NORTH SAILS BLOG

Many of today’s flying creations are conceptualized as pure foiling boats, which means they don’t have restrictions that impede the designer’s vision of the best way to foil. The evolution is dramatic, as with things like foiling kiteboards, Moths, and even the revamped AC50’s (now called F50’s) used in the SailGP circuit. READ MORE

FORCE OF NATURE: JOSIE GLIDDON Josie Gliddon Works for North Sails as an Accountant by Day, But On the Weekends, She’s a Powerhouse Paving the Way in the Moth Class. On the starting line with some of the top sailors in the world, Josie Gliddon is making a name for herself in the Moth class, and encouraging other women to join her on the racecourse. During the week, you can find Josie at the Gosport, UK loft in the accounting department. We caught up with Josie at Moth UK Nationals to talk to her about her career at North Sails, trialing new Moth sails and her time on the water. Watch the video to learn. READ MORE

CONTRÔLE GRATUIT EN PRÉVOYANT VOTRE HIVERNAGE La fin de saison approche, il est temps de prendre contact avec nos experts ! Faire un bilan de votre inventaire de voiles, dresser la liste des travaux d’hiver à effectuer, planifier le stockage pour l'hiver et la mise à bord au printemps prochain : nous sommes là pour vous ! Nos services hivernaux à la carte sont à votre disposition pour prendre soin de vos voiles et augmenter leur longévité. Pour toutes les marques de voiles, nous vous proposons 2 options : 1) un contrôle complet "Certified Service" gratuit de vos voiles, quelle que soit la marque. Pour cela il suffit de les amener à la voilerie (en les déposant 24/24 dans notre SAS sécurisé à l’entrée de la voilerie), ou auprès d'un revendeur North Sails certifié. Liste disponible ici. 2) un forfait premium comprenant l'enlèvement, le contrôle complet "Certified Service", le stockage durant tout l'hiver, et la mise à bord au printemps : vous ne vous souciez de rien, on s'occupe de tout ! Qu'est-ce qu'un contrôle complet "Certified Service" ? Apprenez-en plus. Appelez-nous au 022 782 32 22 pour avoir plus d’infos ou prendre rendez-vous avec l'un de nos experts. READ MORE

PUTTING AWAY YOUR TOYS End of Season Storage and Sail Care Is Key to Prolonging Sail Life North Sails Expert Tom Davis is particular about sail storage. He’s shared his best tips below to ensure your sails remain in top shape for next season. Given how strange 2020 has been in many respects, sailing has, fortunately, turned out to be an ideal activity in the great outdoors. While the way many of us have put our boats to use in 2020 has differed from prior years, sailors have been able to spend lots of time under sail – perhaps even getting in more sailing days than usual. For those living in areas where sailing has a defined season due to the approaching winter months, properly buttoning up the boat and equipment is a routine either underway or about to get started. Ensuring it is done right is critical for an effortless restart a few months from now when warmer weather returns. While by no means intended to be an exhaustive list, here are a few tips based on personal experience to keep in mind when preparing to store your sails. Dry If nothing else (and as you’ll see below, there is plenty more to be done), your sails must be scrupulously dry before you put them away. That’s true of short-term storage (between sailing days during the season) and becomes essential when storing for the longer term. Why? Moisture will encourage mildew growth, causing ugly dark stains on your sails. Moisture will promote dye migration of colors in spinnakers, causing discoloration. Neither of these bad outcomes is covered by sailmaker’s or sailcloth manufacturer’s warranties. After-the-fact cleaning will rarely remove all mildew staining, and cleaning will do nothing to undo dye bleeding in a spinnaker. Mildew and dye migration are unsightly, but they don’t significantly reduce sail performance. Where long term moisture exposure will harm more than just the look of your sails is damage to adhesives, impregnations, and coatings on-and-in the sail material. Moisture hydrolyzes the components of sailcloth that keep your sails flying like foils and maintaining zero porosity. Hydro is water; Lysis is destruction. Enough said, right? Clean Is there any part of your boat that is well served by being dirty? Probably not. Dirt certainly damages sail material – sometimes through chemical interaction, sometimes by mechanical action. For example, dry salt crystals embedded in cloth act like tiny internal files, sawing away on fibers and films, clean sails will last longer and perform better, particularly as the hours of use increase. So, how do you clean sails properly and effectively? For fundamental care, sail materials will handle a combination of water with a bit of detergent, some very gentle scrubbing by hand or soft brush, and liberal rinsing with fresh water. And as noted above, thorough drying after washing is essential. Where it gets tricky is when more aggressive measures are needed to remove stains. Some fiber/film/resin types are quite robust and will accept exposure to reactive chemistry and more vigorous handling. Other materials can be very susceptible to damage from specific exposures. It’s complicated! Eliminating a grease stain from woven dacron is very different from removing a rust stain on a cruising laminate or mitigating mildew in a high modulus material. I suggest using a well-established sailing industry professional to clean beyond the basic soap/water/rinse/dry process (sailmaker, sail cleaning agency). A web search for sail cleaning tips and contacts is a good place to start, whether planning to DIY or sending your sails to a professional. A few cardinal rules to remember (but far from everything you need to know before proceeding): Be super careful with bleach. Some plastics have a high tolerance for bleach (polyester, aka dacron), while others are destroyed immediately by contact with small amounts (bleach is deadly to aramid fibers and nylon, among others). Be wary of any cleaning agent other than mild detergent in a low concentration. Sometimes rust removers, “oxy” cleaners, and the like will do the intended job nicely. Still, when these are not suited to the cleaned material, disaster can strike quickly (and expensively). “Race” sails can be cleaned with a simple water-rinse and dry. Never rinse a nylon spinnaker in a swimming pool (you’d be surprised how often this happens!). Once upwind sails are clean and dry, some products can be spray applied to help keep them that way – McLube Sailkote is a favorite of North Sails. Applications like these are best left to specialists, in my opinion. 📸 Michael Egan / Egan Images Repair A clean sail is undoubtedly nice to have – but not much use if the sail requires repair to be fully functional. Getting a needed repair completed before storage for the off-season is the right thing to do. That sounds a bit like “floss every day” or “avoid carbs”: easy to say, not so easy to do. But it will pay off (same with flossing and limiting carbs, of course). Sail washing does present an excellent opportunity to inspect and identify needed repair, whether you do the cleaning yourself or contract these services with a sailmaker or sail cleaning specialist. Isolate I’ve seen many examples of damage to stored sails inflicted by mice, squirrels, and raccoons. Where I live in Connecticut, I’m convinced that we’re never going to win that war by eliminating these creatures (our always stocked bird feeders aren’t helping). So, the next best thing is to keep the little devils out of your sail bags. That starts with clean and dry sails. Don’t leave salt on your sails or their bags (this is a good time to soak away salt and crud on the zippers and zipper cars of turtle bags). If you flake and bag your sails on your lawn, make sure there’s no leaves or grass in the folded sails. Store your sails in a place where small animals cannot reach them. Spinnakers are particularly attractive to rodents as it’s a meal and good nesting material. A few years ago, I started hanging my (clean, dry) spinnakers from lines attached to the ceiling rafters in my garage rather than leaving them on a shelf or the floor. So far, so good. For questions about sail storage, reach out to your local loft! 📸 Urban Haglin READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CONTINUES THEIR SUPPORT OF SCOW ONE DESIGN CLASSES Providing Users with Championship-Winning Sails that have Dominated Scow Classes for Decades 📸 Hannah Lee Noll As you may know, North Sails and Melges Boatworks (North Sails Zenda) have worked in conjunction in the past to provide sails and service to the Scow fleets across the U.S. We are writing to let you know that while Melges Boatworks has decided to change tacks and represent a different sail brand, we remain committed to providing top level performance to our Scow customers. North Sails views this as an opportunity to raise the bar in terms of our service, accessibility, and commitment to the Scow Fleets. North Sails owns all of the current winning designs you have become accustomed to. We have been manufacturing and designing championship winning scow sails for over forty years and look forward to doing so for forty more. The North Sails One Design team has a long tradition of serving one design fleets all over the country and we look forward to working with you! Our network of local one design experts and dealers are available to help you get the most out of your sails so you can reach your goals whether it is an informal evening race, or the Class Championship. We will continue to develop and sell the North Scow sail models that you have been using to win all the major Scow Championships, the same sails that you have learned to trim and tune. The sails with the quality and consistency that you expect from a North Sails product. As always, North Sails stands behind our products and we take pride in developing and delivering the fastest sails available. Please feel free to reach out to us or anyone on the North team if you have any questions. We are excited to open up the entire North Sails team to work with you directly on your scow program. Our team is looking forward to seeing you on the water soon. A Scow C Scow E Scow MC Scow X Boat READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: FINAL LOSHRS RACES Short Handed Sailors Took To The Water For Races 5 & 6 North powered Upstart owned by Bert Barrett. Photo courtesy of LOOR Chair Monica Doedens Conditions were predicted to be less than ideal for the last races of the LOSHRS series on September 19th and 20th. That said, the wind gods prevailed and a lovely 10-12 knots came through on Saturday with fantastic sunshine to boot. While races 5 & 6 usually take racers to Port Dalhousie from PCYC with an epic party on the Saturday night, this year the Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) committee broke it up into two days races. Saturday saw racers head to Oakville from PCYC while Sunday they headed east to Humber Bay from PCYC. The 49 boats that came out were able to enjoy two days of racing filled with Fall temps, sunshine and good times. North powered Messing About skippered by Andre Beese, a J27, from OYS took first in their division, beating out new to Lake Ontario Saffier 37 Isley from PCYC. Well done Andre and crew! Tonic from RCYC skippered by Chris Jones, powered by w, also took first in their division followed by fellow 36.7 racers Don French in 2nd with Arriba and Richard Reid in 3rd with Zingara. Ken Martin with Star Chaser, took first in his division as well for solo non flying sails on his Beneteau First 45, well done Ken! It’s great to see the support these sailors have shown to the sport and the committee that runs these races. A great deal of effort, coordination and safety precautions were taken to ensure these races were able to happen for our short-handed sailors. A tremendous round of applause for the Lake Ontario Offshore Racing committee, especially their RC, for adjusting to the times to get races off and encourage sailors to come out on the water. Photo courtesy of LOOR Chair Monica Doedens READ MORE

Rig Tuning Guide All turns from base. TWS Knots Forestay V1 D1 D2 0-5 -5 -3 -1 -1 5-10 -3 -1 0 0 10-14 BASE BASE BASE BASE 14-18 +5 +2 +1 +1 28-22 +10 +3 +1 +2 22+ +10 +4 +3 +2 BASE TUNING - PT-2 V1 30 D1 25 D2 7 BASE Swing 1853 mm Using the jib halyard, pull the halyard taught against the mast at the level of the top BAS (black band). Swing the halyard to the forestay and mark the forestay at this height. Measure from the mark down to the top of the stainless steel forestay fitting. This measurement is 1853mm for base setting. READ MORE

CONNECTING KITING AND SAILING Steve Calder Brings Years of Sail Design Experience and a Passion for Kiting to a New Project 📸 Ydwer van der Heide It wasn’t flashy imagery or action sports videos that got Steve Calder, North Sails designer, interested in kiting. His love for the sport began when his son decided he wasn’t interested in sailing optis while the family was in Valencia, Spain working on America’s Cup. A couple of months later back in Delray Beach, Florida, Kai Calder, Steve’s son, called his dad down to the beach where he and some friends had a trainer kite set up. That Christmas, Kai was fully outfitted with all the gear needed to start his kiting career. He said, “come on Dad. It’s just water, it’s wind. It’s all the stuff you do. But it’s something that I like doing and it’s kind of an expressive sport.” As a result, Calder was hooked on the sport too. Kai is now a professional foil racer on the Pro World Tour, taking after his dad developing and innovating new gear for the sport he loves. Steve Calder is one of the most lauded designers at North Sails, starting as a great sailor, winning a Bronze medal for Canada in the Soling class at the 84’ Olympics, and upwards from there. He has designed for programs like BMW Oracle Racing, Artemis, Ericsson, Puma Ocean Racing, and Rambler; and was instrumental in the development and the continued development of the Helix Structured Luff system. Calder has seen North Sails through many iterations of America’s Cup sails, as the rule has evolved. Calder is the pinnacle of sail design at North Sails, designing, engineering, and putting forth revolutionary products applied to the boats that are the highest caliber in the sport. He’s one of the lead designers that the North Sails Design team turns to for guidance in solving design challenges. The company looks to Calder to help guide them in aerodynamic and structural solutions for Grand Prix products and Grand Prix customers. “The goal of a sailmaker is to provide the best aerodynamics solution for a set of objectives,” says JB Braun, Director of Design and Engineering at North Sails. “Steve’s love of creating faster sail designs has driven him to the top of the sport of sailing. He gets intimately involved with the structure of the sails. He’s exploring new ways of working with materials, like 3Di to refine sail structure. You give him a challenge and he’s right in it, making sure that the design satisfies the customer’s goals.” Calder uses the North Design Suite for designing top end, leading-edge solutions for race boats. The sophisticated, proprietary software, allows North designers to push the boundaries of sail design and be confident in the results. Calder is combining the North Sails foundation of data-driven design with his own intuition, as a kiteboarder, and applying it to the kites to help innovate and create the next generation. Steve Calder tests a prototype. Courtesy Steve Calder. Taking on a kite design project was an exciting and very different challenge for the designer, what he brings to the table here is his ability to innovate and apply his aero expertise that can be prototyped and applied to kite designs. Calder began working with sailmaker Dave Little and the North Kiteboarding chief designer, Pat Goodman, who is an industry authority on kite design and innovation. Goodman’s ability to understand and translate rider requirements into high-performance kite designs puts him among the world’s most awarded, respected, and successful kite designers. The team, combining their respective skills and knowledge, have found it fascinating to brainstorm and push the envelope with kite design and its applicability across a wider audience. Starting from scratch and having the opportunity to work with Pat Goodman is a dream in some ways for Calder. Goodman is known for being the guru of kite design, in the same way that Calder is with sails, he is able to fly a kite and sense what can be streamlined to make the product better. “It just kind of kept moving on from there.” Says Calder, “North Kiteboarding hired Dave to do further explore the development for the kites. And we became a team, I wanted to be involved. We built several prototypes and put them to the test. Some of the impetus for the 2021 launch of the new North kites was a result of our collective work. Dave and I gave some input to that process.” Pat Goodman says, “it’s so nice to have that opportunity to bring together the North Sails design and material development expertise into the mix. A modern day dream team working towards the goal of crafting a perfect kite.” Steve and Kai on the water together. Photo courtesy Steve Calder. “The core aerodynamic principles are the same,” says Calder, “it’s all, lift and drag. Having an idea and appreciation for how a kite or wind wing behaves and what the requirements are to build a good wing are the first principles of aerodynamics. In a way, it’s similar to designing sails but in other ways, it’s brand new. You can make a kite that’s too stiff, right. And oftentimes with sails, you can’t make a sail stiff enough. With kiting there are all sorts of design acumen that you would have that doesn’t relate really to sails at all because the kites behave in an entirely different way.” Calder says that for most kiters, choosing a kite is all about the feel, whether they understand the physics or not, a concept that translates easily for sailors who are interested in getting into the sport. If you can find the groove in a sailboat, you can likely tell the difference between a well-designed kite and a lemon. There is an opportunity to set a higher design benchmark in the kite industry and Pat Goodman is at the peak. “Goodman has basically spent a lifetime designing kites. As much as I’ve spent my life devoted to sailboats and performance sailing,” says Calder, “I can get on any boat and I can look up and tell what will improve the performance of that boat, whether it’s the boat, the sails, or the rig. Goodman can do that with a kite.” Most sailors will find that kiting augments their sailing experience, as the basic principles are very similar. Pulling down on the bar is similar to pulling in the mainsheet. Making adjustments to the center lines on a kite is similar to tuning the check stays on a sailboat. 📸 Ydwer van der Heide In Calder’s words, “that’s changing the entry angle of the kite. As you pull down, you power the kite, you pull the entry angle down, so you basically release the trailing edge. By doing so, the more you open it up, you’ll notice that the kite’s going to luff, and you’re de-powering the kite. Like when you ease your check stay on a sailboat, the sail gets flatter, and therefore you can sheet it harder.” In a way, when kiting, your body takes the place of the boat. If you are sailing upwind, and the boat gets a puff, everyone feels it and hikes a little harder. The helmsman makes an adjustment. Kiting makes you more attuned to the wind and allows you to take immediate advantage of that puff, instantaneously, you can edge up and gain speed. There is nothing between you and the power of the kite. “The feel is amazing.” Says Calder, “if a teammate is sitting on the rail sailing with us and leans over and asks, ‘Hey, what about kiting? You’re really into that. What do you think about it?’ I tell them, the first time I jumped on a laser as a kid, all I wanted to do was pull the centerboard up and just go planing around because it was really fun. The boat was fast, the water was flying everywhere. Anytime the conditions are conducive to kite, it’s the starting point for kiting. And it only gets better from there…” READ MORE

Enia i Mihaela, srebrene na Prvenstvu Italije za 49erFX FOTO: GIOVANNI MITOLO Od 17. do 20. rujna na zapadnoj Talijanskoj obali u mjestu Follonica, malo južnije od Toscane, jedrilo se Prvenstvo Italije za olimpijske klase. Na njemu je sudjelovala i naša najbolja ženska posada u klasi 49erFX, Enia Ninčević i Mihaela de Micheli Vitturi. Dok su im se kolege iz JK Sv.Krševan vraćale s regate u Kielu, ove dvije članice JK Uskok otišle su na ovu nešto bližu lokaciju i zajedrile s talijankama. Nakon dugog perioda bez regata u ovoj klasi i njima je ovo bio dugo očekivani povratak na regatna polja s ipak nešto brojnijom i ozbiljnijom konkurencijom nego što su je imale na treninzima tijekom ljeta. Ukupno je sudjelovalo 8 posada. Osim naših djevojaka sve ostalo su bile posade s ITA registracijama na jedrima. Među njima najviše se isticala posada Jana Germani i Giorgia Bertuzzi koje su prije ovog prvenstva sudjelovale i na regati u Kielu, tako da su stigle na start svog nacionalnog prvenstva već dobro zagrijane i u visokom natjecateljskom modu. Naše djevojke su unatoč izostanku s regate u Njemačkoj bile na visini i u skladu sa svojim statusom na međunarodnoj sceni, a više o tome saznat ćemo od Enie koju smo uhvatili za vrijeme opremanja jedrilice u Austriji u koju je naša posada otputovala direktno na Europsko prvenstvo: Za odlazak u Italiju smo se odlučili u posljednji tren. Jedrilo se na moru i uvjeti su bili stvarno izvrsni. Prva dva dana puhalo je iz otprilike 225°, nekakav njihov maestral... sea breeze od 16 do 20 čvorova. Imali smo po četiri plova svaki dan... prekrasni uvjeti! Šteta što nije tamo Europsko :) Tako da su ta prva dva dana bilo ono pravo "muška". Tih dana smo uglavnom završavale kao druge. Ispred nas je bila samo Jana Germani koja je u Kielu osvojila 6. mjesto. Tako da samo je tih dana uglavnom hvatali. Treći dan nismo jedrili, pokušali smo startati dva puta, ali je svaki put bilo prekinuto. A zadnji dan smo odjedrili dva plova po nekom južiniću. Na početku su bili srednji uvjeti, ali je kasnije vjetar pao. Nakon deset odjedrenih plovova, nakon dva odbacivanja koja su se kalkulirala nakon 9 plovova, Jana i Giorgia bile su ispred nas za dva boda, ali i s jednim odbacivanjem su bile bolje jer su imale više prvih mjesta. Tako da je bilo napeto od početka do kraja i stvarno se svaka greška naplaćivala. Enia Ninčević, JK Uskok FOTO: GIOVANNI MITOLO Što se tiče prvih mjesta koja je Enia spomenula, naše djevojke su četiri puta pobijedile, dok su talijanke to uspjele napraviti 5 puta, a u generalnu sumu nakon odbacivanja ušla su im još tri druga mjesta i jedno treće, a talijankama samo druga. Tako da se može reći da je u regati presudno bilo otvaranje po jakom vjetru, odnosno prvi dan jedrenja kad se domaća posada mnogo bolje snašla. Kompletne rezultate možete pronaći na ovom linku. Iz Follonice je naš kombi za Austriju otputovao preko Milana, gdje je u tvornici obavljeno popunjavanje opreme. U Austriju su stigle u ponedjeljak navečer i do srijede ujutro su morale vrijeme provesti zatvorene u apartmanu jer su čekale rezultate testa na Koronu koji su obavile u utorak ujutro. Rezultati su dobri i sad su u tijeku posljednje pripreme za predstojeće Europsko prvenstvo na kojem će još jedriti i braća Fantela, te posada Igor Marenić - Anđela de Micheli Vitturi u floti Nacri 17. READ MORE

SPOTLIGHT ON PARK CITY SAILING At Park City Sailing, an Empty Boat is a Wasted Opportunity In the Wasatch Mountain Range, the team at Park City Sailing has created a sailing haven, where people from all backgrounds, in all stages of life, have experiences and make memories on the water that stretch beyond the sport. Park City generally brings to mind winter Olympic games, extreme snow sports, and high-end resorts, but nestled under the slopes of Deer Valley Ski Resort is the Jordanelle Reservoir, 6,200 feet above sea-level where Executive Director Scott VerMerris conducts socially impactful sailing programs from May to October. VerMerris studied human development and family studies and has an extensive background in alternative forms of education and therapy. The adaptive program accommodates people of all abilities, adapting their fleet to handle sailors with visual impairment, amputation, cognition, autism, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment among others. Similarly, the therapeutic program is a space for those whose impairments may not be visible to those around them. Park City Sailing is an innovator in the utilization of mindfulness as a component of the sailing experience. Participants include veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, struggling with addiction, children, and families supporting a family member with mental or chronic illness. The program is a recipient of the Robbie Pierce Award for outstanding adaptive programming. The idea began with Ken Block, former Vice President director of Park City Sailing. Block is retired now, but his passion for the programs is still a major part of his life, and he is involved with countless organizations that promote accessibility in sailing. Block did not enter the sport of sailing in a typical way. He did not come from a family of sailors, but he knew he had an emotional connection to the sport, so he worked his way onto several Swans competing offshore and eventually he campaigned 3 International Etchells. Initially, Park City Sailing started as a Tuesday night around-the-cans Laser sailing, but with Block’s passion, it grew into the program it is today. A turning point was when the SEAS program in Sheboygan put out a notice that they were looking to donate their fleet of eight Elliot 6 Meters. Park City Sailing worked very hard to get the boats, calling upon now retired North Sails expert Tom McLaughlin to help them close the deal. McLaughlin was one of the program’s first and best volunteers. “It’s a very positive experience,” says McLaughlin. “We did a lot of sailing with wounded warriors, special needs people of all ages, people with learning disabilities, and so on. To really see their sort of joy or freedom when they’re on the water was really heartening because a lot of these people were beaten down, or told they can’t do things. We put them behind the tiller and encouraged them, ‘you can do this!'” He continues, “the beauty of being on a big open lake is that you chart your own course. You go where you want to go. You don’t have to stay on a path, there is symbolic freedom in that.” “Our way of introducing the boats to the community was a partnership with the National Ability Center based in Park City,” says Block. “They brought 24 wounded women warriors, to our program and we took them out sailing. The impact on us was palpable, that while sailing is a lot more than taking two turns off the lower to see if we can get a little more power to go through the lump on the next beat. We actually made a difference in people’s lives.” Park City Sailing continued to strengthen its relationship with The National Ability Center to create their own programs. Those programs have grown into the current work done at Park City Sailing. The program works with groups and individuals, like Big Brother, Big Sister, to specific requests, like one terminal patient named George, whose final wish was to go sailing one last time. When sailors ask about the program, Block says, “There’s a reason why you’re still sailing after 30, 40, in my case, 60 years.” And it’s not, ‘Hey, how can I induce a little bit more prebend today?’ No, that’s not what it’s all about. Something happened the first time you got on a sailboat that made you continue to get on a sailboat decade after decade.” The stories that Scott VerMerris and Ken Block share about the sailors in the program are hopeful, powerful stories about inclusivity and the positive effect that participation in sport and being outside can have on our lives. One participant, Dani, had recently lost her husband to suicide when she went on the water with Park City Sailing. Dani started to open herself up to share her story and talk to others about her experience. Another sailor, Sarah, was in a mountain bike crash that left her paralyzed. After the accident, she felt hopeless but learning to sail made her feel proud to be disabled. “I always have this limiting thing going on in my head and can’t fully have fun. For the first time, I completely let everything go and I was so happy and laughing and cackling and having the time of my life,” said Sarah of the experience. Another is Shane, an improvised explosive device specialist in Afghanistan who was suffering from severe anxiety and PTSD, who shared after a day on the water, “Today, I found a place where I feel safe.” Now, Shane continues his recovery and has gone back to school to become a recreational therapist himself. These benefits have strong enough data behind them that Block and VerMerris have co-authored two scientific papers on their experiences under the guidance of Dr. William Marchand of the Salt Lake VA hospital. on their experiences. They encourage other programs to expand their horizons to work with a more diverse audience. VerMerris says, “We can all benefit from good mental health, and sailing can contribute to well being. We’ve become fascinated with the effects that combining mindfulness, meditation, being outdoors, learning about sailing, a new skill that involves physics, and nature, and science, and all these different things, as well as comradery, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder.” “The more you spend time in a cockpit of a J/22 with three or four people in recovery, you’re like, “Wow, these are amazing stories,” says Block. Tom McLaughlin, who was hired by Lowell North in 1967, and has been involved with countless high-performance programs, attests that his hours spend volunteering with Park City Sailing strengthened his love of the sport. “I will reach out and I’ll help others because it not only is it rewarding, but it regenerates your love for sailing. And I think no matter how good of a sailor you are, even on the professional level, if you don’t really love it, you’re not going to do it as well. “When you sail, like for an America’s Cup program and you’re working six and a half days a week, and your focus is on incremental improvement. It’s easy to lose sight of the original joy that brought you into it. Volunteerism is something that allows you to work with people that have never been exposed to sailing or are struggling with real-life problems, and to see them leave those problems onshore and have some real joy, that takes the competitor and harkens back to that happy place. That gets you through another week of the grind of going out and sail testing and boat testing.” Block makes himself a resource for those who want to share their time on the water, and encourages people in the sport to lean-in to adaptive inclusivity, even if they might feel uncomfortable at first. VerMerris adds, “I think that’s why any member joins. It’s so that they can escape the stresses of whatever lives onshore and get out on the water as we all do. Our program also focuses specifically on how we can use our boats to offer people experiences that have different physical abilities, or different cognitive abilities, or the two combined.” The team attests that starting a socially-impactful sailing program begins locally, partnering with groups like adaptive sports centers, any therapeutic treatment center, or their local VA. “Be fearless in reaching out to the community,” says Block. Sending instructors to US Sailing’s adaptive sailing course adds to their confidence levels. Block raises his hand to speak at as many events as he can, and also offers his personal cell phone number up as a resource (you can email us for it.) The work done at Park City Sailing is proof that sailing is good for our well-being, giving participants transferable skills that relate when you get home and the stresses of real life. No matter the walk of life, we can all benefit from more time spent under sail. READ MORE

CLIENTS GIVE NEW LIFE TO AN OLD BOAT The Rebuild & Sail Inventory Upgrade on Mumm 36 Boogie Flash 📸 Lissa Reyden / Live Sail Die Local sailors and longtime friends David Wyeth and Vaughan Hunt rehab racing boats as a hobby. The pair spend a lot of time together, participating in weeknight sailing around Auckland and an occasional doublehanded race throughout the season. But what they love most about co-owning a boat is the rebuilding process. “If the boat is perfect, where’s the fun in that,” David remarked.“Most of our enjoyment of this co-ownership is the journey to get her back on track,” said David. “Reinventing systems, changing hardware–it’s about building something and seeing the project come to life. Our conversations aren’t about how we win races; rather, we can focus on keeping the boat moving forward and going quicker.” What about Boogie Flash drew David and Vaughan’s attention? David and Vaughan owned a few boats together, most recently, Moving Violation, an Elliot 5.9, which they had for 15 years. Once they ran out of things they could do, they were ready to tackle a new project. “We found this old Mumm 36, called Boogie Flash,” said David. “She needed some work, but it’s been a fun challenge, and we have both enjoyed our time figuring out how to improve every aspect of the boat.” “There was nothing particularly attractive about her,” David explained. “But she had potential. We were most attracted to the fact that she looked like she needed saving.” David and Vaughan race the Boogie Flash in the Rum Series on Friday nights and the partake in the summer series on Wednesday’s which will go through January. “There’s a few two-handed races in there that we try to fit in as well,” said Vaughan. “The Mumm 36 wasn’t designed to be two-handed, but we’ve got her in great shape for it these days, and boy, is she fun!” New sails made a difference. Talking to our team at North Sails, new sails bring life to older boats. Coming up with a new sail plan, changing the deck layout, seeing how things go, that’s what we like most. It’s about the whole process, not just about the racing.” Sail expert Andrew Wills and sail designer Mickey Ickert at North Sails in Auckland were hands-on to help David and Vaughan design a sail package to get Boogie Flash back in action. “We decided to go with a full 3Di RAW upwind inventory. Boogie Flash now has a square-top main and a new #1 & #2 jib. We cut a hole in the bow and installed a retractable pole, allowing us to add a brand new, huge symmetric kite. At the moment, the hull looks like a stolen and recovered car, but our sails are gorgeous,” David remarked. Mickey Ickert designed sails for David in the 90s, so he knew Mickey would be the right choice for this new project. “We talked about what we were looking for in new sails, how we could optimize the rig, and fine-tune our settings to make her faster,” said David. “He designed a big symmetrical kite with broad shoulders, and it amped up our off-wind sailing. We also got a new #1 jib, which trims block to block like a dream.” 📸 Lissa Reyden / Live Sail Die The duo modified the boat from its original factory settings, which made it more of a challenge. David commented, “Working with Andrew and Mickey made the sail part easy. When we hoisted our jib for the first time–it was perfect.” “Every day we put the sails up, you could feel the difference,” said Vaughan. “The boat just lit up. It was effortless. The sails and rig are now balanced, and the boat builds speed constantly. Boogie Flash is so much faster and points four degrees higher compared to where she was when we bought her.” North sail designer Mickey Ickert enjoyed working with David and Vaughan on their new project. “The most interesting part about projects like these is that an existing hull can be upgraded and still be competitive with the right sail inventory. The Mumm 36 is a great platform and a fast boat. The communication between David, Vaughan, Andrew, and myself was vital in this project’s success. The guys encouraged us to get larger sails on the rig and looked for solutions that were not driven by rule constraints.” “Andrew was helpful because of his excellent knowledge of the racing format and was the perfect facilitator in this project’s communication,” said Mickey. “Once we had the ideas, I shared visuals with David and Vaughan using North Design Suite, which is a great way to show boat owners what we envision. By the end of the day, everyone was on the same page.” What do David and Vaughan enjoy most about working with their local North Sails team? “What we like about the support we’ve received from the North team is that they understand us and the boat. They know what we are looking for and understand what type of sailing we do. North has the best advice and the right sail options. Being fast out of the box is the bonus. We haven’t looked back since,” said Vaughan. “It was like night and day. You could instantly feel the difference. Having a straight mast, new sails and wide spreaders swept back 20 degrees; we don’t need to use the runners all the time; thanks to Andrew and Mickey, we found the sweet spot for headsail trim.” 📸 Lissa Reyden / Live Sail Die READ MORE

LIFELONG WATER LOVE LEADS TO SAILING ADVENTURE New Life To 1976 Catalina 27 Tall Rig Krizia Marban and Doug Hampton share a glimpse into their sailing adventure aboard their 1976 Catalina 27 Tall Rig with their two pups in Vancouver. How Did You Get Into Sailing? Krizia was born and raised in the desert, but always knew that she loved the water! The very first time she got into a dinghy was a high school field trip to Jericho Sailing Club. A few years later she was invited to race on Thursday Nights with a rowdy crew on a Schock 35, named Fancy Free, skippered by the legendary Ian Lloyd. Doug grew up on Vancouver Island, and has always grown up by the water and boating. This year is his first year of sailboat ownership. Word around RVYC is there is a real nice-looking Catalina 27 getting a big refit on the West Walk, when did you purchase it? Doug and I purchased the boat August 1, 2019, so we are still reeling from that boat ownership high. The conversation of owning a boat only amounted to window shopping in January that year, until a friend made an offer we could not resist. When all documents were signed, we went down to celebrate on the boat, only to find that the lock on the hatch was seized! So, we literally had to break into “our” boat on day one. The hull and deck is a faded banana yellow hull, with green accessories, so the boat stands out a bit. Why did you choose the Catalina 27 design? The influence of purchasing a Catalina 27 was mainly due to the popularity of the boat and the 4KSB lifestyle. I’ve raced, shared, and leased a few Catalinas around the bay. They are the perfect starter cruiser, easy weeknight racer and have very comfortable accommodations. The supplier of parts and the online owner forums are also all very active. There is nothing like racing in a regatta with the BBQ on. Since the purchase of the boat what are some of the projects that you have completed? Even though the boat is 44 years old and has had 3 previous owners, it was well kept and dry inside. The first week of owning the boat though, we gave it a deep clean inside and out. We also wanted a boat survey completed to have a sense of expectations to what we really got ourselves into. The list of recommendations was expected, so it was a great base to prioritize which project we wanted to tackle first. There was some struggle with planning and organizing with the global pandemic shutting the city down in the spring, but we just patiently worked on some minor tasks, like bringing a few pieces of teak home to strip, sand and varnish. Some of the major tasks we have accomplished the last 7 months include a haul-out to power wash the buckets of mussels at GIBY; contracted Skookum Yacht Services to repaint the bottom, replace through-hulls, and keel bolts inspection; and rewiring of all electrical by A-Sea Marine Electrical Ltd. One major unplanned upgrade was the gutting of the galley. What is the next project on the list? Each project is a mushroom project, so there’s always something new. We replaced the halyards and sheets recently, so we are looking forward to purchasing/replacing deck hardware… to have her race ready, haha. We held off on replacing the interior upholstery, since we’ve always been fascinated with the grooviest decade! We are currently loving the original yellow retro wool in the cabin. We also scrubbed the mildew green Dacron jib and main sails, a true test to any relationship. The sails work okay for the cruising we do but purchasing new North Sails is on the horizon. Have you ran into any issues with the boat since having it? Since replacing the old, oversized halyards and not having a halyard restrainer, we had issues with the jib halyard wrapping around the forestay, which could potentially be a very serious problem out on the water. Luckily, we had Chris Walter from the Vancouver loft of North Sails as a boat neighbor at the yacht club most of the summer. He assessed our issue, added a strop at the tack to raise the sail, and get it dialed to furl, it worked wonderfully! Shout out to Chris! He knows there's always a beer or more for him on the Gidddy Up. I’ve noticed you go cruising with two smaller dogs. How do you accommodate them when on the water and what are their names ? Dude (white/fawn), he’s 8 and the swimmer, and Opie (white/black), he just turned 6, he’s the sinker. We may look into getting lifeline netting since Opie’s a bit of an explorer on the deck. They both wear lifejackets, and instantly go to nap mode under sail. At first, Opie wasn’t really into the motion of the ocean being down below in the cabin, but it sucks down there on a choppy day. “Boat” is a now trigger word, so it only means beach, boat rides, treats, sun, and good times! Your partner Doug is fairly new to sailing. How is he enjoying it? Doug is loving it! Doug went on his first cruising trip to Gambier Island; summer of 2017 and he loved every bit of it. We live downtown, so it always makes sense to wanting to be elsewhere on the weekends. We have spent almost all our weekends taking the boat out, tinkering and or having dinner out in the bay this past year. We do a lot of land camping, so cruising is just another way for us to go camping, this time on the water. Thinking back to our first test sail out in the bay, hoisting the mildew sails for the first time. I had him on the tiller, so he could watch what to do in the cockpit. There wasn’t much breeze at first, but we turned off and lifted the motor, I told him to ease his gorilla grip on the tiller, let the sails flop and fill and just feel the wind in his hair. Once he got the hang of it and we were heeled over and moving, he smiles and says, “Where do you wanna go?”, to which I responded, “Ahhh, we forgot to bring in the fenders!”…Phew, no one was around to see that! Doug’s a professional photographer, other than taking surreal pictures while cruising, what else does he enjoy about being on the water? Doug’s got a busy work schedule, so time spent on the water is always peaceful, but can also be stressful for him. He’s mastering taking the boat in and out of our slip and I’m very proud of how quickly he’s learning it all. At the same time he’s been burning through film with a few of his cameras, and so keeping with the retro theme, he’s managed to develop and process film by turning the cabin into a dark room! What type of cruising did you get up to this summer? To celebrate finishing some of the projects and our first anniversary owning the boat, we booked the last week of August for our first family cruise around Howe Sound. The plan was to stop over on Bowen, Gibsons, and Keats but with pandemic restrictions in mind, we decided to just spend 6 days on Alexandra Island (RVYC Outstation). Alexandra is a small but quaint island located in Centre Bay of Gambier Island. By the 6th day, all the ice had melted in our cooler, so we decided to sail home, it was a nice slow reach to Jericho. Do you have any plans to go cruising this fall? If so, where do you plan to explore? Fall is surprisingly our favourite season! Crisp sunny fall days, foggy mornings, rain, as some would detest! We’ve re-attached the windows on the dodger and patched up the vinyl with clear sail repair tape, so it’s ready for one more season. We are monitoring the pandemic restrictions this fall, and hoping to be able to do some weekend trips to Bowen, and to Wigwam Inn (another RVYC outstation) at the end of the Indian Arm. The previous owner installed an oversized Dickinson propane heater on the boat, so just firing that up to warm up the cabin and ready to dunk some cookies in some tea will be top notch. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: MC SCOW MASTERS Q & A With Overall Winner, Matt Fisher Congratulations to 2020 MC Scow Masters Champions Matt & Lisa Fisher! 📸 Regatta Girl Photography We spoke to 2020 MC Scow Masters Champion, Matt Fisher, to get the full download what has helped him raise the bar to be even more competitive in the MC Scow fleet. NS: Where and when did it all start for you? Matt: I have been sailing MC Scows for 12 years out of Hoover Sailing Club, Fleet 54. We have about 25 boats in the fleet and get about 10-15 on the line every Wednesday and Friday. It is a tenacious fleet. I sailed quite a bit this summer and am in 4th place in local fleet standings. I grew up at Buckeye Lake YC about 30 miles east of Columbus, sailing the Lightning and Thistle. We moved to Hoover about 35 years ago. NS: How did you prepare for the MC Masters under the current sailing conditions? Matt: Hoover Sailing Club has been very active this summer. We have not had social activities at the club, but 2020 has been one of the healthiest years of participation that I can remember. Between sailing the MC Scow, the Laser, and crewing for my son Stu on the Thistle, I have sailed more in 2020 than I have since college. I sailed at least 35 races with the MC Scow fleet this summer and had a lot of time to practice. As I mentioned, we have a highly competitive fleet, and one of our fleet members, Ted Keller, is one of the top 2 or 3 in the class. He won the MC Scow Blue Chip five times and is considered one of the fastest MC sailors in the class. Ted and I did one-on-one tuning – or sometimes maybe 3 or 4 boats came out – 20 + times since April. I am retired, so going out on a Tuesday morning when conditions are right was easy to organize. During our practices, we focused on straight-line speed, boat handling, gear changing, and more. I did this with Ted before the Nationals in 2014, where we gook 2n and 4th overall. We practiced last year before the 2019 Masters, where we placed 1st and 2nd overall. Ted is a great coach and has brought me along. I spent a lot of time in the boat this summer working on boat handling. When comparing notes with other folks at the Master’s Nationals, this past week, a lot of fleets in the MC class had a strong year despite, or really because of COVID. NS: You have used the Z- Max Sail for some time. Can you give us a few tips on set up and trim? And why do you prefer this model? Matt: The Z – Max mainsail is the only sail I have used since I have been sailing MCs. I follow the North Sails tuning guide and have been much more conscious of knowing the tune numbers than in previous years. The week before the regatta, we knew we would get some big breeze at Clear Lake. We had a light day Friday and two medium to heavy days Saturday and Sunday. I tightened the forestay on Friday night a few turns. The Z-Max is easy to use, but if I have any issues, its because I am over trimming. I am getting better at using the telltale in reference to the top batten, which has helped a ton. NS: You started off the regatta with a 1-1 on Friday. You must have been fast. What can you tell us about this? Matt: Going from Thistles and Lightnings to an MC Scow has always been a big adjustment for me, and I think it is more challenging to make a new boat go well in lighter air than in a breeze. I have always been impressed with people like Allan Terhune, my brother Greg, and Skip Dieball, who would go to three different class midwinters three weeks in a row. Most of the tuning that Ted and I did was in lighter wind speeds, under 10 knots. Most of our club races were in light air also. With a scow, keeping a constant angle of heel and having the ability to change gears quickly is the key to having the best speed in the softer conditions. Keeping the boat going through the lulls and making the 2-3 adjustments to weight and trim make a huge difference. On Friday, I was able to get good starts and clear lanes so I could go where I wanted. The conditions changed drastically, from blowing about 10-12 in the morning on Friday to less than 5 knots by the end of the second race. We went from sailing the shifts to sailing for pressure and were able to keep the boat moving. I was very fortunate and borderline lucky on Friday to get off the line clean and then have a good lane on the first tack. But changing gears and staying in the breeze was essential for getting out in front of the fleet. NS: When it’s windy, you sail with your wife, Lisa. It must be great to share the racing aspect with her. What does she do onboard to help in windier conditions? Matt: That is one of the neat things about sailing scows. We can take on crew up until the 5-minute gun. I am in the “middleweight” category, and its an advantage to take on an additional crew with its blowing 12+. At the masters, it seemed like 80% of the boats took an additional crew on Saturday and Sunday. I think some of the big guys don’t like the rule, and I understand why. But it does help allow kids and spouses to sail. I like it when so many boats bring on an additional crew because everyone sails a similar lane. I will say that Lisa and I only went out to practice a couple of times before the event, and it showed on Saturday. We weren’t quite as good at holding our lanes; I started trimming a little looser on Sunday, and we were going much better. What is kind of funny is that now the only time that Lisa sails with me is when conditions are over 12mph. We sailed Snipes together for a long time and Lightnings and Thistles, so it’s very relatable. She is a great crew. Lisa also has the best, high-tech gear to keep her warm and dry, which is perfect because when it’s windy, it’s chilly, which is when I need her. It has made the Christmas season much easier to navigate too. A couple of years ago, I got her a drysuit. She tried it on and looked good in it. But she then realized she would only need it during cold and windy conditions. She sent it back because she didn’t want to sail in those conditions, but it has been fun to sail together, and it has allowed us both to get more involved in the class. NS: What are your future MC Regattas on the schedule? Matt: I am hoping that the Florida circuit will take place. There are three regattas at Lake Eustis, one in November, another in early February, and then the Midwinters. It is an excellent break from the winter months up north, and we have enjoyed being able to go south to sail regattas in February and March. We expect a crazy winter, so we have not made plans yet, but I hear that regattas will happen. We hope to go, but I will admit we are more on the cautious side of COVID. Looking for race-winning sails? You can now order directly from your North Sails expert. Call or email us today for the same quality, consistency, and expertise. We look forward to helping you make the most of your next event. Ask an Expert Tuning Guide Shop Sails MC Scow Class News READ MORE

THE STORY OF ARGO: PART III A New Adventure on the Mediterranean Read Part I and Part II. Ingvar Ravelius had a dream when he was 24-years-old that he wanted to build his Opal 46, Argo, and sail around the world. 10 years later, in 1984, he had sailed across the Atlantic ocean and around the Caribbean. When he was ready to take off, he met his future wife Leena, sold everything, and sailed away, departing from Sweden then on to the Mediterranean with no plans to return. Ingvar and Leena sailed from Gibraltar, east along the Spanish coast, then to Ibiza to visit their friends. They stayed in Ibiza a couple of weeks to pull Argo out of the water for maintenance. While Argo was on the hard, they flew home to Stockholm for a couple of weeks. After sailing for 6 months straight, flying home in just four hours felt strange for the couple. When they returned to Ibiza, they sailed east, deeper into the Mediterranean. Their adventures the following year took them to Mallorca, Menorca, Sardegna, Malta, and Greece. One sunny day in Lavrion, Greece, Argo was docked and Ingvar was working on deck. He was sanding the varnished surfaces to get the boat to shine, taking great care of each detail. The tender to Argo was tied to the side of the hull when Ingvar was working. He was so concentrated on his work that he did not notice that his tender had floated away, and the only thing left was the short end of the line, tied to Argo. Ingvar was frustrated that it could’ve been stolen, and was convinced that someone swam out and cut the rope. Dismayed, Ingvar and Leena decided to pull Argo for maintenance once again and spend their winter at home in Sweden. They made friends with a fellow Swede, who was driving back to Sweden after a road trip to Greece. They joined him for the return trip back home. Upon their return, they planned to sail through the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic Ocean down to the Caribbean. But that plan changed soon after they came home to Sweden. In December of 1985, shortly after they arrived in Stockholm. Leena and Ingvar found out that Leena was pregnant. They couldn’t go back to their adventure as soon as they planned. Leena stayed home in Stockholm until I, John, was born in August of 1986. Ingvar went back and forth to Argo to check up on her. In March of 1987, they returned to Greece with me as a newborn to set off once again. I was 7 months old when I saw Argo for the first time. She was on land in Olympic Marina, in Lavrion, Greece. Ingvar had bought a new tender. He wrote with big letters on it: TENDER to ARGO and then put a lot of layers of varnish on it. My father is extremely picky and careful with all the things when it comes to the boat. The red inflatable tender is now over 34 years old and is still the Tender to Argo today, it has been with the boat as long as I have. We sailed away through the islands of Greece and into Turkey. By my first birthday in August of 1987, we had docked in Bodrum. A man selling fruits at a market started talking to my parents about my blond hair. They told him that it was my first birthday and he gave me a watermelon as a gift, which started a tradition. Since that day, I have enjoyed watermelon on all of my birthdays. It was on this adventure, I took my first steps, onboard Argo. READ MORE

TUNING TIPS FROM THE TOP North 9DSX Moth Sail Pros at the top of the fleet share how the North 9DSX Moth sail takes them through the range of conditions and their personal tuning tips. Shop Moth Sails READ MORE

TF35: FLIGHT CONTROL A New Class Launches on Lake Geneva 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal Their take off was a bit delayed but the newly developed foiling TF35 fleet recently met on Lake Geneva for the first of two training weekends. The sessions provide sailors, class organizers and the development team an opportunity to see their vision in action, and trial a format for future regattas. For North Sails, these early training days serve as a chance to analyze the performance of the new TF35 sails. The TF35 is built on an ambitious design brief; bringing top-level foiling to a wider range of sailors. While the idea of an accessible, high-performance foiler sounds like a strange pairing, a big focus of the training weekend was testing out and then dialing in the boat’s flight control system, which makes the platform more stable and safe. A mere 6 knots of TWS downwind are needed for take-off and the TF35 gets foiling upwind in 8 knots TWS. The flight control system brings stability and safety to the platform, addressing the class’s wish to make a high-performance foiling experience available to more owners. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal Lake Geneva is known for varying conditions, but the weekend presented ideal weather for dialing in the TF35. Arnaud Psarofaghis, sail designer and Alinghi co-helmsman said: “Our specific wind conditions on the lake are really challenging in terms of sail range, boat can accelerate quickly, boat speed can vary from 12 to 20 knots within 2 knots of TWS.” The much anticipated training session saw dream conditions on Lake Geneva, allowing the race committee to complete nine races in winds ranging from 4 – 12 knots. It was a unique opportunity for each of the seven TF35 crews to assess their level and progress within the fleet after training independently over the summer months. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal Summarizing the weekend, North Sails Suisse director Pierre Yves Jorand said, “It was a very rewarding weekend we were able to test the TF35 in different sail configurations. The objective of the series is to have boats that offer the great experience of foiling in the typical Lake Geneva conditions. It’s now up to us to optimize the sail combination and boat set up to maximize the level of fun and performance of the boat in the lead up the 2021 TF35 Trophy Championship.” North Sails has been deeply involved in the development of this new class and our lofts in Switzerland and France worked together to outfit teams with North 3Di. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal Patrick Mazuay, North sail designer, member of TF35 Class design team responsible for sail development explains: “We have seen a great improvement already in just one weekend from all of the crews. As one of the sail suppliers, all of us at North Sails are thrilled to see the positive development of everyone on the water. We now have the advantage of the October training session to improve and tweak the sail configuration.” The overall feeling on sails from everyone involved at the end of the three days training is of great satisfaction, both performance and robustness wise. Coming up next on October 9-12 is test event #2. Learn more about the class here. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal READ MORE

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL EVENT An Evening with North Sails & Emirates Team New Zealand READ MORE

FRANCISCO UVA SAGRA-SE CAMPEÃO NACIONAL DE OPTIMIST Brilhante prestação do velejador Francisco Uva, o novo Campeão Nacional da Classe Optimist! Muitos Parabéns Francisco! Francisco Uva 📸 Luis Fráguas Terminou, ontem, o Campeonato Nacional de Optimist com o velejador Francisco Uva a alcançar o título de Campeão Nacional. Os velejadores Francisco Uva (Por 2735) e Júlia Cardoso (POR 2651) lutaram taco-a-taco pelo primeiro lugar, durante o decorrer do campeonato, ambos a utilizarem velas R-2. No Top 6 da Classificação Geral são quatro os velejadores NorthSails. Utilizaram a vela R-2 (Francisco Uva , Júlia Cardoso, Augusto Castelo-Branco) e a vela R-4 (Salvador Baptista-Fernandes). A todos, os nossos Parabéns pelo desempenho e resultados na regata! Apurados para o Campeonato Europeu estão o Francisco Uva (1ºgeral, 1ºmasculino), a Júlia Cardoso (3º geral, 2º feminino), o Augusto Castelo-Branco (4ºgeral, 2ºmasculino) e o Salvador Baptista-Fernandes (6ºgeral, 4º masculino). Parabéns a todos os velejadores que participaram no Campeonato, numa época tão particular como esta! Para qualquer dúvida ou informação sobre a gama de Velas North Sails contactem o Class Expert, Vicente Pinheiro . Júlia Cardoso 📸 Gonçalo Melo Augusto Castelo Branco 📸 cedida por Augusto Castelo Branco Salvador Baptista-Fernandes 📸 cedida por Laura Artiaga READ MORE

SWAN TUSCANY CHALLENGE Successful Worlds Warm-Up For ClubSwan 50 Clients 📸 Nautor Swan / Studio Borlenghi Days before the Swan Tuscany challenge began, owners were rallying their teams as organizers pulled together to put on a successful event. Yachting, in the midst of coronavirus, hasn’t been easy, but members of the class were eager to make the first real event of the season happen, on short notice. With scheduled events canceled for the class across the calendar this summer, one of those events, the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, the Swan Tuscany Challenge was a late addition to the schedule and brought 13 ClubSwan 50 teams to the starting line to battle for a podium finish. The racecourse served as a preview for the extremely close competition ahead of Swan One Design Worlds in Scarlino, Italy in October. The success of the last-minute event is, no doubt, a testament to the strength of the Swan class and the owner’s dedication to the fleet. The North Sails ClubSwan 50 Class Expert Arnd Howar on EarlyBird, was thrilled to be back out on the water. He commented, “The biggest highlight was this event coming together in such short notice. For teams to act fast shows the true strength of the ClubSwan 50 class. It is a testament of commitment from each program to get a fleet of 13 boats to the event, and pull off a successful regatta.” “It was great to see teams spending more time preparing and tuning at the dock to be ready for the Worlds in a few weeks,” said Howar. “The racing was unbelievably close, which shows just how competitive the Worlds will be,” he commented. Hatari leading the ClubSwan 50 fleet around the offset 📸 Nautor Swan / Studio Borlenghi “After seeing the fleet together last week, it shows that anyone has a chance, and each team will bring everything they’ve got to win this Worlds,” North Sails Expert Daniele Cassinari onboard Cuordileone commented. The team had not sailed together for nearly a year, and it was vital for the group racing Cuordileone to get the rig tuned properly and gauge their performance in the fleet ahead of the world’s event. There were only about 20 sailing days this year for the class, and not all, but most teams were able to take advantage of that, which helped create a cohesive dynamic amongst the fleet. Howar commented, “I think it shows how strong the class is and how good communication among the owners makes the bond that much stronger. Setting up fleet practices and clinics are unique for the ClubSwan 50 class. The Class wouldn’t have been as successful without Nautor Swan, the boat owners, and crews for their communication that helped keep us together this season.” Marcus Brennecke’s Hatari, overall winners of the 2020 Swan Tuscany Challenge, Club Swan 50 📸 Nautor Swan / Studio Borlenghi Tactician Markus Wieser on winning ClubSwan 50, Hatari, is elated with how well the fleet performed in Tuscany. Wieser is a familiar face around the sailing scene. He is involved in many classes, from the J/70 to the Superyacht range. The core team on Hatari sails TP52’s and also together on Maxi 72, Momo. “Being part of the Swan family for the first time– we felt very welcome. To race in this fleet with 13 boats on the starting line was extraordinary. That’s one design sailing at its best!” Once August came around, the Hatari team trained together with other teams at clinics, which was vital once Copa del Rey got canceled. Wieser commented, “We were building confidence while sailing in Palma, and so were the other teams. That time in the boat helped us win this first event in Tuscany, and was a great feeling of accomplishment. Things were on point for us. Our crew work, our set up. Our skipper, Marcus Brennecke, did an excellent job driving the boat, too.” Well matched, highly competitive one design racing for the ClubSwan 50 fleet. 📸 Nautor Swan / Studio Borlenghi “The competition was very tough,” said Wieser. “We didn’t have it easy. We were always fighting to be in the top-end of the fleet each race.” The ClubSwan 50 fleet is unbelievably tight. Any mistakes made would push you back. Once you lost that one-up, it was tough to get back into range with the race leaders,” said Wieser. “In one-design classes, the boats are practically identical, so everyone is very closely matched. “That’s the best part about this type of racing. It’s an even playing field.” The Worlds are currently scheduled for October 13-17th, and Hatari plans to be there. Racing location means everything, and the class goes above and beyond when choosing venues that will give sailors the best possible racing conditions. “Scarlino was a superb host for all of us,” said Wieser. “Especially considering they had very little time to prepare for this event.” North Sails Grand Prix expert Ignacio Braquehais (Nacho) onboard second-place finisher, Stefan Heidenreich’s OneGroup is honored to be a part of the ClubSwan 50 Project, “It’s not only about increasing the number of boats on the line,” said Nacho, “but also to make sure that each team is optimized and at the highest level of competition. We want to share our experiences and help each team evolve, not only in technical ways but also in trimming and tuning.” “The 2020 Swan Tuscany Challenge was the perfect warm-up after this last COVID lockdown in Italy,” Braquehais explained. “It was apparent that all teams are grateful for the support they’ve received from both the class and North Sails.” 📸 Nautor Swan / Studio Borlenghi Full Results READ MORE

3Di POWER FOR THE COBH TO BLACKROCK RACE Winners of Each Class Set New Race Record Frank Caul's Prince of Tides, overall winner of White Sails class 📸 Robert Bateman North Sails clients demonstrated the power of 3Di last weekend in the Cobh to Blackrock Race taking a clean sweep across all the classes. The top two boats in each class used 3Di upwind sails, which drove the leaders to set a new race record. Congratulations to all the winners; we are very proud to be your sail suppliers: IRC Spinnaker 1 1st: Nieulargo - Denis & Annamarie Murphy 2nd: Miss Whiplash - Ronan Downing IRC Spinnaker 2 1st: Cracker - Denis Byrne 2nd: Luas - Sean Hanley White Sails 1st: Prince of Tides - Frank Caul 2nd: Magnet - Kieran O'Brien North Sails Ireland Loft Manager, Nigel Young, took part in the Blackrock Race this year for the first time, so we got his account of the race: "This year's race was a really quick one. It was my first ever Blackrock Race and I was lucky enough to be sailing with Frank Caul and John Molloy on Prince of Tides, the Grand Soleil 37 from the RCYC. Prince of Tides had the fastest elapsed time of all the classes at just 57 minutes and 18 seconds, although hard to compare with Spin 1 as we started 10 minutes after them, but even so, a great performance from the team. North Sails got involved with the Prince of Tides team in November 2019, helping them with a few key bits and pieces over the winter. Then in the spring of 2020, we added two 3Di Endurance 760 sails with a third one on the way. The old sails were very tired and it was really hard to keep the boat in the groove upwind - flat at the front and round in the back is not a great combination. The new sails mixed with the boat modifications over the winter have resulted in a complete change of performance from the boat. It is like sailing a different boat thanks to Mark Mills for his help and advice, as well as the new North sails. Back in Spinnaker 1 Class Nieulargo stuck to their winning ways and it was great to see the family sailing together and sharing the helm between sisters Molly and Mia. There is nothing better than family sailing and it's very nice to be a part of it. Congratulations to the Murphy family for another Trophy race win. Keep up the good work. Nieulargo also uses 3Di Endurance 760 sails for their upwind inventory and the race-winning sail for them this year was the Helix Xi Aramid Code Zero. Talking to Denis after the race, he said the new Zero had won the race for them. They flew the sail from the start of the Foaty Channel almost right up to the Blackrock Castle. It's one of those sails when the wind angle is right, they are unbeatable. I could not finish the report without a shout out for Denis Byrne and the mighty Trapper TS250 Cracker. Denis has been getting faster and faster in that little boat and although he could be a long way back on the water, you can never write him off from the podium! The Blackrock Race was no different this year and Denis won both Spinnaker Class 2 overall as well as the coveted Moonduster Trophy. Congratulations Denis; great work from you and your crew. For more information about North Sails unique 3Di product, please get in touch. See you on the race track!'' Denis & Annamarie Murphy's Nieulargo crossing the finish line, overall winners of IRC Spinnaker 1 class 📸 Robert Bateman Denis Byrne's Cracker, overall winners of IRC Spinnaker 2 class 📸 Robert Bateman READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: NATIONAL 18's Clients Sweep The Podium at the 2020 Irish Nationals Nick Walsh, Rob Brownlow and Eddie Rice, 1st place Irish Nationals Whilst we were all heading up to Blackrock on Saturday the National 18 Class were holding the Irish Nationals from the RCYC. Reduced numbers this year due to our friend C-19 but no let up in the racing. Talking to some of the sailors after the event on Sunday this was one of the hardest fought Championships in many years. North Sails have been heavily involved in the class since 2004 and we had a very intense period again in 2015/16 with the development work on the new Morrison Ultra 18. That was great fun out in the freezing conditions with Colin Chapman and many of the other sailors trialing the new designs and working out the new class rules for the sails with my old friend David Chivers. Out at Roches Point the fleet enjoyed some lovely racing on Saturday under the leadership of the one and only John Crotty. Lots of compliments were coming his way after sailing inside the harbour on Sunday. Well done John for taking such good care of the fleet on the water. After the eight race series I was delighted to learn that North Sails clients had taken the top three spots overall in the 2020 Irish Nationals. Congratulations to all the winners: 1st Overall: Nick Walsh, Rob Brownlow and Eddie Rice on 13 points. 2nd Overall: Alex Barry, Andrew Woodward and Grattan Roberts on 19 points. 3rd Overall: Colin Chapman, Eric Lyons and Morgan O'Sullivan on 22 points. Colin Chapman, Eric Lyons and Morgan O'Sullivan finish 2nd Place Irish Nationals 2020 South Coast Champs Back at the end of August the class enjoyed their Southern areas and North Sails customers had another clean sweep of the podium. Congratulations to Alex Barry, Sandy Remington and Richard Leonard for taking the win. 2nd overall this time was Ewen Barry, Stanley Brown and Dion Barrett and third overall Nick Walsh, Rob Brownlow and Eddie Rice. Very close racing again which is one of the big draws for the National 18 class. Congratulations again to all the North clients performing so well with our sails. We are proud to be a part of your success. Our 2020 Autumn Savings Deal is currently running so now is a great time to buy your new One Design Sails ready for 2021. Ready to get the most of your National 18 sailing? Contact us today. We look forward to working with you. Sail Fast! Contact the Loft Colin Chapman, Eric Lyons and Morgan O'Sullivan 3rd Place Irish Nationals READ MORE

FRANCISCO UVA CROWNED OPTIMIST PORTUGUESE NATIONAL CHAMPION After A Fantastic Performance in Vilamoura Francisco Uva 📸 Luis Fráguas The Portuguese National Championships finished last weekend in Vilamoura. Francisco Uva (POR 2735) and Júlia Cardoso (POR 2651) fought very closely for first place, with Uva taking home the title. Alongside four of the top six finishers, both Uva and Cardoso were powered by North, using the R-2 (Francisco Uva , Júlia Cardoso, Augusto Castelo-Branco) or R-4 (Salvador Baptista-Fernandes) designs. Congratulations to all sailors who took part in the Championship! Talk to your local Optimist class expert for more information on the North Sails Optimist range. Júlia Cardoso 📸 Gonçalo Melo Augusto Castelo Branco 📸 cedida por Augusto Castelo Branco Salvador Baptista-Fernandes 📸 cedida por Laura Artiaga READ MORE

NORTH CLIENTS DOMINATE 2020 ELLIOTT 5.9 NATIONALS 3Di Sweeps the Top Three in New Zealand Rough & Reddy to windward, Smak in the middle, Slam Dunk to leeward. 📸 NZ Elliott 5.9 Class Association North Sails filled the top podium at the New Zealand Elliott 5.9 Nationals last weekend. All three teams used 3Di OCEAN 330 mainsails and jibs. This was one of the closest finishes the class has seen in many years. Congratulations to clients Crag Satterhwaite and team on Rough and Reddy, edging out Kevin Peet's Smak to win the regatta on count back. Only a few points behind in third was Stu Clarke's team Slam Dunk. Congratulations to all on great sailing! Have questions about upping your game at the next event? Contact your local Elliott 5.9 expert Derek Scott and make the most of your time on the water. READ MORE

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: HAVOC Finding Balance Between Cruising and Racing Local North Sails expert Drew Mitchell catches up with Joey Drake, owner of Havoc, a C&C SR 33 out of Vancouver. Joey you have just upgraded sailing vessels. What was the decision maker on upgrading and purchasing Havoc ? I've always wanted a more serious race boat of my own, one that was large enough for a crew, and something I could spend the night on. I had been saving up and when I saw Havoc for sale, it checked all the boxes. She was well cared for, fast, and came with a ton of gear and a huge quiver of sails. Despite COVID starting up, it was actually good timing for me financially as well. When I met the previous owner, I could tell he was as passionate about sailing as I am and knew he had treated the boat right. You purchased this boat during a global pandemic. I know you bought it locally but did you have any issues with the purchase due to the state of pandemic ? I was curious to see if COVID would hinder or help the process at all, but it didn't seem to be a factor. I had some warnings that I might not be able to get a survey or that we wouldn't be able to have a proper sea trial, but it all worked out with pretty minimal headache. The only real bummer about buying a race boat in the middle of a pandemic has been all the regattas being canceled! Havoc is a pure racer but with many local races and regattas not happening this summer did you decide to take her cruising? If so where and what did you get up too ? The silver lining to having fewer regattas this summer has been all the exploring of BC's many cruising destinations. We have capitalized on all the free weekends and sailed to many beautiful spots that I have only talked about going to before. I owned the boat for less than a week and we were already setting a course to the Gulf Islands, our first cruising spot. We spent some time anchored in Galiano Island, then over to Wallace Island. Since then we've made our way up the Sunshine Coast, spending a long weekend in Smuggler Cove, meandered around Bowen Island, cruised up to Gambier Island for an SSYC event, and just returned from a long weekend in Gibsons. Along the way, we always take the opportunity to get to know the boat and practice maneuvers. With Havoc being a racer obviously cruising is a bit different. Tell us some ways/things you may have done to set up Havoc so you could get away cruising with her ? My girlfriend grew up in New Zealand cruising her family's yacht around. She loves her time relaxing in a cove somewhere, and I am convinced she would live her whole life at anchor (or sailing to the next anchorage) if possible. My passion however, is racing, so we figured it was easier to cruise a race boat than it would be to try and race a cruiser. I like to heel without hearing half my belongings tumbling around down below. She set to work "cruising" up the boat immediately. She starting planning the new cushions and cookware sets before I even purchased the boat. Although there isn't much space down below for lounging or cooking, there's a ton of deck space, so we have focused on making that area comfortable while cruising. We got a BBQ that can easily dismount when we want to feel less cruisey, a new stereo system, some outdoor pillows to make seating more reasonable, and figured out a way to stow multiple bicycles below. It still feels a bit like camping, but it's more than fine with us! This spring/summer you took charge and ran some competitive cruises around Vancouver through the online Sea Sloth Yacht Club. Can you tell us a little about how this all came about and what the Sea Sloth Yacht Club mission is? We Sea Sloths have always focused on inclusivity when it comes to sailing. Since most regattas and sailing events were being canceled this year, it ended up being a great way to get the word out about the group. We first came up with the idea for "Competitive Cruising" when the Martin Marine Round Bowen Race date came up. We wanted to sail, and we knew others did as well, so we just picked a couple marks on opposite shores as a start line and put the word out on Facebook. We wrote some very relaxed "sailing instructions", but with only four days' notice, we didn't know if anyone would show up. We ended up with 18 boats on the start line! People seemed to have a lot of fun, so we ran with it and put together some more events, but with more organization and planning. The whole idea has always been to get people on the water, and help erase some of the perceived barriers into the sport. It's low-stakes racing where everyone is invited, no matter what kind of boat or experience you have. The events are designed to give people space, and make the courses as user-friendly as possible to encourage sailors who might be new to racing. Do you have any Sea Sloth YC competitive cruises planned for the near future and how do people get involved ? Absolutely! We are currently planning another cruise with an overnight anchor, as well as something a tad more spicy for those round-the-can types. With some of the local clubs starting to host actual events again, we took a short break, but the Sea Sloths are here to stay! The goal of including new sailors and new boat-owners hasn't changed, so we will continue to find new ways to encourage folks to cast off the dock. You can find out more about the club on the website, seaslothyachtclub.com, or on the facebook group. There's also a club-wide WhatsApp group where everyone is free to share cruising ideas. Once sanctioned racing and regattas gets going again where and what events do you plan to race Havoc in? Everything! One of the reasons I wanted my own boat was so that I could really attack the schedule and get out there often. I want to improve my skills as a sailor and especially as a skipper. My girlfriend and I managed to compete double-handed in the Jack and Jill regatta recently, which is no small task with running backstays. We have another double-handed race coming up, the Ken & Barbie regatta, and I just entered the boat in the Howe Sound Regatta later on in the month. As soon as weeknight racing picks up again, you'll see Havoc ripping around the course. After a full summer with the new boat do you have any current projects or upgrades you plan to do with her ? Havoc is beautiful and in great shape, but she's still 25 years old, so that of course comes with some projects. First items on the list are some new paint on the bottom, some new runners and halyards, and a bit of a "re-branding." Havoc has a long history racing in the area, so we wanted to keep the name, but my girlfriend is a graphic designer and she designed a new graphic for the name to spruce things up a bit. We are both pretty excited about that. What was your favourite memory so far with Havoc? The first time I ever touched the helm after buying the boat was for a practice race in English Bay. Vancouver is generally a light-air venue, but this day it was blasting 28-30 kts with steep wind waves. The whole crew was a bit nervous, having never sailed the boat before and half were new to sailing altogether. People kept asking "Should we do this?" We stuck it out and had an absolutely amazing day. We were late to the start while we fiddled with reefing the 3Di main, but rejoined the fleet quickly. On the way upwind, we decided not to attempt the kite, but once we rounded the windward mark, we couldn't help ourselves. Up went the fractional asym, and we rocketed downhill at a steady 13kts while surfing waves. My face hurt from smiling so much. We were all soaked from water spraying up over the deck, and we were all happy as could be. I am sure there will be higher speeds and many more memories down the road on Havoc, but that moment will be one of my favorites for years, I imagine. READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Hoy hablamos de mayores La vela principal de cualquier velero, tanto de crucero como de competición, puede combinarse con diferentes diseños, materiales o sistemas de izado en función del uso, las características del barco o las preferencias de su armador. Mayor convencional Cuenta con uno o dos sables altos forzados y sables bajos de baluma. Mayor de cabeza cuadrada La vela de elección en regatas grand prix. Su área superior cuadrada permite un twist progresivo altamente eficiente, un arrastre inducido menor y una distribución optimizada del área de la vela. Mayor de sables forzados Los sables cubren desde la baluma hasta el grátil, mejorando el control de la forma y reduciendo el flameo, lo que redunda en una mayor durabilidad. Mayor de alto alunamiento Su perfil se encuentra entre el de una mayor convencional y una de cabeza cuadrada, y es la vela de elección para multicascos. Ofrece buenas prestaciones en brisas ligeras y navegación de través. Mayor enrollable en el mástil Requiere un diseño personalizado, con o sin sables verticales y un sistema de enrollado que garantice su perfecto ajuste dentro de la cavidad del mástil. Mayor enrollable en la botavara Requiere un diseño personalizado y un sistema de enrollado que garantice su perfecto ajuste dentro de la cavidad de la botavara. Las mayores North Sails están disponibles en diferentes materiales en función de su uso: NPL, NPC y 3Di. Contacta con nuestros expertos para que te asesoren sobre la mejor elección para tu barco. READ MORE

LAS VELAS DE LA FLOTA IMOCA El próximo 8 de noviembre partirá de Les Sables d’Olonne la BB edición de la Vendée Globe © Jeremie leCaudey North Sails es la velería elegida por tres cuartos de la flota IMOCA: 17 equipos equipan inventarios completos de la velería y otros siete cuentan con inventarios parciales. La regla de clase IMOCA limita a ocho el número de velas en competición, y cada equipo decide el diseño y particularidades de cada una de ellas en función del diseño y configuración del barco y su aparejo, las preferencias del patrón y su estrategia para afrontar la vuelta al mundo en solitario. North Sails diseña las velas a medida para cada equipo, fabrica su estructura 3Di en la velería de Minden (Nevada, Estados Unidos) y las finaliza en la velería de Vannes (Francia). READ MORE

NORTH SAILS COPA EL PODIO Barcos equipados con inventarios North Sails dominaron la regata Mar de Maeloc Rías Baixas, una prueba de cuatro etapas disputada entre el 12 y el 15 de agosto en la costa sur de Galicia. © María Muiña La clasificación combinada erigió campeón absoluto al First 44.7 Aceites Abril de Jorge y Luis Pérez Canal, por delante del Elan 37 Bosch Service Solutions patroneado por Ramón Ojea y el Grand Soleil 37 B Antílope de José Luis Alonso con Jorge Martínez Doreste de táctico, todos ellos equipados con velas North Sails. ¡Enhorabuena a todos y gracias por confiar en North Sails! READ MORE

DOMINIO EN MODO ULTIME El trimarán de 32 metros de eslora Maxi Edmond de Rothschild se impuso en la batalla de titanes en la Drheam Cup, regata de 750 millas náuticas entre las localidades francesas de Cherbourg-en-Cotentin y La Trinité-sur-Mer. © E. Stichelbaut / polaRYSE / Gitana El barco del equipo Gitana copatroneado por Franck Cammas y Charles Caudrelier fue el más rápido de los diseños Ultime, completando el recorrido en 21 horas, 30 minutos y 33 segundos, dos horas por delante de su inmediato perseguidor, el Sodebo. Tercero finalizó el Actual, completando un podio copado por inventarios North Sails. La Drheam Cup es la única regata programada por Gitana como preparación para su asalto al Jules Verne Trophy, la circunnavegación del planeta cuyo récord actual de 40 días, 23 horas y 30 segundos estableció en 2017 el IDEC de Francis Joyon con velas North Sails. READ MORE

VELAS NACIDAS PARA EL CRUCERO La navegación de crucero requiere velas específicas que aporten fiabilidad, durabilidad y facilidad de uso. El catálogo de la velería North Sails ofrece su gama específica Cruising con soluciones a medida para cada barco y las preferencias de cada armador, siempre con la garantía de una navegación rápida, con menor escora, menor carga de timón, menor abatimiento, gran facilidad de trimado y una prolongada vida útil. Seis décadas de experiencia en diseño, ingeniería y fabricación de velas permiten a North Sails contar con un extenso catálogo que abarca en eslora desde pequeñas embarcaciones de vela ligera hasta los más colosales superyates y en utilización desde embarcaciones de recreo hasta trimaranes voladores de competición oceánica. Dentro de este denso y extenso universo de referencias, la velería propone su gama Cruising específica para navegación de crucero, una familia de productos que combina diseños a medida con los mejores materiales de la factoría North Sails, desde el tradicional poliéster hasta el revolucionario 3Di. Literalmente, una respuesta a cada necesidad. La gama Cruising se caracteriza por su compromiso entre durabilidad, polivalencia y prestaciones. Un extenso dosier que cuenta con una amplia oferta de mayores (estándar, de sables forzados, con alto alunamiento, enrollable en el mástil y enrollable en la botavara), génovas/foques (preferiblemente enrollables para navegación de crucero) y velas de rumbos abiertos (especialmente Gennaker, un spinnaker asimétrico fijado a la proa o al botalón que no requiere tangón ni aparejos especiales), con la posibilidad añadida de adaptar el diseño de las velas a las preferencias de cada armador, una capacidad de personalización que garantiza la satisfacción del cliente. La importancia del material Para elegir la vela adecuada a nuestro barco, resulta clave identificar qué material responde mejor a nuestras necesidades. En navegación de crucero priman factores como durabilidad, fiabilidad, polivalencia y capacidad de adaptación a un amplio rango de condiciones de viento y mar con ajustes de trimado fáciles y menos frecuentes. La gama North Sails Cruising basa su oferta en tres materiales: NPC, NPL y 3Di. NPC es el acrónimo de North Panel Cloth, y agrupa a la familia de productos de tejido de poliéster North Sails. Las velas NPC se dividen en Cross-Cut (confeccionadas con tejido NorDac Fill de trama de poliéster de alta tenacidad), Radian (que ofrece menor estiramiento y mayor rendimiento que cualquier otro tejido de poliéster no laminado, exceptuando la 3Di Nordac) y Downwind (específica para portantes). NPL, o North Panel Laminate, engloba a las velas laminadas de crucero. En función de las necesidades del armador, la gama ofrece versiones TOUR (construcción en sándwich de aramida negra de corte radial con laminado Xi Cruise), TOUR ULTRA (construcción en sandwich de dyneema o de dyneema/carbono para barcos de mediana y gran eslora respectivamente) y Downwind (laminados de poliéster o de aramida, recomendados para velas portantes de rumbos cerrados tipo G-Zero). 3Di son las siglas mágicas que lucen las velas de los más avanzados barcos de competición, pero que también están disponibles en versión crucero bajo la denominación 3Di OCEAN. La 3Di OCEAN 330 es un producto revolucionario que reinventa la vela de dacron, combinando las propiedades únicas de las velas de composite 3Di con la conocida fibra de poliéster, resultando en una innovadora vela de crucero sin costuras, con una forma aerodinámica más suave y estable que ofrece una mejora en el control, la comodidad y la velocidad; un compromiso nunca antes visto entre coste, prestaciones y durabilidad. La 3Di OCEAN 370 es un híbrido de poliéster y Ultra PE, creada para satisfacer las necesidades únicas de los barcos de crucero en el rango de 35 a 60 pies, tanto para monocascos como para la creciente comunidad de cruceros multicascos. La 3Di OCEAN 700 utiliza la proporción más alta de Ultra PE de toda la gama 3Di (Ultra PE cuenta con mayor grado de elasticidad que el carbono o la aramida, ofreciendo un mayor margen de seguridad frente al flameo, los roces y el plegado), lo que le confiere una imbatible combinación entre facilidad de uso y manejo al reducir volumen, peso y rigidez, pero sin comprometer los altos niveles de robustez y fiabilidad característicos de las velas de composite moldeado 3Di. Como importante valor añadido, el equipo de expertos de North Sails España ofrece su asesoramiento a la hora de elegir el inventario idóneo para nuestro barco, aportando su experiencia en elección de materiales y diseños, y proponiéndonos la configuración más adecuada a nuestras necesidades para conseguir la mejor experiencia en navegación de crucero. Todos los detalles sobre la gama North Sails Cruising están disponibles en North Sails. READ MORE

THE LAST WARM-UP BEFORE THE VENDEE GLOBE Less Than Two Months To Go! With less than two months to go before the start of the Vendée Globe, the IMOCA skippers are taking one last chance to measure themselves in the warm-up finale, the Défi Azimut. The Défi Azimut is a competition born in the heart of the Lorient Sailing Valley (based in Brittany, France), the cradle of offshore racing and technology, and “a breeding ground for skills”, as Jean-Marie Corteville, creator of the Défi Azimut and President of Azimut, points out. Created at the initiative of the IMOCA class, the Défi Azimut brings together the skippers of the Vendée Globe, and the Lorient based company Azimut, with the mission of combining performance, innovation, and strategy, in the image of what the Sailing Valley conveys. Since its launch in 2011, it has not denied its success and has brought together more than 70 sailors, including the winners of major competitions. It serves as a dress rehearsal before the major transatlantic races that punctuate the nautical calendar from year to year, the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum, and the prestigious quadrennial Vendée Globe set to begin on November 8, 2020. 20 IMOCAs, with 15 foilers, are participating in the 2020 edition of the race. The race began on September 9th with the speed run, a pure speed trial along a 1.5-mile course. A spectacle to view from the shore, these runs are a chance for the teams to push their boats, sails, and spectators’ heartbeats to the limit. Jérémie Beyou (Charal, defending champion), Thomas Ruyant (LinkedOut), Kevin Escoffier (PRB), Clarisse Crémer (Banque Populaire), Sébastien Simon (Arkea-Paprec), Charlie Dalin (Apivia), Isabelle Joschke (MACSF), Armel Tripon (L’Occitane en Provence), Alan Roura (La Fabrique), Romain Attanasio (Pure – Best Western), Fabrice Amedeo (Newsrest Arts & Fenêtres) and Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmian Group) are among the competitors of the 10th edition of the Défi Azimut and are equipped with North sails. 📸: Ronan Lafaix – L’Occitane en Provence / Défi Azimut Whether aboard their latest generation foiling monohull or older boats, the IMOCA skippers look forward to this post-summer challenges as they resume their regular training schedules, The Défi Azimut is comprised of three major events over five days: The Speed Run: Crewed speed trials to try and set the best time. Several possible attempts (between 2 and 4) for each of the crews composed of a maximum of eight people. 48H Azimut: The flagship race within the event, the 48 hour, 500-mile single-handed race allows for a media man/woman on board to allow the public to experience the daily life of the sailors. Chrono Tour du Groux: The record of the round the island of Groix with a reduced crew. The record is held by French sailor Vincent Riou in 2015, who covered 17 miles in 1 hr 8 min 10 seconds. This varied and intense race format will allow the performance of the boats to be evaluated and serves as a showcase to measure the technological differences. For 2020, the technology challenge is paying attention to the foils, and how they interact with the daggerboards, which continue to prove their worth. All eyes will also be on the skipper’s choice of sails which is just as important as the adjustment of the foils, especially when reaching and downwind. Such a high-caliber race offers the competing teams the opportunity to carry out final equipment checks, make the final adjustments, and validate their choices before the big show. It will also allow sailors who were unable to compete in the Arctic Vendée last July to put their cards on the table and assess their level. “Every time the Kiwis, Australians, or English pass through here, they are impressed. The Défi Azimut is equal to Lorient, which has become the world center of ocean racing,” commented Malouin skipper Kevin Escoffier (PRB), 2nd in the 48-hour race in 2019. Sanitary measures will be put in place to ensure the smooth running of the event. Fans can stay up-to-date on the action here. 📸: Yann Riou / PRB   READ MORE

Experts Share Fastest Numbers for the Vipers North Sails Viper 640 experts, led by reigning World Champion Jackson Benvenutti and former World Champion Zeke Horowitz with help from Annapolis NOOD Champion Austin Powers, have been hard at work updating your Viper 640 North Sails Tuning Guide. This guide features key updates to make sure your speed stays consistent with the fastest teams in the world. What’s New? You will find a new measurement for a shorter headstay, an update on mast butt placement, and hear about new techniques for using your mast blocks and lower shrouds to control headstay tension. You will also discover updated guides for weather jib sheeting as well as how that relates to the vang and cunningham settings. As always, this guide serves to get everyone in the ballpark for world championship caliber speed. Your North Sails experts are eager to help you dial-in and fine tune so you and your team can be set up for success. Contact us any time! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.   Contact Your Class Expert Open Tuning Guide   READ MORE

KEEPING UP WITH CHARLIE ENRIGHT North Sails Caught Up With the 11th Hour Racing Skipper on His Transat Delivery and Prepping for The Ocean Race Summit in Newport, RI. 📸: Amory Ross | 11th Hour Racing. Charlie Enright is a busy guy if he’s not gearing up for The Ocean Race learning his new IMOCA platform, he’s spearheading a sustainability campaign or collaborating with his team. North Sails managed to secure a few minutes with the 11th Hour Skipper ahead of The Ocean Summit in Newport and training on Narragansett Bay. North Sails: Tell us about delivering the boat to Newport. It was an eventful delivery with a new foil: it was wet, it was wild, it was upwind. It felt like a totally new boat with the new foil. Life onboard was tough, too – there were six of us, and there’s not much room down below! It’s a wild beast and it will take a while to tame. When you are down below, you feel like you are in a torture chamber, but up on deck, it’s a bit better than that. The living arrangements are something we need to work on, particularly on long trips. You’ve gone around the world several times now. You’re learning a new boat. How has that been for you? Stepping away from the Volvo 65 and jumping into the IMOCA Class? In our last two trips around the planet, we were racing in one-design boats so the IMOCA brings a level of development that we’re not familiar with. The design and the technological aspect is certainly a big step up, but one that we’re embracing and immersing ourselves int. The journey so far has been really rewarding. 📸: Amory Ross | 11th Hour Racing. As far as being hands-on with designing the boat and the sails, what have you picked up that’s different from your last two campaigns? Well, it’s always a fine line between science, naval architecture, engineering, and then feedback from onboard. So I think managing that relationship is key. Making sure that everyone is getting the information they need to make the best decisions. From there, we test and ratify those decisions on the water, essentially in the form of boat speed. What is an example of a project you’ve worked on with North sail designers? What kind of adjustments are made in the typical sail design process? Whether it’s sail shapes or sail sizes, there’s the science that goes into it. Then you have to construct it and then go out there and do the work. So I’d say that right now, we’re more in the geometry phase opposed to the finer details. We’re painting with a broad brush right now before we jump into the nitty-gritty because there’s just so much that you can explore with tack locations, heights, areas, overlaps, LPs. We’re going big in these beginning stages as the race start is two years away. You’ve been a team leader during this entire process. How have you stepped up in a different way from a one-design platform with the rest of your group to getting your team on the same page while you’re also learning too? The depth of what we’re doing is much, much greater. At this point, it’s not about, do we go left or do we go right, it’s about when going left or going right what kind of foils are we going to have? What kind of sails are we going to have? The number of decisions that need to be made has increased probably 100-fold, so managing that process has certainly been challenging at times and definitely a step up from where we’ve been in the past. 📸: Amory Ross | 11th Hour Racing. A popular question from our audience: During the TransAt, did you have the opportunity to do any speed testing? What was the top speed you’ve seen on the boat so far? Because we were upwind all the way over, we didn’t see the speeds that we’d seen in other conditions at other times, but we’ve easily seen 36 knots, no question. With the new foil the percentage increase in speed at the angles at which we were sailing was quite noticeable too. With the Ocean Race Summit quickly approaching on September 16th, tell us about your role as Newport local, and being able to experience this in your hometown. We don’t take for granted the fact that we live in a very active maritime coastal community and being able to contribute to that in the form of The Ocean Race Summit is a really important milestone in our campaign. It’s important to us to be entrenched in the community and to support and work with local marine businesses sharing what we have learned on our sustainability journey. So, there’s definitely a hometown aspect to it – to be developing these innovations and strategies together while also bringing back everything we’ve learned from afar to our hometown. We follow what a team like 11th Hour Racing is doing when you have sustainability absolutely embedded in the core of your offering, but what can marine businesses and sailors be doing in their communities? What’s really important to remember is that none of us are perfect, but we are all citizens and we can all play a role in supporting ocean regeneration. The first time I sailed around the world, my eyes were opened to the global problem our oceans were facing; the second time I started to consider what solutions we could be putting in place to mitigate the impact, and this time we want to be showcasing the solutions that are available and influencing change right from within the heart of the sailing industry. It’s not realistic to expect the entire sailing industry to end in order to contribute to slowing down or stopping climate change, so our task is to promote and influence change from within the marine industry by working with boat builders and manufacturers to encourage a change in mindset and processes to make systemic changes for the future. 📸: Amory Ross | 11th Hour Racing. Can you give an example of this? One example is how we have worked with your designers at North Sails to understand the digital footprint of our sail production process. It turns out that this is a measurable percentage of the overall manufacturing footprint, which makes sense when you consider the importance of design and analysis in the innovation development of our campaign. Now we understand what this footprint is, we can work together and look at how we can improve these processes and also consider what we can be doing to restore and regenerate where we have had the impact. This is our ultimate team goal: to be net positive. We are working with all our suppliers and partners to identify areas that can be improved and how we can innovate new solutions to create that change. Thanks to the support we have from our partner at 11th Hour Racing, we can share our learnings with other teams, businesses, and events. What’s next? I know you guys are sailing around Jamestown this weekend in the Sail for Hope Regatta, but as far as preparing for the Ocean Race, getting the boat ready, and getting the team comfortable, can you tell us any of the goalposts that you’ve set? We’ll be sailing out of here for the next six weeks and at the end of that six week period, we’re up against some pretty big design decisions. We’re trying to gather as much data as possible while training so we’re as educated as we can be when we have to make those final calls. Coming from the Volvo 65 full-send into the IMOCA, are you nervous? No, not really. Last summer in some ways was a bit intimidating because it was a new class and a new race format. I sailed doublehanded from France to Brazil, which is something I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing five years ago, but I think now that we’ve got some more bodies on the boat, it feels a little bit more natural and more like the sailing that we’ve all done in the past. READ MORE

Milan Vujasinović & NS na tronu Europe FOTO: ROBERT DEAVES Osim Milana, člana JK Val iz Šibenika, na regati su sudjelovala još dva Hrvatska jedriličara. Obojica su iz Splitskog JK Labud i obojica su ostvarila finalni plasman među najboljih deset Europskih jedriličara! Riječ je o Josipu Olujiću koji je regatu završio na 8. mjestu i o Nenadu Bugarinu koji je na kraju bio 9. Organizacije Prvenstva ove godine su se prihvatili Poljaci koji su ga smjestili u njihovoj vrlo aktivnoj jedriličarskoj lokaciji u gradu Gdynia. Uvjeti na moru su bili pravi sjevernjački... mnogo oblaka, kiše, niskih temperatura (u odnosu na naše ljetne uvjete). Ukupno je sudjelovalo 70 jedriličara, uglavnom Europljana. Jedini koji su bili s drugih kontinenata su po jedan jedriličar s Novog Zelanda, Meksika, Venezuele i Argentine. Od njih, najozbiljniji u svojim namjerama bio je Argentinac koji je na kraju završio na sedmom mjestu, dok su se ostali smjestili u donjem dijelu rezultatske ljestvice. Inače je uobičajeno da se na raznim EP otvorenog karaktera prijavljuju i jedriličari s drugih kontinenata u mnogo većem broju, pogotovo oni koji su u olimpijskim programima i ovakve regate im izvrsno dolaze za brušenje forme, međutim aktualna situacija s Koronom smanjila je broj "stranaca" na minimum. Najviše se osjetio izostanak jedriličara iz Australije i Novog Zelanda, pa je i to jedan od razloga zašto su ove godine zajedno na regati jedrili mladići u naponu snage, zajedno sa svim ostalim mlađim i starijim kategorijama. Tako je u kategoriji natjecatelja mlađih od 23 godine bilo osmero, mastera je bilo deset, grand mastera sedam i great grand mastera čak jedanaest. Naši predstavnici su u Poljsku otputovali tjedan dana ranije da bi se akomodirali na uvjete, a i da bi napravili što više treninga u većim skupinama, jer ako se zanemari nedavno odjedreno Prvenstvo Hrvatske za klasu Finn, nije bilo niti jednog pravog treninga ili regate u dosta dugom vremenskom periodu. Event je započeo službenim premjeravanjem u nedjelju 30. kolovoza i za te aktivnosti bila su predviđena tri dana. Prvi natjecateljski dan bio je srijeda 2. rujna i u ritmu od po dva plova dnevno jedrilo se do nedjelje 6. Program regate je ispunjen u maksimalnom obimu i rezultati su se dobili nakon deset jedrenja i sa samo jednim odbacivanjem. Naš jedriličar koji je Gdyniu napustio sa zlatnim odličjem u svojoj kategoriji je Milan Vujasinović. On je bio i dosta dobar u generalnom plasmanu u kojem je osvojio 13. mjesto. Da je još uvijek ozbiljan kandidat i za puno bolje rezultate pokazuje to da je od deset mogućih rezultata imao tri jednoznamenkasta finiša, od čega je najbolji rezultat bio 2. mjesto u osmom plovu. Ostali rezultati su bili nešto lošiji i najveći broj bodova koji su mu ušli u konačnu kalkulaciju bio je 28. Ovako velike oscilacije u rezultatima vjerojatno su nastale zbog dosta velikih oscilacija u smjeru vjetra koje su se javljale u drugom dijelu svakog dana jedrenja. U tim trenucima ako ste se nalazili na pogrešnoj strani regatnog polja našli bi se u stvarno nepovoljnoj poziciji iz koje više nije bilo moguće razmišljati o boljem plasmanu. Više o tim detaljima nismo saznali od Milana, koji je odmah nakon završetka regate otputovao u Kiel na Kieler Woche, ali zato su za razgovor bili na raspolaganju druga dva Hrvatska jedriličara. Gdynia, Baltik... onako, hladniji uvjeti nego ovdje od kuda smo otišli s 30+ stupnjeva. Gore je u prosjeku bilo dvadesetak stupnjeva, a često i niže. Bilo je dosta oblačno, puno kiše... najlakše je to opisati s "Englesko vrijeme". Išli smo desetak dana ranije, jer od ožujka nije bilo pravog treninga. Tako da smo dosta trenirali i imali nekih malih trening regata. Nekih šest dana prije regate stisnula su me leđa, pa sam morao i jedno vrijeme provesti u mirovanju i ići na masaže da se to opusti. To me je pustilo dan dva prije EP i tada sam izašao na more da vidim da li su leđa u redu. U jednoj viri to me je opet stisnulo, pa sam zadnji dan pred početak Prvenstva morao provesti na masažama. Tako da sam u regatu ušao malo ukočen, jer nisam bio siguran hoće li se opet u nekoj viri nešto dogoditi. Srećom sve dalje je prošlo u redu, ali na početku se ipak nisam mogao opustiti i to mi je bila mentalna kočnica tog prvog dana. Kad sam se uvjerio da tijelo sluša i da mogu bez straha čupati i u krmu i u orcu opustio sam se i nastavio normalno jedriti. Što se tiče vremena, imali smo tri različita uvjeta jedrenja. Samo prvog dana je puhalo s mora, a sve ostale dane s kraja. U svim uvjetima bila je zajednička karakteristika značajnih oscilacija u smjeru vjetra od po 20-30°. Tako da se puno toga događalo, mijenjalo... lako se moglo biti naprijed, lako se moglo biti nazad. Ali na kraju se opet pokazalo da su oni koji su imali pravu brzinu sigurno izbijali naprijed. Za sebe mogu reći da sam odjedrio jednu konstantnu regatu. Imao sam i svojih prilika, a i lako izgubljenih bodova tokom svih dana, ali vozio sam konstantno. Moram reći da mi je to i bio cilj, da održavam visok prosjek... da ne zabrazdim negdje u floti, a i da ne napravim samo povremeni bljesak. Spomenuti veliki dricevi su me sigurno koštali značajnih bodova u dva plova, npr. u zadnjoj regati gdje sam s petog mjesta pao na dvadeseto. Ali s druge strane ne bi sve ni pripisao tim promjenama, poštenije bi bilo reći da u tim trenucima nisam bio 100% u regati... da nisam bio koncentriran i da nisam pratio što se dešava po polju. Ali svejedno... u zadnju regatu predzadnjeg dana sam ušao kao petoplasirani i kao peti sam i okrenuo gate, u tom trenutku bio sam ispred svih direktnih konkurenata. Nažalost, tada sam se uspavao na minutu i nisam pratio što se događa pa sam odabrao krivu stranu, odnosno okrenuo lijevi gate, a vjetar je otišao u desno tridesetak stupnjeva. Posljedica je bila da sam na bovu od orce došao kao 25. pa sam morao u posljednjoj krmi spašavati što se spasiti može. Tada sam finiširao na osmom mjestu, što isto nije loše, ali... Josip Olujić, JK Labud Analizom Josipovih rezultata vidi se da je stvarno održavao dobar prosjek, a imao je čak i pobjedu u 7. plovu. Na kraju je razlika iza trećeplasiranog bila 22 boda. Da je bilo malo više koncentracije i sreće u dva spomenuta jedrenja možda bi bio i u konkurenciji za postolje... Ovako je s 83 boda završio na osmom mjestu, a da bi cijela priča bila neizvjesnija pobrinuo se drugi Labudaš, Nenad Bugarin, koji je Europsko prvenstvo završio samo jednom mjesto iza Josipa sa samo jednim bodom razlike! FOTO: ROBERT DEAVES Sve skupa je moglo i malo bolje završiti, a moglo je i lošije, ipak su uvjeti bili zahtjevni. Trebalo je držati konstantu, što nije bilo ni malo lako, pogotovo zadnjih dana kad smo imali vjetar s kopna koji je mijenjao smjer i po više od 30°. Tako da to nije bilo lako za predvidjeti i oni koji su uspjeli imati konstantne rezultate na kraju su osvojili medalje. Za razliku od Prvenstva Hrvatske ovog puta sam jedrio sa svojom opremom. Tada mi je bila još uvijek na Palmi gdje sam trenirao uoči Korone, ali za Europsko prvenstvo smo je uspjeli prebaciti do Poljske. Inače, na regati je sve manje više bilo uredno, brzina je bila korektna, ali moram ponoviti da su uvjeti bili toliko promjenljivi da ta brzina, iako je ona uvijek bitna, ipak nije toliko dolazila do izražaja. Tako da su stalno svi bili u konkurenciji za dobar plasman i samo su strategija i taktika donosile prevagu i osiguravale rezultat. A te promjene vjetra nisu išle po šabloni, inače bi se to moglo lako predvidjeti i postaviti se na moru na pravi način. Ono što se jedino moglo donekle reći da je šablona je to da su se te promjene dešavale u drugom dijelu dana. Krajem dana vjetar bi odlazio u desno, samo što nije bilo lako predvidjeti kad će se dogoditi taj trenutak. S druge strane dešavalo bi se da vjetar ode u desno, pa se vrati, a u nekim drugim slučajevima ode u desno i ne vrati se više... to se npr. desilo zadnju regatu. Nenad Bugarin, JK Labud Neno se jednako kao i Josip može pohvaliti jednom pobjedom, a u prvih 10 je imao još četiri finiša! Oni koji žele napraviti malo detaljniju analizu učinka naših jedriličara mogu to napraviti pomoću službenih rezultata koji se nalaze na ovom linku. Regatno polje na kojem se jedrilo EP bilo je u obliku štapa s ciljem postavljenim desno od posljednjeg gatea, a ciljano vrijeme jedrenja je bilo 75 minuta. Nakon ove regate pred Finnistima je duža pauza koja bi se trebala prekinuti na iduće proljeće, jer su trenutno sve ozbiljnije regate otkazane. Kulminacija sezone, ako se izuzmu Olimpijske igre koje su prebačene na iduće ljeto, trebala bi biti u Portugalu na svjetskom prvenstvu koje će se jedriti u Portu, jer će se tada podijeliti posljednja slobodna mjesta za Tokio, a naši predstavnici još nisu osigurali normu koja bi ih trebala jednog od njih tamo i odvesti. READ MORE

TRUSTING IN NORTH 3Di Powered Vento Solare is Making the Most of Their Summer Sailing Bill Kneller is passionate about getting on the water. For the past 17 years, he has been working hard to optimize his sailing programs and working closely with his sail experts and designers at North Sails in Portsmouth, RI to make sure he’s got the right sails for the job and the right set up to help him achieve his sailing goals. 3Di has played a role in his local sailing success onboard his J/109, providing him with a competitive sail plan, which has helped his team of sailing friends perform at their full potential. From weeknight PHRF racing on Narragansett Bay to weekend regattas in the New England area, Vento Solare is a familiar face on the race course, battling in the top of the fleet in all conditions she’s up against. We caught up with Bill and the team at the dock just after they finished the (Jamestown) Around the Island Race, hosted by Conanicut Yacht Club, to find out what this program is all about. Vento Solare took 17th out of 78 in one of the largest and competitive PHRF events in Newport, RI. He introduced us to his team, explained what positions they fill on the boat, and how they’ve built a great relationship with their skipper and friend –which is what this program is all about. Hear more about Bill’s corinthian team, Vento Solare, why he loves sailing, and how his local North Sails network has been supporting his programs over the years, helping him reach his goals and be successful on the water doing what he loves most. From us at North Sails, we want to wish Bill and the team the best of luck in the remainder of the 2020 season! READ MORE

TWICE ON TOP Argo Racing Breaks Two Records in a Doubleheader Week of Racing 📸: Rick Bannerot First, it was the Around Jamestown record, then it was the Vineyard Race, a mix of excellent conditions and determined crew gave Jason Caroll’s MOD70 Argo the opportunity to break, not one, but two records this week on New England waters. Is the team excited? Yes. Are they satisfied? No. North Sails sat down with Project Manager Chad Corning to talk about their titles, and what they are aiming for next. NS: What a week! Tell us about the sailing. Chad Corning: The first one was the around Jamestown record, which is a cool local record here in Newport. It’s about 19 miles around Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. We had been doing laps around Jamestown as a training exercise. In the MOD 70, it gives us a focused training session. It was probably been the fourth or fifth time that we had contemplating doing a lap of the island this summer. We got out on Tuesday, the wind was easterly, southeasterly, it was an okay direction for going around because you want an easterly or westerly to reach the whole time. So we got out and we got the boat ready to go, the sails up, and by the time we opted to start, the wind had become even more easterly, which made it even better. We were able to fetch out to Beavertail, have a nice fast Gennaker run down the backside of Jamestown, and then just have to do one tack on the way back up to the bridge. As it goes with records, everything needs to be perfect and it was a perfect day on Tuesday. The Vineyard Race was quite different, you look at the weather and you download it into the computer and it spits out a route and there’s a lot of modeling. Hypothetically, the record was possible, but the conditions in the forecast didn’t quite meet up. By the time we got back into the sound, it looked to be impossible because of light winds between the tower and Block Island and the entrance to the sound that was not really expected. Then things looked up, there was much more wind than forecast for the next leg, from the entrance to the sound to the finish. So all of a sudden we started ripping and started doing the math and made the decision to keep pushing the team. From the navigator’s desk, I knew it would be kind of five minutes either way with a couple of hours to go. It was an exciting few hours, the boat was lit and everyone was just kind of pushing as hard as we could. Which makes it very satisfying after an intense effort like that to get it that was really cool. It was just by a few minutes and it was kind of breaking the record that we set in 2018, but a record of a record and it was cool. With no other boats to race against, in a race like the Vineyard Race, it’s really the only way to kind of stay focused. So it was great to get it. 📸: Sharon Green / Ultimate Sailing NS: How did the sails and equipment affect the decision to keep pushing for the record in changing and building conditions? How was the performance of the boat? Corning: Our relationship with North Sails, starts with our sailmaker Fuzz Foster and Steve Calder our sail designer, it’s a great collaborative process with those guys and that sets us up to be very confident. We didn’t think twice about anything with the sails and we had a mixed sort of mixed inventory age-wise. We had our original 3Di main, we have a newer one, but didn’t use it. We had our original Gennaker which is two-plus years old. It’s been around the block, it’s been to Hawaii and we pushed that sail very hard and didn’t even think about it. We know that even if it’s older stuff, we can be confident in pushing just as hard as we want. We’ve had zero trouble and the sails have been perfect. In terms of North, I can’t give enough credit to Fuzz and Steve, in terms of how they set us up on all this, that’s the secret sauce. NS: Because of travel restrictions, your crew is mostly Americans, right? Corning: We have a great team of sailors. Some guys from the UK and France that we would normally have weren’t here because of travel restrictions, but that’s okay. We’ve got good people here in Newport and here in the US that we tap into. Seven out of eight onboard were American, other than Brian Thompson who came from the UK, who’s a multi-hull sort of God and he helps us sort of stay out of trouble. Charlie Ogletree has the same sort of status in terms of experience as Brian, so those two guys gave us sort of the depth of experience on the boat and then the rest of the team, it was Jason Carroll , myself, some guys here from Newport, and US sailors, all who have a lot of experience on the boat. It’s kind of a low drama, good chemistry team and that just makes everything very easy. Everyone’s got each other’s back and everyone knows what to do instinctually without … there’s very little verbal communication. It’s a bit of a machine. 📸: Rick Bannerot NS: What’s next for the Argo crew? Corning: A record that we really want is the Caribbean 600 record, which has been elusive, although we’ve tried a couple of times, so we are reconfiguring the boat with new foils and new rudders for this winter campaign and the campaign next year. We have a very focused program to start that race on the very best possible foot. So, hopefully, the conditions are such where that’s possible. Then next year we’ll be in Europe with the boat, for the Fastnet and Middle Sea Races. It’ll be cool to do the Fastnet on the new course for the first time and I suspect many of the hundred footers will race, so a record or anything line honors might be impossible for that race, but perhaps the Middle Sea race record is in our sights. Then maybe the last thing we have in the longterm plan is to perhaps try for the Route of Discovery record which is Spain over to the Bahamas in the fall. But that is obviously a pretty far out there and we’ll kind of see what happens with it. READ MORE

INTRODUCING THE NEW THISTLE DSD+ MAINSAIL Smoother Sail Plan & More Power Across The Conditions As the leading sailmaker in the Thistle class, we are proud to introduce a new mainsail to the North Sails Thistle inventory. Class leaders Paul Abdullah, Mike Ingham, and North Sail Designer Mike Marshall have been working hard to make your Thistle sailing even better than before. The DSD+ mainsail is built out of Dimension/Polyant 165SQ that proves to be very durable, while the finish keeps the leech nice and straight through all conditions. With a radial lower section, the lower leech stays static as the mast bend is adjusted to match the conditions, providing the user with a smoother, flatter sail plan, with less overbend wrinkles. Incorporating a slight luff curve the sail shape is induced, transferring the power down low, opening the leech. The new DSD+ Mainsail is another step forward in North Sails goal to make the fastest sails possible. This new mainsail is very popular with inland lake sailors who see more flatter water conditions, though it has seen great success and proven its reliability in open water conditions as well. Standard features include battens, sail numbers, class royalties, insignia, vision window, sail bag, and an optional set of battens. Have questions? We are here to help. Customer service and education on our products is even more important than ever before. Learn more about North Sails new Thistle mainsail and how to achieve maximum power throughout a range of conditions. Watch our webinar, featuring Class experts Paul Abdullah, Mike Ingham, and North Sail Designer Mike Marshall to get the full download on our newest addition to the North Sails Thistle inventory, the DSD+ Mainsail. Shop Sails Contact Your Expert READ MORE

PH klase Optimist U12 JK Val iz Šibenika organizirao je trodnevnu regatu klase Optimist koja je bila ograničena samo na najmlađe jedriličare i imala je predznak Prvenstva Hrvatske. Jedrili su samo mlađi od 12 godina, a skupilo ih se 71 s cijelog Jadrana. Vremenski uvjeti u Šibeniku ih nisu baš mazili, jer se jedrilo samo u petak. Subota i nedjelja su protekli samo u kupanju i zabavljanju ispred kluba jer je puhalo vrlo jako, a na udare i olujno jugo. U petak je flote izašla na more oko 13 sati, a jedrilo se po laganom jugozapadnjaku. S obzirom da se jedrilo u Šibenskoj luci polje je bilo relativno kratko, ali s druge strane vjetar je bio lagan i trajanje jedrenja je bilo baš kako treba. Ukupno su se odjedrila dva plova, odnosno maksimalan broj predviđen za jedan dan u Oglasu regate. Malene nade hrvatskog jedrenja su bile poprilično disciplinirane na startu i samo četiri UFD-a su zapisana na ploči istaknutoj na brodu Regatnog odbora. Sve četiri kazne bile u u prvom plovu, a u drugom više toga nije bilo jer kako je prognoza nekoliko dana ranije najavljivala jako jugo za vikend, treneri su sigurno savjetovali svojim natjecateljima veću opreznost na startu drugog plova s obzirom da je s takvim razvojem vremenske situacije svaki bod osvojen u petak bio vrlo važan. Po pitanju bodova na prvom i drugom mjestu s jednakim brojem bodova, kraj dana su dočekali Ema Grabar i Bepo Duplančić. Bepo je bio konstantan i u oba plova je osvojio drugo mjesto, ali Emina pobjeda u prvom plovu osigurala joj je vodeću poziciju unatoč trećem mjestu u drugom plovu. U tom jedrenju najbrži je bio Emin klupski kolega Marko Puljiz, ali bolje od trećeg mjesta nije mogao, jer mu je 7. mjesto u prvom plovu donijelo dosta kaznenih bodova u odnosu na spomenuti dvojac. Subota je od samog početka bila u znaku vedrog juga koje je konstantno puhalo preko 20 čvorova, a za kategoriju U12 preporuka VZN-a je da ne jedre po vjetru preko 16 čvorova. U jednom trenu je na kratko vjetar oslabio na oko 15 čvorova, ali ubrzo se pokazalo da je u pitanju bio kratki smiraj jer je vjetar otišao malo u desno. Nakon tog prijelaza ponovno je pojačao na prethodne brzine pa je RO morao zaključiti druženje za taj dan. Da ne bi sve propalo pobrinuli su se domaćini koji su u dogovoru s Nacionalnim parkom Krka osigurali svim sudionicima besplatan ulazak u park i njegov obilazak. Mnogim mališanima je to bio prvi kontakt s krškom ljepoticom i sigurno će im ostati u lijepom sjećanju. Ali i onima koji su odlučili ostati u Šibeniku nije bilo dosadno jer su se klinci pobrinuli da im dan ipak prođe u smijehu i veselju. Nedjelja je za razliku od subote bila oblačna i dosta vjetrovitija. Jedino kratko zatišje bilo je ujutro oko 11 sati, ali jugo se ubrzo vraća u turbo mod i RO u 14 sati proglašava ovo Prvenstvo Hrvatske završenim. Rezultati po kojima su se podijelile nagrade su bili oni od petka, a na vrhu ljestvice bila su imena od kojih se i očekivalo da će biti glavni akteri raspleta. U generalnom poretku mjesto na postolju su osvojili: EMA GRABAR - JK ULJANIK, PULA BEPO DUPLANČIĆ - JK ZENTA, SPLIT MARKO PULJIZ - JK ULJANIK, PULA U konkurenciji djevojčica raspored je bio slijedeći: EMA GRABAR - JK ULJANIK, PULA MARTA LOLIĆ - JK SPLIT, SPLIT DORA SAMARŽIJA - JK SV.NIKOLA, ZAGREB A što se tiče dječaka zlato, srebro i broncu osvojili su: BEPO DUPLANČIĆ - JK ZENTA, SPLIT MARKO PULJIZ - JK ULJANIK, PULA TOMA SMIRČIĆ, JK SPLIT, SPLIT Treba spomenuti i da je u petak navečer u Šibeniku bilo otvaranje Festivala svjetla koji organizira član JK Val, Zoran Lučić. Svečanost je već tradicionalno održana na moru, gdje su izvođačima koji su bili na pontonu ispred rive, kulisu već tradicionalno radile prigodno osvijetljene jedrilice iz Šibenskog jedriličarskog kluba. READ MORE

DOUBLEHANDED TEAMWORK Ken Read and Suzy Leech Share Their Latest Insights 📸: Billy Black Balancing team members’ strengths is a vital part of taking on double-handed offshore sailing. After days offshore as a pair, with Ken Read as skipper and Suzy Leech as tactician share the secrets that make their partnership a success on the racecourse. Click here to watch the team debrief their summer of racing and win in the Ida Lewis Distance Race. NS: How do you make navigational decisions as a team? Leech: Partnership is key- both crew need to know how to navigate. Teach your partner. Each person should do their own homework. Then come together and have a discussion. Read: We split the macro and micro navigation. I was primarily the question asker for specific micro navigation/tactical questions and Suzy would spend the time pouring through the data looking for the answers. And she was great at making sure we didn’t end up on the beach! 📸: Billy Black NS: What about race preparation? What are you doing before the start line? Leech: Preparation is even more important when sailing double-handed, use the season of training data … weeks of weather observations (which model is accurate this season), days of routing… keeps you oriented, especially when you don’t have time to calibrate. Read: Especially for these 24-hour races, it is imperative to leave the dock with a very clear view of the racecourse and the expected weather and sail choices for the racecourse. Fully crewed, you can pour over data and make decisions on the fly. Often we had some pretty straight forward preconceived notions of what was next and that certainly was a benefit in a 24-hour race. Leech: Make safe gains… No big flyers. Read: We thought we would be pretty fast and well prepared and there was really no need to be crazy. No question knowing the area of Rhode Island Sound helped the two races this summer. A lot of tidal features around Block Island for example and it certainly helped having sailed around there for 40 years! 📸: North Sails NS: How do you deal with something unexpected during the race? How do you prevent mistakes? Leech: When you are sailing, take the time to check, before the quick answer, especially when tired. Read: Being tired is the enemy of any race. Any distance. As well as food and water consumption. For sure we have gotten better at making sure we stay hydrated and there is enough food in us. This is key. And prepping with the right clothing. For sure with Suzy and I, we fell into the boat speed vs boat handling/nav roles. Just happens to be what we probably do best. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have to get better at the other person’s role, though as the longer the race the more the other person has to do more. Leech: Remember to stick to your guns – trust your gut (e.g. on the way home, current around Point Judith was ripping… based on homework done, should have given wider berth). Read: I think that was tired brains after a long night with zero sleep! These things happen. You have to be prepared and know where you are in the fleet scoring at the time. We thought we were pretty safely ahead on corrected time at that stage so we probably mentally fell asleep for a bit there. 📸: Billy Black Leech: Look at trends … forecasts may be off, but which one has been closest? What trend does it indicate will happen next? Read: It’s normal boat racing, really. Know the course, know the anticipated weather per leg, know the competition, know the strengths and weaknesses of your boat and sail inventory, and work within all of the above. Leech: Stick with the game plan! And know your competition. READ MORE

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: GORD WYLIE New Adventure Awaits with XP44 Phoenix With almost 40 years sailing under his belt, Gord Wylie is a veteran of the new boat ownership club, having four keelboats so far. His favourite? The J/29. It was his first keelboat and chance to be a skipper while being in charge of crew. He got the boat fixed up over time and turned it into a winning boat. His focus now though is his new XP44, which he sails out of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. North Sails expert Drew Mitchell caught up with Gord to share details of his new vessel. Gord, the new XP 44 you have brought to Vancouver is quite the machine. What was the decision maker on this specific boat? Is it turbo'd correct? Analysis, years of looking at boats. We were looking for a boat that can grow with our family as our children are getting older that has the ability for offshore racing and cruising. This boat is a long term boat for our family, 10 years or more. We wanted this boat for Vic Maui 2020. You purchased and moved this boat to Vancouver during this pandemic, did you run into any issues and where did the boat come from? We relied on the knowledge of professionals in our sailing community. Ross MacDonald from North Sails and Ian Fraser from Fraser Yachts for transport and boat knowledge.The boat came from Southampton to Tacoma, transport from Tacoma to Vancouver was difficult and in the middle of shutdown. Set up the boat when it arrived was also difficult as we were not able to have assistance from many people. Once you got the boat to Vancouver the pandemic was in full swing, this obviously changed your racing plans to cruising plans. How does the boat set up differently for two different types of sailing? We initially set up the boat for cruising but did switch to race mode for a bit, the racer in me needed to test out the boat in race mode. We have scratched the surface on testing the race sails, the boat came with a large inventory. Ross MacDonald has been very helpful with boat knowledge and sail inventory. When the sail inventory came into the loft I could barely get in the front door. With such a large inventory how do you plan to manage it? We have about 30 sails for the boat and have cleaned out the kid clutter in the basement and built a sail loft. Ross MacDonald and Dennis Lefeaux North Sails Vancouver> have been and are being very helpful with sorting through the sail inventory. I saw you out in the WVYC single/double handed race earlier in the year, how did the boat perform? Was it difficult to run such a large boat with only two sailors on board such a new large boat? We really enjoyed the day, it was our first time in any breeze and give a shout out to Drew Mitchell for hopping on board and helping with some stuck cars not adjusting properly. Obviously with the racing scene shut down in Vancouver you must be enjoying some cruising, where have you headed and does this boat cruise as well as she races? What are some of the features on the boat that make cruising enjoyable? We have been cruising in Desolation Sound and Johnson Strait this summer, my favorite stop this year in Desolation Sound was in Wallace Cove. We have some great cruising features on this boat including a cockpit table that recesses into the floor so you can have a wide open cockpit when underway and a dodger that folds down into a garage. Say that the racing scene comes back in 2021. What events do you plan on attending? Anything and everything, we are planning on racing offshore and PNW races. Any recommendations to future boat owners on purchasing sailboats outside of Canada? Do not underestimate the value of a broker who understands international shipping, a lot of money can be lost if not done correctly. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent broker. How did the name Phoenix come to fruition? We needed to come up with a name during the middle of the lock down and pandemic, Phoenix symbolizes a better future, rising from the ashes and seemed fitting for the times we are in and needing to look into a brighter future. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3DI DOMINATES AIB 1720 SOUTHERNS Dutch Gold Takes the Title Dutch Gold, winners of the AIB 1720 Southerns 📸 Bob Bateman North Sails would like to congratulate Rob O'Leary and his crew onboard Dutch Gold for winning the AIB Southern Area's this past weekend in fine style. Rob is getting a taste for winning with 3Di now and is on a roll at the top of the class. Dutch Gold was using a North 3Di mainsail and large jib as the key upwind sails for his programme. Hot on his heels this weekend was fellow club mates T-Bone sailed by the Durcan/O'Shea combination. T-Bone was also powered upwind by the same 3Di setup, as well as being powered downwind by the North T-6 large spinnaker. Talking to team T-Bone after the regatta, they were delighted with their pace upwind and down for the weekend. No complaints! This years' Southerns saw a full spread of conditions from 25 knots on Friday, to 5 - 6 knots on the final Sunday. The North 3Di sails handled the spread of conditions well and it's no coincidence that we see these sails claiming first and second position overall. It is unusual that the same sail making process can be made to work for International Moths, Sportsboats, America's Cup Super Yachts, and everything in between! 3Di really is an amazing process that is unique to North Sails. Dutch Gold crossing the fleet 📸 Bob Bateman T-Bone powering upwind 📸 Bob Bateman READ MORE

The Rise of Doublehanded Sailing Doublehanded sailing has gained momentum globally, as the gateway to getting back out on the water while remaining socially distant. Learn how you can improve your results in the next shorthanded race with our expert tips and techniques. Armel Le Cléac'h and Clarisse Crémer Give a Rundown of Their Experiences North Sails were lucky enough to have the two doublehanded experts Armel Le Cléac'h & Clarisse Crémer host a webinar for an in-depth masterclass. Quizzed by Ken Read, the pair discussed choosing the right teammate and how they got involved in the sport. Learn More Two Brains are Better than One Suzy Leech teamed up with Ken Read to take on the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race earlier this year. Each sailor brought a different set of skills to the table which led this powerful collaboration to take the win in the 24-hour doublehanded sprint race. Learn More Paris 2024 in Sight With nearly 20-thousand miles under his belt, Sam Fitzgerald is a seasoned Class40 racer and has his sights set on being a part of the doublehanded discipline for the upcoming summer games. Read about how he plans to make his vision a reality. Learn More Dynamic Duo Achieves Class40 Domination Catherine Pourre and Pietro Luciani are the reining Class40 World Champions with their North Sails allowing them to push the boat to its full potential. The pair share their best key takeaways for successfully managing a doublehanded racing program. Learn More Racing the Sun Fast 3300 Having never sailed the Sun Fast 3300 before, Ken Read explains why he wanted to get involved and take on the challenge of racing it from Fort Lauderdale to Key West with Suzy Leech. Learn More Shorthanded Sailing at a Local Level After three months of no activity, sailing on the Solent kicked off in June with 36 single and doublehanded racers. The North RIB launched to offer coaching, sail trim tips, and support to all. Learn More Sign Up Today For Upcoming Events! We've got three great events coming up, with the first one, the Vineyard Stamford Race, beginning on Friday with a whopping 95 boats registered. EDLU is on September 12th, and already there's over 45 boats registered to compete. The Essex Doublehanded Challenge is the following day, September 13th, for those that want a full-on weekend of racing. Don't miss these great racing opportunities to round out your 2020 season! Have questions for your local North Sails experts? Contact your team in Milford today. READ MORE

SESTO-COSBY MAKES WAVES IN THE OPTIMIST FLEET After Two International Regatta Wins on Lake Garda 📸 Fraglia Vela Riva/Zerogradinord Making a name for himself in the fiercely competitive Optimist fleet is 14-year-old British sailor Santiago Sesto-Cosby. Having sailed the Optimist for an astounding 10 years, we were eager to find out about his journey and where he is heading next. Sesto-Cosby started sailing at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington on the south coast of England. He then joined the Royal Lymington Yacht Club before being part of the regional squad and ultimately being selected to train at a National level; a commitment that set him up well as he now competes internationally and races all over the world. The young sailor recently made waves on Lake Garda after winning the Ora Cup against 240 boats earlier this month. He topped off his achievements most recently after becoming the first-ever British sailor to win the Country Cup, also on Lake Garda, racing against countries including Denmark, France, and Germany. It is clear Sesto-Cosby has some in-depth knowledge of Garda as a sailing venue, so we asked him to share his insights. “During the Ora Cup, I learned alot about the fleet, the wind, and the conditions. We often launched early so got to know the conditions prior to the race start. It was different from when I’ve sailed there before as there seemed to be less wind, but it arrived earlier. Sailing with a north wind on Garda is tricky because it is shiftier which means big gusts to look out for!’’ Getting caught up on the line can ruin the whole race before it has even begun. Sesto-Cosby balances picking the bias side of the line whilst avoiding starting amongst the big bunches. He explains, “Generally, only one or two boats starting in a bunch will actually get a good start and the rest will be buried. Once I’ve got my position, I accelerate a few seconds earlier than most and don’t start too close to the pin to allow myself room to tack off. Once you have done that and crossed a few boats, you are out in front and in the lead. From there, you can fight with those closest to you rather than battling it out with everyone and risking dropping back in the fleet as a result.’’ “From there, you can fight with those closest to you rather than battling it out with everyone and risking dropping back in the fleet as a result.’’ Working with Riccardo de Felice from North Sails Italy, Sesto-Cosby uses the new-design 2021 prototype North sail which was designed for racing on Garda. “I recently transitioned after being offered to test it out in Valencia where I became very attached to it. I found it perfect – more powerful than my previous sail, but the pinching modes of sailing remained. 10-15 knots of breeze is the perfect condition for me with this sail.’’ The size of the Optimist fleet can be daunting for younger sailors who are new to sailing. Sesto-Cosby’s advice is to prioritize boat speed and handling during the early stages of racing. “Tactics and fleet knowledge develop with time; after a few years of racing,’’ he says. “I regret not focusing more on my boat handling (tacking, general speed) when I was younger, because the knowledge of strategy and tactics comes with experience when you get older.’’ The future looks bright for Sesto-Cosby who hopes to continue his winning streak at the European Championship next October. When it comes to moving on from the Optimist, he is looking to partner with a Swiss sailor in the 29er whilst doing some Optimist coaching on the side. We look forward to watching the progress of this young, rising star. 📸 Fraglia Vela Riva/Zerogradinord 📸 Valeria Sesto 📸 Fraglia Vela Riva/Zerogradinord READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: 5.5 METRE EUROPEANS Aspire’s Mateusz Kusznierewicz Sweeps the Fleet Congratulations to Aspire’s Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Przemyslaw Gacek, and Simon Fry 2020 5.5 Metre European Champions! 📸 Robert Deaves 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.” 📸 Robert Deaves 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!” 📸 Robert Deaves 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. Full Results Want to learn more about North Sails 5.5 Metre championship-winning sails? Contact your Class Expert for more information. 📸 Robert Deaves READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: LOWISA 2020 Locals Gather For Annual Regatta North Sails expert Drew Mitchell out of Vancouver reports from the annual LOWISA regatta in Lake of the Woods. After 54 years of LOWISA being the sailing event to attend within Manitoba and Western Ontario, the 55th edition had to be postponed to July 31- August 7, 2021 due to Covid-19. If you have not heard about LOWISA before, it is an amazing race with a lot of history. Back when sailing was thriving, the regatta would get over 100 boats! There are many families who have been racing LOWISA for many generations. The regatta is a 7 day, 6 stage distance race around Lake of the Woods nearby Kenora, ON. On a normal year, the Regatta starts off at Northern Harbour just outside Kenora and loops around islands of Lake Of Woods, some of the time even going down into the US. They usually do roughly 20-30 NM legs per day and end up all at the same anchorage for the night. All the boats raft up after racing and start making dinner, enjoy a cocktail and talk about the day of racing. Depending on the day, there are social events such as island rum parties, cocktail making competitions and I've even seen a float plane fly in pizza for a pizza party! After three days of amazing racing around islands they choose a fishing lodge and have a layover day. The layover day is always a good day for rest but also fun activities. The standard activities are a football game, USA VS CANADA, a talent show, paddle board race and a North Sails presentation. After the lay day is over, they race three more legs back to Northern Harbour where they have the awards after the last day of racing. A neat part of LOWISA is they give out awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd but the awards that are most sought after are the LOWISA Spirit Award, the award for the boat that overcame the most obstacles to get to the event and the sailor that was showed the most sportsmanship during the event. These awards always get the most cheers and laughs as they ask the winner to come up and give a short speech. This year’s informal gathering was a bit different without the friends from the south and a formal itinerary. There were raft ups at the anchorages but these were kept smaller with little to no on shore activities. They spent one night at a fishing camp where a dinner was offered outside and eaten at picnic tables. I also ran a North Sails talk about sail maintenance and repair. Despite the restrictions, the week was a great time with great cruising and even better weather. Everyone is looking forward to the 55th edition of LOWISA as Commodore James and his team have now had two years to plan it. It's going to be one for the ages and I think everyone is excited to have the Americans back and proper sanctioned racing to be had. Let us know if you would like to join the fleet. They would be ecstatic to have you join. Please check out Lowisa.org or Lowisa on Facebook for updates. READ MORE

NEW ADDITION TO TEAM AUSTRALIA Tom Spithill Joins North Sails Sydney North Sails are pleased to announce the addition of Tom Spithill to the team in Australia. Growing up in Elvina Bay on the waters of Pittwater as a part of a sailing family, Tom was chucked into a boat at a young age. Since then Tom has continued to sail, and up until recently was the head coach at the RPAYC for over ten years where he coached many successful youth and open teams and was awarded both NSW Coach of the year and Australian Coach of the year. Tom has a passion for teaching veterans and first responders sailing, and was an integral part of the Invictus Games Sydney in his role as Sports Competition Manager. More recently Tom has been enjoying sailing his foiling moth Wendy Jnr and his classic international 5.5 metre Baragoola. “I've enjoyed hopping out of the coach boat and getting back out on the water, doing as much yachting as I can, whether that be a non spinnaker twilight, or a world championships. Tom was a client of North Sails prior to joining the team, using championship-winning sails on his 5.5 Metre and the 3Di Decksweeper on his Bieker Moth. Tom commented, "both of which I have been equally impressed with." What does Tom hope to do for North Sails clients? He commented, "I'm looking forward to sharing my passion with other like minded sailors, while helping new and potential clients marry up with the right product for their type of sailing." We are proud to have Tom on our team in Australia. If you have any questions about optimizing your inventory, please contact Tom. © Martina Orsini READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: CAIPIRINHA IS 2020 WORLD CHAMPION Mainsail Trimmer Alberto Bolzan’s Take on the Melges 32 Worlds 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL The racing season for Martin Rejnes’ Caipirinha* started a little different than usual. Typically the crew gets together before the season begins and spends time on the water practicing and attending as many events as possible to get up to speed. Still, with the threat of COVID, their season jump-started at their first event. In a typical environment, the season’s start would allow teams to train and focus on improvement areas. This year, an exceptional year indeed, teams had little to no opportunity to fine-tune. Catching up with the mainsail trimmer, Alberto Bolzan, who had much to say about how this season was unlike others, but all the same how fun it is competing in such a high-level class with great competition and camaraderie. “It was a bizarre season beginning for us. Starting much later this year, it was full-on, just taking what we’ve learned in previous years and trying to start where we left off. Fortunately, we were very fast from the get-go, as in previous years, which made things a little easier for us to get right back into it.” 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL Villasimius served up a little bit of everything for competitors, challenging all scopes of the crew work, boat speed, and tactical decisions. Alberto comments, “the secret to our success was speed, hands down. Thanks to that, we were able to take a conservative approach to each race for this championship. We also were very consistent when it came to race results. We did not win any races, but we kept our point count low.” When it came to staying conservative, Caipirinha* made sure they got off the line. Clear air meant speed, which made all the difference. As far as staying consistent, it wasn’t only about race finishes. The team has the same pre-start plan, which they execute each race at each event. It included matching up with the fastest boats to make sure you were where you needed to be on the rig. “We made sure we stayed close to our competition,” said Alberto. “Although we got no bullets, we sailed what I would call a perfect championship.” 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL Before each day begins, their routine comes into play. “We assess the conditions, look at the forecast, and think about what we can do with our sail set up and rig tune. Once we leave the dock, we scope out the racing area. We sail around and try to figure out if any risks are depending on which side of the course we are on, so there are no surprises,” said Alberto. Collecting valuable information before the race started allowed them to focus on other things. “In a few of the lighter air races, making the right observations pre-start was the contributing factor to our success,” said Alberto. What makes Capiriniha’s* sailing program strong is that the core team sails together in other classes. “We’re good friends, says Alberto. “And we know what a fast boat should feel like. So you put us together on one boat, and we can make it happen.” The team also gives thanks to their coach Flavio Grassi who has provided them with feedback based on observations and can find the tiniest things they can work on that make a huge difference. “Flavio comes from America’s Cup and Olympic background, so he analyzes every move we make and helps us improve each time.” 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL The average experience level in the Melges 32 class is very high, so each team is a threat. Caipirinha* is always working to keep things easy and straightforward. That way, no mistakes can happen, and they can put themselves in a fair position to have a good race result. “Our closest competition at the event, second place finisher Christian Schwoerer on La Pericolosa is fast, no doubt,” says Alberto. “Every time we see them, we are challenged. Last year, this year, they are very fast. That has made the game of winning that much more fun from a sports aspect.” As far as the event location, Alberto loves the venue. “Villasimius, Sardegna is such a great place to host events. They have top-notch conditions, always challenging, which makes the perfect platform for fleets like the Melges 32 to come and play.” 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL North Sails has been working hard to develop the fastest sails for the Melges 32 class for many years to help clients perform their best. Alberto comments, “North’s experience is unrivaled, not just from Italy, but from all over the world. How the sails have evolved and how high-level the technology is now, makes the class what it is today–the perfect high-performance platform.” North Sails class experts want to congratulate team Donino, Gspot, Vitamina, and new teams, Star Telekom and Heat, for their hard work during this challenging year. Now that the Worlds have come and gone, is it all over? Alberto says, “It’s never over. We will be working together in this class and others, always working hard to be the fastest boat with the fastest sails on the racecourse.” Race results Have questions about race-winning sails? Contact your Melges 32 Class expert today. 📸 Zerogradinord / MWL READ MORE

THE STORY BEHIND THE SAILS The Solitaire du Figaro is an unrivaled ocean race and demanding on the sailors who participate. It requires grit and teamwork to make it to the start line. 📸 Alexis Courcoux The Solitaire du Figaro is an unrivaled challenge in ocean racing. Whether it is the craft on which the sailors’ race – the Figaro Beneteau 3 hydrofoil -, the format of the race over four short legs, the frantic pace where the management of sleep and mind is required, the demanding course with complicated conditions or the heterogeneous profile of Figaro sailors who compete on an equal footing. This unique competition is the meeting ground for renowned sailors who come to test their abilities with young, sometimes up and coming sailors who aspire to enter the big league, in search of a springboard to a career in ocean racing. At North Sails, Quentin Ponroy, sail designer, and Gaétan Aunette, technical salesman, are responsible for Figaro projects. They take stock of the race and work with the skippers to bring their project to fruition. Why is the Figaro Class Championship attracting so much interest? And why is the Solitaire du Figaro an unrivaled ocean race? The Figaro Class is the only one-design single-handed ocean racing yacht with an accessible format and affordable budgets for racers and partners. The championship includes a renowned flagship race, the Solitaire du Figaro, and brings together both young and experienced sailors who regularly compete against each other. It’s a great mix of talent at a high level. The Figaro Class is a competitive platform where sportsmen and women want to assess their level in ocean racing, and sometimes the reality can be severe or not. If we can compare it with another sport, soccer, it would be a bit like the Champions League of ocean racing where the best, as well as the enlightened amateurs, have gone through it. For us, it’s great work in terms of project development with our customers. What is the profile of a Figaro sailor in the way he or she sails and trims? There are as many profiles as there are Figaro sailors. Each one has their own history with divergent backgrounds (Olympic, FFV, cruising…), their style of tuning, and driving their boat. They are also part of different training centers. And so we need to have a strong capacity to listen and then to meet the needs of each one, to design the best sails, to adapt to both their unique style and the one-design support. Some racers want sails that are identical to the others and will try to stand out in other aspects such as strategy. Others are looking for the best possible sail to make the difference in speed and are willing to spend time with us to develop their sail set and achieve the desired result. In general, they are very receptive to our advice. In any case, it’s all about the details, because the level is very high. How do you design a set of sails in the Figaro Class? In 2019, the first year of the Figaro 3, most of our work was based on studies carried out from and around the boat’s build plans (design process identical to IMOCA boats, etc.). This year and for the years to come, we are modifying and optimizing this base thanks to prototypes (1 to 2 per year and per sail) designed based on feedback from the skippers and all the tests we do with them (design process identical to the one-design series). The precision and the level of requirement of the skippers in this class are unique for an offshore series. The set of sails being almost the only non-one-design parameter in this series, the racers necessarily devote a lot of time and attention to it. Together, we manage to get detailed work. In IMOCA and Class40, for example, the skippers have to take into account several non-one design parameters (boat design, foil, electronics…) and therefore have proportionally less time for the sails. The three main stages of Figaro design include the drawing of the 3D mold of the sail, the adapted design of the structure (3Di being a real strength because of its dynamic shape retention, reliability, and longevity; our competitors use for the most part more classical membranes), and meticulous manufacturing in the detail of the sail (the stiffness of the battens, the halyard ring offset, the reefing system… are studied with precision). What changes have been made to the sail plan in the Figaro class since the previous edition? We are only in the second year of the evolution of the Figaro 3, but almost all aspects have been reworked. The main trends on the flat sails are the weight saving in the structure, the volumes that have advanced in the Genoas, and the introduction of load-sharing Helix structured luff technology in the Gennaker among others. The rest is confidential. What learning comes from the sails of Figaro? The boat performs well upwind. Moreover, with the arrival of the Gennaker, the main and J2 sails are real sails specifically designed for VMG upwind sailing. Can the work done on the Figaro be applied and highlighted for other classes, particularly in IRC and club regattas? Absolutely, because the latest IRC boats such as JPK or SunFast have similarities with the Figaro 3. Moreover, the use of reduced crew in IRC is more and more present and is getting closer to that of the Figaro. For these two reasons, the work done in Figaro 3 is largely transposed to IRC. What is your relationship with the skippers? Sometimes we exchange via SMS late at night… We obviously have a relationship of trust, listening, and exchange. It’s important to understand their needs. They are the ones who, through their feedback, make the sails evolve. Our job is to transcribe their feedback on our North Design Suite software. How do you arrive at the ideal inventory for a skipper? We exchange a lot beforehand through different modes of communication and gather all the information concerning the type of materials, the shape of the sails, the gauge, the tests, the service on the regattas, the training sessions for test sails, the estimate, the delivery, etc. As far as the choice of sails is concerned, the skippers base their choice on several parameters such as the feeling with the sail (feeling and performance), the risk-taking (who among the other competitors uses this same sail? Am I the only one or do several racers have the same one?). Finally, there are the effects trends in this race. Each racer is free to ask us to customize his inventory around a standard model per sail. Can you name the sails and their function in the Figaro class? Mainsail | J3 front breeze sail | J2 light and medium close-hauled sail | Helix GK multi-purpose reaching sail | A5 spinnaker for strong wind | A2 spinnaker max for VMG down | TMT safety sails How do you assist the sailors to make the most of their sails specially designed for this race? We spend time explaining how the sail is designed, its shape, and potential. And we follow up on the training sessions, we ask them for their technical feedback on each sail according to the sensations, speed, ease, versatility, trimming, the stability of the sails under pilot, etc. Then, we proceed with the development of the sail to improve all the points mentioned above. What evolutions can still be made on the Figaro class sails? The shapes and structures will always evolve, to a lesser extent, sometimes with some backtracking, but the evolution will be continuous. We will still be able to save weight, improve the shapes… We already have a lot of ideas for this winter. We also need to have the right timing in our evolutions and our tests on the sails in order to anticipate and be reactive. READ MORE

DOUBLEHANDED TIPS FROM ARMEL LE CLÉAC’H & CLARISSE CRÉMER Masterclass Takeaways from the Live Webinar with Ken Read Armel Le Cléac’h & Clarisse Crémer during the Transat Jacques Vabre 2019 📸 Alea North Sails were lucky to have the two doublehanded experts Armel Le Cléac’h & Clarisse Crémer host a webinar for an in-depth masterclass. Best known as a singlehanded sailor with notable race wins in the Solitaire du Figaro, Transat AG2R and the singlehanded Transat, Le Cléac’h’s accolades also include a record-breaking finish in the 2016-17 Vendée Globe. Crémer is an up and coming sailor, making a name for herself during the Transat 6.50 in 2017, where she finished second in her class. Did your partnership come naturally? Le Cléac’h and Crémer began their partnership in 2019 when Crémer was scouted to join the Banque Populaire team, racing the IMOCA platform with Le Cléac’h. The team’s training gave Crémer the confidence and experience to pursue a singlehanded campaign for the 2020 Vendée Globe later this year. Although sailing with the best-brought pressure, Crémer explains that “Armel is confident, calm and explains everything well on these kinds of boats.’’ Together, the French duo finished sixth overall and took the top spot in both the non-foiling and mixed crew classes in last years’ Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV). How did you go about choosing the right teammate? Define your roles at the start. Even though the responsibilities may change over time, it is important to have defined roles onboard, with the most important being safety. Both team members must know where everything is onboard and what to do if there is a problem. During the TJV, Le Cléac’h was responsible for weather, strategy, and route planning, but as Crémer gained experience on the boat, her role evolved as her confidence developed, to the point where she was able to make decisions and changes whilst sailing. Know how to do every job onboard. Try changing roles in training so you understand and realize what your teammate is doing. Choosing the right teammate. Time on the water training helps you get to know people better, so sailing and training together lots before doing a high-pressured race. There are three important factors in finding the right teammate: having the right personality to be able to work together, physical ability to handle the job, and mental state to know what to do and figure out how to solve problems. Understand your boat. To get into offshore racing, you can’t just be a sailor anymore. You’ve got to be a sailmaker, boat builder, electrician, rigger, as well as being a trimmer, navigator, and helmsman! 📸 Easy Ride Videos Why Shorthanded Sailing? Shorthanded sailing is an important part of France’s culture, sparked in 1964 by the French legend and offshore sailor, Eric Tabarly. Tabarly made a mark in history when he won the singlehanded Transat, arriving into Newport, Rhode Island, two days earlier than the next sailor. He went on to win future offshore races and became an inspiration for France. France now provides some great racing platforms for singlehanded sailing, which is how Le Cléac’h got involved. When asked if single and doublehanded sailing are similar, he advised: “Doublehanded sailing is like sailing solo, for two. To perform well in doublehanded sailing, you almost need to be two-single handed sailors.’’ Crémer got hooked on the thought of adventure, completing the singlehanded Mini Transat Race as her first offshore race. “Shorthanded sailing is a good opportunity to do more strategic roles and learn as much as possible, especially when sailing alone,’’ she says. “It gives you the chance to do everything and make all the decisions – the best way to learn!’’ “Doublehanded sailing is like sailing solo, for two. To perform well in doublehanded sailing, you almost need to be two-single handed sailors.’’ Clarisse Crémer: A Women on the Rise in the Sailing World As well as being important for women sailors in general, role models are vital for new, young female sailors coming up through the sport. Crémer started sailing as a hobby when she was young on holidays and began racing at the age of 16, discovering the world of offshore racing in 2010 through University. Saying yes to every opportunity led to her decision in 2015 to take part in the Mini Transat, marking the time when she became fully committed to the sport. “I always loved sports, competition, and the sea in general. I was especially driven for the adventure of the Mini Transat. This race gave me my love for offshore sailing.’’ “Shorthanded sailing is a good opportunity to do more strategic roles and learn as much as possible, especially when sailing alone.’’ Up next for Crémer is another exciting opportunity to be part of the Banque Populaire team for the 2020 Vendée Globe, leaving from Les Sables d’Olonne on the 8th November 2020 for a non-stop race around the world. Her advice? “Progressing and reaching the stage where you feel useful (and not just a weight moving from one side to the other), can be hard on a crewed boat.” This is why singlehanded sailing appealed to Crémer, as it provided more opportunity for tactical decisions and driving. “Have confidence if you want people to trust and choose you for different positions on the boat. Otherwise, only results and other experiences will allow you to be legitimate. The more I practice, the more my confidence grows which is the only answer to my doubts. One thing I did learn is that you can be confident without being loud!’’ Missed the live webinar with Ken Read? Catch up now. 📸 Easy Ride Videos 📸 Jean-Marie Liot/Alea READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: WELCOME BACK REGATTA Locals Take To The Water Lunenburg Yacht Club held the first sanctioned regatta in Nova Scotia since the start of the pandemic. They named it the Welcome Back Regatta and was organized in less than three weeks! Lunenburg offers some of the best summer sailing in North America. It is not only held in the clean open waters on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, it normally offers 25 degree weather with a 15-25 SW sea breeze. Lets just say last weekend did not disappoint. There were 35+ boats and 5 fleets on one course. Two PHRF fleets, a sonar, an IOD and a J105 fleet. With the local PRO expert Colin Mann running the event everyone knew that it was going to be a great weekend. Day 1 was a classic Lunenburg sea breeze. It took a little while to get going but once it settled it was great racing. The IOD fleet got 1 race off as the wind got above their class limit and had to head in. The rest of the fleets got 3 races in with the last one being a race back to Yacht Club. Breeze was a steady 20-22 knots with a decent swell coming in from the ocean. Drew Mitchell from North Sails was on the water taking video and pictures of the racing. Once everyone got back to the yacht club there was a BBQ, sponsor tents, daily prizes and a North Sails booth inside the club with the videos and pictures playing on a TV. Day two was postponed until 1 o'clock to let the breeze come in. Racing started at 1 pm sharp and 3 great races got off in 8-14 knots. Again everyone came into the club after racing and enjoyed a BBQ while chatting about the racing. Many sailors hung around the docks and yacht club until late and enjoyed the standard sailor chit chat and beverages. Day 3 had a bit of a surprise with the Bluenose II sailing across the race course before the racing started. Once the racing started the breeze was very similar to day one in terms of direction and strength. Started around 8-10 knots and quickly built to proper sea breeze. Colin got the IOD's off first so they could make up for some races lost on day one. IOD's got three races in and the rest of the fleets got 2. Having spent the better part of a lifetime in the business it was wonderful to be reminded how much fun it is to race boats. Welcome back! After racing everyone headed back to the club except for a few Chester YC boats that just continued downwind to Chester. Dinner and Awards were a hit with local sailing hero Andreas Josenhans presenting the awards. I know everyone enjoyed the regatta and I would like to pass along a big thanks to the organizers especially Jennifer Hall and the Mann family as well as a thank you to all the sponsors. A final straw in the regatta cap was when I was walking down the dock to head home I heard a group of sailors saying " hopefully we can have another event like this next year." Regatta Chair Jennifer Hall shares, "As one of the only keelboat regattas in North America this summer, it’s not surprising that sailors from across Atlantic Canada were keen to come to Lunenburg for the LYC Welcome Back Regatta this past weekend. The success of the event is thanks to all the Club volunteers who made it happen and the support from our event partner and suppliers, including North Sails." Please check out the results and contact Drew Mitchell, based at North Sails Vancouver, if you would like to see any pictures or videos taken on day one of the event. Photos below courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios. Photo courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios Photo courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios Photo courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios Photo courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios Photo courtesy of Sky Sailing Studios READ MORE

FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR THE ULTIMATE CRUISER Sails, Support, and Service Go the Distance 📸 Mark Albertazzi Point Loma native, Morgan Dene Oliver (Dene) started sailing when he was eight years old on his North-fitted Sabot out of Mission Bay Yacht Club. “I was thrilled when my dad bought me a Sabot. I’ll never forget it. Since then, I’ve owned six different sailboats from 35-62 feet, and all of them have had a North Sails wardrobe.” Dene was in the market for a different type of boat this time around. He wasn’t going to be racing, purely focusing on enjoying his time on the water. “This time I wanted something different,” said Dene. “But not a racer. Something for ultimate day sailing in San Diego. I found this extraordinary boat built at the Morris yard in Northeast Harbor in Maine. It’s the largest boat but also the most sophisticated model Morris has ever built. Commissioned four years ago, the engineering team collaborated with Sparkman Stephens and Ted Fontaine to did a fantastic job. She’s like the prettiest girl at the prom. No matter where I go, everyone wants to see her. Everything is a push-button; Up and down, in and out.” My idea of the perfect sail consists of sailing straight out into the Pacific from San Diego, CA. I could go for 24 hours or so, then turn around and come back. Throw in an 80-mile downwind or broad reach with a nice swell behind me; that’s what I’m all about now.” Dene Oliver, excited for another great day on Solutions II in San Diego! The big delivery Dene acquired his Morris 52 Solutions II in January. She got a new paint job in Camden, ME, where she was safely stored for the winter season at Lyman Morse. Solutions II was then trucked across the country from Camden, ME to San Diego, CA, in February. “Imagine a 52-foot sailboat with an 82-foot mast (that’s 20 feet sticking out behind the trailer!). Boy was that a sight to see!” said Dene. “She arrived here in San Diego, and because of the state shut down for COVID, I had to wait a month and a half to get her in the water. She was launched in the beginning of May, as the team at North Sails in San Diego went above and beyond to get her ready to sail, and I’ve spent as much time as possible with her since. Solutions II is a work of art on the water.” Expertise, sail service, support, and friendships “My experience working with North Sails has been a great one,” says Dene. “To me, it’s about the people you meet and the relationships you develop. With North, I’ve always been taken care of, treated fairly, respected; there’s trust in our relationship. Feeling important and knowing I am in good hands is what I like best about the whole deal. The team here in San Diego is a team I can rely on–hands down.” Dene explains, “My service expert Eric Heim, with the help of sail expert Brian Janney, Marnie Jenkins, and John Gladstone quickly supported my new program once Solutions II made it to the West Coast. I can’t thank them enough for their help.” Longtime friend, sail expert, and now boat broker John Gladstone enjoying the sail testing with Dene and the North crew. John Gladstone is now Dene’s boat broker (Fraser Yachts) and has played an intricate role in helping Dene not only find the best boat, but help the San Diego team coordinate to find sail solutions to suit Dene’s needs. John explained, “Although I am working with Dene from the other side of the industry these days, I still find myself supporting him with the whole package. Time has gone by, but we’ve worked together for so many years. It’s just as fun and rewarding as it was back then. My first interaction with him was in the 80s as his primary North sailmaker on several of his earlier yachts. Dene has always done things well, first-class– and all with a contagious passion. We are having a blast with his latest addition, Solutions II, the most exquisite Morris 52 you’ve ever seen. Solutions II is not your average day sailor!” The value of seasonal service “When you buy something,” says Dene, “you aren’t investing in the asset alone, you are investing in the care of the asset, and you have a program plan to keep things running smoothly. Like all features of the boat, the hull, through-hull fittings, your sails–these things need attention. Tweaking here and there is part of normal maintenance, but most important, having your sails inspected regularly ensures you have a good day on the water, every time.” 📸 Mark Albertazzi That #firstsailfeeling Once the boat left the dock, the mainsail and jib were deployed. John said, “I anticipated that when we got the sails up, he may be in the market for replacing them, knowing they were a bit old. Unbelievably, his 3DL sails still look amazing! That goes to show not only how well the previous owner and now Dene takes care of things, but how involved Dene was in finding the perfect boat that had top-notch gear. He was looking to add more excitement to his off-wind sailing, which is where the idea for an optimized downwind sail came into play.” Solutions II is now equipped with a new G1 top-down furling gennaker. With the top-down function, Dene can set it all up before he even leaves the dock. He can hoist it and have it ready to deploy at the touch of a button. Powered winches allow for easy furling and unfurling, all leading back to the cockpit. The advantage of his new sail addition is that it’s a ready-made system. When he’s done using it, he furls it and then drops it into a zipper bag on deck to safely store for next time. It fits perfectly in the custom length bag without being folded or compressed into the forward storage locker.. “I don’t mind a little challenge here and there, but I need to have options that work best for my type of sailing,” said Dene. “Many reasons led me to add a more performance-based sail option to my inventory, like this hot new downwind sail. It’s added significant speed off-wind, and it’s unbelievably easy to use.” Why top-down? John commented, “We knew he needed something big enough, but also something he was comfortable using shorthanded, which is most of his sailing these days.” “By adding the new G1 to Dene’s inventory options, Solution II’s performance downwind has increased tenfold!” said John. “Working with Dene is always a great experience. Just being able to get out on the water, let alone on such a beautiful yacht with an appreciative owner, is such a treat.” Client support is key to any sailing program. “Dene likes to know that his best interest is at the top of the list. Having trust in his longtime sailmaker enables him to make the best decisions so he can enjoy his sailing which is the most important thing. Dene has exquisite taste and appreciates perfection, and everyone who’s worked with him appreciates that about him too,” said John. 📸 Mark Albertazzi   READ MORE