NORTH SAILS BLOG

EUROPEO DE 470 El campeonato de Europa de 470 se celebró en la localidad italiana de San Remo (6-14 de mayo), donde los mejores expertos continentales se enfrentaron por las coronas masculina y femenina. 📸 Gerolamo Acquarone North Sails equipó al 80% de la flota, incluyendo a los ganadores de ambas categorías: las francesas Camille Lecointre / Aloise Retornaz y los suecos Anton Dahlberg / Frederik Bergström. Segundos en categoría masculina finalizaron los españoles Jordi Xammar y Nicolás Rodríguez, también equipados con North Sails. ¡Felicidades! READ MORE

Barcos equipados con velas North Sails se impusieron en seis de las clases participantes. READ MORE

¿CUÁL ES EL MEJOR MOMENTO PARA COMPRAR VELAS NUEVAS? La mayor capacidad de producción de las velerías North Sails permite ofrecer tarifas especiales para velas entregadas durante verano. "Si quieres estrenar velas en la Copa del Rey MAPFRE, el momento para adquirirlas es ahora", sugiere Luís Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España. Ante la inminencia del verano, el movimiento en los pantalanes se multiplica. Meteorología y aumento de horas de luz invitan a salir a navegar, y los clubes náuticos agitan sus calendarios con interesantes regatas por toda la costa española. Además de la puesta a punto necesaria para garantizar que disfrutemos al máximo de nuestro barco, conviene revisar el inventario de velas y decidir si necesitamos algún recambio. Pero, ¿es un buen momento para comprar velas nuevas? "Ahora es un momento excelente para comprar velas nuevas", explica Luis Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails. "El precio de venta al público de las velas North Sails está calculado para picos de producción, cuando nuestras velerías trabajan a pleno rendimiento, pero cuando disponen de mayor capacidad de producción podemos ofrecer interesantes descuentos". Y es precisamente ahora cuando se dan las circunstancias para que la firma pueda ofrecer velas nuevas en condiciones especiales. Tomando como referencia una regata emblemática como la Copa del Rey MAPFRE, Martínez Doreste recomienda aprovechar esta temporada de descuentos y realizar el pedido cuanto antes: "Contando con que la regata se celebra del 27 de julio al 3 de agosto, quien quiera estrenar velas debería encargarlas ahora. Para pedidos realizados a principios de junio, garantizamos entrega antes de la Copa del Rey MAPFRE". Martínez Doreste, campeón de la regata del Real Club Náutico de Palma en 2018 con el DK46 Estrella Damm en clase ORC, apunta a una vela que no debería faltar en el inventario de todo barco que busque brillar en la Copa del Rey: la nueva Helix. "El código cero al 75% Helix es una vela imprescindible para la regata costera de la Copa del Rey, porque suele navegarse en rumbos cerrados en los que esta vela se comporta de forma óptima", explica. Helix es la propuesta de North Sails de vela de proa sin cabo antitorsión, caracterizada por una óptima distribución de cargas y una ligereza sin precedentes. Está disponible para embarcaciones de prácticamente cualquier eslora. El programa North Sails de condiciones especiales por producción es aplicable a velas entregadas en los meses de julio, agosto y septiembre. READ MORE

HELIX SAILS AND THE BENETEAU FIGARO 3 A Specialized Sail Structure, Helix Is Part of the North Sails Recommended Inventory For This Foiling Offshore Class Spend a day in a North Sails offices and lofts and you’ll quickly observe Helix sails are a hot topic. Who’s taking delivery this week, how are they performing, are the clients happy? Our sail design team is constantly looking at photos and video of sail shape, while our sales team is fielding inquiries from current and potential clients looking to step up their performance. In the last few weeks, Supermaxi Scallywag won their class and broke a record at Les Voiles St Barth, Wally Centro Magic Carpet 3 took delivery of their new Helix sail before Palma Vela, Cao Ila R won the Mini Maxi division at Capri Sailing Week, and the feedback on Helix sails from the Beneteau Figaro 3 class is coming in fast and furious. “The data is coming in after a few months, and the Helix sails have less sag, less load and are faster on every angle than the competition,” North Head of R&D Gautier Sargent explains. “The results from the Figaro 3 are proof that the performance gains we advertise are real.” Helix sails are a specialized sail structure evolved from Load Sharing Technology, and are part of the North Sails recommended inventory for this foiling offshore one-design class. These sails are more versatile, forward projecting and self-supporting, featuring a luff cord to fine tune the luff shape. “Helix gives us the ability to adjust the flying shape to the conditions and point of sailing. Also, the loads required to control your sag are reduced and the overall bagged weight is light.” Armel Le Cléac’h, Skipper Banque Populaire Figaro 3 The North design team is 80 people strong and is a powerful collection of very talented design experts with an excellent track record of developing new concepts. “Designers at North Sails are committed to understanding the why,” Gautier says. “Paired with our obsession to deliver the best product, this has brought people back to ask about Helix. At North Sails, we look at the long game and incorporate all factors (material, design, ease of use) into our product offering.” Though it wasn’t a popular decision initially, Gautier stands by the North Sails approach of building a handful of identical Helix sail prototypes for the Figaro 3 fleet. This setting of a baseline is similar to how North Sails handles the IMOCA, Melges 20 and J/70 classes, and it gives teams the opportunity to test the sail at different regattas, with all factors being equal.: “Helix is a good fit for the solo Figaro 3 because it is very versatile and covers a huge range of conditions and wind angles. You can easily switch from reaching to a downwind sail. Morgan Lagraviere, Skipper Safran IMOCA “We lost a few guys at the beginning because they wanted custom sails, but building the best sail we could for this class, and offering it to everyone was what we did,” explains Gautier. “We want our clients to feel special, but we don’t like to play favorites. If everyone is the same when learning the boat, you understand whether you are faster because of different trimming, a different setting on the foil, or maybe different sail configurations.” © Alexis Courcoux READ MORE

SUPERYACHT TIMES INTERVIEW WITH KEN READ This article has been republished from the May/June issue 26 of Superyacht Times, author Charl van Rooy. Talking superyacht racing with sailing legend Ken Read. Heading Downwind From a humble sail-making background in his hometown of Newport to the world stage as one of the most celebrated sailors of our time, there are few people who deserve a shorter introduction than Ken Read. As a globally recognised face from three America’s Cup campaigns and tearing up the world’s oceans during as many Volvo Ocean Races, Read’s experience in the field is second to none. I met up with the man himself during the recent St Barths Bucket to find out how a lifetime of competitive sailing and gruelling ocean races makes him one of the most valuable and trusted ambassadors for the super sailing yacht business today. The Rest Is History As President of North Sails, one of the world’s largest sail suppliers to super sailors, Read is no stranger to the glamorous side of the business, regularly attending some of the most prestigious events on the yachting calendar. But he is not simply here on the jet set Caribbean island to represent the North Sails name and sip champagne. Read is on a lifelong mission to ensure the longevity of the sailing superyacht business and actively throws himself into the superyacht sailing lifestyle as enthusiastically as he did during his competitive career. ‘“What can we do to change the ratio of motor yachts to sailing yachts in your publication?” he asks me as he scans through the latest motor yacht-rich issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper. Sailing is Read’s life. From being drafted by a sailmaker after excelling at sailing in college, to being awarded the US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year trophy twice and later selling his own sailmaking company to North Sails at the age of 35, “It’s been one hell of a ride,” he says. Read’s involvement in the superyacht sailing scene kicked off in 1996 when North Sails acquired the Sobstad Sails (previously Shore Sails) company he owned. “With that, I stepped onto the company board and started this incredible process of using high-profile sailing events to learn about building a team, managing expectations and to communicate with these highly intelligent, wealthy owners to further develop our product and make sure we offer the best that we can.” Higher Grounds Joining the company wasn’t the end of Read’s sailing career. Instead, under the mentorship of his boss, Tom Whidden, Ken received the guidance and he needed to eventually reach the highest level of professional sailing. No less than four sabbaticals during his time at North made it possible for Read to compete on the global stage in some of the most memorable races of his life. “I remember Tom telling me, ‘I’m going to keep pushing you out the door to go and get better and improve your name on the world stage. Go out and make the mistakes you need to, and you will return a better manager of North Sails’,” Ken smiles. “If you look at it from a business perspective, going off to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race or America’s Cup, many of the people I would normally deal with are a part of those races anyway. So you end up with real friendships and partnerships that you can utilise in the future.” And that is exactly what Read has achieved as preparations for the 14th Volvo Ocean Race later this year are underway. “Today I enjoy having taken on the role as a supplier to many of the teams and being able to bring some of my experience to the table when they ask for it.” Back on the superyacht racing scene, Read views these prestigious super sailing yacht gatherings as more important than ever. “Today, the boats are evolving into even higher performance, sportier superyachts which suit our field of expertise and skill sets perfectly. Our 3Di sails, in particular, are designed specifically for these types of yachts and the type of racing we see here in St Barths. These events make or break our year, really, and directly impacts our bottom line.” Bigger Is Best During his time attending superyacht regattas, Read has found that to ensure the success of these events and, indeed, the continued success of the sailing yacht industry as a whole, more needs to be done to provide an inclusive experience. Regattas are often associated with performance maxis and intense racing scenes, but often overlooks the vital role bigger, slower yachts in the Corinthian class plays in the overall perception of the industry. “The important part of performance superyacht sailing events such as here in St Barths and the Superyacht Cup in Palma, for example, is that different classes are offered for the different styles of sailing. You can have a very relaxed Corinthian style class that is as big and carries just as much weight as the performance boats that are fully crewed. For a few years, the scene seemed to lean too much towards a ‘performance-only’ experience.” “I think we can do a better job of promoting the Corinthian side of these regattas; it can’t only stand out to the cool, fast boats. We need equal representation in the press and on the podium for all classes. Sailing a big Perini that is larger than a house is a hard thing to do. I won’t call it a performance boat, but it is operated and pushed to a performance level in a cruising class. Without those types of boats, these events will not be the same.” Helping Hands Looking to what can be done to prevent these large yachts from dropping out of regattas due to a technical issue with their sails, Read continues: “Early on we found that this is one of the most disappointing things that can happen to an owner during these events. Whether it is our sails or another manufacturer’s, we need owners out on the water, participating and having fun. We started our regatta service some years ago, and a technical team is on site to make any repairs to the sails if needed. It’s not a money maker for us – it probably costs us money each year,” he laughs, “but it is something we feel we have to do to ensure that these events continue and that owners leave happy.” Looking Up Increased participation in increasingly sophisticated, inclusive sailing events and regattas around the world is great, but with inconsistent trends in the sailing yacht market – is it enough to rejuvenate the super sailing yacht business? “I think we have already noticed a slight shift. Many owners are involved in environmental projects today, and many are looking to make a change on the global stage and considering sailing yachts as an alternative for their superyacht experience. In the last ten years there is more interest in big sailing yachts than I have ever experienced before. Even on the semi-production side of the business, companies like Baltic, Swan and Southern Wind are talking about projects of 100-130 feet in length. People are asking about these projects. That is a great part of the market which didn’t exist a few years ago. I think we are seeing a good comeback with good energy.” Home Stretch Business aside, with so many years working – and playing – in the world of sailing, does Read still indulge in the sport for fun?? “Back home I do sail for fun, yes,” he chuckles. “I had an M32 catamaran for a number of years, and we sailed Tuesday night beer can series. I am also sailing in the 12 Metre World Championships this summer in Newport. I’ve been racing with the J’s for a long time on Hanuman and will probably continue in the J Class format in some form in the future as well.” And that is precisely where Read’s focus is now firmly set on; the future. Having denied considering taking part in another Volvo Ocean Race, his feet will stay on dry land – at least for now. “My focus now will be the running of North Sails. As long as I can remember I’ve been here in St Barths out on the water sailing as either a helmsman or tactician. I have to say, it’s weird getting up in the morning and not having to figure out how to beat someone on the race course. But it’s still a lot of fun for me, and I think it perhaps paves the way for the next direction of my life.” 📸 Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

SCOTTISH SERIES SUCCESS IN TARBERT North Boats Take Top Position In Five Classes Chimaera, overall series winner © Marc Turner The 2019 Scottish Series was a great success all round, with North Sails clients taking the overall Class Win in five of the classes and the "Boat of the Week" prize for Andrew Craig and his Team on the J-109 Chimaera. Our own Maurice O'Connell was calling tactics on board, managing to navigate his way through a tricky six race RC 35 series to win by a very comfortable eight point margin. Well done to the crew for a fantastic result in a very tough 14 boat fleet. Andrew sent us this lovely note as soon as the regatta had finished: "We had the full range of conditions and our new North 3Di J1 and J2 set beautifully on the light moderate days. The J3 came into its own in day three in 18 to 28 knots. We have a beautiful A2 SuperKote for very deep running and could get lower and faster than all the other A sail boats. Our big A4 was used in the heavier winds. It was great to have Prof with us and we kept working the sail and boat trim. It was a real nine man team effort with our North wardrobe as a great tenth man!" ''We have a beautiful A2 SuperKote for very deep running and could get lower and faster than all the other A sail boats''. The full North Sails Ireland squad was in attendance at the regatta as well as Kevin Aitken from North Sails Scotland sailing the very rapid Beneteau 36.7, Animal. Powered by 3Di, Animal was the overall winner of the Kip Regatta the previous week, but on this occasion, the winds were just too strong for Kevin and his team to shine. Mata, IRL2794 © Marc Turner We talked to One Design Expert and founder of North Sails Ireland, Nigel Young who was on trim and rig setup on board Harmony: What was really evident as soon as we hit the water on Friday morning was the impressive number of North Sails powered boats at the regatta. 3Di is really proving to be the product of choice if you want a taste of success... performance and longevity are hard things to ignore. 3Di is really proving to be the product of choice if you want a taste of success... performance and longevity are hard things to ignore. In a smaller-than-normal Class One, it was Jay Coville's First 40, Forty Licks, that took the top prize with Jonathan Anderson's J-122e El Gran Senor following just two points behind after a continuous battle between these two teams throughout the weekend. The beautiful Corby 37 Aurora finished a very close third. I have very fond memories of a Scottish Series win in 2007 on that boat when she was named Blondie and owned by Eamon Rohan. It is fantastic to see her still going strong and in great hands. The RC 35 Class was perhaps the toughest class this year, with 14 boats fresh from Kip Regatta all looking for the top prize in a very narrow rating band. As previously mentioned, it was the J-109 Chimaera taking top place by a comfy margin, followed by the Ker32 Hijacker. This is an example of another boat powered by North Sails, sailing with some relatively old 3Di sails, proving that high quality race sails can last. The Kelly Family were third sailing their J-109 Storm completing the 1,2,3 podium places for North Sails clients - congratulations to all! A battle between Harmony and Mata took place in Class Three; both Half Tonner's from Howth Yacht Club sailing with North Sails 3Di. With J-92's making up the bulk of the fleet, Harmony came out on top by a small margin, proving how competitive the smaller classes can be. Congratulations to Darren and Michael Wright for putting together such a nice boat and for a great performance on their first outing. The 2019 Scottish Series will be remembered for some great races, lots of rain, some hanging about waiting to sail and big breeze Sunday. Congratulations again to all the North clients who did so well at this regatta, it makes us very proud to see the blue badge at the front of the fleet. Scottish Series 2019 IRC 1 1st Forty Licks / Jay Colville 2nd El Gran Senor / Jonathon Anderson RC 35 1st Chimaera / Andrew Craig 2nd Hijacker / Stuart Cranston & Jane Buchanan 3rd Storm / Pat Kelly IRC 3 1st Harmony / John Swan 2nd Mata / Darren & Michael Wright 3rd Satisfaction / Nicholas Marshall Etchells 1st Hero / Geoffrey Howison Sigma 33 1st* Leaky Roof 2 / Harper and Robertson * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory Hero, 1175 and Excaliber, IRL953 © Marc Turner Moonstruck Too, GBR4757R © Marc Turner READ MORE

LA SOLITAIRE PASSE À L’AIR DU FOIL ET DU 3Di 47 skippers à bord de leur tout nouveau Figaro Bénéteau 3 sur la ligne de départ © The Solitaire URGO Le Figaro L’épreuve maîtresse des Figaristes pour cette saison 2019 approche à grands pas. La Solitaire – Urgo Le Figaro sera lancée dimanche 2 juin à Nantes, destination Kinsale en Irlande pour la première étape, puis direction Roscoff et Dieppe en France pour les trois étapes suivantes. 47 skippers à bord de leur nouveau Figaro Bénéteau 3 à foil dont un tiers est équipé de voiles North Sails seront dans les starting blocks pour espérer décrocher la victoire de cette 50e édition. Evénement phare de la course au large en France, la Solitaire du Figaro est considérée comme une compétition éprouvante et exigeante tant sur le plan psychologique que physique ou tactique. Ténacité, dépassement de soi, rigueur et vigilance sont quelques-unes des compétences à user durant cette prestigieuse épreuve en solitaire du circuit Figaro. D’autant que cette année, le défi est de taille avec une palette de spécialistes déjà vainqueurs de l’épreuve comme Armel Le Cléac’h qui vient de remporter la Solo Concarneau, Jérémie Beyou, Yann Éliès, Alain Gautier ou encore Michel Desjoyeaux. © Jérémie Beyou/Charal Sailing Pour certains concurrents, cette Solitaire représente l’occasion de continuer à régater à haut niveau en attendant la construction de leur nouveau Imoca ou Ultim, de naviguer sur un support monotype dans un autre format de course et surtout de gagner en assurance et performance. Le défi pour l’ensemble de la flotte reste encore la maîtrise de ce monocoque à foil nouvelle génération et l’anticipation des conditions météo sur un parcours technique de plus de 2100 miles. En tout cas, ils donneront tout et ne lâcheront rien ! La première édition de la Solitaire du Figaro a vu le jour en 1970 et s’appelait alors la course de l’Aurore, organisée par le journal du même nom. En 1980, Le Figaro achète les droits de l’événement et rebaptise la compétition qui porte désormais le nom du groupe. Pour plus d’infos. READ MORE

CONQUERING THE SOLO FIGARO La Solitaire Urgo Le Figaro To Set Off For Leg 1 📸 Alexis Courcoux The main event for the Figaro skippers in this 2019 season is fast approaching. La Solitaire – Urgo Le Figaro will set off on Sunday 2nd June from Nantes with the first leg to Kinsale in Ireland, before returning to Roscoff and Dieppe over the next three legs. 47 skippers aboard their new Beneteau Figaro 3 hydrofoils will be in the starting blocks hoping to win this 50th edition, and a third of the fleet are fully equipped with North Sails. The Solitaire is considered to be a challenging and demanding competition on every level, psychologically, physically and tactically. Tenacity, surpassing oneself, rigor and vigilance are some of the skills to be used during this prestigious solo event on the Figaro circuit. This year, the challenge is all the more daunting with a plethora of decorated solo specialists who have already won the event, such as Armel Le Cléac’h, who has just won the Solo Concarneau, Jérémie Beyou, Yann Éliès, Alain Gautier and Michel Desjoyeaux. 📸Jérémie Beyou / Charal Sailing The first edition of the Solitaire du Figaro was launched in 1970 and was then called l’Aurore (Dawn), organized by the French newspaper of the same name. In 1980, the Le Figaro newspaper bought the rights to the event and renamed the competition. For many sailors who are waiting for their future offshore racing boat to come out of the yard, this Solitaire represents an opportunity to continue racing at a high level on a one-design boat and to develop confidence and performance. The challenge for the entire fleet remains to master this new generation of foiling. READ MORE

Get The Most From Your Etchells The 2019 Etchells Worlds is around the corner and here’s our Etchells Tool Kit for you and your team with tips and relevant information on sail trim, boat tuning and local knowledge. #NSVictoryList There is no better performance test of an Etchells design than the results it produces. In 2019 alone, North Sails clients won all the major regattas in Australia and the US. Quick Tips That Make All The Difference As your team prepares for the Worlds, we have compiled a series of speedy tips from North Sails Etchells experts that will help you step up your results. What Worked For The 2018 Worlds Champions Sailing in a 94-boat fleet stacked with past world champions, Martin Hill didn’t go into the 2018 Etchells Worlds in Brisbane, Australia expecting to win. Find out how team Lisa Rose rose to the occasion on the last day to win the title. Dog’s Mast Lever System The Etchells is one of the most competitive one-design classes in the world and sailors have been searching out extra speed gears for over fifty years. One recent innovation is two-time Etchells World Champion Andrew “Dog” Palfrey’s Mast Lever System. Corpus Christi Bay In Late June For the past 50 years, Mark Foster has raced and sailed in Corpus Christi, the venue of the 2019 World Championship. Find out more about the wind, waves, and current patterns that normally occur during a June afternoon. Benj’s Secrets Multi-time Etchells World Champion Steve Benjamin shares pretty much everything about his Etchells program – tuning numbers, sails, crew and boat setup, the team and their role in the game. The Tactician Role World Champion Michael Menninger shares his insights from the Etchells tactician seat. Managing starts, strategy decisions, planning downwind legs, and other important decisions on the boat. Fine Tune with North Find your groove. Get your numbers. Be confident in all wind conditions. After countless hours of sailing, sail testing, and competing in the Etchells, our championship-winning sails will get you up to speed quickly. Get Up To Speed Pulling all the pieces together can be challenging. The North Etchells Speed Guide will help you leverage our expertise to make the most of your Etchells sailing. Our Etchells sails deliver great results for our clients. Contact your North Etchells expert and join us at the front of the pack. READ MORE

If you do everything you can to reduce sail power with the sails you’ve got up, and you are still overpowered, it’s time to reduce sail area. READ MORE

North Sails expert Noel "Nitro" Drennan answers your Etchells speed and boathandling questions. Who sails in the Etchells Class? Etchells one-design keelboats have been around since 1966 and provide one-design racing at its highest level from Australia to the U.S. to Europe. The class culture is focused on providing excellent racing against both pros and amateurs, including many of the same pros found aboard America’s Cup and grand prix boats. At the elite end, coaching is common; the amateurs prepare well enough to beat the pros, which means the pros also need to prepare well if they want to win. The Etchells has many long-term class sailors, a testament to the class and the quality of racing it provides. What is the ideal Etchells crew size? The crew weight limit is 285 kg. (629 lbs.), and you can either race with three or four crew members. This gives a wide variety of crew options. Ideally, your crew size is close to the maximum class weight and they are able to hike hard. That being said, many crews don’t hike hard all day long and still perform well through excellent steering and sail trim, which is the most important factor in class success. What’s the biggest difference between sailing with three or four crew members? While there’s more space on boats with only three, larger crew, there are more hands with four for maneuvers. Crew communications can be different, too. Many of the four-up crews have the luxury of a designated tactician, whereas three-up crews have to divide the sailing roles and tactical decisions between them. Where can you buy an Etchells? Fortunately, the Etchells has three world-class boat builders on three continents. Second-hand boats are also readily available (see class website), ranging from $3,500 US for a starter boat to $60,000-90,000 for a boat in tip-top race condition. How do you transport an Etchells? An Etchells is relatively easy to tow. Most SUVs can pull the all-up boat-and-trailer weight of 2,300 kg (5,000 lbs.). Our top tip is to have your mast lifters sorted out before the regatta to speed the pack-up. We use a single-post lifting pole, as the aluminium masts are quite light. What kind of inventory does North recommend? North Sails has well-proven off-the-shelf sail models linked to a current tuning guide, so getting up to speed is easy. That being said, we are always looking for your next speed edge. The current North inventory has options to cover the wide variety of wind and sea states found at regattas all over the world. A few of our sail models have been around for years; the GM series of headsails has been a class favorite for over 25 years and is still winning races today. Etchells Tuning What are the basics of tuning the Etchells rig? The North Sails tuning guide helps you set up your mast and rig properly. It covers rig set-up including spreaders, mast step, mast rake, and some key jib-trim pointers. It also describes the base shroud tension settings we recommend and the changes you need to make as wind speed rises and falls. A key step during the set-up is to measure the mast base relative to the mast collar using the method described in the tuning guide, marking the aft deck 12 feet (3655mm) from the aft part of the mast collar and measuring the mast step from that position at 12 feet 6 inches (3830mm). The boats are close to identical, but this exact mast-port-to-mast-step measurement relationship is key to each boat. What are the “base” shroud settings for the Etchells? We recommend a base shroud setting for 9 to 11 knots as per the tuning guide. From there, it is an easy process to power up by loosening both upper and lower shrouds below 9 knots, or to depower when the wind is above 11 knots by tightening the shrouds. Recently the class has evolved to adjusting the lower shrouds through a larger range than the upper shrouds. On our boat, I usually only adjust my upper shrouds a total of five turns (two turns below base or three turns tighter than base). I adjust my lower shrouds 11 turns in total—four turns below base and seven turns tighter as it gets windy and we get overpowered. 📸 Bob Grieser Upwind Trim Guidelines Where does each person sit when sailing upwind? Upwind, fore-and-aft crew positions are fairly stationary but nudging slightly forward in light air and slightly aft when windy and/or in waves. What are the keys to Etchells sail trim? When sailing upwind, we recommend focusing on helm balance as much as the actual sectional shape of the sails. In no boat more so than the Etchells do you trim the entire sail package together, rather than set up the mainsail and headsail individually. If the helm is balanced, the boat will respond. Note that even though it is smaller, the headsail usually provides the majority of the drive force, so it deserves your full attention. What are the key controls for changing gears when wind and sea state change? The mast lever has been a big improvement, as it definitely makes quick mast-bend changes easy. Now it’s possible to maintain a nice mainsail luff curve while adding forestay sag to suit your light-air headsail. When do you change from a lighter-air jib to one for windier conditions? The most common light-air jib is the LM2L, which is designed for up to 12 knots—although we’ve seen some crews use it successfully in much higher windspeeds. The best option in 12 to 18 knots is the LM2H. The still-popular GM jib is favored by many sailors as an all-purpose sail from 10 to 25 knots. 📸 Bob Grieser Downwind Trim Guidelines What are the keys to downwind speed in the Etchells? Downwind in the Etchells rewards both deep-angled tactical racing and strong surfing techniques. It is usually a pretty good workout downwind, pumping the spinnaker sheets and mainsheet, while moving body weight to help catch waves. In lighter air, what are your top tips for downwind speed? It’s very important to rake your mast forward in light air enough for a small inversion in the middle of the mast. Also, if there is any chop downwind, I like to keep my crew weight as low as possible, sitting or crouching on the cockpit floor. Where does each crew member sit when sailing downwind? Downwind in light air, moving crew weight forward is a good thing. There have been quite a few times we have seen teams gain on a run when a crewmember goes up on the foredeck to change jibs. We recommend keeping crew weight forward until the bow starts immersing into the back of the next wave. Boathandling Guidelines Any recommendations for starting in an Etchells? As in all competitive classes, starting is paramount—and probably even more important in the Etchells with its long, relatively heavy, metre-style hull. If you’re not up to best speed at the gun, you definitely fall off the front row. Typically, if you start well and can hold your lane for three minutes, you are going to be up there at the first upwind mark. How do you tack the Etchells? Good roll tacking and jibing in light air pays big dividends. A long slow tack gives you the chance to gain many meters to windward, as the boats will carry their way directly upwind. What are some tips for good light or heavy air jibes? When it’s windy, especially in big waves, I like to jibe the mainsail first, keeping the crew in the cockpit, and then jibe the spinnaker pole once the boat is stable. We often notice that the four-crew boats can gybe better than three-member crews. In light air, they can roll the boats harder, and when it’s windy, they split the crew roles more effectively. How do you make a fast spinnaker set on the Etchells? Here’s a good routine that will help the forward crew get the spinnaker up and drawing in good order: 1) get organized on the offset leg; 2) ease the ram lever; 3) drop the mainsail traveler; 4) pre-set the spinnaker sheet to its downwind mark; 5) bear away to a downwind angle at the offset mark, so the spinnaker trimmer does not have to sheet on hard once the sail is drawing. What is the key to a good spinnaker takedown? Spinnaker douse systems with hard boxes have made takedowns a much easier process. The boxes are usually lightweight fiberglass or sailcloth on a frame that is retracted by shockcord to the side of the hull. The takedown is a manual system, but it works surprisingly well for either a windward or leeward drop. If it’s really windy, a leeward drop is safer, ideally on a starboard tack approach to the leeward mark. How easily does the Etchells broach? The Etchells are difficult to broach but they do tend to roll to windward in windy downwind conditions. When it’s really windy, we recommend easing the pole forward slightly and putting the bow up a little so you can keep all the crew on the windward side. This definitely feels a lot more in control, especially when the bow begins burying into the wave in front. What boathandling drills do you suggest? Always practice time-and-distance runs to be at your best speed at the starting gun. Set up practice starts with a goal of never having to bear away or run down the line as the gun fires. Drone footage of practice or race starts is an awesome way to review your starting technique. You’ll learn a lot from simply reviewing your turn rates. The long, slow meter-boat type hull loses minimal boatspeed, which can be very efficient in your pre-start maneuvering. I try to keep my turn rate long to maintain as much boat speed possible; in light air this can take up to 25 seconds per circle. READ MORE

NEW RJF RADIAL JIB FOR THE LIGHTNING The Perfect Match For The MF-2 Fisher Mainsail For years the question of “what’s new” for Lightning sails has been answered as “not much”. Today there is a new answer. Following the heels of the success of the V17 Radial jib, the North Sails Lightning team has developed a new radial jib that sets and trims to match with the MF-2 (Fisher) mainsail. After extending testing, we are excited to introduce the RJF Radial Lightning jib. North Lightning expert Brian Hayes explains about the new sail, its development process and the success it has had on the race course: “We had been working on radial panel layouts on several of our designs for a few years. Ched Proctor went through several test runs as we developed the successful V17 that is designed to match up with the M-5 main tuning system. We had been pushing for a “radial” layout for the MF-2 setup as well with the goal of developing a sail with similar shape as the JF-2 jib, using a radial construction to maximize the ability for the sail to hold its designed shape, for ultimate durability.” The orientation of the cloth panels is a big deal in Dacron sails. Getting the shapes to do what we wanted takes time and extensive testing. “I’m really pleased with how the sail flies and the boat speed has been really good.” The goal was to develop a jib with similar shape as the JF-2, using a radial construction to maximize the ability for the sail to hold its designed shape, for ultimate durability. When final RJF version was completed (October 2018) Brian took it to the Charleston Wild Oyster, snapped it on Steve Davis’ boat and they won the event. “We still wanted to look at it some more at the Kings Day Regatta. I convinced Ched to use it with an MF-2 mainsail (I know… gasp!) and he won that event as well. A couple of clients noticed the sail and asked if they could buy it to try. In that short period of time those teams reported two second place finishes in two regattas. We felt confident the RJF jib was fast.” Brian Hayes is heading to the World Championship in Espoo, Finland sailing with Steve Davis and Laura Jeffers. Then they head to the North Americans in Buffalo in August. They will have a new RJF jib in their inventory. “We are hoping we have as much luck as we did in Charleston” said Brian. Shop Lightning sails. READ MORE

BOOGIE 2.0 WINS MELGES 20 WORLD LEAGUE EVENT Youngest Crew Sweeps The Podium In Puntaldia https://www.northsails.com/sailing/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Melges20-Instagram_v2.mp4 North Sails Melges 20 Class Expert, Giulio Desiderato, called tactics onboard the winning Argentinian boat, Boogie 2.0 during the Melges 20 World League Event 2. The three day event in Puntaldia consisted of just four races with light winds ranging between 5-9 knots with the last race acting as a true test as the tricky conditions were made harder by wind shifts and greater variations in wind strength. For Boogie 2.0, this race was their favourite of the regatta after transforming a bad start into a third place finish by making significant gains during each leg. Winning the event with a helmsman aged just 17 and no one on board older than 33, Giulio was tactician for the youngest crew on the water. Giulio and the trimmer, Matteo, have sailed the Melges 20 together as they have known each other for years through Olympic classes. In contrast, he started sailing with Pilu (helmsman) and Fausto (bowman) this year and they are already a winning team, showing serious potential in such an experienced, competitive fleet. 📸 MWL/ Barracuda Communications We managed to catch Giulio to get his insight from the event: AS TACTICIAN, WHAT DECISIONS DID YOU MAKE THAT RESULTED IN A GAIN? Difficult to say. We didn’t choose to take big risks by banging any corners and we aimed to have clean starts every time, allowing us to always have different options open. I believe it is our consistency in results that have played a key part – we are the only team that always kept in the top five. WHAT SAILS DID BOOGIE 2.0 USE? We used a full North Sails inventory and were very satisfied with our speed throughout the regatta: Mi-2 3Di RAW Mainsail, Ji-4 3Di RAW Jib ( new design launched this season), R-2 Runner and V4-2R Reacher Spinnakers. WHAT WAS IT LIKE RACING IN PUNTALDIA? Puntaldia has been a wonderful discovery. I sailed here two weeks ago with the Melges 32 where we finished third and to come back with the Melges 20 is a pleasure. I love Sardinia and Puntaldia is a fantastic place. WHAT RACE DID YOU FIND THE MOST EXCITING? Ironically, the last race where our start was not good as we gained significantly during each leg, passing two boats on the last downwind resulting in a third place finish. Congratulations to the crew of Boogie 2.0 and good luck at the next World League Event in Marina di Scarlino on the 14-16 June. Browse the Melges 20 Shop Inventory, Tuning Guide and check out the full list of results. 📸MWL/Zerogradinord 📸MWL/Zerogradinord READ MORE

SOPROMAR - Centro Náutico North Sails Pick Up Point NORTH SAILS WITH A NEW PICK UP POINT IN PORTUGAL North Sails has established a partnership with Sopromar - Centro Náutico de Lagos, a reference boatyard, with more than two decades already, that offers the customer a wide range of specialized services performed by professional teams. Its privileged location, in Lagos, make it a strategic point of passage and stay for all vessels. As a new Pick Up Point North Sails, the boatyard now offers the service of collecting and delivering sails for maintenance and ensures customer contact with the North Sails Expert, in Portugal. We are now closer to our customers ! A NORTH SAILS TEM UM NOVO PICK UP POINT EM PORTUGAL A North Sails estabeleceu uma parceria com a Sopromar - Centro Náutico, estaleiro de referência que, com mais de duas décadas de existência, oferece aos seus clientes uma vasta gama de serviços especializados realizados por equipas profissionais. A sua localização privilegiada, em Lagos, permite-lhe posicionar-se como um ponto estratégico de passagem e estadia para todas as embarcações. Como novo Pick Up Point North Sails, o estaleiro oferece agora o serviço de recolha e entrega de velas para manutenção e assegura o contacto entre o Cliente e o North Sails Expert, em Portugal. Estamos, assim, mais perto dos nossos clientes ! CONTACTS - CONTACTOS Sopromar- Centro Náutico de Lagos Estrada Sopromar Estaleiro nº1 8600-716 Lagos LOCALIZAÇÃO / LOCATION T: +351 282 763 889 E: geral@sopromar.com W: http://en.sopromar.com/ READ MORE

SALVADOR BAPTISTA FERNANDES LEVA A NORTH SAILS AO EUROPEU 2019 O RESULTADO DEPOIS DAS PAN´s Photo Credits: Luis Fráguas Depois das Provas de Apuramento Nacional, realizadas em Abril e Maio, o velejador Salvador Baptista-Fernandes provou o resultado da consistência do seu trabalho e alcançou o apuramento para a participação no Campeonato Europeu de 2019. MUITOS PARABÉNS! O Salvador fez um excelente trabalho com a sua R-4 ! Contactem-nos para saber mais sobre as velas de Optimist e espreitem a lista de vitórias na Classe aqui ! Deixamos, também, o útil Speed Guide apenas à distância de um clique aqui. Sail Fast and Go Beyond! READ MORE

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Local North Sails Experts Help Clients Start The Season Off Right © Parker Media Management Skippers and crews gathered at Mimico Cruising Club last week for an evening of practice for the upcoming season; combined with a handful of volunteers, media personnel, chase boat and committee boat for mark set. Split into two divisions, boats lined up for an hour session of rolling starts split with drone footage to capture every move. Local North Sails expert Geoff Moore was on hand wanting boats start from the committee boat for the first portion of start then transitioned to North equipped J/122 Hooligan with Bruce Pierce to provide onboard tips and coaching. In addition, two other knowledgeable sailors were on hand to share their knowledge, one from a support rib and one on a boat. Together all three experts rotated boats throughout the rolling starts to share expertise for owners and crew alike to start better on the line. Starts are such a critical part of your race, and take a lot of coordination to practice-you really can't do it alone. A picture perfect evening with an offshore breeze and sunshine allowed sailors to hone their start line skills for the upcoming season. Local North Sails staff Kyann Rentzelos reflects; "I think seminars like the one Geoff Moore hosted are really beneficial. Starts are such a critical part of your race, and take a lot of coordination to practice-you really can't do it alone. Typically, you only get to do one per day, so getting better is a challenge. Coming from a dinghy racing background, this is something we drilled probably every day." © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management READ MORE

Otvoreno Prvenstvo Hrvatske za klasu Šljuka U Mošćeničkoj Dragi završeno je Otvoreno prvenstvo Hrvatske za klasu Šljuka na kojemu se natjecalo osam domaćih i deset stranih posada. Riječ je uglavnom o talijanskim posadama koje sve češće odmjeravaju snage s hrvatskim jedriličarima u ovoj klasi. Dobrosusjedski odnosi tomu nisu jedini razlog. Dogodine je Hrvatska domaćin Europskog prvenstva klase Šljuka u Splitu. Tijekom tri dana Otvorenog prvenstva Hrvatske za klasu Šljuka odjedrena su svega tri od predviđenih devet plovova i to tek posljednjeg dana regate po slabom južinu jačine 5-9 čvorova. U Mošćenici se okupila većina hrvatskih posada, a konkurenciju su dodatno zaoštrili Talijani i jedna njemačka posada. Naslov državnih prvaka drugu godinu zaredom osigurala je posada Luka Jerčić i Josipa Prosinečki iz JK Split. Regata se bodovala i za Adriatic Snipe Series kup u kojemu su prvaci Hrvatske zauzeli šesto mjesto iza vodećih talijanskih posada. Drugo mjesto OPH za klasu Šljuka pripalo je posadi Marko Marinović - Vedrana Polić iz JK Split, a treće posadi Milko Volarić - Dean Pavlak iz JK Galeb Kostrena. Dok kompletne rezultate regate možete pronaći na ovom linku. Mošćenička draga je poznata po dobroj organizaciji i zato nam uvijek dođu i talijani u velikom broju. Jedino što nije ispalo kako se očekivalo je bilo to što smo prva dva dana imali bonacu. Inače uvijek u poslijepodnevnim satima zapuše maestral, ali eto ove godine ga nije bilo. Ali Draga ipak nije iznevjerila, pa je treći dan poslijepodne ipak zapuhalo. Uspjeli smo odjedriti prava tri plova i na kraju se sve posložilo. Inače su glavni organizatori regate Nikola Dešković i Igor Staraj iz JK Orion i još jednom ih želim posebno pohvaliti, ali ove godine je posebno priznanje za dugogodišnji trud i angažman otišlo u ruke g.Tone, koji je dugogodišnji član JK Orion i jedan od idejnih začetnika ove regate. Ove godine je regata imala i jednog visokog gosta, koji je ujedno i natjecatelj s dugim nizom gostovanja u Moščenićkoj dragi, ali ovaj put je stigao u svojstvu komodora klase, talijanski jedriličar Pietro Fantoni. Damir Vranić, tajnik klase Spomenute klubove povezuje i priča o "slavnim danima" klase Šljuka u Hrvatskoj. Jedriličarski klub Galeb bio je organizator slavne Riječke međunarodne regate za klase Šljuka, Laser, Flying Dutchman, a kasnije i 470, koja je tijekom 60-ih i 70-ih godina znala okupiti i stotinjak brodova na Mošćeničkoj plaži Sipar. Tamo je 1970. godine održano i prvo europsko prvenstvo klase Šljuka u Hrvatskoj. Kada je Jedriličarski savez sredinom sedamdesetih godina odlučio klasu Šljuka zamijeniti klasom 470, uz već prisutnog Flying Dutchmana, broj jedrilica i aktivnih jedriličara u klasi Šljuka na Jadranu postupno se smanjivao sve do prestanka održavanja regata. 2006. godine Damir Vranić i Bojan Grego doveli su nove Šljuke u Kostrenu, a četiri godine kasnije, ovi entuzijasti u Omišalj su doveli i Južnoeuropsko prvenstvo klase, na kojemu se okupilo tridesetak jedriličara iz čitave Europe, ali i dalekog Brazila. Danas je u Hrvatskoj petnaestak brodova od kojih se devet redovito natječe na regatama u zemlji i inozemstvu. Obnovljena flota s ambicijom daljnjeg rasta odlučila je Klasi predati kandidaturu za organizaciju Europskog prvenstva 2020. Organizacija Otvorenog europskog prvenstva za klasu Šljuka 2020. svečano je dodijeljena Jedriličarskom klubu Split na prošlom europskom natjecanju u finskom gradiću Poriju. Očekuje se dolazak osamdesetak posada iz Europe i svijeta. Svoj dolazak u Split već su najavila neka od najvećih imena Klase, svjetski prvak Alexandre Tinoco iz Brazila, jedriličarska legenda Augie Diaz, dvostruki svjetski prvak u klasi Šljuka i svjetski prvak u klasi Zvijezda, američka posada Ernesto Rodriguez i Kathleen Tocke, osvajači zlatnog odličja zapadne hemisfere, posade iz Kanade, Argentine, Engleske, Španjolske, Belgije, Poljske, Norveške... Bit će to najveća regata klase u Hrvatskoj još od šezdesetih i sedamdesetih kada se na regatama u Mošćenici znalo okupiti pedesetak Šljuka. PRIPREMILA: JOSIPA PROSINEČKI READ MORE

Europsko prvenstvo klase Zvijezda FOTO: SVEN JURGENSEN Naša najaktivnija posada u klasi Zvijezda, Marin Mišura i Tonko Barač, nastupili su na Europskom prvenstvu klase koje se jedrilo između 13. i 19. svibnja. Čak 90 posada je nastupilo na ovoj regati koju je organizirao Fraglia della Vela Riva iz Riva del Garda, a među njima je bilo toliko svjetskih i olimpijskih prvaka i nositelja medalja, da bi se s tim podatkom rijetko koja regata na svijetu mogla nositi! Naši momci su nastupili neopterećeni plasmanom, jer osim povremenih izleta u inozemstvo u nas imaju priliku jedriti samo na jednoj do dvije regate godišnje, a na njima su redovito dominantni. Unatoč malo ležernijem pristupu ipak su ostvarili izvrstan rezultat i regatu završili na vrlo dobrom 12. mjestu. Odjedreno je 9 plovova, a glavni cilj naše posade je bio plasman među najboljih deset. Razlog tome je što je ova regata dobila status "grand slama", kategorije koju Star Sailors League želi dodijeliti određenim regatama, a koji za sobom nosi i poseban princip jedrenja završne faze natjecanja. U tom sustavu ako se plasirate u taj vršni dio bodovne liste imate velike šanse da se probijete do samog vrha, a detaljan opis jedrenja po tom sustavu je opisan na kraju ovog članka. Više detalja o nastupu naše posade dobili smo iz prve ruke od kormilarskog dijela našeg dvojca: Generalno gledajući jedrili smo dobro. Pogotovo s obzirom na vremenske uvjete. Bilo je hladno, prosjek vjetra je bio veći od 15 čvorova. Uvjeti po kojima je važnije "stiskanje" broda od tehnike jedrenja. A kako se nismo nešto posebno trenažno spremili za regatu to sam zadovoljniji s 12. mjestom. Moram reći da sam za ono jedno 34. mjesto najodgovorniji ja, jer sam pogriješio stranu. Znao sam da treba ići desno, ali nešto me je odvuklo lijevo... stvarno nemam opravdanja. Da smo taj plov završili među prvih 15-16 sigurno bi završili među najboljih 10. To je bilo bitno jer se onda kasnije jedri sistem eliminacije u kojem se sve može dogoditi. Ritam jedrenja nam je bio po dva plova u danu s tim da smo jedan dan odjedrili samo jedan plov, ali smo zatim to nadoknadili s tri plova idući put. A taj dan kad smo imali tri jedrenja svi smo se vratili na kopno maksimalno umorni. Inače, na regati je bilo toliko svjetski prvaka i olimpijskih pobjednika da regata spada u sam vrh po svakom pogledu. Generalno gledajući bilo je u rangu svjetskog prvenstva. Tako dobar sastav sigurno se može pripisati i činjenici da je nagradni fond regate bio 100.000 USD, a podijelio se na 20 najboljih od čega su pobjednici dobili 25.000 USD. Marin Mišura, JK Split Za ovako impresivan nagradni fond (bar u svijetu jedrenja) zaslužan je pokretač SSL-a, ruski poslovni čovjek sa švicarskom adresom. Koliku strast ima prema jedrenju i koliki je mecena govori i podatak da je osim nagradnog fonda i za ovu regatu osiguran tracking sustav koji je osim klasičnog GPS praćenja uključivao i direktan video prijenos sa svake jedrilice i distribuciju svih medijskih sadržaja u živo putem interneta. Osim spomenutog 34. mjesta naši momci su imali još jedan lošiji rezultat, 33. mjesto u prvom plovu. Ostali ulasci u cilj su bili mnogo bolji. Najlošiji rezultat im je bilo 17. mjesto, a čak 3 plova su završili u top deset. O snazi i kvaliteti flote možda najbolje govori podatak da je na drugom mjestu završio legendarni Robert Scheidt, ovaj put s flokistom Henry Boeningom. Pobjedu je odnio par Mateusz Kusznierewitz i Frederico Melo. A Frederica se možda sjećate od prošle jeseni kad je bio flokist našem Tonću Stipanoviću na finalu SSL-a na Bahamima. Iduća regata na koju planira ići naša posada je Svjetsko prvenstvo klase u Porto Cervu. Na put kreću 14. lipnja i zadovoljni su što je ove godine SP u Europi jer tada mogu sudjelovati s vlastitom jedrilicom, što je u svijetu Stella vrlo važno jer u samom vrhu presuđuju nijanse, a previše detalja vezanih uz trim konkretne jedrilice može biti presudno. READ MORE

ERFOLGREICHE BODENSEEWOCHE 2019, AUCH FÜR NORTH SAILS Gegen 150 Boote massen sich vom 24. – 26.04.19 im Konstanzer Trichter, leider auch dieses Jahr mit schwierigen Windverhältnissen. So konnten auf der Bahn ‚Echo‘ (auf der die Klassen ORC1, ORC 2, Sportboote und 6mR segelten) am Freitag nur ein Schwachwindlauf gesegelt werden, am Samstag immerhin zwei und am Sonntag reichte der Wind für einen 4. Lauf leider nicht mehr aus. Trotzdem waren unsere Kunden im Gros zufrieden, da es doch etwas mehr Wind wie im vergangenen Jahr hatte. Und wer an der Bodenseewoche schon dabei war, weiss, dass es ausser segeln noch sehr viel mehr gibt: Es ist ein Volksfest für Gross und Klein, Segler und ‚Landratten‘! Einige North Sails Resultate ORC 1: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ORC 2: 1, 3 Sportboote: 1, 2, 3 Ausführliche Ranglisten finden Sie hier. READ MORE

NORTH SEA REGATTA Wij zijn aanwezig, u ook? 28 mei is traditiegetrouw de Vuurschepenrace gestart (Scheveningen - Harwich) als onderdeel van de North Sea Regatta. Volgende week, tijdens het Pinksterweekend, worden de inshore wedstrijden gevaren voor de kust van Scheveningen. Zoals u van ons gewend bent zullen ook dit jaar onze experts aanwezig zijn tijdens dit jaarlijkse zeilfestijn. Waar kunt u onze experts vinden? Tijdens de Vuurschepenrace en RORC North Sea Race varen Bart Overgaauw en Wouter Köllmann mee in ORC 2 op de J/109 Joule en Archambault 35 Decatur. Tijdens de inshore wedstrijden tijdens het Pinksterweekend is naast Bart en Wouter ook Jacco Huijgen aanwezig. Hij vaart mee op de Swan 45 K-Force in ORC 1. Spreek onze experts vooral aan wanneer u vragen heeft of wanneer uw zeilen service nodig hebben. Wij helpen u graag. North Sails Overnight Repair Service Voor reparaties na de offshores en tijdens de inshores kunt u contact opnemen met Jacco Huijgen door te bellen of een Whatsapp bericht te sturen op +31(0)6 504 238 32. Tijdens de inshores verzorgen wij wederom een Overnight Repair Service, zodat u het gehele evenement met uw beste zeilen kunt varen. Vuurschepenrace volgen De Vuurschepenrace is te volgen via deze link Wij wensen alle deelnemers veel succes en met name veel plezier! READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: ROLEX CAPRI SAILING WEEK The Bay of Naples Serves Up Race-Winning Conditions For North Sails Clients 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week The 2019 edition of Rolex Capri Sailing Week featured 120 entries and North Sails clients delivered commanding control of the scoreboard. Starting the week off with the Regata dei Golfi, Caol Ila R stole the show, being the first to cross the finish line. Alex Schaefer and his crew were also awarded the overall Maxi Yacht Capri Trophy and won the Mini Maxi R division. The top six spots of the Mini Maxi division were fueled by 3Di and Caol Ila R’s win came in the last moments of the downwind leg with a well-executed sail change. Clients also filled the podium in the Maxi R/C, Maxi C/R division, ORC A, and took first overall in ORC B. The Capri ClubSwan Award went to Swan 80 Plis Play, winners of the Mini Maxi Cruiser/Racer division, and ClubSwan 42 BeWild, for the best performing Swans at the event. The Mylius Cup Trophy was won by Oscar3. “Nothing means more to us than our clients and their performance. It is our primary goal to provide them with the support to be in shape for racing, and have the tools they need to perform to the best of their abilities.” Sailmaker Bacci Sgarbossa along with two of his Casasco, Italy based Certified Service experts were onsite to provide sail repair services to all sailors. Each day, they were ready to take on the challenge of making sure every team was ship-shape for racing. Bacci and his team stayed busy repairing 50 sails across the five day regatta. Sales Expert Alessio Razeto added; “Nothing means more to us than our clients and their performance. It is our primary goal to provide them with the support to be in shape for racing, and have the tools they need to perform to the best of their abilities” Alex Schaefer’s Caol Ila R sporting their North Sails Helix, overall winners of 2019 Capri Sailing Week . 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week North Expert Alby Pratt based in Sydney, Australia, Caol Ila R Caol Ila R was on fire from day one. Their boat speed was spot on, and their crew work was top-notch, winning the Maxi Yacht Capri Trophy and overall Sailing Week title. The biggest highlight Pratt said was “winning when the points were that close was exciting. Spending most of the Winter season preparing for this first regatta, it was fantastic to see all of our hard work pay off.” Pratt commented; “One of our most memorable moments of glory was at the bottom of the leeward leg, coming into the finish. We swiftly executed a sail change from our Helix to our downwind spinnaker as the breeze filled in and put us five boat lengths ahead of Jethou just before we crossed the finish line. It all came down to two seconds to win the regatta hands down.” Aldo Parisotto’s Oscar3, winner of the Mylius Cup. 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week North Expert Stefano Orlandi, based in Carasco, Italy, Oscar3 Event preparation was a vital part of the regatta outcome for Oscar3, and owner/ skipper, Aldo Parisotto was more than pleased when his team went above and beyond expectations. Stefano commented; “Our first focus was to satisfy our team goals. We worked a lot this winter on mast tuning, and revamped our inventory with the addition of a new 3Di mainsail. We realized that all the hard work we put in pre-season paid off and maintaining the same core crew and leadership onboard made a huge difference. Winning our division and securing the Mylius Trophy in our first event of 2019 was a highlight.” Mills 62 SuperNikka 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week North Sails expert Alessio Razeto based in Carasco, Italy, SuperNikka “Upgrading SuperNikka’s sail inventory stepped up their game in all the right ways. He commented; “We got a new 3Di mainsail and headsail before the event. With an optimal sail design and some fine-tuning of the rig, we got the perfect shape, which gave us an additional performance boost. We out-performed our expectations. This fleet is top notch, and your result is hard-fought. We never expected to be so close to our competition, and were happy with our third place finish in Mini Maxi Racer.” Plis Play, Swan 80, winner of the Capri ClubSwan Award . 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week The Capri ClubSwan Award Winner, ClubSwan 42 BeWild 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week Clients on Daquet2, Confluence, and Drifter Sail 📸 Borlenghi Studios / Rolex Capri Sailing Week     READ MORE

ICEBREAKER REGATTA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS Low Temps Didn't Stop These Sailors The annual regatta, which kicks off the May long weekend around here, took place this past weekend with chilly temperatures and overcast skies. While conditions were less than favourable, sailors were excited and eager to race. North Sails Toronto was happy to support the annual event, which marked its 50th year in action this year! A great accomplishment for the organizing committee and sailors alike. Read the full recap from the organizers below: Many sailing notables were here today to celebrate the 50th year of the Icebreaker. All of them could recall stories about how young they were when they did it. A full complement of Olympians were present on Saturday to show encouragement for sailing. Rod Davies sailed Laser, Richard Clark Volvo and Hobart racer represented Canada in Finn class. Tommy Wharton, Olympic coach for Lasers, Ken Dool, presently coach for Olympic Sailing and five Olympics, Thomas Fogh, National Team sailor, and now coach and Mike Milner, executive director of High Performance Sail, Canada debriefed after racing. A great thank you for the years of support in all your capacities and for encouraging youth sailing. The first day of racing started promptly at 11:00 a.m. with light breeze at 7 – 10 knots switching from 105 degrees to 85 degrees with persistent right bend making a favoured tack for all the day. Lasers, Radials and 4.7’s got 4 races off. Two generals for the Radial fleet. 2.4’s and 29ers got 11 races in and comments made were complimentary of race committee with speedy turnarounds. Conditions were overcast for entire day with low chop. On the second day of the regatta there was good breeze at 90 degrees with little variation. Only one change of course at the 29ers course mid race. EYC race committee were on the ball. Wind shifts to right in last race allowed for lucky boats to gain some places. Heavier air benefited the weightier sailors at 10 to 15 knots. Despite a few capsizes a local sailor stayed sailing all the races. She looks promising because of her grit and getting very good starts. A special thanks to all of the clubs who came from a great distance to compete on the long weekend including teams representing, Royal St Lawrence Yacht Club, Club de Voile Deux-Montagnes, and Britannia Yacht Club to name only a few. Get ready for racing season with your local experts at North Sails. Contact your sailmaker today! READ MORE

2019 HELLY HANSEN NOOD REGATTA Chicago | June 7 - 9 North Sails is excited to continue our sponsorship of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas, and Chicago is the next stop on the circuit. North Sails local team, led by expert Perry Lewis will be on hand for all your sail care needs for the regatta, so whether you need to get your sails checked on prior to, or need overnight service during the race, our crew have your covered. Coupled with our sail care, the local team will be hosting a local knowledge panel to kick-off the event. Local Knowledge Panel North experts' and local sailors Perry Lewis and Keith "KC' Church will be hosting a local knowledge panel to help get you ready for the NOOD. Join us prior to the skippers meeting on Thursday June 6th at 6pm in the Chicago Yacht Club for some vital insights on sailing on Chicago waters, what to look out for, and hear how the experts plan to navigate the weekend. See the full schedule of events here. Overnight Sail Repair Knowing that the Great Lakes can deliver changing conditions without notice, our Certified Service team will be on stand by for any sail issues. Each day after racing, look for the North Sails team at CYC for sail drop offs. Perry Lewis will be at the Monroe clubhouse for sail pick ups, and Christian Koules will be at Belmont to service the classes docking there. Monroe Station Perry Lewis 773-636-6767 | Belmont Station Christian Koules 847-814-4030 North Sails Rally Race The perfect way to kick-off the cruising season, the North Sails Rally Race invites cruising boats of all sizes to compete at the NOODs. Join the regatta for one day of racing, then end up at the Chicago Yacht Club for the afterparty and Rally Race awards. Rally Race Notice of Race North Sails Support Need help prior to the regatta? Contact your team at the Chicago or Milwaukee loft today. READ MORE

SÎME FANTELA: OLYMPIC GOLD TO TP52’s New Boat. New Expertise. New Ventures. 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series Brononosec recently launched the only new boat competing in the 2019 52 Super Series. They also have a fresh sailing team that includes Olympic gold medalist Sîme Fantela. After winning at Rio2016 in the 470, Sîme (pronounced “Shee-meh”) is now sailing the 49er with his brother Mihovil. For most sailors, an Olympic skiff campaign would be enough of a challenge, but Sîme says joining Team Brononosec for the 2019 season is a great fit. “Doing the pro circuit gives me an edge in the Olympic world, but also vice versa—I am so sharp coming from a big fleet, where everyone is so hungry and all the guys are living one hundred percent the Olympic campaign. On the pro circuit, I’m quite young and I push hard, so I think I have the edges on both sides.” Brononosec sailed Palma Vela as a warmup regatta after only a week of training on the new boat, so they were happy to post a couple of top-three finishes over four days of racing. “The goal was to see if everything works correctly,” Sîme explains, “see if we can get the boat around the course in one piece.” He laughs. “The shore crew must be quite happy because we didn’t have any major things for repair! And the sailing team is really happy with how the boat performs—there is no weak point of the equipment or the sail inventory. In a straight line we can beat all the boats, so that’s the best we can ask for the beginning of the season.” “It is really good fun, really amazing sailing, 20 knots plus flying downwind surfing! We put the boat under nice pressure and nice loads, so I think it’s ready for the series.” Despite straight line speed, there’s plenty of work to do before they will win regattas in such a tight fleet. The goal for 2019 is to synchronize teamwork and polish boathandling. “Everyone is trying to find the best way to run the boat from the start to the finish,” Sîme says, adding that he first met many of his new teammates just before the regatta. “It’s a mix of younger and older guys, all hungry with the same passion as me—wanting to win, wanting to give their best and perform well. Everyone is searching for that small, small difference and try to get an edge to win.” 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series As a strategist, Sîme’s job is to keep an eye on the overall race course and feed his observations to tactician Morgan Larson. “Where the gains will be, where we should start, and which side we should take upwind and downwind.” Sailing with fourteen people is quite different from steering a double-handed boat, and he’s excited by the chance to focus on one skill. “All my life I was doing many roles all together; meteorologist, strategist, tactician, and helm. Here every member of the team is doing one job. That’s why communication is super important; as few words as you can, but be precise. What you say, when you say it, and how you give information is as important as boathandling or tweaking and tuning the boat.” Sîme also jumps in to help grind during the prestart, helps hoist and drop the spinnaker, and plays the vang downwind when the breeze is strong enough. “It is really good fun, really amazing sailing, 20 knots plus flying downwind surfing! We put the boat under nice pressure and nice loads, so I think it’s ready for the series.” The first scoring event of the 2019 52 Super Series is underway in Menorca, and Sîme plans to focus on starting well. “We can improve definitely there, and that would be the biggest gain for our team.” As for those who tell him that big-boat sailing will distract from his 2020 Olympic goals, Sîme shrugs. “I tell them winning in the 52 Super Series is about consistency, so it’s very similar to Olympic sailing.” Such high-level racing is also a childhood dream come true, he adds. “I really like it, and I’m excited about the rest of the season.” 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series READ MORE

NORTH DOMINATES TOP TEN AT FINN EUROPEANS A Fantastic Result For Finn Clients Finn European Champion, Giles Scott © Robert Deaves The Finn European Championships brought more impressive results for North in Athens, with Giles Scott winning gold marking his third European Finn title. North powered boats won gold, silver and bronze medals, taking nine places out of the top ten. This great result follows gold, silver and bronze in last months’ Princess Sophia regatta, where North Sails took every top ten spot. This European Championships acted as a qualification event for Tokyo 2020 were four more nations secured a spot. Qualified so far are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey and the USA. There are now only six spaces remaining which will be decided at the continental qualification events: 1 x Asian – World Cup Series (Enoshima, Japan) August 2019 1 x Oceania – World Championships (Melbourne, Australia) December 2019 1 x South American – Copa Brazil 2019 (Rio de Janiero, Brazil) November 2019 1 x North American – Miami OCR (Miami, USA) Jan 2020 1 x Europe – Genoa World Cup (Genoa, Italy) April 2020 1 x Africa – TBC Browse the Finn Shop Inventory. Giles Scott © Robert Deaves Josh Junior © Robert Deaves Jorge Zarif © Robert Deaves READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT The Quality Of 3Di Discussed By Nigel Young © Onne van der Wal You often hear about the trickle down effect of products developed for the America's Cup; it makes great PR and reads well in the social media, but so many times it never makes it all the way to the smaller boats, writes North Sails Ireland's, Nigel Young. I am happy to say that this is not the case with 3Di. From the technology made for the America's Cup and superyachts to the International Moth, we now have a 3Di film-less product available for everyone, not just for the Grand Prix end of sailing. I have sailed the Melges 24 since 1994 and it is great to see that the boat is now fully 3Di. Check out the latest news from Miami here. At the North Sails loft in Ireland, we delivered our first 3Di sail to the Kelly Family for the J-109 Storm way back in 2012. As a testament to the 3Di product and production process, that sail is still in use today with Brian Jones on the J-109 Jelly Baby. Impressively, no major repairs have been done to that sail, only minor luff tape damage and some small chafe repairs (not unusual for an 8-year-old sail). In the last few months, North Sails Ireland has supplied 3Di sails to 1720's, J-80's, Melges 24's and several smaller IRC boats proving that it is not just PR, it is reality - 3Di really does cover every possible sail size out there for both racing and cruising. Visit our website to see our full range of 3Di sails. In Ireland, we have delivered hundreds of 3Di sails since the first sail in 2012 and the overriding factor is how long they last, specifically, how long they hold their shape for. The shape holding of 3Di is a product of many factors, but one of the main contributors is the fact that 3Di sails have double the fiber content of our old 3DL product. For example, a 3DL jib weighing 18kgs would have just over 6.5kg of fiber in the sail, roughly 35%. The equivalent 18kg 3Di sail has almost 70% fiber so it is easy to see why they hold their shape so well. The fibers are what gives a sail its ability to retain the design shape meaning more fiber can only be good for the long term shape holding of your sails. Generally, the plastic film in our 25 year old technology 3DL sails accounts for over 50% of the sail's total weight. If you then add light skins to make it look like a 3Di sail, even more parasitic weight is added - plastic is not fantastic! Not only that, it needs protecting so it does not crack, hence all the additional films on the outside (Taffeta's, Light skins etc.). The good news is that 3Di has no plastic film (parasitic weight), meaning they cannot delaminate. The initial cost may be more, but they offer greater value for money in the long run - less time in the service loft, more time flying in their original FAST design shape. ''Next time you are thinking about a new sail, think 3Di. The investment is worth it - ask any one of our 3Di clients here in Ireland what they think and I know the answer you will get. North Sails 3DL was 25 years ahead of the opposition, 3Di is light years ahead. Sail FAST.'' © Amory Ross / North Sails READ MORE

NEW STAR SAIL DESIGNS SHINE AT THE SSL BREEZE GRAND SLAM Congratulations To Winning North Clients Sheidt/Boening Robert Scheidt and Henry Raul Boening, SSL Grand Slam Champions © SSL | Marc Rouiller An incredible number of talented sailors, including four Gold medalists, twenty-three Star World Champions and a Volvo Ocean Race winner battled last week for the $100K money prize in cold and variable conditions in Riva Di Garda. North clients, Robert Scheidt, and crew, Henry Raul Boening* took first place with second place going to fellow North powered team, Xavier Rohardt and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot. The Star Sailors League Breeze Grand Slam / ISCYRA Star European Championships attracted 89 teams from over twenty countries. Sailors from all over the world watched the battle live on the SSL website to see Brazilians Sheidt/Roening’s victory by only a few meters on the last downwind leg over the French team Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot, both teams powered by North Sails*. North Sails Star Class Leader Eric Doyle had a great event with crew, Payson Infelise, finishing 10th place overall after an unfortunate OCS on the last race. “I was bummed that I shot us in the foot with the OCS on the last race, but extremely pleased with the sails we have developed. Xavier used the M-25 Mainsail and J-6 Wave Jib for the entire event, and Sheidt only stopped using the North main because someone came into leeward and poked two holes into the sail with their spreader. Both teams are extremely pleased with their upwind speed, Robert was unbelievably fast downwind – a very impressive and a worthy champion.” “We were extremely pleased with the newly developed sails as were SSL League Champions, Sheidt/Boening. Rohart/Ponsot finished second in the league, using the North M-25 Mainsail and J-6 Wave Jib throughout the regatta.” The new North M-25 main is smooth and versatile in all conditions from 0 to 25 knots. The new full radial jibs are durable, straight in the back and very fast. Eric is heading to the Spring Championship of the Star Western Hemisphere in San Diego this week and back to Spain for the Star World Championship. We have the new designs in stock ready to ship. Get the North power today, contact Eric Doyle, Markus Koy or your local North rep. *denotes partial North Sails inventory. © SSL | Marc Rouiller Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise © SSL | Marc Rouiller Xavier Rohart and Pierre Alexis Ponsot © Star Sailors League/Marc Roullier READ MORE

2019 52 SUPER SERIES PREVIEW North Sails TP52 Design Experts Mickey Ickert & Dave Lenz Explain Why They’re Excited About The Upcoming Season 📸 SailingShots by Maria Muina The 2019 52 Super Series began in May 21 in Menorca, and Mickey Ickert predicts it will be even better racing than 2018. “It sounds very stereotyped, but the level of competition has increased again,” he says. “More teams are competing at the top level. Probably any team can win any race or even win this first event.” At Palma Vela, which teams used as a practice regatta, five different teams won a race. Mickey expects the intensity to only increase the season as every point collected counts toward the overall series. After the 2018 season, North Sails designers debriefed and made a list of goals for this year, which the new inventories achieve. “North Sails made good gains in our updated structures by introducing 890 tapes in the latest 3Di RAW sails,” Mickey says. “The designers for each team have done a great job, taking baseline developments and progressing in their own way.” Dave Lenz agrees. “Our 2019 baseline TP52 inventory includes shape libraries for the different types of sails, which gives teams a solid reference point,” he explains. “The biggest improvement was the layout for mainsails and jibs. One of the major goals in the off-season was to reduce the overall weight of the sails. The second was to increase shape retention for longer performance life. We’ve reduced the corner build up and increased the density in the mid leech, for more stability in the middle of the sail.” “It sounds very stereotyped, but the level has raised up again. There’s more teams competitive at the top level. Probably any team can win any race or even win this first event.” Each team with a North Sails inventory has a North designer who works with their sail coordinator to further refine the baseline inventory, Mickey adds. “It’s pretty important to have designers that are present, to throw you the feedback and see what’s going on. With tighter competition, everyone is holding their secrets closer to make small gains.” The teams competing in the 2019 Super Series’s five events will see a range of conditions. Dave says one of the key decisions each sail coordinator will have to make is how to spend their eighteen sail cards. “It’s very venue dependent. How you might try to adjust the designs for different conditions, and mainsail crossovers and various things, definitely come into play.” Some teams traditionally do well in the stronger breeze of Cascais, while others are stronger in the lighter Med conditions. “Every team goes into the Super Series trying to eliminate their weaknesses, and some people even mode the boats differently as well, making changes to the hull and keel and fin.” The newly launched Bronenosec came from the design desk of Botin Partners and was built by Longitude Cero. It is the only new build this year, and with each boat, the continued push for “lighter/stronger/faster” reaches new heights. 3Di RAW 890 development goes hand in hand with the latest Southern Spars TP52 rigs, which have incremental gains in stability and can handle increased rig loads to match the sail designs. “That’s what evolution does,” Mickey points out. “The boat and spar builders don’t build heavier; they build better. It’s very similar to what we do in the sails; they recognize where they may have a surplus and put it where it’s more useful.” 📸 Nico Martinez As a team returning to the Super Series after a hiatus in 2018, Mickey admits Bronenosec has to fast track learning their new boat to stay competitive with the fleet. “The level is increasing,” he repeats. “You look at some drone footage from Palma Vela, and you see ten boats hitting the line, not a meter between the boats, pretty impressive. Because it’s not one design, everybody optimizes their boat and systems for their needs. That pushes up the technology, but it keeps the performance of the boats more even.” “It’s unbelievably close,” Dave Lenz agrees. “The differences are always very subtle, and sometimes it’s quite hard to put your finger on why one boat actually is going well, even when you watch it in detail.” Even as the first regatta of 2019 begins, Mickey is already excited about possible improvements for 2020. “With 3Di, I think we are still just scratching the surface of its potential because it’s such a different way of engineering and manufacturing a sail structure. There are potential weight gains—we’ve built some experimental sails that came out lighter than any concept of a sail you could build before this. So we have a sniff that there is still significant room for improvement – both in reduced weight and shape-holding.” For now, though, he’s excited to watch the fleet come together in Menorca. “Super Series is the highest level of performance we have in yachting. Ten monohulls and a lot of people can sail a monohull that size reasonably well. But to sail it fast and win races is a different kettle of fish. I expect to see the intensity going threefolds up.” Follow the Super Series beginning May 21. http://www.52superseries.com/ READ MORE

NEW HIRE FOR NORTH SAILS STRENGTHENS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM IN FRANCE Philippe Touet Joins North Sails France as General Manager Philippe Touen North Sails have announced Philippe Touet as the new General Manager of North Sails France. Previously the Commercial Director of Incidence Sails, Touet is now responsible for sales management and operations of the North Sails business in France. In this senior management position, Touet will work alongside Gautier Sergent who will provide strategic leadership in his expanded role as a Director of France. Philippe will join North Sails from June 17th, 2019. “North Sails is the industry and technology leader with their constant innovation and development” Touet commented. “North Sails understands their clients’ needs, whether they be Grand Prix racers, Superyacht owners, cruisers or One Design enthusiasts. I am looking forward to working with Gautier and the entire North Sails team to continue the success the brand saw under the direction of Greg Evrard.” “Philippe’s combined sailing and management experience make him an ideal fit for our business and company culture,” says Sergent. “His charismatic personality, as well as his deep knowledge of the industry, convinced us that he was the best candidate to help take North Sails France forward. He is well respected within the industry and we’re fortunate to have him join North Sails.” Touet joins a strong management team based at the North Sails manufacturing and sales site in Vannes, France. Opened in 2004, this location is a sales and service resource for local sailors and an innovation hub for sailing’s most exciting offshore projects including the Ultim, IMOCA, and Figaro 3 classes. READ MORE

YOUNG 88'S 2019 One of the largest fleets in recent years took part in the Young 88 national championships in March, and despite super-light conditions racing was close and competitive. Harken Young 88 Nationals NZ 2019 📸 Live Sail Die The title was taken out on line by defending champion Raging Hormones, this year skippered by North Sails sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills, with a crack crew including Will Tiller, Alastair Gair, Taylor Balogh, Steve Broadbent, Hugh Gallagher, and Josh Wijohn. Second on line was Mark Bond’s Slipstream, with Harry Thurston and his South Island team on Undercover taking third. Slipstream took out handicap honours, with Undercover second and Raging Hormones third. That made it a clean sweep of the podium for North, whose sails also featured prominently on boats throughout the one-design fleet. Just five races were sailed over the two days, all of them in 9 knots or less, but that called for intense concentration, careful trimming and delicate weight distribution, with some crew spending the entire regatta down below to minimise windage. In a five-race series, all results had to count, and the Raging Hormones crew made sure they were consistent. After a fourth in the first race, they won three of the remaining four races, and were second in the other. However, their victory was ensured when their closet rival, Undercover, was disqualified in the last race and had to carry 17 points. Wills says the great work done by the Young 88 committee in encouraging entries and organising crew for those who needed it saw 16 boats on the start-line. "There are some new owners and they are getting lots of people out there. The class is working hard to make the boats as equal as possible, and the racing is getting closer and closer". Winning team onboard Raging Hormones 📸 Live Sail Die Several other North Sails staff also sailed on other boats in the fleet, and they have put together some top tips and tricks for success in light airs: Sailing upwind in the light, it can be hard to have much feel on the helm. Soften the rig right up to induce forestay sag and create some rake to the mast to keep some helm on. Prepare for light airs before the regatta, and note in your tuning guide the best settings for sailing upwind in little to no wind. North Sails general manager Richard Bicknell sailed aboard War Machine, which made the most of its ability to sail well in high mode in the light airs. The team spent time adjusting the rig to increase rake and improve helm. On the downwind legs, think about crew weight distribution. Because of its hull shape, the 88 is designed to be raced with the crew in the cockpit: "In the first race, we were getting rolled quite badly, and that was our worst result of the regatta," says Wills. "We got our crew to move their weight back a bit in the boat and that really helped. We had been sailing with the knuckle in and the stern out, so to lengthen our waterline we moved the crew back so we had a nice clean wake off the stern and the knuckle was just touching the water." Downwind in the light, don’t be afraid to steer more aggressively: "These are displacement boats, so it felt like I had to steer through a lesser angle to start with, between high and low mode," says Wills. "I changed to coming up more aggressively in the light to keep the kite full, and coming down more in any puffs, to build speedgain VMG as long as we didn’t kill our speed. The variance in angle between the two courses became a lot bigger and more aggressive." When trimming on the kite, trim in the main at the same time, to keep the slot nice and open: "If you close that up too much by just trimming on the kite, it would back into the main and the kite would collapse," says Wills. "Remember to open that gap up a bit". New sails can make the critical difference: "Owner Nick Gillies really noticed the improvement in downwind speed. He had good sails before, but with this new one we were passing people downwind — and downwind is where you win a regatta like this every time", says North Sails expert Matt Steven, sailing aboard Waka Huia with a brand-new kite. READ MORE

2019 VINEYARD RACE Sign Up For Your Complimentary Weather Forecasts North Sails is proud to support the 2019 Vineyard Race. We have teamed up with our expert friends at Sailing Weather Service to provide professional weather forecasting for the event. Sign up below and have your forecast delivered right to your inbox. READ MORE

EIGHT ONE DESIGN EXPERTS PUT TECHNOLOGY TO THE TEST World Champions Team Up For J/70 Telemetry Testing Recently in San Diego, a group of one-design champions with 11 world titles between them came together for an intensive J/70 sail-testing session. The primary goal was to quantify whether new upwind sail designs would prove faster than the existing J/70 inventory, which has been on the podium at every class world championship so far. Tim Healy, President of North Sails One Design, explains it this way: “We wanted to look at some different concepts and either prove that we’re on the right track or cross some ideas off the list, to further advance the performance of our sails.” A secondary goal, Tim says, was to better understand the existing designs and how tuning and trim plays into performance. “A sail design can be improved, but unless you understand how to trim and tune it properly, you’re not going to get the benefit. Our current designs are very good, but we also wanted to make sure we’re really getting the most out of the sails.” With these goals in mind, Tim invited one-design experts from a range of competitive keelboat classes to go sailing and then brainstorm ideas for improvement. Mike Marshall put his own worlds-winning drive to work as the telemetry expert, coach, and debrief leader. “My goal is to not be the most vocal person in the room,” Mike says, “but to be the person who facilitates. Trying to get the best input out of every single person.” A sail design can be improved, but unless you understand how to trim and tune it properly, you’re not going to get the benefit. Our current designs are very good, but we also wanted to make sure we’re really getting the most out of the sails. How It Worked Each morning before leaving the dock, the two J/70s were tuned to the same base numbers, and teams of four were carefully combined to be within ten pounds of each other. Tim Healy and Will Welles steered. The group sailed in both the flat water of South Bay and outside in ocean swells, in breeze that ranged from five to thirteen knots. On each of the four days Mike ran a series of five-minute telemetry runs, using the proprietary equipment he helped to develop, which has set new standards for sail testing. Running up to twenty-two tests each day built an impressively large data set of accurate VMGs for each boat. Skip Dieball, who trimmed for Tim Healy’s team, had used the telemetry to prepare for his win at the 2015 Etchells Worlds. “It was incredibly valuable in determining the fastest setup and fastest equipment combination.” Having world champions as rail meat, Tim says, was a lot of fun. “They are so competitive! On every test, everyone was doing everything they could to try to win the test. Then in the end, Mike would tell us who beat who.” A Potent Mix Of Personalities After sailing, the two teams got together for a debrief to share thoughts about the results. A discussion with so many champions led to surprising insights each day, Mike explains. “Put nine competitive sailors in a room together, and you come to a lot of really good conclusions. Everyone brings their own experience. Zeke Horowitz brings his Flying Scot and his J/22 experience. Eric Doyle brings his Star experience. Will Welles brings his many years of J/24 sailing and Skip Dieball, his Etchells and many other one-design classes success. Vince Brun has 40 or 50 years in this business, and he’s always got something very valid to say as well as always being an absolute pleasure to have around. Tim Healy brings his encyclopedia of knowledge of all the things that he’s won. It’s highly beneficial to get all the different opinions and thoughts and combine the various viewpoints.” Skip Dieball was also impressed with the debriefs: “World champions everywhere! It was fun to collaborate and discuss what we felt, how we set up the various designs.” Put eight competitive sailors in a room together, you come to a lot of really good conclusions. Tim agrees that the wide range of perspectives helped everyone improve. “Eric Doyle, for instance, is a hands-on guy. When it comes to manufacturing, it’s always great to bounce the idea off him: ‘Hey Eric, what do you think?’ Then he says, ‘We already tried that with this class. It didn’t work.’ “Mike is the technical guy,” Tim continues. “And Zeke is more of a seat-of-the-pants guy, so it’s refreshing to hear his point of view. They all shared different experiences with sail development programs, what’s worked and what hasn’t. There were so many different talents at that table that you could always find somebody to say, ‘I can help with that.’” What They Learned Sail testing is all about making better sails, and Tim says that, while looking at new shapes and more user-friendly construction techniques, they took the time to drill down to the tiniest of details: the shape of a telltale window, the placement of a tack grommet, how the webbing is attached to the head of the jib. “We could talk all day about batten pocket construction and come up with examples from another class.” Both Tim and Mike agree that if they had the four days to do over again that they wouldn’t change a thing. Eric Doyle says the telemetry was so helpful that he would never go sail testing without it again, though it falls to Mike to explain why. “We’re constantly trying to improve our sails, but at the end of the day, how do you do that? With telemetry testing, you end up with a solid, concrete answer, an indisputable fact. 85% of the time, those facts are confirmed by what people feel on the boat. When they aren’t, you can look further into why. “Of course, I have opinions about which sail is better and why,” Mike continues. “But the two-boat testing system keeps it scientific and organized. It really pushed our development path forward, giving us answers as well as new questions to ask.” Tim agrees that the scientific approach left him confident about their conclusions. “The bottom-line goal is to prove that we’re making a better sail. We had some good concepts that we got more data from. And we now understand the tuning and the trim even better than before.” A three-time World Champion himself, even Tim was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of expertise they gathered together. “I know these guys. I talk to them every day. But when you stop to think about it, the knowledge base is pretty impressive.” The bottom-line goal is to prove that we’re making a better sail. We had some good concepts that we got more data from. And we now understand the tuning and the trim even better than before. READ MORE

FIGARO 3 SAIL DEVELOPMENT: DOING OUR HOMEWORK North Sails Head of R&D Gautier Sergent Provides Insights On the Figaro 3 Since the very first Beneteau Figaro 3 concept drawings appeared, the North Sails R&D team has been doing its homework, working alongside sailors to understand what makes these high-performance foilers tick. To learn more about the development process, we sat down with Gautier Sergent, the head of North Sails R&D, who oversees the Figaro 3 project led by Vannes-based sail designer Quentin Ponroy and segment leader Gaetan Aunette. To date, North-powered teams have won every Figaro 3 regatta—and each event had a different winner. North’s pro-active technical approach—all that R&D homework—is really paying off. “The whole process started really early for the Figaro 3 because of our close relationship with Beneteau and our motivation to help develop the class,” Gautier says. “The minute we had access to the design concept, we tried to imagine the possibilities: what size for the jibs, for the main, for the spinnakers. North Sails has a roster of designers who have a good understanding of how the foils work and how that impacts the sail design.” “I have been collaborating with North Sails since the launch of the Figaro 2 in 2003. This led me to continue collaboration when I joined Team Banque Populaire with the IMOCA for the Vendee Globe in 2012, and then again in 2016 with a win and speed record. More recently we have worked together with the Ultimes BPVII, IX, and now XI which we just finished designing. Of course, we choose to work with North Sails for the Figaro 3.” Armel Le Cléac’h, Skipper Banque Populaire The first step to building a winning inventory was understanding how boat and rig would behave under load. Flow and Membrain allowed the North designers to design virtually, balancing wind pressure, sail shape, and rig forces. The Figaro 3 has a stiff rig, which reduces the ability to induce bend with the runners, which affects sail shape and structure. Having North Design Services involved from day one was critical, Gautier says, adding that it was a process learned from successful projects with the IMOCAs, Ultims, AC75s, and the newly branded Ocean Race. “Before asking for our clients’ trust,” he points out, “you need to have done your prep work.” North was the only sailmaker to complete a full set of test sails, which were ready to go in time for the launch of hull number one in 2018 and proved fast right out of the blocks. But shortly after that, the project ran into a serious setback; class rules were published that banned spread filament sails, effectively making a North 3Di inventory illegal. Gautier and his team immediately reached out to the class. “We pushed hard to explain the possible ban was bad for sailors; North sails could be faster, lighter, and last longer.” And even before the rulemakers agreed to allow 3Di, the design team carried on building prototype sails. “It’s proof that we were not going to sit back and stop,” Gautier says. “We will show you that our sails are better. It was a long shot but it worked out. We’re here, and our sails are winning.” The North Sails inventory for the Figaro 3 consists of a Square Top Mainsail, J2, J3, Helix Code Zero, Masthead Spinnaker, and Fractional Spinnaker. “We use a science-based approach to create an optimized inventory from the start,” concludes Gautier. “We ask our clients to put so much trust in our recommendations, but we are confident because we have the data to back them up; we also work closely with these sailors to explain why and how we got there, get their feedback, exchange ideas, and continue the development. To be fair, we lost a few clients to start. As the boats start to sail more, the sailors who maybe thought we were arrogant in our approach are coming back around.” “Building up to an event or during the design phase I see the North Sails experts every week,” explains Armel. “Quentin or Gaetan is on my boat or in a chase boat analyzing and making their expertise available to me. We all work together to understand the full picture and exchange ideas to keep improving.”   READ MORE

A EUROPEAN SEASON TUNE-UP Six Division Wins And Podium Sweep At Palma Vela 📸 María Muiña SailingShots North clients had great results during Sail Racing Palma Vela, winning six divisions overall and sweeping the podium in ORC 1. Palma is known as one of the best places to sail, and even better places to race, making this event a productive training session ahead of the ORC World Championships later this summer. Arobas2 came out hot, winning five races, giving them the overall win in ORC 0. “This has been such a good regatta, commented boat owner Gerard Logel. “Our boat is versatile, and we are too.” In Mallorca Sotheby’s ORC 1 class, tactician Afonso Domingos helped guide owner Pit Finnis on his Swan 42 CS Dralion to the number one spot. “It was not easy racing in a mixed fleet ORC class, as some boats are higher and faster than you. The team sailed well, and the conditions were great. It has been a great regatta,” said Afonso. Arobas2, Winner of ORC 0 📸 María Muiña SailingShots North Sails has a wealth of knowledge in the Swan 42 class, with many experts worldwide that can help clients with any sail and tuning needs. North Sails expert Jesper Feldt joined Alfonso as mainsail trimmer on Dralion, while Palma based Marc Patino served as tactician on second place Pez de Abril. Jesper who has been racing Swan 42’s for the last seven years describes how the team’s onboard knowledge helped their team find success. “Our experts know a lot about the boat, how it should be set up and tuned, allowing him to focus on driving and boat speed,” Feldt explained. “The team, our 3Di sails, and conditions in Palma lived up to our expectations; winning our class was the best part.” Patino, whose team finished just one and a half points behind Dralion also had positive feedback on Pez de Abril’s overall performance. “Our teamwork work was great, and we had a nice week of sailing. There were a variety of conditions over the course of the regatta and our 3Di jibs were a major contributor to our speed and ability to point upwind. Our headsail kept us fast through the pressure variations.” Dralion, winner of ORC 1 📸 María Muiña SailingShots In ORC 3, Antonio Guasch’s Vertigo Dos Texia, a Salona 37, scored four bullets out of five races, comfortably staying ahead of their competition. Scott Beattie’s J/97 E Just The Job in ORC 4 was not only consistent, but kept their score count low. With four bullets there was no need to participate in the last race, so they won the race to the dock. Client Maria Campins’ Modified First 30.5 Tres Mares took third, just four points out of second. Otto Pohlmann on Meerblick took first in the Dragon fleet, and J/80 Atila with Miquel Pujadus won their division. “Our experts know a lot about the boat. The team, our 3Di sails, and conditions in Palma lived up to our expectations; winning our class was the best part.” The TP52 fleet of ten had their warm-up event of the season, just prior to the Super Series kick-off later this month. Gauging from this trial event, the competition is as tight as ever. Only three points separated fourth and fifth, and second place tied. Santiago Lange, the strategist on Azzura, commented about the racing over the course of the event, and what that meant for his team going forward into the TP52 season; “We are a little bit rusty. It is tough to know where we are when you look at the start of the Super Series because it feels like everyone is going at the same speed. No one is slower, and no one is faster, so it comes down to racing well. We need to be smart and try to sail better every day.” After a year hiatus, Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec has rejoined the fleet with a new hull and talented crew additions. This first event for the team was a great shakedown, and we look forward to seeing them back in action. TP52 Azzurra 📸 María Muiña SailingShots Full results READ MORE

ROB GREENHALGH: MOTH CLASS LEADER Leading Expert With Grand Prix Versatility 📸 Nic Douglass / SailorGirlHQ From Moths to Maxis to Multihulls, this pro sailor can make any sailboat go a little faster. While Rob Greenhalgh didn’t officially join North Sails until 2018, he says the company was the first sailmaker he ever heard of. “I’ve always seen North as the biggest brand in the sport,” he says, adding, “and without a doubt, the best product in the sport. I wanted to associate myself with the best brand,” so he’s now based out of the Sydney, AUS loft. A UK native, Rob learned to sail at age seven from his parents, who were “always into it.” The family lived in Sri Lanka for a few years, and after the Greenhalghs moved back to the UK, Rob stepped onto a 49er for the first time—just as the class joined the Olympic roster. “It was kind of a lucky year, a sort of revolution with asymmetric boats,” he explains. “49ers, then 18-foot skiffs, International 14s.” A lot of his success, he claims, stemmed from “being there in the right place at the right time.” “Finding time to fit it all in is hard, but I’ve always been a dinghy sailor at heart. I love going back to the grassroots of some simple tactical racing, focusing on boathandling and tacking on small wind shifts and starting well.” His big break into Grand Prix sailing came when he was invited to join the ABN AMRO team for the 2004-2005 Volvo Ocean Race. “I think we’d just won the 18-foot Skiff Worlds or something like that,” he remembers. “And I was doing a lot of other sailing. That set the scene for the next five Volvo races, and whatever else has happened in between.” Rob’s impressively varied CV includes a string of podium finishes in various skiffs, as well as one victory and two second place finishes in the Volvo Ocean Race. Halfway through the 2011-12 VOR, he took up Moth sailing to avoid “a mental breakdown,” and he’s since racked up national and European titles in that class while maintaining a hectic racing schedule on the offshore and multihull circuits. “Obviously finding time to fit it all in is hard,” he says. “But I’ve always been a dinghy sailor at heart. I love going back to the grassroots of some simple tactical racing, focusing on boathandling and tacking on small wind shifts and starting well.” The Moth keeps him current, Rob claims. “There’s so much going on; you’ve got the foiling, which is obviously the big fad at the moment. And the rig technology is pretty important. It’s a very good test platform for ideas and learning about the sport.” It also keeps him close to his roots. “I’m very conscious about not losing touch with being a dinghy sailor, and actually enjoying the sport, rather than just being the mercenary professional.” A typical week finds Rob out on Sydney Harbour almost every day, in a wide variety of boats. “This last weekend it was a three day regatta on a TP52. Then Monday I did a Moth training session with the squad here. Tuesday we do a little evening racing on the Cup boats, which are Elliot 7s. Wednesday I went sailing with a grand prix client. Today I’ll go Moth sailing again, and tomorrow there’ll be sailing of some description. Then Saturday is another event in the morning, followed by Moth sailing in the afternoon.” May, he says, is “the only quiet-ish month,” because he spends much of Sydney’s off-season competing in the northern hemisphere. This year he’ll take part in the Transatlantic Race and Fastnet—another event where he’s posted a few records in both monohulls and multihulls. Rob does make time for his favorite hobby. “If I’ve got the day off,” he says, “I’ll definitely go fishing.” But most days, he’s trying to fit in a little Moth training between his many other obligations. “It’s all sorts of sailing, with either North Sails clients or as a professional—here, there, and everywhere.” 📸 Martina Orsini READ MORE

470 EUROPEAN SUCCESS IN ITALY Sanremo Proved An Exciting Venue For The European Championships Camille Lecointre & Aloise Retornaz © Gerolamo Acquarone An exciting medal race concluded the 470 Europeans in Sanremo, Italy. With 80% of the fleet powered by North Sails, the regatta was packed full of exciting racing and continually changing results. Tensions were high on the final day as the wind took it’s time to arrive on the race course for the medal race. By early afternoon, the wind set and enabled the Race Committee to launch the medal races on windward/leeward course. With the championship taking an open format, non-European crews raced but could not run for the European title. The women’s medal race was first with Brit’s Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre top of the leaderboard. This soon changed as France’s Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz took the lead off the blocks, covering their closest rivals Afrodite Zegers/Lobke Berkhout from the Netherlands and Poland’s Agnieszka Skrzypulec/Jolanta Ogar. The British team were caught up in congested air in the middle of the fleet leaving France open to the title. France took home gold, closely followed by the British and Netherlands consecutively. As the men’s medal race started, the wind had picked up slightly and the tension on the startline reflected the exceptionally close leaderboard; any of the boats in the top 10 could finish on the podium. Australians Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan went into the race with a five-point lead on the reigning champions Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergstrom from Sweden. Spain’s Jordi Xammar/Nicolas Rodriguez and Greeks Panagiotis Mantis/Pavlos Kagialis were both at the top of the leaderboard and serious medal contenders. The Swedes pushed hard from the pin end of the line, and the Austrians David Bargher/Lukas Maehr got a penalty. At the first windward mark, a collision between the Austrians and the Greeks resulted in a penalty for Mantis/Kagialis too, forcing the bronze medalists in Rio 2016 out of contention for the top spots, with New Zealanders Paul Snow-Hansen/Daniel Willcox showing excellent speed and guarding their second place to the finish line. The Australians managed to keep their lead and finished top of the Open results, with the Sweedish team winning the European title, ahead of the Spanish sailors. The French pair made a great comeback securing third place. The winning women’s boat used our N12-L9B- Mainsail, S5-B4 Jib and V-2 Spinnaker. The winning men’s boat used our N14-L18 Mainsail, S5-B4 Jib and a custom Spinnaker. New to the One Design team, North’s 470 Class Expert, Riccardo de Felice, was coaching at the event. ”The Europeans was a well-organised event with some excellent high-level sailing. We had all kinds of weather conditions in Sanremo; light, medium and heavy winds, as well as big waves at times and it was fantastic to see our sails respond to these challenges, continuing to perform well. There was even a race with more than 35 knots!” Powering all but two of the top 10 boats in the men’s fleet and all top 10 boats in the woman’s fleet, North Sails is proud to be so involved in the 470 class and looks forward to the World Championships in Japan later this year. Browse the 470 Shop Inventory. Anton Dahlberg & Fredrik Bergstrom © Gerolamo Acquarone READ MORE

ONE DESIGN ADVICE FROM NOEL DRENNAN Experienced And Passionate sailor, Noel Drennan, Rejoins North Sails As One Design Manager With four decades in sailmaking, Noel ‘Nitro’ Drennan knows a thing or two about sails. A lifelong passion for sailing has made this Irish-born Australian one of the world’s best one design experts, and now his desire to be part of the best one design team has brought him back to North Sails as One Design Manager at North Sails Sydney. Nitro first started with North Sails Melbourne back in 1983, in a loft owned by sailing legend John Bertrand. He’s a familiar face on top teams across a wide variety of boats: Etchells, offshore trimarans, TP52s, A-Class cats, Skiffs, Finns, and even the America’s Cup. "Life in One Design never stands still," Nitro commented. "As soon as you think you’ve got the best product, somebody else will come along with something faster and you are basically left in the dust. So you have to be on top of it, never ever relaxing, which is something I really thrive on." Noel Drennan, One Design Manager North Sails Australia Nitro is responsible for one design sales in Australia, working with class leaders on sail development while simultaneously working with customers to help them get the most out of their sails. He’s also the Etchells class leader, and he’s excited about the possibilities of working within a strong international network alongside experts with decades of experience. "North Sails is a truly global company," Nitro says, "giving us access to so many other one design classes around the world. Quite often development in one class benefits another. When I look at the many classes we have in Australia, it is really nice to compare sails and designs used in other classes in Europe. Working for North Sails enables me to do this in a way no other sailmaker can." Servicing such an extensive list of classes requires experience, which is why Nitro was welcomed back; there is no better person to be pushing the next phase of innovation and development in sails. To succeed in one design, Nitro says: "You always have to be going flat out. Things are always changing... So you have to keep yourself at the frontline at all times. I like the challenge of sailing a little bit faster than the next guy." Welcome back, Nitro. READ MORE

Formirane su kadetske i juniorske reprezentacije Foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - regate.com.hr Kadeti u klasi Optimist i juniori u tri kategorije klase Laser su završili s kvalifikacijskim i izbornim ciklusima započetim u jesen prošle godine. Cilj svih održanih regata je bilo skupljanje bodova da bi se plasirali dovoljno visoko da mogu postati članovi nacionalnih timova koji će nas predstavljati na velikim kontinentalnim i svjetskim prvenstvima koja će se jedriti u idućih nekoliko mjeseci. Ispred laseraša je čak 6 velikih natjecanja, od kojih će se jedno jedriti u Splitu, ali krenimo redom. Prvo je na redu Europsko prvenstvo za Lasere s najmanjim jedrima, kategorijom Laser 4.7. Njima će se ovog mjeseca regata organizirati u Hyeresu u Francuskoj. Na ovoj regati će nastupiti naš najbrojniji tim. Sedam najboljih momaka i čak 9 djevojaka: 1. Roko Stipanović, YC Croatia Opatija 2. Luka Vuković, JK Labud Split 3. Antun Tomašević, JK Labud Split 4. Roni Bobovnik, YC Zagreb 5. Luka Fatović, YC Zagreb 6. Luka Hagenauer, YC Zagreb 7. Simon Starić, JK Horizont Poreč 1. Ursula Balas, JD Val Crikvenica 2. Nika Manestar, JD Val Crikvenica 3. Eleonore Borgin, JK Tijat Vodice 4. Lea Rakovac, JK Vega Pula 5. Petra Mastelić, JK Labud 6. Paola Celić, JK Vega Pula 7. Carla De Carina, JD Val Crikvenica 8. Bianka Ornik, JD VAL Crikvenica 9. Dora Gomerčić JK Uljanik, Pula U lipnju Grci u Ateni organiziraju Europsko prvenstvo za mlade za Laser Radial. Ovaj put nam je flota dosta manja i ukupno će pod hrvatskom zastavom jedriti 6 djevojaka i momaka: 1. Roko Copić, JK VAL Šibenik 2. Bruno Gašpić, JK Split 3. Frano Šestan, JD VAL Crikvenica 1. Mare Milić, JK Horizont Poreč 2. Ivona Ercegovac, JK Split 3. Sara Mujesić, JK Tkon Nakon Atene, u srpnju u Gdyni u Poljskoj, na rasporedu je Svjetsko prvenstvo mladih. Pravo nastupa je striktno određeno od strane World Sailinga i iz Hrvatske ide po jedan muški i jedan ženski predstavnik: Roko Copić, JK Val Šibenik Mare Milić, JK Horizont Poreč Zatim u kolovozu troje juniora leti preko Atlantika. Cilj je Kingstown u Kanadi. Tamo će jedriti na Svjetskom prvenstvu klase Laser 4.7. S obzirom na troškove prethodnih prvenstava i veliku udaljenost, na put odlazi samo troje hrvatskih predstavnika: 1. Roko Stipanović, YC Croatia Opatija 1. Ursula Balas, JD Val Crikvenica 2. Nika Manestar, JD Val Crikvenica Za to vrijeme ponovno u Poljskoj, ali ovaj put u gradu Dwiznov organizirat će se Europsko prvenstvo klase Laser Standard i Laser Radial za žene, do 21 godine: 1. Dominik Perković, JK Labud Split 2. Marko Smolić, JK Val Šibenik 3. Juraj Radačić, JK Val Šibenik 4. Bruno Gašpić, JK Split 5. Roko Copić JK Val Šibenik 1. Karmen Perković, JK Labud Split 2. Ivona Ercegovac, JK Split Split 3. Lea Kliškinić, JK Labud Za obje ove skupine vrhunac sezone je u Splitu na Svjetskom prvenstvu klase Laser Standard i Laser Radial za žene, do 21 godine. Još uvijek se ne zna tko će jedriti u Splitu jer prijave nisu otvorene, a jedino što se zna je da ćemo regatu pratiti u listopadu. Foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - regate.com.hr Što se tiče naših najmlađih jedriličara, kadeta u Optimistima, njihova rang ljestvica zaključena je prošli vikend. Čak 80 najboljih dječaka i djevojčica koji su se kvalificirali na četiri izborne regate borilo se za ulazak u peteročlanu ekipu koja putuje na Antiguau na Svjetsko prvenstvo i sedmeročlani tim koji putuje na Europsko prvenstvo u Francusku. Na sunčane Karibe na Svjetsko prvenstvo odletjeti će: Marko Gomerčić - JK Uljanik plovidba, Pula Tristan Tol - JK Uljanik plovidba, Pula Tin Fike - JD Val, Crikvenica Buba Pulek - JK Uljanik plovidba, Pula Josip Tafra - JK Omiš, Omiš dok će na atlansku obalu Francuske na Europsko prvenstvo otputovati: Edo Fike - JD Val, Crikvenica Petra Marendić - JK Mornar, Split Grigor Pettener - JK Jugo, Mali Lošinj Maroje Škoro - JK Split, Split Ema Samaržija - JK Sv.Nikola, Zagreb Tedi Leonardelli - JK Vega, Pula Noela Petešić - JK Uskok, Zadar U statusu rezerve su Roko Čepić-Zokić iz JK Omiš i Mija Moičinić iz JK Uljanik plovidbe. Foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - regate.com.hr Svim našim jedriličarkama i jedriličarima želimo puno uspjeha i s velikim zanimanjem ćemo pratiti njihove predstojeće nastupe! READ MORE

BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK 2019 Lay Day Done Right Who said the lay day should be non-eventful? Not us. The Storm Trysail Club has decided to change things up this year, and proud partners Margaritaville, North Sails and New England Ropes jumped on board to help make this a lay day to remember. Keeping your physical and mental health in mind, our Storm TRYathalon is planned to engage your muscles and your brain. Register below for one or all three of the events, or better yet, join as a team and take on the day for the ultimate team prize . And because we cherish Block Island, the suggested entry fee for all these events is the purchase of a BIRW raffle ticket. All proceeds of the raffle tickets go to support island services and charities. Sailing shoes off and running shoes on, kick off the lay day with a morning 5K hosted by North Sails. Run solo, or with your TRYathalon team and get that morning run out of the way. Starting at 8:30am at the North Sails Service loft, located in the Block Island Maritime Institute, the route loops around and brings you to the finish line at the Narragansett Inn. For those with a competitive streak, there will be North Sails Gear for the winners, ready to collect at the finish line - alongside some refreshments and snacks on North. The first 100 entrants will receive a North Sails hat, so don't wait, register now. You can tick off your morning exercise, now it's time for Trivia. After you've showered and saw a bit of the island, grab your team and head over to the Margaritavaill Tent at the Narragansett Inn at 1pm for the first ever Block Island Race Week Trivia, presented by Margaritaville. Questions will cover all things BIRW, Block Island, and your partners, so bring your A-Game. Finally, pull your determined team together to fight it out in the New England Ropes Tug-O-War. Wander down to the beach by the regatta tent at the Narragansett Inn at 3:30pm and test the strength of your crew against the rest. Make your way to the finals and win the day. READ MORE

REGISTER FOR THE STORM TRYATHALON Block Island Race Week Lay Day 2019 READ MORE

CARRYING ON A FAMILY SAILING TRADITION Stjepan And Marko Marinovic Facilitate Regional Sales And Service In Croatia With the ORC Worlds coming to Croatia this month, we take a look at North Sails Team who founded and have grown the business there for the past 15 years. Stjepan and Marko Marinovic grew up sailing with their family on a variety of boats. Decades later, they’re still working together; the two founded North Sails in Croatia in 2004. Stjepan is five years older, which is why there are no stories about the two of them getting into trouble together. “There was too big a difference in the years,” Marko explains, adding that Stjepan was a good brother. “I was the bad brother,” he admits—perhaps joking, or perhaps not. “Coming from an island as a family,” Stjepan says, “there is a strong maritime tradition in both shipping and sailing.” Their father was a black sheep, “because he first ran a motorship, then a sailboat.” The kids learned to sail on an eight meter wooden cruiser; Stjepan also raced Optimists, while Marko competed in the Laser. “The natural thing was for me and my brother to go to the nautical academy,” Stjepan continues. After graduation from the University of Split, he went to sea as a master mariner and began to live a double life. “I had my quite serious professional life; all rules have to be obeyed, supervising the loading of ocean-going ships. In the summer, I was completely crazy! Cruising and racing around the Adriatic, in all kinds of funny boats.” First it was a half tonner, then an IMS 35, and then the craziest boat of all; a 40 footer built to sail on Lake Garda, which “against all advice,” they sailed in the open waters of the Adriatic for several years. When their father refused to finance any more sail purchases, the brothers began working for North Sails Cape Town on commission. “We started selling sails to other people,” Stjepan says. “When we got enough credit, we purchased a sail for our boat. So that is the reason we started working with North.” Ten years later, he continues, “we were doing so well that North Sails Italy started complaining that we should work with them.” The timing was right for Stjepan to retire from his “serious professional life” and move ashore, so in 2003 he talked Marko—who had just earned his own maritime transport engineering degree from the University of Split—into opening a sail loft instead of going to sea. “We made a joint company between North Sails Italy and me and Marko,” Stjepan explains. Sixteen years later, the pair oversees two lofts, in Dugopolje and Sukošan, and twelve employees. Marko likes working with North Sails. After taking several years off from racing, he’s recently started competing again in the Snipe and the Star. He also sails with clients, which he thinks is good for everyone. “It's very useful to be inside the company,” he says. “You get really good information and very quick. Nothing more do you need, if you're a sailor.” Even in the early days, their company never produced any sails; they’ve always specialized in selling and after sales. According to Stjepan, their loft was one of the first in the world to do so. “We are only sellers, like a car dealer,” he explains. There’s enough volume to justify that along the Adriatic coastline, an area renowned for its excellent cruising and racing. “It is quite rocky, with a lot of islands,” Stjepan continues. “Maybe 1,000? And we have six months of nice weather with very predictable thermals. There’s a huge amount of boats sailing around, and I would say 50% are used in charter. The nautical industry is quite strong in Croatia, and we know all the local guys. But most of our clients are people coming from abroad who have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe now they'll understand that I'm not just another charter skipper!” Stjepan also races classic yachts. In 2016 he was part of the winning crew on Mariette for the Superyacht Cup in Palma, and he helped Kelpie of Falmouth win the classics cruiser class at Les Voiles de St Tropez. Both brothers agree that 3Di changed their business—and Stjepan admits he wasn’t certain about it at first. “I delivered my first 3Di Sails to a guy on a Beneteau 40.7 for the ORC World Championship in Italy in 2013,” he says. “It was supposed to be light thermals, but we had thunderstorms. Upwind for thirty-six hours, in 45 knots…” Two days later, they headed out for another race; there had been no time to inspect the mainsail. Stjepan compares hoisting it to “opening a box of chocolates; I didn’t know if I’d be hoisting garbage. Instead it’s looking like new! That was a huge relief.” “I’m a really big fan of 3Di,” Stjepan continues. “The good thing is that it’s really fast, long-time fast.” Marko agrees. “The technology with 3Di is an advantage, so it's easy to convince racing clients to purchase 3Di sails. We have a very easy job to please our clients, which I think is most important.” "I’m a really big fan of 3Di," Stjepan continues. "The good thing is that it’s really fast, long-time fast.” Marko agrees, "The technology with 3Di is an advantage." Business-wise, Stjepan admits there is a downside to 3Di. “People are not buying sails so often. From 2006 to 2013, I sold four or five mainsails to this one guy. Since 2013, the boat is still having the same main.” But there is much less fuss, he adds, so “people are really happy. It's a good product, a really good product.” Both brothers have families of their own, and Marko enjoys winter skiing in the Dolomites with his wife and daughter. In summer, the trio takes a two week cruise onboard a half tonner that used to belong to his father. “He sold it, I buy it back sixteen years later, and I make modifications with the fridge and this kind of stuff. You have much more possibilities to enjoy the Adriatic with a small boat.” When Marko has more time, he’d like to race this boat again. Stjepan has a son and daughter and no ambitions in any other sport besides sailing. “The pastime in my home town is drinking coffee,” he explains, with that dry humor that makes it hard to know if he’s serious or not. “So when I'm not sailing or messing around with boats, I go and have a quiet coffee seaside.” Asked if it was very competitive, he explains the local approach; “You should drink your coffee for as long as possible. It's called espresso coffee because we like it made the Italian way, but we think it should slow time. An oxymoron…” When asked for his thoughts about local coffee habits, for once Marko disagrees with his older brother. “We're spending too much time with the coffee machine. I think I will switch to tea… it's much better.” READ MORE

BOOGIE BACK TO TEXAS: ETCHELLS NORTH AMERICANS North Clients Top The Leaderboard On Road To World Championship A small but uber competitive Etchells fleet gathered last week in Houston, Texas for the 2019 Etchells North Americans. Almost all the participants used this event as a lead up to the Worlds which will be sailed just down the Texas coast in Corpus Christi later in June. The event, organized at Houston Yacht Club by class stalwart Marvin Beckman and his wife Melodye, saw moonsonal type conditions as a very active front stalled just north of Houston. The night before the first races saw rainfall accumulations as high as 8 inches. Mark Foster, PRO and his team did a great job to get 7 races in over 3 days under pretty difficult and variable conditions. Mark will be the PRO for the upcoming Worlds in Corpus. North Sails’ Etchells class leader Chris Snow was on site leading up to the event and offered this insight to the event. “While the numbers were low, this was a very high quality fleet, including past World Champions, Olympic medalists and the like on many of the boats. Most of the teams in the top ten are just coming off a winter of racing and training at the Jaguar Series in Florida. A top finish in this fleet is quite an accomplishment!”. “While the numbers were low, this was a very high quality fleet, including past World Champions, Olympic medalists and the like on many of the boats.” Once the dust, and rain cleared the top boat, winning on tiebreaker was Scott Kaufman’s Rebel. Scott and his team of Lucas Calabrese, Austen Anderson and Diego Stefani scored a bullet in the last race to tie Marvin Beckman on The Martian and win the event. Marvin and his crew of Bill Hardesty, Pilar Calabese and Keith Swinton sailed a great consistent series to just be pipped in the end. They will be a formidable team in Corpus. After the event, Kaufman was very complimentary of his team who have been together for just a year. He also explained his philosophy on racing and boat prep (Kaufman is a renowned naval architect). “Sailboat racing is getting hundreds of little details right. Before the event we spent two days just working on our boat refining and making some of the systems work a little better and more smoothly. We probably worked on twenty different items. One small example is we have taken our pump out of the bow of the boat. The exit for the water now runs aft near where I sit. I think at times this can take up to 20 pounds of weight out of the forward portion of the boat.” Kaufman was also complimentary of the North Sails tuning guide. “We stick very closely to the numbers in the North guide, it works well for us. We make small adjustments which are sometimes needed for a particular boat (rake for example) but generally we are quite close to the guide.” “We stick very closely to the numbers in the North guide, it works well for us. We make small adjustments which are sometimes needed for a particular boat (rake for example) but generally we are quite close to the guide.” – Scott Kaufman Top 10 Powered by North: 1st – Scott Kaufman 2nd – Marvin Beckmann 4th – Bruce Burton 5th – Jim Cunningham 6th – Alex Lacy 7th – Chris Hampton 8th – Donald Mense 9th – Andrew Wills 10th – Jose Fuentes Kaufman’s team used all North Sails to win the regatta including the PC+ main, LM-2L jib, LM-2HR Jib, Full Radial and Runner Spinnakers. If you are heading to the Worlds or just to your local Etchells event North Sails has sails in stock for immediate delivery. Browse the Etchells Sails Inventory. 2019 Etchells North Americans winners. Scot Kaufman used the PC+ main, LM2L and LM2HR jibs, and Full Radial and VMG AirX spinnakers. 📸 Beth Gibson 2nd place Marving Beckmann and his team. 📸 Beth Gibson North Sails is proud to support the Etchells class. 📸 Beth Gibson READ MORE

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3Di NORDAC™ FAQ Hvordan adskiller 3Di NORDAC sig fra mine hvide panelsejl? Polyesterens kvalitet og egenskaber har været base for mange gode sejl gennem årene. Derfor bruger North Sails netop dette velkendte materiale til sin nye cruising-linje, så den væsentligste forskel er fremstillingen af sejlet. 3Di NORDAC-sejl er støbt af filament-tape, der løber kontinuerligt fra top til bund, så vi undgår syninger og vævede tråde. Resultatet er et sejl, der holder den gennemtænkte facon længe og er nemmere at håndtere. Jeg har hørt, at laminerede sejl ikke holder længe. Kan 3Di NORDAC delaminere? Nej! Det helt store gennembrud i vores udvikling i 3D-konstruktionen er, at 3Di ikke er et laminat og derfor ikke har den meget omtalte mylar-film. Det firkantede mønster i 3Di NORDAC-sejlene. Er det syninger? Nej. 3Di-sejl er en helstøbt komposit, der konstrueres på specialbyggede forme. På 3Di NORDAC er de yderste lag en speciel type polyester, som vi bruger for at beskytte sejlet mod knæk, slid ,stræk og UV-stråler. Jeg forstår ikke, hvordan I støber et sejl? Dit sejl bliver støbt i sin tredimensionelle facon. Alle komponenter bliver lagt ud på en specialbygget form, der er indstillet i netop den facon, som designeren har udtænkt til at dække dine sejlads-behov bedst. Processen er meget langt fra paneler og symaskiner, hvilket sikre dig den perfekte facon og mange gode timer på vandet. Hvorfor er et støbt sejl bedre, end et panelsejl? I et 3Di-sejl kan vi udlægge alle komponenter, så de følger belastningsretningen. Gennem vores avancerede designprogrammer kan vi danne os et overblik over, hvor sejlet skal være stærkest og sprede alle filamenterne i lige præcis den vifte, der gør, at sejlet holder sin facon samtidig med, at vægten er optimal. I dugen, der bruges i et panelsejl, kan trådene kun lægges i to retninger og der er mange overlap pga. syningerne. Hvordan ved I, at et 3Di-sejl vil være det ideelle valg til tursejlads? 3Di-teknologien er blevet brugt siden 2010. Gennem de år har vi lavet tusindvis af sejl, der har sejlet millioner af sømil. Vi har brugt to år på at udvikle 3Di NORDAC med den erfaring, som vi har fået fra de mange sømil, samt de hårdeste og mest udfordrende forhold, som vores racer-serier har stået model til. Vi kan derfor garantere, at dine 3Di NORDAC-sejl vil stå distancen og leve op til dine højeste forventninger. North Sails laver kun kapsejladssejl, så hvorfor skulle jeg købe tursejl fra jer? Vi nyder også tursejlads på sundet! Gennem de seneste årtier er North Sails faktisk den sejlmager, der laver flest tursejl. Vi bygger dem på den erfaringer, som vi gør os fra Volvo Ocean Race, Vendée Globe og de moderne superyacht. Både og forhold der kræver sejl, der holder distancen og er lette håndtere. Hvorfor skal North Sails måle min båd? Vi vil sikre os, at det sejl, som du investere i, passer perfekt til din båd! Derfor skal vi vide præcis, hvilken beslag båden har, hvor skødevognene sidder og andre detaljer, før vi kan designe dit sejl. Har vi før lavet sejl til din båd, har vi nok målene i systemet, men skal selvfølgelig vide, om noget har ændret sig i mellemtiden. Hvordan passer jeg bedst på mine nye sejl? 3Di NORDAC-sejl kræver ikke meget vedligeholdelse, men det er altid godt at komme forbi med dem, når sæsonen er slut, så du har vished om, at de er klar til den kommende sæson. North Sails tilbyder et års gratis service på alle 3Di NORDAC-sejl. READ MORE

HVOR LÆNGE HOLDER TURSEJL? Det er det vi kan kalde et godt spørgsmål. Det svar enhver tursejler ønsker at høre er “for altid”. Eller i det mindste i rigtig, rigtig lang tid. Men svaret er lidt mere varieret. Som et stykke trekantet dug, vil sejl holde i overraskende lang tid. Rent strukturelt vil sejlene langsomt ødelægges og miste styrke efterhånden som dug og syninger nedbryde af slid og solens UV stråler. En anden del af svaret har med sejlets facon og dermed ydeevne at gøre. Sejl som bliver belastet hårdt, vil strække sig permanent og dermed miste den oprindeligt designede facon (rund indgang og fladt/lige agterlig). Tabet af den oprindelige facon vil koste på flere områder. Det første vi må se på er sejlets strukturelle holdbarhed. Der ikke meget ved at have et sejl med den perfekte facon, hvis det falder fra hinanden ved brug. UV-stråling får gradvis vævede Dacronsejl til at miste rivstyrke. Hvis du kan tage en lille flænge i dit sejl og let forlænge den, så er det normalt slut med det sejl. Vi kan selvfølgelig reparere sejlet med en lap eller forstærkning, men sejlet vil bare flænge et andet sted eller lige ved siden af lappen. Mht. til syninger så kan du kontroller dem ved kører en fingernegl henover syningerne. Brister trådene, så er det tid til at få sejlet syet efter. Det er ikke unormalt at syninger slides før sejldugen er nedbrudt. Derfor er det vigtigt at du gennemgår dine syninger jævnligt. 3Di sejl, som er det eneste helstøbte, massive sejl uden bærende syninger, vil selvfølgelig være mindre sårbart for slidtage (i de syninger som ikke findes). Det er indlysende at nedbrydningen er afhængig af i hvor lang tid og hvor kraftig UV sejlet eksponeres for. Andre faktorer som kan slide på sejlet, er hvor meget vind det bruges i, hvor meget det får lov at blafre, slidtage mod riggen og anden mishandling, de udsættes for. En god måde at få en idé om sejlets strukturelle levetid er, hvor mange timer det bruges. Et godt sejl som bliver behandlet ordenligt og vedligeholdt jævnligt, vil kunne holde 3500-4000 timer. En typisk weekendsejler som bruger sin båd 2 weekender om måneden og et i par ugers sommerferie vil ende op med omkring 240 timer årligt, lig med 16 års levetid. I den anden ende af skalaen kan vi tage en sejler som bor ombord på sin båd i Caribien og sejler meget. Han vil måske bruge sejlene 12 timer om dagen, 12 dage om måneden, året rundt, lig med omkring 1728 timer brug. Disse sejl skal erstattes efter 2,5 år. Prøv at lave beregningen for dit eget sejladsmønster og få en ide om, hvor længe dine sejl holder. Anden del af svaret har med levetiden på faconen at gøre. Det er lidt mere diffust at svare på, fordi det ikke ses så nemt som slidte syninger og nedbrudt dug. Faconen ændres langsomt ved hver eneste times brug. Agterliget bliver rundere i profilen og sejlet bliver dybere og dybere. Resultatet af den ringere sejlprofil kommer langsomt snigende og stjæler næsten umærkeligt af farten lidt efter lidt. Man kan selvfølgelig mene at det er af mindre betydning for en tursejler, hvor hurtigt båden sejler. Men når sejlprofilen bliver mindre optimal, mister du ikke kun fart. Rorpresset øges, krængningen bliver større og lidt af sejlglæden forsvinder. Dybe sejl kan til nød gå an i let luft, men ved tiltagende vindstyrke bliver det mere kritisk og irriterende. Om du bevidst søger kurser mod vinden på dine sejlture eller ej, så kommer vi alle til at gå bidevind nu og da og en af glæderne ved at have en god og ordentlig turbåd, er evnen til at kunne sejle bidevind med en fornuftig fart og kontrol over krængningen. I forhold til meget andet grej på din båd, så holder sejl relativt længe, men uheldigvis ikke for evigt. Når du beslutter at skifte dem, vil du blive glædeligt overrasket over den forandring der sker med din båd. Krængningen forsvinder, den bliver let på roret og at gå bidevind i frisk vind bliver igen en fornøjelse, sejlglæden bliver langt større. At du som en biting også kommer først til de bedste havnepladser, må du leve med :-) Her er et par forslag til at forlænge dine sejls levetid: Beskyt sejlene mod UV-stråling når du ikke sejler. Brug bompresenning og forsejlspose. Undgå at sejlene blafrer. Når du går for motor, så bjærg sejlene medmindre vinden kan fylde dem. Lad aldrig et overlappende forsejl bakke mod sallingen i vendingerne. Brug den korrekte faldspænding. Husk at den ændrer sig med vindstyrken. Sæt faldet så hårdt at det lige præcis fjerner horisontale folder ved forliget. Husk at slække faldet igen når vinden løjer. Beskyt mod slidtage. Især ved saling, men også ved prædikestol, motorlanterne mm. Rig dine sejl af båden, når de ikke skal bruges i lang tid. Skyl sejlene med ferskvand et par gange i løbet af sæsonen. Få dem gået efter jævnligt hos din sejlmager. En professionel vask tilrådes også hvert 3-4 år. Når sejlene stuves af vejen for vinteren, skal de være tørre og opbevares tørt. Kulde tager de ikke skade af. Sørg for at evt. rulleforsejl er sikret forsvarligt når du går fra båden. Få evt. coatet dine sejl, allerede helt fra nye. Det forlænger levetiden og gør dem smudsafvisende.   READ MORE

ACHIEVING BALANCE IN YOUR SAILPLAN North Expert Skip Dieball Offers Three Ways To Improve Helm Balance From Sails And Foils, And Increase Your Speed Upwind Racing dinghies and keelboats alike, a key to speed is maintaining a balanced helm upwind. All sailboats have a different feel when you steer them. Some have a naturally heavy windward helm, and some have very neutral or sometimes even leeward helm. All things being equal, your goal is to sail with little windward helm, which makes the boat more enjoyable to sail and, more importantly faster, through the water. To achieve that balanced state, you have a lot of tools above the rails that you can use. Most popular one-design boats have a North Sails tuning guide for your particular design. These guides help you get the boat set up correctly to achieve a nice helm balance. Tuning guides give great suggestions on shroud tension, forestay length, mast-butt position, etc. All play into getting the boat in the ballpark for good performance. To go the next step, let’s explore three key factors: Your mast rake (and centerboard position if you have one); Your sail trim and angle of heel; Your sailing angle of attack relative to the wind direction. On any sailboat, when the center of effort in the sails (CE) aligns with the center of lateral resistance (CR) of the boat and foils, the helm will balance. If the CE moves aft, windward helm will develop and if it moves forward, leeward helm will be felt. Balance Mast Rake & Board Position First, let’s establish what causes helm—the tendency of the rudder to turn toward the wind (weather helm) or away from it (leeward helm). When perfectly balanced, your boat’s Center of Effort (center of the sail plan lift) would be closely aligned with the Center of Resistance (center of the appendage lift). The further the CoE and CoR are from one another, the more helm your boat will naturally have). As you can see in the illustration, if you have the ability to move the CR or CE, you can get your boat closer to perfect balance. In fact, a little mast rake can go a long way. For example, we’ll lengthen or shorten the forestay on the Etchells as little as 1/4” and the resulting movement aft of the CE will get the boat into a noticeably more balanced helm state. We adjust this for race conditions each day, and make sure we are happy with the adjustment is important before we get to the starting line. In centerboard boats like the Lightning, Interlake and Finn, you have the ability to adjust your CR through small changes in centerboard position. Generally, you’ll want the centerboard all the way down in light to moderate conditions. This induces necessary helm for the lighter conditions. When you start to get loaded up and have to hike harder to keep the boat tracking, you may consider pulling up the board a little at a time to move the CR more inline with CE, thus reducing the helm. Be sure to create marks or visual indicators of the board position for each condition. BALANCE TIP #1: Set up your rig to your tuning guide, then create a tuning journal to document settings and correlate to boat feel. Of these two Etchells, the boat on the left has a firmer main trim, which is causing more heel and thus more helm and creating a tighter angle of attack. The boat on the right has a more twisted look to its sails that yields a flatter boat and less point. 📸 Bill Goldsberry Sail Trim and Heel Angle Rig and centerboard adjustments have a big effect on the helm, but if you are stubborn, like me, you’ll want to do everything else you can first. As I prepare for a race, my team and I will sail upwind and focus in on how the boat is set up and going through the water. We’ll talk about helm and boat set-up, but what I like to discuss as well is how the sails are set up and whether we feel we can hike the boat down. Sail trim has such a huge effect on how the boat feels, and we want to be sure that we have a good range of trim as we go upwind through gusts and lulls. Markings on the spreader, sheets, deck, etc. all give us a quick reference points and let us get the sails set in the ballpark. If the boat is too powered up, I’ll look to make some adjustments to the sheets to see if easing gives the boat a nice feel, or if in easing, the boat becomes too inefficient going upwind (I.e. if the sheets are too eased and we’re not pointing well enough). If we have to ease too much to get the boat tracking, we’ll depower through backstay, boom vang, traveler or other controls to flatten out the sails. Knowing the range of these controls and trim is super important. BALANCE TIP #2: Learn the controls to depower and balance the helm—but don’t forget to hike hard first! Minimizing heel angle is critical to maintaining helm balance, as extra heel increases windward helm, and one thing that rarely fails in getting the boat to track with good helm is hiking. Believe me, I’ve searched for ways to sail fast while not hiking hard—it doesn’t work! Make sure when you are setting your boat up that you and your team give the boat all the force you can in terms of hiking. That, for me, adds to the range of sail trim and control. Refine Your Angle of Attack The angle of attack is the angle you sail the boat upwind. As we all know, there’s a range in this angle of attack. It is also referred to as the “groove”. Some boats have a wide groove, meaning that you can steer a wider course upwind to achieve the same helm or feel. Some boats have a very narrow groove. Ideally, you’ll want a groove that will be forgiving enough to steer around big waves, while sailing a little tighter and higher for short stretches. How you attack the breeze and the edges of this groove will affect the helm greatly. The lower you sail (fat), the more the boat will likely heel and the more helm you’ll have. The higher you sail (pinchy) the less helm you will have and ultimately you’ll slow down and lose flow over both the sail plan and the keel/centerboard/rudder. Your goal should be to rein in the range of the angle of attack so that you have a nice groove and sail efficiently upwind at a consistent angle of heel. If the helm/trim are causing you to steer too pinched up, then adjustments have to be made to get you into a part of the groove that is more efficient. BALANCE TIP #3: Practice early in the season to get a handle on your angle of attack while sailing. Connect with Skip Dieball for further information. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS IN DETROIT WELCOMES NEW EXPERTISE Spencer Colpaert Joins The Midwest Regional Sales Team North Sails is pleased to announced that Spencer Colpaert has joined the Detroit team and will work alongside Karl Kuspa and Skip Dieball. Spencer’s passion for sailing started on the Detroit River and Lake St Clair racing in Bayview Yacht Club’s Jr. Sailing Program on Optis, 420s and Lasers. When Spencer wasn’t sailing dinghies, he was out on the water sailing every evening and weekend race he could, learning valuable skills on a variety of different boats. He also spent endless hours training on Bayview’s fleet of Ultimate 20s, match racing against some of the top sailors in the world. He now races alongside various match racing teams, including teams that have reached 1st in the US and 16th in the world at World Match Race Tour events. Following his push into match racing, Spencer sailed with top teams in the Beneteau 36.7, Farr 40, Melges 24, 32 and J70 One Design classes as well as larger boats such as TP52’s and the Maxi Z86, Windquest, among many others. Spencer began his sailmaking career in Detroit working on the loft floor learning the ins and outs of the trade. He trained in Annapolis to further refine his skills, as well as Newport, RI. His years working on the loft floor have provided him with the insight to repair sails, as well as consult customers on sail designs. After 10 years in the sail making industry, Spencer is very excited to make his move back home to Detroit to help support the sailing community in both Detroit and the entire Great Lakes region with the North Sails Detroit team. Spencer understands the community and knows what it takes to help his customers in any aspect on and off the water. READ MORE

J/24 EUROPEAN TITLE WON BY LA SUPERBA Brilliant Start To The Season For North Clients 📸 Christopher Howell Ignzio Bonanno’s La Superba of Italy, with crew Simone Scontrino, Vincenzo Vano, Francesco Picaro and Alfredo Branciforte, were in the hot seat after racing from the 7th -10th May at the Sailing Club of Patras in Greece. The North Sails powered team took home the J/24 European Champion title for the second time after previously winning in their home country in 2012. Logging consistently impressive scores no worse than a fourth, they were able to stay ashore for Friday’s final duel which determined the runner-up positions. Anthimos Nikolaidis’ Evniki of Greece secured the silver spot with the race win, finishing with 37 net points. Two fellow countrymen followed in third and fourth overall: Panagiotis Kampouridis’ JMania (43 points) and Alexandros Tagaropoulos’ Hellenic Police (46 points). German Stefan Karsunke’s Schwere Jungs completed the top five with 51 points. All top five boats within a fiercely competitive fleet of 30 J/24’s finished with full North Sails inventories. Day one brought unpredictable conditions, ranging from 8 to 20 knots. On day two and three, the breeze became slightly less variable, ranging between 6 to 13 knots. Ignzio Bonanno of winning boat, La Superba, talks about how the sails responded to these conditions: ”We are a really fast boat, especially in lighter breeze. In Patras for the Europeans, we used the North Fat Head Mainsail, San Diego (SD) Genoa and FR-2 spinnaker. On day two and three, our speed was excellent; the boat pointed really well upwind and was nicely powered downwind. This was highlighted during race eight where we gained nine positions in one downwind leg due to our boat speed. We are really happy to take the European title after three days of great sailing and a well-planned race area. The next event for us is the Italian Nationals in Cervia in two weeks time.” “We used the North Fat Head Mainsail, San Diego (SD) Genoa and FR-2 spinnaker. Our speed was excellent; the boat pointed really well upwind and was nicely powered downwind.” Bonanno and the La Superba team from the Italian Navy race together regularly and are working to come to Miami, Florida for the 2019 World Championship in October. For more information on J/24 Championship winning sails, visit our class page. 📸 Christopher Howell 📸 Christopher Howell 📸 Christopher Howell READ MORE

NORTH CLIENTS EXCEL OFFSHORE IN 19/20 SEASON A Busy Year Of Offshore Racing Ends With Success Joss, Ian Clyne ©Lindsay Preece- Ironbark Photos After several years as the bridesmaid, Alan Stein in his GP 42 Dirty Deeds has won the coveted Siska Trophy (Overall Winner under IRC for the 6 race Blue Water Championship). Alan also won the Farrawa Cup hosted by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, a series of shorter offshore races. Ian Clyne, with his J-122 Joss was 2nd in the Siska Trophy, 2nd in the Farrawa Cup and First in both the Success and Captain Stirling Cups, hosted by Fremantle Sailing Club. Paul and Ceris Arns with their Mat 1245 Obsession rounded out the podium for the Siska Trophy and 2nd in the Success Cup. Paul and Ceris are also the reigning IRC State IRC Champions. Mark Nagle with his Fred Barrett 35 Weapon of Choice was third in the Farrawa Cup, 3rd in the Success Cup and 3rd in the Weekend Series. Michael Thorpe with his S&S34 won YAH( performance handicap) in Division 2 of the Success Cup. A special mention to Todd Giraudo with his SunFast 3600 Kraken for the Overall win in the 340nm Fremantle to Albany Race. Todd sailed double handed, an amazing achievement. Second place overall was another SunFast 3600 Crush owned by David Davenport. David sailed fully crewed, another great result for his first major ocean race. Next up the IRC State Championship to be sailed in Conjunction with the Valmadre Offshore winter series. Get your team at the front of the pack. Call your local North expert for more information on upgrading your sail inventory to best your competition. Dirty Deeds, Alan Stein ©Lindsay Preece- Ironbark Photos Obsession, Paul and Ceris Arns ©Lindsay Preece- Ironbark Photos Weapon of Choice, Mark Nagle © Lindsay Preece- Ironbark Photos Soon, Michael Thorpe ©Lindsay Preece- Ironbark Photos READ MORE

L’ABC, LA SEULE TRANSAT D'OUEST EN EST! Un Rallye retour en flotte sécurisée des Antilles aux Açores 📸 oasisphoto.fr Une Transatlantique retour, partant des Antilles vers l’Europe, est le concept derrière l’Atlantic Back Cruising (l’ABC). North Sails est l’un des partenaires de cet événement unique dont le coup d’envoi a été lancé dimanche 12 mai 2019 en Guadeloupe. La traversée s’effectue en flotte depuis Pointe-à-Pitre jusqu’aux Açores. Chaque bateau bénéficie d’une assistance maritime et d’un suivi individualisé (routage, météo, suivi satellite) du départ à l’arrivée à Ponta Delgada, puis jusqu’au port d’attache final. Pour cette deuxième édition, ils étaient 15 bateaux hauturiers course ou croisière (mono ou multi) à quitter la Marina Bas du Fort (port du Gosier) dans des conditions favorables, salués par le parrain du Rallye, le skipper Guadeloupéen Rodolphe Sepho. Actuellement, les équipages composés de 4 à 5 équipiers, soit près de 75 navigants qui participent à l’aventure, se dirigent vers l’Est et seront attendus vers la fin mai ou début juin à Ponta Delgada aux Açores. L’Atlantic Back Cruising a l’ambition de devenir un événement incontournable pour les bateaux qui traversent l’Atlantique d’Ouest en Est, et ils sont plus de 2000 à effectuer la traversée chaque année. L’ABC s’adresse aux voiliers désireux de rentrer en France après avoir passé plusieurs mois ou années aux Antilles, mais également aux voiliers de course qui rentrent d’une régate ou d’un Rallye Atlantique (Transquadra, course du Rorc, rallye de l’ARC…). Depuis la première Route du Rhum en 1978, la Guadeloupe a créé une relation intime avec le monde de la voile. Le port du Gosier à Pointe-à-Pitre, idéalement situé pour partir vers un voyage retour, dispose de toutes les Infrastructures pour préparer son bateau à une longue traversée. Quant aux Açores, le choix s’imposait comme une évidence : cet archipel est l’escale obligatoire sur le parcours du retour vers la Métropole. 📸 oasisphoto.fr READ MORE