NORTH SAILS BLOG

CRUISING PERFORMANCE: 3Di NORDAC Q&A What To Know About This Innovative Cruising Sail Q: How is 3Di NORDAC different than my old cross-cut dacron sails? A: 3Di NORDAC transforms the same trusted polyester materials of a traditional dacron cruising sail into a unified composite structure. Instead of seaming and stitching together panels of woven sailcloth, 3Di NORDAC sails are molded into a one-piece seamless sail. Like woven polyester, 3Di NORDAC sails are durable – but have better shape holding and shape longevity. If you like sailing your boat sail to its full potential, you will love 3Di NORDAC. Q: I don’t understand how you “Mold” a sail? What’s the deal? A: Your sail is built in its three-dimensional flying shape. All of the component materials are laid up and then fused on a full-size “mold” custom-shaped to your sail design. This process is different than cutting panels of sailcloth with curved edges and sewing them together, which is how traditional cruising sails are made. Q: Why is a Molded sail better than a paneled sail? A: All of the material is assembled in a precise 3D form, which means the sail will have a smoother sail shape. Also, a molded 3Di sail is better at resisting stretch and distortion because all the filaments are aligned with both strain and compressive loads. All of these materials are laid up in a multi-axis array and variable density. In panel cloth, you only have two directions that the fiber can be aligned. With 3D molded sails, there is an infinite number of alignments available to achieve the perfect shape and strength for the intended use. By better utilizing materials properties, 3Di NORDAC sails will go farther and faster. Q: 3Di seems cool, but how do you know it will be right for cruising sails? A: 3Di technology has sailed millions of miles over the past ten years, and over 3000 3Di NORDAC sails are in use around the world in the harshest sailing environments. We spent over two years developing 3Di NORDAC, using a scientific approach that enables predictable results. We stand behind our products and guarantee you will have great durability and great performance. Q: I have heard Cruising Laminates don’t last long. Will 3Di NORDAC delaminate? A: No. One of the key attributes of 3Di construction is that it is not a laminate and there is no mylar film. 3Di NORDAC is made much like a fiberglass sailboat, with a solid core of fused polyester. These spread filament tapes are bonded with thermoset polyester resin into a single structure that is heat, humidity, and UV resistant. Q: What is the square pattern on 3Di NORDAC sails? Are these seams? A: No, they are not seams. The outer layer of 3Di NORDAC is a special protective surface of spread filament polyester tapes. This layer resists damage from UV, chafe, abrasion, and flex. One side is oriented vertically, the other horizontally, creating the cross pattern. We think it looks cool, too. Q: How can I trust North Sails to build a great cruising sail? Aren’t you guys are all about racing and superyacht sails? A: It may surprise you to learn North Sails has also been the world’s largest cruising sailmaker for many decades. While we occasionally brag about our racing success, many of our North Sails team grew up cruising just like you. We like to cruise and we know how to make great cruising sails. Also, one of the benefits of building sails for around-the-world racers and superyachts is that lessons we learn about durability are directly transferred to ALL of our cruising sails. Q: If 3Di NORDAC is such a great sail, how can North Sails offer them at affordable prices? A: A few reasons. 3Di NORDAC is a smarter way to build sails. From a manufacturing perspective, it is like a “farm to table” approach. The materials are made into a complete sail within a single North Sails factory, with less processing. Woven polyester undergoes many manufacturing steps in a long supply chain and passes through different factories to become finished sailcloth. There are numerous embedded process and transport costs in woven dacron sailcloth. Since we are using the same base polyester fiber and making a sail in fewer steps, we can offer an affordable price and exceptional value. Also, we want to spread the word about what good cruising sail performance means. Get in touch today and Request A Quote. Q: I love my new 3Di NORDAC sail. What should I do at the end of the season? A: 3Di NORDAC sails require minimal maintenance, but it is always a good idea to take them into our service sites for an annual checkup. We will make sure there are no wear points, and repair any minor damage that may occur. Every 3Di NORDAC sail comes with 1-year free sail care, so bring it in at the end of the season. READ MORE

Desarrollada específicamente para palos Selden o Southern Spars, ofrece un diseño más plano y equilibrado para adaptarse a la flexión del palo en todas las condiciones.  READ MORE

A NEW NORMAL FOR SCALLYWAG Helix Sails Create Higher Expectations 📸 Les Voiles St Barth Richard Mille The 100’ super maxi Scallywag added Helix to their sail wardrobe in early April, just in time for Les Voiles de St Barth Richard Mille regatta. With limited testing days from install to start line, it was trial by fire. “Scallywag switched over to North Sails at the end of 2018, and we are all thrilled with the decision we made,” remarked David Witt, Scallywag skipper. “Our team has set lofty goals and our boss wanted to make sure we have every opportunity and best shot to hit them. These new Helix sails have reset our expectations for boat speed, and we haven’t even fully unlocked its potential.” Designing the team’s new 780 sq. meter A-3 was a groundbreaking and collaborative team effort involving North designers around the world. New Zealand-based sail designer Magnus Doole led the project, which included Mickey Ickert, Mike Schrieber, Steve Calder, and Brodt Taylor. “Helix sails represent a very exciting new style of sail design and set up,” explained Doole. “Mike and I designed the base mold and ran refinements to the design through our North Design Suite; Spiral/Desman/WARPS/Membrain/Flow. Brodt and Steve were involved from a layout perspective, and Mickey acted as my sounding board and provided a feedback loop for this really intense project. All the while, I was checking in with Steve and JB Braun on their Helix design experience to date. Sail evolution brings out the best in North Sails as the collaborative work takes the guesswork out of the end product.” North Helix sails with Load Sharing Technology are changing the narrative on the sail design and set up, and stepping into a whole new world of headsail performance. Get in touch with a North expert today and learn how Helix can help you raise your game. https://www.northsails.com/sailing/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Scallywag.mp4 READ MORE

NEW GENERATION 3Di JIB FOR MELGES 20 New 3Di Ji-4 Jib Now Available Across The Fleet The One Design team at North Sails are never satisfied; they are continually striving and working to improve their products and provide their clients with the tools to raise their performance levels. Such is the case in Melges 20. Two years after first introducing 3Di technology to the class, North Sails are releasing a cutting edge 3Di jib to create a hugely competitive 3Di sail wardrobe across the boat. It was this 3Di mainsail and jib combination that saw STIG triumph in dramatic style in the recent World Championships in Miami. North Sails clients may have won the Melges 20 World Championships for the last seven years, but this does not mean the team rests on their laurels. Over the winter, the experienced Class Leader Giulio Desiderato, worked with Europe’s leading designers and STIG to roll out the Ji-4. Developed by Giovanni Cassinari and Michele Malandra, with the help of One Design expert Mike Marshall, the team used North’s bespoke Membrane software to simulate the sail structure and design. Testing through February and March evolved a sail that ultimately powered STIG to victory in Miami. “Simulating the data collected from the North team racing on the circuit with our in-house software, we were able to create a new generation of jib” Commenting on the new 3Di jib, Giulio Desiderato added, “It was a dream team of designers with Giovanni, Michele, and Mike, and they did a fantastic job, working hard to create something really exciting. Our 3DL jib was a big success with our Melges 20 clients, powering many victories on the circuit, so we wanted to develop a 3Di jib that would be even more successful and work perfectly with our 3Di mainsail. Simulating the data collected from the North team racing on the circuit with our in-house software, we were able to create a new generation of jib with a completely changed layout, modified shape and new sail geometry. The sail is not only lighter, but the 3Di structure makes it more stable, and the new layout combines perfectly to produce a fantastic shape that delivers.” The skipper of STIG, Alessandro Rombelli summarized the performance of the new jib: “The new 3Di for the Melges 20 is much more effective. The shape holds perfectly and is desirable in all conditions. The new 3Di Ji-4 jib was a great tool for our upwind performance.” Giulio concluded, “This project really shows the potential when the unparalleled North Sails network combines the best experts in different fields to deliver a game-changing sail. I am excited about offering our clients this new product, and we won’t stop there, we’ll always keep looking to improve. I want to thank all the owners and sailors that bring so much energy and passion in deciding to work with us to reach our shared goal to constantly improve, and sail faster and faster.” The new Ji-4 is now available for order and will be ready for delivery ahead of Act 2 of the World League. To learn more, please visit our class page. READ MORE

NOUVELLE CLASSE DOTÉE DE VOILES NORTH SUR LE SPI OUEST © Giovanni Mitolo L’incontournable épreuve de voile du week-end de Pâques réitère son rendez-vous annuel pour la 41ème fois. Le Spi Ouest-France Destination Morbihan se disputera sur quatre jours du 18 au 22 avril 2019 à la Trinité-sur Mer en baie de Quiberon. Ce grand rassemblement trinitain réunira de nombreux passionnés de voile, professionnels comme amateurs, répartis sur différentes catégories de bateaux, du monocoque au multi en passant par les voiliers de séries IRC et les monotypes. ETF 26 : Nouveau Souffle sur le Spi Ouest Cette année, les organisateurs apportent un nouveau souffle à la compétition en ouvrant les portes à une toute nouvelle flotte de catamarans volants en carbone : les Easy to Fly ou ETF 26. Ces sport boats à foils de 7,93 mètres, dessinés par Guillaume Verdier et équipés de voiles North Sails, ont été conçus par la société Absolute Dreamer de Jean-Pierre Dick, ancien skipper de St-Michel Virbac et quadruple vainqueur de la Transat Jacques Vabre entre autres. Les ETF 26 peuvent atteindre deux fois et demie la vitesse du vent et dépasser les 35 nœuds. Compte tenu de leur vitesse élevée, un rond de course leur sera spécifiquement réservé. Le Spi Ouest sera donc leur première régate de série. En effet, la classe ETF 26 envisage de se constituer un championnat dont l’un des objectifs est d’offrir aux navigants l’opportunité de faire leurs gammes sur un support volant en attendant la construction de leur Imoca ou Ultim. Parmi les autres séries en lice représentées sur le Spi Ouest 2019, on trouve les Diam 24, les Multi 2000, les IRC 1 à 4, les IRC Double, les First 24, les First 31.7, les Figaro 2, les Grand Surprise, les J/70 et J/80, les Mach 6.5, les Mini 6.50, les Open 7.50 et 5.70, ainsi que les Osiris Habitable. Depuis sa création en 1978, le Spi Ouest n’a cessé de prendre de l’ampleur en attirant un grand nombre de marins français comme étrangers. Organisé par la Société Nautique de La Trinité-sur-Mer et parrainé par le quotidien Ouest-France, cet événement populaire est aujourd’hui considéré comme la plus grande régate de voiliers habitables en Europe. Plus de 420 bateaux et des milliers de régatiers s’affronteront pour l’occasion dans des conditions météo prévues favorables. De quoi réjouir concurrents, visiteurs et organisateurs. READ MORE

Making the square-bowed Optimist go fast requires a different thought process, North Sails expert and J/22 World Champion Mike Marshall explains. READ MORE

MIKE MARSHALL: WORLD CHAMPION & SAIL DESIGNER Looking Towards A New Challenge Design expert Mike Marshall joined North Sails in 2013 because he wanted to combine sailing with working in aerodynamics. “The two mesh well in designing sails,” he says. Working with the North Design Suite and learning from JB Braun was a great opportunity, and “the job stays fresh because each challenge is new and different.” After a few years commuting from his home base in Rhode Island to JB’s office in Marblehead, MA, he’s now based out of the Portsmouth loft, which has expanded to include a small design team. Mike also coaches youth sailors, which has helped his latest design project: refining the North Sails Optimist inventory. “The coaching experience allows me to relate to the sailors to get quality feedback.” Combined with his sail design expertise, he can then interpret that feedback based on what he’s seen on the water. © Charmaine Gittens / North Sails Leading Edge Optimist Clinic Opti sail design is a unique challenge, he continues. “The designs are based on weight ranges and we get calls from people who say, ‘Well, what if my kid ate a big breakfast sandwich?’ Really, the important thing is that the sail works and that the sailor can use the same shape sail for a significant amount of time.” When he looked at existing designs, Mike realized that sprit tension is the biggest driver of sail shape. “Most coaches just tell their sailors, ‘make the wrinkles go away,’ but there’s a lot more to it than that.” The new design is radial in the clew, which makes it possible to adjust sprit tension to a wide range of conditions. “I think of it as a halyard; more tension closes the upper leech. Closing the leech when you are hiking and not overpowered—that’s really powerful. Yes, you can get rid of the wrinkle by pulling more tension, but removing the wrinkle is not really what you’re trying to achieve.” “The job stays fresh because each challenge is new and different.” Mike’s own sailing currently focuses on world-level one-design racing, mostly in small keelboats. He recently won the J/22 Midwinters, and in 2016 won the J/22 World Championship. He’s also done well in the J/24, J/70, and VX-One. Making keelboats perform definitely helps his design work, Mike says. “In both design and racing, the details are really important, but I try not to get too caught up in the small stuff and focus on doing the big things well.” As for hobbies, Mike laughs at that question. “Sailing?” he quips, before adding that “kiteboarding and diving are definitely hobbies, not that I get to do them that much these days.” © Charmaine Gittens / North Sails Leading Edge Optimist Clinic READ MORE

NEW F-1 MAINSAIL FOR J/70 CLASS Flexibility, Versatility, Balance, And Speed The One Design team at North Sails are driven by our commitment to find solutions for our customers and to always find more speed and boat performance. This is why the new F-1 mainsail was tested and developed within the competitive J/70 Class and why it is now available to everyone. Developed to fit the Selden mast or a Southern Spars mast with a stiff set-up, the F-1 mainsail is a flatter design, balanced top to bottom to match mast bend in all conditions. Designed to be user-friendly, the F-1 is easy to trim, and tune, to produce maximum speed on the water. “Development on the F-1 main started with sail testing sessions in the early spring of 2018, using the North Sails two boat testing telemetry system,” commented North designer Mike Marshall. “Using the results data and the power of the North Design Suite, were able to, in very few iterations, come up with a sail that much more effectively fits the Selden mast. An additional benefit is the vertical shaping in the sail is much more balanced to work well through the entire range of conditions.” Commenting further on the development of the F-1 sail, North Sails One Design expert Max Skelley added “North Sails were invited to join Bruno Paquenelli’s Team Stampede to campaign for the 2018 J/70 Worlds in Marblehead. It quickly became apparent that the standard mainsail set up is quite different with the Selden mast. Primarily, in light air they were unable to flatten the main enough or get the draft far enough back to give the boat some helm; the shape looked full and draggy. We worked with Mike Marshall to flatten the vertical profile of the sail, and after several trials, we reduced the luff curve by enough to handle the very straight fore and aft mast set up the boat required in light air. The result: a very even sail shape was achieved, with resulting balance and speed.” “Developed to fit the Selden mast or a Southern Spars mast with a stiff set-up, the new North Sails F-1 mainsail is a flatter design, balanced top to bottom that reacts to mast bend in all conditions. Designed to be user-friendly, the F-1 is easy to trim, and tune, to produce maximum speed on the water.” At the J/70 Worlds, in a wide range of challenging conditions, Stampede’s upwind speed was outstanding and got the team top finishes, with equally strong results in 15+ knots of wind. As North One Design expert Eric Doyle noted “With the J/70 being so tender and light, we were able to flatten the main more than ever before, and this let us put the bow down and go fast when we needed to. The F-1 main allowed us great versatility in the big fleet. We could trim hard to point and hold our lane off the starting line without stalling the sail too much.” “The F-1 proved it was ready for market after the 2018 J/70 Worlds,” explained Tim Healy, President of North Sails One Design. “The regatta was ultra-competitive, and the new F-1 finished an extremely close second place, just a single point away from winning it all. This battle-tested result was the conclusion to our sail testing.” The F-1 mainsail is a new cross cut design featuring less camber when compared to the North XCS-2. Standard Features include one gaff batten, two full-length battens, two leech battens, vision and spreader windows, radial teardrop patches, spreader chafe patch, trim stripes, leech telltales, Class insignia, adjustable leech and foot cords, and roll bag. The F-1 sail is now available for any team competing at Charleston Race Week or for the summer season. READ MORE

SUPER-CHARGED COMPETITION & HIGH PERFORMANCE SAILING North Sails Teams Up With Melges For The 2019 World League Season 📸 Melges World League / Mauro Melandri The European Division of the Melges World League racing season commences on March 29th. In an event that was designed to super-charge competition in the Melges 20 and 32 classes, North Sails is proud to continue our partnership for the third consecutive year. As the industry leader in one design sails, North Sails plays an active role in delivering great events for all the sailors joining the Mediterranean-based circuit. The 2019 season consists of 10 events, spanning eight months. This opening act will feature the Melges 32 class sailing on crystal clear waters in Villasimius, Italy, a venue known for its excelling racing conditions. In 2018, both Melges 32 and Melges 20 top titles were won by North powered teams; Matteo Balestrero’s Giogi securing the Melges World League title in the Melges 32 and Filippo Pacinotti’s Brontolo placing on top of the podium of the Melges 20 European Division. 📸 Melges World League / Mauro Melandri Through our partnership, North Sails is committed to showcasing the World League events and bringing awareness to the high-performance Melges 20 and 32 classes. Melges World League content and event news will be shared across the North Sails social media channels, whose audience is unparalleled in the sailing world. In addition to sharing event news, North Sails class experts will be on hand at each event to help sailors by delivering support and collect first-hand feedback for continued product development. The combined online visibility and on-site support guarantee an enhanced experience for competitors and all fans of one design sailing. Join Us Online: Facebook | Instagram @north_sails @melges32 @melges20 📸 Melges World League / Mauro Melandri READ MORE

2019 NORTH FINN INVENTORY Optimized Designs for Sailing Conditions, Mast and Sailor Weight © Sascha Klahn The North Finn inventory is customized to complement each and every mast individually. Our Finn Radial designs are manufactured from North Sails’ exclusive NLXi Technora laminate, while the Cross Cut sails are manufactured from Maxx Aramid laminate. Find below our sail selection charts which shows the sail that best suits your weight, mast and sailing conditions. WILKE & PATA MASTS CONSTRUCTION RADIAL RADIAL CROSS CUT WIND RANGE 0-8 Kts 5-12 Kts 8-18 Kts 15-30 Kts All-Purpose All-Purpose FABRIC NLXi-02 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora Maxx 06F Aramid 100+ KG MB-1GL MB-1G M-1 MB-1G M-1 MX-6 96-99 KG MB-1G MB-1G MB-1G MX-7 92-96 KG MB-1G MB-1G Minus MB-1G MX-7 -92 KG MB-1G Minus MB-1G Minus MB-1G Minus MX-8 HIT MASTS CONSTRUCTION RADIAL RADIAL CROSS CUT WIND RANGE 0-8 Kts 5-12 Kts 8-18 Kts 15-30 Kts All-Purpose All-Purpose FABRIC NLXi-02 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora NLXi-03 Technora Maxx 06F Aramid 100+ KG MB-1GL MB-1G M-1 Xi-2 M-1 MX-6 96-99 KG Xi-2 Xi-2 Xi-2 MX-7 92-96 KG Xi-2 Xi-3 Xi-2 MX-7 -92 KG Xi-3 Xi-4 Xi-3 MX-8 Standard Features: Class insignia, sail numbers, vision window, Epoxy battens, elastic batten pockets, plastic headboard, leech and trim tell tales, leech line, 7mm luff rope, long roll bag, World Sailing in-house measurement and class royalty label. Optional Features (additional cost): Carbon battens, carbon headboard, stick-on pockets, adjustable elasticated luff and country flag. For more information on the North Finn designs or to place an order please contact your local North loft. Please have your mast bend numbers available. READ MORE

M32 SAILING IS HEATING UP The Road To The Worlds Is Always Exciting In These High Adrenaline Cats 📸 M32 World / Felipe Juncadella Eight M32s will meet in Miami for the fourth and final event of the 2019 class Winter Series. A single point separates the top two boats, who have their eyes on the “Rooster” series trophy. After Miami, M32 seasons are heating up on both sides of the Atlantic. In North America, the fleet will compete at Charleston Race Week before heading north to Newport, Rhode Island, for the NYYC Annual Regatta, the inaugural Midtown Cup. Meanwhile, the European fleet will start their season with two regattas in Italy before heading north to Holland and Sweden. Both European and North American seasons culminate with the 2019 World Championship in Riva del Garda, Italy at the end of August. The M32 is a fast, fun, one design catamaran class. Designed in 2011, this dynamic class saw dramatic growth two years later when Aston Harald Composite, under the leadership of sailing enthusiast Hakan Svensson, acquired design and production rights. Through his involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race, Hakan knew North was the right choice to supply one design sails for the class. Since 2014. North Sails have provided fast, consistent sails for the entire class. 📸 M32 World / Felipe Juncadella “The North 3Di RAW mainsail has been an excellent product,” said Dave Doucett, Director of M32 North America. “It’s a great value because owners are delivered a fast, yet bombproof sail that is competitive for several seasons. Class sails are built to the exact specifications of the strict one design class rules.” With an owner-centric mentality, the class has planned a sailing schedule that provides easy logistics to amazing sailing venues. Owners in both North America and Europe are able to hone their speed and boat handling skills during a full regatta schedule in global sailing hotspots, and also close to home with their local fleets. A strong M32 fleet is expected on the start line at the 2019 Worlds. Located at the northern end of Lake Garda, Riva del Garda is one of the best-known yacht racing venues in the world. Northerly wind in the morning and the southerly Ora kicking in the early afternoon, combined with the funneling effects of the mountains, provide the perfect flat water, strong wind sailing conditions for these high-performance catamarans. 📸 M32 World / Felipe Juncadella Throughout the 2019 M32 European Series, manufacturer Aston Harald will have two circuit boats available. The first will be loaned to a ‘development team,’ which might be a youth, women’s, or local team looking to try a professional racing circuit. The second will be a test boat for teams coming from monohull classes who wish to experience high adrenaline racing against a mix of pro and owner-driver teams. The M32 Europen organisers can set up potential owners and teams with M32 crew, as required: Contact Mattias Dahlström: mattias.dahlstrom@astonharald.com In North America, potential new owners and teams will have the opportunity to test sail an M32 at the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta (June 14-16) and The Midtown Cup (July 12-14) in Newport RI. Test sailing will also be available at the North American Championships in Miami FL (November 15-17). Contact Dave Doucett: dave.doucett@astonharald.com For more about M32 sailing in 2019 Race Schedule | M32 Web | Facebook | Instagram @m32official   📸 M32 World / Felipe Juncadella READ MORE

STAR CLASS LEADER ERIC DOYLE After Three Decades, Eric Keeps Coming Back To The Star © Bronny Daniels Even after almost three decades in the class, 2019 Bacardi Cup champion Eric Doyle thinks there’s still plenty left to figure out. “It’s the best platform for learning about sail shape and rig tune,” he says. “There’s quite a bit of pumping and kinetics involved. And there’s a bit of keeping the rig upright as well.” Combined, those challenges have kept him in the Star boat—and, between regattas, doing long bike rides to improve fitness and focus. Eric started sailing as a kid on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, “Because it was so bloody hot you kind of had to be on the water in order to survive.” During college in Mobile, Alabama, he sailed Stars for the first time with the local fleet. “When I got out of college and was done racing small boats, I thought that the Star was just the coolest thing ever and started racing them.” “When I got out of college and was done racing small boats, I thought that the Star was just the coolest thing ever and started racing them.” That led to an Olympic campaign ahead of the 1992 Games, and that in turn led to an important phone call.“Vince Brun called me and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come work for North Sails in San Diego, there’s a great Star fleet out here. I think it’ll help your career.’ So I packed up, pulled my Star boat out here, and started working for him.” In 1999, Eric won the Star World Championship and his first Gold Star. “129 boat fleet, that was a highlight for sure.” More recently, he and crew Payson Infelise won the 2018 North Americans. “We’re feeling pretty strong right now. So, hopefully we can continue rolling along.” © Bronny Daniels Since first starting at North in 1992, Eric has done some big boat sailing as well, including an America’s Cup campaign with Dennis Conner and two with Oracle. But in 2017 the opportunity came to return to the Star—and to San Diego. Now, as Class Leader for North Sails, he’s brought his Cup experience back to help improve one design sails. “It’s taken me two years to get the sails where they are now. We have made some nice improvements.” For 2019, North is offering a completely new Star product line. As class leader, Eric is responsible for identifying the improvements he wants to make and communicating them to the design team. Then he tests the sails with a tuning partner to quantify if the changes worked. “We did quite a bit in the lead up to the 2018 North Americans,” he says. “And it all turned out pretty good. We were much faster in lighter air.” (For more about the process and results, read Star Sail Design R&D) Eric’s plans for 2019 include two regattas in Europe: the Star Europeans on Lake Garda, and the Worlds in Porto Cervo. “We’re going to try and do those, and hopefully have a good result. And keep on in the fall after that.” Because even after thirty years in the Star, Eric knows there’s still plenty left to learn. © Bronny Daniels READ MORE

STAR SAIL DESIGN: R&D Upgraded 2019 Sail Inventory Explained By Eric Doyle And Mike Marshall © Martina Orsini North Sails has been making fast Star sails since the very beginning. “The first sail Lowell North made, was a Star sail,” 1999 Star World Champion Eric Doyle points out. “And we’ve been refining them ever since.” As the Star Class Leader for North Sails, Eric devoted the past two years to figuring out how to make this hundred-year-old class go just a little bit faster. Recently he proved that was time well spent with a decisive win at the 2019 Bacardi Cup. “We were really pleased with our performance throughout the wind range,” Eric explains, adding that he used the new M-25 mainsail for the entire event. “The mast section is quite small and the sail area is quite big,” he continues. “So small changes make a big difference. “It’s such a great platform for learning what changes you can make and the effects they have on sail shape and boat speed.” Matching Sails to Rig and Smoothing After a few years away from the class to work with the Oracle America’s Cup team, Eric says it took more than a year for him and his crew to get back up to speed with the top teams. “The rigs are stiffer now. So they’re a little easier to control and they don’t break as often.” That meant sails had to evolve as well. “We’ve revamped the whole product line this year.” North Sails designer Mike Marshall adds some detail. “We matched the luff curve to the new masts and made a couple other little design tweaks here and there to really up the range of the sails, and fix some issues they were having when they would trim too hard,” Mike says. “Certain areas would be closing, so we made a couple of tweaks. And then we made some panel layout changes.” In addition to making the sails fit on a stiffer mast section, another goal was to reduce any bumps. “Aesthetically smooth sails are key,” Mike says. “So we made a couple of changes, especially in the jibs and some detailing. Such minor things that can really cause a problem, it’s impressive sometimes how small it can be. We worked hard on that.” Also, improvements in technology have made it possible for designers to reduce weight without threatening the sail’s structural integrity. “What if we don’t like the weight of the aluminum headboard?” Mike asks. “Can we put something in there that’s going to give the stiffening but be a quarter of the weight? How do we make that smooth? You’re making the sail as light as you can, without compromising the loaded structure.” And as Eric and Mike agree, all those little changes add up to a faster Star sail. © Martina Orsini Sail Testing Sail testing done right—two well-matched boats, and a coach—is time-consuming, but it’s the only way to quantify improvement. First, says Eric; “We have to do a lot of sailing to get as fast as the top guys and feel comfortable throughout the wind range, and with our settings. Then we have to identify our weak spots, and what we think the problem and/or solution is.” An example is the stiff mast he was using when he stepped back into the Star two years ago. “We were pretty fast in the medium conditions, but when it got really windy, we struggled to make the sail flat enough. So, we analyzed the sails with a sail digitizing program, and compared them to what we had in the past. Then we changed the sail and went back out to find the same conditions. “We had a big problem in really light air,” Eric continues, “and we really weren’t sure if it was the mast or the sails. At the 2019 Midwinters we changed both at the same time, something we normally don’t do, but we had a pretty good idea of what was needed. The sail was a little bit knuckle forward, so we reduced the luff curve a bit. The pictures and the coaching showed us that was the thing to do.” The result? “We were much faster in lighter air.” Eric feels lucky to have John McCausland as a tuning partner. “He’s a great sailor, former world champion. We’ve been tuning together for 20 years. I don’t like to leave the dock without him, because we’re super-efficient. We know how to set up, and make changes, and wait for each other. And he shares everything openly, so it’s really great.” Mainsail Design Details The M-25 mainsail “Our standard M-25 main, we had to get it to fit the stiffer mast and not give away too much on older masts that are more flexible. It is slightly flatter then the previous M-16 model, and it has a little tighter mid-leech with a bit more twist in the top. It’s a good all-around mainsail for the entire wind range.” The M-25 is the only mainsail Eric used to win the 2019 Bacardi Cup, though it’s not the only model available. For the lighter winds of North America, there’s a North mainsail M0-5, made entirely of minimum weight cloth. “It’s a little more powerful to help get the crew over the side a little quicker, which is key in the Star. If you can get the crew over, you’re going pretty fast.” Jib Design Details All of the redesigned jibs are radial, which improves both longevity and wind range. “The J-115 Full Radial Jib really excels in flatter water,” Eric says, adding that it was their choice for most days at the Bacardi Cup. “It can sheet really hard for maximum pointing.” On one of the light days in Miami Eric used the J-6 Wave Jib, which is better in bumpy water. “It powered through the big fleet chop with ease.” He recommends the J-6 for West Coast sailing, where they often get swell overlaid with chop. “It has more power down low and a wider entry angle to help make a wider groove when you’ve got to steer around the waves.” There’s also a J-2, “for one of those days when you’re wondering if they’re going to send you out or not in 20 or 25 knots. It’s heavier cloth and full radial construction, and it’s quite fast. It’s really nice when you don’t want to destroy your light jib-which you can do pretty easily on a big breeze day.” North has been winning Star world championships since 1957, so making already fast designs even faster takes a lot of effort. “We’ve improved what we felt was already pretty good,” Eric says. “It’s a lot of time and testing. But I think we made some nice steps this year.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT NEWPORT SHIPYARD New East Coast Sales Office Opens May 1 In Response To Growing Demand North Sails is pleased to announce the opening of a new sales office in Newport, Rhode Island. Located in the heart of the vibrant Newport Shipyard, the team believes that this location will give Grand Prix, One Design, Multihull, Cruising and Superyacht customers an easy and bespoke solution for all their sailmaking needs. The new office will work alongside the expansive North sales and service center only 15-minutes away in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. As Newport Harbor and the surrounding area are hosting even more major events, many of which are based from the Shipyard, the new office allows clients easier access to a North Sails expert. They can also drop sails off, have them repaired and pick them up without ever leaving the Shipyard. Mike Toppa, a North Sails Superyacht specialist will head up the team. A two time America’s Cup winner, Toppa combines his vast knowledge of the industry, the players, and the products available across a broad spectrum of the market making him the perfect fit for this new venture. Mike Toppa commented: “This office in the Newport Shipyard will be an advantage for our clients. It makes so much sense to enable them to drop in to talk about their needs and their sails in a place that is so easily accessible. We believe a drop-off and pick up point here eliminates a time-consuming step and makes it easier for our customers, and gives them more time to enjoy their sailing while in Newport. It’s hugely beneficial to be at the heart of where our clients are, to ensure that we continue to understand what they need, both now and also for the future.” “This office in the Newport Shipyard will be an advantage for our clients. It’s hugely beneficial to be at the heart of where our clients are, to ensure that we continue to understand what they need, both now and also for the future.” Ken Read, President of North Sails, added: “Newport is a dynamic sailing hub and where our global head office is also based. It is the right time to be offering this sort of service to our clients, with so much going on this summer in Newport, including the 12 Metre Worlds, the New York Yacht Club 175th Anniversary Regatta and so many other world-class events. Our vision as a company has always been to pair industry-leading products with unmatched client support. The Shipyard office reaffirms our commitment to provide the best possible service to all types of sailors. We look forward to seeing old and new customers, and also friends and colleagues over the coming months.” READ MORE

My favorite aspect of the industry is the ability to meet other people with a similar passion as mine. READ MORE

I have competed in over a dozen Lake Erie Interclub regattas and ILYA Bayweek regattas. In addition to handicap racing I have raced in the J35, J24, Beneteau 36.7, and the Lightning. READ MORE

SPEED READING: TIPS FOR TEAM BUILDING Forming A Team Is Just Step One For the past three years, Hillary Noble– North’s content marketing manager— has called tactics for the Women’s Seabags Sailing Team. Successfully sailing a J/24 with six women requires a strong team, both mentally and physically. “We’ve come a long way since the 2017 Worlds,” Hillary says of the team’s first big regatta, where they won the Yaeger Women’s Trophy. “It’s been very rewarding in many ways.” Along the way, all six women have learned what it takes to be a great teammate, in order to make their next regatta more successful than the last. “It’s so much fun to race with these amazing women!” she says. “They are powerful, and we keep getting better together—it’s a lot of fun.” The team competes on the J/24 circuit year-round, and they are currently preparing for the 2019 World Championship in Miami, which they qualified for at the district one championships at Kittery Point Yacht Club, NH in 2018. “It felt great to qualify on the water for this upcoming Worlds,” Hillary says. “This has opened two spots for other women’s teams to compete.” “We are working hard this season,” she continues. “Making sure we have the right players for each event is really important. There will be plenty of opportunities to improve and we are always looking forward to the next regatta together.” Hillary has collected five tips that form the basis for the team’s success. They apply equally well to her day job as part of the North marketing team—or to a mixed or men’s J/24 team. As Hillary points out, “We all want to win and get the most out of our experiences together.” © Chris Howell Hillary’s Tips for Team Building: Focus on your individual job. Each team member can contribute to the team’s success. Many hands make things easier! Know your team’s strengths, make a plan, communicate it early, and put your team in situations where they can shine. Always work together towards a common goal. Any contribution by another set of eyes is valuable. If you see something, say something. Help each other out. Any job on the boat can get difficult from time to time. Look out for your teammates and prevent them from failing. Debrief after each race, but keep it short. Focus on the good things; admit mistakes, and learn something from your teammates. It’s all about growing together. © Chris Howell © Chris Howell © Chris Howell READ MORE

NEW OK DINGHY CLASS LEADER Singlehanded Champion Takes Lead In Sail Development © Robert Deaves Charlie Cumbley came into sailing through his family. “My grandpa worked for a boat builder, and then I got started just for leisure,” he says. “I wasn’t involved in any junior race teams. I just went out and found any boats I could sail, and that’s how it progressed until I got relatively serious in Finn sailing in my late teens and ended up meeting Paul Hobson. For my sins,” he adds, laughing. Hobson invited him to join North Sails One Design in 2006, which Charlie describes as “an awful long time ago.” Today his title is One Design Sales Manager for the UK and gets involved in “everything from Optimists to J/80s.” He’s recently been named class leader in the OK Dinghy. By his own estimate, Charlie has won something like fifteen national championships “across a little range of vessels.” He earned a spot on the podium at many international OK events the last couple of years and was winning the 2018 OK Dinghy Europeans until the last race, when he lost a tight battle with Star champion Freddy Loof. Though he feels he has the most experience in singlehanded boats, Charlie also sails Etchells and J/70s. “Nothing gets too stale, which is quite nice. And,” he adds, laughing, “I’ve got someone else to blame.” © Robert Deaves OK Resurgence When Charlie first started sailing the OK, the fifty year old class was just starting what he calls its second wind. “130 boats at the 2018 Worlds; it’s definitely on the up.” Older designs like the OK are coming back, he thinks, because people get tired of just going fast. “They like getting back into a boat where the racing’s really close and really tactical.” And unlike the Finn, “you don’t need to be a monster of a guy” to sail the OK, though there are plenty of Olympians (like Loof) in the fleet. “Sailors who maybe aren’t quite as strong as they used to be can get involved in this class, and if they’re good, they can have some decent results. People always like doing well, don’t they?” The OK offers enough tweakability for retired Finn and Star sailors, thanks to its origins as a trainer for the singlehanded Olympic class. The masts are carbon, “not quite as exotic as the Finn mast, so it’s not like a small mortgage to buy one, but they’re quite nicely refined now. The new boats they’re knocking out are really nice bits of kit.” © Robert Deaves Sail Development The class is strong in northern Europe and also in New Zealand and Australia. Charlie says having design groups in both hemispheres helps ensure year-round progress. “They can push on things through their summer, when it’s our winter and a bit quieter, and vice versa. They give help and feedback and design input, and then I compare it to what we’re getting over here, and then we make a decision on where we go. So, there’s been quite a lot of development in 2018. The sail that won the Worlds was the Kiwi design, which was great. Our UK design was third and leading up until the last race.” North offers three different OK sail designs, so there’s something for everyone regardless of “where you sail, how heavy you are, and how stiff your mast is.” For big events, each competitor can measure in two sails. “You could quite happily measure in a full and a flat sail, which is what I do and what other guys do. You end up with a two sail inventory.” And each design has a large crossover, he clarifies, “so that you don’t get into that situation where you’re sailing round in five knots with a sail that’s designed purely for 20 knots and pulling your hair out.” Mast stiffness used to be a large variable, but over the last few years the masts have become more one design—which means sail design can be more refined as well. “All the sails are built with custom luff curves to fit the mast,” Charlie says, “ just like we do in the Finns for the Olympic guys. It’s pretty customizable.” Charlie travels quite a bit to sail, so when he’s home he tries to spend as much time as possible with his wife and two kids. His older daughter is almost big enough for Optimists, which means “I’ll become an Optimist parent. Scary things happen then!” As for the OK Dinghy, Charlie hopes to one day step on to the top of the Worlds podium—but not in 2019, since he couldn’t make it to New Zealand. “Hopefully, the Kiwi guys nail the Worlds and we’ll sit down after that and have a little chat and see things we can improve on,” he says. “Work on through the season. With more good sailors coming in, you need to keep pushing, getting those little details right.” © Robert Deaves READ MORE

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST ŠIME FANTELA LATEST TO JOIN NORTH SAILS World’s Leading Sailmaker Recruits Olympian To Grand Prix Team Sime Fantela (L) and Mihovil Fantela (R) after winning their gold medal in the 49’er class at the 2018 Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. North Sails today announced that Šime Fantela will be joining the Grand Prix segment, putting to use his experience across a range of classes. Šime will work closely with Grand Prix Segment Leader Paul Westlake, helping the design and product development teams to quantify their ongoing innovations. After winning gold in the 470 class at the 2016 Olympics, Šime has his sights firmly set on a second Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020—this time in the 49er. He’s also sailing as strategist in the 52 Super Series on the newly launched Bronenosec. North Sails Global Head of Sales John Welch commented: “We are really delighted that Šime has agreed to join North Sails. Not only is he a great sailor with a wealth of experience, but he is a huge asset to our pro sailor network, working across sail development and testing. We firmly believe that we need the best people out on the water pushing our sails to the limits and it is only in doing this we are able to give our customers what they want – the best product for whatever type of sailing they are doing. Through the addition of Šime to our team, we continue to learn from the best of the best to deliver the highest performing products.” Paul Westlake added: “With such depth of experience and raw talent, Šime can help us develop our understanding of sailing campaigns and Grand Prix boats even further. He is an exciting, talented sailor and is quickly turning into an important opinion leader who can help us engage and inspire the younger generation of pro sailors. We believe that the North Sails team and technology can enhance his challenge for Gold in Tokyo and in turn we can learn so much from him, competing at the highest level of the sport. In order to continue to innovate we need to be challenging ourselves to think differently, and through working with Šime we see a great opportunity to do that.” Šime commented: “I was delighted to have been asked to work with North Sails alongside my Olympic campaign. I really believe that I need to surround myself with the best possible people and to work in the best possible environment in order to become not only a good sailor, but also the most technically skilled sailor I can be. I have always been interested in the technical side of sailing and I really enjoyed making sails for myself in my campaign for Rio 2016 – I know how important it is to know everything you can about the sails you use in order to get the most out of them.” “There is no better place to continue growing my knowledge than joining the greatest team in the world, North Sails. I am excited to be working with some of the best designers out there as well as the technically most advanced computer programs that exist. I look forward to learning more about how to apply them both to my campaign but also to help others get more from their sails and understand as much as they can about their ‘engine’.” 📸 Star Sailors League / Gilles Morelle READ MORE

RED BULL KING OF THE AIR Counting Down To The Main Event In Cape Town, South Africa Make sure you’re following @northkiteboarding to find out exactly what day the competition is called within the two week window, so you can watch the livestream at redbull.com. Want to tune into the world’s most jaw-dropping big-air contest? The Red Bull King of the Air competition, proudly sponsored by North Kiteboarding will be returning to Kite Beach, Cape Town on the 26th January, until the 10th Feb. It’s all about the amplitude as contestants go head-to-head in a “flag out” competition format. During the two week weather window riders will only face-off in the perfect conditions – wind speeds of over 30 knots are ideal for providing the perfect swell from which to boost some extreme maneuvers. The field for 2019’s Red Bull King of the Air will be made up of top nine riders from the 2018 edition as well as nine wildcards and video entrants. After much deliberation the last nine participants have been chosen, securing their place for the showdown on the windiest day during the waiting period in early 2019. Confirmed for the 2019 event is defending champion Kevin Langeree, as well as North athlete Nick Jacobsen. He is currently the only person in the world with a set of North prototype kites. Nick won the event in 2017, however missed out on a chance to defend his title last year due to injury. READ MORE

HELIX WITH LOAD SHARING TECHNOLOGY North Sails Is Changing The Narrative on Cableless Sails This article is republished from Seahorse Magazine, February 2019. There are few areas of race boat technology harder to keep secret than the latest sail designs and engineering solutions. One of the hottest – and most publicly visible – areas of development right now is perfecting a cable-free headsail that not only goes fast… but that also lasts. There has been a significant amount of hype and hyperbole about the development of headsails without furling torque-cables, and, like most good ideas, this concept has been around for a while. At North Sails their designers began working on this concept with Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand during the 34th America’s Cup, when radical boat designs placed extreme loads on the 3Di headsails. The design and engineering challenge was to deliver a solution where headsail loads were redistributed from the torque cable/headstay and shared with the sail. Known within the North offices as Load Sharing Technology, this feature, when paired with a 3Di Helix Luff, is the North Sails answer to what others may call the cable-less headsail concept. North Sails new Helix Luff technology transitions headsail loads out of a traditional anti-torsion cable and redistributes them, optimizing the load distribution throughout the sail and potentially reducing the overall loading. 📸North Sails / Ian Roman North’s head of engineering and design JB Braun explains; “Trying to reduce loads on boats and rigs while maintaining headstay tension has begun a trend and has opened up design ideas to rethinking the significance of luff cables, and in the case of Helix sails, to transition load out of a traditional anti-torsion cable and redistribute it into the sail.” 3Di technology is better suited to the sharing application because all 3Di sails are engineered with tapes laid in varying orientation and depth to optimize load distribution throughout the sail. 3Di’s intrinsic load sharing properties, coupled with a Helix Luff effectively move load reliance away from a cable/headstay and into the sail structure thus potentially reducing the overall loading. “The critical breakthrough with Helix sails is that redistributed loads allow the headsail to project forward the structure on the front of the sail to achieve headstay tension and luff projection while reducing the load on the boat, mast, and rigging. The engineering emphasis is focused on the innovative, barely visible carbon Helix Luff structure, a 3Di design manipulation which projects the sail forward, punching the luff out in front of the boat.” Load Sharing Technology coupled with the Helix Luff is empowering North to reimagine both roller furling downwind (Code Zero and A-3 style sails), reaching sails, and even may translate to some styles of upwind sails. It’s almost like another trim point. The 3Di technology paired with the powerful North Design Suite tools enables mapping and displacing loads to deliver lighter, more efficient, and beautifully smooth sails. North Helix sails are not aimed at one size or class of boat, but are suitable for most boats from mid-size IRC designs to TP52s, Imocas, Volvo Ocean Race boats, WallyCentos and 100-foot Maxis and even Superyachts. Recent feedback from Steve Benjamin’s TP52 Spookie using North Helix sails was that they were recording about half the tack loads of a conventional Code Zero with similar or even better luff projection. This means less mast tip sag, less sideways sag, significantly less loading on the bowsprit, ropes, winches and deck gear… all with a sail that is projecting better and creating more forward driving force. Many of the loads on an existing boat are reduced – and for a new design, there is significant new potential for weight reduction throughout the entire boat. North Sails Group president Ken Read expands, “Helix sails are the latest advancement of 3Di, a technology where North Sails focuses the majority of our R&D effort. We often move ahead without a great deal of fanfare because making lighter, and faster and more efficient sails is the bedrock of North Sails.” “The big gains with Helix and Load Sharing Technology, especially on reaching and broad reaching furling sails, is overall weight reduction and the ability to really adjust the leading edge of the membrane’s shape with a very small luff cable or rope. Not the large and heavy Torque cables that have become commonplace. We are very excited as to all of the avenues that this has opened for the use of 3Di in this process.” Above: TP52 Spookie. Using North Helix sails they have reduced the tack loads by half while also achieving more forward drive. This creates a lot of potential for weight reduction throughout the boat. 📸North Sails / Ian Roman Ken Read, President, North Sails Group comments; “The beauty of North Sails is the amount of technology and software that goes into what we create. We made some new Helix Code Zeros in the summer when our brief was to be conservative. Now we are reaching into the finer details with our North Design Suite which allows us to map deeper into these same sails. The best part of being a part of this company is letting our smart people loose to go explore with our North Design Suite. This is a generational opportunity for using 3Di structure and how it all works; these sails will keep evolving and have already spread into non-furling sails, where load-sharing is going to potentially allow upwind headsails to have similar characteristics without the sideways sag. We believe that the North Helix sails are now lighter and faster than any other sail out there.” “I can tell you that the new sails coming out now are nothing short of phenomenal! With any new concept, North Sails are always searching for a downside. Right now, we are aware that none of these new types of furling sail have been in the marketplace long enough to fully assess their true working life; we are also aware of longevity issues with sails from other manufacturers. That said, 3Di sails outlast the most extreme conditions, and of all the options, we’re confident 3Di will always stand up better than a mylar laminate.” “What is important for us now is to cover all the bases with a focus on both performance and longevity. Our commitment is to a smoother sail that will furl and perform better than anything else out there. With North Helix sails, this is happening right now.” Click here to request information about Helix Sails READ MORE

DAVE LENZ TAKES ON THE MERLIN ROCKET Announcing Our One Design New Class Leader As the Head of European Design for North Sails, Dave Lenz likes making sailboats go a little faster. He spends his workday with his “fingers in lots of pies,” developing sails for big boats like the TP52 and Fast 40. Now, on the weekends, he’ll be trying to make a Merlin Rocket go a little faster—with his wife as crew. “She’s a good sailor,” he says. “She was keener than I was actually. It’s a personal sort of thing, just to go sailing and have some fun.” Dave started sailing as a small child and then moved into Optimists and up through the British Youth Squad system. Olympic skiff sailing eventually led him to big boats, which led to a few jobs in sailmaking before he landed at North Sails in 2006. “Back then, one design was in a separate building,” he remembers. “Now there’s less distinction, although with unique challenges. Dave was a member of a top Melges 32 team in the late 2000s. “We won a European championship, and the combined winter championship at Key West, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. Second and a third in Key West; good, solid results.” Solid results in the Merlin Rocket will have to wait for more time in the boat. “We’ve only sailed it three times, and only one race,” he laughs. “Hit a top mark, the spinnaker sheets came untied…” The Merlin Rocket appeals to Dave because it is a development class and tweaky enough to keep his interest. “You can work on sails or rig or foils for slightly different crew weights. There’s lots of controls to power up and depower the rig. And it isn’t as weight sensitive as some other classes.” Newer designs with less rig controls come and go, Dave says, because a lot of people like to be able to fiddle with their boat. For a sail design expert, there’s also a fresh challenge written into the class rules. “It has a combined sail area between mainsail and jib, so how you distribute the area between the two sails can vary. There’s definitely development to be done there. We’re also working on developing a 3Di mainsail, and longer term I think we’ll try a jib. The Merlin is a class that lends itself to that technology, and lessons we learn there will be very applicable to the rest of the things we do. It’s a good area for us to grow.” Yet another appeal is fleet size and quality around the UK. “They have a seasonal circuit of open meetings, you’ll get between 30-60 boats at those events. National championships will be about 70-80 boats. Every year, there’s a regatta in Salcombe, a very nice town; they limit the entries to 120 boats. The boats are cool. And because it appeals to lots of good sailors, it appeals to lots more good sailors which means it is very competitive.” Dave’s Recommended Inventory for 2019 A new mainsail model will launch very soon, Dave says. “We’re also looking at developing a larger jib than people have been using. That will be a good option, but doesn’t fit a lot of boats at this stage. You have to have a different measurement certificate, but it’s very feasible if it makes crews faster.” Dave is also focusing on other challenges to prepare for next season; “We need to get a bit fitter. It’s a hiking boat, and there’s a bunch of youngsters that crew on these boats and they’re probably very fit.” Dave steers and his wife crews, which he says suits the boat well.“The boat does lend itself to slightly heavier helm. It can be a bit nosey downwind, quite a handful when it’s windy.” The couple sailed together before their two kids, currently five and seven, came along. “It’s quite nice to get a chance to do it again,” Dave says. “And there’s a fleet of twelve boats at our local sailing club.” Looking ahead, he’s excited about their kids joining the fun. “As they get a bit bigger, they’ll be able to come out with us, or replace us at some point.” Meanwhile he’ll just keep trying to make big and small sailboats go faster, seven days a week. READ MORE

WELLES & HOROWITZ MAKE THE US SAILING YACHTSMAN OF THE YEAR SHORTLIST A Successful Year On The Water Pays Off For North Experts The annual rundown of the year’s “best in the U.S.” represents a wide range of accomplished sailors from various disciplines and at different stages of their respective careers. All Yachtsman finalists earned their spot on this exclusive list by winning a J/Boat World Championship in 2018. These finalists are seasoned veterans in the sport, and have been tested over time and exceeded expectations. Each sailor on this list represent their own unique pathway after a victorious season on the water within their respective classes. Some of these sailors were selected based on their consistent exceptional performances throughout the 2018 season and some were chosen for their signature win(s) at major international or national events. These sailors have mastered their craft and have focused on the importance of precision and performance in their competitive sailing efforts, which has shown as a result in their success at major events. Among the group of fantastic sailors chosen for the shortlist, we are pleased to share that our very own Will Welles and Zeke Horowitz have made the Finalist List for US Sailing’s 2018 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award. Both Will and Zeke have shown utmost talent in One Design classes all over the world, and we couldn’t be happier for the both of them after all of the hard work they have put into their 2018 sailing season. Will Welles (Portsmouth, R.I.) – Will Welles is a Two-time J/24 World Champion works out of North Sails Rhode Island and has more than eighteen years of sailmaking experience. Will has won multiple National and North American titles since he joined North in 2007. In 2018, Will won his second J/24 World Championship title in five years. Welles was the runner-up at the J/24 North American Championship and later in the year he dominated the fleet of 89 boats at Worlds. Zeke Horowitz (Annapolis, MD.) – Zeke Horowitz is also a two-time World Champion and is a key member of the North Sails One Design Team based in Annapolis, MD since 2015. Zeke attended the College of Charleston where he was selected as an Honorable Mention All-American twice as well as an Academic All-Conference All-American. Zeke holds eight North American / National championship titles in various classes. In 2018, Zeke won the J/22 World Championship and secured the Flying Scot North American Championship title. He also placed second at the Viper 640 North American Championship. Awards Criteria: What Makes A Yachtsman? Must be eligible to represent the USA under World Sailing regulations, and actually representing the USA at the event(s) for which the nominee is being considered for the award. Awards recognize the individual male and female U.S. sailor who has demonstrated on-the-water excellence in the calendar year. In the past, there have been outstanding situations resulting in a skipper and crew nomination being accepted (Olympic years). Must have won a major international or national event and/or performed at a high level consistently in multiple events against elite competition. There is no minimum age required to win the award. The awards are not based on career racing results (lifetime achievements) or philanthropic contributions to the sport. Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. READ MORE

2018 DESIGN MEETING DEBRIEF North Sail Designers Combine Forces In Marblehead © North Sails In the final weeks of 2018, 23 North Sails designers from eight countries gathered in Marblehead, MA for a team debrief about progress in 2018 and what they’ll be working on in 2019. Hosted by JB Braun, this international brain trust talked through sail development, refinements to the North Design Suite, and 2019 baseline packages for race teams. “Everybody said it was a tremendous meeting,” JB said when we caught up with him at his office a week later. “They felt that it was worth their time; not only valuable to the company, but also valuable individually.” Then he laughs. “Now we’re trying to figure out why.” 2018 TP52 Super Series © Nico Martinez Mickey Ickert has an answer. “Face to face contact with the guys is good, as most of our work is remote,” he says. “Rather than presenting topics we worked through them, progressing as a whole group.” Magnus Doole chimes in to define that progress in more detail. “As designers, we are encouraged to push the boundaries of both the design and structures of the sails we create; doing this as a team to pull our collective thoughts and reasoning was reinforced. I guess that’s ‘Go Beyond’!” The North design team first came together for a global meeting in 2017. One year later, the core group—leading designers from key grand prix classes (TP52, Pac52, RC44, Mini Maxi, etc.), covering almost every time zone—were joined by some new blood for three days of collaboration and discussion. “Seeing these talented people – some a little younger,” Mickey says with a smile, “working ‘full noise’ on the same goals…it was refreshing, and everyone felt able to contribute.” Brodt Taylor, a first-time attendee, agrees. “It flowed together really easily. We were constantly trying to move to the next thing, but at the same time, we didn’t let anything fall by the wayside.” Technical Breakthroughs The agenda included summarizing achievements from 2018 and stating goals for 2019. Magnus Doole says, “Each head of department was pushed to take the next step (whether defined or out there in the ether to be found).” JB is more specific. “All the designs that we did, we made a spreadsheet analysis in the kind of detail that a sail designer would be interested in. We did the graphs…” he points to a model on his enormous computer screen. “Each one of these was done per class. Then the lead designer summarized what they did.” Helix Another innovation reviewed by the design team was Helix sails, which use Load Sharing TechnologyTM to transition luff loads away from an anti-torsion cable and move it into with sail structure in offwind sails. “We’re taking the structure of the sail, and supporting the luff,” JB explains. “That allows the luff to kind of rotate to weather.” As soon as you’re off the wind, a straight luff is no longer ideal. “You want positive luff curve to match the bend in wind from top to bottom. The entry is very nice, more consistent and even up and down. There is still a very small luff cable or rope, so you can adjust the tension.” Load Sharing Technology coupled with the Helix Luff reimagines both roller furling downwind (Code Zero and A-3 style sails), reaching sails, and even may translate to some styles of upwind sails. Baseline Packages: TP52 2018 marked the first year that baseline packages were offered in the TP52 class, which is on the leading edge of sail development. The approach worked well and 2019 packages are well under development. “The individual design teams can tweak from there—or just use the baseline designs,” JB says. 2018 TP52 Super Series ©Nico Martinez One significant breakthrough from this approach was the “bubble-less” jib. When designers spotted an area of extra drag created by narrow sheeting angles, they used the North Design Suite to tweak an already highly refined sail.“We used our tools and design to try to minimize this separation zone,” JB explained. The result was a faster jib. Development continues for the 2019 TP52 season, of course. “We’re going to make a new layout and structure that’s going to be higher modulus and lighter than we did last year. We have a whole team set up to look at that.” Once a design tweak like this proves successful in one class, it can be applied elsewhere. “Some things like tape density, or how the tapes are laid into the sail, that can go in and globally affect every single sail that North builds,” JB adds. “All this work filters back, even to your cruising customer, if it’s appropriate for that type of sail.” 2018 Yachting Cup, Pac 52s @ Bronny Daniels / joysailing.com Tool Tweaks The North Design Suite is constantly improving as well. Michael Richelson, who heads up NDS development, attended the meeting. Mickey Ickert says, “Having the latest tool updates available with the guys who write the software right there is pretty powerful. It was an impressive mix of people working well together.” 2018 RC44 World Champions, Nico Poon’s Charisma © Studio Martinez A “Tremendous Success” After three days of focused discussion in one room, JB says all 23 designers went home freshly inspired—though he admits the technical nitty-gritty may not be that exciting to anyone else. “We have talented designers that are passionate about making boats go faster. North Sails is providing us a unique opportunity, in software, machinery and organization, allowing us “designers” to operate at a super-high level, to get out and build sails, then get instant feedback from professional sailors. And this whole thing is happening right in front of them!” “Passionate people, doing something that they love…” he shrugs. “They’re being heard, and they’re contributing to something bigger than what they’re doing individually. Maybe that’s why our meeting was such a tremendous success.” North Sail Designers in Marblehead, MA, USA 2018 © North Sails READ MORE

Noel's new role will allow him to pursue his passion over many One Design classes. READ MORE

2018 was a great year for North Sails. Since we believe helping our customers gain expertise will lead to even better sailing experiences in 2019, we’ve collected together our 10 most popular articles from the year. No matter what kind of sailing you enjoy—one design, America’s Cup, cruising—there’s something for you here. So without further delay, here are your top 10 picks of our best stories from 2018! Starting Line Strategy Where you start on the line and how much space you have to accelerate will make or break those crucial first two minutes of a race. Expert Mike Marshall shares some of his tricks to help you improve your own techniques. 2019 Product Line 3Di is the sum of multiple technologies exclusive to North Sails. For 2019, the unprecedented performance and longevity advantages of 3Di are available to everyone: family cruisers to circumnavigators, and club racers to pro sailors. Shifting From 3DL to 3Di In 2018, North Sails completed a 10-year transformation from 3DL string laminates to 3Di molded composite sail structures. Today’s 3Di sails deliver greater shape-holding properties and vastly improved durability compared to any mylar and string laminated sail. One Design Speed Guides Our Speed Guides help you leverage our expertise to make the most of your one design racing. Increasing your knowledge and confidence will help you focus on the best part of sailing, having fun. We’re continually adding guides; is your favorite one design class included? Confirmed Supplier for the 36th America’s Cup North Sails is proud to continue a 35-plus year legacy of experience in this historic competition. We are already designing and delivering market-leading products for the top-ranked America’s Cup teams. Learn to Love Sailing in Heavy Air If sailing in strong breeze isn’t your strong suit, you’re not alone. One Design Expert Chris Snow explains how to handle those days when the breeze is up and your confidence is down. Developing Softwing Technology North Technology Group has a long and deep shared history with the America’s Cup. Both North Sails and Southern Spars have been integral to development over the last several Cup cycles, and our revolutionary 3Di sail technology and proprietary North Design Suite helped make the futuristic Softwings possible. 45,000 Miles Of Extreme Ocean Testing The Volvo Ocean Race has long been a proving ground for the best offshore sailors in the world, as well as for the industry-leading companies who supply their equipment. North Sails designed, built, and maintained the one design sail inventory for the 2017-18 fleet; here’s what we learned. Strengths Of Our Design Team Take a peek behind the scenes to learn how our experts combine sailing expertise, design skills, and the North Design Suite to optimize performance. The Value Of 3Di North Sails 3Di provides outstanding value by combining industry-leading shape-holding with increased service life, compared to other sailmaking technologies. Do the math, and you’ll find that 3Di sails have a lower cost of ownership than any other sails in the world. READ MORE

OPTIMIST LIFE: BERMUDA NATIONALS A Story Told by Junior Sailor Tommy McCormick Sailors line up with three minutes to the first start of Bermuda Nationals 2018. Photo Meg Spenlinhauer In early November, over 65 top Optimist Dinghy sailors from all over North America flocked to Bermuda to compete in the 2018 Open and National Optimist Championship at Sandy’s Boat Club. Everyday there was a variety of different conditions, ending in a beautiful day for sailing with winds blowing 20 knots from the northeast and huge waves. The Key Biscayne Yacht Club was represented by Dylan Balunas, Tyler Bergendahl, Harvey Demovick, Kevin Gosselin, Teddy Martin, Tommy McCormick, and Umi Noritake coached by Juan Carlos Romero, North Sails Head Optimist Coach. Tommy sailing downwind with his MZX5. Photo Meg Spenlinhauer McCormick sails with the North Sails MZX5, a cross-cut sail. “The MZX5 is perfect for me. It is a very deep sail, allowing me to keep up with smaller sailors. I can put the bow down and keep my boat moving fast.” Anna Vasilieva and Tommy McCormick after Day 3 of Bermuda National and Open Optimist Championship. Anna Vasilieva, a lifelong North Sails racer, used the North R-2 Radial sail for this event. This radial-cut sail is more rigid than most other sails, requiring the sailor to actively trim the sail through the race. Shallower than the MZX5, the R-2 offers less power, but allows the sailor to point much higher. “I think R stands for radiant, because this sail makes me shine”, said Vasilieva. Juan Carlos Romero has been the North Sails Optimist Head Coach since 2007, and has assisted in the development of North’s Optimist sails, as well as many hands-on clinics and educational programs in which sailors can learn how sails work, helping them choose a sail that maximizes their potential as a sailor. In 2017, Romero held the North U Leading Edge Optimist Clinic to the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. This December 21-23, KBYC will host the North U End-Of-Year Racing Clinic for both Optimist and Laser sailors in preparation for the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta. Learn more about North’s fast Optimist designs. Tommy McCormick is a first-year student at MAST Academy and has been sailing Optimists year-round since he moved to Key Biscayne in 2012. READ MORE

TRUE FILM ‘COYOTE’ CUTS TO THE CORE OF CHANGING LIFE TO CHASE A DREAM Life of Legendary Sailor Mike Plant Made for a Movie Screen 📸 Billy Black A quarter century after American offshore racer Mike Plant vanished, a feature documentary film about his adventurous life has been released to wide acclaim. Plant splashed on to the international offshore scene after winning the 1986-87 BOC Challenge – a singlehanded race around the world – in a boat he built with his own hands on a bootstrapped budget. He went on to become a legend in the sport, twice setting the American record for the fastest singlehanded circumnavigation and recognized as one of five skippers in history to complete three solo laps of the planet at the time of his disappearance in 1992. “He was a game-changer,” North Sails President, Ken Read, says of Plant. “For a young guy like me he was a huge influence… toughest guy I’ve ever met.” 📸Billy Black “Coyote”: The Mike Plant Story paints an intimate picture of Plant’s fearless determination as an American underdog of the sea and points an honest lens at some of Plant’s daring and precarious pursuits before he found a life in ocean racing, including a solo trek of South America, drug trafficking exploits and time behind bars in a Portuguese prison. When The New York Times said Plant is “As close as yachting gets to a James Dean character,” it’s hard to disagree – his life story was made for a movie screen. Next to a heap of archival footage from Plant’s life, Coyote features notable sailing faces on the screen. French racer and founder of the Vendée Globe, Philippe Jeantot, is a highlight, as is Herb McCormick, Executive Editor of Cruising World. North Sails President, Ken Read, and CEO, Dan Neri, also make appearances given their close connection and support of Plant’s around-the-world campaigns with Shore Sails (a legacy North Sails company). The narrative is rich and personal, carving out a riveting tale of a man who clearly embodied a thirst for adventure that drove him to become an American hero of the sea. 📸Billy Black Coyote was directed by Plant’s nephew, Thomas Simmons, who ditched a career in investment banking to make the film. “It was a dream I wanted to chase,” Simmons says. “Mike faced his dreams head on and in many ways his example compelled me to take a risk and do something that I truly believe in.” “Some might see Coyote as a sailing film,” Simmons says. “To me it’s a universal story about redemption, the importance of chasing dreams in life and the power of the human spirit when passion meets determination.” Coyote is available in 80+ countries on major digital platforms. Worth a watch! Coyote on iTunes Coyote on Amazon Coyote on Vimeo www.coyotedocumentary.com Facebook: @coyotemovie Instagram: @coyote_movie 📸 Billy Black 📸 Billy Black 📸 Billy Black READ MORE

NEW OD CLASS LEADER FOR THE MELGES 20 Giulio Desiderato Appointed New Melges 20 Expert Giulio Desiderato joined North Sails three years ago after finishing up an Olympic 470 campaign. He’s based in the Carasco, Italy, about an hour east of Genoa. Giulio’s various teams had an excellent sailing season, winning the Melges 32 European ranking on Giogi, the J/70 Italian circuit on Calvi Network, and the circuit title in the Melges 40, coaching Stig. “It was a really good year for me,” he says. Giulio claims his strength is more in sailing than sales. “It’s easy for me to understand what the sailor needs and what the owners need. Looking at my calendar more or less from March to October, every weekend I’m on the water. So that is one of my strong points.” Giulio sails in a lot of different classes, but he really likes the Melges 20. “That is probably the One Design class that reminds me most of the 470, so I’m happy every time to sail with the Melges 20. The boat is technical because it doesn’t have backstays or a main traveler. In the Melges 20, the tuning of the mast is really important, and to manage the diamonds . Okay of course the 470’s are lighter, so it’s a different feeling, but you can really push the boat like a dinghy. And boat handling is critical. This is the reason that I really like the Melges 20.” North Sails clients have been doing well, Giulio says. “It’s been a really good season. Looking at the 2018 World championship, 20 of the 36 boats were sailing with North. And in the top five, there were three boats with 3Di. A good result, especially in such a competitive class.” At the beginning of the 2018 season, Giulio’s team began to use 3Di sails. “We had a really good 3DL set, but we decided to switch because the future is in this direction. From the beginning, the designers realized a really good all-around mainsail. For sure the material is more stable compared to the 3DL.” Giulio’s team finished 12th at the worlds, a good result for them. The Russian Alex Team finished fourth with a complete 3Di inventory. “We are investing a lot of time and energy, the sailors and the designers. We are focused on this class. Giovanni Cassinari, one of our top designers, is going to work on these sails for next year.” The top two teams at the 2018 Worlds, Pacific Yankee and Brontolo Racing used 3Di mains and 3DL jibs. “We are quite close to a really competitive 3Di jib,” Giulio says. “We are working in the right direction.” And because of its excellent durability, he adds, “3Di gives a big help for owners that sail a lot of regattas.” Which is why Giulio’s recommended upwind inventory for the 2019 season is all 3Di. “Mi-2 for the main, and the Ji-2 jib.” Downwind, he recommends both the V-4 and R-2. “The class rules allow sailing with two different kites and you can choose based on the given wind conditions. The V-4 is good for reaching, so really light wind and from 12 knots up to the limit of the class. The R-2 is for medium wind when sailing in the deep mode is most ideal.” On the rare weekends when he’s not at a regatta, Giulio likes to surf even though he’s “not a good surfer,” he claims. “The important thing is that you’re spending time on the water.” READ MORE

VINCE BRUN INDUCTED INTO US NATIONAL SAILING HALL OF FAME North Sails Congratulates Former One Design President With Words of Appreciation It was no surprise to the North Sails team that Vince Brun was inducted into the US National Sailing Hall of Fame, Class of 2018. After winning nine world titles in five different one-design classes (Soling, Star, J/24, Melges 24, Etchells) and dedicating over 40 years to developing fast one design sails, Vince is part of North Sails history and an important key to its success worldwide. Here’s a bit of his incredible story, told by his sailing mates and colleagues at North: “I met Vince when he was 18 or 19 . Vince had asked me to crew for him in a boat similar to a Lightning. During that experience I noticed that he was a thoughtful skipper, didn’t pound on the crew, he was pleasant to sail with and everyone liked Vince. Vince was successful in sailing, he had all the qualities that make a successful sailor. Vince was doing what he loved and that makes a great sailor!” “Vince Brun could quite possibly be the most versatile sailor of his time. He has won many races and regattas at the highest level in so many different boats both as a skipper and as a crew. There isn’t a single boat that Vince can’t make go faster and learn to sail better. In fact, his talent makes him an excellent coach, as well. Vince would be at the top of my list for any sailing campaign anywhere in the world. He has a unique combination of talent, discipline, eye, and feel, as well as a perfect temperament and personality for winning races. North Sails would not be where it is today without Vince’s valuable commitment and expertise. His eye for fast sail shapes is unrivaled. I am very proud to say that I have worked with him and learned from him for 30 + years and I value his friendship more than I can say. He is truly a superstar of our sport.” “Vince has not been given the credit he deserves for being one of the best sailors in the world since winning the J 24 worlds. It is always a big treat to have Vince sail with you he has a vast knowledge of how to make a boat go fast! Great eye for how to make a better, faster sail!” Vince and Lowell North “When Lowell North was setting the foundation for our company, he decided that he would recruit the best sailors in the world to manage the company. He figured that great sailors had many of the skills required to be successful in business, and that they would also be good people to work with. Vince Brun was without question Lowell’s best pick. He made winning World Championships look easy and he transformed North Sails One Design from a shop in San Diego to a Global network of manufacturing and service organizations. He was a demanding boss and shipmate while taking care of his sailing crew, sail loft crew and customers with equal concern. Also, he is very cool. All of us at North Sails could not be more proud of Vince for his well deserved induction into the Sailing Hall of Fame.” “Vince constantly pushed the North One Design team to become experts in the classes we sailed, in order to truly understand what made the boats go faster. From there we were expected to develop faster and more durable sails. The product needed to be the best available but the relationship with the customer was even more more important to Vince. We needed to be able to provide the customer with the latest tuning and trim information so they could consistently get the most out of our product. This is the way Vince built the North Sails One Design team and it proved to be a winning formula that we wholeheartedly believe in today. I remember many long, interesting conversations with Vince about how to get a J/24, Etchells, Melges 24 or J70 to go faster. Those conversations helped shaped my understanding of all the variables involved in achieving better boatspeed and how to prioritize those variables. No one else has the One Design sailing experience, results, and knowledge base that Vince has and he taught the One Design team to give everything that we learned back to the customer.” 1986 – Star Bacardi Cup winner, with crew Hugo Schreiner “Vince is the main reason our team has won the past two Melges 20 World Championships. His ability to not only generate boatspeed, but also his experience, guidance and mentoring were crucial to our success. The most important words he ever said to me were, “Enjoy the journey… the results will come.” Over the past 4 years he has become one of my closest friends and mentor, on top of being my coach. The winning was great, but pale in comparison to the great times and friendships we created along the way.” “I count myself very fortunate to have had Vince call me back in 1992 and offer me a job at North Sails in San Diego. We had an incredible Star fleet in San Diego at the time and we tuned for hours against each other. It took me a long time to be able to keep up with him but thankfully he was patient! Vince could make any boat go fast. He has made so many great sails, helped so many people go faster, and won so many events over the years that he is such a worthy inductee into the Sailing Hall of Fame and I am proud to call him my friend. Thanks for the great times, look forward to sailing with him again soon, congratulations and thanks Vince!” “I had the privilege of working for Vince for 25 years at North Sails One Design. Having someone like Vince as your boss, with his passion for his work, changes you in a positive way, it makes you better. I have never met anyone who truly loved what they did more than Vince. He loved sailing first and foremost, but what he really loved was solving the puzzle of making a boat go faster. He always believed and taught us that nothing that could get in our way of figuring out how to make a boat faster or develop a faster sail especially if we worked together as team. It was really cool, fun and challenging! His influence made North One Design what it is today.” “The induction was at my home club, Lauderdale YC. It was great to hear their stories about the beginnings of their sailing careers and their motivation to be the best. What I forgot about but resonated with me after hearing it again, was the fact that Vince won World Championships both crewing and skippering, which tells a lot about a person’s personality and their will to win, regardless of what position they are on the boat.” Mike Toppa, Vince Brun, Ken Read and Tom Whidden – Stars & Stripes, 2003 “Vince’s impressive sailing accomplishments speak for themselves. Anyone who has known Vince and followed his career feels vindicated that Vince was admitted to the Hall of Fame. Vince is one of the larger than life characters and not just because of his amazing sailing. What’s most interesting about Vince is his ability to think outside the box. He has a sixth sense, always approaching the problem or the situation in a unique and sometimes surprising way. I suspect this is one of the key reasons Vince is such a great sailor. He sees different sides of the issue or person than most. It’s never boring speaking with Vince. He makes you think. I’m allowed one quick story. Many years ago, Vince crewed for me in my Etchells. After the regatta, I knew what boot camp in the marines was like. “Don’t you dare look at anything but those telltales”. With eyes in the back of his head – another trait of all great sailors – he knew the instant I snuck a look around. I paid the price each time. After one race, we were sailing back to the start of the next. Vince was quiet (unusual) and thinking. Yet, he was staring at me. I waited in fear of the inevitable critique. Instead, he said, “Jay, those are the ugliest foul weather pants I’ve ever seen”. (They were yellow. Of course he was right).” READ MORE

Sébastien Destremau onboard Alcatraz IT FaceOcean for Route du Rhum Long-time Client is in Battling For A Podium Position As of Friday, November 10th 4:30pm EDT, Sébastien Destreamau, solo-skipper of Alcatraz IT FaceOcean is sitting in 2nd place in the RhumMono division, with 2849.6 miles to go. Keep an eye on his progress in the live Route du Rhum Race Tracker . Tell us about your project Alcatraz IT FaceOcean. The Alcatraz IT FaceOcean project is a continuation of my last Vendée Globe. Alcatraz IT were at the time, a short-term partner. After our success, the company’s management team decided to become the title sponsor of my boat in the 2018 Route du Rhum entered in the Rhum Mono Class. The boat finished the last Vendée Globe in very good condition: we only needed to undertake a few maintenance and improvements works. Alcatraz IT FaceOcean is not a latest generation boat like Charal which is also equipped with North Sails. Alcatraz IT FaceOcean is therefore much simpler to sail and adapts very well to my offshore experience. My budget does not match those of other boats but it allows me to complete races and follow my passion for sailing. What changes did you make to the sails? The sails are new. I am particularly pleased with the mainsail: thanks to the work of the North Sails team, we’ve increased the size by 15%, which amounts to 25m2: that gives us an enormous power boost! We also have a new gennaker, a new genoa… We don’t use the latest generation sails because our boat is old. So no 3Di for me! The mainsail is an Ultra X 450, the J2 is Ultra X 350, the gennaker is Stormlite 210 and the spinnaker is Superkote 90. North Sails not only creates products at the top end, but also creates sails for more restricted budgets. I can never thank North Sails enough for their help during the Vendée Globe: they found solutions so that I could make the start line in spite of my small budget. All in all, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a “small” client with North Sails! I have worked with them for 12 years now and I am very satisfied. What’s your goal for the Route du Rhum? First off, I hope to just finish without any major technical problems as this race can be very tough on the boats, as it is for the sailors… My team and I hope we can make the podium… and I wouldn’t say this to anyone but my personal goal is to win the Class. What made you choose North Sails for the past 12 years? In any sailing race when you’re crossing the Atlantic and you don’t know which route to choose, you just head West. When you don’t know what sail to buy, you go with North Sails: you will certainly not be disappointed. READ MORE

End-Of-Year Optimist & Laser Clinic December 21-23, 2018 – Key Biscayne Yacht Club – Miami Optimist RWB/Green & Laser Clinic North Sails and Key Biscayne Yacht Club welcome Optimist and Laser sailors for a 3-full-day clinic in preparation for the Orange Bowl. Arrive a few days early to warm up, tune up and get your game on for the regatta. Hang out with old friends and make new ones! SCHEDULE DAY 1 – December 21st: 8:30 – Check-In / Breakfast & Lunch to Go 10:00 – Rigged & Ready Time for all sailors 10:00 – 11:00 – Sail Set-Up Lecture & Rigging Tips 11:00 – 4:00 – On-the-Water Training / Sail Testing 4:00 – 4:45 – Debrief / GPS Tracking Analysis 5:00 – 6:00 – Lecture by North Sails Experts SCHEDULE DAY 2 – December 22nd: 8:30 – Breakfast & Lunch to Go 10:00 – Rigged & Ready Time for all sailors 10:00 – 10:30 – Training Brief by North Sails Experts 10:30 – 4:00 – On-the-Water Training / Sail Testing 4:00 – 5:00 – Debrief / GPS Tracking Analysis SCHEDULE DAY 3 – December 23rd: 8:30 – Breakfast & Lunch to Go 10:00 – Rigged & Ready Time for all sailors 10:00 – 11:30 – Boat Speed Lecture & Boathandling Technique 11:30 – 4:00 – On-the-Water Training / Sail Testing 4:00 – 4:45 – Debrief / GPS Tracking Analysis 5:00 Clinic Wrap Up followed by Awards CLINIC INCLUDES: On-the Water Sail Testing Sessions with GPS tracking North Sails Seminar Sail Set-Up and Advanced Tuning Techniques North Sails Prizes Breakfast & Lunch onsite Optimist Clinic Lead Coach: Juan Carlos Romero – North Sails Optimist Class Head Coach, KBYC Sailing Director, and US National Team Coach. Laser Clinic Lead Coach: Maru Urban – KBYC Coach Guest Coaches: Mauricio Galarce, Kristoffer Sarmiento, plus additional USNT coaches. REGISTER TODAY! For additional information contact: Juan Carlos Romero | 410-212-5303 | juancarlos.romero@northsails.com READ MORE

TRANSATLANTIC ADVENTURE: CAPE VERDE TO THE CARIBBEAN Vincent Moeyersoms Adventures Onboard French-built Exploration Yacht Built in 2009, the 53’ Alioth has a specific purpose: ocean adventuring. Alioth left the volcanic archipelagos of Cape Verde off the west coast of Africa, 2,100 nm East of the Caribbean, and twelve days later arrived at Carriacou Island. During their Atlantic crossing, the four crew took turns on three hour watches. Each morning they had a daily meeting to check in with each other and send an email to their family, which was written by Vincent’s niece Celine. Off-watch the crew fished, maintained the boat, watched movies, read books, and prepped meals. Vincent also taught his niece and nephew about sailing, navigation, and the stars. Vincent’s brother Olivier and godson, Nicolas (at the bow) They made landfall in Carriacou, a tiny island just north of Grenada, and tucked into Tyrell Bay for a celebration, before starting their exploration of the Grenadines. At Tobago Cays they swam around one of the most pristine coral reef in the Caribbean, and on New Year’s Eve, enjoyed the colorful local fresh lobster bake. Locals cooked up fresh seafood for guests for New Years Eve celebrations “The Grenadines were my most favorite part of the whole trip,” Vincent says. “Like in the BVIs, being able to sail to different islands and see different places each day makes it real fun. Every day brings a discoveries.” They stopped at Grenada, Union, Tobago Cays, Mustique, Bequia, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia on their way to Martinique. Vincent, Nicolas, Olivier, and Vincent’ niece, CelineAlioth’s aluminum hull is ideal for remote ocean sailing. “She can fit six comfortably onboard for ocean crossings,” says Vincent. “In the tropics, it’s nice because everyone can be outside most of the time.” She’s easy sailed by a couple of people, so there is plenty of relaxation time for the rest of the crew. “Sharing these experiences with friends and family, and being able to sail to parts of the world where chartering is not available, is why we purchased this boat.” Olivier looks back just after departing Cape Verde Equipped with a 2016 North Sails NPL Sport inventory, Vincent says the sails are still going strong even after 20,000 miles. The process of getting new sails was very easy despite the logistics involved according to Vincent. “We had North Sails in France come out and measure the boat, the sails were built in the United States, and then delivered to Norway. We had just a couple of days to make sure they were right. We opened the bags, hoisted them, and it all worked. North Sails has the experience globally to deliver to different parts of the world and see the project through to completion, and they were perfect.” While in the Caribbean, Vincent and his crew enjoyed the highlights of a living aboard, including fishing and grilling off the back of the boat. “We don’t have a freezer onboard, so, on ocean crossings, eventually you start running out of fresh produce. We consider certain types of food a real treat,” he said. “When we can catch fish and pair it with fruits, vegetables, and freshly baked bread, it’s a meal we all really enjoy.” Why did he choose Alioth? “We didn’t want a boat that was too big, because of cost and logistics. This boat was maintained well before we bought it, and it was built for our type of program, so the purchase decision was easy.” Vincent also says the boat is fun to sail. “Alioth is quite light for its size, which makes it responsive in most conditions.” he says. With a lift-keel, she’s able to anchor in shallow water. Having a deck saloon was a requirement and means the crew can see the ocean at all times. Alioth is very safe, and a step-up stern makes it easy to get onboard the boat. She has twin rudders, crash bulkheads bow and stern, and ample cabin space in between. Her water ballast tanks were recently converted to carry fuel, extending her range up to 3000 miles under motor power. Although the boat is equipped with a watermaker and heater, Vincent says the crew often chooses swimming instead of rinsing off in freshwater. “We will often jump in, just for the pure pleasure of it.” In 2019, Alioth’s crew plans to attempt to sail the Northwest Passage, via Greenland and around to the North of Canada, then to Alaska. Stay tuned as Alioth’s adventures continue. The cruising lifestyle offers some of the most epic sunsets Approaching St. Lucia with the Pitons in the background READ MORE

Development of 3Di began ten years ago and has continued at a rapid and accelerating pace ever since. 3Di is the sum of multiple technologies exclusive to North Sails, making it the ideal platform for creating new types of sails for a wide range of boats—from small boats to superyachts—around the world. For 2019, the unprecedented performance and longevity advantages of 3Di are available to everyone: family cruisers to circumnavigators, and club racers to pro sailors. The Pure Performance, Boatspeed Benchmark 3Di RAW is the highest performance, lightest weight race sail on the market, setting a new benchmark for speed and shapeholding. Boats with 3Di RAW sails absolutely command podiums worldwide in the most competitive events and classes. For 2019, North has applied this advanced technology to a new product tier combining 3Di’s signature shape holding with an easy to read, easy to trim, and notably long-life racing sail that is perfect for Club Race sailors with smaller boats. Around the World or Around the Race Course The most rugged 3Di sail available, 3Di Endurance is engineered for extreme durability and shape holding whether racing or offshore cruising. François Gabart’s 3Di Endurance mainsail already had 45,000 miles on it BEFORE he set off on his successful Around The World Solo Record. This range of 3Di products feature highly protective outer filament tapes, creating a tough structure while retaining the exclusive shape stability of 3Di. A New Class Of Superyacht Cruising Sails New for 2019, Ocean provides high strength, reduced weight, and supreme reliability for cruising superyachts. Everything North Sails has learned as the preeminent builder of superyacht sails for more than three decades has been combined with current state of the art 3Di technology. Serious cruising yachts over 60 feet can now benefit from the proprietary blend of materials and exclusive engineering of 3Di Ocean. These sails are lighter, tougher and and easier to handle than any string sail counterpart. The Dacron Cruising Sail Reinvented Throughout 2018, 3Di NORDAC – a 100% polyester 3Di sail – has created a cruising revolution. 3Di NORDAC was named a Pittman Innovation Award winner by SAIL Magazine, and over 2500 3Di NORDAC sails have been delivered to glowing reviews from our customers. For 2019 our 3Di production capacity has been increased to meet demand for this innovative and exceptional product ideally suited to small to mid size cruising boats. All sailors want faster sails that last longer. 3Di NORDAC delivers. 3Di Composite Sailmaking for Fast Code Sails The myriad benefits of 3Di now extend beyond upwind inventories and are available to sailors looking for state of the art asymmetric sails. 3Di Downwind proved its value during the recent Volvo Ocean Race where all sails, upwind and down, were 3Di (no more need to carry sewing machines onboard!). Cable Free Furling is now possible with our unique Helix Luff, where directly integrated 3Di structure eliminates the need for a separate, inefficient, cable. READ MORE

CHAMPION SAILOR ROBERT GREENHALGH JOINS NORTH SAILS Volvo Ocean Race Winner and International Sailing Champion Joins World’s Leading Sailmaker 📸Volvo Ocean Race North Sails are pleased to announce that Robert Greenhalgh has joined the team. A key hire focused on sales and customer support, Greenhalgh’s notable achievements on the water over the last 15 years mark him out as one of the leading experts in the industry to advise North Sails clients around the world on how they can improve their sailing experience. Robert has competed in five Volvo Ocean Races, winning the prestigious event with ABN AMRO ONE in 2006 and finishing second on two occasions with PUMA & Mapfre. He has seen extensive success in different size boats, having previously been a World Champion in both the 18ft Skiff & International 14 Classes, and he has also won National and European titles in the International Moth Class. Offshore, Robert was part of the transatlantic record-breaking team onboard Comanche and has a number of other records to his name including Fastnet records, both monohull and multihull, and the Caribbean 600. Rob also has extensive multihull experience, winning the Extreme Sailing Series in 2007, finishing second in 2008, and more recently sailing onboard both MOD70 & D35’s. Speaking about Greenhalgh joining North Sails, company President Ken Read commented; “I picked Rob to be on my team with PUMA in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2008-09 and onboard Comanche as I know he is one of the top guys in our sport. His experience across both offshore and inshore racing puts him in a unique position to be able to advise a huge number of our clients as they seek to get more out of their sails and boat performance. Having sailed with, and against Rob for over ten years, I am excited to see the value he will bring to our customers around the world as he continues racing from Moths to Maxis.” Robert commented; “Having spent so much of my career using North Sails I am delighted to be joining such a world class organization. There is no doubt that to be a winner, every part of your setup needs to be the best that it can be so joining North Sails was a very natural move for me – I want to provide the best products on the market to as many people as possible to help them achieve their aims.” Following the conclusion of the recent Volvo Ocean Race, Robert has chosen Sydney as his home base where he will be joining the North Sails team in Australia. He will be providing customer service and consultancy relevant to his wealth of experience from Moths, One Design keel boats, IRC rated boats, Maxis, up through yachts built for offshore racing. 📸Ugo Fonolla/Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

NORTH SAILS IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK North Sails in Sri Lanka Among 25 Best Places to Work A survey completed by the Great Place to Work Institute recognized North Sails Sri Lanka, a manufacturing center with 910 employees, as one of the 25 best places to work in Sri Lanka in 2018. This location, which produces one design sails as well as custom keelboat and 3D products, was identified as having a consistently positive worker experience. A high percentage of employees trust their leaders, enjoy the people they work with, and take pride in what they do. One hundred percent of the employees were surveyed, as part of a company culture audit. “We were not focusing on achieving an award,” laughs Deepanie Mataraarachchi, a senior team leader who’s worked at the facility for two years. “We wanted to identify areas that can be further improved, to become even a better workplace. But the pride taken by the employees about how they are treated and how much the company respects the environment and gives back to society shone through. ” The survey questions covered hiring and grievance practices, how well team leaders listen, training programs, work/life balance, and how the company supports and celebrates achievements. Team leaders decided to include the entire workforce to make sure everyone knew their voices were heard. It was an opportunity to assess company culture and communication—and also to evaluate areas that still needed improvement, Deepanie says. “We trust our employees a lot. Also they appreciate that we support Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Last year our team donated an ultrasound scanner to a local hospital. The people came and volunteered, collected money… we were able to raise a huge sum!” The company received their prize at the Great Place To Work awards ceremony at the Hotel Hilton Colombo, Sri Lanka. They were also mentioned in the country’s most popular business magazine and by the Financial Times, along with other winners from IT, household goods, and hospital trades. “This recognition belongs to the entire team at North Sails Sri Lanka,” concludes Deepanie. “It is an honor to be recognized by our employees as an organization that fosters respect, trust and fairness. We are all very proud of what we are doing.” READ MORE

IDEAL INVENTORY FOR THE NORDIC FOLKBOAT Udo Pfluger talks about his North Sails and why he uses them on his Nordic Folkboat © Christian Gossman/www.chrisgossmann.de Tell us about your boat, where you sail and the type of sailing you do Our boat is the standard hull from Folkeboat Centrale, but everything else is made by Robert Hansen in 1983. I am sailing in Hellerup Sejlklub, north of Copenhagen, but the boat is placed in Kerteminde on Funen, first of all because all the best Folkboat sailors have their boat there, the other reason is that my crew Erik and Alex live nearby. I mostly sail three person keelboats like the Folkboat, Dragon and Knarr. I sail every week during the summer evening races in the different classes and race weekends as often as possible. Tell us about the sails you use We use the standard LM-5A mainsail , which is the most all-round mainsail on the market. We use both the FL-5 and the FL-5-L jibs. With these three sails we are very close to the perfect setup. With the ‘John Mast’ we have on our boat, we use the light jib in light wind and the all-round jib in the rest of the wind scale. Why did you decide to use North Sails? My experience with North Sails goes far back, so I know all the guys at North Sails and they know me. It is very important that we listen to each other, so the sails are improved all the time. The guys at North Sails also helps with other things than sails. They are very good sailors and have been very helpful with trim, tactics and practice tips, they are always ready to help you. North Sails always provide very good craftsmanship and they take good care of their brand, that means first of all we get sails with very similar quality and shape. Why is North Sails important to your sailing and how we can help other sailors like you? North Sails have been active in supporting trim-clinics in Sweden, Germany, Finland and Denmark for many years, it is a very important part of the job when you are the leading brand in the class. It is a must to keep on supporting local fleets, so they can improve and get better by having the best sailors in the class as coaches. If you want to get some of this advice from the North Sails team, contact an expert today! © Christian Gossman/www.chrisgossmann.de READ MORE

RUBY ROSE SETS SAIL FOR THE MED Clients Embrace The Cruising Life Onboard Their Southerly 38 Three years ago, Terysa and Nick set off to sail around the world and started their online video blog to share their adventures onboard Ruby Rose. Here is how it all started. After much deliberation, they chose a Southerly 38 to be their home and North Sails products to power them around the globe. Seven years, 22,000 miles, and 40,000 YouTube followers later, we caught up with Nick to find out how they manage shorthanded sailing and the reality of live-aboard cruising. What inspired you to start your cruising journey? I was working as a dentist in London and I got to the point where I realized that making money and working wasn’t making me happy anymore. I bought a cheap little boat and found a different life. Everyone was very friendly and I loved the freedom it gave me. I met Terysa a couple years later, and as you do, you sit and plan your future. One day we decided we wanted to sail around the Mediterranean. Then she said “why don’t we sail around the world?” Now you can’t back down with a new girlfriend! From there it just snowballed really. So we bought a bigger boat, and then a bigger boat. And realized we had the boat. We both have the same mindset; we know a lot of people who make these big plans and have these great ideas, but they always find some obstacle to stop them from doing it. We refused to stop. What made you choose a Southerly, and why do you think it’s ideal for cruising? We had a 32-foot Hanse, and there was just not enough space. So we went to the Southampton Boat Show to look at other options. We wanted a boat that was bigger and well-built. The Southerly has a lot of internal volume for a 40-foot boat. So we could live on it, and it was going to keep us safe. Oh, and it’s pretty. Why did you choose North Sails to outfit your boat? “What we value in sails now is multifactorial. It had to have good, quality sails. Quality to well know they are going to last. We’ve done seven years and 20,000 miles with the same sails.” Which systems does Ruby Rose have that make your cruising lifestyle easier? We added a third reef to the mainsail and ran all the lines back to the cockpit. We use a furler for the genoa. We’ve also got the North Sails Code Zero on a continuous furler . Those are things that enable us to short handedly sail in more comfort. Except for the Code Zero, we don’t ever have to leave the cockpit to do anything. North Sails systems work well in conjunction with Selden; if you want a reef, you don’t even have to change the course of the boat. You just let the main all the way. What’s the most stressful part about cruising lifestyle? I think what we used to find stressful, like worrying that something is going to break, doesn’t happen so much now. We bought the boat new, but were always worrying about what was going to break next for fear it would happen at the most inconvenient time. But I think you just kind of get used to that once you get more comfortable with the whole situation. The second stresser we had was anchoring. As soon as you get to the Caribbean, you have to get use to being at anchor and not worrying about dragging. We perfected our anchoring technique after speaking to some superyacht captains, and thankfully we have never dragged since. Learning the limitations and the strengths of your own vessel we’ve discovered is most challenging. What is your favorite port you’ve been to so far? Everywhere has been magnificent. The first highlight was Martinique in the Caribbean. It was beautiful and very sedate. It’s partly French, so you get to this beautiful little Caribbean island and you can still buy your baguette for a Euro. You can buy French wine and cheeses. We were like ‘Oh my God. This is so amazing.’ The second highlight was Morocco. We spent a month touring and they were the kindest, most lovely people we’ve ever met. They all wanted to talk to us. It was just beautiful. Challenging from the point of view of bureaucracy, but as a memory I think that is my number one destination thus far. Where does your journey bring you next? We thought long and hard about everything and we decided that we wanted to see the Mediterranean. I think we will go all the way to Cadiz this time. We tend to like more natural things. Filling up hotels and casinos is not for us. We’re going to head to the Med for the next couple years at the very least, then we’ll just see how it goes from there. Wondering what Ruby Rose is up to? Check in to see where they end up next. READ MORE

  North Sails launched a cruising revolution in June 2017 with the introduction of 3Di NORDAC. The product promised to deliver a better cruising experience for a market that had not seen true product innovation in over 60 years. Today we’re celebrating the team that worked so hard to bring 3Di NORDAC to market, and our customers around the world who provided us with valuable feedback. 3Di Technology, Adapted for Cruising “We envisioned redefining the cruising sail market. We felt the cruising market deserved a sail that would perform better than traditional dacron without sacrificing durability. To deliver that vision we set out to leverage North 3Di technology, which is the sail construction choice of the world’s top ocean racing teams. 3Di NORDAC provides optimal sail shape holding for longer, which ultimately means more value for the cruising sailor.” -Bill Fortenberry, North Sails Global Market Segments Manager 3Di TECHNOLOGY Pittman Innovation Award 3Di NORDAC was awarded SAIL Magazine’s 2018 Pittman Innovation Award in the cruising category. “North has combined the great cost-effectiveness and durability of traditional sails with the 3Di process…a win-win for cruising sailors everywhere.” -Charles J Doane, SAIL Magazine Editor READ MORE It Started As An Idea… “We started exploring ideas for a new product for the cruising market in 2015. We saw an opportunity to create an affordable white sail that would have all the benefits of 3Di. We felt confident that the product would change people’s cruising experience for the better, and a year later, over a thousand boats are sailing with 3Di NORDAC. It’s very rewarding to hear positive feedback from boat owners experiencing the 3Di difference for the first time.” -Dan Neri, CEO of North Sails LEARN MORE Testimonial “Our new 3Di NORDAC mainsail and genoa continue to amaze us. Both sails have a shape and finish that rival the best sails I’ve ever seen or used over my 40 plus years of sailing. Even the roller reefing genoa offers exceptional upwind performance. We are exceptionally pleased with these sails.” -Steve Fredrick, Beneteau First 42, USA 3Di NORDAC REVIEW By The Numbers One year in, 3Di NORDAC has been an undeniable success for both North Sails and its expanding customer base of small to medium size cruising boats. Patented North 3Di technology offers superior performance with traditional polyester materials. READ MORE

LOOK INSIDE A LOFT: PALMA North Sails In The Hub of Superyacht Activity North Sails expanded their presence in Palma, Spain earlier this year to become the largest superyacht service facility in the world hub of superyacht activity. A larger sales and service team, increased capacity and expanded resources offer superyacht owners and crews market-leading customer service unrivaled anywhere in the world. With a combined loft space of 6518m², 42 staff, three vehicles for sail transportation, two with 1.5-ton cranes, as well as storage for 2000 sails, North Sails in Palma is unquestionably the best destination in the world for quality superyacht service, capacity, and turnaround. Well known sailing photographer Ian Roman joined the team in Palma last week to document North’s expanded presence. We shine a spotlight on Palma loft. The combined North Sails Palma loft has three locations providing a range of services from purchasing new sails to Certified Service for the world’s largest yachts. Fiona Bruce is the Palma Site Manager and oversees operations for all three locations. Find a loft. The loft floor at the Llucmajor location in Palma is 45 x 25 meters. It is one of two floors this size at the two-story location. The photo above shows a spinnaker from J Class SVEA. North Sails Palma features modern high powered specialist sewing machines and rotating pits to handle sail repairs. Two giant sail washing facilities are housed in Palma. A superyacht sail can weight up to 1,900 kg. Purpose built trucks outfitted with 1.5-ton cranes help lift superyacht sails on and off the yachts. The newly combined North Sails team features 42 sales and service staff. In addition to superyachts, this team is able to support all clients with boats of all sizes who either live in or are visiting Mallorca. Palma houses a specialized storage to comfortably store 2000 sails. This is the only sail storage facility of its kind in the world. READ MORE

GRAND PRIX STATION Production Profile: Auckland, NZL Auckland holds a special place in the heart of sailing. Known as New Zealand’s yachting hub, this urban city’s affinity for the waterfront has welcomed premier sailing events to its shores time and time again. Thanks to deep roots in the America’s Cup, local sailing fans may be the most devout in the world and the team at North Sails New Zealand is no exception; the loft has found itself at the heart of the action with each Kiwi Challenge. By drawing from this experience, and spending many hours on the water, this tight-knit group has developed a knack for Grand Prix sailmaking and is now the go-to loft for professional teams from around the globe. Loft manager Guy Hewson has a wealth of top-level sailmaking experience. After working as a sailmaker for Team Germany in the 2007 America’s Cup, Guy took professional sailing and boat captain roles all over Europe. This led him to the Louis Vuitton World Series, where he worked for Mascalzone Latino and Team New Zealand. He moved permanently to New Zealand in 2011 and soon took a position with North Sails as a senior sailmaker. In 2016, Guy began managing the North team out of a new location in Glenfield. The Glenfield loft offered more space and the opportunity to design a workflow from scratch. Guy led the optimization of the new facility by accommodating the needs of each department – from upwind finishing to one design to downwind production. The result is a smart space boasting new efficiencies and flexible systems. “We often need to operate service jobs alongside production,” said Guy, “and generally need options for managing multiple projects in the same space. One solution is we set up an A-frame furling system that accommodates luff lengths up to 60 meters, which is especially helpful when the Superyachts are in town and need service.” The team is also equipped with North’s signature rotating sewing pits and a few must-haves such as a plotter and cutter. The strongest asset of the loft, Guy says, is the staff. “Our loft is unique due to a long history of producing Grand Prix sails for teams in the Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup, TP52, and top competing one design classes. The majority of our sailmakers are great sailors, which gives them an expertise that bridges on-the-water performance with the work they do in the loft.” Guy’s lead sailmakers in the upwind and downwind departments each have 15 – 20 years of experience making sails. The total group is best represented by their top-quality work and enthusiasm for sailing. “We like to have fun, whether it’s in the loft or on the race course,” Guy continued.“This is the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with. There is good camaraderie among the staff, healthy banter on the floor, and we all like to socialize together.” Over the din of ten TP52 sails in production, Guy explained they were on a tight timeline to finish a number of custom jobs for the fleet. “We work fairly closely with all the other North lofts. Often we take on this type of work because of our relationship with the Grand Prix teams and the amount of time we’ve spent in this area of the market.” While North Sails lofts in Minden and Sri Lanka provide a steady supply of molded sail “blanks,” specialty lofts like Guy’s have the client relationships and handle finishing and order fulfillment. North Sails schedules production based on specialty skills, as well as capacity and a loft’s proximity to the client. Operating on an island does make things more difficult. “We would love to have a 3Di plant in New Zealand!” Guy laughed. “Since we are a ways away from Sri Lanka and Minden we factor shipping time into pretty much everything we do. A lot of our suppliers for parts and hardware are also overseas, so we keep a close eye on inventory and make sure our stock levels are well maintained.” The cool thing about sailing is that even the most remote places in the world can become central at the height of the season. And with the America’s Cup coming to town in a few years, Auckland is already experiencing a resurgence in the local market. “The global North team has great collective knowledge,” Guy added. “It’s nice to know our clients will have the support of North Sails no matter where they decide to travel. Capacity-wise, we take comfort in knowing that everyone’s peak season is different and by working together we can keep the workflow more consistent.” Looking ahead, Guy’s priority is to maintain steady growth by staying true to what New Zealand does best. “Our priority is quality of work, while keeping things efficient and economic. North Sails 3Di is setting us ahead of the game and we are all proud of the finished sails coming out of our loft. I’m equally proud of the team behind them.” READ MORE

THE CUTTING EDGE OF OFFSHORE Production Profile: Vannes, Brittany, FRA. The French offshore market was as fervent as ever when the North Sails loft in Vannes opened its doors in 2004; the Vendée Globe was in full swing, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede soon set the record for “the wrong way around” on Adrien, and Dame Ellen MacArthur soon broke the eastabout, singlehanded circumnavigation record on B&Q. Extensive sailing know-how combined with an innovative marine trade, makes France unlike any other in the sailing world. True to form, the North Sails team in Vannes specializes in offshore sailmaking, especially those jobs fit for breaking records. The Vannes loft is led by Eric Gallais-Hamonno, who found his way there through a love of sailing. “Our dedication to the product, especially in offshore sailing, makes us unique,” said Eric. “As long as there is a market in France, we will be here.” Perhaps this dedication is what keeps sailing heroes like Armel Le Cleach, Francois Gabart, and Jean Le Cam returning to North Sails, whether it’s to alter a used inventory or to conceptualize sails for their next ocean racing craft. “It’s easier to love your job when your product is used to do incredible things,” Eric continued. “We work in a community that pushes the boundaries; our team is always talking with skippers about how to make the sails lighter, faster, more sexy, and we are proud to see our clients make headlines for performance.” A signed poster of BT, Sebastien Josse’s 2008 Vendée Globe entry, hangs in the loft. A typical day in Vannes will see new sails for professional programs (Multi 50, Ultime, or Figaro) finished alongside service jobs for cruising clients or local racers. The loft boasts diverse experience within a staff of 10, the majority with 10 – 15 years in the game. “Our sales team has a powerful casein the experience of our sailmakers and designers,” Eric said. “The team is tight-knight, positive and hard working.” A wealth of expertise and proximity to sailing’s most demanding projects, makes Vannes a source of knowledge for North Sails and the loft’s experience grows with each new project. North Sails recently formed a global Research and Development team in Vannes. The group is headed up by lead designer, Gautier Sergent, who’s experience spans multiple record breaking campaigns; most recently Francois Gabart’s MACIF Ultime, Thomas Coville’s Sodebo Ultime, and Francis Joyon’s Trimaran IDEC Sport. It’s hard to overstate the importance of a skipper’s relationship with their sailmaker for these projects. The North team in France works hard to support the sailors in their pursuit of extreme challenges, and repeatedly earn their trust with each new venture. The North Sails team in Vannes is one of the most experienced; most workers have 10-15 years in the business, with a few approaching 25 years. The French offshore sailing market is as competitive off the water as it is on the ocean. Eric says the biggest difference in winning orders came with the introduction of North Sails 3Di. “There are many reputable sailmakers in France – six or seven making IMOCA sails, which are one of our specialties. We have a strong position with North Sails 3Di. Since the product was introduced our market share in the IMOCA has risen from 35% to 60%, with five of the first six Vendée Globe finishers carrying North Sails in 2016.” Also, all of the Ultime Trimarans are racing with North Sails 3Di, and the product has an unprecedented track record when it comes to powering offshore records. Vannes is one of seven production facilities worldwide wholly owned by North Sails. Minden and Sri Lanka are the only lofts with 3D sail technology and are a vital component to Eric’s operation. These lofts are responsible for production of all 3Di sail membranes. These membranes, or “blanks” are they’re call by the North lofts are finished by Eric’s team who add extra reinforcements, leech/luff tape, and hardware – before delivering them to the client. With the offshore market paramount, Eric’s team also taps Minden and Sri Lanka for help with cruising orders. Since we are a global company now, we work with a central scheduler to liaise with all the lofts and distribute jobs, keeping the workflow steady for everyone. Sri Lanka especially is very good, and the North Sails Blue Book has implemented standards across all sites, to the point where we don’t need to manage the orders as closely.” Today in Vannes, a single sailmaker can work independently on a new IMOCA 60 sail. Ten years ago the same job required two or three staff to maneuver the material smoothly through a sewing machine. North Sails 3Di also requires less finishing work. Finishing an IMOCA 3Di mainsail used to take 95 working hours; now it takes 85. (A traditional paneled main required 120 hours.) “The 3Di manufacturing process takes care of many parts and pieces simultaneously, by building things like batten pockets directly into the sail,” Eric said. “The result is a more durable, seamless construction that requires less manual labor. “ “My priority is to have happy customers – which means you deliver the sails on time, with all the requests completed fully. I have to say I am the most proud of my team. I wish I could spend more time with them on the floor! The people are really motivated. They are flexible and hard working – smiling through extra hours and having to share space with many projects happening simultaneously.” When he does find the time to work alongside his team, Eric understands the roles reverse. “When I join them on the floor I begin by saying – Okay, what do you need me to do?” READ MORE

JACK OF ALL TRADES Production Profile: Milford, CT, USA The North Sails loft in Milford, CT is one of two major production sites in the United States. Milford has deep roots in the company’s history and covers a diverse range of skills, often taking on niche projects that require increased attention and extra working hours. Milford’s early success can be attributed to their support of sailors competing at the highest level. Like Vannes supports skippers in the Vendée Globe, and Auckland every Kiwi Cup challenge, production in Milford began in the 1980s in support of American-based Cup teams. When North Sails moved its headquarters from San Diego to Milford in 2001, the sail loft expanded to a multi-faceted hub, encompassing everything from sail production and service to large-scale production of North Cloth (North’s in-house sailcloth division). It also included a parts warehouse, worldwide shipping department and corporate office complex. North Sails is now a global organization with seven manufacturing hubs spread around the world. While many of these lofts have a specialty, Milford’s wide range of capabilities is what sets it apart. “We are one of the few North Sails lofts that still do a little bit of everything,” said Steve Gruver, who manages the floor, as well as service and one design distribution for North America. “We do not have 3D molding capabilities, but pretty much can take on anything else; finishing molded sails of all sizes, as well as producing a fair amount from scratch.” Steve’s production team is versatile. Manufacturing one design sails requires error-free repetition, careful attention to detail, and keen organization skills. On the main floor, the team is often presented with large, complex jobs that require flexibility, problem solving, and a well-rehearsed bank of skills (including physical strength). Milford is always up for the challenge of an oddball request, which often turns into a success story. “We are most proud of the special projects,” Steve explained. “The bigger jobs require a lot of planning and deliberate work, like right now we have a mainsail in progress for a Hoek 52 meter sloop that has a 54.5m luff and 21m foot. I’m up to my eyes in Spectra Carbon!” In 2016, the team surpassed all expectations when they constructed a 17,222 square meter spinnaker in 4.5 days for superyacht Seahawk. Today, a framed thank-you portrait of the sail hangs proudly in the loft. Steve makes note: “It’s important to celebrate the team’s hard work and their positivity when faced with challenging projects and timelines. “ Veteran sailmakers are supported by a few apprentices. The core group emigrated to America 20 years ago and, due to their work ethic and dedication to the company, they have become expert sailmakers as well as friends. “Regina, Margaret and Basha are part of the Polish community in Milford and came to us as young mothers ready to re-enter the workforce,” said Steve. “Regina was the first to start as a sewing machine operator and soon the word spread. Today she does all of our pre-fabrication work. Basha does impeccable finishing, assembly, and seaming work. Margaret runs a lot of the big projects on the main floor.” When the 3D facility in Minden built a finishing floor, the company asked Margaret to relocate for a few years to work alongside the new staff. She was both a source of knowledge to the young sailmakers and a representative of the Milford loft’s experience. Looking ahead, Steve acknowledges that the industry is changing. “Clearly we are moving more and more toward 3D sail production, but I think there will always be a place for traditional paneled sails. I predict the bigger sails will keep getting bigger as long as technology allows it.” His management priorities remain the same. “First and foremost is quality, and of course we have to deliver on time. I also remember to respect the staff and appreciate that they have lives outside of work, and we cannot achieve the quality we need without an excellent staff.” READ MORE

NORTH TECHNOLOGY GROUP PARTNERS WITH 52 SUPER SERIES North Sails And Southern Spars Cement Their Position At The Pinnacle Of Grand Prix Monohull Racing © Martinez Studio 2018 marks the seventh season of the hugely successful 52 SUPER SERIES which is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet. As the world leader in grand prix racing technology for the ‘engine above deck’, North Technology Group has today partnered with the exciting multi-regatta tournament. As Official Partners, the 2018 series will be supported by the world leaders in sailmaking technology (North Sails), bespoke carbon masts and booms (Southern Spars), and composite rigging (Future Fibres). With the TP52 Class attracting the attention of teams with aspirations to win the America’s Cup in 2021, the 52 SUPER SERIES will see 12 boats from nine countries line up to compete across five week-long regattas this summer. With the entire fleet using Southern Spars and Future Fibres, and ten boats selecting North Sails 3Di, it was a natural progression for North Technology Group to offer its world class technologies, knowledge and services across the events as the only company in the world capable of designing and delivering all elements of the engine above deck. Commenting on the partnership, Paul Westlake, Executive Vice President and Grand Prix Expert at North Sails concluded, “North Sails has built its reputation amongst the TP52 Class over a number of years now to the point where we are recognized not only for designing and producing the best sails for their high performance needs, but for also offering our wider expertise and services through our global network of lofts and in-house Grand Prix sail designers. As the America’s Cup returns to monohull racing, the 52 SUPER SERIES continues to attract some of the best sailors in the world, and we are proud to be part of such a prestigious international circuit that will continue to grow the sport and deliver exciting racing on the water.” Commenting on the partnership, Mark Hauser, founder and Sales Director of Southern Spars said, “As a long time supplier to the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet, Southern Spars is proud to once again work with not only such a respected and innovative class but also one of the most challenging. We have a long and positive relationship with the series, delivering the finest and most innovative rigs to suit these exciting high speed grand prix monohulls. With all of the fleet sporting Southern Spars rigs, and nine with the latest generation of mast, it made perfect sense for us to become a Technical Partner. We are excited to be able to offer our world-class technology, expertise and service beyond our rigs across all of the events.” The races in the 52 SUPER SERIES are scored simply on the order of finishing the real time racing with no post-race time compensation. Each of the five regattas consists of a schedule of ten races, with a mixture of windward-leeward and coastal courses depending on the venue. Over the course of the season all results stand – there are no discards – and typically that means around 45 to 50 races in the season before the overall Champion is crowned at the end of the year. The current Champions Azzurra, racing with a North Sails 3Di inventory, have won the Championship three times (2012, 2015 and 2017), and are the only team alongside Quantum Racing to have taken the top spot. The TP52 has become the de-facto top monohull inshore race class in the world, appealing to the very top level professional sailors, discerning owners and teams. The all carbon fibre boats with powerful sail areas and deep slender keels remain very close in performance. 2018 has seen the launch of eight new TP52 hulls, many developed in partnership with North Sails Design Services and all using Southern Spars and Future Fibres for their rigging above deck. The 52 SUPER SERIES covers five trophies in Europe from May to September: 52 SUPER SERIES Sibenik Sailing Week: May 23rd – 27th, Sibenik, Croatia 52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup: June 20th – 24th, Zadar, Croatia ROLEX TP52 World Championship 2018, July 17th – 21st, Cascais, Portugal 52 SUPER SERIES Sailing Week Puerto Portals, August 21st – 25th, Mallorca, Spain 52 SUPER SERIES Valencia Sailing Week: September 18th – 22nd, Valencia, Spain READ MORE

Burns Fallow and Michael Richelsen led the collaboration between North Sails, America’s Cup defender Emirates Team New Zealand, and Challenger of Record Luna Rossa to develop the soft wing concept and AC75 Class Rule. Burns and Michael focused on adapting the North Design Suite, most notably Membrain, to analyze the foiling soft wing monohull for the 36th America’s Cup. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS INTRODUCES NEW DECKSWEEPER 2 FOR THE A-CLASS Glenn Ashby redesigns the original Decksweeper for the high speed foiling catamaran North Sails has continued their partnership with America’s Cup sailor and foiling superstar Glenn Ashby to create a new state of the art sail for the A-Class Catamaran, the Decksweeper 2. After his recent victory in the A-Class Australian Championship using the original Decksweeper mainsail, Glenn worked with North Sails One Design experts to further develop the mainsail into the Decksweeper 2. This new version of the sail is built and optimised to make full use of the high speeds that the boats are now put through, as well as coping with the lighter wind speeds when foiling is more challenging. Ian Johnson, North Sails Australia One Design expert, commented: “Following his success at the 2018 Australian Championships, Glenn has re-defined the A-Class aero package in partnership with North Sails. The new 2018 Decksweeper has been designed for high speed sailing, with much attention being paid to the bottom loading of the sail and twist profiles. Overall depth and entry and exit angles have been tailored to support the sail through a large range of conditions and with a variety of mast set-ups, the sail can be set up to suit a good range of weights and wind conditions.“ The new Decksweeper 2 has been designed with a smaller head with more sail area further down the sail. After experimenting with a boomless option, Glenn decided having a boom was the best option for speed and foiling wind range. A foot shelf has also been added to create an airtight seal between the trampoline and the sail. Glenn Ashby said, “The North Sails Decksweeper design evolution incorporates its proven solid light air performance with an all new profile and shaping throughout, adding a new dimension in up range foiling conditions.” The Decksweeper 2 is now in stock and ready to ship for your next A-Class regatta. Contact your nearest North Sails A-Class expert today. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS PALMA: THE LEADING SUPERYACHT SERVICE CENTER IN THE WORLD The completed merger of North Sails and the former Doyle Palma team creates the world’s most extensive sales and service facilities in Mallorca, Spain Following the January announcement that the experts from the former Doyle Palma team would join forces with the local North Sails loft in Mallorca, Spain, the newly combined facilities and the team are taking shape in the heart of the global Superyacht industry. The enhanced personnel, increased capacity, and expanded resources look set to offer clients, for both Superyachts and local boat owners alike, a market-leading customer service unrivaled anywhere in the world. With a combined loft space of 6,518m2, 42 staff, three vehicles for sails transportation, two with 1.5-ton cranes, as well as storage for 2000 sails, North Sails in Palma is unquestionably the best service site in the world for quality, capacity and turn around. Since announcing the merger, both senior management teams from North Sails and the former Doyle Palma team, have been working collaboratively to structure the combined operations and organizations to optimize the customer experience. With unparalleled experts, loft space, knowledge, technology and facilities, the newly restructured Palma lofts build on years of experience to ensure the best service and results for clients. The two lofts feature modern high-powered specialist sewing machines, two sail washing facilities; and the dockside office facilities located in STP will serve as a convenient customer meeting point. The former team from Doyle Palma headed by Quinny Houry, Fiona Bruce, and Russell Thom have always placed a high priority on customer service. “By joining forces with North Sails we can together give all our clients the customer service they expect while improving our offer through North Sails products and the worldwide sales and service network,” says Fiona Bruce, Palma Site Manager overseeing the newly combined loft management for all three locations. Quinny Houry, Superyacht Sales: “Our combined team of sail experts have enjoyed sharing insights and knowledge with our new North colleagues, and we feel confident our customers will only see improvements going forward. We are also very excited about the opportunity to offer all our clients the cutting-edge 3Di technology and the world’s largest network of lofts across five continents.” The combined North Sails Palma loft will now have three operational centers: Dockside Office in STP; customer meeting point Edificio Global Muelle Viejo de Palma Camí de l’Escullera Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands 07012 Palma Loft*; sail design, sales, service assessment Calle Ca Na Melis 11a Poligono Son Morro Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands 07007 READ MORE

NORTH SAILS WELCOMES MATTEO SANGIORGI North Sails expands the global One Design team welcoming Matteo Sangiorgi Gosport, UK, January 31st 2018: North Sails have announced today that Matteo Sangiorgi has joined North Sails as a One Design Expert for the Optimist Class. “I decided to join North Sails because I love the idea of being part of a company that is able to supply sails for everyone from Optimist sailors to America’s Cup sailors. I also like the idea of being involved in such a big network, where research and development a key focus for everyone.” Matteo brings years of experience with him, from coaching Optimist sailors to sail development in the Optimist, 420 and 470 classes. He will work alongside the global One Design team with a focus on the Optimist class to increase our market share in the most popular and largest global junior racing boat. Tim Healy, President of One Design at North Sails added, “We are delighted to welcome Matteo to North Sails. He brings a wealth of experience and his passion and dedication for the sport is clear. Combine this with his valuable knowledge and sailing skills makes him a great asset to our one design team.” North Sails is backed by over 60 years of experience in One Design sail making and design. North’s team of One Design experts utilize design and product innovation available to supply the most advanced sails to One Design fleets, which includes everything from club racers to Olympians. Full Interview with Matteo READ MORE

DAY DREAMING OF SAILING? Escape with North Sails Waterlogs Landlocked? Cabin fever? Have not seen the sun in days? Many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are counting down the days until winter is over and we’re back on the water. While we can’t put you on a plane and fly to warmer water, North Sails is serving up daydream-worthy reading through our Waterlogs. Our Waterlogs are a collection of stories from our cruising customers around the world. The stories range from cruising on a multihull in the Mediterranean with 3Di NORDAC to Tom and Susie Partridge who stopped by our loft in Sri Lanka en route to Cape Town, South Africa. Whether you’re a racer or a cruiser, we all appreciate stories about casting off the dock-lines and using the wind to power our journey. We hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as we like receiving them. Just don’t let your boss catch you daydreaming! Gustave’s Adventures in the Mediterannean One couple, three young children, a catamaran, and six months sabbatical to make the most of the Mediterranean. That was the project in 2017 for Jérôme Aubert, 40, and his wife Hélène, 35. Not necessarily an obvious choice for this sailing professional as he has been working at Harken for eight years but the family wanted to leave it all behind them and take off on an adventure. Click the photo for full story. 3Di NORDAC Test Sail Everyone at North Sails was excited to launch 3Di Nordac in June 2017. We wanted to share the news far and wide and tell all our customer about the new addition to our 3Di product family. In preparing for launch, we sent Bill Fortenberry, our cruising segment leader on a test sail in the BVI’s. The perks of working for North Sails! Click the photo for full story. Adina Explores Sri Lanka Tom and Susie Partridge were early contributors to the North Waterlogs. They are from the UK but were making their way from Asia to Cape Town, South Africa. Tom emailed us one day to say they were going to be in Sri Lanka for two weeks and was possible to stop by our factory in Sri Lanka. Naturally, we welcomed him with open arms. Click the photo for full story. First Hoist With Onne van der Wal Onne van der Wal is a name you may have heard. He is a world-class photographer who spent the winter of 2016 restoring his Pearson 36. Being a photographer, Onne documented this project and shared his first hoist story with North Sails. Click the photo for full story. Still want to get away? Read all of our Waterlogs here. Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at contact@mktg.northsails.com. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS BRISBANE JOINS THE NORTH SAILS GROUP The Local Agent is purchased by North Technology Group The North Sails Group is pleased to announce that North Sails Brisbane will become the latest loft to join the company. Founded in 1993 as Bradford Prentice, the loft set up by Mark Bradford and Vaughan Prentice has long since established itself as the largest sailmaker in Queensland and since 2001 they have been operating as a local agent of North Sails. Following the 2017 acquisition of North Sails Australia, which included both the Sydney and Melbourne businesses, today’s announcement sees the Brisbane team join the Group as a fully serviced, North Sails loft. The loft has manufactured, sold, and serviced thousands of sails up and down the Queensland coast. The team pride themselves on their ability to understand their clients needs and find a sail solution that works for any size of boat, from the smallest dinghy through multihulls, right up to the racing super maxis and everything in between. In line with the North Sails Group ethos, the acquisition of the loft is aimed at giving customers an enhanced experience – while still dealing with Mark, Vaughan and the team on the ground they will also benefit from the shared technology and wealth of knowledge from within the Group. The growing global company, well known for its revolutionary North 3Di sails, has a network of lofts unrivaled by any other sailmaker in the world and continues to invest in innovation and technology, which in turn creates the market leading sails clients have come to expect. Mark Bradford commented: “Vaughan and I have greatly enjoyed setting up and running what has become North Sails Brisbane but we are hugely excited by this next step to giving our clients an even better service. We want to make sure that anyone that walks into our loft ends up with a sail perfectly suited to their sailing needs and part of that is making sure we are at the cutting edge of new technologies and able to offer the latest and greatest sails possible. We believe by joining the North Sails Group we can do that and all the staff at North Sails Brisbane are hugely looking forward to all that this new stage will bring.” Ken Read, North Sails Group President commented: “The core of our whole business is understanding the local culture and sailor by delivering sail solutions that exceeds their expectations. We are delighted that North Sails Brisbane is joining North Sails Group helping us to further develop our network and enhance our global customer experience. As we continue to push the boundaries of technology and put a huge amount of focus into research and development, we are excited to be able to share this with our lofts and customers around the world. I am delighted to welcome Mark, Vaughan and their team to the North Sails Group and look forward to working with them in the coming years.” READ MORE