NORTH CLIENTS LEAD THE WAY AT THE CAPE 31 UK NATIONALS

Tricky Wind & Tight Competition on the Solent

Having won every Cape 31 event this year, including Cowes Week, the icing on the cake for Russell Peters’ Squirt is to take home the inaugural UK National Championship title. That is precisely what the team of seven did this season, and we are delighted to uncover some inside knowledge from North expert and mainsail trimmer onboard, Pete Redmond. The busy season of events in the run-up to the Nationals has been the best preparation for the team. Speaking about what they have learned since the start of the season, Pete explains: “We have been working on developing our rig tune which was particularly beneficial in the lighter airs we had throughout this event.’’ “Good boat speed is our key to get out of bad spots or a congested fleet, and the North 3Di RAW 780 upwind sails, paired with our three nylon kites, help us to achieve that speed. We also generally get strong starts which is important, and have good crew handling so can push until the very last second before a maneuver. If we fall behind for whatever reason, we don’t panic.’’ Closest rivals Sardonyx finished just one point behind Squirt on the overall leaderboard after five races. Squirt focused on sailing their own races, and with conditions so light and shifty, heads were out of the boat, constantly assessing the right move to make next. Congratulations to North clients who claimed the top seven places from a fleet of eight boats. “We have had a good few generations of sails now, and they are constantly getting faster as we learn more,’’ says Pete. “We also produce excellent smooth sails for the smaller boats, which can be seen in this fleet where all the 3Di RAW sails look great.’’

Russell Peters' Squirt, 2021 UK National Champions 📸 Live Sail Die / PKC Media

📸 Live Sail Die / PKC Media

Nifty and Gallvanter battling upwind 📸 Live Sail Die / PKC Media