NORTH SAILS BLOG

FIVE REASONS TO FROSTBITE The Perks of Winter Sailing with North Sails Expert Austin Powers As the winter season is fully upon us (at least for those of us in the northern parts of the world), some of us are brave enough to venture out into the cold and continue to participate in the sport we love so dear. Frostbite racing happens at yacht clubs all over the country in various capacities. Some allow spinnakers, some do pursuit courses, and some even are brave enough to leave the dock in dinghies. Whether you leave the dock in a 40 footer or a boat less than ten feet, here are the top 5 reasons to love frostbite: A Late First Warning Almost universally, all frostbite events start either noon or later which means we get to skip the worst part of every normal regatta: Getting up early to make dock time Breaking Out The Foul Weather Gear A lot of us sailors spend quite a bit of money on gear for sailing in rough weather, even though when the weather turns bad we usually stay at the bar. Frostbiting gives us the excuse to break out the “foulies” from the closet and show off our sweet gear. More Relaxed Racing The winter racing is a great time for cross training if you are lucky enough to get your normal crew to come out sailing. Switch everyone’s positions on the boat for each race so that everyone gets an appreciation for the various roles on the boat. Not only does everyone respect each other's roles more, it improves coordination amongst team members because they see how the timing works from the other positions of the boat. It Makes You Tougher After a couple of hours out racing in sub 32 degree weather, 20 knots in the middle of the summer at night does not seem nearly as daunting. Food and Drink Let's face it… after a long day out sailing in the cold, nothing tastes better than warm food and a tasty beverage back at the club house (whatever your drink of choice may be). As part of the North Sails team of experts in Annapolis, Austin works with both one design classes and the local PHRF fleets. He is excited to work on growing North’s presence in Virginia and expanding the customer service offered to Southern Bay sailors. READ MORE

J/70 SOUTH AMERICAN UPDATE Fastest Growing One Design Class in South America 📸 Matias Capizzano Just after North Sails swept the podium at the J/70 Chilean Nationals at the end of 2019, we sat down with Torkel Borgstrom to talk about class growth across the continent. He says the J/70 is growing in a very similar way to how the J/24 grew, thirty-plus years ago. With boats built in Buenos Aires, “It is becoming one of the most important and competitive classes in South America. And most of the sailors here use North Sails, including the top ones, because they perceive that it’s an advantage in terms of performance.” The first South American country to build a fleet was Chile, about seven years ago. “Right now there are probably 30-35 boats, and the numbers are stable.” Uruguay has another 30-boat fleet, he continues. “And Brazil was one of the first countries that started with a J/70, but due to some restrictions on importation, they only have around ten boats. But every time they participate internationally, they do well.” Add in another 35 boats from Argentina, and it’s easy to see why Torkel says the J/70 “has become one of the strongest and most interesting one design classes. The regattas are very, very competitive, and normally there are a lot of boats participating.” In Brazil, a lot of professional sailors have moved into the J/70 because the competition is so good. In the rest of South America, Torkel explains, the approach is more like in the US; most sailors are either amateur or people work in the industry, but don’t specialize in J/70s. “It is becoming one of the most important and competitive classes in South America. Most of the sailors here use North Sails, including the top ones, because they perceive that it’s an advantage in terms of performance.” The J/70 South Americans in Punta del Este had great conditions but only 32 boats participated, which surprised Torkel—though he wasn’t surprised to see a Argentinian tie for first. “Most of the sailors are new, and so when you put together a good crew like the one Guillermo Parada has, they normally will win most of the events.” As for the disappointing turnout, he blames it on the current political instability, particularly in Chile but also in Argentina. “Every time we have elections here, things get a little bit unstable. So I believe this is the reason why we haven’t seen more boats.” Based on what he’s seen so far, Torkel is excited about the future of the class. “In January, we have the Rolex Atlantic Circuit regatta, which is one of the most important ones here. I expect to see more boats sailing in that event.” Longer term, “the good sailors ended up sailing in the J/24s, and the same thing is going to happen with the J/70s. So you will see more people from South America, Argentina especially, going into the international events and starting to do much better every year. We foresee that in the next five to eight years, we’ll continue growing slowly, and continue improving in terms of competitiveness.” 📸 Matias Capizzano READ MORE

JOIN US AT THE 2020 VANCOUVER BOAT SHOW Shop New Sails & See What's New READ MORE

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE 2019 OVERALL WINNER Matt Allen and Crew Named Overall Winners, North Clients Crowd IRC Podiums 📸 Andrea Francolini Longtime North Sails customer Matt Allen is once again hoisting the Tattersall Cup, in celebration of Ichi Ban’s victory as Overall Winner of this year’s 628 mile race from Sydney to Hobart. Matt also won this prestigious trophy in 2017, and this is another fitting victory for a yacht named “number one” in Japanese. Ichi Ban’s sail inventory includes a full 3Di upwind package and NPC Downwind spinnakers. Matt works closely with the North team in Australia, and North experts Rob Greenhalgh and Dick Parker were both onboard for the 2019 win. The Ichi Ban team has been dialing in the TP52’s performance since first launching in the fall of 2017. But their competition has been doing the same, so Ichi Ban had to work hard to earn their 2019 title. “All the campaigns have really stepped up this year; people have tried to emulate what we have done,” Matt said. “There’s no doubt about the competition in this race—in the 44 to 55 footers alone, it is incredible. You wouldn’t find the competition we have in this race anywhere else in the world.” Many other North Sails clients bested their own tough competition as well. North sails were on board every super maxi competing in the 2019 race, and North inventories took the top spots in seven of nine IRC classes and swept four IRC podiums. A special congratulations to Corinthian team Katwinchar, the oldest boat to ever compete in the RSHYR, which won the Grand Veterans Division. READ MORE

CANVAS 101 North Sails Service Experts from Detroit Share their Canvas Tips Although our boats are put away for the season and there may or may not be snow on the ground right now, it’s actually the perfect time to think about how to get your boat looking sharp in the spring. Keeping the canvas clean, waterproofed, and fitting correctly not only makes your boat look nicer, it also functions better as its main purpose, protecting your sails. Over time, canvas will lose its waterproofing treatment and will start absorbing water eventually leaking onto your sail which can lead to mold. If you start noticing mold on your sails or a heavy wet cover, its probably a good time to get it washed and water proofed. Exposure to the UV will eventually dry rot your stitching, Velcro and zippers and should all be checked over yearly. The canvas shop at your North Sails Detroit loft is here to help. Not only do we repair, wash, and water proof your canvas, we also offer new boom covers, cradle covers, genoa socks, binnacle/wheel covers, tiller covers, and miscellaneous cockpit bags. With multiple color and fabric choices available, we can easily match to your current canvas or update them to something different. We can also customize any new or used canvas items such as adding sail numbers, boat name, or logo. Whether you’re a cruiser, racer cruiser, or serious racer, the canvas on your boat should be checked over annually to ensure any zippers, Velcro, twist locks, and stitching is all intact. Afterall, it is exposed to the UV and weather almost more than anything on your boat. Its never too late to stop by with your canvas and talk to one of our experts on the condition and what we can do to expand the life, purchase new, or modify old. READ MORE

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: ANNUAL LIGHTNING MEETING Meeting, Planning, and a look at Qualifying for the PanAm Games North Sails Detroit hosted the International Lightning Class’s Michigan District members for their annual meeting in the loft. Both Skip Dieball and Spencer Colpaert were on hand as hosts and over 20 members came to conduct their annual business. The loft in Warren, Michigan is perfect for gatherings and we have a number of associations signed up to have their get-togethers in our facility. In addition to helping the Michigan District have a place to meet, North Sails donated food and refreshments. North Sails has enjoyed years of loyalty from Lightning sailors and this is our way of thanking those in the Michigan District. After the business at hand was complete, Skip Dieball gave a presentation from his trip to Peru for the 2019 Pan American Games. From the qualifying event through the travel and meeting of others on the US Sailing Team, Skip shared the highs and lows of the high-stakes event. READ MORE

ALL EYES WERE ON SYDNEY HARBOUR FOR BOXING DAY START 157 Boats Set Off on the 628-Mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2019 saw a fleet of 157 boats set off from Sydney and out to sea for the 628 nm trek to Hobart. It was picture perfect start conditions on Boxing Day as spectators lined the shores and watched online as the 2019 fleet made its way out of Sydney Harbour. Amongst the fleet are the big five supermaxis as well as Corinthian teams, made up of family and friends who may be checking an item off their bucket list. Considered one of the most difficult offshore races in the sport of sailing, simply crossing the finish line is an accomplishment; winning is the ultimate honor. We’ll be keeping an eye on the race tracker over the next few days, and waiting in anticipation to see who collects line honors and then the overall winner in the 75th edition of this historic race. 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi 📸 ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi View the race tracker to follow the 157 boat fleet as they make their journey from Sydney to Hobart. READ MORE

CORINTHIAN ENTRY KATWINCHAR IS RACE READY Oldest Yacht to Race Sydney-Hobart Prepares for the Unexpected For 75 years, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has been a Boxing Day highlight for the sailing world. The race attracts a wide range of boats and sailors, from 30-footers sailed by family and friends to the 100’ Super Maxis with professional race crews. While the big boats tend to attract the most attention, we’ll also be cheering on Katwinchar, the oldest boat ever to compete in the race. Launched in 1904 at the Watney Brewery in England, the boat was a total wreck when Bill Barry-Cotter, a well-known Sydney boatbuilder, found her. Bill’s brother Kendall, who will skipper the yacht to Hobart, said the restoration took two years and over 10,000 man-hours to complete. “The intention was always to go to Hobart,” he adds. To help this historic boat be competitive against more modern boats, Peter Antill from North Sails Sydney worked with Kendall and Sailing Master Michael Spies to design an inventory that would suit this classic. “The configuration is quite a bit different,” Kendall says. “You couldn’t just use modern technology, it had to be a mixture to suit this particular boat.” The goal was “to try to get the best product we could for the boat at the time,” he continues. “So that was a combination of Peter and myself, going through and designing the sail plan and the types of sails that we wanted to use.” Michael Spies says that the back and forth between skipper and sailmaker was really valuable. “Rather than telling us what we’re going to get, it’s been an open discussion.” He’s also looking forward to racing under both IRC and ORC. “Katwinchar is quite clearly the oldest boat to have ever done this historic race. The parity created by the IRC rule and the ORC rule gives us the opportunity, hopefully, to be competitive against the more modern boats.” Katwinchar will join the estimated 150-strong fleet at the start in Sydney Harbor on December 26th sporting her updated sail configuration, which features 3Di sails and a furling Code Zero. “I hadn’t had the opportunity to sail with Code Zeros before,” Kendall says. “It’s been a great learning curve to find out how efficient they are; actually, they’re brilliant.” READ MORE

MARK RICHARDS ON WILD OATS XI AND NORTH SAILS Nine-Time Line Honours Winner Ready to Race in Sydney Wild Oats XI, under the leadership of skipper Mark Richards, is an undeniable success story. The program has collected Sydney to Hobart line honors on nine separate occasions and was the first boat to claim the “Treble” race record, line honors, and overall winner. First launched in 2005, this 100’ SuperMaxi will sail the 2019 Sydney to Hobart Race 1300 kilos lighter than a year ago. And North Sails is proud to be their sailmaker of choice. “The sail evolution over those 15 years has been phenomenal,” Richards says. “We’re a lot faster than we have been in the past with the reaching tight luff sails, so that’s all pretty exciting stuff. We’ve got a brand new mainsail, which is 40 kilos lighter than last year’s.” Richards credits the strong relationship with North Sails as a key factor in helping the team get to where they are today. “I’m really excited about this year’s race, because I think we’ve got the best sail inventory that we’ve ever had in the history of the boat.” 📸James Tomlinson / North Sails READ MORE

ONBOARD BLACKJACK FOR SYDNEY-HOBART RACE PREP Skipper Mark Bradford Talks 3Di While Test Sailing Super Maxi BlackJack skipper Mark Bradford spent the days leading up to the 2019 Sydney to Hobart running through a pre-race work list, which included putting the boat’s new North 3Di sails through their paces before heading offshore. The team allowed us to tag along for a training day, and naturally, we had to ask them questions about their sails. Here are the highlights of what we learned from a team that is always pushing boundaries. 3Di Carries Across the Range BlackJack’s mantra is to be fast in light air, and the new lightweight 3Di sails have improved the boat’s performance under 8 knots. BlackJack has recently added Helix, further increasing the versatility of its inventory. Durability Matters 3Di improves both strength and durability. “The miles and hours that we can put on the sails these days are just far superior to what we have seen in the past and what competing sailmakers can offer,” Bradford says. “North Sails engineering and manufacturing processes are second to none, and our confidence is extremely high that the failure rate will be next to nothing.” 📸James Tomlinson / North Sails READ MORE

JOSH JUNIOR CLAIMS FINN GOLD CUP North Clients Dominate Top 10 As the mercury hit 42 degrees Celsius in Melbourne Australia, the on-the-water action heated up as well at the 2019 Finn Gold Cup. The world championship of the Olympic heavyweight dinghy, seven different countries and three continents were represented in the top eight—and all of those sailors chose North Sails. Josh Junior put in a strong, consistent performance to take the top spot, the first Finn Gold Cup win ever for a Kiwi. Starting in the class six years ago and working with Andy Maloney and coach Andrew Murdoch, he won two races, had only three finishes out of the top five, and led the event from day two. With the 2020 Olympics only months away, many sailors were also competing for the chance to represent their country in Enoshima, Japan—another place where heat and humidity are likely to make the Finn’s physicality and free pumping a real challenge. The 2019 Gold Cup was a key regatta on the Royal Brighton Yacht Club schedule, and as host of the 1956 Olympic Games they put on an excellent championship. Congratulations to all. We’ll be following along in 2020! Results after medal race (medal race results in brackets) 1 NZL Josh Junior 44 (7) 2 NED Nicholas Heiner 52 (3) 3 HUN Zsombor Berecz 53 (2) 4 GBR Giles Scott 67 (8) 5 AUS Jake Lilley 72 (1) 6 NZL Andy Maloney 79 (9) 7 CRO Nenad Bugarin 92 (5) 8 CAN Tom Ramshaw 95 (10) 9 ESP2 Joan Cardona Éndez 98 (6) 10 TUR Alican Kaynar 100 (4) Browse the Finn inventory here Nicholas Heiner 📸Robert Deaves Nenad Bugarin 📸Robert Deaves Gilles Scott 📸Robert Deaves Andy Maloney 📸Robert Deaves READ MORE

2019 CICSA REGATTA SERIES Fleet Racing National Championship The weather in Kingston is a brisk 13 degrees Celsius and the water isn’t much warmer. Let's be honest, the thought of being in a wet dinghy during a Canadian fall isn’t how most would want to spend their weekend; but if it means racing, and competing in a championship event - it's the ideal two days for these sailors! Intercollegiate teams from across Canada descended on RMC campus on October 26th to wrap up the 2019 season in the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association (CICSA) Fleet Racing National Championships. The Royal Military College of Canada Sailing Team were excellent hosts throughout this event. During the morning of the first day as teams registered, rigged their boats, and caught up with fellow competitors on their semesters. RMC’s team captain and president Ryan Wells was busy ensuring everyone had their questions answered and that day one was off to a smooth start. BR: RMC always goes above and beyond when hosting these races. What did you like about hosting the National Championship? RW: It was an honour for RMC to be able to host Fleet Racing Nationals again this year. We really enjoy being able to have such a large fleet of boats on the starting line, with crews from all over Canada. It’s been awesome to see CICSA grow over my time at RMC, and seeing more teams participating in nationals every year has been fantastic. Particularly, it’s incredible that UBC and Dalhousie were both able to make the trip this year. We think (although we may be slightly biased) that Kingston is the perfect venue for an event like this, with a strong sailing culture and dynamic wind conditions that always make for interesting sailing. This event was business as usual in that regard. BR: How did you think the racing went this weekend? The two days of racing couldn’t have been more different. Day one found the wind blowing no more than 6 knots at a time, and crews had to work hard to find the puffs filtering down the course, and use their weight and tactics to their advantage. Unfortunately the day had to end early due to the wind dying completely, with the plan to pick up the next day with where we left off. Day two was a completely different animal. Although the day started out with relatively light winds, allowing the group to get a couple of relatively benign races in, by noon the wind had picked up to 15 gusting 25 knots. The A fleet was able to get in a set of races after lunch, but by the time that B fleet had reached the course for their set, the wind had picked up to blowing around a steady 20 knots, with waves reaching almost 4 feet high in some places. They were able to get in their first race before the crews, and the boats, began to succumb to the challenging conditions. The races were called for the day, and eventually all the boats made it back safely to shore with only two bent masts and a couple of broken forestays to show for it. BR: Obviously, the new sight on the racing scene for Fleet Nationals this year is having North Sails as a supporting partner. What are your thoughts on having a sponsor at this event? RW: Having North Sails support this event was a huge step in showing how serious CICSA and all the teams in it are about building up the popularity and legitimacy of intercollegiate sailing in Canada. Of course, we aren’t as big as similar conferences in the United States, but we are growing. Having the support of a major player in the sailing industry helps show that progress. Every year there are eight races in the Canadian Regatta Series with many teams competing both in the regattas in Canada and in the U.S. under ICSA. It’s been a busy season with most of the larger teams like McGill sending their sailors to race and represent their school at up to 3 different races in one weekend. BR: McGill should be super proud of the fight they brought to the regattas in Canada and the US. What are your thoughts on the season as a whole? Ayden Watt: “It was a tight season of racing for McGill in CICSA, the team is proud to bring home the Fleet Race Nationals title for the fourth year in a row. Following an overall Canadian win in 2018, 2019 saw McGill bring in a strong new group of rookies, a new coach and a renewed drive to succeed. The whole team is especially thankful for our exceptional coaches, Stephen Waldie and Nicolas Tosi, and their guidance throughout the season. While this year didn't usher in the results the team was hoping for, McGill is proud of the work that got put in and is looking forward to strong Canadian competition in the coming season. This season definitely saw a lot of tight races, with fierce rivalry between McGill and Queen’s. Like McGill, the Gaels have a large team of seasoned racers competing both locally and across the border. The Queen’s Sailing Team has always been a dominant force on the water, consistently finishing regattas on the podium. Queen’s flexed their racing tact during this season to make a stellar come back. Queen’s Sail Team must ecstatic with the incredible pace they’ve had throughout the season. What are some notable points of the 2019 season? Scott Gittens: The past season for the Gaels was very successful. Most notably the team was able to bring back the CICSA League Championship making us the best ranked team in Canada. This championship included regaining the Team Racing National Championship. Despite a strong start to our season in the U.S, the Gaels unfortunately had to withdraw from one of the final qualifiers due to a larger team focus on winning the Canadian Championship. The Gaels had a strong finish to the season and will be looking to come back strong again next year to continue their dominant performance in Canada and improve upon their finish in the U.S League. The Gaels would like to extend thanks to their coaches Rachel Harris and Daniel Sheedy for their hard work and dedication in helping them achieve this year's accomplishments. While the majority of the teams that compete every year are based in the Central and Eastern region of Canada, the sailing team of University of British Columbia compete and practice ¾ of the year, and make the ~4600km journey from Vancouver, BC to Kingston, ON to compete at this race every year. BR: UBC’s commitment to racing out east is quite impressive. What is it like to travel this far to compete? It must mean something special to the team. Richard Minielly: From the moment we step on the plane each year, excitement is building. The long travel does tire us out, but also gives the four or five sailors, lucky enough to be selected, a day of travel in to clear their heads, study old regatta notes, and mentally prepare for the regatta. As Canadians, it is always a pleasure to compete against the best that our own country has to offer, and the energy for this event always contains more excitement than similar U.S. regattas. While the costs are high and the distance far, that chance to be champions of our own nation is what keeps UBC making the journey each year. The 2019 Fleet Racing Nationals closed a season that came with a lot of great racing and memorable startline drama. 2019 marked new highs for the CICSA Regatta Series as a record total of 19 University Teams now registered and competing across Canada, not to mention multiple teams competing in some of the most challenging regattas in the US. These intercollegiate teams travel hundreds if not thousands of kilometers to race their hearts out for their school while studying full time, finding time for training sessions, and racing when most people are pulling their boats out of the water for the winter. Tough? Crazy? Committed? I’d say they’re all of the above. With a burgeoning presence in the intercollegiate racing scene, these student athletes represent some of the best in Canadian Sailing. A big thank you to North Sails Toronto for supporting the Fleet Racing Nationals and donating a stunning basket full of NS Gear for our 2020 fundraising raffle (stay tuned for a sneak peak and more information on our Spring 2020 Raffle! All proceeds go to our Team Travel Bursary Program!). READ MORE

ACI Sail - globalni, a ne samo lokalni projekt FOTO: STUDIO BORLENGHI Još na proljeće se u jedriličarskim krugovima spominjao dolazak jedrilica klase Club Swan 36 u Hrvatsku. Prvo je u kombinaciji bila samo jedna jedrilica koja je trebala naslijediti već legendarni X-Cite, a ubrzo se počelo pričati i o cijeloj floti koja bi trebala jedriti pod zastavom ACI-ja. Konkretne informacije su se počele dobivati krajem lipnja i sad to više nisu bile glasine i kuloarske priče. Pojedinci odlaze u Italiju na testiranja jedrilica, a nakon ljeta svjedoci smo i prvom regatnom jedrenju jedne hrvatske posade. Od 8. do 12. listopada jedrio se The Nations Trophy - Swan One Design regata koju Nautor Swan organizira svake druge godine u suradnji s Real Club Nautico de Palma, a prvo izdanje je bilo 2017. Ove godine su u sklopu regate organizirana Svjetska prvenstva za Club Swan 50 i Club Swan 45, Club Swan 42 Europsko prvenstvo i promotivna regata za Club Swan 36. Hrvatska posada je jedrila na jedrilici klase Club Swan 36 s oznakom "ACI Sail", a o najzvučnijoj jedriličarskom novosti u Hrvatskoj nakon ovogodišnjeg ORC Svjetskog prvenstva odjedrenog u lipnju u Šibeniku popričali smo s predstavnikom nositelja projekta, ujedno i glavnim idejnim tvorcem novog poglavlja u hrvatskom jedrenju, Ivanom Kljakovićem Gašpićem: Nakon što je ACI bio vlasnik monotip flote JOD 36 s kojima su se jedrile match race regate, iznimno popularne devedesetih godina prošlog stoljeća, u ACI-ju se dugo nije ulagalo u sportski segment. Sad je stiglo vrijeme da se tvrtka ponovno okrene i u tom smjeru. Dok smo razmišljali u kojem to smjeru da se okrenemo uzimali smo u obzir sve postojeće popularne klase. TP52 je super brod, ali preskup, RC44 je stara klasa koja odumire, veliki MAXI-ji i super MAXI-ji su uglavnom "one off" a to i dalje nije strateška priča. Ono što je meni vrlo zanimljivo je foiling koncept. Osim što mislim da je to budućnost, u ACI-ju smo se odlučili orijentirati na neki trend koji je ujedno i brand u svijetu. Ako idemo gledati Melges, u jedriličarskim krugovima su to vrlo popularne jedrilice (modeli 20, 24, 32...), vrlo kvalitetne, ali široj populaciji su relativno nepoznate. Drugim riječima, rijetko tko što se ne bavi regatnim jedrenjem nije čuo ništa o Melgesu. Znači, to nije brand. S druge strane Melges 32 je stari brod i po meni se uopće ne isplati razmišljati o njemu na ovakav način. Melges 40, jedrilica koja je užasno skupa, komplicirana, nepraktična, također nije ono što nam treba. Tu negdje se pojavio Swan 36, za kojeg sam odmah kad je izašao pomislio da je to ono što nam treba. I to iz više razloga. Swan u svom Club razredu ima najveći broj članova, preko 7000 ljudi. Osim vlasnika, tu su i njihovi prijatelji... uglavnom poprilično zanimljiva skupina potencijalnih gostiju. O Swanu kao brandu mislim da je bespredmetno išta pričati, jer je riječ o jednom od najzvučnijih imena u svijetu jedrenja. Ne znam koga drugog bi mogao spomenuti u istom rangu s njim. I s druge strane jedrilice od 36 stopa se svojom veličinom mogu vezati u bilo koju ACI marinu i možemo za njih priuštiti sve što im treba. Omogućavaju nam vrlo veliku fleksibilnost kod organizacije bilo koje vrste regata, evenata itd. Jedna platforma koja po veličini i dimenzijama prihvatljiva ACI-ju i objedinjava sve one karakteristike koje sam spomenuo maloprije... foiling, moderan brod koji je također i vlasnička klasa. S druge strane Swan je u jednom velikom zamahu s klasom Swan Club 50, kojih je trenutno prodano trideset komada, što nije malen broj i evo sad na posljednjoj regati je jedrilo zajedno 18 tih jedrilica. Siguran sam da je taj brod i taj koncept nešto što će slijedećih desetak godina imati progresivan napredak. Tu se model od 36 stopa uklopio savršeno, jer se trenutno stvarno mnogo ljudi iz Melges-a, RC-a i drugih klasa gleda prebaciti u tridesetšesticu. Tako da možemo reći da je ACI s ovim napravio jedan vrlo velik korak naprijed i sudjeluje u postavljanju novih standarda na Jadranu, što je i jedan od glavnih ciljeva ACI-ja u dodatnom brandiranju Jadrana kao destinacije. S druge strane s ovim jedrilicama ćemo pružiti svim hrvatskim mladim jedriličarima mogućnost uključivanja u nove svjetske trendove. Meni osobno će biti vrlo drago da naša djeca koja prođu školu jedrenja, male klase i sve ono što sam i ja prolazio godinama, imati jednu novu stepenicu na koju će se moći popeti. Meni osobno kao jedriličaru to će biti i najveća satisfakcija, da znam da će te generacije djece, naravno ako se žele razvijati u ovom smjeru i imaju volje, imati platformu koja će ih gurnuti naprijed, a da nisu osuđeni na klasično skiperavanje. Mladi jedriličari imat će mogućnost uključivanja u cijelu priču kao instruktori u školi jedrenja na Swan-ovima 36, kad se budu organizirale raznorazne regate imat će mogućnost da se brinu o jedrilicama kao "boat captains", "shore captains". To su jedrilice koje su regatne "pile", kao mali TP, što se nauči na tom brodu s tim znanjem se može prebaciti na bilo koji Grand Prix brod i većeg i manjeg kalibra! Naučit će razmišljati na odgovarajući način i tehnički brinuti o njima. S druge strane moći će sudjelovati i u samom organiziranju regata i evanata, te naravno, kao skiperi i posade, jer će na svakom brodu trebat biti minimalno dva člana posade uz neiskusnu posadu koje ih uzmu u najam. Po svakoj regati će trebati minimalno desetak takvih mladih, nadobudnih jedriličara koji će se tu htjeti kaliti, dokazivati i s druge strane puno toga učiti. Mi smo trenutno također i u dogovorima sa Swan-om po pitanju regata koje će se u budućnosti organizirati u Hrvatskoj. Na njima će se sigurno trebat angažirati jedriličari za posade koje sigurno neće uvijek dolaziti kompletne, jer na ovakve regate često dolazi vlasnik ili sponzor s dva-tri svoja stalna jedriličara, a ostatak posade se kompletira s lokalnim jedriličarima. To su stvari na kojima trenutno radimo i vjerujem da ćemo za 2-3 godine imati na Jadranu Swan regate punog profila, znači ne samo za 36-ice, već za sve ostale Swan-ove. I tek tada projekt dolazi do svog punog izražaja, kad Hrvatska postane nova Swan destinacija. Ivan Kljaković Gašpić, ACI FOTO: STUDIO BORLENGHI ACI investira u dolazak ukupno 6 jedrilica. Jedan dio će doći do kraja ove godine, a flota će biti kompletirana do sezone 2020. Glavna baza će biti u marini ACI Split. Trenutno je tamo u izradi jedan novi montažni charter terminal u kojem će imati svoje urede i trening centar. Ali jedrilice neće biti u Splitu cijelu godinu. U planu je da ih se rotira po Jadranu, a po potrebi i po Mediteranu. Već je dosta zainteresiranih za najam za Swan regate po Mediteranu iduće godine... Copy del Ray, Rolex Swan Cup itd. Intencija je da Jadranske regate ne budu samo u Splitu, već da ih se organizira i u Dubrovniku, Rovinju, bilo kojoj drugoj lokaciji. Hrvatska premijera bila je na ovogodišnjoj Jabuci gdje su nastupile dvije ove jedrilice. Na jednoj je jedrio Ivan Kljaković Gašpić s ekipom iz Swana. S njim na palubi je bio Federico Michetti bivši CEO Melges Europe, a odnedavno sportski direktor Swan one design evenata. Dok je drugi Swan 36 iznajmljen jednoj češko - hrvatskoj posadi. READ MORE

INSIDE MOTH WORLDS WITH TOM SLINGSBY The North 3Di Decksweeper Delivered Winning Boatspeed North Sails introduced a line-up of four new high-performance 3Di Moth sails in June 2019, including the Vi-8DS Decksweeper 3Di Mainsail which Tom Slingsby chose in his bid to be crowned World Champion. Tom Slingsby used the North Decksweeper across the range, from 10-25 knots to help secure his newest title. The all-purpose 3Di mainsail delivered the boat speed Slingsby needed to win every race he sailed in this highly competitive one design class. Learn more about the new North designs for the International Moth on NorthSails.com.   READ MORE

North Sails New Zealand is helping to develop new foiling monohulls for the Youth America’s Cup, which begins in November 2020 and ends in March 2021, just ahead of the main event. READ MORE

PARTNERING TO PROMOTE DOUBLEHANDED RACING IN NORTH AMERICA Ken Read Onboard the Jeanneau SunFast 3300 for Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race 📸 Jeanneau Jeanneau America announced today that world-renowned American yachtsman and North Sails President Ken Read will campaign the new Jeanneau SunFast 3300 in the double-handed division of the 2020 Fort Lauderdale to Key West race along with navigator Suzy Leech. The plan is to continue with a schedule that includes other events on the double-handed offshore sailing calendar in 2020, a discipline that is growing in popularity especially after the announcement of a mixed gender double-handed offshore class in the 2024 Olympics. From the drawing board of Daniel Andrieu and Guillaume Verdier, the SunFast 3300 is the all-new offshore race boat from Jeanneau. Designed for short-handed teams who are looking for a high performance platform, the boat is capable of long distance racing competitively under modern rating rules. “It’s an exciting move for us,” said Nick Harvey, president of Jeanneau America. “Short-handed sailing has been growing in interest globally, and Jeanneau is proud to develop a production boat that is capable of taking those sailors where they want to go.” North Sails has been an early partner in the development of the SunFast 3300 globally, and now in North America. “Jeanneau America approached us, and worked with our 3300 class leader Allan Terhune early in the process of bringing the boat to the North American market,” explained Read. “Double-handed racing is catching on worldwide, inspired by the passion and growth of short-handed sailing in countries like France and England. Developing a sail plan and shorthanded inventory with Jeanneau began with our North Sails team in France, and we are now taking it a step further with a larger sail plan on the boats imported to North America. The SunFast 3300 sail package is built to work in any handicap rule. It has been a fun project so far, but now comes the hard work on the water!” “The product we have put on the water is second to none,” continued Harvey. “Anyone in North America looking to grow in offshore racing should give the SunFast 3300 a serious look.” The first double-handed event for Read is the 2020 Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race. This event is a staple of the SORC circuit, and race organizers are embracing double-handed racing by adding this new class. The 120-mile race is historically a great challenge, heading south between the Florida Keys and the tricky Gulf Stream before finishing in sunny Key West, Florida. “Now that the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race has decided to do a dedicated double-handed class, this is a shout out for boats and teams to come on down and have some fun. We can all learn together. As double-handed sailing begins to develop here in North America, we first and foremost have to make it fun. And this race is always a blast!,” said Read, “It’s brand new for Suzy and me and we can’t wait to get started.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS IS OPEN IN LORIENT Our French Team Welcomes Friends to New Loft in Lorient La Base On Wednesday evening, Gautier Sergent, Director of North Sails France, and Phillip Touet, General Manager of North Sails France, joined the local North team in welcoming guests to our new facility in Lorient La Base. Nearly 150 people, including many well-known names from the French sailing community, celebrated the opening of this new sales and service site, right in the heart of offshore racing. Among the guests were team members from Charal, Gitana, PRB and Sodebo. Also present was Victor Tonnerre, mayor of Larmor-Plage and founder of Tonnerre Voilerie. The new North loft now occupies the same location where Tonnerre built his business. The loft features a new 500m² service floor purpose-built to meet the needs of sailing teams. It also has office space and a 50m² meeting room to house technical experts, sail designers, and industry-leading R&D specialists. Our long-standing Vannes loft will remain the French production site for North Sails, as well as continuing to provide regional customer service. Thibaut Agaugue will be in charge of service in both locations. Gautier Sergent, Director of North Sails France and Head of R&D We have been looking to have a base at La Base in Lorient for a few years now. We wanted to do it right and had a few boxes to tick. Our new loft is ideal and will be a fantastic tool to bring us closer to our customers and partners, and encourages even better collaboration. We had a great turnout at our opening. When standing in front of the guests to say a few welcome words, I realized how much talent and potential there was in the room; all very key people in the sailing scene far beyond this “Sailing Valley” known for its innovation. What a great relationship we have with all these people; our customers, our own team, our partners, local representatives, many who I call friends. Going beyond is a motto we stand by at North Sails, and this loft is yet another great tool at our fingertips. Franck Cammas, Skipper, Edmond de Rothschild “The arrival of North Sails France in Lorient La Base is significant for our team, especially quick access to the design office with whom we spend a lot of time exchanging ideas. Even if our mainsails cannot be modified here, we will still be able to use the local service for minor modifications and smaller sails.” Victor Tonnerre, Mayor of Larmor-Plage and Founder of the Sailmaker Tonnerre Voilerie “It’s an honour for us to welcome international sailmaker North Sails to Lorient. My friends, many of whom are present tonight, must be proud. I used to run my company in this same location. Tonnerre means thunder, and I know that today with North Sails, it is going to hit like thunder! Yann Penfornis, Managing Director, Multiplast “The North Sails presence in Lorient makes perfect sense. The loft location provides an opportunity for the North team to work more closely with its customers.” Carole Bourlon, Head of the Eurolarge Innovation program at Bretagne Développement Innovation “The choice of Lorient as a complement to Vannes was an obvious choice for North Sails.” READ MORE

North Sails a inauguré son nouveau loft à Lorient en présence de nombreux invités 📸Maxime Horlaville / polaRYSE Près de 150 personnes ont assisté mercredi 18 décembre à l’inauguration des nouveaux locaux de North Sails à Lorient La Base en présence de toute l’équipe de North Sails Vannes. Parmi les invités figuraient de nombreux acteurs du monde nautique tels que les membres de Charal, Gitana Team, PRB, Sodebo, Banque du Léman, des représentants de la Classe 40 et Mini 6.50 ainsi que de Multiplast, GSea Design, Tonnerre Gréement et Decosail pour n’en citer que quelques-uns. Étaient également présents des élus locaux dont Victor Tonnerre, maire de Larmor-Plage (56) et fondateur de la voilerie Tonnerre qu’occupe désormais North Sails. Cet événement était l’occasion pour les convives de découvrir le nouveau plancher de 500m2 dédié au service (réparations et modifications) et qui abrite également une équipe de six personnes, ingénieurs (bureau d'études) et technico-commerciaux. Le loft de Vannes restera le site de production pour North Sails France, et de service pour les clients de la région vannetaise. 📸Maxime Horlaville / polaRYSE 📸Maxime Horlaville / polaRYSE « Cela fait quelques années que nous souhaitions nous implanter à Lorient, a commenté Gautier Sergent, directeur général de North Sails France. Nous voulions le faire dans les meilleures conditions, selon des critères qui nous correspondent, et de manière pérenne. Cette inauguration nous a confortés dans notre choix. Nos clients et partenaires sont venus en grand nombre pour célébrer cet événement en notre compagnie. Nous sommes fiers de leur présence à nos côtés, des relations privilégiées que nous entretenons avec eux et de la palette de talents qu’ils représentent tous. Allez toujours plus loin est notre devise et nous avons désormais un support supplémentaire à notre disposition. » Ils ont dit : Franck Cammas, skipper, Edmond de Rothschild, Gitana Team « La venue de North Sails France à Lorient La Base nous concerne directement, notamment le bureau d’études avec qui nous échangeons beaucoup. Même si nos grands-voiles ne pourront être déroulées ici, nous pourrons toujours utiliser leur service de proximité pour les modifications et les voiles plus petites. Victor Tonnerre, maire de Larmor-Plage et fondateur de la voilerie Tonnerre « C’est un honneur que North Sails reprenne ce bâtiment. C’est une grande voilerie internationale compétente. Mes amis marins, ceux qui sont là et ceux qui tristement ne sont plus parmi nous, doivent être fiers. Avant ici, je tenais ma voilerie qui portait le nom de Tonnerre. Je sais qu’aujourd’hui avec North Sails, ce sera du Tonnerre. » Yann Penfornis, Directeur de Multiplast « C’est une bonne chose pour North Sails qui se donne aujourd’hui la possibilité de travailler plus étroitement avec ses clients. Cela devait déjà arriver avec le bâtiment des défis avant qu’il ne soit ravagé par un incendie. Leur présence est tout à fait logique. » Carole Bourlon, Responsable voile de compétition, Eurolarge, Bretagne Développement Innovation « Je pense que l’implantation de North Sails à Lorient en complément de Vannes s’imposait comme une évidence. » 📸Maxime Horlaville / polaRYSE 📸Maxime Horlaville / polaRYSE READ MORE

ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE PREVIEW Gearing Up for the 75th Edition 📸 Carlo Borlenghi With more than 160 boats registered and more than 1,000 crew members ready to take on the iconic 628nm offshore sprint from Sydney to Hobart, excitement is now spilling onto the docks as we count down the last few days before the start of the race (December 26, 1:00 pm local time). This race is watched by sailors all over the world, because it’s a true test of ability and perseverance. See how you can follow the race below. Boats we’re following Line honours contestants Wild Oats and BlackJack will be going head to head with Scallywag. In the ORC fleet, Matt Allen’s TP52 Ichi Ban took 5th place last year and won overall in 2017, so she’s another contender for the overall regatta win. Expect a battle with Barry Cuneo’s Envy Scooters, which last year was put together in haste and this year will include several young guns in the crew aiming to be the Tattersall Cup winners. Christian Beck’s InfoTrack*, Noel Cornish’s St Jude, Paul Buchholz’s Extasea, and Frederic Puzin’s Daquet (previously Patrice) are all expected to do well in their respective fleets. Additional clients of interest include Keiran and Elizabeth Mulcahy’s King 40 Soozal. Soozal had a refit in November and will be joined by three additional family members for the race to Hobart. Mark Hipgrave’s short-handed experienced crew onboard Jeanneau SunFast 3600 Mister Lucky shows a lot of potential. Helmed by Deb Fish, her goal is to be the top female to cross the finish line. Katwinchar, built in 1904, will be the oldest boat ever to compete in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart. Over the last two years, owner Bill Barry-Cotter has rebuilt this 32-footer, and along with his team of Murray Spence, Michael Spie, and Kendal Barry-Cotter, he’s ready to race. We look forward to seeing this Corinthian team cross the finish line in Hobart. Weather predictions The last few races have rewarded boats that thrive off the wind. North expert and Sydney local Alby Pratt says, “we’re overdue for an upwind race, so anything can happen!” If the fleet does see tighter sheeting angles, Scallywag, BlackJack, and Quest will all have the chance to extend on the fleet thanks to their North Helix Code Sails. This year’s race forecasting has been complicated by Sydney’s ring of brush fires, which reduced visibility so much on Sydney Harbour that the Big Boat Challenge was cancelled. Fire alarms have been triggered in homes and buildings downtown, and ferries cancelled. Despite ongoing concerns, the Bureau of Meteorology indicates that conditions for the start should be clear, with a north-northeast wind that builds and shifts south. This will make the start a battle of crewwork—who can pull of the smoothest transitions. There is no way to predict what exactly will be the outcome, but some can hope that conditions may give the smaller yachts in the race a chance to shine. While once the ‘holy grail’ for racing from Sydney to Hobart was to complete the course in less than two days, this year the record to beat is one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds. Along with you, we’ll be tracking the fleet’s progress. Good luck to all! How to follow Be at the epicenter of the main event. Race villages are set up in Sydney and in Hobart to catch the beginning and the end of the race Australia’s Local Network 7 News will be broadcasting a 90 minute program starting at 12:30 AEST on Boxing Day. Tune in! If you are not in AEST, check for live news announcements at www.RolexSydneyHobart.com. Track the entire fleet, or just one boat. See how fast different teams are sailing and how far they have to go to the finish line using the fleet tracker app. If you’ve got a boat, get out on the water for a front row seat to all the action. Just remember to stay clear of the exclusion zone. Want to participate in the race, but from the comfort of your own home? Compete with Virtual Race! Sign up to compete here. READ MORE

OPTIMIST NOVOS MODELOS DISPONÍVEIS Os novos modelos das velas de Optimist (MNR) já estão disponíveis, em Portugal, para demonstração. Se tem curiosidade em conhecer os novos modelos e em experimentá-los marque connosco um Demo Session para o seu Clube. A equipa North Sails Portugal leva até ao seu Clube os novos modelos para que as suas equipas tenham a oportunidade de conhecerem as velas North Sails para Optimist, em conjunto com os seus treinadores. Para marcações contacte o Vicente Pinheiro através dos contactos vicente.pinheiro@northsails.com ou 916 857 896. Saiba mais sobre o novo modelo através dos links e do video em baixo. #SailFast #GoBeyond NORTH SAILS INTRODUCES THE NEW BI-RADIAL OPTIMIST MAINSAIL NEW MNR SERIES OPTIMIST BI-RADIAL MAINSAIL https://youtu.be/D3PCbl3yjCc READ MORE

SUMMER SEASON SHAPING UP WELL FOR YOUNG P-CLASS SAILOR Great results with new sail from North Sails Auckland's One Design loft All eyes will be on Tim and his close rival Rowan Kensington this summer. The summer season is shaping up well for young P Class sailor Tim. Fourteen-year-old Tim, who is in his third season in the class, has been using a new F1 sail from North Sails Auckland’s One Design loft, and has been seeing great results. Tim, who sails out of the Kohimarama Yacht Club, won the P Class North Island championships at Tauranga at Labour Weekend, and is warming up for next year’s Tanner and Tauranga Cups event, to be held at the same venue. He also finished second at the recent Auckland champs at Glendowie, The North Island championships were sailed in fresh conditions on both days of the regatta, allowing only five races to be completed. Young sailors had to cope with not only changeable wind strength, but big changes in direction and the strong tidal flows of the Tauranga Harbour. Tim sailed consistently to win two of the races, finished second in two others, and round out his scorecard with a fourth placing, in a large fleet of 35 boats. This season Tim has moved from sailing Mintie into Vengeance, in which clubmate Blake Hinsley won the Tanner Cup earlier this year. Blake was also using a North F1 sail, and Tim decided to get one made for this season. North Sails One Design manager Derek Scott says the F1 is has a radial clew and a cross-cut top, to spread the load out of the clew. "It also allows the top of the sail to twist off nicely," Scott says. Tim’s father Richard Howse says Tim is enjoying using the sail. "He’s one of the more senior and heavier sailors in the fleet now and his Achilles heel has been sailing downwind," Richard says. "We have found his downwind speed with this sail is really, really good. It’s a real weapon." All eyes will be on Tim and his close rival Rowan Kensington this summer, especially at the 2020 Tanner Cup (interprovincial) and Tauranga Cup (national) P Class regatta, which will be sailed from January 2–7. READ MORE

SARASOTA WINTER SERIES #1: 4 LESSONS Vipers And VXOnes Get The Winter Party Started Jackson Benvenutti, winner in the Viper 640 class. 📸SJTStudios Friday With thunderstorms looming offshore for the setup day, Vipers and VXOne teams focused on getting their boats set up and tuned. North experts Jackson Benvenutti and Austin Powers moved from boat to boat, helping all the teams dial in their base rig settings. The day ashore was actually quite valuable, because setup takes time. A reminder to be patient, don’t rush establishing your base setting! Saturday Teams were rewarded for their patience with champagne conditions on the first race day. A warm 10-15 knot breeze delivered four awesome races. After racing, debriefs were run for both the Viper and the VX fleets. Two Lessons From Saturday: Teams that were aggressive in tightening the headstay (by increasing shroud tension and adding blocks) found their boats more manageable in the puffy conditions. Vang usage/tension shows whether your rig is right. If you are maxed out on the vang more than ¾ of the time, tighten the rig. If you are not using any vang, loosen the rig to power up the sail plan. Hayden Bennett, 2nd place VX One class 📸SJTStudios Sunday Sunday delivered lighter breezes, from 5-10 knots (and sometimes less than 5 knots later in the day). The Race Committee managed to squeeze in another 4 races, Jackson Benvenutti, Jesse Fielding, and Nick Ward took the Viper win. “Jackson set us up for fast with the latest inventory from North Sails,” Jesse said. “It was my first time in the Viper, a fun boat. I can’t wait for the next race, because Sarasota always delivers!” Nick signed on only two days before the regatta, after the original third crew member had to back out, since he was already in Sarasota for a family event. As a past Viper owner, he was psyched to be part of what turned out to be the winning team! North boats also took 3 of the top 5 spots in the VXOne, along with a partial inventory for winner (and new class president) John Potter. Two Lessons from Sunday: Pressure was king, and there were big holes in the middle of the course. Teams coming from the edges had success. Maintaining a high average speed downwind was crucial. There was a big penalty for teams that soaked too low, because it took so long to get back up to speed. Travis Yates & Mike Meighan, 2nd place in the Viper 640 class 📸SJTStudios Shoreside Local Knowledge Some popular hangout spots after sailing were the Daiquiri Deck and the local Irish bar. We look forward to seeing everyone there during the next event in January! North Scoreboard: Viper 640: 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 – Congrats Jackson Benvenutti VXOne: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Kelly Ann Cole (Driver), Sarah Wilkinson and Katy Hannan 📸SJTStudios 📸SJTStudios READ MORE

2019 - A MEMORABLE YEAR FOR NORTH SAILS IRELAND Reflecting On Another Great Year Scottish Series, Tarbert 1st RC 35 Chimaera Andrew Craig 📸 Brendan Fogarty 2019 was a jam-packed and action-filled racing season for North Sails Ireland. Our team of Nigel Young, Shane Hughes, Richard Marshall and Maurice O'Connell (yours truly) were on the water around the country from the first day of the Spring Series in February to the last day of the Winter Series last weekend. Richard kept our customers going delivering our overnight service at the major events during the summer. We also competed internationally at numerous events abroad which helps us "stay current" with the trends and thinking with our North Sails colleagues from around the world. Maurice even managed to fit in some TV studio punditry at the Star Sailors League finals in Nassau in the Bahamas. Someone’s got to do it! Our customers have once again delivered an amazing set of results with numerous championship, regatta and series victories. Here is what they had to say: "This year has been an amazing year for us winning the Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race, ICRAs, Calves Week and now the ISORA series. Kieran Tarbett, our helmsman loves our new 3Di Code 1 and Code 2 jibs! Our original 2016 3DL offshore mainsail that we use for ISORA continues to perform really well and of course, our "Leinster" A3 reaching kite is such a great sail. Massive thanks to the North Sails Ireland team for helping us achieve such success" - Paul O'Higgins, JPK 1080 Rockabil VI - ICRA, ISORA and Calves Week Champions. "North Sails have been powering Joker II since 2007. They just keep getting better and better and I have no doubt their latest 3Di Raw headsails have been a big factor in our success this year in the ICRA's, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and now the J109 Nationals. A big Thank You to Prof and the North Sails team for your fantastic support." - John Maybury, J109 Joker II - ICRA, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Week and J109 National Champions "The new North sails contributed to the improvements that were required to deliver a very successful racing season. The 3Di Nordac sails and the new spinnaker were designed and optimised using an impressive computer based design system, they gave the boat the power required to perform well in all conditions. Hands on setup of the new sails and practical trimming advice enhanced the experience." - Denis Byrne, Trapper TS250 Cracker - RCYC Club Boat Of The Year. “I’ve regretted buying from others but never regretted buying a North sail.” - Joe Carton Dehler 34 Voyager, Howth Yacht Club Thank you to all our customers - you have all been fantastic and look at these results! Sail FAST, Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all afloat in 2020. Horgans Quay October League Jump Juice at speed! Darragh McCormack Mermaid National Champion 2018 & 2019 Denis Byrne and Cracker flying her 3Di Nordac sails Paul O'Higgins' Rockabill Vl 📸 Afloat.ie Partial Inventory* READ MORE

FROHE FEIERTAGE Und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! Das North Sails Schweiz Team wünscht Ihnen ein fröhliches Weihnachtsfest. Wir hoffen, dass Sie schöne Feiertage mit viel Freude erleben werden und wünschen Ihnen einen gelungenen Start in ein gesundes und segelreiches neues Jahr. Bitte beachten Sie, dass unser Büro vom 24.12.19 bis und mit 09.01.19 geschlossen ist. Wir danken Ihnen für Ihr entgegengebrachtes Vertrauen im 2019! Unser Team freut sich schon jetzt auf Ihren Besuch im 2020 und die neue Segelsaion. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CUSTOMERS EXPLORING THE PACIFIC ISLANDS Two lucky North Sails customers have had a winter of pleasure on the water Emmanuel Vannier is currently living aboard his Dufour 455 with his two teenage children at Nouméa, New Caledonia While the onset of summer has many sailors’ minds turning to cruising, two lucky North Sails customers have also had a winter of pleasure on the water, exploring the Pacific Islands. Mark Clough of Auckland headed for the islands in his 44-foot Jeanneau 439, spending three months in Tonga before reluctantly heading home. Clough mostly cruised with his wife Judith, but was joined at times by their children and a delivery crew, who helped on passages up and back to the islands. They started in Tongatapu, then sailed north to the Ha’apai group and onto Vava’u. "We spent most of our time up there — it was just gorgeous, really good cruising grounds, and lots of whales," Clough says. Clough bought the boat in Vanuatu two years ago and brought it down to New Zealand, but was dissatisfied by its initial performance. "When I sailed it down from Vanuatu the boat still had the original sails on it - the boat was built in 2015, so it was quite new, although it had already done about 15,000 nautical miles," Clough says. "I was quite disappointed in how it sailed and thought that maybe I had made the wrong decision." However, after talking with North Sails in Auckland, he ordered a new 3Di NORDAC moulded Dacron cruising mainsail and number one jib. "They’re now coming up to two years old and they look as good as they did when they were put on the boat, with no signs of significant wear. They get used every weekend and now have had this trip up to Tonga and back, and they are still in excellent condition and the shape is great." Clough says he had several envious cruisers come over to his boat to admire his sails and ask him where they came from. "The new sails completely converted the boat, and I can’t speak highly enough of them," he says. Another happy North Sails customer French cruiser Emmanuel Vannier, who is currently living aboard his Dufour 455 with his two teenage children at Nouméa, New Caledonia. Vannier got a new 3Di NORDAC main and furling jib from the Auckland North Sails loft in January this year, and has so far sailed about 15,000 nautical miles with them, in winds of up to 45 knots. Next on his cruising agenda is a 4000 km eastern Australian cruise from mid-December. "First about it is the very nice profile cut and shape of it. It’s highly efficient, and the stability makes it possible to carry a full jib and main up to 18 to 20 knots," he says. "With the jib partly furled and two reefs in the main, we can keep stability and good speed up to 35 knots." "To compare it to the classic Dacron sail, it works better in low wind but can also be used in higher wind conditions. It’s a real blue-water sailing gear with the high standard of performance - a piece of race equipment on my cruising boat." 3Di NORDAC combines North Sails’ unique composite moulded sail technology with polyester fabric, creating cruising sails with smoother and more permanent aerodynamic shape. NORDAC was developed with small to medium-sized cruising boats in mind, to deliver greater control, more comfort and better speed in an affordable and durable package. "It’s a real blue-water sailing gear with the high standard of performance - a piece of race equipment on my cruising boat." READ MORE

NORTH PROUD TO PRESENT THE VOLVO YACHTING EXCELLENCE AWARDS Not just to celebrate high performance on the water Emily Overend and Harry Edwards from the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club with Matt Steven from North Sails New Zealand. 📸 Yachting NZ North Sails was the sponsor of the new Sportsmanship Award, which sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills said was just as important as recognising those sailors who have had big wins this year. "We were proud to sponsor this new award, as it recognises a key value in competitive sailing," Wills says. "This special award goes beyond performance to acknowledge fairness and generosity in the sport, which is every bit important as achieving a good result on the water. As the great Paul Elvström said, ‘"You haven’t won the race, if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors." The inaugural recipients of the sportsmanship award were young sailors Emily Overend (16) and 14-year-old Harry Edwards, from the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club. Sailing a Nacra 15 at the Oceanbridge regatta in Auckland in February, the crew gave up their own boat after the leading sailors, Jack Honey and Helena Sanderson from the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, were involved in a major collision. Overend and Edwards loaned their boat to Honey and Sanderson so they could complete the regatta, and sailed the damaged boat back to the beach. After the swap, the Bay of Islands duo won their final two races, to clinch the title and book themselves a place at the Youth Worlds. While some other competitors protested the move, they were unsuccessful, and the result stood. Other sailors using North Sails were also honoured at the awards, including Orbit World Travel Sailor of the Year Dan Slater and the Volvo Young Sailors of the Year, Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan. Menzies and McGlashan won the boy’s 420 division at the 2019 youth sailing world championships and came second at the open 420 worlds. Former Olympian Slater started the year by winning the OK Dinghy world championships in Auckland, then was tactician for the team that won the 12 Metre world championships in England and came second at the 8 Metre world champs. READ MORE

Bahami Percyju i Ekstromu, Tonči i Tudor su mogli i bolje FOTO: GILLES MORELLE Od 2. do 7. prosinca na Bahamima se okupilo 46 jedriličara iz cijelog svijeta s ciljem osvajanja 4000 bodova za SSL rang ljestvicu, a također i za ne baš zanemarivih 200.000 USD! Domaćini su već tradicionalno bili iz Nassau Yacht Cluba, a organizatori fondacija Star Sailors League. Ove jeseni već smo imali jednu temu vezanu uz SSL, a bila je vezana uz idući korak koji je zamislio Michel Niklaus, idejni začetnik cijelog SSL projekta. Tada je naša izabrana vrsta trenirala u Švicarskoj za nastup na Nations Gold Cupu, a početak prosinca, odnosno kraj kalendarske godine je već nekoliko sezona rezerviran za finalno natjecanje sezone za najbolje od najboljih. Još jednom je naš predstavnik bio Tonči Stipanović, a ove godine je uz njega, kao flokista, jedrio Tudor Bilić. Konkurencija je bila standardno fenomenalno jaka, a red je i da ovdje prenesemo tu statistiku kojom se organizator s pravom voli pohvaliti. Kad se samo najpoznatiji naslovi ovih jedriličara stave na jedno mjesto dobiju se četiri zlatne, tri srebrene i šest brončanih medalja na olimpijadama, 23 svjetska naslova u klasi Zvijezda, dva svjetska naslova u olimpijskim klasama, po jedna pobjeda u Luis Vuitton Cupu i VOR-u, te osam naslova na nekoj regati organiziranoj od strane SSL-a. Inače nikad nije lako na jednom mjestu skupiti takvu količinu talenta, ali nagradni fond je iznimno velik, iskreno govoreći i jedini tako izdašan u jedriličarskom svijetu, pa je sigurno i on, uz zadovoljstvo jedrenja s najboljima, vječno jak mamac. Treba uzeti u obzir da je ova zima posljednja pred olimpijske igre koje će se organizirati iduće ljeto. Tako da je mnogim jedriličarima ovaj odlazak na Bahame vjerojatno dobro došao kao mali odmor od svakodnevnih treninga i smanjenje psihičkog pritiska priprema i eventualnih potjera za posljednjim mjestima u vlaku za Tokio. Što se tiče Tonča kojem je ovo bio četvrti nastup na Bahamima, on je među prvima ispunio normu u Laseru i na izlet na Karibe je otišao između dva seta priprema za Svjetsko prvenstvo koje će se jedriti u veljači u Australiji, a između treninga u Splitu pronašao je vremena i za treninge s novim flokistom koji je inače bivši Finnista, Tudorom Bilićem iz JK Trogir. Tudor je iskazuje želju za probat jedriti u Stelli sigurno posljednjih godinu dana. I sjećam se da i lani kad sam se za Bahame pripremao s Federico Melom dolazio je do Splita, do nas, da vidi kako izgledaju jedrilice i bili su planovi da izađe na more kao flokista Marka Marinovića. Međutim, ta ideja se nije realizirala, ali zato smo nas dvojica po ovom pitanju ostala u kontaktu. U međuvremenu sam kod nas jedrio s Mariom Lulićem, ali Mario je prelagan za u odnosu na idealnu masu s kojom svi nastupaju u Stelli. Zato sam morao napraviti tu promjenu, a Tudor je bio voljan dolaziti iz Trogira u Split na treninge, bio je pun želje i počeli smo trenirati. Također mi nije bilo ni važno da je flokista netko s iskustvom u Stelli na velikim natjecanjima i mislim da je na duge staze ovo dobar izbor. Žao mi je jedino što se nije uspio organizirati Croatel Cup koji je trebao biti u prvom dijelu jeseni, pa je Tudoru prva regata u Stelli bio SSL. Unatoč tome mislim da je dobro da je odmah nastupio u ovoj konkurenciji, premda s druge strane, moja su očekivanja bila mnogo veća i brzo sam shvatio da se moje želje neće ostvariti. Ali brzo sam se pomirio s tim i nisam bio nešto žalostan zbog rezultata. Sigurno bi volio da smo bili bolji, ali gledam dalekosežno i ovo je definitivno bilo vrlo dobro s obzirom na planove koje imamo nakon završetka ovog olimpijskog ciklusa. Inače što se izvedbe na ovoj regati tiče, imali smo velikih problema s jarbolom kad smo jedrili krmu. Na treninzima je bio lagan vjetar i tu smo išli OK, ali kad je došla regata i kad je malo jače zapuhalo taj jarbol nije stajao dobro, a nismo imali nikog tko nam je mogao reći što je krivo, pa smo sami nešto pokušavali ispraviti. Ali kad je vjetar kasnije slabio to je sve zajedno sve bolje izgledalo. Inače imam neke mjere kako treba namjestiti jarbol, koje sam koristio doma, ali sve se mijenja i po tom pitanju bi nam sigurno pomogla da je bila još neka regata u međuvremenu. Kad smo se doma pripremali u većini slučajeva nas dvojica smo sami izlazili na more, a samo povremeno bi s nama na more izašli Mladen i Lovre Perhat. Tako da sigurno moramo još dosta trenirati kako bi došli i do trima s kojim nas dvojica možemo biti ravnopravni na regatnom polju protiv najboljih. S obzirom na veliku pauzu koju zbog ostalih obaveza imam u Stelli, svaki put iz početka moram hvatati "mot", a također treba uzeti u obzir da ostale posade ako nisu imale kormilara koji je jedriličar u Stelli, onda su imale flokiste kojima je Stella matična klasa i oni su se bavili pripremama jedrilice. Tonči Stipanović, kormilar - JK Mornar FOTO: GILLES MORELLE Što se tiče jedrenja, ukupno je završeno 10 kvalifikacijskih plovova nakon kojih su se po knockout sistemu jedrili četvrtfinale i polufinale, da bi u konačnici dobili četiri posade u finalnom plovu. S obzirom na 23 posade koje su jedrile ove godine, 7. mjesto u otvaranju je bilo stvarno obećavajuće za Stipanovića i Bilića. Međutim, slijedi faza jačeg vjetra na regatnom polju i za njih kreće loš niz s plasmanima između 17. i 21. mjesta. Kad je vjetar oslabio situacija se popravlja ostvaruju tri mnogo bolja rezultata, ali i dva puta prestupaju na startnoj liniji. S obzirom da je na deset jedrenja bilo samo jedno odbacivanje ukupna suma ih je vratila na nisko 20. mjesto. Malo više detalja o situacijama na regatnom polju ispričao nam je Tudor Bilić: Imali smo raznolike uvjete tijekom tog tjedna. Kako smo jedrili u zaljevu val je svih dana bio manje više isti, dok je vjetar vrtio... kako koji dan. Prvi dan je bilo do 10-12 čvorova. Tada smo imali jedno dobro mjesto (7.), drugu smo ušli 17. iako smo dobro startali, ali malo smo se pogubili po polju. Pripisali smo to prvom danu i privikavanju na brod, jer nije isti kakvog imamo doma. I trim je bio drugačiji i vožnja i sve ostalo. U drugi dan smo krenuli s nadom da je to to. Vidjeli smo da možemo dobro startati iako nismo imali niti jednu regatu do sada da smo zajedno jedrili. Na kraju je ispalo da je start bio najmanji problem. Taj drugi dan najbolje smo startali drugi plov u čistoj situaciji, a i kasnije su nam svi koji su pratili regatu rekli da smo imali možda najbolje starteve. Ali ne znam točno opisati što se dešavalo. Polje je bilo kratko, a poznato je da Stelle imaju veliki kut i ako nisi u pravom refulu i pravom dricu samo te "isisa", ispadneš iz toga. A kad si ispao iz toga onda više ne voziš regatu, nego regata vozi tebe. I to nam se na žalost dogodilo možda desetak minuta nakon starta jedne regate, a drugu jednu smo čak i vodili nakon prve orce... išli smo s lijeve strane... nismo zatvorili kako je trebalo i eto... uglavnom nije ispalo kako smo htjeli i onda nastane nervoza po pitanju zašto ne idemo, pa tražiš razlog zašto se to dešava i jednostavno prođe dan. Moram priznati da smo lošije vozili u krmu. Naime ima više različitih tehnika vožnje, pogotovo kad je "free pumping". Inače je u regularnim regatama za Stelle to zabranjeno, ali u SSL-u je dozvoljeno. Jesmo to trenirali ali tehnike su različite, pa nekad više gledaš da li si ispravan ili ne, a regate su stvarno bile kratke... svaki plov je trajao oko 50 minuta do sat. Npr. kad je Svjetsko ili Europsko prvenstvo duljine su puno veće, ja još to nisam vozio, ali kažu da se ne vidi bova od orce, bude postavljena na oko 1.7NM. A ovo je zbijeno više radi kamera i prijenosa u živo. I stvarno je puno zanimljivo... kad okreneš 20. u principu si okrenuo odmah iza prvoga. Međutim, isto tako ako si okrenuo 7. ili 8., a iza tebe je grupa onda možeš vrlo lako završiti na 20. mjestu. Mislim da se na live prijenosu vidjelo koliko je to u stvari mala razlika. To je bilo ta prva dva dana, a trećeg smo isto imali dobre startevi i pokoji dobar ulaz, ali dva OCS-a su nas vratila natrag. Kad smo imali prvi OCS orcu smo okrenuli 8. Kako se zbog širine linije ne čuje tko je imao prijestup, pravilo je da na ploči na bovi od orce objave tko je prestupio, naravno, bude i zastava, ali stvarno se ne čuje poziv na liniji, pa nas zaustave na orci. A drugu regatu i dalje smatramo da nismo bili vani, ali nismo ništa mogli napraviti... tada smo na orci bili 7. Eto da smo to imali regularno na kraju bi vrlo vjerojatno bili oko 11. ili 12. mjesta, na korak do finalnih jedrenja. Ali sve u svemu nismo nezadovoljni, ipak nam je prva regata. Također je bilo malo posada u kojima su oba člana jedna nacija. Uglavnom, guramo ovo dalje. Trenutno su najvažnije Tončeve OI, tako da sad nećemo ništa forsirati, a ja ću nastojati odvoziti jedan kamp na Gardi na proljeće i malo raditi na brodu kojeg imamo doma... ne stajemo, idemo dalje! Još moram istaknuti da smo bili okruženi stvarno izvrsnim ljudima i jedriličarima... sami dođu i kažu to si dobro napravio, radiš to i to, nemoj ono... stvarno super atmosfera! Tudor Bilić, flokista - JK Trogir FOTO: MARC ROUILLER Ubrzo nakon povratka s Barbadosa krenule su sve uobičajene obaveze, a Tončijeva je povratak pripremama. Kako će se predstojeće Svjetsko prvenstvo jedriti na oceanu s uvjetima jačeg vjetra i definitivno većeg vala nego što ga se može pronaći na Jadranu, stručni stožer je izabrao odlazak na Maltu kao najbližu lokaciju s uvjetima koji mogu simulirati one koji se očekuju na južnoj polutci. READ MORE

SLINGSBY DOMINATES AT MOTH WORLDS The New World Champion Credits 3Di Decksweeper for his Winning Boat Speed When North Sails announced four new 3Di Moth sail designs six months ago, class leader Rob Greenhalgh said “I am confident Moth sailors will reap the rewards on the race course.” This week, Tom Slingsby proved him right by sitting out the final day of the 61-boat Gold Fleet at Moth Worlds, after clinching victory with bullets in all but one race. Greenhalgh himself finished seventh, and six other North boats finished in the top 10. “I’m really happy with the North Decksweeper,” Slingsby said, shortly after cementing the overall win. “It’s been performing all the way through the range for me, from about 10 knots all the way to 25-plus. It’s the only sail I’ve used all week, and in all conditions I’ve had a lot of boat speed.” He described his final race day as a beautiful afternoon; “15-25 knots of seabreeze here on the Swan River.” With such impressive boat speed, only a breakdown, getting tangled up with another competitor, or a starting penalty could lose him the championship. “The final race, I had a really good start. I was concerned I was OCS, but it was all clear.” Once he got out in front, he managed the traffic well and crossed the finish line first, again. To prepare for the Worlds, Slingsby trained with Greenhalgh and Scott Babbage, who finished fourth behind Tom Burton. “We’ve got a really good training group. We’re able to slowly make refinements and then check it against a stable platform. So every time we made a change, we’d see how it would go against the baseline. If it worked, we’d all move to that concept. If it didn’t work, we’d go onto the next thing. We just constantly made little steps, and it’s shown in the results—all of us are in the top group. It’s really satisfying that our little group’s done so well.” Tom thinks the Decksweeper could also win next year’s Worlds in Weymouth, UK. “It’s also a flat water, windy venue. There might be a couple of little refinements, but the concept is there. What North has done is a great product, and I think you could rock up to next year’s Worlds with the sail right now and be competitive.” 📸 James Tomlinson READ MORE

JOIN US AT THE 2020 SEATTLE BOAT SHOW Shop New Sails And See What's New READ MORE

JOIN US AT THE 2020 SAN DIEGO BOAT SHOW Shop New Sails And See What's New READ MORE

FULL PODIUM SWEEP FOR NORTH SAILS AT J/70 CHILEAN NATIONALS Designs Dominate in Algarrobo Pablo Herman’s New Wave, 2019 Chilean National Champions. 📸 Benja Sans 26 boats sailed the J/70 Chilean Nationals in Algarrobo, Chile, December 13-15. After nine tight races, the winners were on New Wave: two Herman brothers, Felipe Echeñique calling tactics, and Kake “priest” Montes on the bow. “They were very consistent in all conditions,” Matias Seguel, who skippered the second place team, says. “We sailed in really light up to 20 knots. New Wave used the XCS-2 mainsail, J-6 jib, and AP-2 spinnaker. That gave them great speed, and combined with great starts and going the right way they proved they were best.” Matias’ own VOLVO team finished second with the same sails they’ve used for the last two seasons (XCS-1 main and J-6 jib). Third was the talented family on Ducasse, a father with 4 of his 7 sons sailing together. “They’ve won many local championships using the XCS-2 and J-6,” Matias says. “It was awesome to have almost all the top Chilean sailors sailing together in Algarrobo for a great event that was very well organized. Our J/70 class is our highest level local class, and it’s great to have the chance to race at an international level here at home.” Matias Seguel, 2nd place. 📸 Benja Sans Team Ducasse, 3rd place. 📸 Benja Sans READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Las velas de composite son muy diferentes de las laminadas La diferencia principal radica en que en las de composite se combinan varios materiales para maximizar sus ventajas y minimizar sus desventajas. En el laminado se utiliza el mylar como elemento que aglutina los adhesivos y el resto de tejidos que componen la vela, mientras que las 3Di están fabricadas exclusivamente con filamentos esparcidos y resina termosellada, sin mylar, lo que nos permite ofrecer una garantía de por vida por deslaminación. Las velas 3Di son más robustas, ligeras y resistentes a los factores medioambientales que las velas laminadas. Para más información, contacta con tu agente North Sails o escríbenos a info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

CALENDARIO ENERO La actividad de North Sails España regresa en 2020 📸 Chris Howell Comenzaremos los días 17 y 18 de enero en Vigo, donde nuestros expertos en monotipos Nacho Braquehais y Hugo Rocha impartirán un clinic de clase J70. El día 21, Nacho también será el encargado de dirigir el Seminario de Moraira el 21 de enero en el Club Náutico de Moraira (Alicante). Pídenos información en info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

TODO A PUNTO PARA LA 75ª ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART El 26 de diciembre comienza en la bahía de Sídney (Australia) la 75ª edición de la Rolex Sydney Hobart, referencia de competición oceánica en el Hemisferio Sur desde 1945 📸 Kurt Arrigo / Rolex Más de 160 barcos han anunciado su presencia frente a la línea de salida, destacando cinco supermaxis de 100 pies de eslora como máximos favoritos a liderar la flota en el recorrido de 628 millas náuticas rumbo la isla de Tasmania. El pasado año, los tres primeros barcos en cruzar la meta incorporaron velas North Sails, incluyendo al vencedor en tiempo real: el todopoderoso Wild Oats XI, que regresa este año para buscar la que sería su décima victoria en 15 años. El Servicio Oficial North Sails estará esperando en Hobart a los barcos capaces de completar el recorrido. READ MORE

TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE Nacida en 1993 como una regata oceánica en solitario, hoy la Transat Jacques Vabre se disputa con tripulaciones a dos 📸 Mx Horlaville La edición 2019 contó con 60 participantes distribuidos en tres clases: Multi 50, Class 40 e IMOCA frente al exigente recorrido de 4.350 millas náuticas entre el puerto francés de Le Havre y el brasileño de San Salvador de Bahía. Ocho de los diez primeros clasificados de clase IMOCA incorporaron inventarios North Sails, incluido el ganador, el Apivia copatroneado por Charlie Dalin y Yann Eliès, después de 13 días, 12 horas y 8 minutos de regata. Les siguieron el PRB de Kevin Escorrier/Nicolas Lunven y el Charal de Jérémier Beyou/Christopher Pratt, también propulsados por velas North Sails. Enhorabuena a todos ellos, ¡y gracias por confiar en North Sails! READ MORE

BREST ATLANTIQUES Los cuatro colosos equiparon inventarios completos North Sails 📸 Yann Riou Cuatro trimaranes Ultim de 32 metros de eslora compitieron por la Brest Atlantiques, una regata de 14.000 millas náuticas con salida y llegada en el puerto francés de Brest. La victoria correspondió al Maxi Edmond de Rochtschild copatroneado por Franck Cammas y Charles Caudrelier tras 28 días volando a una impresionante media de 24,57 nudos. Los cuatro colosos equiparon inventarios completos North Sails. READ MORE

PREPARA TUS VELAS PARA EL INVERNAJE El final de la temporada es un momento clave para nuestras velas. El parón invernal supone una magnífica oportunidad para revisar nuestro inventario, valorar su salud y solucionar problemas. 📸 Ian Roman North Sails ofrece servicio de recogida, lavado profesional, programa de diez puntos de inspección con informe final, puesta a punto, almacenamiento y la garantía de que nuestras velas estarán en plena forma cuando volvamos a izarlas. Afrontar el invernaje de nuestra embarcación puede generar muchas dudas. Supone un buen momento para revisar todos sus componentes después de una intensa temporada, identificar problemas y anticipar futuras averías. Las velas son uno de esos elementos susceptibles de deterioro, y por ello requieren una atención especial. North Sails ofrece su Servicio Certificado de inspección y puesta a punto con todas las garantías del mayor fabricante de velas del mundo. Pero, ¿cómo es el proceso? ¿En qué consiste? ¿Qué me ofrecen? El primer paso es ponernos en contacto con nuestro agente North Sails más cercano; él nos indicará la oferta disponible para los servicios que necesitemos y aclarará todas nuestras dudas. Los principales que nos pueden interesar al final de la temporada son: recogida, limpieza, revisión, inspección, reparación y almacenamiento. Recogida North Sails ofrece servicio de recogida a domicilio en toda España. Basta una llamada de teléfono, y las velas serán transportadas a la velería especializada más conveniente. Limpieza Una limpieza a fondo es mucho más que endulzar las velas. Los expertos North Sails aplican productos especiales para eliminar cualquier elemento indeseado, como moho, restos de salitre o manchas persistentes, mejorando el aspecto y la longevidad del material. Tras un concienzudo proceso de secado, las velas están listas para su revisión. Inspección Un auténtico reconocimiento “médico” de las velas realizado por expertos North Sails. La marca ofrece su Inspección de Diez Puntos: Inspección de los accesorios del puño de driza, amura, escota y rizo. Inspección de cinchas y herrajes contra el daño causado por el roce y los rayos UV. Inspección de las puntadas a mano Inspección de las cintas y accesorios del grátil Búsqueda de roces en puntos de contacto con crucetas, obenques, candeleros, etc. Inspección de la relinga del grátil, pujamen y sistema de anclaje Búsqueda de daños causados por rayos UV y comprobación del correcto enrollado Inspección de tope de las fundas de sables y accesorios Inspección del cuerpo de la vela para verificar la condición del tejido, las costuras, los números de vela, las bandas de trimado y las ventanas. Reponer o añadir los catavientos. Inspección de accesorios: Cabo y aro del calcetín de spinnaker, sistema de rizos de mayor, sables verticales del foque, protección UV, etc. Inspección del correcto cierre del saco de la vela, cremalleras, tirantes y etiquetado. Informe de la vela: Diez puntos de verificación, comentarios. El informe final constituye todo un certificado del estado de las velas. En caso de que todo esté correcto, ya están listas para su almacenamiento; si se detecta algún problema, North Sails proporciona un presupuesto de puesta a punto profesional en la velería más adecuada para cada cliente. Puesta a punto North Sails dispone de la red de velerías más extensa y profesional del sector, con 110 puntos de servicio oficial distribuidos por todo el mundo en el que los procesos estandarizados, unidos a la profesionalidad del equipo humano, garantizan la máxima calidad. En España, cuenta con velerías en Valencia, Cuntis y en Mallorca (Palma y Lluchmajor). El equipo de North Sails España nos propondrá solución más adecuada a cada incidencia. Almacenamiento Tan importante como la revisión y puesta a punto de las velas es su almacenamiento en un entorno adecuado. Factores como la humedad, la exposición al sol, el contacto con materiales agresivos o el plegado incorrecto pueden afectar a su salud. Los expertos North Sails recomiendan que nos aseguremos bien de que las velas están totalmente secas antes de almacenarlas y que intentemos plegarlas evitando las líneas de pliegue habituales para evitar marcas. Si no disponemos de un lugar adecuado para el almacenamiento de nuestras velas, North Sails ofrece este servicio con la garantía de que estarán en el mejor entorno posible hasta el inicio de la próxima temporada. Para más información, contacta con tu agente North Sails, visita www.northsails.com o escríbenos a info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

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CLÍNICA DE NATAL 2019 OPTIMIST - Terceira Edição A North Sails, em Portugal, promove pela terceira vez uma clínica de Natal em Cascais. A Clínica de Natal para Optimist vai decorrer nos dias 27, 28 e 29 de Dezembro na Marina de Cascais. Os velejadores vão ser acompanhados pelos treinadores Bruno Luz e Pedro Bolina que em conjunto com o sails expert Vicente Pinheiro, irão implementar o programa previsto para os três dias. Nesta iniciativa, que é aberta a todos velejadores, treinadores, equipas / clubes, os participantes terão a oportunidade de conhecer e experimentar os novos modelos de velas North Sails para Optimist. Contactem-nos para receber todas as informações sobre a Clínica! E office.cascais@northsails.com | T 916 857 896 North Sails Velas Optimist clique aqui para mais info North Sails Novos Modelos Optimist veja o video https://youtu.be/D3PCbl3yjCc #Sail Fast #GoBeyond READ MORE

Jedan i jedini: Sv.Nikola za samce i dvojce FOTO: FACEsukošanBOOK REGATE Jedriličarski klub Mornar iz Splita je još jednom u suradnji s gradom Komiža organizirao jednu od najočekivanijih zimskih regata, a za koju se može reći da pomalo postaje zaštitnim znakom jedrenja u dvočlanim posadama. Ne treba posebno isticati da je riječ o Regati Sv.Nikole za samca i dvojce. Inače je regata do lani u svom nazivu ponosno isticala da je namijenjena isključivo solo jedriličarima, ali od 2015. su službeno i dvojcima otvorena vrata, a po odzivu koji se ostvaruje može se reći da je to dugo očekivano osvježenje koje su jedriličari iznimno dobro prihvatili. Da nije riječ o pukoj pohvali organizatoru i priznanje odvažnim sudionicima dovoljno je pogledati brojčano stanje na startevima lani i ove godine. Na premijernom izdanju je cijela flota brojila 18 jedrilica, dok je ove godine startalo njih 17! Složit ćete se svi da je to više nego na mnogim klasičnim regatama za kompletne posade. Normalno, lakše je organizirati manji broj članova posade, ali svejedno, potrebna je jedrilica koja je opremljena nužnom opremom, a i dozvoljava jedrenje s minimalnim brojem ruku na palubi. Također, dvojac koji u tom setupu izađe na more treba imati apsolutno povjerenje jedan u drugog da su oboje i fizički i mentalno spremni izdržati sva iskušenja i riješiti probleme koji se za vrijeme jedrenja mogu naći ispred njih. Ove godine je start regate bio u Komiži, 7. prosinca. Nakon starta se jedrilo direktno prema Palagruži, koja je u nekim drugim kombinacijama bila posljednja točka obaveznog obilaska. Iza Palagruže idealno je bilo ako se kurs mogao namjestiti na 60° za direktno jedrenje prema Glavatu, najistočnijoj točci parka prirode Lastovskog otočja. Nakon ove lanterne ostalo je još samo obići Maslinicu, odnosno Šoltu sa zapadne strane i ako to vjetar dopusti, sjuriti se u cilj u Splitu. A u cijeli ovaj izvještaj uvest će nas jedan od članova Organizacijskog odbora regate, Goran Martinović: Moram priču započeti s jednom simpatičnom anegdotom. Damir Mitrović (drugi dodirektor regate, op.a.) je prije starta imao interview na lokalnoj radio postaji gdje su mu spomenuli da su na startnom popisu vidjeli Darka Prižmića, pa su ga upitali za njegove izglede na regatnom polju i da li ponovno ima status favorita. Na to je Damir odgovorio "mislim da Darko Prižmić nije jedan od favorita regate, ali definitivno osoba s iznimnim iskustvom na ovoj regati..." i onda Darko digne regatu :) Uz ovu priču ide dodatak da Darko ima mobitel s kojim može samo razgovarati i razmjenjivati SMS poruke, dok mu je kolega u kokpitu, Tomislav Grubelić svoj pametni mobitel utopio ubrzo nakon starta.Tako da njih dvojica nisu imali nikakav doticaj s vanjskim svijetom.. trackeri, prognoze... ništa nisu imali. Tako da su kod Glavata otišli vani po svom osjećaju, jer su očekivali da će vjetar puniti iz vani... očekivali su da će imati samo jednu pojalabandu, dok će se ostali morati naviravati. Dok su jedrili oko Lastova imali su neki maestral pa su rekli idemo vani, napravit ćemo jednu viradu i vratit se natrag, na kraju je to isti put. Uopće nisu gledali gdjesu ostali i pogodili su... eto to je obilježilo ovu regatu. A generalno gledajući moram reći da je na startnoj listi bilo 17 jedrilica, a 16 ih je startalo jer jedna od jedrilica kad je shvatila da neće skupiti svu potrebnu opremu koju smo tražili da imaju, nije niti krenula prema Komiži. Što se tiče pregleda jedrilica, Mitre i ekipa su stvarno napravili odličan posao... sve se gledalo... kad ističu baklje, kad ističu splavi... tako da je dosta ekipa moralo povlačiti razne veze i vezice i dobavljati opremu što im nije bila u skladu s propisima ili što joj je istekao rok trajanja. Što se tiče vremena, bilo je ugodno. Po nekoj laganoj tramuntanici su se svi dovukli do Palagruže i onda im je pala bonaca. Zatim se tramuntana vratila i odvela ih je do Glavata. Tamo im je zapuhao maestral koji je trajao skoro cijeli dan... na moru im je bilo lijepo vedro vrijeme, dok smo u Splitu uz obalu imali stvarno gustu maglu. I u nedjelju navečer, nakon maestrala okrenulo je na jugo s kojim su došli do cilja. Prvi su u cilj stigli u nedjelju u noći, dok je posljednji dojedrio u ponedjeljak do podne. Kroz otprilike 13 sati su svi završili. Inače, svi su zadovoljni s rutom koju smo ove godine okrenuli, najviše zbog organizacijskih zahtjeva, a i da ne postane monotono. Nit vodilja nam je bila da se teži dio, ono pravo offshore jedrenje od Komiže do Palagruže i do Glavata, kad se nemaju gdje skloniti u slučaju nekih problema, odradi tijekom prvog dana i prve noći dok su svi još odmorni. A taj drugi dio regate kad se počinju osjećati posljedice umora, da se odradi u blizini kopna, pa da u slučaju potrebe bude lakše i intervenirati a i njima samima da se sklone. Tako da malo psihološki bude lakše. A pitanje starta, koji je bio ove godine 7. prosinca, je što regatu organiziramo zajedno s gradom Komiža, čiji patron je Sv.Nikola i imaju običaj koji ne podržava isplovljavanje na taj blagdan. To smo poštivali i zato je regata startala dan kasnije, a to je i jedna od bitnih razlika u odnosu na ranija izdanja regate, jer su termini starta uvijek bili tempirani tako da jedriličari svi završe do blagdana Sv.Nikole. Većina sudionika je u Komižu stigla 5. pa su onda morali proći provjeru opreme, a i sudjelovali su na tradicionalnom paljenju broda ispred crkvice Sv.Nikole. A što se tiče samaca, ove godine smo imali samo jednog, Ivicu Kostelića. To mi je najviše žao, ali bila je neminovnost da će se to dogoditi. Uz Ivicu je trebao solo jedriti i Fabijan Roić, ali je on otišao na RORC transatlansku regatu. Unatoč ovoj tendenciji da solista bude ovako malo, njih kao kategoriju nećemo ukidati, ali činjenica je da s ove strane Jadrana nema jedrilica koje su napravljene za samačko jedrenje i ljudi su skužili da se na takvo jedrenje nije dobro upuštati s klasičnim charter jedrilicama. A dvojce smo uveli više zbog povećanja sigurnosti i samaca i flote kao grupe, jer kad si sam i u problemu si ili ti ili kolega na drugoj jedrilici ne možeš puno napraviti da nekom pomogneš. S druge strane kad su dvojica na jedrilici to je veće nešto drugo. Goran Martinović, dodirektor regate Što se tiče pregleda opreme, koji je ove godine bio rigorozniji nego inače, treba spomenuti da su natjecatelji među ostalim morali dokazati da znaju i postaviti olujna jedra. Mora se reći dadugopolje je to aktivnost koju mnogi jedriličari nisu nikad imali potrebe upražnjavati, pa mnogi to nisu nikad niti probali. Prva regata u Hrvatskoj na kojoj su jedriličari to znanje morali dokazati, a i zadovoljiti sve sigurnosne parametre zadane raznim propisima, bila je 2. Thousand Islands Race, 2014. godine. Unatoč mnogim negodovanjima i problemima koji su se javili zbog nagle potražnje za olujnim jedrima, ispravnim raketama, kompletima prve pomoći, neodgovarajućim pojasevima za spašavanje, harnesima i ostalim, na kraju su svi sudionici te regate iskazali podršku toj rigoroznosti, jer im je za vrijeme prve etape te regate vrijeme bilo takvo da je bilo izgubljenih jarbola, ljudi u moru... a mnogi su rekli da bez nadopunjene sigurnosne opreme pitanje je da li bi stigli do cilja. Ali vratimo se Sv.Nikoli. Start regate je signaliziran u subotu 7. prosinca ujutro u 10:00, a vremena ulaska u cilj su se korigirala na dva načina. Jedan je već standardni Sušac Open sustav razvrstanja, a drugi je THC, koji je u Splitskom bazenu postao familijaran sa Splitskom trening ligom i nekim većim regatama. Korekcija Sušac Open je korištena za cijelu flotu, dok je još i THC izabralo deset jedrilica. Po Sušcu pobjedu na regati je odnijela jedrilica Silvana na kojoj su jedrili Darko Prižmić i Tomislav Grubelić. To je Duffy 29, maleni oldtimer kojeg je Darko čak pripremio za ovogodišnji Middlesea Race, ali zbog poslovnih obaveza nije došlo do realizacije ovog projekta. Zato je Silvana bila maksimalno pripremljena s kompletnom sigurnosnom opremom i skoro svim novim jedrima! Po strach sheetu za ovu regatu Silvana je morala završiti unutar 04:59:05 iza najbrže jedrilice, Class 40 - Crazy u slučaju da on završi prvi. S obzirom da to Crazyju nije pošlo za rukom, već je u realnom vremenu u cilj prvi ušao Club Swan 36 - Go Racing, to vrijeme je skraćeno za 47 minuta i 57 sekundi. Na kraju su Prižmić i Grubelić finiširali 03:59:54 iza Kljaković-Gašpića i Česića i to im je bilo dovoljno za korigirani trijumf od 11 minuta i 14 sekundi! Darko je Silvanu stvarno vrhunski pripremio, jer je bio plan s njom poći na Maltu. Većina toga je nova... drifter, code 0... jedino je Super Silva, najjače Silvanino oružje ostalo iz starog seta. Riječ je o spinakeru od ne znam točno koliko kvadrata :) A driifter je montiran na baštun koji je u stvari rezervni baštun Munjeka F. Njega smo montirali još lani, tako da je dosta dug s obzirom kolika je duljina Silvane. I onda drifter ne ide prema krmi, već dođe do štrajeva i onda kad se skine gornja ograda na provi, a drifter se spusti na donje hvatište, cijeli drifter može biti unutar ograde, pa bude kao neka light genova s kojom možeš na stvarno razne promjene vjetrova samo dobivati. I to nas spašava kad su uvjeti bonace koji su u stvari i bili tamo oko Glavata kad je vjetar padao. Ostali su tada produžili gore u Korčulanski kanal, a Darko je odmah rekao "najbolje nam je da se vratimo natrag i ostanemo u tom vjetru... bolje nego da stojimo". Ta je varijanta ispala najbolja jer je ostao vjetar koji nas je pratio od starta, pa preko Palagruže. Iza Lastova smo također najviše vozili s drifterom. Očekivalo se jugo, ali nama je došao više neki oštar. Poslije Vodnjaka opet smo dizali spinaker do neverica koje su bile u kraju. Kad smo već imali orcu put Splita, tad smo dignuli flok. Znači, od starta je bio code 0, pa spinaker, pa kad smo vidjeli da su ovi ispred nas stali na Palagruži dali smo se desno i tu smo vidjeli Munjeka da se ukopao, pa smo i njega zaobišli u malo većem luku i uhvatili pravac za Glavat. Onda je svanuo lijepi dan i krenulua je igra. Netko bi rekao igra živaca, ali kod nas je bilo "ajmo zapalit, pa ćemo onda vidjeti" :) A zanimljivo je bilo i kako sam izgubio mobitel s Navionicsom, prognozom i ostalim... i kako Darko ima običan mobitel imali smo samo instrumente na jarbolu, jedini instrument koji smo pogledali i to u drugom dijelu regate bio je Darkov ručni GPS i nešto smo krivo vidjeli ili nam je krivo pokazao... mi smo jedrili više put Rogoznice nego prema Maslenici. Tu nam se Munjek približavao, a prošli smo ga na Vodnjacima. On je vozio normalno na Maslenicu i tu smo se sreli drugi put. Onda je odjurio dalje prema Splitu. A onaj moj mobitel... kad smo se malo ustabilili u vožnji prema Palagruži, kad smo jedrili sa spinakerom... kako ja i Darko volim pjevati i lijepu muziku, izvadio sam bluetooth zvučnik, telefon stavio na ulaz u kabinu i krenuo u kabinu po spizu, brod se neznatno nagnuo i ovaj klizne preko 3-4 konopčića od barbera... nemam pojma kako se to uspjelo desiti. Moguće da bi u tom slučaju drugačije odvozili, vjerojatno bi to jugo pratili i čekali. Kako su bile neke popodnevne ure, a juga još nije bilo, prepotstavili smo da neće ni zapuhati. Cijeli dan je bio onaj dnevni vjetar koji je pratio sunce i jugo kao jugo se nije pojavilo, tako da je i kroz noć bila neka druga situacija.Što se tiče spavanja ja sam spavao dva puta po pola sata, a Darko jedan put pola sata. Kako nema autopiloa, Darko je bio na timunu cijelo vrijeme, a ja sam odrađivao sve ono naprijed i on bi mi pomagao u pojalabandama. Po pitanju hrane, na meniju su prevladavale polpete koje smo napravili dan ranije. Imali smo imalo slatkoga... suhe smokve spašavaju stvar! Otac mi je napunio kutiju suhih smokava i zajedno s raznim oraščićima dobije se prava stvar... po šaku toga se stavi u džep i to te drži. Tomislav Grubelić, suskiper Silvane Realno prvi, Go Racing je opravdao status favorita u realnom vremenu. Vrhunski proizvod tvrtke Nautor u kombinaciji s dva vrhunska jedriličara zadao je mnogo muke cijeloj konkurenciji, a posebno posadi Farra 40 - Toto Travel koji ih je u drugom dijelu regate pratio u stopu. Već je bilo riječi o tome kako je Swan stigao u Hrvatsku i o projektu u koji je ACI uložio poprilična sredstva, a u kratkoj povijesti ove jedrilice ovo je bila druga ozbiljna offshore regata, nakon što je odjedrila hrvatsku premijeru na nedavno održanoj Jabuci. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE I o ovoj regati smo popričali s voditeljem ACIjevog projekta, Ivanom Kljakovićem-Gašpićem: O regati mogu reći sve najbolje. Uz Jabuku je ovo jedna od najzanimljivijih i najintenzivnijih regata što Jadran može ponuditi. Ovo je bilo prvi put da jedrim u dvoje na Swanu i prezadovoljan sam kako smo Ante i ja kvalitetno odradili sve od početka do kraja. Priprema broda je bila dosta zahtjevna, jer je uz sve ostalo trebalo posebno pripremiti i sigurnosne sustave. Zajedno smo odradili trening - dva, tako da smo bili spremni. Start nam je bio dobar i na početku dok je puhalo dosta smo se odvojili i kasnije nas je dočekala bonaca i lagani vjetar na Palagruži, pa smo se tamo samo jedva vukli. I onda je stigla prva noć i kad je počelo puhati i kad smo već imali solidnu razliku, pomela nas je jedna nevera. Dosta ružno je izgledala. Logika i razum su prevladali, pa smo skratili jedro i stavili olujni flok. Izabrali smo ono što se kaže "na pomorački način", sigurno jedrenje i tu su nas Mario i Mario - Toto Travel, sustigli. Mi se tu nismo htjeli izlagati nepotrebnom riziku jer je ipak novi brod i dosta zahtjevni uvjeti na moru, pa smo se odlučili na safety varijantu. To prebacivanje na olujni flok smo napravili na vrijeme, dignuli smo ga desetak minuta prije nevere i kasnije spustili kad je nevera prošla. Mislim, nije to bilo ništa strašno, dvadesetak čvorova, ali bila je noć, vidjeli smo samo da dolazi ogromni crni oblak koji je izgledao stvarno ružno, puno munja ispred nas... nismo vidjeli što je tamo dalje ispred nas, pa smo odlučili ne riskirati ni tehnički problem a ni da netko od nas padne u more! Kako smo već ranije pripremili sve mjere i za olujni flok tako je i jedrenje s njim išlo bez problema. Brod je bio spreman u 5 minuta... a balans broda, prvi krat i taj mali flok su bili skroz u redu, a i kut stvarnog vjetra je bio oko 70°, laška orca. Nakon toga je uslijedilo praktički 24 sata match racea s Totom, a što je na kraju završilo dobro za nas. Po laganom vjetru smo imali dosta deficita... fali nam sprijeda nekakav drifter, ali nismo se dali i izdržali smo do kraja. A što se tiče foilova, oni se koriste po jačem vjetru u orcu i po jačem vjetru u mezzonavu i krmu. Tako da smo ih koristili minimalno, jer nije bilo dovoljno vjetra. A taj match race s Totom... stvarno nam je najveći handicap bio taj nedostatak driftera. Jedrili smo samo s flokom i genakerima, pa kad bi vjetar pao na 2-3 čvora onda smo malo gubili i Farr bi odlazio naprijed jer mi nismo imali pravog alata. Ali to je bilo očekivano i čim bi zapuhalo 5-6 čvorova mi smo imali za nijansu bolju brzinu, a sve iznad 10-12 smo letjeli u odnosu na njih. Tako da smo se konstantno lovili s njima... baš ono što jedrenje treba biti. Ivan Kljaković-Gašpić, suskiper Go Racing Druga strana ovog dvoboja za vrh je iskusnija na ovoj ruti. Prošle godine su Mario Hrvoj i Mario Škrlj odjedrili prvo zajedničko izdanje Sv.Nikole za dvoje i također igrali jednu od glavnih uloga. Jednaka sportska sreća ih je pratila oba puta, samo što im je lani glavni protivnik za prvo mjesto bio Dubrovnik. Istina, Dubrovnik im je pobjegao nešto više od Go Racinga, ali i uvjeti koji su lani vladali su bili nešto dugačiji. U principu, Dubrovnik je također jurilica koja voli više vjetra, slično kao Swan, pa kad se usporede analize od lani i ove godine vidi se da je, bar za realni ulazak u cilj, Toto Travel imao više šanse ove godine nego lani. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Dokaz ovoj tvrdnji je i to što je i Toto jedan dio regate bio u vodstvu. Od Korčule, pa skoro do Šolte, Toto je imao respektabilnu prednost ispred Go Racinga. Čak im se u tom dijelu regate priključio i Crazy. Međutim, nakon obilaska Maslinice presuđuju nijanse i Go Racing stiže u Split osam minuta ranije. Meni je ovo već 8. ili 9. Sv.Nikola, a start iz Komiže je bio i 2002. godine kad sam i pobijedio na ovoj regati. Mislim da je ovaj smjer regate mnogo jednostavniji za voziti, jer se jedri direktno na Palagružu. Zatim je 40 NM do lastova i kasnije si cijelo vrijeme uz kraj, a prije se jedrilo na potezu Blitvenica - Palagruža... cijelo vrijeme na otvorenom. Meni je najdraže bilo to što je more bilo "flat" cijelo vrijeme - bez valova, nije uopće bilo ozbiljnog vala na cijeloj regati. Stvarno je bilo ugodno za voziti. Bilo je i toplo. Bio sam par puta na Sv.Nikoli kad su bile bure... sam na otvorenom... za smrznuti se! Vozili smo s genakerima do Palagruže i tu je Bambi napravio dva sata razlike ispred nas. Jednostavno je brži od sviju ostalih i kasnije smo zaključili da smo do 5 čvorova bili brži od njega, a sve poviše 5 u svim kutevima ga nismo mogli stići. Iako je napravio tako veliku razliku uspjeli smo ga uloviti do Lastova. To nam je bilo nevjerojatno i poslije smo čuli da su oni skidali flok zbog jedne jače nevere koja je bila ispred njih i trajala je oko sat vremena. A mi smo tada skinuli genaker, dignuli flok i s njim nastavili voziti po toj neveri. Na kraju to nije bilo prejako, dizalo je do možda 23-24 čvora. Tu smo mi jedrili pun gas prema njima, ali mi je i dalje nevjerojatno da smo ih tu uspjeli stići, ipak su bili dva sata ispred nas. Mi smo u toj neveri jedrili brzinama od oko 9-10 čvorova, bila je laška orca, skoro pa je puhalo u bok. Kasnije je vjetar pao na oko 5 čvorova i mi smo po tom jedrili s oko 2 čvora. Mi smo ih po tom u principu pomalo grizli jer smo sigurno u tim uvjetima bili brži. Glavat smo okrenuli zajedno i od njega kreće nadmudrivanje i biranje tko će na koju stranu. Stranu smo mi pogodili i napravili razliku od 2-3 milje. Kad je jugo napokon probilo dignuli smo genaker vozili smo do desetak čvorova, ali Swan je vozio po 2-3 čvora brže, tako da koliku god da smo mi napravili razliku po laganom vjetru on je u sat vremena vrati. A na Maslinicu smo stigli ono, brod na brod, praktički u 20 metara razlike. Oni su bili privjetrinski i pokrivali su nas cijelo vrijeme. Reagirali su na svaku našu viru i nikako nam nisu dali proći. S druge strane mislim da su oni tu izgubili regatu! Da nas nisu pokrivali, već da su jedrili direktno za Split sigurno ne bi izgubili po korekciji. Kako je vjetar oscilirao mi bi nadoknađivali razliku kad bi pao na oko 5 čvorova, ali čim bi dignuo na 7-8 oni bi otišli i tako sve dok jugo nije dignulo na 12 čvorova i tek tada su odjurili. Njih je bio strah da ih mi ne prođemo, a ostali su svi bili predaleko i nisu na njih obraćali pažnju, a na kraju su minute odlučivale. Toliku razliku smo napravili jer smo mi odjurili kad su oni svi ostali u bonaci kod Vela Luke. S druge strane je Prižma napravio šou kad je otišao s vanjske strane Lastova. Imao je manji brod, čisti vjetar, a davali smo mu 4-5 sati po korekciji. Što se tiče tehničke izvedbe tu smo prezadovoljni. Napravili smo 5-6 milja puta manje nego bilo tko od ostalih i nismo imali nikakvu štetu na brodu. Mislim da bi rasplet bio drugačiji da su bili teži uvjeti na moru, onda bi i Swanu bilo puno teže voziti nego sad, jer ovo je sad bilo nevjerojatno koliko je more bilo mirno na cijeloj ruti. Čak i ta nevera je bila u pola krme, tako da se val ni tada nije osjetio. Što se tiče spavanja, išli smo po bonacama naizmjenično po četrdesetak minuta, čisto da se odmore leđa, jer dok se samo vozio brod dosta je bio jedan da bude vani, ali kad je bila neka akcija morali smo obojica biti zaposleni. Mario Hrvoj, suskiper Toto Travel Među jedrilicama koje su posebno izdvojene u ovom članku izabran je i Satan 2 2Π/7. Riječ je o jednoj od najstariji jedrilica na regati s ujedno i najmlađom posadom koja je ove godine nastupila na ovoj regati. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Gledajući u realnom vremenu, ovaj Stag 29 je uglavnom bio negdje na začelju flote, ali vrhunsko jedrenje je Maria Lulića i Filipa Miroića dovelo do 7. mjesta po Sušac Openu, a evo iz prve ruke priče o njihovom doživljaju ove regate: Za početak moram reći da je naša jedrilica je bila najsporija po handicapu. Što se tiče starta, nismo briljirali, bili smo osrednji. Bio je neki lagani vjetrić. Nakon što smo se odvojili od Komiže jedna grupa je vozila malo pojanije, livije od Palagruže, vjerojatno su kasnije u orcu očekivali veću brzinu, a mi smo išli nekom driturom prema dolje i na desetak milja od Palagruže počeli su slabiti ti vjetrovi a mi smo počeli sustizati brodove ispred nas. Može se reći da su to bili naši uvjeti. Okrenuli smo Palagružu, možda je pet brodova bilo iza nas. Baza je bila to da su na svakoj oznaci... Palagruža, Glavat, Šolta... bile totalne bonace! Bar kad bi mi došli. Ta prva bonaca, na Palagruži nas je uhvatila na nekih 6-7 milja od nje. Povremeno bi došao neki reful koji bi trajao tri minute i s njim bi se približili 50 metara. Dok nismo stigli do te bonace jedrili smo sa spinakerom, a tu kad smo upali u bonacu digli smo drifter. Kad smo okrenuli Palagružu, u stvari onaj mali škojić, Malu Palagružu, trenutno je okrenulo na neki levanat, uglavnom neki vitar za voziti prst laško. Tada je dobro puhalo, imali smo krat glavnog jedra i to nas je dovelo dosta blizu Glavata. To je trajalo cijelu noć, a nas dvojica smo odlučili da nećemo spavati ovaj prvi dio regate, možda da uspijemo napraviti neku razliku. Glavat smo okrenuli kao treći brod od iza. Svanulo i to je bio dan u kojem smo po našem planu trebali nešto i odspavati. Kad smo stigli do Glavata tu je u bonaci stajalo 6-7 jedrilica. Većina je stajala s desne strane Glavata, a Fangac je bio skroz lijepo, baš blizu Glavata. Onda smo pratili situaciju na trackeru i vidjeli da su ti gornji brodovi imali neki burin koji je kasnije okrenuo u provu, došao više s levanta. Tada smo morali donijeti odluku idemo li lijevo ili desno. Ako odemo desno u najboljem slučaju možemo doći do krme ovoj grupi i eventualno ako stigne jugo iz prognoze možda pobijedimo jedini brod koji je s lijeve strane. A ako odemo lijevo možemo eventualno pobijediti ovih 5. S druge strane niti jedna od prognoza nije baš točno pogodila što će puhati, pa smo odlučili otići lijevo i "tko pukovnik tko pokojnik"... Za početak nas je uhvatio neki privatni reful s kojim smo došli Fangacu doslovno na pet metara i tada smo uspjeli proći ovu desnu grupu. To je bilo važno jer je to bilo pola regate i kako smo jedrili na handicap i prošli smo brodove koji su brži od nas i favorizirani po handicapu i sad je njima zadatak da naprave duplu razliku do kraja da bi bili bolji. Nakon što smo okrenuli Glavat nastavljamo dalje jedriti s drifterom, ali je bolje od nas prošao First 40.7 koji je okrenuo s nama i jedrio s nekom dubljom genovom. S nekim refulićem se on odovojio od nas, a tada nekako i sunce počinje padati. I tako smo ostali stajati negdje na pola puta između Lastova i Korčule, a njega je ispalilo na 2-3 milje od nas. Srećom smo bili u nekom južnom kurentu pa nas nije vraćalo natrag i stalno smo išli naprijed s možda pola čvora. Tu nas je još držala euforija od prolaska te grupe, ali kako je počela padati noć trebalo je napokon i malo odspavati. Tada je Mario otišao u kabinu, a ja ću voziti dok je lagano jugo. Kad krene malo jače budim Marija. I on je odspavao dok ga nisam probudio kad sam vidio po trackeru da su se ovi iza počeli kretati... znači stiglo im je jugo. Spavao je možda 45 minuta, a ja sam onda uspio još nekih 15-20 minuta... sve ostalo spavanje prije toga je bilo petnaestak minuta dok sjediš sa škotom u ruci... To sve smo jedrili s drifterom, a kad smo prošli Korčulu prebacili smo se na genaker. Inače Satan ima jarbol, glavno jedro i taj genaker od minija i u principu smo testirali kako taj noviji koncept jedara radi u kombinaciji sa starim linijama trupa. To je dosta dobro prošlo. Vjetra je tu bilo oko 15-17 čvorova i do Maslinice smo uspjeli ostaviti iza nas sve osim Fangaca i Adio pameti. Tu smo hvatali dobre brzine. Bilo je marete i u lijevi i u desni kvartir, tako da smo jedan dobar dio dosta dobro surfali. Imali smo brzine čak i do 8 čvorova. Nakon bonace na Palagruži, cijelog dana provedenog u obilasku Glavata, ponovno nas je uhvatila bonaca i na Maslinici. Ova je najkraće trajala ali je bila najzeznutija, jer je ostalo dosta mrtvog mora od juga s kojim smo stigli do tu. Tako da i onih čvor ili dva što bi mogli uhvatiti od tih valova nismo mogli realizirati. Nakon nekih pola sata stajanja smo ponovno krenuli. Jedrili smo po burinu a imali smo dignuto puno glavno i flok... ono u Čiovo, pa okreni, Čiovo, pa okreni... Nas dvojica nismo baš najjači s tim akvatorijem, pa smo tek kasnije saznali da smo trebali ići put Šolte jer da je tamo manji kurenat po jugu. Ono što je prevladalo da mi odemo put Čiova je što smo na trackeru vidjeli da ovi što su bili uz Šoltu su doslovno stajali, a ovi što su jedrili uz Čiovo su imali brzine od bar 5 čvorova. Nekako u svitanje smo počeli vidjeti Split i mislili smo da je mukama kraj, ali je onda odjednom Split nestao u nekom crnilu, nestao je i Brač... kiša... Kako brod nije naš, stariji je, a i po handicapu smo stajali dosta dobro, tada smo skratili na treći krat i stavili smo olujni flok. Pustili smo onda da to stigne do nas, ali na kraju to nije bila neka posebna nevera, možda dvadesetak čvorova juga. Tako smo čekali petnaestak minuta da vidimo kako će se vrijeme razvijati, a za to su nas Gingolina i još neki su nas prošli. Kad smo vidjeli da od tog svega nema ništa dignuli smo sve natrag i zajedrili do cilja. Moram spomenuti, ne znam da li je još netko to pričao, ali kad smo jedrili par milja iza Palagruže more je alduravalo, ali s ogromnim balonima. To je bilo bajkovito za vidjeti. Nekoliko milja smo plovili kroz to. Ne znam da li su to bile najlonske kese ili meduze, ali stvarno nešto lijepo za vidjeti. Filip Miroić, suskiper Satan 2 2Π/7 Ove godine na regati je nastupio samo jedan solo jedriličar. Riječ je o Ivici Kosteliću, možemo slobodno reći jedinom hrvatskom jedriličaru koji u posljednje vrijeme aktivnu i ozbiljno prakticira ovaj stil jedrenja. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Nastupio je na Miniju 650 imena Libera, za razliku od lani kad je jedrio sa svojim Class40 koji se trenutno nalazi u Francuskoj. Unatoč tome što je jedrio na najmanjoj jedrilici na regate nije bio zadnji. Istina, uglavnom je bio u posljednjem dijelu flote u blizini Satana 2 2Π/7 i sličan premjer, tako da su i nakon korekcija ove dvije jedrilice završile vrlo blizu. Libera je finiširala na 8. mjestu, a kako je to izgledalo na moru najbolje će vam dočarati video uradak njenog kormilara koji postaje sve bolji u izradi svojih jedriličarskih reportaža! A za kraj je ostala još i kratka priča Emila Tomaševića koji je lani pobijedio u kategoriji samaca i to sa Seascapeom 27. Ove godine je na regati odlučio nastupiti u društvu Igora Piacuna na Firsto 40.7. S obzirom da je riječ o jedrilici iz škole jedrenja, bez posebno pripremljenih regatnih jedara i ostale malo sportskije opreme, 5 sati i dvadesetak minuta zaostatka za Go Racingom je dosta dobar rezultat koji je osigurao čistu sredinu na korigiranoj ljestvici. Bilo je lijepo, nije bilo lošeg vremena, bilo je zanimljivog regatavanja i za malo laganije brodove jer je bio laganije vjetar. U prvoj noći je bila jedna nevera, dok je u drugoj bilo jugo s par neverina i to je to. Kako smo bili s težim brodom, ja i Piacun smo malo spavali. Pokušavali smo pratiti ove laganije i brže, a s druge strane smo i takvi likovi. Ja sam ukupno u dvije noći odspavao 2-3 sata, a toliko i Igor. Pokušavali smo maksimalno voziti brod. Uhvatila nas je jedna nevera od tramuntane u orcu ispred maslinice, a drugima je udarilo u krmu. Što se tiče opreme na brodu smo imali dva spinakera i flokove. Ona prva noćna nevera nas je uhvatila na izmaku, malo više je zakačila prve brodove, tako da smo mi vozili s jednom rukom krata i teškom genovom. A drugu noć smo imali neke neverine pod niskim oblacima, pa čak smo imali i jednu čudnu situaciju ispod jednog vrlo niskog oblaka. To je bilo u trenucima kad smo mi izgubili mogućnost da završimo regatu kao četvrti brod. Upali smo u neku rupu... par stotina metara okolo sve normalno puše, a kod nas ništa i tako dva puta. Neki teški oblak od polu kiše je bio praktički na vrhu jarbola i povlačio je vjetar prema gore... spinaker je stajao paralelno s jarbolom. To nisam baš do sad vidio... vjerojatno jer je bilo nestabilno vrijeme, dolje još toplo, a gore hladnije... stvarno čudno. Prvu noć nije bilo ni vlage, bilo je toplo, istina malo bolje obučeni. A i brod je dozvoljavao malo više komoda, pa sam i malo kuhao :) Emil Tomašević, suskiper Ultra Svibor FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Ako nekoga zanimaju rezultati deset jedrilica koje su se prijavile i po THC-u, možete ih pronaći na ovom linku. I za kraj je ostala jedna specifičnost svih regata koje traže od sudionika ulaganje iznimnih i fizičkih i psihičkih napora... Pričalo se o popriličnom broju halucinacija za vrijeme jedrenja drugog dijela regate. Neki su vidjeli neke ljude na provi koji su im slagali genove. Bilo je i ljudi koji su sjedili u košu i nisu dozvoljavali da se vide špije. Čak je prijavljen i jedan lijes na provi s čovjekom koji je ležao pored njega i gladio ga... Neki su mislili da im je glavno jedro palo po gindacu... Pa ako mislite da je ovakva regata i za vas i da sve ovo možete uspješno savladati imate godinu dana da se spremite i izbr READ MORE

ETCHELLS BISCAYNE BAY SERIES: LOUIS PIANA CUP Podium Sweep in Miami The opening regatta of the Biscayne Bay Series served up tricky conditions for a fleet of 50 Etchells, a larger fleet than previous years. North Sails were onboard 8 of the top 10 finishers, as well as 12 of the 14 Corinthian teams. Congratulations to Peter Vessella, first place in the Corinthian division. 5-10 knot breezes allowed for four races over two days. The winning team on Steve Benjamin’s Stella Blue combined clean starts with excellent boat speed to control their own destiny. “Only Benj’s team and Scott Kaufman’s team had all single digit finishes,” Skip Dieball explains. “It’s such a tough fleet, and if you get off the line in bad shape, chances are you’re going to have a high number. It’s very difficult to get back.” The FR-2 is an evolution of the Full Radial, but with some long overdue tweaks to shape and panel orientation. It is a fantastic sail. Conditions were perfect for the PCF-M mainsail, LM-2L jib, and VMG spinnaker, but Skip’s team did test out the new FR-2 spinnaker for the last race and were quite impressed. “Ultimately, this new FR-2 will replace our Full Radial spinnaker,” he says.”The FR-2 is an evolution of the Full Radial, but with some long overdue tweaks to shape and panel orientation. It is a fantastic sail. We also looked at the new LM-6R and MAL jibs in our practice sessions. Both are beautiful out of the box and set up perfectly. We will be updating our tuning guide for 2020 and will have all of our trim notes regarding these sails.” North Scoreboard Overall – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 Corinthian – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Etchells next stop – The Sid Doren Regatta January 11-12. READ MORE

Najmasovniji Sv.Nikola do sada! FOTO: ELVIS MALAGIĆ Čak šest regata se prošlog vikenda jedrilo što u čast Sv.Nikole, zaštitnika pomoraca, što u vikendu koji se datumski poklopio s ovim blagdanom. Jedina od tih regata koja je organizirana za "male klase" bila je u Puli i riječ o tradicionalnom međunarodnom eventu koji 28. put okupio iznimno velik broj natjecatelja u klasama Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial i Laser Standard. Datumi rezervirani za jedrenje su bili od 6. do 8. prosinca, ali pripreme za ovaj jedriličarski megadogađaj, bar u hrvatskim okvirima, počeli su tjednima ranije. Pripreme su krenule tjednima ranije, od uređivanja okoliša kluba, pripreme slipova i pontona, administrativnih sadržaja, logistike... a sve to bi bilo mnogo teže da se članovi JK Vega nisu složno udružili i zajedno s roditeljima svojih klinaca posao odradili zajedničkim snagama! Ovaj njihov pristup i stil rada je prepoznat od strane svih sudionika, a dobar glas se uvijek vrlo daleko čuje i to je svake godine rezultiralo sve većim brojem sudionika. Trend se nastavio i ovaj put, pa je u Pulu stiglo ukupno 576 jedriličara i jedriličarki! Kao i uvijek, najbrojni su bili kadeti u klasi Optimist. Njih je je jedrilo čak 393, dok su Laseri bili zastupljeni sa 102 natjecatelja u klasi 4.7, 68 u Radialu i 13 u Standardu. A sad ćemo riječ malo prepustiti članici Organizacijskog odbora Gei Damjanić: Bilo je odlično! Najviše smo odjedrili u nedjelju, tri plova. U petak nismo ništa napravili, a u subotu samo jedan plov. Grozno je krenulo i u nedjelju... ujutro magla, neki su se već počeli pakirati, ali onda se magla dignula i zapuhao je neki slabi zapadnjak, slabašnih 5-6 čvorova. U petak su laseri uspjeli startati, odjedriti orcu, a Optimisti nisu niti to uspjeli napraviti. U subotu smo uspjeli dati start tek oko 13 sati, a to vrijeme nam je stvarno velik problem jer je zima i dan je prekratak. U 14 sati nam mora krenuti posljednja predstartna procedura, tako da se svi startevi na svim poljima odsviraju do 14:30, pa da posljednji u cilj uđu do 15:30 i da svi budu na kopnu do 16 sati. Eventualno petnaestak minuta duže, ali nema tu puno mogućnosti... U subotu nam je isto puhalo sa zapada, ako nekakav maestral, ali ne toliko jak, više kao nekakav propuh :) Inače su flote bile odvojene na dva regatna polja. Optimisti su bili na jednom, a Laseri na drugom. Optimisti su zbog ogromnog broja sudionika bili podijeljeni u četiri skupine od po stotinjak natjecatelja u skupini. Laseri su također bili podijeljeni u grupe. I 4.7 i Radiali su bili podijeljeni u dvije, dok je Standarda bilo premalo za takav potez. A što se tiče Radiala njihova podjela nije bila na mušku i žensku flotu. Jedne godine smo to pokušali, ali zbog kriterijske ljestvice na kojoj nema takve podjele morali smo odustati od tog poteza. S druge strane ovakva podjela omogućuje formiranje zlatne i srebrene skupine, ali kako nije bilo dovoljno odjedrenih plovova prva dva dana to nismo mogli napraviti. Što se tiče kurenta najgore je bilo Optimistima u subotu, ali sreća je bila što je smjer bio u smjeru vjetra, pa ih je držao ispod startne linije, a mala panika je bila pred zadnji start kad je kurenat oslabio, da će biti izlijetanja ali srećom je su svi i taj start dobro odradili. MOram se pohvaliti da smo ove godine oborili rekord u broju natjecatelja. Lani smo ih imali 529, a ove godine 47 više i do sada smo imali 14-15 nacija, a obe godine 20, a među njima jednog Australca i jednu Amerikanku... predstavnici tri kontinenta! Amerikanci su čak najavili da će ih dogodine doći više. Ove godine smo napravili i jednu super stvar. Pronašli smo djecu koja su imala rođendane tih dana, pa smo ih obavijestili da moraju doći u ured Regatnog odbora. Naravno, nisu znali zbog čega i možete zamisliti njihovo iznenađenje kad su tamo došli u panici, a dočekali su ih pokloni :) Gea Damjanić, JK Vega Što se tiče protesta, s obzirom na broj natjecatelja nije ih bilo previše, može se čak reći i zanemariv broj. U nedjelju su tako bila samo tri protesta. Po pitanju ostalih kazni najviše su se dijelili penali zbog nedopuštenih aktivnosti s kormilima na startnoj liniji. Također je i dosta manje UFD-ova bilo dodijeljeno u odnosu na prošlu godinu, možda po 2-3 u prosjeku. Inače se na ovoj, a i drugim regatama koje su s ogromnim brojem natjecatelja, vrlo brzo primjenjuje crna zastava, jer nema dovoljno vremena za mnogostruko ponavljanje starteva. Još jedan od razloga zašto se to brzo koristi na regati u Puli je što stranim natjecateljima ova regata nije u kriterijska i na starteve ulaze opušteniji i skloniji rizicima, pa često povedu flotu preko linije. Na ovaj način ih se ipak bar malo "disciplinira". Natjecatelji koji su u svojim karijerama sigurno odjedrili najviše regata u Puli su najstariji momci, natjecatelji u Laser Standardu. Od njih 13 samo 5 je bilo iz Hrvatske, ali su zato vodili glavnu riječ. U četiri odjedrena plova najbolji je bio Božidar Golubić (JK Mornar), a do pobjede je došao s tri prva mjesta i jednim 5. koje je mogao odbaciti. Borba za drugo mjesto je bodovno bila mnogo zanimljivija. Bolji prosjek je imao Marko Smolić (JK Val, Šibenik) koji je tako ponovio plasman osvojen u Opatiji tjedan dana ranije, dok je bod iza njega završio talijanski jedriličar Elia Stocco. Kompletne rezultate ove klase možete pronaći na ovom linku. Radiali su bili malo manje uspješni za našu flotu, ali svejedno imamo jednu medalju. Prva dva mjesta su otišla u Grčku i na Cipar, a brončani je bio Matija Reljanović (YC Croatia). On je imao jednak broj bodova kao klupski mu kolega Roko Stipanović koji ej završio na četvrtom mjestu i kao najbolja djevojka među Radialima, talijanska jedriličarka Sara Savelli. Matiji je prevagu donijela pobjeda u trećem plovu. Naša najbolja jedriličarka je bila Karla Šavar (YC Zagreb). Ona je završila odmah iza gđice. Savelli i predvodila je skupinu od još dvoje natjecatelja s jednakim brojem bodova. Njen adut je bio isti kao kod Matije Reljanovića, jedno prvo mjesto, a osvojila ga je u prvom plovu. Plasmane ostalih 18 CRO jedara možete pronaći na ovom linku. FOTO: HRVOJE DAMJANOVIĆ Najbrojnija podskupina klase Laser je bila kategorija Laser 4.7. Na moru su bila čak 102 jedra ove kvadrature, a od toga je hrvatskih bilo 39. Oni su odjedrili tri plova s mnogo većim uspjehom za strane natjecatelje nego za naše. Naša perjanica je ovog puta bio mladi zagrebački jedriličar Luka Fatović. Prvi plov ga je dosta vratio unatrag, ali su drugi i treći pokazali njegov potencijal i najavili bolje rezultate u budućnosti. Na koncu je završio kao 12. Prva iduća CRO jedra su bila od dvije djevojke. Na 14. mjestu je završila članica JK Mornar, Petra Marendić, djevojka koja je u rujnu jedrila svoju posljednju regatu u klasi Optimist. S 12., 10. i 12. mjestom ostavila je iza sebe mnogo iskusniju Eleonore Borgin (JK Tijat) koja je bila lošija za 6 bodova i dva mjesta na ljestvici. Tek od 19. pa do 25. mjesta pronalazimo veću skupinu naših jedriličara u većoj koncentraciji, dok su se preostali više manje ravnomjerno rasporedili do dna rezultatskog popisa. Što se tiče klase Optimist tu smo imali udio od oko 25% flote. Kadetkinje i kadeti su odjedrili po četiri plova, a veliku zadovoljštinu domaćinu za uloženi trud donio je njihov mladi jedriličar Tristan Tol. Ujedno je njegov rezultat ostavio upitnik iza sebe, jer je fenomenalno krenuo s pobjedom i drugim mjestom, a potom u trećem plovu biva diskvalificiran... srećom nije posustao duhom i u posljednjem jedrenju završava dosta dobar 6. Prvi idući naš predstavnik je član JK Jugo, Grigor Pettener. Iz Pule odlazi s 24. mjestom. Što se tiče djevojčica, najbolja naša predstavnica je bila Ema Grabar (JK Uljanik plovidba). Regatu završava na 38. mjestu, ali zato je bila najbolja u kategoriji djevojčica do 12 godina! Kompletni rezultati klase Optimist nalaze se na ovom linku. Prva iduća, a ujedno i posljednja ovogodišnja hrvatska regata za Optimiste i Lasere je Novogodišnja regata na Hvaru. Jedrit će se od 28. do 30. prosinca. READ MORE

WINGS OUT, SAILS IN The Return Of Traditional Sailmaking Sail loft production manager, Ian ‘Shinzy’ Pattison © Harry KH This article was first published by INEOS TEAM UK, November 2019 Sails have taken a change in direction for the next edition of the America’s Cup and with it comes the return of more traditional sailmaking. OUT are the semi-rigid 23 metre wings that were used on the 50’ ACC catamarans, IN are the new double-skinned mainsails that are now raised and lowered 26m to the top of the mast. The revolutionary new design brings some of the aerodynamic advantages of the wing into the traditional sailing world. The two ‘sail skins’ that constitute the mainsail are attached to the rig, one to each corner of the back of the D-shaped mast section. It’s a 3Di product from North Sails, made from carbon fibre and equipped with buoyant material or airbags at the top, to provide buoyancy in case of capsize. The rig is one design, developed and produced by Southern Spars. Prepping the new double skinned mainsail © Harry KH Each team can produce up to 10 mainsails under the rules. Along with the mainsail you have the jibs and code zeros. There are five jib sizes to accommodate the different conditions and they weigh around 60kg each. Unlike the main, they are a single skin construction. The code zero, used in lighter sailing conditions has replaced the traditional spinnaker on the downwind legs, but could also be used upwind when it’s very light. The previous wing concept was complex and required a specialist operations team and a crane to attach it to the platform. The new mainsails need support from more traditional sailmakers and allow the team to change sails on the water. The INEOS TEAM UK sailmaking team is three strong, headed up by Sail Loft Production Manager, Ian ‘Shinzy’ Pattison alongside sailmakers Sam Haines and Danny Leech. INEOS TEAM UK Sailmaker Sam Haines © Dan Wilko Shinzy has campaigned with numerous Cup teams, whereas for Sam and Danny the AC36 will be their first. Sam has over 20 years of sailmaking knowledge and provides some insight into the new sail concept: “The nice thing about this type of sail, compared to the previous wings, is that it does bring back the more traditional skills and machine work, which I think some people have been missing in the previous editions. “The mainsail is the biggest sail on the boat; it is the primary device for controlling and powering the boat. It’s the equivalent to having a rudder in the sky! Iain is our trimmer onboard, there’s a lot of controls that primarily attach to the top (head) of the sail, including the twist and camber control.” INEOS TEAM UK Head Of Rigging, Chris Noble © Lloyd Images These controls have a big impact on the balance of the boat, and the mainsail trimmer must work very closely with the helmsman to control the boat and keep it going fast. “The main sail is essentially the same product you see out on a 30-foot sailboat out on the Solent, just some of the engineering is different because of what we are trying to achieve with these AC75s. There’s a lot of components inside the sails so the boat builders are manufacturing these for us, there’s a lot of involvement from the different trades within the team. “We are still in a development phase and looking at different concepts and set ups. However, a lot of the thinking has come from how the wing sails worked, so we are trying to adapt this concept into the soft sail. We are really going to be pushing the boundaries.” Sam described a typical sailing day for him and the team. “The mainsail goes on the boat around 15-20 minutes before we are due to leave the dock. Then out on the water there’s one or two of us out there from the sail loft, in case we need to make any quick repairs and to assess if any changes need to be made. “But our day really starts when the team get back! We bring the mainsail, jib and code zero into the base, check all the internal and external components, check the corners and batten tensions to make sure there’s no wear and tear we have missed. It’s around three hours of checking per sailing session.” INEOS TEAM UK Sailmaker Sam Haines © Dan Wilko “It’s a really exciting time to be a sailmaker in the America’s Cup and I think this concept can – and will – eventually trickle down to the wider sailing industry.” READ MORE

SAVASANA SHINES IN J/70 WINTER SERIES OPENER North Designs Powered Top Five in Tampa The weekend champion, Savasana, won with North Sails. 📸 Chris Howell Sunny conditions welcomed forty-eight teams for the J/70 Winter Series opener, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club. North clients dominated the fleet, taking the five top spots. Congratulations to Brian Keane and his corinthian team on Savasana for winning first place overall. The weekend kicked off as usual with the Friday Porch Series, a series of practice races and starts for all competitors organized by North expert Jackson Benvenutti. All teams did practice starts and races to get warmed up for the weekend, followed by a comprehensive debrief led by coach Jackson. The club was packed with enthusiastic sailors sharing ideas, techniques, and information. On Saturday the fleet only got one lap in before the wind shut off for the day. Once racing was abandoned, sailors were treated to chili and beer at DIYC, proving once again why it is one of the most hospitable clubs around. That evening, teams headed to some of Tampa’s many sports bars for NHL hockey action. On Sunday morning, three races were sailed in a 5-10 knot easterly breeze that put a premium on clear air off the start and avoiding holes. Here are two lessons learned: Steer With Your Weight Downwind The spinnaker trimmer moved side to side (along with some help from the bow person) to help steer the boat, which reduced the amount of rudder movement needed. Accelerate As A Team Starting in light air, there is always a battle between allowing enough distance to accelerate without being covered by competitors. On final approach, our jib trimmer relayed distance to the line. That allowed trimmer and driver to be on the same page for the final acceleration. The next regatta in the J/70 Tampa Winter Series is set to begin January 10, we look forward to seeing everyone there! 📸 Chris Howell 📸 Chris Howell READ MORE

PODIUM SWEEP AT THE J/70 SOUTH AMERICANS A Tie For First, With Two Different Mainsails 📸Jorge Cousillas The J/70 South Americans were sailed in Punta del Este, Uruguay the first week in December. Giulio Desiderato, the mainsheet trimmer onboard winners Petite Terrible, says it was a really close championship. “The top two boats were tied and the third just one point behind. Punta del Este was a great racing venue, and we sailed in all the wind conditions, from really light up to 20 knots.” The italian team skippered by Claudia Rossi used the F-1 mainsail, J-2 High Clew jib, and AP-1 spinnaker. “The F-1 mainsail compared to the XCS-2 has less luff curve,” Giulio points out, adding that it was the first time the team used that sail. “We really focused on the bend, trying to tune a straighter mast.” Playing a lot with the lower and with the vang also helped control the bottom shape of the mainsail, he says. “A powerful shape allowed us to be really fast with the chop and cross waves of Punta del Este. Especially the last day, it was really puffy and patchy, so our goal was to find a set up that allowed us to play with the maximum range of backstay.” In second place on countback was a team led by Guillermo Parada, who sailed in the Olympics for Argentina and is also helmsman of the TP52 Azzurra. Both Parada’s team and third place Enfante Terrible sailed with the XCS-2 mainsail, J-2 High Clew jib, and AP-1 spinnaker. North Sails designer Giovanni Cassinari was Enfante Terrible’s main trimmer. “It was a great event, really well organized, and with great sailing conditions,” Giulio concludes. “And it’s been great training for us, looking forward to our objectives for the 2020 season.” Related articles: Which J/70 mainsail is best for your team? How to choose the best J/70 jib Learn more about the world’s fastest J/70 designs. Starting line in Punta Del Este. 📸Jorge Cousillas Claudia Rossi’s Petit Terrible, 2019 south American Champions 📸Jorge Cousillas 📸Jorge Cousillas READ MORE

Hrvatski RU jedriličari su najbolji na svijetu FOTO: IOM WORLDS 2019 Osim dvojca iz naslova i ostatak hrvatskog tima se vratio doma sa Svjetskog prvenstva radio upravljanih jedrilica klase IOM s osmjehom na licu, pa da rezimiramo... Zvonko Jelačić sa zlatom, Ante Kovačević sa srebrom, Mirko Ukas sa sedmim mjestom, Bruno Marević je najbolji junior, a Vedran Vesanović najbolji grand master! Ovako iznimni rezultati su definitivno rezultat kako iznimnih talenata, tako i uloženog velikog truda. Da ne bi bilo zabune, naši jedriličari su u samom svjetskom vrhu ove klase već dugi niz godina, ali ovako nismo dominirali još od Barbadosa 2009. godine kad je Zvonko Jelačić osvojio svoju prvu svjetsku titulu. Ovo mu je ukupno treći naslov svjetskog prvaka, jer je rezultat s Barbadosa ponovio prije dvije godine u Francuskoj i trenutno je jedini jedriličar koji je uspio obraniti naslov i koji ih ima čak tri! Kako je to izgledalo s bodovne strane možete vidjeti na ovom linku, a kako je to izgledalo na licu mjesta i u pripremnom razdoblju najbolje je da nam ispričaju i sami glavni akteri ove lijepe priče: U Brazil smo stigli dva dana prije početka da se malo aklimatiziramo, samo četiri sata je vremenske razlike, pa to nije bio toliki problem, ali trebali smo malo izviditi situaciju. Obavezno je uspješno proći premjeravanje, koje traje dva dna, pa smo htjeli malo izviditi područje jedrenja, smještaj itd. Prejeravanje je proteklo manje više glatko, ta dva pripremna dana smo napravili i dva treninga. Znali smo da smo brzi, ali nismo znali koliko jer nitko nije htio s nama trenirati :) Dobro, nismo se baš ni ciljali da treniramo s nekim od jakih. Oni bi došli ujutro, a mi bi brodove bacili poslijepodne. Onda b oni došli i gledali, nitko nije htio baciti brod skupa s nama. Jedino se Mirko žalio nakon tih treninga da mu je brod spor, pa smo mu morali objasniti da nije on spor, već da smo se mi značajno ubrzali :) Ja i Ante smo cijelo ljeto radili na brodovima i kad se jedri toliko dugo onda više nije samo u brodovima, već si cijeli u tome. Točno znaš da li je to to ili brod može još brže. Mislim da nam je to bilo ključno, jer su se uvjeti u Brazilu stalno mijenjali. Nismo imali dva plova po istim uvjetima. Ujutro bi imali nešto kao što je u nas maestral. Ujutro bi bio lagan vjetar, a za uru i pol već je dva čvora jači. A s obzirom da do idućeg plova moramo čekati po sat i pol - dva, dok se izredaju sve grupe, uvjeti se značajno promijene. Pa do trećeg plova u danu vjetar možda ostane iste snage, ali je u međuvremenu narastao val. Četvrti plov možda ostane isti uvjet, a na petom plovu već krene slabljenje vjetra, a val ostane... To je npr. bila značajna razlika u odnosu na Barbados gdje nisam promijenio trim niti jednom u sedam dana, a ovdje je svaki plov bio s drugim trimom... što promjena u sakovima, tenziji štraja. Mislim da je to bio vrlo važan element ove regate, naravno uz dobar start i dobru brzinu, jer vjetar je bio dosta stabilan. Nije bilo nekih posebnih driceva, OK, uvijek je neka strana bolja, ali s tim se nisu mogla čuda raditi. U redu, bilo je nekih ruta s kojima se moglo dobiti nekoliko dužina broda do bove, ali ako ja to mogu nadoknaditi brzinom to nije toliko bitno. Da ne bi bilo zabune, brzine koje smo imali ja i Ante nisu bile nešto značajno veće od ostalih koji su brzo jedrili. U nekim uvjetima bi se netko našao tko je pratio našu brzinu, ali stvar je u tome što kad bi se uvjeti promijenili taj više nije imao istu brzinu, već bi usporio, a netko drugi bi nam se približio. Da se razumijemo, nismo imali brzine s kojima nas nitko nije mogao pratiti, ali bila je dovoljna da npr. nakon starta prvi dođemo do laylinea i tad se već stvori situacija po kojoj nas nitko više ne može pratiti. Onda dođe vira, koju u mnogim uvjetima Kantun 2 može napraviti brže od ostalih, pa tu dobijemo još pola dužine. Tako da ako se regularno startalo s ostalima, sad si već među prvih nekoliko brodova, a onaj koji je startao pored tebe ako nije pao u šiju, nego je bio malo sa strane, sad je već 7-8. To je ogromna razlika... I onda kad na bovi od krme ponovno okreneš među prva 3-4 broda ponovno prođeš jedan - dva broda na račun brzine... Najbolji primjeri ovih razlika su Britanac Peter Stollery (svjetski prvak iz 2011., u Brazilu završio na 5. mjestu) koji je najbolje rezultate radio kroz jutro kad je bio lagani vjetar. Onda kad bi vjetar pojačao više nam ne bi bio opasnost, a njegovo mjesto bi zauzeo Novozelanđanin Ian Vickers (završio je s broncom) i Francuz Romain Dubreull (4. mjesto). Da ne bi bilo zabune, svi oni su jedrili dobro. Zvonko Jelačić, svjetski prvak FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA Za Brazil smo kontinuirano trenirali od regate u Rogoznici, u siječnju. Jedrili smo po svim uvjetima... buri, jugu, kiši, suncu... a program priprema smo obogatili odlascima na dvije velike regate u inozemstvu. Jedna je bila u Engleskoj, a druga u Španjolskoj. Njih smo izabrali jer su nam trebale jake regate da se vratimo u regatni mod, jer smo inače kontinuirano jedrili samo brod na brod u smislu iznalaženja njegovih najvećih brzina i najboljih mogućnosti. Tako da su nam te dvije regate bile potrebne baš zbog samog regatnog karaktera. Što se tiče Brazila, nas petorica smo bili zajedno smješteni u jednom stanu u blizini kluba, tako da nismo bili ovisni o autobusu koji je ostale natjecatelje vozio od hotela i natrag, pa smo mogli imati svoj ritam i rutinu. Svako natjecanje ovako jakog karaktera počinje s vrlo detaljnim premjeravanjima. Što se tiče mene i Zvonka to je trajalo malo duže, jer smo neke stvari ostavili za sam kraj. Naime, do pred sam odlazak iz Splita radili smo na kolombama i ostavili smo neke stvari nedovršene s ciljem da ih finaliziramo na licu mjesta u skladu s uvjetima koji su tamo vladali. Ono što nam je najviše nedostajalo u pripremnom razdoblju su startevi i pripadajuća gužva, što mi doma nemamo već neko vrijeme. To je praktički meni i presudilo. Moj zaostatak za Zvonkom je u tome što sam ja tih šest dana jedrenja imao 6-7 izlijetanja na startu. Jednostavno zbog tih 6-7 regata, dovoljno da sam bio par mjesta iza njega, a što i jesam, jer se moraš vratiti, ponovno startati... i to je tih 18 bodova razlike na kraju. Mislim da on nije niti jednu izletio i da je to odlično odradio. Što se tiče uvjeta za jedrenje moram reći da smo mi u tom pripremnom razdoblju proveli sate i sate proučavajući video snimke regata koje su se jedrile u tom akvatoriju. Pregledali smo sva dostupna videa na YouTubeu. I mislim da smo dosta dobro snimili uvjete koji su na toj vodi... jer to tamo je voda, nije more. To je inače ušće velike rijeke i oko 90% regata smo odvozili tako da nam je kurenat te rijeke bio u krmu, pa nas je guralo vani i vjerojatno je i to razlog zašto sam toliko puta izletio na startu jer na to nisam navikao. Međutim, kurenat nije bio toliko jak jer je rijeka na tom mjestu stvarno široka. Što se tiče vala, on je bio kratak i "čopav", razlog je što je to bila slatka voda, pa se ona lakše obrušava i teren je drugačiji, plitko je. Tako da smo pokušavali ovdje pronaći takve uvjete i najbliže tome smo pronašli kod Trogira kad puše jugo, pa smo nekoliko treninga napravili i tamo uz pomoć Marija Škrlja. Tu smo npr. testirali B jedra po takvom valu. U svakom slučaju tu domaću zadaću smo odlično odradili jer smo bili dominantni po takvim uvjetima. Vjetar je bio takav da je vladala dnevna termika, ujutro lagani vjetar, a kasnije okretanje za suncem, samo što taj "maestral" puše s druge strane, jer smo bili na drugoj zemaljskoj polutki. Slična situacija je bila i sa suncem, jer drugačije putuje nego što smo na to naviknuli. Bili smo postavljeni slično kao kod nas, gledali smo put juga, ali sunce je prolazilo nama iza leđa, a ne ispred nas kao što smo naviknuli gore na sjeveru. I to sunce, odnosno refleksija, bi nam smetalo tek na kraju dana. A boja vode, onako smeđa... rijeka je puna mulja, nitko se nije kupao u njoj osim nas kad smo na kraju morali skočiti u nju :), a po riječima lokalaca navodno je bilo i aligatora na drugoj obali. I za kraj još jednom moram istaknuti da je ovaj rezultat plod velikog rada zadnjih godinu dana, svladavanja tehnike jedrenja po tom čopavom valu, kao što vjerujem da su svoj udio imali nova peraja i olovo koje smo dizajnirali baš za takav val. I ne smijem zaboraviti spomenuti da smo baš zbog takvih uvjeta dolje išli s malo dubljim jedrima, jer za takav val treba imati malo više snage u jedrima. A u dizajnu tih novih jedara svojim prijedlozima nam je pomogao i Tomislav Bašić. Ante Kovačević, svjetski viceprvak Osim njih dvojice svoj veliki pečat regati je napravio i Mirko Ukas. On jedini od našeg tima nije jedrio s najnovijim Zvonkovim dizajnom, već s generaciju starijim Kantunom S. Ali svejedno, nakon što je uhvatio ritam uvjeta i vala i Mirko pokazuje svoju kvalitetu i osvaja fenomenalno 7. mjesto na svijetu. Inače je on bio glavni logističar tima. Pripremu svih doručaka i večera je preuzeo na sebe i sa svojom kuhinjom sigurno dao svoj doprinos osvojenim medaljama. Prvi put na regati smo imali i jedriličara u kategoriji grand master. Riječ je o Vedranu Vesanoviću, koji je stalni član naše reprezentacije već desetak godina, ali sad prvi put u ovoj kategoriji, a taj ulazak u ovu konkurenciju obilježio je osvajanjem titule najboljeg u svojoj dobnoj skupini. Još smo imali i najboljeg juniora prvenstva, Bruna Marevića. Njemu je ovo bio prvi izlazak na najjaču svjetsku scenu u ovoj klasi. Vrlo dobro je krenuo s jedrenjem. Na kvalifikacijama je skoro završio na 3. mjestu i odmah bi upao u A grupu, ali na kraju nije uspio izorcati cilj, pa je virao i kad je izbjegavao četvrtog udario je u petog. Nije se dobro snašao kod iskupljivanja i završio je zadnji, pa je regatu započeo iz grupe E. Tako da se prvih tri - četiri dana vrtio u zadnjim grupama i tek se zadnji dan stabilizirao u grupi C. Napokon se natrimao da ide dobro i onda je došao do grupe A u kojoj je uspio ostati dva puta. Najbolje se snalazio kad je vjetar bio najjači, za najmanja jedra (C komplet). Po laganim i umjerenim vjetrovima uglavnom se jedrenje svodi na stegnuti škotu i strpljivo odjedriti zamišljeno, dok s C jedrima potrebno je puno više raditi i s jedrima i kormilom, a to ga je više podsjećalo na klasu 420 u kojoj i inače gradi svoju trenutnu jedriličarsku karijeru. U svakom slučaju IOM scena u Hrvatskoj je dobila još jednog prosperitetnog jedriličara u svojim redovima. FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA Naša ekipa je u Brazilu stanovala u blizini kluba u jednoj stambenoj zgradi i praktički su mogli do kluba ići pješice, dok su ostali jedriličari bili u udaljenom hotelu do kojeg i od kojeg su putovali autobusom kojeg je osigurao organizator. Porto Alegre je inače na sjeveru Brazila u dijelu koji je dosta razvijeniji od ostatka države, ali je stopa kriminala svejedno dosta visoka i zbog sigurnosti su domaćini preporučili svim jedriličarima da noću ne izlaze na ulicu. A što se tiče osiguranja zgrade u kojoj su stanovali zanimljivo je da je ograđena visokim zidom na kojem se nalazi žica pod naponom, naoružani čuvar na ulazu s ulice i još jedan na ulazu u zgradu. Također je i jedriličarski klub okružen jednakim sigurnosnim mjerama s neizbježnim naoružanim čuvarima, dok je regatna zona je bila smještena na otočiću ispred kluba. Do njega se dolazilo preko mosta na čijem početku je također stajao čuvar i natjecatelji su praktički bili izolirani od ostatka Brazila. Unatoč van serijskom jedrenju naših jedriličara treba pohvaliti i dizajne jedrilice s kojom su jedrili... Kantun 2 i Kanutn S. Kad se letimično statistički obrade podaci dolazi se do podatka da su ovi dizajni osvojili više od 50% prvih mjesta na ovom prvenstvu. Naravno, u paketu s trupom idu i pripadajuća 3D jedra koja se izrađuju po Zvonkovom patentu i posljednjih desetak godina je jedini proizvođač koji koristi ovu tehnologiju u svijetu radio upravljanog jedrenja. Da to nije mala stvar govori i to da se mnogi vrhunski dizajneri bave i oviim malenim jedrilicama. Najzvučnija imena su definitivno Giovanni Ceccarelli s čijim dizajnom imena Sedici je jedrilo nekoliko jedriličara, a na trećem mjestu je završio novozelandski jedriličar i dizajner Ian Vickers koji je bio jedan od dizajnera jedrilja na nekoliko novozelandskih America's Cup jedrilica! Osim jedriličarske strane, na kraju prvenstva se pokazala i ljudska strana. Kako danas skoro svatko koristi Facebook i sve se nalazi na društvenim mrežama, tako su i mnogi sudionici primijetili da naši reprezentativci dijele neke novinske članke u kojima se spominje JK Zenta. Upotrebom Google prevoditelja mnogi su išli pročitati o čemu se radi i nisu mogli vjerovati da se malverzacije koje se događaju u Zenti mogu uopće dešavati u jednoj pravno uređenoj državi. Posljednjeg dana su odlučili da će svi zajedno u znak podrške ovom jedriličarskom klubu napraviti grupnu fotografiju: FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA I za kraj jedna zanimljiva crtica vezana uz klasu IOM je i taj što do nedavno, po pravilima, nisu mogla biti organizirana kontinentalna prvenstva, osim Europskog prvenstva i Svjetskog prvenstva. To se može tek od posljednje izmjene koja je napravljena na inicijativu trenutnog predsjednika klase, brazilca Freda Roche. Prilikom glasanja za ovaj prijedlog najveći protivnici su bili Britanci. Oni su inače jedna od velesila u radio upravljanom jedrenju, ali unatoč velikoj brojnosti i dugoj tradiciji pomalo gube svoj dosadašnji značaj rastom popularnosti i dostupnosti ovog sporta u ostatku svijeta. Direktna posljedica novih pravila, osim što će sad svaki kontinent moći imati svog šampiona, je i drugačija raspodjela mjesta na svjetskim prvenstvima, jer se mora promijeniti i ključ distribucije. Naravno, Britanci će na taj način zbog loših rezultata u posljednje vrijeme izgubiti određeni broj mjesta, a također i svoj utjecaj prilikom donošenja pravila. Najbolji primjer utjecaja britanskog lobija je i korištenje sustava jedrenja velikih prvenstava. Trenutno je u upotrebi sustav koji dozvoljava kontinuiranu fluktuaciju natjecatelja kroz jakosne skupine, ali smanjuje maksimalni broj natjecatelja, broj jedrenja u jednom danu, ima utjecaj na brzinu rješavanja protesta itd. Dok se u Hrvatskoj na velikim regatama trenutno koristi sustav vrlo sličan sustavima koji koriste mnoge druge klase, a zasniva se na tome da se u prvom dijelu regate jedre kvalifikacije i kasnije finala. Prilikom posljednjeg glasanja o ovom sustavu Hrvatski prijedlog je izgubio tijesnom manjinom, ali možda s novim promjenama doprinese modernizaciji ovog segmenta jedrenja. U svakom slučaju naši jedriličari na regatnom polju pokazuju da su najbolji neovisno o sustavu, a s obzirom na nove akcije koje se rade na popularizaciji ovog vida jedrenja, svi mladi i budući jedriličari radio upravljanim jedrilicama imat će sigurno najbolje mentore na svijetu da ih upute u sve detalje ove vještine! READ MORE

JOIN US AT THE 2020 Chicago Boat, RV & Sail Show Shop New Sails And See What's New READ MORE

JOIN US AT THE 2020 TORONTO BOAT SHOW Shop New Sails And See What's New READ MORE

NORTH SAILS POWERS STAR SAILORS LEAGUE WINNERS Iain Percy & Ander Ekström Take Home the Big Prize 23 of the world’s best sailing teams gathered in Nassau, Bahamas for the seventh edition of the Star Sailors League Finals. With Olympic medalists lining up with world champions from a variety of classes in a knockout format, it was a battle right from the first start. Four days later, a too-close-to-call finish gave the British/Swedish duo of Iain Percy and Ander Ekstrom a tiny victory over the French team of Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot. Both teams finished only meters ahead of Norwegian Evind Melleby, who sailed with American Josh Revkin. The top two teams race with North Sails and were fast throughout the wind range. Iain Percy used the same M-16 mainsail that helped him win a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and a new J-115 full radial jib, and he felt they were incredibly quick during the finals. Xavier Rohart, who used the lighter air J1-R5 jib, said, “The boat was very easy to sail and really, really fast, I just had to try and go the correct way.” The M-16 design is ideal for softer rigs. The more recent M-25 design is optimised for the newer stiffer masts, though it can also be used with confidence on other masts. The North designs are faster than ever. The SSL result, combined with the victories at the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and the North Americans, proves that there are no better Star sails on the market. Star World Champion and North Sails expert Eric Doyle also made the finals and was really impressed with the sails. “Our designs are faster than ever. The SSL result, combined with the victories at the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and the North Americans, proves that there are no better Star sails on the market.” Congratulations to the top two teams on their excellent results, and also thanks to the Star Sailors League and Nassau Yacht Club for putting on such a fantastic regatta. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS RELEASE NEW JIBS TO MEET J/105 LATEST CLASS WEIGHT RULES New Lighter Sails Retain Market-leading Durability, Shape Holding And Performance North Sails have released new 3Di jibs for the J/105, updating the popular Mi-4 to the Mi-5 and the Li-5 to the Li-6 to meet the new weight rules set by the class. The new designs continue to offer unparalleled durability, speed and range as a result of North’s unique 3Di technology. Allan Terhune, the J/105 Class Expert with North Sails in Annapolis MD, added, “The new Mi-5 and Li-6 jibs are now really right in the wheelhouse of peak performance, as we were arguably previously over-building them before to meet the weight requirements. But with the new minimum weight, these sails are really coming into their own.” Sail designer Rich Bowen added, “The designs remain the current standard and the previous sails had some parasitic features to boost weight to achieve the old class minimum, so updating the finishing and tape layouts has been key to the new sail. The new J/105 jibs are now all 760 RAW, which immediately saved some weight. We were then able to reduce sail structure and still have the strength required to achieve the same flying shape. “Non-standard” edge reinforcements were removed, and we applied appropriate-sized corner rings and webs on the new models.” J/105 boats racing with North Sails have long benefited from 3Di technology, with no delamination and uncompromised shape retention. North J/105 clients are able to see sustained performance over multiple racing seasons without replacing sails, netting a bigger return on investment and value-for-money. The J/105 events in 2020 include the popular NOOD Regattas in the Spring in Annapolis MD, San Diego CA and Marblehead MA, as well as the North American Championships in October. In 2019 North Sails clients dominated the North Americans, Midwinter Series, East Coast and NOOD regattas, in one of the strongest results for North powered boats on record. North Sails supports the Class across all key events, with representatives on the ground at regattas offering instructional seminars and helping clients get the most out of their sails. As the leader in One Design sailmaking, North Sails is offering special pricing for all orders placed by December 31st, 2019. Contact your local North expert today. READ MORE