NORTH SAILS BLOG

WHO WE ARE: ROSS BAILEY Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what boats do you race now? I sail a Lightning, and I’m pretty sure Thunder Bay has the best dinghy one design racing in Canada. I’ve sailed since I was a kid but really started crewing when I was 13. When my Dad sold his boat, part of the deal was I would crew for the new owner. After several years crewing, I built a Lightning, raced it, and have since bought many more Lightnings and other dinghies, including Lasers and Laser 2’s. I would sail whatever was competitive within driving distance, or beyond. Although I’ve sailed a fair number of keelboats, I’m pretty much a dinghy sailor, and have sailed in Lightnings, Albacores, Lasers, Laser 2’s, 505’s. Whatever fleet was strong in the area. And of course DN’s in the winter. What got you into the marine industry? Sailing is a pretty neat sport, although sometimes it strikes me a person needs a certain bent to enjoy it. It is fun to spread the word and foster this all encompassing lifestyle. How long have you been working in the industry? I actually owned a sailing store for 11 years starting in 1981. We sold everything from split rings to C&C yachts as well as repairing scratches on up to Awlgripping large yachts. As big box store hours became necessary, we took an opportunity to sell the business. Since then sailing has been just for fun, and still is. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? Letting the boat sail to its potential while correctly anticipating what the wind will do next is hard to beat. If you can do this a little better than the guy beside you, that’s nice too. READ MORE

45,000 MILES OF EXTREME TESTING The North Sails Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 Debrief 📸DongFeng Race Team / Volvo Ocean Race The Volvo Ocean Race has long been considered a proving ground for the best offshore sailors in the world. And for the industry-leading marine companies who supply the equipment on the VO65 race boats, this race is where they get pushed the hardest to find solutions for the extreme conditions crews encounter. Such is the case for North Sails, which designed, built, and maintained the one design sail inventory for the 2017-18 fleet. “This is the toughest race in the world, where fully professional crews push the boats, the rigs, the sails and themselves beyond what was considered to be the limit,” says North Sails President Ken Read, a skipper in two previous editions of the race. “And it’s not just for a day or two or a few hundred miles, it’s all the way around the world, over eight months of racing.” “For us here at North Sails, there really isn’t a better way to test ourselves. This pushes all of us to stay at the top of our game.” The intensity of the racing, especially in a one design class like the VO65, makes an event like the Volvo Ocean Race a perfect feedback loop on sail design, engineering, and manufacturing process for North Sails. This edition of the race allowed more feedback than ever before, partly because of the increased use of drone video, which was sent directly off the boats by independent On Board Reporters, who weren’t being censored by the teams. “From all the footage, we learned early in this race just how hard these guys and girls are trying to destroy our sails,” Read said, only half-jokingly. “It turned out to be really valuable to see how they sail the boat in real-life racing conditions, compared to what we hear during debriefs during the stopovers. Getting a better understanding of the real use allows us to think about where we can make improvements that will have a positive impact.” Gautier Sergent was the head of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 project for North Sails. He managed the design and build process, in order to supply the fleet with identical suits of sails, and then oversaw the event-supplied maintenance provider, The BoatYard, at each stopover. “We try to prepare the sails so they will stand up to everything they will encounter, but I’ll admit, that despite this being my fifth Volvo Ocean Race, I was a little surprised when I saw some of the footage,” he said. “There were a few moments when you say, ‘Oh God… This is what they’re really doing out there.’ I think of it as the expected, unexpected moments.” Use and abuse of the sails comes with the territory when professionals are gybing along an ice exclusion zone in the Southern Ocean, but this race also saw the crews use the sail inventory in unexpected ways. One technique the teams discovered between the design of the sail plan and the first legs of the race was to sail ‘triple-headed’, sailing slightly tighter angles downwind and flying the Code 0, J2 and J3, instead of a newly designed A3. “The intention,” Sergent said, “based on what we heard from the sailors after the last race, was to increase the range of the new A3, which would allow them to sail slightly higher and to carry it in stronger winds. The complaint in the last race was that it was too much of a strictly downwind, VMG sail. So we wanted to make something more versatile.” But in training, some of the teams discovered the more efficient triple-headed configuration, which offered a similar sail area with a much lower center of effort. The technique spread like wildfire through the fleet. “We spent a lot of time testing before the race started with team AkzoNobel,” said Charlie Enright, the skipper of Vestas 11th Hour Racing and a North Sails expert. “The results were fairly conclusive. You saw the two of us sailing like that out of the start in Alicante and we were one-two in that leg pretty quickly. And that was it for the A3… maybe we should have kept our powder dry a little bit longer!” 📸Desafio / Volvo Ocean Race Charles Caudrelier, the skipper of the winning Dongfeng Race Team, confirmed there was a lot of watching the opposition and learning from the others in the fleet. “After the first leg, everybody realized that Vestas 11th Hour Racing and AkzoNobel were much faster using the Masthead 0 and by Leg 2, everybody started to sail like this and we never tried the A3 again!” For Read, the saga of the discarded A3 was further confirmation of what he’s long known – good sailors still figure out how to trump computer modeling predictions. “We designed that sail based on the feedback from the previous race and everybody tested it and they loved it,” Read said. “Everyone went into the race thinking the A3 would be a huge part of the sail inventory. Then, as it turned out, they never used it!” “What happened is, the sailors figured out a way to sail the boat completely differently from the way anyone imagined. That’s where creative sailors always win. And even though it was an option they all wanted, they essentially made a new sail obsolete just by figuring out a better way to race the boat faster with the rest of the sails. And that technique and thinking is going to trickle down through other fleets too.” That wasn’t the only learning in the 2017-2018 race. The new J0 was designed to limit the number of sail changes needed upwind and to enhance fast reaching, where it outperformed expectations. Yet it was not the pick in the quiver for pure upwind VMG sailing. Perhaps the biggest success was just how structurally reliable the sail wardrobe was across the fleet. With seven boats racing 45,000 nautical miles around the world, there were no failures that could be attributed to the supplied inventory. 📸 Vestas 11th Hour Racing / Volvo Ocean Race “I think it can be easy to overlook what happened here,” Enright said. “When you don’t hear about something, in this case, it’s a measure of success. There’s a lot of assumed resilience at this stage, which is a bit of tribute really. “Most of the sails were carried much further up-range from what they were structurally intended to be and as the race wore on, it became obvious that if you wanted to rise to the top, you really had to push the gear and the sails were no different. And yet, across the fleet, there were no problems. You just never had to worry about it.” It’s even more impressive considering that the most recent inventory was built with 3Di RAW, not the 3Di Endurance product that was used for the 2014-15 race. By discarding the outer polyester film on both sides of the sail, there was a considerable weight saving; mainsails were a full 8 kilograms lighter. The sailors appreciated both the weight saving and the durability; they could focus on pushing hard, rather than protecting their limited sail allocation. “With the 3Di RAW sails, we thought they would stand up to whatever we would see,” Caudrelier noted. “We didn’t worry about breaking the sails, but when we started the race we wanted to preserve the shape. The potential for damage is usually highest when we peel to make a sail change. The original idea was always to bear away and take care for every peel. But the race was so close that we almost never did this and I’m sure some of the other teams did it even less than we did. Even so, we knew we could trust the sails.” “For our part we were confident that the 3Di RAW sails would survive for the race,” Sergent said. “We had used them in IMOCA before, and even though those boats aren’t pushed as hard as the Volvo Ocean Race boats, we felt the sails would hold up fine.” The IMOCA reference is timely, as the next round-the-world crewed race will feature two classes: the high-performance, dynamic, foiling IMOCA 60s as well as the one-design VO65s that have provided such close racing over the past two editions. The move to IMOCA means the sailmaking design space is open once again. For Sergent, it’s a welcome challenge. “As a company, North Sails is all about innovation and development and we think we do a better job when we can really show the potential of our expertise, our knowledge, and our tools.” “We’re already starting to work on a bit of a starter package for our designers and customers,” Sergent continued.”We’ve brought together our in-house experts in the IMOCA and Volvo Ocean Race and we’ve hired Rob Greenhalgh (MAPFRE watch captain) and Charlie Enright to bring some recent, relevant sailing experience to our team. “We’ve won every edition of the Volvo Ocean Race (since 2001-02) and been the one design sailmaker for the last two editions of the race, and in IMOCA, boats with our sails have won the last two Vendée Globe races so we think we’re in a unique position.” 📸Volvo Ocean Race “It’s exciting and it’s going to be a big challenge,” agreed Read. “We’ve been working with IMOCA 60s for a long time and we’ve had amazing success. We feel like with our people we have the design and engineering expertise, the software and the hardware to produce a winning package for a foiling 60-footer.” “At the same time, I feel like this is going to be one of those campaigns where you start the race saying, ‘this is my plan’ and you finish the race using the equipment completely differently to what was anticipated. So we have to stay agile. “Don’t underestimate it. This is a big jump. These are speeds that no one has imagined before for an offshore monohull. There will probably be sail geometries that nobody has considered before this.” “It’s a brave new world and it’s not going to be easy. But because of our experience in the last couple America’s Cup campaigns putting sails on those foiling catamarans and now working with three of the four Cup teams this time around, I think we have the right people and that our software has evolved and adapted well to meet the challenge.” If the past is anything to go by, that’s a safe bet. 📸 Volvo Ocean Race 📸Turn The Tide On Plastic / Volvo Ocean Race   READ MORE

Keith "KC" Church Joins North Sails Chicago Strengthening the Midwest with Experience and Enthusiasm (Chicago, IL) October 23rd, 2018. North Sails is pleased to announce that Keith "KC" Church has joined the Chicago team and will work alongside Perry Lewis and Allan Terhune. KC has over 40 years of industry, and on-the-water experience to bring to his new role; most recently, he established the Quantum Sails Chicago loft. "Having sold against KC for the last several years," said Perry Lewis, North Sails Chicago Loft Manager, "I am obviously pleased to have him 'on our side.' He is universally well-liked, and it is a real treat to have new enthusiasm in our office. I am confident North Sails customers will benefit from Keith's expertise." Commenting on his new role, KC said, "What excites me the most about working with Perry Lewis and the incomparable North Sails team in Chicago is seeing customers enjoy greater success with their boats every day. Whether they're preparing for a life-changing experience offshore, or moving up in position within their racing fleet, I'm looking forward to being able to offer my customers more opportunity and help them enjoy their time on the water." KC has been an avid sailor since childhood and is a veteran of the Chicago-Mackinac Race on a variety of boats, ranging in size from a J/29 to GL70. He still cruises and races on the East Coast and Great Lakes. KC can be contacted at Keith.Church@northsails.com or by contacting North Sails Chicago. READ MORE

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT RACING Classic Yacht Flying Fish fits out with North Sails to compliment their refit Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of supplying some new sails to Flying Fish in West Cork, Ireland. Flying Fish has undergone a major refit in the very capable hands of Rui Ferreira at West Cork Boat. The boat owner was keen to retain the Classic look in his sails, as well as having a boat that sails fast.That was why he chose North Sails from our Classic division. Short video from the Flying Fish sail trials Classic yachts are a window to the past. Classic yacht sails add to the traditional look and beauty of a bygone era, which appeals to any sailor. Classic yacht owners and crew are caretakers of each yacht’s unique history, and coupled with their respect for tradition is a competitive spirit that is seen in classic yacht racing around the world. Discerning owners vie for honors in both performance and elegance. North Sails celebrates these classic yachts with a dedicated range of products and a team of experts. Our Classic experts combine elegance and innovation with their modern approach to traditional sails.Because Classic sails are limited by their use of materials, improvement comes through better sail shape and construction. Intricate rigs and rigging make Classic sails more complex to build. In order to better understand how a sail will fit the rig geometry, our specialized Classic sail designers use the North Design Suite to create 3D models of an entire yacht, producing improved performance, while respecting the Classic aesthetic. Each Classic yacht has its own story. By combining modern design innovation with historical research, we are able to reproduce the unique look of each yacht. READ MORE

NEW TEAM MEMBERS North Sails are pleased to welcome Stephen 'Rowdy' McCullum and One-Design specialist Jeremy O'Connell. North Sails welcomes Jeremy O’Connell to our team, as a member of the Melbourne Loft’s Sales and Service Team working with Aaron Cole and Ian Johnson. Jeremy comes from a background in One-Design sailing, having spent the last 6 years as a member of the Australian Sailing Squad competing in the Laser. During this time he has worked with some of the world’s best laser sailors and coaches including Tom Burton and Michael Blackburn. Jeremy has competed in 5 Laser World Championships, and many other Sailing World Cup events around the world. Aside from Laser sailing, Jeremy has experience in Etchells, Farr 40’s, Melges 32, Sydney 38, and J111 classes. Jeremy says: “I’m excited and honoured to be working with the best sail making company in the world”. He will be at the Etchell Worlds in October, and following that will be racing at Sandringham, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, and Royal Victoria Yacht Club over the Summer. You can reach Jeremy at the loft in Melbourne or by email: jeremy.oconnell@northsails.com Saturday, 25 August 2018, was a significant day for prominent Hobart yachtsmen Stephen 'Rowdy' McCullum and Stewart Gray, and for worldwide sail makers, North Sails. McCullum has joined Gray as principals of 42ºSouth Marine which operates the Hobart loft of North Sales at Cambridge, (above Lewis Marine), combining their vast yachting, sail-making and business experience. In fact, when it comes to counting up sailing experience and expertise in the marine industry, in particular sail-making, it's hard to go past 'Rowdy' and Stewart. It's a combination that seems certain to benefit Tasmanian sailing, bringing the latest technology in making sails for types of boats, off-the-beach dinghies, one-design keelboats, ocean racers and cruising yachts. North Sails continue to be heavily involved in the America's Cup, the Volvo Race and international one-design yacht racing and are noted for ground-breaking design and sail construction technology, including the creation of 3Di™ moulded sails, claimed to be the world's fastest and most durable sails, for racing and cruising. Both 'Rowdy' and Stewart began their working lives as sail-making apprentices in Hobart and soon became involved in International racing campaigns that took them overseas for further design and sail-making projects, as well as expanding their sailing careers, mostly in maxis and America's Cup contenders. "As a sailmaker I later worked with Grant Simmer on America's Cup campaigns and with the late Graeme 'Frizzle' Freeman sailing on Windward Passage II," 'Rowdy' said on the eve of their commercial partnership coming into force yesterday, "The Windward Passage campaign took 'Frizzle' and myself to Europe and the USA to work with the Italian America's Cup challenge before returning to Tasmania to join Bob Clifford with the maxi ketch Tasmania which took line honours in the 50th Sydney Hobart," Rowdy added. McCullum, who is vice commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, has competed as a key crew member including watch captain and sailing master, in 22 Sydney Hobarts Stewart Gray returned to Hobart six years ago after being involved as a professional yachtsman and sailmaker in two America's Cup campaigns and three Volvo Ocean Races. He also won two World Championships in Maxis and TP52's. "And like Rowdy, I did my apprenticeship as a sailmaker, but with Ian Ross at Hood Sails in Sandy Bay," he said. Back in Tasmania, I've owned my own business, 42ºSouth Marine, for the past six years, setting up the loft as a North Sails agency where we supply racing or cruising sails for anything from Optimists to maxi yachts. However, a big part of our business is making sail covers, canvas's and powerboat clears," Gray added. "By joining forces and combining our sailing and sail-making expertise, we plan to develop the business in line with the expansion of the sport of yachting, both in cruising and racing keelboats and in dinghy classes in Tasmania," McCullum said. "We will be in a greater position to not only supply a quality product, but to give an even greater level of advice and customer services to all areas of the marine industry," said Gray, expressing great confidence in the new partnership. North Sails, through its Worldwide resources and expertise can provide yacht owners with everything from cross cut dacron sails built from our in-house milled dacrons, through to 3Di™ sails. "3Di™ is the only sail like it on the market, it is stronger, lighter and more resistant to environmental factors than laminate string sails and we couldn't be more excited to bring it to the local market", emphasised Gray and McCullum. Written by Peter Campbell READ MORE

J/109 North Americans Interview Growth Spurt Wins the Corinthian Title and Second Overall Larchmont Yacht Club hosted the 2018 J/109 North Americans, with twenty teams in attendance. We caught up with John Greifzu, owner-driver of Growth Spurt, who won the Corinthian title and finished second overall. John, congratulations on a great event! A pretty windy regatta. Any lessons in trim or technique from what you were accustomed to doing upwind? Downwind? No kidding. With the big breeze, we kept our starts simple and talked a lot about our maneuvers to minimize potential surprises. Upwind, once we were able to achieve the right amount of twist in the sails, we found the speed we needed. Downwind, it was about sailing low and staying in control. Crew weight placement became even more important. What kind of rig tensions were you setting up for the breeze on Friday? Friday was our best day. The North tuning guide was a great start for rig tension. But when we tried going upwind, we realized the rig needed to be tighter. We put additional turns on the cap shrouds and D1s until the helm was balanced. The first upwind leg for each of Friday’s three races was really the key to making gains on the day. We were going fast-forward while other boats were going sideways, as they were overpowered and not flat. The first top mark looked like a traffic jam most races. How did you manage to escape? We approached the windward mark with a plan, and picked our spots to be aggressive. After giving away a podium spot at the American YC Fall Regatta with one bad decision at a windward mark, we were determined not to do that again. We saw some boats using Tackline Drops, others preferring Jibe Drops and Weather Drops, and a couple using Strings. What was your preferred spinnaker drop? Any lessons to share from that? We did not favor any certain spinnaker drop technique. We practiced them all going into the regatta, so our tactical options were always open. To be honest, with that many good boats on the course, we didn’t know what kind of takedown would be needed until we were close to the leeward gate. Which sails did you use? How were you feeling with the new HAi-7 jib from North? Our main was a North 3Di RAW from 2017. Going into the regatta it had 26 race days on it, and was still fast. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we used the new HAi-7 jib. It worked well in as little as 9-knots TWS and up through the range of gusts we saw on Friday. On Sunday, we used a 3DL AP jib from 2017 and that powered us in the lighter stuff. We also used the new A2-3 spinnaker for most races. “Growth Spurt in about 20 knots of wind with the top of the main inverted, the bottom of the main working, and an appropriate angle of heel. An example of fast trim in heavy air ”, said North U expert Bill Gladstone. Who sailed with you? How did the team prepare for the NAs? We had an amazing group of Corinthian sailors who have put in a lot of time on the boat. Our official tune up was the American YC Fall Series, but I have logged a lot of miles with this team. Two of the guys, Richard Born and Joe Quick, I have been sailing with since our days at Tulane in the early 2000s. Rich trimmed jib and Joe handled pit on Thursday. The other crew members joined our program at various times since I bought the boat for the 2016 season. Michelle Miltenberger was amazing on mast and bow assist, and Chris Mangieri, who I met on another J/109, was all over the boat helping with jib and spinnaker trim. Malcolm Kriegel, a recent Tulane alum from New York, has been sailing with us for three years and he trimmed spinnaker. I met our bowman, John Hughes, when he was assigned to my boat for the Storm Trysail Foundation Intercollegiate Regatta a couple years ago. Ellen Quinn started racing with us last year and even moved work flights around to make it in time to run pit Friday through Sunday. Jon Singsen started sailing with us this year. He trimmed main and called great tactics. Congratulations Team Growth Spurt What’s next for Growth Spurt? This NA’s was our last event for the season, but we’re already talking about 2019! The initial schedule will have Block Island Race Week, the J/109 North Americans in New Bedford, and other one design events in Newport and Long Island Sound. Placing second and winning the Corinthian North American Championship was great, but we’re looking forward to mixing it up again with our friends on Loki (three-time North American champion). © Howie McMichael READ MORE

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

COASTAL CLASSIC RACE - NORTH SAILS BRIEFING Top Tips from the North Sails Team for this Years Coastal Classic Race When it comes to the Coastal Classic, New Zealand’s most iconic race, the North Sails team have done it - and won it. With more than 100 Coastal Races between them, we asked the sales and loft team for their top tips on how to make the most out of the dash up the coast, no matter which division you’re in. Andrew Wills, Sales and Marketing Manager Keep up the communication in the build-up to the race. We talk on the phone among the key crew the week before the start, looking at how the weather’s shaping up and what our strategy might be, what course would be best and what sails we think we might use. On the day of the race, share your thoughts with the whole crew, so everyone knows the plan. Concentrate on getting the best possible start, it’s a 120 mile race, but the start is critical. Get out there early and get your transits sorted, then do a few runs through the line to work out where you want to start. This is especially critical for a downwind start because you need to work out which sail you are going to be able to carry and where that line is going to take you into that first gybe by North Head. If you’re in a smaller boat, position yourself to windward of the bigger boats around you so you don’t immediately get rolled. As you head up the coast, keep eyes out of the boat. Conditions are always changing and you need to know what’s going on around you. There’s nothing worse than sailing yourself into a hole. The crew on the rail can make a big contribution, keeping an eye out for wind and sea conditions and watching what other boats are up to. Matt Kelway, Sales Break the race into four parts and think about the expected weather, tides and sail changes and approach into the next segment for each. It’s a very dynamic coastline, so you need to be thinking ahead. Think about: Exiting Auckland - start line to Kawau Island Kawau Island to Sail Rock/Hen and Chickens. Make a decision early about going inside or outside the Hen and Chickens. Setting up your approach to Cape Brett. Do you want to come in close or from out wide? Cape Brett to the finish. Quite often there’s totally different breeze inside the Bay to what you had up the coast. Make sure you are pushing the boat 100 per cent of the time. This race is an awkward length - not a day race for most crews, but not long enough to go into a full watch system. Your speed team, the trimmers and drivers need to be on their A game the whole time. Be prepared for the evening. Before it gets dark, check your halyards and sheets are all clear, get any sails you might need ready, and have torches and headlamps handy. Ben Costello, Service Manager Have your positions on the boat clearly sorted before the start. For manoeuvres, have everyone in a set position so it’s clear who’s doing what. No one can drive or trim the whole way, so make sure you rotate your helm and trimmers at least every couple of hours. It’s too easy to steer for too long, so make sure you change before you lose concentration. Don’t swap everyone at once, let the new helmsperson get settled before changing the trimmers. Matt Steven, Sales Decide before the start on a default strategy based on weather and tides, like heading offshore, hedging the west or protecting a side of the course. If you need to make a decision while racing and you are unsure what to do, or if the team is divided, default to the strategy. Before changing drivers, have the new helm sit with the person who is steering for a while, talking through what’s been happening and what angles and speeds they have been sailing, so there is a smooth transition. Richard Bicknell, General Manager Make a plan before you get to Bream Bay and the Hen and Chickens, so you don’t end up in no man’s land, too high or too low. Think about wind speed and angles and decide whether to take the longer route outside - which might be faster, depending on conditions - or sail less distance inside. If you need a rest, take short breaks rather than long ones and keep your head in the race. Stay hydrated and remember to eat, it’s more than a sprint, so you don’t want to fade away. Guy Hewson, Production Manager Always be aware of what the next sail change might be. Have your sails stacked accordingly and have sheets ready to go. Make sure all your sails are in good condition and have been serviced before the race, so you have all your options ready to go if you need them. To everyone racing, good luck! READ MORE

DREW DOES IT AGAIN Pacific Yankee Team Wins Second Consecutive Worlds 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League Drew Freides, Morgan Reeser, and Charlie Smythe have added themselves to the #NSVictoryList once again by winning the 2018 Melges 20 World Championship in Cagliari, Italy. A bullet in the final race moved them ahead of Brontolo Racing, securing the regatta win for these defending champions. We caught up with Drew after he returned from Cagliari and he had a lot to say about how he got to where he is now. “I’d be missing something if I didn’t thank North Sails because Tim Healy, Per Andersson, Vince Brun, and the One Design team have just been great. We would never have done what we did without their help along the way.” : Morgan Reeser, Drew Freides, and Charlie Smythe with Coach Ed Adams. 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League“We owe a lot of our success to our coaches, too. Vince Brun was all about boat setup, Ed Adams was our weather and current guide, and having them both was really helpful. Ed also helped us with strategy and how that relates to how we sail, making him a great benefactor to our team.” According to Drew, it all came down to the last jibe on the final downwind leg. “We were in second and we needed to put one point between us and Russian Bogartys. Meanwhile the Italians on Brontolo Racing were coming in strong so we had to keep passing boats. We jibed on the Russians coming into the finish line to move from second to first, a call made by our tactician Morgan Reeser. It was a last minute call, and Charlie wasn’t 100% ready but pulled it off; unfortunately it all happened so fast, Morgan got caught behind Charlie’s elbow. So in the end, the only thing we lost was Morgan’s nose.” Blood and sweat paid off in the end. “In this fleet,” Drew continued, “you have to have the ability to dig back. It’s one thing to win a world championship, but it’s much harder to defend it because you’re in the spotlight and everybody is looking at everything you do and trying to match it.” 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League Asked what he likes about the Melges 20, Drew commented, “There is just no boat out there like the Melges 20. It sails like a skiff-dinghy. It takes about 12 knots to get on a full plane and just rip! Also they have really complicated rigs and there’s a lot of nuance to the rig setup. Thanks to Vince and everybody, we really had our settings down.” Drew also likes the need for constant improvement. “The competition keeps you on your toes. We’ve been doing everything we can, trying to develop the 3Di Sails with our North Sails experts, and it worked well. Our competition is close behind though, so we still have to keep pushing. Personally, I never feel like I am good enough.” 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League With sail purchases limited by year and activity level, sail selection is very important. “You want to have the best options. You start the season out with three sails, then after you’ve competed in four events, you get one additional button. Then you are permitted only two more for the Worlds.” Drew wanted to keep his options open, so he waited to pull the trigger on getting his sails measured in until he was 100% sure. 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League Brontolo Racing started the season with using the new Mi-2 3Di mainsail, so Drew matched them. He felt going into the worlds 100% matched to his prime competition would make it a fair match. Regardless of the match, he is pleased with 3Di and how it adds to the program. “We can honestly say we love 3Di. You can definitely see they last much longer, and that shape will hold and never fail. It never distorts, it looks perfect, and sets up like a wing. It’s phenomenal.” “No matter what, we can hang with the front of the pack upwind. As soon as we round the top mark we rely on our speed, which is unbelievably fast. Downwind we use the standard Melges 20 models: the R2 Runner and V4-2R Reacher. Some of our competitors think we use something special, but it’s just the standard inventory available to everyone.” 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League Drew has been sailing with the same team for a couple of seasons now and is proud of his program. “My motto has always been if you surround yourself with the best people, it gets a lot easier. We have the best team. We’ve got a good dynamic in the boat. We understand where the rig should be in any given wind conditions. From there, we go sailing and focus on sailing, not on anything else.” 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League “North Sails is good at making sails. They want to create the best products for everyone. I love the company and I believe the sail technology far exceeds the rest, by far. With all the support we’ve received, it’s made a huge difference and has made this massive commitment a lot of fun.” 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League 📸 Mauro Melandri / Zerogradinord / Melges 20 World League Full results READ MORE

Udviklingen af 3Di begyndte for ti år siden og er fortsat i et hurtigt og accelererende tempo siden da. 3Di er summen af flere af North Sails egne teknologier, hvilket gør det til den ideelle platform for at skabe nye typer sejl til en bred vifte af sejlere rundt om i verden. Fordelene ved 3Di med hidtil usete præstationer og lang levetid er nu i 2019 til rådighed for såvel mindre både til superyachter, tursejlere til jordomsejlere og de lokale kapsejlere til de professionelle. Rendyrket performance, når bådfarten tæller 3Di RAW er det kapsejladssejl på markedet med højeste ydeevne og letteste vægt, der sætter nye standarder for fart og formstabilitet. Både med 3Di RAW dominerer podierne over hele verden i de mest konkurrenceprægede sejladser og klasser. Til sæson 2019 har North Sails anvendt denne avancerede teknologi til en ny produktgruppe, målrettet de mindre både, der sejler kapsejlads på klubniveau. Produktgruppen kombinerer 3Di’ signifikante formstabilitet med det, at sejlet er nemt og trimme, og den lange levetid. Rundt om jorden eller kapsejlads på fjorden Den mest robuste 3Di sejl til rådighed, 3Di Endurance er konstrueret med ekstrem holdbarhed og formstabilitet for øje, der holder uanset om det er kapsejlads eller offshore sejlads. François Gabarts 3Di Endurance storsejl havde allerede sejlet 45.000 sømil, før han startede med det på sin succesrige Around The World Solo Record. Denne gruppe 3Di-produkter har et ydre med meget beskyttende filamenttape, der skaber en hård struktur, samtidig med at 3Di sejlet beholder sin enestående formstabilitet. En ny gruppe af tursejl til superyachts Ny produktgruppe i 2019 er Ocean. Tursejl, der giver høj styrke, reduceret vægt og højeste pålidelighed til superyachts. Alt det North Sails har lært i mere end tre årtier som den førende producent af superyacht-sejl er blevet kombineret med den nuværende topmoderne 3Di-teknologi. Turbåde over 60 fod kan nu drage fordel af North Sails unikke blanding af materialer og eksklusiv teknik i 3Di Ocean. Disse sejl er uden sidestykke, lettere, mere holdbare og og nemmere at håndtere end nogen laminatsejl. Dacron tursejlet - genopfundet via 3Di-teknologien I løbet af 2018 har 3Di NORDAC - et 100% polyester 3Di sejl - skabt en tursejler revolution. 3Di Nordac blev hædret med Pittman Innovation Award af SAIL Magazine, og over 2.500 3Di NORDAC sejl er blevet leveret til fremragende anmeldelser fra vores kunder. I 2019 er vores 3Di produktionskapacitet blevet øget for at imødekomme efterspørgslen efter dette innovative og ekstraordinære produkt, der er ideelt til mindre og mellemstore turbåde. Alle sejlere ønsker hurtigere sejl, der holder længere. 3Di NORDAC leverer. 3Di komposit-teknologi til hurtige codesejl De mange fordele ved 3Di strækker sig nu ud over krydssejl, og er nu tilgængelige for sejlere, der kigger efter det ypperste asymmetriske sejl. 3Di Downwind viste sin værdi under det seneste Volvo Ocean Race, hvor alle sejl til både kryds og læns, var 3Di (ikke mere brug for at have symaskiner om bord!). Kabelfri furling-sejl er nu muligt med vores unikke Helix Luff, hvor den direkte integrerede 3Di-struktur eliminerer behovet for et separat ineffektivt kabel. READ MORE

J/24 NATIONALS: MANAGING STRONG CURRENTS & LIGHT AIR Class Veteran Robby Brown Shares His Top Secrets © Chris Howell The 2018 J/24 US Nationals were hosted by the Portland Yacht Club in Casco Bay. We caught up with Robby Brown, skipper of the winning team Angel of Harlem for some insights: You have been sailing J/24s for years on and off, can you tell us a little about yourself, how you got into the class and what keeps you coming back? I have been in the J/24 class since the Mid 80’s. I began sailing J/24s regularly around 1995. While I sail in multiple classes, I love the competitive nature of the J/24 class and its relative affordability of keeping a World Class boat going. Over the years, the class has always offered top level competition, that’s the biggest reason that keeps me coming back. Combined with the great atmosphere of the competitors and the class, I have always enjoyed my time spent campaigning the J/24. Who crewed for you at the Nationals and how long have you all been racing together? We have been working hard to put together a World Class team in advance of the Worlds in Miami. We are sailing together more regularly with team consistency than we have ever been able to manage in the past. Our team consists of a group of sailors whose lives have been connected for many, many years as sailors that enjoy sailing together. The biggest factor gluing the team together at this point is my partner Mark Liebel. Mark and I are full partners in our pursuit of a top finish at the 2019 Worlds. We began sailing together nearly 15 years ago when I first moved to the Tampa Bay area. Over the years, we have developed a great friendship and ability to work together based on trust and truly enjoying working together in pursuit of team goals. Ron Hyatt has been my most steady contributor with his rock solid bow work. He and I have been regularly sailing together for 15 years as well. Ron is a huge contributor in every aspect of campaigning the boat. He will help with deliveries and is always working hard on the dock to insure that we are prepared for a championship outcome. Arthur Blodgett has developed into a huge asset in the trimming position and has been able to find the time to join us on a fairly regular basis ever since he graduated from college sailing as an award winning sailor. He was my best sailor when I was the collegiate coach at Eckerd College. We have been working together for almost 10 years. Brian Simpkins was our fifth for the Nationals. He was new to the team but nevertheless a key to team success. Brian and Mark have been sailing together for many years, and I can’t say enough good things about the job he did stepping right in and making a huge contribution to our team success. We are definitely hoping he will join us some more in the future as a regular part of the team. There is a fair amount of current where the Nationals were sailed this year, how did you figure it out so quickly? Mark and I have sailed at the venue in the past and Arthur is from the area. We knew enough to have great respect for the need to figure out the current. We are all experienced at figuring out new venues. I am a high school sailing coach who regularly faces new venues with my teams. Mark is active in many classes and is diligent in his contributions to insure we have a good plan for the venue we are sailing in. In the end, I feel we did more homework on a daily basis than the competition, being able to process this information to insure success. Here’s what we did: We were determined to be the first boat off the dock, sailing the course area and examining trends and identifying course-specific opportunities to make gains. We were checking current all of the way to the course area first thing in the morning. All of the lobster traps were great current tell tails. We sailed both sides of the first beat in the morning to find the strong current. We examine where the water was rougher as an indicator of strong current. We played the ever changing current more than wind shifts. We made start strategies to get to the good current first and it paid. What was your starting game plan against 50 other boats? Hope and pray! This was true to some degree. On the first two races we got caught up in crowds and were flushed at the start. Lesson learned, for the rest of the regatta we started toward the end that we liked, with a priority of staying away from the crowded areas. We would start just to one side or the other of the crowded area and still be as close as possible to where we wanted to be. With some good fortune, we had some great luck with starts in the last three races and were able to dig ourselves out and salvage the best possible finishes. Being able to escape the pack, and get out to the lead, we converted our good starts to 2-1-2 finishes, closing our gap to snag the victory. We are constantly applying great focus to insuring we get good starts. The dynamics seem to be ever changing from event to event as far as getting off the line well. We feel that starts are the biggest benefactor of our ability to sail well at the Midwinters, North Americans, and finally the Nationals. Our big fleet start experience is definitely paying off. You seem to have a pretty good light air gear, how did you set up your boat? We definitely thought about this a great deal. We have been honing our speed for years and feel we have a particularly good gear in the light air. While we enjoy good boat speed in all conditions, the things we feel we do better than most in light air are a result of years of tuning, working with our North Team representatives, and living in an area where we get a lot of practice in light air. I noticed we did a couple of things differently than the most: Primarily, we keep our mast butt well aft in the light air conditions. This gives us the forestay sag that we utilize to really keep the boat powered up in light air. We never go below 20/15 on the rig. Rather, we push the mast butt back to get a really full genoa shape. This requires lots of scallops in the luff, as well as putting on backstay a little at times to pull some of the sag if the breeze gets bigger puffs or just picks up a little. We feel we are better pulling a little backstay on than we are if the rig was softer than 20/15. We felt like the puffs were a little too much for our tune. This has proven very successful for us Secondly, we are weight farther forward and down in the boat more than anyone else. Going downwind our spinnaker trimmer is one or two steps up on the cabin house, our tactician is standing on the cabin sole all the way forward in the hatch. Additionally our bow person and mast person go below and the mast person shifts from port to starboard side to balance the boat right up against the bulkhead and the bow person is in front of the bulkhead. I truly feel this was our secret to really superior downwind speed. We also had our fifth below upwind when it was very light. If he’s not hiking on deck, he is below against the bulkhead, What sail designs do you use and why? All of the North products are superior. Our choice for more years than I can count are Newport Upwind (Fat Head Mainsail, DX-7TT Genoa) and San Diego downwind (FR-2 Spinnaker). Rather than switching around between designs, we feel we have been able to get tremendous performance from these sails by sticking with the designs and honing our tuning of these sails over these many years. Others have had great success with the many good product offerings available from North. We have been tempted to try something different a few times over the years, but we are always rewarded by our “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality. This has allowed us to develop our tuning model to a better than most performance through consistency. What’s next on your sailing schedule? We have a couple of great regattas on our schedule to close out the year here in Florida. We are preparing for the Southeast Regionals and Districts which will surely bring the best competition to the starting line. From there, we are working toward our best performance at Midwinters at our home Yacht Club, Davis Island. We are planning to sail the St Pete NOODs as a tune up for the Midwinters and are hoping to coordinate tuning opportunities in addition to sailing as many of the major championships next year as possible. We hope to find good regattas in addition to the Nationals in Rochester, maybe some more NOOD regattas or the Newport Regatta. Please reach out to us if you would like to tune at these events. We are always welcoming tuning partners and opportunities. © Chris Howell READ MORE

LOOK INSIDE A LOFT: DETROIT Service Manager Bill Lesnek At Home In A New Location North Sails Detroit’s service manager Bill Lesnek has been building and repairing sails (and kites) in the Detroit metro area since 1980. Recently we caught up with Bill to learn why he’s excited about the new loft, the magic of customer loyalty, and why a small loft is best when it has background support from North Sails. First though, he took us back to 1985, when he met Lowell North while helping the company founder recut a jib for the Mackinac Race. “Lowell had a number three that needed more material in the luff,” Bill explains. “We were doing a new sail, so we cut three feet off that jib and added it to the jib Lowell had—a pretty huge recut. He asked me if I sailed and I said well no, I spent most of my youth playing baseball and football.” At Kenwood Cup in Hawaii the next year, Bill ran into Lowell again. “He says, ‘Oh yeah you're Bill from Detroit, the baseball player.’ He remembered! He is quite a character and real fun to work with.” Bill has worked for other sailmakers since the 1980s, but he always came back to North Sails. “It's the best product on the market for new sails,” he says. “And the service work, it's just a higher level of standards compared to everybody else, you know? North people care a little more, and put a little more heart and soul into what they do.” That’s helped by coordination and communication between different North lofts to help solve problems and deal with backlog. When needed, Bill and his team have gone to other lofts to help out, and they know they can count on having that help when they need it in Detroit. Working collaboratively means sharing best practices, which raises everyone’s skill level. Over the years, Bill has developed a very loyal customer base. “I was born and raised to be honest and truthful with people. A lot of people remember me too, because I've been working on their sails forever. And they know I'm consistent in what I do.” Specialized Loft Space Bill is excited about starting fresh in a new loft space, which he and his team have purpose-built for sailmaking. “We get to do it our way, and we've got this organized really well. It's convenient for us; we're not wandering all over the place. It will make us more productive in the long run.” For sail dropoff and pickup, they built racks right by the door. “You won't have to search all over the building for them,” he says. On the loft floor, they set up a raised table big enough for three sewing machines. “And we have a lower floor where we can spread out sails for 70 footers; we've already got a couple of inventories dropped off already. It's all at machine height, which makes the sewing a lot smoother and nicer.” It also makes for better ergonomics, because workers can perform their jobs without getting beat up. After almost four decades on the floor, Bill says, “Your knees get a little tender. ” For what he calls the “really huge sails,” there’s a section of floor that can be removed. Each sewing machine has its own specialty. “We have a three step machine which is strictly for nylon work. That's a long arm machine, so we can do big sails. We also have two everyday machines for luff tapes and edges and patches, one in the canvas room and one on the main floor. And we have a heavy duty Adler that sews through all the thick layers and webbing.” Keeping those machines running in top notch condition is a high priority, which is why they have a designated maintenance person. “We dealt with over 2000 sails last year, and a busted machine would’ve been a nightmare.” Kite Cult Bill works on smaller items as well. “We have a separate room just for canvas work. Boom covers or genoa socks, we could build that. I also have a cult following of kiteboarders here in the southeast area. Anytime a kite rips, they search me down and get it fixed.” According to Bill, working in a small loft as part of the worldwide North Sails company is the perfect combination. In addition to the Blue Book, which sets standards for manufacturing, there are a lot of avenues to learn from other lofts about best repair practices. “I've been doing it the same way for so long that it's just a reflex,” Bill says, “It's good to learn new procedures and different avenues.” That’s especially important as sail manufacturing evolves, because it makes it easier to keep up with technological improvements. “3Di are beautiful sails and they're durable,” he points out. “We haven't run into too many repair situations with those yet. But I know in the future it'll be nice to say, ‘We have state of the art equipment and we'll repair it to the standards of the company.’ My customers trust what I do, so they'll feel confident getting the service done.” Short Season Detroit’s sailing season is compressed into four months, with July’s two races to Mackinac (Chicago and Port Huron) the summer highlight. Now that boats have started to come out of the water for the winter, the loft’s focus has turned to storage and repairs. “As long as they pay their invoice within the first month, they can have free sail storage for the winter. Customers don’t have to keep them in their basements and by spring time, they're ready to go.” Thanks to the new location, Bill’s team will also be able to wash sails in-house. “We have a section in the back of the building which will be perfect, a nice addition to our business.” After almost four decades, the loft’s seasonality is predictable for Bill. “You get the proactive groups that'll see you in October, and the spring rush guys who are knocking at the door in April. We pretty much know what to expect.” As service manager, he is grateful to have a really strong team in Mike Stark and Karl Kuspa. “Mike and I work really well together. He's got a lot of experience, and we're on the same page. We all get along like a little family over here. Which is the way it should be, you know?” READ MORE

The 2018 Les Voiles de St. Tropez provided participants from with a beautiful week of racing to cap off another successful summer season in the Med. North Sails clients had an excellent showing, placing on the podium across 14 divisions, ranging from modern to classic racing yachts. Les Trophées were awarded to clients and their teams who out-performed within their division. 2018 Les Trophées : Trophée BMW : Wally 77 Lyra – Terry Hui Trophée Edmond de Rothschild (IRC C): Gladiator – Tony Langley Trophée de la Ville de Saint-Tropez : Cannonball – Dario Ferrarri Concours de boules : Lady Jo: Pierre Roinson Trophée Loro Piana : Topaz – Peter Holmberg Trophée Kappa : Flo D’ Orient – Bernard Coquelet Trophée Marines de Cogolin : Alice – Simon Henning Trophée Le Byblos : Kelpie – Olive Pelham Trophée SNSM : Rowdy – Timothy Goodboy Trophée Air France : Elena of London – Steven Mc Laren Trophée Suzuki : Creme Anglaise – John Rainger Congratulations to all of our clients for their excellent performance throughout the week. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi 📸 Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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