NORTH SAILS BLOG

MIKEY AND THE GARAGE ROCKET North Sails Experts Claim 2022 J24 World Championship 📸 Emily Stokes There are plenty of clichés in sailboat racing, and perhaps one of the best is, “you’re only as good as your last race.” And what exactly does this mean? We’ll get to the answer eventually, but let’s begin our story with Mike Marshall and his teammates on American Garage—trimmer David Hughes, tactician Allan Terhune, pit Jeff Hayden and bowman Rod Favela—as they are pacing near the signal boat at the J/24 World Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, having been dinged with a black flag on the fourth and critical penultimate day of racing. “It was self-inflicted,” Terhune says. “We didn’t manage our time and distance appropriately, plain and simple. We had a bit of pep in our step, we were still fourth and the discussion was we had to make something happen. Then we did the opposite of making it happen.” The mistake was nerves, the energy of the day, Marshall says. They set up too close and too early near the pin end of the starting line. “We didn’t need the risk,” he says, “and we would have been happy without it.” Lesser teams would have caved and thrown in the towel, but the opposite happened onboard American Garage. “Sailing back and forth for an hour and half waiting for every boat to finish, you might start thinking, ‘That’s it,’ but we said we can either pack it up now or just keep fighting. Part of that fight was that we knew we had to step on the gas, and that’s where our second in the next race came from.” Later that night, Marshall and his teammates rallied around the scoresheet, and the path forward was clear. “It was obvious that our results were improving in the back half of the regatta,” he says. “The numbers were saying that—mathematically—our results were getting better while others were not. We all agreed going into the last day that this was ours to give away.” They were confident—not cocky—Terhune says, because they knew they were hitting their stride. They had the right team and the right boat to get ‘er done. Which brings us to the boat, No. 3379, and its part in this incredible story. The boat has always been called American Garage as far as Marshall knows. It’s a 1982 vintage J/24 once co-campaigned by Soling Olympic Silver medalist Kevin Mahaney and Hall of Famer Dave Curtis. At some point, American Garage was put out to pasture on Cape Cod until it was discovered by North Sails’ Will Welles, himself a J/24 world champion. 📸 Emily Stokes Welles knew Marshall had been looking for a boat capable of winning the J/24 worlds, so he paid the owner a visit. “We went out and looked at it and it was a total disaster,” Marshall says. “It had been sitting under a tarp that was less of a tarp and more of a rain catcher.” The boat sat in Marshall’s yard, continuing to rot from the inside out while he contemplated what to do with it and whether he was willing to undergo and underwrite such an extensive refit. What soon followed was not a project born of boredom, but of motivation and calculation. The dilapidated vessel was towed to Chris and Monica Morgan’s speed shop in Florida with the goal of a six-month turnaround, which, of course, became a year and six months. “The only reason it happened was because of Chris and Monica,” Marshall says. “They did an amazing job on the boat and they worked hard to get it done.” The Morgans, masters of the longboard, replaced 70 percent of the deck and gutted the interior. “The only thing we didn’t do was change the keel,” Marshall says. “The hull, keel and rudder were media blasted, faired, and repainted. We put on new hardware, got a newer mast and all new lines. What was essentially left of the original American Garage was the hull, so it seemed fitting to keep the name.” Why go through such effort when a professional sail designer of his stature could have a much newer boat at his disposal? “I don’t know,” he says. “There are fast boats and there are some boats that are just never there. But at the end of the day, a boat that can win the J/24 Worlds is a no-excuses boat.” Marshall knew American Garage was fast back in its day, and clearly it still is today. “We sailed the whole event at the top of the genoa, and didn’t break anything,” he says. “Even when we were on the wrong side of the racecourse the boat was doing the work and still going fast. It comes down to all the little things adding up to one-tenth of a gain here and there. If it gives you a half boatlength at the first windward mark, that’s a huge deal.” When it comes to J/24s, having the right keel shape is important, he adds, as is a good mast and the right sails, but “having a boat that you didn’t lose anything because it didn’t break is 80 percent of it and having a boat that has all the boxes checked—it’s stiff, it’s fair, the keel is right, the rudder is right and everything is correct.” But we all know it’s not that simple. Fixing an old boat is half the battle. They still have to get the most from it in all conditions. Enter Dave Hughes, the three-time Olympic 470 sailor who brings to the program a level of detail bordering on obsessive-compulsive. “He was a big pusher of writing things down, which we all do, but he does it to the extreme,” Marshall says. As they became students of the boat in the months and miles leading up to the 2022 worlds, Hughes applied the meticulous processes required of an Olympic campaign. 📸 Emily Stokes “It wasn’t until Midwinters this year, in very light air, where we saw we were lacking a bit of power and started to mess around and write our settings down in anger,” Marshall says. “At that event, we began putting our mast-butt settings together. The tuning guide for the newer masts is basic rig tuning, so we had those settings from day one, so it was really about locking in the mast-butt locations for the boat and what the boat wanted in each condition. That’s been ongoing and it continued a lot during Worlds.” Terhune, who’s sailed with a lot of top programs in his decades as a professional sailor, was awestruck by Hughes’ obsession with measurements. “I’ve never seen two people work so hard to set up a boat so perfectly as Mike and Dave did,” Terhune says. “We made it a goal to be faster every day and we were. At Worlds, we had a good early part of the regatta, but I guarantee that the Day 5 American Garage team would have kicked the crap out of Day 1 team and that’s because Mike and Dave never stopped with the rig-tune development. I’ve never seen anyone write more things on a boat than Dave. It was a no-stone-unturned mentality and the level of detail they had was staggering.” At the end of each sailing day, Marshall and Hughes would transfer all the scribblings to a Google Sheet for the team to review, keeping track of fast and slow settings. “We equally kept track of the things that were good and bad,” Terhune says. “That was part of the process that Dave was insistent upon, making sure we didn’t just talk about the rainbows.” Even for Marshall, hyper-analytical himself, Hughes’ approach was next-level. “It was about getting rid of just changing the mast butt because it feels right, to having the data, having the measurement for the wind condition; getting rid of going by fingers on the headstay and actually having millimeter measurements. It was about documenting the good and the bad, but also how to move forward constructively from the bad stuff and then having it written and not guessing anymore. For example, before a race we’d say, “we want to go to 112 on the mast butt, we want to go plus-one, plus-two on the shrouds, and because we’re moving from 116 to 112 we need to add another half turn on the lowers. By looking at the wind conditions we know what it was—every time.” That’s the unlocking speed of right there, and as Terhune noted earlier, they were getting more out of American Garage every day, and the faster they got, the more confident they grew. On the opening day of the championship, Paul Foerster—Olympian, Hall of Famer, and one of the all-time greats of American sailing—and his team came out swinging on the same waters on which he won his J/22 World Championship title a year earlier, winning both races—by a Texan mile. The pecking order was established immediately. “We were all taken aback by how badly Paul crushed everyone.” Terhune says. “It was a thorough butt kicking, and everyone was scrambling after the first day.” It was also a wakeup call for Marshall and Co. on American Garage. In any other championship an 8-2 in a stacked 38-boat fleet would be a good start, but with Foerster on fire, good wasn’t going to be good enough. 📸 Emily Stokes “That was the moment where we said we have to search for more speed,” Marshall says. “We were not fast enough to get ourselves out of bad places. We were not quick enough and kept getting swallowed up in the fray. We needed to clean things up and be faster downwind.” The following day, the Corpus Christi wind machine turned on big time. Out came the blades, and these were not your normal blade conditions. It was, as Marshall says, easing-the-blade sailing: “Usually, when you step down from the genoa, you put the blade on and trim the thing in because it’s right at the crossover of the genoa. But this was blade-eased 6 to 12 inches kind of thing. It was at times so windy that we were just sailing off the leeches of both sails, where you step away from trying to sail fast with sails trimmed hard to trying to keep the boat flat and moving fast through the waves.” Foerster continued his streak, starting the second day with another race win, but American Garage finally posted one of their own. On the scoreboard they were fourth, but they were finding their groove. “We had good pace, but knew we had more to go,” Marshall says. “It was a big one for us when we won that race and Paul did not.” The following day, again with the blades, they won the first race and sailed home with a fifth. Everything was going in the right direction: “Another good set of scores kind of showed that Paul was beatable at that point,” Marshall says. “He was not going to run away with it and our job was to continue to chip away at the points and let the regatta come to us.” The improvements and speed gains were happening live, both upwind and downwind. They were changing for the conditions, adapting on the fly. In the steep waves kicked up by consecutive days of 20- to 30-knot winds, starboard tack was straight into the milky blue walls. Port tack presented its own challenges. Marshall explains in detail with some good lessons for J/24 sailors: “Starboard tack was all about putting the bow down and keeping the boat moving. This is where I think people would give up a lot of height. I was doing it early in the regatta, trying to put the bow down to get the boat to accelerate, but I didn’t really need to because I was already at the right angle. I needed to let the boat do more of the work. “Port was actually the harder one because as the wave rolled under us from the side it would roll the boat over and push it super heeled, but then as it went out from under the other side it would roll us back flat. Our initial thought there was that we didn’t need the power to get through the waves so we moved the jib car back a hole and didn’t think that was the right direction. 📸 Emily Stokes “On the third day, we moved the car forward to keep the upper leech of the jib engaged a bit more. As the wave rolls under the boat, the apparent wind on the jib changes massively because the boat is going sideways, and as it’s going down the other side of the wave, it’s going less sideways. So, keeping the cars forward to keep the upper leech a bit more engaged meant we weren’t giving away as much height on the backside of the waves. And I was super aggressive with the steering as the wave hit the bow to not let the wave push the bow downwind.” By Day 3, their downwind sailing was improving too, says Terhune, thanks to Hughes’ dynamic trimming, and the sharp sail handling by the bow team of Hayden and Favela. “If there was one story of our regatta, it would be about the early part of the week we were very weak downwind—subpar even—and by the last day of the regatta we were probably one of the best boats downwind. That’s a function of Dave talking about what he felt on the sheets and the four of us talking about how to move around the boat. It took us a couple of days to get it right, and part of it was that we all changed our mentality of it being a J/24 where you just pull the pole back and go dead downwind.” In a smaller fleet and on a smaller course you can kind of get way with sailing low and slow, Marshall says, but on a big course that’s not the case: “On a big course, where the leverage on each side is pretty unforgiving, you end up out on the edges and you have to be very quick on your side or you end up with big losses. The VMG has to be more important and that was our change—to not be too low and slow. That’s quite counter to what you would normally do on a J/24.” It was all good on the morning of Day 4, but then came the black flag. But there would be no quit in this squad. They were only 3 points shy of the title with three races to go and they had to believe in the longer mission at hand. Their second-place finish that day kept them in the hunt. “The morning’s discussion was that we were getting close, that today is the day,” Marshall says. “It wasn’t something of putting pressure on ourselves; it was just saying ‘now is the time to execute.’ We’d done our work and we were way faster than we were on Day 1. We were much more comfortable in the boat, so now was the time.” Back into genoa conditions, American Garage came alive, just as it had for Mehaney and Curtis back in its day. The squad led at the weather mark in the day’s first race and posted a third to Foerster’s second. With a bit of padding to those breathing down their necks, the final race was all about fleet management and letting the Garage do its thing. With no points to spare, those battling at the top of the fleet avoided direct skirmishes, leaving the team to sail its own race. In the first mark rounding they sailed right over the top of Foerster’s team as they struggled to get around the offset mark. “I think, maybe, they were finally feeling the heat and knew we were not going to stop,” Terhune says. “They had their unforced error at the worst time. It’s still a mystery as to what happened. They got tangled up somehow, but it was the first break we got all week and it was the break we needed.” And there is one key ingredient that can’t be ignored in this victory: “The sails we were using were the same as anyone else sailing with North Sails in the regatta,” Marshall says. “We’re not making ourselves a custom set of sails. Paul felt like he had a bit of an edge in speed with his other sails in light air, but eventually realized they were not all-purpose sails and they were a little off the pace at Nationals and pre-worlds. He initially had a cross-cut genoa, which is never going to be able to get through the full range. It might have an advantage in light air, but not in 18 knots.” Foerster, Marshall says tried a lot of changes to get faster in breeze, but had limited results, so his solution was the ultimate grenade: a new mast and different set of sails, which dropped into his lap only days before Worlds. “He changed to North Sails and won the first three races, which is a good example that not all sails are built the same, and the crux of it is how you get that last 1/10 out of your boatspeed.” The refinement of the American Garage’s inventory—the Newport Fathead Main and DDX7 Genoa (once called the Newport Genoa)—dates back to the early 1990s, the peak of the J/24 arms race. “Yes, there’s been updates and tweaks and finishing changes,” Marshall says, “but that main and the genoa combination remain the gold standard of J/24 sails.” What makes them particularly fast, he adds, is their ability to be quick throughout the wind range. “It’s such a wide range and they’re so easy to set the boat up to be going 95 percent speed 95 percent of the time. That’s the key—if you want that extra two-tenths, you can work hard to get it like we did, but essentially, you can set the boat up with two fingers on the headstay in 15 knots and sail around at 27/24 and you’ll be happy with that all day long. Being able to go 95 percent speed 95 percent of the time without putting in too much effort is what wins regattas.” American Garage now sits in Texas awaiting its next chapter, perhaps to never again be left to rot on Cape Cod, and onto the North Americans in Annapolis in October, where it will arrive, as the saying goes, as good as its last race. Shop the Winning Inventory and Contact an Expert today. 📸 Emily Stokes READ MORE

TRIUMPH ON THE EDGE John Bacon’s Recipe for Success at the New York Yacht Club Race Week 📸 Stuart Wemple There are lots of ways to attack a regatta, but if you want to win, here are a few things you might wish to avoid: 1) a brand-new owner who’d never laid eyes on the boat until mere days before the racing; 2) an international crew consisting mainly of somewhat laid-back Australians and rather intense Americans (with a strapping Dutch dude thrown in), most of whom had never sailed together before; 3) a largely untested boat with a strong pedigree and (perhaps?) plenty of untapped potential, but also saddled with several important, unanswered questions; and, finally 4) an inaugural event for the yacht and team in a ridiculously competitive, high-profile handicap series with at least two competitors that boasted a solid track record which suggested they might totally clean your clock. This approach could be summarized in myriad terms, one of which is certainly “recipe for disaster.” But these were also the ingredients that came together aboard the 44-footer, The Edge, during this summer’s edition of the New York Yacht Club’s Race Week in Newport. In an astounding collaboration between North Sails; Aussie owner John Bacon and his talented Down Under mates (with North’s Sydney-based sailmaker, Alby Pratt, playing a prominent role); and a posse of local Newport gunslingers led by North’s Ken Read (that also included North’s European one-design ace, Joost Houweling), The Edge made a statement in the initial event under Bacon’s stewardship by winning ORC Division C in emphatic, going-away fashion. And in doing so, The Edge’s crew also laid a framework for success that other teams, in similar circumstances, might be wise to consider and emulate. We’ll begin, naturally, at the beginning. Several months ago, Pratt received a call from Bacon’s right-hand sailing partner, David “Tower” Sampson, who said that his good mate was looking to switch gears from the one-design racing he’d concentrated on for the last decade to get back into handicap racing with something in the mid-40-foot range. Specifically, they were looking at The Edge, for sale in Newport, which had several things going for it. First, the Harry Dunning-design was from the board of the same naval architect responsible for Bacon’s last big boat, an MC 38, and were both built by McConaghy Boats, just a few miles down the road from his home in New South Wales. And it was equipped with a full set of little-used North Sails. “So I called Kenny in Newport,” Pratt said, “and told him I had a client who was interested in buying and campaigning it, and asked if it was any good.” “I’d sailed the boat with the previous owner, who’d commissioned it as the ultimate Grand Prix boat in that size range, with Interlodge as sort of the benchmark,” said Read. “We did a couple of events that culminated in a win at Block Island Race Week, and he was thrilled, but it was sort of a one-and-done thing for him. I have to give Mike Marshall, who designed the sails, a lot of credit. They were perfect. Anyway, I knew the boat was solid and had a good pedigree.” With Read’s positive endorsement, and feedback from his friend Dunning, Bacon decided to pull the trigger on the Dunning 44. “I thought, ‘Let’s go sail against some really good boats and that will give us a mark about where The Edge is,’” he said. “If we come last, we’ve got a dog and we’ll sell it. But if we do all right, we’ll know we’ve got something, a nice platform that we can invest in.” 📸 Stuart Wemple A week before the NYYC event, the 11-person team assembled in Newport. The Aussie contingent, led by Sampson and Pratt, also comprised Darren “Twirler” Jones on mainsheet, another trusted hand. The Newport squad, with Read as tactician, included his partner on the doublehanded circuit, navigator Suzy Leech, and bowman Sam Fitzgerald—a pro sailor, engineer and member of the American Magic team—who’d been largely responsible for putting The Edge together in the Australians’ absence. Bacon (who wants it to be known he’s a longstanding member of Missouri’s Weatherby Lake Yacht Club!), flew in from Europe, fresh from a fourth in the 5.5 Metre Class World Championships and overall champ in the Corinthian division; with him was North’s Houweling, who oversees Bacon’s European sailing programs. With that, they got to work. “We had five solid days before the regatta to get to know everyone and get our maneuvers down,” said Pratt. “That was invaluable. Once we started the regatta, we were actually racing, not trying to sort out the boat, and who did what, and where to sit on the rail. We had all that dialed in.” John also commissioned a new North Helix Light jib and a new A4 spinnaker. The new jib proved to be the go-to workhorse sail for the majority of the racing. For the first day of racing, the NYYC race committee sent the fleet outside into Rhode Island Sound. “It was really light, with leftover chop, the conditions don’t get much harder really,” said Bacon. “At first, we were never up there with the hot guys, Interlodge and Stark Raving Mad. I think I was probably sailing a bit hot and then Kenny got me driving a bit deeper. And all of a sudden we started coming at them.” “John’s a really good driver, but he doesn’t love the light stuff,” said Read. “And if the boat has an Achille’s heel, it’s the light stuff. But we ended up with a 2, 3, 1 that first day, just a couple points out of first. On the first day of racing as a team? I’ll take that.” On Day 2, the racing commenced up Narragansett Bay, more or less on the Read family’s home waters close to nearby Barrington, Rhode Island, his childhood sailing venue. “I wasn’t too upset at that,” he laughed. “The one unique thing about the week was that there was a super moon, and I’m not sure everyone understood how big a deal the current was going to be. It was pretty comfortable for me, like having your blankie when you’re a kid.” The results tell the story. The Edge scored bullets in the next three races. For all intents and purposes, it was game, set, match. And victory in ORC C. “I can’t say enough about how the crew came together,” said Bacon. “It was copybook. It takes some boats months and months to get a crew that coherent, these guys did it in a few days. There was a lot of respect among everyone. It was an incredible experience, I learned so much that week. How could you spend a week with Ken Read and not learn something? And Newport and the New York Yacht Club are very special to Australian sailors. To do well there, it will always be a special thing for me, for sure.” “Having John coming straight from the 5.5 Worlds was a huge advantage,” said Read. “One of the pitfalls of being an owner/driver is you probably have a job that takes up 98 percent of your time. So when all of a sudden you’ve kind of eased out of that day-to-day work grind and transitioned into the day-to-day rhythm of steering a sailboat fast, well, that was a huge advantage for us. And as a tactician, I’ll take that advantage every day of the week. “I don’t use the word ‘perfect’ very much, but The Edge was the perfect mix between the owner’s sailing friends and some industry pros that clicked as a team and made it fun for the owner,” he continued. “So if you have a combination of people that the owner likes onboard, with people who can get the boat around the race course, and a project manager like David Sampson who always thinks on behalf of the owner’s wishes, the program’s going to be successful. Because you can win every race, but if the owner’s not having fun, he’s not coming back.” Joost Houweling concurred on the matter of the importance of having a person like Sampson in charge of what’s happening not on the water, but off it. “When the owner comes on board, he’s absolutely in charge, but he’s comfortable because everything else in the program is taken care of,” he said. “What’s the handicap? Where do we eat and sleep? What has to happen with the sails? Who’s the crew? Where are their tickets? If all that’s arranged, as it was on The Edge, John could just concentrate on sailing. It’s very important to have a guy like that.” So, to recap the elements required to put together a winning program in short order on the fly: A good, potentially great boat with an excellent sail inventory. A committed and skillful owner/operator. Several days of practice beforehand, concentrating on starts and turns. A dedicated point person in charge or organization, details and logistics. A steadfast crew that learns from their mistakes and does not repeat them. Some local knowledge. And, of course, a bit of luck never hurts. And that is how you get The Edge. 📸 Stuart Wemple READ MORE

SORC x NORTH SAILS Optimize for ORC Racing As part of our continued partnership with Southern Ocean Racing Conference as the Official Performance Partner for the 2022-2023 edition, North Sails is offering measurement days across our South East lofts. These measurement days will provide participants with an opportunity to discuss their inventory with North Sails experts and how best to optimize their rating. Participants can also have their sails measured and drop them off for any necessary pre-race service. Mark your calendars and join our North Sails experts at the following locations: Annapolis, MD | August 26th, 1-4pm Charleston, SC | September 8-9, 2-5pm St. Pete, FL | September 16, 1-5pm Ft. Lauderdale, FL | September 30th, 1-5pm Miami, FL | October 21, 9-8pm | October 22, 9-7pm Our North Sails experts look forward to connecting with you and learning about your sailcare needs at the upcoming measurement days. The Southern Ocean Racing Conference series consists of four distance races that draw a fleet from across the country and includes a range of yachts from super maxis to corinthian cruisers. The series prides itself on accessibility for a wide variety of sailors and offers storied races from South Florida to destinations like Key West, Nassau, Palm Beach, and Cape Canaveral. READ MORE

ENTROPY WEARS THE CROWN Patience Pays Off For Local Club Swan 42 Crew 📸 Cate Brown Over the past decade, the husband and wife team of Patti Young and Paul Hamilton have gradually moved their young Entropy team up near the top of results at most of the big New England regattas. In mid-July, they scored their first victory at the prestigious Queen’s Cup on their Club Swan 42. And part of the credit for that win has to go to the ongoing support they’ve received from North Sails over the years, Patti says, “North has been very good to us.” In addition to advice about sails, boat modifications, and team building, Max Tringale joined their team even before he became a coveted sail designer, showing up for everything from the local evening summer series to the Bermuda Race. “His mother said to me early on that I’m like his second mom!” Patti laughs. “Max does everything; he’s definitely helped us improve the boat.” When they first started the race program, most of Entropy’s crew were still in their twenties. Now they’re almost all married, helmsman Paul explains, and some are starting families—but still using valuable vacation time to race. “Everybody's kind of stuck with us,” Patti says. “There’s never any yelling—it’s a good program. And these kids are amazing.” Both owners agree that the core group’s dedication and loyalty is their real key to success— though it’s not an all-pro crew, or even the same group from one regatta to the next. “We always bring a few new sailors on board for every race,” Patti says, adding that many are college-age with very little big-boat experience. As navigator, she also helps organize the crew. Over the winter, work parties are followed by pizza and suggestions on improvements for the next season. Though there was talk about replacing the Swan 42’s retractable sprit last year, it wasn’t until right before the Bermuda Race that they finally upgraded it to a fixed sprit designed to handle the loads of Helix headsails. Paul says it’s a good thing they made the change, “because it was a real blow.” After a ninth overall in Bermuda’s Gibbs Hill Division, Entropy returned to Narragansett Bay in time to line up for New York Yacht Club’s Race Week. Consecutive days of racing turned out to be the perfect warmup for the Queen's Cup, which took place the day after Race Week ended. The Queen’s Cup was first awarded in 1953, and it’s won by completing the course in the shortest elapsed time. The list of previous winners reads like a who’s who of each decade’s hot race boats, and includes several America’s Cup yachts as well as Bolero (1954), Running Tide (1970), Tenacious (1981), and Belle Mente (2020). All helms must be category 1 amateurs, and the course must contain reaching legs. 📸 Stuart Wemple But the race’s biggest twist is its two-minute starting window. “Everyone always wants to start right at the gun, like a hare to hounds,” says Paul. But with fresh memories of the crowded starts at Race Week—and her experience gleaned from previous Queen’s Cups—Patti decreed that they would wait at least a minute to cross the line. “We started with about 45 seconds left in the window,” she says, adding, “I just didn't want to be near anybody.” Though they initially had a little bad air from Fox, a Botin 52 that would eventually finish second, the bigger boat soon left them a clean lane. “After that, the team sailed the boat really well.” The only other Swan 42 racing was Paul Zabetakis’ Impetuous. Patti spotted them up ahead on the first leg, though she’d been too focused on timing Entropy’s start to be sure exactly when the other boat had crossed the line. When they finished ahead of Impetuous, she knew they must’ve done well overall. “That was the only boat we could measure ourselves against.” “I knew we’d sailed a really, really good race,” Paul adds, “but I still didn't think we could beat the TP52s.” Soon after they crossed the finish line, they checked the results—and Patti saw Entropy’s name at the very top. “I screamed! I just couldn’t believe it. I knew we’d sailed really well, but…” “We still thought Fox would get us,” Paul says. “They’re pretty hard to beat.” But it was official; on their eighth attempt, Entropy sailed the Queen’s Cup course in the fastest elapsed time, beating out 23 other boats—almost all of which were bigger than their 42 footer. Asked for the biggest changes to sail inventories in the past decade, Paul says that Helix has been a big step forward. “The structured luff sails are working really well. And nobody was even talking about that ten years ago.” Patti adds that they now frequently sail with a double- and even triple-headsail rig, which has meant adding new halyards—and that new bowsprit. They’ve also put a symmetrical spinnaker pole onboard, to help wing out their largest headsail for the non-spinnaker division of the upcoming NYYC Cruise. 📸 Stuart Wemple 📸 Stuart Wemple READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: WOUTER KÖLLMANN North Sails Expert Wouter Köllmann (41) is van jongs af aan actief in de watersport. De rol van Sail Expert bij North Sails is hem dan ook op het lijf geschreven. Inmiddels is hij het vaste gezicht in de loft in Almere en deelt hij zijn passie voor het zeilen graag met klanten, vrienden en familie. Waarom wilde je zo graag bij North Sails werken? Ik ben zo goed als geboren op een boot. Hoewel ik relatief laat met wedstrijdzeilen ben begonnen – op m’n 13e pas – loopt zeilen als een rode draad door mijn leven. Het is mijn passie. Daarom wilde ik altijd al de zeilerij in. Na het bekende traject van Optimist, Laser en verschillende kajuitboten te hebben afgelegd, ben ik beroepsmatig gaan zeilen. Toen is het balletje gaan rollen. Sinds 2014 werk ik bij North Sails. Vanaf 2017 is de interne organisatiestructuur met onder andere de komst van Nic Bol gewijzigd en is de bereikbaarheid van North Sails uitgebreid met vestigingen in Almere, Rotterdam en Antwerpen. De essentie is echter niet veranderd. Wereldwijd zijn wij de benchmark. We blijven ontwikkelen en ook achter de schermen beschikken we over een professionele organisatie. Is het werk echt zo leuk als je vroeger dacht? Zeker! In principe is onze eerste taak om zeilen te verkopen, maar het gaat zoveel verder. We adviseren eigenaren en jachtwerven, optimaliseren zeilplannen, meten in, bespreken ontwerpen met de saildesigners en leveren de zeilen af. De ene dag voor een Optimist, een dag later voor een superjacht en alles daartussen. We hebben dan ook een uitzonderlijke baan. We zijn bevoorrecht dat we met mooie boten en het beste materiaal mogen varen tijdens unieke evenementen. En ondertussen helpen we mensen een stap verder met plezier maken. Wat zijn de mooiste momenten op het werk? Het afleveren van een nieuwe set zeilen. Eigenaren zien je graag komen en zijn blij met hun nieuwe aankoop. Onze visie is; iedere boot kan beter of comfortabeler, net waar de wensen liggen. Onze drive is dan ook om ervoor te zorgen dat er betere prestaties worden behaald. Natuurlijk zijn nieuwe zeilen geen garantie, voor een groot deel ligt het aan het team en de handling. En als North Sails zijn we er niet alleen voor de ‘diehard’ wedstrijdzeilers. Juist niet! Als een cruiser bijvoorbeeld teveel helling maakt, kijken we hoe we dat met de zeilen kunnen compenseren en daarmee meer comfort kunnen realiseren. Ook voor boten die af en toe aan een avondwedstrijd meedoen, kunnen we veel betekenen. Als je altijd 15e bent en met een goed zeilplan 8e of 9e kan worden, is dat net zo leuk! Op welke overwinning ben je het meeste trots? Heel stom, maar ik weet niet meer alle overwinningen. Dat klinkt gek, maar het is echt zo. Een leuk onderdeel van het werk is het verzorgen van bootmanagement. Zorgen dat de crew, de boot, de zeilen en het trainingsprogramma op orde zijn. Momenteel vaar ik op veel verschillende typen schepen, waaronder veel J-Boats zoals J/99, J/111, J/80 en J/109. Daarmee hebben we ook diverse nationale en internationale successen hebben behaald. Zo ook met de J/70, waarmee we onder andere tweemaal Nederlands Kampioen geworden, waarvan één keer samen met collega Jacco Huijgen. Dat was heel mooi. Maar heel eerlijk: tegenwoordig geniet ik ook enorm van het zeilen met mijn gezin. Lekker cruisen op onze toerboot! Je hebt twee dochters. Gaan die ook zeilen? Dat weet ik niet hoor! Mijn partner is ook een wedstrijdzeilster, maar of onze dochters dat pad ook inslaan is nog maar de vraag. De jongste van 1,5 jaar krijgt het nog niet zo mee en de oudste van vijf vaart op haar manier mee. Trekt weleens aan een lijntje en stuurt mee, maar vindt vooral het samenzijn aan boord heel leuk. We gaan het zien. Wel zie ik een hele nieuwe generatie zeilers klaarstaan. Gelukkig zijn er initiatieven als Team Heiner Talents en ROST van Gerd-Jan Poortman, welke we ook proberen te ondersteunen met North Sails. Zelf heb ik ook kansen gekregen, dus ben zeker een voorstander om de zeilsport te behouden voor de toekomst. Wat is het beste advies wat je ooit hebt gekregen? Doe wat je leuk vindt, anders ga je het niet volhouden. Als je iets kiest, doe je dat namelijk vaak je hele leven… Dat was het advies van mijn ouders. Desondanks stonden ze niet meteen te springen van blijdschap toen ik na mijn studie Werktuigbouwkunde en Commerciële Economie met hen overlegde en besloot om fulltime te gaan zeilen, maar ze hebben mij altijd gesteund. Gelukkig heb ik hun advies opgevolgd. Het heeft goed uitgepakt. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST – 52 SUPER SERIES PODIUM SWEEP North Sails Onboard for Key Victories in Puerto Portals 📸 nicomartinezphoto On July 21, nine super-charged TP52s, representing six countries descended upon the Bay of Palma for the third event of the SUPER SERIES season. 2022 marked the event’s seventh visit to Puerto Portals, Spain. And, amidst a heatwave, the wind forecast was anything but certain in a venue already known for its varying conditions. North Sails powered the top three boats at the 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week in Puerto Portals. The Plattner family’s Phoenix claimed a long overdue regatta win, with 2021 season champion Sled placing second and Provezza making big moves on the final day of racing to round out the podium. Phoenix’s Tactician Tom Slingsby commented on the team’s win. “This feels amazing not just winning, but winning comfortably with this team. I have been saying for a long time that we are right on the edge and we have had a couple of podiums, thirds and fourths and just missed the regatta win. It feels great with such an amazing team we have here.” Their win in Puerto Portals moves Phoenix to the top of the season scoreboard, a position they’ll fight hard to protect throughout the remaining two events. As the sailmaker of choice to the majority of the fleet and a longtime sponsor of the SUPER SERIES, North Sails is committed to ensuring the teams we work with have the tools they need to win. Branded as the world’s leading monohull circuit, the SUPER SERIES is a test of teamwork, season-long perseverance, and for North Sails, continued product innovation. All North-supplied teams competing in the SUPER SERIES use 3Di. First introduced in 2010, these molded composite sails are an indispensable building block of championship projects. The latest refinement North designers have deployed for the TP52 inventory is the Helix Structured Luff. Structured luff sails are not limited to North Sails, but the pairing of Helix with 3Di uniquely maximizes the benefit of load sharing. Available for both offwind and upwind sails, Helix is a game changer that enables a new gear. Sail shapes are more dynamic and that means more power. Regatta winner Phoenix sailed with a complete Helix upwind inventory during the event in Puerto Portals, and second place Sled used a Helix jib. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 52 SUPER SERIES (@52superseries) North sail designer Burns Fallow is the designer of record for Phoenix. As the lead sail designer for America’s Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, Fallow has been at ground-zero of Helix’s rapid development. One of the world’s leading aero-experts, Fallows, explains his work with Phoenix and their use of Helix sails. “I did my first Helix designs for the Phoenix team at the end of 2021. And while they did not card that sail, the team used it for practice and got a feel for Helix’s increased range. I collected great feedback from their trimmers, particularly Morgan Trubovich, which helped with future design iterations. The team quickly realized the potential benefits of the Helix path and fully committed to the concept for the 2022 season.” Follows continues, “Throughout the offseason, I worked on building simulations of Phoenix’s sails in Membrain, a program within the North Design Suite. With Membrain, I refined the range of tack loads and depths we were targeting based on the shapes the team was familiar with in their current inventory. North Sails delivered a full inventory to the team in April. The real-world results calibrated very, very close to what I had been seeing on my computer screen with the Membrain models a few months earlier.” The 52 Super Series will race again in Scarlino late September. The circuit then heads to Barcelona in October for the final event of the 2022 season and of the nine boats competing in the 2022 season, seven have chosen North as their sailmaker. This is a testament to North Sails’ industry-leading technology, tools and also to the North Sails team. In total, six sail designers support the Super Series program year-round. Learn more about the 52 Super Series and follow along with the 2021 season on https://www.52superseries.com/ 📸 nicomartinezphoto READ MORE

EXPERT PROFILE: MEET DANIELE CASSINARI, A Proven Leader Who’s Our Southern European Sales Manager and 2022 ClubSwan 50 World Champion. READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: TOM VAN DER VECHT North Sails Expert 📸 M32 World / Kevin Rio Tom van der Vecht (36) is als Sail Expert verantwoordelijk voor de verkoop van zeilen. Samen met Wouter Köllmann runt hij de North Sails loft in Almere. Tom groeide op in Enkhuizen, omringd door inspirerende zeilers. Hoewel het racen hem niet meteen wist te bekoren, is hij nu een van de drijvende krachten achter Team LeeLoo, waarmee ze de lat steeds hoger leggen. Wat is jouw eerste zeilervaring? Mijn CWO 1, 2 en 3 heb ik behaald met mijn houten Optimist. Ook de clubwedstrijden in Enkhuizen gingen goed. Echter parkeerde ik het bootje bij de eerste Combi wedstrijd op de rotsen en riep heel hard dat ik dit nooit meer ging doen. Toch ben ik blijven zeilen, onder andere in de Splash, Laser en Hobie 18. Maar het wedstrijdzeilen heb ik pas later weer echt opgepakt met de boot van mijn ouders, een FF65. Hoe ben je bij North Sails terecht gekomen? Als student was ik zoekende. In eerste instantie dacht ik dat ik gymleraar wilde worden, maar na een jaar ALO ben ik hbo Leisure Management gaan doen. Ondertussen was ik gevraagd voor het talententeam van Team Heiner. Dat heb ik twee jaar gedaan, waarna ik voor Roy Heiner ben gaan werken. Onderhoud, schipperen en opleiden waren mijn kerntaken, op schepen zoals een Volvo 60 en J/109. Op een gegeven moment ben ik als zelfstandige wedstrijdteams gaan begeleiden, maar dat is heel intensief. Je bent veel van huis, dus toen er kinderen kwamen ben ik als verkoper/adviseur voor een vooraanstaande zeilmakerij gaan werken. Afgelopen oktober werd ik benaderd door North Sails en hebben ze mij gevraagd hun team te komen versterken. Waarom heb je voor North Sails gekozen? Iedereen kan in principe een zeil maken, maar in het ontwerp (de shape), afwerking en service, onderscheidt North Sails zich echt. Ik houd van ontwikkeling en innovatie. North Sails is het merk dat altijd vooruitloopt in de ontwikkeling en hierin anders durft te zijn dan de rest. Een voorbeeld voor mij is de stap van 3DL naar 3Di. We waren marktleider, maar kozen toch voor de uitdaging van een compleet nieuw product. Daarin zijn nu zoveel varianten zeildoek dat het niet alleen geschikt is voor wedstrijdzeilen, maar ook voor toerboten en superjachten. Wat is het leukste aan jouw baan als Sail Expert? In eerste instantie is het mijn taak om zeilen te verkopen, maar de meeste tijd besteed ik aan service, adviseren en meevaren met klanten. Het is leuk om samen met de klant tot een optimaal product te komen, wat precies past bij de wensen en eisen van de klant. Het komt voor dat dit compleet anders is dan wat ze vooraf verwachten. Uiteindelijk wil je dat een klant blij wordt zodra de zeilen worden gehesen. Als ze dan later zeggen ‘Dit is precies wat ik nodig had. Nu loop ik op deze rakken 8 knopen, waar dat voorheen maar 5,5 knoop was. Het IJsselmeer is daardoor kleiner geworden’, dan geeft dat veel voldoening. Waar ben je het meeste trots op? Als vader van drie ben ik het meeste trots op mijn gezin. Zeiltechnisch vind ik het knap wat we met Team LeeLoo hebben bereikt in acht jaar. We zijn (bij wijze van spreken) begonnen met; hoe hijs je een zeil. Inmiddels strijden we tegen America Cup toppers, Olympische zeilers en wereldkampioenen. En we winnen ook weleens een potje. Telkens als we zijn opgeklommen in een klasse, gaan we een stapje verder. Momenteel varen we met een M32 catamaran. Het gaat mij niet alleen om het winnen, want eigenlijk is het proces het leukste. Zeilen is de ultieme teamsport, dus het gaat om mensen. In de basis zijn we als Team LeeLoo nog steeds een vriendengroep. Wat is jouw advies aan ambitieuze zeilers? Doe wat je leuk vindt, dan word je er goed in en kom je ergens. Maar je wordt niet vanzelf ergens goed in, soms moet je er ook dingen voor laten. Ik had geen uitgestippeld carrièreplan, maar het zeilen is altijd belangrijk voor me geweest. Ik had zelfs een bijnaam; Tom ‘2 uur thuis’. Stappen was leuk, maar als ik de volgende dag moest zeilen, haakte ik toch op tijd af. Uiteindelijk ben ik blij dat ik het zo heb aangepakt, want ik ben toch maar mooi hier terecht gekomen! READ MORE

DRIE NEDERLANDSE ORC TOPPERS, ALLEMAAL NORTH SAILS ZEILERS De Nummers 1 Aan Het Woord Over de North Sea Regatta Team Van Uden - foto: Twirre Bogaard “Fantastisch om na de coronapandemie eindelijk weer zo’n groot evenement in Nederland te varen, met een grote diversiteit aan klasses en 800 man op het water,” blikt Nic Bol, Sales Manager North Sails Benelux, terug op de North Sea Regatta, welke van 4 tot en met 6 juni 2022 werd gevaren vanuit Scheveningen. De uitslag is er ook eentje om trots op te zijn; alle winnaars in de ORC klasses zijn North Sails klanten. Maar komt dat puur door de zeilen en de nieuwste technieken zoals 3Di, of is er meer nodig om te winnen? Deze vraag legden we voor aan de drie winnaars in de ORC 1, ORC 2 en ORC 3. Winnen begint bij goed onderhoud Voor de ORC 1 en ORC 2 was het Nederlands Kampioenschap een optelsom van de Vuurschepen Race, de North Sea Race en de inshore wedstrijden tijdens de North Sea Regatta (NSR). In de ORC 2 gingen alle overwinningen naar één team: de Extra Djinn van Michel Dorsman, een X-362 sport. “We werden wel iets te vaak naar het podium geroepen,” lacht de schipper. “Aan de andere kant is het wel een groot compliment voor het team, aangezien we al jaren hard werken om zo hoog mogelijk te eindigen. Meestal zitten we wel in de top 3, maar we zitten er ook weleens naast. Nu zat alles mee.” Tijdens de coronapandemie viel het niet mee om het team bij elkaar te houden, volgens Dorsman. “Toch is het team bijna helemaal intact gebleven, alleen missen we een tacticus. Daarom stapte Nic Bol op tijdens de North Sea Regatta. Ik ben al jaren North Sails klant. Inmiddels is onze hele set uitgevoerd in 3Di en naar alle tevredenheid.” Hoewel er soms wel gezocht moet worden naar de optimale setting. In zo’n geval staan de Sails Experts van North Sails klaar met advies, weet Dorsman. “Vorig jaar was ik aan het stoeien met het nieuwe grootzeil. We hadden veel roerdruk en kwamen niet goed in balans. Nic is toen aan boord geweest. Samen hebben we het nodige aangepast, waaronder de mastsetting, de neerhouderspanning en meer achterstag erin. Het is fijn dat Nic de puntjes op de ‘i’ weet te zetten.” En dat deed hij ook aan boord tijdens de NSR, vertelt Dorsman. “Natuurlijk is het belangrijk om de goede kant op te varen. Zeker met de stroming en de ondieptes voor de Noordzeekust is dat een kunst. Maar Nic is ook een aanjager richting het team. Hij weet iedereen te motiveren om net dat stapje extra te zetten, nog beter te ‘hiken’.” Hoewel de handling van het team sowieso top is. “Op maandag werd er niet gevaren vanwege te harde wind, maar als we wel hadden geracet, was dat voor ons geen probleem geweest. We zijn goed op elkaar ingespeeld en weten ook dat de boot het aankan. Dat zit ‘m vooral in goed onderhoud van het materiaal. En als er onverhoopt toch iets kapotgaat, zorgen we er met het team voor dat we snel weer verder kunnen. Dat hebben we vorig jaar bij de Breskens Sailing Weekend nog laten zien toen de voorstag brak.” Talenten leren van zeilontwerpers Goed omspringen met het materiaal is ook het Van Uden team, onder leiding van Gerd-Jan Poortman, niet vreemd. De drievoudig deelnemer aan de Ocean Race is coach en schipper aan boord van de KER 46, waarmee 13 veelbelovende young professionals hun eerste stappen in het grote boten circuit zetten. Poortman: “Dit initiatief is geïnitieerd door KR&ZV De Maas om succesvolle dinghy zeilers een springplank te bieden. Zij zijn immers de ambassadeurs van de toekomst. We worden enorm geholpen door de industrie. Zo is North Sails een van onze partners en daar zijn we erg blij mee. Vooral met het 3Di principe dat zij leveren. Dat is exceptioneel goed. Het is zo duurzaam dat je met één set de wereld rond kan. Voor ons als team een uitkomst, want we hebben een gelimiteerd budget.” Ondanks dat het pas de zesde keer was dat de jongeren deelnamen aan een ‘grote boten evenement’, ging het Van Uden team met de North Sea Regatta overwinning in de ORC 1 aan de haal. “Waanzinnig knap,” aldus hun coach. “We hebben iedere wedstrijd goed gepresteerd, zowel inshore als offshore laten zien dat we de disciplines beheersen en het opgenomen tegen zeer ervaren teams. Trainen en teamwork is echt key, maar ook kennis opdoen. North Sails is een bewezen voorloper op het gebied van ontwikkeling en design. We hebben veel contact met de ontwerper over het design van de zeilen. Er wordt echt de tijd genomen om alles uit te leggen aan het team. Deze ervaringen kan de jeugd meenemen. Dat ze dat ook doen, bewijst deze overwinning.” Vasthouden aan het plan, later evalueren Ondanks dat er op de maandag niet werd gevaren, waren de vijf gevaren races wel voldoende voor een geldig kampioenschap in de ORC 1 en ORC 2. In de ORC 3 was dat niet het geval vanwege te weinig deelnemers; drie in plaats van de benodigde tien boten. Hoewel winnaar Kees Keetels dat betreurt, is hij nog steeds regerend Nederlands Kampioen in de ORC 3, aangezien hij tijdens de laatste editie de titel in de wacht sleepte. Kees Keetels vaart op zijn A-31, de CSi Rakker, met een vast team van vrienden en familie. “We maken er een feestje van, maar proberen toch mee te doen met de top.” Hoewel dat heel ontspannen klinkt, zit er de nodige effort in het team. “Niemand uit ons team zeilt van jongs af aan. We zijn allemaal theoretische mensen en bespreken graag met de zeilmaker de range van de zeilen. Op die manier halen we kennis van buiten naar binnen. Bij de Van Uden Reco race konden we de nummer één niet bijhouden. Dat hebben we toen besproken met Jacco Huijgen van North Sails en hebben we geleerd van zijn commentaar.” Alle kennis noteert Keetels in ‘hun bijbel’. “Vooraf kijken we; wat hebben we genoteerd bij deze condities? En achteraf bespreken we hoe we alles nog verder kunnen verbeteren en leggen we dat vast. Daardoor weet iedereen precies wat ie moet doen tijdens de wedstrijd. Goede ideeën zijn altijd welkom, maar niet tijdens de race. Dat kunnen we volgende keer uittesten. Op die manier zijn we langzaam omhoog gekrabbeld, maar deze NSR was wel uitzonderlijk, aangezien we alle wedstrijden hebben gewonnen. Dat was ons nog nooit gelukt!” Team Extra Djinn - foto: Twirre Bogaard READ MORE

Three new North Sails World Champions, just one place short of a sweep for the nine podium positions and all achieved at one regatta, the Swan One Design Worlds in Valencia.  READ MORE

BLACK STAR WINS GC32 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN EXCITING FINALE Christian Zuerrer Improves Upon 2021 Performance to Top the Podium 📸 Sailing Energy The GC32 World Championship in Lagos, Portugal, July 13-17, saw ten teams on the line to battle it out for the title. Three new teams joined the GC32 Racing Tour for its top event of the year: two newSailGP teams, K-Challenge Team France and Team Canada, as well as a new Polish campaign: Piotr Harasimowicz’s HRM Racing Team that would boost the owner-driver competition. Additionally, due to America’s Cup commitments, stand-out GC32 skipper, Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s Arnaud Psarofaghis, was unavailable to race the Worlds, handing it over to 24-year-old Maxime Bachelin. This leveled the playing field – would the contenders to the Swiss throne be Team Rockwool Racing or top owner-driver Erik Maris and Zoulou, who had podiumed in the pre-Worlds three weeks earlier? Ultimately the field consisted of ten teams from seven nations competing at the GC32 Worlds, including Simon Delzoppo’s .film AUS Racing from Australia and USA’s Jason Carroll’s Argo, with Paul Goodison calling tactics. Despite predictions, on the opening day there was a surprise stand-out team: the GC32 newbies on K-Challenge Team France, skippered by Nacra 17 Olympian Quentin Delapierre. The team scored three bullets in five races, despite the mix of reaching and upwind starts, with conditions that started light but built to 20 knots. The increased winds enabled the nimble flying catamarans to reach speeds up to 30 knots. 📸 Sailing Energy In the five races held the following day, the French SailGP team was again the lowest scoring team, and at the halfway point held a solid 10 point lead. However at this point a new star was already on the ascent and it was Black. Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team is unique for being a privately-owned team with Zuerrer trimming main, leaving Kiwi match racer Chris Steele to helm. The team joined the GC32 Racing Tour in 2019 and stepped up to reach the podium in 2021. Day two of the GC32 World Championship saw this Swiss team win two races, however they struggled to find consistency, but this would not be the case for the final two days. The second half of the Worlds was held mostly in sub-10 knot conditions yet still provided top level competition. At this point the GC32 World Championship became a two horse race between the French and Swiss and even Alinghi Red Bull Racing was struggling to keep up. Over the next seven races, the two previously mentioned stand-out teams won every race save one which was taken by Team Tilt, skippered by Sebastien Schneiter. It wasn’t until the penultimate race that Black Star Sailing Team took the lead overall, sealing the deal by winning the final race as a technical issue caused the French leaders to plummet to ninth. Black Star Sailing Team became the fourth GC32 World Champions as Erik Maris’ Zoulou won the Owner-Driver trophy. “We are very proud of the association between the GC32 Racing Tour and North Sails, as its official supplier,” said Paul Westlake. “We are pleased to see this top level, high energy racing circuit for foiling catamarans continuing to thrive.” The GC32 Racing Tour will conclude with its final 2022 event in October. 📸 Sailing Energy READ MORE

North Sails and Sea Bags teamed up on a sustainability initiative to divert retired sails from the landfill and pave the way for the sailing community to collectively reduce waste. READ MORE

One Week to go to Cowes Week 2022 Photo Credit: James Tomlinson / Cape 31 UK Cowes Week, aptly named after its host town in the Isle of White, is one of the world's longest running and most successful sporting events. The regatta has been held in early August every year since 1826, except during the two World Wars and is a key highlight of the British sailing summer. It’s the range from classic and cruising yachts to the high performance designs of the moment that gives Cowes Week its uniqueness. The spectacle the racing provides along the foreshore of the town and the vibrant festival atmosphere attracts not only sailors from around the world but thousands of visitors to Cowes during the event. With over 300 boats entered in this year's Cowes Week, the event is on track to be the biggest in recent years; the XOD class has had the largest early entry with 35 teams. All 21 One Design classes are also starting to stack up including 18 Cape 31’s, 29 J70’s, as well as Performance Cruiser and Club Cruiser classes and seven IRC classes. The class to watch is the New Cape 31 class with over 20 boats on the start line. We’re proud to be supporting some of our local North Sails team members across the fleets including; Ben Saxton on Cape 31 Tokoloshe, the current UK 31 Race Circuit leader, Ronan Grealish and the Harrison Family sailing their new Cape 31 to match their TP52 Jolt and finally, Mike Henning competing for the Overall Cowes Week Cup on board HH42, INO XXX. North Sails newest team member Ian Walker will be christening his first week at North by joining North Sails expert Ruaridh Wright and long-standing North customer Ian Atkins on Dark n’ Stormy a GP42. The team will be following up on their Overall win at the Round the Island Race that took place at the end of June. One to also watch is Yes! (JPK1080), long standing North Sails customer Adam Gosling who has been racing at Cowes Week for over three decades. In various yachts, all called Yes!, Adam is one of the most successful skippers in the 192 year history of the regatta, winning his class on 15 occasions and Black Group overall on four occasions. He missed out on the class win by one point to fellow North Customer David Frank on J112e Leon last year... Will he get back on his winning streak this year? Our North Sails team will also be providing North Sails Certified Service during the regatta at the North Sails Cowes Loft in Cowes Yacht Haven. North Sails service expert James Hobson will be on site to assist with all your sail care needs during the regatta. The legacy of this long-standing regatta is based in world-class racing, but it’s also a wonderfully social week where friends old and new come together to support the sailors, discuss innovation and have fun in a great mix of social activities. Keep up to date with the North Sails Victory List to see how your favorite North Sails expert or team is fairing throughout the week. READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: VYC REGATTA North Sails Smooths The Water For Annual Regatta The 2022 Vernon Yacht Club Regatta was a great success with 26 boats and well over 100 sailors participating from 4 clubs, including Penticton, Summerland, Kelowna, and Vernon. Some great winds picked up the racer’s spirits on Friday afternoon during the pre-regatta Rum Race from Whiskey Island to the Vernon Yacht Club. Budd Callis and crew on Controlled Skid (Penticton) took the prize. Regular regatta racing on Saturday and Sunday had more subdued winds and lots of liquid sunshine but spirits were high. Lyle Enns on Mystique (Vernon), with his brand new North Sails headsail took 1st place in the Santana fleet. Danny Foster on Shadowfax (Kelowna) took 1st in A fleet, and Harvey Ryll on Wildfire (Summerland) took 1st in C fleet. This year’s regatta committee encouraged more relaxed racers to join in a white sail fleet and Gerard Obbema on Quintessence (Summerland) took 1st in the fleet of 8. Congratulations to Harvey Ryll on Wildfire who won the overall award. No regatta is complete without the competitors feeling the thrill of a big win. Sometimes that win comes with a trophy for top notch racing, but for many it’s that anticipation that their winning ticket will let them head home with a goody that will come in handy for their next sailing adventure. During the awards ceremony most participants don’t walk to the podium to receive a 1st place finish, but they sure love taking part in the afternoon ceremony when the North Sails and Nautical Sailing Services swag is presented to lucky door prize winners. This year Drew Mitchell and the North Sails crew in Vancouver came up big by providing the Vernon Yacht Club Regatta with hats, belts, shirts, croakies and water bottles that will help keep these competitors coming back for future events. This years Vernon Regatta was not the windiest or the driest, but all the competitors had high praise for the camaraderie and also for the value they received for their entry fee. The extra value provided by the generosity of North Sails, Nautical Sailing Services and other fine community supporters helped make the VYC Regatta a big success. READ MORE

Nanushka Forestay Sailing Team 2022-es versenyszezonra a testek frissítése, újrafestésével párhuzamban tervezte lecserélni a teljes vitorlakészletét. Vitorlák beszerzésében a csapat komoly tapasztalata és a kompromisszum mentes hozzáállás volt a döntő. NORTH SAILS 3Di kompozit vitorlákra esett a választásuk. Csapat: Horváth Áron, Botos Bálint, Várady-Szabó János, Petheő Tamás, Lukáts Csaba, Jankovics Gábor. 📸NANUSHKA FORESTAY SAILING TEAM READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: CATGURU RENDEZVOUS Weekend of Fun and Learning with North Sails Expert Bob Meagher After a two-year COVID hiatus, Stephen and Estelle Cockcroft of Catamaran Guru reinvigorated their Abacos catamaran Rendezvous and attracted 27 catamarans to rally to and through the northeastern Bahamas last month. Naturally, North Sails jumped in with North Sails multihull expert Bob Meagher arriving on a Monday evening when the party was just winding down. Tuesday morning featured a short distance race with a 10:00 start off of White Sound, with the fleet of 25 cats flying a variety of sails to catch the southwest breeze. Boats flew sails in the widest range of configurations, with winged genoas and mains, gull-winged genoas and screechers, asymmetrical spinnakers sheeted to either side off either bow, with mainsails doused, reefed, or full depending on how each crew thought they’d serve best. Meagher chased them all, offering trim tips to each competitor, guiding them through experimenting with different setups, commenting "rallies like this are about learning: by doing it and seeing what works, by watching others, and from outside advice." A dying breeze gave the race committee time to restock with ice before shortening the course to enable an on-time happy hour at Grabbers on Guana Cay. Continued light breezes forced a leisurely motor sail the next day to Green Turtle Cay, home of the Bluff House, as the evening's host. But first, there was more learning to be had! Half the fleet gathered aboard Zuri, the Cockcroft's own Bali 5.4, where Meagher led a hands-on class in setting, sailing, and dousing asymmetrical spinnakers. Almost two dozen people participated. “Our goal with this annual rendezvous is two-fold. We lead our group on our own cruising catamaran to the islands to help them gain confidence and to show our boat owners a good time. But more importantly, we invite our industry colleagues like Bob, to help educate the boat owners on how to operate certain components of their boats and therefore better enjoy their boats. Bob did not disappoint and we are very grateful to North Sails and Bob for generously donating his time and expertise.“ The fleet capped off the week with the awards party ashore at Bluff House. Rick Walker's Voyage 430 Endangered Species claimed first prize in the previous day’s races (using a rare thing on a cat - a spinnaker pole!), and other prizes were awarded for more… creative competitions when the sun went down. All-in-all, the Catamaran Guru Rendezvous highlighted the best about sailing: fun with friends, and learning to improve. North Sails was happy to help with both. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS & SORC CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP North Sails Chosen As Official Performance Partner of 2022-2023 Edition North Sails is pleased to announce its continued partnership with Southern Ocean Racing Conference for the 2022-2023 edition. The series consists of four distance races that draw a fleet from across the country and includes a range of yachts from super maxis to corinthian cruisers. The series prides itself on accessibility for a wide variety of sailors and offers storied races from South Florida to destinations like Key West, Nassau, Palm Beach, and Cape Canaveral. North Sails will continue to work with participants to help them prepare and plan for the series of four races. As the Official Performance Partner, North Sails experts will be offering measurement days across the South East lofts and an educational webinar on ORC Ratings. The measurement days will provide participants an opportunity to discuss their inventory with North Sails experts and how to optimize their rating, have their sails measured and drop them off for any necessary pre-race service. Stay tuned for dates and timing. “SORC is a fabled brand that continues to challenge sailors of all skill levels today. This initiative helps teams plan for first class winter sailing and get the most out of their sails,” shares North Sails expert Bob Meagher. As the industry leader, North Sails is committed to helping clients achieve success whether it’s their first race or thirtieth. We look forward to supporting SORC participants in their journey throughout the 2022- 2023 SORC series. READ MORE

BLUEBOTTLE – THE QUEEN’S DRAGON Racing Royalty: 74-Year Old Classic Races 2022 Dragon World Championships 📸 Tom Körber “Take the measurement certificate, for example, it says the owner, and it’s… well, Her Majesty the Queen. So, when you go to the regatta office to register and they’re looking at it… they’re taking photographs and they can’t believe it.” The speaker was Graham Bailey, and we were talking about Bluebottle, the 74-year old classic that he had just helped Ruairidh (Rory) Scott – a leading designer with North One Design – sail to a fifth place at the 2022 Dragon Worlds in Germany. Bluebottle was a wedding gift from the Island Sailing Club to the-then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in 1948. She was raced by the Royal couple, and others – winning bronze at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne in the hands of Graham Mann – before being retired from racing in 1961. Bluebottle spent the next forty years at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. “I’m told that no cadet dare use her for fear of pranging her,” said Bailey. “So, she was sort of a precious, unusable item… until she was taken in by the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall.” It was Bob Downie, the far-sighted CEO of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust that rescued her and brought her back to the racetrack. Downie was already responsible for the remarkable second life of the Royal Yacht Britannia, now a superb tourist attraction in Edinburgh, and home to two other royal yachts, the ocean racer Bloodhound, and the Flying Fifteen, Coweslip. Downie was given custodianship of Bluebottle, and this is where Bailey – a long-time Dragon devotee – came into the picture. “He was seeking guidance on who best to restore her,” said Bailey. It was David Heritage Racing Yachts of Cowes that got the job. The question was, how complete a restoration should be undertaken? “They kept on referring to the Duke,” explained Bailey, “and he kept on saying, ‘Well, yes, if we’re going to restore her, we might as well restore her properly, not just to be on display again in another museum… Let’s put her into sailing condition.’” And then sailing condition became racing condition, and slowly the plan was hatched to get Bluebottle back on the water where she belonged. At the front of the world’s Dragon fleets. 📸 Tom Körber 📸 Tom Körber Sadly, the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh in April 2021 meant that he never got to see his beautifully restored Dragon, but the loss of the Duke didn’t change the plan. Bailey and his wife Julia were asked by the Palace to race her – to take the Duke of Edinburgh’s boat to the Edinburgh Cup in Edinburgh. “She was last raced in 1961, it was a full 60 years until she crossed a start line ,” explained Bailey, after they came third at the event last summer. It was such a success that the team decided to go to the Worlds. “Rory kindly agreed to come with us… he’s about the hottest property in Dragon racing at the moment,” said Bailey. “He’s just won the Europeans and has had stunning successes whatever he’s done.” “We’d never sailed together as a team or at all, or on that boat… and no one had a clue how we would go,” explained Scott. “We opened with a 22nd or something like that, and then from that point on, all our results were top ten.” “I can’t understate Rory’s contribution to getting her rolling,” said Bailey. “The first couple of races, we weren’t really able to hold a lane… but we fiddled about for a couple of days, and then all of a sudden, we started hitting some sweet spots.” “We put all our standard sails on it,” said Scott. “We have a light, a medium, and a heavy genoa, our latest R5 Spinnaker, and they already had a mainsail, which was the A7. We offer two designs, a deeper one (A7) and a flatter one (A14). And this was the deeper one, which suited that boat very well because the mast was pretty soft. “We managed to get in a position where we were one of five boats going into the last race that was capable of winning. And as it was, it didn’t go our way,” added Scott. They got a black flag in the final race. “At least we were pushing to do our best,” he concluded. “It was a pretty cool experience, to be asked and to be involved.” Finishing fifth, Bluebottle’s result – at the grand old age of 74 – was the icing on the cake, with North Sails powering the top three overall. There is little doubt that Bluebottle is a very special Dragon. “We were packing the boat up and an elderly gentleman turns up on his bike. He’s cycled from the next village because he’d been reading in the newspapers about Bluebottle and he wanted to see her himself,” recalled Bailey. “She’s got her own charisma.” 📸 Tom Körber READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: VENDÉE ARCTIQUE Familiar Faces Crowd the Podium After 1200 NM Cold Weather Course Dalin, Beyou, Ruyant. By now, these names are likely familiar to you, and if not, don’t fret; North Sails will help get you up to speed. The top three boats completed the 1200 nm Vendée Arctique course a short four days after they first departed on June 12th. Dalin’s Apivia was first to finish, a trend that’s becoming a habit for the solo skipper. If you remember, Dalin was also the first boat to complete the grueling 2020-21 Vendee Globe and then followed it up with a first-place finish in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race. Charal’s Jérémie Beyou and LinkedOut’s Thomas Ruyant closely followed Dalin, with the top three Vendée Arctique finishers arriving into Les Sable d’ Olonne within seven hours of each other. The Vendée Arctique is the first of five qualifying races for the 2024 Vendée Globe. The planned course is a demanding loop course that takes competitors on an unprecedented sailing adventure into an arctic environment. The skippers set off single-handed and non-stop towards the Arctic Circle, expected to sail around Iceland and navigate through the weather systems in the rough seas of the far north before returning to the race’s home port in France. But the weather conditions proved more challenging than expected for the 2022 edition. Race officials determined a strong low-pressure system in the North Atlantic near Iceland was churning to be more dangerous than first forecasted. As a result, the race was shortened and the finish moved to the Iceland Gate – to the east of Iceland. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vendée Arctique (@vendeearctique) Of the 25 skippers participating in the 2022 race, 16 are Vendée Globe veterans, and they’ve chosen North Sails to help them deliver the results they and their sponsors expect. The North Sails team knows that sailors have a choice among sailmakers. Our market share within the IMOCA class is a result of the best people paired with the best product and a competitive spirit that never quits. “Innovation and going beyond is the North Sails DNA,” remarked Gautier Segrent, Head of North Sails France. “Our presence in the IMOCA class is because of years of intensive development that translates into three main elements; our investment in the creation of innovative products such as 3Di and Helix Structured Luff; our strong involvement and North Design Suite software available to the design teams from the very first drafts; and finally, our hands-on support for custom projects to best meet the expectations of the teams.” A longtime collaborator with the individual teams, North Sails stepped up their support and signed on as an official supplier for the 2022 Vendée Arctique. North Sails France Managing Director Philippe Touet commented: “The North Sails involvement as an official supplier of the Vendée Arctique is closely linked to our relationship with the racers of the Vendée Arctique and the Vendée Globe; the two major offshore races organized by the Vendée SAEM. These events are both the playground and a testing ground for North Sails. So partnering with the Vendée SAEM in the second edition of this race was an obvious choice.” The next edition of the Vendée Globe commences in November 2024. These next two years will see sailors putting their boats through the paces and testing their equipment to its limits. Their onboard experiences will provide critical feedback for the North Sails design team to continually tweak and optimize the IMOCA sail inventories. They often say you win races before you even reach the start line, and with the first event completed, the race is on. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA North-Powered Superyachts Sweep Podium & Ganesha Claims Winner Overall With all but one of the participating superyachts outfitted with North Sails, we knew the Superyacht Cup Palma would bring a handful of new entries to the #NSVictoryList, but in what combination? The event came down to the last race of the regatta, and in the end, Ganesha claimed Overall victory in addition to her Class B win. J Class Svea won the J Class division while Kiboko Tres took the top spot amongst the A Class. “It was a bit of a surprise win, and we certainly weren’t expecting it, either the class or the overall,” commented Ganesha skipper Alex Pamment. “It was very, very close. Yesterday we came second by one second, but today the weather gods were with us, and we were able to get a result. The tacticians had it tough, but we were able to make the right calls.” The Superyacht Cup Palma is one of the most anticipated regattas on the superyacht summer calendar. This year’s event saw eleven yachts competing across three classes with nine North Sails experts onboard throughout the fleet. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Superyacht Cup Palma (@thesuperyachtcuppalma) Superyacht Sales Leader Jens Christensen and Palma-based Mark Salder sailed on Ganesha. North Sails Palma Service Manager Tom Webb stepped off the loft floor to join the Savannah crew, who claimed second in Class B. The J Class Svea bolstered their race crew with recent North addition Bouwe Bekking, Grand Prix Sales Leader Paul Westlake, and Superyacht Leader Quinny Houry. The Superyacht Cup is Svea’s first regatta under a new ownership group, and the rumor on the dock is that they trained hard in the days leading up to the event. “We are thrilled, delighted to have won our class – we are over the moon,” said Svea co-owner Niklas Zennström. “We came to this event having put in a training week before to get to know it, as many of us have never sailed a J Class before. To win the class is very special, much more than we expected as this was going to be a learning regatta.” 📸 Sailing Energy Also scattered across the J Class division, Heine Sorensen, sailmaker to Topaz, was on board to see his work in action and was joined by North colleague Eckard Kaller. Meanwhile, Tom Dodson from North Sails New Zealand assumed his established race crew position with Velsheda. North Sails is a longtime sponsor of the Superyacht Cup Palma. Whether onboard with clients or dockside with the Palma-based service team, this is an all-hands-on-deck event. Additionally, our sister-companies Southern Spars and North Actionsports, joined us to support the regatta. North Sails teamed up with Southern to host the post-racing social event on Thursday, and each of the three podium positions was gifted one of the recently launched North Standup Paddleboards. A huge thank you to the event organizers who power through long days to ensure this event runs smoothly. See you in 2023. 📸 Sailing Energy READ MORE

AUSTRALIA’S JOHN BACON – FROM 5.5M SAILOR TO IRC RACER Taking on the World With North Sails World Champion yachtsman John Bacon has arranged many successful racing programs together, and his next few months of sailing is no exception. With a range of sailing projects on the go, John’s also contesting two exciting regattas in two vastly different racing yachts on two continents in the next month: the 5.5m World Championships in Hanko, Norway, and the Rolex New York Yacht Club Race Week in Rhode Island, USA on his new Dunning 44. Stepping Up in Sydney Growing up on the water, John had always sailed with his family and friends. However it wasn’t until a change of scene to Sydney’s Pittwater that gave the yachtsman a push into the racing side of the sport, and after crewing on various yachts, he realized it was about time to pull together his own team. “I enjoyed crewing, but I really liked steering – and I thought the only way I’d do any steering is to buy a boat. So, I started with a little boat and began to upgrade and work my way up through a series of different boats and ended up at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPA). I was happy doing keel boat handicap racing and had a pretty nice Sydney 39 and it was a pretty good IRC boat where we did really well in that. That’s where I started to get involved with North Sails, with getting better sails and crew with that boat. I’ve used North Sails from the get go in all my campaigns, and now, it’s never a question of using anything else.” Jumping into One Design racing with a McConaghy 38, John knew the next step was to assemble a competitive program to race against the best. “I got to know David Sampson and Cameron Miles, and although we knew each other already, we got to form a really tight-knit team together at RPA, and just loved it! We’ve had a great relationship with Norths through the MC38 program and it was never a question of using anything else. We sailed that boat for 10 years everywhere! We did every regatta, and I think we won one nationals and came second a few times.” The Challenge of 5.5m Sailing The 5.5m development class all race on the same start line, however the fleet is scored in three divisions according to their age, as Classics, Evolutions, and Moderns. The Evolution is where John saw his next pursuit as the world championships were coming to his home waters in Australia. “As my time started to free up I was doing less work, I got interested in the 5.5m. I really loved the concept of 5.5ms and was really drawn into it. The boats are all different, it’s all in a box rule. They’ve got different designers, different sail plans, as one boat may be good on a Swiss Lake, whereas another one is really good at the Baltic. They’ve all got this character of their own.” “We bought an old Evolution boat in Europe, in the 1973 to 1993 division, and we thought we’d go sail it and do the German Open Regatta, but the poor boat was a wreck, so I got a mate of mine over in Europe to completely restore it for the worlds in 2019 in Helsinki as a bit of a practice. Terry Wetton, James Mayjor and I formed this really nice team, and we ended up winning both regattas, it was just amazing.” “After the 2019 worlds, we brought the boat back to Australia, and RPA was hosting the worlds in January 2020, so instead of trying to win it at our home club we had to defend our title. And we did! From Evolution to Modern John’s decided to level up and compete in the main Modern division for the upcoming 2022 5.5 metre World Championship in Hanko, but the change in division is all the same racing for him and his team. “Everyone’s on the same start line. You’ve got boats that could be up to 70 years old on the line with new modern styles. So within the fleet, it’s actually a really interesting strategic point of view among the divisions, as the speed differential between the divisions is not that much. With 5.5ms it’s actually about the equipment.” When discussing the North Sails inventory, John’s vision for the development of his team includes tweaking and recutting the North Sails designs to suit the racing conditions he expects. “We’ve done some fantastic work with Darren Jones, our coach, working with Alby Pratt and the designers on coming up with some really nice sails. We’ve gone away a little from the One Design sails, and we’ve got a full wardrobe of 3Di sails. But we’ve looked at some light air paneled sails as well as an option, which is a work in progress that we’re going to look at in Hanko.” When asked about how quickly the class progresses, John’s passion for the project shines through. “There are a couple of new sails turning up for us, and the good thing about 5.5m is that it’s a development class. You get to push the development of the class further each time you make a change, and I really like that. It’s good and when you turn up with something a bit different and it works for you, it’s fantastic!” Where John has spent the most time developing are with his spinnakers, optimizing the inventory for the class minimum and maximum wind speeds for racing, between 4 and 25 knots, allowing him to extend the crossover of the larger spinnaker and remove the smaller spinnaker completely from the boat. “North Sails has been amazing and we’ve got a great relationship. It’s fundamental to what we’re doing with the program, so we’ve got some nice new sails meeting us when we get over there and we’re looking forward to getting out there on the water.” New Project for Race Week in Newport Racing his Dunning 44 at 2022 Rolex New York Yacht Club Race Week fits perfectly into the packed schedule John has planned for this year, but he hasn’t yet seen the boat he plans to race with his international crew of mates looking to have fun. “We had an opportunity to buy a Dunning 44 in Newport, Rhode Island, called The Edge. And I love it there. We haven’t travelled for the last couple of years, and the Rolex New York Yacht Club Race Week regatta is on in July this year, originally we didn’t think we could fit it in, but it fits perfectly as it’s the week after.” “It’s going to be a bit of a scramble, and somewhere we talked Ken Read into doing tactics for us, and Suzy Leech is navigating too. So I’m going to be surrounded by all these absolute legends. And then we look at the entry list, and it’s the who’s who of big boat racing.” “I am where I am in sailing because of the relationships I’ve got with people, and I really respect that and am really grateful for it. And I am a North Sails customer, but you get more than the sails, you get everything. The development, the help with that development, the backup, the support, and you know if we blow a spinnaker up in Norway, I guarantee you we can get it fixed.” “So we’re working with the North Sails loft in Newport for the Dunning 44. The boat’s brand new, it’s only done two regattas. The sails that are coming with the boat are okay, but we want to keep moving, so we’ve ordered another North Sails spinnaker and a medium jib, and we’re doing a recut of the main to a more specific design that Ken Read has been part of. The boat’s got lots of potential but it’s going to be another massive challenge to sail against some of the competition we’re up against, but we’ll see!” Offshore Sailing on the Horizon John also played an integral part in the launch of the first Farr X2, owning the first of the newly designed short handed yachts to Australia to help get the project underway. “The Farr X2 is going well. We recently sailed it from Sydney Harbour up to RPAYC in Pittwater. For me, I really love the projects, and I got involved with Bret Perry and the guys, and I thought this was a project that needed to start happening.” However, John isn’t planning on sailing the Farr X2 himself in the short term, as he’s given it to two young female sailors to launch their double handed offshore racing campaign. “I’d done a two handed campaign with David Sampson before, and then Alice Tarnawski came to me and said she wanted to do some two-handed female sailing, and the timing for the Farr X2 to be built worked out well. It was something that was a really cool project to do, and Alice and Clare Costanzo have teamed up and are one hundred percent into it!” “I’ve got a lot on myself so I’ve kind of said to the girls it’s their project, and they’re going to race it in the Sydney to Gold Coast race, so we’re doing everything we can to get them to Hobart. In the meantime I’m looking forward to doing a bit of offshore sailing in it for sure, but the main program is to get Alice and Clare to Southport and then get them on the start line to Hobart on Boxing Day.” READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: 2022 ROLEX GIRAGLIA North Sails Clients Dominate at the 69th Edition of this Classic Event 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi Founded in 1953, to help unite the French and Italian sailing communities post World War 2, the Giraglia has retained a distinct Franco-Italian spirit, while attracting an international fleet with typically over 200 yachts from more than 25 countries. The headline act at the Rolex Giraglia is the 241-nautical mile (446km) offshore race from Saint-Tropez to Genoa, Italy, via the Giraglia rock located approximately 1 nm (2km) off the northern tip of Corsica. In keeping with a number of great races, the Giraglia rock is used as a symbolic turning mark. Sanremo to Saint-Tropez Race: The first North Sails victory was in the first racing scheduled, where the 56 yachts competed in the Sanremo – Saint-Tropez distance race, with a midnight start. After 15 hours of slow sailing, the Felci 71 Itacentodue, owned by Adriano Calvini, crossed the finish line in Saint-Tropez to claim line honors. All the boats in the top spots of the first act of the Giraglia carried a full North Sails sail inventory. Saint-Tropez Inshore Races: Following the first event, the Gulf of Saint-Tropez once again lived up to its reputation as a fantastic regatta venue, with excellent weather conditions allowing the event’s 3-day inshore racing to take place without a hitch. While the maxi yachts competed on windward-leeward courses off the beaches of Pampelonne, the rest of the boats battled on coastal routes. Wind conditions were consistent throughout the regatta, with an initial easterly breeze of 6 knots increasing over the course of the event, and fairly flat seas. #NSVictoryList: Final results from the Maxi race course in Pampelonne after 4 races are: IRC0: Jethou, owned by Peter Ogden, dominated in the IRC0 class. (1,1,1,1); IRC2: Capricorno, owned by Alessandro Del Bono (1,1,1,1); ORC0: Leaps & Bounds 2, owned by Jean Philippe Blanpain (1,1,1,1). For the ORC and IRC groups, the results after 3 inshore races are as follows: IRC 1: Daguet 3 – Ker 46 owned by Frederic Puzin (12,2,2); ORC 1: From Now On – Swan 45 owned by Fernando Chain (4,1,1) 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi Saint-Tropez to Genoa Offshore Race: June 15th was the start of the iconic offshore race, the headline act at the Rolex Giraglia. The forecast, which called for light winds, prompted the race committee to shorten the regular 241-nautical mile (446km) course by 35-nm. A decision which afforded the majority of the fleet a greater opportunity to finish the race ahead of the Saturday morning cut-off time. 105 of the competing boats were able to complete the race in the allotted time. In the spirit that has always defined the Rolex Giraglia, these predominantly Corinthian crews demonstrated their ability to confront the challenge with patience and skill. Setting blistering speeds is often the prerogative of the maxi yachts competing at this event. The frontrunners included three former line honors winners, ARCA SGR (triumphant in 2021 and with North Sail designer Michele Malandra among the crew), Magic Carpet Cubed (2013 and 2016) and Tango (2018). Their hopes of overturning the race record set in 2012 (just under 15 hours) were immediately thwarted by the forecast. Ultimately, the 69th edition produced the slowest line honors time since 2009. Although a thrilling tactical battle did ensue between some of the world’s most experienced and skilled navigators. The tempo of the race provided the opportunity for more considered tactical discussions across teams and an emphasis on maximizing every wind gust. The light breeze was not the only hurdle faced in this year’s edition, the last stretch to the finish line in Genoa is notoriously difficult to negotiate. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones and his Magic Carpet Cubed team (with North Sails expert Gigio Russo and recent hire Ian Walker onboard) have experienced its highs and lows. Just a few nautical miles from the finish line and having trailed ARCA SGR from the race’s emblematic turning point, the Giraglia rock, the Magic Carpet Cubed crew mustered their considerable race pedigree, positioning themselves at the better wind angle to propel themselves into first place. The Wallycento completed the course in an elapsed time of 34 hours, seven minutes and 17 seconds. ARCA SGR navigator Malandra commented, “After rounding the Giraglia islet 9 seconds behind MC3 and having led most of the regatta, the Giraglia proved that it is never predictable. We have always sailed very well, even with a boat designed for other wind conditions, but after the refit by Shaun Carkeek, she proved to be reborn. Thanks to our new North sail inventory and the 5-meter taller mast, we have considerably increased the sail area of the boat. However, we missed the two landings (in Giraglia and Genoa) of which the second is fundamental! But we are satisfied to have sailed fast and to honor the winners.” 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

DARK ’N’ STORMY’S ALL ROUND From Dinghy Sailing to Roaring Around The Solent on a GP42 Photo © Paul Wyeth Fresh from his triple triumph at this year's Round the Island Race taking Monohull Line Honours, winning IRC Zero and the race overall we caught up with Ian Atkins, owner of GP42 Dark ’N’ Stormy, long standing North Sails customer and sailing enthusiast. From learning to sail in a Mirror dinghy from Hamble River Sailing Club in the 60’s to roaring around the Solent on GP42 Dark ’N’ Stormy (ex Jean Genie) in 2022; Ian has had quite the sailing career. Born and brought up in Hamble, England, Ian sparked his love for sailing as a kid on the Hamble River with dinghies. His love for sailing morphed into his career when he joined the North Sails team in the early 80’s. After a few years at North and making some great connections, Ian joined and subsequently ran yacht sales company Ancasta. He spent the next 10-15 years in the sales business whilst also sailing professionally both inshore and offshore on various race boats. Ian was also heavily involved with Beneteau race boats as they came onto the scene. Off the water, in 2000 Ian was one of the founders of online marketplace, boats.com. On the water he was campaigning a series of small one design boats. With stints in a 1720, J80 and J70 Ian built up a series of good results with his own teams. Several J80 and J70 Nationals wins and a fourth at the J70 World Championships in 2015 were the highlights for the team. After 2 years out of the game, while selling his business, Ian came back wondering what his next steps were. Fast forward to 2019, Ian put his sights towards the new IC37 One-Design. Along with Nick Griffifths and Ancasta, they purchased the first IC37 with the goal of it being promoted as a One Design class. Whilst racing around in the IC37 having a great time, they kept being overtaken by Fast 40s, which sparked the idea of the Fast 40. Ian reflected, “if I’m going to go big boat sailing I need one of those” so he bought Peter Morton’s Jean Genie in October 2021. He renamed her Dark ’N’ Stormy after his team’s favorite post race tipple. Whilst Ian explained that 2022 is about “getting to know the boat, and learning how to sail it,” the team has already been getting some top results. From literally taking home the chocolates at the Royal Ocean Racing Club Easter Challenge (the prizes being chocolate easter eggs) to being runner up to Niklas Zennström’s Ran at the 2022 IRC National Championships, it’s fair to say that the team has gotten to know the boat pretty well. With the recent Round the Island victory to top it off the only way is up for Ian and his crew. Dark 'N' Stormy crew after their Round the Island Race Victory. North Sails team members Ruaridh Wright (right), Ian Walker (second from left), Jono Macbeth (third from the left). Photo © Paul Wyeth Ian has accredited the developments behind this success to boat Captain Nick Bonner, Ian Walker and Ruaridh Wright at North Sails, “I’m delighted to have got Ian Walker to come sailing with us and even more delighted that he committed to the whole season with us. Knowing that his new North Sails career will probably take him all over the planet, we're lucky to have the opportunity whilst it was available. Ruaridh Wright is our upwind trimmer and crew boss - he does a great job of making the boat go fast too. We are lucky in having the North expertise we have on board.” The next key event for the team is Cowes Week where Ian will be adding two new Helix Jibs and a spinnaker to his current full North Sails inventory. The team also hopes to be on the start line at the IRC Europeans in Holland later this year. North Sails is proud to have been a part of both Ian’s career and his sailing campaigns over the years and looks forward to following his progress in the future. To speak with Sail Expert Ruaridh Wright about maximizing your sail inventory, get in touch today. Photo © Paul Wyeth READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CONTINUES SUPPORT OF J CUP REGATTA Key Yachting J Cup Regatta Outlook Davanti Tyres, J112 - Landsail Tyres J-Cup - photo © Paul Wyeth The 2022 J Cup Regatta is taking place from 30th June - 2nd July. Hosted by Key Yachting and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the J-Cup is an annual regatta exclusively organized for racing yachts of the J/Boats brand, and all J/Boat models are invited to compete. North Sails is thrilled to be supporting the event and competitors by providing on the water coaching with North Sail experts Ben Saxton; accompanied by drone footage from Shaun Roster. The North Sails loft in Cowes Yacht Haven will also be offering regatta repair service after sailing on Thursday and Friday. Connect with North Sails service expert James Hobson for all your service needs during the event. Wayne Palmer, Owner of Key Yachting shares, “We are grateful for the ongoing support from North Sails with the J Cup Regatta and thrilled with the technical support they are providing.” The regatta entails three days of exciting and competitive racing and incorporates the J/70, J/109 and J/111 National Championships. The program is coupled with a daily prize giving and lively shore-side entertainment to make the J-Cup a must for many of our owners and clients. 'The J-Cup is a highlight event in the J-Boat racing calendar every year. North Sails is delighted to continue supporting the regatta in 2022 and beyond, and we can't wait to see you all there'' said Ben Saxton. The North Sails team will be scattered throughout the fleet with Jeremy Smart racing on McFly and Charlie Cumbley on Eat Sleep J Repeat. Ben Saxton, Pete Redmond and Ruaridh Wright will be in the coach boat over the weekend. Stay tuned for updates over the weekend and keep an eye on results here and here. Standfast, J70 - Landsail Tyres J-Cup - photo © Paul Wyeth READ MORE

FÖRSNACK INFÖR BOHUSRACET OCH SHORTHAND-SM Vem tar hem det allra första SM-tecknet i shorthand-kappsegling? Det avgörs under Pantaenius Bohusracet 2022. 📸 Peter Gustafsson På fredag förmiddag går startskottet för 2022 års upplaga av Pantaenius Bohusracet. Det som gör årets tävling till något utöver det vanliga är att den i år har officiell status som svenskt mästerskap. Totalt är snudd på hundra båtar anmälda till Bohusracet och över fyrtio är med och kämpar om SM-medaljerna. För att få segla SM krävs verifierat SRS-mätbrev, tävlingslicens och medlemskap i Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundet, och med tanke på detta är fyrtio båtar en bra siffra. Det kan faktiskt bli årets största SM-klass för kölbåtar. Det finns många anledningar till att Pantaenius Bohusracet blivit så populär. För en del är det totalsegern – i år dessutom toppad med en SM-plakett – som hägrar. För andra är det äventyret och utmaningen som är det viktiga; bara att ta sig runt den 170 sjömil långa banan är en bedrift. Trevlig samvaro med regattamiddag dagen före start och fisksoppa efter målgång får man på köpet. Plus varsin exklusiv T-shirt som bevis för att man fullföljt det långa, krävande racet. Starten går i Uddevalla och därifrån seglar tävlingsbåtarna söderut mot Marstrand. De rundar Hättebergets fyr och viker sedan norrut. Efter avstickare runt märken i Fjällbacka och Strömstad seglar de upp till Tresteinene i Norge, innan de vänder tillbaka mot målet i Smögen. Till skillnad från exempelvis Gotland Runt är det inte någon havskappsegling utan en skärgårdssegling, så säkerhetskraven är modesta. Det finns exempelvis inte några krav på mantåg, vilket öppnar upp för ett brett spektrum av båtar. Man kan delta med nästan vilken båt som helst. North Sails representeras i år av Andreas Turesson från North-loftet i Göteborg. Han kommer segla en X332:a tillsammans med sin pappa Dan. Far och son har framskjutna placeringar sedan tidigare och har siktet högt inställt. "Men det är ett svårt race", säger Andreas. "Det brukar alltid finnas många tillfällen där det kan gå fel." Att man någon gång under racet blir liggande i bleke är regel snarare än undantag. Var detta inträffar, och hur man klarar sig igenom det, blir ofta avgörande för slutresultatet. Vill du följa kappseglingen så är kappseglingens Facebook-sida en bra början. READ MORE

UPPSNACK INFÖR GOTLAND RUNT OCH SHORTHAND-VM På söndag startar Gotland Runt. Att ORC Double Handed Worlds seglas parallellt på samma bana höjer temperaturen ytterligare. 📸 Anders Dahlsjö Inte mindre än 225 båtar är anmälda till årets Gotland Runt. KSSS hade hoppats på runt 40 deltagare på shorthand-VM men det blev över 80. Det innebär att regattan totalt samlar över 300 båtar från 14 länder. Fantastiskt kul! Om vi tittar lite närmare på VM-fältet kan vi konstatera att minsta båt är en Mini Transat på 21 fot, att den största är en Shogun 50 och att påfallande många ligger i spannet 30-36 fot. När detta skrivs är det ännu oklart hur klassindelningen ser ut, men gissningsvis blir det tre klasser. Det känns inte meningsfullt att försöka utse några förhandsfavoriter. Men ur ett svenskt och nordiskt perspektiv finns det några besättningar som är värda att ha lite extra koll på. Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg i nya Z30+ är ett exempel. Team Pro4u, med Patrik Forsgren som skeppare, är ett annat. Patrik är en Sveriges allra mest framgångsrika havskappseglare och båten är mycket väl optimerad för ORCi. Sunfast 3300:an Hyrrokkin med skepparen Sigmund Hertzberg från norska Tönsberg är ytterligare ett ekipage att ha under uppsikt. Båten är specifikt utvecklad för shorthand-segling, och de har förberett sig mycket väl inför VM. Att de var trea totalt på årets Raymarine2star och fyra på Kolfibedrrodret visar att de kan segla bra i Stockholms skärgård. Och det kan visa sig vara väldigt viktigt. Starten för Gotland Runt och VM går nämligen precis utanför Gröna Lund. Tävlingen inleds alltså med inomskärssegling ut till Sandhamn. Sträckan är knixig och utmanande även för lokala seglare, och det ska bli intressant att se hur de utländska deltagarna hanterar det här. En del kommer ju från länder där det knappt finns skärgård över huvud taget. Vi är förstås på plats både inför och under Gotland Runt – om du behöver hjälp med service eller reparationer är det bara att kontakta oss. Martin Angsell och Anders Lewander från North Sails Stockholm är för övrigt med på VM i varsin båt. Martin seglar Shogun 50 tillsammans med Anna Drougge, och Anders seglar Bénéteau Figaro 3 i par med Linnea Floser. Båda båtarna har lite nischade egenskaper, men om någon av dem får sitt favoritväder har de potential att gå långt. Vill du ta en titt på tävlingsbåtarna så ligger de fram till starten på ett stort eventområde vid Vasahamnen. Själva seglingarna följs nog bäst digitalt. KSSS kommer exempelvis ha en Youtube-baserad Gotland Runt-Studio med uppdaterade nyheter två gånger om dagen. READ MORE

PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE TO BRIDGE THE AUSTRALIAN GAP TO EUROPE IN THE DOUBLE HANDED SCENE The Launch of the New Farr X2 with North Sails Australia 📸 VicSail With the launch of the newest high performance short handed yacht, the Farr X2, North Sails Australia reveled in the opportunity to be part of something new, creating the sail inventory for the first Farr X2, designed specifically for the Australian double handed market. The vision for the project stems from Farr Yachts Australasia’s, Bret Perry’s experience as Project Manager of RG Mini 650s in France, where he wanted to give the Australian short handed sailing scene an opportunity for high performance sailing, with modern design and techniques. “What I wanted to do was to bring back to Australia with short-handed sailing and the boom it’s going through. Each boat is designed for a reason and purpose, and the Farr X2 is purely about no holds barred high performance yachting, designed with full power in mind for absolute performance. It’s very easy to sail a shorthanded boat crewed, but it’s very hard to sail a crewed boat shorthanded” said Perry. Norths Sails Australia jumped at the opportunity to be involved from the outset, with short handed offshore racing at the forefront of the design. Not only did we want to make the boat sail fast in all conditions, but it must be easy to sail shorthanded so, discussing the different principles and priorities was a key part of the design process for the team. “There were lots of meetings between North Sails and us, to talk about what we wanted to achieve. The number one thing is that you’re sailing short handed so you have to be able to do the manoeuvres, and you have to think about safety, and then on top of all of it, you have to think about performance. That’s the biggest thing that I wanted in the sail package from North Sails.” The sail inventory has maximum sail area in mind for the 30 footer, however there’s a delicate balance between achieving higher performance and having a competitive rating within IRC and ORCi certification. “I wanted to be in furling sails early, and in saying that, to be at full speed very early. So, to be at max boat speed upwind in six or seven knots of wind.” The upwind sails include an all-purpose hanked jib that will work up through the light to moderate wind range of 17 knots. The all-purpose jib is helpful for shorthanded sailing to allow for longer crossovers between sails and reduce the frequency of sail changes. “The mainsail is fully battened, with a really large number one reef, as well as a 50% reef to cover the IRC rule, to eradicate the use of trisails.” continued Perry. “And, the first reef is probably more equivalent to a one and half, to three quarter reef so it’s really big.” 📸 VicSail North can offer the inventory from their NPL laminate or their market leading 3Di product. “In my experience in the mini 650s, we never put the first reef in, and instead put the second reef in and kept the big jib up so we still had the power to do what we wanted to do, but was de-powering enough to sail safely. We’re still going through testing but that’s the philosophy.” Perry ran through the light to moderate sail package setup. “Let’s say you’ve got the big jib and have the first reef in the main, and I would estimate that would be comfortable in 17-18 knots, you’ll be quite comfortable but still powered up in that configuration. As you start getting above that breeze, you move into a J5 furling sail, which is on an inner tack point on the boat. Once you’re getting upwards of 25 knots, there’s the opportunity to furl the sail up when you feel overpowered, and sail in a furling mode – which is just so much safer than being up the front of the boat shorthanded and you’re controlling the ability to furl.” When designing the downwind sail package, a key factor was getting the boat planing early, from 11 to 12 knots of wind. The choice then became a furling code zero built from Norths NPL laminate, with the additions of a masthead A2 spinnaker, and a furling A5 for heavy wind conditions built from conventional nylon. “In light airs, you’d run the code zero and with an increase in wind, you’d use the all-purpose jib with the masthead A2, in up to about 17 knots of wind. You’ll be going pretty quickly and powered up, but you’ve got the choice as to when you want to start reducing the sail area from that point” explained Perry. With all this in mind, the North Sails inventory was designed as if it was day two or three of a shorthanded race, to reduce the time non-furling sails are flying due to the attention required to trim the sail accurately. “Where North Sails have been fantastic, is that they get excited about the project, and the ability to create something new.” Perry explained. “And what they’ve come up with is phenomenal. There’s no question they’re on the front foot from my point of view.” “There’s been such a big group of people involved, from North Sails to Farr Yachts, XSP the builders, and all of the suppliers, and to VicSail who are supporting the project massively, we couldn’t have done this without their assistance.” “It was amazing to see that the work that we did in the measurement and designs, it fit perfectly, only one small adjustment out of everything we put together. So that’s a credit to everyone involved to be able to put all this together to within millimeters – and all done remotely without the boat” Perry finished. 📸 VicSail READ MORE

BEHIND THE SCENES: NORTH SAILS PALMA Step Inside One of Our Largest Service Lofts This episode of Behind the Scenes steps into the North Sails loft in Palma and highlights our team working in one of the world’s biggest sail lofts. North Sails Palma is a vital hub within the North network and expanded to twice its previous size in the Spring of 2022. This 4,720 sqm loft serves double duty as the on-island sailing community hub and a key destination for international sailors and boat captains. So whether you’re a superyacht arriving from a transatlantic delivery, in town for one of the many Grand Prix regattas, or cruising Europe during the summer season, there’s a good chance you’ve met the North Sails team dockside. Over 30 experts, including sail designers, sailmakers, service professionals, and Superyacht experts sit under one roof, just a quick 10-minute drive from the harbor. The Palma team prides itself on delivering a level of customer service that is unprecedented. And while the team consists of consummate professionals, their passion for sailing and their motivation to keep raising the bar fosters a fun and dynamic atmosphere. Join us as we spend a day in our Palma loft and get to know the North Sails team. 📸 Atila Madrona READ MORE

NEWPORT BERMUDA 2022 RACE RECAP North-Powered Teams Claim Major Victories and Over 50% of Podium Positions Across 19 Classes The Newport Bermuda Race has kept North Sails buzzing (and busy!) since well before the fleet set off on June 17th. This year marked the 52nd edition of this East Coast offshore classic and the return of racing after a canceled 2020 event. And while we waited a bit longer than expected to see the competitors return to the start line, race fans and North Sails were quickly rewarded with a steady flow of results. As the official performance partner to the race, North Sails is committed to helping our clients get the results they expect. The 2022 Newport Bermuda Race featured 186 boats competing across 19 classes. Race results are the ultimate test for sailmaking brands, and the proof is on the podium. This edition of the Bermuda Race saw North clients set a new overall course record, capture line honors, several major divisional wins, and 26 of the possible 49 class podium positions. Keep reading for a rundown of the North Sails-powered performances. Jason Carroll’s Mod 70 Argo led the pack into Bermuda, claiming overall line honors and setting a new race record of 33 hours. Carroll and his crew are the first boat in the race’s history to finish on a Saturday, which proved both an honor and a challenge for the eight sleep-deprived sailors. “It was some of the roughest conditions we’ve had on the boat,” Chad Corning said. “The sea state was just nasty, coming from all different directions. You never knew where the waves were coming from, and they would hit the boat at all different angles. You had to crawl around the cockpit to get anywhere. It was a very violent motion; a lot of the guys got sick.” Argo’s record-breaking run set a new multihull record as well as the new overall course record. However, the monohull record of 34 hours, 34 minutes, and 52 seconds set by Comanche, skippered by North Sails President Ken Read, in 2016 still stands. Powered by North 3Di and a heavy helping of Helix sails, 11th Hour Racing Team skippered by Charlie Enright was the second boat into Bermuda. Their IMOCA Mālama was the first monohull to complete the 635-mile race, and the wild ride proved an ideal opportunity for Enright to log training miles before the start of The Ocean Race in early 2023. Like Argo, the Mālama crew was pushing hard and was short on sleep upon arrival. Enright compared the onboard conditions to spending 41 hours in a washing machine. “This has been full-on,” he said at the finish. “There has been no rest for anybody onboard. From the moment we left Newport, we have been racing at speeds between 20-30 knots in a heated sea state.” Sailing with Enright were his 11th Hour teammates Justine Mettraux and Amory Ross, as well as Red Bull athletes Olympic snowboarder Elena Hight, and big wave surfer Ian Walsh. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 11th Hour Racing Team (@11thhourteam) North Sails powered both Lighthouse Division winners: with Chris Sheehan’s Warrior Won on top in the Gibbs Lighthouse Division and Sally and Stan Honey’s Cal 40 Illusion claimed the St David’s Lighthouse prize. The Newport Bermuda 2022 is the latest in a string of wins for Warrior Won; Sheehan and his team were named the 2021 Transpac overall winner and the overall winner of the 2022 RORC Caribbean 600. Warrior Won’s sail inventory includes North 3Di which has been onboard with the team for each of their wins in the past year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Warrior Won Sailing (@warriorwonpac52) Illusion bested the 108-boat fleet to place on top of the podium in the St David’s Lighthouse Division. And with an owner who’s also a world-class navigator, you’d expect nothing less. Honey is a multi-race veteran and was navigator onboard Comanche during their last record run. “The conditions were perfect for our boat, and we had a pretty good navigator onboard,” said Sally of her husband. “Stan chose a really good course, and the conditions were just what the boat loves, heavy-air reaching, a lot. We got into a Gulf Stream eddy and stayed in it for about seven hours. That gave us a good boost. We managed to stay in the wind most of the way down. We had a couple of light spots, but nothing like the later boats.” Prevail, Dudley Johnson’s Tripp 65 won the 38-boat Finisterre Division. Dudley and his crew knew they were on the right track when they were passed by Warrior Won in the Gulf Stream. Navigator Adam Klyver commented: “We felt like we were doing something right. We tried to stay in the middle of the Stream and found a five-knot current pushing us southeast. We probably had favorable current for close to 90 percent of the race.” North Sails is a longtime partner to the Newport Bermuda Race and is honored to have been onboard in 2022. This year’s race saw a bumpy sea state, fast sailing and we know it was a battle to arrive in Bermuda. Congratulations to all participants and a job well done to North clients who saw their names on the leaderboard. In Memory Of: Our thoughts are with the family of Colin Golder and his Morgan of Marietta crew. Golder, a longtime client of North Sails, fell overboard en route to Bermuda and tragically passed away. He was not only a great client but an even better friend to our team who had the pleasure of sailing and working with him; he will be greatly missed. Sail on Colin. READ MORE

PALMARÈS DE NOS VOILES EN CETTE SAISON 2022 Les voiles North Sails commencent fort la saison! Un immense BRAVO à tous les concurrents des deux grandes régates traditionnelles lémaniques, la Genève-Rolle-Genève et le Bol d'Or Mirabaud. Voici les résultats obtenus par des navigateurs équipés par North Sails: © Yves Ryncki Genève-Rolle-Genève: Classement général mono, temps réel: 1er ,2ème (partiel), 3ème, 4ème (partiel) Classement général, temps compensé: 3ème Par catégorie: M1: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème M2: 3ème TCFX: 1er ,2ème (partiel), 3ème, 4ème (partiel) TCF2: 2ème, 3ème TCF3: 1er, 2ème (partiel) TCF4: 1er ,2ème, 3ème, 4ème Grand Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème, 6ème, 7ème Surprise: 2ème , 3ème - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bol d'Or Mirabaud: Classement général, temps réel: 1er, 2ème, 3ème Classement général, temps compensé: 3ème, 4ème, 5ème Par catégorie: M1: 1er, 2ème, 3ème M2: 3ème TCFX: 1er, 3ème (partiel), 4ème TCF1: 1er TCF2: 2ème ,3ème TCF3: 2ème (partiel) TCF4: 2ème Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème (partiel) Grand Surprise: 1er, 2ème, 3ème, 4ème, 5ème, 6ème © Yves Ryncki READ MORE

PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD A Recount of The 2022 International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu The “International Regatta Brindisi- Corfu” (www.brindisi-corfu.com) was founded in 1986. During the first two years, the competition was limited to vessels from Brindisi. It was three years later that the participation of aggressive Corfiot boats began. In 2022. I was able to be a part of a multinational crew - a French boat under Greek flag, a Bulgarian owner, and a Bulgarian - Croatian crew. So we added a nice mixture to the already colourful image of the race - 78 entries from Italy, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Bulgaria, Sweden, Great Britain, Spain and USA. Our boat was lying in Corfu, so Nikola and I flew there to prepare everything for the delivery to Brindisi. The boat is a Sun Fast 3600, named after the American rock band from the 60s - “Iron Butterfly”. The first look at the boat already showed that it is fitted to be fast - custom Southern Spars carbon rig, full North Sails 3Di inventory, B&G instruments and lots of other racing gadgets. All in all, it makes you smile. Corfu, see you in a couple of days.. Anyhow, the boat is ready, we meet the owner Nasco and his friend Dobry and we are ready to sail to Brindisi. A nice south easterly makes the first 30-40 miles pass by quickly, but than the unstable atmosphere with a low passing by shows us a good time. The first squall hits us around 8 PM, just before sundown. The first squall The second one comes around 1 AM with lots of wind and a lot more rain. It’s all part of the game, the only problem is that between the squalls there’s no wind and we are slowly motoring towards Brindisi. Early in the morning, around 6 AM we enter the rather big Italian port of Brindisi. A lot of industrial buildings make it hard to appreciate the traditional Mediterranean architecture. The nice, Mediterranean part of Brindisi In the next days we are preparing the boat for the race, gathering and installing all the safety equipment, checking the sails and finally - making some tourist routes around the city. The other part of the crew - Marko and Sapa are coming on Saturday evening, bringing a brand new 3Di mainsail for the race. Unfortunately, as the forecast predicted, there is a lot of wind on Sunday (30+ knots of north westerlies), and after a short wait around the starting line, the Race Committee postpones the start until Monday morning at 6AM. Marko & Nasco shortly after the start There are 78 boats racing in this year’s edition with a variety of different designs and lengths, all racing under the ORC rule. So, a fair chance for everybody. We are pretty psyched about the start so we start full power in 25 knots of north westerlies, under full main and A5. Soon after the start we change to A2 as the waves become longer and the surfs faster. Iron Butterfly (aka Buffy) at her best The wind varies from 20 to 25 knots, getting stronger near the Italian coast. After consulting our routing options, we decide to stay closer to the Italian coast before crossing the Otranto strait. Again, I was surprised at how little ships we met crossing the Otranto. There were definitely better days for the shipping industry. Back to sailing - the route to Corfu is 104 miles long, meaning there is plenty of time for the conditions to change. And so it is, some 40 miles before Corfu the wind starts to drop slowly, knot by knot. 15 miles before the finish there are only 10 knots of wind left, 10 miles from the finish only 5 knots and we knew we were headed into some really light winds just before the finish. Nerves of steel But we keep our morale high, Marko is making some good strategic choices and we are gaining on the boats ahead, mile by mile, minute by minute. A mile from the finish line we come to a complete stop, and the AIS is showing others boats closing in at higher speeds. But they will stop too, no worries. The dynamic duo - Marko & Nikola The slow motion finish finally comes to an end around 11 PM and we are all excited and proud to have entered 5th in real time. Now we have to wait for the compensated times, but with such a good race behind us we can only expect the best. But the but is always there, and just minutes from our finish Marko gets a message from the RC that we have to be present at the official crew weighing tomorrow at 9.30 AM. We know that our weight is close to the max allowed limit because we changed a lighter (read: female) crew member for a heavier (read: male) in the last moment, so we decide there’s no more food or water until tomorrow. Not an easy decision, after 17 hours of racing we can’t eat a nice steak? Merde. But it is all for a greater cause, so we don’t mind. After a good night’s sleep, we wake up for an early walk and prepare for the weighing. And, as usual, the scale is showing more than expected. We are 5 kilos over, and we have an extra hour to get rid of them. There is no other way - foul sailing gear on, and all of us are out for a nice jog in the Greek sun. Why not? It’s 30 degrees out and we are sweating like crazy. The regular folks are pretty confused seeing 6 guys running around the marina in sailing suits. The real connoisseurs of the ORC races are just smiling, they know what is really going on. On the second weighing, we are 2 kilos below limit meaning we managed to dry out 1.5 kilos each in just one hour. Not bad, not bad at all. When we draw the line, we managed to enjoy a really nice race in perfect weather conditions with a super happy crew, in a great boat with an excellent result - 1st in ORC C, 1st in real time for the Groups B, C and D (the ones that started 10 minutes after the ORC A and Multihulls), and 1st in compensated times for the same Groups. And not to mention 3rd in ORC overall - www.brindisi-corfu.com/en/classifiche/ . One of many trophies for the Iron Butterfly crew You must admit it: it sounds pretty, pretty, pretty good. READ MORE

SNART VIND I SEGLEN FÖR PRINCESS SVANEVIT Renoveringen går mot sitt slut - och vi har fått uppdraget att förse henne med segel 📸 Sjöhistoriska museet Princess Svanevit är en klassisk 12mR-yacht från 1930. Det är en magnifik båt, dessutom med en spännande historia. Hon beställdes av förläggaren Erik Åkerlund inför KSSS:s hundraårsjubileum 1930, ritades av Gustaf Estlander – "Trollkarlen från Nyland" – och byggdes av Carl Plym på det legendariska Neglingevarvet. Åkerlund kappseglade båten med framgång i både Sverige och England, men sålde henne redan efter några år. I mitten av 50-talet seglade tredje ägaren ner Princess Svanevit till Spanien, där hon försvann spårlöst. Femtio år senare bestämde sig träbåtsbyggarna Bobby Cyrus och Andreas Millde för att försöka leta upp henne. Med hjälp av bland annat Google Earth lyckades de hitta henne uppställd på en kaj i södra England, och de ägnade sedan sju år åt att övertala ägaren – en excentrisk miljardär som gjort sig en förmögenhet på fastigheter – att få köpa henne. Precis innan kontraktet skulle undertecknas avled ägaren och det tog dem ytterligare något år att komma överens med dödsboet. Men i augusti 2017 var allt äntligen i hamn och Princess Svanevit skeppades till Sverige. Hon fördes till Stockholms Båtsnickeri i Saltsjöbaden, inte långt från den plats där hon en gång byggdes. Sedan dess har hon under Andreas Milldes ledning genomgått en oerhört genomgripande renovering, som nu börjar gå mot sitt slut. Om allt går som planerat seglar hon i slutet av augusti! Vackra segel till en vacker båt North Sails har varit involverade i 12mR-klassen sedan Lowell North rattade US 27 Enterprise i America’s Cup 1977. Intresset för såväl klassiska som moderna tolvor har ökat kraftigt på senare år, inte minst i Nordeuropa där klassen nu samlar runt 25 båtar, och North Sails-gruppen har lagt ner stora resurser på utveckling av design och konstruktion av segel. För moderna tolvor finns inga begränsningar när det gäller segelmaterial, men för klassiska tolvor står valet mellan vävd duk eller laminerad polyester. 3Di-segel byggda i polyester ryms inom regeln, och om det är max prestanda man är ute efter är detta det självklara valet. Mycket riktigt sitter det 3Di 330 RAW-segel på de flesta klassiska tolvor som används för kappsegling. De segel vi nu tar fram till Princess Svanevit är dock av mer klassiskt snitt. Tanken är att hon ska återställas till det skick och utseende hon hade som ny, och det gäller så långt möjligt även rigg och segel. "De estetiska värdena har stått i första rummet", säger North Sails Anders Lewander, "men de har fått vägas mot de praktiska fördelar som modern teknik ger oss. Det har ju ändå skett en del utveckling på materialsidan sedan 1930." Tankarna bakom seglen har utvecklats i nära dialog med Christian Harding och Janne Björnberg, som är knutna till projektet som koordinator respektive sakkunnig. Christian är välkänd mångsysslare inom segling och Janne har varit segelmakare sedan 70-talet och driver idag Next Sails. Båda har massor av erfarenhet, inte minst av classic-båtar. Krysseglen sys på traditionellt vis i högkvalitativ dacronduk, men panelerna är smalare än vanligt. Fock och genua får en gammaldags vådlayout som kallas för "mitre cut", med en söm som går diagonalt mellan skothorn och förlik. Även förstärkningarna får ett utseende som minner om svunna tider. För att klara de höga laster som en så tung och styv båt genererar kommer några av seglen sys med two-ply-teknik, det vill säga dubbla lager duk längs akterliket. Two-ply är väl något man i dag främst förknippar med 80-talet, men i det här fallet har vi försökt hitta en estetik som ansluter till ett betydligt äldre ideal. Mer av "uppvisningssegel" är racingsegel, skulle man kunna säga, men syftet är även att göra en noggrann utvärdering av laster och den helt nya moderna trämastens karaktär. Just uppvisningssegling är också det som väntar framöver. Visionen är att Princess Svanevit ska bli "Hela Sveriges båt" och efter sjösättning och sedvanliga tester kommer hon visas upp i hamnar och på kappseglingar runt hela Sverige. Princess Svanevit ägs av ett aktiebolag, som i sin tur kontrolleras av den ideella föreningen Svenska Träbåtar. För dem har renoveringen ett bredare syfte än att bara ge en vacker gammal båt nytt liv. Förhoppningen är att Princess Svanevit ska öka intresset för klassiska träbåtar och bidra till att de bevaras i Sverige. Bland de långsiktiga målen finns bland annat att få upp båtbyggnadskonsten på Unescos världsarvslista och driva igenom rotadrag för renovering av klassiska båtar! Lästips På projektets hemsida och Facebook-sida finns massor av information. Och i premiärnumret av helt nya tidskriften Båtklassiker ägnas ett trettiotal sidor åt Princess Svanevit, Erik Åkerlund och klassiska tolvor. 📸 Sjöhistoriska museet READ MORE

DAHLSJÖ / STRÖMBERG RENSAR PRISBORDEN MED NYA Z30+ Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg gör en satsning mot ORC Double Handed Worlds 📸 Malcolm Hanes Och det har börjat bra, med bland annat totalseger i Raymarine2star. Våren 2021 publicerade vi en artikel med rubriken Snart är nya Z30+ färdig! Det visade sig vara lite väl optimistiskt, och det borde vi kanske ha insett redan då. Att nya, tekniskt avancerade båtar går över tiden är ju en regel utan kända undantag. I april i år sjösattes den första båten, SWE 301 Zeit. Den ägs av initiativtagaren Johan Larsvall men kappseglas fram till och med VM av Anders Dahlsjö och Martin Strömberg. Anders har två America’s Cup och ett Volvo Ocean Race i ryggen. Martin är professionell kappseglare, med bland annat fyra Volvo Ocean Race på sitt CV – och han är en av mycket få svenskar som vunnit totalt. Anders och Martin seglade båten första gången i början av april och ägnade några helger åt att bekanta sig med den. På Lidingö Runt ställde de upp tillsammans med Johan Larsvall och slutade tvåa av sjutton båtar i SRS 1. Och på Raymarine2star slog de alltså till med totalvinst. Helgen därefter vann de för övrigt även även shorthand-klassen i KSSS Havskappseglingsregatta. Det lovar gott inför VM, som ju avgörs på delvis samma vatten. Ett ovanligt koncept Vi ska inte fördjupa oss i tekniska detaljer eller gå in på hur z30+ utvecklades (det kan du läsa om här). Men kortfattat kan man säga att Johan Larsvall tagit in ett gäng experter med Jimmy Hellberg i spetsen för att göra en total makeover på gamla Z30:an. Modifikationerna är så genomgående att det i praktiken rör sig om en helt ny konstruktion. Snudd på unikt i den här storleksklassen är att Z30+ byggs från topp till tå i kolfiber, vilket gör båten lätt och samtidigt extremt styv. I övrigt är den medvetet enkel, särskilt jämfört med andra båtar utvecklade för shorthand-kappsegling. Z30+ har inte dubbla roder, inga chines, ingen vattenballast och definitivt inga foils. "Z30+ är en spännande båt", säger Anders Dahlsjö. "Enkel men extremt förfinad, med all kolfiber. Den går som en raket och det märks att den har mycket i bulben. Den känns nästan som en 40-fotare när man kliver ombord, för den gungar inte till som lätta båtar i den här storleken brukar göra." Även segelgarderoben är enkel. Den togs fram redan för ett år sedan, och det som har hänt sedan dess är att ytterligare en fock har tillkommit. Den är designad för hårdare vindar och är 7 kvm mindre än allroundfocken. Två revpunkter i förliket och en i akterliket gör att den får ett väldigt brett register. Fullt hissad är det en hårdvindsfock (på 18 kvm) och med ett rev motsvarar den en J5:a (13 kvm). Dessutom kommer den användas som ett reaching-stagsegel (11 kvm,). Den halsas då i centrumlinjen 2,3 meter framför masten (ca 60 % av J-måttet). "Man kan nästan säga att man får tre segel i ett", säger Anders Lewander på North Sails Lidingö, som tillsammans med sin bror Tore har varit ansvarig för utvecklingen av seglen. Vägen mot VM Enligt SRS-brevet ska Z30+ vara snäppet långsammare än Farr 30 med full besättning, men något snabbare i shorthand-figuration, vilket ju låter rimligt med tanke på det rätande momentet. Inte illa med tanke på att Z30+ är en båt med full ståhöjd och att den är tänkt att kunna användas även som semesterbåt. På VM är det dock ORC som gäller. Det ser för övrigt ut att bli ett riktigt getingbo; i slutet av maj var nästan 90 besättningar anmälda och anmälningstiden går inte ut förrän i mitten av juni, så 100 båtar till start är ingen omöjlighet. Säsongen har som sagt börjat bra, men Anders och Martin hoppas kunna jobba upp farten ytterligare i den nya båten. Sedan gäller det bara att toppa formen lagom till VM i början av juli. READ MORE

KLART DU SKA SEGLA SPINNAKER PÅ SEMESTERN Det är faktiskt enklare än många tror En spinnaker ger en enorm prestandaökning på läns och slör i lätta till måttliga vindar. Dessutom är det ett roligt segel som ger seglingen en ny dimension. Vi vet att många tycker att det kan känns svårt och komplicerat, men gör du bara på rätt sätt så är det inget att vara orolig för. Här tar vi en titt på hur man hanterar såväl konventionella spinnakers som asymmetriska cruisingspinnakers – även kallade gennakers. Fokus ligger på avslappnad cruisingsegling med liten besättning. Sättning av gennaker En gennaker riggas med ett fall, en halslina i fören och två skot, ett på vardera sidan. Skoten leds genom block längst bak på däck och går sedan framåt till varsin vinsch. Gennaker-skoten kan antingen ledas innanför eller utanför förliket. Båda varianterna fungerar och båda har sina fördelar. Du får helt enkelt testa och se vad som fungerar bäst på din båt. Tänk på att det bästa alternativet kan variera beroende på vindstyrka. För en liten besättning är en spinnakerstrumpa ett riktigt bra hjälpmedel. Seglet packas inuti strumpan som då får en korvliknande form. Eftersom seglet inte fyller på vägen upp är det enkelt att hissa. Väl i topp drar du i strumpans manöverlina, vilket drar ihop strumpan och frigör seglet. För att förhindra att seglet snurrar runt sig själv – vilket kan förorsaka timglas – bör halslinan spännas innan hissning. Ett om möjligt ännu ännu enklare alternativ är att investera i ett bra rullsystem. Numera fungerar de faktiskt bra även för länsbetonade gennakers. Då är det bara att hissa det inrullade seglet, lossa inrullningslinan och skota hem så att seglet rullas ut. När seglet ska ner upprepas manövern, fast i omvänd ordning. Behöver du en halsstropp? Ibland kan det vara bra att använda en så kallad halsstropp. Den kopplas till halshornet och fästs runt det inrullade förseglet. Därmed hindras halshornet från att röra sig i sidled. Om förliket på din gennaker är så långt att halshornet hamnar bara lite ovanför pulpiten behövs inte någon halsstropp. Men har du ett kort förlik ger halsstroppen ökad kontroll och stabilare segling. Sättning av spinnaker En konventionell spinnaker som sätts på spinnakerbom ger dig ökade trimmöjligheter och oftast högre prestanda. Men det är ett mer komplicerat segel än en gennaker. Även här är spinnakerstrumpa något vi gärna rekommenderar, särskilt om du seglar med liten besättning. Riggning och hissning sker på samma sätt oavsett om du har en strumpa eller inte. Du börjar med att fästa fallet i spinnakerns fallhorn. Därefter sätter du upp bommen, koppla den till lovartsgajen och hänger bommen i liften. Innan du hissar drar du i lovartsgajen tills det främre hornet ligger dikt an mot spinnakerbommen. Så fort spinnakern är i topp tajtar du läskotet så att spinnakern inte börjar rotera och drar upp strumpan. På lite större båtar är det vanligt att man seglar med dubbla gajar och dubbla skot. Bommen kopplas till en gaj som går ner till ett fast block ganska långt fram på däck (strax bakom vanten är lagom) och därifrån till en vinsch. Lähornet trimmas med ett skot som går till ett block längst bak i båten och som därefter leds framöver till ett spärrblock eller en vinsch. I gipparna hanteras spinnakern med enbart skoten, vilket innebär att gajen, som bommen ska fästas på, alltid är obelastad. Detta gör att det aldrig blir tungt att sätta bommen i beslaget på masten. Nedtagning av gennaker När du ska ta ner gennakern underlättar det om du plattar ner lite så att gennakern skuggas av storseglet. Släpp på skotet så att seglet faller ihop och dra ner strumpan över seglet. Sedan är det bara att släppa fallet och stuva undan seglet i sin säck, alternativt dra ner det genom fördäcksluckan. Nedtagning av spinnaker När du river spinnakern gör du på samma sätt som när du hissade den, fast i omvänd ordning: Lägg dig på öppen slör, släpp läskotet, dra ner strumpan och lägg loss lovartsgajen. Nu är det bara att sänka fallet och stuva undan strumpan med seglet. I hårdare vindar underlättas nedtagningen om du skuggar spinnakern bakom storseglet. Processen inleds, precis som i sekvensen ovan, med att du lägger dig på en öppen slör. Men istället för att bara släppa läskotet, så kan du lägga en lina i en loop runt skotet och använda detta för att straffa ner lähornet mot en punkt precis bakom masten. I och med att du tvingar ner akterliket bakom storseglet tappar spinnakern trycket och blir lättare att hantera. 📸 Amory Ross READ MORE

NS KLIJENTI NAJBRŽI I U REGATNOJ I U OBITELJSKOJ SKUPINI NA OVOGODIŠNJOJ FIUMANCI Ovogodišnja regata Fiumanka ponovno je okupila vrlo impresivan broj sudionika, a među njima i nekoliko najvećih jedrilica na Jadranu. Među njima su se posebno isticali Portopiccolo i Maxi Jena i s obzirom na uvjete sasvim opravdano je bilo među njima očekivati generalnog pobjednika ove manifestacije. Za razliku od mnogo ranijih izdanja ove Riječke manifestacije pod jedrima, ova je bila izrazito vjetrovita. Na startu je puhalo 10-12 čvorova burice koja je jačala kako se flota približavala prvoj bovi koja je bila postavljena ispred Viktora Lenca. U toj zoni vjetra je bilo i preko 20 čvorova, tako da je taj dio regatnog polja sigurno pružao i užitak i hrpu adrenalina svima koji su u tim trenucima u laškoj orci jedrili u tom kursu. Nakon obilaska ove bove regatna skupina jedrila je prema sredini Riječkog zaljeva gdje je bila postavljena druga bova, dok su obiteljski krstaši jedrili direktno natrag prema vrhu Molo Longa. Do Molo Longa je nakon obilaska druge bove jedrila i regatna skupina, tako da su se u završnoj fazi regate na cilju susreli svi i stvorili vrlo atraktivnu i sliku i situaciju koja se rijetko može vidjeti na regatama. Što se tiče najvećih, do prve bove nadmetanje Portopiccola i Maxi Jene bilo je poprilično izjednačeno iako je Portopiccolo startao dosta lošije u odnosu na perjanicu Crnogorske regatne flote. Do preokreta dolazi baš na samoj bovi na kojoj dolazi do pucanja vanga Maxi Jene i to vrlo spretno Talijanska posada iskorištava i ostvaruje prednost koju nisu ispuštali do samog kraja. Zanimljivo je bilo i u završnom dijelu regate jer je vrlo brzo za najvećima u Riječku luku uplovila i Bubamare, najbrža jedrilica iz obiteljske skupine. Sve u svemu regata je bila vrlo brza po pitanu obje skupine, a ono što je organizatore posebno veselilo je to što su skoro svi koji su isplovili uspješno dojedrili do cilja. Bogatu fotogaleriju iz Rijeke možete pronaći na ovom linku. READ MORE

TRADITIONS AND CHANGE WVYC RNSA NYC Singlehand/Doublehand Regatta What’s unique about this regatta? After all, there are now many solo sailing regattas now; the impact of that concept has evolved over the years since it was first launched in the 1970’s by Capt. John Horton of the Royal Naval Sailing Association here in Vancouver BC. Or has it? Now in it’s 48th edition, this regatta’s Ancient Mariners (75+ years ) and Old Salts (65-74 years) remind and inspire the rest of us that one of the milestones of a keelboat sailor is the test of a solo crossing of the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver to Nanaimo, and back the next day. A glance of the winners’ names engraved on the coveted Janet Stamper Memorial trophy for the fastest overall singlehand racer reminds us of those who have gone on to make further impacts in the sailing world. Nowadays a doublehand division has been added - today’s way of developing tomorrow’s solo sailor. The West Vancouver Yacht Club as the organizing authority had 29 entries this year, a respectable number given the uncertainty that COVID has brought. Racers drifted across the start line at Point Grey bell buoy but the breeze kicked in soon after to allow spinnakers to fly to the mark off Bowen Island, then across to Nanaimo. The Nanaimo Yacht Club graciously hosted a dinner with generous door prizes given out. The Second day of racing offered fantastic winds that allowed the racers to finish well within the 5pm time limit. The 55’ orange Delta Lifeboat with the Captain and 5 crew members presided over the event, and was a super host for the 4 person Race Committee, allowing us to focus on race management. This vessel built in 1944, had served in the Second World War at Pearl Harbour and was a definite highlight for RC to be aboard. The nuances of categories from the age categories, to predicted elapsed crossing times, to novice first timers, continue to be a part of the tradition…and a great excuse to participate! For full results, see here. To learn more about racing or cruising in West Vancouver, connect with a team member from North Sails Vancouver today. READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: NIC BOL North Sails Expert Nic Bol (56) geeft sinds 2017 als Sales Manager Benelux leiding aan de North Sails vestigingen in Nederland en België. Met zijn enorme zeilervaring in vele verschillende wedstrijdklassen, adviseert hij klanten om hen zo succesvol en plezierig mogelijk te laten varen. Zeilen is voor Nic een ‘way of life’. Hoe is North Sails op jouw pad gekomen? Mijn carrière in de zeilmakerij is gestart in 1993. Toentertijd heb ik agentschappen in Nederland opgezet voor het merk wat ik destijds vertegenwoordigde. Toen de productievestiging in 1997 van merk veranderde, ben ik met hen meegegaan en heb ik mijn eigen dealernetwerk opgebouwd in Nederland. In 2017 werden we benaderd door North Sails. Aangezien de missie en visie van North Sails op dat moment veel beter bij het team en mijzelf paste, hebben we besloten om van koers te veranderen. Je bent zelf geen zeilmaker. Is dat een bewuste keuze? Zeker! Mijn achtergrond ligt op het gebied van financial management. Waar ik goed in ben, is het verkopen van zeilen en het verzamelen van goede mensen om mij heen. Momenteel hebben we zowel in Rotterdam als in Antwerpen en Almere een topteam. Aan mij de taak om goed voor deze mensen te zorgen. Wat is het leukste aan jouw baan? Uit het meevaren met klanten haal ik de meeste voldoening. Het kost veel weekenden en het is vaak ook hard werken, maar wij hebben een zeer bevoorrechte baan. We brengen graag onze expertise over op onze klanten. Op die manier kunnen zij nog beter, sneller en plezieriger varen. Zij geven vaak veel geld uit, dus voor hen is dat heel belangrijk. Dat begrijpen wij en stellen ons als doel om mensen blij te maken. 📸 Sander van der Borch Zeil je zelf ook nog weleens voor het plezier? Met klanten varen is ook heel plezierig. Zo staat er een reis met een Swan 58 in het Caribisch gebied op de planning. Daarnaast verheug ik mij op het Europees Kampioenschap ORC in de Middellandse Zee, maar Laser zeilen blijft eigenlijk het leukste. Ik doe vaak mee aan de avondcompetitie op de Kralingse Plas in Rotterdam. De wind is daar meestal minimaal, maar dan is het juist de kunst om zo hard mogelijk te zeilen. In de Laser ligt het allemaal aan jezelf. Dit is echt de basis van het zeilen en dat maakt het zo leuk. Wat is je mooiste zeilervaring? Voordat ik de zeilmakerij in ging, was ik ‘gewoon’ professioneel zeiler. Ik heb regatta’s gevaren die als een reizend circus van Key West naar Japan trokken. In de grote klassen van toen, waaronder de one tonners, 50 voeters en J/47. We zijn twee keer Wereld Kampioen geworden in de J/22, waarvan de tweede titel het meest bijzondere was, aangezien mijn zoon ook meevoer. Ook in de X35 waren we heer en meester. Maar voor het eerst met North Sails ORC Wereld Kampioen worden in 2018, was tevens een mooi moment. Wat is het beste (zeil)advies dat je ooit hebt gekregen? Mijn vader zei altijd; werk om te leven, leef niet om te werken. Wij woonden in Zuid-Afrika en na een reis naar Nederland, waar mijn vader had gezeild met vrienden, kocht hij bij terugkomst in Kaapstad een toerboot van 22 voet. Het zeilen heb ik dus vanuit huis meegekregen en het was het beste ingrediënt om te kunnen voldoen aan dat advies van mijn vader. Ook al ben ik aan het werk, vaak voelt het niet zo. Toch verlies ik niet uit het oog dat andere zaken, zoals familie en vrienden ook belangrijk zijn. En dat geef ik ook mee aan mijn team. READ MORE

WIJ ZIJN VERHUISD Terug in Antwerpen North Sails België is verhuisd. Het team verruilt de zeilmakerij in Stabroek voor een plek in het nieuwe Antwerp Nautical Center aan het Asiadok, in Antwerpen. Vanaf 1 juni kunt u hier terecht voor advies, onderhoud en service voor uw zeilen. Na vele jaren gevestigd te zijn in Stabroek, kwam de mogelijkheid om intrek te nemen in het gerenoveerde pand van het Antwerp Nautical Center. “Hier zitten we weer op een centrale plek. Stabroek lag voor veel klanten in het weekend wel redelijk op de route, maar doordeweeks was het te ver om. Daarnaast worden we nu onderdeel van een one-stop-shop,” vertelt Sales Manager Nic Bol. Het Antwerp Nautical Center biedt alle services voor de watersporter, waaronder een scheepswinkel, reparaties, onderhoud en verkoop. Het beschikt over een unieke ligging waardoor het zowel uitstekend via de weg bereikbaar is en in de nabije toekomst ook via het water. Vernieuwingen zeilmakerij Rotterdam Naast Antwerpen zijn de klanten in de Benelux ook nog steeds welkom in de zeilmakerij in Rotterdam. Hoewel onze full service zeilmakerij in Rotterdam nog steeds op dezelfde locatie zit, heeft de vestiging wel een grote verbouwing achter de rug. De werkvloer is volledig vernieuwd en er zijn putten gekomen, zodat de naaimachines in de vloer zijn ‘gezonken’. Hierdoor is het werkoppervlak verdubbeld. Ook is er een vide gebouwd, zodat er extra opslagruimte voor zeilen is gecreëerd. Onze service zeilmakerijen zijn te vinden op onderstaande locaties. HIernaast bent u natuurlijk ook nog steeds van harte welkom in ons kantoor in Almere. North Sails Antwerpen Asiadok-Oostkaai 28F 2030 Antwerpen België North Sails Rotterdam Anthonetta Kuijlstraat 7 3066 GS Rotterdam Nederland North Sails Almere Televisieweg 44-46 1322 AM Almere Nederland READ MORE

BACK AT IT WITH THE SUSAN HOOD TROPHY RACE Chilly But Fun For The Overnight Adventure In classic Susan Hood fashion, it was breeze on at the start for the first three divisions then let off towards the remaining few. 77 boats showed up for the 2022 Susan Hood Trophy Race sponsored by DriveHG. It was exciting to see so many clients out on the water again after trying restrictions for the past two years. Father-daughter duo Doug Folsetter and Zoe Folsetter were on the line again in their Farr 30, Sabotage. By now, Zoe is a pro at the Susan Hood Trophy Race, having first sailed the 75nm overnight race back in 2017. She even convinced her mom, and fellow sailor Marnie, to join the Sabotage team this year, making the overnight race a family affair. Reflecting on the race at the dock Saturday morning, Zoe shared, “The race was a lot of fun and it was great to do it again. I learned a lot and remembered much more of the race as I hardly slept. The race was as cold as ever but I would do it again! It was good to see a few more younger sailors out there but more kids should give racing like this a try.” Meanwhile her dad Doug Folsetter, skipper and North Sails expert, shares “It’s nice to be back sailing across the lake again. This race always offers up something different. This year it was more about keeping the boat moving towards the next mark and finding the best sail combination to do so. Irrespective of how you do, this race always provides a lesson for the next one.” Joining the Folsetter family was North Sails designer Phil Williamson who has a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to racing on Lake Ontario. On this year’s race, Phil shares, “I am always amazed by the great effort owners and crew put forth to get their boats race ready, provisioned and on the start line. No easy task especially early in the season. The Susan Hood is an excellent race to kick off the distance race season. It gives everyone a chance to shake down their boat, assess sail selections and re-evaluate personal gear. Better to learn, or remember lessons, on a shorter course that can throw many challenges your way.” North Sails expert Hugh Beaton joined Soto 40 Afterburn for the season kick off. He shares, “ Aside from more jib reaching than we would have liked, it was a beautiful night for racing with a clear sky, some stars and wind that stayed up for the entire race. Congratulations to Hooligan and the other class winners for a well sailed race, and to all competitors for making it a fun event. Thanks must also go to LOOR for making the event possible - Great job.” Podium sweep for North Sails powered customers Hooligan, Xoomer Xpress, and Afterburn in the ORC division. While High Tea, powered by 3Di Raw, took first in the flying sails short handed division and Arrow took third with their new 3Di Raw mainsail. Congratulations to all competitors and a big thank you to RC and all the volunteers who helped make the event happen. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the water the rest of the season. READ MORE

VOOR DE WIND CRUISEN MET VERSCHILLENDE SPINNAKERS North Sails Heeft Wat Je Nodig Hebt 📸 Laurens Morel Spinnakers kunnen voor enorme prestaties zorgen bij het voor de wind varen in lichte tot matige wind. En dat is ze maar geraden ook, als je kijkt naar de problemen die ze kunnen veroorzaken! Hoe hanteer en trim je de verschillende spinnakers? We behandelen zowel de gennaker (een asymmetrische cruising spinnaker welke zonder spinnakerboom wordt gevaren), als ook de conventionele spinnaker die met een spinnakerboom wordt gezet. Een gennaker zetten Een gennaker wordt bij het hijsen op drie punten verbonden met het schip. Middels de tacklijn op de boeg of boegspriet, de val uit de mast en de schoten welke naar beide zijden van de achtersteven worden geleid. In geval van een kleine bemanning (shorthanded zeilen) wordt aanbevolen om een spinnaker slurf te gebruiken. Deze hoes houdt de gennaker bijeen tijdens het hijsen en strijken van het zeil. Het zeil wordt in deze beschermende slurf gehesen. Eenmaal in top wordt aan de lijn van de slurf getrokken om de slurf op te halen en het zeil te bevrijden. Om te voorkomen dat het zeil gaat draaien, dient de tacklijn voorafgaand aan het ophalen van de slurf strak te worden gezet. Wat betreft de gennaker schoten; deze kunnen zowel binnendoor als buitenlangs het gennaker voorlijk worden geleid. Beide mogelijkheden werken en allebei hebben ze voordelen. Door te experimenteren komt u erachter welke manier het beste werkt op uw schip. Dit kan overigens ook variëren per windsterkte. Door de schoten tussen de voorstag en het voorlijk van de gennaker te voeren hoeft u niet om te kijken naar de schoten, maar kan het zeil tijdens het gijpen wel moeilijker overkomen doordat het tussen het voorlijk en de voorstag door moet. Door de schoten buitenlangs het zeil te voeren wordt gijpen makkelijker, maar dient er continu op de losse schoot gelet te worden, zodat deze niet onder het schip terecht komt. Een spinnaker met boom zetten Met een conventionele symmetrische spinnaker met spinnakerboom heeft de zeiler over het algemeen meer controle over de projectie van de spinnaker en de vorm van het zeil, dan bij een gennaker. Dit kan prestatie verhogend werken, maar het gaat wel gepaard met de nodige uitdagingen. Ook bij deze spinnaker wordt voor shorthanded zeilen een slurf aanbevolen. Voor de voorbereidingen en het daadwerkelijke hijsen maakt dit echter niet uit. Het proces verloopt hetzelfde, of er nu wel of geen slurf wordt gebruikt. Bevestig eerst de ophaler om de spinnakerboom omhoog te houden en een lijn om de boom naar voren te trekken. Sommige schippers geven er de voorkeur aan om ook een lijn naar achteren te zetten, om op die manier de boom tegen te houden. Anderen laten de voordekker hiervoor zorgdragen. In beide gevallen kan er veilig en succesvol worden gezeild, echter met een lijn naar achteren beweegt de boom veel minder tijdens het hijsen en neerhalen van de spinnaker. In alle gevallen bevindt de loefwaartse spinnaker schoot zich in ieder geval aan het uiteinde van de boom. Zodra de spinnaker hijsklaar is, trekt u de loefschoot naar het einde van de boom. Hierna kan de spinnaker worden gehesen met de val. Zodra deze de top bereikt, moet de schoot worden gevierd om draaiingen van het zeil te voorkomen. Tot slot kan de slurf omhoog worden getrokken, tot deze in top zit. Hierna kunnen de lijnen van de slurf losjes worden vastgemaakt aan de mast en kan het trimmen van de spinnaker middels de schoten beginnen. Het neerhalen van de gennaker Om het zeil neer te halen, valt u af met het schip tot bijna voor de wind, zodat het grootzeil de wind uit de gennaker neemt. Daarna moeten de schoten zo ver worden gevierd, dat de gennaker tot een compact pakketje kan worden teruggebracht door de slurf, die van boven naar beneden over de gennaker wordt getrokken. Zodra de slurf volledig over het zeil is getrokken, kunt u de val laten zakken en stopt u de gennaker in de zak op dek, of laat u deze door het luik op het voordek zakken. De spinnaker weghalen Om de spinnaker weg te halen, wordt de hijsvolgorde omgekeerd uitgevoerd: creëer voldoende manoeuvreerruimte, vier de schoot, trek de slurf naar beneden, laat de loefschoot vieren en laat de val zakken. Bij een hogere windkracht wordt het makkelijker om de spinnaker weg te halen, wanneer er eerst wordt afgevallen zodat het grootzeil de wind uit de spinnaker wegneemt. Nog een tip: in plaats van de schoot te vieren, kunt u ook een extra lijn bevestigen aan de schoot, welke naar voren wordt geleid. Op deze manier creëert u een zogenaamde ‘choker’ en trekt u de schoothoek van de spinnaker richting de mast. Na het lossen van de loefschoot kan de slurf naar beneden worden getrokken. Deze techniek - waarbij ook het achterlijk van de spinnaker achter het grootzeil wordt getrokken - zorgt ervoor dat de gehele spinnaker wordt afgedekt door het grootzeil. Veiligheid voorop: ga zitten! Bij zeilen staat veiligheid altijd voorop, maar zeker bij shorthanded zeilen en het werken op het voordek, is het van belang om hier extra bij stil te staan. Bij het naar beneden trekken van het zeil, is het aan te raden om te gaan zitten. Op die manier kunt u niet vallen. Zeker op een rollende boot met rond wapperend en glad zeildoek waar u op kunt stappen, is misstappen of overboord vallen zo gebeurt. Ga er dus lekker bij zitten! 📸 Laurens Morel READ MORE

EVEN VOORSTELLEN: JACCO HUIJGEN North Sails Expert en Operations Manager 📸 Laurens Morel Jacco Huijgen (33) ondersteunt als Operations Manager Benelux, Nic Bol bij het leiden van de vestigingen in Nederland en België. Hoewel hij het zeilen niet direct met de paplepel heeft meegekregen, is hij inmiddels een bekende in het wedstrijdcircuit met de nodige titels op zijn naam. Je ouders zeilden niet. Hoe ben je toch met zeilen in aanraking gekomen? Mijn ouders hadden wel een motorboot. We lagen in de jachthaven van Drimmelen en daar ging een klasgenootje iedere zaterdag zeilen met zijn Centaur. Ik was 12 en vond het prachtig, dus ik stapte ieder weekend aan boord. Net als Nic ben je geen zeilmaker. Wat is jouw achtergrond? Ik heb commerciële economie gestudeerd in Breda, waarna ik een minor business management heb gedaan in Engeland. Ook geen studie waar je zeilmaker mee kunt worden, maar letterlijk spelenderwijs ben ik de zeilmakerij in gerold. Eigenlijk al op mijn veertiende. Op een gegeven moment had ik een eigen bootje, een soort van 470. Daar had ik op een gegeven moment nieuwe zeilen voor nodig, maar ik had geen geld. Dus verdiende ik de zeilen door allerlei klusjes te doen voor de zeilmakerij in Drimmelen. Deze zeilmaker was verbonden aan het merk dat Nic destijds vertegenwoordigde, dus zodoende kwam ik met Nic in contact. En nu ben je onderdeel van North Sails. Hoe is dat? Het was een gezamenlijk besluit om verder te gaan als North Sails, dus ik sta er voor honderd procent achter. Ik heb nu meer het gevoel dat we onderdeel zijn van een groter geheel. Ook mag ik meedenken over projecten buiten Nederland en België. Het is een prachtig merk met een goede naam en met onze service kunnen we veel betekenen voor wedstrijdzeilers, maar zeker ook voor toerzeilers. 📸 James Tomlinson Photography Wat houdt jouw functie bij North Sails in? Wat niet, kun je beter vragen. Officieel ben ik Operations Manager, maar ik pak naast de operationele kant ook backoffice taken op, zoals het inkopen van materialen. Daarnaast krijg ik de kans om nieuwe processen te bedenken en te laten slagen. Zo zijn we bezig met een ERP-systeem, om ook de achtergrondprocessen nog professioneler aan te pakken. We leveren prachtige producten en dat moet weerspiegelen op alle facetten van het bedrijf. Waar haal je de meeste voldoening uit? Als we adequaat en à la minute een probleem kunnen oplossen. Wanneer klanten nieuwe zeilen aanschaffen, is dat vaak een grote investering. Dan wil je er ook optimaal van kunnen genieten. Als er problemen voordoen, dan lossen we dat snel op. Als we daarmee iemands weekend kunnen redden, dan worden wij daar ook gelukkig van. Sowieso is het fantastisch om klanten te helpen het beste uit hun boot te halen. Op welke zeilprestatie ben je het meest trots? Dat is een lastige keuze.. Ik vaar veel met klanten en verheug me op het Europees Kampioenschap ORC in Italië, waar we met een Dufour gaan varen. Zelf heb ik nog een Laser voor op de Kralingse Plas in Rotterdam, maar als ik moet kiezen, dan heb ik voor mijn gevoel het grootste aandeel (gehad) in de J/80. Afgelopen april ben ik voor derde keer Nederlands Kampioen geworden. Het team is zo goed op elkaar ingespeeld. Als alles zo gesmeerd loopt, geeft me dat nog steeds een kick! 📸 Laurens Morel READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: ABYC COASTAL RACE An Afternoon On The Water 📸 Arlene Taylor The 2022 ABYC Open Regatta weekend saw 18 boats race eastward from Ashbridge’s Bay under sunny skies on Sunday May 29th. The Coastal Race is a point-to-point middle-distance race so for both casual sailors and the more seasoned sailor it’s a chance to have a great afternoon on the water. Thanks to our friends at North Sails, three lucky skippers also went home with brag-worthy North Sails swag. Wendy Loat, a seasoned skipper and owner of Looney Tunes, a 26” Thunderbird, recounts the day on the water. “The Coastal Race started in a light breeze of about 5 to 6 knots. As always, the trick is deciding to sneak along the shore or to go out into the lake. A small number of us chose the lake, having heard the wind would go from southwest to east in the afternoon. That turned out to be the right decision. The boats that went in shore ran out of wind before the rest of us. Eventually, the wind died completely. We watched the GPS speed drop to zero and saw that no one anywhere was moving. Then we realized that the buck we were on had turned into a broad reach and up went the spinnakers for a sprint to the finish in about 8 knots of easterly wind.” All boats were welcomed back on shore by the ABYC house band The Weathered Legs while they enjoyed a couple refreshments to hydrate after the long day. Top finisher overall was the smallest boat on the course - a Thunderbird - proving that staying on the lake paid, and that age and treachery can indeed beat youth and strength. Joanne Chwalek Chair 2022 ABYC Open Regatta 📸 Arlene Taylor 📸 Arlene Taylor READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: ROUND SALT SPRING Great Racing with Great Sailors Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Round Salt Spring 2022 had a good turn out with 79 boats and ended up being a very challenging race for competitors. Racers showed up on Friday at Salt Spring Yacht Club where a BBQ with live music was held. It was great to see racers before things kicked off and hear all the chatter on which way to go this year. For the 2022 race, the race management decided to let the sailors decide which way to go around the island. With the forecast calling for sun but minimal wind, most racers thought that clockwise would be the way to go around. If the wind showed up the fast boats might have been able to go counterclockwise and be "heroes". Almost identical to the round Thetis race earlier this year, as all 7 divisions got out to the start line, a small wind line showed up. Everyone was beating out of Ganges and headed clockwise around the island, a few boats chose a quick end to their race by choosing to go counter clockwise. Getting around Salt Spring Island is always challenging with many "holes", passes, narrows and currents. After the nice beat out ganges the wind lightened then everyone creeped around the south end of the island and made it through Samson Narrows in the daytime. At about dark most the fleet was at or near southey point, which is the northern point of the island, yes confusing! Some boats retired, others continued to creep down the east side of Salt Spring. The sunset was amazing but it got very cold once the sun went down. I personally was lucky enough to be on a boat that finished around 2 am after being spat out of the captain's passage about 3 times just as the sun was setting. It took us about 5 hours to finish the last 3 miles of the race! After finishing a few crew stayed up to see when the rest of the fleet would come around the corner and head to finish. Just after the sun came up the rest of the fleet that was still racing came around captain passage and all started sailing into the finish. Pretty neat to see boat after boat round the corner and head to the finish after a long night of sailing. Awards were planned for roughly noon and boats were still coming across the finish line as the race committee did not have a posted finish time. Once the majority of boats were finished most sailors made it up to awards. After 24+ hours of racing there is nothing better than walking around congratulating everyone on their race, hearing stories about the "issues" and "success" getting around the island in little to no wind. The awards were great fun for the 7 different divisions and sailors of all ages accepting awards. The Fugitive Race team had a few sailors under the age of 15 and another boat had a sailor close to 90 years old! Round Salt Spring was another challenging fun round island race. Congratulations to the Salt Spring Yacht Club and all the volunteers who put on a fantastic race. Looking forward to returning next year! Full results here. Photo Credit: Lin Parks Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Photo Credit: Salt Spring Yacht Club Photo Credit: Lin Parks READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ROSTER BOLSTERED WITH BOUWE BEKKING One of the Sport’s Most Experienced Sailors Joins North Sails 📸 Jesus Renedo / Volvo AB North Sails is proud to announce that Bouwe Bekking has joined the brand to support their Grand Prix division. Bekking is considered one of the world’s most accomplished and experienced sailors. The Dutch sailor has participated in eight around-the-world races, his first being the 1985-86 Whitbread onboard Philips Innovator and his most recent as skipper of Team Brunel during the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. His experience has earned him the moniker “Volvo Ocean Race Legend.” Beyond endurance ocean racing, Bekking has extensive sailing experience on various boats. Bekking is a six-time World Champion in multiple classes and has claimed dozens of European and National titles. His name is also in-demand within Superyachts, where he was recently named tactician to J-Class Svea. “Bouwe is an undisputed opinion leader in our sport,” says Ken Read, North Sails President. “He is highly respected amongst his peers and a familiar face to the global sailing audience. His expertise is a huge advantage to North Sails and our clients. As a result, Bouwe is uniquely positioned to add immediate value to our business. His input will play an important role in ensuring North Sails remains the leader in our sport.” “Direct feedback from the field is critical to advancing the performance and application of our products,” explains Paul Westlake, Grand Prix Leader, and North Sails Executive Vice President. “Bouwe is actively using North Sails products across a wide range of boats and conditions. His candid and direct feedback is guaranteed to impact future product developments.” “I have worked with the North Sails team at various points and with numerous projects throughout my sailing career, explains Bekking. “Whether flying off 40-foot waves in the Southern Ocean or inshore day racing, I’ve seen the evolution of the products. Product development and innovation are of particular interest, and I’m looking forward to working closely with a team who shares my ‘let’s give it a go’ attitude.” Bekking will maintain his robust professional sailing career while supporting North Sails within Grand Prix sailing. He will work closely with his sailing peers, the North product development team, and sales leaders. The “Volvo Ocean Race Legend” himself recently sat down with Ken Read and master sailmaker Nathan Quirk for Episode 4 of Loft 57, the North Sails Podcast. Collectively, our guests’ experience includes hundreds of thousands of offshore racing miles; Bekking onboard as a sailor, and Quirk in the sail repair loft. Subscribe to the Loft 57 podcast via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or connect with the North Sails community on Facebook and Instagram. Loft 57 is a North Sails production. 📸 Jesus Renedo / Volvo AB READ MORE

The collaboration is based on the fact that a fast, high-quality boat needs a sail inventory to match. And that’s exactly what the collaboration between X-Yachts and North Sails does. READ MORE

CELEBRATING DAVID FORBES & HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE One of North Sails Australia’s Early Leaders It’s with great sadness that we mourn the loss of one of North Sails Australia’s early leaders, David Forbes. A successful businessman and close friend of North Sails founder Lowell North, David embraced the position of interim manager of the loft in the late 1970s, to find stability and determine the future of the company. David’s vision to ensure North Sails Australia was a success led him to Michael Coxon, appointing him Manager of the loft in 1982 which was the beginning of a life-long friendship. Michael Coxon remembers his mentor sharing his vision clearly, “In the beginning, David came into the loft one to two days a week.” Coxon said. “And the other days, had me out to his business where we’d look at everything from business admin, to the production lines. I spent my time learning from David and he gave me confidence and taught me what business was about. On weekends we sailed Etchells and yachts together where my higher level of education continued on the water under Dave's watchful eye. After a year under Dave's mentorship Dave recommended I purchase North Sails Australia, at which point I stated that we needed to introduce a big boat specialist to compliment my sailmaking, one design, skiff and dinghy expertise. Dave introduced Grant Simmer, fresh from winning the America's Cup as navigator on Australia 11. Dave showed great foresight in pairing Grant and I, recognizing our diverse skills complemented one another and over a 17 year partnership we positioned North Sails Australia to be a highly respected business within the North International Group.” Forbes had great foresight in both business and on the water as an Olympic Gold Medalist in the Star Class from the Munich 1972 Olympics. Coxon says, “Dave is the most naturally gifted yachtsman I’ve ever sailed with. He had the ability to feel the boat, and know what to tweak. Balance, trim, sail shape, rig tune, Dave could always put his finger on it after a few minutes on the helm. Naturally gifted and always generously investing in me." “I became his protégé. I could always call him up and get his advice. If I’ve picked up just a little bit of his skill set, I know I’m better off for it. He’s helped me in both sailing and business and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.” “He touched so many people, and there’s no one else in my life who’s helped me more than Dave - though he’d deny it and laugh at me saying that.” Coxon finished, “Dave Forbes vision positioned North Sails Australia to be where it is today.” David was a friend to many, and North Sails would like to send our condolences to David's family and friends. READ MORE

North Sails klanten tonen krachten tijdens NSR Offshores | Regatta Service tijdens NSR Inshores Veel zeilers in top drie Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race Prachtig resultaten...! In de uitslagen van de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race zijn veel North Sails klanten in de top drie beland. De Vuurschepen Race werd op 24 mei voor de 75 ste keer gevaren en voerde het veld van Scheveningen naar Harwich. De North Sea Race vormde traditiegetrouw de terugreis, welke op 27 mei van start ging. In de verschillende ORC, IRC en double handed klassen gingen de deelnemers de strijd met elkaar aan. De resultaten van de twee races maakt Jacco Huijgen, Operations Manager North Sails Benelux, trots. “In alle klassen zijn onze klanten hoog geëindigd. Dan zie je dat alle energie die we samen met de klanten in de voorbereiding hebben gestoken, zich ook echt uitbetaald. Het is voor ons niet alleen een kwestie van goede zeilen leveren, maar we denken graag mee om de zeilers zo optimaal mogelijk aan het raceseizoen te laten beginnen. Een zeilgarderobe die goed op elkaar aansluit en geschikt is voor de geplande wedstrijden, is hierbij key.” Komend weekend, van 4 tot en met 6 juni, staan de Inshore races van de North Sea Regatta op het programma. Deze worden gevaren vanuit Scheveningen. Voor de ORC 1 en ORC 2 worden de resultaten van de Inshore races opgeteld bij de uitslagen van de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race. De overall winnaar wordt de nieuwe Nederlands Kampioen ORC. Het wordt dus een spannend weekend... Regatta service tijdens NSR Inshore races North Sails is tijdens de Inshore races aanwezig om eventuele schades aan zeilen, waar mogelijk, te herstellen. Heeft u schade? Neem dan na de wedstrijden zo snel mogelijk contact met ons op. U vindt onze trailer op het stallingsterrein van Malherbe, direct aan de haven. Iedere wedstrijddag vertrekt de bus met reparaties om 17.30u uit Scheveningen, zodat u de volgende dag weer gebruik kunt maken van uw favoriete zeilen. Contactpersonen tijdens NSR Inshores Nic Bol(ORC 2, X-362 Extra Djinn ): +31 (0)6 55376636 Bart Overgaauw(SB20 Manta) : +31 (0)6 50730512 Wouter Köllmann(ORC 2 J99 Lallekönig): +31 (0)6 42156449 Tom van der Vecht(ORC 1 Luffe 40 Kreutz Ass): +31 (0)6 46140346 Joost Houweling(Finn): +31 (0)6 22798462 Trots op onze klanten De volgende klanten zijn op het podium beland bij de Vuurschepen Race en North Sea Race: Vuurschepen race ORC 1 1: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 2: Ronald Prins, Sailmon JR, J122 3: Frederic de Visser, Spitfire, J121 IRC 1 1: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 2: Ronald Prins, Sailmon JR, J122 ORC 2/ IRC 2 1: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport ORC 3 1: Simeon Tienpont, Fever, J35 ORC Double handed 2: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 3: Paul Manuel, Jongeheer, J99 IRC Doublehanded 1: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 North Sea race IRC Zero 1: Van Uden, Gert Jan Poortman, Ker 46 2: Oyster cathcer xxxv, 2: Richard Matthews, CF520 IRC 1 1: Il Corvo, Astrid Vin, JPK 1180 2: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 IRC 3 1: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport 2: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 3: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 ORC 1 1: Van Uden, Gert Jan Poortman, Ker 46 2: Frans van Capelle, Moana, J122 3; Jan-Friso Blacquiere, Blacq Magic, TH38 ORC 2 2: Paul Manuel, Jongeheer, J99 3: Michel Dorsman, Extra Djinn, X362 Sport IRC Double handed 1: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 2: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 ORC Double handed 2: Richard Palmeer, Jangada, JPK 1010 3: Willem Schopman, Waverider, Sun Fast 3200 READ MORE

The Solo is a boat with a relatively simple rig. Once you are on the water there is little adjustment possible. It is essential therefore that you get the right rig settings before launching. When setting up a new boat you need to establish the following: Mast Foot Position In the past we suggested two mast foot positions, but in recent years when sailing in a mixed upwind/downwind race track I have found I liked the one setting for all conditions so this is what we would recommend. Measuring from the front edge of the mast foot to the outside edge of the transom should be as close to 3065mm as possible. Please see Fig 1, 1a, 1b showing how to take this measurement. PLEASE NOTE with this setting the boom will be lower, if you have limited mobility, sail at a venue where you are constantly tacking or on a club course with more offwind than upwind please feel free to move the heel aft to a setting nearer 3052 mm to keep the boom higher, make it easier to tack and bias performance more to downwind. Secondary to this is boats prior to approximately 2008 may struggle to move the heel forward to this measurement due to the bulkhead position. Fig 1 Fig 1a Fig 1b Mast Rake This is controlled by forestay tension. Set the forestay so its tight when the back of the mast hits the back of the mast gate, then release the forestay tension by 2 holes on the adjuster, this is the base rake. For those with a mast cutout [please check your mast manufacturer for warranty on this] you can set the average mast rake with a tape measure, should be set at 5940mm measured using a tape measure on the halyard hoisted to your black band and then to the top aft edge of your transom bar. To ensure the hoist of the halyard is at the correct height the tape should read 5030mm when held down the mast to the top of the gooseneck band, this is then at the correct hoist height and can easily be replicated, now you can proceed to measure the rake. See Fig 2 & 2a showing how to do this. Fig 2 Fig 2a Shroud Tension When the shrouds are just in tension the mast should be 5mm from the front of the gate. If you sail on flat water or are over 90kgs you can sail with tighter shrouds to limit sideways bend, in this case the shrouds can be in tension when the mast is 10mm from the front of the gate. Centreboard Position Turn the boat on it’s side and drop the board and mark the handle when the leading edge is vertical (LV), relative to the bottom of the case. Then lift the board until the trailing edge is vertical (TV) and mark the handle. Then mark the handle with 20mm spacings to guide when you lift the board further as the breeze builds. Mast Chock Use 1 x 10mm chock to be used as per the tuning matrix below. Control 0-5 knots  6-10 knots 11-16 knots 17+ knots Centreboard Leading edge vertical Trailing edge vertical 40mm up from TV mark 40-100mm up from TV mark Chock Chock behind mast Chock in front Chock in front Chock in front Kicker Slack In tension to stop boom Tension to control leech Max. kicker Outhaul 50mm depth in foot 100mm depth in foot 50-100mm depth in foot until overpowered then tension progressively Max. outhaul with crease along foot Inhaul 15mm from back of mast 10mm from back of mast 5mm from back of mast 0-5mm from back of mast Traveller Positioned so that boom end is over inboard edge of sidedeck Positioned so boom end is between inboard & outboard edge of sidedeck Positioned so boom end is over gunwhale, until overpowered then vang sheet and keep traveller on centreline On centreline Cunningham Slack Slack snug to remove larger wrinkles on luff Tension progressively to depower Tension to depower Because Solos are relatively easy to sail a boatspeed advantage is hard to find. The settings that have been used for this tuning guide are based around a Solo sailor weighing 8085kg using a Selden D+ mast and North Sail. However these settings still apply providing you use the correct mast and sail combination for your weight. The settings are dependent on sea state, weight, mast, sail and fitness. So in a force 3 a 90kg helm would be on full power settings whereas a 75kg helm with the same rig would be on overpowered settings. The overlap between settings can be achieved with a combination of rig, sail and centreboard adjustment. There are different ways to achieve the same result. If for example you are caught out with light/medium settings  in strong breeze raise the centreboard further, use more kicker tension (to bend the mast) cunningham and outhaul tension. Use a combination of mainsheet tension, kicker tension and traveller position to find the best speed upwind. As a general rule start in light winds with the traveller positioned so that the boom end is over the inboard edge of the sidetank and mainsheet tensioned so that all the leech tell tails are flying. As the wind increases use more mainsheet tension and ease the traveller to stop the boom getting too close to the centreline. Kicker tension in light winds should be set just slack so that it controls leech twist out of tacks. As the breeze increases and you have to ease the mainsheet to keep the boat flat use kicker to control the leech profile, and adjust the traveller (usually move inboard) to keep the boom roughly over the outside edge of the quarter. Once fully overpowered use kicker upwind to increase low down mast bend and flatten the mainsail and pull the traveller to the centreline and leave it. In a Solo body position is extremely important. In very light airs your body weight should be centred on the thwart, but do not move forward of this point however light it is. Once you are sat on the side deck move back so that your front leg is pressed against the thwart. As you become fully hiked move back to 150mm from thwart, and then up to 300mm as the wind increases. Offwind Use only enough centreboard so that the rudder is neutral when the boat is flat with the following sail settings: Light Airs Leave the outhaul on its upwind setting. The inhaul (if adjustable) should be released so its slack. The kicker should be slack or just in tension to stop the leech opening too much in the gusts. Medium Airs Ease outhaul so that lens foot is fully eased, ease the inhaul until slack. Set the kicker so that the top batten flies approximately 90 degrees to the boat, this allows the leech to open and maximise speed. If planing is a possibility keep the boat as flat as possible and take the mainsheet 2:1 from the boom. Heavy Airs Only ease the outhaul on tighter reaches if you can use more power. Ease Inhaul until slack. Once on the broader reaches and run ease outhaul to allow a little depth in the foot. Set the kicker as for medium airs or ease to depower on the reaches. This is also very quick on the run to allow running by the lee. By spending time on the water preferably with a tuning partner you will be able to establish the right settings for all conditions. This will allow you to concentrate more of your energies on finding the quickest way round the course. READ MORE

Offshore sailing has seen a dramatic rise in popularity and awareness. Ocean Race legend Bouwe Bekking joins Ken Read on Episode 4 of the North Sails podcast. READ MORE

PETER DUNCAN AND TEAM CROWNED 2022 MELGES 24 WORLD CHAMPIONS Coach Chris Larson and Tactician Victor Diaz de Leon Break Down the Win 📸 Matias Capizzano After a two-year World Championship hiatus, Peter Duncan’s Raza Mixta team proudly hoisted the Melges Performance Sailboats Trophy at the 2022 Melges 24 Class Championship this May in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And while Duncan and his crew of Erik Shampain, Morgan Trubovich, Victor Diaz De Leon and Matt Pistay were coming in hot from a successful winter season, winning the Worlds was no easy feat. Getting to the top of the podium required the team to claw back points from deep within the fleet. North Sails had a chance to check in after their win and get the inside scoop on what went on. Raza Mixta’s tactician Victor Diaz De Leon and team coach, North Sails Expert Chris Larson were happy to walk us through their experience; how it felt and what it took to come from behind. The Road to Worlds: Winning a World Championship is never as easy as just showing up and racing hard. Typically there is a long road and hard work that leads a team to the top and Raza Mixta is no exception, with various lead up events and multiple players contributing to reaching the top. Raza Mixta is a young team in terms of sailing together, but the collective experience of all the players is what made the difference. Pulling veteran talent from the Melges 24 fleet with Shampain and Pistay, mixing in the talented J/70 team of Duncan, Diaz de Leon and Trubovich and rounding out the team with deep coaching experience paid off. Raza Mixta won the class at the Southernmost Regatta and was named first overall in the Bacardi Series before winning the Worlds. The team sailed hard and coach Chris Larson took charge of organizing schedules, training sessions, sail inventory, and boat preparation. According to Diaz de Leon, “Larson was definitely instrumental in us being able to pull it off.” 📸 Sharon Green Raza Mixta’s Rebound: A come from behind story. After two thirteenth place finishes on day one, team Raza Mixta found they barely made the top ten, ninth place at the end of the day. Duncan remained optimistic and kept team morale high, but at the same time the team knew they had work to do to get to the finish. After-dinner debriefs, powerpoint presentations on sail trim and competitors, Larson left nothing to chance. There was ground to make up and still time to come out ahead. “Each day I would be on the water with the team photographing and videoing all of their movements. Later, as I presented I would include details such as sail twist, sheet tension, jib car position, traveler position, forestay sag, rig tension and sail scanning. We would then review video from each maneuver enabling the team to perfect their boat handling.” It worked. As the event progressed, with Duncan doing a great job getting the boat off the line, constant communication from Shampain, and Trubovich and Pistay hiking, De Leon did what he does best, working his way through the fleet, and rounding the first weather mark in the front pack. From there, the team let their speed and boat handling take over by gaining at every corner of the race track. Having used their throw-out on day one, they could not afford another double-digit finish. By day four they turned an insurmountable deficit to a six point lead and never looked back. Sails That Deliver Results Raza Mixta used the class MNi-2 mainsail, Ji-4 Jib and P1 Spinnaker for the entirety of the event. Speed was a strength for them, and they had confidence in their set-up and sails throughout the vast range of conditions seen throughout the event. The Ji-4’s round entry helped with steering and gave the boat enough power to get through the chop. And Larson thinks that the MNi-2 mainsail is a great all around sail, “It flattens out nicely, but still has shape in the back-end of the sail. This was ideal when the conditions warranted sailing with more twist than normal.” According to Diaz de Leon “We felt very comfortable with our sail set up and our rig tune set up. We were going well in the light air, medium air and heavy air so we felt confident in our speed. Chris Larson was again a very helpful coach that worked really hard on the rig tune and sail selection.” Clearly the right choices were made and the hard work paid off. Congratulations Team Raza Mixta. Hard-won expertise from over six decades of success is built into every sail we make. This is why North Sails wins more races than any other sailmaker. Remember to check out the #NSVictoryList and tag us in your posts for a chance to be featured on the wall! #NSVICTORYLIST 📸 Matias Capizzano READ MORE