NORTH SAILS BLOG

Zero-Mylar construction, spread filaments vs. fibers, thermoset what? The North Sails answers to questions commonly asked about 3Di sail technology. Learn why 3Di is unlike any other. READ MORE

You've likely heard North 3Di sails are the best, the fastest, the most durable, and the must-have sail technology. But what makes 3Di sails so unique? Join us as we uncover the reasons. READ MORE

Rightfully known as “the champions among us,” the North Sails One Design roster is a remarkable collection of world-class sailmakers. It was Gillard’s single-minded pursuit of excellence that caught the attention of Paul Hobson, the head of the One Design squad at North Sails. READ MORE

The North Sails family and sailing world mourn the loss of Gautier Sergent.  Gautier personified North Sails—an absolute expert who drew from his experience to relentlessly advance our competitive edge.  READ MORE

Nigel Musto, North Sails Performance Clothing Director, gives us his top tips on maximizing the life of Foul Weather gear. READ MORE

North Kiteboarding is teaming up with a leading paragliding designer to join the race for Olympic gold in the Formula Kite Class. In partnership with Hannes Papesh, North will submit its first RAM-Air kite design for registration next month with the International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Quadrennium. “Hannes approached us with this unique opportunity to leverage our combined decades of data-driven experience and venture into the Olympic arena together. We’re confident, and we have the right cards,” says North Brand Director Mike Raper. “Our North Formula kite design is super light, extremely stable, and has a slightly different bridling system, refined to deliver speed and performance to the far edge of fast. We’re proud to celebrate our sailing heritage and join the other North Sails classes dominating the worldwide racing podiums.” Hannes Papesh started flying paragliders in 1986. Coming from sailing, he immediately tried to change the trim of his lent paraglider. “I designed my own computer program, got material and webbing, and made my first wing,” says Hannes. From that first paraglider design in 1988, he used self-programmed software to calculate the sail cut and 3D geometries and later did a lot of simulations (CFD, FSI). Today, this software workflow is used by other brands to develop leading products. “Challenges are our strength, backed up by modern digital solutions,” says Hannes, for whom the Formula Kite special project has been a dream for some time. “This venture with North ensures we can set extraordinary new standards in the Formula Kite world.” Formula Kite, a high-performance hydrofoiling class using regulated series production equipment, has been selected by World Sailing for the kiteboarding event of the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Capable of speeds up to 40 knots, foiling kiteboarders have become the fastest athletes in the history of Olympic sailing. Formula Kite is also a class in Regional Games (like the Panamerican and Asian Games), the World and Continental Beach Games, the World Sailing World Championships, the World Sailing Youth World Championships, and the Youth Olympic Games. Since 2012, only registered production equipment is eligible for any Formula Kite course racing events. Manufacturers must submit equipment license applications for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics before March 15, 2024. Formula Kite racing has a ‘Box rule’ where riders can choose from registered equipment. In the class, each athlete can register four different kite sizes. You’re allowed to take out any of the four, and you can come in to change sizes depending on the wind strength. The kites are more like paragliders than your classic inflated “tube” kites. Known as RAM-Air kites, the air fills the pockets when you take them out - you don’t need to pump them up. Four lines attach the kites to the bar, and the bar connects to you on a harness. North will register the new Formula kite (aptly named the “North Formula”) in sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15,17, 19, and 21m, adding the familiar NS logo to the arena in the fastest Olympic class. North Kiteboarding is part of North Sails Group, a pioneering force in sailmaking. North Sails boasts an impressive legacy marked by groundbreaking innovations that have revolutionized sailing. Recognized as the preferred sailmaker for prestigious events like the America's Cup and amongst Grand Prix, Ocean Racing, Olympics, and Superyachts, North Sails offers a comprehensive range of sails underpinned by an unwavering commitment to all sailors. Further solidifying its position as the world's leading sailmaker, North Sails proudly holds an unmatched track record of one design National, World, and Olympic Class victories, surpassing all competitors combined. North Sails has been chosen as the official supplier of sails for the 49er and 49erFX classes. North 3Di will be making its Olympic debut in Paris 2024 as the official one design sails to these classes. READ MORE

North Sails strengthens its global sales and service team with Tony Rey, one of the most highly respected sails experts. Few sailors have such a diverse career and broad enthusiasm for racing and cruising. READ MORE

North Sails proudly announces the opening of a new loft in Victoria, British Columbia. Spearheaded by local experts Stuart and Joy Dahlgren, and supported by their expert team of sailmakers, they seamlessly integrate into North Sails Canadian operations. READ MORE

To sail like a girl is about finding your voice amidst the roar of the ocean and standing tall in the face of adversity. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a novice adventurer, it's about pushing boundaries and knowing the horizon is not a limit but a new beginning. READ MORE

Powered by North Sails, Gitana Team Skipper, Charles Caudrelier, crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest, France, on February 27th, to win the ARKEA Ultim Challenge. The ARKEA Ultim Challenge is the first-ever solo multihull race around the world and was sailed in 32m Ultim Trimarans – true Giants of the Sea. READ MORE

Available for cruising boats up to 45 ft, NPL RENEW is the start of a new and important shift for sailmaking towards a more sustainable sail that does not sacrifice performance or longevity. Learn more about NPL RENEW with our FAQs from NPL RENEW Product Director Tom Davis. READ MORE

North Sails RENEW, a North Panel Laminate (NPL) sailcloth for cruising boats up to 45 ft. is constructed from more than 90% sustainable sources, with no sacrifice in performance or longevity. READ MORE

North Sails President and world-renowned race winner Ken Read lends his expertise to our Flying Sails Guide, a new breed of offwind sails that can add as much as 40 percent more sail area. READ MORE

The Engine Above Deck The North Sails team has focussed hard on the Cape 31 Class since its inception and as a result it is no surprise that North Sails have been so dominant. North Sails IRC designs were the foundation of the Cape 31 One design rules. Starting as the sole sail maker in South Africa with tri-radial paneled,  North Sails have worked to perfect their 3Di sails since the Cape 31 arrived in the UK in 2019.  After countless hours sailing, testing and competing in the Cape 31, North Sails shares our tuning notes in an effort to get sailors and teams up to race winning speed quickly for the most competitive racing. As we learn more about the Cape 31 and further its development, new information regarding setup, tuning and trimming techniques will be updated online at northsails.com. As always, contact your North Sails Expert for all the most up to date information and for help tuning your boat. Tuning Guide Dock tune Mast heel position: 135-145 mm from the aft edge of the mast to the center of the front keel bolt. Set the mast heel position to achieve the desired pre bend (see below). Moving the heel aft increases pre bend, moving the heel forward reduces pre bend. Setting the mast rake: 1,710mm. To do this, put a mark on the forestay, and measure the distance from this mark down to the middle of the forestay pin at the deck intersection.  Swing the fixed end of the jib halyard back to the mast and mark the halyard in line with the top of the gooseneck measurement band. Next swing the jib halyard forward to the forestay and mark the forestay in line with the jib halyard mark.  Measure the distance from the top of this new forestay mark to the middle of the forestay pin. On most boats this is the load sensor pin, the pin that the tack of the jib attaches to. The next step for tuning the rig is to make sure the mast is square in the boat.  Set the shroud tension close to base tension and loosen the D1’s (& D2’s).  Swing the jib halyard from one shroud base to the other and make sure the hounds are in the middle.  Tighten the D1’s (& D2’s) back up to the tuning guide and make the mast look straight side to side. Base deck chocks: It is best to have light pressure on the front chocks. A good base deck chock setting is normally 4 to 8 mm of positive chock (fill the gap in front of the mast, plus 4-8mm). It is worth checking that when on +1 chocks compared to base that there is still a small amount of pre bend. Moving deck chocks has a large impact on the D1 tension. Measure pre bend by pulling the most forward main halyard down to touch the back corner of the lowest bit of the mast track just above the gooseneck (see image). Pull the halyard tight on a calm wind day and then measure the gap between the back of the mast track and the nearest piece of rope. Pre bend is measured at the height of the lowest spreaders. Measure on base with base chocks in and with the runners loose and the boom down. The ideal pre bend is between 40mm and 50mm. Tuning Matrix This tuning matrix is developed for the unique 3Di North Sails technology. 3Di is a fundamentally unique construction process leading to lighter and stronger sails. TWS (kts) V1 “Shrouds” (PT-3) D1 “Lowers” (PT-2) D2 “Uppers” (PT-2) Forestay  Deck Chocks 4-7 Base -2 Base -3 Base -2 Base -8 Base +1 8-9 Base-1 Base-2 Base -1 Base -4 Base 10-11 Base Base-1 Base Base -2 Base 11-12 (Base) Base (20) Base (35) Base (25-27) Base Base 12-14 Base  Base +1 Base Base +2 Base 14-16 Base +1 Base +1 Base Base +4 Base 16-18 18+ Base +2 Base +3 Base +1 Base +2 (37) Base Base Base +6 Base +8 Base  Base -1 Each turn listed on the tuning matrix above is a 360 degree turn.The numbers in brackets on the tuning matrix are rig tensions.  Battens A couple of stiffnesses of carbon full length battens in the head of the mainsail (and jib) help to perfect the sail set up across the wind range. North Sails have standard recommended batten upgrade options, please get in contact with a North Sails expert to discuss this further.  Jib Trim Crossovers Helix technology in the jibs defies conventional sail design limitations enabling one sail to perform optimally across a wider range of conditions than ever before. Engineered for active camber control, Helix upwind sails enable sailors to radically adjust and control sail shape and power as well as minimizing luff sag by adjusting the jib halyard fine tune. J1 (J1-3): 5 -11 knots *new design J2 (J2-1) 10 –17 knots *new design J3 (J3-3) 15-21 knots *new design J4 Heavy Weather OSR (J4-3): 20+ knots *new design Storm Jib: for use to satisfy a class rules requirement instead of taking the J4 sailing. JIB CARS. It is best in light and medium winds to be max inboard on the car. If out of range, or at the very top of the range, on a jib going one step outboard on the jib car works well. There is jib car height adjustment line next to the main hatch. Car height is the main car tuning tool for setting the depth and twist in the jib.   SPREADER MARKS: It is really useful to have spreader marks on the underside of each spreader. Place these in the center of the spreader and 150mm inboard and outboard of the central mark. Mainsail Trim MNi-5: All purpose mainsail *new design TRAVELER. Maximum height and power are generated by having the traveler all the way up in light winds. In strong winds it is best to not go far below the centerline with the traveler car, use the fine tune to twist open the main. Once overpowered it is fastest to only have the traveler just above the centerline. Easing the traveler is one of the first moves to depower. RUNNERS. Off in sub 6 kts, then progressively tighter until max combined headstay / tack load of 1.8 tonnes. 1.8 tonnes is the max load according to the builders. OUTHAUL: Just loose so the sail is not touching the boom below base, and then tighten it when the wind builds. CUNNINGHAM: Off downwind and in light winds. Progressively pull it tighter as the wind builds, especially when sailing at/over +4 on the headstay. This helps to bend the mast and flatten the mainsail whilst holding the draft forward.  Downwind  Spinnaker Crossovers A1.5:(A1.5-2) 5-9 knots *new design A2 Minus (A2 Minus-1): 8-12 knots *new design A2 (A2-1): 11-18 knots A4 (A4-3): 18+ knots A3 (A3-3) Reaching Techniques In light airs the kite flies best and the gybes are best with the jib lowered. In over 8 knots of true wind speed sail VMG angles based on heel and apparent wind / true wind angles. It is fastest to leave the jib up. RUNNERS. Loosen the runners downwind to generate depth and power. Keep the windward runner snug. When the wind increases, tighten the runners just enough to keep the headstay straight / tight. Further Information Please get in contact with a North Sails expert to further discuss techniques and settings. Ben Saxton - North Sails Class Lead ben.saxton@northsails.com +44 7962 238 742 Crossover Chart READ MORE

Optimizing your IRC rating for your specific boat is no simple task. If you find yourself unsure about the ideal sail inventory, we strongly recommend reaching out to our experienced team of experts today.  READ MORE

A total of 29 teams, representing 9 different nations, engaged in fierce competition across six events this year. While Cape 31s have attracted some of the world's best sailors, the class rules, which limit the crew to three professionals, also create an environment where owner-drivers race with friends and family. READ MORE

North Sails is proud to be a new major partner to The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. This partnership sees North Sails become RNZYS’ Official Sailmaker for the next three years and the supplier to the club’s new Emirates Team New Zealand Elliott 7 fleet, due to launch in early 2024. READ MORE

The 2023 J/70 Worlds in St Petersburg in Florida saw a remarkable clean sweep for North Sails customers, taking all three major titles and seven of the top ten overall positions.  READ MORE

Sustainability can mean a lot of different things. For North Sails, sustainability stands for our unwavering commitment to developing products across every part of our business that are sustainable to the limits of available technologies.  READ MORE

North Sails Apparel is unique. As a company with roots in sailmaking, it embraces the spirit of the ocean - from the demands of the Southern Ocean to the joys of waterside living.  READ MORE

The America's Cup kicked off  with its first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú, Spain. Sailed in the new AC40 one design class, this event was a milestone in the long road to the 37th edition of the famed race which will be sailed in Barcelona from August to October 2024. READ MORE

This article was originally written as a Seahorse Tech Brief sponsored by North Sails. At first no-one believed the AC75 concept could ever possibly work. Barely three years later and the smaller AC40 offspring of those as-it-turned-out spectacularly successful AC75s are available to all (well sort of...).  READ MORE

North Sails powers victory at the 2023 Six Metre World Championship. Jamie Hilton's Scoundrel and His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain's team Bribon win new world titles in their respective classes READ MORE

North Sails is delighted to announce the appointment of 727 Sailbags as its European sail upcycling partner. Like North Sails, 727 Sailbags is deeply passionate about sailing and is dedicated to discovering new initiatives that minimize the environmental impact on the sailing community. READ MORE

Modern sailcloth begins life as industrial fiber and film. Some of these products are well known to sailors by a specific supplier’s brand name. A better understanding of the characteristics of these fibers can be helpful in choosing the right sails for your boat. READ MORE

Remember when your spinnaker was new—how crisp and clean the material felt and the way it crinkled going into the bag? The whites were white and the colors were bright, and it even smelled like the brand new nylon that it was. READ MORE

Two Worlds wins, one incredible weekend. North Sails powers 2023 ORC and RC44 World Champs. We believe that champions are forged on the water, and the recent events have once again proven our legacy of master win-makers. READ MORE

Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *All pickups will be 4:30-5:30pm and drop offs will be 7:30-8:00am. NYYC ANNUAL REGATTAJune 9-10   |   Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEKJune 17-22   |   Block Island Maritime Center SAIL NEWPORT REGATTAJuly 8   |   Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers ORC ECC / IC37 NATIONALSJuly 14-15   |   The Alofsin Piers 12M WORLDSAugust 1-4   |   IYRS Pier SAFE HARBOR RACE WEEKENDAugust 11-13   |   Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard Pickup NYYC INVITATIONALSeptember 9-16   |  New York Yacht Club Harbor Court IC37 NORTH AMERICANSOctober 6-7   |  Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers   Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

The renowned Rolex Fastnet Race drew a record-breaking number of entries. The standout performers were the North Sails-powered skippers Francois Gabart and Charlie Dalin, who set new Fastnet Race course records in their respective categories. READ MORE

North Sails offers three material options to help you find the right sails for your needs. Every North cruising sails is custom-designed for your boat and sailing style. By matching the right materials to your sailing goals, you'll be even happier with your new North sails. That could mean easier furling and flacking, smoother tacking and jibing, headache-free sail handling and storage or optimum performance and longevity. Cruising sailcloth comes in three styles: woven Polyester dacron, cruising laminates, and 3D composite material. Each provides a different balance of durability and performance. Dacron fabrics are the toughest and most structurally stable. Cruising laminates offer lighter weight and increased shape holding. 3D composites are a new generation of cruising materials with exceptional shape holding and structural integrity beyond many laminates. READ MORE

A new format, two trophies, and another North Sails-powered circumnavigation completed After six months, nine stopover cities, and 32,000 nautical miles, The Ocean Race 2022-23 sailed its final miles and crowned two winners at the finale in Genoa, Italy. Skipper Charlie Enright (USA) and his 11th Hour Racing Team hoisted The Ocean Race Trophy, while Pablo Arrarte (ESP) and the WindWhisper Racing Team claimed the VO65 Sprint Cup. The 50th edition of the race ushered in a new era of competition with two classes, the one design VO65 and the exciting IMOCA development class, as well as featuring the longest leg in the history of the race. We also saw the fall of the 24-hour monohull speed record, which stood for eight years only to be broken back to back during Leg 5. 📸  Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race True to form, The Ocean Race 2022-23 pushed boundaries, expectations, and at times, the patience of the teams and fans worldwide.  No one is better suited than Enright to speak firsthand on the long road to the start line and the ups and downs of this lap around the planet.  11th Hour Racing Team was leading the race overall when they experienced a devastating collision at the start of the final leg. The incident forced the team to retire from Leg 7, but the sailing and shore teams turned their heartbreak into heroic efforts to get the boat sailing again while also filing for redress. Following the redress hearing on June 29th, the International Jury awarded the team 4 points, putting them on the top of the leaderboard and securing Enright's place in history as the first American skipper to win The Ocean Race. The 11th Hour Racing skipper comments on his team's win: "I'm absolutely ecstatic. This race takes everything out of you - emotionally, mentally, and physically. I'm incredibly proud of our whole team who have worked tirelessly for three years to get to this point. There have been highs, some incredible highs, but also lows that have knocked us all, but they were all worth it to hear this news today." "When we launched our campaign in 2019, we never could have anticipated that it would finish in this way. Any sailor will tell you that they want to win races on the water and not in the jury room, and after winning three legs back to back we felt exceptionally strong and confident going into the final leg. We are pleased with the jury's decision, although we wish we had had the chance to battle it out for this final leg on the water as Holcim-PRB have been exceptional competitors and pushed us all the way" 📸  Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race The Ocean Race 2022-23 welcomed the IMOCA class to the race route for the first time. And for the IMOCA class, the race was the first time these high-performance foiling machines were sailed fully crewed.  It was a bold move from a race that had sailed in the one design VO65 for the previous three editions. But the 60ft development class reinvigorated The Ocean Race with innovation and gave the fans awe-inspiring drone footage from the world's most remote locations. Antoine Mermod, president of the IMOCA Class comments: “The Ocean Race was great. All of us within the class enjoyed it very much. The sailors loved racing and pushed these boats to their limits for six months. Technically and athletically, we learned a lot, as the boats were used more intensively and for longer than in the past. The understanding we collected from this edition will carry that forward for the next race. The IMCOA class shares a strong partnership with The Ocean Race, which we're really proud of. We've still got lots of questions on the table for the future, but we've also got really valuable first answers.” 📸  Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing Team / Ocean Race At North Sails, we have always been at the forefront of sailmaking innovation, and our contributions to The Ocean Race 2022-23 are no exception. Our sail technologies, including the revolutionary North 3Di and Helix Sails, have redefined the boundaries of performance and endurance in the most challenging conditions. North Sails President and three-time Volvo Ocean Race race veteran comments:  "The Ocean Race is one of the hardest competitions in our sport for teams and their equipment. Everyone sets out to win, and in doing so, they put the best sailors, designers, and engineers on their project to help them achieve that goal. With the Ocean Race, our challenge is engineering sails that balance high performance and reliability to endure thousands of miles in brutal conditions. This edition we've witnessed the fully-crewed IMOCA pushed harder than ever. Races like this force creative thinking and fast-tracks innovation at North Sails." The North Sails team and our products will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping innovations for The Ocean Race, the IMOCA class, and the wider offshore racing community. Our brand was first named the exclusive supplier to the then-new VO65 one design class in 2013. Two editions later, North Sails has once again proven itself worthy of delivering consistency across the one design fleet, and North Sails is the sailmaker of choice for four or the five IMOCAs. Our sails and, more recently, the North Sails Performance foul weather gear enable the teams to push their boats and themselves harder than ever.  THE OCEAN RACE 2022-2023 LIVE DEBRIEF Join Ken Read, 11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright and WindWhisper Racing Team skipper Pablo Arrarte for a live debrief of The Ocean Race 2022-23 on July 11, 2023. This webinar with the winners is free and open to everyone If you’re interested but unable to attend this live webinar, register anyway, and we’ll send you a link to the recording once it’s ready. Click here to register ➤    READ MORE

Bouwe Bekking has eight round-the-globe races under his belt, a veteran considered one of the world’s most experienced sailors. He steps onboard Mirpuri/Trifork Racing Team for Leg 6 of The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint. Taking the call from Aarhus in Denmark, Bekking was waiting for the VO65 to arrive from Portugal to start training.  “After Leg 1, our boat went back to Cascais. It’s been out of the water over there. They changed some elements, and our younger sailors are delivering it back here now.”  The Ocean Race 2022-23 features two different fleets: the 60-foot IMOCA Class which is racing around the world for The Ocean Race Trophy, and the 65-foot VO65 Class which is racing for The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup over three legs. Bekking already raced Leg 1 from Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde with Team JAJO. He’s now joining the Mirpuri/Trifork Racing Team for Leg 6 from Aarhus to The Hague in his native Netherlands. “The leg from Aarhus to The Hague is very short and will be intense; the last one from The Hague to Genoa can actually be a long leg,” he says.“ The last leg in the Mediterranean Sea can normally be super light so it could take a few more days than expected.  “In that sense, you still approach it like an ocean leg – you still have to pack your food, plan your sails… yes, in that sense, it still feels like the old Ocean Race days.”  It’s fair to say this VO65 Sprint Cup differs from Bekking’s eight previous participations in the race, his first going back to the 1985-86 Whitbread onboard Philips Innovator. But the excitement is there nonetheless.  “I’ve done eight round-the-world races. This edition is different from the others, but I love this race, and I believe it’s good for the VO65s to be here. There are more boats in the harbor, and the spectators can see us sailing on deck, which is a bit different from the IMOCAs. It’s a different type of sailing that brings a lot of joy to me – and I think to the public as well.” 📸 Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race With the leg start set on June 8 from Aarhus, Bekking and his crewmates, who’re skippered by Roberto 'Chuny' Bermúdez de Castro, “have a busy week ahead.”  “We had a little bit of a setback because we were supposed to start sailing at the end of May, but we had to change the gearbox and the boat was delayed a couple of days. Now we need to change our delivery sails for our race sails, race the inshore race, and a couple of other happenings, so we have a bit on.  “But the way our team is set up, we have a very experienced core crew, and a couple of young people onboard who actually did the delivery. We have a nice mix of people – we can teach the youngsters and they can learn a few tricks very quickly. I think it’s really fantastic that we’re over here and that we can get racing.” Despite its shorter format, there is no doubt the VO65 Sprint Cup is a good stepping stone for younger sailors. “It’s very good for their sailing CVs to get the opportunity to do a couple of Ocean Race legs and sail the VO65. It’s just a completely different sailing boat, different from the IMOCA.”  In fact, it’s partly because the VO65s are tested one-design boats, all equipped with North 3Di sails, that it’s possible for teams to come in and take part in this hit & run racing format.  “It’ll be really interesting to see on the water,” comments Bekking. “All the teams have actually made crew changes… WindWhisper Racing Team is the favorite, but it’ll also be interesting to see what Team JAJO, who I sailed the first leg with, has learned. And this time, they sail into their hometown, so they’ll have that little bit of extra energy.  “And then, Viva México is the dark horse of the fleet – same for Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova. The Austrians finally have a new North Sails mainsail – after the boat sailed twice around the world. That sail must have had 100,000 miles under its belt! It was time.” That durability of 3Di is one of the factors that makes it possible for the crews to come in and virtually hit the ground running in a scattered VO65 Sprint Cup. 📸 Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race “The North Sails people are of course helping us all here, including the IMOCAs when needed. So, the support is there but in reality, not a lot of maintenance is needed. The thing is, the VO65 sails don’t need a lot of service. As I said, a VO65 mainsail can do 100,000 miles. And in that amount of breeze too! That’s remarkable.”  It might not taste exactly like the old editions of the race for Bekking, and it might be a bit of an unusual format – but in the end, the essentials are here. A fleet of ocean racing boats, a mix of sailors from different backgrounds, generations, and genders, and, most of all, a tactical battle to play on the water.  “The one-design racing will be very interesting to see,” he adds. “People still have to make decisions on the water – you go around corners and have to make the right choices. That’s still a very important part of the race.  “For yourself, for your team, for your sponsors, for the public, you obviously want to win. You hope to do your best.”  READ MORE

Herb McCormick interviews North Sails President Ken Read as the Ocean Race heads into their final sprint of the 2023-23 edition. It all comes down to a pair of final, demanding races. After five grueling stages and some 30,000 nautical miles of racing through some of the world’s most tempestuous oceans, the final two European stages of The Ocean Race will present the sailors with a pair of courses that offer a fresh set of challenges and obstacles. The penultimate stage, Leg 6, which began on June 8th, is a relative sprint: an 800 nautical-mile test from Aarhus, Denmark, to a “fly-by” turning mark in Kiel, Germany, and then a dash out to the North Sea to a finish line off The Hague in the Netherlands.  And then, the Grand Finale. With a June 15th start, Leg 7 is an especially tricky racecourse, a 2,200 nautical-mile voyage that begins off The Hague; slides through the English Channel and into France’s notorious Bay of Biscay; rounds Cape Finisterre and blasts down the wild coast of Portugal; slips through the historic Straits of Gibraltar; and concludes in Genova, Italy, after one final passage up the always unpredictable Mediterranean Sea.  North Sails President Ken Read, from his current vantage point in Europe at the Georgio Armani Superyacht Regatta in Sardinia’s Porto Cervo, has a unique and informed perspective on this interesting home stretch. Having competed in a trio of round-the-world contests, the last two as skipper of the PUMA Ocean Racing crew in 2008-09 and 2011-12, Read knows exactly what it’s like to wrap up a long, difficult race around the planet. On the eve of the concluding legs, Herb McCormick spoke to him about what lay ahead for The Ocean Race teams. 📸 Ian Roman HM: After all the high-seas, long-distance adventures, these final two legs seem to be a completely different challenge. How do you approach them? KR: You have to totally shift your mentality. I've always thought the mentality between coastal racing and distance racing is almost like approaching two different sports. It has to be a complete mind reset for all these crews if they want to be successful. HM: After all the open-ocean miles, now you’re surrounded by land, you’ve got inshore currents, it’s all different. How do you switch gears? KR: Good question. It’s basically like around-the-buoys racing versus distance racing. The buoys just happen to be points of land and different stretches of water. When you do your pre-race strategy and homework, you spend at least half your time on how to leave and how to enter these different waters. Because this is where you can make big gains or it can get tight as hell if you’re not careful. So, you’re searching for local knowledge, introducing yourself to local sailors you’ve never met who’ve sailed there for their entire lives. I guarantee all the teams have developed their own little coaching staffs for each of those venues they’ll be entering and exiting. You take in as much information as possible and then see what’s applicable and how it plays out. The whole race becomes one big leave and enter.  HM: Leg 6 is an 800-miler, so maybe three days of racing. You need to be on top of your navigation, aware of the competition. Is there any rest for the weary in there? KR: No, these are much harder races, both physically and mentally, than out in the open ocean. Everybody keeps talking about how wildly uncomfortable this generation of boats is, how violent they are. Because you won’t potentially be in big waves, that may be easier. But the tactics are so taxing. When do we tack? When did they tack? Do we cover? What are our convictions with regard to the next shift? You almost aren’t doing watches anymore because the skipper/navigator designees will get almost no sleep. It’s hard. Really, really hard. 📸 Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia / The Ocean Race HM: Finally, we have Leg 7, some 2,200 nautical miles, they’re predicting a 10-day race. So, you’ve suddenly gone from a little sprint to a trip that’s as long as crossing an ocean, but next to stuff you can bump into almost the entire time. Take me through that from a skipper’s perspective.  KR: Let's just make the assumption that the top three boats are still super, super close. It's almost how bad you want it. That’s how much sleep you get. I remember some of our shorter last legs, there was literally no sleep. And, even if there was a break and you were power reaching, you’re hiking out, because every tenth of a knot is going to make a difference. This isn’t about playing the correct weather system. So even if it’s 2,200 miles, it’s a totally different animal. I love it, but it’s as hard as you want it to be. And I’m guessing these top three boats are going to make it as hard as possible because they aren’t going to stop sailing the boat as if it were a flat-out race. HM: I know you’ve sailed most of these waters so I’d like to know the first thing that comes to your mind when we break down features of the coast. For instance, the shipping lanes of the English Channel? KR: Talk about no sleep (laughs)! There’ll be all kinds of restrictions as to where they can go. We had to go out through the shipping lanes in the channel once, and I remember being so exhausted, we almost ran into a windmill in the middle. Because we were shot, with just the continual tacking or continual jibing. We know how hard it is just to maneuver these boats, period. With the shipping lane restrictions, it’s nonstop. So how deep is your crew? Deep enough to help you make decisions when you do have to finally put your head down from time to time so you don't miss out? There are lots of cases where boats busted their hump to get through shipping lanes and then relaxed and blew it all within a couple of hours for missing the next shift because they were so mentally and physically shot that the key players had to go get some rest. So, yeah, a different, hard game. You just brought up one of the hardest parts of the game. 📸 Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing Team / The Ocean Race HM: From there we head into the Bay of Biscay, which has famously kicked many a French solo sailor’s butt on long-distance races.  KR: Well, they don’t call it ‘the Bay of Certain Death’ for nothing (laughs). Listen, the Bay of Biscay is either going to treat you kindly, or it’s going to kick your ass. It’s one or the other. It's all just dependent on the next low coming across from the Atlantic and how it builds up. So, that's hit or miss. It could be a shellacking or it could be a beautiful sail. I’ve had both.  HM: And then we go outside and down the coast of Portugal where we all have seen the massive seas and the big-wave surfers down along that coast. Had a look at that before? KR: Of course. That, traditionally, is a pretty strong, pretty breezy area, but it can also offer you some of the most beautiful sailing you’ve ever done in your life. There’s a reason why people go train out of Cascais and places like that. Just amazing, high-speed sailing conditions. But say you get there and you’re way ahead on the leg. Do you preserve your assets? Because these boats have proven to be not only exceptionally fast in the right conditions but if you don't treat them with respect, they’re fragile as well. Remember, the IMOCAs were made for single-handed sailing and all of a sudden, these full crews are pushing them harder than they’ve ever been pushed for 24 hours a day. So, if you're a front-runner, what’s the call? You’ve got to have a strategy. Are you ahead? Behind? Do you need to push? Preserve? That’s a big deal.  HM: Which brings us to a rather famous, historical nautical place called the Straits of Gibraltar.  KR: Yep. Again, some really narrow shipping lanes. They'll probably have course restrictions to keep you out of oncoming shipping traffic so probably even narrower. You might drift through or get 45 knots. It could be upwind, it could be downwind. Some of the worst conditions I’ve ever seen in my life were around there, both on the outside and the inside. People who say that the Med is just a cakewalk haven’t seen the Med that I’ve seen a few times. Tactically, it’s really touch and go. A fascinating place to go through. 📸 Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia / The Ocean Race HM: And that sets us up for the famous final scene: across the vast Mediterranean Sea to the finish line. What’s your take on this last leg as these guys regroup and push for the final finish line? KR: You could literally see the makings of a Mistral would come up within hours. You might be drifting, you could be holding on for dear life. At this stage, you have to approach it as all options open. An interesting part of this,that the sailors may never admit to, but they’re also starting to think, holy crap, we’re going to live through this! We've just sailed around the world! The enormity of what they’ve accomplished, including these last couple of legs, will start to take effect. It's a big deal. The hard part is over. It's just a tactical sailboat race now. It's what we learned in an Opti. It’s what we’ve done our whole lives. Just sailboat racing. But it’s different, too. I remember pushing so hard those last few kind-of coastal races, but at the same time thinking, ‘Man, oh man, this is amazing. Let’s just reflect a little bit on what we've just done.’ I hope every sailor doing this race takes time to reflect on that. It’s a hell of an accomplishment: win, lose or draw. They should all be very proud of what they’ve done. HM: Okay, it’s basically a three-boat race now, with Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing holding on to a one-point lead over Team Holcim-PRB with the dangerous Team Malizia lurking in third. What’s going to happen? KR: If I’m in Charlie’s shoes, I’m considering this regatta starting all over again. I have to figure out how to go upwind and downwind in light air, what’s my drifting sail? Maybe they’ve saved a card or two for now and have a specialty sail ready to go. Team Malizia is set up for big breeze, the Southern Ocean, they’re going to need their correct conditions. Holcim and 11th Hour are more all-purpose oriented; they know each other’s strengths by now. Don’t be surprised to see someone take a chance early, because if they know it’s a flat-out drag race, they might not have the horse for this course. It’s going to be fascinating to watch unfold. READ MORE

North Sails-powered TP52 Crush is victorious in the 700 nautical mile Fremantle to Exmouth Race. David Davenport’s North Sails powered TP52 Crush has added a third race record to their long list of achievements in 2023, with the latest line honors win taken in the Fremantle Exmouth Race and Rally along Australia’s iconic western coast. North Sails Expert Andrew Harry commended the team’s efforts in the complicated race, “it was a great race for a lot of our clients. It’s the first time that the boat has done this race, and they add another race record to their names.” “Previously this year, they set a new record for the Bunbury return, which is 180nm, and the Cape Naturaliste and Return race which is 210nm, so three race records this year for the team, and all have been standing for quite some time. They won IRC overall in the race as well, which is part of our Bluewater Pointscore and secured the overall win for them this year in the series, so it’s a great win for the guys.” There was another win for North Sails customers in the long-distance race, with Alan Stein winning both the Overall PHF and Division 1 titles in his Pogo 40 called Fat Bottom Girl. “North Sails Expert Kyle Dodds onboard with Alan for the race, as he used to work in the Perth loft and sail with him before moving over to Sydney.” Andrew highlighted the development the team has worked with Alan on recently, saying, “Just three months ago, we put new sails on the boat, including all new 3Di inventory, and it really has transformed the boat. Alan’s really loving the sailing, and in this race, he won PHF, and he was fourth across the line as well. He’s stoked and really happy with the boat’s progress!” Unfortunately for Andrew and the crew on Obsession, they weren’t able to finish the race to Exmouth. “It wasn't the greatest for us, we got 100 nautical miles in and in a bare headed change, the breeze increased to about 35kts and we destroyed our headfoil, so therefore it gave the rig a bit of a shake, so we had to turn around. But the team and I all made our way up to Exmouth so we’re all here to support the rest of the fleet as they come in!” commented Andrew. “The first six hours of the race was really fresh, with easterly breezes between 18 to 38 knots, giving the fleet great power reaching conditions straight up the coast. As they got further north, there were a lot of shutdowns in the breeze, and it got a little trickier and more complex tactically. There was some great sailing going on out there, and everyone had fun with a big smile on their face as they arrived, so all in all, a successful race!” “It’s a great race. It's only the third time it’s been run, so over the last 30 years, it’s typically a long-distance race with a 1500nm around Bali, but as things changed over the past few years, it got moved to the beautiful Exmouth.” See full results from the 2023 Fremantle to Exmouth Race and Rally here. READ MORE

Fun For Sailors Of All Ages The Dutch Shoe Marathon is almost a 5-mile race, a long-distance race in the world of 8-foot dinghies. The race starts in between San Diego and Southwestern Yacht Clubs and finishes at the Coronado Yacht Club. Every year almost 200 jr and sr. sailors come to race this fun race. For most of the Jr. sailors ,this will be a challenging and difficult race to complete. We asked rockstar coach Jon Rogers and last year's winner Ronan Servais for some tips. How do you help prepare competitors for a race like the Dutch Shoe? It's a long race. The first thing I do is to remember that it is as much an experience as it is a race. I triple check everything during the week before to try and ensure nothing breaks. I also check the weather forecast and tide so that I know what point of sail I will be on mostly on. Why do you like the T6 mainsail? The T6 is a good sail to cover all the conditions that we experience. It is especially good in events that have lots of boats and the related disrupted wind and chop that come with that. The T5 is a great sail, especially for smaller kids, but once the conditions get chopped up, the T-6 has a little more power to deal with it. What is your advice for fuelling up for such a long journey? I always remind competitors to bring a good amount of food, snacks and something good to drink. It can be a long race and all those little “pick me ups” help keep the mind focused. I tell kids to always bring something sweet that they really like. For me, it’s a frozen Snicker bar. Previous 2022 Dutch Shoe Winner Ronan Servais shares his tips on how to prepare for the race and what he likes most about the North T6 mainsail. How do you prepare for a race like the Dutch Shoe? It's a long race! It's a long race, so I get my snacks, fill up my water bottle and make sure my boat is ready to go. Last year my Dad and I reviewed my boat checklist the week before, which included a trip to North Sails, to inspect and pick up my new T6. I also suggest trying to get a good night's sleep and eat a big, healthy breakfast. Why do you like the T6 mainsail? I like the T6 mainsail because I go really fast with it. I have two hiking straps in my sabot so I can hike out farther and handle the power of the T6. Do you bring any snacks with you for such a long journey? Yes. I like cookies, candy bars and root beer. What are your sabot sailing goals in 2023? My sabot sailing goals for 2023 are to move up to Sabot A Fleet, and get a podium finish in an A fleet regatta. I’d also like to compete in the Dick Sweet Team Race for the first time with my SDYC teammates. What are your future goals in sailing? I’d like to learn to sail the C420 very well and then win a regatta in the Class. Stop by the Dutch Shoe Marathon this year at San Diego Yacht Club where you can enter to win a North Sails Pace SUP. Must be present to win. The winner will be drawn and announced at the awards ceremony on July 21st, 2023 at Coronado Yacht Club. Don’t forget, order now and save 15% on Sabot sails plus have your new sail delivered before the Shoe! READ MORE

Sail and clothing technologies that deliver speed, endurance and performance 📸 Julien Champolion | polaRYSE / Holcim – PRB / The Ocean Race Global leader in sailmaking and performance clothing, North Sails, is proud to again be the Official Sail Supplier at the Ocean Race 2022-23. The Ocean Race is the ultimate test of sailing prowess, covering 32,000 nautical miles over six months and visiting nine ports around the world. Fewer people have circumnavigated the earth by sail than have climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. Widely considered the most physically and mentally demanding competitive ocean-going event, The Ocean Race demands apparel and equipment that can withstand the most extreme conditions – upwards of 55,000 nautical miles and four equator crossings. North Sails: designed for fast, engineered to last North Sails’ expertise in sailmaking has allowed for an unmatched level of performance, reliability, and durability to help teams navigate the most challenging conditions. The relationship between this storied race and North Sails goes back decades. Many within North Sails have sailed onboard various teams and have won the race, while numerous designers and sailmakers have supported the technical side of programs in their quest to finish first around the world. Collaboration between North Sails and Ocean Race teams has resulted in breakthrough technologies, including North 3Di, which made its around the world debut in 2010 in response to skipper requests for reliable shape-holding, durability, and lightweight performance sails. In this edition of the Ocean race, four out of five of IMOCAs in the race opted to use North 3Di Helix sails, highlighting the brand’s continued innovation and performance in the world of sailmaking. 3Di Technology – North 3Di sails not only lead the industry landscape in terms of high-performance, but also outstrip the competition in terms of reliability and longevity. The technology is ground-breaking because of three components; the use of spread-filament tapes; a sail shape set on a full size 3D mold, and, most significantly, the elimination of Mylar film. Helix Structured Luff Sails – Helix Structured Luff technology is a breakthrough sail design philosophy, using the sail structure to improve its aerodynamics and in many cases reduce the load on equipment. Exclusive to North Sails, Helix Headsails utilize 3Di composite structures in a new way to radically improve camber control, while Helix Code Sails reduce loads on any free-flying sail, creating improved aerodynamics while reducing the load on boats and masts. Official Sail Supplier to the VO65 fleet and the preferred sailmaker to the majority of the IMOCA programs participating, North Sails’ innovation in sailmaking elevates the race to unprecedented levels of excitement and competition. 📸 Julien Champolion | polaRYSE / Holcim – PRB / The Ocean Race North Sails Performance Clothing For the first time at The Ocean Race, Nigel Musto, whose innovations have led the marine performance clothing industry for over 35 years and who has developed the entire foul weather line for North Sails, will also see an entire high-performing team outfitted in its Performance apparel. Each member of Team Holcim-PRB is outfitted with North Sails’ technically-advanced foul weather gear range, designed, constructed and tested by industry experts using the best performing materials and highest quality components. The Performance Clothing range delivers race-primed gear with unparalleled protection. It is the only performance gear on the market that features North Sails’ pioneering 4DL  and TightWeave technology, plus a GORE-TEX® pro construction – a membrane offering ‘superior durable’ waterproofing and breathability. 4DL – four-layer durable laminated reinforcement patches present extremely robust reinforcement with no water absorption. The technology is 30 percent lighter than the norm when dry, with even more significant weight savings in wet conditions – reducing bulk and weight of the garments for streamlined performance. TightWeave – with thinner threads and tighter weaves, this fabric construction is designed to reduce water absorption and penetration whilst providing high-abrasion resistance, designed for an optimum mix of capabilities in the different race environments. In addition, it won’t leach toxic chemicals into the environment. Nigel Musto said, “North Sails Performance Clothing uses the best materials and best design, without compromise. It’s exciting to see the entire Holcim-PRB team, for the first time, kitted out in our cutting-edge range, and putting the gear to the ultimate test.” North Sails’ Champions of The Ocean Race For decades, this race has proven the ultimate test, with North Sails meeting the challenge with superior products that allow teams to push their boats harder and faster each edition. On the North Sails leadership team, president Ken Read has competed in this race three times, and Ian Walker, Northern Europe Sales Manager, is also a multi-race veteran who won the race in 2015. This year, Team Holcim-PRB has been flying on foils across four oceans with North Sails Performance kit on their backs for the first time. The team remains in a strong position to win despite a setback in leg four. Charlie Enright, a North Sails employee of 15 years, who has been integral to pushing the offshore sail development for the company to new levels, is also skippering 11th Hour Racing.  “The Ocean Race is the ultimate test of sailing, and it’s fantastic to see many different arms of North Sails come together for the event. Our sails and Performance apparel have been developed and tested to withstand the toughest offshore conditions. We are the only brand who’s able to cover so many bases in The Ocean Race, creating sails and gear that is optimized for high-performance and durability, setting teams up for success in multiple aspects of the race. Ken Read, North Sails’ President. 📸 Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race READ MORE

NORTH SAILS Y LA VELA OLÍMPICA En El Role El Role amarra en el Sofía con 984 veleros en ocho campos de regatas Marc Patiño, de North Sails Palma, explica cómo son, cómo se fabrican y un montón de detalles interesantes de las velas utilizadas por los regatistas de clases olímpicas en la 52 edición del Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar. En el tercer capítulo de North Sails en el El Role, el miembro de North Sails Palma, Marc Patiño, habla sobre las velas utilizadas por las clases olímpicas que compitieron en el 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca by Iberostar, la edición más multitudinaria de la historia. Marc explica en qué categorías está presente la marca y cómo se fabrican las velas de los 49er y 49erFX, las dos clases que equipan exclusivamente North Sails: "Desde la bobina de hilo hasta que se acaba de fabricar la vela 3Di de un 49er es un proceso de 15-20 días. Es como el equivalente a unas ruedas de un Fórmula 1". El tercer capítulo de North Sails en El Role está disponible en este enlace bajo el título El Role amarra en el Sofía con 984 veleros en ocho campos de regatas. El Role está dirigido y presentado por el periodista Nacho Gómez. Se emite en Plaza Radio y en las principales plataformas de podcasting (Apple, Spotify, Ivoox, Google Podcast y Amazon Audible). North Sails es la velería oficial de las clases 49er y 49erFX en el ciclo olímpico de París 2024. READ MORE

REKORDFORSØG SJÆLLAND RUNDT OFFSHORE Med Trifork Volvo 70 Hvad der ligner et rekordforsøg på under 24 timer på "Sjælland Rundt Offshore" banen for at slå den gamle rekord, som blev sat af V.O.60 Nokia tilbage i 1999, endte med en tid på 27 timer 4 min 27 sekunder, da besætningen blev fanget i vindstille og kraftig modstrøm kort før mål. Båden til formålet var Volvo 70 Trifork (tidligere Ericsson) med skipper Jens Dolmer ombord. Holdet har gennem mange år sejlet en del offshore sejladser og at slå rekorder er blevet vane. Denne gang skulle rekorden på "Sjælland Rundt Offshore" slås og med en ideel vejrudsigt med 25-35 knob fra øst, var forholdene perfekte. Med start i Helsingør ledet af Erik Stannow fra Sjælland Rundt Sailing Week blev startlinien krydset med retning sydover og så var der ellers linet op til en hurtigt tur rundt om Sjælland. Klip til søndag morgen 27 timer senere, blev mållinjen krydset efter en god men hård og meget kold tur rundt om Sjælland. Trifork Volvo 70 er et af de seneste projekter, som North Sails Danmark er blevet involveret i og til særsonen 2023 skal North Sails levere en fuld 3Di sejlgarderobe til båden. Med ombord på turen rundt om Sjælland var North Sails ekspert Mikkel Røssberg som udtaler: "Kæmpe fed oplevelse at blæse afsted med 25-30 knob i fuld kontrol ombord på en båd som er lavet til det, super besætning og en godt forberedt båd til turen. Vi ser frem til at levere hele sejlgarderoben til Trifork her i de kommende uger." READ MORE

Panjić i NS ponovno na pobjedničkim rutama 📸 regate.com.hr Četvrta ovogodišnja regata koja se jedri za CRO Melges 24 Cup jedrila se u Trogiru, a organizirao ju je istoimeni jedriličarski klub. Datum održavanja bio je 6. i 7. svibanj i na njoj se okupilo 17 posada iz Hrvatske i Češke. Premda je termin regate ušao u doba godine kad se svi organizatori susreću s ozbiljnim problemom okupljanja većeg broja posada zbog početka ljetne turističke sezone i popratnih poslova u nautičkom sektoru, u Trogiru se okupio stvarno lijep broj posada. Neke su bile u nešto promijenjenim sastavima, ali kontinuitet masovnosti se nastavio i nagovijestio da će i jesenska skupina regata biti vrlo dobro posjećena. Da bi iščekivanje jeseni bilo još zanimljivije treba zahvaliti i tome da su još neke nove posade najavile ulazak u tour, također neke od posada mijenjaju jedrilice i s potezom nastoje povećati svoje šanse za bolje plasmane, a sigurno je jedan od motiva za sve ove akcije i potvrda organizacije Europskog prvenstva ove klase koje će iduće godine organizirati JK Split. Test event pred događaj sezone u Europi iduće godine bit će prva iduća regata kod nas. Riječ je o regati čiji je službeni naziv "Split ESS & CRO Melges 24 CUP 2023.". Naravno, domaćini i organizatori bit će članovi JK Split, a termin održavanja 5 - 8. listopada. Inače, kratica ESS odnosi se na European Sailing Series, ciklus regata koje se boduju za Europskim kup. Ove godine broj regata koje će se bodovati za ESS bit će 13, a od toga su čak tri u Hrvatskoj. Sve ove regate su iz jesenskog ciklusa, što znači da će sve posade koje stignu s drugih Europskih adresa imati priliku jedriti na spomenutoj regati koju organizira JK Split, zatim na regati koju od 27 - 29. listopada organizira JK Mornar, te na Prvenstvu Hrvatske koje će se jedriti u Trogiru od 16. do 19. studenog. Event koji se proteklog vikenda odjedrio u Trogiru sigurno ulazi u najuži izbor za top event koji je organiziran do sada u Hrvatskom touru. Izvrsno domaćinstvo i super entuzijastičan pristup domaćih jedriličara predvođenih posadom Matarana 24 bilo je upotpunjeno savršenom lokacijom koju je Trogir rezervirao za vez pristigle flote: 📸 regate.com.hr Proljetno vrijeme koje je dočekalo jedriličare stvorilo je uvjete koji su uz znanja tražili i određenu dozu sreće na regatnom polju. Vjetra nije bilo baš previše, pogotovo u nedjelju. Za subotu se može reći da je bila ugodna, pa i atraktivna za jedrenje, a regatno polje bilo je smješteno neposredno nakon izlaza iz kanala između Trogira i otoka Čiova. Na ovoj lokaciji se jedrilo po maestralu koji je puhao između 7 i 12 čvorova i koji je kontinuirano jačao kako je dan odmicao. Jedrenja su bila dosta brza i svaki plov je trajao to pedesetak minuta, a treći se čak i jedrio u tri kruga. Razlog za ovako brzo/kratko polje je veliki pomorski promet u i iz Trogirskih marina s obzirom da je charter sezona ozbiljno krenula, pa Regatni odbor nije imao uobičajenu slobodu izbora mjesta gdje će postaviti regatno polje. Unatoč gužvi na moru, domaćini su za sve sudionike pripremili i jedan vrlo atraktivni plov čiji cilj je bio ispred kule Kamerlengo, a nagrada za pobjedničku posadu bila je jedan vrlo dobar pršut. Slobodno se može reći da je žar borbe, pogotovo na startnoj liniji, u ovom plovu, bio rijetko viđen na regatama ove klase. Bilo je mnoštvo prijestupa, vraćanja, a s obzirom da se nakon starta jedrila kratka orca i mnoštvo zanimljivih situacija na privjetrinskoj oznaci. Jednako tako, jedrenje niz vjetar do Trogirske rive bilo je puno uzbuđenja, jer se trebalo proći kroz zone slabijeg vjetra, a jedrilo se i u jakom kurentu.... sve u svemu vrlo zanimljivo i za sve koji su se u tim trenucima našli u marinama i na štekatima na rivi, nesvakidašnja atrakcija. A ovu primamljivu nagradu osvojila je posada Point One-a. Drugi dan, nedjelja, odjedrila se sa zapadne strane Trogirskog zaljeva. Razlog više nije bio promet iz marina, već vrlo slab vjetar. Na početku je puhalo lagano jugo, a tek iza podne krenuo se podizati maestral koji je u nastavku klasično pratio kretanje sunca. Osim vjetra koji je stalno bio na donjoj granici regularnosti, jedriličari su trebali biti svjesni zona u kojima se mogao korisno iskoristiti utjecaj morskih strujanja koja su ovog puta dolazila iz smjera Trogira i u smjeru suprotnom od kazaljke na satu pratila obale zaljeva. Uz ovaj utjecaj, koristio se i termalni utjecaj kopna s desne strane regatnog polja, pa su se mnogi odlučivali na promjene smjera tek u samoj blizini kopna. U svakom slučaju, RO je uz veliki napor i tri presidravanja uspio organizirati tri dodatna plova. 📸 regate.com.hr Koliko su članovi regatnog odbora bili zaposleni najbolje govori podatak da se u prvom plovu morao postaviti Charlie, zatim se cijelo polje zarotiralo u desno za drugi plov, a za treći se povuklo sve do obale Seget Vranjica, da bi se taj plov na kraju još i skratio na drugoj orci koja je ujedno bila i korigirana, odnosno ponovno je trebala biti postavljena oznaka Charlie. Kad se na kraju napravi revizija aktivnosti svih sudionika treba reći da je posada jedrilice Panjić više nego zasluženo stigla do pobjede. Kako se s obzirom na broj plovova mogao odbaciti najlošiji rezultat, pobjedu su odnijeli s tri pobjede i dva druga mjesta! Drugoplasirana posada, domaći Mataran 24, imala je čak 11 bodova više, dok je trećeplasirani Razjareni imao još dodatna tri boda. Inače, iza Razjarenog završile su još tri posade koje su sve bile na po jedan bod razlike i svi su imali priliku za osvajanje bronce. Što se tiče "amatera", odnosno Corinthian skupine, u Trogiru su najbolji bili Zadrani s jedrilice Tutta Forza. Oni su generalnom poretku zauzeli deveto mjesto. Kompletne rezultate regate možete pronaći na ovom linku, a u nastavku možete pronaći linkove za uobičajenu detaljniju analizu svih održanih jedrenja. Statistika STAT - 1. PLOV STAT - 2. PLOV STAT - 3. PLOV STAT - 4. PLOV STAT - 5. PLOV STAT - 5. PLOV Playbackovi P L A Y B A C K - 1. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 2. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 3. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 4. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 5. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 6. PLOV READ MORE

GENNAKER EN SPINNAKER: WAT IS HET VERSCHIL? En welk zeil past het beste bij u en uw boot? Ontdek de werking van deze zeilen en maak gemakkelijk een keuze 📸 Lissa Photography De naam gennaker komt voort uit een combinatie van twee verschillende type zeilen: de genua en de spinnaker. Een gennaker heeft dan ook de vorm van een genua; asymmetrisch, twee hoeken ‘vastgepind’ en met schoten verbonden aan de schoothoek. Daarnaast heeft een gennaker de brede omvang welke kenmerkend is voor een spinnaker. Toch is de gennaker een heel ander type zeil; een universeel zeil voor de downwind rakken. Terwijl spinnakers zijn gebouwd voor specifieke schijnbare windhoeken voor de wind. De term gennaker lijkt misschien ingewikkeld, dus laten we eerst de twee originele zeiltypen onder de loep nemen: de spinnaker en de genua. Wat is een spinnaker? Een populair online woordenboek definieert de spinnaker als ‘een groot driehoekig zeil, meestal uitpuilend als het vol is en wordt voor het grootzeil van een jacht geplaatst als deze voor de wind vaart’. Deze uitleg zou prima zijn geweest, ware het niet dat niet alle spinnakers symmetrisch zijn. Het ligt namelijk wat gecompliceerder... Symmetrische spinnakers en asymmetrische spinnakers De spinnakers in onderstaande afbeelding omschrijven we als symmetrische spinnakers. Hoe dit het beste te zien is? Je kunt het zeil spiegelen. Zo kent de symmetrische spinnaker in tegenstelling tot andere voorzeilen geen gedefinieerde schoothoek. De bovenwindse hoek wordt uitgehouden met een boom die aan de loefzijde van de mast is bevestigd. Om van koers te veranderen (te gijpen), wordt die boom naar de tegenoverliggende hoek verplaatst. Het zeil heeft dus twee schoothoeken, welke kunnen worden gebruikt als tack, zodra de boom aan die hoek is bevestigd. Fleet of symmetric spinnakers. 12 Metre Worlds 2019, Newport, RI 📸 Ian Roman Symmetrische spinnakers zijn uitermate geschikt om voor de wind te zeilen, met boten welke zijn uitgerust met spinnakerbomen en het benodigde tuigage. In de afgelopen decennia heeft een ander type spinnaker echter aan populariteit gewonnen: de asymmetrische spinnaker. Een asymmetrische spinnaker heeft drie verschillende hoeken: De top (wordt met de val in de mast gehesen) De tack (wordt middels de tacklijn bevestigd aan de boegspriet) De schoothoek (de twee schoten lopen aan weerszijden van de boot) Asymmetrische spinnakers zijn populair op boten met een permanente of uitschuifbare boegspriet. Toerzeilers geven vaak de voorkeur aan een asymmetrische spinnaker, omdat deze makkelijker te hanteren is dan een symmetrische spinnaker. Hoewel symmetrische spinnakers er anders uitzien dan en asymmetrische spinnakers, zijn het beide spinnakers volgens de meeste wedstrijdregels. Op zich logisch aangezien beide spinnakers een aanzienlijke omvang hebben in de breedte en bedoeld zijn voor voordewindse koersen en zogenaamde ‘reach rakken’ (richting een ruime windse koers). Asymmetric spinnakers on Melges 32's 📸 Zerogradinord / Melges 32 Class Association Wat is een genua? Als u ‘genua’ opzoekt op Google, vindt u waarschijnlijk het volgende: ‘een grote fok welke achter de mast uitsteekt, vooral gebruikt op racejachten’. Alle fokken en genua’s zijn asymmetrisch; ze zijn simpelweg niet te spiegelen. Richtlijnen voor het wedstrijdzeilen helpen de standaardvorm van een fok of genua verder te definiëren: Driehoekig, lang niet zo omvangrijk als een spinnaker Met slechts één schoothoek (waarbij het zeil met schoten onder controle wordt gehouden) Genoa headsail 📸 Paul Wyeth Wat is een gennaker? Op een dag dacht iemand: misschien moeten we de asymmetrische vorm van een genua nemen en deze meer omvang en diepte geven, zoals een spinnaker. Zo ontstond de gennaker. Een gennaker is niet geschikt voor aan de windse rakken. Ook is dit type zeil niet zo efficiënt als een spinnaker welke is gebouwd voor diepe voordewindse koersen. Voor ruime windse koersen is een gennaker wel uitermate geschikt. En omdat er geen spinnakerboom nodig is, is een gennaker een stuk makkelijker te hijsen en te trimmen dan een symmetrische spinnaker. Is een gennaker bedoeld voor cruisen of racen? Dat hangt ervan af. Veel wedstrijdregels stellen eisen aan de minimale omvang voor een spinnaker en een maximale oppervlakte om aangemerkt te worden als een wettelijk voorzeil. Daartussenin zit een no-go-zone, waar plaats is voor de zeer beheersbare cruising gennaker. Onlangs zijn rating- en handicapregels voor wedstrijdzeilen begonnen met afscheid nemen van deze gap-zone. Indien u een gennaker heeft, kan uw zeilmaker u helpen bepalen of deze in aanmerking komt voor het soort racen dat u wilt doen. Ontwikkelingen in gennaker technologie De ontwikkelingen op het gebied van gennakers is de afgelopen jaren in een stroomversnelling terecht gekomen, zowel voor het cruisen als het racen. Een goed voorbeeld van een nieuwe ontwikkeling is de North Sails Helix Furling Gennaker. Helix Furling Gennaker READ MORE

Farr 40 Irina s North Sailsom do pobjede u Puli 📸 regate.com.hr Jedna od najdugovječnijih regata krstaša u hrvatskoj ove godine je imala 59. izdanje na kojem su organizatori iz JK Uljanik uspjeli okupiti 45 jedrilica iz Hrvatske, Italije i Slovenije. Ovogodišnje izdanje održalo se 30. travnja. Vjetra je bilo više nego dovoljno, te je po vrlo atraktivnim uvjetima ova regata zadržala status jedne od najatraktivnijih "gradskih" regata u Hrvatskoj. Kao i za sve druge regate, jedriličari su danima ranije pratili vremensku prognozu i može se reći da je ove godine bila dosta točna. Burica je zapuhala već kroz jutro, da bi u 11 sati - kad je signaliziran start, uz rivu bilo desetak čvorova. Ugodno i brzo jedrenje trajalo je do oko podne kad u zoni između otočića Sv.Andrija i oznake postavljene u blizini krajnje točke lukobrana, bura pojačala na dvadesetak čvorova, pa je bilo rasparanih jedara i za publiku atraktivnih scenarija. 📸 regate.com.hr Start regate postavljen je u dnu Pulske luke i s obzirom da je bura dolazila s lijeve strane svi su startali na lijevim uzdama, a pin je bio favorizirana strana startne linije. Od linije starta, pa do prvog okreta oko bove kod lukobrana definitivno je najatraktivnija dionica ove regate. Tada je flota još na okupu u smislu da svi jedre u istoj etapi i gužva se prenosi kroz flotu u istom smjeru. Ova dionica također ima i svoj najzanimljiviji dio, a u ovom slučaju je riječ o potezu između linije starta i brodogradilišta, odnosno neke od naftnih platformi koje se tamo nalaze na vezu. Unatoč mnoštvu vrlo dobrih, modernih regatnih jedrilica, poziciju na čelu flote na ovom potezu imala je posada jedne od najmanjih jedrilica s najmlađom posadom na regati. Riječ je o malenom Seascapeu 18 - Jarebica, na kojem je jedrio trojac juniora Uljanika. 📸 regate.com.hr Svoje znanje i iskustvo u čitanju regatnih polja i iskorištavanje pripadajućih prednosti iskoristili su vrlo dobro, ali to je bio maksimum koji su mogli postići u ovoj konkurenciji. Nakon ovog početnog vodstva reflektore pozornice preuzimaju veće i brže jedrilice. Prvi okret na čelu flote odrađuju Pulske jedrilice Bravissima i Nevera, a odmah iza njih okreće Irina. Irina okreće ovu bovu dosta bliže i nastavlja jedriti s mnogo oštrijim kutom u orcu i u ovoj etapi maksimalno iskorištava svoje maritimne mogućnosti, te preuzima vodstvo koje ne ispušta do kraja. Do okreta oko oznake postavljene ispred Riječkog gata između Irine i Bravissime ubacuje se i veliki Stardust i od ovog mjesta pa do kraja regate raspored u vrhu ostaje nepromijenjen. Po pitanju broja krugova i podjele na grupe, treba reći da su organizatori su flotu podijelili u regatne i obiteljske krstaše. Prije starta regate još je bila otvorena mogućnost hoće li regatni jedriti dva ili tri, odnosno hoće li obiteljski jedriti jedan ili dva kruga. S obzirom da je zapuhalo više nego dovoljno vjetra izabrana su tri, odnosno dva kruga. Kompletne rezultate po vremenima ulazaka u cilj možete pronaći na ovom linku, odnosno ako vas zanimaju rezultati po grupama njih možete pronaći na ovom linku. 59. Pulska regata samo je finalni dio Pula Sailing Weeka. Program mu je bio sličan onom od prethodne godine, a prvi dio jedriličarskih događanja odnosio se na cilj 37. prekojadranske regate Pesaro - Pula. Inače, ova ruta je u prošlosti bila poznata kao "ruta trabakula" Najbrža jedrilica na ovoj ruti bila je Stardust (LNI Anoca), koja je ciljnu liniju presjekla u Puli u subotu u 01:32. Samo dvije minute nakon nje i 70 prijeđenih milja ciljem je ispred carinskog gata prošla jedrilica Irina (Rimini Yacht Club), a trećeplasirana Chicha Boba (LNI Pesaro) ciljem je prošla u 01:36. Tijekom noći i subotnjeg jutra stigle su sve 32 jedrilice iz Italije. Na lanjskom izdanju ove regate desio se nemili događaj koji srećom nije prošao i s ljudskim žrtvama, a to je gubitak peraje Canarina Furiosa II i njegovo prevrtanje ispred obale Istre. Subotnji event u sklopu PSW-a bila je revijalna regata studenata u klasi Laser Stratos. Studenti s Kineziološkog fakulteta u Zagrebu već petu godinu za redom svoju terensku nastavu obavljaju u Puli pri JK Uljanik na Bunarini. Ove godine organizirano im je nadmetanje u akvatoriju Pulske luke, gdje su se oni u 10 jednakih Stratosa imali prilike nadmetati pod vidnim okom Pulskih šetača. Pobijedila je posada u sastavu Ivana Vukman, Tin Vrabac i Grgur Matak. Drugo mjesto pripalo je posadi Elizabeta Crnković, Sara Hančević i Lovro Trupković, dok su trećeplasirani bili Patrik Benazić, Dominik Mlakar i Andrea Vozila. 📸 regate.com.hr Rezultate regate Pesaro - Pula možete pronaći na ovom linku. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ONTZORGT ZEEUWSE ZEILERS MET DROP-OFF PUNT Zeeland heeft nu haar eigen North Sails drop-off faciliteit! Klanten op en rond de Zeeuwse wateren kunnen hun te repareren zeilen afgeven bij Navis Organica in Wemeldinge. Vanaf hier regelt North Sails de rest. Het af- en uitgifte punt in Wemeldinge is een geografische aanvulling op de North Sails zeilmakerijen in Rotterdam en Antwerpen en de service locatie in Almere. “Op deze manier zorgen we ervoor dat North Sails klanten niet ver hoeven te rijden wanneer hun zeilen toe zijn aan onderhoud of reparatie,” legt Sail Expert en Operations Manager Jacco Huijgen uit. “We rekenen een kleine vergoeding voor het transport, maar het scheelt Zeeuwse zeilers een rit naar Rotterdam of Antwerpen.” Na afgifte zorgt North Sails ervoor dat de zeilen in de zeilmakerij in Antwerpen komen. “De zeilen worden wekelijks opgepikt. Uiteraard kunnen onze klanten de zeilen vervolgens weer in Wemeldinge ophalen.” Nieuwe winkel De nieuwe drop-off faciliteit is een samenwerking met Navis Organica. Deze Belgische dienstverlener staat bekend om het onderhoud en de reiniging van luxe motorschepen en zeiljachten. Naast hun locatie in Wemeldinge heeft Navis Organica eerder dit jaar ook de watersportwinkel (voorheen Boateak) overgenomen. De watersporter kan hier terecht voor diverse watersportartikelen, waaronder rvs-beslag, lijnen, stoppers, zeekaarten, stootkussens en poetsproducten. De winkel is geopend van woensdag tot en met zaterdag van 10.00 tot 17.00 uur en te vinden aan Sluisplateau 30d in Wemeldinge. Buiten het seizoen (september - april) is de winkel geopend op vrijdag en zaterdag. READ MORE

NYHET: KAPACITETSRABATT PÅ NYA SEGEL Dynamic Savings Du känner säkert till att priserna på segel ibland kan vara lite lägre än vanligt. "Höstrabatt" är exempelvis en klassiker i vår bransch – den har funnits i alla tider och använts av varenda segelmakare. Syftet för segelmakaren är att försöka styra över produktion från perioder där det är mycket att göra (typiskt sett våren) till lugnare perioder (typiskt sett hösten). North Sails har nu lanserat en egen variant, men en egen twist, och den är inte nödvändigt begränsad till just höstarna. Det kallas för Dynamic Savings och kan beskrivas som en sorts "kapacitetsrabatt". Tanken är egentligen väldigt enkel: Om du kan tänka dig att vara lite flexibel när det gäller leveransdatum kan du sänka kostnaden för ditt nya North-segel. Hur mycket du sparar beror på faktorer som typ av segel, storlek, materialval och önskat leveransdatum. Rent konkret går det till så att du beställer ditt segel som vanligt. Vi mäter båt och rigg, specificerar alla detaljer och färdigställer designen. Du betalar din handpenning och därmed är seglet färdigt för produktion. I vanliga fall skulle din order nu hamna i en kö och bli tilldelad ett produktions- och leveransdatum, baserat på när din order lades in i systemet. Men om du vill dra nytta av kapacitetsrabatten får din order varken produktionsdatum eller leveransdatum. Ditt segel kommer istället att tillverkas när det uppstår en lämplig lucka i våra produktionsanläggningar. Det kan gå ganska fort men det kan också dra ut på tiden. Fördelen är alltså att du får ditt segel till lägre pris. Nackdelen är att du inte riktigt vet när det kommer levereras. Det här passar förstås inte alla. Om du verkligen vill eller behöver ha ditt nya segel så fort som möjligt så ordnar vi förstås det. Men ibland kan det passa alldeles utmärkt. Ofta är det ju så att det nya seglet ska ersätta ett äldre segel, och även om det sjunger på sista versen så brukar det kunna hänga med ett tag till. Och i sådana fall tror vi att Dynamic Savings kan vara ett väldigt attraktivt alternativ. Låter det intressant? Hör av dig så berättar vi mer! READ MORE

VÄLKOMMEN TILL NORTH SAILS OFFSHORE CLINIC! Sandhamn 19-21 maj 2023 19-21 maj är det traditionsenligt dags för North Sails Offshore Clinic, som vi och Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundet arrangerar i samarbete med KSSS. Syftet är att ge dig och din besättning en rejäl genomkörare som tar bort den eventuella ringrost som ni kan ha samlat på er under vintern, men också att slipa på de delar som krävs för att göra bra ifrån sig på ett internationellt mästerskap. Både fullcrew- och shorthand-besättningar är välkomna, och träningen leds som vanligt av Anders Lewander från North Sails Lidingö. Träningen genomförs på vattnen kring Sandhamn. Båtplatser till alla deltagande båtar är bokade på Telegrafholmen, medan genomgångar, sociala aktiviteter och alla gemensamma måltider kommer äga rum på Lökholmen. Programmet följer i stort sett föregående år, så du kan räkna med en bra mix av startträning, farttester, man-över-bord-övningar, mörkersegling och kappsegling på både bana och runt fasta märken. "De som varit med tidigare kommer känna igen sig", säger Anders. "Men flera av årets stora regattor, bland annat ORC-VM i Kiel, kommer ha större inslag av offshore, och därför kommer vi lägga lite extra krut på systematiserad fartträning med öppna skot i olika vindvinklar." Anmälan En formell inbjudan med komplett program hittar du på Svenska Havskappsglingsförbundets hemsida. Anmäl dig snarast om du vill vara med – antalet deltagare är begränsat till 20 båtar. READ MORE

NYTT SAMARBETE ÄVEN MED ARCONA YACHTS A Match Made in Heaven I mars berättade vi om ett nytt samarbete mellan Najad Yachts och North Sails – och nu är det klart att även Arcona Yachts kunder kommer kunna få sina nya båtar levererade med North-segel. Jättekul, tycker Henrik Ottosson, vd för North Sails Sverige, som ser det som "a match made in heaven". Högsta kvalitet och maximal prestanda är ju centrala värden för båda företagen. "Vi vet att många av våra kunder har hög efterfrågan på North Sails och inte minst deras unika 3Di-segel, och det är klart att vi vill möta deras önskemål", säger Urban Lagnéus, vd för Arcona Yachts. "Att North har över 150 serviceloft världen över är också en fördel, inte minst för våra internationella kunder." En svensk exportframgång Efter över 40 år i branschen är Arcona-båtar en vanlig syn i svenska farvatten, och på senare år har de börjat visa framfötterna även utomlands. Det svenska arvet har säkert gett dem lite hjälp på traven. Internationellt kända varv som Hallberg-Rassy och Najad har gjort "svensk kvalitet" till ett gångbart argument, och genom att kombinera detta med snygga linjer och prestanda i toppklass har Arcona lyckats skapa sig en position som tydligt särskiljer dem från volymtillverkarna på kontinenten. Vill man konkurrera på den här nivån finns det inte utrymme för genvägar, och i Arconas båtar finns en rad kvalitets- och prestandahöjande lösningar som knappt syns för ett otränat öga. Skroven vakuumlamineras i vinylester eller kolfiber och i botten sitter en stålkonstruktion som tar upp krafterna från rigg och köl. Master och däcksutrustning kommer från världsledande leverantörer som Seldén, Axxon och Harken, och om man som kund vill komplettera med rodrigg eller kolfibermast är det bara att kryssa i ett par rutor på tillbehörslistan. Det här är inte något som självklart ger extrapoäng - eller ens uppmärksammas - av de genomsnittliga semesterseglarna som går runt på båtmässor och jämför priser. Men om man på allvar vill bygga prestandabåtar i den högre prisklassen finns det ingen annan väg att gå. Resultatet är stumma, starka båtar som kan seglas hårt, länge och snabbt i alla förhållanden. Och även om Arcona själva beskriver sina båtar som "performance cruisers", vilket kan låta nästan blygsamt, så har de allt som krävs för kappsegling på högsta internationella nivå. Guldet i ORC-EM 2022 (Klass C) bärgades exempelvis med en Arcona 340. Båten var för övrigt utrustad med full segelgarderob från North Sails. En unik kombination av prestanda och livslängd Minstingen i Arconas modellprogram är på 34 fot och det nya flaggskeppet, som ser ut att bli färdig till sommaren, är en 50-fotare designad av Jeppesen & Pons. Det handlar alltså om stora, styva båtar som utsätter seglen för enorma krafter. Båtarna inbjuder till hård segling och ägarna har höga krav på både prestanda och livslängd. Inga andra segel i världen hanterar de här utmaningarna lika bra som våra 3Di-segel. De North-produkter som Arconavarvet nu erbjuder sina kunder är dels ett "Performance cruising package", dels ett "Pure racing package". De är nischade åt olika håll men likheterna är ändå större än skillnaderna. Även våra mest cruisingbetonade 3Di-segel har fartresurser som räcker långt även för kappsegling - och även våra allra mest renodlade racingsegel har en slitstyrka och en livslängd som andra prestandasegel inte kommer i närheten av. READ MORE

Located just east of Lake Tahoe, Minden, Nevada, may seem like an unlikely spot for North Sails’ 3Di manufacturing hub, a sailing industry flagship center. However, it is true that is home to North Sails’ cutting-edge 3Di technology. READ MORE

19. Zlarinska regata - NS klijenti trijumfirali u obje kategorije 📸 regate.com.hr Ekipa iz YC Zlarin i ove godine uspjela je okupiti vrlo dobru flotu koja je odjedrila dva navigacijska plova u Zlarinsko - Šibenskom akvatoriju. Ukupno su na Zlarin stigle 24 posade. Kao i uvijek na regatama ovog karaktera flota se mogla podijeliti na jedrilice sportskijeg karaktera i na one kojima nije baš presudno da li imaju pune frižidere i viška tereta u spremištima. Što se tiče sportski nastrojenih ekipa, njih je na Zlarinu bilo u svim dužinskim skupinama, pa su se na moru mogli vidjeti Gringo 3, Ice, Mr.J, Jena Q, Universitas 2.0, Karpo, pa Melgesi 24 - She i Orage... U subotu se jedrilo po ugodnom zapadnjaku, a ruta je vodila od Zlarina, pa se Hrid Galijolicu ostavljalo lijevim bokom. Zatim se okretala Plić Sestre desnim bokom, pa oko otoka Prčevca kojeg se ostavljalo lijevim bokom. Nakon Prčevca otok Zmajan se trebao ostaviti lijevim bokom, pa otok Sestrica Mala lijevim bokom i pravac u cilj u Zlarin. Ukupna duljina ove rute bila je nešto veća od 22 NM. Što se tiče nedjeljnog jedrenja, ono je imalo klasični krug oko Zlarina s tim da ovog puta cilj nije bio u Zlarinskoj luci, već na mjestu starta. Ukupna duljina ove petlje bila je nešto manja od 10NM. Što se tiče vremenskih uvjeta u nedjelju, oni su bili dosta drugačiji od subotnjih, jer se jedrilo po oblačnom vremenu koje je uključivalo južin koji je postupno jačao i dok je flota stigla do južne punte Zlarina bilo ga je oko 15 čvorova. 📸 regate.com.hr U oba plova pobjedu je odnio Gringo 3, a odmah iza njega u cilj je ulazio Ice, dok su Karpo, Mr.J, Universitas 2.0 i Jena Q radili međusobne rošade i s ovim redoslijedom završili regatu. Uz bodovanje po Openu, regata se bodovala i po ORC-u. Ove godine u ORC se prijavilo samo pet posada, a uvjerljivu pobjedu odnio je Melges 24 - She. Ova skoro kompletna ženska posada pobijedila je u oba plova. U subotu je She bila brža za dvije korigirane minute od Mr.J, dok im je pobjeda u nedjelju skoro izmaknula za 3 korigirane sekunde. U tom plovu do drugog mjesta dojedrila je posada Corala VII. Rezultate po Openu možete pronaći na ovom linku, dok su rezultati izračunati po ORC-u dostupni na ovom linku, a fotogaleriju snimljenu u nedjelju možete pronaći na ovom linku. READ MORE

VICTORIA ESPAÑOLA CON VELAS NORTH SAILS EN LA J/70 CUP DE ITALIA El mallorquín Patakin se proclamó vencedor de la primera prueba puntuable para la J/70 Cup disputada en Porto Ercole, Toscana. 📸 J/70 Italian Class / Zerogradinord El barco del armador Luis Albert fue el mejor entre una flota de 34 barcos. La J/70 Cup 2023 es un circuito de cuatro regatas que se disputará en aguas italianas entre abril y octubre. La primera prueba puntuable reunió en Porto Ercole (Toscana) a 34 equipos de ocho nacionalidades del 14 al 16 de abril. Unas buenas condiciones meteorológicas permitieron disputar un total de ocho mangas que demostraron la igualdad entre los equipos más potentes de la flota. El Patakin (Real Club Náutico de Palma), armado por el mallorquín Luis Albert, logró la victoria en una jornada final de infarto que incluyó su mejor y su peor parcial del campeonato: Un 12 en la primera y un valiosísimo triunfo en la segunda que le permitió lograr la victoria con dos puntos de ventaja sobre su inmediato perseguidor, el potente G-Spot de Giangiacomo Serena. El único representante español de la flota compitió con inventario completo de velas North Sails. A bordo del Patakin compitieron Luis Albert, Rayco Tabares, Gerardo Prego y Joan Cardona. La próxima cita de la J/70 Cup 2023 se celebrará en Rimini del 12 al 14 de mayo. Visita northsails.com y descubre lo que North Sails puede hacer por tu J/70. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS’ ANDOO WINS JJ GILTINAN 18FT SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP John Winning Jr Winning By Name And By Nature Congratulations to John (Herman) Winning Jr, who skippered Andoo's 18ft skiff to victory in the 2023 JJ Giltinan World Championship alongside teammates Seve Jarvin and Sam Newton to add to the North Sails Victory List. Powered by North Sails, the Andoo crew is not only a champion team but is a team of champion sailors. Skipper John Winning Jr is the line honours winning skipper of Andoo Comanche in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, a former world 29er champion and joins his father, John (Woody) Winning, as the only father-and-son winning skippers of the JJ Giltinan World 18ft Skiff Championship. Sheet hand Seve Jarvin has now won 10 JJ Giltinan championships, eight as a skipper and two as sheet hand. More than any other competitor in the history of the championship. And bowman Sam Newton is now an eight-time winner of the JJ Giltinan championship and was part of the Australian SailGP champion team and 2013 America's Cup-winning Oracle Team USA, among other international yachting achievements. With a full North Sails 3Di inventory on both rig setups for a number of years now, Andoo dominated races in all sailing conditions, from light and shifty easterly winds to a blowing sea breeze and everything in between, winning four of the nine races in the series. North Sails has rich history and knowledge in the 18ft skiff class, and combined with excellent technology, each team can design their sail setup to their own needs and specifications within the already-fast one design package available. READ MORE

BEN KELLY BRINGS MULTIHULL SUCCESS TO NORTH SAILS BRISBANE Bringing Together Sail Design, Multihull Racing And Building New Projects North Sails Expert Ben Kelly was destined to be a sail maker, first working in a loft at age 14, giving back to his junior Sabot sponsor by helping out in the loft during school holidays. More than 25 years later, his knowledge and experience have developed from designing small fleets of skiff and multihull sails to now being North Sails Brisbane's Asia-Pacific Multihull Expert with substantial global projects. Not only has he been designing and building sail inventories for a vast range of boats in his career, Ben has also recently managed the design and build of his own trimaran 'El Toro', along with three other highly skilled friends as the ownership group. An all-round experience Sailing an array of dinghys and other race boats throughout his youth, Ben's interest in sailmaking grew when he and Scott Venes made their own sails for the 505 World Championships at 17. "I got the itch to really want to design them and learn more about getting into that side," Ben explains. "I was meant to go to university and be an architect, but instead, I went back to the sail loft and basically got stuck into it!" "I learnt how to design sails while getting good results and started to shift out of skiffs and sports boats and into multihulls. So I worked my way up the ranks there and managed to get some great runs on the board in the Australian fleet with some good results, and built my name in multihull sailmaking in Australia from about the year 2000 after formally finishing my apprenticeship." "I sailed on some fantastic multihulls with some great guys along the way, where I learnt plenty and really started to build sails across the fleet and spreading across the country like in Melbourne, South Australia, and Pittwater in Sydney. And even though I liked sailing all sorts of boats, multihulls became and real enjoyment for me. And when the results came, it sort of expanded from there." Making moves North Loving the experience of racing and designing sails for multihull yachts, Ben built his career by running his sailmaking business while also working for other companies in the industry before making one of the more significant changes in his life so far. "I made the choice to step away and move over to North Sails in 2018. It was a good transition for me, I knew who the team were and brand was, and very aware of the strength of different aspects of it. I hadn't made that many big changes over my life, so it was pretty exciting to take on." "Though I'm not designing much anymore, we've got designers at the highest level at North Sails we can tap into whenever we need. And that brings confidence, sailability, and repeatability - basically, we're talking about the biggest pie of designs and experience that's available in our industry, so I really enjoy all of that!" Ben comments. "I love reaching out to the designers we work with, they're collaborative, and they'll go right through everything. I've probably spent a lot of my career having to work it out on my own, and still going okay, but it is nice to know that you can get information from anywhere within North Sail's expertise." "I've spent four years at Norths now and working closely particularly Magnus Doole in New Zealand and Dick Parker in Sydney; they've just got a lot of experience and really good tools to design the best sails. So, they'll come to us with solutions that I would not be able to achieve elsewhere, particularly from an engineering standpoint, and the science of it is just at a whole other level. That's probably the biggest gain in coming to North Sails. And for me personally, I've got involved in bigger projects than what I have before while still being able to work with my customer base with a more premium product," Ben explains. "One of the coolest things was being involved in the newly designed 3Di 49er sails. It was a really cool process to be involved in, and learnt a lot, and was a really good way to see what the company and product can do. To be involved in and get an inside view of how production works and the global team that goes into it, from the designers to the people who help manage production, and then working with the team on the floor in Sydney to do the modifications." "I care about our customers getting value, that the sails are well designed, and just that we're doing a good job. I think having had my own business, similar to some of the guys I work with, we've had it all on our shoulders before, and it's kind of your brand as well, so I think I care most about the outcome for our customers." Modeling 'El Toro' Having sailed on customers' boats for more than 20 years, with 11 Australian title wins on five different boats under the OMR rating rule, Ben believes that as sailmakers, it's part of the job to optimise the package for someone's boat and help them win the races they have in their sights. However, Ben has gone the extra mile and designed his own 9m Trimaran to both race himself as well as use as a 'working model' for sail testing and design. "So, from a fairly amateur boat building approach, because we're not boat designers, we went one step further and built a boat that we could go and try to have success in the fleet," he explains. "Building a tri has been a bucket list project for a while with a mate of mine who's an engineer and boat builder. We designed it together about seven years ago, and then one other friend just pushed us to start building the boat before we even considered how big of a deal that is! It's a big, fun, and challenging project with lots of ups and downs, but very rewarding. And it is a real example to be able to use to experiment with sails and try to improve what we can do for the sailors and customers in that group, so it's a real working model, I guess." "It's got a full North Sails inventory and a mixture of 3Di and tri-radial sails. It's not an Extreme 40, and it's not a foiling boat; it's just a good all-rounder that's designed to be sailed with a reasonably amateur crew, and we love it. We've got two boat builders, and painter, and myself as the ownership group, and we basically built the whole boat apart from the rig. It couldn't have been done without such a good group of people who are really good with their own strengths and skills." "It has a full Norths Sails inventory. The mainsail is all-black triradial NPL aramid laminate, the jib is a self-tacking 3Di Raw 360 jib, the upwind screacher is a Code 55 design 3Di 700 downwind sail, and the masthead furling A3 is an NPL Code laminate. So it's a bit of a mixture of our premium products and triradial club racing laminates. All the sails are built well, and I've been really happy with the design for the boat - now it's just getting around to building bigger sails!" In the pipeline Working with the North Sails Brisbane team, Ben's exciting new projects are providing him with the opportunity to bring the teams' wide-ranging background and experience together to individualise their customers' sail package and performance. "A really cool thing I got to do with North Sails was go to Minden in the USA to the 3Di factory, which was a real highlight for me to see and understand how incredible the operation is and seeing how efficiently it runs - it was an eye opener. The understanding I got from being there really gave me the confidence and comfortability about the product, it really gave me the knowledge I needed." "I've always loved sailing on the Extreme 40s, and we've developed the sail wardrobe with our designers, who have come up with some great improvements for the class on a sail design front. The Helix downwind sails, which we've started to integrate into a lot of our clients' boats, and that's been a great step forward." "And finally, the other bigger projects we've got at the moment is a 72ft carbon cruiser racer cat, that's in build in Australia at the moment, and that's going to be launched in July this year, and I'm going to be onboard that for Hamilton Island Race Week, as well as probably some offshore and ocean races to be done with that boat next year. I enjoy still doing a bit of IRC racing on the 40ft yachts, as well as sailing F18s a bit over the past few years, but it's hard to have enough time to do it all!" Ben finishes. Get in touch with Ben Kelly and the North Sails Brisbane Experts to find out how they can optimise your sail package. READ MORE