SCOTT’S SECRETS TO WIN PAPER TIGER NEW ZEALAND NATIONALS

Start well. Keep moving. Don’t rest downwind.

A strong fleet of forty-six Paper Tigers battled for the 2019 New Zealand National title on the waters of Evans Bay. North Sails expert Derek Scott dominated the regatta with five bullets in the 8-race event followed by Dylan Tayler in second and Heyden Percy in third. A full North Sails podium!

We caught up with Derek to learn about his secrets to win in such convincing way:

Derek, Congratulations! What were the conditions during the Nationals?

We had a good mix of conditions at the Nationals. The first day was 15 knots at the start of the first race, building to 20 knots by the end. The second race started in 24 knots and built quickly to above 30 knots. Hence the racing being called off for the rest of the day due to excess wind and quite a bit of damage. The rest of the regatta was sailed in shifty conditions with the wind ranging from 5-15 knots.

How long have you been racing the Paper Tiger? Do you sail other one-design boats?

This is my second season in the Paper Tiger. Before the Paper Tiger I have sailed a whole bunch of one-design boats ranging from Olympic 470 to Etchells.

Eight races, five bullets and a second-place discard for a total of only nine points – Amazing consistency in a 46-boat event! What were the three key factors for such great results?

1. START WELL: The first and biggest aspect is to get a good start and get into the first wind line or shift after the start gun. In the Paper Tiger if you are in 3 kts more wind than another boat the speed difference is huge.
2. KEEP MOVING: Keep the boat moving fast all the time. Sounds simple but you need to keep full concentration when sailing Paper Tiger as it is easy to “get out of the grove” and the boat will slow down.
3. DON’T REST DOWNWIND: Keep the intensity up once you have rounded the top mark. Don’t treat downwind as a time to rest. I work harder on the reach than I do upwind. Make sure the sail is trimmed perfectly and you have powered you sail up to get max speed. If there are waves, make sure you are trying to catch as many as you can and rest when the race is over.

What’s next in your calendar?

This week I will be sailing in the Bay of Islands Regatta in the sportboat division on a Magic 25. The next Paper Tiger regatta is in Auckland on the 2nd and 3rd of February with a few more regattas around the country in February and March. The Paper Tiger season ends with the International Championship when the Australians bring a fleet of 10-20 boat and we all race and have fun together.

Full results

Learn more about the North Sails products for the Paper Tiger.