NORTH SAILS FLYING FIFTEEN DESIGNS LEAD THE WAY

Triumph at the New Zealand Nationals

North Sails are delighted to see Flying Fifteen duo Hayden Percy and Scott Pedersen win in Napier at the New Zealand Nationals, with their victory made even sweeter as they raced with the FR-3 Mainsail and NGX-3 Genoa. Conditions were variable throughout the three days of racing, putting the sails and the sailors to the test on the racecourse. This did not stop Percy and Pedersen who stayed at the top of the leaderboard throughout, despite the changeable conditions. Saturday was light, Sunday was a lumpy sea state with 15 knots of wind, and Monday was similar conditions but with the occasional 30-knot gusts sweeping through the fleet. Commenting on the new designs, Pedersen remarks: “The sails felt nice, set up well, and easy to trim.” “Percy and Pedersen were right on pace’’, North Sails One Design expert Derek Scott comments. “Even with their older 'silver fleet' boat that is over 30 kilos overweight, they powered out of the starts and kept pace with the brand new boats. Percy and Pedersen used the North Sails Tuning Guide to set up the sails which helped them optimize their sails.’’ Napier, New Zealand is a familiar venue for Flying Fifteen sailors. The great Hawkes Bay has a wide, open sailing area that gets the perfect sea breeze in the summer. With the New Zealand Nationals being later in the season this year due to lockdown, the 2021 New Zealand Nationals saw cold gusty NE breeze, combined with a sharp chop, making the sailing hard work on the bodies but very close racing. With the Flying Fifteen Worlds in Perth postponed, Percy and Pedersen are now getting back into their Paper Tiger's, working towards the upcoming season. They will get back into the Flying Fifteen for next year's National and Regional Regattas.