NORTH SAILS BLOG

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: THETIS ISLAND RACE Focus on Fun and Good Times for Sailors The Maple Bay Yacht Club's Thetis Island Race was one for the ages and the North Sails Vancouver loft was proud to support the 2022 edition of the race. With the PNW's spring yet to show, rain showers, cold temperatures and low winds were expected. The one positive of the race was that the current, which is always a big factor in this race, was going clockwise around the entire island during the hours we were planning to race. Most teams arrived Friday, some with motherships to stay on and others just the boat they planned to race on. Per usual, there was no shortage of good sailing banter going on around the docks well into the late hours of the night. On Saturday morning, the sun showed up and the wind forecast was looking better. After a quick skippers meeting where Penny, the race organizer, made sure everyone knew the regatta was about having fun and strongly discouraged on-water protests, all 30 boats got out to the start line. As boats headed out there was zero wind but just as the first gun went for the Division 1 boats, the wind filled down the channel. The first leg up the east side of the island was quite condensed, as it was a beat, and the faster boats were slowly catching the slower divisions. As the fleet approached the northern end of the island, it looked like we may have had one of the famous Thetis island "parking lots" but the wind filled as the fleet approached the hole. Everyone was still sailing hard on the wind until reaching the southern end of Reid Island and the spinnakers started to go up across the fleets. The wind had decreased from earlier in the race but was still present. Teams focused on gybing all the way down to the south end of Thetis in order to stay in positive current lines. Once most of the fleet rounded the southern tip, it was then a fetch to the finishing line. Most boats tried to sail as close to Thetis as possible without being caught in the wind shadow. A few of the last boats got caught in a dying breeze which made their finish time slightly longer than originally hoped. Post racing, the Maple Bay Yacht Club and the Thetis Island Marina ran a regatta dinner buffet that rivaled the morning breakfast. After most sailors finished dinner, awards were held outside as the sun continued to shine. There were some fun awards such as a painting of a sailboat that was donated by the artist herself, PRO Judy Button. Once the awards were finished, the dock party continued and everyone had a great night chatting about the race and summer racing plans. Maple Bay Yacht Club and the Thetis Island Marina did a fabulous job hosting and running a spectacular event. With sun, wind, and positive current the entire race competitors could not have asked for better conditions. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this race happen. I recommend it to any boat with a PHRF cert looking for a fun race and good time on Thetis Island! See here for full results. To learn more about getting involved or how to get your inventory ready for racing, connect with our North Sails experts in Vancouver. READ MORE

This tuning guide is for E Scow sailors using the rig with the chainplates at the max aft position with longer spreaders. With this rig, backstays are not required, allowing the skipper to fully concentrate on tactics and boat speed. BEFORE STEPPING THE MAST Clean and lubricate turnbuckles, make sure that the top and bottom threaded studs are even in the turnbuckle tube. Position mast so that base is locked in mast step plate on deck and top end is resting in the boom rest support. Check all pins, wires, and fittings for wear, and attach upper and lower shrouds. Pull the forestay down along the top of the mast, pull firmly, and mark the wire with a permanent marker at the top of the mast base casting or where the tube is cut off at the bottom. You will use this mark to measure your mast rake once the mast is in the up position. Check the spreaders to make sure they are pinned in the forward hole for an all-purpose setting. This puts the spreaders in the aft-most position. Make sure that all halyards are pulled down and are not fouled. Using the feeder line that comes up through the mast step, tie this onto the bottom end of the jib halyard and pull the jib halyard through the deck. Take care not to loose the feeder line through the deck or you will have to re-run through the pulleys inside the backbone. Using a person on the foredeck pulling on the spinnaker halyard and someone walking up the mast, step the mast and attach the forestay. After stepping the mast, proper shroud tensions should be obtained. If you have a new North mainsail with the slug sewn into the sail, remove the screw holding the slug slide in the mast and remove the slug slide. This slide can be shackled on another sail for use of an older mainsail. ALL PURPOSE SETTINGS For base setting of the mast rake, start by measuring up from the top of the deck at the forestay along the forestay wire to the mark on the wire that corresponds to the mark you put on the wire at the bottom of the mast tube. Please refer to the mast rake chart and use the measurement which corresponds to the year your boat was built. At this point, tighten the upper shrouds (shrouds that go to the forestay) so they measure 37 (560 lbs) on a PT-1 Loos tension gauge. Make sure the uppers are in the aft-most hole in the chainplates and also make sure you tighten each turnbuckle the same amount. If you want to really fine-tune the rig, measure down to the deck at the chainplates using the jib halyard and adjust the intermediates to center the mast athwartship. Set the lower shrouds at 21 (240 lbs) on the PT-1 gauge and the diamonds at 23 (280 lbs). You will have to work back and forth between shrouds to achieve these base numbers. Note: If you have a new boat or new shrouds it is important to sail a few times in heavy air to stretch out the rigging before setting permanent marks on the shrouds and the mast rake. Double check the mast rake measurement after tightening shrouds and after sailing in a good breeze. Rake Setting The proposed rake settings below are based on the year your E Scow was built. 1998 - 2011 2012 - 2015 2016 or newer 26" 26 1/4" 26 3/8" Easy Tuning Charts Note that all recommended turns are from the base settings. M3 Mainsail / J4 Jib TWS 6 knots BASE - 8 knots (2-3 on rail) 10 knots 12 knots 15 knots 18+ knots Uppers - 37 +1 +1.5 +2 +3 Lowers -1 21 +1 +1 +2 +2 Diamonds -1 23 - - +2 +3 Boards 2 holes FWD 1 hole FWD 1 hole FWD AP 1 hole AFT 2 holes AFT Outhaul Smooth Smooth Smooth Smooth Max Max Vang Loose Slack Out Firm Firm Max Max Cunningham Loose Loose Loose 12" Wrinkles Smooth Smooth Main Traveler Up 2-6" Center to up 2" 1/4 to 1/2 to Post 1/2 to Post 3/4 Down or Post Post Jib Traveler Max Up Max Up Max Up Down 2" Down 3" Down 4" Clewboard 2nd Hole From Top 2nd Hole from Top 2nd Hole From Top 3rd Hole From Top Bottom Hole Bottom Hole Tack Height 4" 4" 3.5" 3" 2.5" 2" MAINSAIL TOP BATTEN - 6-12 knots go to 10180c, >12 knots increase to 10230c 2021 Easy Tuning Charts Easy Tuning Charts (pre 2022) Jib Tack Height Jib tack height at base measured from the deck to the bearing point of the jib tack control line. Mark your control line to ensure you can quickly find your base setting. Adjusting the jib tack in in small increments during a race is a quick way to power-up or de-power the jib and has a more meaningful effect on jib shape than a 1 hole adjustment on the clewboard. See below. Jib Spreader Mark 18.5"-19" measured from center rivet on front of spreader bracket, alongside the front of spreader. In most conditions, the jib leech should be at or near this mark. Periodically sight through the mainsail window or from behind the mainsail to check your sheeting is accurate. RACING YOUR ASYMMETRICAL We wanted to provide you with some helpful tips so that your learning curve moves upward. Please follow some of these initial tips so that you reach maximum performance right out of the gate. Teamwork is a major factor in this sport. So, work with your team and see what techniques may work for you specifically. The tips provided are a baseline to work from. When setting up your Asymmetrical sheets – be sure to rig them so that you are doing “inside jibes”. The clew passes between the luff of the kite and the forestay. A quick way to ensure this is to lead the tack line over the starboard spinnaker sheet when you rig your sheets. Tack over sheet. IMPORTANT MAST TUNING AND ASYMMETRICAL TECHNIQUES TO LEARN As with any masthead spinnaker configuration, the rig is more loaded and will require more attention to rig tuning and some changes in sailing technique.   DIAMOND STAYS The diamond stays on the mast help to support the mast head spinnaker configuration and the tension on the diamonds is important to ensure that the mast stays pre-bent and in column. It is important to follow the tuning guide recommendations and not stray too far from these numbers. Diamonds that are too loose when it is windy will not support the masthead kite properly and cause the mast to invert. Note: Diamond stays will stretch when they are new and you must check them before and after heavy air races, especially when the rig is new. Diamond stays will also measure differently with different tension on the Intermediates and the lowers.   SPREADERS Spreaders should always be in the maximum aft setting on the mast to ensure maximum spreader sweep. Note: This is the fast setting for all wind conditions, and this is true for the aft chainplate boats as well as the forward chainplate boats. The upper spreaders are set from the factory with approximately a 6-1/4” sweep when measuring from the back of the mast to a straight line from tip to tip where the wire passes through the tip. Sweeping the spreaders forward will make the top of the mainsail fuller, sweeping them aft will flatten the top of the mainsail. SIDESTAY TENSION With the forward chainplate rigs it is important to start to put some tension on the uppers once the breeze is over 10 knots. 400 lbs. On the uppers is necessary to insure that the mast stays prebent when sailing downwind. We recommend sailing with the uppers closer to 600 lbs once the breeze is over 15knots. This is the same for the aft chainplate rigs. With the aft chainplate rigs we rarely go below 600 lbs on the upper sidestay tension. MAINSHEET TECHNIQUES It is important with the Asymmetrical to sail at slightly hotter or higher angles than with the symmetrical kites to achieve the greatest performance. This, along with the higher speeds you are achieving will bring the apparent wind angle forward and require the mainsail to be trimmed at a tighter angle. Also, more vang can be carried since you are sailing at hotter angles with more load on the mainsail. Because you are sailing at hotter angles and the A sails are so easy to jibe you should not ease the mainsail out too far on the jibes. The maximum the sheet should ever be eased is about 10’ measuring from the aft corner of the boat to the boom. This technique along with keeping some vang on will help maintain a positive bend in the mast and regardless of backstay tension will help ensure that the mast does not do an inverted bend. RECIPE FOR MAST DAMAGE Crew weight should never exceed 675lbs. on an E Scow. The target weight for 4 people sailing in heavy wind is 630-650lbs. Sailing heavier will dramatically increase loads on the boat and rigging and amplifies mistakes made with tuning and mainsail handling. Jibing in heavy air with the vang loose and the mainsail eased out too far can be a recipe for mast problems. This is the single most important thing you need to concentrate on when sailing the A sail configuration. When you go into a jibe do not slow the boat down, go from high-speed mode right into the jibe. I equate this to a high-speed windsurfing jibe. If the diamonds are too loose and the uppers are too loose this will also compound the situation and cause the mast to invert and could cause failure. As with any powered-up masthead configuration you have to learn the techniques to ensure that you are safely performing the maneuvers. Once you understand the mechanics of the rig you will realize how much fun the A sails are and how much easier they are to sail. With the proper mechanics of boat handling and rig tuning, the rigs are very durable and will stand up to a lot of wind. It is very important to stay within the recommended rig settings. Do not overload the shroud tension or the crew weight as this places too much compression load on the mast and boat and can cause failures. Downwind Asymmetrical Techniques SETTING THE ASYMMETRICAL Pull the bow sprit all the way out – Important – You cannot pull the bowsprit out until you break the plane of the windward mark. Only pull bow sprit out prior to hoisting without kite launcher and one pull tack line system. Mid crew opens the bag and prepares for the kite to exit the cockpit. Only if you don’t have a kite launcher. Make sure to keep the boat flat when in the hoisting process as this helps keep the spinnaker out of the water. Not as important with kite launcher. Mid Crew pulls the spinnaker halyard all the way up - Tip – Make a permanent mark on the halyard in the “full up” position so you pull to that point every time. With kite launcher on hoist countdown, jib crew pulls windward jib sheet in through ratchet and cleats to windward to clear kite launcher hole. After the halyard is ¼ of the way hoisted, Jib Crew now pulls the tack of the asymmetrical all the way out and then immediately uncleats the jib sheet and properly trims jib. Helmsperson Tip – on the set it is very important to help your crew out by bearing away a bit on the hoist. This allows the kite to go all the way up with ease. It is important to also make sure the mainsail is not let out too far. The halyard and head of the kite can get hung up behind the spreader delaying the hoist. Keep an eye on these things. Once the halyard is up your mid crew should communicate “made”. The helmsperson should freshen (head up) right away so that the kite blows away from the rig and then fills. Limit your mistakes on the set – do not sail too high on the set – this makes it harder to pull the halyard up and the kite will fill early making it harder on the crew. With practice, you can push this limit higher. Limit your mistakes on the set. Practice your timing on all of these things and know when you can push the envelope for the ultimate set! THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND PRACTICE When sailing downwind with the asymmetrical we sail with our boards all the way down. In varying conditions, you may want to experiment with pulling your boards up some. This could be especially good in moderate winds and wavy conditions. Practice this technique and find out what is fast for your team. When in doubt though – keep the boards all the way down. The angle of heel will not vary from the symmetrical kite setup. It is very important to keep your lines clean and drop coiled. You need to drop coil your spinnaker sheets after every jibe so that the sheet runs free through this maneuver. Compass – it is very important to watch your compass angles downwind while staying in the freshest breeze on the course. These boats will be going very fast. Angles and wind really make the difference. Watch your compass as much if not more than you do going upwind. Downwind Sailing Angles – this will vary some. Many think that you have to sail hot and fast in all conditions with this setup. This is not the case. Here is a brief guideline to go by. WINDS 0 - 8 KNOTS A higher angle is required so that the boat builds apparent wind. With this speed, you can begin to sail low. As soon as the boat slows even slightly or the boat begins to flatten in angle of heel – you need to head right back up and fire up the speed again. This requires constant attention and focus. One key factor in this condition is mainsheet trim. As your apparent wind moves forward you need to keep your mainsheet trimmed a lot more. Make sure your mainsail is not luffing. You will be amazed as to how the boat reacts to a tighter mainsheet and how much the boat likes to have the mainsheet worked downwind. Practice this. In this wind range, you want to practice float jibes where you bear away slowly and ease the kite out and start pulling it around so it floats around the bow. WINDS 9-12 KNOT You can experiment with sailing a lower or deeper angle in these conditions. As the breeze hits and the boat heels, begin to drive the boat down and sail deeper. Work your mainsheet. As you sail deeper the main will need to be eased slightly, but not nearly as far as would for a symmetrical sail. WINDS 13 - 15 KNOT This is where it is really fun! Rock and Roll time! Crews should all be on the high side in their hiking straps. The mainsail will need to be trimmed in – almost all the way at times – as your apparent wind is way forward. The Jib Crew will need to work the jib and also the vang. It will feel like you are sailing at a higher angle due to the speed build-up. You really need to get the boat up and rolling – do not sail low or keep people in the boat – put them on the rail and go for a fast ride! The key is the mainsheet, keep the main trimmed. Do not ease the main much through your jibe either! Keep the sail in! In this wind condition you want to perform Mexican jibes, the skipper turns right into the jibe, you trim the sheet tight, strap the foot of the kite, let it back slightly onto the rig on the new windward side of the boat and as the main is coming across you blow the sheet off and trim the new sheet on quickly. ASYMMETRICAL TAKEDOWNS The easiest takedowns are the Windward takedown or the Mexican take-down. The leeward takedown is your third option. WINDWARD TAKEDOWN Head the boat virtually dead downwind. Middle crew begins to pull the windward spin sheet around and then the Jib crew releases the tack line shortly after that. You can release the bow sprit line shortly after. With the kite launcher, mid crew counts down 3-2-1 as they start to pull on the kite retrieval line, jib crew uncleats halyard on 0 and then tack line, tailing as they drop to keep the kite out of trouble. All sheets have to run smoothly to keep the kite coming in freely. Middle Crew - Pull the windward sheet aggressively through the ratchet - all the way back so that the clew reaches the ratchet block. The sail will have inverted. Only if you have no kite launcher. Middle Crew - Call for the halyard once you have the sail in hand. See #2 for kite launcher. Helmsperson - Before the halyard begins to drop be sure to steer up slightly so that the sail blows onto the deck of the boat. If you are dead downwind or sailing by the lee the kite will blow out away from the boat and go into the water. This is not good. It is very important that the helmsperson helps out the crew by steering up. The Middle Crew stuffs the sail into the bag and prepares for the rounding. Only if you don’t have a kite launcher. MEXICAN TAKEDOWN This takedown is effective when approaching the leeward mark on starboard tack and you need to jibe to go around the mark. As you reach a 3 boat length circle from the leeward mark you prepare to go into action. The key is that you need to be at about 150 degrees to true wind as you complete your jibe and you sail on port tack to the mark ( as you jibe you need to have the ability to head up on port jibe slightly so that the asymmetrical stays on the deck of the boat. If you come out of the jibe dead downwind the spinnaker will fall right into the water – again, the helmsperson needs to do their job to make the takedown easy and effective). So, your relation to the leeward mark is critical – you want to exit the jibe and begin to reach toward the leeward mark. You enter the three boat length circle on starboard tack. Helmsperson calls for a Mexican. Middle Crew - Be sure to drop the windward board before entering the jibe. Begin the jibe – the Middle Crew needs to trim the sheet hard so that the clew goes to the ratchet on the port side of the boat. This brings the clew and the foot of the sail to within reach for the takedown. The helmsperson turns the boat and enters the jibe. As the boom goes across he yells for the halyard release. The Jib Crew needs to release the halyard and the mid crew will already be taking in the retrieval line. The helmsperson needs to head up so that the sail gets “pressed” into the rig on the port side. The key is to head up so that the sail falls onto the deck and into the rig keeping the sail away from the water. The crew needs to be on the high side – on this port jibe as you approach the leeward mark – very important if it is windy as the boat will accelerate once you begin to reach to the mark. The tack line and bowsprit line are the last two items to be released. The Middle Crew needs to stuff the sail into the bag and hike hard as the boat rounds the mark. Refer to #2 on windward takedown for jib crew steps. Middle or jib crew pulls the board up on the port side as soon as possible or before the leeward mark. LEEWARD TAKEDOWN The key here is that the helmsman heads down for an easy takedown. Release the tack line and trim the spinnaker sheet in. Release the halyard slowly or with friction for the first 8 feet so that the halyard does not blow out and get hooked on the leech of the mainsail. Middle Crew stuffs the kite into the bag. Final release is the bowsprit line which can occur shortly after the release of the tack line. Takedown with kite launcher: Helm bears away, mid crew starts retrieval in counting down, 3-2-1 halyard is released, then tack. Flatten boat as much as possible to all crew to windward. Speed on the retrieval line is the name of the game. SET UP It is important to follow the North Sails Tuning Guide – I-1 Rig. Follow the amount of rig tension suggested for the varying conditions. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS The angle of heel is very important on an E Scow. Upwind in up to 10 knots, go for a maximum heel, but never let the water get up on the leeward deck. In more wind, sail with the bilge board vertical in the water. Don’t let the boat heel too much when sailing in a chop: it might feel good, but it is not fast. Just make sure that the bilge board is vertical, or that the boat is just a little flatter. When sailing in a lot of chop, be sure to have a very full jib, power up the main by keeping the rake forward, Cunningham off all the way and the outhaul pulled just until the vertical wrinkles disappear. An E Scow travels at very high speeds for a sailboat, and is very maneuverable even though the rudders are only 10” X 16”. Still, it is important for the crew to be in tune with the skipper to help steer the boat. When a big puff hits, the bow has a tendency to blow to leeward, so the jib crew must be prepared to ease the sheet to prevent this. The most important thing to do when tacking an E Scow is to lower the new board at the right time. As the boat is turning through the tack, wait until the bow is just past head to wind to lower the board: if you do this too soon, it just creates extra drag and slows the boat down. Don’t worry about raising the windward board until the boat is up to speed on the new tack. We like to ease the main slightly and then trim it in to heel the boat as we come up into the wind, and then everybody rolls the boat together. In light to medium winds, keep the jib trimmed in until the boat is head to wind and let the windbreak it across. When it starts to get windy it isn’t necessary to roll the boat, but ease the jib sooner so the bow can come up into the wind easier. TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS As far as tactical considerations go, at the start just remember that E Scows accelerate quickly, so it’s important to trim in before the boats around you or you might get rolled right away. If you have the room to leeward, simply put the boat on a tight reach with 15 seconds to go, get it up to speed by the time you hit the line, and make sure you can sail over the boat to leeward. E Scows don’t seem to create much of a wind shadow, so don’t be afraid to sail in someone’s bad air if you think it’s the right way to go, since the gains in a windshift can outweigh the loss of boat speed. These boats sail so fast that you are never out of the race. If you find yourself behind, several good wind shifts can move you right through the fleet. The important thing to remember is to keep the pedal down and never give up. All these generalizations are norms and averages that have proven fast over many years. Some experimentation on your part may be necessary to fine-tune your particular rig and sailing style. Good luck! READ MORE

This tuning guide is for E Scow sailors using the rig with the chainplates at the max aft position with longer spreaders. With this rig, backstays are not required, allowing the skipper to fully concentrate on tactics and boat speed. BEFORE STEPPING THE MAST Clean and lubricate turnbuckles, make sure that the top and bottom threaded studs are even in the turnbuckle tube. Position mast so that base is locked in mast step plate on deck and top end is resting in the boom rest support. Check all pins, wires, and fittings for wear, and attach upper and lower shrouds. Pull the forestay down along the top of the mast, pull firmly, and mark the wire with a permanent marker at the top of the mast base casting or where the tube is cut off at the bottom.  You will use this mark to measure your mast rake once the mast is in the up position. Check the spreaders to make sure they are pinned in the forward hole for an all-purpose setting.   This puts the spreaders in the aft-most position. Make sure that all halyards are pulled down and are not fouled. Using the feeder line that comes up through the mast step, tie this onto the bottom end of the jib halyard and pull the jib halyard through the deck.  Take care not to loose the feeder line through the deck or you will have to re-run through the pulleys inside the backbone. Using a person on the foredeck pulling on the spinnaker halyard and someone walking up the mast, step the mast and attach the forestay. After stepping the mast, proper shroud tensions should be obtained.  If you have a new North mainsail with the slug sewn into the sail, remove the screw holding the slug slide in the mast and remove the slug slide.  This slide can be shackled on another sail for use of an older mainsail. ALL PURPOSE SETTINGS For base setting of the mast rake, start by measuring up from the top of the deck at the forestay along the forestay wire to the mark on the wire that corresponds to the mark you put on the wire at the bottom of the mast tube. Please refer to the mast rake chart and use the measurement which corresponds to the year your boat was built. At this point, tighten the upper shrouds (shrouds that go to the forestay) so they measure 37 (560 lbs) on a PT-1 Loos tension gauge. Make sure the uppers are in the aft-most hole in the chainplates and also make sure you tighten each turnbuckle the same amount. If you want to really fine-tune the rig, measure down to the deck at the chainplates using the jib halyard and adjust the intermediates to center the mast athwartship. Set the lower shrouds at 21 (240 lbs) on the PT-1 gauge and the diamonds at 23 (280 lbs). You will have to work back and forth between shrouds to achieve these base numbers. Note: If you have a new boat or new shrouds it is important to sail a few times in heavy air to stretch out the rigging before setting permanent marks on the shrouds and the mast rake. Double check the mast rake measurement after tightening shrouds and after sailing in a good breeze. Rake Setting The proposed rake settings below are based on the year your E Scow was built. 1998 – 2011 2012 – 2015 2016 or newer 26″ 26 1/4″ 26 3/8″   Easy Tuning Charts Note that all recommended turns are from the base settings. M3 Mainsail / J4 Jib TWS 6 knots BASE – 8 knots(2-3 on rail) 10 knots 12 knots 15 knots 18+ knots Uppers – 37 +1 +1.5 +2 +3 Lowers -1 21 +1 +1 +2 +2 Diamonds -1 23 – – +2 +3 Boards 2 holes FWD 1 hole FWD 1 hole FWD AP 1 hole AFT 2 holes AFT Outhaul Smooth Smooth Smooth Smooth Max Max Vang Loose Slack Out Firm Firm Max Max Cunningham Loose Loose Loose 12″ Wrinkles Smooth Smooth Main Traveler Up 2-6″ Center to up 2″ 1/4 to 1/2 to Post 1/2 to Post 3/4 Down or Post Post Jib Traveler Max Up Max Up Max Up Down 2″ Down 3″ Down 4″ Clewboard 2nd Hole From Top 2nd Hole from Top 2nd Hole From Top 3rd Hole From Top Bottom Hole Bottom Hole Tack Height 4″ 4″ 3.5″ 3″ 2.5″ 2″ MAINSAIL TOP BATTEN – 6-12 knots go to 10180c, >12 knots increase to 10230c 2021 Easy Tuning Charts Easy Tuning Charts (pre 2022) Jib Tack Height Jib tack height at base measured from the deck to the bearing point of the jib tack control line. Mark your control line to ensure you can quickly find your base setting. Adjusting the jib tack in in small increments during a race is a quick way to power-up or de-power the jib and has a more meaningful effect on jib shape than a 1 hole adjustment on the clewboard. See below. Jib Spreader Mark 18.5″-19″ measured from center rivet on front of spreader bracket, alongside the front of spreader. In most conditions, the jib leech should be at or near this mark. Periodically sight through the mainsail window or from behind the mainsail to check your sheeting is accurate.   RACING YOUR ASYMMETRICAL We wanted to provide you with some helpful tips so that your learning curve moves upward. Please follow some of these initial tips so that you reach maximum performance right out of the gate. Teamwork is a major factor in this sport. So, work with your team and see what techniques may work for you specifically. The tips provided are a baseline to work from. When setting up your Asymmetrical sheets – be sure to rig them so that you are doing “inside jibes”. The clew passes between the luff of the kite and the forestay. A quick way to ensure this is to lead the tack line over the starboard spinnaker sheet when you rig your sheets. Tack over sheet. IMPORTANT MAST TUNING AND ASYMMETRICAL TECHNIQUES TO LEARN As with any masthead spinnaker configuration, the rig is more loaded and will require more attention to rig tuning and some changes in sailing technique. DIAMOND STAYS The diamond stays on the mast help to support the mast head spinnaker configuration and the tension on the diamonds is important to ensure that the mast stays pre-bent and in column. It is important to follow the tuning guide recommendations and not stray too far from these numbers. Diamonds that are too loose when it is windy will not support the masthead kite properly and cause the mast to invert. Note: Diamond stays will stretch when they are new and you must check them before and after heavy air races, especially when the rig is new. Diamond stays will also measure differently with different tension on the Intermediates and the lowers. SPREADERS Spreaders should always be in the maximum aft setting on the mast to ensure maximum spreader sweep. Note: This is the fast setting for all wind conditions, and this is true for the aft chainplate boats as well as the forward chainplate boats. The upper spreaders are set from the factory with approximately a 6-1/4” sweep when measuring from the back of the mast to a straight line from tip to tip where the wire passes through the tip. Sweeping the spreaders forward will make the top of the mainsail fuller, sweeping them aft will flatten the top of the mainsail. SIDESTAY TENSION With the forward chainplate rigs it is important to start to put some tension on the uppers once the breeze is over 10 knots. 400 lbs. On the uppers is necessary to insure that the mast stays prebent when sailing downwind. We recommend sailing with the uppers closer to 600 lbs once the breeze is over 15knots. This is the same for the aft chainplate rigs. With the aft chainplate rigs we rarely go below 600 lbs on the upper sidestay tension. MAINSHEET TECHNIQUES It is important with the Asymmetrical to sail at slightly hotter or higher angles than with the symmetrical kites to achieve the greatest performance. This, along with the higher speeds you are achieving will bring the apparent wind angle forward and require the mainsail to be trimmed at a tighter angle. Also, more vang can be carried since you are sailing at hotter angles with more load on the mainsail. Because you are sailing at hotter angles and the A sails are so easy to jibe you should not ease the mainsail out too far on the jibes. The maximum the sheet should ever be eased is about 10’ measuring from the aft corner of the boat to the boom. This technique along with keeping some vang on will help maintain a positive bend in the mast and regardless of backstay tension will help ensure that the mast does not do an inverted bend. RECIPE FOR MAST DAMAGE Crew weight should never exceed 675lbs. on an E Scow. The target weight for 4 people sailing in heavy wind is 630-650lbs. Sailing heavier will dramatically increase loads on the boat and rigging and amplifies mistakes made with tuning and mainsail handling. Jibing in heavy air with the vang loose and the mainsail eased out too far can be a recipe for mast problems. This is the single most important thing you need to concentrate on when sailing the A sail configuration. When you go into a jibe do not slow the boat down, go from high-speed mode right into the jibe. I equate this to a high-speed windsurfing jibe. If the diamonds are too loose and the uppers are too loose this will also compound the situation and cause the mast to invert and could cause failure. As with any powered-up masthead configuration you have to learn the techniques to ensure that you are safely performing the maneuvers. Once you understand the mechanics of the rig you will realize how much fun the A sails are and how much easier they are to sail. With the proper mechanics of boat handling and rig tuning, the rigs are very durable and will stand up to a lot of wind. It is very important to stay within the recommended rig settings. Do not overload the shroud tension or the crew weight as this places too much compression load on the mast and boat and can cause failures. Downwind Asymmetrical Techniques SETTING THE ASYMMETRICAL Pull the bow sprit all the way out – Important – You cannot pull the bowsprit out until you break the plane of the windward mark. Only pull bow sprit out prior to hoisting without kite launcher and one pull tack line system. Mid crew opens the bag and prepares for the kite to exit the cockpit. Only if you don’t have a kite launcher. Make sure to keep the boat flat when in the hoisting process as this helps keep the spinnaker out of the water. Not as important with kite launcher. Mid Crew pulls the spinnaker halyard all the way up – Tip – Make a permanent mark on the halyard in the “full up” position so you pull to that point every time. With kite launcher on hoist countdown, jib crew pulls windward jib sheet in through ratchet and cleats to windward to clear kite launcher hole. After the halyard is ¼ of the way hoisted, Jib Crew now pulls the tack of the asymmetrical all the way out and then immediately uncleats the jib sheet and properly trims jib. Helmsperson Tip – on the set it is very important to help your crew out by bearing away a bit on the hoist. This allows the kite to go all the way up with ease. It is important to also make sure the mainsail is not let out too far. The halyard and head of the kite can get hung up behind the spreader delaying the hoist. Keep an eye on these things. Once the halyard is up your mid crew should communicate “made”. The helmsperson should freshen (head up) right away so that the kite blows away from the rig and then fills. Limit your mistakes on the set – do not sail too high on the set – this makes it harder to pull the halyard up and the kite will fill early making it harder on the crew. With practice, you can push this limit higher. Limit your mistakes on the set. Practice your timing on all of these things and know when you can push the envelope for the ultimate set! THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND PRACTICE When sailing downwind with the asymmetrical we sail with our boards all the way down. In varying conditions, you may want to experiment with pulling your boards up some. This could be especially good in moderate winds and wavy conditions. Practice this technique and find out what is fast for your team. When in doubt though – keep the boards all the way down. The angle of heel will not vary from the symmetrical kite setup. It is very important to keep your lines clean and drop coiled. You need to drop coil your spinnaker sheets after every jibe so that the sheet runs free through this maneuver. Compass – it is very important to watch your compass angles downwind while staying in the freshest breeze on the course. These boats will be going very fast. Angles and wind really make the difference. Watch your compass as much if not more than you do going upwind. Downwind Sailing Angles – this will vary some. Many think that you have to sail hot and fast in all conditions with this setup. This is not the case. Here is a brief guideline to go by. WINDS 0 – 8 KNOTS A higher angle is required so that the boat builds apparent wind. With this speed, you can begin to sail low. As soon as the boat slows even slightly or the boat begins to flatten in angle of heel – you need to head right back up and fire up the speed again. This requires constant attention and focus. One key factor in this condition is mainsheet trim. As your apparent wind moves forward you need to keep your mainsheet trimmed a lot more. Make sure your mainsail is not luffing. You will be amazed as to how the boat reacts to a tighter mainsheet and how much the boat likes to have the mainsheet worked downwind. Practice this. In this wind range, you want to practice float jibes where you bear away slowly and ease the kite out and start pulling it around so it floats around the bow. WINDS 9-12 KNOT You can experiment with sailing a lower or deeper angle in these conditions. As the breeze hits and the boat heels, begin to drive the boat down and sail deeper. Work your mainsheet. As you sail deeper the main will need to be eased slightly, but not nearly as far as would for a symmetrical sail. WINDS 13 – 15 KNOT This is where it is really fun! Rock and Roll time! Crews should all be on the high side in their hiking straps. The mainsail will need to be trimmed in – almost all the way at times – as your apparent wind is way forward. The Jib Crew will need to work the jib and also the vang. It will feel like you are sailing at a higher angle due to the speed build-up. You really need to get the boat up and rolling – do not sail low or keep people in the boat – put them on the rail and go for a fast ride! The key is the mainsheet, keep the main trimmed. Do not ease the main much through your jibe either! Keep the sail in! In this wind condition you want to perform Mexican jibes, the skipper turns right into the jibe, you trim the sheet tight, strap the foot of the kite, let it back slightly onto the rig on the new windward side of the boat and as the main is coming across you blow the sheet off and trim the new sheet on quickly.   ASYMMETRICAL TAKEDOWNS The easiest takedowns are the Windward takedown or the Mexican take-down. The leeward takedown is your third option. WINDWARD TAKEDOWN Head the boat virtually dead downwind. Middle crew begins to pull the windward spin sheet around and then the Jib crew releases the tack line shortly after that. You can release the bow sprit line shortly after. With the kite launcher, mid crew counts down 3-2-1 as they start to pull on the kite retrieval line, jib crew uncleats halyard on 0 and then tack line, tailing as they drop to keep the kite out of trouble. All sheets have to run smoothly to keep the kite coming in freely. Middle Crew – Pull the windward sheet aggressively through the ratchet – all the way back so that the clew reaches the ratchet block. The sail will have inverted. Only if you have no kite launcher. Middle Crew – Call for the halyard once you have the sail in hand. See #2 for kite launcher. Helmsperson – Before the halyard begins to drop be sure to steer up slightly so that the sail blows onto the deck of the boat. If you are dead downwind or sailing by the lee the kite will blow out away from the boat and go into the water. This is not good. It is very important that the helmsperson helps out the crew by steering up. The Middle Crew stuffs the sail into the bag and prepares for the rounding. Only if you don’t have a kite launcher. MEXICAN TAKEDOWN This takedown is effective when approaching the leeward mark on starboard tack and you need to jibe to go around the mark. As you reach a 3 boat length circle from the leeward mark you prepare to go into action. The key is that you need to be at about 150 degrees to true wind as you complete your jibe and you sail on port tack to the mark ( as you jibe you need to have the ability to head up on port jibe slightly so that the asymmetrical stays on the deck of the boat. If you come out of the jibe dead downwind the spinnaker will fall right into the water – again, the helmsperson needs to do their job to make the takedown easy and effective). So, your relation to the leeward mark is critical – you want to exit the jibe and begin to reach toward the leeward mark. You enter the three boat length circle on starboard tack. Helmsperson calls for a Mexican. Middle Crew – Be sure to drop the windward board before entering the jibe. Begin the jibe – the Middle Crew needs to trim the sheet hard so that the clew goes to the ratchet on the port side of the boat. This brings the clew and the foot of the sail to within reach for the takedown. The helmsperson turns the boat and enters the jibe. As the boom goes across he yells for the halyard release. The Jib Crew needs to release the halyard and the mid crew will already be taking in the retrieval line. The helmsperson needs to head up so that the sail gets “pressed” into the rig on the port side. The key is to head up so that the sail falls onto the deck and into the rig keeping the sail away from the water. The crew needs to be on the high side – on this port jibe as you approach the leeward mark – very important if it is windy as the boat will accelerate once you begin to reach to the mark. The tack line and bowsprit line are the last two items to be released. The Middle Crew needs to stuff the sail into the bag and hike hard as the boat rounds the mark. Refer to #2 on windward takedown for jib crew steps. Middle or jib crew pulls the board up on the port side as soon as possible or before the leeward mark. LEEWARD TAKEDOWN The key here is that the helmsman heads down for an easy takedown. Release the tack line and trim the spinnaker sheet in. Release the halyard slowly or with friction for the first 8 feet so that the halyard does not blow out and get hooked on the leech of the mainsail. Middle Crew stuffs the kite into the bag. Final release is the bowsprit line which can occur shortly after the release of the tack line. Takedown with kite launcher: Helm bears away, mid crew starts retrieval in counting down, 3-2-1 halyard is released, then tack. Flatten boat as much as possible to all crew to windward. Speed on the retrieval line is the name of the game. SET UP It is important to follow the North Sails Tuning Guide – I-1 Rig. Follow the amount of rig tension suggested for the varying conditions. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS The angle of heel is very important on an E Scow. Upwind in up to 10 knots, go for a maximum heel, but never let the water get up on the leeward deck. In more wind, sail with the bilge board vertical in the water. Don’t let the boat heel too much when sailing in a chop: it might feel good, but it is not fast. Just make sure that the bilge board is vertical, or that the boat is just a little flatter. When sailing in a lot of chop, be sure to have a very full jib, power up the main by keeping the rake forward, Cunningham off all the way and the outhaul pulled just until the vertical wrinkles disappear. An E Scow travels at very high speeds for a sailboat, and is very maneuverable even though the rudders are only 10” X 16”. Still, it is important for the crew to be in tune with the skipper to help steer the boat. When a big puff hits, the bow has a tendency to blow to leeward, so the jib crew must be prepared to ease the sheet to prevent this. The most important thing to do when tacking an E Scow is to lower the new board at the right time. As the boat is turning through the tack, wait until the bow is just past head to wind to lower the board: if you do this too soon, it just creates extra drag and slows the boat down. Don’t worry about raising the windward board until the boat is up to speed on the new tack. We like to ease the main slightly and then trim it in to heel the boat as we come up into the wind, and then everybody rolls the boat together. In light to medium winds, keep the jib trimmed in until the boat is head to wind and let the windbreak it across. When it starts to get windy it isn’t necessary to roll the boat, but ease the jib sooner so the bow can come up into the wind easier. TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS As far as tactical considerations go, at the start just remember that E Scows accelerate quickly, so it’s important to trim in before the boats around you or you might get rolled right away. If you have the room to leeward, simply put the boat on a tight reach with 15 seconds to go, get it up to speed by the time you hit the line, and make sure you can sail over the boat to leeward. E Scows don’t seem to create much of a wind shadow, so don’t be afraid to sail in someone’s bad air if you think it’s the right way to go, since the gains in a windshift can outweigh the loss of boat speed. These boats sail so fast that you are never out of the race. If you find yourself behind, several good wind shifts can move you right through the fleet. The important thing to remember is to keep the pedal down and never give up. All these generalizations are norms and averages that have proven fast over many years. Some experimentation on your part may be necessary to fine-tune your particular rig and sailing style. Good luck! READ MORE

REHABBING AN OLD-ISH RACE BOAT Five Tips to Upgrade Your Boat North Sails expert Doug Folsetter shares his best tips for upgrading your old-ish race boat after modifying his new (to him) Farr 30 Sabotage. Doug sails Sabotage out of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and is a veteran when it comes to racing on Lake Ontario. "Without enough distraction available during one of the prolonged covid lockdowns, I found myself spending far too much time online, looking at boats that were for sale. This culminated in the purchase of an older, Farr 30 (that had been modified with a 5’ bowsprit) sight unseen, 5,000 km away. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for others (or do it again myself), we ended up with a good boat that can be great with some thoughtful updates." "Despite having a few online tours of the boat, as well as a survey and rig inspection, I really wasn’t sure of what we were getting until it arrived. Once I was able to access the boat and equipment, I prioritized the upgrades in the following order in an effort to make the boat as competitive as possible while, at least, attempting to keep to a budget:" Sails "No surprise here. They’re the “engine above the deck” after all! I knew that the bulk of the inventory was approximately six years old and would need to be replaced. I didn’t have the budget to do it all at once so we looked to fill any holes in the inventory and replaced the worst or most frequently used sails first. Before the boat arrived, we ordered a Helix Code 0 with top down furler. The boat didn’t have a code zero and we know if would be a perfect sail for the distance races we had planned. Next, we discovered that there wasn’t a usable J3 onboard, so we moved that to the top of the list. We got through the remainder of the year with the existing inventory but replaced the Main and J2 with 3Di Raw this winter and will work on replacing the downwind sails later this year. After that, we should be able to work on a one (ish) sail / year rotation to keep costs under control." Bottom "While new sails are great, a slow bottom is... well... slow! We had planned to spend a couple of weeks sanding, fairing and painting before the boat went in the water. That said, working in the marina was questionable under the lockdown rules at the time and we we didn’t want to start a job that we couldn’t finish before our fixed launch date. Luckily, it turned out that the boat's bottom wasn’t too bad so we burnished the old paint and hoped for the best. We also bought a new bottom brush so we we could scrub regularly as it would inevitably be needed." Running Rigging / Control Lines "There is nothing worse than breaking a control line or ripping the cover off a halyard in the middle of a race. New lines also look good and don’t smell like dead fish (like the moldy saltwater crusted sheets the boat came with) when you put them down below. We ended up changing out almost all of the rigging and sheets after we had a chance to sail just to confirm that the existing lines lengths and diameters were correct." Cosmetics "While it won’t make the boat faster, I’ll admit that I’m vain enough to want good looking boat. Farr 30’s are well known to have have gelcoat issues but I was assured that all issues had been dealt with. Upon further use, I realized said issues weren’t dealt with and this became a project for last winter." Electronics "We ended up replacing our chart plotter right away. The older one that came with the boat only had a PNW chip and there was was not a Great Lakes chip available. We’ll look into replacing our current Nexus instruments with an integrated system over the next year or two." "Overall, I’m happy with the boat and have created a competitive package in a reasonably cost effective way. In the end, I learned that the most return comes from tackling the jobs that make the most difference first, such as the sail inventory and the bottom. The to-do list never really gets shorter but the jobs become smaller as you go along!" Connect with Doug to learn more about his upgrades, ask questions or gain insight into the sail package he put together for racing on Lake Ontario. READ MORE

Get Ready for the Pacific Cup When heading offshore, there are many things to keep in mind that can help you make it to the finish line in one piece. Planning ahead can contribute to your success and assure your crew and your boat is set up to take on anything mother nature can bring. Here are some articles that will help you plan ahead, expect the unexpected, and get the best results in the upcoming Pacific Cup. Good luck, sail fast, be safe, and sail smart! Finding the Right Fit Ken Read has plenty of experience in building ocean racing teams. Here is his advice for speed and success when it comes to finding the right players for the positions. BUILD YOUR TEAM Planning Ahead Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing the Pacific Cup (or a similar race that heads well offshore such as the Newport Bermuda Race, Fastnet or Transpac), you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. FORECASTING Fueling Your Crew For many teams, preparing for any offshore race begins immediately after the finish of the previous edition. Here’s what Sarah O’Kane from Shorebase, a logistics company, says is important to properly provisioning for your next offshore adventure. LEARN MORE The Solution To Every Hoist When it comes to hoisting your spinnaker, there are some details to consider that make everyone’s life easier (or harder). Having zippers instead of bands is a great way to achieve a smoother, cleaner and quicker hoist, as well as help keep trash out of the ocean. LEARN HOW Shift Changes: Know Your Role It is important to always have a clear strategy for the team on deck to follow, so that rest periods by the navigator do not lead to missed opportunities or mistakes. LEARN MORE To Reef or Not to Reef Shortening sail quickly and easily when the breeze comes on is key to looking after your sails and your crew. LEARN MORE Safety is No Accident Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. North Sails President and offshore veteran, Ken Read, shares his tips and best protocols for sailing offshore. LEARN MORE Get Downwind, Fast! Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. More often than not there are conflicting suggestions: Go up. Go down. Be more aggressive. Steer less. Hear our thoughts on how to manage feedback from the crew. HOW TO The Trip Home is Just as Important Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing an offshore race you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. LEARN MORE Inventory Checks Have you made arrangements for sail check-ups after the delivery home? Every sail serviced in a North loft undergoes a thorough inspection designed to identify maintenance issues early, so they do not become major problems later on. Contact your nearest loft when you hit the dock after your delivery. We look forward to helping you maintain your sail inventory so you are ready for the next event. CONTACT US READ MORE

NORTH SAILS WINTER SERVICE Prepare for the Winter Sailing Season Today The Winter sailing season is coming. Count on your local service team to provide our signature Certified Service and get you ready for the next big event. Now is the perfect time to get your sails in after the busy summer season. Make an appointment with your local team for post-season service today: NORTH SAILS SYDNEY NORTH SAILS MELBOURNE NORTH SAILS BRISBANE It’s our mission to provide you with expert repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. We know that whether you race or cruise, your sails are a major investment, and we’re committed to helping you maximize their performance and lifespan. READ MORE

IAN WALKER JOINS THE NORTH SAILS MANAGEMENT TEAM Olympic Medalist and Volvo Ocean Race Winner Named North Sails UK General Manager North Sails is excited to welcome world-renown sailor Ian Walker to their management team. Walker is a two-time Olympic medalist, an America’s Cup veteran, and winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 as skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. He most recently served as Performance Director to the British Sailing Team, who claimed five medals at the 2020 Tokyo games. Walker’s next career move puts him at the helm of North Sails UK for the world’s leading sailmaker. “Lowell North founded this business on a simple philosophy – get the best people and commit yourself to make the best product,” says Ken Read, President of North Sails. “Ian sits amongst the best in our sport. He possesses a winning attitude and a level of knowledge that’s invaluable to our brand and all North Sails customers. Having sailed against Ian, I know he’s a fierce competitor and simply a good guy. We’re honored to have him join our team.” “The expertise from someone of Ian’s caliber is one of the greatest resources we can offer all of our customers,” remarks John Welch, COO of North Sails. “Each North Sails Manager is more than a champion sailor or a sail expert. They become a part of a tight-knit team working towards the common goal of developing superior products and delivering exceptional support for sailors at every level of our sport.” “North has a long history and rich tradition of being at the forefront of sailmaking,” Walker explains. “Joining North Sails is an excellent opportunity to be an active voice in the marine industry and part of the industry’s leading brand. It’s clear that everyone on the North Sails team has a passion for helping people get the most of their sailing, and my new role presents a unique opportunity to work alongside talented, like-minded sailors.” Walker’s official start date is August 1st, 2022. He will be based at the North Sails loft in Gosport, UK. READ MORE

NEWS UPDATE: NORTH SAILS GROUP SUPPORTS YACHT SCORING North Sails Group is pleased to announce the addition of Yacht Scoring to its family. Founded in 2006 by Luiz Kahl, Yacht Scoring is an easy-to-use yet powerful web-based race management and scoring tool used by hundreds of yacht clubs and race organizers around the globe. Kahl, who passed away unexpectedly in 2021, was a software developer by trade, a competitive sailboat racer, and a passionate race committee volunteer. This addition to North Sails Group is part of an ongoing mission to support the sport of sailing and increase participation. Yacht Scoring is a race management and scoring system that simplifies the task of event registration and communications while allowing for complete results in near-real-time. The single online data-based platform streamlines regatta management and eliminates the need to maintain multiple independent spreadsheets for entry lists, scratch sheets, ratings, and competitors’ information. For sailors, Yacht Scoring’s quick and easy sign-in and live scoring program delivers immediate race results, helping sailors know the score before they return to the dock. ​​ “Luiz uniquely blended an innovative business model with an unmatched level of customer support,” comments Ken Read, President of North Sails Group. “It was not uncommon to see him working hand-in-hand with race committees to ensure the success of their event. He didn’t do this because it was a requirement of using his services; Luiz did it because he was committed to helping sailors at all levels of the sport. It is our intention to follow his lead with this same service that he prided himself on.” “Yacht Scoring is a tool to help race committees focus on what’s important, letting sailors have fun on the water,” says Gui Kahl, Luiz’s brother. “In just ten years, Luiz grew Yacht Scoring into a must-have regatta management platform used by thousands of sailors. Beyond his business, Luiz was an avid supporter of Warrior Sailing, youth sailing, and Bayview Yacht Club, his home club, which will continue to be supported by Yacht Scoring.” Gui further explains, “The continuation of Yacht Scoring by the North Sails Group preserves Luiz’s legacy and will keep building on his vision.” The ease and accuracy of Yacht Scoring for race committees, sailors and volunteers with regard to all aspects of sailboat racing, from entry to scoring, will remain unchanged. The Kahl family extends their gratitude to Rob Bunn for his dedication and time over the last several months. A personal friend of Luiz’s, Rob was instrumental in keeping Yacht Scoring moving forward and operational for sailing and the sailing community. He will remain as interim manager of Yacht Scoring to ensure a seamless transition with the North Sails Group. For more information on: Yacht Scoring: https://www.yachtscoring.com/howitworks.cfm Media Inquiries: Bridgid Murphy bridgid.murphy@northsails.com 📸 CSR / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

NEW 49erFX OLYMPIC 3Di SAILS TRIUMPH North Sails Sweeps 2022 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca Podium 📸 Sailing Energy The new North Sails 49er and 49erFX class 3Di sails which will be used in the 2024 Paris Olympics made their debut at the 51st Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca. As the first event for the 2022 Hempel World Cup Series, the regatta demonstrated the potential of the North Sails 3Di sail inventory with the varied range of conditions that the Bay of Palma presented for the first major Olympic class regatta since Tokyo 2020. At the beginning of 2021, North Sails was chosen as the official supplier of sails for the 49er and 49erFX classes for the Olympic cycle in Paris 2024. After the Tokyo 2020 Games, a short and intense transition process began to design and create the next set of sails that would unify the arsenal of contenders for Olympic glory, with all Olympic 49er and 49erFX racing North Sails 3Di sails. In the opinion of Blair Tuke, current 49er Olympic and World Champion, “This is the first time that an Olympic class is able to choose equipment that optimizes performance, consistency and longevity with a low environmental impact, all in one package.” 📸 Sailing Energy The race to Paris began in Mallorca. Overcoming the Tokyo hangover, the teams began preparation in a shortened cycle, which went from the usual four years to just over three years. The world health situation did not help either, making it necessary to wait until April 2022 to celebrate the first event of the Hempel World Cup Series. The 51st Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca saw many 49er and 49erFX teams premier their North Sails 3Di sails in competition. The 49erFX fleet brought together 56 boats from 23 nationalities, including the top contenders for Olympic glory in the upcoming Games. After five intense days of competition with varying wind and wave conditions in which 13 races were held (including the Medal Race), Odile Van Aanholt and Annette Duetz achieved a hard-fought win using the new North Sails 3Di inventory that will soon be required. The premiere of the new material helped the Dutch prevail over the current Olympic champions, the Brazilians Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, who also competed with the spectacular black 3Di sails, as well as the third place team of Italy’s Jana Germani and Gloria Bertuzzi. Nine of the ten medal race boats competed with the new North Sails 3Di sails, an excellent debut in the race to Paris 2024. The next qualifying event for the 2022 Hempel World Cup Series, the Allianz Regatta will bring together the 49er and 49erFX fleets in Amsterdam, will take place from May 31 to June 5. Learn more about why 3Di tested better than paneled sails during the rigorous testing process here. 📸 Sailing Energy READ MORE

IL EST L’HEURE DE RETOURNER SUR L'EAU ! Les beaux jours approchent, le début de la saison nautique également ! Afin de vous préparer au mieux pour cette nouvelle saison, nous vous proposons quelques conseils que vous pourriez appliquer à votre bateau : - Vérifiez le gréement dormant: nettoyez les traces de rouille sur les ridoirs, resserrez les pièces qui ont du jeu, vérifiez les sertissages et inspectez le mât et la bôme sur toute leur longueur, - Nettoyez l’intérieur de la gorge du mât: montez au mât avec un chiffon doux, du produit nettoyant et un tournevis (ou petit outil) afin d’éliminer les dépôts accumulés pendant l’hiver, - Vérifiez le gréement courant: inspectez vos drisses et écoutes, ainsi que tous les bouts qui sont répartis un peu partout sur votre bateau, - Retendez les lattes de vos voiles, en espérant que vous les aviez détendu en fin de saison dernière ;-) ! - Appliquez du Teflon sur les coulisseaux de vos voiles, - Si vous disposez d’un système réglable sur le guindant de votre grand voile, vérifiez les offsets (tout en hissant votre grand voile, mesurez la distance entre le mât et l’avant de la voile. Il faudrait avoir le même écart sur toute la hauteur de la voile afin d’obtenir la forme idéale), - Vérifiez les coutures de toutes vos voiles ou demandez à votre voilier de le faire. Une petite reprise de couture vaut mieux qu’une grande déchirure :-) ! - Contrôlez l’état de votre sellerie: housses, tauds et poches à bouts, - Vérifiez, graissez et huilez vos winches, - Faites le tour de tous vos anneaux brisés et sécurisez-les avec du scotch de protection autour s’il n’y en a plus (le but est qu’ils soient lisses si la voile venait à s’y frotter), - Vérifiez vos amarres. N’hésitez pas à faire également appel à nos services d’enlèvement, de contrôle et de rapatriement de vos voiles ! Êtes-vous plutôt conseils à terre ou coaching sur l’eau ? Faites appel à notre équipe pour bénéficier de conseils ou d’un coaching personnalisé ! Profitez de conseils sur-mesure, d’un workshop suivi de l’application sur votre bateau, et encore d’autres démonstrations grâce aux North Expériences ! Julien, Michel et Nicolas sont à votre écoute et se feront un plaisir de vous répondre, par email ou par téléphone au 022 782 32 22. Nous vous souhaitons un beau début saison et restons à votre entière disposition ! Votre équipe North Sails Suisse READ MORE

It’s a competitive edge that keeps North Sails, and our clients in a class above the rest. The concept is founded on advanced mathematical modeling and powered by data. READ MORE

ROYAL SOUTHERN NORTH SAILS MAY REGATTA We Look Forward to Seeing You There 📸 Louay Habib / Royal Southern Yacht Club North Sails UK is proud to support the Royal Southern May Regatta on the 7th and 8th of May. This regatta kicks off the first of a series of fun yet competitive summer regattas at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble. With over 80 teams expected and hundreds of sailors taking part, it’s going to be a fantastic series, with boats on the entry list including J/70, SB20, Cape 31, HP30, J/111, and IRC Classes. For the first day of the regatta, North Sails UK Experts will be on the water coaching from the North RIB, alongside Shaun Roster who is capturing drone videos of the fleets to be played at the club after racing. The local North experts will also run a short and relaxed in-person debrief for all competitors to help teams get the most out of the weekend and the series. And find our branded goodies amongst the prizes, including jackets, books, and sail bags. North Sails Certified Service will be onsite for the weekend. For any sail repairs during the regatta, contact the local Service Expert James Hobson on +44 7557 941069. 📸 Louay Habib / Royal Southern Yacht Club Several high-performing North Sails-powered boats are set to take part, including Ian Atkin’s new Carkeek 40 Dark ‘n’ Stormy. “There is a big incentive to do all of the Summer Series regattas, but each feels like a proper championship in its own right,” comments Ian Atkins. “Dark ‘n’ Stormy is a thrilling boat to race, and there are about ten boats of similar capabilities racing in The Solent. We are looking forward to a superb season of racing.” “Everyone could use a North Sails bag to carry their sandwiches down to the boat!” laughed Chris Jones, owner of North boat Journeymaker. “But the simple truth is that North Sails have some very high-quality experts, and we know their input is going to be of the very highest caliber. Their advice really does help us progress.” One Design classes have always been a feature of the Royal Southern Summer Series. The pocket-rocket Cape 31 UK Class, based in Hamble, will see five or more Cape 31s at the North Sails May Regatta. North Sails has worked closely with the class, optimizing sail designs, offering support and training sessions. The Bartholomew’s Tokoloshe has an experienced crew onboard and is certainly one of the North boats that we have a close eye on having won the final regatta of the 2021 Summer Series. If you missed it, read our recap on the 2021 UK Nationals and how the fleet is captivating sailors worldwide. 📸 Live Sail Die / PKC Media The SB20 Class will also be in action for the North Sails May Regatta which will be their Southern Championship and the first round of the SB20 UK Series. The Royal Southern Yacht Club has produced J/70 World Champions in both the Open and Corinthian Classes. The 2022 J/70 UK Sprint Series kicks off at the North Sails May Regatta and will be held throughout the Royal Southern Summer Series. With five short, sharp races per day, the series is designed to test raw speed and boat handling. J/70 UK Class Captain Marshall King, 2019 Corinthian World Champion, commented: “The Sprint Series provides thrilling racing and is the perfect environment to improve starts and boat handling. After racing, the J/70 Class enjoys getting together for post-race drinks where we share knowledge to increase performance right through the class.” Online Entry for the North Sails May Regatta and the Notice of Race is available here. For more information, please email: RSrnYC Sailing Secretary James Ripley. 📸 Sportographytv READ MORE

CODE SAILS DEFINED What Is A Code Sail? The term ‘Code Sail’ means different things to different sailors. What started out as an innovative and straightforward concept has rapidly evolved into a whole new category of sails. While Code Sails may look and perform quite differently from one another, there is one common theme: Code Sails are fast, flat, free-flying sails, designed for close reaching angles. To understand all the different names and versions, it may help to look back at the origin of these sails. Originally “Code Zeros” were designed to qualify as spinnakers under various rating rules that require the mid-girth to be 75% of the foot length. Volvo Ocean Racers coined the term Code Zero, which fit into the established North Sails coding convention: A1, A2, A3, etc. This design also became popular among handicap racers under Rules like IRC, ORR, and PHRF. As their effectiveness and ease of use became increasingly apparent, Code Sails expanded into cruising as well, and multihull sailors coined the term “Screechers” for their similar, specialized, high-performance reaching sails. Code Sails add a great deal of sail area and power for close reaching angles. Boats with non-overlapping headsails see the biggest benefit from Code Sails, as they better fill the inventory gap between upwind headsails and downwind spinnakers. REQUEST A QUOTE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EXPERT LEARN MORE ABOUT CODE SAILS Helix Structured Luff: Code Sails Redefined While Code Sail is a term used by sailmakers across the board, in recent years North Sails has redefined what it means to have a North Code Sail, with the introduction of its Helix Structured Luff technology. A design philosophy first introduced for offshore Grand Prix, the performance benefits of Helix have reverberated around the sailing world, making Helix Code Sails the go-to tool for improving aerodynamics and increasing range. View this post on Instagram A post shared by North Sails (@north_sails) With their unique luff structures, Helix Code Sails give sailors another gear, increasing power potential by projecting the sail further forward and optimizing load sharing, for a positive sail shape and enhanced control. They are custom-designed – optimized to react to dynamic sailing loads, easily and efficiently handle torque for furling, and offer load-sharing characteristics suited to a much wider wind angle and wind speed range. As of January 2022, Helix is now a feature of all North Racing Code Sails. The exact implementation of the Helix Structure varies according to the specific version of Code Sail. When purchasing a Code Sail, your boat’s performance, target wind angles and anticipated wind speeds, your onboard sail handling systems, and the sail material you have chosen are all taken into consideration. Then, the sail is designed around your specific needs. Helix Code Sails and Mid-Girth Measurements Note: Some rating/handicap systems strictly limit the available mid-girth specifications of rule-eligible sails, barring sails with mid-girths greater than a headsail’s 50%/less than a spinnaker’s 75% . Other rating systems heavily penalize mid-girths greater than 50%/less than 75%. And other systems attempt to generate accurate ratings with no special consideration given to mid-girths between 50 and 75. Discuss with your North Sails representative the rating system under which you will be racing to determine whether and which any rule restrictions or prohibitions apply. Helix Code Zero Asymmetric Spinnaker – Mid Girth (SMG) >75% For systems that disallow mid-girths between 50 and 75%, this sail remains much the same in concept as the original Code Zero. The design requirement is the flattest possible sail with a spinnaker mid-girth of 75%. The challenge of designing and building a Code Zero Asymmetric Spinnaker is meeting the 75% girth measurement while producing a sufficiently flat sail shape with no excess area”flapping” in the wind. Code Zeros carry an unsupported mid-girth sail area that is not aerodynamically efficient for light-air close reaching. Code Zeros can be made in 3Di Downwind or Code style aramid laminates. Helix Code 50 – Mid Girth (SMG) <54% North Sails’ newest code sail, the Code 50 is a free-flying sail for offshore racing. Ideally suited to ocean racing Grand Prix yachts such as IMOCAs and Ultime Trimarans, it uses a new 3Di Downwind (RAW) 700 material, uniquely suited to the hybrid requirements of offshore, free-flying sails – exceeding the limitations of standard 3Di Downwind 600, 700 & 800 material. Helix Code 55 + 65 (SMG 51%-74%) A Code 55 has a 55% SMG while a Code 65 features a 65% SMG. (SMG is the width of the sail measured at half the sail’s height, expressed as a percentage of foot length). Code Sails with mid-girth between 50% and 75% are highly efficient and versatile sails. However, as noted above, these sails are sometimes treated unfavorably (if not outright banned) by certain rating rules. Where allowed, these Code Sails provide pure reaching performance – ideal for offshore racing, multihull sailing, and performance cruising. A smaller SMG percentage implies a flatter sail for closer wind angles, while a higher SMG percentage implies a slightly fuller sail for wider wind angles. An SMG less than 51% is considered a genoa, while an SMG greater than 74% is considered a spinnaker. REQUEST A NEW SAIL QUOTE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EXPERT READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TRIM CUP 2022 Ett Samarrangemang Mellan Halmstad Segelsällskap Och Oss På North Sails 📸 Daniel Stenholm Sista helgen i april samlades ett tiotal besättningar i Halmstad för att vara med på en kombinerad tränings- och kappseglingshelg. Coacher var Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från North Sails i Göteborg. North Sails Trim Cup är ett samarrangemang mellan Halmstad Segelsällskap och oss på North Sails. I år vände vi oss främst till CB66:or men kul nog tog även en lokal J/70-besättning tillfället i akt att haka på. Vädret gick inte att klaga på. Det var klart och soligt under hela helgen, möjligtvis lite småkyligt ibland, med måttlig frånlandsvind under fredagen och lördagen och lite mer därtill under söndagen. På programmet stod träning under fredag och lördag förmiddag, och kappsegling under lördag eftermiddag och söndag förmiddag. Planen var att köra ”så många seglingar vi hinner”, och det blev till slut tio genomförda race. Hur det gick är egentligen mindre viktigt. Syftet med helgen var framför allt att seglarna skulle få jobba bort ringrosten och förhoppningsvis få lite nya lärdomar och intryck som de har nytta under den kommande säsongen. För coachningen stod Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från North Sails i Göteborg. De fokuserade särskilt på två områden: besättningens placering i båten under olika förhållanden och på olika bogar – en oerhört viktig faktor i lätta sportbåtar som CB66 och J/70 – och samspelet mellan focktrim och storsegeltrim. 📸 Daniel Stenholm HSS har fina seglingsvatten precis utanför piren, vilket gör det möjligt att på ett effektivt sätt kombinera segling med lunch och genomgångar på land. Varje dag inleddes med dragning i klubbhuset innan båtarna skickades ut på vattnet. Henrik och Andreas åkte runt i var sin RIB-båt och kunde ge snabb feedback. De tog foton och filmer, och detta låg sedan till grund för de uppföljande genomgångarna. Det var med andra ord ett ganska intensivt program, med två segelpass och tre genomgångar om dagen. Men det är ett trevligt upplägg som ju också ger utrymme för umgänge med seglarkompisar som man kanske inte träffat sedan förra säsongen. Tack till Halmstad Segelsällskap för ett som vanligt fint arrangemang. Tack också till Hotell Clarion Collection Norre Park, som hade fixat bra priser på hotellrum och som ordnade en väldigt fin regattamiddag på lördagskvällen. 📸 Daniel Stenholm READ MORE

OUR FAVORITE UK CRUISING DESTINATIONS Sights Set for Summer Cruising What makes for a good sailing destination? Sheltered bays, great scenery, cosy pubs, swim spots and good weather. Top it off with a North Sails loft and a chandlery in case of any breakages and you have everything you need. North Sails shares their favorite UK destinations and where you can drop your sails in to be serviced or repaired on your travels. Wales - Pwllheli Pwllheli, Abersoch and the Llyn Peninsula in Wales is a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s said to be the best sailing venue in Wales, one of just four in the UK that are suitable for hosting International Olympic and Youth and Junior class competitions. Filled with beautiful seaside resorts and friendly yacht clubs such as the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club in Abersoch, paired with a lovely climate from May-September, it is easy to see why this part of coastline is a magnet for both cruising and racing. Devon - Plymouth, Dartmouth, Salcombe If you fancy exploring the South Coast, Devon has lots to offer. With a North Sails representative loft in Plymouth, you are never far from a quick fix or service. Plymouth Sound’s most popular summer anchorage is Cawsand Bay, although it can be a bit exposed in strong south westerly winds. There is a quieter alternative in Barn Pool, north of the Bridge Reef. Pop ashore for a walk around the Mount Edgecumbe Country Park. Fancy spectating some high performance sailing? Head to Plymouth for Sail GP at the end of July, if you’re not taking part in Cowes Week that is! If you have more time we also recommend popping around the corner towards Dartmouth and Salcombe. With so many secluded spots and sheltered harbors only a few hours away, you will be spoilt for choice on this dramatic coastline! Solent - Cowes/Gosport Home to high performance racing, the Solent is always a great place to hop from one anchorage to another, especially if you are short on time. With Cowes on the Isle of Wight as a base for amenities, yacht clubs and pubs, there are plenty of lovely spots within a few miles to explore. Surrounded by a nature reserve is the stunning Newtown Creek. Watch out as it can get busy here on weekends, but if you manage a mid-week getaway you may be lucky enough to have it to yourself. The Beaulieu River in the New Forest is sheltered and home to the National Motor Museum if British summer time catches you out with bad weather. Scotland Whilst the weather may leave a lot to be desired, Scotland has some of the best cruising waters in the world. Head to the Kyles of Bute and the Isle of Arran for sheltered cruising amongst small islands. For those looking for dramatic scenery, whirlpools and whisky, the Inner Hebrides is the place for you. If you do decide to venture up to Scotland, North Sails representative Kevin Aitken will be on hand to assist should you need it. ALL NORTH SAILS LOCATIONS READ MORE

MAKING WAVES FOR THE FUTURE North Sails Australia Has Partnered With the Australian Optimist Class North Sails are proud to support the Australian National Optimist Class, including various state championships across all fleets, with more than 120 young sailors participating in the nationals earlier this year. “We see this as an opportunity to encourage the younger generation to get out on the water and to stay involved in sailing,” said North Sails Australia’s Sale Manager, Alby Pratt. “Donating new sails and North Sails vouchers for the National and State Associations to give as prizes is something we were adamant on, in the hope of providing new opportunities for the sailors who may not always be at the front of the fleet.” “We’re committed to growing junior sailing in Australia with the Optimist class, and hope we can continue that into the future.” Australian International Optimist Dinghy Association (AIODA) President, Jeremey Atkinson, was excited to bring North Sails onboard as a partner, commenting, “Alby approached us to support the class in 2021, and of course we jumped at the opportunity.” “It’s unlike any of our other class partnerships and supports all levels of our Optimist sailors, combining at a state and national level, which is a great initiative from North Sails.” “The AIODA saw this partnership as an opportunity to support Australia’s younger immediate sailors coming up through the ranks.” Jeremey highlighted that, “one of the best things we’ve benefitted from so far was the coaching day North Sails put on at the 2022 National Championships at Georges River earlier this year. North Sails Expert, Noel Drennan came down and did a class tuning session for the sailors and their parents, and the feedback we’ve received was extremely positive.” This North Sails initiated coaching session for the Nationals fleet also showcased the newly launched V-Series ranging from the Optimist V-1, V-2 to the V-3 mainsail and the best tuning guide for each skill-level sailors. “We’re looking forward to this highlight at the next Australian Championships at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for the 2022/23 nationals in January next year” Jeremey finished. In addition to the coaching support, the North Sails sponsorship includes a three year partnership with the Australian Optimist Class to present two new sails and two North Sails vouchers for the national titles, while one new sail and vouchers will be gifted to all state titles as well. The North Sails team has a long tradition of promoting grassroots fleets around Australia. Our network of one design experts and dealers are available to help you get the most out of your sails so you can reach your goals anytime you’re on the water. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *Local service expert for these events will be Kelsey Tostenson. 510-334-0203 EXPRESS NATIONALS May 20-22 Location: Richmond Yacht Club ALDO ALESSIO/SWIFTSURE REGATTA August 19-21 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES September 15-18 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club J105 NORTH AMERICANS September 29 - October 3 Location: St. Francis Yacht Club Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

NORTH SAILS EXPANDS PALMA SALES AND SERVICE FACILITY One All Purpose Site Elevates Customer Service to Unprecedented Levels 📸 Ian Roman Palma, Mallorca Spain, April 21 2022 – North Sails has strategically relocated all their sales and service into one Palma location. Effective immediately the secondary loft space in Llucmajor is closed with all loft functions now concentrated within the Palma loft, located minutes from Palma Harbour and the closest facility to STP (Servicios Técnicos Portuarios) where North Sails also boasts a dockside office. The Palma loft has doubled in size by obtaining the space adjacent to the current structure and creating a mirror image of the existing loft space. The newly configured space is now Palma’s largest dedicated sailmaking and service facility. According to Quinny Houry, Site Manager, “the consolidation of the two loft sites in Mallorca into one 4,720m/sq site with 700m/sq of sail storage just 10 minutes from the water has enabled us to focus on client care and raise it to a level that is unprecedented in the industry.” North Sails Palma houses over 30 experts including sail designers, sailmakers and service professionals in a one-stop full-service centralized location. Loft services aim to provide a unique customer experience that include concierge-style sail removal and installation, sail design service, emergency repair, dedicated pick up and delivery services and year-round sail storage. With support available 365 days a year and an extremely convenient location the new loft layout raises the standard of excellence in sail care and customer service for sailors in Europe. “Expanding into the one building to combine the team’s expertise and utilize a more effective and efficient layout. The new loft set up offers unrivaled access to world-class sales and sail care professionals for superyachts and local yachtsmen alike,” says Brad Favelle, Operations Manager. North Sails Palma Poligono Industrial Son Morro, Carrer Ca Na Melis, 11a,b, 07007 Palma, Balearic Islands CONTACT NORTH SAILS PALMA 📸 Ian Roman READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *Local service expert for these events will be James Hobson. +44 7557 941069 ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB NORTH SAILS MAY REGATTA May 7th & 8th VICE ADMIRALS CUP May 20th & 22nd IRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP June 10th & 12th J CUP June 30th - July 2nd COWES WEEK July 30th - August 5th ETCHELLS WORLDS September 18th - 24th ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB SEPTEMBER REGATTA September 24th & 25th Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

OCCASIONSLISTE Gebrauchte- und Lagersegel von North Sails Schweiz Hier geht es zur aktuellen Liste: OCCASIONS SEGEL READ MORE

VÄLKOMMEN TILL NORTH SAILS OFFSHORE CLINIC 2022 13-15 maj har du chansen att drillas av vår egen Anders Lewander. På schemat: Allt från fartträning till nattsegling och man-över-bord-träning North Sails Offshore Clinic genomfördes första gången 2018 och har blivit något av en tradition för havskappseglare som vill skaka ringrosten ur kroppen och få några dagars intensiv träning innan kappseglingssäsongen drar igång på allvar. Nytt för i år är att vi vänder oss till såväl fullcrew- som shorthandedseglare. Förra årets upplaga präglades av pandemin men i år körs evenemanget utan begränsningar, så du kan dessutom se fram emot ett trevlig socialt program med bland annat morgongympa, gemensamma måltider och bastubad. Träningshelgen genomförs 13-15 maj utanför Sandhamn av North Sails och Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundet i samarbete med KSSS. Träningen leds, som brukligt, av Anders Lewander från North Sails Stockholm. Clinicen vänder sig främst till ambitiösa havskappseglare och syftet är att på ett strukturerat sätt ta oss an de delar som är viktiga för att prestera på ett internationellt mästerskap. På programmet står bland annat startträning, banracing, nattsegling och man-över-bord-träning. Dessutom fartträning på både kryss och öppna bogar med lätta skot. Det gör det till ett gyllene tillfälle att exempelvis testa stagsegel eller få ett bra underlag för att uppdatera segelvalstabellen eller polardiagrammen. Vill du vara med? En formell inbjudan med detaljerat program finns på Svenska Havskappseglingsförbundets hemsida. Maxantalet är satt till tjugo båtar, så vänta inte för länge med att anmäla dig. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT YOUR SERVICE Upcoming Regatta Repair Schedule North Sails Certified Service Experts will repair your sails overnight. Our Service van is on-site at select events, offering regatta venue pick-up and drop-off. Tears happen, but they shouldn’t leave you without a key piece of race inventory. Look our for our North Sails Certified Service Experts at the following regattas this season. *All pickups will be 4:30-5:30pm and drop offs will be 7:30-8:00am. NYYC ANNUAL REGATTA June 10-11 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers NYYC RACE WEEK AT NEWPORT July 13-15 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers SAFE HARBOR RACE WEEKEND August 12-13 Location: Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard 12 METRE NORTH AMERICANS September 15-17 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers IC37 NORTH AMERICANS September 22-24 Location: Sail Newport, The Alofsin Piers Talk To A Service Expert READ MORE

CRUISING DOWNWIND Feel the Power of Simplicity Spinnakers provide an enormous performance boost in light to moderate air when sailing downwind—and well they should, considering the trouble they can cause! We’ll take a look here at how to handle and trim both cruising spinnakers—also called Gennakers, which fly without a pole—and conventional spinnakers with poles. Setting a Gennaker A cruising spinnaker or Gennaker is set with a tack line from the bow, a halyard, and a sheet led to the aft quarter. For shorthanded sailing, a spinnaker Snuffer is recommended. The sail is hoisted within a protective sock, and once up, the Snuffer line is pulled to retract the sock and free the sail. To prevent twisting, the tack line should be tightened prior to the hoist. Do you need a tack strap? Depending on the luff length of the Gennaker, it may also be advantageous to rig a tack strap. Rigged around the rolled jib, the tack strap prevents the tack from wandering. If your sail has a long luff and a low tack—just above the bow pulpit—then a tack strap is not required. For a sail with a short luff and a high tack, a tack strap adds control. The Gennaker sheets can be lead inside or outside the Gennaker luff. There are advantages to each set up, and both work.... you’ll have to experiment to see which works better on your boat, and the best option may vary with the wind strength. Setting a Spinnaker Conventional spinnakers with spinnaker poles offer more control over spinnaker trim and sail shape, which can increase performance—but it comes at the price of additional complexity. For shorthanded sailing, a Snuffer is recommended, though the setup and hoist steps are the same with or without it. First, rig the pole with a topping lift—to hold the pole up—and a foreguy—to pull the pole forward. Some skippers also rig an afterguy directly to the pole to hold the pole back. Others allow the spinnaker guy to handle this function. You can sail safely and successfully either way, though before and after the spinnaker is deployed, the pole will not move around as much if a separate afterguy is rigged. Either way, the windward spinnaker sheet—called the guy —is rigged to run through the end of the pole. Once the sail is rigged and ready, trim the guy to pull the tack of the spinnaker to the end of the pole, and then hoist. As you reach full hoist, take slack out of the sheet to prevent twists, and then raise the Snuffer. When the Snuffer tops up, tie off the Snuffer lines loosely near the mast base, and trim the spinnaker sheet. Gennaker Takedowns To take the sail down, turn to a very broad reach to hide the Gennaker behind the mainsail, ease the sheet until the sail carries a big curl, and pull the Snuffer down over the sail. Once the sail is snuffed, lower the halyard and stuff the sail into its bag on deck, or pass it down the forward hatch to be bagged below. Sit Down One important safety detail when shorthanded and working on the foredeck: Sit down while you pull the sail down. If you sit, you can’t fall. When gathering a sail on a rolling boat, lurching around and stepping on slippery sail cloth, it is easy to fall down—or even overboard. Feel free to take a seat! Dousing the Spinnaker To douse the spinnaker, reverse the hoist sequence: turn to a broad reach, ease the sheet, pull down the Snuffer, ease the guy, and lower the halyard. In stronger winds, hiding the spinnaker behind the main will make the snuffing process easier. Once again, the process starts on a broad reach. Rather than ease the sheet, though, put a loop of line around the sheet, and use this “choker” to pull the clew of the spinnaker in close behind the mast. Ease the guy to luff the spinnaker, and pull down on the Snuffer. By pulling the leech of the spinnaker in close behind the main this technique assures that the spinnaker will be blanketed behind the main. As always, sit down on deck while pulling down the Snuffer. 📸 Amory Ross READ MORE

SÅ SKAPADES VÄRLDENS STÖRSTA SEGEL Få en inblick i designerns, duktillverkarens och segelmakarnas arbete med Perseus^3:s nya gennaker – som är stor som tio tennisplaner. 📸 Ryan Borne ”Det är väsentligt större än allt annat där ute”, säger Glenn Cook. Han är designer av segel till superyachts och ringer från St Barth, där han testseglar seglet för allra första gången. Det är en process som han beskriver som både ”nervpåfrestande” och ”den bästa delen av jobbet”. Att utveckla och producera detta 2604 kvadratmeter stora A2-segel har nämligen krävt en massa människors medverkan, en massa tid och en massa resurser. Processen har krävt ett omfattande arbete av ett designteam i USA och en specialbeställd duk som det tog Contender Sailcloth åtta veckor att få fram. Och själva produktionen tog mer än 15 dagar för tio segelmakare. ”Teamet bakom båten var uttryckligen ute efter ett segel som skulle prestera väl i förhållande till mätetalet”, förklarar Cook. ”Så designen fick styras av det. Och eftersom Perseus^3 är en väldigt stor båt (hon är 58,6 meter lång), svarar hon inte så snabbt på roderrörelser. Även justeringar i trim tar sin tid. Så det vi siktade på var ett segel med en väldigt stabil flygande form. Dessutom måste seglet kunna fungera i ett brett spektrum av förhållanden. Vi har därför gjort en mer förlåtande design än vad vi brukar göra till mindre båtar.” De hanteringsmässiga utmaningarna var också en faktor som påverkade designen; förliket är så långt att seglet kan hamna i vattnet under gipparna. ”Vi utvecklade ett system ovanför halshornet som samlar ihop underdelen av seglet och förhindrar att det går i vattnet under en gipp.” Grundmaterialet i seglet är Contender Sailcloths Supercote 350 – den tyngsta och starkaste duk de har – i kombination med Supercote 250 i förstärkningarna, vilket sparar lite vikt. ”Båten är gigantisk och genererar exceptionellt höga krafter”, tillägger Duncan Skinner, chef för Contender Sailcloth USA. ”Vi går från en duk som väger 32 gr/kvm till något som väger 150 gr/kvm, räknat på den Supercote 350-duk som används i den här gennakern. När vikten går upp ökar även styrkan, och det är det som krävs för ett segel i den här storleken.” ”Val av fiber är det första steget – det blev en höghållfast nylon. Därefter tittar vi på konstruktionen, exempelvis hur många fibertrådar vi ska väva in i varje riktning. När så duken är vävd kommer finishen in, och det är en knepig uppgift. Du måste färga duken innan du lägger på finishen. I finishen lägger vi på en coating som stabiliserar duken och tar ner porositeten till noll. Det är en väl beprövad kemisk process som resulterar i dukar som kan hantera den typ av krafter som uppstår på dessa gigantiska båtar.” Skinner ler. ”Den här saken är verkligen stor!” Det går åt många rullar duk till ett sådant här segel, och jämn kvalitet i produktionen är en nyckelfaktor för att seglet ska prestera på ett bra sätt utan lokala variationer. ”I dessa stora spinnakers är duken konstruerad på ett sätt som gör att den får lite inbyggd elasticitet. På så sätt leds inte stora chocklaster vidare genom riggen och ner till själva båten – seglet absorberar en del av kraften. Det som skapade mest huvudbry var, kanske något förvånande, seglets specialbeställda grå kulör. ”Färgningen var det som tog längst tid, eftersom det inte är möjligt att färga så mycket material på en och samma gång. Maskinerna är helt enkelt inte så stora. Så du måste vara väldigt uppmärksam på blandningen av färgen och hur länge den får dränka in… men när du tittar på det färdiga seglet så ser du att vi har kommit väldigt nära! Och det underlättade väsentligt för Manuel när han skulle sätta samman själva seglet. Manuel Lastra och North-loftet i Cuntis i norra Spanien var sista delen i detta stora pussel. ”Det tog ungefär åtta veckor innan vi fick allt material”, säger Lastra över telefon, och berättar att de beställde 400 löpmeter extra duk, detta för att vara säkra på att kunna göra en bra färgmatchning i seglet. Totalt fick han och hans team 3323 löpmeter nylonduk, fördelat på 48 rullar, skickat till sig, plus ytterligare 500 löpmeter av den tunnare Supercote 250-duken. Med 3500 kvadratmeter duk fördelat på tre stora golvytor kunde Lastras team steg för sten montera ihop de olika sektionerna. För att få plats på skärbordet gjordes seglets undre del av fyra sektioner, istället för som brukligt två. ”Det tog fem dagar för två personer att skära ut våderna”, säger Lastra. När det var färdigt sorterades de 850 våderna i olika grupper och monterades ihop i sektioner. Därefter gick de genom symaskinerna.” De olika sektionerna syddes ihop separat. Sedan monterades de ihop och hornförstärkningarna sattes på plats. ”Det tog tio dagar för tio personer. Parallellt jobbade två personer med det grafiska mönstret.” ”När seglet var färdigt fick det torka i fyra dagar innan det veks ihop och skickades till Antigua.” Och det var på den närliggande karibiska ön St Barth som vi fick tag på designern Cook just som han höll på med sina segeltester. ”Jag är här nere den här veckan och seglar St Barths Bucket Regatta med dem. Det krävdes 16 personer för att packa upp seglet och montera det i spinnakerstrumpan.” Seglet väger in på 550 kilo. Försökte han lyfta det? ”Det kan vi inte!” skrattar han. ”Vi använder vinscharna ombord. Vi kan släpa det, men det krävs tio till femton personer för att rubba det. ”Det är stort.” READ MORE

'HOW TO' MED BOUWE BEKKING En video-serie i 7 dele til cruisere Vi har slået os sammen med vores venner hos X-Yachts og er stolte over at kunne præsentere en helt ny 'How To' video-serie tilegnet alle slags cruisere. Alle syv videoer er live og kan ses på North Sails YouTube kanal. Den professionelle hollandske sejler og 8 gange Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Bouwe Bekking, deler ud af sin viden og erfaring ombord på en X-Yacht i selskab med North Sails Ekspert Jesper Feldt. Bekking taler os igennem de vigtigste aspekter af tursejlads, fra bådmanøvre til trimning af alle sejl i sejlgarderoben. Videoerne er filmet på Øresund henover sommeren og indeholder tips og tricks til håndtering af en cruising båd fuldt udstyret med North 3Di ENDURANCE. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CLIENTS DOMINATE DRAGON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 5- 30 Knots of Breeze - Competitors Faced it all in Sanremo 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina A fleet of 63 Dragons from 18 countries raced in Sanremo, Italy, to determine the 2022 European Champions. Crowned after five races are Wolf Waschkuhn and his team Charles Nankin and North Sails expert Ruairidh Scott (SUI 318). With Wolf at the helm and Charles trimming the genoa and spinnaker following their regatta win, we caught up with Ruairidh, mainsail trimmer, and tactician onboard to hear how they did it. Joining the team for the ‘Paul and Shark Trophy’ just three weeks before filling in for Joao Vidina, Ruairidh, Wolf, and Charles raced the Italian Championships (also held in Sanremo) in very windy conditions before going on to race for the European title in the more traditional lighter winds of Sanremo. “Our speed was excellent in the varied conditions we had all week. We raced with the A-14 Mainsail on a standard petticrow mast alongside the V-6L, V-6M and V-6H Genoas. However, we mainly used the V-6M as we were never sure if conditions would change during the race.’’ 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina “We sailed with lots of twist as the conditions were quite choppy all week. Careful adjustment of the runner and mainsheet ensured we were fast as the wind fluctuated. A key ingredient to our speed throughout the week was the work rate from our headsail trimmer Charles Nankin. He stayed active on the headsail sheet in light, choppy and shifty conditions. When a gust hit, we responded quickly by easing the genoa sheet and trimming back in as the boat pointed higher. The sheet ease allows the boat to accelerate and naturally turn up to point higher, so the result was sailing higher and faster than before. In these conditions, little mainsheet adjustment was required until we were sailing at the new angle, which allowed me to get my head up and look around more often. Charles and Wolf did this very well all week, and the constant communication between them meant we were quick all the time.’’ Between the two regattas, Wolf’s team showed excellent speed in 5 - 30 knots. “Thanks to the nice, big crossovers with the North sail designs," Ruairidh explains, “we were fast even if we were not on the perfect sail for the conditions all the time.’’ Congratulations to all North clients who raced at the Europeans and Wolf, Charles, and Ruairidh for fighting through the pack to finish with the title. Shop the North Sails winning Dragon sail designs today. RESULTS 📸 Sanremo Yacht Club / Elena Razina READ MORE

Läs Berättelsen om Argo: Del 2 här Berättelsen om OPAL 46: AN Argo, och de traditioner som omger henne, fortsätter Efter många års segling med sin pappa på den älskade skonaren Argo har John Ingvar Ravelius blivit delägare i båten och äger den nu tillsammans med sin bror och sin pappa. Han har uppdaterat och utrustat henne med drömmen om att skapa nya minnen med sin unga dotter och föra familjetraditionen vidare. Här delar Ravelius med sig av andra delen av berättelsen om hur en segelbåt, och det arbete som följer med den, kan knyta samman tre generationer. Läs Berättelsen om Argo: Del 1 här. Förberedelserna inför den långa seglingen Efter att ha kappseglat med Argo under två säsonger i Stockholms skärgård, kände sig Ingvar allt mer hemtam ombord. Drömmen om en jorden runt-segling var på att uppfyllas. Men först behövde båten förberedas för den långa resan. Ingvar hade planerat att segla iväg med en god vän. Någon uttalad destination fanns inte, de skulle bara segla iväg och se vart vindarna förde dem. 1983, innan Ingvar gav sig iväg, träffade han min mamma Leena. Hon var 25 år gammal och hade ingen erfarenhet av segling. Hon hade aldrig ens varit ombord på en segelbåt. Invar ändrade sina planer och bad min mamma att segla med honom på resan. Hon sa ja, och Ingvar tog nu språnget han väntat så länge på och sålde allting som inte behövdes ombord på Argo, inklusive huset i Sollentuna på vars tomt han hade byggt båten. En eftermiddag lämnade de hamnen i Stockholm med drömmar om varmare breddgrader och utan planer på att återvända. Deras resa började, och de gick genom Kielkanalen och ut på Engelska kanalen. Min mamma förde dagbok. 21 augusti 1984 – Biscayabukten I sin dagbok skrev mamma: ”Vinden ökade mer och mer och regnet kändes som vassa nålar i våra ansikten. Vi hade revat seglen och hade en fart på sex knop. Jag kunde höra vinden som ett vrål. Natten var så mörk, och jag kunde inte se en enda stjärna.” Några dagar senare: ”Loggen visade sex knop när vi seglade fram över havet. Det var ungefär sex sjömil till kusten när loggen helt plötsligt visade noll. Vi undrade om den var trasig. Det kändes fortfarande som sex knop och vi hade vind i seglen. Det visade sig att Argo hade fastnat i ett fiskenät. Vi funderade på vad vi skulle göra. Ingen av oss hade lust att hoppa ner i vattnet och skära loss nätet som fastnat runt båten, så Ingvar och jag väntade och visste inte vad vi skulle göra. Så såg vi en fiskebåt passera oss på ungefär 500 meters avstånd på väg mot hamnen. Vi vinkade åt dem och de såg oss och vände kurs mot oss. Lyckligtvis var de villiga att hjälpa oss, och de skickade över en lång käpp med en kniv fastsatt i ena ändan. Ingvar började skära i nylonnätet men hade ingen större framgång. Till slut klättrade en av fiskarna ombord på Argo. Han vässade kniven och skar loss oss!” Motorn startade men de hade ingen styrförmåga, de insåg att nätet hade skadat Argos roder. Efter att ha vridit rodret fram och tillbaka lossade till slut delar av nätet från rodret, och de kunde fortsätta sin färd. När de började färden igen hörde de ett konstigt dunkande ljud och blev rädda att propellern hade lossnat. Senare insåg de att fiskenätet höll sig flytande med hjälp av fotbollar i plast, och att ljudet de hörde uppstod när bollarna slog mot skrovet på ömse sidor av rodret. Senare på kvällen kom de fram till La Coruna Yacht Club, och besättningen på en fransk båt skrek och vinkade att något hade fastnat på Argo. Leena och Ingvar skrek tillbaka: ”Ja, vi vet!”, log och vinkade tillbaka, lätt skamsna för det som hade inträffat. De sparade fotbollarna under många år som ett minne. Flera år senare skulle en av dessa röda bollar bli den allra första fotboll som jag sparkade på. Efter att ha tillbringat en tid i Biscayabukten bestämde de sig för att segla in i Medelhavet, och en vän till familjen bjöd in paret till det hotell som denne ägde på Ibiza. När de passerade Gibraltar och styrde in i Medelhavet visste de inte att Argo skulle bli kvar där de närmaste fem åren eller att Ingvars och Leenas två barn skulle födas där. Utdrag från min mammas dagbok Den 5 oktober 1984 skrev Leena: ”Solen lyste på den mäktiga Gibraltarklippan när vi passerade den röda och vita fyren vid Europa Point och satte kurs mot Puerto Banùs. Vi seglade in i Jose Banús Marina med sex knops fart i plattvatten med vinden från sidan och det kändes som att vi flög fram över vattnet.” Håll utkik efter del 3 och läs om hur mina föräldrar tog hand om ett nyfött barn samtidigt som de seglade omkring i Medelhavet. READ MORE

ULTIMATE FAMILY CRUISING ONBOARD OYSTER BELLE Around-the-World Adventures with Stefan and Emily Hunger With tales of adventure, fickle winds, good food and wonderful wildlife, we spoke to Stefan Hunger, North Sails client and owner of Oyster 435 Oyster Belle. He talks about his recent ocean crossing and his family's biggest adventure yet. Stefan Hunger has always had a passion for the water. Stefan grew up dinghy sailing in Austria, venturing further afield to the UK and Mediterranean after meeting his wife Emily. This is where the young couple decided to give ocean sailing a go. Following the discovery of ocean sailing, they soon began the search for the perfect yacht to sail around the world with their young children. International salesman Stefan, and geologist Emily, spent a long time looking for the boat that fit their dreams and once Oyster Belle was found, they set out on a mission to get her ready for their adventure. A few years were spent getting to know Oyster Belle; living on board, cruising in the mediterranean with some longer passages to introduce their young children to the ocean. Oyster Belle underwent a full refit before they ventured further afield - a fresh deck was installed, the engine had a full revamp and the couple also purchased a new sail inventory. Their first experience with North Sails was shortly after they bought Oyster Belle and discovered that they urgently needed a new Genoa. “The fit of our North Sails Genoa is exactly what we are looking for. The cut and shape is perfect for our boat.” A year later, the couple decided to replace their mainsail, opting for an NPC Radian Mainsail with three reefing points to ensure that they were ready for anything that the Atlantic Crossing may throw at them. Speaking positively about their experience with the team of experts at North Sails UK, Stefan commented: “We had fantastic service, our mainsail was very bespoke. The shape, the way the sail behaves is beautiful - so good that we have since ordered a storm jib/staysail and an asymmetric spinnaker.” When Stefan decided to enter the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) he worked with Jeremy Smart to replace his old symmetric spinnaker with a furling asymmetric. They installed a small bowsprit per Jeremy’s recommendation. “It works beautifully, it drives the boat forward much better, it’s easy to handle, and we can use it at many different angles. It’s a joy to sail with.” In January 2022, it was time for Stefan to pursue a lifelong goal to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the family decided to join the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers trip from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. Oyster Belle set sail on the ARC, heading for the Caribbean with a crew of two Austrians and two British sailors, one of whom was the person who introduced Stefan and his wife to ocean sailing who is now a good family friend. Stefan and Emily would have loved to take their kids on the journey, but with the older of the two in school the timing didn’t work out. Oyster Belle dealt with the crossing perfectly. The crew reflected on the trip on their daily blog which mentioned weather extremes of gale force winds to no wind, torrential rain and tropical sunshine, stunning moon rises, spectacular sunsets, and a clear view of the Milky Way with an array of shooting stars on many occasions. And as if all that wasn’t enough excitement for one trip, the crew had a near collision with a whale and their onboard ‘masterchef’ treated them to deliciously prepared fresh Mahi Mahi. The weather they encountered during the crossing wasn’t exactly what they were expecting, Stefan recalled. “Something is changing in the global systems, they used to say to go south until the butter melts and then you turn right. That didn’t happen for us. The trade winds didn’t really set in.” Stefan explained that they had to go a long way south in search of some solid breeze. As a result, the crew on Oyster Belle didn't have the usual expected downwind weather conditions which meant that their North G1 Furling Gennaker with Spinex system was a ‘godsend.’ The sail came into its own during the crossing, helping the crew a lot against the other boats that didn't have asymmetric sails. Looking forward to future adventures, Stefan is working on a twin head sail solution with Jeremy and North Sails. The goal of this is to make crew work easier when it’s just Stefan and his family on board. Oyster Belle is now tucked up in Grenada awaiting the family’s arrival, where they plan to take advantage of the school holidays to cruise around the Caribbean. Longer term, the plan is to go further afield, potentially towards the Pacific. They hope to use their kids' school holidays to hop around the world under sail. North Sails is inspired by Stefan and Emily’s family cruising adventures and we wish them fair winds on their travels. To speak with Sail and Cruising Expert Jeremy Smart about your sail inventory, get in touch today. READ MORE

BEHIND THE SCENES: NORTH SAILS AT THE ST BARTHS BUCKET SUPERYACHT REGATTA Watch as Our Experts Work Around the Clock to Keep the Boats Racing The North Sails commitment to our sport and the art of sail repair knows no bounds, evidenced as a team from North Sails Palma takes their show on the road to ensure clients are race-ready at the St Barths Bucket Regatta. The portable onsite North Sails loft is a testament to the lengths North will go to offer an easy and accessible solution for all boats competing. It may be a bit of an understatement to call the loft in St Barths “portable” as the service team from Palma brings everything they need, literally from floor to ceiling, to create an environment uniquely suited to handle the logistical needs of superyacht sail repair. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at how service expert Brad Favelle and his team work around the clock, repairing any rips, tears, or fails throughout the regatta; a service offered to all participating yachts. It’s hard work with long crazy hours, but if you stop to ask any of the guys where they would rather be, the answer is unanimously “nowhere.” 📸 Atila Madrona READ MORE

SEAHORSE TECH BRIEF: NORTH SAILS PERFORMANCE COLLECTION The Fastest Sailors in the World Are Outfitted With the Most Advanced Gear in the Market 📸 Yann Riou Seahorse Magazine has given us special permission to republish the Tech Brief featuring the North Sails Performance Gear. Performance Director Nigel Musto teamed up with Matt Sheahan to talk about how North Performance is innovating foul weather gear and making history by looking ahead. North President Ken Read and Director of Design and Engineering JB Braun, teamed up to provide their insight and explanation on what’s hype, what’s fact, and why we feel the North Sails approach with Helix sails is a massive step forward for customers. ‘Our first year has been an outstanding one for us at North Sails Performance,’ says North Sails performance director, Nigel Musto. ‘We’ve been delighted that several of the world’s top sailors, onboard some of the most exciting boats – like the Gitana Team – have chosen to wear our kit. In particular the performance of 4DL, our “4-layer durable laminate” reinforcement, was way beyond even our expectations and the feedback has been superb.’ Bold talk from the man who heads the North Sails Performance team. In the competitive world of offshore clothing it would be easy to dismiss such enthusiasm as being the talk of the trade. But Nigel Musto’s hands-on approach and considerable racing and clothing experience is well-known in the racing world and means that along with his famously ebullient nature, when he talks of a breakthrough it’s worth taking note. But to understand why the new approach is so effective it’s important to understand a few background matters. ‘When we started the North Sails Performance project in 2018 we set out to solve several issues that the marine clothing industry has never been able to resolve. One was the problem of leaking knees and seats. Historically, when it comes it creating a robust garment that’s resistant to being torn or damaged by the anti-slip treatment on decks, and other snagging points around the boat, it’s been commonplace to put a Cordura patch over the top of the Gore-Tex fabric and then sew that patch into the side seams, but there are several problems with that.’ ‘The Cordura patch is heavy and it holds a lot of water when it’s wet, which makes it even heavier. It also creates a pocket between the patch and the Gore-Tex fabric and when that pocket fills with water it never dries out. Then, when you warm the water in that pocket you get reverse breathability which is why your knees and seat always feel damp.’ ‘Another problem is that when you sew the Cordura into the side seams you create a very thick seam. The result is that when you waterproof tape this seam there’s a significant risk of failure because you’re asking a lot of the pressure rollers on the PTFE tape machine when they are a forced to go over this very thick seam. If the membrane in the tape cracks, you’ll have a leakage.’ ‘With all this in mind we believed that the only sensible solution was to use a completely non-absorbent fabric as the patch and, to apply it in a way that eliminates the pocket and the thick side seams. ‘The logical route was to try and laminate something to the outside because with a laminated patch, you don’t need to go to the side seams. A laminated patch also means that there are no pockets and using a material that is totally non-absorbent means there is no weight gain when the garment gets wet. With all this in mind we went on the search for the ideal fabric and a solution as to how to laminate it to the outside.’ Nigel is tight lipped about the material itself, but when it came to the lamination, the expertise is close to home and not available to the opposition. ‘As many will appreciate from the North Technologies Group’s pioneering work with 3DL and laminated sails, we have a considerable number of experts in this field which was very useful in both finding the right material and then having the knowledge to create the perfect laminate.’ Two years of rigorous testing then followed resulting in some impressive feedback including a serious thumbs up from Imoca 60 sailor Kévin Escoffier. ‘I tested the same North Sails smock and trousers over 40,000 miles of hard sailing including the Transat Jacques Vabre, Le Defi Azimut, Vendee Atlantique – and the kit is absolutely reliable,’ he says. ‘What is just amazing about the North Sails Performance kit is how light it stays even in very wet conditions. The 4DL patches just don’t take in any, any water at all – it’s great and so comfortable.’ And Escoffier is not alone in singing the praises of the new kit. Being lightweight yet extremely robust, 4DL is proving to be popular with offshore sailors and by the end of the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre in which teams went from cold, dark and wet to the heat of the Tropics in one race, Maxi Edmund de Rothschild’s (Gitana 17) skipper Charles Caudrelier didn’t hold back in his praise. ‘For the Transat Jacques Vabre whenever we did manoeuvres the North Sails gear is just magic,’ he said shortly after taking the Ultime class win in the race. The North Sails Performance Team is understandably delighted. ‘It’s clear that whether they’re racing or training, extreme offshore teams like Escoffier aboard his Imoca or the Gitana Team spend their life on the edge in some pretty serious conditions yet in the last 12 months there were no reported issues, not a single one.’ It’s hardly surprising therefore that North Sails Performance are so bullish and confident about their new product. 4DL has proved already to be robust, effective and by the accounts of those who have been riding the weather rail for hours on end, dry. ‘The funny thing is that because the sport has never had this type of product we’ve ended up accepting what has become the norm. The fact is that people don’t really appreciate what dry is until they’ve experienced being properly dry – they’re so used to being damp that dry is a bit of a new feeling. And this is what we’re bringing to the party. You really won’t get a damp backside,’ Nigel explains. As the testing went on there were other advantages that started to appear. ‘While we hadn’t set out with an intent to make a garment that was significantly lighter than anything else on the market, that’s what we ended up with. This lamination fabric is so much lighter than Cordura we’ve saved 30 per cent in weight on dry trousers when compared with our opposition’s equivalent. And that’s when they’re dry. Because everyone else uses Cordura patches, which hold a lot of water, my guess is that we’ll be at least 50 per cent lighter in very wet conditions.’ Tapping into the French offshore scene proved to be invaluable for the North Sails Performance team. While many of the world’s major events were postponed or cancelled, parts of the shorthanded offshore scene were able to continue, most notably the Imoca 60 scene and the Vendée Globe. ‘There are very few sailors that have clocked up the kind of miles that the French sailors have over the last two years and that’s been great because one of the main things we need in testing is hours on the water because that’s usually what causes failures,’ Nigel Musto says. In some ways the Performance team wasn’t surprised. Secret testing in Australia during training for the 2019 Sydney Hobart Race as well as in the race itself had suggested that 4DL was already delivering more than they had expected. The following year had seen many offshore miles completed in the Imoca scene, culminating in the Vendée Globe. Once their secret was out of the bag, teams took 4DL into the 2021 season and delivered North Sails Performance with plenty of validations and feedback as the wide range of conditions provided the perfect environment to put theory into practice once again. From the punchy, wild upwind start of the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, to the intensity of the Copa del Rey and Les Voiles de St Tropez it was difficult to imagine a wider range of conditions. North Sails president Ken Read is in no doubt as to just how big a step the new clothing represents and doesn’t hold back. ‘Whenever North Sails sets out to build something, it’s a given that we plan on it being best in show. And the North Sails gear that Nigel Musto and his team have designed and built, for all marine applications, is quite simply better,’ he says. ‘He utilized a number of us who have a bit of time on the water to present what we thought were important features. Combine all of that with the new 4DL technology and voilà… the best foul weather gear, made of the best fabric, that the world has ever seen.’ But while the 4DL project gets a big tick, the North Sails Performance team is working on another area that has been neglected and overlooked for many years, women’s offshore kit. Which takes us full circle because, if you think this is marketing speak, when Nigel explains what the North Sails team has been working on you start to wonder why it is only now that solutions are appearing and those answers are on their way. In the meantime, he remains in no doubt about the significance of the move to 4DL reinforcement. ‘When breathable foul weather gear came onto the scene, many people thought that it was a luxury item, great if you could bear the additional cost. Within a few years, no one was considering anything else. We believe 4DL has the potential to do the same.’ SHOP PERFORMANCE READ MORE

HOW TO SAIL SAFELY THROUGH A STORM Tips And Tricks To Help You Get Home Safe 📸 Kurt Arrigo/ ROLEX Compared to the quick response and sudden nature of a squall, sailing through a storm in open water is an endurance contest. In addition to big wind, you’ll have to deal with big waves and crew fatigue. Sailing in Waves Sailing in big waves is a test of seamanship and steering, which is why you should put your best driver on the helm. Experienced dinghy sailors often are very good at heavy air steering, because they see “survival” weather more often than most cruisers. Avoid sailing on a reach across tall breaking waves; they can roll a boat over. When sailing close-hauled in waves, aim toward flat spots while keeping speed up so you can steer. To reduce the chance of a wave washing across the deck, tack in relatively smooth water. A cubic foot of water weighs 64 pounds, so a wave can bring many hundreds of pounds of water across the deck. Sailing on a run or broad reach in big waves is exhilarating, but be careful not to broach and bring the boat beam-to a breaker. Rig a preventer to hold the boom out. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ROLEX Storm Sails If reefing isn’t enough to reduce power, it’s time to dig out your storm sails — the storm trysail and storm jib. They may seem tiny, but since wind force rises exponentially, they’re the right size for a really big blow. Storm trysails are usually trimmed to the rail, but some modern ones are set on the boom. The storm jib should be set just forward of the mast to keep the sail plan’s center of effort near the boat’s center of lateral resistance. This helps keep the boat in balance. Storm Strategy The first decision before an approaching storm is the toughest: Run for cover, or head out to open water for sea room? With modern forecasting, a true storm will rarely arrive unannounced, but as you venture further offshore the chances of being caught out increase. While running for cover would seem the preferred choice, the danger lies in being caught in the storm, close to shore, with no room to maneuver or run off. Two classic storm strategies are to try to keep away from land so you’re not blown up on shore, and to sail away from the storm’s path — especially its “dangerous semicircle,” which is its right side as it advances. Storm Tactics Storm tactics help you handle a storm once you’re in it. There are several proven choices, all of which aim to reduce the strain and motion by pointing one of the boat’s ends (either bow or stern) toward the waves. No one tactic will work best for all boats in all conditions. Sail under storm jib and deeply reefed mainsail or storm trysail. This approach provides the most control. Sails give you the power to steer and control your boat in the waves. Run before the storm with the stern toward the waves, perhaps towing a drogue to slow the boat. This tactic requires a lot of sea room, and the boat must be steered actively. Another concern is that you will remain in front of an approaching storm, rather than sailing out of its path. Heave-to on a close reach with the jib trimmed to windward. Heaving-to can be an excellent heavy weather tactic, though some boats fare better than others. Deploy a sea anchor while hove-to or under bare poles. A sea anchor is a small parachute set at the end of a line off the bow. A sea anchor helps keep the bow up into the waves so the boat won’t end up beam to the seas. One concern is the load on the rudder as waves push the boat aft. Another alternative is lying ahull, simply sitting with sails down. This passive alternative is less reliable than the other tactics, as you lose the ability to control your angle to the waves and may end up beam to the seas. Furthermore, the motion of the boat rolling in the waves without the benefit of sails can be debilitating. Want to order a storm trysail or storm jib for your boat? Contact a North Sails Expert here. How to Heave-To Wouldn’t it be great if, during a heavy air sail, you could just take a break, and relax for a bit? Imagine a short respite from the relentless pitching and pounding: a chance to rest, take a meal, or check over the boat in relative tranquility. Well, you can. The lost art of heaving-to allows you to “park” in open water. To heave-to, trim the jib aback (i.e., to the wrong side), trim the main in hard, and lash the helm so the boat will head up once it gains steerageway. As the jib tries to push the bow down, the bow turns off the wind and the main fills, moving the boat forward. Once the boat begins to make headway, the lashed helm turns the boat toward the wind again. As the main goes soft the jib once again takes over, pushing the bow down. The main refills, and the rudder pushes the bow into the wind again. The boat won’t actually stop. It will lie about 60 degrees off the wind, sailing at 1 or 2 knots, and making significant leeway (sliding to leeward). The motion will be much less than under sail, and dramatically more stable and pleasant than dropping all sails and lying ahull. You will also be using up less sea room than if you run before the storm at great speed. Achieving this balance will require some fine tuning, depending on the wind strength, your boat design, and the sails you are flying. Also, fin-keeled boats do not heave to as well as more traditional designs. In storm seas, some boats will require a sea anchor off the bow to help hold the boat up into the waves while hove-to. 📸 ROLEX Alternate Storm Strategy: Don’t Go If conditions are wrong, or are forecast to worsen, don’t go. If you can avoid the storm, then do so. If you’re at home, stay there. If you’re mid-cruise, button up the boat, make sure your anchor or mooring or dock lines are secure, and then read a book or play cards. Relax. Enjoy the time with your shipmates. Study the pile of Owners’ Manuals you’ve accumulated with each piece of new gear. Tinker with boat projects. Put some soup on the stove, and check on deck every so often to make sure the boat is secure. Shake your head as you return below, and remark, “My oh my, is it nasty out there.” If your boat is threatened by a tropical storm or hurricane, strip all excess gear from the deck, double up all docking or mooring lines, protect those lines from chafe, and get off. Don’t risk your life to save your boat. Misery and Danger Although everyone will remember it differently years later, a long, wet, cold sail through a storm can be miserable. As the skipper, you need to make the best of it: watch over your crew, offer relief or help to those who need it, and speak a few words of encouragement to all. “This is miserable, but it will end.” Take the time to marvel at the forces of nature, and at your ability to carry on in the midst of the storm. Few people get to experience the full fury of a storm. It may not be pleasant, but it is memorable. While misery and discomfort can eventually lead to fatigue, diminished performance, and even danger, do not mistake one for the other. Distinguish in your own mind the difference between misery and danger. Don’t attempt a dangerous harbor entrance to escape misery; that would compromise the safety of the boat and crew, just to avoid a little discomfort. Interested in a new sail quote or have questions about your sails? Fill out our Request a Quote form below and you will receive a reply from a North sail expert in your area. REQUEST A QUOTE READ MORE

19mm & 25mm BATTEN BOX Installation Guide North Sails full-batten mainsails come with North Sails adjustable batten boxes installed on the luff end of the pockets. Our batten boxes eliminate batten loss through “shake out,” allow easy compression adjustments, and create a closed, low-profile leech end. They are easy to use and require just five simple steps to install. Step 1: Using the supplied 3mm Allen Key, remove the retaining screw in the luff end of the batten box door by turning it CLOCKWISE. Step 2: Rotate the batten door down to get it out of the way. Step 3: Insert the batten into the pocket, making sure the batten is oriented correctly. Step 4: Close the batten door and tighten the retaining screw by turning it COUNTER CLOCKWISE. Step 5: Apply the desired amount of batten compression using the supplied 10mm driver to adjust the screw on the aft end of the batten box. Note: After sailing, the battens need may need additional compressing. If there are vertical creases along the batten pocket, increase batten compression until the wrinkles disappear. READ MORE

A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN The Road to Monaco with North Sails Experts Giulio Desiderato & Alex Curtiss 📸 Studio Borlenghi Who’s going to win the J/70 Worlds in October? We can’t yet make a prediction, but we do know that the winning team is already well into their preparations—and most likely, they’ve already hired a coach. So we thought it would be helpful to ask two North Sails J/70 experts why they think this adds so much value—even for a regatta when coaches can’t talk to sailors on the water. North Sails expert Giulio Desiderato is a European champion in the J/70, but for the first part of the 2022 season he has stepped away from the mainsail trimmer/ tactician role to coach Elvis—and says he’s learned a surprising amount. “Off the boat, I can see the fleet from outside and also see the dynamics of the team. And every time, I find something that I want to try when I jump back on board. That’s not only interesting, it’s a great way to improve.” Of course no coach can help sailors unless they really want to learn, he points out. “The Elvis guys are a Corinthian team, and they are really motivated to improve and become better overall sailors. As a coach, that definitely makes life easier when you can work with a team with this attitude, I’m sure that they will be on the top soon.” 📸 Studio Borlenghi Data Overload? When he first started working with Elvis, Giulio was concerned about overwhelming them with too much information. “What I tried to do is divide it up into different areas: the start, boat handling, boat speed, tactics, and communication. Then we tried to improve a little in each area every day. It’s been interesting, because compared to a professional team, they were very open to new ideas. We had to decide together: What’s the routine each day? What is the best approach to the starting line? How do we accelerate?” Daily Routine Giulio says he keeps the mornings and evenings pretty much the same for both training and racing. “We have a short morning briefing, which includes a video that is similar to the day’s conditions. I have quite a lot of J/70 material in my database, so I can show a particular maneuver or technique based on the forecast. It’s always helpful to show a video, because it helps the team to visualize what they have to do on the water.” On training days, Giulio helps the team prioritize what to work on, striving for a mix of both boat speed lineups and practice races. He follows the teams closely, taking video and photos that will help him communicate what he sees to the team. On race days, Giulio can’t speak to his team once they leave the dock nor can he get too close during racing. “You cannot go in the middle of the fleet, so you have to find the right moment and the right angle to take a picture. It’s easier to take video at the start or at mark roundings, and then maybe downwind you can follow from the side and do some videos to understand if the technique is good or not. I think a good coach should also take video and pictures of the top boats, in order to copy them. You have to be curious, and think all the time as a sailor. I feel strongly about the regatta and it feels like I’m sailing with my guys too.” After sailing, they sit down for a debrief right away, “to speak immediately about what was most important and show video. Afterward I work on the photos, which help me explain in more detail about the tuning and the trimming. Usually the next morning I send the best pictures to the team, and we might discuss them at the morning meeting, especially if the conditions will be similar.” 📸 Studio Borlenghi From the Sailor’s Perspective Though his team on Good to Go used to send their coach home once racing started, North Sails expert Alex Curtiss says they have already locked in Mark Ivey for the entire Worlds—and for all of their lead up regattas. That’s because they’ve set the Monaco event as a top priority. “Doug Rastello, the owner, really likes it there,” Alex says, adding that they raced there three times over the winter. “It’s a really dynamic place to sail, because it’s a microclimate between the mountains and the Med. And the chop is really big; the whole city is concrete, and there’s a long seawall. The waves come in and hit it, and then you get these crazy reverbs; sometimes you’ll be sailing upwind with five foot waves coming from astern! We’ve had to learn to set the boat up differently on each tack.” Biggest Advantage? Asked to choose the biggest single value of coaching, Alex says it would be optimizing sail shape. “That’s a big thing, especially in a place like Monaco. Just having that outside eye on guys that are faster than us; Mark will say, ‘Okay, they’re slightly flatter than you’ or ‘these guys are slightly fuller.’ And a lot of times when we get off the water, he’s thinking about something he saw that was not even on our radar. I definitely think that if you’re a Corinthian team, and you’re looking to crack into that next group or get in the front of the pack, having a coach for a whole event is wildly helpful.” Be Adaptable When we spoke, Giulio wasn’t yet certain whether he’d be in the RIB or onboard a J/70 for the Worlds. He also says that it will be a “really difficult championship” to forecast. “The only thing that we are sure about is that it will be wavy,” he says. “And for that reason, whether I’m a coach or a sailor, it will be very important to be really adaptable with the sail configuration. At the last Primo Cup regatta, which we consider as a world championship test event, there were 17 North Sails boats in the top 20. Our F1 mainsail and J2+ jib also won the Bacardi Invitational Regatta in much different conditions. That’s for sure a combination that will give a lot of chances to perform.” Interested in buying a new set of sails for the summer, or for the World Championship? Contact a North Sails J/70 Class Expert or order directly from the button below. J/70 CLASS PAGE Alex Curtiss onboard Good To Go | Monaco Act IV 2022 READ MORE

SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE NAVIGATION DEBRIEF Watch the Live Webinar with North Sails expert Mark Bradford + Black Jack's Navigators Rewatch this live webinar with North Sails expert Mark Bradford debriefing the 2021 Sydney to Hobart Race with Black Jack navigators Alex Nolan and Kevin Costin. More on the 76th Edition of the Sydney Hobart Race Line Honors Winner Black Jack - When Black Jack’s mast fell over the side during a record-setting run last April, the team quickly decided to turn their devastating loss into a performance upgrade. That decision paid off when Peter Harburg’s team claimed line honors in the 76th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The RP100 had always struggled upwind against Christin Beck’s wider LawConnect, a Juan-K design. So we wanted to understand how an experienced team of sailors and North Sails design engineers overcame this boat’s known weak point. The answer? A new aero package that took advantage of Helix’s load-sharing technology. Story continued below... BLACK JACK'S WINNING COMBINATION READ MORE

2022 LIGHTNING SOUTHERN CIRCUIT Team Patstrong Takes Midwinters Title, Solidifies Their Southern Circuit Win Tom Starck, Jenna Probst and David Starck – Team Patstrong | 2022 Southern Circuit Champions The final leg of the 2022 Lightning Class Southern Circuit wrapped up March 25th with the Lightning Midwinters being held in Miami Florida. 25 teams sailed on beautiful Biscayne Bay with the racing and regatta events being hosted by the Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Conditions were challenging over the 2 day event with big chop and wind speeds of 12-22 knots. This combination created ample opportunity for crews and boats to be thoroughly tested leading to a few breakdowns and capsizes. However, by the end of each day, all the boats were fixed and crews (while perhaps sore and tired) were smiling and excited to have been able to be back racing in Miami. The Midwinters began with 3 races being held in Thursday’s big breeze and waves with 1/3 of the fleet suffering some sort of mishap that caused them to miss at least one race. Friday’s forecast looked only marginally better, but as the day wore on the breeze moderated dramatically giving many of the tired crews a small break with more manageable 12-15 mph shifty breeze, allowing the race committee to complete 3 more races to give the teams a drop race. Getting the drop race was critical for regatta and circuit champions David Starck, Tom Starck and Jenna Probst as they were one of the teams that suffered a breakdown on Day 1 and carried a DNC into Friday’s racing but with a final scoreline of 4,1,(DNC),2,1,2, “Team Patstrong” asserted their dominance on the circuit and bested the Chilean team of past World Champion Tito Gonzalez, with his son and daughter Alberto and Trinidad by 5 points to win the 2002 Midwinter Championship. Rounding out the top 3 was our own Ched Proctor with Madeline Gill and Jeff Eiber only 5 points behind team Gonzalez. Last but not least, Sabrina Starck, David and Jody’s daughter (and long time Lightning sailor) won the Youth Award at the 2022 Winter Championships. “It is a super one-design class for youth sailors who want to experience a high level of competition, international venues, and a family atmosphere,” mentioned dad and Southern Circuit winner, David Starck. The Midwinters wrapped up the 2 regatta Southern Circuit for the class and it was exciting to see the successes our clients had using North Sails, with every race on the circuit won by a North Sails team. We are proud that so many Lightning sailors trust North Sails to help them succeed on the race course with 9 of the top 10 teams, and 20 out of the top 23 teams racing with North inventories. Our team is looking forward to a great 2022 season and the World Championships May 2022. Reach out to any of our North Sails Lightning team and see how we can help make you and your team championship winning fast! CONTACT AN EXPERT “Top Newcomer” to the Lightning Class – Augie Diaz View Full Results Here – Winter Championship Midwinter Championship Lightning Southern Circuit Overall 1. Team David Starck, Tom Starck and Jenna Probst 2. Team Augie Diaz, Jackie Morrison, Kim Couranz and Christine Maloney 3. Team Tito Gonzalez, Trinidad Gonzalez and Alberto Gonzalez Jr. 4. Team Jody Starck, Bill Faude, Ian Jones and Tim Crann 5. Team Ched Proctor, Jeff Eiber, Madeline Gill, Ethan Bixby and Meredith Killion Top Newcomer- Augie Diaz Interested in joining the class, or getting to know more about the Lightning? Check out the Class Website here. READ MORE

Nova Generacija North Sails Flokova za Klasu Zvijezda Radi Izvrsno! 📸 Martina Orsini Pozivna regata kojoj je glavni sponzor tvrtka Bacardi, a koja se jedri u Miamiju, okupila je neke od najboljih svjetskih jedriličara u klasama Zvijezda, Melges 24, J70, Viper 640, 69F i VX One. Među njima našle su se i dvije hrvatske posade u klasi Zvijezda, a riječ je o Marinu Mišuri i Tonku Baraču, odnosno Tonču Stipanoviću i Tudoru Biliću. Dvojcu Mišura - Barač ovo je bio već šesti nastup na ovoj regati, dok su Stipanović i Tudor imali premijeru. Ukupno je sudjelovalo preko 160 posada, a ovisno o formatu natjecanja nisu svi krenuli s regatom u isto vrijeme. Posade u klasi Zvijezda krenule su prve jer je njihov program jedrenja predviđao samo po jedan plov u danu, dok je za jedrenje bilo predviđeno šest dana. Ostale klase imale su nešto kraće boravke u Miamiju, ali zajedničko im je svima bilo to da su kraj jedrenja svi imali istog dana. Što se tiče logističkog dijela regate, domaćinstvo je podijeljeno između više klubova, jer smještaj tolikog broja jedrilica traži dosta prostora, što na kopnu, što u moru. Da je u pitanju ozbiljan organizacijski zahvat mogli su se uvjeriti i svi koji su prošlog ljeta bili u Splitu za vrijeme Europskog prvenstva klase Zvijezda, odnosno svi koji prate događanja oko regata klase Melges 24. Vremenski uvjeti su po riječima naših jedriličara bili zahtjevni, jer je puhao južni vjetar od prosječnih petnaestak čvorova s oscilacijama od 3 - 4 čvora. U klasi Zvijezda to zahtjeva dosta truda, jer je ovaj vjetar bio u kombinaciji s kratkim i oštrim valovima koji su i inače uobičajeni u Miamiju, a ako posada nije dobro pripremljena za takve uvjete može imati ozbiljne probleme s jedrenjem u orcu jer ako se ne jedri koncentrirano jedrilica značajno uspori. S obzirom na njenu popriličnu masu ponovno ubrzavanje zahtijeva dodatno vrijeme i malo po malo se gube dragocjene sekunde i prejedreni metri. Unatoč predviđenih šest dana za jedrenje jedrilo ih se pet. Razlog je što je posljednjeg dana regate Obalna straža zabranila isplovljavanje zbog prejakog vjetra koji je ostao kao posljedica noćne nevere. Zato su se rezultati računali na osnovu najbolja četiri rezultata s obzirom da je bilo moguće jedno odbacivanje. Naše dvije posade na kraju su završile na 10. i 14. mjestu s tim da je ovogodišnji ulazak u top ten posade Mišura - Barač njihov najbolji rezultat do sad ostvaren u Miamiju. Jedrili smo dobro s obzirom da praktički nismo trenirali. Jedini trening pred regatu bio je nastup na Kairos Kupu u Trogiru. Ali kad se pogledaju rezultati mislim da ne možemo biti nezadovoljni. Istina, u Miami smo stigli tri dana prije početka regate, ali dva dana je bio previše jak vjetar pa nismo htjeli ići u rizik oštećivanja opreme s obzirom da smo morali uzeti charter brod. Najlošiji rezultat nam je 33. mjesto iz drugog plova. Tada nam je najveći problem bilo to što smo na bovu od orce stigli na lijevim uzdama i nismo se uspjeli ubaciti, a kad se to desi onda nema se što nego propustiti flotu. Kasnije smo nadoknađivali izgubljeno, ali bolje od ove pozicije nije moglo. Najbolji rezultat bilo nam je 3. mjesto četvrtog dana regate. Taj plov smo dobro jedrili od starta pa do cilja. Dobro smo odradili krmu, ali orca nam je ove godine stvarno bila najbolja do sada. Promijenili smo model floka i to nam se u orcu pokazalo kao izvrstan potez. Mislim da mogu reći da so čak i bili malo komodni po pitanju brzine u orcu. Riječ je također o North Sails floku, jer inače jedrimo samo s Northom, i to o najnovijem modelu kojeg su izbacili na tržište. Mislim da je od rujna prošle godine i još uvijek ga se dosta ljudi boji staviti. Mi smo ga naručili i nismo puno razmišljali već smo ga tamo odmah podigli i već prvi dan vidjelo se da je to bio dobar izbor, pa nismo dalje ništa mijenjali. Što se nas kao posade tiče mislim da je jako dobro to što smo iz regate u regatu tehnički bili sve bolji. S obzirom da ne treniramo to nam je izrazito drago... jer nismo stagnirali već smo radili progres. Marin Mišura, CRO 8531 - kormilar Regata u Miamiju bila je samo prva stavka u popisu regata posade Mišura - Barač, a iduća je Prvenstvo istočne hemisfere koje će se jedriti u Napulju od 27. travnja. Potom slijedi Europsko prvenstvo u srpnju u Danskoj, pa povratak na sjevernoamerički kontinent na Svjetsko prvenstvo u rujnu u Bostonu. Druga Hrvatska posada, Stipanović - Bilić, također je jedrila s charter jedrilicom, ali od proizvođača s kojim surađuju posljednjih godinu - dvije. Međutim, ipak postoje razlike jer jedrilica na kojoj jedre u Europi napravljena je baš po njihovim karakteristikama i potrebama. 📸 Martina Orsini Bodovna razlika između naše dvije posade, nakon odbacivanja, bila je deset bodova. Mišura i Barač imali su u konačnici 41 bod dobiven zbrojem 11., 14., 13. i izvrsnog 3. mjesta, dok su Stipanović i Tudor uknjižili 51 bod dobiven od 9., 17. 13. i 12. mjesta. Ovo nam je bio prvi Bacardi Cup, a konkurencija je bila izvrsna. Bilo je sigurno 10-15 najboljih svjetskih posada. Mi smo jedrili u posuđenom brodu, kao i svi što iz Europe koji dođu u Ameriku, pa smo iskoristili priliku za testiranje neke druge opreme poput mekšeg jarbola, drugog floka itd. Tako dok se nismo utrimali nismo bili baš zadovoljni brzinom kakvu smo inače imali, pa se nismo nešto pokazali na početku regate. Imali smo i par dobrih i par loših starteva, tako da je rezultat stvaran preslik našeg jedrenja... nije ni dobro ni loše... Jedrili smo po jedan plov dnevno, a regate su trajale oko sat i 50. Puhalo je između 12 i 20 čvorova, a mi s našim oscilacijama nismo bili u vrhu kao što smo jedrili na prošlom svjetskom. Razlog za to je jednim dijelom bio manjak treninga, ali i to testiranje opreme. Mislim, Zvijezda nije samo ono sjedneš u brod i voziš. Osnovni problem bilo je to što smo stavili taj novi jarbol, a to napraviti pred regatu nije baš dobra stvar. S novim jarbolom mijenjaju se sve mjere, ali sve u svemu bilo je OK. S druge strane Marin i Tonko jedrili su malo bolje od nas, jednom ušli i kao treći i ostvarili svoj najbolji rezultat na ovoj regati. A sama regata kao regata je stvarno veliki event koji zajedno organizira nekoliko klubova. Tudor Bilić, CRO 8540 - flokist Stipanović i Bilić preskočit će Prvenstvo istočne hemisfere zbog Stipanovićevih obaveza u njegovoj matičnoj klasi ILCA i Bilićevih poslovnih obaveza, ali zato planiraju nastupiti na EP u Kopenhagenu i to s novim brodom koji im stiže u travnju. Također planiraju nastup i u Bostonu gdje će braniti srebro osvojeno u Kielu, a posebnu draž jedrenju u Massachusetts dat će obilježavanje stote godišnjice od kad su se počela jedriti svjetska prvenstva klase Zvijezda. Zanimljiv detalj vezan uz regatu klase Zvijezda na Bacardi Cupu je što tu ne vrijedi ograničenje u masi koje se inače primjenjuje po pravilima klase na svim ostalim regatama i iznosi 200kg. Po pitanju klase Zvijezda u Hrvatskoj, mora se reći da je ponovno ušla u fazu stagniranja, jer na spomenutom Kairos kupu, koji je izvorno regata klasa Optimist i ILCA, jedrilo je samo pet posada iako je to bila prva regata klase nakon EP u Splitu. Trenutno je u Hrvatskoj između 10 i 15 ovih jedrilica, a s povratkom u kokpit koketira i naš olimpijac iz Londona Marin Lovrović mlađi. Pitanje je kako ih motivirati i privući na regate, ali to je sad neka druga tema s kojom se susreću i u drugim klasama. READ MORE

Universitas Nova savršenim skorom prvog dana do ukupne pobjede u Opatiji 📸 regate.com.hr Treća regata CRO Melges 24 Cupa za 2022 odjedrena je u aranžmanu YC Croatia, a na njoj je sudjelovalo 15 posada među kojima su po prvi put zajedrile Fjonda, She i Razjaren, a i jedna slovenska posada došla je u ispitivanje konkurencije pred nastup na prvoj regati iz ciklusa Europskog kupa koja će se između 1. i 3. travnja jedriti u Rovinju. Marčanska bura puhala je i 19. i 20. ožujka, oba dana regate, te stvarala poprilične probleme kako Regatnom odboru tako i natjecateljima. Ali s druge strane dozvolila je svima da se naspavaju, pogotovo u odnosu na prethodnu godinu kad su se jedriličari u ACI marini Ičići okupljali već od 5 sati ujutro da bi stigli jedriti na Vološčanskoj tramontani. U subotu najviše problema imali su suci na brodu RO-a, jer su imali problema sa sidrenjem s obzirom da je puhala vrlo jaka bura, a sidrenje velikog Firsta 45 se moralo obaviti na dubini većoj od 60 metara. Kad su se potopili svi lanci i produljili sidreni konopi moglo se krenuti s jedrenjem. Bura je i dalje puhala, ali problem jedriličarima više su predstavljali prateći valovi. To su redom kasnije priznali svi sudionici, jer na svim dosadašnjim regatama nikad nije bilo ovako jakog vjetra, kao ni oštrog vala od bure. Subotnji program odrađen je do kraja. Odjedrila su se sva tri predviđena jedrenja. Međutim, kako je dan odmicao vjetar je pomalo slabio i u jednom trenutku otišao je u drugu krajnost u odnosu na jutro. Da se nastavilo s tendencijom slabljenja realna je bila mogućnost prekida jedrenja zbog nedovoljnog vjetra. Da jedriličarima bude još teže pobrinula se mareta koja je i dalje bila značajna i u takvim uvjetima još neugodnija. Treći plov ipak je odjedren po malo boljim uvjetima jer je vjetar ponovno malo pojačao, ali bilo je to daleko od jutarnjih petnaestak čvorova. U sva tri jedrenja apsolutni primat imao je Universitas Nova, jedrilica za čijim kormilom je Ivan Kljaković Gašpić, a u čijoj posadi jedre i dva člana AJK Universitas Marin Golem i Filip Miroić i Ivanova kćer Mia, te Šime Markić. Jedini koji su im se uspjeli bar donekle približiti bili su momci s Panjića Luke Šangulina. Oni su u prvom i trećem jedrenju zauzeli drugo mjesto, dok je u drugom plovu to pošlo za rukom slovenskoj posadi na Ariji s Peterom Podunavcem za kormilom. Inače, oni stariji će se sjetiti, Peter je osvojio broncu na Europskom prvenstvu klase Optimist 1988. godine. Dosta dobro ponovno su jedrili i momci s Matarana, te ekipa s PointOne, dok je možda neke iznenadila ekipa Fjonde koji su kiksali samo u drugom plovu kad su završili 10. dok su u prvom i trećem jedrenju u cilj ušli kao 4. i 3. Inače, to je posada iz susjedne Opatije i riječ je o vro iskusnim jedriličarima s Goranom Ivankovićem za kormilom. Nedjelja se još u prognozama najavljivala kao mnogo teži dan od subote, a to se i potvrdilo prilikom dolaska u marinu Ičići. Stalno je puhalo preko 15 čvorova, a s početkom regate i bura je počela jačati. Takvi uvjeti stvarali su dodatni pritisak na natjecatelje za hvatanje što bolje pozicije na startnoj liniji, pa su se na ovom startu dogodila čak tri prijevremena prelaska startne linije. Tada su po 16 nepotrebnih bodova dobili PointOne, Aria i Obi Wan. Zanimljivo je da je oba dana izniman pritisak bio na lijevoj strani startne linije, što je u subotu rezultiralo i s naslanjanjima na pin brod. Naravno, nije to bilo bez razloga, pogotovo što je to bio i izbor, odnosno preporuka poznavatelja lokalnih vremenskih prilika. Definitivno je lijeva strana bila opravdano poželjan izbor. Po ovim, značajno težim, uvjetima Universitas Nova nije uspio dominirati kao dan ranije. U prvom plovu malo brži od ovog Melgesa bio je Mataran 24, dok je u drugom plovu da, koji je inače bio i skraćen, pobjedu odnio Panjić. Taj drugi plov startao je po više od 20 čvorova vjetra, a u trenucima obilaska privjetrinskih oznaka puhalo je i preko 25. Posljedica svježih refula bilo je skoro pa istovremeno izvrtanje na bok nekolicine jedrilica! Nakon prolaska kroz gate slijedio je povratak u vjetar i sigurno je bila riječ o najnapornijem jedrenju u Melgesima do sada za većinu sudionika. Regatni odbor je bio više nego svjestan situacije i kako je donesena odluka da se regata pusti dalje, da bi se bar malo olakšalo svim natjecateljima, odlučeno je da se postavi pomoćni cilj na idućoj oznaci. Osim Panjića, ovaj plov, vrlo dobro je odjedrio i PointOne. Ovako su se bar malo "iskupili" za kiks s prethodnog starta, dok je Mataran ovog puta ušao kao treći. Pobjeda iz prethodnog plova i ovo treće mjesto osiguralo je posadi Matarana titulu najuspješnije posade dana. Vjetrovita nedjelja sigurno će u lijepom sjećanju ostati i posadi Melgesa - Razjaren. Kao što je već spomenuto ovo je njima bio premijerni nastup, a kako im je za kormilom Ante Ćesić i očekivanja su im bila velika. U subotu su još hvatali ritam broda, dok su u nedjelju osvojili 3. i 4. mjesto. Inače, za neupućene, Ante Ćesić je u kombinaciji s Antom Kujundžićem 2004. godine osvojio titulu svjetskih prvaka u klasi 470, dok su godinu ranije bili srebreni iza Šime Fantele i Igora Marenića. Na kraju, kad se obavi finalni izračun, subota je Universitas Novi osigurala uvjerljivu pobjedu, dok su se srebrom i broncom okitili Panjić i Mataran 24 koji je imao jednak broj bodova kao PointOne. Ukupne rezultate regate možete pronaći na ovom linku, a idući event klase Melges 24 u Hrvatskoj bit će velika međunarodna regata u Rovinju koja će se jedriti od 1. do 3. travnja. 📸 regate.com.hr READ MORE

LOFT 57, EPISODE 3: CHANGING TACKS Danish Kiteboarding Daredevil Nick Jacobsen and Aero Engineers Chris Williams and Steve Calder Stop by Loft 57 North Sails is the largest division of the North Technology Group, a diverse family of brands focused on all things wind, water, and getting out on the ocean. In this episode, we are joined by our friends from NorthActionsports, the brand behind North Kiteboarding and North Windsurfing. North Kiteboarding athlete and big air champion Nick Jacobsen is a pioneer in his sport. This Danish Daredevil knows no limits and is no stranger to hair-raising stunts, like kiting off the world’s tallest hotel. Nick has a thirst for innovation and adventure just like our founder Lowell North. Currently, sail designers Chris Williams and Steve Calder are pulling double duty, applying their expertise to exciting new projects within Actionsports. Williams is on board full-time as the project leader for North Windsurfing, working with the team on the relaunch of the windsurfing brand and the introduction of their new 3Di sail. Calder, while still full-time as a sail designer, is pairing his years of design experience with his passion for kiting, and applying the “scientific sailmaking” approach to kite and foil design. Episode 3 is a tack from our normal programming but we had a blast discussing how North is applying aero-engineering and high-performance innovation to another wind-powered sport. Subscribe to the Loft 57 podcast via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or connect with the North Sails community on Facebook and Instagram. Loft 57 is a North Sails production. READ MORE

MAKING THE WORLD’S LARGEST SAIL Meet the Designer, Builder, and Cloth Supplier of the Superyacht Perseus^3’s New Spinnaker, a Sail the Size of 10 Tennis Courts 📸 Ryan Borne “It’s substantially bigger than anything else out there,” says Glenn Cook in a typically measured fashion. The North Sails superyacht sail designer is calling from St Barth, where he’s testing the sail out for the first time, a process he says is both “nerve-racking” and “the best part of the job.” Because to bring this 2,604 sqm A2 sail to life, it’s taken a lot of people, time, and resources. In fact, it’s taken a design team in the US, an eight-week custom order from Contender Sailcloth and a team of 10 sailmakers and 2 graphic installers working over 15 days to build this sail. “The boat was specifically looking for a target area from a rating perspective,” explains Cook. “So the design was driven by that. And because Perseus^3 is a huge boat (her length overall is 58.60m), you can’t turn very quickly and trimming adjustments are also slow, so we looked to make a sail that had a very stable flying shape. Plus the sail has to work across a variety of conditions. The design is more forgiving than you would do on a smaller sail.” Handling issues drove the design, too: the luff is so long that it can drop into the water when gybing. “We developed a system above the tack to collect the sail and keep it clear of the water during a gybe.” With no other sail of that size or real benchmark, the chosen base material is a Contender Sailcloth Superkote 350 – the top of their offering – and the ply patching a Superkote 250 to keep some weight off. “These boats are huge, the loads that are involved are pretty exceptional,” adds cloth supplier Duncan Skinner, President of Contender Sailcloth USA. “We go from a fabric that weighs 32 grams per square meter up to something that weighs 150 grams for the Superkote 350 in this kite. As the weight goes up, the strength goes up and that’s what you need in a sail this size. “The fiber selection comes first – it’s high-tenacity Nylon. Second, constructions, ie. how many yarns we weave in each direction. Once the fabric is woven, the finishing comes in – that’s the real trick. You have to dye the product first, then finish it. We finish it with a coating process that gives stability and zero porosity to the fabric. A well-proven chemical process that makes fabrics that withstand the kind of loads you see on these giant boats.” Skinner smiles. “This thing is so big!” Producing a consistent finish throughout is key to ensure the sail’s uniform performance. “On these big kites, the fabric is specifically engineered so that there is a little bit of elasticity built into it. That way, big shock loads don’t run back through the rigging and the boat itself – the kite absorbs a little bit of it.” Surprisingly though, it’s the sail’s custom grey color that caused the most headache. “The coloring took us the longest because you can’t take that amount of material and dye it all at the same time. The machines just aren’t that big. You have to pay a lot of attention to the dye formulation and to the timing… and when you look at the kite, it’s pretty damn close! That was also very good on Manolo’s part when assembling the sail.” Manolo Lastra’s loft in Northern Spain was the last part of this gigantic puzzle. “It took about eight weeks to receive the material,” says Lastra on the phone, explaining how they ordered around 400 linear meters extra to get the panel color right. In total, his team received 3,323 linear meters of material divided into 48 rolls, used 3100, plus another 500 meters of the Superkote 250. With 3,500 sqm over three floors, Lastra’s team assembled the different sections step by step. And to fit the cutting tables, the sail has four sections across its foot, where most sails have two. “Two people were cutting for five days,” says Lastra. “Once cut, the 850 panels were sorted by groups and sent to production to be assembled by sections. Then they went through the sewing machines.” The parts were sewn separately before being put together. “That’s when we started adding the plies in the corners,” he adds. “That took 10 people and 10 days. Two more people were working on the graphics in parallel. “Once the sail and graphics were done, it dried for four days, got folded, and shipped to Antigua.” And it’s on the neighboring Caribbean Island of St Barth that we find Cook testing it out. “I’m down here sailing with them for the St Barths Bucket this week. It took probably 16 people two hours to unfold the sail and put it into the spinnaker sock.” At 550 kilos, did he try lifting it? “We can’t!” he laughs. “We use winches on the boat. We can drag it, but that still takes 10, 15 people to move it. “It’s big.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DOMINATES 2022 POLAR BEAR WINTER SERIES Exciting Racing For Vancouver Rowing Club North Sails sponsored the 2022 Polar Bear series run by the Vancouver Rowing Club and it wrapped up this weekend with two final races. 43 boats were registered and raced over 4 Sunday's between February and March. Results were very tight which made for very exciting racing, some of the division winners were decided on the last leg on the final Sunday. Congratulations to North Sails customers who finished with podium spots. Full Results here. Drew Mitchell from North Sails Vancouver was on the water taking video and pictures for the 2nd race of the series. He ran a webinar debrief and it can be viewed here. PRO of the event Jennifer Ross shared, "We had 19 race committee volunteers join us on 4 different VRC member volunteered committee vessels. We had three different race officers run race days this year, including Kathy Parslow and Mike Hughes from WVYC. We had 45 boats register from 6 clubs. (Including 20 boats with a PHRF rating under 100, necessitating a split up into a new Div 0 this year). North Sails Vancouver loft returned as the Polar Bear Series sponsor, continuing to provide support to the event and racers on and off the water. An assortment of North Sails swag from bags and belts to books was appreciated by door prize winners this year, won via ticket raffle during the reading of the day's results back at the club after racing." READ MORE

NORTH SAILS PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE RC35 CLASS IN SCOTLAND A Busy Season Awaits… North Sails are proud to support the RC35 Class again for the 2022 season. The RC35 encompasses Racer-Cruiser yachts in Scotland with an IRC Banding of 1.010 to 1.040. They also attract teams over from Ireland thanks to the Irish events on the circuit. The class is looking forward to a full season on the water, especially after a difficult two years due to the pandemic. The Scottish IRC Championships at Scottish Series is at the beginning of June, so the class will be blowing away the cobwebs at their first event of the year in May – Kip Regatta. We spoke with Robin Young, Class Chairman and owner of J/109 Jings: “The RC35 class are looking forward to getting back to Tarbert after two years away. With at least two new boats? to the class, everybody is chomping at the bit to battle it out on the spectacular waters of Loch Fyne. Of course, we are also looking forward to catching up with old friends in the local hostelries. Jings – 📸 Neill Ross Animal – 📸 Neill Ross Reigning Scottish Series Overall Champion and three time RC35 Class Champion Animal will undoubtedly be the favourite. However, their rivals won’t make it easy for them as it looks to be another competitive and close series. With the fleet comprising of four J/109s, the ever popular class could present a new winner this season. “The biggest improvement I see with 3Di is durability. On the 36.7 we have overlapping Genoas and with 3Di we are seeing double the life compared to string sails. With North we are fast and they last.” says Kevin Aitken of First 36.7, Animal (RC35 Overall Champions for the last 3 years powered by a full suite of North Sails 3Di RAW). “It’s great for the RC35 Class to be associated with a sailmaker with such an impressive reputation worldwide. Also as a client with a full set of North Sails, I can vouch for the product quality and performance.” Robin continued. With 80% of the fleet using North Sails, we are delighted to continue supporting the RC35 Class in Scotland. Tight competition and a vast array of racing venues means we cannot wait to see what the busy season ahead brings. Who will be crowned RC35 Overall Champion and who will pick up RC35 Celtic Cup? 2022 RC35 Events RC35 Championship 2022, 6 events with 1 discard 14th-15th May – Kip Regatta 3rd-6th June – Scottish Series 23rd-26th June – Bangor Town Regatta 23rd-24th July – RC35 Championship Weekend 27th-28th Aug – Largs Regatta 10th-11th Sept – GSS/CCC North Clyde Regatta RC35 Celtic Cup 2022, 4 events with 1 discard 14th-15th May – Kip Regatta 3rd-6th June – Scottish Series 23rd-26th June – Bangor Town Regatta 11th-15th July – Volvo Cork Week READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CERTIFIED SERVICE HAS YOU COVERED Summer Sail Service on the South Coast This summer on the south coast of England, North Sails Certified Service will be available from our lofts in Gosport, Plymouth and Cowes. Our service loft in heart of Cowes Yacht Haven is now open every Monday and Thursday from 09:00 - 17:00. The loft has you covered for regatta support at the main events running out of Cowes throughout the season, kicking off with the RORC Easter Challenge on the 15th - 17th April. With our onsite team of experienced sailmakers, we aim to provide the best local service for you. With the summer season just round the corner and some teams taking advantage of the nicer spring weather, now is a great time to make sure your sails have been serviced. Having your sails inspected at least once a season can prevent small problems from becoming big ones. Whilst this may serve as a reminder to get your sails serviced by the professionals, here are some tips for you to make sure you and your crew are looking after and getting the most out of your sails. 📸 Tim Wright SAIL CARE & MAINTENANCE TIPS Use your sails in their designed wind ranges. If you don’t know the recommended wind ranges for your sails, contact your North sailmaker. When leaving the boat, ease the jib halyard, main halyard, and outhaul to prevent permanent luff and foot stretching. Releasing batten tension also reduces distortion at the batten ends. Limit exposure to the sun for extended periods of time. UV rays are one of your sail’s worst enemies. Roller furling genoas should have UV-resistant material covering the leech and foot. If you store your mainsail on the boom, make sure it is always covered when not in use. Rinse your sails with fresh water and dry thoroughly before storing, to prevent mildew and colour bleeding in spinnakers. Rinse fittings in fresh water to help prevent corrosion. Store dry sails in a well-ventilated location. And remember, making sure they are dry is as important as the initial rinse. Wet sails create mould issues. Avoid folding sails on the same fold lines so that small creases don’t become permanent. Regularly rinse sail bag zippers or lubricate with silicone spray. Patch minor tears as soon as possible with a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). Avoid using duct tape! Check nylon/polyester downwind sails a few times each season for small tears. Catching small holes early can reduce the chance of them becoming bigger tears. Spray luff tapes on both genoas and mainsails as they slide up the track, using a Mclube-style lubricant. This will help clean the tracks and make hoisting and dropping easier. Have your North Sail Certified Service expert inspect your sails at least once a season. Regular inspection will prevent small problems from becoming big ones. Ask your local loft to create an onboard sail repair kit for your specific sails.   Opening Times Gosport- Monday-Friday | 0900-1700 Cowes Yacht Haven- Monday and Thursday | 0900-1700 + key regatta weekends Plymouth- Monday – Friday | 0900-1730 READ MORE

Hur mycket stryk tål egentligen ett racingsegel? En titt på utvecklingen i några av världens tuffaste kappseglingar 📸 Studio Borlenghi Kappsegling på högsta internationella nivå har utvecklats enormt mycket på senare år. Båtarna är snabbare än någonsin och bjuder på spektakulära scener som kan få adrenalinet att rusa även hos den som bara följer seglingarna från TV-soffan. I senaste America’s Cup fick vi exempelvis se de 23 meter långa och 6,5 ton tunga båtarna bokstavligt talat flyga fram i farter på upp mot 50 knop. Liknande scener utspelades ungefär samtidigt under Vendée Globe, där de 18 meter långa IMOCA-båtarna dundrade fram över världshaven i farter som ibland närmade sig 40 knop. Båda båttyperna är extrema kolfiberbyggen utrustade med foils som lyfter skrovet ur vattnet och möjliggör de höga farterna. Men i övrigt är de varandras motpoler: Om America’s Cup är motsvarigheten till Formel 1-seriens sprintrace så kan Vendée Globe liknas vid att köra Paris-Dakar utan ett enda pitstop. En America’s Cup båt har en besättning på elva personer, ett race tar sällan mer än en halvtimma, banan ligger på skyddat vatten och man seglar inte i över 21 knops vind (knappt 11 m/s). Vendée Globe är en solokappsegling nonstop runt jorden. Det 24000 sjömil långa racet tar ungefär tre månader att segla och under resans gång passeras några av världens mest stormdrabbade farvatten. Bara att ta sig i mål är en bedrift. Av de totalt 165 seglare som deltagit sedan starten 1989 har bara 88 lyckats fullfölja. Övriga har tvingats uppsöka nödhamn eller räddats under dramatiska former från sjunkande eller kappsejsade båtar. Att Vendée Globe utsätter seglarna och all utrustning för oerhörda påfrestningar är närmast ett understatement. Det gäller inte minst seglen. De måste tåla stormarna i ”The Roaring Forties” och vid Kap Horn. De måste tåla hettan vid ekvatorn och kylan utanför Antarktis. Och de måste tåla det fladder och den omilda behandling som är ofrånkomligt när en ensam, ständigt trött person måste sköta allting ombord. 📸 Pierre Bouras 3Di – en unik segelteknologi North Sails har sedan länge en dominerande ställning i egentligen all kappsegling på internationell toppnivå. Det är bara att titta på resultatlistorna. I senaste America’s Cup var det bara en båt som inte hade North-segel, och det var den som först eliminerades från tävlingen. Och i Vendée Globe var 75 procent av de 33 startande båtarna – inklusive de åtta första i resultatlistan – utrustade med North-segel. En anledning till populariteten hos världens kappseglare är det som North Sails kallar 3Di. Det är en unik segelteknologi som bygger på helt andra principer än de konventionella, filmbaserade segel som resten av branschen förlitar sig på. Den största skillnaden är just att ett 3Di-segel inte innehåller någon mylarfilm. Det är istället en kompositkonstruktion och seglet byggs på samma sätt som ett båtskrov eller en kolfibermast: Riktad fiber, tunn som ett hårstrå, mättas med ett tvåkomponents resin och läggs upp i otaliga lager på en tredimensionell gjutform. Värme sätter igång härdningen och när det har härdat färdigt har de två materialen omvandlats till ett enda homogent material. Konstruktionen är extremt stabil, seglet kan inte delaminera och fiberhalten är nästan dubbelt så hög jämfört med ett konventionellt membransegel. Resultatet är marknadens lättaste och stummaste segel. Men den kanske viktigaste skillnaden är att de även har en slitstyrka och en livslängd som andra prestandasegel inte kommer i närheten av. 📸 Jean Marie Liot Alea Det finns ett 3Di-segel för alla typer av seglare 3Di-teknologin lanserades 2010 och var från början inriktad mot kappsegling. Men idag har vi tre olika typer av 3Di-segel som tillsammans täcker in i stort sett alla typer av båtar. 3Di OCEAN är utvecklat för cruising men levererar prestanda i nivå med konventionella, mylarbaserade racingsegel. 3Di ENDURANCE innebär ytterligare ett kliv uppåt på prestandastegen och har använts i allt från Gotland Runt till Volvo Ocean Race. Och så har vi 3Di RAW. Modellen är utvecklad enbart för maximal prestanda och är strippad på allt som inte ökar farten. Här saknas bland annat de två yttre skyddande lager som finns på de andra 3Di-modellerna. Det gör 3Di RAW till världens mest potenta racingsegel alla kategorier, men det är inte lika robust och hållbart som de andra 3Di-modellerna. Det kan man förstås stå ut med i America’s Cup, där 3Di RAW är det självklara valet. Intressant nog har seglarna i Vendée Globe nu kommit till samma slutsats. I senaste upplagan var det några som valde 3Di ENDURANCE, kanske för att verkligen vara på den säkra sidan, men de flesta förlitade sig faktiskt på 3Di RAW. 3Di RAW må vara det minst hållbara av våra 3Di-segel. Men jämfört med konventionella, mylarbaserade segel får det ändå betraktas som skottsäkert. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: 2022 ST. BARTHS BUCKET REGATTA The Must Do Superyacht Regatta of the Winter is Back The 35th edition of the St. Barths Bucket Regatta drew 30 magnificent boats to the starting line, 27 superyachts and 3 J Class boats graced the waters of the white-sand Caribbean island. 2022 celebrates the return of racing after a two-year hiatus due to Covid restrictions. In the end, North-powered teams piled onto the podium and claimed 60% of the total podium positions, including overall winner Hetairos. The Bucket also marked the debut of Perseus^3’s new North Sails 2,604 square meter A2. This spinnaker is the largest sail ever built with sail area equivalent to approximately 10 tennis courts! 📸 Ryan Borne Getting back to Bucket racing was a welcome treat for everyone participating: owners, crews, North Sails, and sailing fans worldwide. The St. Barths Bucket Regatta is an all-hands effort for North Sails whose event support was evident both on and off the water. There were close to 20 North experts sailing as crew, and our Palma-based superyacht service team ran an on-island pop-up loft to ensure all participating yachts were race-ready throughout the four-day regatta. 📸 Atila Madrona / Corinna Halloran Noteworthy Regatta Shoutouts: Herairos won both her class, and the Hermès Bucket Trophy for her overall regatta win. This is the second consecutive victory for the 59.9 meter Dykstra ketch, who took possession of a new North sail inventory just weeks ago. North CFO Andrew Schneider and Superyacht Expert Mike Toppa were on board for Rosehearty’s Class D first-place victory. Schneider has raced with and managed the yacht’s sail program for the last six events, resulting in four class wins. North Technology Group Chairman Tom Whidden called tactics on Class C winner Kawil. Though high winds blew out the final day of racing, Whidden was happy with the team’s result. “It’s not the ending we wanted, but it’s the results we wanted, so how are you going to do better than that?” 📸 Atila Madrona The J Class got the most sailing in, with four races completed. 2022 was the first time the boats have participated in official class racing since 2019. North Technology Group President Ken Read was the skipper on Hanuman with a crew comprised of many familiar faces from his Volvo Ocean Race veteran teammates. Sail Designer Glenn Cook and longtime program contributor Peter Grimm joined as race crew on board Perseus^3. We’re guessing both North experts held their breath for a few minutes as they hoisted the new A2. Helix Downwind and Helix Upwind sails were prominently on display throughout the fleet, further proof that Helix Structured Luff technology has infiltrated superyacht sailing. While other sailmakers also promote structure luff sails, the revolutionary Helix design philosophy uniquely reaps the benefits of 3Di and is available exclusively from North Sails. 📸 Atila Madrona Read more about the four-day event on the St. Barths Bucket Regatta website. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SIGNS ON AS OFFICIAL PARTNER TO THE MELGES 24 WORLDS A Robust Support Program Planned for the Class Championship on May 7-15 at Lauderdale Yacht Club The world’s leading one design sailmaker is proud to announce their participation as official sailmaker to the 2022 Melges 24 Worlds. Matching the best products with the best support, North Sails will offer multifaceted educational support starting with a regatta prep webinar in advance of the event and hosting clinics on and off the water during the 2022 Melges 24 World Championship. Our expertise and experience in the Melges 24 class ensures racers will have in-depth, cutting edge knowledge at their disposal to improve their overall performance. “We want to support those teams that can benefit from good coaching, but might not have the budget for it,” said John Bowden, a North Sails Melges 24 class expert. Constantly looking to push the envelope, both performance and design wise, John is the go to person for teams looking to leave it all out on the water. “I am the go-between for the sailors and our production and design team. It gives me a chance to work on a product and see how it helps our teams.” Bowden is looking forward to sharing his fleet specific tips with competitors leading up to racing in a pre-event webinar. Bowden, alongside Taylor Canfield and Mike Buckley have an unparalleled depth of class experience. Together these three will be at the sailors’ disposal during the webinar in April, and Bowden will be onsite for the event with on-water and post-race support. Racers can assess their daily performance while gaining insight and tuning tips from Bowden during shoreside debriefs. These contributions are sure to raise the level of competition. North Sails Support Schedule: Tuesday April 5: Pre-Event Webinar - John Bowden, Taylor Canfield and Mike Buckley will cover regatta prep, long and short term preparation for the Worlds. Tuesday May 10: Practice Day 1 - On-water coaching followed by shoreside debrief featuring photo & video analysis Wednesday May 11: Practice Day 2 - On-water coaching followed by shoreside debrief featuring photo & video analysis Thursday May 12: Race Day 1 - Shoreside debrief featuring photo & video analysis Recently North Sails Melges 24 teams have been topping the leaderboards in events like the Bacardi Series, North Americans, and Charleston Race Week. The 2022 Worlds allows North Sails experts to engage with sailors looking to get more out of their race days. Lauderdale Yacht Club Regatta Chairman Tom Lihan praised the partnership, “North Sails is helping level the playing field for more sailors, and we look forward to the competition.” 2022 Melges 24 World Championship Racing begins May 11 in Fort Lauderdale, with pro-teams and amateurs, taking to the water seeking victory. North Sails invites racers to get prepared for the race and sign up for the upcoming webinar today. READ MORE

North’s Aaron Cole Breaks Down Salt’s Custom Sail Design Package. READ MORE

TRAILERS READY, BLADES SHARP DN Sailing: In Search of Perfection 📸 Gretchen Dorian Things happen fast in DN Iceboat racing—and we’re not just talking about whiplash turns, skid outs, or cheek-flapping straightaways. We’re talking about locations, too, as in where, when, and how races happen. For “soft-water” sailors (yes “hard-water” sailing is ice sailing), planning a regatta is easy: pick a venue, nail a date, and pray for wind—but for hard-water racers, finding good ice, and better yet, scoring the rare combination of slick black magic with the right amount wind is up there with blue moons and flying pigs. More often than not, finding the ideal racecourse is a task darn near impossible, but for the nomadic and diehard ice yachters of the International DN class, it’s just another part of the sport. Our case-in-point is the most recent International DN Yacht Racing Association’s National Championship. This past January, icemen and women gathered in Madison, Wisconsin, at Lake Monoma. The lake had good ice as far as the eye could see, but in the forecast was also an iceboater’s four-letter foe: snow. “We knew it was coming,” says Deb Whitehorse, longtime DN Class secretary and treasurer who’s superpower is orchestrating a full regatta relocation mission from her kitchen table. “We gambled, hoping would be on the low side, but it ended up being more.” Whitehorse and fellow DN class officers had two backups: Green Lake, about an hour and a half north of Madison, and Senachwine Lake, two hours south in Putnam County, Illinois. “Scouts” were dispatched to both locations and soon reported back: Green Lake was no good, and Senachwine was good enough. Scouts are higher-ranked DN sailors who know what to look for. 📸 Gretchen Dorian “The first thing is ice conditions,” Whitehorse says. “There can be a little snow, but not too much. We can’t have too many hazards, heaves or cracks. It has to be a large enough area for a racecourse and have access to landings for people to get their trailers to it.” Once Whitehorse gave word Senachwine was a go, the DN armada was en route from all points, and among them was DN newcomer Eric Doyle, a North Sails sailmaker of 30 years at the sun-kissed loft in San Diego. Doyle relocated to Minneapolis two years ago and promptly joined the DN scene. He hasn’t collected a garage full of stainless runners, planks, rigs, and sails yet, but it’s only a matter of time. “It is, as they say, the sport of gypsies,” says Doyle. “They’re ready to go, ready to wait, or ready to change venues and drive six hours . DN sailors will do anything for good ice conditions because, when it’s right, it is by far the most fun sailing I’ve ever done. It’s just so fast, so effortless and so cool to take this little 12-foot boat and fly 25 to 30 miles per hour upwind. Then to go 40 downwind is really incredible.” Doyle purchased his first two DNs last summer, a “woodie” from the 1960s and a “real race boat” from Rob Evans, his friend and mentor of all things iceboat racing. And like the erratic movements of DN regattas and the winter gypsies themselves, Doyle’s experience has been all things fast and unpredictable. “I’m still learning how to get around the bottom mark,” says the Star World champion and sail designer with a distinguished career in one-design racing. “At the start, first you have to sprint—and I haven’t done any all-out sprinting since high school—and then you have to figure out how and when to jump into the boat smoothly. There’s a lot of technique involved. “The bottom mark is really challenging because the boat starts to slide,” Doyle says. Whitehorse bears witness to his early attempts: “I remember watching him try to figure it out,” she says. “It was very fascinating to watch.” How so? Well, there’s an art to going around the leeward mark, she says. “He spun out a few times. You kind of have to let out the sheet when you come around, and once he was told that, he got it immediately.” “I just have to learn how to control it at the bottom, to have that smooth turn. There’s just this moment in time where, if you judge it wrong and you’re in that power zone… oh, man, it’s all on and you’re just sliding out of control. Plus, everyone who is waiting to start in the next fleet is there to watch you spin out,” says Doyle, who in his first DN National Championship appearance, finished fourth in Silver. There was a fair bit on when Doyle and 54 other competitors eventually slid their three-bladed flyers onto the snow-streaked Senachwine for the first races of the Nationals in January. As a low-ranked newcomer, Doyle was automatically assigned to the Silver fleet, where he eventually faced the likes of Karen Binder, a petite museum executive director and past college sailor from Bristol, Rhode Island, who was winning every race. Binder, who is also relatively new to the class and a quick learner, is Gold Fleet material but bum luck with conditions in qualifying races relegated her to the Silver Fleet for the Championship. “She works really hard at the technical parts,” Whitehorse says of Binder, one of several women at the top of the male-dominated class. “She’s only done it for a few years now but she works hard at it.” Binder’s partner is James Thieler, who introduced iceboating to her in Rhode Island a few years ago. Thieler is the reigning North American champion, so one can only imagine the quality debriefs and knowledge sharing over the many daylong drives in search of good ice. “Yes, it helps to have the right gear and the good people surrounding you,” Whitehorse says, “but Karen is the nut behind the tiller—she’s really good.” “Karen and I had some really good battles on the last day,” Doyle says. “It was back and forth. She was too tough to beat and sailed incredibly well. That’s one cool thing about this class: I haven’t raced in big breeze yet, but in medium conditions it’s no problem at all for the women to compete at the same level. It’s about being smart and smooth and having good equipment and taking care of it. She had it down and smoked us.” On the long drive home to Minneapolis, however, Doyle’s Senachwine experience cemented his new fascination with DN sailing. Yes, it’s unlike anything he’s ever done under sail but it’s the unpredictability of DN sailing that has his full attention. The parallels between sailing the boat and getting to the regattas is obvious to him, expressed in one rambling thought: “Everything about it is much bigger… It’s the big ninety-degree course changes to keep the boat going. It’s the excitement of stopping, where if you stop, you have to get out and push, and while you’re doing that, there are guys still going 25 miles per hour and you’re thinking ‘oh man, I’m really losing a lot right now. And then there’s the whole thing with the regatta’s location. You’re in one place and then you gotta go somewhere else, but don’t worry, it’s only six hours. Just like the sailing, it all happens so fast. It’s just so cool.” 📸 Gretchen Dorian READ MORE

Lošinj Spring Cup 2022 - 420 CRO Nationals 📸 Zoran Matusan Nakon duljeg vremena JK Jugo iz Malog Lošinja bilo je domaćinom nacionalnog prvenstva u klasi 420, a osim dvosjeda na regati su jedrili i kolege u jednosjedima klasa ILCA 6 i ILCA 7. Generalno jedna vrlo lijepa juniorska regata na koju je stiglo i nekoliko Ukrajinskih i Slovačkih posada. Trajanje natjecateljskog dijela regate bilo je tri dana, od petka 11. pa do nedjelje 13. ožujka. Međutim, zbog vremenskih uvjeta jedrilo se samo u nedjelju kad je odrađen stvarno impresivan program! Detaljno o događanjima na i oko regate ispričao je član Organizacijskog odbora Vedran Kabalin: Regatu su obilježili i promjenjivi smjer i promjenjiva jačina vjetra, vrlo teški uvjeti, a u petak je stvarno bilo nemoguće bilo što napraviti. I subota je bila prekrasna kad se pogleda sa strane, ali ni tada nismo uspjeli organizirati niti jedan plov. Vjetar je stalno vrtio... puhalo je sa sjevera, pa je otišlo na zapad, pa na jugozapad... tako da je bilo stvarno nemoguće išta napraviti. Inače kad je svugdje u ostatku Kvarnera bura kod nas bude jedan bezvjetreni jezičac čija posljedica je bila vidljiva i ovog vikenda. Uglavnom, u subotu navečer mi iz Organizacijskog odbora nismo išli na spavanje baš opušteni, jer JK Jugo stvarno dugo vremena nije imalo na svom repertoaru bilo što drugo osim Optimista. Također ovo nam je bio i treći pokušaj organizacije ove regate, jer su nam prethodna dva propala zbog Korone. I stvarno smo htjeli da regata završi onako kako treba, pogotovo jer cijeli posao pada na leđa grupici volontera. Ali u nedjelju navečer više nismo bili napeti :) Tog trećeg jutra rano smo izašli na more, već oko 08:30, a prvi start bio je prije 10. Regate su tad išle jedna za drugom, te su ILCA 6 i 420 odradili po četiri plova, a ILCA 4 tri plova. Stvarno cmo bili vrlo zadovoljni što se toliko posla uspjelo napraviti, pogotovo kod klase 420. Ipak je u pitanju Prvenstvo Hrvatske i drago nam je da su natjecatelji dobili priliku odbaciti najlošiji rezultat. I ILCA 6 je dobila istu mogućnost odbacivanja najlošijeg rezultata, dok kad su ILCA 4 krenuli u četvrtu proceduru vjetar odlazi u desno i pada, pa su oni ostali bez te bonus opcije. Nažalost, zbog potrebe pakiranja i hvatanja trajekata flotu ILCA 4 odmah potom smo poslali na kopno jer su ipak najsporiji i kako nije bilo dosta vjetra njihovo jedrenje bi predugo trajalo. Vedran Kabalin, JK Jugo U klasi 420 nastupilo je 12 domaćih i jedna posada iz Slovačke i standardno u svim kombinacijama, čisto ženske, čisto muške i mješovite, bez nekog posebnog naglaska na niti jednu od njih. Raspored snaga na kraju bio je sličan onome iz Zadra dva tjedna ranije na prethodnoj kriterijskoj regati. Iako nisu bile dominantne u svim jedrenjima, najbrže su bile članice Uskoka Noela Petešić i Petra Gambiraža. Najlošiji (odbačeni) rezultat bilo im je treće mjesto, dok je u skoru ostala pobjeda iz prvog plova i dva druga mjesta. Iduća dva mjesta otišla su posadama iz JK Sveti Nikola iz Zagreba. Srebro su osvojili Ema Samaržija i Leon Scheidl, dok su se broncom okitile druga sestra Samaržija, Mara i njena flokistica Marta Mavar koje su i pobijedile u posljednjem plovu. Najbolja čisto muška posada bila je iz Riječkog Galeba u sastavu Mark Maglica i Luka Kamber koja je bila najbolja u drugom plovu, dok je preostala pobjeda bila najbolji rezultat četveroplasiranih Mie Močinić i Mare Uroda Plevko iz Uskoka. Analizom rezultata vidi se da su uglavnom pokazana dosta ujednačena jedrenja uz povremene bljeskove i "anti bljeskove", ali prosjek je na kraju i ovog puta pokazao pravo stanje one flote. Druga najbrojnija klasa na regati bila je ILCA 6. Od njih 20 čak 12 je bilo dečkiju, ali svejedno zlato odnosi jedna od djevojaka. Najbrža je bila Ursula Balas (JD Val). U prvom plovu je prerano startala i zaradila je UFD, te je vrlo vjerojatno bila jedna od najzadovoljnijih što su se uspjela održati četiri jedrenja, pa se ovaj kiks mogao odbaciti. U iduća dva plova pobjeđuje, a u posljednjem ulazi kao treća iza Maxa Gjidere i domaće jedriličarke Dorotee Spišić. Pobjedu u prvom plovu odnio je spomenuti svježi Labudaš Max Gjidera koji je ovu zimu u izvrsnoj formi. Najlošiji rezultat bilo mu je 8. mjesto, a suma ostalih rezultata osigurala mu je osam bodova što mu je bilo dovoljno za drugo mjesto u generalnom plasmanu! Pet bodova iza Maxa završava mu klupski kolega Antun Tomašević koji broncu osvaja s jednim trećim i dva peta mjesta. Treće mjesto u muškoj konkurenciji osvaja Ukrajinac Semen Khashchyna, nakon kojeg završavaju preostale dvije djevojke sa ženskog postolja... Dorotea Spišić (JK Jugo) i Petra Marendić (JK Mornar). UFD kojeg je Ursula "osvojila" u prvom plovu nije bio jedini, a sličnom natjecateljskom žaru podlegli su još neki u tom i u idućem plovu. O kome je točno riječ možete vidjeti na ovom linku. A najbrojnija klasa bila je ILCA s najmanjim jedrom - ILCA 4. U njoj je zajedno jedrilo 28 momaka i djevojaka, a situacija u vrhu bila je suprotna od one kod starijih kolega i kolegica. Generalnu pobjedu osigurao je član JK Vega, Tedi Leonardelli s najboljim rezultatom na cijeloj regati, koji pobjeđuje u sva tri plova! U generalnom plasmanu članovi Vege uzimaju i preostale dvije medalje. Katja Rabak i Lea Rakovac su srebrena i brončana i predvode skupinu od pet djevojaka. Tek na 7. i 8. mjestu završavaju iduća dva najbolja jedriličara, Karlo Ugrin (JK Galeb) i Jan Komadina (JK Vega). Na startu je i ova flota pokazivala znakove nervoze, ali sa značajno manjim brojem UFD-ova nego društvo iz flote ILCA 6. Što se tiče kompletnih rezultata, njih možete pronaći na ovom linku, a vijesti iz Lošinja, obećaju iz JK Jugo, nastavit će redovito pristizati tijekom cijele godine. Po riječima Vedrana Kabalina imaju u planu još nekoliko regata što krstaša, što malih klasa u kojima ove sezone imaju raspoložene mlade snage - osim Dorotee Spišić koja je bljesnula u posljednjem plovu ILCA 6 flote, jednak rezultat ostvarila je i Barbora Čulmanova u posljednjem plovu flote ILCA 4 i time nadoknađuju izostanak Grigora Pettenera s regatnog polja koji je zbog zdravstvenih razloga morao od subote ostati doma. READ MORE

BERÄTTELSEN OM ARGO: DEL 1 En Opal 46 som delats av tre generationer i familjen Ravelius Efter många års segling med sin pappa på den älskade skonaren Argo har John Ingvar Ravelius blivit delägare i båten och äger den nu tillsammans med sin bror och sin pappa. Han har uppdaterat och utrustat henne med drömmen om att skapa nya minnen med sin unga dotter och föra familjetraditionen vidare. I den här första delen berättar Ravelius om hur en segelbåt, och det arbete som följer med den, kan knyta samman tre generationer. 1974 var min pappa, Ingvar Ravelius, en 24-årig ung man som gick runt på båtmässan i Stockholm tillsammans med sin pappa och drömde om att segla jorden runt i en egen båt. Ingvar hade stor erfarenhet av mindre segelbåtar, men tankarna på en jorden runt-segling gjorde att han ville ha en större och säkrare båt. När far och son gick runt på mässan stötte de på en vän som kände till en välrenommerad båtbyggare som höll på att bygga en båt som hette Opal 46. Det var det första av de blott sex skrov som skulle komma att byggas. Ett par veckor senare kontaktade Ingvar konstruktören av Opal 46 och besökte tillsammans med sin pappa varvet där båten byggdes. Efter att ha sett hur arbetet fortskred tog det inte lång tid innan min pappa bestämde sig för att det här var båten han ville segla runt jorden med, öppnade plånboken och betalade handpenning för hyra av formen. Detta trots protester från hans pappa, som inte trodde att den 24-årige Ingvar, som saknade erfarenhet av båtbyggeri, skulle klara av att bygga en sådan båt. Min pappa svarade: ”Det här är båten jag vill ha, jag vet ännu inte hur jag ska bygga den men det ska jag ta reda på.” Så påbörjades bygget av Argo. Ingvar gav sig på det slabbiga och tidsödande arbetet med att plasta skrovet. Han la på lager efter lager med tanken att han skulle ut på oceanerna och att skrovet måste kunna klara hårda slag och smällar utan att skadas. Tolv centimeter plast blev det på det tjockaste stället. När skrovet härdat fortsatte han arbeta med båten utanför sitt hus i Sollentuna. Pappas grannar kunde inte veta att de skulle komma att bo bredvid ett båtbygge i sex år. Ingvar besökte ofta varvet där den första Opal 46:an byggdes för att ställa frågor och ta mått. Han gjorde noteringar i ett anteckningsblock och åkte hem för att bygga sin båt på samma sätt som de professionella båtbyggarna. Ett par år in på pappas bygge var det dags för sjösättning och dop av den första Opal 46:an. Pappa blev god vän med ägaren, och blev inbjuden att vara med på en Atlantsegling till Karibien. 1980 tog Ingvar en paus från byggandet av Argo för att korsa Atlanten med systerbåten. Under den här färden lärde han sig hur Opal 46 hanterar sjön men upptäckte också att det fanns sådant som han ville göra annorlunda på sin egen båt. En av de saker som han gjorde annorlunda än i original var matbordet i salongen. Det var svårt att använda det under segling, så till Argo byggde han ett balanserat bord som håller sig horisontalt även när båten kränger. Efter ett och ett halvt år återvände Ingvar från sitt seglingsäventyr och 1982 sjösattes Argo för allra första gången. Sju långa år efter att han kläckte idén på båtmässan hade Ingvars dröm gått i uppfyllelse. Familj och vänner var med på den första provturen och alla firade. På Argos första resa höll de på att krocka på grund av en felkoppling i det hydraliska styrsystemet, men de märkte att hon var en sund och robust båt redo för nya äventyr. Senare samma år deltog Argo och hennes besättning i Gotland Runt och en svensk båttidning publicerade en bild av Argo tagen under racet. Min pappa var väldigt stolt över att de använt en bild av hans bygge samma år som båten blev färdig. Ingvar är en speciell person, och nu när Argo är mitt projekt också vill jag att alla detaljer ska bli perfekta. För några år sedan började pappa och jag bygga om och konvertera Argo till slup. Vi gav henne nya North-segel och nytt liv. När jag var liten brukade han visa mig en special metallfil och säga: ”Jag byggde Argo med den här filen”. Jag trodde honom inte, men nu när jag har arbetat mycket tillsammans med honom förstår jag att han verkligen gjorde det. Han byggde Argo med sina händer och sin metallfil. Han drog i varje skruv med skruvmejsel, och Argo har tusentals skruvar. All teak på Argo, på däck såväl som i inredningen, är gjort av råsågade teakplankor som han sågade till utanför sitt hus i en Stockholmsförort. Håll utkik efter nästa del i historien om Argo, där Ravelius berättar om hur han som ettåring seglade runt i Medelhavet med sina föräldrar. READ MORE

TRAVLE DAGE PÅ SEJLLOFTET I KØBENHAVN Masser af nye sejl bliver leveret til vores glade kunder og der er ligeledes en stor mængde service sejl, der bliver færdiggjort inden den nye sejlsæson starter. Vi har som sædvanligt modtaget rigtig mange sejl fra lokale kunder i Københavnsområdet, og vores afhentningssteder rundt omkring i Danmark er blevet brugt flittigt af masser af kunder til at aflevere sejl til service. Vi kommer i år til at servicere omkring 500 sejl, nogle med små og og nogle med store reparationer, og det er altid en fornøjelse at levere "friske" sejl til vores kunder. Generelt tager vores kunder sig godt af deres sejl, men vi vil gerne minde alle om at følge disse 9 gode råd, som vil forlænge levetiden på sejlene: 1. Undgå at sejlene blafrer langvarigt, da det kan nedsætte sejlenes levetid betragteligt. Undgå at sejle for motor i modvind med blafrende sejl. 2. Brug dine sejl i deres designede vindområder. Hvis du ikke kender de anbefalede vindområder for dine sejl, skal du kontakte os her hos North Sails. 3. Når du forlader båden, skal du lette faldspændingen og udhal for at forhindre at sejlet bliver overstrækket. 4. Undgå foldning af sejl på samme foldelinjer, hvilket forhindrer at små folder ikke bliver permanente. 5. Beskyt dine sejl mod sollys med en presenning og lad dem blive i posen så længe som muligt. 6. Skyl dine sejl med ferskvand og tør dem grundigt inden opbevaring, for at undgå mug. Dette kan også gøres løbende gennem sæsonen. 7. Skyl fittings på sejlene i ferskvand for at forhindre korrosion. Opbevar tørre sejl på et godt ventileret sted. 8. Gå jævnligt sejlet efter for slidtage. 9. Send dit sejl til eftersyn og service hos North Sails efter hver sæson. Håber I alle får en dejlig sejlsæson på vandet, og hvis I har spørgsmål til sejl, trim etc., så er I altid velkomne til at ringe her til loftet. God vind! READ MORE