NORTH SAILS BLOG

THE 52 SUPER SERIES KEEPS NORTH SAILS IN CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT Did you know that many times the latest advancements for North 3Di are tested on the TP52s? 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series The 52 Super Series is known as one of the most competitive circuits in the sport and for North Sails, it keeps us on top of our game. This week, 16 TP52s are in Puerto Portals, Mallorca, re-igniting the circuit’s fierce competitive spirit after an 18-month Covid hiatus. The special showcase event brings together 9 Super Series circuit regulars, plus 7 guest teams for the 20th Anniversary Invitational. The entry list is a quick lesson in over two decades of class history. It’s well documented that events like the America’s Cup and Ocean Races are multi-year intensive development cycles that return an influx of technology back into North Sails. What’s less obvious is the constant evolution and refinement of the North Design Suite and development of our top-tier products that results from the 52 Super Series. North Sails Grand Prix leader and Bronenosec mainsail trimmer Paul Westlake comments: “North Sails’ success in the class boils down to two elements; our people and our product. Similar to the America’s Cup, each of our 52 teams has a North Sails designer dedicated to their program. At the end of each season, we collect feedback from the teams, learn from their experiences, review our baseline designs and structures, and ultimately, incorporate that into our seasonal development cycle.” 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series Many of the latest advancements for North 3Di were first tested on the TP52s, and 3Di RAW is a direct result of development within the Super Series. This minimum weight, maximum performance sail material has seen a lighting-speed engineering evolution over the last three seasons. “The 3Di RAW structure has taken major steps through the evolution of RAW 870 to RAW 880 in 2018-19, and now the latest: RAW 890, which debuted in Cape Town last season,” Westlake explains. “Our focus is on increasing modulus (resistance to stretch), reducing weight, and at the same time extending the racing range and lifespan of each sail. Sail buttons are like gold in this class!” The Super Series boats are built within strict tolerances, so winning programs demand sails capable of the smallest gains in boat speed. Mickey Ickert is North’s lead sail designer for the 52s, and with decades of experience, he is no stranger to continually advancing the performance of the sails supplied by North. Ickert explains his thought process: “Would the boat be going faster if the jib was flatter or fuller? How might we expand the range of the sail? Our design tools can help in making these decisions. The higher end flow predictions give an idea of what direction the combined system of the boat, the hydro, the aero, and the sailing team want to go.” Luckily for Ickert and his design group colleagues, they are able to combine the world’s highest performance sail material with modeling powered by the North Design Suite. This custom-built software makes it possible to create shapes that will exactly match the finished sail. “Our tools are very, very accurate in terms of predicting the loads and resulting flying shapes we’ll have on the water,” Ickert says. That gives designers the confidence to create a sail with a wider range of application. “One jib and one mainsail that deform themselves into the optimum as you go through the wind range. That’s the holy grail, not the reality, but you can push the envelope to it.” Of the nine boats competing in the 2021 season, seven have chosen North as their sailmaker. This is a testament to industry- leading technology and tools, and also to the North Sails team. In total, six sail designers support the Super Series program year round. With Ickert as the lead, the design group has made a concerted effort to work as a team, because that will raise the game of all North-supported teams. “It’s a privilege to work with these owners and their teams,” explains Westlake. “ We know they have a choice of sailmaker, and that motivates us to improve our tools and product and lean into the expertise of sail designers like Mickey. We have a lot of trust built up with these teams, and while we always strive to advance and improve their results, their feedback pushes us to be more aggressive with development. In the end, everyone wins.” Learn more about the 52 Super Series and follow along with the 2021 season on https://www.52superseries.com/ 📸 Nico Martinez / 52 Super Series READ MORE

FAMILY CRUISING: LONG TERM SAILING WITH LITTLES How to Make that Family Cruising Dream Work In the fall of 2019, Katrin (“Kat”) German and Warwick (“Wazza”) Kerr left Mallorca, Spain, and sailed to the Caribbean with their three year old son, Kilian. The plan for the family was to spend the winter in the islands and then continue west, eventually circling the globe. Both parents grew up cruising in their native countries (Germany and Australia respectively), and in the pre-pandemic world Wazza could commute to the next pro sailing job from wherever they dropped anchor. Like so many plans though, theirs had to adapt in the spring of 2020, when COVID-19 shut down the Caribbean regatta circuit and all casual island-hopping. They spent the first several months locked down on St. Maarten, then moved down the chain as individual islands opened up to liveaboards. They were able to ride out hurricane season on Grenada, and by the time they sailed back up to St. Maarten Kat was pregnant again. So instead of heading west to the Pacific, they returned to Europe to settle down in Kat’s childhood home of Kiel, Germany. With the family of three (soon to be four plus a dog) back in Europe and gearing up for a Bay of Biscay crossing, we were able to catch up with the lively pair. With nearly two years of family cruising experience, we knew they’ve had some great advice for families who haven’t yet made the cruising leap. We also learned about their future sailing plans, which will of course include Kilian and his new sibling. Family Cruising: Casting off “You just have to do it,” Wazza insists. “Don’t be afraid. The worst thing that happens is you end up back where you were, which is not that bad.” Nodding, Kat agrees. “Kids are so adaptable! On our first offshore trip Kilian got seasick, but after that it was never a problem. We always try to keep him busy with arts and crafts, and there’s always sea life to look at, like dolphins and flying fish. And we read a lot of books.” Then she laughs, remembering the final days of their 18-day Transatlantic in 2019. “We really ran out of ideas, and we had only downloaded two kids’ movies before we left! So we just let him watch the same movie, Madagascar, twice a day. He called it the bird movie.” The only special boat modifications they made to keep a three year old safe and happy was to add netting all around the deck, Wazza says. Kat adds that they put up a leeboard in the salon to wall off a play area. “But that really depends on the boat. And other than that, we really didn’t prepare anything special.” As for their 3Di sails, Wazza says they’ve been even better than expected. “The original plan was for me to go old school and build some cross cuts by hand, like I did when I was an apprentice. Instead we ended up with 3Di. Now we’re 10,000 miles in, and except for adding a little bit of chafe protection on the spreaders, we haven’t done anything to the sails. “The staysail is our go-to sail when it is really windy or really rough. Even the genoa shape has barely changed, and it gets a bit of a beating. Much as you try and look after it, you always get into a situation where it’s not a perfect furl. I’d have to go look at a picture and measure it all properly to really see any change in shape.” Chuckling, he adds, “It’s a bit disappointing, in a way; I was hoping to build my own sails! But these are so good, I might never sail with another paneled sail.” Grenada Getaway Grenada was the perfect place to ride out hurricane season, Kat says, because they met so many other cruising families. “We spent four and a half months there, because it was the only Island open. And we hadn’t seen any other kids for four months before that.” There was even a Facebook page dedicated to Grenada cruising kids. “They organize so much, like Friday night movie and popcorn night and arts and crafts days. And there’s so many waterfalls and other cool stuff to explore as well.” And even though they had to constantly modify their plans to stay within CoVID rules, she’s happy that the past year forced them to slow down. “Otherwise our life would have been as crazy as always, with work and cruising…” “And we were so lucky to experience the Caribbean with so few boats,” Wazza adds. “We were in an anchorage where there’s normally 30 or 40 boats, all crammed in. And now there were only three.” Return to Europe With another baby on the way and Wazza’s pro sailing starting up again, life was suddenly too complicated to continue pandemic cruising. They decided to sail the boat back to Europe—but this time without Kat and Killian. “I was super, super stoked for the crossing,” says Kat, who has more ocean miles than Wazza. “But I think flying back was absolutely the right decision.” Going offshore pregnant, Wazza explains, “is just a step too far. If something did happen, you’re so far away.” He found some crew to replace his family, and sailed the boat back across the Atlantic via the Azores. But he says it wasn’t nearly as much fun as their previous Transatlantic. “We’d never sailed the boat without each other,” he explains. “Having Kat on board is a lot more stress-free, and it was a bit weird not being with the family. I felt like I was delivering the boat.” “I tell you, it’s so much more stressful to be on the shore than on the boat,” Kat adds. “I would have much rather been onboard than watching on the web. And we were missing each other! For the past two years, it has been 24/7. And then all of a sudden we didn’t see each other for six weeks, which was a long time for us.” Learning from Other Cruising Families Kat says they recently met another couple new to the cruising life who are “like us, half Australian and half German. It was really interesting to talk to them.” Unlike Kat, the woman didn’t grow up sailing, so she’d been learning from other cruising moms via social media. “They were giving each other tips and tricks,” Kat says. “A lot of people post realistic things (not just the ‘social media’ version). And you can also then get in contact with these people.” This other couple plans to join the 2021 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, which Kat thinks will include about 35 family boats. “With the ability to work remotely, there are many more cruising families than there were ten years ago.” Even though Kat and Wazza don’t participate in cruising rallies (because they prefer to pick their own departure times to adjust for weather), she understands how people might gain confidence from traveling with a group. And then she repeats a variation of what Wazza has already said about getting started: “Of course, you just have to take the leap at some stage. As soon as you start, you’ll start meeting other families quickly. And that’s such a boost of morale.” Future Family Sailing Plans Kat and Wazza are already looking forward to cruising the coastlines of Denmark and Sweden next summer. “I grew up sailing around the Baltic on a Nordic folk boat,” Kat says. “It’s so beautiful when the weather’s nice, and I’m really excited to show that to Wazza. We thought it would be really cool to take a couple of months. Even if he has to go off for a week here or there, I can be on the boat with the kids.” “It will be nice to see something different,” Wazza adds. ”A lot of people just do the barefoot route, but we’ve got plenty of friends up in Sweden and Denmark and Germany.” They are also looking forward to kiting, even though Wazza knows he will have to wear a thicker wetsuit than the better acclimated Kat. “The house that we live in is a three minute walk from an amazing place to go kitesurfing,” he says. “And as soon as number two is out, Kat will be back out there too.” Making fun sailing plans again is what has kept Kat going through this latest life transition: from “the supercool cruising lifestyle” to moving back to her childhood coastline. “I haven’t lived here in so long! We’re gonna give it one winter. See how it goes without seeing sunshine for a few months…” For anyone still uncertain about taking the cruising leap, Wazza puts it into perspective: “We’re actually more afraid of getting ourselves back into the system and the grind. I’ve said it before, but the worst thing that happens is you end up back where you were, doing what you were doing before, and that’s not that bad.” READ MORE

PODIUM SWEEP AT THE E SCOW ECESA CHAMPIONSHIP Learn About the New 3D Designed Mainsail Tested at the Event New 3D-designed mainsail at the Easterns. 📸 Leon Stein The ECESA Championship “Easterns” took place at Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club with twenty-four teams competing over three days of great, competitive racing. Chad Hillyer with Ryan Bailey and Jimmy Kennedy on T-17 “Hunter” won three of six races using a new North Sails AP Mainsail, LM Jib and AP spinnaker. Chad said “we really focused on keeping our eyes out of the boat looking for pressure, especially in the last two races when it was very light. I thought upwind we were higher & same speed as the fleet, and we were able to reach towards pressure with the AP spinnaker”. North Sails E Scow experts Jeff Bonanni and Eric Doyle sailing with Chris Bigos and Colleen Obrien finished second using a North Sails R&D mainsail, R&D jib and Whomper spinnaker. Jeff commented “we were very confident in our boatspeed and it showed in the consistency of our results with four top 3 finishes in a row. We were able to have conservative midline starts, hang in thin lanes and not have to take excess risk. I thought our bow down / speed forward mode upwind with the R&D sails is where we really excelled, dropping both traveler tracks and eating up the course when we were in good pressure”. “It was very puffy, and the Whomper spinnaker enabled us stay low in the lulls while we waited for pressure, it never really paid to chase it high. Once we were set up lower in the pressure, we jumped lots of boats on gybes and were able to defend going into the leeward gates or finish line more successfully”. Carl Horrocks with Kirby Slack and Dean Thompson on T-12 “Might As Well” finished third using a North Sails R&D AP mainsail, LM-2 jib and Whomper spinnaker. The team on T-12 used North Sail’s first E Scow mainsail designed in North Sails 3D molding software “Flow”. Carl commented: “The new North 3D designed mainsail is identical to our AP mainsail, but it’s incredibly smooth with no distortion or wrinkling when we vang hard”. North expert Jeff commented “Carl returns to skippering after many years crewing for Chad Hillyer. Carl purchased my boat last year, so we’re able to use their team as a benchmark in the sail design and tuning process. The two masts are as identical as possible, and all the sheets have the same trim marks. I’m able to change on a week to week basis, scan the sail photos and make incremental changes to tuning while the North R&D team of Allan Terhune, Eric Doyle and Mike Marshall suggest design changes. Each week we have been a little bit faster and this result for North clients at the Easterns is satisfying, however we won’t stop pushing to design and produce the fastest sails for our E scow clients”. Winners Chad Hillyer with Ryan Bailey and Jimmy Kennedy 📸 Kirby Slack 📸 Leon Stein READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: 2021 FASTNET OVERALL Tom Kneen’s Sunrise wins it all at the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race 📸 RORC/Paul Wyeth Tom Kneen’s JPK 11.80 Sunrise is the latest to join the esteemed list of Rolex Fastnet Race overall winners. Upon finishing, Kneen summed up his team’s race quite simply: “it was hard, it’s been a really hard race.” With a young, primarily amateur crew, Kneen is the first British winner of the race since Charles Dunstone and his maxi Nokia Enigma in 2003. In addition to overall honors, Sunrise is also confirmed as the runaway winner of the IRC Two division. Kneen’s reflections on the team’s Fastnet success: “When you get everything in the right place, with the right people, in the right conditions… we had four, five, or six hours of that, between the Scillies and the Lizard, when we had 25 knots of breeze and the boat – our so-called ‘caravan’ – was flying along at 20 plus knots. In moments like that, all the rest of it you forget very quickly, when you’re beating in 30 knots of wind and vomiting over the back and wondering why you’re there. It’s the moments of elation that live with you, and it’s what keeps us coming back.” Congratulations to Kneen and the entire Sunrise crew on their well-deserved results. Continue reading more about Sunrise on the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 official website. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: ROLEX FASTNET RACE The overall Fastnet line honors leaderboard has a common theme: North Sails It’s been a busy couple of days in the English Channel, with the Rolex Fastnet Race bringing the sailing world to life for the 49th time. For North Sails President Ken Read, this race is “one of the Big Five, a race that’s leading the way.” And this year, North Sails equipped nine out of 10 fastest finishers. A full command of the overall line honors leaderboard is a common theme for the world’s leading sailmaker. In the last six months alone, North design expertise and sail technology have outfitted the game’s most successful projects; the Vendee Globe, the 36th America’s Cup, the Ocean Race Europe, the Transpac, the Olympics, and most recently, the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race. A 104-foot blue beast, the Ultime trimaran Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (aka Gitana Team) was the very first boat to cross the line on Monday, August 9 at 20:24:54 BST having devoured the 695-mile course in just over a day. Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier’s crew established a new record of 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 54 seconds. But as Cammas was quick to point out when greeted on the dock, “we have a record, but it’s the first time !” He later confessed that “the start was very intense, with many dangers to deal with all at the same time amidst the yachts, the competitors, the cargo ships and the ferries, not to mention 25+ knots which spiced up the start of the race. We were happy to come out of the Solent unscathed, and the fact that we were leading the way was even better.” It’s Gitana Team’s second Rolex Fastnet Race win in a row, so obviously, their experience as a crew is paying off. Every move matters on a racing machine like the Ultime, including those made before arriving at the start line. Since 2019, many improvements have been made to the boat’s appendages and systems; they’ve also added a brand new North Sails inventory. “The emphasis has been placed on aerodynamics,” says co-skipper Franck Cammas. “We’ve worked on many aspects in detail, but no revolutionary changes.” The team has noticed substantial performance gains with their Helix Structured Luff sails. “We had problems with heavy loads deforming the forestay,” explains co-skipper Charles Caudrelier. “With Helix, the loads are redistributed, which allows us to have a straighter, stiffer luff. In particular, the Helix J0 is a small revolution. We are still in a discovery phase, but the gains are clear.” After exiting the Solent, the Gitana Team led the fleet south towards the Channel Islands, where they tacked further south than their main Ultime rivals, a winning move that allowed them to sail in better breeze. But with so much of the race sailed upwind, their speed machine only briefly touched 40-41 knots after passing Bishop Rock on the return journey. The brutal first 12 hours of the race were also a solid test for the newly launched ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, and she came through splendidly. As the breeze softened, Dmitry Rybolovlev’s 125-foot superyacht extended away from her main rivals, including previous winner Rambler 88. Juan Kouyoumdjian’s latest design was the first monohull to cross the line, wrapping the course in 2 days, 8 hours, 33 minutes, and 55 seconds. “The boat is very strong,” said skipper Fernando Echavarri . “We backed off on speed coming out of the Solent, but so was everyone else. We had an idea of what she might be able to do, but we didn’t know for sure, so we learned a lot from this race.” “Watching Skorpios flying off waves upwind in 30 knots, with a completely unproven boat and unproven sails…” recalls Ken Read. “It just goes to show that when we put our minds to it, what we can produce is nothing short of spectacular.” Onboard Skorpios is a nine-sail 3Di inventory that features liberal use of Helix Structured Luff technology and a couple of extra sails that you’d traditionally find on an IMOCA or Volvo 65. “Upwind, you have the J0, J2, J4, and J5,” explained North lead sail designer Steve Calder. Downwind, the J0 or FRO (fractional code 0) and whisker pole (a spreader) , the masthead A3 sail and multiple sails inside that. The other one is the Inner Reaching Sail (or IRS) that sits on the innermost tack point and that is used inside any of these downwind sails.” Calder further remarked: “The boat looks great, the sails look great, and they performed exceptionally in what were very trying conditions. The results speak for themselves. It’s projects like Skorpios that keep all of us at North Sails pushing towards the next big idea.” 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex The slightly longer course – 87 additional miles – seemed to appeal to Charlie Dalin, who’s no stranger to long offshore trips. The skipper of the IMOCA Apivia claimed Vendée Globe line honors in March but ultimately lost the top prize to Maître CoQ’s Yannick Bestaven, who was awarded overall winner after a time compensation. This time, Dalin and his co-skipper Paul Meilhat took a resounding win in the 13-strong IMOCA fleet. Equipped with new foils and some new sails, Dalin and Meilhat flew upwind past the Needles, even converging with the ClubSwan 125 at the TSS (Traffic Separation Zone) – a boat more than twice her length! Then, the boats match-raced across the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, Apivia rounding only 49 minutes astern of Skorpios and proving the power of the new foilers. “That was good,” said Dalin. “It was a shame because if the wind had been maybe 15 degrees left and 2-3 knots more, we would have overtaken them for sure. At 60 degrees TWA, we were faster.” Maxi Edmond de Rothschild , Skorpios, and Apivia: three iconic boats, three stellar crews, three very different ways to sail and envisage sailing. The 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race fastest finishers showcase that no matter the boat, whatever the conditions, North Sails wins more races than all other sailmakers combined. READ MORE

TEAM HO’OKOLOHE: EATING TO WIN Only one first-place Transpac crew barbecued on the transom every night Dinner offshore usually means whatever freeze-dried flavor is the most palatable, because minimizing both weight and space is a top priority for teams that want to win long-distance races. But onboard Transpac 2021 Division Eight winner Ho’okolohe, a Farr 57, the entire nine-man crew enjoyed fresh barbecue for seven of their nine evening meals. Owner Cecil Rossi did his first Transpac in 1965, so he remembers the days when offshore meals meant, well, meals. “That’s just the way Cecil wanted to run this program,” North Sails expert (and “Cat 3 Cooler Jockey”) Fuzz Foster explains, a few days after the finish. “The food was unbelievable. I spent the first hour of every off-watch eating… And then I just had to lie down.” The first two dinners on Ho’okolohe were pre-planned: “Beef stew, manicotti. By the third night, we were into Cecil’s meal program—ribeye steaks and pork tenderloin and teriyaki chicken. We carried a tremendous amount of extra weight, but none of us really cared. We figured, we’ll just sail the boat hard, and it’s going to get lighter as we go.” Ho’okolohe started with the first group on Tuesday, and Fuzz says they only logged seventy-five miles in the first twenty-four hours. But they were able to set a symmetrical spinnaker the first night; they’d learned on a previous race that the boat was calmer to sail that way. And then they led the entire fleet almost all the way to Hawaii—the only boat that finally managed to pass them was the Volvo 70, Pyewacket. Shortly after one of their most memorable meals of grilled swordfish went on the grill, that symmetrical kite blew up. Fuzz was driving and Ty Pryne was cooking; “We went down a wave, and the old girl just let go. So Ty flipped the fish and then shut the barbecue off, and we went into a full stop to change sails. We put up the brand new A2 I’d built for the boat. It was an absolutely awesome sail designed by Steve Calder. The boat would go 10 to 11 all the time and then surf down a wave, and get up to 17. She goes all right for a boat that weighs like 34,000 pounds.” And how was the swordfish? Perfectly cooked, he insists. Besides eating and drinking so well, Fuzz says he really enjoyed racing with his two sons—and passing along a few tips to the younger Travis about steering downwind on a moonless night. “He was nervous,” Fuzz admits. “He had never really driven anything bigger than a Cal 20. On the first night, we put him on the helm when we were ripping along because that is how you learn. “He grasped it pretty quickly. I’d explain that if you want to surf, make sure you get the boat squared back up at the end. He did great—in fact he held the top speed of all the helmsmen for quite awhile.” Chuckling, he adds, “I don’t know if he ended up with the fastest speed or not, because the bet was they’d have to buy dinner for everyone. So nobody’s really come clean.” Fuzz has been calling this year’s race his final Transpac, though he admits “like every sailor, you say stuff and then six months later, things change.” Either way, it will be hard to improve on this year’s race—and not just because of Ho’okolohe’s menu or racing home to Hawai’i with his two sons or nearly beating a Volvo70. “The breeze went aft so early this year! If they were all like this, I think you’d have every sailor on the planet saying, ‘I want to do the Transpac.’ Because it was just that on-edge sailing downwind, going fast.” Evening barbecues on the transom, and winning with a family team—how could it possibly get any better? READ MORE

2021 OPTIMIST NATIONALS REPORT The Scoop on the New V-Series by Tom Sitzmann The 2021 Nationals had very light and unstable winds and only 7 races were completed over four days. Sailor Annie Sitzmann used the new North V-2 brand new from Japan. She was the only sailor at the event using the new sail, and despite the fact that she had zero testing time prior to the event, she took on the challenge and is getting better and better each day learning how to properly tune and rig her new sail. I also worked with Ashton Perkins, who used a North MNR-2. Initially lining these two up, Ashton was higher for sure; the MNR entry is very straight/flat, Ashton is very small/light so he can get away with trimming a little tighter. As the event went on, we seemed to dial in the new V-2 sail. Annie even won a race, which shows that the sail can definitely perform even if in beginner’s hands. With more time on the water and testing, and also testing a few different spar sets, this sail looks very good and makes a great option for the North Sails Optimist inventory. Based on what we observed over the course of the event, I found the outhaul and vang to be extremely important for this sail, and am still learning proper rake and sprit combinations. Optimist National Championship Report & Interview with Ashton Perkins The Optimist class US National Championship was held this year in Norfolk, VA and the wind gods sure seemed to team up to confound the event. While the Girls National championship (a one-day event at the beginning of the week) had good winds, the four-day National championship event could only muster seven races total, and that included three on the last day just to get there. So, the event was left to be determined through qualifying rounds only, with no gold fleet races. North Sails is very excited to announce our new Optimist sail, the V-Series. This sail reflects the culmination of a great deal of testing, hard work, and expertise by North Sails one-design experts and sail designers, and we are confident that this sail offers great speed, pointing ability upwind, and shape durability. In hot, sticky weather, with so many variables, at times extremely light, shifty, unstable and unsettled winds, sailors were challenged to post any type of consistent scores. Young up-and-coming sailor Ashton Perkins used a North Optimist sail, and Ashton showed blazing speed upwind in this regatta. If it weren’t for a UFD penalty, Ashton would have posted his best-ever regatta finish in the top 10 overall! We caught up with him after the event to get his take on things. First, congratulations on your performance at the US Optimist Nationals! This was a difficult event with very light unstable winds for sure, and you seemed very fast throughout the regatta. If not for your final day UFD you’d have been in the top ten out of 260 boats! Let’s get to know you. Where do you live, what grade are you going into this fall? How long have you been sailing? What do you like about sailboat racing? A: I live in University Park Maryland and I am entering the 6th grade. I have been sailing for 6 years. Sailboat racing is great for me because I love thinking about strategy and being on the water. In this regatta specifically, what was most challenging? A: Catching the wind shifts. What was most important? (current, shifts, starts, etc.) A: They were all really important. What worked well for you, and what are you most happy with? A: Except for my U flag and one other start my starts were good. I played the big shifts and I was usually faster than most other boats. What do you like about the North Optimist Sail? A: I used to use a J Blue. With the North I am able to point higher while keeping the same speed. What trimming advice do you have for anyone using this sail? A: In light air trim just within the corner and in heavy air pull it in slightly tighter. What’s next? Where will we see you again? A: New Englands and New Jersey States. I am excited that I qualified for team trials, I also look forward to that this coming Spring 2022. READ MORE

North Clients 1,2,3,4 at the 75th Thistle Nationals Congratulations Sam Ingham, Jonathan Duffett and Tanya Cuprak The 75th Thistle National Championship took place at the Cleveland Yachting Club this past week, placing many North Sails Thistle Class enthusiasts on the #NSVictoryList. With 96 boats competing, the racing in this One Design fleet was fierce. After the selection segment of racing, the fleet was separated into the Championship Fleet (40 boats) and the President Fleet (56 boats). Samuel Ingham with crew Jonathan Duffett and Tanya Cuprak bested his father, an 8-time Thistle National Champion to win at this year’s National Championship. Mike Ingham, a North Sails One Design Expert, placed second with his wife Delia and Dan Fien. Ed Adams with Neal Fowler and Kira Munger placed 3rd overall, and Brian Joyce with crew Sean Joyce and Braden Joyce placed 4th overall. 2021 Thistle Nationals winners 📸 Tim Wilkes @timwilkesphoto READ MORE

BOATS TO WATCH IN THE 2021 ROLEX FASTNET RACE: BATTLE OF THE BEASTS Each boat has a hunger for one thing: the Fastnet Challenge Cup Three incredible speed machines are making their final preparations before the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race this Sunday; Rambler 88, the new ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, and the MOD70 Argo. Expect this year to be a showdown of the ages as we anticipate a thrilling battle of some of the world’s fastest boats. Each boat has a hunger for one thing: the Fastnet Challenge Cup (and bragging rights, of course). Seriously, what’s not to love about this year’s edition? The boats at a glance: Rambler 88 – a 88′ Juan Kouyoumdjian (aka Juan K) design born out of owner George David’s commitment to getting back on the water after Rambler 100 lost her keel during the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race. Launched in 2014, the 88 is a fast, versatile, IRC-optimized maxi yacht with an extraordinary racing record under her belt. Skorpios – the recently launched ClubSwan125, a high-performance racing machine also designed by Juan K. Combining Nautor’s Swan’s pioneering design approach and the latest innovation, she’s been hailed “the fastest monohull ever” and a “record-breaker.” Still, she’s yet to line up and prove her potential on the water. Argo – Jason Carroll’s MOD70 trimaran is equipped with new third-generation foils and sailed by a stellar crew who smashed the Bermuda-Plymouth record in June this year. From the sail designer’s desk: “I have three horses in the race,” enthuses North Sails designer Steve Calder. “They’re Rambler 88, the 125, and the MOD70 Argo. All three boats showcase the future of sailing.” The two monohulls are competing in the IRC Zero class, and while they’ll be each other’s main competition, they’ll want to test themselves. “Despite practicing with almost a shell of a crew on the 88 because of COVID quarantine conditions, most of the original Rambler guys have come back for the race,” explains Calder. “It’s George David’s favorite race, and he wouldn’t miss it for anything. And it’s great to see the seasoned vets and loyal crew back onboard. I expect they’ll be extremely competitive this season.” Rambler’s pitman Curtis Blewett, who’s done the race seven or eight times, admits he’d love to “try and get the course record. We’ve missed it a few times on the Rambler, which means we’ll be more focused on boat performance and sailing our own race. I like sailing here because it’s usually really windy.” “Our biggest competition? The new 125,” remarks Blewett. “But obviously, after 16 months off, our biggest challenge: sailing the boat well after a long break.” 📸 Nautor’s Swan Having faced similar COVID-related challenges, Skorpios will be skippered by the Spanish Olympic Tornado gold medallist and former Volvo Ocean Race skipper Fernando Echávarri. In addition, Volvo Ocean Race winners Brad Jackson, Michael Joubert and Jan Dekker, fellow Volvo Ocean Race veterans, Antonio ‘Neti’ Cuervas-Mons, David Pella, and navigator Campbell Field also join the team roster. “They’ve spent the last couple of weeks getting prepared as the Rolex Fastnet Race approaches,” says Calder. “They’ll have onboard a new Helix fractional Code Zero, which they’re super happy with.” Skorpios’s true potential will soon be revealed. “I never experienced the boat fully loaded up with the water ballasts and all of that,” comments Calder, who joined the team for sail trials a few weeks ago in Finland. “But every now and then, you’d touch some apparent wind with the A3 on, and she would want to light up. She powers up very quickly. With that boat length, the laws of physics favor her speed potential.” In the MOCRA category, the 70′ Argo faces about a dozen multihulls, including Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70. Argo’s foil upgrade, created by the MOD70’s original designers VPLP, brings her performance package closer to Maserati and the latest 30m long Ultim trimarans “Argo has done some impressive miles over the past couple of weeks,” adds Calder. “They have this new foil mode now, and the boat is being pushed very, very hard.” Sailed by Charles Corning with British offshore legend Brian Thompson, America’s Cup sailors Alister Richardson and Thierry Fouchier, and US Olympian Charlie Ogletree onboard, Argo has everything she needs to eat some miles between Cowes and Cherbourg. May the fastest boat win. READ MORE

TOKYO2020: RECAP Olympians triumph in Enoshima 📸 Sailing Energy / World Sailing Here at North Sails, we’ve been avidly following the Tokyo2020 Olympics as all the sailors put on an incredible display in the waters off Enoshima, Japan. Five of our 8 Olympians to Watch made it onto the podium, and we were very impressed with everyone’s speed and poise as they dealt with the widest possible variety of conditions. Here’s a recap of the Finn, 470, and 49er results. Finn Finale 📸 Sailing Energy / World Sailing This singlehanded men’s class never disappoints with its mix of physicality and grace. The British champion, Giles Scott managed to defend his 2016 gold medal, even after restarting the double-points medal race. Great boat speed jumped him back up to silver medal position by the first mark, but Hungary’s Zsombor Berecz rounded the first three marks with the gold medal in sight. It wasn’t until the final gate, just before the reach to the finish, when Scott was able to luff up inside two boats and finally lock up the gold, relegating Berecz to silver. North Sails expert Mickey Ickert developed the very first laminated Finn sail before the 1996 Games, and we’re very sad to see this boat leave the Olympic family—but we also predict the class will continue to thrive. We’ve built 10,000 Finn sails to date, and we will soon launch an updated product range that includes several improvements we made while working with Giles Scott, Zombor Berecz, and other top teams. 470 Showdown 📸 Sailing Energy / World Sailing In the men’s fleet, all of the top nine teams used North Sails. Australia’s Matt Belcher/Will Ryan bested their Silver winning Rio 2016 performance for Olympic Gold in Tokyo. With this win, Belcher became Australia’s ‘most successful Olympic sailor.’ The battle for the other two podium spots was eventually won by Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg/Fredrik Bergstrom and Spain’s Jordi Xammar/Nicolas Rodriguez Garcia-Paz. Between them, this trio of teams won all but two of the eleven races. All 21 women’s teams used North Sails. As expected, the British duo Hannah Mills/Eilidh Mcintyre took the top spot on the podium. With this win, Mills cemented her position as the most successful female Olympic sailor to date. A tie for silver between Poland’s Agnieszka Skrzpulec/Jolanta Ogar and France’s Camille Lecointre/Aloise Retornaz was won by Poland, since they had the most race wins (3). For long-time 470 teams, Tokyo2020 also marked another bittersweet final regatta; at the next Olympics in Paris 2024, this doublehanded boat will become a mixed gender event. North Sails Japan will continue to develop successful sails for the many new teams that are already forming. 49erFX Repeat Gold 📸 Sailing Energy / World Sailing Defending gold medalists Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze of Brazil went into the medal race on the losing end of a tie with the Netherlands’ Annemiek Bekkering/Annette Duetz . But a third place finish (behind Argentina and Norway) gave them another decisive overall victory. Tina Lutz/Susann Beucke of Germany finished fifth to win silver, forcing the Dutch team to settle for third overall. 49er Upset Ties for first and third at the Tokyo2020 Games show how close the racing was in the men’s skiff. Great Britain’s Dylan Fletcher/Stuart Bithell won the medal race by only a few meters over the German team, earning the gold medal. 2016 gold medalists (and America’s Cup champions) Peter Burling/Blair Tuke of New Zealand finished second. Germany’s Erik Heil/Thomas Ploessel beat out Spain’s Diego Botin le Chever/Iago Lopez Marra for the bronze. With only three years left before Paris 2024, we have already started work with several top Olympic hopefuls. We are also very excited to work with the 49er and 49er FX classes as they transition to North 3Di for the Paris 2024 Games. Congratulations to all! To receive future updates on all the Olympic classes, sign up for our newsletter. READ MORE

GRAND PRIX MACHINES AT THE ROLEX FASTNET Check out the high-profile boats to watch in the World’s largest offshore race 📸 Yvan Zedda/Alea The world’s largest offshore yacht race begins this weekend, the legendary Fastnet. With so many boats on the water, including some very high-profile racing boats, we sat down with North Sails experts to find out more about the competition. With this story, we’re looking into the Grand Prix boats. Just who are the IMOCAs and Class 40s we need to watch out for in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race? Alan Pennaneach is really looking forward to this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. At North Sails France, he’s worked with lots of IMOCA and Class 40 teams to fine-tune their sail plans for the race. Plus he’s getting ready to take part in the race himself onboard the Class 40 Banque du Leman. IMOCAs 📸 Gauthier LEBEC / Charal Sailing Team “The IMOCA teams we work with are looking forward to testing all the modifications we’ve done to their sails after the Vendée Globe,” he says, before discretely adding that he “can’t really detail the changes done. New sails and existing sails that have been re-cut will be onboard for the Rolex Fastnet Race. The sailors will give us their feedback directly afterwards.” That will allow North Sails to modify the sails before the Transat Jaques-Vabre in November. “That’s one of the advantages of the 3Di technology,” adds Pennaneach. “You can tweak things easily as long as the sails are in an okay shape. We’ve done that lots in the Spring and Summer this year, and we’ll keep testing these throughout the season before creating brand new sails in 2022.” So who are the boats to keep an eye on? It’s hard for Pennaneach to decide on just one favorite. “All the new generation boats are favorite – Vendée Globe winner Yannick Bestaven & Roland Jourdain on Maitre Coq, Jeremie Beyou & Christopher Pratt on Charal, Simon Fisher & Justine Mettraux on 11th Hour Racing Team, Charlie Dalin & Paul Meilhat on Apivia…” Throughout the fleet, their main goal is to win the 2021 edition – and to prepare for the Transat Jacques-Vabre. This also holds true for Pennaneach too, but his presence onboard Banque Du Leman serves an additional purpose. “We’ve delivered new sails last week, so the Rolex Fastnet Race will allow us to validate all the modifications done during the summer, prepare for the Transat and decide on any further modifications. Being onboard will allow me to immerse myself in the project and see what improvements can be made.” Pennaneach has specifically worked on a new J1 that got rolled out two weeks ago. “It led to more changes in the mainsail because of the class rules. We cut the old main again, so we can see if it leads to any gain, and how it affects the balance of the boat.” Class 40s 📸 Pierre Bouras With lots of new Class 40s being built at the moment, the fleet isn’t quite complete but still features some big names. Antoine Carpentier on Courrier Redman is sailing with previous overall winner Gery Trentesaux, and British legend Mike Golding is racing with Alex Mehran on the Akilaria RC3 Polka Dot. Pennaneach’s crew is one of the favorites too, just like the team onboard Palanad 3. “They’ve got the same boat than us, but skippered by a father and son who’re amateurs and surround themselves with professionals. They can definitely be at the front.” Find out which doublehanded teams at the Rolex Fastnet we’re keeping an eye on. READ MORE

DOUBLEHANDED TEAMS AT THE ROLEX FASTNET Of 89 duos, who will stand out from the crowd? 📸 Bomby/ Robertson With almost a fourth of the entire fleet sailing doublehanded, the duos lining up on the start line of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race already own the race. But who will stand out from the crowd?89 doublehanded boats will gather in Cowes to take part in the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race, a number that reflects the growing popularity of doublehanded offshore racing – and everyone’s excitement for that format. “It’s going to be super competitive,” rejoices Henry Bomby, who helped create the UK Double Handed Offshore Series. This IRC format has been created for all boats that are sailed doublehanded with a rating between 0.990 and 1.055 TCC, and the Series represents 29 crews entering the race this year and aiming to round the Fastnet Rock. “All the boats are actually really similar in terms of size and rating,” says Bomby. “They’re all between 30 and 35, 36 feet, so it should be some really close racing.” “The reality is if you haven’t made the right choices with IRC, then you won’t win the race,” Bomby’s sailing partner Shirley Robertson said. “We’ve generally found lots of the boats are pretty close, but you also have to sail well. But, fundamentally, you have to have made the right decisions around the IRC rule.” Coming from Britain, the Figaro, MOD70 and Volvo Ocean Race sailor will be competing with Shirley Robertson onboard the SunFast 3300 Swell. She’s the first British women to claim consecutive gold medals in the Olympics – and is currently in Tokyo covering the Games. “She’s literally coming back the day before the race,” explains Bomby. “Our goal is to try and win the doublehanded Rolex Fastnet Race together. We’re supported by Nigel Colley at Sea Ventures, we’ve got a new boat and new North sails. Our whole programme has been building towards this event so it should be exciting.” 📸 Bomby/ Robertson Together with North Sails, Bomby and Robertson have worked on their sail programme and have come up with something that’s “quite different” for the extended downwind section to the finish line in Cherbourg, France. With that section having virtually doubled in distance, downwind sails are more important than ever. “It should be VMG downwind, so we’ve got an A sail but with a spinnaker pole. It’s a different setup from any of our competitors and we’ve been testing it this year – it will be interesting to see how we do in that aspect. I don’t know if any other boat has done the same… at least not that I’m aware of.” In 2019, Bomby and Hannah Diamond finished the Rolex Fastnet Race in second place, losing to Frenchman Alexis Loison. He still sees the Cherbourg native and his crewmate Guillaume Pirouelle as key contenders – “they’re very strong in a very competitive JPK 1030 boat, Region Normandie (Léon).” In fact, back in 2013, Loison became the very first doublehanded Fastnet Challenge Cup winner with his father Pascal aboard their JPK 10.10 Night and Day – and he knows the Cherbourg area like the back of his hand. Bomby is paying attention to all the other SunFast 3300s as well, starting with round the world legend Dee Caffari and James Harayda on board the former’s Gentoo, a boat that was built for them to trial for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He’s also got his eyes on Kelvin Rawlings and Stuart Childerley on Aries. “These two seem to be the best of the 3300 – we always seem to be racing with them. Kelvin Matthews and Tim Goodhew on their Sun Fast 3200 Cora have been leading the series so I’m sure they’ll be doing well too.” No matter the predictions though, it will all be down to the battle on the water. “If the weather is different from its historic average, we might struggle a bit,” adds Bomby. “If we have the typical Rolex Fastnet Race weather, we’ll be very happy and will be in a good place to do well.” READ MORE

A NEW COURSE, NEW CLASSES, THE ROLEX FASTNET RACE ENTERS NEXT CHAPTER The 49th Edition of the Offshore Classic Begins Sunday, August 8th 📸 Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex The Rolex Fastnet Race is widely considered one of the most challenging offshore races by Corinthian and professional sailors alike. Local sailors learn about it at an early age and dream of one day competing in it. For the pros, it is a chance to compete with your best peers, and, if the weather is favorable, perhaps set a new course record. Registering for this offshore classic is so anticipated that the race “sells out” in less than an hour. The 2021 race boasts a 350+ boat entry list and a new finish location, which tacks 87 miles onto the previous 608 nm racecourse. Now that both boat sizes and participation numbers have outgrown the original finish destination of Portsmouth, England, this year’s race will finish in Cherbourg, France. “Cherbourg is the perfect venue for the finish of the race,” explained Race Director Chris Stone. “It has amazing facilities for competitors, berthing that allows us to grow and expand the event, plus the city is right on the doorstep of the race village. Of course, coupled with that is the enormous love for offshore sailing in France. That popularity brings interest and visitors to the city and the race village – it’s going to be amazing.” The new course announcement has been met with mixed emotions, but the strategy looks like a success so far. Race participation is has increased by almost 20%, and the entry list reads like a who’s who of today’s best offshore teams: four newly launched Ultimes, race record holder Rambler 88, the newly launched ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, as well as Vendee Globe winner Yannik Bestaven and a handful of other IMOCAs. With 100% certainty of a new course record, the only questions are who, and how fast? This year’s Fastnet includes the traditional race landmarks, and a handful of new navigation challenges. After sailing along the south coast of England and across the Celtic Sea to Fastnet Rock, the fleet then rounds Bishop Rock west of the Scilly Isles and heads to Cherbourg. As the race website puts it, “tactically it will place fresh demands on crews with a final hurdle of tackling the fast-moving currents of the Alderney Race before reaching the finish.” One thing the race organizers could not forecast? The impact of planning a new route around a global pandemic. Race organizers in the UK and France have been working together to ensure they can adapt and accommodate the forever moving target of health and safety and cross-border logistical challenges. “We will continue to adapt in order to accommodate the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race, as we have done since the beginning of the pandemic,” commented Jean-Louis Valentin, president of the Arrival Fastnet Cherbourg association. As far as the finish is concerned, we will be able to respond to several scenarios, in conjunction with the race management.” At the time of publishing, the 2021 Fastnet fleet is expected to finish in Cherbourg. While it’s sometimes easier to cancel these events under the current constraints, all of us at North Sails (and sailing fans worldwide) applaud the Fastnet for getting boats to the start line. The 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race is scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 8th, 2021. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: TRANSPAC 2021 Winning the 51st edition of the race from all angles 41 boats raced the 51st Transpac, and at first glance, especially for the Grand Prix boats, it was a pretty straightforward boatspeed race down the great circle rhumb line. Digging a little deeper, though, each division’s winning approach depended on the boat’s best downwind mode: from heated apparent wind angles for newer designs, to the more traditional dead downwind surfing that has always made the Transpac such an epic adventure. First, though, the fleet had to get upwind around Catalina and as far north as possible—at least that was the plan on the TP52 Warrior Won, winner of the First to Finish Merlin Trophy (all manual power) and the King Kalakaua Trophy (first to finish on corrected time). Owner Chris Sheehan says they won the race by splitting from the pack early on and taking a more northern route. For this stretch, Warrior Won found power with their 3Di main and 3Di square head jibs, a unique design choice for a TP52. “The other boats were getting very giddy under spinnaker, sailing low and fast,” Sheehan said. “In general, you want to get low to avoid any chance of touching the Pacific high just north of rhumbline. We were confident that it was a short term pain for long term gain, and there was enough breeze to stay very close to the rhumb line.” Once the wind went aft, they jibed onto port. “We were behind the entire fleet of boats in our class, but we came down on them like thunder, going thirty percent faster on a better angle toward Hawaii. And that sends a signal: that, soon, you’re going to be in our rearview mirror for most of this race.” After that, Warrior Won kept the pedal to the floor. “Planing is what allows us to correct out over non-planing boats,” Sheehan explains. “25 knots of breeze is the absolute sweetspot; we can sustainably sit at 23 knots of speed.” They were the third boat to finish off Diamond Head, a fantastic result for Sheehan’s first Transpac. Sailing Hot, Hot, Hot First to finish was Pyewacket 70, a modified Volvo 70 owned and sailed by Roy Disney. They were fully committed to apparent wind sailing; with true wind angles of around 145, the apparent wind would quickly clock forward to 70 degrees. Pyewacket used their new gear: triple-headed 3Di Helix headsails to win the Barn Door trophy for first to finish, combining either an A2 or A3 up front with a J4 in the middle, and an inner reaching staysail closest to the mast. North Sails expert Brian Janney says, with this set up, they managed to fit in some quantified sail testing during the race. “We figured out the A3 is actually 5-6 percent faster in 14 knots of breeze, which we thought would be in the heart of the A2. The flatter sail is just more forgiving to drive in waves, with a larger groove. You can go lower without it collapsing on you. If we had to do this race again, we might have left the A2 on the dock.” They also took a slight detour to set a new race record for a 505.75-mile run in 24 hours. “We did the math and figured out we couldn’t drop down or move up in the standings,” Janney explains. “And the weather was looking good. So we took a poll and Roy said, ‘let’s do it.’” Instead of jibing down the rhumb line with the rest of the fleet, Pyewacket only completed one jibe during the 24 hour record run. “If you stay on a straight line, you get a better chance of covering more miles” in the same time period, Janney points out. Though Pyewacket finally chased down Ho’ohkolohe (the Division 8 winners, who’d started five days earlier), they could not save their time on BadPak for the Division 1 win. BadPak also embraced the hot-angle approach, with a new 3Di mainsail that North Sails expert Jon Gardner calls “absolutely glamour” and a few bow-up reaching sails. The R2 (an overlapping “genoa” on a furler) went up as soon as they rounded Catalina, and he says they probably left it up a little too long. “Then we went to our fractional zero, and then the A2.5.” They’re still learning the boat’s optimum angles, he admits, because owner Tom Holthus only took possession of this boat in March. “We’ve been preparing for Transpac all spring and summer. We did pretty well for our first race.” Gardner was also aboard in 2019 for a division win on the previous BadPak (a Pac52). “It was great to repeat,” he concludes. Deep Down True Peligroso, a Kernan 68, won division 2. North Sails expert Patrick Murray was onboard for his sixth Transpac, and he calls the boat a “souped-up sled, a unique kind of tweener boat.” Driving the boat, he says they made their biggest gains by “cutting the corner” and sailing lower angles than their competition. “You have to relearn how to keep it going fast downwind. Mast vertical, a symmetrical bow wave, 160 apparent, and just plugging straight into the wave in front of you. You don’t turn, you just push through; it’s a very different mode of sailing. A lot of us were used to pushing the bow up, but the boat just loads up and didn’t really like that. So we had to buy in as a team to that lower mode, and concentrate on keeping flat with consistent pace. That’s where we would make major gains, because the other boats were sailing higher angles and extra distance.” Classic Transpac No matter what angle each boat sailed, all the sailors mentioned the joy and challenge of riding epic Pacific waves for days at a time. And almost everyone had some sort of boat breakdown, or spinnaker blowup, or both—though Jon Gardner said the boat captain on the R/P 63 GoodEnergy made a special point of finding him after the race was over, to thank him for their trouble-free inventory. “He was so appreciative of what we delivered as a company. They had no failures, and just absolutely loved the sails. Steve Calder did the designs, and not one came back to the loft for any type of recut or adjustment or anything. They just clobbered us on the last day, coming into Molokai, and beat us boat for boat. They just had a fantastic race.” Patrick Murray says he has more respect for the Transpac every time he sails it. “We always talk about trying to be prepared, but nobody sails these boats in conditions like this until you come to the race. It’s beautiful in the open ocean, and the conditions are just epic.” READ MORE

TOKYO 2020: 8 OLYMPIANS TO WATCH We wish everyone a PB (Personal Best) at the Olympics! 📸 Sailing Energy / World Sailing As athletes get ready for a much-anticipated Olympics, it’s even harder than usual to guess who will be stepping onto the podium this time around. The only prediction we feel completely safe in making is that we’ll have a plenty of new entries for the #NSVictoryList. Here’s a little background on 8 favorite Olympians we’ll be watching when the Games begin. Giles Scott GBR (Finn) The 2016 gold medalist dominated the entire Olympic quad leading up to Rio, so Giles has to be at the very top of our list. Calling America’s Cup tactics for former Finn rival Ben Ainslie on the foiling Ineos Team UK has undoubtedly honed already fast reaction times, and afterward this versatile sailor stepped right back onto the Finn podium with a silver medal at the 2021 Europeans—though he did have to “settle for second.” Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (49erFX) 📸 Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool Kiwis Alex and Molly both grew up on boats and both sailed around the world before the age of ten. When the 49erFX class was introduced into the Olympics roster for the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Kiwis began sailing together full time. It paid off when the dynamic duo won a silver medal at Rio 2016. To get ready for Tokyo, they’ve been taking advantage of New Zealand’s Millennium Institute of Sport state-of-the-art heat chamber—and also doing the occasional sail after dark, to test their non-visual senses. Watch their story on RedBull.com Matt Belcher and Will Ryan (470M) After training at home in Australia for the past year and a half, the 2016 silver medalists Matt Belcher and Will Ryan have not yet posted any international results. That said, Matt already knows how to win 470 gold (2012, with Malcolm Page), and he’s also won a record-setting seven 470 Worlds. Back in 2000, he won the 420 Worlds, a reminder of that class’ importance as a feeder to the Olympic 470. Hannah Mills and Eilidh Mcintyre (470W) Hannah Mills (GBR) won gold in 2016 and silver in 2012 with crew Saskia Clark. She and first-time Olympian Eilidh Mcintyre won the 2019 Worlds in Enoshima, which turned out to be the last 470 regatta held on Olympic waters ahead of the Games. After a rough start at the 2021 Worlds, they took the last three bullets before the medal race and finished fifth overall. With an entire fleet of North Sails and both 2016 medal-winning skippers sailing with new crews, this will be an especially fun battle to watch. Josh Junior (Finn) Josh finished seventh at the 2016 Rio Olympics and joined the winning America’s Cup Team New Zealand shortly afterward, along with close friend and Finn tuning partner Andy Maloney. In 2019, he became the very first New Zealander to win a Finn Gold Cup. Andy won this year’s Gold Cup, while Josh finished third, so awarding the country’s single Olympic slot must’ve been a very tough call. With Andy as his primary training partner, Josh will be well-prepared for the pressure-cooker uncertainties of Tokyo. We’re looking forward to watching all the 2020 Olympians adapt to the special challenges of this year’s competition, which runs July 25-August 5. Let the Games begin! READ MORE

2021 IC37 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Pacific Yankee Takes the Title 📸 Melges Performance Sailboats / Felipe Juncadella / UP TOP MEDIA Three days of offshore buoy racing tested IC37 competitors at the 2021 National Championships, and the last race of the event determined who would take home this year’s National title. Drew Freides and Bill Ruh’s Pacific Yankee made only one major mistake (race 6, an OCS) and were the swiftest boat out there, racking up only 15 total points after seven races and one discard. Skipper Drew Freides says they pride themselves on having a really good team. “We’ve got the crew work down pretty well. But it’s more of shifting gears and always keeping the boat going fast . I don’t think we’re faster than anybody, but we’re better at getting up to top speed more quickly.” John Brim’s Rima improved each day which put them in second overall with 22 points. John commented, “This is our first full season with a steady crew, and we feel like we’re learning how to sail the boat.” Jay Cross, Ben Kinney, and Hannah Swett’s Members Only showed great speed and perseverance, taking third overall with 30 points. In fourth was team Sertl on Das Blau Max, with the most consistent scoreline of all teams, throwing out an 8th place with a total of 35 points. Close behind with 39 points was Peter McClellan’s Gamecock. 📸 Morgan Kinney / IC37 Class Association Like all one designs, time in the boat was vital. All boats in the IC37 fleet are set up identically, so it’s up to the crew to adapt to changing conditions and how that affects each role. Here are some tips to help you at your next event: Communicating boat speed out of tacks. The main trimmer can communicate this to the crew so they know when the boat is up to full speed. This helps the helmsman know when to put the bow down, and allows the runner and the jib trimmers to coordinate trimming efforts. This is not only crucial to starts but can be big in port/starboard crossing situations. Get familiar with your mast settings. Adjusting the mast shims is crucial for maintaining boat speed and set up as conditions change. Depending on how much power you’ll need and the wind speed you add or remove the mast shims which control shroud tension and headstay. If the headstay tension isn’t right you’ll have a hard time going upwind at full speed. Boat Handling & Crew Communication. From the beginning of the race to the end, there should be constant conversation about what is happening. Mainsail trimmer communicates to the runner trimmer when more power (or less) is needed. Jib trimmers are listening in, making sure they can adjust leads if needed for more power in the foot, and where they are as far as trim angle with where the leech hits the spreaders. Designating one person to communicate crew weight downwind with wave state was huge and big gains were made on jibes and working up and down on the waves. Congratulations to Chris Culver’s Blazer II for qualifying for the NYYC Invitational Cup which will take place later this year. Big thanks to Moose McClintock, IC37 fleet coach. His support for the class and sailors has been above and beyond. The daily debriefs have been helpful, and the feedback he’s provided to teams on the water has helped elevate the competition and contribute to the class’s success. FULL RESULTS 📸 Melges Performance Sailboats / Beigel Sailing Media READ MORE

WOLRD CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING SAILS Results are a culmination of many years working behind the scenes 📸 Andrea Lelli Whether it’s the World Championship or a local Wednesday night, here at North Sails we thrive on seeing our clients at the top of the leaderboard. These results are a culmination of many years working behind the scenes: sail design; material selection; on the water testing; and developing accurate tuning guides. With one design sails in particular, the North team must work within strict class rules to model the masterpiece. The most recent example of “everything coming together” is the 2021 420 Worlds, where North-powered teams swept the Mens-Mixed Division podium and claimed the majority of top three finishes in the Women’s and U17 divisions North Sails offers an extensive lineup of 420 sails, and the race results were not dominated by any single model. We asked two onsite North Sails experts to explain why so many different sail designs achieved such great results. North Sails One Design expert Tom Sitzmann says that all the North Sails 420 designs are capable of winning. “It’s a question of the best fit for each particular team’s sailing style and weight. The best sails are easy to trim well, are consistently built, and offer durability. So you need to buy North Sails, because we have the sailing and design expertise, dedication, and passion to find the best fit for you.” North Technology Group CEO Tom Whidden was also on the water in San Remo, cheering on his grandson Thomas who crewed for Freddie Parkin and took the world title in the U17 division. With his sailmaker’s eye, Tom shared his observations: “The M-11 and M-9 are both very adjustable and very flexible from 0-18 knots, more than the Zaoli sails I observed—and even more dominant compared to the Olimpic sails in anything above 12 knots. All three sailmakers had jibs with similar twist profiles, although the non-North sails seemed to stretch more on the breezy day…..and consequentially, had less twist.” “I thought North had the greatest edge downwind,” Whidden added. “North spinnakers project better, with slightly less curvature in the upper leeches. Both Sitzmann/Woodworth and Parkin/Whidden were able to sail deeper in all breezes.” 📸 Andrea Lelli The Sail Design Loop Both Sitzmann and Whidden were quick to compliment North Japan, which has dominated the 420 and 470 classes for two decades. Masanobu Katori (known as Nobu) is very busy preparing for the Olympic Games, but he took time to explain how important the 420 class is to Olympic 470 development. “In the upcoming Olympics, 100% of the 470 Women use North Sails exclusively, and 16 of the 19 Men’s teams have our sails. In the 420 class, many of the coaches are ex-470 sailors. Australian gold medalist Mathew Belcher tested our 420 sails to provide the crucial feedback during the product development cycle. Our sales manager, Kei, has been developing vast connections between the 420 and 470 class. So they know us and our products, and how well we can support their teams.” Nobu says that 420 sail design is approached in the same methodical way as a Grand Prix program. “We have developed Spiral for dinghies, the same North Design Suite tool used for America’s Cup projects. We redesigned our two-boat testing system to suit small boats so we can better evaluate straight-line speed; to develop better designed sails, it is necessary to distinguish performance from race results. Of course, easy handling is also a key factor. 📸 Andrea Lelli “For good design, it is crucial to have good feedback. Based on that feedback, we re-design a sail, then manufacture and test it. The more you run this circle, the better sails you can have. People assume that in such an established class, there isn’t any room to develop. But every time you do this, you find something new—the cycle is never-ending.” Sailors and coaches are a critical piece of this development loop, Nobu insists, though sometimes the words they use are different from a sailmaker’s. “Fortunately we have a team with experienced people, so we can discuss what they’re feeling and then follow a logical redesign path. Then it is easy to track and re-route the path if the sail does not perform as expected.” The end goal is not to have a secret weapon, Nobu insists; it is to continue to improve the sails so 420 sailors can be confident in their speed. “This confidence is the big deal for every race, and we have been trying to provide it with good sails.” So whether it’s a 420 Worlds or your next Wednesday night beer can race, we’ve got the right sails for you. 📸 Andrea Lelli READ MORE

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THE 420 WORLDS North Sails Sits Down with Lior Lavie, Coach of Team USA 📸 Andrea Lelli The chatter about the 420 Worlds kicked off in the North Sails offices on the second to last day of the regatta. The results coming from San Remo, Italy, looked good—so good that we spent the final day hitting refresh. North-powered teams claimed six of the nine podium positions, with a full sweep in the 90-boat Mixed Division, and we’ve also added two new world champion teams to our #NSVictoryList: Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth won the mixed division, while Freddie Parkin/Thomas Whidden claimed the top spot in the U17 fleet. It’s the first time in 44 years that Team USA has won a 420 World Championship. Sailing in a world championship is an honor; winning is a privilege that comes only with hard work and is never guaranteed. Team USA’s victory in San Remo is a credit to the entire American squad: all 17 teams, the coaching staff, plus the parents (and grandparents). We caught up with Team USA coach Lior Lavie, owner of Outfit Sailing, to get his insight into the team’s success, and to ask his advice for aspiring young sailors. How did Team USA train for the 420 World Championship? Preparation began in September of 2020, with training in Miami. During the fall and winter months, our calendar included intensive days of training on weekends, block training camps during the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas), and events such as the US Nationals, North Americans, Midwinters all in Miami. In the spring we migrated up north to Annapolis and Newport before our departure to Europe. The many days of training on the water were combined with video debriefs, boat work, sail testing, speed tuning, and fitness. What were your expectations on Day 1? Team USA had four coaches in San Remo, and we all agreed that this year was a difficult year to predict how our sailors might perform, and where we, as a country, might stand compared to the rest of the world. There were no international events to set a baseline, and we had only a handful of sailors who had previously competed on the world stage. The majority of Team USA are young, talented sailors who were attending their first international event in the 420 class. Therefore, the coaching staff laid out the foundations and mindset for the team: treat each day as if it is the first day of the event while collecting data points, studying our competition, and making adjustments as needed. North Technology Group CEO Tom Whidden, with this grandson, Thomas Whidden, and Freddie Parkin. Whidden/Parkin are the 420 U17 World Champions. 📸 Andrea Lelli What did you focus on each day? Did each team have a unique focus? Each morning, we gathered all the athletes and coaches to discuss the day’s weather report, our overall strategy, and any updates we had about the racing. Afterward, we split the team into two groups (based on the assigned racing areas) for more specific conversations. On the water, I collected wind and current readings and shared that information with each team, so that they could develop their own game plan for the next race. We also discussed how to control the uncontrollable. Thinking ahead about different scenarios with opponents helped our teams deal with any situations that required an immediate reaction. The goal was for the skipper to focus on sailing the boat at max speed, trusting the crew to report potential crossings, fleet positioning, and weather/wind observations. This communication is a critical component to the success of our top teams. What are some things you feel Team USA is especially good at? (Technique, conditions, starting in big fleets?) Our US sailors showed versatility in their skills. It was amazing to observe and to be a part of. The 2021 Worlds delivered almost every type of condition: light with strong current, half trapezing, side shore winds, onshore winds, and full planing conditions. Our gold medalists showcased their ability to adapt while maintaining excellent sail trim and boat speed both upwind and downwind. Team USA won each division by a large amount. How did you manage momentum during the event? The competition is fierce at this level, so, mental preparation is what makes the difference. Day 5 of the championship is probably the best example. All three fleets (U17, Mixed, and Women’s) completed 9 races. Our three gold medalist teams scored a combined 8 wins—11 points in total. I don’t think any country has ever had such a dominating single day at a 420 World Championship, and that is why we had such a healthy lead going into the last day. For the final day, Team USA went back to our foundations and preparation. We were the team to beat, so it was even more important to sail clean and smart. Based on the standings, we evaluated different scenarios and how to react to each one. 📸 Andrea Lelli With young sailors, how do you help them deal with the pressures of both competition and success? Each athlete reacts differently, and our strong relationship to keep them calm and focused. One of my strengths is to customize my coaching style to a particular sailor; knowing when we need to break the tension with a joke, when the sailor needs reassurance, and when I may need to raise my voice to get them to refocus. These young sailors are very mature in their minds. The ability to handle pressure is a skill that’s under development years before the event. As a coach, I emphasize and teach my athletes to always be humble and to keep a low profile on and off the water. And I remind the sailors of this each day throughout the event. The key is preparation and maintaining your routine—until the last day when you can celebrate your victory. What does pre-race look like for you? Did you go out early each day to speed test, rig test, etc? For me, the pre-race routine is the most important part of each racing day. It is the only part of the race that is not “equal” to all competitors because not all sailors arrive at the same time and prepare the same way. What you do BEFORE racing can set you up for success the entire day. At this event, we were always the first team to arrive at the racing area. This provided a clear view of the water to observe wind patterns and wave action before the other coach boats and sailors arrive and disturb it. Looking upwind from the start line before the other competitors gave the sailors a boost of confidence. After that, we tuned up together in order to gather as much information as possible. What advice do you have for young sailors who want to move up in the fleet, and maybe someday participate in a World Championship? The best advice I can give is to develop healthy habits that will lead to success…both on and off the water. It is also helpful to identify any destructive or unhealthy habits (which we all have) and make them less appealing while rewarding yourself for positive behaviors. As you begin to accumulate good habits in time management, communication, rules, respect, and routines, you will set yourself up for improved results. Healthy communication with your partner and developing mutual respect for each other are also keys to success in any sailing career. The team of Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth (bow #95) claimed the Worlds title in the Mixed Division. 📸 Andrea Lelli READ MORE

FROM THE LOFT FLOOR TO THE RACECOURSE North Sailmaker Tom Gillard’s Winning One Design Streak Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week is the highlight regatta for Merlin Rocket sailors in England, so much so that the 120 available spaces in the entry list get snapped up in a matter of minutes. As well as a fantastic sailing venue, Salcombe is also a popular holiday destination, making it a family-orientated yet competitive event. Winning the regatta with impressively consistent results despite having never sailed together was North Sails One Design expert and sailmaker Tom Gillard with his crew, 470 Olympic Development squad sailor Aaron Holman. Conditions varied from a mid-week windy day with big squalls to the final two days of lighter airs. “The North sails responded well to these huge changes in conditions,’’ Tom remarks. “The Mainsail is so versatile and performs perfectly to meet the conditions, as well as being easy to set up. I recently changed the sail plan to have the bigger MJR-4 Jib and smaller M-9 Mainsail, alongside the K-7 Spinnaker.’’ Tides are an essential factor when racing in Salcombe, and wind shifts are influenced by the hills on either side of the estuary. Moored boats also take up room in the harbor, making for lots of variables that can affect the results of this tightly packed fleet. “We made sure to play it safe on the start, especially as it was a black flag start meaning it would be an immediate disqualification if we were over the line.’’ comments, Tom. Salcombe Gin Merlin Rocket Week 📸 John Murrell The results don’t stop here as Tom seems to be winning every boat he steps into at the moment. Very similar boat design to the Merlin, Tom recently won the Scorpion Inland Championship and the Solo Midland Championship. He is looking forward to competing in the Nationals for both classes later this year. What has driven this winning streak? we asked Tom: “A lot of boat preparation in lockdown!’’ he replies. “The sails have come a long way in development as well. David Lenz has put a lot of work into the Merlin sail designs, which makes them fast from the get-go. North Scorpion sails have always been leaders in the fleet.’’ “It is great to See Tom winning with the latest Merlin Rocket sail designs, which we optimized based on the winning sails from Salcombe Week in 2019. We had some great input from Simon Potts, George Yeoman, Team Rockatross, and Chris Gould, who all now use the same sail plan for the bow tack jib. It is a very user-friendly, all-round package, and these designs have now won four UK events so far in 2021. As Tom says, lockdown has been a great time to get faster.’’ comments North Sails sail designer David Lenz. “The sails have come a long way in development as well. David Lenz has put a lot of work into the Merlin sail designs, which makes them fast from the get-go.” Tom splits his time at North Sails in Gosport between production and sales, particularly enjoying sticking, joining, and second-laying One Design sails. Second-laying involves cutting the sail to physical size and ensuring it is compliant with the class rules. The team has recently had the exciting opportunity to work on building the Finn sails for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The material is manufactured in Sri Lanka, and the rest of the sail is completed at Gosport. “On average, we made six sails for each sailor, and from those, they chose two to compete with. Each sail had intricate modifications as requested by the team, which made it tricky but amazing to be involved in.’’ SHOP ONE DESIGN SAILS READ MORE

TRANSPAC 2021: 5 BOATS TO WATCH Winning isn’t the only goal for these teams Ho’okolohe 📸 Emma Deardorff / ultimatesailing.org / Transpacific Yacht Club The Transpac begins this week, with three staggered starts to keep the finish times close. This iconic bluewater classic always attracts a range of programs, from full-on professional teams to families looking for some cool downwind sailing. Here’s a little background about five different boats we’ll be following as they make their way to Hawai’i. Pyewacket was well-known even before 2019, when Roy Disney and crew rescued the nine-member OEX crew from their life rafts. For 2021, the boat’s official title is Pyewacket 70—because the ride is now a Volvo 70. This experienced group includes past North Sails president Gary Weisman, who will be starting his 24th Transpac. (He and Disney are tied for most races sailed.) And all the forward sails include Helix, which has drastically reduced rig loads on their preferred triple-header sail plan. “We have to balance all the tack loads so they don’t go over a certain combined number,” North Sails expert and trimmer Brian Janney explains. “With Helix, it takes a lot of pressure off the mast.” Once around Catalina, he is looking forward to some fast offwind sailing under 3Di main, Helix A3, Helix J4, and Helix Inner Staysail. Peligroso is a Ker 68 owned by Doug Baker, who’s sailed an impressive 21 Transpacs. His veteran team includes North Sails designer Steve Calder, who will put his extensive Helix knowledge (and perhaps a few kiting skills) to work. North Sails expert Patrick Murray is one of the trimmers on this purpose-built sled, which has added a new A7 and A2 for the race. Onboard Pyewacket North Sails expert Fuzz Foster worked with Peligroso to tailor their inventory. “The A7 is a true reaching kite to help the boat in the early stages of the race,” he says. “The A2 is aimed specifically at running—more so than the boat’s previous A2, which was an all-purpose sail.” Foster will be sailing his fourth Transpac on Ho’okolohe—as self-designated “Cat 3 cooler jockey”—and this year will check off a very important bucket list item: both his sons, Fizz and Travis, will be onboard. “I made a deal with Travis in 2019 that if I ever did another Transpac, he would be part of the crew. Every parent should be as lucky as me to do something like this.” Oaxaca 📸 Sharon Green / ultimatesailing.org / Transpacific Yacht Club Oaxaca is back to defend her 2019 class win, but so is her arch-rival Horizon. These two Santa Cruz 50s were designed forty years ago by Bill Lee to win races to Hawai’i; on the 2019 race, their corrected finishes were only twelve minutes apart—after over nine days of racing. Oaxaca navigator Liz Baylis will be sailing her fifth Transpac, and she says each one is memorable in a different way. One of Liz’s teammates will be racing from LA to Honolulu for the very first time. “I started following Bill Lee and his designs when I was a kid,” Paul Cronin says, “and I’ve always wanted to do the Transpac on a Santa Cruz 50. Now I have the opportunity, thanks to Liz. And we have some very nice new North sails!” BadPak won their class in 2019, and this year Tom Holthus and his team have a new boat. The 2018 Botin 56 looks very fast, says Pyewacket’s Janney. “They haven’t done a race with this boat yet, but they’re probably going to beat us on corrected time.” BadPak has an all-North inventory. BadPak 📸 Sharon Green / ultimatesailing.org / Transpacific Yacht Club Compadres is the same Andrews 77 that Cal Maritime’s offshore team sailed to third in division for the 50th Transpac in 2019. Now jointly owned by a group of friends, the boat has had an extensive refit above and below decks. The team includes two generations of two different families: David Dahl with sons Michael and Sean, and Bart Scott with daughter Brett. Their stated goal is to sail a race that will be “safe, fast, and fun.” The first seven boats start on Tuesday July 13th; 15 more leave LA on Friday July 16th; and the fastest 19 entries start on Saturday, July 17th. The long-term weather forecast predicts a fairly traditional race breeze-wise, so Comanche’s 2017 race record of five and a half days is probably safe. There are only two marks on the 2225 mile course: leave the west end of Catalina Island to port, and finish at Diamond Head off Honolulu. Expect boats to begin arriving in Hawai’i on about July 23. BOAT BLOGS RACE TRACKER ENTRY LIST READ MORE

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF NORTH CLUB RACING SAILS J/122 Racing in Hong Kong 📸 Takumi Images / Panda Man Nicolas (Nico) Cohen-Addad’s J/122 Jinn captured the attention of the North Sails team in Hong Kong after winning a host of recent regattas, including the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Summer Cup (IRC) and the Waglan Series (IRC 1). We spoke with Nico about these recent triumphs in the popular club race class and also learned how a Frenchman who grew up in the Alps came to live, work and sail competitively in Hong Kong. Nico was introduced to sailing at age four by his father, who was keen for his children to get their sea legs as early as possible, near Chambery in France. In 2001, Nico followed his finance career from London to Hong Kong, and even though he’d never been to Asia he instantly knew he would never leave. “I got the job, jumped on the plane, landed in Hong Kong, and it just struck me,’’ he remarks. His first racing was on an Etchells he bought to race against 21 highly competitive Hong Kong teams. After five years, however, work and family duties took precedence—until 2018, when his wife spurred him to mark his 50th birthday with a unique purchase. “Buying Jinn became a pet project, some sort of experiment,’’ says Nico. “I wanted to know what could happen if you buy a racer-cruiser to optimize and build the crew from the ground up. Our crew are family and friends from completely different backgrounds; some had never sailed, only a few had raced (mostly small boats), and one of them was entirely new to water sports. That was the diversity of the crew, and I decided to see what we could do!’’ The extensive fleet of North-powered J/122 boats in the UK made it clear that North Sails knows best in this club race class. Sails are a sizable yet critical investment, and choosing the right setup translates into better results. I think every boat owner should put a lot of thought into choosing the right sailmaker.’’ 2020 was when things started to fall into place for team Jinn. Restricted travel allowed the crew to commit more time to sailing, and they racked up an impressive 60 days on the water; that would set them up well for regattas to come. Nico also decided to replace the original set of sails. “Changing sails was an essential step for us to get the boat to where it is now,’’ he explains. “We now have lighter, 3Di RAW sails which maintain their great shape, and we are happy with the performance in all conditions so far. The extensive fleet of North-powered J/122 boats in the UK made it clear that North Sails knows best in this club race class. Sails are a sizable yet critical investment, and choosing the right setup translates into better results. I think every boat owner should put a lot of thought into choosing the right sailmaker.’’ “Most notably, moving to North Sails has improved the overall handling of the boat.’’ he continues. “Trimming and helming consistency has improved, which has, in turn, made us quicker. We are now better at sailing on an optimal TWA closer to the expected maximum boat performance. We found it hard to unlock this potential with the previous sailmaker, and North has enabled us to do that.’’ “We are now better at sailing on an optimal TWA closer to the expected maximum boat performance. We found it hard to unlock this potential with the previous sailmaker, and North has enabled us to do that.’’ Nico also says the support of North experts in Hong Kong has been critical. Nico and Isamu Sakai have raced and won doublehanded races together and hope to compete in the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race in October. Now that the team has unlocked their speed potential, they can afford to play it safer at the start and count on upwind boat performance to give them an edge against their closest competitors, a J/109 and J/111. “Ultimately, it comes down to training, time spent on the water, and striking the right balance between the boat design and sail design,” Nico says. “Winning races is rewarding, and the more you win, the higher the pressure on every race – but as Doc Rivers says, ‘pressure is a privilege.’’ For other sailors looking to make a similar leap from a small keelboat to a 40-foot racing yacht, Nico says the skills translate better than one might think. “The pace and maneuvers are the biggest difference; a larger crew requires a different approach to coordination and communication, so it is all about getting used to that.’’ Aside from the occasional typhoon, Hong Kong weather permits year-round racing. “The sailing community is thriving,’’ Nico says, adding that the pandemic has encouraged many to upgrade their boats as a way to get out on the water. , “There are not many places in the world where you can drive 15 minutes, get out of your car and jump on your boat.’’ He also enjoys taking Jinn day cruising to the hundreds of islands, pristine white beaches, and small Hong Kong harbors. “All the crew loved the journey we have been on with Jinn,’’ Nico concludes. “The fact that none of us had experience racing bigger yachts meant it was a great learning experience to optimize the boat, crew, and sails which we feel has now come together. If I had the opportunity, I would do it again.’’ 📸 Takumi Images / Panda Man 📸 Takumi Images / Panda Man 📸 Takumi Images / Panda Man 📸 Takumi Images / Panda Man READ MORE

SAILING OR DESIGNING? Why choose when you can have both (and benefit from it) 📸 Pierre Bouras For North Sails designer Quentin Ponroy, creating the sails for the LinkedOut IMOCA 60 didn’t stop once the plans left his desk. A keen sailor, the Frenchman took it one step further and joined Thomas Ruyant and his crew for The Ocean Race Europe, a committed way to put the theory to the test – and think of solutions for the future. “I’m a field designer”, says Ponroy in his distinctly analytical tone. “I work with computer models, but I’ve got a racing background and I need to go onboard and connect the theory to what’s happening at sea.” Having wrapped The Ocean Race Europe on June 19 in Genova, Italy, Ponroy is so modest he plays the whole thing down by focusing on the technical aspect of the race and the learnings he’s bringing back to North Sails. The reality is though, he did join a professional crew of four sailors (skipper Thomas Ruyant and fellow Vendée Globe 2021-21 finisher Clarisse Crémer, Morgan Lagravière, Laurent Bourgue and François Pernelle ) during an offshore race from Lorient to Genova via Cassis, Portugal and Alicante, Spain. In a way, he’s used to it: he’s more of an inshore and coastal racer, but he’s crossed the Atlantic on maxi multihulls before, including during The Bridge on Francis Joyon’s IDEC Ultim. “This was a first for me in many ways though,” he adds. “I’m not used to this style of boat and competition.” 📸 Pierre Bouras It went well, very well for Ponroy– the conditions were varied, allowing them to try all the sails and trim non-stop, and the crew eventually took third overall. But Ponroy doesn’t dwell on that. As he steps back into his office routine he has tons of learnings he can use going forward. “We’ve already designed two sets of sails for this boat together with Antoine Koch (who’s in charge of the sails at LinkedOut) and France-based North Sails designers Gautier Sergent and Yann Andrillon: one set for the last season, and one set for the 2020-21 Vendée Globe. That’s eight sails per set. But those working sessions on the water were short. Boats are often at the boatyard or out racing and we, the technicians, don’t usually have much time to work onboard.” That’s what convinced Ponroy to join the team– well that, and his love for sailing. To have a good period of time onboard, in actual racing conditions, to help him see the things he just couldn’t anticipate back on land at the computer. “In offshore racing, there are uncertainties related to the sea conditions, the time of day, the weather, the manoeuvres… The models can be far from reality, I think, and we see that in the sailors’ feedback. Sometimes, the sails aren’t behaving like we thought they would. We’re confident in our upwind sails, but some of our downwind sails have a lot more volume and are harder to design. We must be doing better, in particular in rough seas where the boats accelerate and slow down a lot. “At North Sails, we want to find answers to these questions.” #1 Reliability Reliability. It’s “one of the most important factors when designing a sail” according to Ponroy. It needs to last– especially when it’s going around the world. “We already noticed some unusual things after the Vendée Globe, in particular on the sails of the new foiling boats. In light winds, LinkedOut behaves like a traditional IMOCA 60 equipped with only a keel and daggerboards. When she accelerates though, the foils create a lot of power and the boat feels like a multihull. The loads, the speed, the sounds – everything is higher. But the hull remains the same big monohull so when you hit a wave you’re brought to a violent halt. “I think I now understand some things that we didn’t quite foresee in our models: on foiling boats like these, it’s not just the boat but the sails that are submitted to higher loads, too.” The loads are higher and the speed range wider. When their target sailing speed was 25 knots, Ponroy observed the boat’s speeds actually fluctuated between 20 to 30 knots– and no that wasn’t because of a novice helmsperson. “This impacts the sails in two different ways,” he says. “First, when the boat stops in a wave and suddenly loses 10 knots of speed, there is a load peak in the sails that’s very high. That was my first strong impression and it’s something we need to take into account in our design.” Because the crew tend to trim based on the lower speed range, the sails aren’t trimmed enough and flap a lot whenever the boat accelerates. The Stay Sails suffer from that more than the others. “Sails don’t particularly love flapping,” he jokes, “so we need to implement solutions to stop it from damaging the sails.” 📸 Pierre Bouras #2 Sail shape & Helix Structured Luff A North Sails exclusive, Helix Structured Luff sails are designed to redistribute rig loads from a cable or headstay into the sail membrane, placing more load on the luff. “The IMOCA 60 class started to adopt it a couple of years ago,” Ponroy said. “We’re now noticing that Helix Structured Luff is good when out at sea with the auto-pilot on, but could be better. That’s exactly why it was so beneficial to be onboard.” “Having observed it onboard LinkedOut, I think a full, 100% Helix sail isn’t quite realistic on these boats that are mostly single-handedly sailed. If the loads are entirely placed on the sails, it causes luff instability. I think 50/50 is a good target for now, allowing us to benefit from Helix’s main quality, an optimal and evolutive sail shape.” With these boats performing faster every year, Ponroy reckons we’re heading towards very flat sails with forward volumes. “The downwind sails look more and more like upwind ones these days. The surface difference between the main and foresails is key and needs to be calculated properly.” 📸 Pierre Bouras #3 Manoeuvres “I did almost all of them at the bow with Thomas,” he smiles. “It’s been great. I knew most of the moves but learned how long and how complex some of them are. We were a five-person crew so it’s not even single-handed sailing, but it was really enlightening and will allow me to be more precise and think of more coherent sail selections going forward.” For Ponroy, allowing more overlaps between every sail is a key learning from these weeks at sea. “It allows the sailor to delay some manoeuvres and not always have to change a sail. It gives them more options. “The more versatile a sail is, the more you can use it, the further you can push it.” 📸 Pierre Bouras READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: STORM TRYSAIL CLUB BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK 10 Class Wins and Three Podium Sweeps for North Sails Clients Around the Island Race 📸 Block Island Steve Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race week is always a much anticipated and highly-competitive regatta that attracts a mixed-class entry list from Maine to Annapolis every other year. This year a number of first-timers joined the record-breaking fleet of 158 boats, a positive sign for sailing after so many events in 2020 were cancelled due to Covid restrictions. For North Sails, this event showcased both our sailing expertise and full-service support. Preparations for the 2021 edition began in early spring with a webinar to help participants prepare for a week of Block Island Sound racing; topics included local knowledge, sail recommendations and race-winning tips and tricks. Service and support continued on the island, where North Sails set up a Certified Service pop-up sail loft at the Block Island Maritime Institute that provided overnight repairs for all regatta participants. Incognito, winner of Performance Cruising 1 Spin 📸 Stephen R Cloutier North Sails inventories and experts helped several clients win their division and added 30 new results to the #NSVictoryList. Below are the highlights from a great week of sailing. Ken Read sailed with Jim Grundy on the Dunning 44 Rigadoon, winner of ORC B. Jim says that winning Block Island Race Week was a goal established in 2019, after a tough regatta in their previous Harry Dunning-designed 42. “The new 44 was planned to compete at a much higher level, with extensive design support and performance analysis from K&D engineering and North Sails. We chose North to support our design team recognizing their ability to support the entire aero package and design development. Mike Marshall, a brilliant young sail designer, delivered near perfect sails out of the box. Ken Read, who was onboard for our BIRW win, backed up our program with his infinite knowledge and generous on-the-water support. I’ve always recognized preparation and practice are essential components of winning. Our mostly family and amateur team put in the time, and all our effort came together at Block Island.” Rigadoon, winner of ORC B 📸 Stephen R Cloutier North Sails expert Tom Castiglione sailed with Jonathan “JR” Rechtschaffer, owner of the J/109 Emoticon*, won the J/109 East Coast Championships as well as the regatta’s One Design Trophy. The secret was the excellent crew work that only comes with a consistent team, JR says—combined with excellent speed and height across the wind range. “We were lucky to sail with the same team that we had at the Cedar Point One Design Regatta, and we sailed a near perfect regatta as far as crew work was concerned. We have developed an upwind sail and rig tune package with the North team that allowed us to get ourselves out of sticky situations. Steve Kenny’s team Gossip sailed a heck of a regatta and it was a great battle from the very first race. They kept the competition tight and were about a boat length apart for just about all of the Around the Island race.” 📸 BIRW 2021 Bill Clemens, owner of Bolt 37 Coyote, winner of the PHRF Div 1 commented; “Our Block Island win was a special one. We have never won- placed many times but never won, and we did it with my children, their friends and my close friends of thirty-plus years. No pros! And totally old school, because of course our new instruments weren’t working. The boat was doing what it was supposed to do and the sail development since we started sailing her has proven very fast. This was truly a team family effort from onboard crew to shore crew.” Coyote, winner of PHRF 1 📸 Stephen R Cloutier Robin Team, skipper of J/122 Teamwork, finished second in the ORC D Division with North Sails expert Jonathan Bartlett onboard. Robin says they focused each day on sail selection that would match the forecast and expected courses, but they also tried to stay flexible and remain positive when things didn’t go exactly to plan. “Everyone is always complimenting the others,” he explains. “Our North Sails expert and tactician, Jonathan Bartlett, is a master at keeping our head in the game, focusing on recovery and maximizing our potential for each circumstance.” Teamwork, second place ORC D 📸 Stephen R Cloutier FIND A LOFT FULL RESULTS REQUEST A QUOTE Banjo, winner of Performance Cruising Non-Spin Pursuit 📸 Stephen R Cloutier Peacemaker, winner of ORC C 📸 Stephen R Cloutier Ramrod, winner of J/111 One Design 📸 Stephen R Cloutier READ MORE

RAVENGER CLAIMS OVERALL WIN AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA Premier Superyacht Sailing in Palma with a Full North-Powered Fleet 📸 Atila Madrona Superyacht Cup Palma’s 25th Anniversary Regatta has concluded in dramatic fashion with a first-time entrant, 43m Ravenger taking home their class and the overall regatta win. North expert and Palma local Quinny Houry was onboard trimming Ravenger’s newly installed North 3Di inventory. Finishing behind Ravenger in Class B was Ganesha in second, Baiurdo VI in third, Scorpione of London took fourth and Aquarius rounded out the fleet in 5th. 📸 Atila Madrona Nilaya won Class A. Crew member Bouwe Bekking stated, “the competition has been really good, and everyone sailed well. Missy is extremely fast upwind, a real weapon, and Shamanna also – we had some excellent racing.” Missy took home second, Shamanna in third and Umiko in fourth. 35m Frers designed Nautor’s Swan Shamanna won the special North Sails ‘Spirit of the Event’ award at the prize-giving in memory of North Sails founder Lowell North. Baiurdo VI was also a special prize winner, having the best race start in the event. The 25th Anniversary of the @superyachtcuppalma is officially complete. We’ve already blocked the dates on our calendars for next year. Superyacht Cup Palma 2022 will be held from June 22-25. READ MORE

THE OCEAN RACE IS JUST BEGINNING This month-long sprint provided a glimpse into the new two-class format, and we can’t wait for the around-the-world race to start in October 2022 📸 Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team / The Ocean Race It is officially the end of the Ocean Race Europe– a really fun event that I think brought a lot of enthusiasm back after quite a long absence for obvious reasons. So what did we learn? First of all, racing in the Volvo 65s is still incredibly intense and fun to watch– not to mention really hard. Overall, the teams clearly used this event as a trial-run for crews and strategy. They also started their long-term planning of how they want to put their programs together for The Ocean Race that starts in October 2022. It’s really an amazing opportunity if you think about it because all of these teams had many new faces onboard. This summer’s experience will prove to be invaluable. There’s nothing like learning about yourself and your teammates in tough situations and under racing conditions. In the 65s, we also learned that new sails are faster than old sails. The A4 was clearly a big hit on all the boats that had them, which was all but one. Race winner, Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Team, was the only team with a new sailing inventory, and of course they practiced a lot before the event started. Congratulations to skipper Yoann Richomme and their entire team; well done on starting to gain some enthusiasm and some momentum for the actual Ocean Race. You can be sure the rest of the fleet will be gunning for you when you meet again. As for the IMOCAs, that fleet was fascinating to watch. We learned that boats designed to reach and go down wind, offshore, and around big weather systems, may not be the best boats for light air, short-tacking, or light air jibing down coastlines. A few times, you would see the boats get into a situation where they could start to light it up and hit their best best angle, but probably not often enough for their liking. I’m guessing it’s quite frustrating to sail the boats in sprint-sailing conditions because they’re not made for that whatsoever. Nonetheless, hopefully more people took notice in the IMOCA class, and it will help build a new fan-base and possibly attract new entries for their class representation in just over a year. Finally, the two class fleet is really effective. It’s reminiscent of the Whitbread days when there were the 60s and the Maxis. As they say, every dog will have their day. And in the light air weird conditions, clearly the 65s were a little bit better all around boats. But look out, when the IMOCAs get out in the ocean and get into their ideal conditions, they could be literally going 10 knots faster at certain times. How much fun will that be to watch for all of us fans sitting on the sideline? Congratulations and thank you to The Ocean Race for putting together The Ocean Race Europe as a prelude to the big event. I know with CoVid-19 restrictions added a layer of logical-complexity, but we all applaud the fact that sailors are getting back out there and that regatta organizers are working hard to get it all done. 📸 Viva Mexico / The Ocean Race READ MORE

BOL D’OR MIRABAUD: THE COOLEST REGATTA YOU HAVEN’T HEARD ABOUT Europe’s Biggest and Most Popular Annual Sailing Events 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal If you don’t know anything about the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, you’re not alone—even though it began in 1939 and today is one of Europe’s biggest and most popular annual sailing events. The 66 mile course looks deceptively simple: start off Switzerland’s Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), sail to a mark off Bouveret, France, at the opposite end of Lake Geneva, and then finish again off the docks of SNG. But every year the course provides a different challenge, which keeps both professional and amateur sailors coming back for more. 26 boats participated in that very first Bol d’Or, and the winner finished in just under 24 hours. The current race record (set in 1994) is just over 5 hours, and today over 500 boats participate; everything from custom carbon multihulls to wooden classic cruisers. In 2017, the largest one design class, the 7.5m Surprise, had 132 entries. Monohulls and multihulls start on separate lines and round different marks to minimize interactions between the fleets. The lake is known for its light wind and flat water, but every few years some serious weather rolls down from the Alps. In 2019, a well-predicted storm halfway through the race brought Southern Ocean conditions with gusts to 60 knots that kicked up huge waves, as well as hail that reduced visibility to almost zero. Competitors were forced to take shelter and drop sails, but thanks to excellent seamanship (and that accurate forecast), the only damage was to equipment. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal For the 2021 Bol d’Or Mirabaud, a new one design fleet of foiling T35s will join the fun for the first time. Pierre-Yves Jorand, Director of North Sails Switzerland and Team Director of Alinghi, has worked closely with the designers of this innovative catamaran for more than two years. “The T35 is an accessible foiler that can be sailed well with limited foiling experience,” he says. “This is possible because of flight control on the T-foils and rudders, for maximum stability and safety.” The T35 is a direct descendant of Lake Geneva’s pace-setting Decision 35 and achieves lift-off in as little as 6 knots of breeze. They were designed to be easily transported around the world, but one stated goal is to beat the D35s on the longer races of their home waters. To achieve that, sail and foil designs were carefully coordinated. “To succeed, constant exchanges of information and ongoing coordination is crucial,” North Sails designer Patrick Mazuay explains. “The surface area of the foils determines the speed of takeoff. If this area is too large, it slows the boat at high speed because the “T” foil remains in the water all the time. That affects which sails were suitable… so, everything is linked.” The 3Di 870 RAW sail plan includes a decksweeper mainsail, a low-aspect jib, and a drifter. For winds under 5 knots, there’s also a 3Di Downwind 600 gennaker. Seven teams have been training and racing on the Swiss side of Lake Geneva since early May, with three Grand Prix events completed. RealTeam Sailing leads the overall results and Alinghi is in second, but it was Zoulou (one of two French teams) that beat Alinghi in the lake’s other iconic distance race, the 30-mile Genève-Rolle-Genève. Foiling in six knots of breeze—and a broach-near capsize by Alinghi when they were hit with an unexpected gust right after the start—enthralled the spectators. There will definitely be more exciting action during the 2021 Bol d’or Mirabaud, which is available to stream live starting Saturday 13 June at 10am CET. Click here for more info. 📸 Loris Von Siebenthal READ MORE

KEN READ RECAPS LEG 1 OF THE OCEAN RACE EUROPE First of all, it’s great to see the boats back out there. 📸 The Ocean Race Let’s face it. The world is itching for good things, and in the sailing world we’re just itching to get back on the water and do what we do. The Ocean Race is jumping into the season with a great idea that’s built a lot of enthusiasm in a very short period of time– the Ocean Race Europe. Simply a great showcase for the teams, the crews, and the programs to get miles in before they set off on an around the world adventure in 2022. Practice is always good, and a vital element in preparation. Some of the boats are getting their feet wet. Newer teams, younger crews, all mixed gender, all trying to learn how to sail the boat. Other teams are pretty far down the path and have (for the most part) sponsorship reasonably secure and are a little more prepared to take on what a 56,000 mile around the planet race can throw at them. I think, for all the teams though, it’s just really great to get back out there. Enter the IMOCA class as an additional class inThe Ocean Race, which feels more like the so-called “development era” of the past. The Volvo 70s for example were a reasonably tight box rule, but nonetheless allowed designers and teams creativity with regards to the final boat, the sail package, the setup– nearly everything. The IMOCA 60s take it one step further with only a few one-design parts like the keel fin, the mast and the rigging. But, for the most part, it’s a wide open development class. In my opinion, it feels like we’re getting back to those roots of The Ocean Race. Yes, you could say the One-Design 65 footer class may have saved the Ocean Race a few years back when the event was looking to increase participation numbers. But now with the addition of the two different classes and the ability to choose whether it’s strict One-Design or wide open with crazy offshore development, it’s really a good thing for the race. Also it’s an outstanding thing for us as spectators to watch. In the One-Design 65 fleet, there are very few changes to the rule. Head of operations, Neil Cox, still has to get all the boats through a mandatory checklist including any minor rebuilds in order to get them prepared to take on the rigors of offshore sailing . But besides that, it is still a strict One-Design rule with only one real “new” wrench thrown into the situation: the new A4 spinnaker. Let’s talk about that A4 spinnaker. First and foremost, it opens up quite a few new opportunities, both tactically as well as boat speed wise. The teams are just going to have to figure out how and when to use them, and it really depends on weather systems and whether you need to go high and fast to the next weather system, or it’s more of a VMG situation where it’s optimal VMG towards the next mark. From a North Sails perspective, it’s been fun developing the A4 with the sailors right down to a brand new sail bag that was modified to help sails get in and out of the hatches with ease. They’re going to have to get out there and spend a lot of time on the water with these new sails, put them to their test, and figure out how to use them and how the boat likes to use them. On the other hand, the IMOCAs have a crazy amount of development in their sail plans. Very similar to the America’s Cup, with the engine above the deck and the engine below the deck needing equal development time with regards to how to make a boat go fast. It’s important to remember, if the development teams only concentrate on the radical hydrofoils, then they’re going to miss out on the other half of the operation. The sail plans and the sail sizes, the aspect ratios, the anticipated wind angles, and the ability to flatten sails quickly all take on a whole new dimension when it comes to these boats. It’s the ability to have depth and size in their sail plans to get the boat popped out of the water. Not all the way out of the water, but what’s called skimming. When the IMOCA 60s are skimming, the apparent wind goes forward and as the apparent wind builds;the sailors have to have the ability to flatten the sails dramatically just using conventional tensioning devices. Enter the huge advantage of 3Di to make this happen. It’s an interesting set of lessons to be learned over the next year in the IMOCA class, and the sailors, I think, are just on the tip of the iceberg at this stage. We’re going to see some great new concepts and designs coming out of races like this, especially when the boats are now crewed, compared to solo or Double Handed, which is more typical for the IMOCAs. It’s anticipated, according to the sailors on board, that they can sail the IMOCA upwards of 15-20% faster on average than when they’re sailed by the rule maximum crew of 5 compared to short handed. Think of that for a minute. That is a massive amount of miles gobbled up around the world just by having a few extra crew. They still had the ability to use the autopilots, which essentially are steering the boats better than a human in most conditions at this stage, and the autopilot doesn’t have nerves. When the boats get going so fast, the autopilot doesn’t know to bear off, it doesn’t know to bail out of a big wave, it just sends it. So the sailors are going to have to figure out when to pull back on throttle a little bit to keep these boats in one piece. Anyway, it’s a fresh, brave new world for the Ocean Race. It’s just great to see it back out of the water, and we look forward to sharing some of our observations as we go along. 📸 The Ocean Race READ MORE

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF Emily Nagel from Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team Leads-Off Our New Series 📸 Martin Keruzoré / The Ocean Race The sailors and designers in the world of North Sails are some of the most inspiring people on the water, and we’re hoping to share more of their story with you. “Letter to my younger self” is a series told from our North Sails ambassadors. In each article we bring to life their advice and personal journeys centered around the question: if your “now-self” could give your “younger self” advice, what would it be? Dear 10-year-old Emily, I promise you that one day your sailing dreams are all going to happen, but not until you start ignoring the people who say “you can’t.” I need you to stop getting out of people’s way and start fighting. I need you to go for it. Yes, starting to sail the Opti at age ten was always going to be hard. It doesn’t help that you’re too big for the boat, and coming in last all the time is discouraging. I get it. But your dream to race around the planet is not crazy. Whatever you do, do not give up on this dream. That might seem a little wild to hear right now but trust me, you will one day see albatross soaring in the Southern Ocean. Stay inspired by Ellen MacArthur and her book, “Taking on the World”– the way she puts her head down, works hard, and makes things happen. Even if people tell you that you can’t do it, pretend you are Ellen; just get after it, and eventually you’ll prove them all wrong. One thing, though: you must listen to your parents. Go to school, study hard, get good grades and be practical (trust me, it will make sense one day). But don’t lose focus on your love of sailing. Because, 10-year-old-Emily, despite what so many people say, you’re really quite good. One of the most instrumental projects you’ll work on is in 2016 (just over ten years away!) is a Red Bull project called “Flying on Water.” Together with Jimmy Spithill, Rome Kirby and Shannon Falcone, you’ll sail from New York to Bermuda. It will be intense, but it will be a real eye-opener. You’re going to really see that this dream you have now, at the age of ten, really isn’t so crazy after all. You’ll realize that your dream to sail around this world is in reach, and that all you need is a bit of a kick to get yourself moving. There might be some low days between now and then, but that fire inside you will always exist and the spark will reignite on this trip. After “Flying on Water”, you’ll be mentored by Jimmy Spithill. You’ll ask him for advice and he’ll stay involved with your progress. He will keep inspiring you to chase after your “crazy little dreams,” whether it’s offshore sailing or high-performance foiling. If you want to do professional sailing correctly, become as well-rounded as possible and get as many different offshore skills as possible. Get on the bow, be a trimmer, get to know a winch inside and out, and figure out how to fight for the helm. Get onto both big boats and little boats, and when Moths come on the scene, start racing on those as well. Match racing and other inshore tactics will come in surprisingly handy when you start racing VO65s. (These don’t exist yet, but one in particular will become your offshore home.) Equally, don’t limit yourself to sailing. Your degree in naval architecture and engineering experience will lead you first to the design office and then to working with shore teams. You’ll get your hands dirty servicing winches and repairing carbon boats. And —this might sound funny because it’s only 2004– but computers are going to become an essential part of sailing. One day, your ability to crunch numbers and data will make you even more valuable. View this post on Instagram A post shared by North Sails (@north_sails) One day not too far in the future, 10-year-old Emily, you’re going to work for some of the best teams in the sailing industry—and be an asset to each one. From the Ocean Race to the America’s Cup, you’ll get stuck into incredible projects, learn from the best, and share in the victories. You’ll love working towards these high-performance goals. But, to do this, you’re going to have to make things happen. Opportunities won’t be handed to you, so you’ll have to stop worrying about what other people think and trust yourself. Stop listening to the haters. Get over any fear of failure, and give it everything. You can do it, even if it terrifies you, it will be a brilliant challenge to race around the world. This mental mindset will make you a little different. It will make you stand out. It will give you that cutting edge. Decide now that you don’t want to be pushed around anymore and that you’re good enough. Once you do that, you’ll get your foot in the door with the high-performance world and you’ll break into professional sailing. You must back yourself, you have to shut out the noise. 10 year old Emily, believe me: you have to go for it. Stay hungry, 📸 Martin Keruzoré / The Ocean Race READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: ORC EUROPEANS High-Level Competition Marks the First Major Event on the Med 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ORC European Championship The Gulf of Naples in Italy challenged 62 teams for the 2021 edition of ORC Europeans, the first big event on the Mediterranean. Sailors from around the world competed in a mix of offshore and inshore buoy races . Teamwork and speed were the key to transitioning through tricky wind conditions, and North clients turned North Sails 3Di into a winning recipe. Five races were fit into the first two days, and day three decided the top spots. Marco Serafini’s TP52 XIO won Class A, with Fever and Freccia Rossa rounding out the podium. North Sails expert Daniele Cassinari who sailed on XIO commented: “This year Class A had more participants, so the starting line was full of highly competitive sailors. It feels great to walk away with a win–especially considering how tough our competition was. The venue is beautiful and having the turnout amongst the classes was nice to see after the pandemic. I want to congratulate the race committee officials for running a fantastic event, and with some lingering restrictions they were professional and did a really nice job. North Sails clients sailed a great regatta, taking the overall win across the board as well as the top five spots in two of three divisions– clear dominance! Team XIO did a great job, with the crew being our key to success. We have great sailors onboard, 3Di sails, and a new asymmetric spinnaker that helped us make it happen. My brother, also a North sail expert, Giovanni Cassinari, Ciccio Celon, North Sails Alessandro Battistelli, Alberto Fantini, Michele Gnutti, Ciccio Scalicci and Luna Rossa’s Francesco Mongelli made a very good team. A big thanks goes to XIO owner, Marco Serafini and the team manager Gabriele Giardini for bringing us together to sail this event. It was a lot of fun.” Vincenzo De Blasio’s Italia 11.98 Scugnizza triumphed in Class C. In Class B, Swan 42 racing was very close, and the one point lead held by Andrea Rossi on Mela after five races wasn’t enough to hold off Simonelli’s Fantaghirò’s bullet on the last day. Another Swan 42, Renzo Grottesi’s Be Wild* lost a tiebreaker with Mela for third. Close behind in fourth was Catalin Trandafir’s Essentia44, a Grand Soleil 44. A prize was awarded to the best performing ClubSwan 42 in the largest class, which went to Fantaghirò, owned by North client Carlandrea Simonelli in Class B. In the Corinthian divisions, clients Alberto Magnani’s Tengher and Dr. H. Bruening’s Topas took first in Class A and C. Bruno Finzi, President of the Offshore Racing Congress, commented: “The Gulf of Naples has a fantastic regatta course, displayed to its fullest during this European championship. If it had not been for the restrictions on travel, we would certainly have had a record number of participants. This year with 62 boats on the water, we can safely say that this regatta marks a return to racing.” 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ORC European Championship 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ORC European Championship 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ORC European Championship 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / ORC European Championship READ MORE

INTERLAKE CHIEFS REGATTA, A FAMILY AFFAIR Congratulations to the Ireland Family! Team Ireland hiking hard! 📸 J.P. Clowes The Interlakes Chiefs Regatta, hosted by Leatherlips Yacht Club, brought challenging conditions to the 19 teams participating. Sailing on the damned Scioto River in Columbus Ohio, Nate Ireland held on for a one-point victory over Tim Boucher and 4 points over third-place AJ Savage in the four-race series. It was a total North Sails sweep of the podium. Nate was joined by his wife Bridget and eleven-year-old son Vincent to round out the winning team. “Getting to the first mark after a short first beat was very important” states Nate. “Even though we didn’t have the greatest of starts or positioning at times, we still managed to work our way towards the top of the fleet every race”, Nate continues “The one race we did have a great start we held on to the lead and extended the whole way”. The Irelands showed great boat speed working their way through the fleet using their new North VII Main, VII Jib, and il Maxo Spinnaker. Nathan loves bringing his son Vincent along on events like this. This season they are training him to do the spinnaker work on the boat. Eventually, Nathan, says Vincent, will go on to crew for other club members opening up a crew spot for Vincent’s nine-year-old brother Quinton to join the family team. Congrats to Team Ireland! SHOP INTERLAKE SAILS 📸 J.P. Clowes 📸 J.P. Clowes READ MORE

THAT ONE THING: SUZY LEECH Every Sailor Has It: That “One Thing” they do when they go sailing. Pro sailor Suzy Leech’s thing? Counting. We’re weeks away from summer in the Northern Hemisphere and getting back out on the water is a top priority. But, as we start to gear up, have you been wondering what can give you the cutting edge? We’ve turned to our best sailors and sailmakers to find out the ONE THING they do every time they go sailing to make them just a little bit better than the rest. “My friends will tell you…” Suzy pauses for a chuckle. “I count everything! And I just can’t stop.” Suzy’s resumé includes navigator, engineer, and professional bowman. Last year she took on a new challenge, doublehanded sailing with Ken Read, and together they won the Fort Lauderdale Key West Race. Ken called her a “badass,” so we figured she’d definitely have something to add to our new series, That One Thing. Counting down accurately was an important part of Suzy’s success as a bowman, because she could judge the distance to the line without having to constantly look at her watch. But she says the countdown from her teammates on the final approach to the windward mark was even more helpful. “The navigator can see best 2-3 minutes out, but as you get closer the leeward trimmer needs to take over. Everyone counts down a little differently, but knowing whether you’ve got a minute or thirty seconds is key, because then you know if you can take a little extra time to make sure it’s all good.” 📸 Billy Black Another way Suzy uses counting is to predict any breeze changes that require an adjustment from trimmers and helm. In addition to calling in significant puffs and lulls, Suzy tries to work in some context about what to expect for the next fifteen to thirty seconds. It takes a lot of practice to get the balance of priorities right. She’s learned that if you give too much information, everyone will tune it out. Too little and the team is not ready for what comes next. Like most sailing skills, Suzy says practice and repetition are key because counting down has to remain accurate even while you’re also doing something else. Unlike most sailing skills, Suzy reminds us we can all practice calling the breeze from on land, as long as we can see the wind moving across water. And if you’re on a boat where someone else is the designated breeze caller, “Just say it to yourself,” Suzy suggests. “When you get better than they are, volunteer—and then it’ll be your job.” Suzy’s Superstition Even being able to keep time accurately with her eyes closed won’t help Suzy deal with her own niggling superstition. Whenever someone asks, ‘Is the spinnaker packed?’, she gets quite nervous. “Even if I’ve just packed it, I have to go down and do it again,” she admits. Then she adds a pro tip: “Always make sure to pull out a couple feet of the tack and lay it back on top, to make sure it’ll run free when you’re ready to set.” 📸 Billy Black READ MORE

Bring Your Best Game to the J/70 North American Championship We are excited to get back out racing again, and we wanted to reshare some of our favorite articles and webinars before you head to Annapolis for the J/70 North American Championship. This Tool Kit covers all the bases, including tips on boat speed in light air, how to make the most of our on-the-water coaching, and our updated J/70 Tuning Guide. On-the-Water Coaching for Everyone North Sails J/70 Class Expert Eric Doyle will be available on the North coach boat from Tuesday-Thursday offering tips on fine-tuning your sails. Contact Eric in advance to let him know you would like your sails checked. Contact Eric Rewind and Rewatch While we were unable to go sailing, the North Sails team switched their motto to “Let’s Get Faster” and produced a number of J/70-specific webinars that are filled with invaluable information from the top sailors in the class. Don’t leave the docks before watching them all! Downwind Techniques Downwind Boat Handling Mainsail Trim Lessons Learned in Miami Have You Read our New Tuning Guide? With the introduction of the new XCS-4 Mainsail and J-2+ Jib to our J/70 sail designs, our Class Experts have revised the North Sails Tuning Guide. Countless hours of sailing, testing, and competing in the J/70 fleet have gone into this revised editions which is a must-read before the North Americans. Learn More Bitesize Tips for Light Air Read our easy-to-follow tips on rig tuning, sail trim, and boat trim to help you sail your J/70 faster when the breeze is light. Learn More Optimize Your Downwind Performance Displacement mode, wing-on-wing, or full plane? Understanding the J/70’s different downwind modes will help you make the right move at the right time when racing. Learn More Why is Headstay Sag Fast Upwind in Light Air? What is headstay sag and how can you use it to your advantage to maintain better speed in light-air conditions? One Design expert Tim Healy describes the risks and rewards. Learn More North Sails Certified Service Has You Covered The North Sails Annapolis Certified Service Team is ready for you with overnight sail service and repairs during the regatta. Call Ridgely Mackenzie to arrange a sail pick up on 443-995-7188. Contact Ridgley READ MORE

NORTH THISTLE DESIGNS FAST OUT OF THE BOX AT BOTTOMS-UP REGATTA Congratulations Mark Gise & Craig Asher Mark’s brand new set of North Sails, fast out of the box. The 2021 Bottoms Up Regatta was held this past weekend at Jordan Lake in North Carolina near Raleigh/Chapel Hill. It was a one-day event and with the forecast calling for rain and cool temps, only a few decided to sail. Ten of the total thirteen teams were powered by North Sails. Mark Gise took the honors using his brand new set of Norths. We caught up with Mark to learn about his victory: After not sailing for over a year, how did you feel getting back in the Thistle? The last time I skippered the Thistle was at the Old Salty in October 2019. I sent the boat to Alex Varnegas at Beacon Composites to have it repainted and the bright work refinished. I was excited to get the boat put back together and see what she would do. I had never sailed with my crew, Craig Asher, so we weren’t doing a good job with our tacks and jibes. I had to pick myself up out of the bottom of the boat more than once after a tack. I blame it on the rain and old sailing boots. I have a few bruises to show for it. You became a first-time North Sails customer recently. What was the deciding factor that made you switch to North Sails? I’ve had an opportunity to sail with Paul Abdullah and others who use North sails, so I have known what they can do. Honestly, it was the people that made me decide to switch to North. Paul, Scott Griffin, Brad Russell, and others have helped me over the years even though I didn’t use the same brand of sails. Brad was willing to go out on a motorboat and give me some pointers while using a competitor’s sails. Paul and Scott have let me crew with them and take the helm at times to check out the sails. They have always been there to answer questions or discuss rigging. You showed great speed out of the box with your new Fisher mainsail and DSD jib. How easy was finding speed and pointing for your first time using the sails? I used the tuning guide and set up the rigging in my front yard. I usually sail light, so I set the diamonds on the looser side. The mast is raked at 27′ 0″ and the forestay is at 24.5 on the loose pro gauge. I have a little more prebend than what the tuning guide calls for but it didn’t seem to hurt my speed. Probably because we were light. The conditions were on the light side but we had good speed and pointed well. Being that it was light and raining, it wasn’t the best conditions to test the new sails but I was very pleased with our speed and pointing. What regattas will you be attending in the near future? I will be going to the Dixie Regatta and will have to take a look at the schedule to see what events are coming up prior to the Nationals. Add North power to your Thistle program. Contact our experts today. SHOP THISTLE SAILS READ MORE

LIGHTNING DESIGNS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE CIRCUIT Amazing Consistency at Winter Championship, Deep South and Southern Circuit Overall David Starck, Jenna Probst, Tom Starck, winners of the 2021 Winter Championship, Deep South and Southern Circuit Overall 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall For over 40 years the North Sails Lightning team has supported the Lightning Class and Lightning sailors by not only delivering designs that have dominated circuits all over the world but with a commitment to education, class volunteerism and client service that is second to none. After a year without much Lightning sailing, we saw great enthusiasm and excitement as the teams started showing up for the Winter Championship in St. Pete and Savannah Deep South. North experts Brian Hayes, Ched Proctor and Nick Turney were in attendance supporting the event and clients. The North Sails fast designs have, again, prevailed in both events and here are the numbers: Winter Championship David Starck showed amazing consistency in very tricky Tampa Bay conditions to win the 2021 Lightning Winter championship. Racking up consistent top-four finishes, and without winning a race, team Starck bested current Youth World Champion Jeff Hayden and his team by nine points. Nine races were completed over 4 days with 6 different teams winning a race. Team Hayden won 3 and teams using North won 8 of the 9 races. 22 of the 24 teams were powered by North. North-powered teams finished 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Jeff Hayden, Mateo Rodriguez and Hannah Sellers, second place at the Winter Championship 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall Savannah Deep South Regatta After the great warm-up in St. Pete, David Starck and his team did it again, finishing consistently in the top 5 in all of the 4 races in Savannah. Teams powered by North again dominated the event finishing 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. David, Jenna and Tom were crowned the 2021 Lightning Southern Circuit winners. Bill Faude, Ched Proctor (checking the shape of the mainsail) and Amy Simonsen 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall Tito Gonzalez, Diego Natho and Alberto Gonzalez Jr. sailed a great event in St Pete with two bullets 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall North Sails Nick Turney and Antonio Rojas concentrated on the race course. 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall Tanner Probst, Debbie Probst and Dominique Wright, 5th place in St. Pete. 📸 Courtesy St. Pete Yacht Club / Corey Hall READ MORE

VX ONE: ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE FLEETS AT CHARLESTON RACE WEEK Doug Clark’s Angry Baboon Wins Charleston Race Week in a Tiebreak After waiting two years since the last edition of Charleston Race Week, the VX One fleet was ready to leave it all on the water in the 2021 edition. Twenty-five teams from around the country arrived in Charleston for one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year. A 10-race series paired with great weather allowed for one of the tightest events the class has seen. Before the event got underway, North Sails’ Austin Powers, Mike Marshall, and Madeline Gill held a virtual happy hour for the fleet to review the winter series with tuning and sail trim takeaways, as well as preview CRW with a local knowledge briefing from John Bowden. The team previewed an update to the tuning guide which can be found below with the new adjusted turns found in red. A replay of the webinar can be found here. Day one was dominated by Tudo Bem with Reed Baldrige, Austin Powers, and Michelle Warner. Jack Jorgenson’s SDR and Doug Clark’s Angry Baboon followed 8 and 9 points behind, respectively. The moderate and shifty breeze paired with substantial current convergence between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers rewarded the teams who found the best balance of current relief and wind velocity. Other highlights of the day included team Send It with a bullet right out of the gates. Traditionally, day two is “moving day” at CRW and that is exactly what Chris Alexander’s team on Counterproductive did. With James Roe and Madeline Gill aboard, they were able to jump from outside the top five all of the way to a 6 point lead. Smart tactics amidst the tight racing in addition to superior boatspeed allowed them to find their way to top 3 finish positions in every race. Magic Bus came away with a race win in race 7, and Stan Stanton’s Zoo Crew took a bullet in race 8. Going into the final day of the event, Counterproductive held a 6 point lead with three teams looking for some magic on the final day. With more west in the wind than the previous two days, the right side of the course was king to stay in phase with the current. After a race one victory by Tudo Bem followed closely by the Angry Baboon and USA 275, it was all to play for going into the final race of the regatta with four teams within two points of each other for the regatta win. The final start was won by Angry Baboon and they never looked back. Getting to the right early and staying between the competition and the mark, they were able to take the race and the regatta in a tiebreaker with Counterproductive. Not only did they win the regatta, but due to the competitiveness of the fleet, they were also awarded boat of the week. Congratulations to Doug Clark, Rod Favela, and Emmi Triplett on the win; Chris Alexander, Madeline Gill, and James Roe in second; Michelle Warner, Reed Baldrige, and Austin Powers in third; and to all of the North Sails clients who competed. North Sails clients’ finished 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,and 10. Rod Favela receives “Boat of Week” trophy for Angry Baboon. Right: Second place, team Counterproductive Team Counterproductive READ MORE

NORTH CLIENTS SHINE AT CHARLESTON RACE WEEK Fast Designs Excel In Six Divisions and Boat of the Week Travis Weisleder’s Lucky Dog dominates the Melges 24 fleet. 📸 Pricilla Parker The 2021 edition of the Charleston Race Week was a great success for North Sails clients in one design and ORC. The overall vibe from sailors was excellent, and everyone was thrilled to be back on the water sailing after a year missed. Charleston didn’t disappoint, providing exciting and challenging racing conditions on the infamous Cooper River. Solid teamwork and talent could be seen across all courses, proving that this year is off to a positive start with a solid kick-off event to welcome the Spring sailing season in North America. In the Melges 24 class, Team Lucky Dog won the event with three bullets followed by Laura Grodin’s Dark Energy in second place. Melges 24s powered by North finished 1,2,4*,5,7,8,9,10. Laura Grodin’s Dark Energy, 2nd Place in the Melges 24 Fleet. 📸 Will Keyworth Doug Clark’s Angry Baboon, VX One Winner and Boat of the Week. After the postponement of the 2020 edition, the VX One fleet was ready to leave it all on the water. Twenty-five teams from around the country arrived in Charleston for one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year. A 10 race series paired with great weather allowed for one of the tightest events the class has seen. Congratulations to Doug Clark, Rod Favela, and Emmi Triplett on the win; Chris Alexander, Madeline Gill, and James Roe in second; Michelle Warner, Reed Baldrige, and Austin Powers in third; and to all of the North Sails clients who competed. North Sails clients finished 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,and 10 in the VX One Class. Team Stampede, winners in the J70 class. The competition in the J/70 class was no different. Twenty-seven teams arrived in Charleston ready to battle for the title, the largest J70 regatta since the beginning of the pandemic. Congratulations to Bruno Pasquinelli and team Stampede for sailing a brilliant 9-race series powered by North’s F-1 mainsail, J-2+ Jib and AP-1 Asymmetric. North clients finished 1,3,4,6,7,8, 9* in the J/70 class. In the J/22 class, North clients swept the podium with Justin DaMore’s team Yem winning the series. North Clients fueled by 3Di, Teamwork, Hooligan, and FogDog also took first place respectively in ORC A, ORC B, and ORC D divisions. ORC B winners Robin Team’s Teamwork. 📸 Will Keyworth READ MORE

I429 EARLY BIRD REGATTA First-Ever Event Hosted by Annapolis Sailing School Annapolis Sailing School played host to the first-ever i420 Early Bird Regatta, with 11 teams arriving from around the region to compete in this great one-design class. First off, this is one incredible venue; Annapolis Sailing School has a picture-perfect spot near Bembe Beach in Annapolis, and a killer beach launching site with tons of room and facilities. If you ever want to recommend sailing lessons to someone, put Annapolis SS on the top of your list! Also hosting was the new i420 team on the block the S1D Youth Sailing Team, and our very new and young players were very excited to have such great talent come and visit our new home! All competitors were greeted with gifts and goodies, including wick-dry technical shirts from North Sails and dry bags from Sail1Design, in lieu of trophies for the top finishers. Most all teams arrived early to practice on Friday, and wow, what a day! The temperatures soared to 80 degrees and beautiful sun, but so did the wind speed… up to 35 knots… and although several brave teams went out, they realized that the only sail training to be had was more survival than anything else. The forecast for Saturday was a bit grim all week… very light-to-no wind, so we all crossed fingers. Apparently, that works! Saturday dawned with another beautifully sunny day, and around 930, a southerly made its way down the Bay and locked in, and we had 6 epic races in sun and 6-14 knots. We never really had to move marks more than about 50 yards, and PRO Jamie Gilman (St. Mary’s Seahawk ’06) orchestrated absolutely flawless racing! Sunday’s forecast also became ominous, with the possibility of T-storms and gusty winds. Well, we didn’t get that exactly, but we did battle a fog bank that would have made Maine residents proud. Again the RC fearlessly set out to sail, herding the i420 sailors into an open area, and again, almost miraculously, the fog lifted and allowed for 2 more awesome 8-19 knot races before teams went in to pack up and head home. I hope all youth coaches and sailors consider the i420. This boat is an absolute blast to sail, and teaches so many great lessons about dinghy sailing, offering sailors almost unlimited improvement potential. It is not a difficult boat to sail at all, and there are a lot of uninformed misconceptions out there, including how expensive the boat is (it isn’t), and how technical it is (it isn’t), and how few events there are (there are a lot more than you think). It is, (just ask our countries best college coaches and youth coaches) the gold standard for youth sailing training, and that’s why it is the standard around the world, enjoyed by thousands of sailors. Results We had 8 great races for this regatta, and continuing their pretty amazing run, Luke Woodworth and Tommy Sitzmann won convincingly, winning most of the races. Luke is a great example that in the i420 Class especially, crews (although they never get top billing) are absolute difference-makers; their athletic work in the front of the boat although often overlooked is a big key to team success. Full Results READ MORE

TECH JOURNAL: NORTH 3Di FOR THE 49er & 49erFX CLASSES After an intense bid process that included rigorous sail testing, the class unanimously chose to adopt 3Di, the most modern sailmaking technology When North Sails was asked by the 49er and 49erFX classes to propose an update to their current sails, the first step was to collect accurate data about how they were performing and what could be improved. We reached out to Julian Bethwaite, John Clinton, Blair Tuke and Peter Burling, as well as many others who are involved with the class. The feedback was overwhelmingly in favor of better consistency in the sails and more longevity. Our goals quickly became very clear. North Sails takes a scientific approach to sailmaking. The North Design Suite is a powerful set of proprietary software that allows our designers to model simulations, test hypotheses and eventually, arrive at an optimized solution for the engine above deck. This data-driven approach was visibly on display at the 36th America’s Cup, where North designers were embedded with Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa, and INEOS Team UK. For the 49er project, it was months of design work and on-the-water testing to conclude that the best sails for the job were 3Di upwind sails. The process that we used to get there is described below. Modeling & Materials Our discovery for the 49er project began with an eagerness to fully understand the boats and the existing sails. Consistency of both manufacturing and shape, along with longevity, were identified as key areas for improvement. We learned that sailors were buying up to seven inventory sets just to find two that are consistent, so we set a goal to build a set of sails that would be consistent and competitive for up to three regattas. That would reduce sailor aggravation, drastically improve consistency, and also reduce overall inventory costs. Modeling: First, we built a virtual model in the North Design Suite that included the shrouds, mast and sails and made it possible to change the tuning for different wind ranges. From there, sail designers Mike Marshall and Mickey Ickert used a combination of five NDS tools (Desman, Spiral, Warps, Flow and Membrain) to run simulations and accurately predict the performance and shape of the current sails—as well as an initial recommendation for new sails. Material Choice: Once we could accurately predict sail performance and flying shape, we A/B tested two material options that could achieve the right shapes: a paneled laminate ; and North 3Di. The paneled cloth matched the current class specs while the North-manufactured sailcloth provided improved consistency in both cloth quality and construction. Made using the purpose-built EXact x-ply machine, the sail cloth was produced using a very precise gravure process to ensure perfectly measured adhesive coating; even glue distribution (and less glue overall) would reduce weight without sacrificing strength. While our paneled laminate sails would’ve been a small step forward, we were certain that 3Di would be a much more significant improvement in our stated goals: improving both repeatability and longevity. 3Di would also be vastly different from the current class sail material and construction, so we knew it was important to prove that it would be dramatically better. Fine-Tuning: With our materials chosen, we fine-tuned our model to match the cloth. For the paneled designs, the goal was to optimize the shape through broad seaming and luff curves. For the 3Di sails, we leaned on WARPS™ for a layout that would maximize durability. We looked at both element strain and yarn strain in the model, which we can control well with 3Di. Why 3Di tested better than paneled sails When modeling, strain maps highlight “hot-spots:” areas where the element strain (a measure of the movement in the cloth) is too high relative to yarn strain (a measure of the tensions in the yarns). Small tweaks in tape layout may help one map but hurt the other, so we run the model until we strike the optimal balance. The strains don’t have to be brought down to zero; they just have to match each other. Tension is the enemy of sail shape, and the key to designing a versatile, predictable sail is to align that tension with the direction of movement. Like an elastic, the more a sail is stretched against the yarn path, the less likely it is to come back to its intended shape. By optimizing tape materials and orientations, 3Di allows us to minimize distortion under load, which will help with consistency, performance, and longevity. On paneled sails, the yarn strain is high but the element strain is low—especially in the main. That means the sails are pliable, but they will change shape over time. When compared to the 3Di sails, the original 49er main showed the element strain to be high in the upper third of the sail. Based on our experiences, this led us to add more bias support and use tapes at different angles from our standard load path layout. That settled the element strain map and made it more consistent with the yarn strain map. On the paneled main and jib, the map showed high yarn strain up the luff of both sails. There wasn’t much we could do about that in the paneled sails, but in the 3Di sail we added a Helix structured luff group to both main and jib. That settled the yarn strain map and brought it more in line with the element strain map. A 3Di main that uses a custom-engineered layout and a 3Di jib that uses the standard load path layout best matched the maps of the element and yarn strains. And by settling the luff loads, the Helix luff structure would make the cunningham and halyard more effective. No detail is too small After developing prototype designs that fulfilled our primary goals, it was time to look at the small but important details that contribute to overall performance. The tack flap connection in the main was noted as an area of high load and distortion since it is the point of convergence for the two tack flaps and the bottom batten. We reinforced it in the paneled sails, and then re-thought it in the 3Di sails to be all one piece. That single structure will transfer cunningham load to the head of the sail, eliminating a high failure and wear point. Next, we built prototype sails in both paneled and 3Di, and we invited several experts to go sailing. Sail Testing With the help of 18’ Skiff expert Matt Steven, the prototypes were put to work by the top New Zealand 49er teams. After several on the water testing sessions, the simulations we’d run in the North Design Suite were validated. With the help of 18’ Skiff expert Matt Steven, the prototypes were put to work by the top New Zealand 49er teams. After several on the water testing sessions, the simulations we’d run in the North Design Suite were validated. We were very pleased with the performance of all the new sails against the current designs. Both paneled and 3Di held their shapes and were more consistent than the class standard, though as we predicted the 3Di sails were smoother, more consistent, and held their shapes better. Shortly after our testing sessions, our recommendation that the class adopt 3Di was accepted. For both training and regattas leading up to the 2024 Olympics, 49er and FX sailors now have a much better option for sails: 3Di mains and jibs. They will be built with the same sail technology used to make identical sails for one design classes such as the Volvo 65s, AC50s, Moth and Melges 20; a constant and replicable taping and mold, followed by a consistent layout and finishing team. We met our project goals in order to help you meet yours—another example of the North Sails scientific approach to sailmaking. Testimonials: Longevity 18ft Skiff – In four years, David McDiarmid’s Honda Racing earned the JJ titles, widely recognized as the 18’ Skiff’s World Championship. The team accomplished this with one set of 3Di sails. Between training and races, these sails saw thousands of hours on the water. Moth – The class has almost entirely switched to 3Di sail, which like the 49er, is a full battened mainsail with very high loads. Most of the sailors buy one sail a year and use it for all of their major events. Comparatively, sailors would go through 2-3 paneled sails per in advance of each major event. Tom Slingsby says: “The North 3Di Moth sail has a longer durability than any sail on the market I had previously used, and any sail currently on the market. If I was heading into a world title this year, I would have no issue using the sail I used to win the 2019 World Championship. The life of the sail is outstanding.” Around the World Ocean Racing – North 3Di has been tested through hundreds of thousand hours and offshore miles. Whether the one design Volvo 65, the latest generation IMOCA or the awe-inspiring Ultim trimarans, 3Di is made to outlast the adventure. For example, the sails used by Thomas Coville in his 2016 around the world record were used for a year and a half of training and practice leading up to his attempt. He reported no sail failures in the 42 day trip around the world. READ MORE

FOR NORTH SAILS PRESIDENT KEN READ, IT’S ALL PART OF THE JOB Fresh off the 36th America’s Cup and smashing a race record to Cabo (from Newport Beach), How Does the President of North Sails Navigate a Jam-Packed Schedule? From calling the America’s Cup to helping steer North Sails through the unexpected in 2020 and then going on to break race course records, North Sails President Ken Read returns to HQ after a wild winter, geared up and ready to keep pushing North Sails and all of North Technology Group to that next level. If you run into Ken Read on the dock somewhere, he’ll probably be friendly, even chatty – he’s just that kind of guy. But if you ask him, “so what is it that you do for a living?” make sure you have a few minutes to spare. “What do you do for a living?” is a straightforward question with a straightforward answer (in theory): President of North Sails. But the details are a bit tricky to explain for Read, a world champion, America’s Cup skipper, around-the-world offshore racer turned business leader who’s also an America’s Cup TV commentator and record-breaking sailor. At the heart of all these activities: to make sure, without doubt, North Sails remains the driver behind everything he does– but Read’s all-in approach means his schedule is as diverse as a start line at a Wednesday night beer can race. After helping navigate North Sails through a global pandemic, Read finished the year living in New Zealand for four months as part of the 36th America’s Cup commentating team. The location change also helped him spend lots more time focused on the North Technology Group companies in the Southern Hemisphere. Less than 36 hours after Emirates Team New Zealand secured their win, he hopped on a flight to go help win and ultimately break the Newport to Cabo Race record (in one day, 21 hours) onboard Roy Disney’s turbo’d Volvo 70, Pyewacket. Before his final leg home to Rhode Island, Read got on the phone to talk us through the last couple of months. He did admit to feeling “pretty whipped,” but that confession aside, his enthusiasm was intact. Read appears to wear many hats simultaneously, but it all leads towards making sure North Sails, and all the North Technology Group companies continue to lead that way with their data-driven approach. After this, all of his other jobs fall into place. “It’s my job to get out and about, be seen and shake hands,” he says, “and make sure that the sailing world knows that North Sails is here to help, that all of the North Technology Group companies are here to make their experience a better one. There are all kinds of detail-oriented jobs behind the scenes, but in a leadership role, you have an obligation to promote the sport. Which in turn promotes your brand. Remember, the rising tide helps all.” “I got to New Zealand on December 1st,” recalls Read. “It was one of the bonuses of doing that job on TV: it got me to that part of the world where the sailing action was at its highest. I was in the right place at the right time given my position within the North Technology Group and North Sails.” It was “a lot of work but well worth the effort” for Read, a man whose recent schedule was certainly dizzying. “A day that included commentary was hard, but it wasn’t every day. I’d start around 5.30 am with the Europe calls, then have three hours with North America, then head quickly off to commentating. Because the races were so late in the day, we didn’t report until 11 am to meet with the producers. We all had our insiders embedded sailmakers!!> inside the teams who were great at making sure we were accurate. They wouldn’t give us their company’s secrets, but they made sure we weren’t making things up on air. We’d spend a couple of hours preparing the show before going into the booth at about 2 pm to do a couple of rehearsals—two to three hours of non-stop talking followed, which was super fun. “They loved it when I talked about sails – the producer and director were like, ‘what do you think we got you here for!’ I got to point out all the amazing sail features that the world had never seen before, and the rig and the whole ‘engine above the deck’ was a phrase I used all the time. It turns out I have heard that phrase all over the place since. A phrase coined initially by the late remarkable Terry Kohler. “We’d end the show around 6 pm and have a half-hour debrief. I’d often go meet a client or one of our folks or my wife for a beer on the Viaduct, have a quick dinner, and likely be on the phone for a couple of hours during the night. It was fun staying absolutely current and up to date with my North Sails job. It was fun talking about the sport that we love.” Despite the lack of sleep, it’s clear Read embraces all aspects of his role, from the marketing side of things to the more all-hands-on-deck projects. “It was always the plan for me to join Pyewacket in the Newport to Cabo Race straight after the America’s Cup,” he said. “I missed sailing – we all do, everybody reading this article misses sailing right now – and Roy Disney and I have been talking about sailing together for a long time. I’ve known Roy and his project manager Robbie Haines forever – I did an America’s Cup with Roy back in 1995 and won two world championships with Robbie– and the Cabo race is a classic. It fit into my schedule, but we didn’t expect the America’s Cup would take a week longer than planned. So it became a little tight with the Cup ending in the afternoon and me flying out the next day. 36 hours after landing in LA and a great dinner with my daughter who lives out there, we were sailing 800 miles to Cabo with a bunch of legends in 25 knots of breeze.” By the time he had jumped on the Volvo 70, Read was tired– very tired. But his jet lag played in his favor when he joined the watch system onboard. “The time zone I was on didn’t matter!” he laughed. He loved seeing Pyewacket’s Helix A3 sail in action, too, a North Sails structured luff technology they used 90% of the race. “Veteran Sail designer Steve Calder and North Sails project manager Brian Janney did a great job injecting a couple of new sails into this program which were exactly the right sails for the job. This sail proved to me that the Helix concept is real. This boat goes knots faster than the Volvo 70s I sailed in the past (like Puma’s Mar Mostro in the 11-12 Volvo Ocean Race). Yes, the rig was turbo-ed up a bit, but we were reefed all the time. The Helix sail was the big difference – it’s crazy fast and incredibly forgiving. This concept is now more respected and prevalent than ever.” It’s experiences like these, all the contacts, conversations and connections, that drive Read across the globe and around the clock. “That’s why I sign up for these things, because I know it’s my job at North Sails, and because I want to stay current. It would be easy for guys like me to slowly go off in the sunset, and before you know it, you don’t know the next generation of sailors.” Still, you’d think the man would get some rest now, right? “Hardly,” he jokes. “I’m going into the loft this afternoon here in Rhode Island.” What do they say again? Love what you do, and you won’t work a day in your life. Tell that to Ken Read… READ MORE

NEW FASTNET RECORD MOD70 PowerPlay Sets New Fastest Time 📸 Lloyd Images The MOD70 Trimaran PowerPlay, led by Peter Cunningham and skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, has set a new Fastnet record. The team completed the original Fastnet course of 595 nautical miles in a new world Fastnet record of 25hrs 04mins 18secs (subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council), shaving almost 3 hours off the record set by Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in the 2019 Fastnet. The boat in its previous incarnation as Concise 10 with many of the same crew also took line honors in the 2017 Fastnet Race. “It was kind of ambitious, but the conditions were right, and the team was ready to go,” commented Peter Cunningham. “The PowerPlay crew was fantastic. Miles (Seddon) did a brilliant job navigating, we had two wonderful drivers in Ned Collier Wakefield, who set up the boat and runs the program, and the fastest sailor on Earth, Paul Larsen, who drove in some incredibly bad conditions.” Shortly after midday on Monday 05 April, in a bitterly cold strong northerly wind, PowerPlay started their Fastnet record attempt on the Squadron Line at Cowes. PowerPlay made short work of racing to Lands’ End and powered across the Celtic Sea at speeds in excess of 30 knots. PowerPlay rounded the famous Fastnet Lighthouse and raced through the night. On Tuesday 06 April, at 13:42 and 19 seconds BST, PowerPlay reached the Plymouth Breakwater, where the team celebrated their amazing run of 25 hours, 4 minutes, and 18 seconds. Republished from PowerPlay Racing READ MORE

MISS SILVER LIFTS THE MILLENNIUM CUP Celebrating Victory in Style with 3Di OCEAN Miss Silver sporting her new 3Di OCEAN sails 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media As the South Pacific’s longest-running superyacht regatta, the Millennium Cup saw five superyachts and a selection of North Sails experts race in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Occasionally joined by the lively local dolphin pod, the sailors enjoyed a fun yet competitive regatta, which marked the close of an exciting season of racing in New Zealand. Throughout the regatta, the 36.2-meter Alloy Yacht Miss Silver maintained the overall lead, powered to victory after winning every race with her new North 3Di OCEAN sails. North experts Richard Bicknell and Matt Kelway, onboard as trimmer and bow, sailed on Miss Silver during the Millennium Cup. Both were delighted with the team’s result and the performance of the new sail inventory. Bicknell remarked: “We are all thrilled with the win and in particular our fantastic racing on Day 2. Owner Chris Meehan and Skipper Wayne Avery have put together a great program, with one of the upgrades being a complete set of 3Di sails. The Millennium Cup win tops off a fantastic season that includes collecting second-place at the Mastercard Cup earlier this year. At the prize-giving, Chris mentioned he would be back, so exciting times lie ahead for Miss Silver.” Tawera and Sassafras finished in second and third place overall, respectively. Onboard Sassafras was Sales Manager Andrew Wills: “Conditions were different from the typical Bay of Islands weather, likely because the regatta got postponed by over a month due to weather conditions” he comments. “The light wind was paired with lumpy swell and overcast skies, but despite this, a lot of fun took place both on and off the water!” Sit back and enjoy browsing the awe-inspiring images captured by Jeff Brown of these beautiful boats in action: Sassafras 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Miss Silver 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Catalina 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Sassafras 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Catalina 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Catalina 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media Miss Silver 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media 📸 Jeff Brown/Breed Media READ MORE

ANOTHER VICTORY FOR CHRIS ALEXANDER AT THE FINAL VX ONE WINTER SERIES EVENT Tight Racing at VX One Winter Series Event #3 Counterproductive and Tudo Bem work hard to maintain upwind lanes 📸 Sarah Wilkinson The VX One Winter Series wrapped up this past weekend with 3 days of tight racing hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Thanks to an experienced group of volunteers on the Race Committee and a continued efficiency gain from the MarkSetBots, the fleet powered through 13 races. Friday’s conditions tested each team’s preparedness as the northerly breeze built a bit more than was forecast. Sailing clean and just conservatively enough was the name of the game in the solid 18-20 knot breeze and 2-3’ chop. Jim Ward, at the helm of Destiny’s Bounty, was the dominant force of the day with only 4 points in 3 races. Leatherback Mutiny working the low-mode downwind 📸 Sarah Wilkinson Saturday brought a beautifully moderate breeze with only one race touching down into fluky territory. The key of the day was sailing fast and in phase with the shifts, which wasn’t always easy with a 25 boat fleet and only 0.65 nautical mile beats. No boat won more than a single race, but Chris Alexander’s Counterproductive won the day by staying focused and finding passing lanes even after congested start lines got the best of them. Close racing upwind 📸 Sarah Wilkinson Sunday’s breeze started off light but built steadily throughout the day. Most of the pressure and angle came from course left, but short-lived righties periodically came through and mixed the fleet up. Ian Maccini’s Blue Lobster, Paul Murphy’s Alternative Facts, and Emily Billing’s #284 had moments of glory and each posted their first bullet of the event. Winning the event was Chris Alexander with Madeline Gill and Kate O’Donnell on Counterproductive. Second place went to Jim Ward with Jeff Eiber and Lynda Bryant on Destiny’s Bounty. Rounding out the podium was Tim Pitts with Tim Desmond on Leatherback Mutiny. Teams powered by North Sails finished 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7, 8, 9, 10 at the last event. Congratulations Doug Clark, series overall winner. North teams finished 1,2,3,4,5,6,7*,8,9,10 overall. VX ONE VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR – April 5th, 7:30 pm Join us for a virtual happy hour on Monday, April 5th. North experts Austin Powers, Mike Marshall, Madeline Gill, and Jackson Benvennutti with special guest Chris Alexander will talk about sailing upwind in heavy breeze, discuss boat-handling strategies for boats with 2 or 3 crew members, and also share tips for Charleston Race Week. Register today! SIGN UP VX ONE HAPPY HOUR READ MORE

FOUR LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 36TH AMERICA’S CUP North Sails Head of Design and Engineering Debriefs on Our Cup Takeaways 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi It’s been a week since the 36th America’s Cup ended, and we wanted to know what all of this means for the future of sailing and North Sails. We’ve asked North Sails Director of Design and Engineering JB Braun what are the technical lessons that have come up during this America’s Cup cycle… and that could apply to all North sails in the future. Versatility “The AC75s are challenging the sail shapes and their range in a more complex way than has ever been done before,” says Braun. “Mainly because of the low righting moment of the boats when they go slow, and their high righting moment when they go fast. When the boats are going slow, their righting moment – their ability to resist heel – is coming from the foils, and those foils don’t work until they’re going fast. So just the boats getting going is a complex process which requires full sails and a low center of effort. And when the boats get going, you want to reduce that power. 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi “In terms of sail design, that leads to different sail structures that power up or de-power. One of the biggest things that you want in a sail is added range, or added optimum application – meaning, to be able to react to a change of conditions if you’re using a given sail. One of the big things that’s going to come out of this America’s Cup is the application of that range. How do you get a sail to be powered up working at very low wind speed, but then have the same sail working at triple or quadruple the apparent wind speed? With normal boats, your apparent wind speed may only go a fraction of that. But when the AC75s are sailing in 12 knots of wind, they’re going to get up to 50 knots of apparent wind. The same sail needs to change its shape quite a bit to be optimum at the low and the top ends. “Having a sail that can morph itself and have a wider range reduces the uncertainty with selecting a sail. This is an area that’s going to come out as being a big plus for a lot of sailors, the top racers and the Wednesday night races, TP52, ORC fleets, championship racing, and more.” Materials “The other area that’s going to be interesting to come out of it is the material menu we have at North Sails. Every material has different properties: some are designed to reduce stress, some are designed to have added tenacity, while others are able to stretch and recover. Others are very stretchy but have unique properties specific to certain areas of the sails. How these different kinds of materials are used and what they were asked to do through this America’s Cup cycle will be applied to future North Sails products. 📸 COR / Studio Borlenghi “We might be using different types of material in new ways to achieve that added range we mentioned above. For example, we build carbon fiber sails and that’s the primary strength material, but we also use different types for different reasons. It’ll be interesting to keep learning and further exploring the complex relationship of the different materials in the composite and how they’re working together.” North Sails Design Suite “From a technical point of view, each team used the North Design Suites to analyze their design space – the rules, the objectives of the sails, the aerodynamic design space. How did their team go about understanding the problem and then attack solving it with the North Sails software? Because that relates to the North Sails software.” 📸 North Design Suite / North Sails “We have unique tools set up with the North Design Suite which help answer complex questions. There are powerful tools that we use to help the design process along in aerodynamics, in the loading, in the mast design. Throughout the America’s Cup, the embedded North Sails designers used Membrain regularly as a way to run their very complex simulations. The powerful tool, complemented by the rest of the North Sails Design Suite (Desman, Spiral, Warps, and Flow), was constantly in use to validate design ideas. Throughout the course of the 36th America’s Cup, software guru Michael Richelson, updated and further developed Membrain to keep up with the ongoing development of the AC75.” “I’m excited by how each team went about it to see what development we want to add to the North Design Suite. And that will set us up to have a more powerful design tool and offer opportunities to help our design and manufacturing teams grow and help refine our product further down the road.” Mast vs Sails “The masts all have to be the same shape, the boats have to weigh the same and have the same center of gravity. How you get to that point – that can vary. How and where you use the weight and what you identify as a driving performance factor has massive consequences and lead to major differences! Integration is the key word. Considering each element as stand-alone would be a major mistake and have a negative effect on total performance. That affects everybody that has a sail that integrates with a rig…which is everybody with a boat!” 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: THE 36TH AMERICA’S CUP Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand Keep Their Title After a battle for the ages, Emirates Team New Zealand sailed into America’s Cup history on Wednesday afternoon (NZ local time) and, once again, held the Auld Mug up high. Over the course of the seven days and ten races on home waters in the Hauraki Gulf, Emirates Team New Zealand defended their right as guardians over the oldest trophy in international sport. The final result was 7 to 3. Their win means the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is now the second most winning yacht club in the 170-year history of the America’s Cup. Led by the young Peter Burling, Emirates Team New Zealand’s win is one for the ages and a symbol of many long days and sleepless nights to create the fastest boat on the water. The journey to hold the Cup aloft again was three years in the making after Emirates Team New Zealand cycled their way into Cup history in 2017. Following this win, the Kiwis let “innovation” lead them to a new, modern class like we’ve never seen before complete with flying boats and soft wing sails. And, now we’re all left wondering what exciting “secret” things will reveal themselves with time. Over the course of seven wild days, racing was incredibly close and could have easily gone either way, thus proving: the AC75 is one amazing boat and the teams around them are the best in the business. “Hats off to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli,” Kiwi sailor Glenn Ashby said following their America’s Cup win. “We didn’t know what was going to happen when we got off the start line of race one of the America’s Cup. And, you woke up every morning going: ‘what’s the day going to bring?’ But, we had a rocket ship of a boat. It took us a little while to work out the mode against Luna Rossa and they were absolutely fierce competitors. It was extremely difficult for us to get past them. For us to come through at the end really came down to a fantastic design, engineering, and shore team.” Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the official Challenger of Record, did not go down without a fight. In fact, the Italian team forced the Kiwis to the brink more than once throughout the series. It’s entirely safe to say the score could have gone either way and wins happened because of small mistakes, not design or technology advantages. Over the course of the last three months, Luna Rossa perfected flying their 75ft monohull and defeated the teams who stood between them and the main event. Whether it was the Brits or the Americans, no one was a match for the super slick Italians and their dual helmsmen, Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill. Trophies and country flags aside, there’s one thing we can collectively agree upon following the 2021 America’s Cup: the America’s Cup has reaffirmed its position as the leader in innovation for the sport. With twin skin mains and 75ft monohulls flying at 50 knots, the sport of sailing is the other winner of this America’s Cup. North Technology Group, including North Sails, Southern Spars, and Future Fibres, are proud to be a part of the 36th America’s Cup story. When this Cup cycle began and teams were looking to bring together the best people, technology, and components, the Defender, Challenger, and INEOS Team UK knew North Technology Group held the key to success. Just before the final day of racing, we managed to grab President of North Sails, and America’s Cup commentator, Ken Read, to get his take on the last three months and how the 36th America’s Cup has forever changed the sport of sailing. Here’s what he had to say… NorthSails · North Sails Podcast- Ken Read America’s Cup Reflections “The changing world of sailing is certainly amongst us, and there’s no question about it. The sailing world is simply a buzz. We’ve never seen sailing (even us diehard sailors) like this before. Whether you love foiling or don’t love foiling, this is different. This is crazy. There is a strong future ahead and it really sounds like everything I hear so far is, this is the class going forward. “This America’s Cup is certainly going to bring a ton of innovation forward. I can’t wait for the design debrief with all the North Sails designers, because I know for a fact that what comes out of this debrief is going to be like no debrief ever before. This is where we’re watching the future of 3Di unfold, and it’s happening right before our very eyes. “What happened on the Hauraki Golf is going to trickle down to cruising, superyachts, offshore races and Grand Prix syndicates. What our embedded designers have learned in this Cup is nothing short of spectacular. And that is great. That’s great for us. It’s great for sailing. “It might not be immediate because all these teams here are still thinking about going again and they want to actually try to keep as much information to themselves as possible. But, perhaps it’s in the second or third generation level where bits and pieces come off the AC boat and we can use them on our own boats. “This is not going to slow down. Let’s hope that we have a two, or maybe three, year cycle between Cups. Let’s hope that other teams jump in. We don’t necessarily know where the next race is going to be. But you know what? It doesn’t matter right now– let’s thrive in this. Let’s utilize it, talk about it, let’s be proud of it. “Be proud of saying the North Technology Group products were on the winning boats. Let’s have fun with it because you’re going to see a lot more about it. And once the debrief happens, and we really get sick our teeth into the nitty-gritty and find out what really happened behind the curtain, that’s when the fun really begins. This is Kenny Read signing off. Hopefully see everybody out in the water this summer.” Shortly after recording his podcast, Ken had to pack up and fly to California to sail in an offshore race. From Ken and all of us at North Sails, a huge congratulations to Emirates Team New Zealand and their entire sail design team, mast build, and design team. This includes Burns Fallow (lead sail designer), Aaron Boot (foil designer), Ben Fletcher (sailmaker), Richard Kiff (sailmaker), Bobby Kleinschmit (naval architect), Guillaume Verdier (naval architect), Rob Salthouse (rig construction coordinator), Dan Bernasconi (Head of Design), Ray Davies (coach), Hamish Hooper (PRO), and Grant Dalton (CEO). It’s been fascinating to watch your vision for the AC75 come to life and thank you all for showcasing sailing at the highest level. READ MORE

LET’S TALK SAILS: DECISIVE DETAILS AND CRITICAL CLUES Day 6 of the 36th’s America’s Cup was a little windier, a little shorter – one race only – but all the more intense for it. 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi The end is near – the end of the 36th America’s Cup, that is. North Sails and INEOS TEAM UK sail designer Gautier Sergent, who’s constantly studying the AC75s and analyzing their sail choices, shares his notes. Sergent mentioned “a lot of small details that might be worth paying attention to.” First, the mainsails. “They both kept their big mainsail on despite the 14 to 15 knots of wind. On a course like this, the wind speed varies a lot and it’s the jib size that changes if needed, not the mainsail. That’s because the latter helps balancing the boat’s power and heeling angle.” With the Cup potentially one race away from the end, he explains that “there won’t be any big changes anymore, but details will be key.” “It’s interesting to notice how much the aerodynamic fairings have changed on the Luna Rossa Prada Pirella deck since the World Series. They’ve added some fairing on the top and opposite sides of the cockpit to further hide the sailors from the wind and reduce the aero drag. It’s sort of emulating the Emirates Team New Zealand sunken cockpit. “It also helps have a cleaner flow on the sails, making them more efficient. The Luna Rossa guys have filled every recess and hole so the airflow doesn’t break and generate turbulences. Everything is as tightly fitted as possible around the sailors. On the AC75s, the deck and the sails are designed as one single package and the Kiwis had integrated this in their boat concept. But the Italians have done a nice job developing these fairings to efficiently guide the airflow around the deck and sails.” Speaking of clear trails, Sergent notices some work has been done on the Emirates Team New Zealand’s mainsail clew. “After the technical crew worked on it this week, the fairing around the clew of the main was noticeably cleaner and its trailing edge thinner. Their mainsheet ram is placed between the two skins, making the trailing edge thicker. You can see the telltales getting sucked in between the two skins. In that regard, the Luna Rossa set-up is much cleaner. But as we explained previously, the Kiwis have also lowered their deck and extended the sail further down to gain sail area – everything is connected!” Perhaps less technical but an obvious point of difference, the windows cut out in the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s sails. “The Italians have two big windows, one in the main and one in the jib, while the Kiwis don’t. It’s a small thing, but it means they’ve chosen to trust the guys on the leeward side instead of creating a weak point in the sail’s structure. 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi “I’ve noticed it because we’ve had similar conversations with INEOS TEAM UK: the sailing crew like these windows but with sails this flat, that are under such effort, these mylar windows stretch with these very high apparent wind speeds and end up creating a lump to leeward. On a conventional boat with all the crew to windward, of course, it’s understandable. But on these, you could compensate with onboard communication.” One last thing? Gautier has his eyes everywhere. Nothing escapes Sergent’s stare. “Yesterday, I also noticed the bottom batten of Emirates Team New Zealand’s Jib 3. The batten is almost on the foot of the sail and it’s an unusual place for it. Two potential reasons for this: first, it might reduce the amount of flapping during a tack or a gybe, reducing drag which is crucial when the boat is essentially powerless. Second, on these hard sheeted flat sails, the airflow can have a tendency to separate around the tack area, so they might have placed this batten there to try and control and lock the shape in this area. A small separation could rapidly extend to a wider part of the sail, affecting its efficiency. Perhaps a little pensively, Sergent adds that “each team has a different approach and is learning to play with it.” But with the racing reaching its conclusion soon – too soon?, there isn’t much time left for learning. 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

NEW MC SCOW MAGNUM WINS MIDWINTERS New Sail Designs Are Fast Out of the Bag in Florida 📸 Regatta Girl Photography It’s a success! The new North Magnum design finishes 1,2 at the 2021 MC Scow Midwinters and the MC Rocket powered the winner at the Sarasota Bay Cup, the Pre-Midwinter event. The new MC designs were first launched in February at the Train Wreck Regatta in Eustis, FL. After countless hours of development, involving many members of the North Sails one-design team and sail designer Mike Marshall, results officially confirm that the new North designs are the best choice for MC Scow sailors. Class expert Allan Terhune commented: “The MC Magnum is a powerful sail. The results are here and we are very confident that the MC Magnum will be a huge success this summer. We made some significant changes to the MC Tuning Guide, including shroud tension and board angles, which are crucial for boat speed. Make sure to check it out! If you are planning to go to Nationals in Iowa, the MC Magnum is a MUST HAVE!” Congratulations to James “Buzz” Reynolds for his consistency in both races at the event. Buzz was able to take his new sail right out of the bag and win the regatta. Order your new Magnum today to get the speed and help you are looking for to be a step ahead at Nationals. We look forward to seeing you on the water at the Easterns and Nationals this year. Sarasota Bay Cup (Pre-Midwinters) – Full Results Midwinters – Full Results SHOP MC SCOW READ MORE

LIVE UPDATES: THE 36th AMERICA’S CUP MATCH PRESENTED BY PRADA On-The-Group Updates and Highlights from Auckland 📸 ACE / Studio Borlenghi It’s been decided. Challenger Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will meet Defender Emirates Team New Zealand to race for the oldest trophy in sporting history. The teams will sail 13 races, with the first team to seven wins claiming victory. This is an exciting time for North Sails as both competitors trust North Sails and our NTG family brands Southern Spars and Future Fibres to power their engine above deck. Our group has also supplied design talent and software to support the teams’ quest for the Cup. And for those of you who want to dress the part, North Sails is an official partner for event-branded clothing. Racing begins March 10th at 1600 NZL time. Make sure to check your time zone if you’re watching remotely. North Sails will also be covering the Cup on this live blog and our social channels. Updates from Auckland below!   How to Watch March 17, 2021, 1630 GMT Kiwi victory over friends and rivals On 17 March, New Zealand became the first country to have twice won and twice defended the America’s Cup. The final scoreboard against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was seven races to three, nailed in just seven crazy days that sat at three points-even after day three. When the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, first lined up against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on 10 March, it was impossible to pick the stronger team. Three days later, the even points still refused to answer: Who has the fastest boat? Both teams were titans of sailing talent; Spithill and Burling are the two youngest skippers to have won the America’s Cup. Their skills delivered some of the best racing in America’s Cup history, especially races 7, 8, and 9, and in AC75- boats that will change sailing forever. Both teams arrived to the America’s Cup finals with different sets of skills: Italy was race-hardened but, like the rest of us, knew little about its opposition apart from rumors of speed. New Zealand had collected and run infinite bytes of data on Luna Rossa through its simulators but was race-rusty. And, ironically, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli became the stone on which Emirates Team New Zealand sharpened its winning set of skills. The final show played out on Course A in just over 10 knots of wind. Spithill wanted the right. He dove into the box and gybed slowly, hoping to lure Burling into a trap. Burling didn’t fall for it. He even took a slight loss to claim the windward hip of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli at the start. Before we could wonder if the Kiwis could live there, they tacked to claim the favored right-hand pressure from which they could bounce back with starboard rights. In match racing, this is gold. For the rest of the race, Burling handed the Italians the same tactics they had played so often in this America’s Cup: The Kiwis protected the right until they didn’t want it, then crossed tacks in a close flurry of foiling arms to take the left. The first delta was just 7 seconds. Italy chased hard on the downwind leg; New Zealand gybed to stay in sync. At gate two, Emirates Team New Zealand’s gybe was a little untidy; Luna Rossa’s even more so, and the Italians kept both foils down too long for optimum speed. It was their last chance to regain the lead, and it didn’t just didn’t happen. From there, the Kiwis shut down the racecourse and sped downhill They won by 46 seconds and proved that Kiwis can fly. America’s Cup 2021 was a clean battle on the water. And, at the end of it, the sailors genuinely appear to be friends. For viewers, it’s been like binge-watching an entire season of “Friends” in one sitting. Looking back, the weeks feel like one bike blur. So, to help, here’s our favorite moments from the last seven crazy days… Race one was the one where, just after the start, Spithill attacked and just missed a penalty against New Zealand’s Te Rehutai: New Zealand’s point. Race two was the one where Burling went for a hook in the prestart and missed. He followed Luna Rossa around the course and lost speed tacking into dirty air, but sprinted down the final run: Italy’s point. Race 3 was the one where Italy did that impressive lee-bow tack, made it look easy, and dominated the rest of the race: Italy’s point. Race 4 was the one where Italy would have liked another lee-bow tack but couldn’t live on Emirates Team New Zealand’s hip and tacked away. The Kiwis found a new mode and consolidated their lead when Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did a bad tack at the top mark: New Zealand’s point. Race 5 was the one where Emirates Team New Zealand sailed into a wall of air, parked and stopped in the prestart: Italy’s point. Race 6 was the one where the story flipped, and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailed into a wall of air and stopped in the prestart. The coincidence gave the world a lesson on boats that sail so fast they gybe back into their own wind shadow: New Zealand’s point. Race 7 was the one where Italy’s jib was too big and proved to be more drag than drive: New Zealand’s point. Race 8 was the one where the wind dropped and New Zealand was underpowered, gybed into Italy’s wind shadow and fell off its foils. Then, Italy fell off its foils. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. New Zealand recovered first: New Zealand’s point. Race 9 was the one on Course C, where the lead swapped so many times our heads began to spin times and Italy defended most of the way around the course. But a lucky wind shift put the Kiwis back in the race: New Zealand’s point. Race 10 was the one, as above, where both teams wanted the right but New Zealand got it. Game over, New Zealand’s victory. In defeat, Luna Rossa was pure class. They congratulated Emirates Team New Zealand and felt good about their campaign. Francesco Bruni: “We are sad not to win the Cup, but we lost it with honor; we lost it with dignity and we fight to the end.” Congratulations to everyone in Emirates Team New Zealand– your victory was well deserved and we’re excited for what’s next. March 16, 2021, 1300 GMT Did that really happen? Yes it did. The superyachts’ horns blared more loudly than usual as the AC75s left the dock in Auckland because the Auld Mug was on the table – if Emirates Team New Zealand won both races on day six, they would win America’s Cup 2021. Going into the day, Emirates Team New Zealand had 5 points, and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had 3. There was a third character in the race though: the venue, Course C. Jimmy Spithill described the track as a tough race track that he knew promised some action. “It’s a dynamic course,” he said. “And things can change and happen very, very quickly.” 📸 ACE | Studio Borlenghi Over the course of the ninth race, the lead shrank and stretched and swapped an almost infinite amount of times, but it meant nothing if Emirates Team New Zealand was unable to cross in front and take control, or if Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli couldn’t hold on. The race was loaded with a tough three years, including the bravery to start a new class. As the race unfolded, a sense of immense respect between the two teams began to shine bright. With everything on the line, the America’s Cup 2021 was delivering some serious fun. Racing, it was clear the skippers’ nerves were as tight as carbon fibre– no one knew if the breeze would hold or flick around the compass. As the race unfolded, every tack and every gybe had to be just right. The result? Both teams were nailing every move perfectly; it was a true do or die moment. 📸 ACE | Studio Borlenghi At gate one, the Italians were one second ahead of the Kiwis. Coming into mark two, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had starboard advantage and gybed on top of Emirates Team New Zealand. It was an aggressive move because it needed to be. (Being aggressive was quickly becoming the only clear way to win this race.),. Luna Rossa dumped exhaust on New Zealand’s sails and extended the lead around the mark. On leg four, the Italians protected the left and the Kiwis split at the gate to sail the opposite side of the course. That led to New Zealand taking the right on the fifth leg, wide apart on the opposite side of Course C. Only from the helicopter could you see what was about to happen. Then the wind flicked right. And with it, the race changed and perhaps the destiny of the America’s Cup. The Kiwis sped home to win by 29 seconds. 📸 ACE | Studio Borlenghi Even the wind decided that was enough excitement for one day. Race director Iain Murray postponed then abandoned race 10. So, Jimmy Spithill, how does it feel to have Emirates Team New Zealand on match point? “I feel excited,” he said. “We live to fight another day.” March 15, 2021, 1530 GMT As close as it gets Day 5 of the 36th America’s Cup may go down in history as one of the event’s most thrilling days on the water. The teams arrived at the start line with three wins each. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was armed with tools gathered through the Prada Cup: their high mode, their understanding of the AC75’s wind shadows and slick moves to execute match racing tactics at high speeds. Meanwhile, Emirates Team New Zealand is learning on the fly (although at a rapid pace), honing their skills, and uncovering their secrets weapons as the series unfolds. When we sat down to watch race 7, we all knew it would all come down to the start– as it had for all the earlier races. However, if previous editions of the America’s Cup have taught us anything it is: never get comfortable with your predictions. 📸 ACE | Studio Borlenghi In race 7, the Italians crossed the line with a click more speed and began to build their advantage, but pretty soon Emirates Team New Zealand took a nip at Jimmy’s heels. It was a luff that didn’t stick but also didn’t damage the Kiwis’ leg 1 strategy. Next, New Zealand began to engage in a tacking duel near the top mark, and as commentator Ken Read remarked, a match race broke out. Something big was brewing and the Kiwis were flexing their badass attitude. Quickly, as the Kiwis gained more and more momentum, it appeared as Luna Rossa was caught off-guard. Compared with Emirates Team New Zealand’s, Luna Rossa’s headsail was bigger and, in the 10-plus knots, this was a drag, literally. In leg three, the Kiwis picked a right hand shift. Their smaller, flatter jib was perfect, and they soon had a VMG of up to three knots faster. Suddenly, the boats were neck and neck in the fight; both boats played tug of war as they headed towards the gate, with the advantage. But soon New Zealand pulled away in what was the first lead change of the 36th America’s Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand won the race by 58 seconds and proved they can win the finish without winning the start. But Jimmy Spithill knows how to bounce back. “You’re either winning or you’re learning,” he said. For race 8, the wind dropped to 7 knots; the Italians’ jib was back in its happy place and Emirates Team New Zealand was now caught with a jib too small. The Italians seemed to be in control but, again, the Kiwis pulled out a new speed mode. On leg two, the Kiwis sped downhill on a promise to make the first downwind pass of the America’s Cup. They threw a gybe to take Luna Rossa to starboard – and five million Kiwis nearly stopped breathing: New Zealand was off the foils. They had hit the Italians’ jet-wash and a lull in the breeze. Emirates Team New Zealand limped back upwind to generate apparent wind, but their jib lacked the power to lift them up. Meanwhile, on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli everything was peachy. Their lead grew to 2300m and soon nearly 4 minutes separated the two boats. Then, on approach to gate three, the breeze went soft. As Francesco Bruni said later, “There was one tack that you couldn’t miss and we missed the wrong one.” Italy was down, and just about every Italian heart sank with it Although Italy eventually recovered flight mode, it was too late to stop the Kiwis as they finished 3:55 minutes ahead. On day six, New Zealand could win the America’s Cup, but Bruno Troublé asked Jimmy Spithill if he could still win it. “There’s no doubt in my mind, Bruno, absolutely no doubt in my mind.” March 13, 2021, 1400 GMT When AC75s trip up in their own shadow Day 3 of the 36th America’s Cup was brutal. In race 5, a light breeze from the East blew across the Hauraki Gulf, Emirates Team New Zealand entered the pre-start of race five and did a hard turn looking assured and aggressive. Then, panic in flight controller’s Blair Tuke’s voice as he realized what was happening: the Kiwis hit a roadblock and couldn’t recover. Giving Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli a strong start and an easy path to victory. Heading into race 6, the roles were reversed. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailed confidently into a hard turn then, panic from Jimmy Spithill: “Come on, boys, we’ve got to get it going.” Luna Rossa, star of the starts, was dead in the water. And, this time, Emirates Team New Zealand sailed to an easy victory. 📸 © ACE | Studio Borlenghi By the end of the day, we were exactly where we started with both teams tied 3 to 3. Unlike previous America’s Cups, we are no closer to knowing who will lift the Auld Mug than we were however, we do have a new question to mull over, as Nathan Outteridge pointed out, will event come down to being won, not by the fastest boat but, simply, the best sailor(s)? But Day 3’s strange coincidence revealed another AC75 phenomenon: the boats can trip over their own shadow. “The wind shadow is so much more than we’ve experienced before,” Spithill said later. “I think in the lighter air, you go through your own wind shadow because you’re coming through from above. Both teams found themselves trapped in a bubble and it’s very difficult to get out of it.” Spithill is explaining how when both AC75s sailed deep into the start box, they created a disturbance in the air which drifted downwind at 10 knots. The AC75, sailing at 35 knots, gybed and turned back towards the line just in time to meet the air they had just disturbed. On a slower boat, the disturbed air would have passed in front, but the AC75 is fast enough to catch it. Meanwhile, in the closest America’s Cup in decades, Emirates Team New Zealand continues to hone their skills against the Italians. Although Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli led by around 200m for most of race 5, the Kiwis held the gap and found new strength in light airs, even as the Italians dumped dirty air over their shoulder. When the roles were reversed in race 6, the Kiwis’ lead over the Italians extended significantly and the rich got richer. “We showed what we could do when we’re ahead,” said Burling. Despite not being any closer to knowing the result after six races, Spithill is loving every minute. “It’s just such a fascinating time,” he said, “because it’s a completely new style of boat and we are dealing with the defender who’s the best in the world. You could have a day off after every race just to get through all the data. “Let’s hope this America’s Cup goes down as one of the best fights on the water.” March 12 2021, 1400 GMT Who has the fastest boat? America’s Cup number 36 continued to play coy as we clamoured for answers to questions that day one had failed to answer: Who has the fastest boat? Is Emirates Team New Zealand sticky in the light? Does foil size matter? And day two has only confused things, like a Whodunnit that feeds out clues then disproves every theory. Initially, race three seemed straightforward. The wind was under 10 knots which, according to the evidence presented, would favor Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The Kiwis crossed the line with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in its dangerous, high mode on the Kiwis’ windward hip. When Emirates Team New Zealand tacked at the boundary, Luna Rossa was ready. It performed a superb lee bow tack. 📸 ACE | Studio Borlenghi It’s a move that looks easy when it works, but the boats’ relative positions have to be right. The Italians nailed it. In light breeze, the lead boat’s wind shadow has an even worse impact than on windy days and it was costly. The Kiwis were forced to eat their dust. For the rest of race 3, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli played their strengths: better speed upwind and bigger foils that served them well in a tacking duel in leg three. Since boats on an America’s Cup course spend more time sailing upwind than downwind, Luna Rossa banked precious metres that far outclassed the Kiwis’ edge downwind. By the final delta of 37 seconds, New Zealand had sailed nearly 1.5km further than Italy. Race four: The breeze had dropped as Kiwi supporters braced for a repeat performance. Once again, our heroes sailed towards the left-hand boundary with the Italians on the Kiwis’ hip, ready to pounce. But then the Italians tacked away, unable to live there. This was new. The Kiwis had found their light-wind mode. READ MORE

BEHIND THE SCENES: BONUS PODCAST Ken Read, Burns Fallow, Juan Garay, and Marco Capitani Sit Down in Auckland Sail designer for the Defender, Burns Fallow and the Challenger dynamic duo of Juan Garay and Marco Capitani join North Sails President Ken Read for an insider’s-update on the 36th America’s Cup Match. The podcast is jam-packed with information and insights from the people closest to projects, our North embedded designers. NorthSails · Special Edition Podcast: America’s Cup Behind the Scenes READ MORE

LET’S TALK ABOUT SAILS: 36TH AMERICA’S CUP MATCH RACES 1 & 2 Two design philosophies, two sail trimming strategies North Sails and INEOS TEAM UK sail designer Gautier Sergent indulges us once again with his take on the 36th America’s Cup opening races, and the crucial role played by the AC75 sails on that global stage. He’s prudent – the racing has just started and he knows first-hand the road ahead can be long. “The first day of the Prada Cup between INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was a bit similar, and we know how that ended. Let’s see what happens next. “But it’s not night and day between the teams, that’s for sure.” What’s interesting, Sergent notes, was to see each of the teams’ philosophy shine so bright on Wednesday in Auckland. There was no big surprise, no “rabbit pulled out of a hat,” as he puts it. But if their speeds on the water were relatively similar, their design differences showed clearly. “We’ve seen signs of what was coming during training and as the racing started, each team stuck to their plan. “On Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, we’ve noticed that their mainsail was slightly twisted and their mast less bent. In fact, the tension in their vertical rigging seemed quite low. Going upwind, you could see their leeward shroud move. We’ve all seen it before, but we’re not sure whether it comes from structural constraints or something else. “We’ve also noticed a kink in the forestay at the head of the jib, which means the forestay isn’t under a lot of tension. I think it’s a result of their no-runner philosophy. They have to have runners onboard because of the class rules, but their original concept didn’t include them.” What does that all mean on the water, then? “They probably use a lot of cunningham tension on the headsails, using the Helix Structured Luff. The two-to-one halyard is another clue supporting this assumption. The Kiwis have a conventional 1:1 jib halyard. That is not to say they are not using some smart sail structure but they would have been working on a different concept.” He’s observed a difference in behavior on deck, too. “It looked to me like the Kiwis were a lot more active trimming the jib track – in particular downwind. It’s hard to spot on TV, but that would illustrate their philosophy. They’ve got Glenn Ashby onboard as a dedicated trimmer, while the Italians have separate mainsail and jib trimmers. Sure, they must be communicating all the time, but onboard the Kiwi boat, it seems that it is all coordinated by Ashby. He’s trimming the mainsail, and we’re not quite sure but it’s possible he might be trimming the jib too through some control points. “But just like Luna Rossa’s two-helmsmen approach, it’s a decision based on the actual skills of the people involved. We know Ashby is originally a sailmaker, he’s dedicated to sails so it’s natural for him to do that on Te Rehutai.” There is no better or worse, at least for now. Just different design choices that have influenced the sail shapes, structures, and trimming tactics. “Both teams had the same sail area up so their crossovers must be very close,” adds Sergent. “The boats look really different visually but must have relatively similar performances and aerodynamic needs.” That, however, won’t last forever. It might be one-all for now, and these different approaches might have delivered similar results so far because of the wind conditions on day one. Going into the weekend, the wind gets considerably lighter (it’s forecasted to be 6 knots max). When we see extremes like this, we are more likely to see more differences between the teams– and we’re more likely to see them reveal their secret weapons. But if there is one thing that’s for certain in the America’s Cup, it’s that in the end, the winner takes it home. READ MORE

WHAT YOU GOT THERE EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND? Are these sails secret weapons – or are the Kiwis playing mind games? 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Over the past couple of months, Gautier Sergent has had plenty of time to observe and analyze Te Rehutai’s sails. One of North Sails leading designers, Sergent was embedded with INEOS TEAM UK in the 36th America’s Cup and has been in Auckland, New Zealand since August. With all eyes on the America’s Cup races later this week, he’s been paying extra attention to the Kiwis’ AC75. Truth is, there is no knowing what’s happening behind their Viaduct Harbour base’s doors, but here are a couple of Sergent’s connoisseur comments ahead of the racing. Is THAT a Code Zero or Whomper Sail? “We’ve seen them use a very light Code Zero on the bowsprit. The clew point is quite high, and the sail looks like it’s been designed for very, very light conditions. We don’t know for sure, but looking at the material and its geometry, we suspect that this sail is not designed to foil. “So we think it’s a sail they could use when the boat needs to get to the next patch of pressure quicker and then up on the foil before the other team. It could also help in pre-start or finishing phases. The races have a time limit (of 45 minutes), so if they’re leading but the racing is dragging on, this sail could help them cross the line on time and win a point.” Remember race one of the Christmas Cup when Emirates Team New Zealand raced against INEOS TEAM UK? The conditions were so light that the race eventually timed out, however, the race could have easily been awarded to a team with a Code Zero- like sail. “It was OK for the Christmas Cup, but you cannot afford to give away points in an America’s Cup match,” Sergent said. March in Auckland usually brings changeable weather and weaker thermal winds, making the racing conditions reliant on the gradient winds. If there is no gradient, there won’t be wind at all – and with the racing allowed to start at 6.5 knots only, a sail designed for very light conditions might come in handy. “Remember,” adds Sergent, “it’s also part of the game to show only what you want to show! They might have designed and tested this sail only to decide it didn’t work – but are choosing to show it to get everyone else thinking. Imagine you’ve spent time working on something that’s not performing – you’d want the other teams to waste that time too. “We’ve yet to see a Code Zero racing in this America’s Cup. It’s such a specific sail that some of the teams have even decided to design bowsprits that can’t carry that sail load. But since Emirates Team New Zealand have tried this specific Code Zero so late in the game, we doubt it’s a mind game. “What’s funny is that we might never know. If there is no light day, they won’t use it and we’ll keep asking ourselves, was it real… or was it all a mind game?” To Batwing or not A couple of weeks ago, the Kiwis were seen trialing a Batwing – a very small mainsail that was first tested by American Magic. “The rules don’t take potential leech hollows between the girths into account when calculating the sail area,” explains Sergent. “You can actually design a mainsail that’s smaller than the 135 sqm allowed by the class rules by using this bat-like design. These boats are quickly overpowered and you can’t take a reef in, so this Batwing could let you reduce the drag in heavy winds. “But so far, we’ve only seen the Kiwis try this concept, with an old sail they’ve recut, we haven’t seen them use a new one designed specifically for this. It might just be a way to distract Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.” Main course One more thing caught Sergent’s attention – the mainsail settings onboard Emirates Team New Zealand. “We can add all sorts of control systems in the top four meters of the mainsail: ropes, boat hooks, everything that makes it possible to control that shape. But we haven’t noticed much of that whenever we looked at the New Zealand team preparing and hoisting their mainsail. “Plus every other team hoist their mainsail pre-assembled, with both skins already tied together, but the Kiwis bring both skins in different bags and only connect them once the heads are partially hoisted.” 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi So, what would that mean performance-wise? Sergent pauses before saying, “It means they don’t have this very sophisticated system to take care of which saves weight which can be used elsewhere and they could potentially change mainsails faster between races. “We’ve also noticed they can bend their mast significantly more than everyone else, even though the masts are one-design. We’re assuming they’re using their cunningham to do that with a specific sail structure to suit, but we’re not quite sure. All of that could explain why Emirates Team New Zealand tend to show flatter sails up range and tighter leech settings while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli usually sail with torqued sail trimmings. The Kiwis have also lowered the deck by raising the mast base to keep it rule compliant, adding “free” area at the bottom of their mainsail. These, and a thousand other design decisions, will all come to fruition on Wednesday in Auckland as the New Zealand and the Italian teams face each other in the first race of the 36th America’s Cup. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE