ASPIRE WINS THE 5.5 METRE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
#NSVICTORYLIST: 5.5 METRE EUROPEANS
Aspire’s Mateusz Kusznierewicz Sweeps the Fleet
The 5.5m Class is one of the very few classes this year to hold a Worlds and European Championship. All sailors respected the organizing authorities’ mandatory guidelines to prevent the further spreading of the virus, carefully social distancing and taking their temperatures each day before going to their boats. While adhering to the safety protocol, sailors still made the best of the event, and San Remo provided excellent racing conditions.
Teams were noticeably excited to be out sailing again, as this was the first event for the class since January. The conditions in San Remo showed the fleet a mix of conditions, and North’s client results were proof that our products for the 5.5 Metre can deliver top results in any wind condition. North Sails class expert Christoph Burger on New Moon II explained, “As a class leader for North Sails, I am always thinking of ways to make our products better. Sometimes these can be smaller things or new designs. Right now, I am focusing on the smaller things to help our clients gain that extra performance boost.”
Christoph explains: “The 5.5 Metre class is on the right track and very attractive. We swept the podium here at the Europeans and our clients filled almost all of the top 10 spots. About 20% of the fleet has newer boats too, and there are some new building projects in the works we are all excited about.”
Christoph commented, “Before the regatta, we had one week to train, so we lined up with Otto (NOR 68) and Momo (SUI 229) to make sure we were up to speed. At the regatta, we took the bronze. “Every team is fast,” explains Christoph. “We all had speed, so it came down to strategy and tactics to do well at this regatta. The top end of the fleet was very close in scores. The tiniest mistake would cost an entire position. This year’s conditions were challenging. Aspire sailed an excellent regatta, ending their speed streak with two bullets to close out the event. Well done!”
New Moon II used North Sails MNi-1 All Purpose Mainsail, Li-2 Jib Light Jib, and S-2 Spinnaker in the lighter conditions. Christoph explains, “This choice of North’s upwind sails are designed to be used in the light winds up to max 12 Knots TWS, so they were the perfect match. We chose to use the AP mainsail because we wanted to be ready if the wind got stronger. For the moderate wind races, we only changed jibs, shifting to our Mi-1 Medium Jib. These choices proved to be the best for the regatta.”
Congratulations to Aspire’s Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemyslaw Gacek, and Simon Fry 2020 5.5 Metre European Champions! In second place was Momo’s Dieter Schon, Markus Wieser, and Thomas Auracher, followed by New Moon II’s Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, and Peter Vlasov.
Next up is Régate Royal in Cannes and the season finale in Thun, Switzerland.
Want to learn more about North Sails 5.5 Metre championship-winning sails? Contact your Class Expert for more information.
