NORTH SAILS BLOG

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

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

TWO-HANDED SAILING KICKS-OFF IN AUSTRALIA North Expert Alby Pratt Shares Insights on What's to Come "2021 looks to be a bumper year for two-handed racing in Australia", says Alby Pratt, NS Sydney Sales Manager. "New teams are meeting to plan their campaigns, and several new boats are hitting the water with the team at North Sails Sydney heavily involved in sail development for multiple clients." In Sydney, the new Dehler 30 has been racing out of Middle Harbour. This boat is going from strength to strength in Europe, with over 30 boats on the water to date. With a layout and rig optimized for shorthanded sailing, the boat is different from many other similar-sized boats and turns heads as she blasts around the harbor. The Dehler 30's inventory includes a square-top mainsail and full-size jib with a reef from 3Di Raw. An NPL Helix staysail and Code Zero are also included with North Gradient asymmetric for downwind performance. In designing an inventory for shorthanded sailing, big sail ranges and making the boat easy to sail is a priority, and this has been a significant focus with the Dehler 30. Sail changes are slow with an entire crew and more so with only 2. By utilizing 3Di Raw for the working sails, North designers have put together an inventory that will keep the boat fast with minimal fuss allowing the crew to concentrate on other aspects of the race such as navigation without worrying about the sail trim. In Melbourne, Aaron Cole, NS Melbourne loft manager, has been sailing with the Cole-Walker offshore team in the Melbourne to Devonport race over the Christmas/ New Year period winning the IRC, AMS, and ORCi divisions & 2nd in PHS. The Cole Walker team has a full year planned to compete in RMS's two-handed events on their Sunfast 3300. With several sisterships racing competition will be challenging in this fleet. 📸 Steb Fisher The next few months will also see the launching of the new Farr X2. Bret Perry and the team at Hyperform yachting have been working with the Farr design office to build a boat that is sure to get plenty of attention. Bret comes from a Mini transit background and is very experienced in the smaller two-handed sailing style and has used all this knowledge to optimize this new design. Innovation composites south of Sydney are the chosen builder for the JPK range of boats which have been very successful in Europe, winning many shorthanded and fully crewed events. The team at JPK pacific will have four boats on the starting line for this years' Hobart. The first JPK 1080 in the mold at Innovation Composites. Later this month, the first Beneteau Figaro to arrive in Australia will launch. With its unique foil setup, this boat should attract a lot of interest to see how she performs in Sydney conditions. With a full schedule of events planned all over Australia and more and more people looking at competing in some shorthanded events, it is shaping up to be the place to be for 2021! READ MORE

The fastest boat consistently wins the America’s Cup, and we’ve consistently kept the secrets and built the sails that give teams the confidence boost of superior boat speed.  READ MORE

SERVIÇO DE CHECK-IN ONLINE Rápido, Fácil & Seguro Bem-vindo à North Sails Cascais! O serviço de Check-in Online é uma ferramenta bastante útil para manter a segurança de todos, durante esta crise de saúde mundial que enfrentamos. Recomendamos que utilize esta plataforma online como principal meio de contacto, a qual permite que receba e forneça toda a informação necessária. Contudo, a nossa Equipa está sempre aqui para si e disponível para um contacto mais pessoal e directo, quando necessário. Contamos com a sua colaboração para o proteger a si e à nossa equipa. Obrigado por nos confiar as suas velas. Agradecemos que aceda ao formulário, que se encontra em baixo, e nos indique os seus contactos e informação mais detalhada sobre o serviço pretendido. Por favor, confirme que todos os contactos inseridos estão correctos para lhe conseguirmos dar uma rápida resposta. O formulário de Check-in Online pode, também, ser utilizado para qualquer outro pedido de serviço - reparação e inspeção de velas, serviço de recolha, produção de capas, serviço de rigging, etc. Se pretender receber mais informação sobre a nossa gama de velas - Cruzeiro, Regata ou One Design - utilize este formulário e o nosso Sail Expert entrará directamente em contacto consigo. >> PARA ACEDER AO FORMULÁRIO ONLINE CLIQUE AQUI << Para mais informações, por favor contacte-nos: Office.Cascais@NorthSails.com +351 916 857 896 / +351 916 830 166 (Whatsapp disponível) Obrigado por escolher a North Sails. Mantenha-se em segurança! ONLINE SERVICE CHECK-IN Quick, Easy & Safe Welcome to North Sails Cascais! The Online Service Check-in is a helpful tool to keep everyone safe during the current global health crisis we are facing. We recommend that you use this online platform as the main form of contact, allowing you to receive and provide all information needed, but as always, our team is here for you and available for personal and direct contact when needed. We count on your cooperation to help us protect you and our team. Please access the form by clicking the link below to make your Online Service Check-in and provide us with your contact details and information on the requested service. Please make sure all your contact details are correct so that we can provide a quick reply. The Online Service Check-in form can be used for any service request - sail repair, sail inspection, sail pick-up, canvas production, rigging service, etc. If you wish to receive information on our sail range - Cruising, Racing, or One Design - please use this form and a sail expert will contact you directly. >> ACCESS ONLINE FORM HERE << For more information, please contact us: Office.Cascais@NorthSails.com +351 916 857 896 / +351 916 830 166 (Whatsapp available) Thank you for choosing North Sails. Stay Safe! READ MORE

69TH ANNUAL SAM WETHERILL RACE With A New Race Course, Essex Yacht Club Kicks-Off Our Sailing Season From Old Saybrook light to Martha’s Vineyard and back, overnight for a total of 140nm, the Sam Wetherill Race is the perfect tune-up race to kick-start your 2021 sailing season in New England. This race will be scored under ORC and PHRF rubles for monohulls, and the NEMA rule for multihulls. Doublehanded teams- this is a great race for you too! The Sam Wetherill Race suits seasoned offshore sailor and aspiring distance racers. It is also a qualifier for the PHRF New England Lighthouse Series. The 69th edition is also a part of the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association Series. "I am very excited about the changes that Essex Yacht Club has made to the Sam Wetherill Race. The new course maximizes what is best about the Block Island and Vineyard Races: distance outside of Long Island Sound. The majority of this race is likely to be sailed in stronger and more consistent wind than any of the races that originate in the western part of the Sound. The turning mark just off of Gay Head adds a whole new dimension to the Wetherill. Current in Vineyard Sound cannot be overlooked, and will be an important part of one's race strategy. There is a lot to like about this newly configured 140 mile course." - Tom Whidden, Past Commodore Start Time: The race will start at Old Saybrook Light at maximum ebb time at 11oo, Friday May 21. The Race Track: The course will be from the start 0.5 NM west of the Old Saybrook lighthouse around G31 southwest off of Gay Head, leaving it to starboard, then, leaving Block Island to starboard to the finish between the signal boat and the Old Saybrook lighthouse at the outer end of the breakwater. If no signal boat is on station, each yacht shall take their own finish time when the bearing to the lighthouse is 090 degrees. Awards: There will be an awards presentation on Sunday, May 23 at the Essex Yacht Club at 1800. ENTER THE RACE VIEW NOR READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: DEN 36. AMERICA’S CUP Forsvarerne Emirates Team New Zealand beholder deres titel Efter en legendarisk kamp kunne Emirates Team New Zealand i onsdags sejle ind i America's Cups historie og endnu en gang løfte trofæet, the Auld Mug, højt. I løbet af de syv dage og ti sejladser på hjemmebane i Hauraki-bugten, forsvarede Emirates Team New Zealand deres ret som forsvarer af det ældste trofæ i international sport. Det endelige resultat blev 7-3. Deres sejr betyder, at Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron nu er den næstmest vindende sejlklub i America's Cups 170 års historie. Anført af den unge Peter Burling, er Emirates Team New Zealands sejr historisk og et symbol på mange lange dage og søvnløse nætter for at skabe den hurtigste båd på vandet. Kampen for at kunne holde trofæet igen varede i tre år, efter at Emirates Team New Zealand sejlede sig ind i Cup-historien i 2017. Efter denne sejr lod new zealænderne innovationen føre dem til en ny, moderne klasse som vi aldrig har set før, komplet med flyvende både og vingesejl af blød sejldug. Og nu er vi alle tilbage og spekulerer på, hvilke spændende "hemmeligheder" der vil afsløre sig med tiden. I løbet af de syv vilde dage var sejladserne utrolig tæt og kunne let have gået begge veje, hvilket beviste at AC75 er en fantastisk båd, og holdene omkring dem de bedste i branchen. "Hatten af for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli," sagde den new zealandske sejler Glenn Ashby efter deres America's Cup-sejr. ”Vi vidste ikke, hvad der ville ske, da vi kom fra startlinjen i den første af America's Cup sejladserne. Og man vågnede hver morgen og tænkte: 'hvad vil dagen bringe?' Men vi havde en raket af en båd. Det tog os lidt tid at udarbejde strategien mod Luna Rossa, og de var absolut nogle hårde konkurrenter. Det var ekstremt vanskeligt for os at komme forbi dem. At vi klarede det helt til slut, var simpelthen på grund af et fantastisk design-, ingeniør- og shore team.” Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, den officielle udfordrer og med danske Michael Richelsen som er Chef for CFD Aero og en vigtig del af North Sails udvikling af North Design Suite™, gav ikke op uden kamp. Faktisk tvang det italienske hold new zealænderne ud på deres yderste mere end én gang i hele serien. Det er helt sikkert at resultatet kunne være gået begge veje og sejren blev vundet på grund af små fejl, ikke design eller teknologiske fordele. I løbet af de sidste tre måneder perfektionerede Luna Rossa at flyve deres 75 fods båd og besejrede de hold, der stod imellem dem og selve hovedbegivenheden. Uanset om det var briterne eller amerikanerne, kunne ingen måle sig med de benhårde italienere og deres to rorsmænd, Francesco Bruni og Jimmy Spithill. Når man ser bort fra trofæer og landeflag, er der én ting, vi alle kan være enige om efter at have fulgt America's Cup i 2021: America's Cup har bekræftet sin position som førende inden for innovation inden for sporten. Med det nye dobbeltsidede storsejl, også kaldet “Twin skin mainsail”, og 75 fods enkelt skrogs både, der flyver med 50 knob, er sejlsporten også vinder af denne America's Cup. North Technology Group, inklusive North Sails, Southern Spars og Future Fibers, er stolte over at være en del af den 36. America's Cup-historie. Da forberedelserne til denne Cup begyndte, og holdene søgte at samle de bedste folk, teknologi og komponenter, vidste forsvarerne, Emirates Team New Zealand, udfordrerne, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, og INEOS Team UK, at North Technology Group havde nøglen til succes. Lige før den sidste dag med sejladser, lykkedes det os at få fat i Ken Read fra North Sails og America's Cup-kommentator, for at høre hans syn på de sidste tre måneder, og på hvordan den 36. America's Cup for evigt har ændret sejladsen. Her er hvad han havde at sige ... NorthSails · North Sails Podcast- Ken Read America's Cup Reflections "Alting ændrer sig inden for sejlsporten, det er der ingen tvivl om. Det summer og koger simpelthen. Vi har aldrig set sejlads som det her før, ikke engang os benhårde sejlere. Uanset om du elsker foiling eller ej, er det her anderledes. Det her er utroligt. Og skal man tror på rygterne bliver dette også klassen der rykker fremad mod næste America's Cup." "Denne America's Cup vil helt bestemt medføre en hel masse innovation. Jeg kan ikke vente på design-debrief med alle North Sails-designerne, for jeg ved med sikkerhed, at det, der kommer ud af denne debrief, kommer til at være helt ulig alle andre debriefs nogensinde. Det er her, vi ser 3Dis fremtid udfolde sig, og det sker lige for øjnene af os." "Hvad der skete på Hauraki Golfen vil få betydning for tursejlere, superyachts, offshore-kapsejladser og Grand Prix-sejladser. Hvad vores integrerede designere har lært i denne Cup er intet mindre end spektakulært. Og det er fantastisk. Det er fantastisk for os. Det er fantastisk for sejlverdenen." "Det er selvfølgelig ikke øjeblikkeligt, for alle disse hold her tænker stadig på at komme igen, og de vil faktisk forsøge at holde så meget information for sig selv som muligt. Men måske er det på anden eller tredje generations niveau, hvor dele stammer fra AC-båden, at vi kan bruge dem på vores egne både." "Udviklingen kommer ikke til at gå langsommere. Lad os håbe, at vi har en periode på to eller måske tre år mellem Cups. Lad os håbe, at andre hold kommer med. Vi ved ikke nødvendigvis, hvor næste løb skal være. Men ved du hvad? Det betyder ikke noget lige nu - lad os nyde det. Lad os bruge det, tale om det, lad os være stolte af det. " "Vær stolt af at sige, at North Technology Group-produkterne var på de vindende både. Lad os have det sjovt med det, fordi du kommer til at se meget mere om det. Og når debriefet først er overstået og vi rigtig kan finde ud af, hvad der virkelig skete bag gardinet, det er dér det sjove virkelig begynder." "Dette er Kenny Read, der takker af. Forhåbentlig ses vi ude på vandet til sommer." Kort efter at have optaget sin podcast måtte Ken pakke sammen og flyve til Californien for at sejle i en kapsejlads. Fra Ken og alle os andre hos North Sails, stort tillykke til Emirates Team New Zealand og hele deres team af sejldesignere, mastebyggere og designere. Dette inkluderer Burns Fallow (chef sejldesigner), Aaron Boot (foil-designer), Ben Fletcher (sejlmager), Richard Kiff (sejlmager), Bobby Kleinschmit (bådarkitekt), Guillaume Verdier (bådarkitekt), Rob Salthouse (rigkonstruktionskoordinator), Dan Bernasconi (leder af design), Ray Davies (træner), Hamish Hooper (PRO) og Grant Dalton (administrerende direktør). Det har været fascinerende at se jeres vision for AC75 komme til live og takker jer alle for at vise os sejlads på højeste niveau. READ MORE

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

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

It’s been six days of the 36th America’s Cup. We’ve cheered, we’ve gasped, we’ve sighed. The light winds of the Hauraki Gulf provided us with some incredibly tight racing and plenty of material for a technical chat with North Sails and INEOS TEAM UK sail designer Gautier Sergent. READ MORE

North Sails experts Peter Grimm Jr. and Bob Meagher explored Hylas Yachts' various models and their sail configurations in their webinar, Let's Talk Hylas Yachts.  READ MORE

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

WANT TO JOIN OUR CREW? North Sails in Gosport, UK is Hiring North Sails is a unique sailmaker, built on a champion spirit. Founded in 1957 by Lowell North who applied an engineer’s logic to a traditional craft, North Sails transformed the industry and has become the world leader in sailmaking technology. North Sails offers a wide range of performance 3D and paneled sails for cruising sailors and is the world’s leading sailmaker for one-design classes with more National, World and Olympic Class victories than all other sailmakers combined. North Sails is the sailmaker of choice on the majority of America’s Cup, Grand Prix, ocean race boats and Superyachts. North Sails looking to fill the role of a Sailmaker at our Gosport, UK location. The Sailmaker works as part of the sales and service team to repair, clean, troubleshoot, deliver and install sails to ensure customer needs are met. This position is part of the sail care service team utilizing specialized sewing machines, plotters and other equipment in the repair and service process. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Inspect and identify sail to determine customer needs for the sail repair or service. Complete a written estimate using North Sails standards for pricing and rates. Cut, fabricate and/or install materials and parts to meet customer needs. Follows standards for service and repair as described in the North Sails Blue Book and other documented or known practices. Use judgment and experience to ensure all parts of the sail meet customer specifications. Use scissors, power cutters, dies, etc. to cut materials parts and pieces. Complete hand stitching where needed. Identify and report discrepancies in the sail from specifications or where no specification is identified and report that information to appropriate individual for clear directions. Pick up and deliver sails. Install sails on boats. Maintain a clean and safe working environment. Regular and predictable physical presence and attendance at the worksite is required to interact with management and team members. Perform related duties or responsibilities, as assigned or requested. Qualification Requirements Sailmaking experience required Industrial sewing experience required Proficient with hand tools Working knowledge of the metric system Capable of crawling on knees for extended periods of time Able to lift 50 lbs. on a regular basis Good hand eye coordination and an eye for detail Ability to read various measuring devices and interpret specifications Job Type Full time SUBMIT RESUME/COVER LETTER HERE READ MORE

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

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

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

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

36TH AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW WITH SHIRLEY ROBERTSON Tune in for a two-part podcast with Shirley and special guests as they prepare for the final races 📸 COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi With the final races of the 36th America’s Cup Match now just moments away, Shirley Robertson previews the action in another two-part podcast from the heart of the action in Auckland New, Zealand. The two-part podcast kicks off with an interview with the port side helm of the successful Challenger, the AC36 Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa’s Francesco Bruni. Bruni has been at the forefront of the Italian team’s significant improvements in performance over this campaign, and is both realistic and candid as he discusses their Prada Cup success. He attributes much of that success to the calm and level head of co-helm, Jimmy Spithill, and is both respectful and hopeful when quizzed about their Cup opponents, Emirates Team New Zealand. Part one features a discussion with Francesco Bruni, Robertson talks to Emirates Team New Zealand supercoach Ray Davies. Davies is a mastermind of the new world of Cup racing, and has been a proud member of the Kiwi outfit for almost two decades. The gossip around the harbourside in Auckland of late has been of the team’s sensational speeds out on the water and Davies is quick to dispel any chat that the team are anything but race ready. While the Challengers have all been fighting out against each other, the Defender has been clocking up the training miles out in the Hauraki Gulf, and as competition draws near, Davies is clear on how pleased he is with the team’s progress. Both Bruni and Davies discuss their thoughts on their respective opponents, their thoughts on how the racing has been to date, and how and where the match may be won and lost. Ahead of the first to seven wins match, it’s an insightful listen to augment enjoyment of the upcoming broadcast. In part two of the Cup Preview, Robertson looks back on the Prada Cup Challenger Selection Series with fellow broadcast commentator and America’s Cup veteran Kenny Read. The pair discuss the performance of the three Challengers, before being joined by special guest, David ‘Freddie’ Carr. Freddie, a one time Extreme 40 team mate of Robertson’s, is the lynch pin of the INEOS TEAM UK grinding unit. Freddie talks honestly about the teams turn around of fortune, before moving on to the loss to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Carr discusses how he thinks the Cup Match may pan out, before leaving Robertson and Read to go over their thoughts on the upcoming action. As a preview to the upcoming first to seven wins regatta, it’s an insightful hour of chat to take in before racing resumes out on the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. READ MORE

Shroud Tension & Board Angle: Crucial Setups to Go Fast North Sails MC Scow experts Allan Terhune and Eric Doyle (AKA ‘the man who can always make fast sails faster’) have developed a new tuning guide for the MC Scow class. After spending days training and sail testing in Lake Eustis, North announced two new sails: the new MC Magnum and the MC Rocket. The lessons learned while optimizing the sails and boat setup are now shared in the new tuning guide. “Among many updates, we have added information on shroud tension and board angle which are crucial setups to make the boat faster. Our goal is to make it easier for everyone to be up-to-speed as fast as possible. See you at the Midwinters!” — Allan Terhune. North Sails is continually developing and improving our products and services. Helping you sail faster is not just our goal; it is our obsession. OPEN TUNING GUIDE READ MORE

SÅ ER DET AFSTED TIL AMERICA’S CUP: EN UDFORDRER ER VALGT Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vinder PRADA Cup og dermed pladsen ved det store show COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Sir Ben Ainslie og INEOS TEAM UK ankom til Auckland, New Zealand fast besluttet på at bringe America’s Cup tilbage til Storbritannien efter 170 år. Han tager afsted som skoleeksemplet på en ægte sej brite, og med den bittersøde viden om at han har hjulpet med at finpudse Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s færdigheder til deres næste udfordring, America’s Cup Match mod Emirates Team New Zealand. Og som han siger, det har været en vild oplevelse. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi I decembers America's Cup World Series fik INEOS TEAM UK nederlag efter nederlag, mens de tre andre hold delte rovet. Men den ubarmhjertige række af tabte sejre udgjorde INEOS TEAM UK to-do liste: de skilte hvert aspekt af deres opsætning fra hinanden og ledte efter tiendedele knob under hver download af data. Fem uger senere vandt INEOS TEAM UK alle deres sejladser i Round Robins og gik dermed direkte videre til PRADA Cup-finalen. Det fik Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, ledet af de to styrmænd Jimmy Spithill og Francesco Bruni, til at arbejde på deres fejl og mangler i semifinalen. Italienerne blev ansporet af INEOS TEAM UK’s klare overhånd. "Ben er helt klart en af de fyre, der sjovt nok har gjort mig bedre," sagde Spithill. "For hvis du går op mod disse fyre , så skal du præstere dit allerbedste." Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli ankom til PRADA Cup-finalen med et meget forbedret, allround-arsenal af hastighed. Deres mest effektive våben var: at gå højt til vinden i let vind. Det viste sig at være INEOS TEAM UK's akilleshæl, og uheldigvis var let vind dominerende i seriens sidste uge. Briterne og deres fans øjnede håb forude, da INEOS TEAM UK vandt 6. sejlads. Det så ud som om briterne ville nå søndagen med et helt nyt gear, men i 7. og 8. sejlads ændredes spillet med en vind på 9-12 knob. I 7. sejlads fik INEOS en ren og imponerende start, men enhver fordel forsvandt snart under Luna Rossa Prada Pirellis upwind fordel. Og for 8. sejlads var det meget af det samme, selvom det var klart, at INEOS TEAM UK ikke ville gå hjem uden kamp. Ben Ainslie vendte hurtigt til bagbord på startlinjen, brændte de resterende tre sekunder og så til mens Luna Rossa komme en anelse over linjen før startskuddet lød. Italienerne blev belønnet med en 50-meter straf. Men de 50 meter øgedes til håbefulde 500 meter, og ved første topmærke var Luna Rossa lige akkurat foran. Og dermed, efter 21 år, vandt udfordreren Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Challenger-serien og skal møde Peter Burling og kiwierne. Hvis alt dette synes bekendt, er det fordi kiwierne også stod overfor italienerne i 2000. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Her er nogle af grundene til, at Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli var i stand til at gøre drømmen til virkelighed: Før finalen sagde Luna Rossa, at de havde nye foils og sejl, en modificeret mast og forbedret intern software, som bruges til at bedømme den nøjagtige tid for afstand, grænser og manøvrer i forhold til modstanderens båd. En anden grund er, at Challengers Serien opfyldte sit formål. AC75’eren ankom uden en betjeningsvejledning og repræsenterer en ekstremt stejl indlæringskurve. De to første America's Cup World Serier svarer til de første babyskridt udi kapsejlads, men de blev aflyst p.g.a. Covid-19. Skal man bevare sammenligningen med den virkelige verden, var Round Robins gymnasiet, mens PRADA Cup-finalen var universitetet. En del af Luna Rossa Prada Pirellis succes afspejler rollen som den Officielle Udfordrer. Som Officiel Udfordrer, skrev de America's Cup-protokollen sammen med Emirates Team New Zealand. Dette gav dem en værdifuld fordel i forståelsen af AC75-designet, hvilket afspejles i lighederne mellem de to holds første generation af både. Det store chok kom med Pradas anden generation båd. I modsætning til alle andre hold, ligner det utroligt meget deres første. "Selvfølgelig", sagde Max Sirena, "vi gjorde det jo rigtigt i første forsøg." Faconen på skroget gør at båden folier let og hurtigt kommer op igen når den falder ned, selv i let vind, som dominerede PRADA Cup-finalen. Og der er endnu en grund. I Round Robins har Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli måske kæmpet med en svaghed, der siden er blevet holdets største styrke: TO styrmænd, der også styrer ‘flyvningen’. Sirena sagde, at han har verdens bedste italienske America's Cup-skipper til styrbord og verdens bedste australske America's Cup-skipper til bagbord, men, grinede han, "Det har været en vanskelig proces. De er begge super-talentfulde. De er ret forskellige. De respekterer hinanden og presser hinanden til at blive bedre og bedre." Hvor forskellige er de? Citater fra Spithill og Bruni om, hvordan de havde det umiddelbart efter at have vundet Prada Cup: "Yeah, not too bad, mate." "Fantastico!" Og til slut fra Sir Ben Ainslie: "I disse vanskelige tider har vi været utroligt heldige at kunne sejle disse AC75'ere, som vi har gjort. Vi ønsker begge hold i America's Cup alt det bedste." READ MORE

Correct Tension Allows for Best Sail Shape and Improved Boat Speed 📸 João Costa Ferreira / Vilamoura Sailing The North 470 mainsail comes standard with a black flex plastic rope for the bolt rope (luffrope). Due to its great flexibility, the cunningham works efficiently to make the sail shape control easier, compared to the fiber bolt rope used before. Please read the instructions below carefully to set up the mainsail properly for the best shape and performance. The bolt rope is fixed into the lufftape of the mainsail with some pre-tension applied during manufacture. Because of the elasticity of the bolt rope, you need to have some cunningham tension at all times to keep the main tack position where you will have the correct amount of wrinkles along the luff. The amount of wrinkles makes a significant difference in sail shape. Control the cunningham tension according to the examples showed below. In conditions above 11-12 knots of wind, you can use cunningham as usual. Important: The bolt rope stretch is affected by heat, sometimes significantly when sun exposure is strong. For this reason, it is important to check and adjust the initial setup of the bolt rope tension. If the bolt rope is elongated by UV exposure, the tack corner will fall down and sometimes the luff is stuck above the boom. In this case, you need to take a few stitches off to pull the rope out of the luff to allow more tension, so that the tack corner is lifted up roughly 10-12 cm above the lower band on the mast.   Hoist the mainsail up to the blue band (see left photo). The tack corner should be set high enough, above the lower band (right photo). Cunningham On When the cunningham is on, you will get a crease between cunningham grommet and tack corner (like image below on left). Pull the tack down to flatten it. If the area between the cunningham grommet and the tack is not flattened, you cannot measure the proper height of the tack corner, thus you cannotfind the proper position for your settings. We also recommend placing a thickplastic tape at the bottom edge of the opening groove to avoid the bolt rope getting stuck when cunningham is pulled on. With the tape in place, the edge of the bolt rope will slide out without friction as soon as controls are eased anad pressure is in the sail. Tack Down – Proper Setup The tack corner is set at 2-3 cm distance from the upper side of the color band. Keep 2 cm offset from the back face of the mast. Pull the tack rope down so that the area between the cunningham grommet and tack is smoothly flattened. If wind is light, you may need to help it down manually. READ MORE

You’re familiar with the phrase if you know, you know, right? For over three decades, North design expertise and sails have been onboard with every team to capture the Auld Mug. When the Defenders and Challengers built their winning teams, they knew who to call: North Sails. READ MORE

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH TV PRODUCER LEON SEFTON Episode 6: North Sails x the 36th America’s Cup Leon Sefton is no stranger to professional sailing and the America’s Cup, however he is lesser known than the sailors or design teams. As one of the top producers in sailing TV, Sefton is the guy calling the shots behind the cameras to bring the 36th America’s Cup to your screens. “Each day when we’re on-air, what I’m looking for we’re making sense of what’s playing out in front of us.” Managing and directing 12 audio feeds, 10 onboard cameras, 2 chase boats, and 2 helicopters—all on the water– Sefton has his hands full. “It is immensely challenging,” he said. “Compared to F1, where you surround a track with cameras and run cables back to your live truck and nothing moves and everything should work, we have none of this going for us in sailing.” READ MORE

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND’S GLENN ASHBY Episode 5: North Sails x the 36th America’s Cup As one of Emirates Team New Zealand’s sailors and sail trimmers, Glenn Ashby is a core member of the team. This is Ashby’s fourth America’s Cup, and he’s amazed with how the sport has evolved over the years from massive multihulls to flying monohulls. It’s challenging but incredibly rewarding. “What we’re doing now and how we’re pushing things is extremely challenging. We’re really pushing boundaries that have never been done before,” he said. One of the secrets to winning the America’s Cup? Teamwork. READ MORE

As one of North Sails cutting edge designers, Gautier Sergent worked with INEOS TEAM UK in the 36th America’s Cup. As someone who strives constantly to push the limits and refine new design, Sergent is never satisfied with average. “In the sailing sense, the America’s Cup is the Holy Grail of the technology and the performance,”. READ MORE

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI SAIL DESIGNERS Episode 3: North Sails x the 36th America’s Cup “For a sail designer, being involved with the America’s Cup is a dream come true,” said Marco Capitani, one of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s sail designers. With Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the sail design is looked after by Capitani and his fellow North designer Juan Garay. Each designer brings their unique perspective and expertise to the project, Garay devising the concepts and Capitani keeping a hawk-eye watch over the performance details. This really allowed both designers to share a lot of innovative ideas in the America’s Cup—an event they both agree is intense, demanding, and a dream come true. READ MORE

Joining North Sails in 1988, Burns Fallow is the lead sail designer for Emirates Team New Zealand and has been at the forefront of sail design for the Kiwi team ever since. He’s seen it all from hoisting sails mid-race in the IACC boats to hard wing sails on 72’ cats; for the 36th America’s Cup, Fallow was one of the central figures in bringing to life the twin skin mainsail concept. READ MORE

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH TV COMMENTATOR KEN READ Episode 1: North Sails x the 36th America’s Cup Ken Read, President of North Sails and Executive VP of North Sails Technology Group, is not sailing in the 36th America’s Cup, but he’s doing his best to make sure you enjoy (and understand) it. As one of the four TV commentators, Read is bringing to life all the action as it unfolds on the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland, New Zealand. He is also wearing his North Sails hat, and he is fully aware that the partnership between North Sails and the America’s Cup is putting the industry leader on the fast-track for sailmaking evolution and innovation. “We couldn’t do it without the America’s Cup,” Read said. “For North Sails, the America’s Cup is a fast-track design evolution. We’re constantly climbing the ladder for product development for our company. I know how much these teams are counting on us. We need to deliver better than what they expect because that’s what we do. READ MORE

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day with the global theme “Choose to Challenge”. A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge. Below we’ve highlighted some of many amazing women in our sport who have shown their leadership, dedication, professionalism, drive and compassion for being on the water. Today we celebrate water women all over the world who are leading the way, teaching others and sharing their stories and experiences. #choosetochallenge #IWD2021 📸 David Troeger @jetlag “Every day I am out on the water living the life of my dreams, I choose to challenge together with girls and women from all over the world, to unite through our passion for kiteboarding. We become one with what we do…until the point where the challenge is no longer a point of attention, as the natural expression of our love and passion proves enough.” – Annabel van Westerop Annabel van Westerop grew up with salt in her hair and sand between her toes in Aruba. This spirit is shown in her riding, which is powerful, yet collected. Despite taking her passion for kiting to the next level by joining the International Sales Team at North Actionsports in the Netherlands, Annabel still makes time to follow the dream. “I choose to challenge because together every individual can make a collective change for the greater good. It starts with me. – Libby Greenhalgh Libby Greenhalgh is a world-renowned meteorologist, She has sailed all her life and spent four years on the Olympic circuit. In 2007, she was hired by the British Olympic Sailing team as team meteorologist and supported the team for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She served as navigator for Team SCA in the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race, helping them post a historic leg win and finish 3rd in the In-Port Series. “Happiness for me is living my dreams and achieving them, and learning new things about myself through getting out of my comfort zone.” – Katrin Kerr Katrin Kerr is a bluewater cruiser, liveaboard, and chef. Katrin, her husband and son set sail from Spain last year and have been cruising all over the world since. Sharing their passion of sailing and the ocean with their son Kilian, Katrin passes down the teachings from her grandparents who were fellow cruisers. 📸 Billy Black “The sport of Sailing is continuously evolving, advancing & transforming… which in turn requires those who compete to be forever learning and adapting. I challenge myself every day to expand my skill sets, and challenge the sailing world to embrace those with talent, regardless of gender, color or orientation.” – Suzy Leech Suzy has spent her life racing sailboats and was known as “Suzy Bowchick” in the 1995 America’s Cup. She has also sailed as helm, tactician, and navigator on everything from J/70s to Superyachts. She has won over 30 International regattas in 15 separate classes, including three world championships. An Aerospace Engineer, Suzy started her career developing data systems for NASA’s International Space Station. She currently develops database-driven websites, and has conducted remote expeditions for National Geographic, UNESCO and ESPN. She has also worked both in front of and behind a TV camera – commentating, producing, and filming onboard for ESPN. 📸 Jean-Louis Carli/Alea “Being the first woman is good, but it was never my first objective. We must dare to take the plunge and look at examples of women who have been able to do so to give ourselves courage.” – Clarisse Crémer Clarisse Crémer is an offshore sailor having competed extensively in the Figaro class before progressing to the IMOCA 50. Her 12th place in the 2020–2021 edition of the Vendée Globe, with a time of 87 days, 2 hours and 24 minutes, is the world record for a single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman. 📸 Oakcliff Sailing “I prefer to be challenged by conditions and competition rather than by people standing in my way. But I will continue to fight to make a career in sailing a bit easier for the next woman.” – Dawn Riley Dawn Riley is one of the best-known sailors in the world. She was the first woman ever to manage an America’s Cup syndicate, and the first American (man or woman) to sail in three America’s Cups and two Whitbread Round the World races. Since 2010, she’s used her own experience to help others become sailing professionals, as the Executive Director of Oakcliff Sailing. 📸 Martin Keruzore “I have always competed against men, and I have always challenged myself to become the best I can be so I can compete on a level playing field. Success comes through perseverance, a lot of hard work, chasing opportunities and a little bit of luck. Nothing is impossible.” – Carolijn Brouwer Carolijn has sailed in three Olympics and was the only female in the Open Tornado Fleet at the 2008 Games. She’s won the World Sailor of the Year award twice, and was the first female to win Round Texel, the biggest catamaran race in the world. As part of the Dongfeng race team, she became one of the first two women to ever win the Volvo Ocean Race (2017-18). 📸 Juerg Kaufmann “Gentlemen who run our sport, women who choose it – from today, open your eyes. Ask ‘why” there’s such a thick male veneer that surrounds what should be a gender equal sporting playground. Think about YOUR own thoughts and actions! From challenge will come change…choose to challenge.” – Shirley Robertson Shirley Robertson OBE made history by becoming the first British woman to win Olympic Gold Medals at two consecutive Olympic Games. She’s in Scotland’s prestigious Sports Hall of Fame, holds a role as Deputy Lieutenant for the Isle of Wight and is one of the most recognisable faces from the sport of sailing. With a reputation for a strong work ethic and obsessive attention to detail, away from the Olympic arena Shirley continued her sailing career, blazing a trail for women in the sport as the first ever female skipper in the ground breaking Extreme 40 Sailing Series. From luxury superyachts to grand prix race boats, out on the water Shirley’s CV is extensive. “If it were meant to be easy, then everyone would be doing it.” – Stacey Jackson Stacey has raced 11 Sydney Hobarts and won line honours onboard Wild Oats. She’s also a regular at TP52 regattas, once sailed a Mumm 30 World Championship, and has completed a Rolex Fastnet Race. She was part of Team SCA for the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race. “Challenges make me feel alive, and drive me everyday to be the best version of myself. Chasing dreams is what I’ve been doing for 15 years now, and I’m looking forward to what’s up next!” – Francesca Clapcich Francesca began sailing in Trieste, Italy in 1999. After graduating from the Nautical Institute of Trieste and San Raffaele University with a Sport Science degree, she joined the Italian Air Force and served as a First Senior Airman. She sailed in two Olympics; 2012 in the Laser Radial, and 2016 as crew in the 49er FX. She won both the World and European Championships in 49er FX in 2015, and placed in the top five at the 2013, 2014 and 2016 World Championships and the 2013 and 2015 European Championships. Francesca was part of the Turn the Tide on Plastic team for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race and was skipper of the 90’ Maxi Golfo di Trieste Wind of Change. 📸 Georgia Schofield “I choose to challenge to inspire young female sailors to forge a career in the marine industry.” – Bianca Cook New Zealander Bianca Cook grew up in a boatbuilding family. After starting out in dinghies, she quickly progressed to classic yachts, match racing, and superyachts. She’s accumulated over 100,000 offshore miles, including the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race onboard Turn the Tide on Plastic. She also sailed on Wild Oats X as part of the Ocean Respect Racing Team, the first professional all-female crew to compete in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart. 📸 Luis Lemes /Lanzarote / Winter Series “Like a rising tide lifts all boats, we feel that a respect for the talents of each individual lifts all women to accomplish greatness.” – Nikki Barnes + Lara Dallman-Weiss Nikki Barnes and Lara Dallman-Weiss teamed up to win US selection for the 2021 Olympics in the women’s 470. Nikki grew up on St. Thomas, USVI and is a commissioned officer in the US Coast Guard. Lara grew up in Minnesota and has worked as a pro sailor and occasional drone pilot. Their final qualifying regatta (the 470 Worlds) wraps up on 13 March. READ MORE

SPECIALTY REACHING SAIL GUIDE Options For All Angles Wind Seeker This is a very light sail for drifting conditions. Used when a full size, heavier weight sail will not pressurize or remain stable. Wind Seekers are commonly made in forgiving cloth to handle slatting conditions and designed to sheet at or near the shroud base, to make tacking and sheeting in zephyrs easier. Jib Top A Jib Top is a high-clewed overlapping headsail for beam reaching in medium to strong winds. Conventional headsails are designed with a lower clew, which is optimized for close-hauled sailing. As you ease the sheet of a conventional headsail and bear off, you lose control over the leech. This sail is shaped to tolerate the extra twist that results from easing the sheet while not being able to hold the lead down and out, due to deck limitations. The Jib Top design is designed to sail wider apparent wind angles while still allowing the trimmer control over the twist and leech profile of the sail. The sail is usually sheeted using the spinnaker sheet, which is “tweaked” to the deck using an adjustable purchase system. The Jib Top is a faster sail on a reach than a conventional low-clewed Jib or Genoa. Blast Reacher A Blast Reacher is a non-overlapping sail, similar in concept to the Jib Top. Used in heavier wind than the Jib Top, or in place of a Jib Top on boats that do not carry overlapping headsails. Genoa Staysail The Genoa Staysail is a small jib (often furling), which is set inside the fore-triangle and used for reaching in more than eight knots of wind. The primary purpose of the Genoa Staysail is to add power and speed to the boat when reaching by helping to counteract weather helm. It provides more balance on the helm when it’s set inside a Genoa, Jib, Code Zero, Jib Top or even the A5. The helmsman uses less rudder angle, resulting in a higher average boat speed than with a staysail. The Genoa Staysail is most commonly used with a Jib Top or Jib sheeted on an outboard lead from 40 degrees apparent wind angle. Once the jib car goes outboard, or is re-led to the rail, the Genoa Staysail can generally slot into the gap that results with good effect. The Genoa Staysail can also be used in combination with a Code Zero or fractional A5 when faster boat speeds will move the apparent wind angle forward and load the helm. The Genoa Staysail is a very versatile reaching sail and is definitely worth taking into consideration for any offshore sailing. Some boats will use a dual purpose Storm Jib / Genoa Staysail. Spinnaker Staysail A Spinnaker Staysail is a small high-clewed furling sail used downwind with a spinnaker. It is generally used between 10 and 25 knots, hoisted on the jib halyard and tacked just aft of the headstay on the bow. It can also be tacked slightly to weather. These sails are commonly used on boats with either bowsprit configurations or conventional spinnaker poles. The Spinnaker Staysail can also be used as a Wind Seeker when the tack is brought forward to the bow. Mizzen Staysail Typically a close reaching Jib hoisted on the mizzen mast and tacked near the mainmast. This sail may also be a downwind sail from the G Series Gennakers or S Series Spinnakers products. READ MORE

CODE SAILS: WHICH ONE IS BEST? North Experts explain how to decide which Code sail is best for your sailing Even if you already understand what a Code sail is, it might not be clear why there are three different types—or which one will best fit your boat and your type of sailing. First, a quick refresher: Code sails fill the large gap between upwind sails and downwind sails, from about 65° to 135° True Wind Angle. They are free flying with a relatively high clew, sheeted like a spinnaker to an aft lead. In most cases, these sails will be furled when not in use. To cover such a large range in true wind angles, there are three different types of Code sails. Each has a different “sweet spot” – a specific wind speed and angle where it’s most efficient. Code Zero, Code 65, and Code 55 The Code Zero was originally designed to measure in as a spinnaker, with a minimum midgirth of 75% of foot length. Code 65 and Code 55 are named for the geometry of the sail; the number specifies the ratio between foot and mid-girth. For a sail with a foot of 10 meters, a Code 55’s mid-girth will be about 5.5 meters, while a Code 65’s mid-girth will be around 6.5 meters. What is the best code sail for my boat? There’s a lot that goes into that answer. First, your boat’s details are important: weight, righting moment, deck layout, etc. We also need to factor in your preferred type of sailing. Grand Prix racing has extremely specialized requirements, but for club racing and cruising, we can make some generalizations. One way to upgrade your Code sail is to go with a Helix Structured Luff. Helix Code sails are great for both racers and cruisers on any sized boat, as this modern design philosophy produces sails with greater range. Sails with Helix Structured Luff are more versatile than a typical Code sail, and their optimized shape makes them easy to furl, self supporting and forward projecting. Best Code Sails for Racing If you want to boost your racing results, the best sail is probably a Code Zero. Rating rules like ORC and IRC consider it a downwind sail, which means they won’t penalize the extra midgirth. If you often sail tight reaches in light breeze, though, a Code 55 or Code 65 might well be worth any rating penalty. IRC and ORC are both moving toward fairer ratings for Code sails with girths of less than 75%, which increases your freedom to choose the best addition to your racing inventory. Your North Sails expert can give you the latest information and help you identify the best sail for your racing. 📸 Alex McKinnon Photography Best Code Sail for Cruising Whether your cruises last a day, a week, or a year, Code sails are a blessing. Most modern cruising boats have jibs with a very narrow top section. Reaching with a main and jib will leave the boat quite underpowered—an unsatisfying sailing experience. Cruisers require a sail that is easy to handle and safe to operate, so your best choice will be either a Code 55 (if you like to sail high angles in light air) or a Code 65 (if you usually sail deeper angles in stronger wind). For most modern cruising boats, a usual personal favorite is the Code 65. This single sail will cover an incredible range of angles and wind speeds, from 65° in 6 kts true wind speed up to 125° in 16 kts. When paired with a Helix Structured Luff the sail will project forward and to windward for an added performance boost, while providing a safe, reliable and easy furl at the end of your day. Helix Structured Luff is available for all North Sails Code sails, whether cruising or racing. How to set up your boat for a Code sail Code sails attach to the boat in front of the headstay, though the exact location will vary from one boat to the next. If your boat isn’t already rigged for Code sails, make sure to contact your boatbuilder and/or mast manufacturer to evaluate the loads. On race or club race boats, you may want to fly both jib and Code sail at the same time; you should have a tack point that’s far enough forward to get good separation between the two. For cruising, you can either attach the tack to the stem fitting or rig a short sprit. Need help picking the best Code sail? If you’re still uncertain about what your next Code sail should be, contact your North Sails expert. We can help analyze your specific needs and figure out the best type of Code sail for you.   Contact an Expert Learn More Request a Quote   📸 Ian Roman READ MORE

J/24 RACING TIPS FOR ALL CONDITIONS Racing Takeaways: The 2021 Midwinter Championship 📸 Chris Howell The 2021 Midwinter Championship in Miami, FL supplied a variety of conditions for the 29-boat fleet. North Experts with the help of Midwinters skipper John Mollicone broke down each race day by wind speed and explain the changes they made with their rig tune, body weight, crew roles, and sail trim. Although the racing took place in Florida, these tips can be related to any regatta coming up depending on wind conditions and sea state. Tips for light to medium air: 6-10 knots Tiny bit of weather helm in under 6 Consistent heel angle, always Send one or more down below to get low in chop More heel helps you stay powered up in flat water in the lightest winds Avoid getting close to other boats to eliminate chop and disturbed air 20/15 shroud tension Move the mast butt aft ⅜” Look for -3 fingers on the headstay 2.25 to 2.50 inch pre-bend on the mast Stay powered up and avoid the lulls! 📸 Chris Howell In lighter conditions, the trimmer should stand down below and be agile and able to move up to the rail as the wind picks up. The trimmer controls the angle of heel the most. Two forward crew are last to go below if needed, but keep weight forward in light conditions. Skipper/Trimmer Tips for lighter air: Trim the main in hard, two handed when fully powered up so you can point a little higher, 8 to 10 knots range with everyone hiking Trim the genoa 2-3” off the spreader tips when fully powered up, ease to 4-6” off spreader tips in the lulls. Move the genoa car one hole forward to power up the bottom of the jib. North Expert Paul Abdullah commented on trim, “I like to move off the rail and move forward. When I look at other boats who have their trimmers on the leeward side by the winch, it’s not long before we are sailing right by them. Body placement is key for the trimmer in light air. I avoid sitting to leeward by the winch, if your weight needs to be to leeward it is better to do that below deck.” 📸 Chris Howell Trimming the Genoa: Medium to Heavy Air “It is a common misconception to trim harder in more breeze, said John. This is not a solution. You actually point higher by easing out, sometimes a full foot off the spreader tip. If you see 8” off the spreader tip it’s not a bad thing if things are working for you.” How can you tell? If the boat feels good, your speed is good, and you are playing the main and vang sheeting in the puffs, you will be in good shape. Skipper and trimmer should work together with sail trim. Never let the boat heel over too much. When you feel bound up, ease the genoa 5-6” off the spreader tips. Easing off the backstay will also help get your power back in the major lulls with the rig tight. Rig tuning tips: Medium to heavy air When you move your mast, 2 to 2.25” of prebend is always a good starting point. Headstay tension should go from 3 fingers to a tight 2 fingers. Having your backstay set up so you can move through a wider range is important. “The mast butt on J24 is a powerful tool,” said North expert Nick Turney. “When the breeze increases you need to feel comfortable moving your mast. Ideally you move the mast at the dock before you leave. When you don’t make necessary adjustments to rig and mast, you will notice that you are losing punch. If your main is flattened too much, this is a direct indicator that your settings are not aligned.” 📸 Chris Howell Tips for Breeze On and building: 13-18 knots 27/24 shroud tension When the wind builds, go plus 1/plus 1 – stick to full turns if possible. It’s easier to keep track. Moved mast butt forward, ⅜ to ½” depending on age and stiffness of mast and boat. If the lulls are big, you’ll need power. 27/24 is great for lulls and only a tad loose in the puffs. The North Sails tuning guide is a great place to get your set up numbers. Mainsail set up is important, especially in bigger breeze. If you notice wrinkles from all the clew up towards the spreaders at a 45-degree angle, this is a telltale sign that you need to go tighter on the rig, sometimes an up plus 1/plus 1 can help get your main looking better, which in turn allows it to work better. You will be able to pull on more backstay, and cunningham. The cunningham for example is not easily adjusted from the rail, so we minimized how much we moved our bodies because we needed weight out mostly, we would leave the cunningham as-is and ride it out. Another thing that is crucial is crew weight. Keeping it together and close makes hiking more effective. With the mast settings the same as medium air conditions, it allows for depth in the mainsail while keeping the backstay tight. Weight aft together hiking hard is a good look. When changing gears, it’s important to define your modes and make adjustments. It’s very important to stay powered up and transition through the modes. Ask yourself: “What mode do we want to be in?” Height mode, normal mode (balanced and going well through the water), Or fast mode What are the changes you have to make in the back of the boat to accomplish the different modes? Trimmers typically call the speed, the tactician may override in certain instances. The driver has the mainsheet and backstay, the trimmer adjusts the genoa sheet accordingly, it’s a constant dialog. Together you are always making sure the boat is going full speed. If you feel like the boat is stuck ease the sails out and get it going again. When the boat stalls the boat goes sideways. “In Miami for the Midwinters,” John commented, “5.4-5.6 was our normal boat speed. We had our bow down, and our backstay on. We looked more for 5.8 to 6.2 on our velocitek once we got going. It’s nice to gauge where you want to be and see what that feels like.” 📸 Chris Howell When should we switch to the blade? Start out with the genoa if you are on the fence. Try moving the mast butt ⅜ to ½” forward, which is a conservative move. Make sure your tension is adequate. In medium breeze 29/31 could work well depending on the age and stiffness of your mast. Ask yourself: Can we go upwind without the main flogging? Does the boat feel balanced? Are we slipping sideways? Is our speed a problem? If things are out of balance, speed is a struggle, and your main is flogging, then it may be time to switch to the blade. Paul Abdullah commented, “Understanding the ability of your trimmer is the real question. If you cannot tack the genoa efficiently, then you have your answer.” The blade is good if the conditions are right for it. The genoa gives you the power and punch for getting through waves. The blade can be sufficient enough if breezy and flat water. When you are on the edge of the blade in 14-16 knots, you might need to consider a step down on the shrouds and jib lead forward to power up the Jib. Keep in mind, using the genoa at the top end of the wind range means you have to pull the halyard on harder, move the lead back one as you go tighter on the shroud tension. “On a shifty day with flat water, the blade could be the best weapon of choice. It varies for every team, so you have to do what is best for you, depending on what you are comfortable with,” said John. 📸 Chris Howell Upwind strategy Find the pressure Set yourself up for the long term play Get into the pressure before making a decision on your next move It’s OK to hang in a thin lane as long as its the long tack Try to figure out what the long tack is before the start so you can position yourself on the starting line It can be a high risk to win the pin and you might not be able to tack so you have to recognize that early on Choosing the midline works well if the pin is crowded. It can also open doors later on up the beat. Minimize your maneuvers Tacking with the genoa in mid-range conditions will result in ¾ boat length loss. Chop and puffy conditions tacks are costly using the genoa especially. We made sure our tacks counted. If we wanted to make a tactical decision, we made sure we were in the best pressure first. Downwind Strategy Balance crew weight Get around the windward mark and ask yourself: do we want to stay high or go low? After the offset, are we jibing early? All things should be openly discussed as the pole is being put on and you have almost arrived to the offset. Steer clear of potential issues Identify: Is there anyone around us? Are we playing defense? Recognizing scenarios early and talking about it is the key to a successful windward mark rounding and setting up for a good downwind. 📸 Chris Howell Settling in for the Downwind Leg After the kite is set, it’s important to get settled in. Depending on location, remember to check for weeds. If it’s windy, send the lightest person back to do this. It is hard to drive and check for weeds, especially in heavier air conditions. Crew weight Downwind Changes with weight will help steer the boat. The trimmer and driver are mostly in the same spots all the time downwind. Driver plays the main, sits to leeward. Trimmer stands up on the deck to trim. Tacticians can take the guy and face outboard to help trimmer. If it lightens up, the tactician would go below but generally stands in the companionway. Bow guy went side to side as needed, twings could also move with bowman as both are more agile. Keep your weight outboard out to the sides. Keep the boat flat so if the wind increases, there is no risk of the driver losing steering due to instability. If it is super windy you may consider two forward crew sitting to leeward to help balance. “Weather heel downwind pole back is my favorite,” John said. “It’s fast.” 📸 Chris Howell What Gate to Choose? Find the path of least resistance. Figure out which side is lifted, and try to round the side that allows you to immediately be on the long tack. Ask yourself: where’s the competition and where is there less traffic? Tips for Breezy Conditions Downwind Bring both twings down, especially on the jibes. Stacking the leeward (bow and mast) rail is a huge weapon in breeze downwind. Too much weather heel is out of control. Vang on- be all over it. You need more than normal if it’s breeze-on conditions. Backstay on just a little for stability. Broad reach more, don’t sail DDW in puffs or by the lee if things are getting dicey. 📸 Chris Howell For the Miami Midwinters, the winners used North Sails Fathead mainsail, DX-7TT Genoa, SRB jib, and FR2 spinnaker. Have questions about optimizing your inventory? Get in touch with a North Sails J/24 expert today. Thank you Chris Howell for your support of the class on and off the water! Miss the Midwinters Full Webinar Recap? Rewatch and rewind at your own convenience! Watch Webinar READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: JOHN BAXTER Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert What background do you have in sailing? I grew up in a sailing family. My parents, sisters, and brother Mark are avid sailors. Mark is also part of the North Sails team. I started in Chicago and spent 10 years sailing in Florida. I did my first SORC when I was 15 and the rest is history! I have been fortunate to sail all over the world in events like the Sydney Hobart, SORCs, California to Mexico races, San Francisco Big Boat Series, Superyacht regattas and in several National and World Championships. What boat/classes do you have experience? Over the years I have done a lot of different sailing on many different designs. Cruising boats to racing boats, and a lot of the Offshore One-Design classes which include the Farr, Mumm30, 40, Corel-45, J/111, J/109, J/105, and the Beneteau 36.7 and 40.7. These One designs have really made for some great racing. What got you into the marine industry? Spending my teenage years in Florida I had the opportunity to sail a ton. I became good friends with Peter Grimm (Who now also works for North Sails based in Ft Lauderdale). I started working for him when I was 14 and it grew from there. I sold my first set of sails to a cruising boat client when I was 16 and I was hooked on helping clients enjoy the most from their boats. How long have you been involved in the marine industry? 37 years today. Over that time I have run race boats, worked in rigging, sold sails, made sails. I have been fortunate to work directly with and alongside of some of the best sailmakers in the world. The actual sailmaking side has helped me within the sales side as I have become familiar with every important detail involved in the sailmaking process. What do you love most about sailing and what keeps you coming back? Helping sailors get better and helping customers solve problems is what I enjoy most. Each customer is different and looking for different solutions, which makes it fun and exciting to take on new projects and challenges each day. Our industry is constantly evolving and today its evolving at a faster pace. I learn things every time I get on a boat and every day I spend on the water or making sails. If you ever stop learning, this industry will leave you in the dust! READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: CHRISTINA DONNERMEYER Get To Know Your Local Team How long have you been involved in the marine industry? I have been in the industry for 25 years. Working at the yacht clubs, and many events. I started in sailmaking over 20 years ago. I began as the office manager and learned how to sew and work on sails. For the last six years, in addition to running the office, I have been making new sails and doing a lot of the service work. Now I’m very well adapted to the service sailmaking side of the business. I appreciate the detail involved in sailmaking. What do you like most about the Marine Industry? I like working with and taking care of the customers. So many have come to know me over the years, it like working with family. I also like the joy people have when their sails are ready on time! What do you do in your spare time? Ha! Spare time... I have three grandchildren so that pretty much fills my time when I'm not at work. READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS ¿Qué es un gennaker? Se trata de un spinnaker asimétrico fijado a la proa o al botalón que no requiere tangón ni aparejos especiales. Básicamente, es una vela intermedia entre un génova y un spinnaker simétrico. Su forma asimétrica hace que sea una vela más eficiente en rumbos de largo y través, pero la mayor virtud de un gennaker es su polivalencia y rendimiento en un amplio rango de ángulos, lo que la convierte en auténtica vela multiuso. Puede utilizarse con calcetín snuffer de North Sails o montado sobre un almacenador para poder enrollarlo, y la ausencia de tangón hace que sea más fácil de utilizar que un spinnaker simétrico. La vela perfecta para la navegación de crucero. READ MORE

CALENDARIO NORTH SAILS La actividad de North Sails España no cesa. Tras el éxito de nuestros webinars de enero y febrero, y el clinic de 420 impartido en Vigo, ponemos el foco en los próximos eventos en los que participaremos y la esperanza de que la llegada de la primavera devuelva la actividad al calendario de regatas. Nuestros compañeros Hugo Rocha y Gustavo Martínez Doreste participarán en el campeonato del mundo de 470 que se disputará del 5 al 13 de marzo en la localidad portuguesa de Vilamoura, y estarán encantados de resolver cualquier duda sobre el inventario North Sails de One Design. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS GANARÁ LA 36ª AMERICA’S CUP Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team se ha impuesto a INEOS Team UK por 7-1 en la Prada Cup y se enfrentará a Emirates Team New Zealand en la final de la 36ª America’s Cup. 📸 Studio Borlenghi Desde que el estadounidense NYYC American Magic quedara fuera de la carrera por la Jarra de las cien Guineas, North Sails se convertía en la única velería en el campo de regatas de Auckland y ganará la America’s Cup. Tanto el Challenger italiano como el Defender lucen el logo North Sails en todo su inventario de velas: Una revolucionaria mayor flexible de entre 135 y 145 metros cuadrados, un génova de 90 metros cuadrados y un código cero de 200 metros cuadrados. La Final de la 36ª America’s Cup se disputará en Auckland (Nueva Zelanda) a partir del 10 de marzo. READ MORE

DOMINIO EN LA VENDÉE GLOBE Yannick Bestaven ha ganado la novena edición de la Vendée Globe, la regata de vuelta al mundo en solitario y sin escalas, con un tiempo de 80 días, 3 horas, 44 minutos y 46 segundos. 📸 Jean-Marie LIOT / Maître Coq El bravo patrón francés equipó inventario completo North Sails en su Maître CoQ IV, al igual que los dos rivales que le acompañaron en el podio: Charlie Dalin (Apivia) y Louis Burton (Bureau Vallée 2). A falta de que crucen la meta los últimos participantes, las estadísticas confirman el excelente resultado de velas North Sails, que equipó a los nueve primeros clasificados y a 16 de los 20 primeros en cruzar la línea de llegada. Enhorabuena a todos, y gracias por confiar en North Sails. READ MORE

NAVEGACIÓN DE CRUCERO CON TECNOLOGÍA OCEÁNICA Fiabilidad, resistencia y prestaciones de competición oceánica, a medida para la navegación de crucero. 📸 Klaus Andrews La gama de velas para navegación de crucero de North Sails se beneficia de la misma tecnología que ha permitido a los mejores equipos de la Vendée Globe completar la vuelta al mundo en solitario y sin escalas, incluyendo al campeón Yannick Bestaven. Desde sus orígenes, North Sails ha aprovechado los conocimientos adquiridos en competición para desarrollar y evolucionar las velas de su catálogo. Lowell North, fundador de la velería, supo combinar su formación como ingeniero aeronáutico y su experiencia como regatista para diseñar productos que ganaran regatas y tecnologías que pudieran ser aplicadas a todo el espectro de la vela. Esa misma filosofía continúa siendo la piedra angular de North Sails, que hoy experimenta en el campo de regatas, desarrolla en el laboratorio y aplica a la navegación de diario. La competición de alto nivel constituye un inmejorable campo de ensayos para la velería, que dentro de los límites del campo de regatas puede asomarse más allá de los límites de lo conocido para seguir avanzando en la evolución de sus productos. Y si hablamos de competición, North Sails es la referencia absoluta por cuota de mercado y por resultados. Pero, ¿cómo puede beneficiarse el propietario de un crucero del hecho de que las velas North Sails ganen regatas?: "Básicamente, aplicamos a nuestro catálogo de velas lo aprendido en competición", explica Luis Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España. "Nuestros expertos trabajan directamente con los equipos e incluso compiten a bordo de los barcos, lo que nos proporciona información de primera mano sobre qué funciona y qué no. Esta manera de trabajar no solo garantiza prestaciones, sino especialmente fiabilidad y resistencia. Un buen ejemplo son las velas de la última Vendée Globe, en la que los nueve primeros clasificados equiparon velas North Sails 3Di. La misma tecnología que les ha permitido completar la circunnavegación en solitario y sin escalas se encuentra en nuestro catálogo, y se puede aplicar a cruceros de todas las esloras". 3Di Ocean La gama 3Di específica para navegación de crucero se denomina 3Di Ocean, y está disponible en el dossier North Sails Cruising en versiones 330, 370 y 700. La 3Di Ocean 330 es una reinterpretación de la tradicional vela de dacron al combinar las propiedades de las velas de composite 3Di con el poliéster. El resultado es una innovadora vela de crucero sin costuras, con una forma aerodinámica más suave y estable que ofrece una mejora en el control, la comodidad y la velocidad, y un compromiso inédito entre coste, prestaciones y durabilidad. La 3Di Ocean 370 es un híbrido de poliéster y Ultra PE, y está especialmente indicada para monocascos y multicascos de crucero con esloras entre 35 y 60 pies. La 3Di Ocean 700 ofrece una imbatible combinación entre facilidad de uso y manejo al reducir volumen, peso y rigidez, pero sin comprometer los altos niveles de robustez y fiabilidad característicos de las velas de composite moldeado 3Di. NPC y NPL Además de las 3Di Ocean, la gama Cruising de North Sails incluye opciones para quien prefiere velas de poliéster (NPC, acrónimo de North Panel Cloth) o laminadas (NPL, o North Panel Laminate). Las North Sails NPC están disponibles en versiones Cross-Cut (con tejido NorDac Fill de trama de poliéster de alta tenacidad), Radian (menor estiramiento y mayor rendimiento que cualquier otro tejido de poliéster no laminado, en construcción radial) y Downwind (para portantes). La serie North Sails NPL incluye versiones Tour (construcción en sándwich de aramida negra de corte radial con laminado Xi Cruise), Tour Ultra (construcción en sandwich de dyneema o de dyneema/carbono para barcos de mediana y gran eslora respectivamente) y Downwind (laminados de poliéster o de aramida, recomendados para velas portantes de rumbos cerrados tipo G-Zero). Gennaker enrollable Helix La última incorporación al catálogo de crucero North Sails se denomina gennaker enrollable Helix y también tiene su origen en la competición. El éxito de las velas con estructura de grátil Helix en regata animó a los diseñadores de North Sails a incorporar el sistema a una vela de tipo G1. El resultado es una vela de enrollado top-down sin cabo antitorsión que incorpora lo mejor de las velas grand prix en un gennaker de crucero más ligero, fiable y fácil de usar. Disponible en 3Di, NPC y NPL, cubre un amplio rango de vientos desde través cerrado y hasta ángulos de popa, y puede reemplazar tanto al código cero como al spinnaker asimétrico, reduciendo el inventario de velas a bordo. La gama Cruising de North Sails abarca todo tipo de esloras e incluye propuestas para todo el inventario necesario a bordo de un crucero, desde mayores o génovas, hasta velas de rumbos abiertos. READ MORE

INTRODUCING THE NEW NORTH SAILS CHICAGO Combining Sails, Service, and Expertise All Under One Roof North Sails is excited to announce the opening of our new location in Chicago, IL. Managed by local experts Perry Lewis, Keith Church and John Baxter, and previously based on N. Elston Avenue, the North team's new location is in West Town: 1945 W. Hubbard, Unit C, Chicago, IL, 60622. The new Chicago loft is purpose-designed to fit our clients' needs for sail pick-ups, drop-offs, and service work. A full-service operation, North Sails Chicago houses sales, Certified Sail Care™, and expertise under one roof. Local sailors will enjoy easy, customer-friendly access to sail pick-up and drop-off as well as an extensive list of services, such as sail storage, sail washing, sail evaluations, sail measurement, new sail quotes, and more. Current and potential clients can meet with Perry, Keith, and John in the West Town location starting March 15th. Longtime North Sails Chicago sales expert Perry Lewis shares, "After nearly 30 years at our N/ Elston Ave location, the addition of John Baxter's new business means we have outgrown our space here. Double the size with 5,500 square feet, with the bonus of convenience to the harbors & expressways. We're excited to have all-new offices and a fresh face on our local service facility." A longtime fixture in the Midwest sailing community, North Sails is eager to welcome customers, new and old to the new West Town loft. Our doors are open on March 15th and your local team looks forward to assisting you with all your sail care needs. Connect with us today at 773-489-1308. About North Sails Group North Sails, the largest division of North Technology Group, has become the world’s leading sailmaker through an ongoing commitment to superior performance, technical innovation and elevating the sailing experience of our customers. North Sails holds the patents for 3Di, a unique composite construction process resulting in high-performance sails that approach the shape holding of a rigid foil. By competing at the highest levels of our sport, North Sails validates products in the most demanding environments to create sails that perform better, last longer and provide more enjoyment… no matter what type of sailing you enjoy. Our dedication to development has reshaped modern sailmaking. It is what drives us to push boundaries, pursue adventure, and always Go Beyond. CONTACT THE LOFT READ MORE

SIX BULLETS, PURE SPEED AT THE STAR MIDWINTERS North Designs Show Superb Performance as Teams Warm-Up for the Bacardi Cup While most of North America was shivering and digging out from extreme winter storms, a great group of (smart) Star sailors traveled to Miami for the annual combination of the Walker Cup and Star Midwinter Championship. Teams came from as far away as California, Annapolis, and Argentina to test their skills on Biscayne Bay. The first two days were raced in tribute to the late Harry Walker who was a great friend of the Star Class in Miami for many years. Competitors were greeted on the first day with a beautiful southerly breeze, 10-15 knots, and warm sunny skies. The fleet was very tight all around the track with Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins taking the win in the first race and Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise taking bullets in race two and three. The Coral Reef Yacht Club Race committee headed up by PRO Carl Shellback did a great job running three windward-leeward courses on Thursday, and two on Friday. Eric/Payson had two great races on Friday to take the Walker Cup and it was a tight 2nd place for Augie/Arnie with Peter Vessella and Phil Trinter finishing 3rd overall. A front passed through Friday night and Saturday came with a lot less humidity and a northerly breeze, still quite strong. The breeze was quite shifty and water was flat until the tide turned and most of the Cuban navy turned out to chop up the waves. Big bands of pressure came down the bay so it was important to keep your head out of the boat with the predominantly-right shifting breeze. The first race was a course four, while the final race was a course five with an upwind finish to finish sailors closer to home. The last run ended up quite exciting with puffs over 20-knots at times and the incoming current stacking up the waves. There were some broken poles and bent masts, but all in all, it was a great day. Sunday dawned with 20+ knots and increasing, the regatta was over for the tired, but grateful teams. Eric and Payson had an unstoppable streak of six bullets to win the Midwinter Championship. “All the North teams used the M-25 main, our all-purpose option. We raced with the J-7 jib while all the other teams used the J-115 full-radial jib. I think this really showed the nice overlap between the two sails and the overall speed of the M-25 main. The North clients were all going fast and are ready for the famous Bacardi Cup next month,” said Eric Doyle. Star Walker Cup 1. Eric Doyle/ Payson Infelise 2. Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins 3. Peter Vessella/Phil Trinter Star Midwinter Championship 1. Eric Doyle/ Payson Infelise 2. Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins 4. John Macausland/Guy Avellon 5. Ante Razmilovic/Phil Carlsson Speed-ready for the Bacardi Cup? We have sails in stock for you. Contact us today and shop for the fastest Star sails in existence. SHOP STAR SAILS Video/photo courtesy Kathleen Tocke READ MORE

WEST COAST OFFSHORE WEBINAR TAKEAWAYS Tips For The Islands And The Cabo Race 📸 Sharon Green / Ultimate Sailing Our North Sails experts from San Diego and Long Beach featuring Brian Janney, Patrick Murray and Alex Curtiss got together to discuss the Islands Race and Cabo Race. This first webinar is all about the race courses, what sails are typically used, and how offshore performance preparation can help you get ahead and stay ahead of your competition. Here are the top tips from the webinar as a quick read to have on hand. Get Into A Downwind Mode Early When it comes to the Islands Race, the team recommends getting into a downwind mode early on in the race since it’s more running than reaching. Add in the amount of current in the channel and it makes it even more important. Patrick and Brian also recommend knowing whether you have a southerly component or westerly component early on for the first leg on the race. Know Your Weather Forecast and What’s Going On Patrick Murray, Cabo Race veteran, advises on the importance of knowing your weather forecast and what’s going on because you’re going to have to work really hard to get offshore + off the southern California coastline. Dew On Deck The middle portion of the Cabo Race from Ensenada to Mag Bay is where you’ll be reaching and want to start thinking about running. Again, the offshore vs. onshore component plays a big role here. Brian Janney explains the old tried and true notion of dew on the deck, which tells you if the wind will shift from offshore to onshore. If it’s a wet deck then it will be onshore so keep westerly whereas if it’s dry then its going to shift to an offshore breeze. Know How To Use Your Full Inventory No one predicts they’ll need to use storm jib or trysail however on the offshore that you do, it’s important to know how to use them. Patrick Murray stresses the importance of really needing to know how to use them in case it ever happens because if you do ever have to use them, chances are you won’t be able to communicate with each other on deck due to the noise. Therefore review with your crew and practice. When it comes to being prepared onboard, Patrick Murray recommends having an offshore tool kit ready, complete with cuban fibre material and locktite, to repair sails if needed. Brian Janney and Alex Curtiss both recommend using a departure checklist to ensure you’ve remembered everything from safety equipment to sail usage chart. Having the right tools onboard ensures you’re prepared for any situation that you might encounter. Further questions about how to best prepare for the Islands or Cabo race? Connect with our team of experts today. Need a sail to fill the gap in your inventory? We can help with that too. Give your San Diego or Long Beach loft a call to talk sails or arrange a 10 point inspection and rig check before you leave. Watch the Webinar READ MORE

CLASS EXPERT DEREK SCOTT CLAIMS PAPER TIGER NATIONAL TITLE Powered by the North Sails S-5 Mainsail Paper Tiger New Zealand National Champion, North Expert Derek Scott 📸 Kim Clinch After taking home the Paper Tiger National Championship title in 2019, North Sails New Zealand One Design expert Derek Scott has done it again in 2021. Racing with the S-5 sail, Derek’s boat setup is deliberately simple and easy to use, allowing him to have more time to look around and concentrate on making the boat go fast. “The S-5 sail is the best all-round sail,’’ explains Derek. “It has enough power in the light for most sailors and it can be flattened off for when the wind gets up. It’s a step up from the S-4 and goes through the wind range better.’’ The Nationals were hosted by Charteris Bay Yacht Club; a fantastic sailing venue where Derek sailed as a junior until he was 17. Now living in Auckland, he is no longer local, but this time sailing as a junior allowed him to build up some local knowledge which he could apply to the Nationals. “Once you’ve lived in Christchurch, you never forget about the north-westerly wind. It’s a dry, warm, gusty wind that comes over the Port Hills and most of the time is in excess of 30 knots. This is what we had on the first two days which resulted in no racing either day. Once you lose a day or two of a regatta, you have to change your mindset; you can’t afford any bad races and you have to be consistent’’, comments Derek. “The S-5 sail is the best all-round sail. It has enough power in the light for most sailors and it can be flattened off for when the wind gets up.’’ The New Zealand Paper Tiger class organizes a traveling Grand Prix series consisting of a series of regattas throughout the season at different venues. Derek makes sure to get the most out of these regattas to maximize his practice time on the water, racing against the best sailors in the fleet, which “makes you a better sailor all-round’’ he comments. “Boat prep is also a big one for me. I make sure to turn up with everything ready to go; hull and foils sanded smooth, anything that is worn replaced so the risk of any gear failure is low, and just cutting out the little mistakes that could cost my bad races.’’ As the Paper Tiger Class Expert, Derek’s clients make up a lot of the fleet, and he loves having the opportunity to race against them. It also gives him the chance to help them improve and hear first-hand customer feedback about our sails. He trains most weekends with Owen Jenkens and Mark Orams as members of the same yacht club. “Both Owen and Mark were greatly involved with developing the S-5 sail. If we are not sail testing, then we are working on boat setup or sail control adjustments. We also partake in some short sprint racing run by the club where we practice starts and mark roundings.” Finally, we asked Derek what his key to winning in this fleet was. His answer? Consistency. “I think it is all about being consistent, especially in regattas that have been cut short due to wind conditions. If you can minimize the big scores (bad races), then you have more options at the end of the regatta and takes the pressure off.’’ Next up for Derek is a final regatta in the Paper Tiger before the season ends, and he is also jumping back into the Farr 3.7, a class he knows well from before his time in the Paper Tiger class, to compete in the New Zealand Nationals at the end of February. He is looking forward to more great racing! Third at the National Championship, Hayden Percy 📸 Kim Clinch Derek Scott 📸 Kim Clinch READ MORE

OFF TO THE CUP: A CHALLENGER IS CHOSEN Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Claim the PRADA Cup and Their Seat at the Big Show COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Sir Ben Ainslie and INEOS TEAM UK arrived in Auckland, New Zealand determined to return the America’s Cup to Britain after 170 years. He leaves as a poster boy of true Brit grit, and the bittersweet knowledge that he has helped to hone the skills of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli for their next challenge, the America’s Cup Match against Emirates Team New Zealand. As he put it, it’s been a wild ride. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi In December’s America’s Cup World Series, INEOS TEAM UK clocked up defeat after defeat as the other three teams shared the spoils. But the relentless string of losses wrote the INEOS TEAM UK joblist: they picked apart every aspect of their campaign and looked for tenths of knots under every download of data. Five weeks later, INEOS TEAM UK won all their races in the Round Robins and gained a direct line to the PRADA Cup Finals. That left Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, led by co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni, to work on their shortcomings in the semi-finals. The Italians were spurred on by their whipping at the hands of INEOS TEAM UK. “Ben is definitely one of those guys who, funnily enough, has made me better,” said Spithill. “Because anytime you go up against these guys , you have to be at the top of your game.” Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli arrived at the PRADA Cup Finals with a much improved, all-round arsenal of speed. Their most effective weapon was: high mode upwind in light airs. That turned out to be INEOS TEAM UK’s Achilles’ heel, and unfortunately, light conditions dominated the last week of the series. But there was a flurry of hope for the Brits and their fans when INEOS TEAM UK won race 6. It seemed like the British would go into Sunday with a new gear, but for races 7 and 8, the 9-12 knot breeze was dealing the cards. In race 7, INEOS got a clean, impressive start but any advantage soon disappeared under Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s upwind edge. And, for Race 8 it was much of the same, although it was clear that INEOS TEAM UK would not go home without a fight. Ben Ainslie pulled a fast tack to port on the startline, burned the remaining three seconds, and watched Luna Rossa nudge out over the line before the buzzer. The Italians were rewarded with a 50-meter penalty. But that 50-meter distance did extend into the hoped 500 distance, and by the top of gate one, Luna Rossa was eking ahead. And so, after 21 years, the Challenger Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli won the Challenger series and will head to face Peter Burling and the Kiwis. If this all feels a little too familiar, it is; the Kiwis faced off the Italians in 2000. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Here are some of the reasons why Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was able to make this dream a reality: Prior to the Finals, Luna Rossa said they had new foils and sails, a modified mast, and improved in-house software which sailors use to judge the exact time on distance, boundaries, and manoeuvers against the other boat. Another reason is the Challengers’ Series did its job. The AC75 arrived without an operator’s manual and represents an extremely steep learning curve. The first two America’s Cup World Series would have been the baby steps for learning to race but were canceled by CoVid-19. Linking it to the real world, the Round Robins were high school, while the PRADA Cup Finals have been College. Some of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s success reflects its role as Challenger of Record. As CoR, they co-wrote the America’s Cup Protocol with Emirates Team New Zealand. This provided them a valuable edge in understanding the AC75 design and was reflected in the similarities between the two syndicates’ first-generation boats. The big shock was Prada’s second-generation boat. Unlike every other syndicate, it is incredibly similar to their first. Of course, Max Sirena said, we got it right the first time. The skiff-like hull foils easily and recovers from splashdown quickly, even in the light airs that dominated the PRADA Cup Finals. And there’s another reason. In the round robins, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli may have been battling a weakness that has since become its major strength: co-helmsmen who are also co-flight controllers. Sirena said he has the world’s best Italian America’s Cup skipper on port and the world’s best Australian America’s Cup skipper on starboard, but, he chuckled, “It has been a difficult process. They are both super-talented. They are pretty different. They respect each other and they push one against the other to get better and better.” How different? Quotes from Spithill and Bruni on how they felt immediately after winning the Prada Cup appear below: “Yeah, not too bad, mate.” “Fantastico!” And the final word from Sir Ben Ainslie: “In these difficult times that we are seeing around the world, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to race these AC75s as we have been doing. We wish both teams in the America’s Cup all the very best.” READ MORE

The twin-skin mainsail, which has hit superstardom thanks to the AC75, is a surprising rediscovery of a patent developed by LF Herreshoff in 1927; LF Herreshoff was the son of Nathanael Herreshoff and, despite the famous father, his designs never won an America’s Cup.  READ MORE

CONTINUED SUCCESS AT THE VX ONE WINTER SERIES EVENT #2 North Customers Sweep the Podium Once Again 📸 Roy Ingham Sarasota Sailing Squadron welcomed the VX One fleet for their second winter series event over Valentine’s Day weekend. Following the successful Midwinter Championship in January, the fleet grew slightly to 24 boats. By Friday afternoon, most teams were onsite prepping, practicing, and sitting in on Chris Alexander’s rules discussion focused on mark room at leeward gates and downwind finishes. Early morning fog on Saturday cleared before start time and the race committee was able to get four races off. The southwesterly breeze built from 5 to 10 knots and generally trended left, but not without some irregular righties rolling through. Teams who stayed focused on maintaining adequate power and balance onboard while also staying in phase were generously rewarded. One of the day’s biggest takeaways, however, was that the top teams are not the ones who only seek perfection, but the ones who adapt the most efficiently when mistakes are inevitably made. With no team winning more than one race on Saturday, it’s clear that resilience and forward-thinking were common traits amongst the leaders. Sunday’s forecast was much less stable, with dark clouds looming on the horizon. A squall hit the fleet with heavy rain on the way out to the course but gave way to overcast skies by the time racing started. The 15 knots southerly steadily built to 25 knots over the course of two races. Sunday’s top teams were the ones who not only depowered the sail plan and hiked hard but also trimmed the sails to minimize heel angle and leeway. Many teams hit personal best downwind speeds, but the race committee made the decision to send the fleet in after seeing a few too many keels in the air. Winning the weekend was Doug Clark with Mike Marshall. Second place went to Jim Ward with past class president Jeff Eiber and Lynda Bryant onboard. Rounding out the podium was current class president Chris Alexander sailing with Madeline Gill and Kate O’Donnell. Teams powered by North Sails finished 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. The final event of the winter series will have a more extended format, with three days of racing on March 19-21. North experts Austin Powers and Madeline Gill will host a debrief after practice on Thursday. Keep your eyes out for more information as we get closer to the event. SHOP VX ONE SAILS 📸 Roy Ingham READ MORE

North Sails expert Brian Janney explains why choosing a spinnaker means understanding your own sailing style. READ MORE

LIVE UPDATES: THE PRADA CUP FINALS On-The-Ground Updates and Highlights from Auckland 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Two team racing for one seat in the America’s Cup match. INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will sail 13 races, with the first team to win seven declared the winner of the PRADA Cup. This is an exciting time for North Sails as both competitors, and Defender Emirates Team New Zealand North Sails, and our NTG family brands Southern Spars, and Future Fibres to power their engine above deck. Our group has also supplied design talent and software to support the teams’ quest for the Cup. And for those of you who want to dress the part, North Sails is an official partner for event branded clothing. Racing begins January 13th at 1600 NZL time. Make sure to check your time zone if you’re watching remotely. North Sails will also be covering the PRADA Cup on this live blog and on our social channels throughout the next few weeks. How To Watch February 20, 2021, 14:00 GMT Not going down without a fight “We’re going into the thick of the fight,” Sir Ben Ainslie said before he led his men into Race 5 and 6 of the PRADA Cup Finals. Following the Covid-19 alert in New Zealand that postponed two days of racing, Ainslie and the British team was four races down to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in a best of thirteen event. The time gave INEOS TEAM UK five consecutive days to hunt for the speed and agility they needed to extend their invitation beyond this weekend. With no boat modifications permitted, they looked at the human factor and went to light airs sailing school. After all, the day was a bit of a do-or-die race for the British team if they wanted to stop the Italians from steamrolling them straight to the America’s Cup. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi “Some of these racing techniques, particularly through the maneuvers, are very subtle,” said Ainslie. “There is so much that goes into a single maneuver, from the sequencing of changing the load between the boards, the main and jib transfers, and more.” Then they went back to the game film to study their opponent. “The more the teams race,” Ainslie added, “the better we are at figuring each other’s play in the pre-starts.” Race 5 would reveal the Italians were likely doing the same. The day started with a show of strength. In the shifting south-wester of 8 to 11 knots, INEOS TEAM UK brought out their biggest jib to help launch the boat in the light airs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli hoisted a smaller jib, because their boat lifts onto the foils easier, and any unwanted sail power becomes drag as soon as their AC75 is foiling. Then came the start. Both boats wanted the right side of the line, but Jimmy Spithill edged up to shut the door on INEOS TEAM UK at the mark, leaving Ainslie with a choice: barge for the line or bail out into oblivion. He barged. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi At the last second, Spithill pulled out his new trick. He brought Luna Rossa into a high, slow mode beneath Britannia. Wait a second – was that a luff? AC75s don’t luff…do they? Both boats survived unscathed, except INEOS TEAM UK emerged with two penalties, and by the time that was cleared, Luna Rossa was ahead. Somehow, everyone missed what had just not-happened. The lead INEOS TEAM UK had for the first half of leg one quickly disappeared. Then Prada won the race. For race 6, everyone expected a repeat performance. Both boats were headed for the start line, with INEOS TEAM UK to leeward and ahead when Spithill pulled out his next new trick (the luffing one). He dived down to make big swoops behind TEAM UK to make them squirm and burn off speed, but the Brits didn’t fall for it. Nor were they seemingly phased by it. In fact, Spithill burned off his speed and crossed the line late. This was suddenly a very interesting race Ben Ainslie took full control of the race and threw in some lee-bow tacks and led at every mark. Upwind, INEOS TEAM UK’s big jib was slower through the tacks while Prada Pirelli flexed their new, higher angles. Downwind, INEOS TEAM UK sailed deeper and exited the gybes lower to regain lost ground and extend the distance. Both boats sailed flawlessly around the course. Ainslie and tactician Giles Scott played to their strengths, largely avoided duels, and saved their grinders’ energy for a final gybe to stay between Luna Rossa and the finish. The Brits crossed 14 seconds ahead to take their first win of the Prada Cup Finals. And so, the Brits lived to tell the tale another day. On Day 3, INEOS found their fight. Expect Spithill and Bruni to come back swinging tomorrow. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi January 14, 2021, 2100 GMT Winning streaks and losing streaks In the PRADA Cup Round Robins, INEOS TEAM UK sometimes followed the match racing handbook and sometimes closed the book and played the wind shifts. They then won every race, in a remarkable turn of events where the team turned their 100% losing streak from the America’s Cup World Series into a 100% winning streak. Now, in the PRADA Cup Finals, the team finds themselves in the familiar, but precarious territory – 4 races down to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The positive: they’ve come back before. The negative: the Italians are on a roll and will do everything possible to ensure the Brits’ comeback story was a one-time thing. 📸 Graeme Murray INEOS TEAM UK clocked their third and fourth losses on day two of the PRADA Cup Finals on a new venue: Course E, aka the Back Paddock. It’s surrounded by islands and, in the brisk northeasterly, it delivered shifty, gusty winds. The day promised a brawl: two evenly matched boats, lots of passing lanes, and three helmsmen highly skilled at match racing. In race three, Ainslie entered the start box determined to get a hook on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, but admittedly got a bit greedy and ended up below the layline. From there, Luna Rossa ruled the race course. Sometimes they tacked on INEOS TEAM UK in classic match racing 101; sometimes they played to their leader’s privilege to pick wind shifts. For the trailing Britannia, every tack was an opportunity to make a gain (and they did at times). When the boats did engage in tacking duels, INEOS TEAM UK generally tacked wider, losing a precious few meters every time. And although the Italians misjudged some gybes, INEOS TEAM UK never came within striking distance to pass. The final delta was just 13 seconds – roughly the cost of the error in the start box. 📸 Graeme Murray For race four, INEOS TEAM UK wanted to make trouble, but a start-box maneuver went wrong and Britannia reared high evoking flashbacks from the now infamous American capsize. The mainsail swept across the deck, depowering just in time to prevent a capsize, but, once again, Luna Rossa was a force to be reckoned with. Again, INEOS TEAM UK tried to rewrite the script, but they could not force an error on Luna Rossa. The final delta was 41 seconds, but Spithill emphasized that the score-line doesn’t reflect the close racing. “You’re constantly just a split-second way from any mistake,” he said. Ainslie knows there is still hope. “We have to go away and regroup and come back swinging,” he said. Jaunaury, 13, 2021, 1330 GMT It’s game on in the PRADA Cup Finals As day one of the PRADA Cup finals, yesterday was a Very Important Day. Three weeks ago, INEOS TEAM UK won four in a row over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – but in America’s Cup terms, three weeks ago is like last year’s winter fashion. Yesterday, upon returning to the water, both teams would strut their new improvements on opening day of the penultimate series. Going into the day, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli promised new foils, a modified mast, fresh sails, improved software, and communications. INEOS TEAM UK said they had found more speed and promised they were race-ready. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Race one opened in sunshine and a light breeze, and if you’re an AC75 named Britannia, that’s not the forecast you would order. INEOS TEAM UK fell off the foils in the prestart and was unable to catch up. Talk about an anti-climax. Race two brought a perfect, steady breeze of 12 knots. The start was flawless. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was to windward and tacked away. Both boats bounced off their respective boundaries and came back for the all-important first cross. Luna Rossa had it, easily, and commanded the lead for the remainder of the race. The Italians finished the day two-up on the Brits. Well, we didn’t expect that. Neither, it was clear, did Ben Ainslie. Immediately post-race, he appeared rattled but gained composure for the press conference an hour later. “I think it will come down to who sails the best and that’s absolutely how it should be,” he said. We agree. In race one, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli carried more depth in her mainsail than INEOS TEAM UK, which may have provided a power-boost to get her up onto the foils faster. For the second race, both boats switched to smaller headsails. Luna Rossa went with a fat-head jib, and INEOS TEAM UK, a peaked jib; both teams admitted they could have benefitted from smaller jibs as the wind developed through the race. Our predictions going into day two? Well, expect to see INEOS TEAM UK sailors doing a wind dance overnight for a forecast suited to their liking. READ MORE

We don’t yet know which of three teams (Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Ineos Team UK, and Emirates Team New Zealand) are going to win the 36th America’s Cup, but it’s easy to predict the winning sailmaker: North Sails. READ MORE

LAY DAYS: THE TINY GIANTS OF THE AMERICA’S CUP Every second counts, and a day onshore is critical to development 📸 Harry KH / INEOS TEAM UK On paper, a “lay day” is just two, three-letter words, but in practice, it is a logistical giant that can make, or break, the dreams of an America’s Cup team. Just ask Jimmy Spithill. His famous comeback for ORACLE TEAM USA (OTUSA) in the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco was possible only because of a day without racing (and the subsequent development) following race 5. Spithill and crew were behind and things were not looking good for the America’s Cup defenders. Then, OTUSA played a postponement card on the second race of the day (race 6). This then went straight into a previously scheduled lay day on September 11, buying them a total of 48 hours. The team regrouped, brought in a new tactician (Sir Ben Ainslie), and made some modifications. A few days later, with Emirates Team New Zealand still leading, a journalist asked Spithill what he would do if Emirates Team New Zealand won the next race and went to match point. Spithill replied: “I think the question is, imagine if these guys (Kiwis) lost from here. What an upset that would be. They’ve almost got it in the bag. So that’s my motivation. ” It was big, big talk. But OTUSA was writing the “comeback” book when they crawled back from an eight-to-one (plus a two-race deficit) to win the Auld Mug. To this day, many give credit to that 48 hour period after Race 5 for OTUSA’s success. Thus proving that lay days are the place where the tortoise might leapfrog the hare. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi A lay day begins as soon as the race boat returns to the dock after racing. From this moment forward, a three-dimensional thesis in time and skills management begins. The teams start with a deep dive analysis into the live data telemetry which is transmitted from the AC75 during races. Engineers analyze the data looking for unusual readings– for example, a high rudder load. A high rudder load may coincide with a hard bear-away from the top mark, but if the timing shows no reason for the freak high load, the engineers want to know why. “It might be something starting to break or some gremlins starting to propagate,” said Gautier Sergent, North Sails sail designer embedded with INEOS TEAM UK. After looking at the data, the shore crew focuses on identifying the reason and then resolving it before the next race. Other lay day jobs run to a critical path. “We keep a log of every component,” Gautier said. “For example, we know a rudder bearing has been used for X-amount of hours and done X many tacks, that many gybes and X-amount of bear-aways. After a certain number, it needs checking or replacing. Those preventative maintenance tasks happen on a lay day.” Meanwhile, the design team always has a box of new tricks they are keen to try. But they’ll only reach for that box when they know the benefits will outweigh the risk level when the team introduces a new component. “If you had only one or two lay days , you might not do something high-risk,” Sergent explained. “You might just do a product change.” 📸 Harry KH / INEOS TEAM UK That’s why designers like multiple lay days that allow them to validate any changes on the water. “You can’t mess about,” Sergent said. “You’ve got to be confident that the new features are going to be good-to-go without much tuning. Minor fine-tuning is ok, but nothing more.” “There are new parts coming on every day. For example, new aero fairing details on the hull or the sails. You might want to do a luff curve change, change the batten stiffness or even do a recut on the sails if you think you can improve the shape. You might change the geometry ever so slightly. Many, many tasks like that can happen.” With up to 50 people needing to work on the AC75 at once, the tasks are prioritized and then choreographed. Some shore crew work the full 24 hours; others work in shifts. The canteen keeps them all fuelled with food and coffee. Then, there are the obligations to America’s Cup protocol, and this dictates everything. Prior to each series, such as the PRADA Cup final, all teams declare the configuration of their racing equipment such as hull, foils, mast, and sails. Some components cannot be changed after declaration and others can be changed within certain parameters– for example, sail areas can be altered by up to 25%. However, every change requires an updated declaration. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi “We get measured every day,” Sergent said. “The boat gets weighed. The sails get weighed. After components are measured, they are sealed into the boat. If the seal is broken, it has to be declared to the measurer and inspected.” All these steps require documentation and sign-off. During lay days, the sailing crew become shore crew, helping with tasks such as procurement, data analysis, or servicing winches. They also regularly meet with the design team. “The sailors are our best sensors,” explained Sergent. “We have electronics on the boat, but the sailors have the best feel for how they want the boat to react.” In between those obligations, the sailors go to the gym and, if they are grinders, consume tens of thousands of calories. Finally, if time allows and the weather is providing racing conditions, they go sailing to test new components and practice techniques. The one thing they don’t do on a lay day is lay down. Not for one second. 📸 C GREGORY / INEOS TEAM UK READ MORE