NORTH SAILS BLOG

Since 1994, the Wally Class has grown into one of the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing yacht racing fleets. The Wally Class Trophy, equally elegant and donated by North Sails, is awarded to the boat with the most points after four events: Palma Vela, Rolex Giraglia, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Maxi Worlds, and Les Voiles de St. Tropez. READ MORE

TWIST EXPLAINED By Bill Gladstone In Upwind Sail Power, we defined the three sources of sail power: Angle of Attack, Depth, and Twist. Now we’ll focus on twist and how it impacts power and performance. Twist Twist describes the relative trim of the sail from high to low. A sail has lots of twist when the upper part of the leech is open, while a closed leech has little twist. Increasing twist reduces power because it opens the upper part of the sail. More Twist = Less Power. As with increasing angle of attack and depth, reducing twist adds power up to the point where the sail stalls and power drops. More on Twist Twist is necessary because due to less surface friction, the wind is stronger aloft than at the surface; this phenomenon is called wind gradient. True wind and boat speed combine to create apparent wind. The stronger true wind up high creates both a stronger apparent wind and a wider apparent wind angle aloft. The upper part of the sail must be twisted out relative to the lower part of the sail to match the more open apparent wind angle. The sailmaker designs twist into the sail to match the average wind gradient and then we trim to fine-tune it, in order to match wind and sea conditions as well as our performance goals. Fine tuning twist is one the most powerful trim adjustments we can make. The right twist for… Light Air Wind gradient is most pronounced in light air, so extra twist is needed. In addition, sails are prone to stalling in light air, and twist helps prevent that by easing flow. Likewise, a deep sail shape – used for extra power in light air – is prone to stalling, so trimming with plenty of twist is appropriate in light air. So, though it may be counter-intuitive – since adding twist reduces power – we trim with quite a bit of twist in light air to prevent stalling. Moderate Air In moderate winds, we can trim harder without stalling flow. This harder trim with less twist adds power and improves pointing. Heavy Air As the boat gets overpowered, we flatten sails and add twist to spill power. Thus, we sail with more twist in light air and heavy air and the least twist in moderate air. Twist and Performance Generally, less twist will help pointing while more twist is faster, with a wider steering groove. For example, coming out of a tack sails are initially trimmed with extra twist (to prevent stalling when slow), with final trim coming only as the boat accelerates to full speed. Likewise, in wavy conditions we trim for extra twist, to a more forgiving steering groove as the boat gyrates in waves. Reducing twist, on the other hand, maintains full power at a high pointing angle when sailing in smooth water. Depowering your sail plan Power can be reduced either by increasing twist or flattening the sail (or both). Which is best? In wavy conditions, it’s better to depower by adding twist, while in smooth water conditions flattening the sail is recommended. Often some combination of twist and flattening is best. One of the challenges of trimming is achieving the correct total power, and the correct mix of power by adjusting depth and twist to match the conditions. Boom vang and cunningham can help to achieve the balance. © Copyright Bill Gladstone READ MORE

De ontwikkeling van 3Di begon 10 jaar geleden en is sindsdien in een versneld tempo voortgezet. 3Di is de optelsom van meerdere exclusieve North Sails technologieën, waardoor dit het ideale platform is om nieuwe zeiltypes te creëren voor een brede doelgroep zeilers over de gehele wereld. Voor 2019 zijn de ongekende prestatie- en duurzaamheidsvoordelen van 3Di beschikbaar voor kleine boten tot superjachten, weekend cruisers tot wereldomzeilers, clubracers tot professionele zeilers, en alles wat hier tussen zit. Het Dacron Toerzeil Is Opnieuw Uitgevonden In 2018 heeft 3Di NORDAC – een 100% Polyester 3Di zeil – een revolutie veroorzaakt in toerzeilen. 3Di NORDAC heeft de Pittman Innovation Award, uitgereikt door Sail Magazine, gewonnen en tot op heden zijn meer dan 2.500 3Di NORDAC zeilen geleverd aan onze zeer tevreden klanten. Voor 2019 is onze productiecapaciteit uitgebreid om aan de vraag voor dit innovatieve en exceptionele product voor kleine en middelgrote toerschepen te voldoen. Alle zeilers willen snellere zeilen die langer mee gaan. 3Di NORDAC levert precies dat. . Snelheid Zonder Compromis 3Di RAW is het lichtste en best presterende wedstrijdzeil dat verkrijgbaar is en een absolute benchmark voor snelheid en vormbehoud. Boten met 3Di RAW zeilen domineren wereldwijd podia in de meest competitieve evenementen en klasses. Voor 2019 heeft North Sails deze geavanceerde technologie toegepast in een nieuwe productgroep, waarin het excellente vormbehoud gecombineerd wordt met een makkelijk te trimmen, duurzaam wedstrijdzeil dat perfect is voor Club Race zeilers met kleinere tot middelgrote schepen. . Rond de Wereld of Rond de Boeien Het meest duurzame 3Di zeil. 3Di Endurance is ontwikkeld voor extreme duurzaamheid en vormvastheid voor wedstrijd zeilen of offshore cruisen. François Gabart’s 3Di Endurance grootzeil had reeds 45.000 mijl gevaren VOORDAT hij begon aan zijn succesvolle Around The World Solo Record. Deze productgroep 3Di zeilen bevatten een buiten laag van beschermende filament tapes, waarmee een robuuste structuur gecreëerd wordt zonder dat de exclusieve vormstabiliteit van 3Di aangetast wordt. Een Nieuwe Dimensie voor Superjacht Cruise Zeilen Ocean is een nieuwe productgroep voor 2019 en levert een zeer sterk, licht en extreem betrouwbaar zeil voor cruise superjachten. Alles wat North Sails geleerd heeft als producent van superjachtzeilen bij uitstek in de afgelopen drie decennia is gecombineerd met de meest recente 3Di technologie. Grote cruise jachten langer dan 60 voet kunnen nu gebruik maken van de gepatenteerde exclusieve technologie en mix van materialen van 3Di Ocean. Deze zeilen zijn lichter, sterker en makkelijker te hanteren dan alle vergelijkbare laminaat zeilen. 3Di Composiet Zeilen, Nu Ook Downwind De ongekende voordelen van 3Di gaan nu verder dan aan de windse zeilen en zijn nu ook beschikbaar voor zeilers die state of the art asymmetrische zeilen zoeken. 3Di Downwind heeft zichzelf bewezen tijdens de meest recente Volvo Ocean Race, waar alle zeilen, zowel aan de wind als voor de wind, gemaakt waren in een versie van 3Di(en dus geen naaimachines meer aan boord hoefden meegesleept te worden!). Kabel loos rollen is nu mogelijk met onze unieke Helix Luff, waar direct geïntegreerde 3Di structuur de noodzaak voor een externe, inefficiënte kabel wegneemt. . READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Ante la perspectiva de una larga temporada sin navegar, debemos dedicar una especial atención a cómo almacenaremos nuestras velas para optimizar su vida útil y asegurarnos de que se encuentran en perfecto estado cuando volvamos a necesitarlas. Os proponemos unos útiles consejos básicos: Lo primero que debemos hacer es someterlas a una generosa sesión de agua dulce para retirar todo resto de salitre tanto del tejido como de herrajes y cabullería. Tan importante como endulzarlas es que sequen completamente antes de guardarlas, ya que la humedad es foco del temido hongo que puede amenazar su integridad. El mejor recipiente para almacenar la vela es su bolsa North Sails específica, y el mejor lugar para guardarla será aquel de baja humedad y que no esté expuesto a la luz directa del sol. Si no puedes o no tienes tiempo, llámanos y lo haremos por ti. En North Sails contamos con servicio de montaje, desmontaje, transporte y almacenaje. Y recuerda: el parón invernal es el mejor momento para someter las velas a un chequeo completo con el Servicio Certificado North Sails, ¡la mejor garantía para que estén en estado de revista la próxima vez que las necesites! READ MORE

VISÍTANOS EN EL SALÓN NÁUTICO DE BARCELONA Un año más, North Sails España participa en el Salón Náutico Internacional de Barcelona (10 a 14 de octubre), una de las citas imprescindibles del sector en España. Pásate por nuestro stand (C330, en el Moll de La Fusta) y descubre toda nuestra gama North Sails 3Di, incluyendo la revolucionaria 3Di NORDAC y nuestro último producto para regata, la 3Di RAW 360. ¡Nuestros expertos estarán encantados de recibirte! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di RAW: LA VELA DE CARRERAS Dentro de la gama North Sails 3Di, la versión RAW distingue a aquellas velas diseñadas bajo la premisa de obtener las máximas prestaciones, sin concesiones. Son el arma utilizada para cazar récords, ganar títulos y competir al máximo nivel, pero también forman parte del dosier de productos North Sails que podemos incorporar a nuestro barco. El equivalente a equipar nuestro coche con neumáticos de circuito. RAW es un término inglés que posee acepciones como “crudo”, “puro” o “sin tratar”. Eso nos da una pista sobre la naturaleza de la 3Di RAW, una de las cinco versiones en las que se divide la familia de velas moldeadas composite North Sails 3Di (junto a las 3Di ENDURANCE, 3Di OCEAN, 3Di NORDAC y 3Di Downwind). La 3Di RAW es la versión más ligera y rápida de toda gama. Para lograrlo reduce sus componentes a aquellos imprescindibles para conseguir las máximas prestaciones, eliminando capas exteriores de Dyneema que se utilizan como refuerzo en otras velas 3Di frente a los roces. El resultado es un tejido entre un 10 y un 15% más ligero y con una capacidad inigualable de conservación de la forma y estabilidad, lo que la ha convertido en vela de elección para los barcos que dominan la competición en todo el mundo. Comparada con cualquier otra vela, la 3Di RAW posee una combinación imbatible entre ligereza y ratio de fibra estructural respecto a su peso total. Una fórmula ganadora que se aplica en escenarios tan exigentes como la Volvo Ocean Race, las TP52 Super Series, la Vendée Globe o la America’s Cup, pero que también forma parte del catálogo comercial de velas North Sails, y como tal está disponible para optimizar las prestaciones de nuestro barco en regata. Una 3Di RAW para cada necesidad Actualmente, la gama 3Di RAW está disponible en seis versiones: 3Di RAW 330 (realizada 100% en poliéster), 3Di RAW 360 (poliéster y aramida), 3Di RAW 760 (Ultra PE y aramida), 3Di RAW 780, 3Di RAW 870 y 3Di RAW 880 (las tres en carbono, Ultra PE y aramida). Luís Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España, nos explica las particularidades de cada una de ellas. “La 3Di RAW es nuestra vela de máximo rendimiento para competición. Su gama comienza por la 330, una vela 100% poliéster pensada para monotipos de vela ligera. Además de ofrecer un rendimiento excepcional, supone un incremento en durabilidad, tanto de vida útil como de conservación de la forma”. La 3Di RAW 330 está disponible para clases como Moth y están en desarrollo para otros one design. “Es un producto nuevo en el que tenemos puestas muchas esperanzas”. El siguiente escalón es la 3Di RAW 360, específica para barcos de mediana eslora y la última en incorporarse al catálogo North Sails. “Es perfecta para barcos de regata club hasta 35-40 pies. Además de mejorar el rendimiento, entre sus peculiaridades destaca que es más estable y ligera, y posee un mayor mantenimiento de forma que otras velas equivalentes”. Para barcos de mayor eslora que los 40 pies, North Sails propone la 3Di RAW 760. Se trata de un giro de tuerca más respecto a la 360, lo que se consigue “eliminando poliéster, por lo que cuenta con más porcentaje de Dyneema, lo que optimiza sus prestaciones”. Por último, las velas más avanzadas del catálogo 3Di RAW son la 780, la 870 y la 880, las armas a las que recurren barcos de regata de alto nivel y circuitos de Grand Prix cuando se busca máxima prestaciones con mínimo peso. “La 3Di RAW 780 tiene más Dyneema que carbono y tanto la 870 como la 880 tienen más carbono que Dyneema”, explica Martínez Doreste. En la práctica, la mayor proporción de carbono supone mayor ligereza, una característica muy valorada por equipos de alta competición. “Es por ello que la 870 es muy utilizada por muchos mini maxi y maxi, pero también por otras clases como los Swan 45 o los ClubSwan 50, mientras la 3Di RAW 880 está reservada para las clases TP52 y RC44”. READ MORE

J/70 WORLDS: WINNING THE CORINTHIAN FLEET Great Team, Fast Sails: The Formula for Team Marnatura Team Marnatura, 2018 J/70 Corinthian World Champion. © Photoboat We are very proud to share that all top five Corinthian teams at the 2018 West Marine J/70 World Championship were powered by North Sails. We had a chance to catch up with Luiz Bugallo from Spain, skipper of Marnatura who finished 6th place overall and won the World title for the Corinthian division. Luis, congratulations on your excellent regatta at the J/70 Worlds, finishing 6th place overall and winning the Corinthian Division. What was the key to keep consistent finishes? Thank you very much. The event was very challenging and fun for us. That said, for us the reason for our success lies entirely with our team. Each of us knows what to do in the boat in different situations so our teamwork and trust in each other builds our confidence. We all believe that an important factor is to keep the entire team motivated and to stay positive. Additionally, our game plan is very focused on distributing responsibilities on the boat so we are working at all times as a team., focusing on our jobs. Tell us about your team. We are lucky to have such a great group to sail with and I was fortunate to be able to be the helm with such a talented team. From bow to stern: Jorge Lorenzo (23, Spain) was our bowman. He sailed Optimists and had good results in the 420 class. He is studying to be a Naval Engineer. Gerardo Prego (24, Spain) trimmed our spinnaker. Gerardo sails Snipes at a high level in the European Snipe Class. He is a very good bowman and is in high demand on larger keelboats as he pursues his degree in Business Administration. Alberto Basadre (23, Spain) was our jib trimmer. A bit ironic since he sails mostly Lasers! He is continuing his studies in Mechanical Engineering. Enrique Freire (46, Spain) was our most “experienced” teammate and took on the difficult role as our tactician. Enrique is the owner and CEO of Marnatura and the keystone of our success. Luis Bugallo (23, Spain), skipper. I started sailing Optimist when I was 7 years old. I have sailed Optimist, 420, Platu 25 and the 49er. I am studying Engineering. Choosing which sails to use is an important ingredient to a successful program. What were the main reasons Team Marnatura chose North Sails to power your Corinthian program? Deciding on what sails to use is not something we take lightly. We work hard to improve every aspect of our racing so we were not in a position to consider just anything. We are only willing to use what will give us the best chance to perform. We have always believed that the North Sails technology is above all others as far as sail manufacturing. We felt that the XCS-1 main, J-2 jib and AP-1 spinnaker best fit our team and they are designs we had confidence in training. Knowing that, in addition to our focus on shapes and design, the materials North Sails uses are the best materials on the market. Lastly, the North J/70 team has a deep pool of talent and they willingly sharing information with us to help us get better and faster. Your Corinthian team not only dominated the Corinthian fleet but also your 6th place overall finish bested some of the most talented sailors in the class. What tips would you give to other Corinthian teams? We believe that success on the race course involves a formula that includes commitment, focused goals, and fun. That said I think our tips would be: First and foremost, sail with friends and try to build and generate good relationships. Sailing and racing with people you enjoy and have fun with makes the successes much sweeter and the disappointments less bitter. In general, focus on a target and a goal and center your resources on it. Being target focused is important but can easily distract you from the “big picture”. In the J/70, downwind, it’s key to choose the correct mode: VMG, WING-WING, or “on the step”. The distances gained or lost can be amazing by picking the right (or wrong) downwind mode so make it a goal to learn which is best in each condition and work as a team to be able to quickly transition into each of the modes. Try to use the sails you will use for regattas when you train. This will give you more knowledge about your trim settings and boat tuning/setup. 2018 J/70 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Corinthian Division – Powered by North Sails 1 Marnatura / Luis Bugallo 2 Lifted / Jim Cunningham * 3 Pura Joda / Aldo Centanaro 4 Juicy / Francisco Van Avermaete 5 Joint Custody / Jenn & Ray Wulff © Mauro Melandri | Zerogradinord READ MORE

2018 CLUB SWAN 50 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Mathilde Collects Podium Finish With Help From Ireland Experts © Carlo Borlenghi North Sails in Ireland want to congratulate Team Mathilde on their podium finish at the inaugural Club Swan 50 World Championship in Porto Cervo. The Swiss flagged yacht owned and helmed by Morten H. Kielland is now in her second year of campaigning on the super competitive Club Swan 50 circuit. Leading up to the Worlds, the team had already secured podium finishes in the other class regattas competed in 2018. A second place finish at the first event of the year in Monaco last April followed by another second place at the Palma Vela regatta in May and then a third place finish at the Rolex Giraglia regatta in June. This delivered the team to the final class event of the year in confident mood and ready to take on the extremely talented International fleet. The Championship, contested by 12 talent laden teams was held as part of the Swan Worlds in Porto Cervo. Mathilde added a new J1 / Light jib and A2 (running Asymmetric) for the event. Both sails performed superbly in the predominantly light conditions alongside the rest of Mathilde’s full North Sails inventory. The extra speed the new J1 gave us, was a game changer and gave a small edge over some of our competitors in the light conditions. The J1 (3Di Raw 870) is very reactive to small adjustments in trim and allowed us to get every ounce of speed out of the boat. Add that to solid boat handling and some great tactical calls by Leigh McMillan and it produced a third place podium finish for the team. © Carlo Borlenghi Mathilde actually went into the final race tied on points with Cuordileone and eventual winner One Group, with all three boats vying for the championship win. Unfortunately Mathilde finished on the wrong side of that result, but overall the team was delighted with the progress throughout the year and to be able to fight for the championship right up to the last leg of the regatta. The finish replicated the competitive nature of the event. Seven different race winners in 10 races and the whole fleet finishing within one minute, 45 seconds in all of those races. The One Design element and tight controls are producing very even performance in the fleet and like any great One Design class, the results are coming down to who makes the least mistakes and who can find the small gains out on the track. © Carlo Borlenghi A contributory factor for Mathilde is the support of North Sails in Ireland and in particular Shane Hughes who is sail co-ordinator and trimmer onboard. The team also had a larger Irish contingent onboard in 2018 with Howth sailor Sam O’Byrne and Schull duo Jay Stacey and Oisin O’Driscoll onboard for some of the events. The Mathilde CS 50 program represents a great opportunity for young sailors like Sam, Oisin and Jay to experience high level international keelboat sailing and the guys performed very well and will hopefully be back for more in 2019. More generally the input from North Sails into the Club Swan 50 class has helped push our own standards higher. North Sails dominated the results with the podium teams all exclusively powered by North Sails and using our standard CS 50 designs. The continuous development led by Arnd Howar and lead designer Juan Meseguer is relentless. With so many North Sails representatives sailing in the fleet and feeding into the product review and refinement process, the sails simply get better and faster and keep our customers at the front of the fleet. Looking forward, the review and refinement process will continue at pace and we look forward to supporting team Mathilde into the 2019 season and beyond. READ MORE

J/70 WORLDS: NORTH SAILS DEBRIEF Considered One of the Toughest Regattas, Many Lessons Learned © Chris Howell The 2018 West Marine J/70 World Championship may have been one of the most competitive and best attended one design events yet. Eastern Yacht Club welcomed 91 teams from 18 different countries, and sailors had an exciting variety of conditions for the eleven races in four days. The allure of such an event was too much to pass up, and more than a dozen North Sails experts were on the starting line. Whether crewing for clients and friends or organizing their own team, the depth and expertise of our J/70 experts was on full display with many on the podium and even more in the top 10. North results: Corinthian Division: 1,2,3,4,5 – Congratulations Luis Bugallo and team Marnatura Open Division: 2,3,5,6,8,9,10 – Seven out of the top 10 powered by North (See team/sail chart) We asked our sailors to share both their impressions and lessons from the J/70 Worlds. Max Skelley, Stampede – 2nd Place Managing that many boats and keeping top finishes throughout the event is an impressive feat. What were the key things that you attribute the consistency Stampede was able to deliver? MAX – We knew going into the event that we had really good upwind speed. Having Tim Healy as our tuning partner throughout the summer was a big help with narrowing down rig tune/sail trim settings. Being able to use our speed to dig our way out of tough spots began to dictate our tactics . We always tried to start in low density areas somewhere near the middle of the favored half of the line, not being so leveraged to one side that we couldn’t dig our way out if the shift didn’t go our way. On race five we were persuaded to start at the windward end because the two previous races, hard right was really paying. We were able to win the start at the windward end and were first boat to tack to port which was the race winning move in the two previous races. Unfortunately, the left came in hard on the first beat and we rounded in the 50’s. We were able to fight back to the low thirties but the race still ended up being our drop race. We learned a lesson about risk / reward and stayed away from the ends for the remaining of the event using patience and speed to consistently get to the front of the fleet. Team Stampede, 2nd place at the 2018 J/70 World Championship. © Photoboat Eric Doyle, Stampede – 2nd Place You are a boat speed guy. What were the keys to helping keep the boat going fast? ERIC – We had worked hard all summer on our rig settings, we had confidence of when to change the rig tension for the wind strength. I was trimming the jib and one interesting trim technique that we started during the world’s was that we rarely moved the jib lead. It lived in the #6 hole 95% of the time and we just used the halyard to adjust and jib sheet tension to fine tune the jib. In the heavy air races, when a lot more halyard was required, we had to ease the sheet about an inch and use the appropriate amount of in-hauler, less in the big puffs and more in the flatter, lighter spots. When it was lighter and we eased the halyard to make the jib fuller overall, it lowered the clew, effectively moving the lead aft, so we trimmed about an inch harder on the sheet and used more in-hauler. It seemed to work better as it is impossible to change the lead without tacking, but the halyard and sheet are readily accessible at all times. How important was it to make sure your tuning was spot on and was there ever a time where the the conditions didn’t match your setup and, if so, what effect did that have? ERIC – We always looked to set the boat up to be fast for the first half of the first beat so that we could hold a lane and get to the first weather mark in good shape. Most of the time it worked out but on the 4th day with all the rain squalls coming through and huge changes in velocity, after the first race we just went with a slightly tighter rig from base, +4 and +3, and used the backstay, traveler and boom vang much more aggressively. When the boat felt bad for Bruno, we made sure to remind him that we were out of tune and that he just had to deal with it! In the big fleet with lots of chop in general it was better to get caught a little on the loose side than too tight. Team 3Ball JT, 3rd Place at the J/70 Worlds using the North J-6 Jib. © Chris Howell Allan Terhune, 3 Ball JT – 3rd Place After four days of racing and 11 races the top three teams all had over 100 points and were within three points of each other. Your team had some big scores early in the event. What turned the week around for your team to get back to the top of the leaderboard? ALLAN – For sure the regatta didn’t start as we hoped. The big thing for us was not to panic and to take a look at everything to see where we could improve. We talked to our training partners and other folks and realized we had to be more drastic in our rig adjustments for the waves and wind. It was a hard event. It was not easy to get finishes in the 20’s. The regatta was a good lesson in the fighting until the end and that the event is never over, till it’s over. If you would have told me that we would start with 18,22,25 and go into the last day three points out of the lead, I would have said you are nuts. It proved that World Championships are marathons and you have to keep pushing. Our team did that well. We always kept adapting and trying new things. We were one of the few teams to use the North J-6 jib, and I think it was the right choice for us for sure. We found it gave us more range for the conditions there. It was a sail we were very comfortable with and we were glad we chose in the end. Team Any Colour featuring the new North J-2 High Clew jib. © Chris Howell Zeke Horowitz, Any Colour Crewing for your friends, the Furnary Brothers, what setup did you find worked best to help them get in the groove to be consistently fast? We used the XCS-2 Mainsail and we busted out a J-2 High Clew for the first time at this regatta. We were extremely happy to find the transition to the J-2 High Clew to be quite easy. It’s a beautiful, forgiving sail with all the modes you need. We stuck pretty close to the North Tuning Guide and found the setup to have the power we needed to fight through the big waves and chop while being easy enough to de-power and keep the groove nice and wide for Scott on the helm. In the higher winds, we made sure to fine-tune our lowers so that there was no mast sag at the spreaders and if anything, a hint of poke to weather. This helped us achieve maximum head stay tension even when the main sheet had to be eased. Keeping the boat flat (both upwind and downwind) was HUGE. The J/70 Worlds was a challenging regatta. What did your team do so well to get a top 10 finish and what needs work for next time so you don’t “leave any points on the water”? ZEKE – For sure this has to be the most challenging regatta I’ve ever competed in. The depth of talent was insane and the sheer number of boats made it all the more difficult. Not to mention some pretty wild conditions! I think every single team felt that they left a myriad of points on the table – I know we did. One thing we talked about as team before the regatta is that we wanted to play every decision in the race as if we were trying to just be top 20. We knew that if we averaged somewhere in the top 20, we’d be very happy with the result. So all our big picture game plans, tactical decisions, and boat handling maneuvers were made with conservative strategies, (except for the time we crashed into Tim Healy at the weather mark-Sorry, Boss). Scott and Evan Aras (main trimmer) did a fantastic job with starting and we knew that if we could be punched off the line, that would most likely get rid of about 50 boats that had bad starts. From there it was really just about lane management and looking for opportunities to put the boat in places where we could make gains. One thing that would really help us next time is continuing to improve on downwind modes. There are so many different modes to consider off the breeze and it’s amazing how much can be gained and lost by doing it correctly. Team Enfant Terrible and the perfect shape of the new North J-2 High Clew jib. © Zerogradinord Tim Healy, New England Ropes What did you learn about North’s standard J70 designs this week that J70 sailors should know when thinking about investing in new sails? TIM – We used the XCS-2 mainsail, J-2 High Clew jib and the AP-1 spinnaker. I chose them because I believe they are the fastest and most user friendly sails available. They allow for the power and speed to acceleration of the line in choppy conditions and to power up quickly out of tacks. The J-2 High Clew is slightly fuller than the J-6 and is less weather sheet dependant which, I feel, makes getting “top speed” trim correct more quickly and easily. It was used on many of the top ten boats. The J-6 is also an excellent sail finishing 1 point out of 1st in second and 3 points out of first in 3rd! The J-6 can create the same power as the J-2 High Clew with slightly more weather sheet. My recommendation to someone ready for a new set is to go with the J-2 High Clew for a more user friendly sail and the J-6 if you like to be more active with weather sheeting. G-Spottino powered by North’s AP-1 Spinnaker. © Zerogradinord 2018 WEST MARINE J/70 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Sails used by the top teams powered by North: 2 Stampede – Bruno Pasquinelli / XCS-1 Mainsail, J-6 Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 3 3 Ball JT – Jack Franco / XCS-2 Mainsail, J-6 Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 5 Savasana – Brian Keane / XCS-1 Mainsail, J-2 High Clew Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 6 Marnatura – Luis Bugallo / XCS-1 Mainsail, J-2 Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 8 Enfant Terrible – Alberto Rossi / XCS-1 Mainsail, J-2 High Clew Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 9 New England Ropes – Tim Healy / XCS-2 Mainsail, J-2 High Clew Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker 10 Any Colour – Scott & Alex Furnary/ XCS-2 Mainsail, J-2 High Clew Jib, AP-1 Spinnaker READ MORE

SIX DECADES OF STAR WORLD CHAMPIONS Success In The Class Began With Founder Lowell North North Sails was started by a five-time Star World champion, and the event continues to be an important part of our history. Our founder Lowell North’s very first gold star was awarded in 1945, when he crewed for Malin Burnham. “It wasn’t me Malin wanted,” Lowell explained, years later. “It was my mainsail.” Lowell started the company in 1957 , the same year he won his first Star World Championship as skipper in Havana, Cuba, sailing with James Hill. “I learned to win in the Star by taking a sail apart and putting it back together until it was a little faster,” Lowell claims. “Sails then were so poorly designed that practically anything you did made them better. As we won more races, I convinced myself I knew what a fast sail should look like.” The Star Class regatta report from Havana says that “North and Hill had their boat moving very fast. Often they found themselves in the wrong place, back in the ruck, whereupon they worked out of it by sailing faster and with better headwork than their competitors.” Regatta reports from Lowell’s subsequent Worlds wins (1959, 1960, 1973), as well as the gold and bronze Olympic medals he won in 1964 and 1968, reveal similar themes: he was fast enough to get out of trouble, smart enough to stay in front once he got there, and respected by his competitors for fixing anything that broke. Off Newport Beach in 1959, second place finisher Gary Comer reported, “Three-quarters of the way down , Lowell came by so fast I didn’t even bother to luff him.” In 1960, Lowell won again after “rearranging his rigging” by replacing his broken headstay with a backstay. “Lowell North continued to demonstrate his supremacy over the Class,” announced the regatta report afterward. Lowell was also respected as a good sport, admitting to his mistakes. In 1967, finishing second by three points to Paul Elvstrøm for the second year in a row, a reporter asked what happened. According to the Star Logs report, “Lowell refrained from kicking him off the end of the pier and only answered quietly, “We got a bad start and sailed a bad race.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DESIGNS PREVAIL New Designs Excel at the OK Dinghy European Championship Heavy winds started the week off, as the Mistral blew through Bandol, leaving a mixed sea state, creating very physical sailing conditions for the OK dinghy fleet. As the week went on the conditions eased off, testing the sailors each day to eventually separate the leader from the fleet. North Sails One Design expert Charlie Cumbley fought hard until the very end. Leading the fleet coming into the final day, points were extremely tight between the top three players on the field. Charlie scored a 2-15 on the final day, putting him in second place behind Fredrik Loof. In third place, trailing by just one point, was Swedish sailor, Thomas Hanson-Mile. Between Thomas and Charlie, they won six out of the eight races sailed. Finishing thirteenth overall and becoming the new Junior European Champion was Will Heritage. All three of the sailors mentioned above were using the new development sail in the North Sails inventory. This model is a flatter version of the KAP-1, its performance has proved to be fast and versatile so far and will compliment the KAP-1 as part of the North Sails inventory. “Based on the world winning KAP-1 it was designed specifically for sailors 90 kg and under. Providing plenty of power, but making it more forgiving in the stronger breeze. In Bandol we had a variety of conditions, it was still powerful in the lighter conditions but was much easier to de-power on the windy first day.” –Charlie Cumbley, One Design Sales expert Full results READ MORE

CREW OF KIWIS WIN IRC/ORC WORLDS Read More For Beau Geste's New Crew Initiation Ritual... © Maria Muiña Even having to eat a ‘hundred-year egg’ didn’t dim the excitement of winning his first world championship for North Sails sales expert Matt Kelway. Eating these traditional ‘delicacies’ is a tradition aboard Hong Kong businessman and yachtsman Karl Kwok’s boats, and when his Botin 52 Beau Geste won the offshore sailing world championships at The Hague in July, there was no getting out of it. ‘They are a fermented duck egg, and if you are new to the boat, you have to eat one at the end of the regatta,’ Kelway says. ‘I have sailed on the boat before, but when I let it slip that it was the first time I had won a world championship, I had to eat one. It was disgusting, but it was worth it.’ Beau Geste won the combined IRC/ORC world title with a crew of mostly Kiwi sailors, regulars on Kwok’s fleet of boats. The boat sailed in a mixed division of boats of different types and sizes, including TP52 Outsider (formerly Platoon) and Ker 46s Van Uden and Lady Mariposa, with results calculated on a combination of IRC and ORC handicap times in each race. Kelway and the North Sails New Zealand team worked closely with Kwok and the boat’s management team to build a completely new inventory to challenge for the world title. ‘After last year’s Pac 52 regatta in San Francisco, the owner decided he wanted to compete in a world championship and win it, so we sat down and started planning what we would need,’ Kelway says. ‘We spent a lot of time not only training on the water but also running certificates for the sails to maximise their ratings, and working out how to mode the boat for different conditions.’ The hard work paid off. Beau Geste finished with a string of firsts and seconds, not having to sail the last race because the regatta was already in the bag. ‘The racing was really close, though — Outsider was our closest competitor, and we were always finding ourselves in a match race with them,’ Kelway says. The boat’s new Helix Luff furling masthead code zero got plenty of use in the first offshore race, with a genoa staysail set inside it. The crew were also pleased with the performance of the new high-carbon 3Di RAW 870 and 880 jibs, all designed and built by the North Sails New Zealand team. After the win in Holland, the boat and crew then travelled to the Copa del Rey regatta in Palma de Mallorca, where they comfortably won the IRC 1 division. ‘There were eight 52s there, including Super Series boats like The Phoenix and Paprec, so it was great to finish ahead of them,’ Kelway says. Next on the Team Beau Geste agenda is a change of boats, to sailing Kwok’s MOD70 trimaran of the same name in the China Coast regatta and Hong Kong to Hainan race. ‘My role is as a link between the boat and the loft, making sure everything the boat wants is done correctly and on time, working with the sailing team and the designer and the production team,’ Kelway says. ‘It’s a great programme to be involved with.’ READ MORE

HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK 2018 Hamilton Island Race Week has a reputation for champagne sailing, and this year’s regatta was no exception for the Team Hollywood crew, including North Sails New Zealand sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills. © Salty Dingo The team aboard the Botin Fast 40, launched in February this year, won every race on IRC to take out their division — while making the most of the entertainment and onshore activities on offer at the well-known regatta. Team Hollywood was competing in the IRC 2 division against a mixed fleet of boats including another Fast 40, the Carkeek design Victoire (formerly Girls on Film), Lyons 60 Triton and Cookson 50 About Time. ‘We had some really good racing with Victoire,’ Wills says. ‘Unfortunately for them, they were often leading for the first three-quarters of the race, and then we would come through at the end. It was great because we were always pushing each other, and that improved our corrected times.’ The regatta format was different this year, with no windward-leeward racing, just island courses. ‘It was really enjoyable sailing around all the islands,’ Wills says. ‘The area around Hamilton Island has such shifty geography and it’s so tidal, so there were lots of decisions to be made about which way to go around the different islands. Plus there is always lots to see — turtles and whales.’ Conditions for the regatta started out windy, then moderated as the week progressed. ‘There were some pretty big waves, and we certainly got wet on that first day,’ Wills says. ‘The Botin is an inshore-focused boat, but it still went really well in those conditions.’ Wills says a big factor in the boat’s success was its suite of sails from the North loft in Auckland, including 3Di RAW jibs designed by Mickey Ickert, which it was launched with earlier this year. ‘They’ve used them in a few regattas and the owner couldn’t be happier with them,’ Wills says. ‘We also tried some cool new things, too — the boat has a jib stick which connects to the mast and is used to pole out the clew, and you sheet off that. It gave another option on top of inboard and outboard sheeting, and it definitely gave us a couple of knots of extra speed at times. ‘The whole mast and boat package worked together really well. Our involvement right from the boat’s design, including the mast design, and of course the sail package, really paid off. The owner has also put together an excellent sailing team, and there was a great atmosphere on board.’ Team Hollywood not only won its own division but also the IRC boat of the week prize, for top IRC scoring boat. And as well as success on the water, the onshore activities lived up to Hamilton Island’s reputation, too. ‘The Oatleys really put on some awesome entertainment — they flew in some great bands and of course it was great to be a Kiwi there when the All Blacks won their two games,’ Wills says. © Kurt Arrigo Photography READ MORE

J/80 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP Interview with Chip Johns Team Cavitics – Chip Johns, Zander Gryska, Bill Marvel and Cam Tougas. Photo Anne Converse We caught up with Chip Johns, winner of the 2018 J/80 North American Championship sailed in Marion, MA. Team Cavitica won the event with only 11-points in the 4-race series. Congrats on your win! What was the key to Team Cavitica’s success? Thanks. Doing well in this event was THE racing goal for me and our team for this year. Unfortunately, we had a setback in the pre-season when I dislocated my shoulder. This injury kept me out of the J80 until July and we did not have any August racing planned, so our time in the boat before the event was a bit limited. I think that our many years of experience in the boat allowed us to adjust as the event went on and get faster and better each day. We were fortunate to come out of the blocks on the 1st day with 2 wins in the first two races. We did not think we were fast on the 1st day, but we did feel that we were able to pick the shifts better than others. Given our speed deficit, we made sure we started safely and had the ability to tack when we wanted to. This allowed us to land at the top mark in the top few almost every race. We made some tuning adjustments in Day 2 and found our upwind speed. This allowed us to be a bit more aggressive in starting and since we were still picking the shifts well, we were always in the top few boats at the top mark. Day 3 brought on more breeze and we had a comfortable lead. So we started very conservatively, but were still able to sail through the fleet and finish in the top few boats in each race. I think our key to this event was the ability to pick the shifts on the upwind legs and over the course of the event get faster and faster through better tuning. Tell us about your team? Have you sailed together for a long time? Our team has been sailing the J80 for 10 years. Three of us own the boat together – me, Bill Marvel, and Zander Gryska and we really enjoy sailing together. We have also sailed other boats and done a few Bermuda races together, so we know each other pretty well. Billy is a great trimmer (and helm) and we are in constant communication about pointing, speed, waves, and puffs all the way around the course. Zander is the best fwd guy out there. He is athletic, has a great sense on the water, and has a 7’ reach so spin hoists and jibes are always great. He also takes care of problems when they happen because his sense of what might happen on the boat is so great. We always are searching for the right fourth person. Cam Tougas grew up in Marion doing a lot of sailing and was a great tactician to have aboard. Cam and Zander did a great job calling puffs and waves which for this event was critical. Buzzards Bay is known for good wind, what were the conditions like throughout the regatta? Well, as they say, “it never blows like that here” and this event was no different. Buzzards Bay is known for a thermal driven southwest breeze with big, steep waves. We had a shifty northeast breeze blowing about 13 to 20 knots during the entire event. While we didn’t get to showcase our “typical” breeze, we had great wind and the shifty conditions allowed for boats to come back if they had a rough start. I have sailed and raced out of Marion for over 50 years. It is great to be able to host an event like this and have different wind that “normal” so there is less local advantage. Did you do anything special on rig tune, mast butt position or did you use the numbers straight from our tuning guide? We would start off with what the tuning sheet defined and then make small adjustments after setting up on the course before every race. We have never moved our mast butt in 10 years, but can understand how it might be important. I mentioned that we were a bit off the pace on day one. This was due to our lowers being too loose. Once we got these snugged up a bit, we had our speed. READ MORE

UNITED STATES SAILBOAT SHOW 2018 Visit North Sails At Dock F1 The United States Sailboat Show is taking place in Annapolis, MD on October 4-8. Experts from the North Sails loft in Annapolis will be at the show to meet with customers and provide guidance on navigating the right sail choice. The local team led by Jonathan Bartlett will be showcasing North's full range of products and services, including the award-winning 3Di NORDAC. Visit us at our Dock F1 location for more information on what we have planned during the show. The Dacron Cruising Sail Reinvented North Sails launched a cruising revolution in June 2017 with the introduction of 3Di NORDAC. Promising to deliver a better cruising experience, 3Di NORDAC combines our unique composite molded sail technology with reliable polyester that cruising sailors have trusted for decades. The result is an innovative cruising sail with smoother and more permanent aerodynamic shape. Talk to our experts about this sail at the United States Sailboat Show and find out why now is the best time to buy. Joining Forces With Beneteau In September 2018, North Sails officially launched a partnership with Beneteau America. In an exclusive showcase event, Beneteau demonstrated their partnership with North Sails inventory and experts onboard all five of their new boats. The new First 18 and First 24 come standard with North one design sails, and the new Figaro Beneteau 3 performance racing boat sports 3Di RAW. The Oceanis 46.1 comes standard with North Sails and the Oceanis 51.1 offers North Sails as an upgrade option. Make sure you visit both the North Sails and Beneteau booths at the United States Sailboat Show to find out why North sails products are the best choice for performance and cruising boats. Ask The Multihull Experts Join local North Sails expert Will Keyworth, Cruising World Magazine, and keynote speakers Behan and Jamie Gifford at the United States Sailboat Show on October 5th, to learn what it takes to sail away in a modern multihull. Hear it first hand from the panelists as they cover a broad range of multihull sailing topics which include buying the right boat, sail inventory, insurance options, logistics, and find out how and where you can brush up on your sailing and navigation skills. Sign up for this informative day, including breakfast and lunch, goody bags and door prizes. READ MORE

FAMILY FUN WITH 3Di RAW Francois Drouin & His Family Sailed to Toronto with Their New 3Di Sails to Compete in the Lake Ontario 300 A family adventure to sail 300NM around Lake Ontario was the goal for Francois Drouin and his family, who originally hail from Quebec but traveled to Toronto to participate in the Lake Ontario 300. With his new 3Di RAW Square Top Mainsail and 3Di RAW furling Jib, the family was ready to race on their Beneteau First 30. He shares with us his experience with the new boat and the new sails. What prompted you to do the Lake Ontario 300? When I first bought the boat, I understood that it was more for long distances rather than short distances. In our region, we don't have many long distance regattas or races. Since I'm racing with my family and they're my crew, they needed to be able to do these kind of races. For me, I've been doing offshore race since the 1980s, but for my children it was their first time, so we went into the regatta with the thought process that it was the next step in the progression of our crew and our boat. One thing that is also important when it came to competing in the 300 was having a co-ed crew. It's a sport for both men and women, not just for guys. From our point of view, this race was new and interesting; providing an experience for everyone onboard. It looked like you guys were having a fun time out on the race course! We were but it was also interesting as well. It's was a challenge for me because I'm from another generation, sailing with people who are younger so we have to adjust a bit. For me, it was very important to have this kind of transmission though, because sailing was a passion for me since I was young and now as an adult being able to sail with my sons is great fun. For them, the fun was to be part of the decision in the way they would run the boat; they gained confidence in what they were doing. What was your motivation behind upgrading your sail inventory? In the beginning when my family was still learning, having brand new sails wasn't necessary. Now that they've learned more and become more comfortable, it then made more sense to upgrade our inventory to the best product where we could our new knowledge and sailing together to race the boat to its potential. If you look at the beginning, using the spinnaker was too complicated, we only used the asymmetrical. Now I think it's the time that we are ready. This is the first thing. The other thing is that when I've been looking around for these new sails, I was not sure how easy it would be for the crew to have them. When I looked for the performance going up though, I decided it was the time to change. I expected what made a big difference for us was mainly how the sails can have their design, the shape, a lot more than what I have seen. Formerly, I used to have the little 36.7 with my brother and we had used the 3DL sails on that boat too but I think the 3Di sails are a lot better because the 3DL were a bit more complicated to adjust. Another thing that was useful for me was, the information from the Volvo Ocean Races; even with a lot of miles going on, they will be still in quite very good shape. What were your first impressions? Did they play out to how you were expecting them to perform or above expectations? They performed above expectations because they don't weigh much. The main thing though is the way they, even if it's light air, mid air or more heavier air, keep their shape all the time. So, you don't have that much adjustment to do with it; it's a lot easier. It's also a lot easier for the main sail trimmer to do its job right now with these sails than it was formerly. What's next on your adventure list for the family? Here in Quebec City, we have club races and regional races but we pretty much do all the races in the area. Sometimes, we have very good results and sometimes, we have fair results. The purpose for us is not always winning but rather to get better each time. What is good is that this investment in new sails is that we have a lot better results now! Francois & his family placed second in Main Duck Course - PHRF - Full Sails - Fully Crewed - 3! READ MORE

UNCLE FLUFFY’S SECRETS TO WIN THE J/22 WORLDS Interview Reveals Details on Boat Settings, Tactics and Crew Work Congratulations Zeke, Emmy, JoAnn and Jackson on your, hard fought, victory at the 2018 J/22 Worlds in Annapolis. Can you tell us a bit about the team and how it all came together and worked so well? Zeke – Our team first sailed together at the 2016 J/22 Worlds in Kingston which was our first event as a team and my first time ever skippering a J/22. I had sailed a lot with each other person on the boat separately but never together. It was clear from day one of that regatta that we had something special. With the Worlds coming to my home waters here in Annapolis, it was obvious who I wanted to have on board with me. Jackson has made a name for himself across our sport as a Real-Deal-Tactician-and-Trimmer and I feel lucky to have such a good friend be so talented and willing to sail with me! Jo Ann already had a World Championship under her belt and she brings all of the technical perfection to her bow work as well as tuning (she tunes the rig!). She’s a spark of positivity and fun and I can’t imagine having anyone else on the bow. Emmy Stuart is an All American Crew from the College of Charleston who has really come into her own on the keel boat scene. Her knowledge of wind shifts and current really gave us an edge in the tricky conditions we had. On top of that, she kept us all organized with the off the water logistics that took a ton of pressure off of the rest of us. The only thing more special than winning a world championship is doing it with friends you love! Jackson – My role on the boat was to handle the jib trim, spinnaker trim, and tactics pre-start, upwind, and if we were going to have a straight set at the windward mark or look for an opportunity to gybe quickly. I would try to discuss my thought process as best as I could so that everyone was on the same page. Emmy would take over the tactics downwind as I was trimming the kite, and she also did a great job painting the picture of what was going on behind us on the downwind legs, which would keep me keyed into the race for when we turned back upwind. Sometimes I would take a quick snapshot of what was happening behind me while trimming the kite (maybe once or twice a leg if the opportunity presented itself, although I’m sure Zeke isn’t thrilled to hear that!). Due to Emmy’s tactics downwind, I don’t think we ever had a negative delta on any downwind leg the entire regatta. In fact, I’m pretty sure we actually passed boats about 75% of the time on the downwind legs. Jo Ann – I had 2 main roles on the boat: 1. Tuning the rig. Zeke, Jackson, and Emmy gave me full control over setting up the rig which freaked me out. I would ask for their opinion on it and they would always respond “just do what you think is right!” 2. The bow. Just making sure all sets and douses were flawless as well as ensuring weight placement was correct. Then assisting Emmy with an information regarding boats, speed, wind etc that Zeke and Jackson needed. Emmy – My role on the boat was pit. I was responsible for time on the line, trimming jib during pre-start, calling pressure, waves, current, lanes, keeping eyes on the marks, prepping kite for set/dousing the kite, cleaning up lines as needed, and moving my weight around quite a bit. With four people on the boat, I was sharing quite a few jobs with Jo Ann which forced me to constantly think about what I could be doing to add value in the moment. The week started off with an announcement that they were shortening the event by a day due to the possible effects from Hurricane Florence. How did that affect your strategy for the week knowing that the first few days they would be looking to get as many races “front loaded” as possible? Zeke –When we heard they were going to front-load as much racing as they could, it didn’t really alter our approach all that much. We just knew the first couple days might be long so we brought some extra rations so we could stay healthy out there. But our hard focus for the first couple of says was still the same – DON’T LOSE THE REGATTA. You can’t win the regatta in the first day or two, but you can certainly lose it. We just tried to avoid big mistakes and give ourselves a shot at the end of the regatta. Jackson – I personally didn’t look into that too much. We knew we had to have good races from the very beginning, but that’s always the case if you’re looking to win an event. I suppose the only thing that the schedule change affected was that we knew we had to prepare for slightly longer days. I think it was fairly close to dusk as we hit the dock after the first day of racing. Jo Ann – I think everyone on the boat is super focused and the longer days didn’t phase anyone. We made sure we all ate and drank after every race. Emmy – I was initially bummed to hear that Friday was cancelled. However, it was really positive being with a team that was excited to get in as many quality races as we could while we had good weather. From my perspective, we were all psyched to be racing this event together that it was more so mentally preparing for some of the challenges ahead (sailing in some of the tricky shifty conditions, lighter conditions and even the fog) and staying positive. In looking at the results the fleet was packed with talent with many past World and NA champions. Obviously teamwork was critical but you had to be confident in your boat speed in a large fleet like that. What were the keys to being “World Champion Fast”, what were the condition for the week and how did you “change gears” as the conditions changed? Zeke – As always, speed is king. Jackson and I worked hard to get the mast tuned as straight as possible before the regatta and from there I knew Jo Ann could take care of all the tuning. As the helmsman, it was my responsibility to keep us moving fast. I focused a lot on the balance of the helm and tried really hard to keep the keel engaged – I think that is the real trick in the J/22. It was mostly light air, so Jackson and I worked hard on keeping the boat fast but erroring on slightly eased/open sails and when I felt we had an opportunity to “squish” the boat flat with the sails trimmed a bit harder, I could really feel the keel engage and the boat would just take off. The North M7 main has been an amazing sail for us with that design having won 4 of the past 5 World Championships. We have worked a lot on development on new molds and designs over the years and, at this point, we just keep coming back to the fact that the M7 is the best all around shape. When the breeze came up a bit, my focus was on finding the perfect amount of backstay so that we could pull the head stay a bit straighter and open up the main leech to help keep the boat flat while still at max power. There was a lot of communication throughout the entire regatta about crew placement, sail trim, and mode so we could be sure we were on the same page shooting for the same goal. Major KUDOS to Emmy and Jo Ann who had to tough it out down below in a number of the light air races. Having weight low and decreased windage is key for light air speed upwind. But we wouldn’t have been able to be fast if we weren’t in the best breeze! Jackson, Emmy, and Jo Ann did a phenomenal job with boat placement so we always had a chance to rely on our speed! Jackson – Oh man, this is a good question. Our boat preparation started months and months before the Worlds even started. Zeke did an amazing job making sure we had the bottom of the boat well taken care of, and then we made it as perfect as possible throughout those months leading up to the Worlds, always thinking about how we might enhance even the smallest things. Starting to prepare the hull, rigging, and rig tune well before the event allows you to go into the first day of racing completely focused on the task at hand (sailing well in the conditions of the day), which is a major advantage. It takes a really long time and a lot of effort to get the boat in tip-top shape. We went over every little piece on the boat with a fine-tooth comb to make sure everything was working just the way we wanted it to, and it wasn’t going to break on us. Setting the base rig tune on Uncle Fluffy is a little strange. We found that for some reason the mast was very hard to set straight, and keep straight, through the settings. I really focused on that for a few days during the Annapolis NOOD back in May, then recorded caliper measurements at the turnbuckles to easily replicate those base settings. Once I dialed the rig into the best base setting I could, we pretty much turned the rig tune on the water over to JoAnn. She has an amazing wealth of knowledge and experience in that department and I think the team actually trusted her more than she trusted herself! But we knew we were in the best hands possible with Jo handling the changes on the water. She has a keen eye for mast bend and a lot of our speed came from her expertise! Our normal game plan for rig tune was to set it for the given wind and wave conditions before each race, but then we’d revisit it right before the warning signal and make sure that it was tweaked just ever so slightly towards how we thought the conditions might change for the start and the first leg of the race. Zeke mentioned the M7 main and knowing that we had proven winning sail designs that are also very easy to use in all conditions allowed us to keep our thoughts towards actually racing the boat and cracking the code of the current and wind each day. My focus on trimming was on the jib and spinnaker and, like the M7, having the BigFoot AP jib and FR-1 spinnaker in our quiver was a real confidence boost since we knew that, using that combination, guaranteed us World Championship speed. When the dust settled the top 4 teams as well as 5 of the top 6 used the same sail combination that we did so we certainly had to stay on top of all facets of our game since we weren’t the only team that figured that puzzle out! I think the overall results speak clearly for themselves as to which sails are used by the fastest boats. Jo Ann – On the lighter days Emmy and I spent a lot of time in the dog house! It was difficult to exactly tell what was going on, but we were constantly moving positions down below to keep weight in the correct place. Downwind, I think it was important to stay in the breeze and know where the next shift was coming from and where the leeward marks are located. As soon as we set, we’d immediately look for the leeward marks. Emmy – I’ve been lucky enough to learn so much from this team over the past couple of years. Jo Ann and I would talk through relatives compared to the boats around us, especially as the boys were talking about changing gears. We were constantly talking about wind on the course and counting down the immediate pressure. Weight balance feels pretty natural but we would talk through making minor adjustments like shifting weight in, or Jackson coming off the rail, to a change as drastic as me (and Jo Ann) hopping down below/up on deck. Consistency won the day at this event and, while you did win one race, more importantly you counted all single digit finishes in your scorecard. What was the focus of your game plan going into the event and how did you alter it as the week progressed? Zeke – I’ve done a fair amount of sailing (and talking about sailing) with Jackson and I know he is all about those top 5 finishes. He rarely makes a super risky call to try to win a race, but rather he sets the boat up to be in the top 10% at the first mark and then he snipes off packs or boats for the rest of the race. He’s always trying to avoid big mistakes. We would try to start conservatively near the favored end and then play the fleet up our side of the course. We paid very close attention to the breeze and course angles in the pre-start (3-5 wind checks before each race) so we could set up to be on the favored end of the line. We never really altered our approach until the very last race of the regatta. Jackson – A main contributing factor from our consistency came from Zeke’s excellent starting abilities. I’d develop the game plan, and then the area of the line that I wanted to start, and then he’d execute perfectly from there. Starting in low density areas of the starting line is a low-risk/ high-reward game plan, so we’d generally start near where we thought was the favored end of the line, but safely away from the pack. If for some reason the extreme end of the line was not crowded, then we’d jump at the opportunity. Making sure to pay attention to the location of the pack from about 2:30 before the start really helps to make sure you don’t mistakenly get caught up in it. With the highly variable and unpredictable wind that we had at this regatta, it was pretty stressful at times trying to keep track of all the top boats in each race. Playing the odds in relation to where the largest number of boats in the top group were heading generally provides for a solid score line. However it doesn’t necessarily keep the second pack that escapes to a corner behind you every time. Making sure to keep your cool in that kind of situation was hard, but imperative. Things were constantly and sometimes invisibly changing on the racecourse, so I tried my best to play the cards we had at each point in time and that seemed to work out pretty well. Emmy – Jackson had an innate view of the course, current, line and fleet and was very audible about the game plan for each race from the get-go, thus putting us in all the right spots. He was mostly conservative, which helped us manage the fleet, and was positive and patient when a shift didn’t go our way. Zeke always had the boat hooked up and going so fast (it also helps that he is incredible at starting) And on the course Jackson and Zeke were almost constantly talking through changing gears and minor adjustments to really put the boat through the water. Jo Ann and Emmy ran the front end of the boat all week. Sailing with 4 how did you divide up responsibilities and how did having the extra person help? Jo Ann – I’ve only sailed the J/22 with 4 (or 5 in the Womens’ Rolex days). The extra set of hands and eyes is key. One of us could be looking for upwind boats, logs (so much debris in the water), leeward marks etc. while the other one looked from breeze. Also weight placement downwind with four people really helps to balance the boat as we can fine tune the weight placement. Emmy and I work great together and would report different info such as puffs, relatives, compass headings etc. The whole team worked well together and really respected one another which made it easy to sail well. Emmy – With 4 people on the boat, Jo and I would share some responsibilities – we would both talk about pressure on the course, count down immediate puffs/waves/chop and help to be “opposite” eyes for Jackson and Zeke. Downwind we would talk about big picture pressure on the course, lanes, immediate pressure, relatives for the boats around us, finding the marks and helping determine game plan for the next beat. (Jo Ann is a boss on the bow.) The final day seemed to be quite a test for the team to stay focused on the task at hand. What would you consider your “mental tool” when you are under pressure going into the final race at a major event where you know you can win it or lose it all? Zeke – For me, it’s faith in my teammates. When things weren’t going well and I would get frustrated, (….after an initial outburst….) I would say to myself, “What’s your job?” I had complete faith that everyone else on the team was focused on their job and I knew that if I did mine well we would come out of tight spots. Jackson – It’s incredibly important to stay calm, cool, and collected in that kind of situation, not only before the race but throughout as well. Making sure you eat something and continue to hydrate properly can be easy to forget, and I find staying on top of that helps to keep my brain firing on all cylinders and settles my nerves a little bit. I really tried to focus on the process and stick with the normal pre-race routine that I would go through before every race. It was also helpful to try and predict what the game plan would be for our closest competitor so that we could minimize surprises, and then develop a fluid plan for how we might deal in certain situations. Knowing the point spread and where we had to finish to win the event also plays a big part in developing the game plan. Jo Ann – I was so impressed with how calm (and quiet) Zeke and Jackson remained when we were in constant battle during four general recalls. Emmy – Honestly, with this team I have the utmost confidence in everyone’s skills and ability to execute their jobs at a high level. My “mental tool” when I was under pressure was checking myself, going through the laundry list of jobs and making sure that I was providing the team with the information or action they needed. OK, tell us about current. Rumor has it if you didn’t know about current when you got to Annapolis you sure knew about it by the time you left. How did the current affect the fleet, positioning and did you guys have an advantage having sailed for years in Charleston current? Zeke – I think we absolutely had an advantage having all done a lot of sailing in Charleston. The current was certainly stronger than normal here on the Chesapeake Bay and it was a major factor in the regatta. In general I’d say the trick was always trying to be positioned up current of our nearest competitors when we could. But it really affected mark rounding and there was a lot to be gained from managing the current around the corners. We would not have won the Worlds if we didn’t nail the current at the first weather mark of the last race. We must have passed 15 boats by getting up current of the pack stacked up on the starboard lay line. It was an amazing call by my team! Jackson – It was certainly “currenting” quite a bit! With all of the rain in Annapolis and further north up the Chesapeake before the regatta, the bay was pretty high. I believe that a few dams opened up above Annapolis as well which provided a ton of ebb tide. Some days the flood tide never actually even happened, it would just slow the ebb down a little bit. Staying out of the adverse current was certainly on the top of our priority list and having raced in the currents of Charleston provided us with the knowledge and experience for how to deal with the strong currents. Especially during the starts and mark roundings. Jo Ann – Thanks goodness Jackson and Zeke have spent so much time sailing in current! Zeke was amazing at mark rounds despite the ripping current. We were able to get inside everyone at the leeward marks and sail around boats at the top marks. Jackson was also incredible at strategically placing us in the right position at the top mark to gain as much as possible from the current. Emmy – I never thought that the current in Annapolis would be as bad as it is in Charleston but this week proved me wrong. We were talking a lot about where we could get current relief in shallower water and would talk about relatives to other boats when we crossed current lines. I think with all of the current, especially on the last day, our experiences of sailing in Charleston shined (especially Jackson’s hard left, port layline call in the first beat of the last race that helped us cross the fleet sitting on the starboard layline “treadmill”). What were your rig settings. Did you stay on the looser side so you could power thru the lulls? Or were you in the same settings most of the regatta? Zeke – We checked and adjusted the rig tension a lot. Jo Ann always nails the rig to perfection but for sure we encouraged her to keep us set up for the lulls. We felt we could get away with being slightly too loose if the breeze came up by pulling the back stay on and hiking hard, but it was imperative to be set to get through the lulls. Jo Ann – We always tried to have the rig tune set up “perfectly” (That’s what I would tell Greg in the olden days….”The rig is perfect!” ) before the start. I would want to keep looking at the rig every 2 minutes or anytime the wind velocity changed to make sure it was still perfect. I tried to always look at it in the lulls so it would be set up for the lulls. I guess you could say we might have always been on the looser side. Going into the last race we were anticipating the wind dying so we set up a little on the loose side, as it turned out the breeze picked up which was not ideal. Emmy – Jo Ann is the rig master and really had us hooked up all week. With the breeze on the lighter end, we would bet on it dying out more than building so we mostly would keep it on the looser side. World Champions know stuff the rest of us don’t so, at the risk of giving a way all of your secrets, can each of you tell us 2 things that you felt were the key to your win and one “tip” or “secret” that every J/22 sailor should know to help them move up in the fleet? Zeke – There is nothing like the magic of a good team. Pick the people who you LOVE to sail with and who you have fun with regardless of the result. Then focus on your communication and be honest with one another about what you like and don’t like. Take the time to build confidence in your boat speed and then let good conservative starts and top notch speed do the work for you. In terms of trimming, be willing to make changes and always set up for speed before height. The J/22 will not go upwind until the flow attaches to the keel, so don’t even think about pointing until the boat is moving. Once it’s moving, focus on getting the boat DEAD FLAT with 0 helm. Now the keel is doing the work for you! You’ll learn to feel the boat starting to lose flow before it happens at which time you need to go back into speed mode. It’s all about changing gears and sailing as flat as you can! Jib trim is imperative. Make sure your jib trimmer is always ready to ease or trim to keep the tell tales straight back. The helmsman can’t appropriately correct for shifts or puffs if the jib isn’t reacting first. Jackson – Making sure you’re having fun always seems to make the boat go faster. Our teamwork was a major part of our success. I can’t think of any other sailors I would have rather been on the boat with for this championship. We all have a ton of respect for each other and we’re great friends. I think that’s really important and it makes for excellent chemistry on the water. There are definitely times when we disagree with each other, but it’s quickly and easily forgotten due to the nature of our relationships. Playing the jib sheet constantly helps the boat go fast and stay fast, even as much as 2-6 inches at times. If we sailed into a header, I’d trim the jib in to help bring the bow down as Zeke brought the boat down to the proper course, then ease it into acceleration mode before trimming back into the “5th gear” setting. If we sailed into a lift, I’d ease it out to the proper trim according to the telltales in the middle of the luff, which would allow the bow to ride up back to the proper course, then trim back in to the “5th gear” setting. Also keeping the jib sheet moving through the pressure changes proved to be very fast as well. My eyes were on the leech telltale of the jib (through the main window) fairly constantly when the boat was going straight and not encountering any pressure or angle changes. I’d look to have it flying 100% of the time, while also making sure I had it trimmed in as tight as it would allow. When the leech telltale starts to raise up 15 or so degrees from flying straight back (but still flying and not stalling), I’d know that it was at maximum trim. Eating the most delicious wraps I’ve ever had in my life (thanks to Emmy!) also didn’t hurt! Jo Ann – For me this team had fun, we were always hanging out together and enjoyed each other. We all drink the same cocktail (Ed: The cocktail of choice for Team Uncle Fluffy is “The Fisher”, which is vodka, water, splash of grapefruit! Is this the next big thing?) and I READ MORE

2018 SOLO CLASS UPDATE Another Fantastic Year for North Sails in the Solo class © Errol Edwards 2018 has been a fantastic year for sailors using North Sails in the Solo class, with an almost unprecedented number of victories racked up so far this season. The current race range of P-2, P-2C and F-2 mainsails has provided sailors of all shapes and sizes the ability to go and win races at international, national and local levels of competition. To date this season some of the major victories have been: Solo Class 2018 Winter Champs 1 Charlie Cumbley Spring Champs 1 Ian Walters Spring Cup Medemblik 1 Lawrence Creaser Northern Area Champs 1 Ewan Birkin Walls Southern Area Champs 1 Lawrence Creaser Midland Area Champs 1 Chris Brown Nations Cup 1 Charlie Cumbley Eastern Area Champs 1 Ewan Birkin-Walls UK Nationals 1 Charlie Cumbley 2 Pete Mitchell 3 Tim Law * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory On top of these majors events, there have been numerous regional and open victories, so many congratulations to all those who have added to the victory list. Our North Sails team, which includes Charlie Cumbley, Lawrence Creaser, Tom Lonsdale, Nick Bonner and Pete Mitchell have been sailing throughout the season and have been out amongst the action, challenging the Solo class sailors for titles. Charlie, UK One Design Sales Manager commented, “Thanks to our team being on the water we have managed to ensure that we give our customers the best possible sales service. By being on the race course amongst our clients, we have created a fantastic bond which enables us to stay on top of all class and sail developments, which in turn help us to make the best possible product on the market.” © Errol Edwards For all those who have competed in the North Sails Super Series there is still the chance to win a North sail at the ‘End of Season’ champs in October, so make sure you are there as you have to be in it to win it! © Errol Edwards READ MORE

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

MELGES 20 EUROPEAN FINALE Brontolo Racing Wins 2018 World League with 3Di 📸 Zerogradinord Brontolo Racing finished second in the final act of the Melges 20 World League European Division to secure the overall 2018 series title. With a new suit of 3Di sails, they brought their A-game to the final event, says North Sails expert Giulio Desiderato. “As always, there was heavy competition within the Melges 20 European class events,” Giulio added. “Starting off the regatta with double bullets, and then staying ahead of Nika was what they had to do—and they did just that.” “My main focus before each event is to make sure we have the right inventory and that everything with our boat is 100%,” said North Sails Federico Michetti, team manager and trimmer for Brontolo. “I pay very close attention to details, everything from accommodations, to eating the best food, and making sure we have time after racing to unwind together as a team.” 📸 Zerogradinord Asked about the pressures of racing, Federico responded that “We try not to think about it, but to each do the best job we can. Our skipper Filippio Pacinotti provides us with the best equipment in order to be competitive, while working hard to make his own personal improvements too. Manu Weiller our tactician has serious talent and makes our life easier, keeping us out of trouble, which is super important.” “Our team is working hard to improve by learning from our mistakes,” Federico concluded. “We’ve learned a lot from each other, always working hard to grow as a team. We have all really enjoyed our journey together.” 📸 Zerogradinord North Sails 3Di is the new inventory option for the Melges 20 class as of this year. We asked Federico his thoughts on how 3Di has enhanced his sailing experience within the class. “We love our sails. The designs have come a long way over the past few years. North has lead the way with 3Di for the Melges 20. We follow our tuning guide, we have the best products, and we are built for speed. We have better techniques and a longer lasting inventory, which has proven to be unmatched.” Federico says the hardest part about racing in this fleet is staying consistent. The talent amongst each team is so steep that each leg must be better and faster than the one before. “With the growth of the class over the last few years, many of us are sailing at the same speed, so making mistakes is not an option.” 📸 Zerogradinord The sailors within the class are some of the best sailors in the world. It is never easy racing against some of these teams. Federico comments; “Racing against previous world champions like Drew Freides and his team Pacific Yankee is tough. They are consistent and have impressive speed, and they never give up. It is a huge honor to race against PY and we learn more and more each time we get the opportunity.” There was a ton of excitement as Brontolo Racing returned back to the dock. Skipper Filippio Pacinotti commented; “I dedicate this victory to my excellent crew, and to my family that have always endured and encouraged my enormous passion for this sport. Thanks to all the friends who over the years has raced onboard Brontolo – this is their victory too!” Full Series Results 📸 Zerogradinord READ MORE

SAILS, SUPPORT AND THE 52 SUPER SERIES An Interview with Morgan Trubovich, Sail Coordinator on Phoenix 📸52 Super Series / Studio Martinez Morgan Trubovich is upwind trimmer and sail coordinator for Phoenix, a TP52 sailing in the 2018 52 Super Series. The 52 Super Series is known as one of the most competitive racing circuits in sailing, and the 2018 season has upped the ante with many America’s Cup teams using the series as a training platform. The TP52 boats fall into a box rule, which features a deep slender keel and powerful sail area. “TP52s racing in the Super Series are all very even as different boat designs and equipment selected have gotten closer together,” explains Morgan. “Sail performance is critical, and it may be the difference that sets you apart from the fleet at a critical moment in the race.” “The sails are the engines of the boat,” says Morgan. “If your sails aren’t good, your speed isn’t good. If your speed isn’t good, your day won’t be good!” As sail coordinator, Morgan is responsible for ensuring Phoenix’s days are good. His job begins pre season with articulating the team’s requirements to the North Sails designers, which then rolls into managing the boat’s inventory throughout the Series. The class has a limit of 18 new sails each season and during the season Morgan is focused on tracking sail performance and durability. 📸52 Super Series / Studio Martinez Phoenix uses 3Di RAW 880, the most carbon-dense sails offered within the 3Di family, and more carbon than any sail on the water. RAW 880 was developed specifically for the TP52 class and its availability is limited to Grand Prix inshore racing where extreme construction is necessary to meet the low stretch, lightweight demands of intense racing. Phoenix was launched for the 2018 season and, so far, Morgan likes what he sees in the North Sails product. “I have been very impressed by the 3Di RAW 880 product. The sails built using this blend of materials seem to be lasting longer in terms of shape retention than what I have previously used. They also appear to have more dynamic shape shifting when we make adjustments to our controls.” It’s commonly said that races are won before a boat leaves the shed, and sails are the end products of many behind the scenes hours. “The support system and the collective knowledge with North Sails set Phoenix up for a great season,” Morgan explains. I was able to meet our sail designer Burns Fallow at the loft in New Zealand, as well as the team on the floor finishing our sails. During the Series events we have North designer Shane Elliott onboard as our navigator and Mark Sadler assists me onshore with managing the sail inventory. We also have access to Paul Westlake who provides valuable insight and guidance on our sails from the coach boat.” Phoenix and other nine boats are at their final 52 Super Series of the 2018 season. The fleet is currently sailing in Valencia through September 22. Follow along with the action on on the 52 Super Series website. And a special good luck to Morgan and the Phoenix team. 📸52 Super Series / Studio Martinez 📸52 Super Series / Studio Martinez READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

A SAIL MAKING FAIRYTALE! New Sails for Darragh McCormack Help Him Win the Mermaid Nationals On the 19th June 2018 an email landed into my inbox from Darragh McCormack making an enquiry about Mermaid sails. I have been corresponding with Darragh since 2014 but in most cases, we talked about the J/24 rather than the Mermaid. This time things were going to change. North Sails have been involved in the Mermaid for a number of years now and have enjoyed Nationals winning success with Paddy Dillon and several other teams have done well with our sails but we never really took much market share even after those Nationals win. When Darragh got it touch, my initial feeling was he would just be checking out prices and getting a feel for what we might be doing in the class. Not for one moment did I think he wanted to order and do a total re-design on the Mainsail and Jib and take delivery in advance of the Nationals that were only 5-6 weeks away! After a chat on the phone I quickly got the impression that Darragh was keen to try North Sails, so I jumped in the van the very next evening and drove to Foynes YC to go for a sail. Darragh had some very strong feelings about the changes he wanted to make to the standard North Sails and of course specifically to fit his mast set up. On arriving in FYC that night, we looked at several sails on Darragh’s mast on shore and then took to the water. We flew more sails, took pictures of the sails in flight and I got a feel for the boat and the sail shapes. It has always been an eye-opener to sail with a new team and in the sport of sailing there are many ways to make a boat go fast! Armed with about 50 pictures, notes, measurements and my own thoughts about the project, I headed home with an order for twelve sails… yes, twelve and they were all wanted for the Nationals! July is one of the busiest months in the sail making world and we had to re-design the sails, make sure everything was perfect and then have the sails built in our Sri Lanka facility and shipped to Ireland! Quite a tall order but the enthusiasm from Darragh was infectious so I decided to give it our best shot. Fortunately, I was able work with Ruairidh Scott our One Design design expert in the UK, and very quickly and he worked his magic on the designs and we got everything boxed off in record time. The delivery dates were set and in theory with no shipping hold ups Darragh’s new sails would arrive just in time for the warm-up regatta the weekend before in Skerries and the rest of the order would arrive on a just in time basis for the main event, fingers crossed! Like all the best-laid plans they do not always pan out perfectly! A slight shipping delay meant the sails for Darragh arrived a day late and he missed his chance to use the sails in Skerries. I was away at the time racing in the Dragon Gold Cup which was only adding to the stress of the sails being late! As it turned out, that was a windy regatta so I am not sure the sails would have been used anyway. I landed home on the Monday and drove half-way to Foynes to meet Darragh and hand over the sails. I was off again the following day to Lake Garda for the Melges 24 Europeans so I could not even check out the sails with Darragh. Thank goodness for his confidence in us! He took the sails and spent the next two evenings ahead of the Nationals making sure everything was OK, sorting out the new Jib lead locations and wire heights. I was phoning from Lake Garda every second minute like an expectant Father waiting to hear about the new-born Mermaid sails! Like all good Fairy tales this one also has a very happy ending! The sails fitted well and more importantly proved to be very quick on their first outing. Oh, I almost forgot to say…. The other nine sails arrived the day of the practice race as well. Too tight for comfort especially as I was not about to help fit them all, which is something we always try to do here at North with a brand-new design. Fortunately, all was well and everyone got their new sails on time but only just. From conception to water in only thirty-three working days after taking the order! I think I might have lost a bit more hair during those days! Darragh went on to sail an amazing series at his home yacht club and took the overall Nationals to win in fine style, including winning the very first race the new sails were used in. I have to say, a wave of relief came over me when I heard the news after day one of the Nationals, the sails are FAST, that was all I wanted to hear! Congratulations to Darragh and his crew of Mark McCormack and Johnny Dillon, a helm is only ever as good as his crew on this occasion the teamwork was exceptional to lift the Nationals trophy for the first time. North Sails Ireland were delighted to play a small part in this success and we wish Darragh and his crew and all the other North clients in the Mermaid class all the best for 2019. For more information about the sails please do not hesitate to contact us. Sail FAST Nigel Young Darragh and his Team power to Victory with 100% North Sails Mark Boyland flies downwind with his new North MS-1 Spinnaker to finish 3rd overall Jim Carthy and his team finish 4th overall with a full new set of North Sails READ MORE

ENTSCHEIDUNGSKAMPF AUF DER KIELER INNENFÖRDE - AUFSTEIGER STEHEN FEST Es war ein Herzschlagfinale für die 2. Segel-Bundesliga und der vorletzte Auftritt der Erstligisten an diesem Wochenende in Kiel. Aufsteiger in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 (Platz 1): Mühlenberger Segel-Club (Till KRÜGER, Lynn HAFEMANN, Finn OLSEN, Yoram ZAMORY) © DSBL/Lars Wehrmann Text: Mit Material der Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga; Fotos: DSBL/Lars Wehrmann Für die 2. Liga ging es um alles oder nichts, denn es entschied sich, welche vier Clubs den Aufstieg in die 1. Liga 2019 schaffen. Die vier Glücklichen sind der Mühlenberger Segel-Club, der Schlei-Segel-Club, die Seglervereinigung 1903 und die Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See. Für die 1. Liga war es das letzte und damit wegweisende Event vor ihrem großen Finale im Oktober. Denkbar knapp gewinnt der Bayerische Yacht-Club in letzter Sekunde vor dem Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee und dem Klub am Rupenhorn. North Sails ist Ausrüster der Deutschen Segel-Bundesliga und bringt seine komplette Erfahrung in die Segel der Segel-Bundesliga ein. Für eine Regattaserie auf diesem sportlichen Niveau und der hohen Beanspruchung des Materials entwickelte North Sails zur Saison 2018 einen speziellen Segelsatz für die Segelligen. Dieser verbindet die Ansprüche an Performance und Haltbarkeit gleichermaßen. 2. Segel-Bundesliga Auch wenn der Mühlenberger Segel-Club als vorzeitiger Aufsteiger in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 bereits seit dem letzten Event feststand, lag bei den anderen 17 Zweitligisten noch ordentlich Druck und Spannung in der Luft. Am Ende haben nach insgesamt fünf Events diese vier Clubs die Nase im Gesamtklassement vorne und werden dafür mit dem Aufstieg in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 belohnt: Mühlenberger Segel-Club, Schlei-Segel-Club, Seglervereinigung 1903, Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See. Steuermann Andreas Wilim vom Schlei-Segel-Club, der mit einer Mannschaft Chris Hartkopf, Henning Sohn und Suzanne Willim zusammen segelt, sagt: „Es war ein sehr anspruchsvolles letztes Event hier in Kiel, vor allem auch weil wir krankheitsbedingt einen Crewwechsel vornehmen mussten. Nichtsdestotrotz hat es das Team heute und über die gesamte Saison hiweg super gemacht und ich denke wir segeln 2019 berechtigterweise in der 1. Liga“, sagte Steuermann Andreas Willim. Gemeinsam mit sechs Clubs aus der 1. und 2. Liga, 12 „Liga-Neulingen“ und zwei Teams der Juniorenliga geht es vom 02.-04. November beim DSL-Pokal in Hamburg um vier Startplätze für die 2. Segel-Bundesliga 2019. Den Spieltag in Kiel gewann die Seglervereinigung 1903 vor dem Schlei-Segel-Club und dem Augsburger Segler-Club. Gewinner der 1. Segel-Bundesliga in Kiel: Bayerischer Yacht-Club (Julian AUTENRIETH, Nic CORSI, Raoul HERAEUS, Faidon KOUNAS) © DSBL/Lars Wehrmann 1. Segel-Bundesliga Die Erstligisten „probten“ in Kiel ein letztes Mal und versuchten sich die bestmöglichen Plätze für ihr Finale kommenden Monat in Hamburg zu sichern. Mit Platz fünf schwächelte der amtierende Deutsche Meister in Kiel zwar etwas, doch hat der Norddeutsche Regatta Verein als aktueller Tabellenführer mit acht Punkten Vorsprung zum direkten Verfolger weiterhin gute Chancen den Meistertitel vor heimischen Publikum zu verteidigen. Auf Platz zwei der Gesamttabelle steht aktuell der Bayerische Yacht-Club vor dem Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen auf Platz drei. Das Finale der 1. Segel-Bundesliga findet vom 18. bis 20. Oktober in Hamburg statt. READ MORE

MEISTERHAFTE VORSTELLUNG UNSER NORTH SAILS KUNDEN Die Meistertitel der IDM Seesegeln 2018 gehen an die X-41 "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" von Michael Berghorn in ORC1/2 und die Italia 9.98 "ONESPIRIT" um Steuermann Gorden Nickel in ORC3/4. Foto: Sven Jürgensen. ORCi 1/2 Deutscher Meister 2018: die "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" auf der Kreuz. Der Flensburger Segel-Club richtete in diesem Jahr die Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft im Seesegeln aus. An vier Regattatagen vom 05. bis 09. September wurden je eine Mittel- und Langstrecke sowie fünf Up-and-Down Wettfahrten gesegelt. Dabei verlangten unterschiedliche Wetterbedingungen mit Böen über der 30 Knotenmarke den Crews viel ab. In der Wertungsgruppe ORC 1/2 sicherte sich Michael Berghorn mit seiner X-41 schon vor dem Finaltag den Meistertitel. Dabei gelangen der Kieler Mannschaft drei Tagessiege und je zwei zweite und fünfte Plätze. Steuermann und Eigner Michael Berghorn vertraut dabei ganz North Sails 3Di Segeln, denn alle Amwind-Segel sind aus 3Di RAW 780 gefertigt. "Anspruchsvolles Segeln mit böigen Winden mit über 30 Knoten haben gutes Bootshandling und eine gute Crew erfordert. Nach einer erfolgreichen Saison haben wir diese Herausforderung hier ganz gut bewältigen können und freuen uns, die Saison mit einer guten Platzierung beenden zu dürfen." Michael Berghorn Foto: Sven Jürgensen: Erfolgreiche North Sails Kunden: Farr 30 "H.E.A.T." rechts (schwarzer Spi) und "ONESPIRIT" in der Mitte auf dem Vorwindkurs. Gordon Nickel zeigte in der Gruppe der ORCi 3/4 Yachten am Finaltag unterdessen erneut, warum die „ONESPIRIT“ vor Flensburg verdient den Titel des Deutschen Meisters ersegelte: In Sachen Boathandling, Speed und Fehlerminimierung ist die junge Crew mit ihrer Italia 9.98 derzeit das Maß der Dinge. Nickel sagte dazu: „Wir sind super happy über das Ergebnis und hatten eine tolle Zeit in Flensburg. Die Segeltage waren lang und schön und wir sind froh darüber, dass wir uns so gut platzieren konnten.“ Auf Rang 2 follte die Farr 30 "H.E.A.T" um Max Augustin, welcher sich mit seiner Mannschaft am Finaltag mit einem fünften Platz noch einen Platz nach oben klettern konnte. Ebenso wie die "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" setzen auch Nickel und Augustin auf North Sails 3Di RAW und Regatta-Spinnaker. Foto: Sven Jürgensen: Die siegreiche Yacht "ONESPIRIT" - unterwegs mit North Sails 3Di RAW und Spinnaker der Regattaserie. READ MORE

COMMANDING RESULTS IN PORTO CERVO Six Division Wins at 2018 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Maxi 72 Worlds Forty-one of the world’s most beautiful racing yachts met in Porto Cervo, Italy for the 29th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Maxi 72 World Championships. North clients won six of seven divisions with their North 3Di sails. Over twenty North Sails experts participated in the regatta. Porto Cervo served up a variety of conditions and race formats, challenging teams to trust their boat handling and limit their losses. Hear what our team had to say about the regatta and their firsthand experience onboard some of the most prestigious racing yachts. Charif Souki’s Tango 📸 Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi Laurent Delage, North Sails France, Tango, 2nd Place Wally Division “We had great starts and good tactical calls that contributed to our overall performance this week. It was a tough battle with all of our competitors having excellent speed, but our crew work and perseverance paid off in the end. There is a lot to be said about not giving up and continuing to push the boat to its maximum potential. The Wally class gets faster each year while using a perfectly matched product in 3Di, which holds shape unlike other products that we’ve used.” SuperNikka celebrate their win at 2018 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 📸Lanfrancotti-Taccola Alessio Razeto, North Sails Italy, SuperNikka, Winner Mini Maxi Group 1 “Boat speed, starts, and sail trim set SuperNikka ahead of our competition. We were able to improve our boat performance throughout the Maxi Worlds by focusing on sail shape and rig tune. We recently introduced 3Di RAW to the SuperNikka program and we were instantly fast and ahead of the competition. Our speed downwind dramatically improved with the addition of two new kites. Our A0 in particular was a great weapon throughout the week – we were able to sail the tighter angles with ease and gained a ton of speed.” Winner of Super Maxi Division, J8 Topaz 📸Rolex /Carlo Borlenghi Eckhard Kaller, North Sails Germany, Topaz, Winner Super Maxi Division “Competition within the J Class is tough as all boats have the same North 3Di sails, but each boat has their own set up and what they feel is an optimized inventory, which keeps things interesting. 3Di is perfect for the J Class – it gives a wide range for every sail. It wasn’t just one sail that made the difference for us; it was our entire sail inventory that made it possible to have a leg up on the fleet. The Topaz team has been together for two years, and we are constantly working on sail trim and crew techniques for every maneuver. Our teamwork is above and beyond, and is reflected through our overall boat speed and handling. There were 15 nationalities onboard Topaz for this event and we really made a great team.” H20 accepting their Rolex prize for winning the Maxi Group 2 📸Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi Riccardo de Michele, Skipper, H2O winner of Mini Maxi Group 2. This is the third Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup win in four years for H2O. “There’s something to be said about maintaining the same crew and skipper. Being able to work together and train together for some time has benefited our team greatly. We were also able to work closely with our sail designer who got us up to speed with 3Di, making it possible to win our division.” Lyra, winner of the Wally Class leads J One. 📸Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi Terry Hui, Skipper, Lyra, Winner of the Wally Division “Being new to this class, I am learning a lot. We have a great team on Lyra. Racing in Porto Cervo is beautiful and the YCCS is the best.” Massimiliano Florio’s Grande Orazino Southernwind 82, winner of Maxi RC and Combined division. 📸 Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi Second place Maxi 72 Division, Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball 📸Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi The Juan K designer Rambler 88. 📸Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi 📸Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi Full Results READ MORE

J/70 ITALIAN CUP ROUND UP Calvi Network Wins Overall Title © Zerogradinord After six events at six different venues, 26 races, and 13 black flag starts, Gianfranco Noe’s Calvi Network have taken the overall title in the 2018 J/70 Italian Cup for the second year in a row and the third time since the series’ inception. Consistent racing throughout the season moved them to the top of the overall standings, despite the hot competition from European Champions, Enfant Terrible. © Zerogradinord Lera Kovalenko and her team on Arttube won the final event in the series for second overall in the Corinthian rankings. Paolo Tomsic and Mauro Brescacin, La Femme Terrible won the Corinthian title and finished third overall. © Zerogradinord The next event on the J/70 calendar is the World Championship in Marblehead, MA, USA at the end of September. Top North American sailors and European contenders will make this one of the most competitive regattas in the history of the class. North Sails experts have contributed their J/70 knowledge, tricks, and speed tips to create the ultimate Worlds tool kit. Race your J/70 to its full potential. © Zerogradinord © Zerogradinord READ MORE

CUSTOMER CORNER: ETOBICOKE YACHT CLUB OPEN Strong Breeze & Strong Competition at EYC Open 2018 The Etobicoke Yacht Club Open for 2018 was a special event with EYC Celebrating It’s 50th anniversary. The club has come a long way since its founding in 1968 and one of the regular highlights of this history has been the annual EYC Open regatta. Despite foul weather in the forecast, boats came in and were ready to race. The 2018 edition of the event hosted two North American Championship regattas. The 8 Metre Class, and IRC fleet were vying for their respective titles. Among the event highlights, the IRC class presented the Perpetual Trophy to Notorious out of National Yacht Club and claiming the 8 Metre title was Etobicoke Yacht Club’s own Glenmorangie Lafayette. Another notable result was in the PHRF 2 division where a group of EYC Junior Sail alumni and instructors claimed their fleet title on Still Knot Working. It was a great weekend for Humber Bay boats with MCC boats Blast (10R PHRF -1), Hot Water (J133 IRC - 1) and Neptune’s Car (Beneteau 36.7 – Level) claiming their fleet titles as well. Warrington out of QCYC took home a first in PHRF NFS, and the top J-24 was Taz out of National. Off the water, boats had direct access to the North Sails Regatta Repair Service, prize giveaways and some great entertainment to cap off the Saturday night festivities. Band X Prime kicked off just as the rain subsided for the evening, and crews were treated to some great music from all sorts of eras. The Open was a great way for EYC to cap off it’s 50th anniversary celebration and we look forward to building on the momentum that this year brought to the event. We’re looking forward to seeing our competitors back for the 2019 edition of the regatta, so mark your calendars for August 24th and 25th 2019! READ MORE

SPOTLIGHT: WILL WELLES, J24 WORLD CHAMPION North Sails Experts Dig for Will’s Secrets to Win the Worlds Eighty-nine teams from fourteen countries attended the 40th edition of the J/24 World Championship held in Lake Garda, Italy. North Sails One Design expert Will Welles won his second J/24 world title, dominating the scoreboard from day one, scoring 47 points over the course of ten races. Congratulations to team Kaster and crew Nick Turney, Rich Bowen, Giuliano Cattarozzi, and Andrea Casale. Another great achievement to be noted, Keith Whittemore’s Furio finished 3rd place overall to win the corinthian division. Teams powered by North finished 1,3,5,6,7,9,10. The North experts had some interesting questions for Will upon his arrival home from Italy. Here is what he had to say: From Mike Ingham: It was mostly flat water and windy, where/how did you set your genoa leads? We call “touch/touch” our base lead position, this is when you trim the sheet in the mid-leech of the genoa touches the spreader at the same time the foot touches the chainplate. With the flat water and breeze we were mostly one or two holes aft from base. If we ever felt super over powered we’d move the lead aft and vise versa, if we felt under powered we’d move the lead forward. Seemed most of the days you could trim the genoa fairly hard with the lead back. As much as two inches of the spreader. You were able to sail well at the high end of the genoa when much of the fleet switched to jib. How are you able to make the genoa work at the upper end without being totally overpowered? It’s a sort of dance for sure! The key is to manage the angle of heel at all costs. Start with feathering the boat into the breeze in the onset of the puff, if that is not enough you will need to ease the sails, mainsail and the genoa. In 20+ knots with the genoa you will most likely have the genoa eased out to the lifelines. The mainsheet is eased in the puff and then trimmed on afterwards, I’ll wind the genoa sheet in when I feel we can take it. The backstay is on hard as well as the vang, the shroud tension is at our maximum tuning guide setting. From Zeke Horowitz: Any tips for stepping into a charter boat for the first time and trying to get it all set up the way you like it? We were lucky with our charter boat, it was a fast boat but we did our homework months in advance. With the help of a local friend we found a good boat, which is a start but then you need to do all your homework so you can be prepared once you arrive. The key is to not burn up sailing days with unforeseen boat work. I like detailed pictures of the boat, pictures speak a thousand words….you can see how the rigging is, blocks, cam cleats, keel, rudder, mast, etc. I also send a list of yes or no questions to the boat owner, this way it’s easier for them to just say yes or no. We prepared what we needed to bring to make sure the boat didn’t have gear failure…and we brought some of the things we like to have on the boat that may not be there…winch tops, tiller, something of that nature. We make the list, gather the items, and pray it all fits into your luggage! We heard it was imperative to get a good start at the favored end so you could be one of the first boats to the geographical shift. How did you balance conservative strategies with being aggressive enough to be one of the first boats off the favored end? Yes, the start! Where you started and being able to get onto port straight away was the key to success. Surely it seemed you needed to be in the fray to get a good position off the start. Garda isn’t a place you can be conservative and start down the line in a less congested area. It was dicey to say the least but a must! Most everyone who started on the right end knew the deal, once in awhile you’d get one or two boats that wouldn’t tack right away and that was death. From Mike Marshall: What was the base setup? Prebend? Forestay sag? Upper and lower tension? Our base set up was the same as always, 20/15 (uppers/lowers) with the silver loos gauge model B, 2 ¼ prebend measured at the spreader and two fingers on the headstay (measured with Loos gauge B). Garda is known as a windy venue with flat water and the world’s week was no different. With the flat water and breeze we were faster to make the rig tighter, faster then if it was a windy wavey venue. We always set up the rig for the first beat and figured if the breeze dropped out then we’d be able to manage through. I seem to remember we mostly sailed at 29/27 on the shrouds. Sometimes a setting tighter and sometimes a setting lower. From Chris Snow: What model genoa did you pick for the event and why? Stick with what you know! We used the DX-7TT genoa, also known as the “Newport Genoa”. The SD-TH and DX-7TT are close enough in shape that we feel we can make one look nearly like the other with halyard and lead position. I think the key is knowing your settings, when to go where with the sail controls we have available in a certain condition. From Skip Dieball What was your favorite dinner while in Italy? Hands down the dinner we had at Guiliano’s house, what a beautiful spot he and his family have! Guiliano owns Kaster the boat we sailed. What was your key to getting good starts? We were very fortunate to get decent enough starts to go the way we wanted to the first beat. The key in Garda was to battle for the right side of the line. You needed to go right so even if you got a second row start with speed you could get onto port and drag race to the right. If you started down the line and couldn’t tack you were in a really tough spot, if you stared down the line and were able to tack all the boats that were right of you were ahead by the end of the beat. So we just worked hard in the fray, time, distance to the line and looking for a lane out straight away. From Ched Proctor When do you decide it’s time to “Go to the wall?” It’s always time to go to the wall in Garda! I think the question is which wall? Andrea says nine times out of ten the right works. Seemed to be true! Are you the first American skipper to win a major event on Lake Garda? I’m not sure! We will need to research that, somehow I suspect not, there is a lot of major events held in Garda in all sorts of different classes. One thing for sure, there may not be a prettier place to race! There is great breeze in the morning out of the North, it dies around noontime and then the Southerly comes in the afternoon. If you like wind and raw beauty Garda is for you! From Marnie Jenkins Sailing in Italy….did you have wine or water on board? Water of course! Lots of good wine around Garda though! From Chuck Allen Is Rich Bowen on steroids to trim that well at his age? I don’t think Rich is on the steroids, he says he works out which is the key to get the genoa in along with good timing! I wondered if Rich might be the oldest trimmer to win the J/24 worlds…Brad Read thought Moose McClintock was! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DETROIT Find Your Dedicated Sales And Certified Service Team At Our New Location North Sails is excited to announce the relocation of our loft in the Detroit metro area. Centrally located along the 696 and 94 expressways, the new facility led by local expert Karl Kuspa is designed specifically to fit the needs of our clients. Karl is a ten time Bayview Mackinac Race winner who brings over thirty years of marine industry experience to the Detroit sales and service team. He and service manager Bill Lesnek have a wealth of knowledge and are looking forward to welcoming the local sailing community to their new location at 24777 Forterra Drive in Warren, MI 48089. The full service loft is open now with the expanded list of services available soon. “We are super excited about the new location. We are centrally located so it will be easier for our customers. We also have the capability to do sail washing on-site, and our canvas production will have a larger dedicated space. These additions are making us a full service loft.” - Karl Kuspa, Loft Manager, Detroit. North Sails President Ken Read will be hosting a Grand Opening Party at the new loft on October 25. Save the date and RSVP to join Karl and Ken to celebrate the move. Date: Thursday October 24th Time: 6pm Location: North Sails Detroit READ MORE

MORITZ WAGNER BAYRISCHER OPTI-MEISTER Moritz Wagner gewinnt mit North Sails R2-Segel bayrische Meisterschaft im Optimist Bei der Bayerischen Jugendmeisterschaft (sowie LJM Baden-Württemberg) am Starnberger See setzte sich Moritz nach sechs Rennen mit drei Laufsiegen im Feld der 57 Optisegler im Bayerischen Yacht-Club am Ende durch. Mit seinem radialen R2-Segel konnte er bei sehr leichten Winden und flachen Wasser mit viel Feingefühl seinen vollen Bootsspeed ausnutzen. Erblich vorbelastet (Großvater: Eckart Wagner, Gründer NS Europa und ehemaliger Präsident von North Sails, Mutter: Kristin Wagner, Vater: Kicker Schäfer) liebt der 11-jährige schon heute die Marke North Sails, die für ihn für schnelles Segeln steht und er hofft auf noch viele Erfolge mit North Sails Mehr: North Sails Optimist Tuning Guide North Sails für Optimisten - unsere Segel READ MORE

North Sails officially launched a partnership with Beneteau America in Newport, Rhode Island at an exclusive event dedicated to showcasing their new sailboats. Five boats were sea-trialed by over 100 people—press, dealers, and potential buyers—during the weeklong event. READ MORE

LIGHTNING PANAM TRIALS Jody Starck, Iain Jones and Skip Dieball to Represent the USA in Lima Congratulations to Jody Starck, Ian Jones and Skip Dieball on securing the US Lightning berth for the 2019 PanAm Games in Lima, Peru. Held at the Buffalo Canoe Club the weekend of September 7-9, the event had six of the eight races contested in “Peru-like” conditions with 15-25 mph winds. The winning team scored six race wins along with a 2nd and a 6th to dominate the series and best the team of Allan Terhune, JoAnn Fisher and Jody Lutz by 12 points. 2015 PanAm Silver medalist Justin Coplan finished 3rd followed by current North American Champion Ched Proctor in 4th and current North American Masters Champion Tom Allen in 5th. Dave Sprague as PRO did an excellent job of running races with courses featuring four windward leeward legs with no offset mark. This made the jibe-set timing crucial to positions in the race. North Notes: 15 of the 45 sailors competing had either won a North American Championship or World Championship (or both) as a skipper or crew. 15 boats competed with the top 14 using full North inventories. READ MORE

GRAND OPENING WITH KEN READ RSVP To Join Us In Celebrating Our New Location on October 25th at 6pm. See You There! 24777 Forterra Drive, Warren, MI 48089 READ MORE

IRISH TEAMS DOMINATE THE HALF TON CUP North Sails Clients Finish 1,2 © Fiona Brown North Sails Ireland would like to congratulate our clients Dave Cullen, Jonny Swan and both teams crews for taking 1st and 2nd overall at the Half Ton Cup last week in Belgium. The Half Ton Cup has been well supported by Irish teams for the last number of years and 2018 was no different. The week started with light winds and flat water and the breeze and waves slowly built throughout the week until the final two days saw some gusts of over 20 knots to test the crews. Dave Cullen and his experienced team were a little slow out of the blocks in terms of their results, but once the breeze came in there was no stopping them. Congratulations to Dave and all the crew for a great performance and dominating the racing as the regatta unfolded. I was lucky enough to be sailing with our latest Half Ton client Jonny Swan who recently made the step up to North Sails. Jonny was sailing with his regular crew from Howth with the addition of myself. His performance mirrored that of his club mates, starting off a bit shaky in the light airs but again showing great form when the breeze was up. Second overall and Jonny’s best Half Ton Cup result to date since purchasing Harmony. This was also his first major Half Ton class regatta using North Sails. Only three and a half points separated the top two boats in the end but to be fair we never really felt like we could beat Dave as he often had a tiny edge we struggled to match. Both boats were sailing with 100% 3Di upwind sails and V-Series Symmetrical spinnakers downwind. Click here for more information about North Sails 3Di © Fiona Brown © Fiona Brown READ MORE

AFTERBURN WINS 300NM WITH NORTH SAILS 3Di From Light Air To Match Racing, North Powers Lake Ontario 300 Challenge Winners What was the mindset of the crew going into the race? The team was excited for the LO300, it is always a challenging race and this is typically the highlight of our racing season. Although the race was shaping up to be a longer race than previous years, our routing software was predicting we would finish between late morning and early evening on Monday. The good news for us was that we would not be facing a third night on the lake, just a slightly longer Monday than usual, since we would typically aim to finish by sunrise on Monday. The team was positive and we felt well prepared, we had sailed a 65 mile tune up race the previous weekend which had allowed us to test and resolve some rigging issues and also let us fine tune our electronics displays for the data we needed available on deck in the LO300. How did the game plan change due to the light air? We made the decision to go with a smaller crew of 7 instead of our typical crew of 10. This saved us about 600lbs. in crew & gear weight; had a crew where each member could perform most of the positions on the boat. We made sure all extra gear was removed from the boat to keep weight down. We hauled the boat and cleaned the bottom several days prior to the race, we also swam in water to clean boat bottom, keel and rudder two hours prior to our start. We went with a 30 minute helm schedule in order to keep our drivers fresh and focused in the light and challenging wind conditions. We rotated through five drivers which meant you wanted to make the most of your 30 minutes on the helm and you were itching to get back on when you came back up in the rotation. Forecast was for a bubble of light air to form around Toronto in early afternoon, but there was to be better wind pressure to the east of Toronto although it was to move east down the lake as the day and evening progressed. Based on this forecast our aim was to get south of Toronto to avoid as much of the light air surrounding the city as possible and try to hook into the pressure to the east of the city, then work the boat as hard as possible to stay in that breeze all the way to Ford Shoal. What role did sail changes play in your victory? In the Susan Hood 75 mile long distance race earlier this year we identified the need to be able to execute spinnaker peels from our furling Code Zero to our Asymmetrical spinnakers (A1.5, A2 and A4), but at the time our Soto 40 was not setup to do this. Prior to the LO300 we rigged a second tack line and a second set of spinnaker sheets specifically for our furling Code 0 to allow us to perform spinnaker peels. On the 130-mile second leg from the Humberview Mark to Ford Shoal our ability to perform these peels was key to our success on this leg and allowed us to stay with a breeze that was receding down the leg into Ford Shoal. It seemed like much of the race we were sailing at a true wind angle of 120 degrees, which in light winds of 4 to 10 knots is the cross over point from the Code 0 to the A1.5. On that leg we performed approximately 8 spinnaker peels in order to always have the best sail up for changing wind strength and angle and to keep the boat moving with the receding breeze. How was this race a true test for your crew and sails? The reality is that the Soto 40 is a grand prix level race boat and we are a crew of amateur sailors trying to figure out how to make the boat go fast and we are certainly having lots of fun as we learn. Our boats strong point is off the wind when we have the spinnakers up, which was the first half of this race and we were able to establish a lead, the second half of the race coming back up the lake and with more upwind sailing was going to be our biggest test. We had boats with larger sail area and longer waterlines chasing us upwind on our return up the lake. "To improve our Soto 40’s upwind performance we had added a new 3Di mainsail this season and this sail would be important, especially with the wind dead on the nose on the 40 mile stretch coming out of Main Duck Island to Point Petre at the west end of Prince Edward County. The main performed brilliantly, it had great shape and our main trimmers were able to keep the boat powered up along this upwind section. Learning the boat over the past two seasons the setup of the square top main has proved to be our biggest challenge." In sailing with a small crew, everyone had to shift through most positions from helm, to sail trim, to tactics and navigation. One positive that came from this constant yet shifting involvement was that although the race was long all of our crew remained constantly engaged in the race. Take us through the final leg when you were neck and neck with Esprit de Corps IV? Not to make this out to be a completely light air LO300. Afterburn and the Volvo 60 Esprit de Corp IV were side by side (about 300m apart) and 12 miles out from the finish in Port Credit, we had been sailing with Code Zero’s trying to squeeze out speed from the 3 to 5 knots of patching Southern breeze that was flowing through the middle of the lake at midday. The wind started to back and both boats switched to asymmetrical spinnakers, the wind backed further and both boats gybed to a course heading to the finish at PCYC, the wind then rapidly built, within minutes it had gone from a light air drifter to a 30 to 35 knot blow. The Soto 40 quickly responded to the new breeze and accelerated to 20 knots with the puffs, and with only a few crew to hike we pushed the bow down to TWA of 158 degrees to help flatten out the boat. Because the breeze had built so quickly the lake was still flat water, we were blasting along keeping pace with the Volvo 60, both boats in a side by side drag race. "For over 10 minutes we had sustained boat speed over 20 knots with a top speed of 25.58 knots, the Volvo topped out over 26 knots. This was a new top speed for us on the Soto 40." After the initial excitement of the ride had settled in, we were faced with the realty that the new breeze had backed even further to the NE and we were now rapidly sailing towards Hamilton, 20 miles to the west of the finish. As a crew we quickly ran through our takedown procedure, in the next lull we doused the spinnaker, hoisted the jib and brought the bow up for a close reach sail for the final ten miles to the finish. How has your performance improved compared to last year? What would you say are the contributing factors? This is our third season with the Soto 40 and it has been a continual development process since acquiring the boat. I would say within the last month leading up to the race we finally began to feel that we had gotten to a solid baseline with the boat, its setup and its equipment. This year we are finally focused on sailing the boat and working to make it go fast. We are getting much closer to our target speeds and are better able to fine tune the boat setup and gauge improvements. Our upwind sailing has seen the biggest improvements over last year, and that all starts with a new inventory of Jibs (J1, J2, J4) that were added at the start of last season and the new 3Di Main that we added this season. "The new 3Di sails have great shape and our trimmers are better able to adjust and match the sail profiles between the main and jib for improved speed and performance. Upgrading the electronics and properly calibrating our boat speed and wind data now gives us the ability to sail to our target speeds and angles. Subsequently our crew has now gotten more time on the boat to work on trimming these new sails and learning which setups are fast in the various conditions." As mentioned earlier our sail handling with the addition of furling for our Code 0 and FRO and the second tack line to allow us to perform spinnaker peels also allowed for better downwind performance. READ MORE

MELGES 32 GIOGI WINS 2018 WORLD LEAGUE Winning the Final Event in Cagliari Seals Their 2018 Victory The fourth and final event in the Melges 32 World League concluded in Cagliari, Italy with a podium sweep for teams using North Sails 3Di. Matteo Balestrero’s Giogi claimed the top spot for the event, which also sealed their overall victory for the 2018 season. Luigi Giannattasio’s Donino and Edoardo Lupi / Massimo Pessina’s Torpyone finished second and third. The first place Corinthian team was led by Martin Reintjes on Caipirinha; they also secured the 2018 Corinthian title. The Melges World League is in its second year; hosting both the Melges 32 and Melges 20 in a season-long series of four regattas. “It has been successful because of the commitment from our owners, sailors, and partners like North Sails,” says Federico Michetti, head of Melges Europe. Michetti was the visionary behind the Melges World League. He was also closely involved in the product development for North’s winning Melges 32 sails. “Three of the top four boats in Cagliari used North Sails,” Michetti explains, “a reflection of how great the 3Di sails are. As trimmer on Giogi, I’m on the front line of providing feedback to the North design team. I love our sails and am proud to have played a part in the development of the One Design inventory.” Michetti’s teammate on Giogi, Giulio Desiderato, sent North Sails regular updates throughout the season. We managed to catch up with Giulio to ask about their final victory. Why was 2018 such a great season for Giogi? Using an all-round inventory was the key to consistent performance. Out of four regattas that make up the World Series, Giogi won the last two! “On Giogi, we improved day by day. It is Matteo Ballestrero’s third season helming the Melges 32, but three of us were new to the boat this year. The last two events we sailed as a strong team, always working together, because we were very determined to achieve our goal of winning the circuit.” Has there been any development in the class this year? We are using the same sail designs as everyone else; true one design. In past years the North Sails designers and engineers have worked hard to optimize the materials and layout of our 3Di designs. After the Worlds, we will collect feedback from the fleet to determine the improvements for the future designs. Why is 3Di the best choice for the Melges 32? As main trimmer, I am really confident matching the sails to the rig tune and adapting it for different conditions because there is a good mix between the design and the stability of the cloth. What’s your top tip for sailing the Melges 32 fast? Both upwind and downwind, choose the correct heel angle and keep it stable. Full results READ MORE

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

THISTLE NATIONALS Interview with Brad Russell, 2018 National Champion The 2018 Thistle National Championship was hosted by Cedar Point Yacht Club and their famous “Westport Mafia” hospitality provided a great time on shore. An amazing funk band, mafia night, and food trucks throughout the week kept everyone entertained and full. North Sails hosted a chalk talk each morning with Dave Dellenbaugh and Paul Abdullah with great attendance and participation. Rules expert Dave Perry was a guest on Tuesday and turned into a 5-hour marathon session during postponement ashore. North-powered boats took all ten top spots on the scoreboard. Our Thistle expert Mike Ingham caught up with the new National champion Brad Russell for a quick interview: First of all, congratulations on your 2018 Thistle National Championship! Start off with telling us something about your team. I sailed with teammates Joe Hart and Terra Berlinski. Joe and I sailed together all year and have a great time on the boat together. He’s very physical on the boat, always has a positive attitude, and excels at painting the picture of what the fleet is doing, while this was the first time bringing Terra on board and she was an awesome addition with her positivity and being proactive on the boat. We were one of the heavier boats at around 500 lbs, but it didn’t seem to hurt us much even in the light air. What were the conditions like? Conditions varied greatly, with one race in very light air, two in heavy air, and four in light to moderate conditions What sails did you use? Our speed was excellent all week and in all conditions. We use a North Fisher main, Proctor jib, and Full Radial AirX500 spinnaker. How were you set up? The boat is setup to get overbend wrinkles halfway back the main window when fully trimmed. Our mast is 4-9-4 on the diamonds with the black Pro Loos gauge. We started the week with our forestay at 25 and moved it to 26 after Monday when the overbend wrinkles were slightly shy of the target. We didn’t use a shim on the mast step all week, but the step is shaved. After Wednesday I would have used a shim in any more races as our main was a little too full, but it was not windy enough, so we did not. Our rake was 27’ ½” and our prebend measured exactly 1” when the forestay was 25 and got slightly greater after tightening the forestay. Any other trade secrets you would be willing to share? We tried a few things during the week that were different than you see on most boats. In the moderate air we were trimming the jib quite hard, often over an inch inside the 10.5” tickler we use off the diamond. This only works because we use a jib leech tell tale to make sure there is still full flow between the two sails. The other thing was dropping the traveler some in heavy air, about 6-8”, to help neutralize the helm a bit. Tell us more about that jib tale? We felt as long as the leach tell tale kept flowing we could trim it in more. We kept experimenting with it further in and we were able to keep it flowing and it seemed fast. You never won a race, and you were top 4 almost every race (except the last, but we will talk about that later). Tell us your strategy for the regatta and how you were able to be so consistent. Our strategy all week was based on staying conservative and consistent. We try to sail defensively up the middle unless we are confident one side or the other will win. We rarely felt confident what side would win the first beat so we usually found ourselves trying to stay between the fleet. We would usually lose to a couple boats from the winning side, but we got to the top mark in the top 4 in all but one race. We would then try to sail fast and work with the boats around us on the reaches, instead of fighting with each other. Once the lead pack distances itself from the fleet there’s a little more freedom to fight with the boats immediately around you. About that last race, you were winning going in, and multi time Thistle National Champ and Match Race Pro Dave Dellenbaugh needed to beat you and put some boats in-between to take the lead, that must have been pretty nerve racking, right? The last race was really exciting, as Dave tried to match race us backwards through the fleet after we rounded the windward mark in 2nd and 3rd. After an extremely intense couple legs we only fell back to 7th. He wasn’t able to put enough boats between us to win the regatta. I never thought I’d be good enough for Dave Dellenbaugh to care to tack on me once, much less try to match race me backwards through a fleet, so that was pretty cool! Congratulations again to Brad, Joe, and Terra! READ MORE

North Sails experts Ruairidh “Rory” Scott and Theis Palm answer your Dragon speed and boathandling questions. Who sails a Dragon? Sailors in the International Dragon class are attracted to its classic looks and tweaky, idiosyncratic nature. They include a large group of amateur sailors who compete locally at clubs throughout Europe, especially in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Scandinavia. At the same time, there’s an extremely active international circuit that includes many pro sailors. The list of Corinthian-only crewed boats at most international events is usually as low as 20 percent of the entries. Some boats are professionally owned and driven, but most are owned and helmed by capable amateurs, supported by professional crew. The International Dragon class attracts big fleets to race in picturesque venues throughout Europe. It also has many local fleet sailors who rarely travel to major events. What’s involved in crewing? The weight limit for the crew is 285 kilograms (627 pounds), and it’s very important to sail at, or close to, the limit. Most boats sail with three people - a 95 kilo average. Some sail with four, and recently there is a small trend in that direction because it’s difficult to find large enough people with the right skills. Sailing with four brings other challenges, though, as the boats don’t have a huge amount of room for the crew. The boats are 8.9 metres long (29’ 2”) and weigh 1700 kilograms (3,700 pounds), and they are a physical challenge to sail. Upwind if you can hike harder for longer, you’ll go faster. There are no hiking lines or hiking aids but you can hang off ropes and anything else that’s already there for another purpose. When windy, the loads on these boats are substantial, and pumping the spinnaker or trimming the large genoa provides a workout. What are three top Dragon speed tips? Spend time with the same crew, learning how to sail the boat and adjust the mast controls for different conditions. Work with your sailmaker to learn which sails work best with your mast in different conditions. Straight-line boatspeed is vital. Beats are usually 2.5-miles; in the Gold Cup, races are 2.5 to 3 hours long. What should buyers know when choosing a Dragon? Strict rules in terms of hull measurement, stability and use of corrector weights if necessary help keep both new and used boats competitive. There are a massive number of good, used fiberglass boats available at roughly half the price of a new boat. Still, some two or three dozen new boats are built each year at Petticrows in the UK, or at PCT in Dubai (approximately £80,000-100,000). Cold-molded boats can also be very competitive and beautiful, but once you have refurbished them, they may cost you more than a new boat. How do you launch a Dragon? A Dragon weighs 1700 kg (about 3700 pounds) so a reasonably substantial tow vehicle is required. Launching is done with a single-point lifting crane. Launching from purpose-built trailers isn’t hard; you pull rig forward, clip on the crane, and launch. The mast can be stepped with a tripod stand. Three people can rig and launch a boat in an hour or so. Most boats travel with a single piece cover, and the spars ride along in separate bags. How many sails are required? There are no limits on the number of sails a competitor may purchase, but sailors are only allowed to register (“card”) eight sails per event. Most boats take four genoas, two mains, and two spinnakers. North offers a range of different Dragon sails, both crosscut and with radial clews and heads; the latter were developed once cloth manufacturers began building more balanced Dacron cloth. Genoa designs cover the following wind ranges: light, up to 10 knots; medium, 6 to 18 knots; and heavy, 14 to 30 knots. North also has different mainsail designs for different class-legal masts, as well as varying spinnaker designs. On a race day (when no coach boat contact or spare sails on the water are allowed), it’s common to carry one spare spinnaker aboard and often a second genoa. Dragon Tuning What are the keys to rig set-up? When tuning the Dragon, our focus is on getting the forestay length set correctly. (Details are provided in the North Dragon Tuning Guide) Then we adjust the tension on the uppers and lowers to Loos tension gauge numbers, depending on which builder’s mast is in the boat. After that, everything is relatively simple. Just under the deck, a mast ram powered by a lever system attaches to the aft face of the mast to move the mast fore and aft at the partners. Tuning a Dragon starts with measuring forestay length and includes other complexities such as running backstays and adjustable shrouds that can be tensioned underway.  What are the most important control systems you have to learn? Competitive boats have some remarkable control systems. For example, shroud tension can be adjusted below decks. And jumper tension has both coarse and fine-tune controls that can be adjusted individually, so you can achieve a certain tip fall-off or even move the mast tip to windward. Unlike many one designs, Dragons have running backstays. Typically, boats have a 2:1 coarse adjustment under the stern deck, plus a fine tune that leads farther forward. Dragons used to have winches or highfield levers for the running backstays, but we recommend setting up cascade or other purchase systems, which is the way all new boats are rigged. Another special system for genoa sheeting eliminates the need for a winch. The sheet is pulled through a barberhauler, turns below the side deck, and leads through a cleat mounted on a track. A fine-tune purchase pulls the cleat along the track to finish trimming the sail under full load. A recent refinement keeps the cleat open when the fine tune is off. As soon as you pull on the fine tune, the cleat grips the line, but when you release it to tack, it automatically releases the coarse-tune sheet as well. Dragon Upwind Sailing Upwind, where does the Dragon crew sit? When it’s light, the helmsman sits to leeward or to windward, depending on preference. The forward crew (the genoa trimmer) sits to leeward on a bench and handles the sheet controls as well as adjusting halyard, barberhauler, and sheet fine-tunes. As soon as the breeze comes up, the trimmer will be hiking. The Dragon has a sleek, low-profile hull and its genoa has large windows for safety.  For all conditions, the middle person sits to windward—in the boat or on the rail—so they can trim the mainsail. They control runner tension, mast ram, jumper position, traveler, mainsail tack, outhaul, and vang/kicker. How do you trim the Dragon main upwind? The main trimmer generally keeps the boom near centerline; as the mainsheet is trimmed, the traveler is eased slightly. The mainsheet helps bend the mast and flatten the main. Due to the size of the overlapping genoa, we do not vang-sheet. Once the waves get bigger, the boats take time to accelerate so you want a twistier setup with softer sheet tension and a more open leech. The boats have keel-hung rudders, which will wobble around when sailing in chop. The rudder blade is big, so if you swing it around too much you’ll slow down due to the extra drag. Getting the boat balanced is very important, especially when it’s choppy. How do you trim the Dragon genoa upwind? The challenge when it’s light is to keep the boat moving quickly while still pointing well. Any time the wind changes, you need to adjust the sail first, slowly make the helm adjustment, then match sail trim to the new course. When lifted, for example, ease the genoa first; the helmsman comes up slowly, and genoa comes in to match. If the helmsman simply follows the genoa telltales instead, he’ll always be behind the curve, swinging too much rudder and going slowly. When the breeze comes on, change your jib lead by using the barberhauler, which adjusts vertically at the aft end of cuddy. By easing the barberhauler up, you effectively move your lead aft and are able to sheet harder to flatten the sail. Over 20 knots, the second barberhauler pulls the lead a couple hundred mm farther outboard. What’s the key to shifting gears when sailing upwind? Runner tension is the most important control in shifting gears. In light winds, you sail with less tension on the runner to induce headstay sag and power up the genoa. As the breeze builds and you pull on more runner, tighten the mast ram to the maximum so the mast doesn’t overbend. If it does, you over-flatten the mainsail and lose some headstay tension at the same time. As it gets windier still, add lots of runner tension and ease the ram to bend the mast, but don’t overdo it or you will lose headstay tension when you really need it. In a breeze, the three crew hike out and the boat begins to throw some spray.  What do top Dragon crews say to each other upwind? The forward crew has the best view and will usually call puffs. The main trimmer will often ease a little mainsheet or lower the traveler a touch, which allows the driver to bear off slightly. The forward crew may ease the genoa sheet as well. Once you’ve accelerated, the helmsman or main trimmer will call for trimming the sheets back on. If a big gust is called, the middle crew pulls runner on or lets traveler down, and the helmsman may point up a little. Then main and genoa are both trimmed a little harder. It’s important for all three crew to work together at all times. The forward crew also must look through the genoa window, and the helm through the mainsail window; with the big genoa, the middle crew can’t see boats that are even with you on the other tack. This is different than on boats with smaller jibs and is extremely important to communicate about regularly. Dragon Downwind Sailing Downwind, where are Dragon crew located? In light to moderate wind, keeping the bow down and the stern up is pretty fast. It also stabilizes the boat directionally, making the boat as long as possible. Whoever is the tactician moves to the bow or by the mast downwind, watching the fleet, calling the wind, and holding the pole back at the shrouds. The spinnaker trimmer sits at the front of the cockpit on the windward side, and the helmsman sits aft on either side of the boat—typically to windward in 10-12 knots and above, and to leeward in light conditions for a flatter boat or leeward heel. When it’s breezy, we bring the forward person back to cockpit. What’s unique about the Dragon when sailing downwind? We ease the backstays and let the rig a long way forward; the more we can do that, the more directionally stable the boat will be. What’s really unique is what we call “flying the spinnaker”—the pole is too short, so as soon as the breeze gets up to 8 knots we ease the spinnaker up and away from it , squaring the pole to the shrouds and keeping the clews as level as possible, and flying the guy/brace as much as six feet away from the pole. This pushes the guy as far outboard as possible, but makes the sail less stable, so more skill is required to keep the sail under control. Body weight placement can help keep the sail full, for example, placing weight to windward to heel the boat when sailing a low course. What are your general rules for sail trim on the Dragon downwind? After setting the spinnaker, furl the genoa and let the mast ram go completely so the mast can shift forward. Ease the runners to move the rig forward at deck level as much as class rules allow. The tip will move a long way forward and separate the spinnaker from the main. Boats with an adjustable mainsail tack will ease off the tack. We always try to keep the spinnaker clews spread as wide as possible and, as mentioned, away from the boat. The mainsail is eased out in most conditions, but trimmed slightly in light air (when not sailing dead downwind) and in strong breeze (for stability). Keep the top batten parallel with the boom. If the boat is rolling around in bad seas, use the vang/kicker to tighten the leech; if you need to sail lower, loosen it. What do top Dragon crews say to each other downwind? The trimmer and the driver talk about pressure on the spinnaker and how low the boat can be sailed. The bowman/tactician comments on the puffs and boats behind that might block your breeze. When surfing, there should be constant dialogue between trimmer and driver. The helmsman should pump the main if possible; otherwise, bring the bowman back to do it. Dragon Boathandling What are your top tips to starting a Dragon well? Sail with the genoa furled and approach the line under main alone. When time and distance are right, unroll the genoa and accelerate. This takes practice but is far better than approaching the line with the big genoa luffing against the rig. In lighter winds, unroll the genoa sooner because it will take longer to get up to top speed. Focus on keeping some flow over the rudder so you have control of the boat. You can easily sail a lot higher under main alone, but when you pull out genoa make sure the boat is aimed low enough so the genoa doesn’t backwind and force you to tack. When it’s windy, it’s hard to sail the boat slowly. Sail as high as possible, until it’s time to put bow down and accelerate. Don’t over-ease the mainsheet or the bow will get blown to leeward. Top teams line up for the start, sailing as slowly as possible with genoas furled, until it’s time to accelerate in the final seconds of the countdown. What are the keys to tacking a Dragon well? The mistake that everybody makes in the Dragon is to release the genoa sheet too early. The sail has such a big overlap that the clew has to go a long way forward to get around the rig. The best technique is to ease the sheet a little but only release it once the sail backs against the rig. Then the wind will blow the sail around and out to leeward, and the trimmer will pull it back in on the new tack. In less than 6 knots, another option is to furl the genoa as you start to tack. One crew does both the release and the trim, and it takes coordination and strength. Bring in as much as possible with the coarse-tune genoa sheet before switching to the fine-tune. When it’s windy, there’s so much pressure on the genoa sheet cleat, it’s important to get the genoa trimmed and cleated quickly before switching to the fine tune. The helmsman should avoid coming out of the tack too low and making the trimmer’s job that much harder. When steering through a tack in flat water, you can steer more slowly at first to maximize VMG to windward. If you’re sailing in waves, you have to turn quickly so the boat doesn’t slow down too much. The trick that we find very useful is to center the tiller at the moment the boat straightens up and the mainsail begins to tack. It takes the boat a while to stop turning, and the momentum of the genoa, pushing against the rig, will carry the boat through to your new close-hauled course. It’s very easy to over-tack a Dragon, and yet it’s better to steer too far than not enough. If the genoa doesn’t blow outside of the leeward shroud, you’ll lose speed quickly. The middle crew has plenty to do on tacks as well—mainsheet, traveler, jumpers and runners—although some helms will assist. In a light-air tack, getting the traveler moved up to the new weather side is the top priority. Ease a bit of mainsheet. In heavy air, the runners are top priority. As wind and waves build, the Dragon displaces more and more water.  What are the keys to setting the spinnaker on the Dragon? Until recently, Dragons were rigged to set the chute from a small hatch up on the bow, which made sets simple (but made takedowns tricky). The basic drill was to pull the chute up as the sheet and guy came back, and furl the genoa quickly so the chute didn’t collapse. Now that we drop the spinnaker into the cockpit, it’s very important before the set to sneak the guy/brace out as far as possible. What are the keys to jibing a Dragon well? Poor timing is the worst mistake Dragon crews make in jibes. The boats like to rock and roll downwind, so you need to time the turn so the boom crosses easily. If you try to turn the boat down when it naturally wants to turn up, you’ll fight the helm, then oversteer while the boat rocks and rolls, and in the process the boat slows down. Always initiate your jibe when surfing down a wave or naturally turning to leeward and rolling to windward. The forward crew handles the spinnaker pole and the middle crew and helm manage the sheets and runners. When it’s windy, the spinnaker trimmer will sometimes cleat the spinnaker and help the helmsman pull the main over. With inline spreaders, the masts are bendy enough that they need the support of the runners. Trim the main in a little before the jibe; as you pull the main across, haul in the new runner and ease the old runner as soon as possible. The topmast backstay holds the rig for a fraction of second, but we don’t like to rely on it for long. Needless to say, sailing with four makes the jibes easier. In light-air jibes, the topmast backstay supports the rig just fine, so you can let both runners off. The key is to rotate the spinnaker around so it stays flying. In 7 or 8 knots, the guy/brace will be at the pole. In 8 to 10 knots and above, you’ll come out of the jibe with the tack of the spinnaker at the pole, then slowly ease it away from the boat again. What are the keys to a good spinnaker takedown? Taking the chute down into the cockpit is much safer. We always pull it down on the port side to be ready for the next set; let the starboard sheet go, pull the chute around the bow, let the halyard go, and pull the sail down quickly. Dousing the spinnaker through the front hatch with the retrieval-line system is fraught with danger if you still have that set-up; to avoid dropping the sail in the water, it’s necessary to spread the spinnaker down one side of the boat or the other before pulling the sail into the hatch. How easily does a Dragon broach? All Dragons have automatic, battery-powered bilge pumps; on a windy day, the boats are wet enough that the pumps are always working. We also carry manual bilge pumps and two buckets. If you rock and roll too hard downwind you can broach to windward and swamp the boat. If the water-tight hatches are in place, the boat will stay afloat; in theory, there is sufficient reserve buoyancy to stay afloat while you and the pumps get rid of the water. As a practical matter, with the Dragon’s low freeboard, that’s difficult when waves can bring water aboard at the same rate that you get it out. What’s the coolest thing about the Dragon class? Take your pick. You can sail Saturday at the club or compete for the Gold Cup in another country against the best sailors in the world. READ MORE

OPTIMIST - C’EST LA QUE TOUT COMMENCE Tous les marins du monde ont débuté sur cette coque de noix et c’est à son bord que les gamins y apprennent les premiers rudiments de la navigation avant de tirer, à sa barre, leurs premiers bords en régate. L’Optimist représente bien évidemment un marché important également pour North Sails, mais paradoxalement aussi compliqué que le bateau est simple. "L’impact faible du matériel dans la performance, le niveau extrêmement élevé et resserré et la sensibilité forte aux" effets de mode "de cette classe, en sont les principales raisons", explique Gaëtan Aunette, le spécialiste du One Design en France chez North Sails. "Pour autant North Sails est toujours demeuré aux avant-postes mème si en France par exemple, nous avions un peu perdu le leadership ces dernières saisons. Mais avec l’arrivée il y a 2 ans de nouveaux modèles américains (MZX4 et MZX5) et japonais (R1, R2 et R4), nous avons refait une partie de notre retard et nous recommençons à gagner des régates. Plus que dans toute autre discipline, le rôle des entraineurs et des prescripteurs est également fondamental : ils doivent pousser à la performance tout en développant la passion et favoriser l’épanouissement des enfants. En cela quelqu’un comme Michel Gaveau est très important pour nous. Il fait partie de ces personnes « qui comptent » dans le paysage de la voile légère en France et plus particulièrement dans le Sud où il opère à la fois comme consultant mais également comme revendeur North Sails One Design." L’espoir à suivre : Zou Schemmel Issu d’une famille de régatier en voile légère, Zou est dans le top Ten français et a participé fin aout au championnat du monde à Chypre où il a terminé XXПme sur xxx, avec notamment une manche de 4, ce qui lui permet d’être en rond Or. Il navigue en North Sails depuis le début de sa courte carrière et utilise une voile R2. Zou Schemmel : "Je suis content de mes voiles. Je vais super vite avec, surtout au portant, et j’ai de bonnes sensations." READ MORE

LA R&D BY NORTH SAILS FRANCE Nouvelles manières de naviguer mais également de concevoir les bateaux : en une vingtaine d’années l’univers de la voile a considérablement évolué. Modele élément fini FSI (Fluid structure interaction) Formes volantes d´un gréement avec voiles épaisses de jauge AC36 à gauche : avec représentation des allongements dans les membranes. Le cabinet d’architecte naval traditionnel intervenant uniquement en maîtrise d’oeuvre avec ses prestataires, et notamment voilier, n’existe plus : aujourd’hui il est inconcevable de penser le développement d’un bateau performant sans s’entourer au préalable d’une équipe projet constituée d’experts dans leurs domaines respectifs. C’est ainsi que, fort d’un savoir-faire et d’outils uniques, North Sails se positionne comme un partenaire essentiel et performant. Chez North Sails, nous disposons à la fois des compétences humaines et des outils de simulation numérique exclusifs que nous avons développés, explique Gautier Sergent, responsable R&D chez North Sails. La remise en question est permanente tant dans les outils eux mêmes que dans leur utilisation, et nos clients nous sollicitent sur des sujets de plus en plus divers. Nous béneficions également de ressources de connaissances incomparables issues de nos collaborations groupe sur les plus grands projets nautiques, Coupe de l'America, Volvo Ocean Race, IMOCA, Ulltimes, Séries Grand Prix type RC44 ou TP52, et autres Super Yachts, et ce depuis plusieurs décennies. Image post processing d’un calcul CFD RANS sur l'ensemble plan de voilure / plateforme. Permet non seulement de quantifier les efforts aéro sur chaque élément mais aussi leurs interactions. On représente ici les pressions. Cela alimente ensuite le VPP pour la partie aéro. Enfin, et c’est propre à la France, nous avons la chance d’avoir un bureau d’étude où se côtoient des profils de culture, d’expériences et de sensibilités très différents, des plus pratiques au plus numériques. Nous veillons à toujours être en capacité de mêler simulations et expériences pour nourrir des reflexions que nous voulons constructives. Grâce à la qualité des données issues de nos calculs mais aussi et surtout à la capacité de nos équipes à les interpréter, nous permettons à nos clients d’aller plus loin et plus vite. En termes d’outils, nous développons continuellement en interne nos propres logiciels ce qui nous permet d’être très réactifs face aux challenges technologiques proposés, des ailes rigides au profils épais, ou encore l'impact des superstructures sur la performance aéro pour des bateaux toujours plus rapides. North Sails VPP interface graphique. A gauche : tous les paramètres de contrôle actifs et leurs valeurs. A droite : image représentative de ces réglages : formes des voiles, angles de tir, gite, foils, etc. Il s'agit ici d'un IMOCA générique a foils. Le VPP North Sails bénéficie d’une très belle interface utilisateur ce qui permet le dialogue intuitif et graphique avec les marins et architectes. On, est très loin d’un sombre feuillet de calcul noirci de chiffres… READ MORE

3Di™ : UN PRODUIT POUR CHAQUE USAGE Moins de déformation, plus de performance et une durée de vie accrue : voilà ce que tout marin demande à une voile. Le 3Di™ répond à toutes ces exigences. Aujourd’hui maîtrisée, cette technologie unique permet à North Sails d’offrir une gamme complète de voiles de haut niveau adaptèe à chaque besoin. Greg EVRARD : "Remettre le point sur le i… " "Le 3Di™ n’est pas un produit mais un process. Le nom 3Di™ est aujourd’hui connu mais on s’aperçoit qu’il existe un réel flou sur ce qui se cache derrière. Pour faire simple, on peut dire que ce process permet de travailler les matériaux à l’échelle filamentaire en trois dimensions : sur 2 axes pour l’orientation des fibres et sur un troisième pour l’épaisseur. Dès lors, toute la matière consommée (filaments et rèsine thermoset) est utilisèe de façon optimale. En outre, le 3Di n’ayant pas recours à une quelconque lamination, le risque de délamination devient nul. Enfin, les voiles sont moulées en 3D. Pour résumer, c’est tout simplement aujourd’hui la manière la plus efficiente de mettre en oeuvre un ou plusieurs matèriaux pour la production d’une voile. Cette technologie unique, exclusivité de North Sails, a été développée et éprouvée depuis 10 ans au plus haut niveau de la régate et de la course au large. Ses avantages sont tels que North Sails estime aujourd’hui devoir la rendre accessible au plus grand nombre de navigateurs possible, en l’adaptant à différents usages et besoins." 3Di ENDURANCE RAPIDE, ROBUSTE, POLYVALENT Comme son nom l’indique, le 3Di ENDURANCE est la version la plus "robuste" du 3Di grâce à des couches de surface plus résistantes, idéal pour la grande croisière ou la course au large. • 760 UltraPE / Aramid pour une meilleure durabilité • 780 UltraPE / Carbon pour une meilleure tenue de forme • Gris clair, gris foncé ou noir 3Di RAW LA PERFORMANCE SANS COMPROMIS RAW représente la technologie 3Di dans sa forme la plus pure. La structure composite d’une voile 3Di RAW est composée de multiples bandelettes de filaments pour offrir le meilleur ratio stabilité / poids. Utilisé par les prototypes et les monotypes les plus exigeants • 760 UltraPE / Aramid pour une meilleure durabilité • 780 UltraPE / Carbon pour une meilleure tenue de forme • 870 et 880 Carbon / Ultra PE pour la performance maximale, 880 très chargé en carbone. • Noir 3Di NORDAC LA VOILE DACRON DE CROISIйRE RГINVENTГE Il allie la technologie 3Di™ et le polyester. Dédié aux unités de 20’ à 45’, il offre la possibilité d’avoir des voiles dont la structure en 3D assure une stabilité de forme, une esthétique et une robustesse inconnues jusqu’alors en croisiàre. • 100% Polyester • Pour les unités de croisière dont le P < 17 m • Blanc uniquement READ MORE

3Di NORDAC - TESTÉ ET APPROUVÈ Présenté au public en juin 2017, le 3Di NORDAC™ s’est imposé en un peu plus d’un an comme un nouveau produit référence dans l’univers de la croisiére. Plébiscité pour ses exceptionnelles qualités, il a généré une demande telle qu’il a pu parfois étre victime de son succés. Retour sur un phénoméne qui ne fait que commencer… 3Di NORDAC™ : une avancée technologique incontestable En juin 2017, North Sails a lancé la commercialisation des voiles en 3Di NORDAC™ spécialement conçues pour la croisiére. Ces derniéres reprennent le méme procédé technique que celui déjà utilisé depuis plusieurs années pour les voiles destinées aux bateaux de course. Seul le matériau change. Les filaments utilisés dans le 3Di étaient jusqu'à présent un mélange d'Aramide, de Dyneema ou de carbone. Dans le 3Di NORDAC™, il s'agit de polyester. Comme toutes les voiles 3Di™, ces voiles en 3Di NORDAC™ se distinguent par l'absence de couture et de panneaux mais aussi et surtout par une structure optimisée. "A poidségale, une voile 3Di NORDAC™ sera toujours plus stable qu’une autre voile en polyester ou dacron, insiste Greg Evrard. A stabilité équivalente, elle sera plus légère et plus souple et vieillira bien mieux. A nous d’offrir le compromis optimum adapté à chaque usage." Un véritable plébiscite ! Ergonomie, longévité, plaisir de la performance et prix compétitif : ceux qui s’y sont intéressés ont très vite été convaincus par le 3Di NORDAC™. En 1 an, plus de 1500 voiles ont été vendues à l'échelle du globe pour un CA de quelques 4,5 M€ . En France, près de 200 voiles ont généré plus de 500.000 € de CA sur la mème période. Unités de 20 à 45’, bateaux récents mais également plus anciens, monocoques ou multicoques : les profils de clients sont aussi divers qu’ils sont nombreux. "Certaines voiles ont traversé l’Atlantique dans des conditions ventées sans aucun souci, complàte Greg Evrard. Mème si nous étions confiants dans la qualité de ce produit, nous devons admettre que nous ne nous attendions pas à un tel succès commercial. C’est évidemment plaisant mais cela a génvré quelques désagréments liés à des retards de livraison. Cela n’est pas dans nos habitudes et nous faisons évidemment tout notre possible pour limiter les dérapages et continuer à augmenter notre capacité de production." Et ce n’est qu’un début… Avec le 3Di NORDAC™, NORTH SAILS frappe donc un grand coup sur le marché des voiles de croisière. Un créneau majeur sur lequel, paradoxalement, "nous avions été peu actif jusqu’à présent", sourit Greg Evrard. "L'objectif est donc désormais de développer cette nouvelle clientèle et de la fidéliser par la qualité de nos produits et de notre accompagnement, comme nous l'avons fait sur d’autres segments. Car fort de ce nouveau produit à succés, la gamme 3Di ™ proposée par NORTH SAILS multiplie ses déclinaisons. Le projet est clairement de proposer la version la plus adaptée du 3Di ™ à chaque pratique, à chaque portefeuille" précise Greg Evrard. Nous pouvons parier sur l’apparition de nouveaux produits encore plus précisément adaptés à des usages donnés durant les prochains mois." READ MORE

Winning the world championship still means a lot in this class, and it’s remarkable how people come out of the woodwork to try to do that.  READ MORE

Class leader Brian Janney answers your Melges 24 speed and boathandling questions. Who sails in the Melges 24 class? In the early 2000s, sailors in the Melges 24 class began to enlist coaches and include professional sailors in their crews, but that trend collapsed and participation dropped way off after 2009. Gradually, the class has been growing again and we are seeing an increasing number of Corinthian teams sailing at major events, using older boats. Local fleets are coming back in North America also, in places such as Vancouver, Western Michigan, and Atlanta. There are more regional regattas on the schedule, and they are by nature much more Corinthian. (Learn more at the International and North American class websites.) How physical is the Melges 24 to sail? The Melges 24 is a great boat if you like to be active when you sail. It requires athleticism, but not brute strength. The loads are not that high and there are no winches—ratchet blocks only. You have to hike hard, but since the class changed to shorter stanchions and tighter lifelines, hiking is less painful. Overall, it’s a good combination of keelboat and dinghy. In light air, it rewards roll tacking and jibing, but in heavy air it loads up like a keelboat and you have to think about the timing of your maneuvers. Athletic sailing is the norm for Melges 24 crews, shown here after a start at the 2018 Melges 24 World Championship. Piret Salmistu/IMCA photo What are the top 3 ingredients to compete successfully in the Melges 24? Practice mark roundings—good sets and douses are key. Practice light-air downspeed maneuvers—the pre-start under main alone is key. Build a consistent crew—top performance is all about teamwork. What is the ideal Melges 24 crew size? Top teams sail at the max weight limit of 825 pounds (375 kilograms). The majority sail with five in the crew. Larger people sail with four. Crews sail with four or five to meet the crew weight maximum of 825 pounds. What does each crewmember do on the Melges 24? The helm drives and handles mainsheet and backstay. The tactician trims the jib upwind and sometimes handles the mainsheet downwind. The spinnaker trimmer hikes upwind and hoists the chute if they are the biggest crewmember. On a boat sailing with five, the two forward crew furl the jib, douse the spinnaker, and handle the tack line and pole. On boats sailing with four crew, the forward crew handles the tack line, jib furl, and spinnaker hoist/retrieval. The tactician pulls the pole out and then grabs the spinnaker sheet, handing it off to the trimmer once the halyard is up. New or used Melges 24s— what are my options? A new Melges 24 costs in the $70,000 range and includes a trailer, covers, and an upgraded line package. The company periodically builds runs of four or five boats. As of 2018, hull numbers ran up to about #900. Used boats range from a 1990s boat for less than $20,000 to somewhat newer boats with covers and a trailer with dock boxes for about $30,000. Beyond the basics, what kind of prep is needed to make a used boat competitive? Older boats may need mast-step reinforcement or repair of stanchion bases. They may also need the new, shorter stanchions. The Melges 24 has a carbon-fiber rudder and keel. Look for a boat without dings in the foils, or be prepared to make repairs. We keep a close eye on the trailing edges of keel and rudder. When we trailer the boat, we pad the back of the keel with a pool noodle we’ve cut in half. Check for wear on normal gear as well, such as cam cleats. The jib halyard system is unique and needs attention on all boats. Instead of the usual separate forestay and jib halyard, the halyard connects to the wire in the luff of the jib, which then serves as the forestay. Where the wire goes over the halyard sheave, it can break strands on a windy day, so we recommend checking it after every windy day of sailing and replacing the wire frequently. How do you transport the Melges 24? Melges 24 trailers come from the builder with shaped supports. The boat rides about five feet off the road, at shoulder height. You put the boat in the water with the keel in the “up” position and then lower it with a “keel crane,” which fits into a molded socket right behind the keel. You can also ramp launch the boat if you wish. What's involved in rigging and derigging the Melges 24? To rig the Melges 24, first attach the shrouds, spreaders and backstay, then pull the halyards down from the top of mast. Because the mast is deck-stepped, two people can raise it. Rig the spinnaker halyard forward so it acts like a temporary forestay. A team that knows the process can be ready to launch within an hour. Once you’re in the water, put the keel down, fasten down the cover plate, and attach the rudder. There is a small gas outboard, so once that’s in position, you’re ready to go. What kind of inventory does North recommend? North offers the championship-winning 3Di mainsail and jib. There are two spinnaker designs, a reacher and a runner. You are allowed to carry two spinnakers, and most top teams will have one of each aboard. The reacher is used in planing conditions when you’ll spend more time sailing in a “bow up” mode. The runner was recently redesigned to be a bit twistier, allowing a larger crossover with the reacher. Melges 24 Tuning What are the most important ways to tune the Melges 24 rig? Tuning the rig is described in detail in the North Melges 24 Tuning Guide. The key parameters are rake and shroud tension. Because the spreaders are swept aft, as you add tension to shrouds, the mast bends and becomes raked more. Unlike some classes, you’re allowed to adjust the shrouds while sailing; knowing the number of turns for each setting, the forward crew can make the adjustments while hiking. From the base setting to 20 knots, it’s 20 turns. Top boats have shifted to open-body turnbuckles because they’re twice as fast to adjust and easy to pin using a piece of batten held in place with shock cord. This is the shockcord/batten for quick adjustment of turnbuckles. Photo courtesy APS What are the key steps to setting up the rig? The first step is to hoist the internal jib wire and set the rake at the turnbuckle above the Highfield lever. Rake is measured from the top of the mast to the intersection of the transom and the bottom of the hull. This measurement should be 36’6.5” (11.140m). Dial in the rake by adjusting the turnbuckle belowdecks. Photo courtesy APS Next, add shroud tension until it is 16 on the Loos gauge. You may have to adjust the turnbuckle above the Highfield lever to maintain the proper rake adjustment. It helps to have two people to do this. Are there other special considerations when setting up a Melges 24? It’s easy to scratch or damage the keel when hauling and launching. The North Tuning Guide includes what to watch for there, as well as several tricks to marking control lines and setting up your deck. Melges 24 Upwind Sailing Upwind, where does the Melges 24 crew sit? The normal or “base” crew position starts with the bow person a half-body width aft of the forward stanchion; all others sit close to the person in front of them. In light air, push the forward crew right up against the stanchion. As waves pick up, everyone moves aft until the aft crew is right against the aft stanchion. The tactician should be the first person to move off the rail in lighter air, so they can trim the jib and look around. Even in light winds, the Melges 24's powerful sailplan requires the crew to hike. What do you focus on when trimming main and jib? Always watch the top telltale on the jib leech when sailing upwind. You can see it through the mainsail spreader window. The jib sheets are on a 2:1 purchase and go through a ratchet block. Two cleats, one on each side of the cockpit, make it possible to “banjo” the sheet in from the weather rail. Usually we don’t play the jib much. Most upwind control is done with the main due to its large size. In the puffs, the helm pulls on backstay or drops the traveler. Few helmsman are strong enough to play mainsheet, although one class veteran, Brian Porter, can do it and is very fast. Tighten the backstay to keep the boat on its feet and ease when the puff rolls away. Have your forward crew count down to puffs; it really helps the person driving concentrate on boatspeed. Most boats have speedos now, and the helmsman can’t look around, although they do tell the tactician about traffic to leeward since they are facing inboard. In 12 knots, your jib telltale can be stalling slightly; as it gets windier, ease the jib out half an inch. The jibs are pretty high aspect, and this will create more twist in the head and allow the telltales to stream more. You can also foot a little more, which increases your lift and helps you point. Hiking as a team upwind in a breeze is vital in the lightweight Melges 24. Piret Salmistu/IMCA photo Going upwind, how should the top telltale look on the Melges 24 mainsail? The mains carry quite a bit of twist. In lighter air you’ll close the top of the main for power, but in 10 knots you’re close to overpowered so the top telltale should be streaming. Your helm should be light, nearly neutral, so if you make a change and it gets out of balance, you can tell right away. What other trim settings should you look for upwind on the Melges 24? Pay attention to shroud tension. My rule of thumb is to have 75 percent of the backstay on from 12 knots and up. The backstay purchase is at the feet of the helmsman and most people use a number scale on the deck behind that. If you are easing off a lot on the backstay, that means you need to ease shroud tension. If you are close to maximum backstay tension, try tightening the shrouds. We have our tactician watch for that, too. Who is in the typical dialogue loop and what's a typical conversation? Probably the most important upwind dialogue is a countdown to puffs—that’s key for the driver. If you don’t depower, the boat will tip over and do a little roundup. In a good breeze downwind, a top crew slides aft and extends arms and torso outboard to maximize leverage. Piret Salmistu/IMCA photo Melges 24 Downwind Sailing Where does each person sit when sailing the Melges 24 downwind? In lighter air, which we call “soak mode,” everybody pushes forward to get the transom out of the water. The tactician and one bow person are to leeward; everyone else sits to weather. As the breeze comes up, everyone moves to the high side and begins to slide aft. When the boat is on a full plane, everyone except the trimmer moves behind helmsman. In light air downwind, the crew consolidates their weight at the forward end of the cockpit, with one crew to leeward in front of the chainplates. What do you focus on when trimming the main and other sails? The Melges 24 starts planing at about 14 knots, flying all three sails. We call it “lazy planing mode.” Everyone is pushed back against the aft stanchion, hip to hip. As the breeze comes up, move one person behind the stanchion; then move others aft as needed.. In most conditions, trim with a slightly firmer spinnaker luff—not over-trimmed, but not a lot of curl. In light air, ease the sheet and begin to “test” the curl a bit more. As you start planing, you have to trim in as the wind goes forward. Your spinnaker trimmer is sitting down at this point, and your tactician moves aft to trim the mainsheet—at least that’s the norm among tacticians with dinghy backgrounds. In this Facebook video, the 2018 world champions demonstrate how to sail on a flat-out plane with three sails flying in a strong breeze on Lake Garda (on a day racing was canceled). What are the key gear shifts in a Melges 24 as wind and sea state change? The main question downwind is whether you can surf the waves or not. If you can readily plane, sail a couple degrees higher until the Melges 24 takes off. Some people try to force it too quickly and sail a lot of extra distance compared to those who sail lower and slower but cover much less distance. The boats have no wind instruments, so as the breeze builds, those who pick up on this transition first will make huge gains. You need to learn your transition point, which is right at about 14 knots of wind. Who is in the dialogue loop downwind and what's a typical conversation? Your spinnaker trimmer and helmsman should always talk about pressure in the spinnaker sheet—typically that means the spinnaker trimmer is talking, or the driver is asking the trimmer what they are feeling. Puff calling is the other key input to the conversation; that should be the same person who was calling the puffs when sailing upwind. Are there special situations or techniques downwind in the Melges 24? With the jib unfurled, it takes a little practice to get all three sails across in a jibe. It also requires coordination for the tactician to flip mainsheet over the helmsman’s head at the right time. On the way to the offset mark, a Melges 24 crew preps the spinnaker to go up (at right) while continuing to hike the boat flat (at left). Piret Salmistu/IMCA photo Melges 24 Boathandling What's a typical Melges 24 start like? Starts in the Melges 24 are more like dinghy starts than keelboat starts. Set up early, sail slowly, and jockey for position. Keep the jib furled and try to create a hole to leeward so you can unfurl, sheet in, and go. The boat accelerates quickly. What makes a big difference on the starting line? Set a minimum boatspeed, usually 2.5 knots. Any slower, and when you sheet in the boat will go sideways before it goes forward due to lack of flow over the keel. Velocitek speedos are allowed, so assign someone on to watch it and speak up if you’re slowing down too much. Assuming you have pinged the starting line, the Velocitek will also read the distance to the line. What mistake slows the Melges 24 down most in a tack? A key mistake is not coordinating how everyone gets off the rail. Hiking out, the crew is sitting hip to hip, so if the first person in doesn’t give others room it’s hard for everyone else to get off the rail. You can get pinned to the rail on a crash tack, which is a great reason to communicate when traffic is coming. What does each crewmember do in a tack? Normally, the helmsman handles the traveler and main, and the tactician tacks the jib. The rest of the crew scrambles to cross the boat in good form. The traveler usually stays fairly close to center, but in very light air it needs to move to windward. If the tactician can’t help, ask your smallest person to move behind the tactician and help. Key tips for good light or heavy-air tacks in a Melges 24? Making a smooth turn with the helm is important. It’s easy to over-rotate, and you don’t need to come out at a deep angle because the boats accelerate fast. The helm needs practice to learn exit angles. We put a mark on the jib sheet, draw a scale on the deck, and pull it in 90 percent of the way. After hitting the rail to hike out, the tactician leans in as soon as possible to banjo the jib sheet in the rest of the way What mistake slows the Melges 24 down most in a jibe? The key move on the jibe is properly rotating the spinnaker. In light air and up until the boat is lazy planing, make sure a forward person grabs the spinnaker sheet and pulls it around the headstay. Here is a great video of a “blow-through” jibe in strong winds. Note the forward crew, briefly pulling the spinnaker leech in against the jib. What does each crewmember do in a Melges 24 jibe? The helm steers, the tactician deals with the mainsheet, the spinnaker trimmer handles both spinnaker sheets, and the forward person or people help overhaul the new sheet. In light air, the keys are to have quick hands on the spinnaker sheet and to come out at a good exit angle, sometimes a little hotter (higher) than you think. In heavy air, hitting the right exit angle is big and you make a slower turn. As you bear away, the helm watches the clew of the chute and pauses until the clew gets around the headstay, then finishes the turn. If the helm turns too fast, the spinnaker may get a wrap. What is the key to a fast spinnaker set? Having a good mark on your tack line is critical to a good set on a Melges 24. Preset the tack line at that mark, and then hoist the halyard while the pole is going out. If your tactician sees a wrap starting to happen, they should give the sheet a quick pump and then quickly ease it back out. Who does what in the Melges 24 crew on a bearway set? The helm handles the main while the tactician eases the jib sheet and cleats it, and then picks up the spinnaker sheet. The trimmer hoists the spinnaker halyard before taking over the sheet. Of the two forward people, one is to leeward, helping to feed out the spinnaker. They also uncleat the jib sheet and furl the jib when the chute is up. The other person pulls the pole out and eases the vang so you can bear way. What is the key to a good spinnaker takedown? We always take down to port on the Melges 24. Also, we usually drop the chute behind the shrouds instead of between the shrouds and the mast. If it’s a weather strip, one bow person overhauls the spinnaker sheet, the same as they would in a jibe. The spinnaker trimmer hauls on the sheet as well. When the forward person has a hand on the cloth, the other forward person releases the pole, then the halyard, then the tackline. Typically the smallest person on the boat is uncleating everything. The trimmer throws the chute into the cockpit and then the smallest person stuffs it below. The two largest people get on the rail! On a leeward douse, more of a turn-down is required of the helmsman. As soon as we can grab some spinnaker cloth, we say, “Pole in, halyard down, then tack line.” Some people blow the tackline off so the forward part of the sail flags. Any special tricks to Melges 24 takedowns? Make sure to unfurl the jib before you start to take down the spinnaker to avoid fouling the spinnaker halyard in the roller-furling swivel aloft. Doing circles is slow; how do you minimize the pain when you have to spin? The Melges 24 has lots of mainsheet. The tactician takes the mainsheet from the helm, and the spinnaker trimmer handles the jib. Steer with your weight and backwind the jib if need be to turn the boat through the wind. How easily does the Melges 24 broach or capsize? It’s fairly easy to wipe out when you’re planing, especially if you stay too close to the high edge. Typically, if you broach coming out of a jibe, the helmsman turned too quickly, the trimmer had to overtrim the chute, and then when it popped open you were overpowered. To recover, backwind the jib and ease the vang, and the boat should turn back downwind. What are the most common boathandling mistakes made in the Melges 24? During the sets, pulling the pole out too quickly can sometimes allow the tack to drop into the water. That’s like setting a very big parking brake. The same thing can happen on the douse—keep the tack out of the water! Also, when jibing in light air, don’t forget that you may need to pop the top battens on the main. Do you have any suggestions for drills to improve boathandling? Go out and do loads of tacks and jibes—especially jibes. Practice sailing and maneuvering at low speeds alongside a buoy. See how long you can sit next to it and how much you’ll go sideways before going forward. Your starts will improve. READ MORE

TARNACKI WINS HIS EIGHTH MICRO WORLD TITLE North Sails Prove to be the Fastest Sails on the Course A fleet of 25 boats came together from seven countries at this year’s Micro Worlds event in Świnoujście, Poland. The Championship was a true test to the sailors with the full range of conditions across the week. The first half of the regatta was windy and wavy however the second half saw very light winds. Although there were 12 races planned, due to light wind at the end of the regatta the event was cut short on the final day. The first and second placed boats were untouchable throughout the regatta and between Poitr Tarnacki’s Volvo Roca and Rafal Sarwocki’s Euro Shipping, they won all of the nine races, mostly with a big lead over the rest of the fleet. In the end, Piotr Tarnacki, North Sails Jockey, came away as World Champion for the eighth time! North Sails proved to be the fastest sailmaker in the fleet with boats finishing 1,2 and 4 in the overall standings and also gaining bronze medal and in the Cruiser and Racer divisions! Congratulations to all North customers competing in the championship this year! READ MORE

ALPHA+ WINS HHYC TYPHOON SERIES Shawn & Tina’s Alpha+ along with their local sailing team came away victorious with a dominating performance at the Hebe Haven Yacht Clubs, Typhoon Series. First place overall for this beautifully presented Kerr 46 + in IRC division A. Alpha+ is powered by a full North Sails racing inventory of 3Di RAW upwind sails, V series downwind sails, delivered and supported by the North Sails Hong Kong Loft. The Alpha+ team is looking forward to more great racing success this coming season. READ MORE