NEW S-5 STEALTH MAINSAIL
NEW S-5 STEALTH MAINSAIL
The Powerful And Versatile Go-To Sail
The secret is out… the new and competitive North Sails Stealth S5 Mainsail can now been revealed having already been successful for top Paper Tiger sailors, Derek Scott and Hayden Percy. The sail helped Scott, North Sails Paper Tiger Class Expert, win the 2019 New Zealand Paper Tiger Nationals and Percy win the 2019 Paper Tiger International Series in Napier.
Throughout the summer, Scott has been testing the new-shape mainsail which has been developed from the success of the S-4 shape. “It has more power in the light, but you can still flatten it off in heavier conditions. It’s going to be the go-to sail for all Paper Tiger sailors,” he says.
The sail is made from the same Contender Max sail cloth used for easily Stealth designs, but has an improved corner patch to reduce wear and fatigue in the tack and clew areas. It is also lighter than earlier designs.
As well as being lighter than earlier designs, the new S-5 Mainsail has an improved corner patch to reduce wear and fatigue in the tack and clue areas.
Scott has raced the sail in a mix of conditions, including the 2019 Nationals at Wellington’s Evans Bay Yacht Club where the fleet faced 10 to 30 knots. Scott achieved first and second place in all eight races, becoming the 2019 Paper Tiger National Champion. Former National Champion, Hayden Percy, then used the sail at the International Series over Easter. With a mix of Australian and Kiwi boats, Percy took gold, proving himself in the light conditions and Scott took silver.
“Last year when we went to Melbourne for the same event, we found we had more speed than the Australians, but since then we’ve sold numerous North S4 sails over there. Skippers using that sail finished in the top seven positions at the Australian nationals.”
This year, 10 of the Australian teams were using the North S4 for the internationals, but the Kiwis had their new weapon which proved much faster — the S5. The international was sailed in very light, tricky conditions, which made it difficult for the heavier Australian crews, but throughout the summer season, the S5 has consistently proven itself to be a high performer.
Scott, one of the lighter sailors in the class, was keen to develop a new sail since starting sailing the Paper Tiger two years ago. “I could see that there was a need for a more powerful sail to cover the heavier weight range of the sailors,” he says. “We started developing a deeper sail, and then after testing, we found it was working well for all sailors of varying weights. We began designing the new S-5 for heavier sailors, but it turned out to be a good all-round sail for everyone. It can still be flattened off easily while also creating more power when needed.”
“We began designing the new S-5 for heavier sailors, but it turned out to be a good all-round sail for everyone. It can still be flattened off easily while also creating more power when needed.”
Learn more about the S-5 Stealth Mainsail or talk to Class Expert, Derek Scott.
