NORTH SAILS BLOG

Annapolis NOOD: Road to the J/22 Worlds Zeke Horowitz on overcoming the challenges of Chesapeake Bay J22 “Uncle Fluffy” skippered by Zeke Horowitz wins the J22 Class This year’s edition of the Helly Hansen Annapolis NOOD brought almost 200 boats to the Chesapeake Bay for one of the biggest one design festival events of the year. Among the 14 one design classes, the J/22 class was the largest with 32 boats competing. There is lots of excitement amongst the J/22 class as we approach the 2018 World Championship in Annapolis this September. While, as usual, the J/22 fleet was focused on having fun and visiting with old friends, there was definitely a sense of urgency as every team wanted to give it their all and get some solid practice in at the Worlds venue. Day 1 brought a beautiful southerly to the mouth of the Severn River where our course was set and run by the Race Committee from the Severn Sailing Association. With a dismal forecast for days 2 and 3, the RC was determined to get as much racing in as possible. Every start went off with an I over Z penalty which led to lots of letters on the score-card after the 5 race day. While the breeze was certainly the best of the 3-day regatta, it was anything but steady on our course. The holes on the course were absolutely tragic and it wasn’t uncommon to see a competitor five boat lengths away from you going twice your speed. Combined with the typical Chesapeake Bay chop, this made for some pretty frustrating moments. Patience was key and the left side paid almost every time. It was imperative that the helmsman stay 100% focused on sail trim and tell tales so that the boat was always moving as fast as possible while the tactician kept their head out of the boat to find the pressure and avoid the holes. With upwind current most of the day, it made starting at the pin relatively easy because you could set up lower in the starting box and let the current help carry you up to the line. Since the left side of the course was so favored, it really came down to execution. If you could nail a pin end start and get left, you would usually be in the top group at the weather mark. Of course, as soon as we figured this was a 100% game plan, the final race saw another wind reset and the boats that came out of the right won the first beat! Welcome to Annapolis! Days 2 and 3 saw a very similar forecast with light winds out of the North and some rain showers throughout the day. Pre-race homework including watching the fleets in front of us was key to deciding on our game plan. It seemed like often times the fleet would start in a left shift, but the pressure would wind them right shortly after the start -ultimately leading to more pressure at the top left. We saw this repeatedly with the fleets in front of us so our general game plan was to start middle-boat so we could take advantage of the initial right pressure and get us to the left at the top. Of course our game plan didn’t always work out due to some bad starts and some pretty whacky conditions with several total glass-offs and fleet inversions. Nonetheless it was a great lesson in pre-race home work and how important it is to develop a solid game plan based on what you’ve learned. Our team managed to squeak out a victory over the immensely competitive group that raced at this regatta. But much like the rest of the group here, the primary focus was on coming away with some good lessons that can be applied to the rest of the season as we prepare for the Worlds. Here are a few takeaways from our team that we look forward to improving upon on the road to the Worlds: Don’t underestimate the impact a large fleet has on wind speed and direction. Especially in light air, the group of boats all gathered on the starting line drastically decreases the wind speed and makes your angle of attack to the starting line greater. Keep this in mind to avoid being late and in the second (or third) row at the start. Take the time to perfect your rig-tune before each race and always error on the softer side. The J/22 has a pretty sensitive “groove” as it pertains to rig tune so it’s crucial to do numerous checks before each race to make sure you have the right amount of “dangle” in your leeward shroud and side sag (or poke) in the middle of the mast. It’s better to be caught too loose than too tight! Define the roles on your team. Boat speed is king and that should be the helmsman’s primary focus. There are big gains to be made from minor tweaks in sail trim set up and accurate driving. Don’t let the driver look around too much! It’s the responsibility of the tactician and other crew(s) to make sure the boat is in the right places on the course. Be conservative and avoid big mistakes! Often times at the end of a regatta it’s the team that made the fewest big mistakes that comes away with the hardware. Keep this mind in the starting area and at marks especially. If you are fast, you can get away with conservative starting and tactics and that is always the recipe for success! Feel free to contact Zeke, our local Annapolis J/22 expert if you need assistance getting ready to the Worlds. Learn more about North’s fast J/22 sails. Helly Hansen Annapolis NOOD J/22 Class – Powered By North Sails 1 Uncle Fluffy / Zeke Horowitz 2 Hot Toddy / Jeff Todd 3 Dusty / Pete Levesque 4 Scooby / JR Maxwell* 5 Rythmic Pumping / Aden King 6 Mo’ Money / Victor Snyder 7 The Jug 4 1 / Chris Doyle 10 Capstan Consulting / Brad Julian * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK 2018 North-powered Clients Celebrate Antigua Style, Dominating Six Division Class Wins, Honorable Awards, And A New Race Record 116 Teams from all over the world arrived in Antigua for the 51st edition of Sailing Week. Not only a great showing for the visiting sailors, but the local racing fleet showed their true colors in representation- making for a fantastic week of competitive island racing. Each day the racing was amazing, with breezes ranging from 16-25 knots with 12-foot swells, giving sailors a real taste of Antigua. With 54 courses to choose from, race committee volunteers kept the sailors on their toes each day with long, exciting, and very different races that allowed for some of the most breathtaking views. Seven races were completed by the end of the week, giving teams a forgiving discard, which made the scoresheet very competitive in each class. Round the island with Warrior- New race record! Starting the week off in a fast way- client Stephen Murray, Jr.’s modified VO 70 Warrior came out hot in the Peters & May Round the Island Race, a 53-mile course, in a record time of 3 hours 55 minutes and 38 seconds, blowing away the previous race record held by Peter Harrison’s British superyacht Sojana* by over 42 minutes! With breeze reaching 25 knots, no one could hang with the Warrior or Anthony McVeigh’s GF51 trimaran 2 2 Tango, who swept line honors in the multihull division. Congratulations to both teams for your stedfast performances, kicking off Antigua Sailing Week 2018. Starting with CSA 1, clients Stefan Jentzsch’s Carkeek 47 Black Pearl came in 2nd, followed by Brian McMaster’s Cookson 50 Riff Raff in second and Eduardo Plass’ Camiranga, a Soto 65, in third. In CSA 2, client Sojana* claimed the fame, taking 1st overall as well as the Lord Nelson Trophy for best racing class yacht. Ambersail, with owner Simonas Stepnavicius, was close behind in 2nd. CSA 3 class win was awarded to Arran Chapman’s Spirit of Juno*, a Farr 65, followed by Oyster Starry Night of the Caribbean. IN CSA 4 RP37 TAZ claimed a podium position, placing 2nd in class after an unexpected rig failure in the last race on Friday, giving Dingo a chance to move in for the kill. Swan 48 Sleeper X, Winner of CSA 5 powered by 3Di In CSA 5 Jonty and Vicky Layfield’s 3Di-powered Swan 48 Sleeper X haunted our dreams with an impressive first place streak, followed by Scarlett Island Girl, a Dufour 45e, with owners Ross Applebey and Ossie Stewart who sailed a great regatta. In third was Rob Butler’s modified Reflex 38 Touch 2 Play Racing* from Collingwood, Ontario. Touch 2 Play* also claimed the CSA Travellers Trophy, for best overall results across the board in the Caribbean circuit this year. CSA 7 was dominated by locals on NSA Spirit, with owner Jules Mitchell with a solid lead over 2nd place finishers Maella, X-yacht 34 with Raphael Magras, followed by David Cullen’s Pocket Rocket, a J/109. In CSA 8 Biwi Magic with Robbie Ferron, a modified 6-meter and local topped the fleet with 10 points after one discard. Our multihull clients had their fair share of fun too, with Robert Szustkowksi’s R-Six taking first place followed by Thirst, a Gunboat 55 with owner Seamus Hourihan. Congratulations to our clients for your outstanding performances across the board. Another fun sailing week with new friends, spot-on teamwork, and beautiful racing- that’s a wrap! *indicates partial inventories Heading upwind with CSA 5 Sojana* , winner of the Lord Nelson Trophy Scarlet Island Girl, 2nd in CSA 5 Perfect racing conditions- with the best views! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ARE HERE FOR YOU From choosing the correct sail material to making the most of your sails, the North Sails team of experts based in Gosport are here to help North Sails are committed to designing, producing and delivering the best sails in the world. We are also equally committed to working as a team with our customers. North Sails UK relocated to the new, larger loft in Gosport in 2015 in order to fulfil the increasing demand for sails in Europe and around the world. As technology develops, boats are getting bigger and so are the sails! The Gosport loft fulfills the requirements, with three dedicated work benches; the largest covers 3500m², which is big enough to lay out a J Class yacht mainsail. On this finishing bench, panel sails are stitched together and the finishing touches are added to the 3Di blanks received from Minden and Sri Lanka. Our other work benches are dedicated to Service and One Design. The Certified Service bench was recently increased to ensure we meet the needs and requirements of all our customers. We offer a one year guarantee for all new sails, and our experts also provide support at many events around the world. This year in the UK, we will offer certified service at the J-Cup, Cowes Week, and several other events. Our day-to-day servicing covers everything from laundry and storage to re-cuts and repairs. The One Design team have a bench specifically for outputting One Design sails. They are able to make anything from Optimist sails to asymmetric spinnakers for sports boats, using a variety of North panel cloths. The team of highly skilled sail makers work hard and with a great attention to detail, in order to make every sail comply to the company’s high standards in sailmaking, as well as making sure they are championship-winning sails! We also have a team of class experts in hand to help you choose the right sail for your One Design sailing. This team is lead by World Champion and One Design superstar Charlie Cumbley. We are located just outside of Portsmouth, next door to the Solent—the heart of sailing in the United Kingdom. We offer pick-up and drop-off of sails from several locations along the Solent. Our team is available for you at every stage of your sailing; from measuring your boat, to fitting the sails, to making sure you get the most out of your inventory on the water. Our service manager, Rob Dyer will be able to help with all of your servicing needs, from quoting to advising. The North Sails European design team, led by David Lenz, operates out of the Gosport loft. David has been working for the company since 2000 and offers a wealth of experience, both in designing sails and in using the sails he designs. We have eight in-house designers, each using North Design Suite to study sails in their actual flying shape. We can measure how they behave when sheets are eased and the sail begins to twist, using the same controls that a real boat has. That means our designs have exactly the sail shape you need. “At North Sails our experts are on hand to advise you on each step of sail buying, including product selection, sail care, rating optimisation, measuring your boat, and of course fitting your new sails." Sam Richmond, UK Sales Manager. If you are interested in any of our North products or want to chat to our service team and see what we can do with your sails, then do not hesitate to get in touch. READ MORE

FRECCIA DEL CHIENTI CONQUISTA I LINE HONUORS A LA DUECENTO Esordio in grande stile per il Farr 400 Freccia del Chienti che, a poche settimane dal varo e dalla consegna di un full set North Sails 3Di, si è imposto ne La Duecento, conquistando i line honours del raggruppamento x Tutti. Lo scafo di Piero Paniccia ha tagliato il traguardo sabato 5 maggio alle 23.38, anticipando di circa mezz'ora Margherita di Piero Burello, Victor-X di Vittorio Margherita, Talitha di Maurizio Merenda e Luna per te dello Sporting Club Duevele Paniccia, che durante la regata ha avuto al suo fianco tra gli altri il North Sails Specialist Andrea Casale e Nigel Owen King, si è detto emozionato per essere tornato a Caorle dopo dieci anni da vincitore: “E’ stata una regata molto impegnativa: ci sono stati molti salti di vento e dopo Parenzo la flotta si è compattata, tanto che ci siamo ritrovati circondati. Alla fine dell’Istria il vento ha girato a est e siamo riusciti a girare bene Sansego, poi fino all’arrivo abbiamo dovuto lottare per mantenere la testa della flotta”. “E’ stata una regata molto tecnica - ha fatto eco Chicco Capecci, anch'esso a bordo di Freccia del Chienti - Il Mare Adriatico riserva sempre molte sorprese e fino all’ultimo miglio abbiamo dovuto fare moltissimi cambi vele”. READ MORE

BAYVIEW ONE DESIGN REGATTA The Perfect Arena For Premium Racing The Bayview One Design Regatta began in 2012 with our own Karl Kuspa as Vice-Chairman with then Governor of Bayview Yacht Club Hanson Bratton. Fast forward six years and the regatta is still going, growing in popularity each year and providing a quality weekend of One Design racing. The regatta is hosted by Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, sitting right on the Detroit river, connecting out to Lake St. Clair. A perfect arena for premium racing and post-racing events. As one of the co chairs of the first Bayview One Design Regatta, this event will always be a special one for me. The event is a great kick off to the sailing season here in the Lakes. For the sailors, it is great competition but also a lot of fun on shore. Karl Kuspa North Sails Regatta Services Our Detroit team will be providing overnight regatta repair. Contact Skip Dieball (419-392-4411) or Karl Kuspa (586-530-2602) during the event to arrange pick up. Cal 25 - Friday post racing Roundtable: Karl Kuspa |Bayview Yacht Club J/70 - Friday post racing Dock Talk | Paul Abdullah | Grosse Pointe Yacht Club Lightning - Saturday post racing Dock Talk: Skip Dieball | Crescent Sail Yacht Club Weather Forecast - Sign up below to receive a complimentary weather forecast, powered by North Sails and provided by Sailing Weather Service READ MORE

MIKE INGHAM WINS 2018 J/24 NORTH AMERICANS Tough conditions, three bullets to secure the title in a tight ending The 2018 J/24 North American Championship were hosted by Charleston Yacht Club. For those that have not sailed there before there is a LOT of current, it is shifty and there are obstacles such as land, towers, and barges that all come into plan. It is a place where you need to sail heads up and have a sense of humor. You are going to make mistakes – lots of them, there is no avoiding them! But with all that, boat speed matters. We had good speed and with that, we often won our side. Even if we were wrong, we could get out alive to claw back. Another advantage of speed in that crazy stuff is that we could break free from our pack and were able to then take advantage of a shift or other opportunity. Conditions were flat water and all genny (no blade), but within that, we had a wide range of velocity form almost drifter through top end of the genny. Since it was flat water, we set the genoa leads to “touch –touch”, meaning when we over-trimmed the genoa, it touched the spreader and the chain plate at the same time. Then we sheeted hard on both main and genoa because we were now looking for power, and when we can get away with it in flat water, the J24 likes to sail high. But with all those shifts and the wind up and down a lot, shifting gears was the key to consistent speed. Here are the priorities we came up with: Shifting Gears in Underpowered Conditions (0-about 8kts) Body weight first. We tried to move crew weight to keep a constant heel of 5 degrees or maybe even a little less. I would say we sailed almost uncomfortably flat. My helm was neutral or even a had to push a little. I had the team move to keep that heel and they would make their best stab at it and I would fine tune it with “2 in” (meaning 2 crew would lean in), “3 out” (meaning all 3 were fully hiked) We trimmed the genoa tight, maybe 3” off the spreader, but would ease both main and genoa a little for some waves or to help through any transition. With any puffs, we would trim a little tighter to keep the leaches tight, in lulls we would ease to keep the leaches from getting too tight. Shifting Gears in Overpowered Conditions (8kts +) “Full hike” would let the team know that I need them all to hike as hard as they could and that would also be a reminder to myself that my mode has changed from underpowered to overpowered. If I am looking to depower my first move is the backstay. With the backstay on, I would trim the main a little more because while the backstay flattens the sail, it also opens the leach too much. Conversely I had to remember to ease the mainsheet when easing the backstay so the leach would not be too hooked. If that was not enough to depower, pinching a little in that flat water seemed ok. The cunningham and genoa halyard went on too to help depower. My last resort was easing the sheets. We rarely had to do so this weekend, and I only do this if I have exhausted all the other depower options. We talked about this at our dock talk after racing Saturday. See video below. Learn more about North’s fast J/24 sails. 2018 J/24 North Americans 1. Mike Ingham 2. Will Welles 3. John Mollicone 4. Carter White * 5. Nicolas Cubria * 6. Andrew Carey 7. Robby Brown 8. Steve Kirkpatrick 10. Kenneth Porter * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE SUMMER SERIES? Join our crew for the 2018 C.O.R.A Summer Series. READ MORE

ASZIMMETRIKUS VERSENY SPINNAKEREK KÖNNYED, GYORS ÉS STABIL North Sails V-szériás aszimmetrikus spinnakerei egyenesági leszármazottjai az America’s Cup és a Volvo Ocean Race vitorláknak. Fejlesztésüket az aucklandi egyetem szélcsatornájában, és a NORTH SAILS Virtual Wind Tunnel bőszeles áramlást szimuláló softwarrel végezték. Az eredmény stabil aszimmetrikus spinnaker, ami nagyobb teljesítmény mellett, kisebb légellenállással és szélesebb szélspektrumban használható, ami kiemelten fontos a modern, könnyebb, jobban gyorsuló hajók számára. NORTH V széria hétféle széltartományra optimalizált típusa, és a legnagyobb teljesítményű bőszeles anyagok közül választhatunk. ELÉRHETŐ VÁLTOZATOK A1 Light-Air Reacher A3 Masthead Reacher A5 Fractional Reacher A1.5 Light-Air Runner A2 Medium-Air Runner A4 Heavy-Air Runner JELLEMZŐK • szabadalmaztatott számítógépes tervezés • TrueRadial szerkezet, minden illesztésnél formázott • széles színválaszték • rozsdamentes sarokveretek, hevederes erősítéssel • állítható Dyneema élkötelek • vitorlaszám, országjelzés • hitelesített felmérés • spinnaker zsák OPCIONÁLIS • többféle anyagvastagság vitorlán belül • külső haulzolást segítő Gybulator • antitorziós kötél betekerőkhöz • egyedi grafika • SailKote Plus bevonat • lehúzószemek READ MORE

SZIMMETRIKUS VERSENY SPINNAKEREK BIZONYÍTOTT, ERŐS TELJESÍTMÉNY North Sails V-szériás szimmetrikus spinnakerei egyenesági leszármazottjai az America’s Cup és a Volvo Ocean Race vitorláknak. Fejlesztésüket az aucklandi egyetem szélcsatornájában, és a NORTH SAILS Virtual Wind Tunnel bőszeles áramlást szimuláló softwarrel végezték. Az eredmény stabil szimmetrikus spinnaker, ami nagyobb teljesítmény mellett, kisebb légellenállással és szélesebb szélspektrumban használható, ami kiemelten fontos a modern, könnyebb, jobban gyorsuló hajók számára. NORTH V széria hatféle szél tartományra optimalizált típusa, és a legnagyobb teljesítményű bőszeles anyagok közül választhatunk. ELÉRHETŐ VÁLTOZATOK S1 Light-Air Reacher S1.5 Light-Air Runner S2 Medium-Air Runner S3 Medium-Air Reacher S4 Heavy-Air Runner S5 Fractional Reacher JELLEMZŐK • szabadalmaztatott számítógépes tervezés • TrueRadial szerkezet, minden illesztésnél formázott • széles színválaszték • rozsdamentes sarokveretek, hevederes erősítéssel • állítható Dyneema élkötelek • vitorlaszám, országjelzés • hitelesített felmérés • spinnaker zsák OPCIONÁLIS • egyedi grafika • SailKote Plus bevonat • lehúzószemek READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: KARL KUSPA Get to know your local sales expert What do you sail? I grew up sailing Flying Scot's but currently am sailing keelboats, specifically Beneteau 36.7s, J35, J120 and Great Lake 70's. What got you into the marine industry? What’s your favourite aspect of working in the industry? I started working with International 50's in college, which jump started my sailing career. From there, I began running racing programs with onboard coaching, which I have done for the last 30 years. My favourite aspect of working in the industry has to be the onboard coaching aspect with teams. The instant gratification of seeing the team improve and their skills develop is very rewarding. As well, the mechanics of the boat itself with the team and coordinate the team to work together with the boat is highly satisfying. What is your earliest sailing memory? I've been sailing my whole life, I started sailing at a month old with my family. From there, I began racing Fling Scot's at age six with my Father. How long have you been working in the industry? What keeps you coming back for more? For the past 30 years I have been working in the industry and the idea of something new happening everyday is what keeps me coming back for more. If you could have any boat in the world, what would it be? One Design keelboat for sure. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: SKIP DIEBALL Get to know your local sales expert What do you sail? How long have you been sailing? I have been sailing for almost 40 years now; I've been sailing since I was a kid. Right now, I primarily sail One Design, such as Etchells, Lightning, J70, Melges 24 and Big Keelboats. What got you into the marine industry? What’s your favourite aspect of working in the industry? I worked for an IT firm right out of college and then had an epiphany that sitting in a cubical wasn't for me. I had sailed all my life so the transition into sailing/the marine industry made sense. It's not so much what rather than who that got me started in the marine industry; I started working in the industry through Larry MacDonald. What is your earliest sailing memory? My earliest sailing memory would be sailing with my family as a young one. I started by standing on a milk crate skippering the family boat because I couldn’t see over the top of the wheel. What keeps you coming back for more? The competition. Whether it's with customers or for himself, the race course competition is my favourite and keeps me coming back for more. If you could have any boat in the world, what would it be? It definitely would be a One Design boat. Any boat that is fun to sail & can sail with my kids, such as a J70 or Lightning, would be my preference. READ MORE

TEST DRIVING THE IC37 BY MELGES Ken Read’s First Impressions on the New Melges IC37 Class Last week us “industry pros” got to test-drive the IC37 by Melges, and the boat blew us away. Hats off to Lynn Bowser and the Westerly Marine builders, and designer Mark Mills. My first impression is the entire project team has gone beyond expectations and delivered a boat of which the New York Yacht Club is going to be exceptionally proud. Speaking on behalf of our entire company, North Sails is honored to have been selected by the NYYC as a partner in this project, along with our sister company Southern Spars. We took the assignment very seriously and knew that we had to deliver a perfect product. I am proud to say our company has met the challenge and then some. Talk is cheap, but creating a one design concept with perfectly matched products isn’t easy. The final product arrived, and we were able to go sailing without any surprises. I’m incredibly impressed with the talent of Mike Marshall and Dale Morris, the two young designers from North Sails and Southern Spars assigned to this project. These are milestone moments for a company when the new generation of designers and engineers are jumping out of the nest fast and taking on new projects. Mike and Dale have spent six months matching a sail plan to a rig tune to make one mainsail, one jib, and one asymmetric work for the IC37. And they nailed it. For a sailmaker, there are no other words to describe a perfect fit on the first try. On day two boat designer Mark Mills joined us for a full day of sailing in Newport. Mark gets it; the balance of the boat and weight placement is exactly as described seven or eight months ago. Both North Sails and Mills are using super advanced tools to aid their design vision. This is scientific sailmaking at its best. The beauty of designing modern race boats, when done correctly and with the right amount of time given, the guesswork is removed. Gone are the days of the dreaded, “Oh my god, I hope this fits,” or “I hope this works.” We’re not designing on a napkin anymore. You can say it till you’re blue in the face…we have the tools to create perfection, but you’ve got to bring that to life with smart people. And we did, as a company. And I’m very, very proud of the result. Huge hats off to the planning committee for allowing the industry team to have the first sail and put the IC37 through its paces. The committee gave us the chance to get it right, and I think it’s going to pay dividends once all the club members get on the boat. So what’s next? Turn this boat over to the NYYC and its members for this boat’s intended use, a fun, one design platform for Corinthian sailors, and for Melges Performance Sailboats to grow this class beyond the club and create a Corinthian class with global reach. Learn more about the IC37 products from North Sails. READ MORE

NORTH BOATS DOMINATE ANNAPOLIS ONE-DESIGN SEASON OPENER Fast Sails, Happy Clients On Sunday April 29th, Annapolis Yacht Club held their Annual Spring One Design Regatta at the mouth of the Severn River. Always a popular event, this year’s edition brought about 50 boats out of the wood work to shake off the winter cob webs. Though it still felt like winter out there as competitors were greeted with brisk temperatures in the high 40’s accompanied by a North West wind that approached 20 knots at times. Racing was challenging as the RC did a masterful job combining five different starts onto one course. The fleets included J/22s, J/70s, J/30s, J/105s and Etchells. On top of a very shifty and puffy breeze, competitors also had to navigate a very strong current that was moving right to left across the race course for the 3 race series. The keys to success were staying up current on the starting line, keeping the boat in the pressure, and avoiding the heavy traffic whenever possible. North Sails clients dominated the event and they look forward to keeping the momentum rolling into the Annapolis NOOD. Comments from Etchells Champ, Jeff Borland: Race one started a bit tough, got fouled, then hit the mark right after the gun went off. Did our turn, the had to duck three or four J/105s who had just come through the gate. We gathered our wits, and got the boat moving and headed out right as the rest of the fleet went left. Our boat speed was super, and a bit of luck with a slight right shift at the top of the beat, and we rounded in second. A little difficulty getting the kite up with a new bow person, and Jose Fuentes snuck by us into second. Turned into a horse race from there, and we couldn’t get by Jose to get the 2nd back. Race 2 saw a better start, and we went back to the right again as the fleet went left. The right paid again at the top, and with our great speed, we rounded in first, and never looked back. Race 3 saw just two of us on the start line, two boats missed the short AP that the RC put in so that we wouldn’t end up starting with the J/105s coming through the gate – good call by the RC! It was a match race around the course between ourselves and Caramba!, but Jose just never gave us a break to get by him. However, the second was enough to tie us up with Ca$$h Money, and since we both had equal finishes of 1, 2, and 3 – we won the tie break by beating them in the last race. Learn more about our Etchells designs. Comments by the J/70 Champs, Ray and Jenn Wullf: Sunday offered a great tune-up for our J/70 team in preparation for the Annapolis NOOD & 2018 training for the Worlds. While it was far from the Sunny, 80+ degree temps of Saturday, the breezy, shifty conditions & chop gave our team an excellent opportunity to practice our set up, communications & knock off some rust after some months off the water. “Thank you to Zeke Horowitz for braving the less-than-ideal conditions to sail with us. We really appreciated his expert advice & help in optimizing our North set up. His insights were valuable in improving our upwind & downwind sailing as we start our 2018 season.” Learn more about our J/70 designs. Annapolis Annual Spring One Design Regatta Etchells 1,2,3,4 / Jeff Borland J/22 1,3,4,5 / Peter McChesney J/30 1,2,3,4,5,6 / Jeff & Amy Stryker J/70 1,2,3,4,5 / Ray & Jenn Wulff J/105 2,3,4,5 * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

2018 SOLO SPRING CUP Lawrence Creaser Shares Some Tips on Making the Solo Go Faster When not working on the production floor in Gosport, or selling sails to customers, Lawrence Creaser enjoys sailing a number of One Design boats including the Solo Class. Thirty-eight boats from a variety of nations ventured to Medemblik for the weekends racing. Although the rain didn’t hold off, the wind showed up with light to medium conditions across the weekend. The race committee managed to fit in seven races allowing one discard on the scoreboard. Lawrence completed the regatta with 5-2-1-1-(9)-2-6 giving him a two point lead ahead of second placed Pete Mitchell. Lawrence uses the North P-2 Solo sail. We spoke to Lawrence about the regatta and his Solo sailing. If you are interested in any North Solo products, get in touch with Lawrence today! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ANSÆTTER JAN HANSEN FRA QUANTUM SAILS Det er med stor glæde at vi kan annoncere at Jan Hansen pr. 1. maj bliver en del af North Sails salgsteam. ”Vi er glade for, at vi har fået en aftale i hus med Jan, der vil styrke vores position i markedet”, siger Jesper Feldt, leder af North Sails Danmark. North Sails ser nu frem imod at kunne give en endnu bedre service til vores kunder i Danmark. Jan Hansen bringer mere end 30 års erfaring med til salgsteamet og er opsat på at fortsætte med at sælge og servicere nye som gamle kunder. ”Jeg har besluttet at stoppe min franchiseaftale med Quantum Int efter 16 års fint samarbejde. Den nuværende bygning skal rives ned og en flytning af sejlloftet til andre lokaliteter ligger ikke i kortene. Det der imponerer mig ved North Sails er deres store udvalg og brede spændvidde af produkter, samt at de konstant er innovative og investerer i de bedste teknologier. Quantum har nogle gode resultater bag sig men jeg kan se at pilen nu peger i en anden retning. Jeg skiftede fra mit gamle brand Dan Sails i 2001 i en erkendelse af, at jeg ikke længere kunne tilbyde mine kunder det bedste. Tiden er nu kommet til et nyt skifte af samme årsag” siger Jan Hansen. Jan Hansen kan fra i dag træffes hos North Sails Danmark, som ligger i Herlev og har 15 ansatte. Her er samlet verdensklasse maste- og sejldesignere, dygtige sejlmagere til service og reparationer samt kompetente sælgere. Alt det der kræves, for at du kan få de bedste sejl, som passer til dine behov. READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS La exposición al sol es uno de los motivos que atentan contra la integridad de nuestras velas. © Michael Egan Los mismos rayos UV que dañan nuestra piel ejercen una acción similar sobre el tejido, las costuras e incluso la cabuyería. Una forma sencilla de reducir esa degradación y por tanto prolongar la vida de nuestras velas es cubrirlas cuando no las utilizamos. Unos tejidos cuentan con mayor resistencia UV que otros. Para dos fibras del mismo tipo, las de menor diámetro se degradarán más rápidamente con el sol. Para conocer el grado de degradación de nuestras velas podemos rascar ligeramente su superficie con un metal sin filo, como una cuchara o la trasera de un cuchillo; si el tejido está en buenas condiciones, la superficie se volverá más brillante y suave; si el daño por UV es severo, la superficie se descamará o incluso rasgará. Será el momento de sustituir la vela. READ MORE

VOR: RUMBO A NEWPORT Terminada la etapa reina por el Océano Sur, que será recordada por la dramática pérdida del tripulante de Sun Hung Kai Scallywag, John Fisher, la flota partió desde Itajaí (Brasil) rumbo a Newport (Estados Unidos) el pasado domingo para disputar la Etapa 8, de 5.700 millas náuticas. © Ugo Fonolla - Volvo Ocean Race Tras la rotura de su vela mayor en la aproximación a Cabo de Hornos, MAPFRE equipa la vela que estrenó en la Etapa 6, entre Hong Kong y Auckland. La Regla Volvo Ocean Race limita el número total de velas que puede adquirir cada equipo a un máximo de dos unidades de cada modelo, incluyendo dos mayores, más seis velas para el período de entrenamiento previo a la competición. El inventario a bordo de cada VO65 está compuesto por ocho velas North Sails 3Di más un tormentín. READ MORE

COMIENZA LA TEMPORADA La temporada de regatas ya está en marcha, y desde North Sails la seguiremos muy de cerca como parte del compromiso con nuestros clientes. © 42N En las próximas semanas, nuestros expertos participarán activamente en la 15ª Sail Racing PalmaVela (Palma, 2 a 6 de mayo) y el 45º Trofeo Conde de Godó (Barcelona, 24 a 27 de mayo). READ MORE

SERVICIO CERTIFICADO NORTH SAILS El calendario de regatas comienza a alcanzar velocidad de crucero, y una buena revisión de las velas de nuestro barco resulta clave para garantizar las mejores prestaciones y evitar disgustos. El Servicio Certificado North Sails garantiza la puesta a punto más exhaustiva realizada por los mejores profesionales. © Ben Zucker Un inventario de velas supone una importante inversión. Los agentes North Sails nos ayudarán a elegir las que mejor se adaptan a las características de nuestro barco y al uso que les vayamos a dar, pero la relación con el cliente no finaliza con su adquisición: North Sails se compromete a ayudarle a maximizar el rendimiento y la vida útil de sus velas. Hay muchos factores que afectan a la integridad de las velas y que conviene vigilar. El uso y la exposición solar provocan una deformación que desplaza su profundidad máxima (camber) hacia popa, por lo que se pierde eficiencia; mástil, jarcia y backstay provocan un deterioro local por el uso (viradas, trasluchadas, flameo); y la unión entre punteras de sables con la vela también puede generar deformaciones locales. En velas portantes, sobre todo códigos cero que descansan largos períodos de invierno enrolladas dentro de su saco, es conveniente un chequeo exhaustivo antes de las regatas para localizar posibles agujeros o cortes, revisión de cinchas en puños y así evitar males mayores. Una inspección anual del inventario ayudará a prolongar la vida útil y el rendimiento óptimo de las velas. Y estas semanas previas al inicio de la temporada suponen el momento idóneo para asegurar que nuestras velas están a punto cuando las necesitemos. En su condición de líder indiscutible en diseño y fabricación de velas, North Sails dispone de la mayor red mundial de velerías, colaboradores y agentes unidos por los mismos parámetros de calidad y servicio. Cualquier vela revisada por nuestros expertos se somete a una minuciosa inspección ideada para anticipar posibles problemas y aportar soluciones. El Servicio Certificado North Sails ofrece diez puntos básicos: Inspección de los accesorios del puño de driza, amura, escota y rizo. Inspección de cinchas y herrajes contra el daño causado por el roce y los rayos UV. Inspección de las puntadas a mano. Inspección de las cintas y accesorios del grátil. Búsqueda de roces en puntos de contacto con crucetas, obenques, candeleros, etc. Inspección de la relinga del grátil y pujamen. Búsqueda de daños causados por rayos UV y comprobación del correcto enrollado (en su caso). Inspección de tope de las fundas de sables, accesorios y ajuste (en su caso). Inspección del cuerpo de la vela para verificar la condición del tejido, las costuras, los números de vela, las bandas de trimado y las ventanas. Reponer o añadir los catavientos. Inspección de accesorios: Cabo y aro del calcetín de spinnaker, sistema externo de plegado de mayor, sables verticales del foque, protección UV, etc. Inspección del correcto cierre del saco de la vela, cremalleras, tirantes y etiquetado. Informe de la vela, 10 puntos de verificación, comentarios. Para más información sobre el Servicio Certificado North Sails, visita www.northsails.com o contacta con nosotros en info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

ONBOARD COMMUNICATION The Chain of Command © Jeff Brown By Reed Baldrige On board communication for racing yachts is a key factor for performance, no matter what type of sailing. However, when the number of crew increases, it becomes more and more important. Offshore one-design boats typically have 6-12 people which requires a lot of communication and coordination. Below are some suggestions to keep your boat moving through the water and around the corners more efficiently and effectively with better communication. Here are the positions onboard following proper chain of command: The Tactician Starting from the top, there is the tactician, or head of the afterguard, is the one who gives the overall plan, talking to the whole crew and communicates directly with the helmsman in close quarter situations, such as the start and mark roundings. Ultimately the tactician is responsible for where the boat sails through the water, and how it sails, telling trimmer what type of mode is best for the boat. © Onne Van der Wal The Trimmers Next, the primary trimmers, who are the voices in control when sailing in a straight line. When sailing upwind, the main trimmer, who is usually the only other crewmember besides the skipper facing towards the middle of boat and sitting next to the helmsman, is constantly talking with helmsman about how the boat feels to each other. When sailing off the breeze it is the spinnaker trimmer who takes over keeping the boat in the grove. © Chris Howell The Boss Now you may be asking yourself, what about the boss? The skipper? This is the most important part. It is crucial that the skipper communicates to his or her trimmers about how the boat feels, how much the tiller or wheel is pulling or pushing. Knowing these characteristics of how the boat feels can help the trimmers do their job more effectively, as they can adjust accordingly to get the boat to feel good and in the groove. Many times it is hard for helmsman to speak up because there is a lot of conversing going on between trimmer, tactician and the bow, while also trying to focus hard on driving straight, knowing that if they were to veer off course a quick course change command is coming from their trimmers. But nevertheless it is crucial to tell your trimmers how the boat feels. Good trimmers should be asking frequently about how it feels to make sure the boat is maintaining a good course through the water. ©Jeremie Lecaudey/Volvo Ocean Race The Middle Moving forward in the boat, is what I like to call the middle. This includes headsail trimmers, grinders when you have them and the pit, which can be multiple people. Communication from this part of the boat is non stop and travels both ways. Communication can be difficult on larger boats and/or in windy conditions. The crewmembers on the bow need to know what the next maneuver is going to be so that they can prepare or get the proper hardware ready. The Bow The bow, typically made up of the crew who operate at or in front of the mast who deals with the hoisting and lowering of all headsails. Communication coming front to back is also crucial, such as an obstruction that is behind the jib or an issue onboard your own boat needing attention before the next maneuver can be executed. Many times, in challenging conditions, hand signals can be used to express the readiness or state of the bow prior to a maneuver. © Carlo Borlenghi Overall, the golden rule is that too much communication is always better than not enough, and yelling or scolding your crew only slows down the process of any maneuver. Most importantly: keep the boat fun, keep the boat fast! READ MORE

MILDEW ON SAILS: WHAT TO DO Our DIY Sail Care information only applies to traditional fabrics and laminates. 3Di is composite technology, not a sail laminate. For info on 3Di sail care, read Sail Maintenance. Here is what you need to know about mildew on traditional fabrics. Sails mildew. There are lots of guesses about why some mildew more than others, but not much in the way of facts. Three things we do know: Mildew is not a structural problem. Mildew is ugly. Sail owners get a little uptight when their sails turn black and splotchy. We can state a few truths about observed patterns regarding sails that have and have not mildewed: Sails in hot humid areas are definite candidates. It appears to help if the boat owner makes an attempt to keep the sail dry. Take a short sail to air out a damp roller furled genoa, especially if you are leaving the boat for an extended period and your last sailing day involved a lot of rain and salt water spray. Salt water residue dries more slowly than fresh water, so salt water dampness is worse than fresh water dampness. Areas with higher levels of air pollution, or pollen, tend to have more mildew issues. Laminated sails are much more susceptible to mildew than woven Dacron sails. Mildew propagates quickly in the adhesive layers of any glued-on parts. Insignia fabric reinforcing and adhesives used to glue together seams are particularly susceptible to mildew growth, because they feature thick layers of glue. Cleaning Mildew Sailcloth manufacturers have developed chemical treatments to retard mildew growth when the fabric is produced. However, there is a delicate balance between killing the fungus and killing the humans. So the problem has not gone away. Surface mildew can be cleaned off the sail with a diluted bleach solution. But once the mildew creeps in between layers of fabric, the sails need to be sent out for industrial cleaning. Wash companies other than sailmakers should be considered suspect. You might get a nice white sail back, but it may also be crumpled up like a bed sheet. For more information, read Should You Wash Your Sails? In our experience, once a sail has had a mildew problem, it will probably always have a mildew problem. A good cleaner can reduce the black spots to dirty white spots, but if the boat stays in the same area where the mildew started, the spots will soon be gray, and then it’s only a matter of time before they are black again. How to avoid mildew Air out your sails regularly, especially after rain. Try to do this on a calm, dry day. Exposure to sunlight is helpful, but too much causes UV Damage. Do not put sails away damp or salty. The salt attracts and retains moisture. Store in a dry location. If your boat is inactive for more than a week or two, take the sail off the rig and store it dry, or arrange for somebody to air it out periodically. Do not install a foam luff on sails prone to mildewing. If mildew occurs Treat mildew at the earliest possible moment. Mildew stains are easier to treat when new, relatively small, and close to the surface. Isolate mildew-infected sails from clean sails. A sure way to spread mildew is to rub an existing growth against a receptive surface. The most popular mildew remover is household chlorine bleach (sodium hypo chlorite) sold in the U.S. in 5.25% solution. Manufacturers recommend diluting it further. Tilex® and other “mildew removers” are sodium hypo chlorite solutions of about 3%. DO NOT use BLEACH on KEVLAR or NYLON, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! We have seen people poke their fingers easily through spinnakers rinsed in chlorine-treated swimming pools. DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA! The mixture forms phosgene gas which killed and disabled thousands in the First World War. For deep set stains, immerse the stain in a fungicide for 12 hours or more. A high concentration is not necessary. No amount of surface scrubbing will do what a good soak can. After using bleach, rinse thoroughly with plenty of fresh water! Bleach residue can cause long-term structural damage. If the mildew stain is not removed by above treatments, give up. Further treatments can cause other damage. Scotchguard® and related water repellents have not proven to kill or prevent mildew. Lysol® household disinfectant is an effective fungicide and inhibitor. Some health and environmental agencies prohibit the use of stronger fungicides. Anything you use to kill or remove mildew will wash or wear away in a relatively short time. North NorLam™ fabrics are treated with the most powerful commercial fungicide allowable. It is 100% effective in laboratory conditions, yet demonstrably less effective in the real world. Lastly, this is what Bill Bergantz, Vice President of North Cloth, has to say about mildew: It is a poorly kept secret that mildew will grow on sails. While we do not completely understand it and don’t have a lot of good answers for prevention and cure, here is what we do know and what you should know in dealing with the problem of mildew. Mildew is a fungus. Like mushrooms (another fungus), it grows best in damp conditions, and probably doesn’t like daylight. It can flourish in climates as diverse as Florida and the midwinter Pacific Northwest. Mildew lives on microscopic organisms that it takes from the air, water, or the surface of the sail. Mildew will form on modern synthetic sailcloth, including adhesives, finishes, films, etc., but does not cause structural damage. Mildew does not affect the performance of sailcloth, so our concern is with the cosmetic disfiguration it can cause. Mildew can grow on anchor rodes and mooring lines , sheets and sail covers, dodgers, cockpit cushions, mattresses, bulkheads, and so forth. Mildew spores are carried in the air, especially in rain water, and are easily transferred by contact. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TEAM OUT AMONGST THE ACTION The team at North Sails Ireland were out amongst the action last weekend, sailing with customers and making sure they were happy with their new sails The North Sails Ireland team of Nigel Young, Maurice "Prof" O'Connell and Shane Hughes did the treble over the weekend, each of them winning races with clients on the Irish Sea, Howth and Kinsale. Shane Hughes was a part of Frank Whelan's ISORA winning team on Eluethera, taking victory overall and in Division 0. Shane was trialling a new North Sails 3Di Code 2 jib that day and the boat flew upwind. Eluethera with North Sails Ireland's Shane Hughes trimming Nigel Young raced on Mike Evans' half tonner The Big Picture on Saturday. Nigel was trialling a new 3Di mainsail, Code 2 jib and SuperLite Code S1.5 spi and took a 2nd and 3rd in their class. The Big Picture Flying Her New 3Di Sails Prof was on the water in Howth also providing coaching support from the RIB. Prof's HYC coaching movie is below: On Sunday, both Prof and Nigel were racing in Kinsale YC's April Series. In owner Conor Phelan's absence, Prof steered Jump Juice to victory in Race 1 but a headfoil problem dropped the team down the standings in Race 2. Jump Juice steered by Maurice O'Connell in KYC April League Nigel was racing aboard Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil 40 Neulargo and they pounced on the Jump Juice headfoil issue to win race 2, following up on their 2nd in race 1. The picture below shows Neulargo flying her new North Sails 3Di Endurance mainsail and Sk75 S2 kite. Neulargo with North Sails Ireland's Nigel Young aboard All in all, a great weekend for North Sails Ireland and their customers. READ MORE

CHAFE NEVER SLEEPS Our DIY Sail Care information only applies to traditional fabrics and laminates. 3Di is composite technology, not a sail laminate. For info on 3Di sail care, read Sail Maintenance. Here is what you need to know about chafe on traditional fabrics. North Sails CEO Dan Neri shows us how to keep chafe from destroying your sails. Wherever soft, fabric parts of a sail rub against hard metal parts, the sail is going to eventually suffer chafe damage. It is difficult for a sailmaker to identify all potential chafe areas, so you must watch for chafe and add (or replace) chafe protection before a hole appears. Heavy dacron and webbing work best for chafing surfaces around rings. Webbing is easy to fold around corners and is made of thicker fibers, so it will wear better than Dacron. Dacron, on the other hand, is easier to sew due to its lower bulk. We are not particularly fond of leather for chafe protection, even though it looks nice when it is new. Leather stretches when it is wet, so it is more easily ripped than webbing chafe guards. This leather chafe guard is not helping the sail at all. When the leather gets wet, it tends to sluff apart where the reef line rubs against it. Someone has gone to the effort of sewing another layer of leather over the first chafe gear above the reef ring. This new leather will last forever because there is is no way the reefing line will be able to rub there. Anytime you see your sail rubbing on the rig, or see a lazy jack or running stay rubbing on the sail, circle the area of contact with a marking pen. Then, at your first opportunity, cover the area that you have marked with an appropriate material. How to make chafe patches The most common chafe material is “Stickyback.” Due to its lightweight it will conform to the surface of the sail, even if it is applied over areas that include staggered layers of reinforcing, or batten pockets. The surface is slippery, which allows the fabric to slide against other materials without grabbing or heating up from friction. However, because it is thin and made from lightweight fibers, this is really only a temporary solution. Heavier weight chafe patches can be made from woven polyester sailcloth and several strips of seamstick adhesive, or a thin layer of liquid adhesive. Whenever possible, chafe material should be applied with adhesive rather than sewing because it will need to be renewed at some point. Stitching will leave holes in the sail when the old chafe material is removed, and more holes when the replacement material is installed. Multiple layers of lighter weight material installed with adhesives are the best way to go. For multiple layer patches, the large layer should be 20-40% bigger than the small layer to taper the patch. Common chafe areas include: Spreaders Where spreader ends push hard into the surface of a sail, you need a sewed-on dacron patch on each side of the sail. If the sail leech scrapes across the spreader base during tacks, but does not come into contact with the spreader end, use a lighter, completely sacrificial patch. Mainsails on boats with swept back spreaders are prone to punctures from the spreader ends both when sailing downwind and while reefing. As mainsail loads change, the fabric is pressed hard against the spreader end. Eventually, the spreader end chafes a hole in the sail. Because the hole is on the leeward side, you may not see it.This can result in significant damage if not addressed right away. This hole was rubbed into and through the batten pocket from nearly continual rubbing against the boat’s standing rigging. Tips to minimize sail damage when reefing Slightly over trim the sail or keep tension on the boom vang. Monitor the chafe protection layers on the sail. Wrap the spreader end with black tape so the spreader will make a mark on the sail as an early warning sign. Stanchions If the foot of the headsail sometimes catches on a stanchion top, sew a dacron patch on each side of the sail. If the foot of the sail sometimes rubs on the shackle that attaches the upper lifeline to the bow pulpit, add a lighter, completely sacrificial patch. Full-length batten pockets A sacrificial layer of Spectra webbing sewn onto Dacron tape can easily be replaced with another if necessary. Full-length battens rub on standing rigging, running backstays, and lazy jacks. Standing rigging is the biggest concern because it is rigid. The batten is also rigid, so the pocket material is in between the proverbial rock and the hard place. Pockets should be covered with a rugged layer of fabric or webbing, preferably spectra because it does not heat up from friction like polyester. Nylon webbing has good chafe resistance, but it shrinks and will cause the batten pocket to pucker. How to make a batten pocket chafe guard Cut a piece of light sailcloth tape so it is the same length and width as the batten pocket. Stitch spectra webbing along its center. Glue the tape to the pocket with the spectra facing out. Stitch along the edges of the batten pocket, matching the existing machine stitching as much as possible. Excerpted from The Complete Guide to Sail Care and Repair, by Dan Neri READ MORE

WOMEN ON THE WATER Nieulargo is a Family Run Boat, Where the Women Take the Lead Onboard For the past two weekends I (Nigel Young) have been sailing with Denis Murphy and his Family and friends on Nieulargo the Grand Soleil 40 from the Royal Cork Yacht Club. One thing that is very apparent sailing with this team, is the number of women involved in getting the best out of the boat. Molly is helming and doing a great job, she is only 17 years old but has a very seasoned outlook to her sailing and gets great speed out of the boat. Her younger sister Mia is also often found in the cockpit looking after the jib and spinnaker trim. Then there is the Team Boss Annamarie, she quietly goes about her business packing spinnakers and generally looking after the mid section of the boat and keeping the boys in check! More often than not it’s the boys who get all the glory, but on Nieulargo the key jobs are spread between the sexes and it’s been great fun to play a small part in this mixed team. Good luck for the rest of the season from us all at North Sails Ireland. READ MORE

3Di SHINES AT MELGES 20 WORLD LEAGUE New Mi-2 Mainsail Powers Brontolo Racing to win the first event in the 2018 Melges 20 World League Act One of the Melges 20 World League in Forio D’Ischia served as the debut event for the new North Sails Mi-2 3Di RAW mainsail. With 5-11 knots of wind across the weekend, the new mainsail proved fast and powerful in the exact conditions it was designed for and Filippo Pacinotti’s Brontolo Racing, powered by the new Mi-2 mainsail, played the light winds to their advantage, finishing the weekend with an impressive 1-2-(3)-1-1-3, giving them a massive 12 points advantage over the second placed boat. “North Sails has super products in the standard shapes. I’d rather invest in more training days to be sure we are ready speedwise and on top of the fleet using North products.” – Filippo Pacinotti, winner The new Mi-2 3Di RAW Mainsail is an upgrade of the first 3Di mainsail for the Melges 20 class. The design has been refined to be more forgiving in the lighter wind but without compromising its heavy wind performance. Using the North Sails Suite our designers made changes to both the mold shape and the 3Di tape layouts. The Mi-2 better matches the flying shape of the World Championship winning Mi-16 3DL mainsail. “It was a great weekend for North clients! North boats won five out of the six races and Filippo won the event with an incredible series of results. Their worst score was a third place!” said North Sails expert Giulio Desiderato. Click here to find out more about our Melges 20 products and the shop the winning Mi-2 design. Full results READ MORE

ADD NEW COLOR TO YOUR DOWNWIND PERFORMANCE Cool Shades J/70 Spinnaker Special Save Up to $650! For a limited time, North Sails is offering special pricing on colored championship-winning J/70 AP-1 Spinnaker available in the colors listed below. Ask about adding the extremely successful J-6HC Jib and save up to $650. Fill out the form below and one of our J/70 experts will contact you. This promotion is valid in the United States only. Colors and quantities are limited. Ends May 15, 2019. I’m Interested In The Cool Shades J/70 Spinnaker Special I'm Interested In The J/70 Spinnaker Promotion Last Name * First Name * Email * Phone Preferred Method of Contact Email Me Call Me Would you like to add a championship-winning J-6HC Jib at a special pricing? Yes No Submit READ MORE

THE FOUR F’S OF SAIL FATIGUE: FLEX, FIBER COMPRESSION, FLOGGING, AND FLUTTER Our DIY Sail Care information only applies to traditional fabrics and laminates. 3Di is composite technology, not a sail laminate. For info on 3Di sail care, read Sail Maintenance. Here is what you need to know about the Four F’s of Fatigue for traditional fabrics. No matter what it’s made of, sail laminates and traditional fabrics will eventually wear out. Fortunately, proper care and use can drastically increase the longevity of your inventory. North Sails CEO Dan Neri takes us through the various factors that typically lead to structural failures and shows us how to minimize damage. Flex Fatigue Just as UV exposure is an unavoidable bummer if you choose to sail in nice weather, flex fatiguing of your sails is a fact of life if you choose to sail in wind or waves. Any action of the sail membrane that causes it to cycle back and forth will eventually fatigue the materials. On very windy days this includes flogging during hoisting and lowering, rolling furling sails, and flogging while tacking or reefing. The edges of the sails flutter rapidly if leechlines are not tensioned correctly in moderate and strong winds. And in light winds on broad sailing angles, sailboats can roll violently enough to cause the sails to “slat,” which flexes the fabric and shock-loads the attachment hardware. To avoid flex fatigue: Eliminate or reduce flogging. Make sure leech and foot lines are adjusted to eliminate edge flutter. Change course in light-sloppy conditions to reduce slatting. You can save your sail from much of the punishment from reefing by flaking the fabric below the reef and pushing it to the side of the boom opposite the vertical leg of the reefing line. Fiber Compression When sailcloth is bent, one side of the fabric is being stretched and the other side, the inside of the bend, is being compressed. The compressed fibers are the ones damaged. Fiber types that show the most remarkable strength under strain, like Carbon or Kevlar, break down easily when they are compressed. Some fibers crumble and fall apart, turning into powder. Other fibers shatter and displace longitudinally in the same way that a live tree branch fractures when bent in half. Once a fiber shatters, there is more exposed surface area for UV penetration—and the more the fiber is degraded by the sun, the more easily it will crumble the next time it is flexed. Causes The most likely causes of fiber compression fatigue are folding the sail for storage and smashing the mainsail fabric under slab reefing lines. When you fold your sails loosely with the folds parallel to the foot, there is no damage to the sail. So a mainsail that is flaked over a boom in exactly the same way every time is fine, and a racing jib that is flaked into a full-length zipper bag is a happy sail. However, when you fold a sail parallel to the foot and then fold it again along the foot in order to get it into a conventional sail bag, the loose flakes are forced into compact 180 degree folds and the fibers on the inside of those folds will be crushed. Polyester and spectra fibers that are used in cruising sails will stand up to dozens of cycles, shattering just a little each time. When you bag your sails, it is better to fold in a different spot each time (and have hundreds of imperceptibly minor areas of fiber compression) than to fold in the same spot over and over and eventually end up with a hard horizontal line of shattered fibers. To avoid fiber compression problems: Fold sails in loose flakes whenever possible. Avoid creasing a sail in exactly the same place each time it is bagged. When reefing, push sail fabric to the opposite side of the boom from the vertical leg of the clew reef line. Flogging When a sail is allowed to flog, the leech of the sail will sustain more damage than the middle or luff. Think of a lion tamer snapping a big whip. Nothing is happening at the whip handle, but the farther away from the handle, the farther the whip travels and the more violently the whip snaps when it changes direction of travel. Sailmakers taper the transitions from the base layer of the sail into the heavier areas of the leech. The tapered reinforcements help to soften the effects of flogging and to distribute the fiber flex over a greater surface area. You can reduce flex fatigue by paying attention to the length of time the sail is allowed to flog and the force with which it flogs. Mainsails Mainsails are supported on two of three edges, and full-length battens soften the flogging action of the unsupported leech. In breeze under 25 knots, a well engineered cruising mainsail with full-length battens won’t flog at all. Rather, it will wave back and forth while it is being raised and lowered. A mainsail with short battens (usually referred to as “leech battens”) is more adjustable and lighter, but will quickly deteriorate if it is allowed to flog. Headsails Headsails are only supported on one of three edges, so an untended headsail can potentially flog itself apart. Accordingly, the sail handling members of a cruising crew need to be ready execute any maneuvers involving the headsail as efficiently as possible. At a minimum that means always having the headsail sheets flaked and clear before a tack, jibe, or furl. Beyond that basic procedure, it is worthwhile to emulate a racing crew even during casual daysailing to minimize the headsail flogging. (For more info, read Club Racing: How to Improve Your Tacks) Reduce flogging by: Keep sails trimmed whenever possible. Position headsail leads far enough forward to keep pressure on the upper leech. Use an outboard lead for the headsail sheet when reaching. Prepare for tacks before casting off old headsail sheet. Raise the main in the lee of the land on windy days. Run downwind when roller furling on windy days. Select a full batten option when purchasing a new main. Keep at least moderate tension on sheets when the boat must be stalled temporarily. Furling When it is time to roll up the headsail, both sheets need to be ready to run free and the person who will be hauling in the furling line must be in place and braced for the activity. If the furling is done with a winch, some drag should remain on the sheet to reduce the range of travel when the sail flogs. If the furling is done without a winch, the sheets need to be eased more aggressively so the whole operation takes less time. Whenever it is practical, turn the boat downwind before roller furling the sail. The strength of the apparent wind will be reduced by about 1.5 times the boat speed and the headsail can be partially blanketed behind the mainsail. Flutter Leech or foot flutter is flogging’s little sister. When just the edge of a sail flutters, there is significantly less sail area moving, but the number of cycles is significantly greater. Also, because a fluttering leech or foot edge does not shake the boat, it is easier to ignore. But when you ignore it, it doesn’t go away. Rather, the fluttering action steadily breaks down the fibers. Throw a little UV degradation into the mix and eventually the leech or foot tape will rip off the sail. This is what happens after many hours of leech fluttering. The fabric right at the edge of the leech tape has been subjected to thousands of cycles of bending back and forth, compressing the fibers at exactly the same spot each time. Throw a little UV degradation into the mix and the tape will zip right off the sail. Leech flutter is caused by unstable airflow over the trailing edge of the sail. If the air is flowing off the trailing edge fast enough, the force of the airflow will deflect the loose edge. That deflection will cause a vacuum that the fabric will snap back into and then the cycle repeats itself. The fluttering edge makes a noise like a playing card against the spokes of a bicycle. Treat this noise as a signal to get up and tighten the leech line. Racing sailors are taught to ease the leech cord as much as possible to minimize the amount that the leech hooks to windward. The same idea is valid for cruising sailors, but we might as well err on the too-tight side in anything except the lightest wind. Better to have a slight hook in the leech of the sail than a ripped leech. Tips to control leech flutter: Position jib leads or the main traveler car so the sheet angle lines up with the leech. Tension leech lines properly. Excerpted from The Complete Guide to Sail Care and Repair, by Dan Neri READ MORE

FLYING SCOT JIBING: STEP BY STEP How to do a proper jibe in the Flying Scot Whether you are racing a super yacht, a foiling catamaran, or a traditional small keel boat having top notch boat handling skills is one of the most important factors in having a successful performance while racing. Being able to whip off a perfect jibe in every condition will allow you to have confidence to execute your game plan without hesitation which can turn into many boat lengths in gains throughout a run. In this video, Zeke and Jay Horowitz focus on proper jibing technique in the Flying Scot. “Make sure you understand the subtle differences in technique for each condition and always communicate with your team. It is really good to come up with a repeatable dialogue between skipper and crew so that you do everything the same way every time. On our boat, we do a hand off of the sheet and guy at the beginning and the end of the maneuver and we are sure to say “my sheet, my guy” every time so that there is no mistake in the hand off. We also try to focus on doing each step smoothly without rushing. It is more important to keep the spinnaker full, and the boat steady through the maneuver than it is to rush through it all and risk a mistake. As you get better at executing each step, you’ll be able to do them faster but it’s important not to rush”. – Zeke Horowitz, 2018 Flying Scot Midwinter Champion Good luck and have fun! Learn more about North Sails Flying Scot products. READ MORE

KEN READ SPEAKS AT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB Join North Sails To Get An Expert Perspective On The Future Of The Sport READ MORE

NIEULARGO SAIL TRIALS IN KINSALE The Grand Soleil 40 trials her new 3Di Endurance inventory A rare break in the winter weather allowed North Sails Ireland's Nigel Young to hoist some new sails with Denis Murphy and his crew in Kinsale. The GS 40 was new to Cork last year and arrived with only cruising sails. Denis, the owner, has added some state of the art 3Di 760 Endurance sails and some V-Series spinnakers. Working with senior sail designer Tim Corben at the North Sails European HQ the sails fitted the boat like a glove. Slightly underpowered with the old cruising configuration, the new sails are several square meters bigger, substantially lighter which has made them more powerful. The new 3Di mainsail is approximately 40% lighter than the existing sail its replacing, combine this with the new shape and low stretch of the 3Di product we are expecting big things from the team in 2018. Read more about North’s 3Di technology here. Nigel had the pleasure of racing with Denis on Sunday in Kinsale, with his Daughter Molly helming the boat took the wins in both IRC and Echo, hopefully, a sign of things to come. Congratulations to Denis, Molly and all the team for a great job in testing conditions. Good luck for 2018, North Sails Ireland will be on hand to support you throughout the season. READ MORE

VELA E VELERIE North Sails Invela Il Farr 400 Freccia Del Chienti Civitanova - Interessante novità per North Sails​ che, nel corso del passato week end, ha svolto i primi test a bordo del nuovissimo Farr 400 Freccia del Chienti, scelto da Piero Paniccia​ per competere in alcune tra i più prestigiosi eventi dell'altura. Ottimizzata per competere sotto l'egida del regolamento ORC da Matteo Polli​ e dal North Sails Specialist Andrea Casale​, Freccia del Chienti sarà sulla linea di partenza di manifestazioni come La Duecento, la 151 Miglia, il Campionato Italiano Assoluito di Altura di Ischia e la Civitanova-Sebenico. Progettato dalla Farr Yacht Design e realizzato dalla Premiere Composite a partire dal 2011, il Farr 400 è una barca capace di spunti prestazionali notevoli anche in virtù della costruzione rigida e leggera, dovuta al massiccio impiego di fibra di carbonio. Ad occuparsi del progetto vele è stato Stefano Schiaffino​ del team North Sails che, su mandato di Paniccia, ha sviluppato un set completo, pensato per coprire qualsiasi regime di vento. La barca è stata così dotata di randa e fiocchi in 3Di Raw full carbon, profili affiancati da windseeker, code zero e gennaker frazionato. "Dopo i successi iridati ottenuti nel corso delle passata stagione dallo Swan 42 Be Wild (Gruppo B) e dal Melges 32 Airis (Gruppo C), one design che abbiamo contribuito a rendere vincenti anche nel mondo dell'altura, per il 2018 abbiamo accettato con determinazione la proposta giunta da Piero Paniccia di seguire la transizione di questa bellissima barca - spiega Andrea Casale - Il progetto è iniziato con buon anticipo rispetto agli impegni agonistici e questo ci darà modo di lavorare sulla messa a punto e, di conseguenza, sui numeri, al fine di presentarci al via degli eventi più importanti al massimo delle potenzialità. Va da sé che su barche così performanti l'impiego del 3Di Raw, in virtù delle sue doti di longevità e affidabilità, appare ormai come una scelta pressoché scontata". READ MORE

North Sails Helsinki on kesäaikaan auksi maanantaisin 9-16.30, keskiviikkoisin 9-16.30 ja perjantaisin 9-15.30. Tiistait ja torstait varattu ensisijaisesti rantapäiviksi. 24.4.-4.5.2018 North Sails Helsinki on suljettu Ari Huuselan Imoca 60 veneen siirron vuoksi. Turo on takaisin kuivalla maalla viimeistään 4.5. Tuulten ollessa myötäisiä jo aiemmin. Tänä aikana tarvitessasi apua tavoitat meidät numerosta 02 247 100. READ MORE

HOW TO RIG THE MELGES E SCOW SPINNAKER How to Run the E Scow Douser System Properly The Melges E Scow’s asymmetrical douser system makes it easy to launch and retrieve your spinnaker at the high speeds and crowded race tracks that you see in the E Scow class. Making sure that your system is run properly will help you nail every rounding and lead to better results. Contact Eddie Cox for additional information. READ MORE

2018 Camellia Cup Great success for Team Fusion and North Santana 20 designs North Sails Santana 20 customer Mark Erdrich and team Fusion won the 52nd Annual Camellia Cup Regatta sailed in the beautiful Folsom Lake. They also won the overall Keelboat Perpetual Trophy to sweep the major awards for the event. Mark Werder and team finished 3rd overall also powered by North Santana 20 designs. Learn more about North Sails Santana 20 sails. For more information or to order your new Santana 20 sails contact our Santana 20 experts. Team Fusion, 2018 Camellia Cup champions Mark Werder and team – 3rd place READ MORE

THE NORTH SAILS GUIDE TO NAVIGATING NEWPORT The Volvo Ocean Race Stopover In The Heart Of American Sailing The Volvo fleet is racing to Newport, Rhode Island, for the finish of leg 8 from Itajai, Brazil. Here's what you need to know so you can catch the fleet here in town and be a part of the 2017-18 edition. View Full Event Schedule | Purchase Ocean Race Club Tickets | Where To Watch- Fun Facts On the Water Spectator Boats Hop on the Ava Pearl or Millenium for an up-close experience. View the schedule and buy your tickets. Buy now- Spaces are limited! Our Favorite Dining in Newport Your local North Sails team recommends the following restaurants and bars while you are visiting Newport for the Volvo Ocean Race: Breakfast / Brunch: Belle's Cafe @Newport Shipyard | Franklin Spa | Corner Cafe | Cru Cafe Lunch / Dinner: Clarke Cooke House | Midtown Oyster Bar | The Wharf Pub | The Black Pearl | Pasta Beach | Perro Salado | Salvation Cafe Watering Holes / Nightlife IYAC | Zelda's | Midtown Oyster Bar | Clarke Cooke House | Fastnet Pub READ MORE

NEW SALES EXPERT IN SYDNEY North Sails would like to welcome Andrew "Halfie" Parkes. A sailmaker by trade, Halfie started his apprenticeship with Elvstrom Sails in 1980 and still considers meeting the great Paul Elvstrom as a major highlight. When Mike Fletcher went onto full time coaching, he sold his one design and dinghy designs to Bob Fraser and Halfie finished his apprenticeship at Fraser Sails. He worked there for almost 17 years as a sailmaker, production manager and salesman. He left sailmaking and started selling yachts in 2000. Over the years Halfie has sailed and raced on all types of boats, from club racing on Sydney Harbour to America's Cup campaigns. Representing Australia, Japan, Germany and China at many events like Admirals Cup, Kenwood Cup, Sardinia Cup, Southern Cross Cup, Kings Cup and 9 Hobart races, he's sailed in most places around the world. Winning numerous Australian and state championships over the years, he brings a wealth of experience to share with new and existing clients. "I'm excited to join North Sails and be part of a world-renowned company. Having seen so much evolution in sails, materials and technology over the years, I can appreciate how much better the current products are. I've been approached by other lofts to join them, but none felt like the right fit for me. No matter what type of sailing you're doing, North Sails have a product to suit your requirements. We speak to our clients, ask them what they want to achieve and then recommend the right sail. Combined with our sales and support staff, we also offer the best possible after sales support. I look forward to sailing with North Sails clients on Sydney Harbour and my old clients from the past. " READ MORE

HELLY HANSEN NOOD REGATTA ANNAPOLIS, MAY 4-6 Schedule Of Regatta Services To Kick Off Summer Sailing READ MORE

AMERICA'S CUP 2017 & BEYOND WITH STEVE KILLING Stories From The Six-time America's Cup Veteran Steve Killing shares stories from the 35th America's Cup and his involvement with the various teams as a member of the technical committee. On a cold Wintery night, sailors gathered at the Midland Bay Cultural Centre to hear local legend Steve Killing speak on his involvement in the 35th America's Cup. Hugh Beaton, of North Sails Toronto (seen above), introduced Steve and his road that led to the cup. Included in the presentation was an overview of how Bermuda was chosen as the home port, how the rules were written for the event and the response from teams including which sections they pushed on the most, how the technical committee assisted teams on and off the water and predictions for the next cup. In conjunction with the Midland Bay Sailing Club, North Sails was a co-sponsor of the event, donating a prize pack auctioned at the live auction. Additional items included a signed Emirates Team New Zealand Shirt by Peter Burling, framed sailing photo, Steve's personal and official jacket from the America's Cup, Coastal PFD from Gyles Sails & Marine and Emirates Team New Zealand shirts and caps. All proceeds went to the Junior Sailing Program at Midland Bay Sailing Club. READ MORE

JENN & RAY WULFF – HOW THEY MAKE “JOINT CUSTODY” WORK An entertaining and educational interview with the 2018 Corinthian J/70 Midwinters Champions If you have sailed a J/70 and have not run into (figuratively, not literally) Jenn and Ray Wulff then you need to get out to more regattas! This Annapolis based couple runs the fun, “family-centric”, goal-oriented program that is “Joint Custody”. Their Corinthian program has earned them a place on everyone’s “who are the boats to beat” list at every major event. Coming off their win as the Top Corinthian team at the 2018 Midwinters, Ray and Jenn share their thoughts on the importance of practice, the goal of developing a team and having a “deep bench” along with their 3 top tips for the approaching summer season. What was it that first attracted you to the J/70 class? Ray: Jenn was racing in Key West on a big boat and saw the J/70s planing around the race course. Within a day of returning to Annapolis, Jenn let me know that we were going to sell our current boat, we were buying a boat, and she asked my help in her getting back into driving as the J/70 seemed like a boat where anyone could drive or crew, regardless of physical size or age (Jenn is 5’2”. She had been crewing for me & sailing with other teams for years in J/22s, Mumm 30s, Farr 40s and other boats. She hadn’t driven since junior sailing and wanted to get back on the tiller). Additionally, we were looking for a one-design sport boat where we didn’t need a crane or a gin pole to go sailing and that had a good group of people. The J/70 seemed like a strong fit. What is it that you enjoy most about racing in this class? Ray: Definitely, the people! It is an awesome fleet with every level from rank beginner to World champion and everyone in between. The boat is super accessible in that anyone can drive & crew – no matter size or age. There’s also a lot of camaraderie in the class. Everyone shares with each other what they are working on getting sorted which is great. Jenn: We are ALWAYS learning!! It is very easy to sail the 70 well. There is enough information provided by sailmakers, experts, and videos to get you up to speed. That being said, to sail the boat at a very high level, you always have to be learning. The evolution of the class, how to sail the boat, and sail design is constantly evolving for the better. It’s fun to always be learning & having the opportunity to train with others & develop together. You’ve spent a lot of time sailing Corinthian against all the top teams in the World, what is your mindset going into a regatta where all the “top dogs” are there? Ray: I think we try to focus on our process and adjust as we see the top teams improving theirs. Jenn has drilled this into our brains, “Trust the process.” What I mean by that is to have a plan for the season, regatta, day, and race. Having this mindset lets you focus on YOUR race, and not get to distracted by the players in the fleet. We also seek to learn from the pros and top teams. We view it as them raising the bar makes us all better. How do you prioritize your time preparing for events? Do you practice? Do you do local events? Do you select a certain number of “priority events” at the beginning of a year? Jenn: Good question. The biggest adjustment is planning our schedule long in advance for the regattas that require days off. With everyone working, having that schedule out early lets people plan their schedules, see what they can commit to, and plan logistics. Ray: When the class schedule comes out, we try to scope four major events a year and see how we can have the same crew for those. Interspersed are local events and possible practice regattas which can benefit the majors. We also try to build a deep bench of crew knowing that everyone has jobs with limited time off, it’s important to be able to have consistent crew across a variety of events. You have sailed with a number of different crew over the last few years, but the two of you are the staple on “Joint Custody.” How do you delegate the roles and divvy up jobs when adding new crew? Jenn: I think it depends on the regatta. If we have our regular main trimmer on board, we try to fit new crew into other roles. If our regular main trimmer isn’t there, I slide back to that role and work with the team we have. We try to keep people as consistent as possible and focus on our consistent process, but also recognize that everyone have jobs and can’t be available for every event. We line up crew well in advance and try to have a few core folks for each position. Ray provides great consistency as he’s the tactician and can also be a main or jib trimmer when needed. Ray: We had a crew have to bow out due to illness for the Midwinters. Beforehand we asked her to write up what her roles and responsibilities were and we provided that to our fill in. It really helped that person get up to speed and let us know all the things they were What are 3 tips you would give to any J/70 team when approaching a season? Have a large bench and always grow it. Everyone has busy lives so there is no way you will have the same crew every regatta so make sure you have a large bench to choose from. Schedule out the season early and reach out to your “A-Team” to see their availability. (Can I emphasize early!). From there you can see what holes you may need to fill. Value your crew’s time. They are taking time away from their families, jobs, other hobbies. Have the boat, sails, equipment ready to go. Make sure housing, travel, and logistics are sorted out. Respecting the crew’s time is paramount in building a strong Corinthian team. And remember to have fun! Develop your goals for the season & for each regatta. Have a plan & stick to it & always reach out to the top teams and pros/sailmakers to ask questions & for help. We’ve progressed a lot by asking others for tips & having a tuning partner at each regatta. A huge thank you to Jenn and Ray! Learn more about the North Sails J/70 sails. READ MORE

SUNFAST 3600 “YoYo” ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE The team at North Sails Ireland Took to the Water to Test Out the New Inventory Brendan Coghlan's new Jeannueau Sunfast 3600 took to the water recently for her maiden voyage. North Sails Ireland's Maurice "Prof" O'Connell and Nigel Young and were afloat with Brendan's team, testing the full inventory of sails that North Sails supplied with the boat. The session was broken into two in order to test out the whole inventory. In the morning the mainsail and Code 2 (medium air) jib were checked and tested. The A2 (light medium asymmetric running spinnaker) was also tested with the North Graphics applied "Coghlan's Artisan Bakers" logo looking beautiful on the 0.75oz sail. Ross O'Leary and Joss Walsh from MGM boats were aboard for the morning session and they added greatly to the enjoyment. At the break, rig tune and control systems adjustments were made before heading back out on the water. In the afternoon, the Code 1 (light air) jib, Code 3+ (heavy air reefable jib), A4 (heavy running asymmetric spinnaker), A5 (very heavy air all-purpose spinnaker) and "Code Zero" (light airs close reaching sail) were all hoisted, checked and tested. The upwind sails were manufactured using North 3Di technology. The Code Zero was manufactured in North fabrics aramid laminate. The spinnakers were manufactured in premium Contender Superkote nylon. The sails were custom designed specifically for the YoYo team’s usage, using North's design software. All the sails were photographed for analysis. Here is a short downwind video from onboard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGjkRpdyuLE&feature=youtu.be Get in touch with the team at North Sails Ireland to see how they can help you with your inventory! READ MORE

FLYING SCOT MIDWINTERS: AN EXERCISE IN PATIENCE Maximizing success in big fleet racing with unpredictable conditions Zeke and Jay Horowitz, 2018 Flying Scot Midwinter champions As a 9 year old learning to race on Sarasota Bay, I learned quickly what a beautiful venue it was to race small sailboats. From the tropical colors, warm climate, and warmer hospitality, the Sarasota Sailing Squadron has always been one of my favorite places to go back to visit and sail. Having done so much sailing there over my life, I thought I had the venue pretty dialed in from a predictability standpoint. If it’s out of the North or South, it is a boat speed race – limit boat handling, play a side, and be conservative. If it is from the West, it’s a seabreeze – play the oscillations and look for puffs coming off of Longboat Key. If it is from the East, favor the left but keep your eyes open as the offshore breeze can be all over the place. Or so I thought….. This year’s Flying Scot Midwinters was anything but predictable and the key to success was patience along with quick problem solving and a “never say die” approach to the shifts. PRO Fairlie Brinkley and his team on the Race Committee did a masterful job of keeping the racing square and fair through 40+ degree shifts and wind speeds that didn’t always get along with the class! DAY 1 We all knew that day 1 of racing was a “survival day” with light winds predicted out of the East – the most unstable direction on Sarasota Bay. With no discards in the series, it was going to be imperative to try to avoid the big mistakes and stay as conservative as possible to try to keep the point total down. The regatta was not going to be won on Day 1 but it could certainly be lost if you got caught on the wrong side of a beat. Doing our homework before each race was super important. We found it very useful to be out on the race course early so we could sail up the beat a couple of times and learn what the wind was doing. We found that there were definitely shifts in both directions but the shift that seemed to stay the longest was from the right. We also learned that getting into the velocity (which is pretty easy to see on the sea green waters of Sarasota Bay) was of paramount importance. It was also key to remember not to go too much into “cover the fleet mode” near the top of the race course. There were too many shifts and velocity changes in the last quarter of the beat with hundreds of boat lengths to be gained or lost. Taking in all that we learned in our pre-race home work we developed a game plan to error towards the right side but keep our heads out of the boat and when all else failed – point the boat at the mark. Something that sounds very basic but when you can be confident that the wind will generally not stay steady for more than about 2 minutes, it’s crucial to spend every minute on YOUR lifted tack. Even if other boats had more of a lift or more velocity – there was nothing you could do about it. So just point your boat at the mark, be patient, and look for the next shot of pressure. Throughout the 2 races, we found ourselves in some tough spots where the frustration threatened to get the better of me. But we tried to remain patient and remember our homework. A bit of discipline was needed to to keep “hitting singles” instead of going for a home run. This mentality allowed us to pick off the few boats in each race to finish the day having accomplished our goal – SURVIVING! DAY 2.. Too much wind, no racing. DAY 3 With day 2 cancelled due to high winds, we knew day 3 was going to be a long 3 race day. With a direction predicted to stay mostly out of the South, I thought I could rely on my years of experience on Sarasota Bay and plan on leaning on boat speed and good starts to bang out some good races. But this day proved to be a real challenge as the breeze was anything but steady. After the first beat of the first race, it was clear that the sea breeze was going to have its way with us throughout the afternoon. With the sea breeze trying to pull the wind hard right, and the gradient fighting to keep the breeze out of the SE, we saw wind shifts upwards of 40 degrees with velocity differences in a range of 10 knots. About 3 minutes after the start of the first race, we found ourselves about 500 yards behind the leaders. And we had a great start! After a couple minutes of pure panic, we remembered that if it was possible to get that far behind so quickly, it was sure possible to make it back quickly too! We were committed to the left side so we found our opportunities to get back to the right and in touch with the fleet when we could so that we could have a chance at a big gainer on the downwind. It is crucial to remember that in this sort of condition, the downwind legs have as much to be gained as the upwinds legs. Keep your eyes looking back and find the big pressure. Don’t be afraid to change course drastically (by gybing or heating up) in order to get into the maximum pressure. Keeping our heads out of the boat, we were able to rally on the run and then see the big pressure working its way down the right side before we turned to go back upwind. Committing hard to the right allowed us to get back into the top three and hang onto it for the final run. This comeback proved to be the saving race of our regatta. For the rest of the day we favored the right as the sea breeze kept trying to work its way onto the bay, but we found several nice gains by finding some of the remaining gradient on the left. This was a day that left most of the fleet with raging headaches as you could never stop thinking and planning ahead for your next move. While boatspeed is always king, this regatta had everything to do with keeping your head out of the boat and playing the proverbial chess game to set yourself up for your next play. We worked on dividing the race course into ¼ ‘s with the top ¼ being about 1000 yards past the weather mark. By continuously looking at each ¼ we were able to try to plan out the next step based on what we saw at that moment. For sure, our predictions were not always correct, but keeping patience and quick thinking at a premium, we could keep the boat in spots where we wouldn’t lose too much if we got it wrong, but that we were in a position to make big gains if we got it right. This approach let us hit lots of singles throughout the week without the accidental strike-out by going for a home run. This was an important reminder about how to approach big fleet racing in unpredictable conditions. A HUGE thank you goes out to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron and all it’s volunteers. We will be sure to go back at every possible opportunity to race our Flying Scot. 2018 Flying Scot Midwinters 1. Zeke Horowitz / Jay Horowitz 2. David Ames / PJ Buhler * 3. Jeff Linton / Andy Hayward 6. Tyler Andrews / Andy Fox 8.John Kreidler / John Wake 9 .Ned Johnston / Ryan Donahue 10. Tom McNally / Cindy Taylor / Mike Taylor * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory Full results Learn more about North’s Flying Scot designs. READ MORE

2018 LIGHTNING SOUTHERN CIRCUIT North-powered Teams Dominate Grassroots Circuit Events In Miami and St. Petersburg For many the annual pilgrimage south to the Lightning Southern Circuit is a tradition (to steal from a famous golf tournament) like no other! So, our team of Steve Kirkpatrick, Lightning legend Neal Fowler and myself decided that we needed to head to Florida and see what all the fuss was about. Since two of us were newbies to the boat, class and events we quickly found out what it was all about. It seems the Lightning Winter Championships and Midwinters, the two events that comprise the Southern Circuit, are all about great competition, tremendous comradery, and serious grassroots fun! Unique to this event, the ILCA sponsors a program called the “Mentor Program” which is run, on a volunteer basis, by Nick Turney of Nick Turney Sailing Services. Nick provided on-the-water assistance, coaching, clinics, and racing briefings each day and everyone who signed up for the program learned a lot from the group briefings and individual attention. Helping sailors get up to speed to contend with the experienced sailors seems to be the prevalent theme in the class and the support and openness of the top sailors, who were often guest panelists for the program, really seemed a positive way to create a fun, learning experience for everyone on the scoreboard. For us, the circuit allowed us to experience what a special class the ILCA is. Lightning sailors, to me, seem a special breed and the entire atmosphere of the events seems to be about some good old fashioned racing buddies working with each other to help the fleet grow. As I walked around the boat park it was easy enough to find sailors helping sailors, asking questions, sharing tricks, etc. This is what helps to grow the class! Our team benefitted from this spirit when, in Miami on the way out to the race course, our main halyard broke. We sailed in to find only 2 or 3 teams still on the dock but all of them quickly jumped in to help as we flipped the boat at the dock and several folks held our, now sideways, Lightning steady while Steve and Tom Allen (boat builder extraordinaire) tied the main to the top of the mast and pushed us off so we would not miss any races! Winter Championship – St. Petersburg Yacht Club- March 24-26 The Winter Championship, hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club, was a nice way to kick off the series as 52 teams descended upon Tampa Bay traveling from far and wide to race with friends and family. Light air greeted the fleet on Saturday, yet still provided racing conditions in the later afternoon to allow us to get in one race and get the series started. Day two was very much the same, with winds on the lighter side and shifty from the ESE, still allowing for great racing conditions as the day progressed. Monday arrived with fog which burned off as the day went on, bringing a little more wind than what was originally predicted. Once the sun came out and heated things up, the wind died off, but still gave the fleet two more solid races to conclude the event. Congratulations to clients from team Argentina, Javier Conte, Julio Alsogaray, and Paula Salerno for taking first overall. In second was Team PatStrong with David Starck, PJ Shaffer, and Kelly Barnash. In third, fleet newcomers, Church of the Great Outdoors, with Steve Kirkpatrick, Neal Fowler, and Hillary Noble. Congratulations also to Masters Division winner and “Lightning King of the South”, Ched Proctor with team Abigail Preston and Jeff Eiber on the swift Veggie Sub. Special thank you to Todd Fedeszyn and the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and Sailing Center volunteers for your outstanding job running races and setting the courses. In what certainly were trying race conditions, their race management experience and overall understanding of the area and weather patterns made it so everyone was dealt a good hand. North-powered teams finished 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 this year at the St. Petersburg Winter Championship. Well done! Full Results Midwinter Championship – Coral Reef Yacht Club- Miami, FL- March 28-30 The Midwinters hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami was also a not-to-miss event, with 29 boats competing in hopes finding idyllic Biscayne Bay conditions and looking to either improve their series standings or hold of the charge of their nearest competitors. Several new teams joined in with those who travelled across the state from the Winter Champs making for a fun and fresh new start to the 2018 Midwinter Championship. Breeze was quite “fresh” on Wednesday as teams enjoyed hiking hard through the puffy and wavy conditions. An easterly wind direction was the end result, as over the three days of racing the wind slowly clocked right, making for a beautiful southeasterly pressure that allowed for great racing conditions each day for sailors. With Nick Turney Sailing Services there at the scene, sailors could gain helpful insights and racing video replays to review each day. With added drone footage being shared each evening, the excitement of the mark roundings and crossing tacks was renewed over evening refreshments and comments such as “Boy that was close!” were shared amongst the gang. Having on the water support from Nick, top-notch fleet management, and spot-on race committee volunteers makes events like these a true success for all involved. Congratulations to David Starck’s Team PatStrong for winning the tie-breaker with previous World Champion Javier Conte and his team Argentina. Tito Gonzalez’s team came out hot with a win in the final race, giving them third overall. Tito sailed with his family on Ojo de Lince, with his daughter Trini and son Alberto Gonzalez Jr, making it a true family affair. Congratulations to our clients once again for your spectacular performances across the board. Clients finished 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 at the Miami Midwinters. Congratulations to our clients for finishing at the top of the fleet, proving teamwork and speed are the keys to success. Full Results Congratulations to series winners on Argentina, with Javier Conte, Julio Alsogaray, and Paula Salerno for winning the series total out of 14 races and to Javier for winning the Humphrey New Comer Award. Jack Mueller Grand Master Award winner this time around was Grand Master Ched Proctor, and the Dr. Georges Peter Great Grand Master Award winner, Bill Mauk. Congrats to Mark Allen from Michigan for winning a new North Sails Jib! Three Takeaways 1. Starts are crucial. Not setting up too early, having a hole below you to accelerate, and starting as close to the favored end as possible are very important. Don’t be afraid of a port-tack approach- this can be helpful in finding the right hole on the line that will give you a nice gap to leeward to accelerate. 2. Boat speed. Boat speed. Boat speed. Get out there early and speed test with another boat. Make sure your rig is set up for the lulls. Adjust your leads for waves/chop/flatwater. Straight line speed, especially off the starting line is very important in larger fleets. Being able to hold your own lane with speed after the start is a winning move. 3. Be comfortable. Be ready. Practice maneuvers before you start the race. Give yourself time to adjust to given wind conditions. Be comfortable with your abilities, and be confident in your position. Executing quick-yet smooth maneuvers, (especially in light air or chop) is beneficial. Being able to throw in a last minute roll- jibe, or double tack on the starting line to gain height are valuable techniques you can’t plan ahead, but you have to be ready to execute in a snap. Being ready and being one step ahead of your competitors makes a huge difference, and will help you stay in front of the fleet. (l to r) Karen Park presenting the Colin and Karen Park Trophy to Kristine and Todd Wake-Top performing wife/husband at the Winter Championships Ched Proctor – Grand Master Circuit winner Circuit VP David Starck shows everyone how to be a class volunteer and still win regattas! 1st in Miami, 2nd in St. Pete and 2nd overall in the circuit! My team Church of the Great Outdoors, with Steve Kirkpatrick, Neal Fowler, and Hillary Noble Neal Fowler showing Steve and I how to “properly” tune the rig! Always learning! (l to r) Brian Hayes and Nick Turney give a tuning clinic during a postponement at the Winter Championship Mark Allen with Skip Dieball and Emily Simon on their way to 5th place at the Winter Championships Josh Goldman, with Jackson Benvenutti and Monica Morgan sailing Hard Asset to 8th place overall in the circuit (note: the “Gold Man” Sailing Team shirts!) The “King of the South” Ched Proctor, with Jeff Eiber and Abigail Preston chasing down the pack in St. Pete on their way to the Masters win. READ MORE

A-CLASS EASTER CUP, LAKE GARDA Congratulations Michał Korneszczuk powered by the North Sails Decksweeper © Anna Korneszczuk The A Class Easter Cup in Campione, Lake Garda, was preceded by a training event which gave the sailors beautiful sunny weather. Unfortunately the weather turned when it came to the actual event. Very strong and volatile wind forced the race committee to cancel the first day of the regatta. Although the wind calmed down for the second day, the rain persisted however one light wind race was sailed and the two female sailors in the fleet, Caroline van Beelen from the Netherlands and Katrin Brunner from Germany took first and second place respectively, presenting themselves very well indeed. Just behind them finished double World Champion – Micha Heemskerk and North Sails expert Michał Korneszczuk. By the last day of the regatta the sailors and the race committee were very motivated to get racing, with everyone wanting to make up for lost time from the previous days. The first race took place a few minutes after 10am in a shifty 6-12 knots wind from the North. However after race 1, the wind stabilized to some 10-12 kts for race 2. In both races the lead changed frequently as the racing was very tight. The Yacht Club Gdańsk sailor, Michał Korneszczuk, crossed the finish line in the second place. The third race began in a waning wind and unfortunately had to be cancelled. After an hour break, the wind from the South appeared and it was decided to sail an additional two races. “As it turned out, I kept the best form, which finally allowed me to win the regatta. I am happy using North Decksweeper. It is a versatile sail, the event in Campione just proves it. In these conditions, you could lose as much as you could gain. I could not avoid mistakes, but fortunately the others did do too. I finished the final races in places 5 and 4” said Michał Korneszczuk © Anna Korneszczuk READ MORE

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

MONACO WINTER SERIES CHAMPION INTERVIEW Lera Kovalenko and Team Art Tube – A Great Start To a New Hobby For some of us, sailing is something that we learn at a young age with parents and relatives, or we catch the bug for racing in our early teens. For others, the fantastic sport is gifted to us later in life. Lera Kovalenko, female Russian J/70 sailor first started sailing just 3 years ago, and since has been taking the European J/70 fleet by storm, with her team onboard Art Tube. The team took the lead in the Monaco Sports Boat series from the very first event and maintained their winning streak through the end of the series. Art Tube dominated the overall standings across the board, with an outstanding and impressive run on the scoreboard after claiming 15 bullets across the three event series! We spoke to Lera after the regatta to get the full scoop on how she got started racing sailboats and what contributed to her amazing success this year at the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series. How long have you been sailing for and what got you into sailing? I started sailing 3 years ago and have been sailing with my team for the past 2 years ago when we started racing as Art Tube team. What has been the key to your successes so far? My team is the main key success factor. It’s a great fortune for me to race with professionals who have a pool of experience, high self-discipline, high demand on me and on each other and being results oriented. What has been your favourite event this season? I really enjoyed the Italian J/70 series, but I also liked racing in England and I would like to return there again. Why did you choose to go with North Sails? We chose to use North Sails because all the leaders in the class race with North and we are definitely pleased with the choice! What’s your most helpful tip for new sailors hoping to climb to the top? Make sure you train at every opportunity! Giulio Desiderato, North Sails J/70 expert commented on Lera’s performance over the winter season: “I met Lera two winters ago in Monaco, sailing with the J/70 and from the beginning the feeling was that she was really determined to improve day by day and regatta by regatta. During the last Winter Series in Monaco I heard that she’s started sailing just three years ago. I was really surprised, Art Tube won all the event sailed this winter in Monaco! I asked her what is the key of all this victories and I had the clear perception that the team work the method and determination to training hard are the keys to achieve good results. I wish to Lera and all her team the best!” Art Tube is powered by a full North Sails inventory consisting of the XCS-1 Mainsail, J-6 Jib and AP-1 Spinnaker. If you are interested in any North Sails J/70 products visit the class page to find your local class expert. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS COACHING AT THE RORC EASTER CHALLENGE The North Sails team of experts offered their knowledge for the opening event of the season in the Solent © Shaun Roster/shaunroster.com The RORC Easter Challenge kicked off the sailing season in the Solent over the weekend in true English fashion with freezing conditions and persistent rain! This however did not deter the forty-odd teams who braved the conditions. The race committee put on a mixture of windward/leeward and round the can races across the regatta. Unfortunately the wind failed to fill in on the Sunday and with the spring tide the race committee made the decision to cancel the final day of racing. After racing each day, the North Sails team lead by Frank Gerber and David Lenz alongside sailing guru Jim Saltonstall gave debriefs from the days racing with a mixture of drone footage and pictures from the water. The debriefs were well attended throughout the regatta and provided warmth and shelter from the weather. The team kicked off the weekend with the basics, starting and mark roundings, and continued on to cover sail trim up and downwind. If you are interested in getting feedback from your sailing over the weekend, get in touch with Frank! The FAST40+, Jubilee put in a notable performance, winning all the races in IRC Zero and coming away with the most Easter eggs at the prize giving. In IRC One, the battle of the King 40’s took place between old rivals, Emily Bowden-Eyre’s Nifty and Michael Blairs Cobra. After a tight regatta, Cobra came out on top, winning the class by one point. In IRC two J/35 Bengal Magic won and in IRC3 Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner Aguila won, with a performance rivaling Jubilee’s, also scoring all bullets in their class. The event also acted as the debut event for the Performance 40 fleet. This new class will be running across several events over the year including the Vice Admirals Cup and the Royal Southern summer regatta’s. The Performance 40 fleet, introduced by North Sails, Warsash Sailing Club, RORC, and the Royal Southern Yacht Club, has the simplistic aim of getting similar boats out racing on a regular basis. We hope that this new concept will encourage racing on the Solent and increase the participation in the sport through a bit of gentle competition. The weekend racing saw Nifty take the lead of the Performance 40 fleet with Cobra in a close second. With six more regattas to go, we look forward to seeing how this fleet develops as the year goes on. Congratulations to all our clients racing the at regatta! We hope you found the debrief helpful and we look forward to following the racing during 2018. If you are interested in North products, or to look at the sailing footage from the event, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the North Sails team of experts. © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com READ MORE

J/24 EASTER REGATTA Paul Abdullah’s Team Tarheel Finishes Strong With Five Bullets Easter came earlier this year but didn’t stop anyone from having a great time at the 2018 J/24 Easter Regatta at the Columbia Sailing Club. Eighteen teams were blessed to fabulous conditions and the excellent hospitality from the club and its members who made all feel very welcome. Friday’s conditions started out 10-15 knots and slowly dropped to 7-12 as the day went on. The Saturday’s forecast wasn’t great, but what do those weathermen know! The winds blew and the PRO was able to get another four races off. Team Tarheel started the regatta strong with a 1-2-1-1 and remained strong on Saturday with a 2-1-1-2. There was little breeze early Sunday morning and the PRO postponed waiting until the wind filled in. After 20 minutes passed, the RC decided it was time to race. Team Tarheel closed it out finishing 3rd, and using that as their drop. The RC sent the fleet in with the 2018 Easter Regatta in the books. We caught up with Tarheel’s skipper Paul Abdullah: Paul, 5 bullets! What were the 3 key factors for team Tarheel to have such success? Our boat speed was incredible! Knowing what mode to sail in with each pressure line approaching was important. Also, we attacked the wind instead of waiting for it to come to us. Which North designs did you use? We used the North Fat Head Mainsail, SD-TH Genoa and FR-2 Spinnaker. Boat speed and pointing was excellent. Do you have any tips for the North Americans in Charleston? I would always stress boat prep. Make sure everything works well for your team. Replace any lines or blocks that aren’t working properly. Charleston has a lot of current. Understand the depths of the harbor and where you can “hide” from current. Thanks Paul and congratulations for a brilliant regatta! Learn more about the North fast J/24 designs. 2018 J/24 Easter Regatta 1. Paul Abdullah 3. James Howard 4. Christopher Stone 6. Steve Wood 9. Bill Derr Full Results READ MORE

VELA E VELERIE, PER NORTH SAILS UN CICO RICCO DI SODDISFAZIONI © zerogradinord Genova – Quella che si è chiusa lo scorso week end a Genova è stata un’edizione del Campionato Italiano Classi Olimpiche ricca di soddisfazioni per North Sails che, tra gradite conferme e piacevoli sorprese, ha di che essere orgogliosa dei piazzamenti raggiunti dagli atleti impegnati tra le boe con i suoi profili. Tra i risultati più convincenti ottenuti nell’ambito dell’evento organizzato dallo Yacht Club Italiano, spicca il successo di Benedetta Di Salle e Alessandra Dubbini, vincitrici del titolo italiano nel 470 Femminile davanti a Paternoster-Caruso e a Berta-Carraro, tutti equipaggi North Sails. Un’affermazione commentata da una felicissima Di Salle: “Siamo sicuramente molto contente, per non dire contentissime del risultato. È stata una regata difficile, combattuta fino all’ultimo bordo con le nostre compagne di circolo Ilaria Paternoster e Bianca Caruso e con l’altro equipaggio femminile della squadra italiana, composto da Elena Berta e Sveva Carraro. Il campionato è stato caratterizzata da condizioni variabili: vento forte il primo giorno e vento più leggero e instabile nei giorni successivi. Grazie ai profili North Sails, che abbiamo iniziato a usare da pochi mesi, ci siamo sentite subito veloci. Una sensazione che si è confermata anche a Genova, dove siamo state competitive in tutte le condizioni. Ora iniziamo a concentrarci in vista della World Cup di Hyeres, che prepareremo con due settimane di allenamenti a Ostia”. Bene hanno fatto anche i ragazzi del 470, con due equipaggi North Sails finiti sul podio dietro ai confermati campioni italiani Ferrari-Calabrò. Il secondo posto è andato a Matteo Puppo e Matteo Capurro, mentre sul gradino più basso sono saliti Cesare Massa e Mattia Panigoni. Matteo Puppo ha spiegato: “Siamo soddisfatti, anche se rimane l’amaro in bocca per non essere riusciti a conquistare il titolo. Certo, quanto abbiamo visto in regata è la conferma che il lavoro svolto negli ultimi mesi è stato fatto nella direzione giusta e ne vediamo i frutti. In fatto di velocità, soprattuto in poppa abbiamo fatto un bel passo avanti. Alla luce di tutto ciò siamo molto ottimisti e propositivi per il futuro”. Un altro titolo italiano per North Sails è giunto dalla classe Finn, con il talentuoso Alessio Spadoni sugli scudi e il promettente Federico Colaninno, invelato anch’esso North, ottimo quarto: “Sono veramente felice di aver vinto il titolo italiano Finn – commenta Spadoni – il primo giorno le condizioni erano molto dure fisicamente e non ero sicuro di avere il passo sufficiente, ma mi sono sorpreso e ho tirato fuori un’ ottima giornata. Nelle giornate successivi con vento leggero ho amministrato, gestendo al meglio il margine. Un grazie a North Sails, con cui ho scelto di gareggiare questa stagione e che mi sta seguendo con grande attenzione”. © zerogradinord READ MORE

O podium foi North Sails no XXIX Campeonato de Portugal da Classe 420 em Absoluto e Juniores! É com orgulho que acompanhamos as classificações do Campeonato Nacional da Classe 420, onde vemos recompensado o trabalho das equipas realizado ao longo dos últimos meses. Valorizamos e reconhecemos o empenho dos velejadores e seus treinadores e, assim, queremos aqui deixar os nossos Parabéns a todos os participantes! Francisco Mourão/ Luis Pinheiro_Photo Credits:Luís Fráguas Ao Francisco Mourão e Luís Pinheiro (CNSesimbra) Parabéns pela conquista do título de Campeões de Portugal em Absoluto e às duplas João Bolina/ Rafael Rodrigues (CVBarreiro) e Francisco Rodrigues/ Tiago Alves(CVBarreiro) por teram, também, alcançado o podium ocupando o segundo e terceiro lugar, respectivamente. João Bolina/ Rafael Rodrigues_Photo Credits:Luís Fráguas Na categoria de Juniores os vencedores foram o João Bolina e Rafael Rodrigues seguidos da equipa Francisco Rodrigues/Tiago Alves que se classificaram em segundo lugar e dos velejadores Francisco Fráguas/Tomás Carreira que alcançaram o terceiro lugar. Mafalda Gonçalves/MariaPereira_Photo Credits:Luís Fráguas Rita Lopes/Matilde Cruz_Photo Credits:Luís Fráguas Nas classificações Feminino duplamente vencedoras foram a Mafalda Gonçalves e a Maria Pereira -Naturea Sailing Team - (CNSesimbra) que conquistaram o segundo lugar em Feminino Absoluto e Feminino Juniores! A dupla Rita Lopes/ Matilde Cruz (CNCascais)- Oakland - marcou também a sua posição no podium, classificando-se em terceiro lugar de Feminino Absoluto! Parabéns a todas! Photo Credits:Luís Fráguas O Campeonato Nacional foi disputado no Clube Naval Sesimbra e os os velejadores competiram sob condições de vento variáveis. As equipas vencedoras conseguiram tirar máximo rendimento das suas velas North Sails sendo que a dupla Francisco Mourão/ Luís Pinheiro competiu com a vela grande M9, estai J12 e spi S05, a dupla João Bolina/ Rafael Rodrigues utilizou o novo estai J13, vela grande M9 e spi S05 e dupla Francisco Rodrigues/ Tiago Alves tinha como inventário a vela grande M7, estai J12 e spi S01. Em Feminino a equipa Mafalda Gonçalves/ Maria Pereira - Naturea Sailing Team foram a este campeonato com a vela grande M9, estai J13 e spi S05 enquanto que a dupla Rita Lopes/ Matilde Cruz - Oakland optou por diferir apenas na escolha da vela grande e utilizou a M7. Se queres saber mais sobre as nossas velas clica aqui. A nível de ranking nacional as equipas clientes North Sails dominam fortemente o topo da tabela: 1º, 2º, 3º, 4º e 5º Lugar em Absoluto; 1º, 2º, 3º e 4º Lugar em Juniores e 1º e 3º Lugar em Feminino. A todos desejamos a continuação de um bom trabalho! READ MORE

FIVE SAIL PREP TIPS Here are some easy things you can do on your own to make sure your sails are ready for the season. 1. MAINSAIL Inspect the luff of the sail to see if the luff slides, or the boltrope, require attention. Make sure to look for loose or missing slides, chafing through the boltrope cover. 2. MAINSAIL Inspect the batten pockets, both ends, to make sure that the battens will be secure, tight and doing their job. Velco can wear out over time and may need to be replaced. 3. FURLING GENOA Inspect the UV cover to see if it has any loose stitching or fabric that has been fatigued by the sun. Most UV covers require some maintenance every two years. 4. RACE GENOA Inspect around the spreader patches looking for impact and abrasion damage. Pay particular attention along the full length of the foot and leech - this is where sails take the most abuse. 5. JIBS w. BATTENS Inspect the battens pockets looking for fatigue and wear at both ends of the pockets. If you find anything that needs attention - Better Call Joel! READ MORE