his passion over many One Design classes. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DETROIT & BAYVIEW YACHT CLUB PARTNER AGAIN IN 2019 Exclusive Sailmaker of the Bell's Beer Bayview to Mackinac Race and Bayview One Design Regatta for 2019. Bayview Yacht Club and North Sails are pleased to announce their continued partnership in the Bell’s Beer Bayview to Mackinac Race and the Bayview One Design Regatta for 2019. “North Sails is committed to not only delivering superior product and service but to also help in any way possible to build participation in these two great events as well as sailing in general.” states North Sails Manager Karl Kuspa. “Bayview Yacht Club is very grateful for North Sails Detroit continued support of our events including the Bayview One Design Regatta and the Bell’s Beer Mackinac Race,” according to 2019 Race Chair Bob Nutter. Upcoming events for the 2019 Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race: On January 12th from 9 am to 5 pm, Bayview will be hosting an ORR/ ORR-ez Seminar. This first time event is being put on by the Mackinac Race Committee to help make the registration process easier for the competitors. Jim Teeters and Nathan Titcomb from ORR and ORR-ez will be on hand to provide an overview of the rule process, answer questions, and help competitors complete their online rating request forms. Registration is required as space is limited. To register call Bayview Yacht Club at 313-822-1853. Continuing North’s technical support of the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race, on March 17th from 7 to 9 pm at Bayview Yacht Club, North U’s own Bill Gladstone will be hosting a seminar on Mackinac Race Strategies, Weather and Routing. Upcoming North Sails/North U Seminars at their new Detroit location: January 24th from 7 to 9pm - Tactics & Trim- Bill Gladstone February 23rd from 9am to 4pm- Sail Trim and Boat Speed (Upwind and Downwind)- Bill Gladstone Click here to register for the North Sails/North U seminars. READ MORE

TEAM PROVEZZA GROUNDS OUT VICTORY IN PRINCE PHILIP CUP Australasian Dragon Championship At Fremantle Team Provezza powered by North Sails. © Tom Hodge Media It was quite a hard slog for the Turkish flagged team with the current World Champion crew of Andy Beadsworth, Ali Tezdiker and Simon Fry to ground out victory to win their first Prince Philip Cup in Fremantle, Western Australia. They went into the final day of racing with a slender two point margin over local ace Willy Packer and his team of Scoundrel, Julian Harding and Jock Packer who represent the host club Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. After what could have been a major drama for the organisers, the start/committee boat had taken on a lot of water and was very stern heavy as it sat waiting for competitors to arrive. The skipper, Peter Hay, decided it was best to return ashore and swap all the equipment from boat to boat than to stay and risk further problems afloat. Host venue Fremantle Sailing Club did a great job of organising a lift out and replacement vessel to get the show back on the road again. Incredibly with the work of dozens of highly experienced volunteers, the first start was only delayed by 30 minutes. Once set up race 7 started at 12:35 hrs in a weather phenomenon that only occurs in Fremantle about 1-2 times a month. That is clouds and semi-overcast skies. There was even a few light drops of rain to cool competitors down. The winds however were a lot lighter than for the last few days, never really blowing more than 14 – 15 knots. At the start, Andy Beadsworth tried to steer Provezza into a tight space at the committee boat and ended up mounting Willy Packers, Scoundrel, copping a penalty for his troubles. As the seas were so much flatter with a much smaller chop, the rest of the fleet chose different sides of the course upwind. At the windward mark a sight we were not used to sprung before our eyes. The Dutch spinnaker of Olinghi with Charlotte and Juliette ten Worlde, Pedro Andrade and Janka Holan popped out ahead of multiple Prince Philip Cup winner, Nick Rogers and his crew, Leogh Behrens and Simon Burrows from Tasmania. Third round was Fever with Klaus Diederichs at the helm joined by Jamie lea and Diego Negri. These three boats got away from the rest of the fleet on the long run back to the leeward gate. The Dutch team rounded 36 seconds in front as they headed back upwind for the second time. Fever remained in second but Annapurna skippered by Anatoly Loginov and crew Vadim Statsenko and Alexander Shalagin got past Nick Rogers in Karabos lX. Olinghi cruised through the finish line hugging and whooping for their first race win of the series. Fever finished second and Annapurna third. Both leaders of the regatta, Provezza were down in 8th followed by the Scoundrels in 9th. At this time the Turkish flagged team were ahead by 4 points from the Western Australians with the Russian team of Annapurna quietly closing the gap.Andy Beadsworth and his highly professional Provezza team set out to keep a close hold over Willy Packer but did not sail their best races of the series. The final race start was clear at the second time of asking and the breeze just turned up a notch for a while. The sun also made a brief appearance as the afternoon wore on. It was back to normal with the majority of the fleet concentrating on the left/inshore side of the beat. Around the top this time was the same two boats as in the earlier race. This time it was Klaus Diederichs in Fever representing GBR ahead of the Dutch girls sailing Olinghi with Pedro in the middle of the boat. Third round was local RFBYC boat, French Connection steered by Ron Packer and crewed by Americas Cup winning crew John Longley and Matt Maxted. At the bottom gate NED411 in the Dutch colours squeezed inside Fever to round inside. Meanwhile Simon Prosser, Mark Glew and Stephen Wray from host club RFBYC had sailed an excellent downwind leg to round in third just ahead of Grant Gordon’s Louise Racing. As course 1 had been shown at the start of the final race, the second run was followed by another 1nm upwind leg to the finish. At the bottom gate second time around it was again very close at the front of the fleet. With what seemed like really good boat speed in the slightly lighter conditions. Charlotte ten Worlde steered Olinghi to another bullet much to the delight of the watching spectator boats. She crossed the finish line just a boat length ahead of Klaus Diederichs and his British team. Third to finish was Anatoly Loginov’s Annapurna. Back in an uncharacteristic 8th was the eventual Australasian title winners, Provezza. Willy Packers, Scoundrels were back in 10th. Team Provessa, sinners. © Richard Polden And so Andy Beadsworth, Ali Tezdiker and Simon Fry won the Prince Philip Cup for the first time showing overall dominance over the rest of the fleet. “We just had a little sub plot really, we just needed to make sure we had a handle on Willy. Unfortunately we made a mistake in the first race at the start and that was not in the plan, to be doing turns just off the start. But we ground it back, we are going fast, we are good in the conditions, there are lots of positives to take, but it is still frustrating to not be in the top few. But we had a job to do today and we did the job.” — Andy Beadsworth – Provezza Willy Packer, Julian Harding and Jock Packer just held on to second overall and are also winners of the Corinthian trophy. Only one point behind was Annapurna sailed by Anatoly Loginov, Vadim Statsenko and Alexander Shalagin. With a run of consistent results local WA sailing legend Peter Gilmour and his Yanmar Racing Team of Yasuhiro Yaji and Sam Gilmour representing Japan came fourth overall and a long way back in fifth was Grant Gordon sailing Louise Racing with crew Ruairidh Scott, Sophie Weguelin and James Williamson. The trophy presentation was made that much more special by the sight of Dragon legend Gordon ‘wingnut’ Ingate regalling his long history of sailing the class and how he won his first Prince Philip Cup before most people in the room were born! At the young age of 92 years, Gordon handed out the trophies with a personal touch as the room remained silent lapping up every word he said. A special moment indeed to bring what has been an outstanding event to a close. The fleet now enjoy a days break and re-coup before the start of the 2019 Dragon World Championships that take place with racing every day from Fri-day 4 – Weds 9 January. The Australasian Dragon Championship is sponsored by Tourism WA, Yanmar, Packer & Co and Glenfiddich/Hendricks. Full Results Learn more about the North Dragon products. © Tom Hodge Media READ MORE

Philip Turner’s Alive was the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall winner, taking home the Tattersall Cup Trophy 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi Finishing the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an accomplishment unto itself, but winning one of our sport’s toughest races is the pinnacle of an offshore sailor’s dream. North Sails clients found success across the most envied podium positions in the 2018 race, with Wild Oats XI claiming line honors, and Alive* winning the coveted George Adams Tattersall Cup Trophy for the overall race winner. The “Big Five” supermaxis got the 74th RSHYR off on Boxing Day as they maneuvered their way through spectator chop and up the harbor. Peter Harburg’s Black Jack was the first to point their bow south towards Hobart, and the battle for Line Honors continued through all 628 miles of the race. The race down the coast saw movement all over the leaderboard, with Black Jack, Comanche, and Wild Oats XI each taking the leading position, only to be overthrown by their closest competitor. In the end, it was Wild Oats XI who was first across the finish, making this the ninth time the Oatley Family and skipper Mark Richards have won line honors. 📸 Rolex / Studio Borlenghi “This is one of the best yachting wins of my life, and I’ve won a lot of races, said Richards upon arriving in Hobart. “This is one of the best feelings, not just for me but for the whole team and the Oatley family. After an event like last year, to come through and redeem yourself, today is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. Money can’t buy that sort of stuff.” Philip Turner fulfilled a bucket list item when he and his Alive* crew were crowned overall race winner and took home the prestigious Tattersall Trophy. Turner, a native Tasmanian, was well prepared for the race but remarked that the honor “still has not sunk in” upon accepting his trophy. Commenting on Alive’s win, skipper Duncan Hine said the team was set up to achieve their goal. “We had a goal, which we accomplished by picking the right boat set up and selecting the right sails.” Alive’s sail inventory included a new A1.5, specifically built by North Sails for their offshore run to Hobart. Wild Oats X was the second place IRC overall boat and won the Jane Tate Memorial Award, for being the first female skipper across the finish line. A notable performance for skipper Stacey Jackson, and her all-female Ocean Respect Racing crew; Stacey and her team are the first professional female crew to have raced in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. 📸ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi “We are an all-female team; however, that was more by accident than design- we set out to assemble a team of very good sailors who are at the top end of this sport, and they happened to all be female.” In the IRC class as a whole, Clients finished 1*,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10. Alive*, Voodoo, and St Jude all took first in their respective divisions, with many thanks to North Sails downwind inventories that helped make their sprint to Hobart- a fast one. Alive making their way up the coast and into the finish at Hobart 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

2018 was a great year for North Sails. Since we believe helping our customers gain expertise will lead to even better sailing experiences in 2019, we’ve collected together our 10 most popular articles from the year. No matter what kind of sailing you enjoy—one design, America’s Cup, cruising—there’s something for you here. So without further delay, here are your top 10 picks of our best stories from 2018! Starting Line Strategy Where you start on the line and how much space you have to accelerate will make or break those crucial first two minutes of a race. Expert Mike Marshall shares some of his tricks to help you improve your own techniques. 2019 Product Line 3Di is the sum of multiple technologies exclusive to North Sails. For 2019, the unprecedented performance and longevity advantages of 3Di are available to everyone: family cruisers to circumnavigators, and club racers to pro sailors. Shifting From 3DL to 3Di In 2018, North Sails completed a 10-year transformation from 3DL string laminates to 3Di molded composite sail structures. Today’s 3Di sails deliver greater shape-holding properties and vastly improved durability compared to any mylar and string laminated sail. One Design Speed Guides Our Speed Guides help you leverage our expertise to make the most of your one design racing. Increasing your knowledge and confidence will help you focus on the best part of sailing, having fun. We’re continually adding guides; is your favorite one design class included? Confirmed Supplier for the 36th America’s Cup North Sails is proud to continue a 35-plus year legacy of experience in this historic competition. We are already designing and delivering market-leading products for the top-ranked America’s Cup teams. Learn to Love Sailing in Heavy Air If sailing in strong breeze isn’t your strong suit, you’re not alone. One Design Expert Chris Snow explains how to handle those days when the breeze is up and your confidence is down. Developing Softwing Technology North Technology Group has a long and deep shared history with the America’s Cup. Both North Sails and Southern Spars have been integral to development over the last several Cup cycles, and our revolutionary 3Di sail technology and proprietary North Design Suite helped make the futuristic Softwings possible. 45,000 Miles Of Extreme Ocean Testing The Volvo Ocean Race has long been a proving ground for the best offshore sailors in the world, as well as for the industry-leading companies who supply their equipment. North Sails designed, built, and maintained the one design sail inventory for the 2017-18 fleet; here’s what we learned. Strengths Of Our Design Team Take a peek behind the scenes to learn how our experts combine sailing expertise, design skills, and the North Design Suite to optimize performance. The Value Of 3Di North Sails 3Di provides outstanding value by combining industry-leading shape-holding with increased service life, compared to other sailmaking technologies. Do the math, and you’ll find that 3Di sails have a lower cost of ownership than any other sails in the world. READ MORE

LINE HONORS FOR WILD OATS XI Clients Neck-And-Neck For the 74th Edition Wild Oats XI took honours in the 74th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, in what is one of the closest finishes in race history- with all four-100-footers within sight of eachother leading up to the finishline. This is the ninth time they have been first to finish the 628nm historic race. Wild Oats led the super maxi competitors up the Derwent River, with their competition close behind- nipping at their heels up until they crossed the finish line at 14-knots, in a 8-12 knot southerly. The team finished the race in 1 day, 19 hours, 7 minutes, and 21 seconds, with Peter Harburg’s Black Jack just 28 minutes and 15 seconds behind. North Sails is proud to have powered both Wild Oats XI and Black Jack to the top of the podium. Mark Richards, skipper of Wild Oats XI knew the team would have a battle on their hands in this race, but were confident before the Boxing Day start. “It’s not going to be that easy,” remarked Richard’s pre-race. We’ve got some fantastic North Sails this year, they have done a great job with our downwind wardrobe. The boat is going faster than it has ever gone before in downwind conditions. So obviously the forecast is good for us in that regard, but we just can’t wait to get out there and go yachting.” Congratulations to Wild Oats XI for their well-deserved win, and Black Jack for their podium finish and all the North powered teams who will be crossing the finish line over the next few days. © Rolex READ MORE

Onwards to Hobart The 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Highlights the Holiday Weekend 85 boats hit the line on Boxing Day for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. A spectator fleet of thousands lined Sydney Harbour for the 74th edition of this 628-mile offshore classic. The “Big Five” in the supermaxi class weaved in an out of wind patches en route to the first turning mark. Black Jack led the fleet out of the heads with Info Track, Wild Oats XI, Scallywag and the Carkeek 60 Winning Appliances were the first of five to exit the harbor and points their bows south, down the boars to Hobart. The remainder of the fleet was left to fight their way through a wind vacuum and spectator chop; not ideal conditions for the small boats. Weather forecasts are calling for building breeze and potently up to 30 knots overnight. As history has proven, the Sydney Hobart is not an easy race and we’ll be tracking the fleet’s progress and watching the race leaderboard like all the North Sails fans. 📸ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi “It’s not going to be that easy. We’ve got some fantastic North Sails this year, they have done a great job with our downwind wardrobe. The boat is going faster than it has ever gone before in downwind conditions. So obviously the forecast is good for us in that regard, but we just can’t wait to get out there and go yachting.” Mark Richards, Wild Oats XI 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi “Reaching struts are now really a standard feature in these boats and all the boats have changed their sail configurations to suit that. There is a sail that you can buy now from North Sails called a J- Zero, it’s a short foot masthead zero that goes on the reaching strut, and it is born out of the Volvo and triple heading. And the concept is that your build up your area with tall skinny sails rather than big long footed sails” Mark Bradford, Black Jack 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

ST JUDE: BACK FOR MORE For Aussie Noel Cornish, Life Revolves Around The Race To Hobart—All Year © SportSailingPhotography Noel Cornish will be sailing his twelfth Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race this year, the eleventh on his own boat, St Jude. We caught up with Noel to ask about his boat, his crew, and why this race is such a tradition. Tell us a little bit about your boat and crew. I had St Jude built in 2007 – it’s a Sydney 47. We’ve been campaigning it in the Rolex Sydney – Hobart Race and other races in the CYCA (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) since then. The crew is a group of experienced sailors. When we get on the water, we also have very good camaraderie, which makes such a difference, and they work really hard to try and win all the time. What’s your history with the race and why is it so important? I did my first Hobart in 1985. Then I got busy with work and family, so my bluewater sailing went on hold until I got closer to retirement and the children were grown up. I’ve sailed every race since 2008 on St Jude. I do love this race. For me, it is a great adventure and something that from a very young age, I always looked at as a pinnacle of yacht racing. It is probably the one time in the year that I get seriously physically and mentally fatigued, which adds to the overall attraction. I do really enjoy that sense of being stretched. The fact that I have been able to take part in multiple races is a great thrill. © Rolex How do you prepare? “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that my life revolves around this race. Basically, when I step off the boat at Hobart my mind starts turning towards next year’s race. You can’t really talk to the crew about it because everyone’s ready to get off the boat at that point, but for me it starts right then. I am thinking about it and doing things all year, and everything starts to ramp up in July when we do the Sydney to Gold Coast Race. We are always looking carefully at what else we need to do to be 100% prepared and at optimum performance.” What do you think is the biggest challenge of this race and how do you look at tactics? For me the greatest challenge is to get the boat perfectly prepared, sail it as well as we can, and just hope that we get some winds and weather conditions that suit the boat. When we get to Hobart, I want to feel that we’ve done our absolute best. I know it’s not the same for everyone, but we go out to try and win. The fact that we don’t win isn’t because we’re not trying. Most people hope that they can win their division and get on the podium and we definitely try to do that. Your division is least affected by the weather because all the boats are in similar conditions. Then after that, you have to hope that one year it all comes together, and you can actually do better in an overall result. How long have you worked with North Sails and what’s the biggest benefit? I’ve had North Sails on the boat since it was built. Three years ago I developed a strong working relationship with Ron Jacobs, who has done a fantastic job getting peak performance out of the boat. He’s a very knowledgeable and experienced sailor and has great attention to detail. The sails are critically important to how a boat goes; the sails and rig need to be set up optimally, otherwise you have no chance. So, with Ron, we have been constantly making adjustments and testing them on the water. And I have no doubt that this work is the prime reason why the boat’s performance continues to improve. You have 3Di Endurance in the NPV downwind sails. Have you noticed a difference? “Honestly each time North Sails brings out a new product you can actually feel the difference. These sails are great, our performance continues to lift, and I’m sure North is already working on the next upgrade – I expect that next release will be even better.” Do you have different sails for different races? We have different mainsails for regatta and bluewater races. The bluewater races are generally in heavier conditions and we often need to reef more frequently. For headsails, we have choices to make before we load, depending on what we believe the prevailing weather conditions will be during the race. If you can leave some headsails behind that’s a bonus but really, it comes down to which spinnakers we’ll need in order to deal best with the conditions. What is your final preparation like? I like to have the boat completely ready to go to Hobart about a month out – I don’t like last minute rushed activities. In the last few weeks we make sure people are really familiar with all the safety gear, get the clothing and food on board, and run through check lists and make sure everything is as it should be. Then about four days before we go, we start seriously looking at what the weather patterns might be, and we watch the weather intently in those final days before the race. You are the only boat this year to take a win off Ichi Ban – do you think you might be able to repeat that? Matt Allen is an extraordinary sailor and runs an excellent program. I think the reason why that happened was because we had weather conditions that really suited St Jude. We always try to sail the boat as best we can, but you need a lot of good fortune too to come out on top of a competitor like Ichi Ban. On this occasion we had a long race predominantly on the wind, right in our sweet spot. It’ll be the same for this race; if we get every other element right, we are still going to need that element of luck right up until we get to the Hobart finish line. Any final words? I would like to thank everyone who is involved with St Jude. We have an amazing crew but there are also many other people who help us make the boat go fast. Sails and rig and all the various components that go into being prepared for a race like this are demanding at times, but that is part of the challenge. I really enjoy working with the people that help us make it all happen. © Rolex READ MORE

Embarquez avec toute l'équipe de North Sails Suisse pour une année 2019 vélique et passionnée! Arnaud, Ben, Christine, Christoph, Claudia, Coraline, Daniel, Julien, Margaux, Michel, Nicolas, Patrick, Philippe, Pierre et Pierre-Yves vous souhaitent de joyeuses fêtes et une très belle année 2019. Pendant les fêtes, la voilerie sera fermée 24, 25 et 26 décembre 2018, ouverte les 27 et 28 décembre 2018, fermée les 31 décembre 2018, 1er et 2 janvier 2019. Reprise des horaires normaux dès le jeudi 3 janvier 2019. READ MORE

CLASS NEWCOMERS WIN VIPER WINTER SERIES’ FIRST EVENT Interview With Winners Patrick Wilson and Chris Stocke   The first stop of the 2018-19 Viper 640 Sarasota Winter Series was sailed over the weekend of December 15-16 on the waters of the Sarasota Bay. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough breeze to run races on Sunday, but the Race Committee did a fantastic job getting in 4 races in tricky light air conditions on Saturday. North Sails customers were faster than ever – dominating the event finishing 1,2,3,4,5,6. Chris Stocke and Patrick Wilson busted out their brand new Viper sails for the very first time and came away with an impressive win against a very competitive fleet including four previous North American Champions. Our Viper Expert Zeke Horowitz had a conversation with Chris and Patrick to find out just how they managed to pull it off. You guys are brand new to the Viper Class. What was it that inspired you to choose the Viper? Patrick: Well, Chris and I do a lot of sailing together in the J70 and have become good friends over the years. When we began discussing a boat to get on our own, the Viper quickly came to the top of the list. We knew we wanted something modern with an a kite able to plane, with an established fleet of good sailors, as well as a class where we could have fun with the boats and the people. So far, the Viper has definitely met and exceeded expectations. Chris: We set out to find a boat that was not only fast but affordable. With the Worlds being in Long Beach. which is a great place to sail, we settled on the Viper. This was your very first regatta in the boat and you came away with the win in a pretty tough fleet. What are 3 tips you would give to someone who is going to sail their first Viper regatta? Patrick’s Tips: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We found that we had and still do have a lot to learn. Everyone in the fleet was willing, able and ready to answer and explain all of our questions and really speed up our learning curve. Stick to the basics. Starting with a new boat and a new class can feel overwhelming. For this event we tried to focus on starting well, sailing smart, and keeping it simple. Enjoy it. Our main reason for getting into the class is to have FUN. Chris’ Tips: Have fun. Stick to the North Sails Tuning Guide, it seems to put you in the ballpark to have top notch speed right off the bat. Ask the fleet lots of questions, there are so many different modes you can sail in a boat like this and the top guys have seemed to have figured them out and are happy to help! What resources did you utilize to make sure your brand new boat would be set up correctly for your first day or racing? Patrick: For me the biggest hurdle to overcome on the first day is learning how to tune and set up the sails correctly. We recently purchased a full set of North Sails and we spent a few hours following the Setup and Tuning Guide, step by step. It is a well laid out resource that gives a great process of setting up your boat from start to finish. From mast butt position, spreader angle, rig tension and mast chocking, you guys have done an amazing job of giving anyone the formula for achieving speed right out of the box. Chris: In order to make sure the new boat was ready to race we talked with the class reps. The North sails seemed pretty dialed in right out of the box. We had mostly light air for this regatta. What would be your number one tip for boat speed upwind? How about downwind? Patrick: I would say that upwind in light air we learned quickly just how flat you could sail the boat. As for downwind, we used other boats as relative gauges for learning modes. Weight placement seemed critical as the further forward you could get the better. Chris: With the regatta being mostly light air we forced hard on always keeping the boat moving. Downwind was tricky being that a couple more knots changes your angle dramatically. Communication on pressure differences made finding modes easier. I observed that the top boats at this regatta really got separated from the rest of the fleet with their boat handling skills. Walk us through your timing and procedure to execute a good light air roll tack. Patrick: Timing and having all three crew members move at the same time is critical to executing a good light air roll tack. As the driver begins to slowly turn the boat, the crew needs to have patience and not roll until the boat is head to wind. Having one person to count down and call the roll can be quite helpful in this. Once the boat is approximately at a close hauled course on the new tack we would flatten as a team. Two critical things as the flatten happens are: The driver has the tiller straight The crew flattens in a “finesse” fashion paying close attention not to over flatten the boat. Having the same person call both the roll and flatten works well and keeps the team moving as one. Chris: Roll tacking these boats is somewhat challenging because they are quite wide. Finding the proper footwork in tacks as well as exit angles is what we were focusing on. Chris, you grew up sailing on Sarasota Bay. Did local knowledge come into play at all with your tactical decisions? Any keys to look for on the Sarasota Bay that might help the fleet know what to look for? Chris: Sarasota is a very dynamic place to sail. You have to really look up the course. Most of the time the breeze in the morning has some sort of East in it and in the afternoon it tends to try and find its was to the North West. Keeping this in mind helps because you can start to pick up patterns and small shifts as it starts to veer. 2018-19 Viper 640 Winter Series EVENT #1 – Teams Powered by North Sails 1 Christopher Stocke 2 Marcus Eagan 3 Peter Beardsley 4 Zeke Horowitz 5 Jay Golison 6 Nick Amendola READ MORE

NAVIGATING SYDNEY-HOBART Australian Summers Make For The Ultimate Offshore Experience © Kurt Arrigo / Rolex Sydney Hobart The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race is one of the classic yachting events on the annual race calendar, arguably the most famous and difficult race taking place in the Southern Hemisphere. Its reputation is well deserved, giving all who enter it numerous challenges – not only in the level of competition the race draws, but also with many hurdles brought by Mother Nature. These environmental challenges take the form of fast changing and often strong winds, squalls, complex ocean currents, and potential for extremely rough, boat-breaking sea conditions. All that on top of what is often a more than 20 degree Celsius drop in air temperature from balmy Sydney to cool Hobart. Navigators of the race watch typical wind patterns of the Australian summer: a semi-permanent high pressure to the east over the Tasman Sea, and another over the Great Australian Bight west of Tasmania. Air flows anti-clockwise around these high pressure systems, which means there is a tendency for northerly winds off the Sydney coast and southerly winds west of Tasmania. Between these two high pressure areas there is normally an extension of the thermal low pressure from the hot interior of Australia, extending into NSW and pointing toward the Bass Strait. The patterns described above represents the average – that is, what you get if you average the weather maps over a long period of time in the Australian warm season. However, the actual weather on any given day is the result of modulations on the average pattern and disturbances (weather systems) embedded within the larger scale. SOUTHERN OCEAN CHILL One such important and common disturbance involves the northward intrusion of cold air out of the Southern Ocean. When cold air pushes north toward Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southeastern Australia, some very abrupt and severe changes can result. Ahead of the cold fronts which mark the leading edge of a cold push, winds typically build from the north along the coast. Sometimes thunderstorms can develop over the hot interior of NSW and move east into the course from Sydney and south to Green Cape. Such storms have generated spectacular waterspouts on the course – an encounter with which is not only memorable, but potentially very dangerous. “Being ready to weather strong upwind sailing and very rough seas in the wake of a S’ly change are a must for any crew and boat taking on this race.” As a cold front moves north and east across the race route, fast running conditions down the coast abruptly change to hard, very rough, upwind conditions. Not to mention the fact that squalls and much cooler air make sailing more difficult. These post-change encounters are a make or break point for some teams. Being ready to weather strong upwind sailing and very rough seas in the wake of a S’ly change are a must for any crew and boat taking on this race. TRICKS OFF TASMANIA Further down the track from crossing the Bass Strait to east of Tasmania, winds are no less challenging. Large ocean swells are common crossing the strait, and Gale or Storm force winds can occur – especially in the day or two following a front. Off Tasmania, winds can run the gambit from strong to exceedingly light. One certainty of sailing off Tasmania is that the wind will change. The weather patterns there are fast moving and can behave erratically. An area of no wind can exist within hundreds of meters of gale force gusts. Understanding how conditions will change and making a correct call at the last moment can make the difference in almost any team’s race. SURF OR SWIM Another important factor in the strategies for this race is often the East Australian Current (EAC). The EAC is a western boundary current similar to those found on the east coasts of most continental land masses around the world (Gulf Stream off North America; Brazilian Current off South America; Agulhas Current off South Africa, and; the Kuroshio off Asia). The EAC is a generally south-flowing current off the coast, typically extending from north of Sydney to the Bass Strait and off the east coast of Tasmania. While the current is always present in one form or another, its speed and position relative to the course can vary significantly. In addition, tight swirls or eddy’s are typically present in proximity to the main current flow, and can result in areas of rotating water over ten miles wide, often delivering the opposite of what a skipper may expect. While the current doesn’t change much on a day-to-day basis – unlike the weather – it does vary over a period of weeks. Sometimes it is close to the coast and within reach of the fleet to take advantage of its southward flow. Other times, it is further offshore, and sailing out to it can be a gamble whether or not the favorable flow will be enough to offset the extra distance necessary to get to it. There is also a potential significant downside to being in the current – even if it is within reach. When winds are blowing from the south, very large and steep waves can develop within the EAC which can, at a minimum, slow progress or, in the worst case, be boat-breaking. Anytime there is a southerly change and strong upwind conditions in this race, sea state within the EAC is a significant factor. The crews will be closely monitoring the weather forecasts and EAC condition in the days leading up to the race. While the forecasts can be reliable, it is often the small differences that are more difficult to predict. That will combine with the level of seamanship on-board to determine how well a team does. “Having a fast boat and sails are of course a bonus, but being ready and able to handle whatever the weather and sea brings will make the difference.” Chris Bedford is a well known sailing meteorologist and has advised many professional teams on inshore and offshore race routing, including the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race team. Read more from Chris at sailwx.com Contact your local North Sails experts to get your sails inspected and ready to take on the big race! READ MORE

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART PREVIEW Rob Greenhalgh’s Outlook On Final Race Preparations 📸 ROLEX / Studio Borlenghi World-renowned sailor Rob Greenhalgh joined North Sails a few months ago. Even after winning a Volvo Ocean Race and two world championships, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is a highlight on this Brit’s calendar. Your reasons for doing this race? “It is one of those iconic races that you just want to keep coming back to do. There is a great atmosphere but also, no two are the same. You can get such a huge range of conditions and they can be very changeable through the race too. You need to be good at everything to do well and you have to stay focused. I won it a couple years ago on Giacomo. I have also done it on Leopard, the 100 footer, and broke a mast on ABN AMRO back in 2006. The race can be quite gnarly at times because often a front blows through the fleet. The finish is tricky, as you can end up losing, or gaining, massively as you head up to Hobart. It can be incredibly stressful at the end of this mad sprint to be desperately holding on to a lead or be edging up behind someone trying to get one more scalp…” Who are you sailing with this year? “I am sailing on Ichi Ban. The pressure is certainly on as the boat was the overall winner last year, so lots to live up to. We also have high expectations. Whilst there is always an element of things you can’t control when you are flying along the coast down to Hobart, preparation plays a big part in victory, and for us that started in September.” Tell us more about that preparation. “We have been doing a number of races. Hamilton Race Week, then the CYCA AUDI Bluewater Series, which is a series of offshore races that we used to help tune up the boat for Hobart. We have also been working very closely with the sailmakers and designers at North Sails to get everything optimized for the race, especially as Ichi Ban is a relatively new boat to our team. We have spent a lot of time looking at the boat’s data and performance, learning its strengths and weaknesses and trying to eliminate the weakness where possible. One thing we have been seeing is reaching struts, they have made a big impact on performance and how some of the reaching sails cross over. We’ve done a lot of work on that, figuring out how to get all that going properly.” Talk us through the sail wardrobe on Ichi Ban. “The upwind inventory is based around the successful Super Series designs, slightly optimized for an offshore environment with the mainsail having three reef points and the head width slightly reduced. “The downwind and reaching sails are where the miles are done, and there are some very difficult decisions to make based upon the forecast. Out of eight downwind sails, we are only allowed to carry five. Understanding how our inventory performs in different conditions allows us to make educated decisions on sail choice.” “We don’t have anything special just for this race. It’s more about maximizing and understanding our inventory so we know what we need to take for the forecasted conditions… and making sure we have all our bases covered.” How do you make those final sail choices? “The final weather forecast determines whether you are going to get an absolute gale or not and that does affect sail choice. But what is really important is knowing what your sails can do, so that you can be sure you have the angles and possibilities covered. Reaching sails are obviously a pretty important part of the inventory and we’ve got a couple of reaching sails that do cross over a bit. But you have got to know when they’re good and when they’re not. We are limited to five spinnakers, so we do have to leave some sails behind. That means we’ve got to understand how we can optimize what we have for the conditions we expect.” What modifications have you made to the boat for the race? We did a lot of the warm up events with our inshore rig and just recently switched to our offshore mast, because it is capable of dealing with the Sydney-Hobart! It’s (pretty much) bulletproof and we can go hard upwind with it in big breeze. For the mainsail, this will be its third Sydney-Hobart. It’s done plenty of work, but it’s still awesome and we know what it can do for us. What are the key elements for doing well in a race like this? “You have to keep the boat going twenty-four hours a day at maximum performance levels if you want to win. Keeping the boat fast all the time – that is where the gains are. It is very easy to go off the boil for a couple of hours during the day or during the night and lose a mile or so. It’s so important that everyone can drive and trim, everyone knows sail crossovers and choices, and there is a good watch system so everyone can be fully dialed in all the time. “There is also a mental part of this (and any) offshore race. The way I view it is that you have got to win your class first. If you win that, racing against the people who are in the same bit of water as you with the same wind, then fingers crossed everything will align so you can get the overall win. I think we will be one of the handicap favorites, but things can be different on the day. Nobody can take anything for granted on this race. We know we’ll have to work really hard to win but we’ve done a lot of preparation so hopefully it will all come together.” Any final comments? “I’m really excited to be part of the Ichi Ban and North Sails team for the first time in this race. It’s amazing to see the build up from the North side as well as working on getting Ichi Ban ready to go. I love the fact that we are going to see so many of our boats and sails out there in this amazing race. “Happy Sailing and see you all in Hobart!” ©Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex Sydney Hobart READ MORE

NYTT SAMARBETE MELLAN NORTH SAILS OCH SSF SKA STÄRKA SVENSK SEGLING I december blev det klart att North Sails och Svenska seglarförbundet inleder ett formellt samarbete. Det handlar dock inte om ”sponsring” i någon vanlig mening. Syftet är istället att med gemensamma krafter stärka och utveckla svensk segling. Från vänster till höger: Marie Björling-Duell, Förbundsdirektör Svenska Seglarförbundet, Henrik Ottosson, VD North Sails Sverige, Thomas Hansson-Mild, KAM/PL Svenska Seglarförbundet. "Vi ser oss inte bara som en segeltillverkare", säger Henrik Ottosson, vd på North Sails Sverige. "Vi har mycket idéer om hur svensk segling kan stärkas, och ser det här samarbetet som en fantastisk möjlighet att bidra till utvecklingen". Seglarförbundet har en vision om att seglingen ska vara ”tillgänglig för alla”, och det är något vi stöttar till fullo. Vi vill göra vad vi kan för att stödja en sport som vi älskar. Vill man vara krass handlar det dessutom om att säkra framtidens kundbas. För det är klart att vi – precis som resten av fritidsbåtbranschen – har allt att vinna på att fler seglar. Det är uppenbart att svensk segling står inför en del utmaningar. En sådan är att sporten tycks ha svårt att attrahera och behålla yngre seglare. Det här har pågått ganska länge och följden har blivit att vi idag har ett glapp i åldersgrupperna tjugo till fyrtio år. Vi ska inte påstå att vi sitter på någon enkel lösning på den här problematiken. Men vi tror att de upplevda hindren eller trösklarna för att börja segla, eller att ta steget från nöjessegling till kappsegling, behöver sänkas. Vi behöver också fundera på hur vi kan underlätta för seglare som vill ta nästa steg i sin utveckling. Kunskap och utbildning är ett område där vi på North Sails tror oss ha en del att bidra med. Vi har tillgång till ett omfattande utbildningsmaterial i både tryckt och digital form, framtaget av några av världens främsta experter. I och med samarbetet med SSF, som är det samlande organet för drygt 340 klubbar, kan detta nu bli tillgängligt för seglare över hela Sverige. Träning och coachning är något som vi har jobbat med under många år – bland annat i form av ”clinics” – och detta ska vi nu utveckla vidare tillsammans med seglarförbundet. I april kommer vi, SSF och Halmstads Segelsällskap arrangera en träningshelg för entypsklasser med gennacker, och det finns tankar på ett liknande arrangemang för spinnackerbåtar. Men vi får väl se var vi landar. Det ska hur som helst bli väldigt spännande att få jobba med Svenska Seglarförbundet. VI tror faktiskt att vi tillsammans kan åstadkomma en hel del. READ MORE

TRIUMFEN I PALERMO Att studenter från Chalmers har utvecklat och tävlat med en båt byggd av linfiber och epoxi på skal från cashewnötter känner du säkert till. Även breda medier som Aftonbladet och SVT har rapporterat om saken, och det är uppenbarligen de udda materialvalen som är orsaken till detta. Men det finns mycket annat kring det här projektet som är minst lika intressant. Fritiof Hedström och Otto Hamel vann fyra av den sex delseglingarna, ofta med stor marginal. 1001 Velacup är en årlig tävling där studenter från europeiska universitet kappseglar med egenutvecklade båtar. Båtarna ritas enligt en boxregel där de viktigaste begränsningarna är att skrovet inte får vara längre än 4,6 meter och att segelytan inte får överstiga 33 m². Det finns också en del begränsningar på materialsidan. Minst 70 procent av skrovet ska exempelvis bestå av biomaterial (som exempelvis linväv och cashewnötter). Båten ska designas, byggas och seglas av studenter men det är tillåtet att köpa in rigg och segel, och det var så vi på North Sails kom in i projektet. Projektgruppen på Chalmers har bestått av åtta mastersstudenter i marin teknik under handledning av Adam Persson och Lasse Larsson, doktorand respektive professor på Chalmers. De två sistnämnda är också knutna till SSPA, ett Chalmersägt konsultföretag som bland annat varit inblandade i flera Americas Cup-projekt. Tävlingen skulle avgöras utanför Palermo på Sicilien i september 2018 och projektet drog igång i augusti 2017. Man hade alltså lite mer än ett år på sig. Det kan låta som gott om tid men i slutändan visade det sig att tidsplanen höll med nöd och näppe; båten hann inte ens provseglas innan den skickades till Palermo. Ändå tog man en överlägsen seger i det tretton båtar stora startfältet. Att båten seglades av Fritiof Hedström och Otto Hamel, som vid sidan av sina studier på Chalmers gör en OS-satsning i 49er, är förstås en viktig förklaring. Men det är också uppenbart att studenterna lyckats få fram en mycket snabb båt, perfekt anpassad till förutsättningarna på Palermo. Hur gick det till egentligen? Ingenjörskonst av högsta kaliber Det hela började med att studenterna gjorde en extremt noggrann analys av väderförhållandena på tävlingsplatsen. Man lyckades komma över data som gick över tjugo år tillbaka i tiden, och som geografisk kunde avgränsas till någon kilometer runt själva banområdet. Efter matematisk analys fick de fram en prognos som pekade på att medelvinden mellan kl 11 och 16 i slutet av september statistiskt sett skulle ligga på runt 3,5 m/s – och att sannolikheten för vindar över 4 m/s inte var större än 0,04 procent! "Max 4 m/s" spikades och därmed hade man de ingångsvärden som krävdes för att gå vidare i processen. Reglerna förbjuder flerskrovsbåtar men annars är det fritt fram för det mesta, och tanken på en foilande båt med vingmast dök naturligtvis upp ganska omgående. Chalmers hade redan fått en optimistjolle att flyga så kompetensen fanns i huset. Man insåg dock snabbt att tiden inte räckte för att designa, bygga och lära sig att segla en så komplex skapelse, och man bestämde sig därför för att satsa på ett mer konventionellt skiff-koncept. Genom Chalmers och SSPA hade studenterna tillgång till de senaste vetenskapliga rönen, avancerade metoder för att simulera båtens alla egenskaper, men även kunskap om nya material och konstruktionslösningar. Varenda detalj på båten – skrov, fenor, rigg, segel – har således genomgått ändlösa datakörningar där man har testat alla tänkbara varianter och till slut valt den som är mest optimal med tanke på de förväntade väderförhållandena. Allting har sedan dimensionerats med finita elementmetoden, och även detta har skett med ”max 4 m/s” för ögonen. Några större säkerhetsmarginaler har aldrig funnits och man kan undra vad som hade hänt om vinden under regattan hade behagat överraska med en sju-åtta sekundmeter. Det troligaste är nog att båten helt enkelt hade havererat. Så det är klart att man tog en risk. Men med tanke på väderstatistiken kan det knappast ses som dumdristigt. Med facit i hand är det mer troligt att det var just detta som lade grunden till den överlägsna segern. Båten är snabb men också rank och svårseglad. En lättvindsbåt av Guds nåde Chalmers tävlingsbåt är alltså utvecklad för vindar under fyra sekundmeter. Ingenting annat. Skrovet är smalt med låga fribord och ett skarpt slag från för till akter. Förskeppet är vasst och påfallande djupt. Skrovet blir sedan gradvis lägre och planare ju längre bak man kommer. Under slaget är tvärsektionerna mjuka och cirkelbågsformade, vilket minimerar våta ytan. "Aspect ratio" har varit ett mantra som upprepats gång på gång under resans gång. Högsmala vingar skapar mycket lyft och lite motstånd, och det gäller oavsett om de verkar i luft eller vatten. Centerbordet sticker 1,7 meter – på en båt som alltså bara är 4,6 meter lång – och masten är mer än dubbelt så lång som skrovet. Den är faktiskt hela 2,5 meter högre än på en 49er och drygt 1,5 meter högre än konkurrenterna i Palermo. Förutom att det ger ett segelplan med fördelaktigt aspect ratio innebär det att segelytan hamnar högt, vilket förstås är en fördel i ett så vindfattigt område. Med ett segel som sticker upp halvannan meter ovanför konkurrenterna blir man dessutom mindre känslig för störda vindar. Därmed är vi inne på segelplan och segeldesign, vilket ju var det som vi skulle hjälpa till med. North Sails representerades av Henrik Ottosson i Göteborg och Tore Lewander på Lidingöloftet. Seldén skulle leverera riggen och på den vägen knöts även Per Wretlind till projektet. En av de knivigare frågorna gällde segelplanets storlek och utformning. Segelytan får som sagt inte överstiga 33 m², inklusive eventuella undanvindssegel. Det är, om man tänker efter lite, en ganska märklig siffra. Som jämförelse kan nämnas att en 49er har nästan 60 m² med alla segel hissade. Motsvarande siffror för 505 och 470 är 42 respektive 27 m². Så vi kom snabbt till slutsatsen att en klassisk kombination av storsegel, fock och spinnaker/ gennaker knappast var något alternativ. I så fall skulle vi i princip få sätta en 470-rigg på båten, och det kändes inte alltför lockande med tanke på att det ju vankades lättvind. Å andra sidan hade vi helt fria händer. Frågan om båten skulle ha ett, två eller tre segel var länge en öppen fråga. Likaså hur hög masten skulle vara och hur ytorna skulle fördelas på kryss respektive undanvind. Sådant här går också att räkna på, och efter körningar i VPP-program bestämdes det att våra 33 m² skulle fördelas på tre segel, hissade på en 9,5 meter lång vridbar mast utvecklad av Seldén. 22 m² hamnade i stor och fock, och därmed hade vi ytterligare 11 m² att tillgå. Det blir ju inte mycket till spinnaker eller gennaker av det och valet föll istället på en Jib Zero. Seglet hissas på ett utdragbart peke och används tillsammans med focken på öppna bogar. En Jib Zero designas ofta för bidevind, men i det här fallet är det mer inriktat mot öppnare bogar. "Seglet är djupare, framför allt i toppen”, säger Tore Lewander som gjorde själva designen, ”och för att inte tappa akterliket när skotet slackas ligger formen lite längre bak än vanligt." Skrovet är en sandwichkonstruktion och byggdes på traditionellt one-off-manér. Det udda materialvalet – linväv och epoxi baserad på cashewnötskärnor kring en balsakärna – var ett sätt att klara kravet att minst 70 procent av skrovet skulle bestå av biomaterial. Ett genomarbetat koncept utan svaga punkter Redan under regattan första dag stod det klart att Chalmers ekipage stod i en klass för sig. Hedström/Hamel vann fyra av de sex racen, och enda gången det fanns anledning att dra efter andan var när rorkulten på grund av en konstruktionsmiss gick av i andra racet. Hedström fick styra båten liggandes på tvärs i aktern och med händerna på själva rodret, men de tog sig trots detta i mål som tredje båt. Totalt sett var segern egentligen aldrig hotad. Fartmässigt var Chalmers båt helt överlägsen. Men det är en mycket extrem båt som inte precis är lättseglad. Båten är riggad för segling med full trapets i fyra sekundmeter och man behöver inte göra stora misstag för att båten ska kappsejsa. Problemet här är egentligen inte brist på rätande moment utan att båten i sig själv är så rank att den knappt kan förtöjas vid en brygga utan att lägga sig på sidan. Det ställer oerhörda krav på besättningen. Man kan säga att vi här har att göra med en mänsklig faktor som är svår att sätta en siffra på men som ändå måste tas med i beräkningen redan när båten designas. Och här hade projektgruppen ett trumfkort i form av Fritiof Hedström och Otto Hamel. Med så kompetenta seglare vid spakarna kan man ju tänja gränserna lite extra. "Vi visste att vi hade tillgång till oerhört duktiga seglare", säger Adam Persson som var handledare för projektet. "Och det gjorde att vi vågade ta vår design till det extrema." Uttalandet säger en hel del om den noggrannhet och omsorg om detaljer som från början till slut har präglat det här projektet. Det finns ju en gammal seglarsanning som går ut på att ”den som gör minst misstag vinner”, och det gäller nog även här. Triumfen i Palermo var inte ett resultat av enskilda genidrag utan berodde snarare på att man lyckats få ihop en bra helhetslösning helt utan svaga punkter. Eller som professor Lars Larsson sammanfattar det: "Vi har verkligen varit omsorgsfulla hela vägen. Vindstatistiken är ett exempel, och allt är beräknat in i minsta detalj när det gäller båtens utformning och hållfasthet. Vi har också utnyttjat den senaste tekniken som finns tillgänglig. Och så var förstås seglarnas kompetens avgörande under tävlingen!" Studenterna som utvecklade den vinnande båten heter Tommaso Acerbi, Rasmus Andersson, Eric Eriksson, Simon Granli, Eike Jacobs, Francisco Rita, Robert Sahlberg och Emanuel Werner. Foto: Anna-Lena Lundqvist/Chalmers. READ MORE

TORE LEWANDER: SEGELDESIGNER PÅ HELTID Han är en välmeriterad kappseglare och en erfaren segelmakare som har lärt sig yrket från grunden. Men numera jobbar han nästan uteslutande med design. Möt mannen som ger ditt segel dess form! Sedan 2002 har Tore jobbat nästan uteslutande med segeldesign. Så om du har ett Northsegel som är yngre än femton år är chansen stor att det är han som har gett det dess form. Tore Lewander är 46 år och har seglat i hela sitt liv. Barndomens somrar tillbringades i familjens C&C 35:a och sedan dess har det blivit allt från jolle och flerskrov till alla möjliga typer av kölbåtar. På meritlistan finns bland annat VM-silver i Farr 30 och EM-guld i ORCi. Till de mer ovanliga meriterna hör att han även vunnit EM i isjakt. Segelmakare har han varit i över 25 år. Han började ”på golvet” (i en både bokstavlig och bildlig mening) på Carlqvists segelmakeri och gick därefter till Royal Sails innan han i slutet av 90-talet anslöt sig till North Sails Lidingö. Vi hade fått uppdraget att utveckla och producera seglen till Whitbreadbåtarna EF Education och EF Language och behövde växa på produktionssidan. Spännande, tyckte förstås den unge Tore. Hans äldre bror Anders jobbade redan här så det var väl ytterligare ett skäl att söka sig hit. När Whitbreadprojektet började ebba ut ville han se sig om lite i världen och begav sig Nya Zeeland där han fick jobb på ett litet loft i Auckland. Segelmakeriet hade inget som helst IT-stöd. Designen gjordes med papper och penna och duken skars för hand. Där och då insåg han inte riktigt hur lyckligt lottad han var, men idag är han glad över att han hamnade på ett så utpräglat ”low-tech-loft”. Där fick han nämligen lära sig segeldesign i dess allra mest grundläggande form: ”Jag tror att det har gett mig en djupare förståelse för design som jag inte hade fått om jag hade designat på dator redan från början.” Tore har alltid varit intresserad av design och nyfiken på vad som egentligen gör att en båt seglar bra. När han efter sejouren i Auckland kom tillbaka till Lidingö fick han möjlighet att fördjupa sig allt mer i de här bitarna, och sedan 2002 har han jobbat nästan uteslutande med segeldesign. Så om du har ett North-segel som är yngre än femton år är chansen stor att det är han som har gett det dess form. Det har sina fördelar att jobba på North Tore ägnar mycket tid åt att vara ute med kunder och göra ”sailchecks”. Det ger honom viktig återkoppling som gör att designarbetet kan utvecklas och förbättras. Själva designen görs naturligtvis på dator. Förutom själva designprogrammet har han ytterligare ett tiotal programvaror att laborera med, bland annat en virtuell vindtunnel och North egna VPP-program som kan användas för att exempelvis hitta luckor i ORCi-regeln. Här finns också ett globalt designbibliotek med tusentals dokumenterat snabba segel. Värdet av alla dessa tekniska hjälpmedel kan knappast överskattas, menar Tore. Men som North Sails-designer har man ytterligare en fördel som nog är minst lika viktig – nämligen att man är en del i ett globalt nätverk av designers. North Sails internationella designteam leds av designchefen JB Braun och består av ett åttiotal personer som ägnar all sin tid åt design och utveckling. En del sitter på North Sails utvecklingscenter i Minden, Nevada men de flesta är knutna till de olika loften runt om i världen. De är sammankopplade i ett nätverk med en bärande princip: Det är öppen dialog som gäller. Om Tore behöver ett råd är det bara att slänga i väg ett mejl eller lägga ut en fråga i det designerforum som han ständigt är uppkopplad mot. Som designer kan man alltså räkna med att få det stöd man behöver. Men man förväntas också bidra till att föra utvecklingen framåt. Om någon någonstans i världen kommer på någonting nytt tas det upp till diskussion i forumet och resultatet brukar bli att den ursprungliga idén utvecklas och förfinas ytterligare. Det blir gärna så när åttio var för sig erfarna designers slår sina kloka huvuden ihop. Ett par gånger i månaden lägger designchefen JB Braun upp så kallade ”designrapporter” i forumet. North är djupt involverade i de flesta av världens mest ambitiösa kappseglingsprogram, och det gör att det finns stora resurser för utveckling. Det kan handla om vindtunneltester, datasimuleringar eller körningar i VPP-program, och syftet kan vara att exempelvis ta reda på vilka breddmått som egentligen är optimala för en Code Zero i olika vindstyrkor och vindvinklar. North Sails designers är också indelade i olika regionala kluster. I Tores grupp ingår förutom honom själv en tysk och två danska designers, och de har ett mycket nära samarbete. Varje arbetsvecka inleds exempelvis med ett måndagsmöte där de går igenom sina respektive projekt, diskuterar hur de bäst kan utföras och tillsammans rätar ut eventuella frågetecken. Kappsegling är en viktig del i Tores jobb. Det ger honom den praktiska återkoppling som krävs för att designarbetet ska kunna utvecklas och förbättras. Ett kul och omväxlande jobb Att designa ett segel tar längre tid än många nog tror. Ett bra dagsverke innebär att Tore betar av ungefär fyra segel från sin lista, men det förutsätter att han får jobba koncentrerat utan att bli störd av annat. Det kan kanske låta som att han har ett ganska enahanda jobb. Det tycker inte Tore. Uppdragen varierar ju; på förmiddagen gör han kanske en rullgenua till en Scampi och på eftermiddagen ett 3Di-storsegel till en ORCi-racer. Båda uppdragen är kul och intressanta fast på lite olika sätt. Tore jobbar förstås mycket med kappseglingssegel. Hur många mästerskapstitlar eller Gotland Runt-vinster han har bidragit till vet han inte ens själv, men det är förmodligen fler än någon annan svensk segeldesigner. Det är klart att det är intressant att utveckla extrema segel i extrema material till extrema kappseglingsbåtar. Men alla uppdrag har sin charm. Ett projekt han minns med särskild glädje är när han utvecklade segel till 2.4m-klassen – ”Tvåfyra” eller ”Minitolva” i dagligt tal. Tores design, som han tog fram tillsammans med Stellan Berlin, mångfaldig världsmästare i klassen, har haft exempellösa framgångar under flera decennier och har än idag en dominerande ställning. Ett kul projekt av det lite ovanligare slaget var annars när han för några år sedan fick en beställning på en blooper till en Sparkman & Stephens-ritad 46-fotare. Om du inte riktigt har kläm på vad det är och hur det används är det inget att skämmas för. Det visste egentligen inte Tore heller när uppdraget landade på hans bord. Bloopers var populära under framför allt 70-talet och användes på mastheadriggade IOR-båtar, och när man allt mer övergick till fraktionsriggar försvann de från marknaden. Några designfiler fanns inte kvar i North Sails databaser och faktum är att Tore inte hade en aning om hur en blooper ska designas. Men i Minden, Nevada fanns folk som visste. Bland annat svensken Per Andersson, som då var designchef för hela North Sails (idag är han ansvarig för produktionen av 3Di-segel). Ett telefonsamtal senare var processen igång, och efter att ha rotat runt lite i sina gamla pärmar kunde Per ge Tore den input som krävdes för att ta fram en design. Om en blooper verkligen är ett effektivt segel ska vi låta vara osagt. Det finns nog en anledning till att segeltypen försvann. Men det var ett roligt projekt och Tore fick lära sig något nytt. För en person som drivs av nyfikenhet och intresse för vad som gör en båt snabb, är det ingen dålig belöning. Kalla vintrar är inget som hindrar Tore från att segla. På meritlistan finns bland annat ett EM-guld i Monotype XV-klassen. READ MORE

DAVIS ISLAND J/70 WINTER SERIES OPENER North Experts Share Light Air Speed Tips Greiner Hobbs’ Dark Horse, second place. 📷 Chris Howell North Sails is proud to sponsor of the 2018-19 Davis Island Winter Series. Our J/70 experts Mike Marshall, Tim Healy and Will Welles offered on-the-water coaching and a post-sailing debrief on the practice day to get the teams up to speed. After the regatta, they put together some key tips from what they learned which can help your team sail faster in the next event of the series. Starting As simple as it seems, it is critical to keep the boat moving as fast as possible in the last 2 minutes of a light air start. Getting too slow at the start (by aggressive steering, luffing the sails, or being under the fleet in no wind) on your final approach is a high risk maneuver that will more than likely result in a second or third row start. Steering When steering upwind in light air it’s crucial to not pinch. Keep the telltales mostly straight back with a little lift on the inside telltale. If you pinch too long, the boat loses momentum and the keel loses flow. Once that happens, it will take minutes to get back up to speed again. Crew Position Help the person on the helm steer by using your weight, both upwind and downwind. Bodies moving together as one have the biggest impact. In flat water the crew should be all the way forward on the rail if hiking, or all the way forward in the cockpit. Trimming the Sails Be careful to not over trim the main or jib. The upper leech telltales should be flowing 100% of the time in light air. To find max trim on either main or jib, sheet in until the upper leech telltales stall, then ease until they start flowing again. The jib needs to be eased in chop or in lulls to keep its upper leech telltale flowing. We recommend easing with the leeward sheet to make sure the lower part of the sail stays deep for power. If the weather sheet is eased, the bottom gets too flat and the jib loses too much driving force. The main also needs to have the upper leech telltales flowing in light air. If you need to live in a tight lane, sheeting in tighter and stalling the upper leech telltales is okay temporarily. You will slow down a bit, and the leeward boat will gradually extend. North powered boats finished 2, 3, 4*, 5, 6*, 7, 9, 10. Full Results Learn more about the North J/70 products. Douglas Strebel’s Black River Racing, third place. 📷 Chris Howell Doug Clark’s Polar, with Tim Healy on board calling the tactics. 📷 Chris Howell Beautiful view of the fleet sailing downwind. 📷 Chris Howell READ MORE

LIGHT WINDS AT THE BACARDI WINTER SERIES INAUGURAL EVENT North Clients Dominate J/70 and Melges 24 Classes 📷 Kathleen Tocke/Bacardi Invitational The inaugural event of the 2018-2019 Bacardi Winter Series in Miami faced light conditions, with only three races sailed. We caught up the J/70 class winner, Geoffrey Pierini for some quick insights about the regatta. What was the key to maintaining your speed up and downwind? Clean air as usual, proper weight placement and adjusting heading for wave angle. Very tight results for the top five boats and an incredible amount of talent as well. What were the key factors that helped your team win the event? Good starts and local knowledge. Your crew members? We had Thomas Barrows calling tactics, Ron Weed trimming, and Max Lopes on the bow. Your North Designs? XCS-2 Mainsail, J-6 High Clew and the AP Spinnaker. How long have you been sailing the J/70 and what do you like the most about the class? I’ve been sailing the J/70 for 6 years. The best of the J/70 class in my opinion is the high level of competition and international presence. What’s next for Team 49? All Miami events and the Worlds in the UK. Light air J/70 tips from North Sails expert Tim Healy: Headstay sag adds depth to the jib. In light to moderate wind, having adequate headstay sag reduces the need for weather sheeting the jib. The shrouds should be tensioned to target 4-6″ of headstay sag at the jib mid-stripe and 1/2-3/4″ of mid-mast side sag. Mast side sag indicates that the mast is free to move/flex with little restriction of the lowers. This will allow the mast to be more flexible and dynamic in light air and increase headstay sag. It helps to remember that the middle of the jib luff does fall off (“sags”) to leeward, which changes your angle of attack to the wind. Conversely the mid-leech “rotates” to weather (hence reducing the need for windward sheeting) The net result of these variables is the ability to point higher. So why is this so important and how do we get there? Read full article North Sails Results: J/70 – 1, 2*, 4, 5, 8, 9 – Congratulations Geoffrey Pierini and Team 49 Melges 24 – 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 – Congratulations Bruce Ayres and Team Monsoon North J/70 Sails | North Melges 24 Sails Bruce Ayres’s Monsoon, winner in the Melges 24 class. 📷 Kathleen Tocke/Bacardi Invitational READ MORE

NORTH U. AT THE TORONTO BOAT SHOW New Year, New Skills. Start 2019 the right way and brush up on your sailing skills with North U, the training division of North Sails. Providing the world's best seminars and instruction since 1980, our experts create curriculum to deepen your sailing knowledge and sharpen your skills. North U. Expert Bill Gladstone will be hosting Sail Education seminars at the Toronto International Boat Show, January 18 - 27, 2019. Sign up for show tickets today to attend these hour-long complimentary sessions, and don't forget to stop by booth 1623 to talk to our local crew about finding the right sail for you. North U. Tactics, Tips & Tricks I Saturday, January 19th at 12:00pm Location: Salon 108 Topics Covered: Lessons learned from Wednesday night racing Upwind & Downwind wind shift strategy Starting tactics Boat-on-Boat tactics Downwind attack strategy: Lessons in wind shadow geometry Distance racing vs buoy strategy North U. Upwind Sail Trim I Sunday, January 20th at 12:00pm Location: Salon 108 Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air North U. Tactics, Tips & Tricks I Friday, January 25th at 5:30pm Location: Salon 107 Topics Covered: Lessons learned from Wednesday night racing Upwind & Downwind wind shift strategy Starting tactics Boat-on-Boat tactics Downwind attack strategy: Lessons in wind shadow geometry Distance racing vs buoy strategy North U. Upwind Sail Trim I Saturday, January 26th at 12:00pm Location: Salon 108 Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air North U. Tactics, Tips & Tricks I Sunday, January 27th at 12:00pm Location: Salon 108 Topics Covered: Lessons learned from Wednesday night racing Upwind & Downwind wind shift strategy Starting tactics Boat-on-Boat tactics Downwind attack strategy: Lessons in wind shadow geometry Distance racing vs buoy strategy Purchase your show tickets today and ensure you attend these informative sessions. Make your 2019 sailing season excel with North U. READ MORE

NORTH U. AT THE CHICAGO BOAT SHOW New Year, New Skills. Start 2019 the right way and brush up on your sailing skills with North U, the training division of North Sails. Providing the world's best seminars and instruction since 1980, our experts create curriculum to deepen your sailing knowledge and sharpen your skills. North U. Expert Andrew Kerr will be hosting Sail Education seminars at the Chicago Boat Show, January 11th - 13th. Sign up for show tickets today to attend these hour-long complimentary sessions. North U. Tactics, Tips & Tricks I Friday, January 11th at 11:45am Location: Spinnaker Topics Covered: Lessons learned from Wednesday night racing Upwind & Downwind wind shift strategy Starting tactics Boat-on-Boat tactics Downwind attack strategy: Lessons in wind shadow geometry Distance racing vs buoy strategy North U. Upwind Sail Trim I Saturday, January 12th at 4:45pm Location: Windward Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air North U. Upwind Sail Trim I Sunday, January 13th at 11:45am Location: Spinnaker Topics Covered: This session shows how the angle of attack, depth, and twist combine to control upwind speed, pointing and balance; and how to change the trim to improve performances as conditions change. Mainsail trim Jib trim Helming in light, moderate and heavy air Purchase your show tickets today and ensure you attend these informative sessions. Make your 2019 sailing season excel with North U. READ MORE

WINNING IS A TEAM EFFORT FOR RC44 CHARISMA Chris Hosking and Ross Halcrow Reflect on Their Team’s Success In 2018 📸RC44 Class / Studio Martinez Nico Poon’s RC44 Charisma was named 2018 season champ in November, taking the coveted overall trophy in one of sailing’s most competitive “Big Boat” one-design classes. The core of the Charisma team has been a unit for four years, and as with most Grand Prix race programs, winning results are a collective effort; both onboard and onshore. “Charisma has great boat speed. Our tactician Ray Davies does a great job of putting us in ideal positions on the race course,” commented headsail trimmer Ross Halcrow (NZL). “This team approach carries through our work with North Sails and how we evolve our sail package. “We work closely with Mickey Ickert on the design side at North Sails; one of the grand master’s of sail design,” remarks mainsail trimmer Chris Hosking (AUS). “Mickey uses the North Design Suite to show us the optimum balance of sail shape, strength and weight with a great deal of accuracy.” Ross and Chris are responsible for providing our North Design team with feedback from the water. The feedback loop often begins during the RC44 events, where Mickey and a handful of the North design team are present to receive feedback on the ground. For Ross, direct comms with Mickey is a relationship that dates back to the early 90’s. “Working with the sail designer is my forte,” Ross explains. “Mickey and I have worked together for a long time, and we’re on the same page when it comes to style designs, style shapes, engineering, etc. It’s like we are speaking the same language. Our rapport makes it easy to get what I’m looking for incorporated into the sail design.” One of the questions we asked Chris and Ross during their post-win debrief was how does sail performance impact overall boat performance? “Sails provide propulsive forces via a combination of lift and drag, depending on their apparent wind angle,” explained Chris. “We work with Mickey and the North Design Suite tools to achieve what we think are the optimal flying shapes for those sails in the varying wind conditions. If those shapes aren’t fast, our boat doesn’t go fast!” 📸 RC44 Class / Studio Martinez As most sailors know, shape is the holy grail of sail design. For North Sails, scientific design coupled with continued development of 3Di produces sails that maintain their shape longer. “In the RC44 Class, we have a strict sail limitation, so our sails have to maintain their optimum flying shape over the course of a season. I think we have proven that 3Di can deliver those objectives in one of the toughest one-design fleets.” “We have to get through an entire season with the same sails. We did 55 races this year, and the higher carbon content versus total sail weight of RAW 880, meant our sails retained their optimum flying shape for longer than any other sail on the market.” Charisma were early adopters of 3Di RAW 880, the highest performance tier of 3Di, and a product Ross pushed North Sails to explore. The RC44 class has sail limitation rules, and Charisma were the first to transition to 880, the highest carbon-spec sail in an effort to maximize their sail card strategy. “I’ve seen the evolution of 3Di on the 44 since 2010 when we had the first 3Di styles on the Oracle boats,” explain Ross. “I’ve been pushing for a higher carbon sail like 880. The 880 is the latest product the higher carbon putout for quite some time. We’re very happy to have it on the boat this year.” 📸 RC44 Class / Studio Martinez “Everybody knows that one of the keys to winning is consistency, and that’s something we didn’t do too well in 2018,” remarked Chris. “Although we won three of five tour events, we faltered with a sixth-place finish in Portoroz and then again at the Worlds in Cascais. Lucky for us though, one of our main adversaries had a seventh in Portoroz, which gave us the tour victory.” With the 2018 season behind them, Charisma has already put their title defense campaign in motion. “The planning never stops, and we are already into 2019 sail planning, winter boat work, and a couple of crew changes”. 📸 RC44 Class / Studio Martinez READ MORE

ROAD TO THE ETCHELLS WORLDS: LOUIS PIANA CUP Top Ten Boats Powered by North Sails By: North Sails Expert, Skip Dieball The kick off to the 2019 Etchells Biscayne Bay Series couldn’t have been better from a weather and racing perspective. All five races were competed in good, challenging conditions and the 49-boat fleet was treated to outstanding sailing at the 2018 Louis Piana Cup. Saturday’s racing was held in 12-15 knot easterly with moderate chop. The first race saw Michael Goldfarb’s WarCanoe taking the lead at the top mark and not looking back. Michael took delivery of his boat the week before and was pleased with the setup and speed out of the box. In fact, there were four brand new boats debuting at the event, which is a testament to class strength as folks prepare for the Worlds in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 2nd and 3rd races were won by the 2017 World Champion, Steve Benjamin. Benj’s team had a solid 1st day with a 4-1-1. In pursuit were Jim Cunningham, Luis Doreste, Scott Kauffman, Tony Rey and Goldfarb. Sunday started off fairly light SWerly. After a passing shower and some dark clouds over Coconut Grove, the breeze filled in nicely out of the same direction. The chop increased as the ebb tide fought the breeze, making it a full focus game in keeping the boats going fast and in the right direction. Marvin Beckmann’s team won the day with a 3-3 and moving up to 7th overall. Tony Rey’s team scored a 6-1 to claim their spot in the top 5. Benj’s team shook off an early 11 to secure victory over Jim Cunningham’s team. North Sails expert and Etchells World Champion Skip Dieball sailed the event with WarCanoe and helped set up the new boat in advance of the event. Here are his comments: “I was focused on the sail set up and I was delighted with how our sails set up to the new Wale Spar. We used off-the-shelf PCF-RM mainsail. It was incredibly smooth and was versatile in the many different conditions we saw in the days leading up to the Piana Cup. Our headsail analysis pre-event had us looking at 4-5 different sails and in the end, we used a new LM-2L in the first 4 races and the LM-2H in the 5th race. I am, again, amazed at the versatility of the LM-2L. We have a selection of battens that we use as we work this sail through 0-15 knots and the sail simply never lets us down.” Boats powered by North Sails finished 1, 2, 3, 4*, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Full Results Learn more about the North Etchells Designs. READ MORE

From the starting line in Lanzarote, Spain, to the finish 3,000 miles away in Port Louis, Grenada, teams were challenged to the fullest on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean. In this years edition, our clients set the bar high. Supermaxi My Song was the first boat to finish the race, setting a new monohull race record. Cookson 50 Kuka3 not only won in their class, but also won overall, claiming the 2018 RORC Transatlantic race trophy for best corrected finish time – and overcoming a fire onboard prior to the finish! Kuka3, First IRC Overall, and 2018 Transatlantic Race Winners 📸 Rodrigo Rata / 2018 RORC Transatlantic Monohull race record goes to Supermaxi My Song. 📸 Arthur Daniel / RORC Transatlantic race MOCRA Winner, Powerplay, departing Lanzarote to win their division. 📸 Joaquin Vera / RORC Transatlantic race Class 40’s 2nd Place finishers, Hydra, happy to be in Grenada. 📸 Arthur Daniel / RORC Transatlantic READ MORE

WORLD CHAMPION MARIA PERELLÓ DOMINATES TROFEO CIUTAT DE PALMA Confidence, Consistency, and the Power of the North R-2 Radial Sail Maria powered by the North R-2 Radial mainsail. © Nico Martinez The Trofeo Ciutat de Palma is one of the biggest Optimist events in Europe and also includes the 420, Laser, and Europe classes. In its 68th edition, the regatta welcomed 275 Opti sailors from many European countries for a challenging 7-race series. The sailors were divided into three divisions: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Maria Perello, from Spain, dominated the event with an impressive scoreline of 2-(6)-1-1-1-2-2 in the 96-boat Gold Fleet. Maria, congratulations on your victory! Can you describe the conditions of the regatta? On the first two days we had light winds with 3 to 7 knots. On the last day we had 15-20 knots, it was a lot of fun! What were the three key factors for such consistent results in Palma, winning three races and finishing second in the other three races? The constant hard work during the races The enjoyment, because if we don’t have fun things don’t go well The confidence in myself! Tell us about your training routine. On Saturdays we get to the club at 10 am, with my friends as well. If there is no wind, we wait for the wind to come in and then we go out as soon as possible. We practice starts, maneuvers, we check speed and more. How does coach Adrian Barceló help you? Adrian explains the plan for the day and the approach that he wants and the conclusions that he is looking forward to have. What are your next events? We have the Aecio Trophy from 26 to 30 of December, then we go to the Baleares Regatta in the middle of January and the XII Trofeo Euromarina in Torrevieja in the end of January. Congratulations Maria! Maria used the North R-2 Radial Mainsail, which also helped her win the World Championship in Greece. The North Sails R Series for the Optimist class is designed by our Olympic-winning designers from North Sails Japan. Each design is tailored for the sailor’s weight as follows: R-1 Mainsail – Below 36 kg / 79 lbs R-2 Mainsail – 33-41 kg / 72 – 90 lbs R-4 Mainsail – 38-46 kg / 84 – 101 lbs R-5 Mainsail – Above 45 kg / 100 lbs For additional information, don’t hesitate to contact your closest North Sails Optimist experts. Maria Perelló and her coach Adrian Barceló READ MORE

Xmas Optimist North Sails Clinic, em Cascais 27 a 29 de Dezembro À semelhança do que é feito internacionalmente, a North Sails promove, também, em Portugal clínicas para os seus velejadores. Estas iniciativas são igualmente abertas a velejadores com interesse em conhecer as nossas velas. As clínicas North Sails são uma plataforma de educação multi-facetada para velejadores de todos os níveis. Os nossos programas são desenhados para apoiar todos os velejadores no desenvolvimentos das suas competências, com uma aprendizagem tanto na água como em sala. Dentro do nosso conjunto de actividades , velejadores de diferentes níveis podem aqui encontrar a oportunidade e os recursos para desenvolver as suas competências. Estas iniciativas permitem uma contínua aprendizagem e/ou um refresh, consoante a época do ano em que acontecem. Na continuidade do trabalho que o Vicente Pinheiro tem vindo a desenvolver com os velejadores de Optimist, em Portugal, abrimos a época com uma clínica realizada em Cascais, com o apoio da Marina de Cascais, a quem deixamos o nosso agradecimento, e na qual contámos com a presença do Pedro Bolina como treinador convidado. Os velejadores tiveram a oportunidade de partilhar experiências e, em conjunto, abordar vários cenários possíveis à utilização das suas velas, numa óptica da optimização técnica da sua potencialidade. "Nas clínicas da NS conheço melhor a minha vela e aprendo a tirar o melhor partido dela. E acho as clínicas muito produtivas", Francisco Uva. Depois da Open Season Clinic, realizada no mês de Setembro com velejadores de Optimist de 4 clubes nacionais, a North Sails vai agora realizar a Xmas Clinic, em Cascais. No mês de Dezembro, durante os dias 27, 28 e 29, temos como objectivo aproveitar as férias escolares e pausa de época para reunir os nossos velejadores num trabalho mais específico e dar a oportunidade também a outros velejadores de experimentarem as velas North Sails, novamente com a presença do treinador Pedro Bolina. Esta é uma iniciativa aberta a todos os velejadores da Classe Optimist, bem como aos seus treinadores que a queiram acompanhar. Para os que vêm de mais longe temos, localmente, soluções para aluguer de barcos. Para mais informações contactem a North Sails Cascais através do email vicente.pinheiro@northsails.com ou do telf 916 857 896. READ MORE