NORTH SAILS BLOG

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF Kyle Dodds – Fostering The Need To Push Himself To The Next Level The sailors and designers in the world of North Sails are some of the most inspiring people on the water, and we’re hoping to share more of their story with you. “Letter to my younger self” is a series told from our North Sails ambassadors. In each article we bring to life their advice and personal journeys centered around the question: if your “now-self” could give your “younger self” advice, what would it be? Dear 12-Year-Old Kyle, I’m going to let you in on a secret because I know you’re wondering; ‘what’s next?’ In a few years you’re going to be a sailor. And not just your average sailor, but a professional sailmaker for the best sailmaking brand in the world, North Sails. Then one day, you’ll be racing in the Sydney to Hobart—not once, but the 2021 race will be your SIXTH race. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “adult Kyle, you live in the country, in Western Australia, and your family doesn’t even own a boat—let alone know how to sail.” This is true, however that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is your work ethic. Both your grandfathers have a lot to teach you—after all, you don’t just move out from the UK to Australia on a whim. Both men were very respected with a great work ethic. Let that help you to keep going forward and be a better person. Try to be a better version of yourself every day. Whether it’s personal or in the sport of sailing or in your career, always strive to get better. Your good work ethic and willingness will come naturally for you, and it will prove to be a valuable asset in the long run. You’re already seeing it now but keep fostering your need to push yourself to the next level, to learn and develop yourself and your skillset. Your thirst to keep doing better will be essential in the Sydney to Hobart (especially when training). Your days on the football pitch will lay the groundwork for becoming a team player. The term ‘ubuntu’ is a good motto to live by, especially in these long races like the Sydney to Hobart. This is the South African word for ‘I am because we are.’ Take this with you. Work as a team and identify people’s strengths and weaknesses—make sure you have people in the right places to get the best from them. As I’m sure you’ve heard, the Sydney to Hobart is not an easy race. As you know, you can never be over-prepared. There’s always something more you can do to get yourself or the boat ready. To succeed in “The Great Race,” you’re going to need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Move beyond your comfort zone and surround yourself with people that have more knowledge than you. Your football coach will instill a mindset that will eventually prove to be invaluable. He will push you to work smarter, and train. It’s gritty but it will help you get the best out of yourself. Your reward will be incredible adventures. One last thing, in 2021 you’ll be chomping at the bit to start the race. I can’t go into why, but 2020’s race will be canceled. Stay focused. You’ll be sailing onboard the TP52, Gweilo, and things are looking good for the team. Even though there will be a lot of other boats in the fleet who are also pumped, just keep putting in the hard work. Good luck and sail smart, P.S. Definitely move to Sydney—you’ll thank me later. READ MORE

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF The Key To Winning The Sydney Hobart For North’s Billy Sykes Is Teamwork The sailors and designers in the world of North Sails are some of the most inspiring people on the water, and we’re hoping to share more of their story with you. “Letter to my younger self” is a series told from our North Sails ambassadors. In each article we bring to life their advice and personal journeys centered around the question: if your “now-self” could give your “younger self” advice, what would it be? Dear 20-Year-Old Billy, After a couple of years off, we’re back in 2021 to race in the 76th Sydney to Hobart! And, boy, am I excited. Heading into this year’s race, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous (the good kind of nervous), so I wanted to share with you some advice on how to get from where you are now to where I am today. First off, stand up for yourself, but also be flexible and honest. Attitude and preparation are everything to being successful. This will help you out in all areas of your life, but never more so than in the Sydney to Hobart. Preparation is key to that race. The boat and the team with the best equipment have the best shot at winning the Melbourne Cup of Offshore (yes, I realize I just compared horse racing to offshore sailing but as we all know, just because you’re the favourite doesn’t mean you’ll win the race!). Over the years, things might get a little bumpy, but trust me when I say: Always stay open minded to other ways of skinning a cat. Just because you have an opinion on the best way to do things, when it comes to family, business, and sport- it’s all about teamwork! This will save you a lot of headaches if you abide by this advice. Be honest, trustworthy, and loyal. Always give 100% to the team. Remember, to win this race, teamwork is key. Back everyone up and be prepared for the next sail change, watch change, or whatever change happens next! Sydney to Hobart is a special race for a multitude of reasons but one that stands out is it’s all about challenging yourself. Sailing on the TP52, Gweilo, on the edge for two or three days… offshore… is challenging. But, wow, it’s fun. Dad will continue to inspire you over the years. He’ll take ’21 off but we all know he’ll be back in 2022. He’s lost count on how many races, but we think he’s up to 30+ Sydney to Hobarts now! Hopefully, he has a few races left to go and I can’t wait to do one race with him. Billy, you must believe in the big picture and never give up. Let your dad be your inspiration—he’s the most loyal, hardworking man you’ll ever meet. Enthusiasm, teamwork and a positive attitude will give you a ‘cutting edge’ in life. Never give up and keep pushing the boat; remember, you can always sail faster. Use your expertise from North Sails to guide sailors into using and developing their current sail configurations. Also don’t hesitate to recommend new sails to help keep evolving faster sails, and quicker modes sailing offshore. One last thing, do not be surprised when you hit no wind off Tasman Island after being fire hosed for over 500 miles! And, as always, relish in the support and love from your family – Abbey makes all this possible. Keep sailing and stay excited, READ MORE

VX ONE 2021-22 WINTER UPDATE Updated Tuning Guide + Winter Series Webinar With Mike Marshall And Austin Powers This guide for the VX One has been developed through extensive testing, tuning, and practical racing experience by some of the top sailors in the country. New changes in the class and developments in sailcloth and sail design technology continue to bring about improvements in the VX One’s performance, and North Sails is an important part of these innovations. While we can’t guarantee you immediate victory on the racecourse by following this guide, we can assure you that you’ll be taking a big step in the right direction! New Tuning Guide Numbers The main update to the VX One tuning guide is the tighter check stays as the wind speed increases. The check stays now start at 11 on your PT-1 and will take an added 0.5 turn with every step-up on the guide. This means that the new “steps” are 2 full on the Caps, 1 full on the Intermediates, and 0.5 on the Checks. WIND SPEED Knots CAP SHROUDS (# of turns from base) INTERMEDIATE SHROUDS (# of turns from base) CHECK STAYS (# of turns from base) 0-8 -2 -1 -0.5 8-10 (BASE) BASE (28 on PT-1) BASE (18 on PT-1) BASE (11 on PT-1) 10-12 2 1 0.5 12-14 4 2 1 14-16 6 3 1.5 16-18 8 4 2 18-20 10 5 2.5 20-22 12 6 3 22+ 14 7 3.5 Note: This tuning is for the boats with Southern Spars masts. For the boats with CST masts, the base tune for the cap shrouds is 30 on the PT-1. Everything else remains the same. CREW WEIGHT: 430 lbs ANGLE CAR POSITION SHEETING ANGLE Knots DISTANCE FROM CENTERLINE (# of turns from base) 5 degrees 193 SWEET SPOT 260 7.5 degrees 290 10 degrees 386 Full Tuning Guide Let’s Talk VX One 2021-22 Winter Series – Webinar Catch up with North Sails Experts Austin Powers and Mike Marshall in the webinar below. Shop VX One Sails READ MORE

Sydney Hobart Tool Kit The Rolex Sydney-Hobart is fast approaching. Does your team have what it takes to take on this 628nm race? Here is what you should know before you leave the dock. Created just for you, by your local team of offshore racing experts.   Provisioning Sarah O’Kane from Shorebase Logistics is familiar with this race and many like it. Hear more on what’s important when it comes to properly provisioning before any offshore marathon, like the Sydney-Hobart.   Learn More   Crew Watch Systems To get the best out of everyone while racing the boat hard around the clock, the skipper or sailing master needs a clear view of each crew member’s skill sets.   Learn More   Navigating Australian summers can make for the ultimate offshore experience. Be prepared for everything with Chris Bedford, world renowned sailing meteorologist with 30+ years of experience and expertise in marine and coastal meteorology.   Learn More   Reefing Systems Sailing in big breeze can be fun, exciting, maybe stressful, and expensive when things go wrong. Reefing a sail quickly and easily when the breeze comes on is key to looking after your sails and your crew.   Learn More Post-Race Sail Service Crossed the finish line and need a sail repair? North Sails Certified Service Experts will be onsite and ready to get your sails repaired so you can get back in action.   Learn More Winning The Delivery Back Home Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. From the start of the delivery trip all the way to the starting line of the race, here’s what you need to know.   Learn More   READ MORE

J-70 KLASSEMESTERSKAB 2021 I oktober i år blev J-70 klassemesterskabet afholdt i Århusbugten, arrangeret af Århus sejlklub. 23 danske besætninger var mødt frem til weekendens kapsejladser samt et enkelt svensk hold, altid flittige og stabile Pro4you med Patrik Forsgren ved roret. Flere af holdene havde sidst siddet i båden ved J-70 EM i Skovshoved sidst på sommeren. Der havde de prøvet at måle sig med nogle af verdens bedste teams. Der er stadig et stykke vej før de danske hold bliver rigtig farlige på den internationale racerbane, men med udviklingen i klassen vil niveauet uden tvivl løfte sig de næste par år. Den forsvarende danske mester, Henrik Søderlund, var på deltagerlisten. CrewYou med Chris Nørregaard havde indskiftet Morten Henriksen (3. plads EM) og OL guldvinder Anne-Marie Rindom havde samlet et hold. Det endte med at Bo Bøje Pedersen, Joachim Aschenbrenner, Morten Halkier og Kristian Kvid Sørensen fandt gearet og vandt DM med under halvdelen af de point (6 point) andenpladsen Pro4You havde samlet sammen (14 Point). Vejrudsigten så en smule bekymrende ud med kraftig vind fredag og søndag. Derfor var baneleder ikke i tvivl om at lørdag var kostbar og fik effektivt afviklet 6 gode sejladser. Det gik som forudset og al sejlads blev aflyst søndag. North Sails har sejl på alle bådene i top 5. Med en gennemarbejdet trimguide og nogle gode resultater, er der ikke nogen vej uden om North Sails, siger trimmer og sejlmager fra North Sails, Kristian Kvid Sørensen og griner. Førstepladsen sejlede med F1 Storsejl, J2+ fok og AP-1 AirX spiler. Link til resultatlisten READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: KELSEY TOSTENSON Get To Know Your Local Service Expert How long have you been sailing and what classes do you compete in? I started sailing optimist dinghies in 2008 and was instantly hooked on the sport. I sailed skiffs in high school, but now primarily sail keelboats. What boats/classes do you sail? I own a Wylie Wabbit, one of San Francisco’s local one design fleets, and do a lot of sailing on Express 27’s, Moore 24’s, etc. When it comes to keel boats, I sail a lot on Santa Cruz 50’s, J111’s, J125’s and other similar boats. What got you into the marine industry? I started working in the marine industry in high school as a receptionist at a local boatyard during the week, and a junior sailing coach on the weekends. When I was 17, I was looking for a change and my long time sailing mentor offered me a job learning to make sails. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? My favorite thing about sailing is driving (especially offshore at night). I also really love the social component of the sailing community and the sense of camaraderie found in the teamwork on keelboat programs. What are you most looking forward to with joining North Sails? The North Sails team has such a deep wealth of knowledge. I am really excited to learn as much as possible from my coworkers all over the world. The San Francisco loft had previously been without a service person, so the prospect of expanding North’s impact on the Bay’s sailing community as a leader in service work is something that I am really passionate about. One of my favorite things about being a sail maker is building close relationships with my customers and living vicariously through their battle stories on the water. I am very excited to start building those personal relationships here. I feel very lucky to be a part of the North team, and to have the opportunity to build something really special here in San Francisco. READ MORE

LEARN TO LOVE SAILING IN HEAVY AIR If Sailing In Breeze Isn’t Your Strong Suit, You Are Not Alone © Barracuda Communications When I was about ten years old I starting racing sailboats on Cape Cod and the sound of the wind whistling overnight through the pine trees outside my bedroom would make it hard to sleep. Even the next morning I’d have a knot in my stomach when I woke. Forty years later, I still get the knot in my stomach with just the thought of sailing in heavy air but luckily, I’ve learned more about the technique and in turn, have become more confident when it comes to heavy air sailing. If sailing in a strong breeze intimidates you, you are not alone, but you can learn to get better at it and actually start to dominate in the breeze. Here are some tips to help shake your nerves and get you confident for that next heavy air event. Wear a Lifejacket Seems pretty basic, but there was a day when wearing a lifejacket was not as prevalent as it is now. As soon as the breeze comes up, put one on yourself and make it mandatory that your crew do the same. It will give you more confidence to be more aggressive in moving around on deck and when trimming/pumping your sails. And it’s the right thing to do. Know your Settings Once you are out on the water and it starts blowing, there is no time to be figuring out how many turns to go up on the rig. Be sure to pre-measure your rig tension and know how many turns it takes to get to your heavy air settings for each wind speed. Setup your Boat so it’s Easy In all boats, flat is fast in breeze. It’s also important to keep the boat on an even angle of heel. If the boat is constantly heeling over you tend to use more rudder which creates drag, which will eventually cause the boat to stall out head to wind. Concepts to keep in mind: Set Up for Twist. Tight leeches on the main and jib will make the boat more sensitive to tipping over each time you get a puff. To induce twist: Sail with the backstay VERY firm Ease the main and jib (simultaneously) Vang on hard if effective on your boat. This will flatten the lower portion of the main and open the lower leech Play the sails. Play the main especially to keep the boat on an even angle of heel. The smaller the boat the more you play your sheets. Keep the traveller on or slightly above the centerline. Try not to Hit Waves Dead-on. If you do, at least make sure the boat is flat. Back when I learned to sail the mantra with steering in waves was to “head up the face of the wave and bear off on the backside of it. Today we use as little rudder as possible to steer around the big sets. Inevitably, you will hit waves, and some straight on. When you do, be sure your boat is flat. The boat will stop, but if it is flat it will not slip sideways as much. Have fun. Sailing in heavy air is exhilarating. Enjoy the process of getting better each time you go out in a breeze! READ MORE

SAIL RECUTS & ALTERATION METHODS Benefits, Usage, and Common Examples We don’t hear much about sail recutting and alterations, although it is still a big part of the sailmaking world. Because sail fabrics have improved dramatically over the years with sail shape holding and chafe-free components (like 3Di), the days of major recuts are not as prominent as they were in the days of strictly laminates, Dacron, and polyester sail materials. However, many clients worldwide are getting sail alterations, and altering sail shape has not only helped them optimize their inventory, it has given new life to sails that are in perfectly usable condition, but perhaps retired from high-level racing programs. Noel Drennan, One Design Manager based in Sydney, Australia commented; “In the early days of Dacron and Kevlar cloth, racing yachts required constant recutting to keep the sails close to their original racing shape– and we are glad those days are over!” Why a recut? Recutting a racing sail usually starts with getting a photograph of the sail while the sail is in use while sailing in its correct wind range. We take a series of sail scan images from the foot up and compare those images to its original, intended flying shape. The measurements are also compared to the original dimensions so we know what has changed in sail shape. The principles of recutting to keep the sails at premium racing shape is still the same as the old days but the recut is substantially less often and down to the smallest increments of change required, which is a fraction of what it used to be with only traditional sail materials. North Sails 3Di has an incredible composite structure which prevents delamination like that of a string-type sail. Delamination is another common reason why a client would request a recut. Noel comments; “It’s nice to know that any reshaping or alterations of your sail is not wasted on a failing base structure, rather the normal up-keep and maintenance required to help a materials lifespan.” 📸 Ian Roman Ben Costello, Service Manager based in Auckland, New Zealand comments; “Sometimes getting a sail recut from another boat to fit is a great option. For some owners, a new 3Di type product for racing may be above their budget, but because many high-level grand prix teams (often found in the TP52 fleet) replace their sails more frequently, it doesn’t mean their one-year old sails are no longer usable or have lost integrity. Their sails still have plenty of life left, and are perfect for a club racing team that has a tighter budget. A small recut or luff curve adjustment to get the sail to fit their type of boat can be cost effective and can help the team achieve more speed and better results.” With restricted class rules, when it comes to the number of sails, recutting is a great way to get the most of what you already have, just slightly modified to be class approved/ or better usage potential instead of going out and buying a completely new sail. This also applies to boat owners who find themselves with a similar boat but slightly different. If it’s close to the same size, and same luff and foot dimensions, the sail can most likely be recut to fit the new boat, or made into something that the new boat can use. Examples of common recuts Common recuts consist of horizontal cuts or seam alterations, also referred to as ‘moon pie’ alterations which are either lengthening the material or taking up (cutting shorter). When a sail has seen three or more seasons, this is when this type of recut would most commonly take place as the sail has experienced extensive UV exposure and shrinkage. An example of a sail recut would consist of a larger grand prix style boat that wants to add a little luff curve to their light air headsail. When the sails are used more often, and for different things, it is not uncommon to see them in the loft to add a little bit of extra to certain areas of the sail, which in turn allows the increase in performance. A Kerr 40 jib at TWS at 11 knots. Image taken before sail recut, showing the degradation in the target light air flying shape. Standard sail recuts often occur every two years. For an older sail where the base material is still in good shape, a small recut can still make great improvements in performance. Everytime the sail is used, it causes wear of some kind. This can affect the shape of a sail; be it from hitting a stanchion on every tack, pressing on spreaders, maneuvering around radar, or even a mast light. These can cause the sail to hook or dump off on the leech-end. We can refer to a genoa for example. You could get a small take-up on the material under a patch which can easily help straighten the leech. Another example of a sail recut would consist of a larger grand prix style boat that wants to add a little luff curve to their light air #1 jib/genoa. When the sails are used more often, and for different things, it is not uncommon to see them in the loft to add a little bit of extra to certain areas of the sail. Ben comments; “Often we have customers that change their forestay set up to a furling system. This is when we would cut down the existing headsails to fit on the furler and then convert a racing jib to have a hollow-down near the tack to connect to the furling unit. A common alteration we’ve seen lately is adding reefs to headsails to help fill in a gap that some boats have in their inventory, especially for shorthanded sailing where they need less sail area and reefing is easier to do underway than a full jib change. Sometimes clients get new masts, which mean they need to make their existing sails fit the new mast height. This is all part of maintaining balance of the boat, allowing more or less rake.” Spinnakers often get resized for a variety of reasons. A more common scenario of this is reducing or increasing the sail area to fit the type and usage of the boat, to minimize or maximize power. A sail recut that would make the spinnaker smaller and more manageable, and be ideal when the boat sails shorthanded. Sometimes boats end up with kites that are made for larger boats. After testing it out, the client may realize it’s just too much and the boat is overpowered. This could entail simply removing a panel from the spinnaker to make it slightly smaller, and fit better into the size range for that size boat. The Kerr 40 jib at TWS at 12 knots. This image is after the sail recut.The sail is flying at its original design depth and profile. “An alteration we’ve done lately is adding reefs to headsails to help fill in a gap that some boats have in their inventory, especially for shorthanded sailing where they need less sail area and reefing is easier to do underway than a full jib change. Sometimes clients get new masts, which mean they need to make their existing sails fit the new mast height. This is all part of maintaining balance of the boat, allowing more or less rake. Spinnakers often get resized for a variety of reasons. A more common scenario of this is reducing or increasing the sail area to fit the type and usage of the boat, to minimize or maximize power. A sail recut that would make the spinnaker smaller and more manageable , and be the result of having less hands onboard. Or maybe a client has a spinnaker for a slightly larger boat, and wants the kite to be a bit smaller so they are not overpowered. This could entail simply removing a panel from the spinnaker. Sail recuts and alterations are as important as maintaining sail servicing, says Noel. “This is the best way to maximize the lifespan of your investment. Sail servicing should not be thought as just repairing tears in the cloth– it’s way more than that. It’s amazing what little changes we can make to sails by recutting that affects the overall performance of the boat and helps clients who are looking for some in between, competitive inventory options.” 📸 Amory Ross / North Sails READ MORE

CRUISING MULTIHULL Q+A Loads, Sail Selection & Recommendations 📸 Amory Ross Q: How do sails for cruising multihulls differ from that of a cruising monohull? A: Because a multihull does not heel and release the wind load when the pressure hits, multihull sails must be able to handle higher wind loads than monohull sails. This means every aspect of multihull sails and rigging must be up-specked compared to a monohull. Mainsails generally have more roach, spinnakers are a little flatter in cut, and headsails tend to be smaller and more substantial, as it is the one sail used across the wind ranges. Q: Why is sail selection important for a cruising multihull? A: The wind load increases quickly on multihulls, and you need sails that are built to handle the load spike when the apparent wind moves forward. Know the limits of your sails and their intended wind range and angle of sailing. Every boat will be different, but understanding your sailing angles and crossovers are vital to getting the most out of your boat and also having a safe and more enjoyable sailing experience. Q: What are some of the go-to sails that you recommend for a performance cruising catamaran? A: The G-zero is an excellent versatile downwind option. It has a massive range of use and can be sheeted in quite hard for lighter wind well forward of the beam and used right through the wind range up to say 25 knots true when eased out and tweaked forward. With such a wide range of use, the G-zero cruising gennaker makes it perfect for cruising multihulls. Plus, it is easy to furl away and small to stow. The G2 cruising gennaker is a great running option with plenty of horsepower; if you want to cover miles, this is the best sail to get downwind. Square top mains with head release systems get you low down horsepower, great for coastal cruising and reaching and downwind. The automatic twist of the head can assist when going to windward in more extreme or gusty conditions. 📸 Amory Ross Q: Can you have too many sails? A: Yes, you can have too many sails. Ideally your sailmaker would design a wardrobe that gives you crossover points and sailing angles that cover the full sailing range. It would be best if you also had a plan for how to stow the sails onboard. Ideally, you will create your plan before getting your inventory so you can organize them below deck to protect them from the elements and access them with ease. Q: What about storm sails for multihulls? A: Even though they hardly ever get used, storm sails are important. Again, a plan is required so you can access this sail if you need to. For example, if you have three reefs in the main and can easily set up and deploy a storm jib, you will gain more balance and be able to control the boat in 40+ knots of wind. A storm jib can get you to a safe harbor to ride out bad weather if needed. Q: How do you decide on sailcloth for various sails on a cruising catamaran? A: The first thing to consider is the environment the sails are going to be subjected to in particular humidity. The strength of breeze for the region the boat is planning on sailing can have an impact also. For instance, global cruisers who want to cross oceans short-handed need super durable sails and engineered for the worst, but someone spending most of their time in the light winds of Asia would appreciate a lighter suit of sails. Q: Some of our multihull owners have 3Di sails. What are 3Di sails and why are they a great product for my type of boat? A: 3Di sails are very lightweight, easy to handle, have a long lifespan, and excellent shape retention. Best of both worlds! 3Di sails have a monolithic structure. They’re made over a 3D mold with special materials that don’t delaminate (ever) because of the unique fabrication process. Q: What other sail technologies can I get for my performance cruising catamaran? A: 3Di Downwind sails are evolving from racing technology and making a very light and durable downwind option, which is excellent in tropical conditions. Performance sails that are suitable for both extended cruising and racing in all climates is a considerable shift in the cruising multihull market. The traditional compromise to make a choice, either way, has almost gone with 3Di ENDURANCE and 3Di OCEAN products. Sail hardware continues to evolve, and there is a trickle-down from the French racing boats. Reef locks are a useful feature that is suitable for ocean passages when you need to relieve the load from the reef lines and prevent wear. Q: What can multihull sailors do to make sailing easier for short-handed crews? A: User-friendly furling systems and partial furling can be a great way to step down the horsepower. Correctly sized torque cables make a big difference to downwind furling sails and can be added to older sails. Reef-able headsail structures give you more options to balance the boat quickly and reduce power. Look for well-spaced reefs to help your team; smaller, incremental changes in reefing are not suitable for short-handed setups. Q: How about sail trim? What key tips can you offer to trim sails on a cruising catamaran to get optimal performance? A: With the mainsail, there isn’t a vang, so it can over twist easily. Watch your leech telltales, and in a moderate breeze sheet in until they fly at least 50% of the time. A tweaker outboard on the boom can help control excessive leech twist and stop boom pump and accidental jibes. With the headsails, slide tracks forward when the sails are eased, or tweak the sail outboard and down to control the leech, just like the main. Stop pumping and over twisting to avoid the upper leech shaking and fatiguing. Q: I need new sails for my boat. What are your recommendations on how to get a new suit of sails for my multihull? A: Talk to your sailmaker. Discuss your needs and wants and how your current sails have performed and any aspects that you would like to improve. Tell them about your planned sailing and common conditions you experience. With that information, they will evaluate your entire sail wardrobe. Your sailmaker will look at what you have, assess what you need for what type of sailing you are doing, and plan when you will need to replace any sails in the future.From there, they’ll design your new multihull sails to best suit your ideal wind range and sailing angles. Every sail is custom designed and built, which gives your sailmaker the opportunity to truly optimize your inventory. Be open-minded to your sailmakers’ suggestions as everything keeps evolving and improving. There may be gains to be made that ultimately will result in a safer and more enjoyable cruising experience. Interested in cruising sails for your multihull? Contact your nearest North Sails expert today! READ MORE

OPTIMIST V-SERIES QUICK TUNING TABLE Important Settings for Key Performance Power your new North Sails Optimist V-Series mainsail for speed following the recommendations on this quick tuning guide. BASE SETTINGS Sail ties can be adjusted in the range of 1-5mm in light wind and heavy wind to have comfortable depth and shape. LIGHT WIND: Smaller space at the middle so that leech becomes easier open. HEAVY WIND: Wider space at the middle so that you can make the shape comfortably flat enough to reduce the power. Sail Ties Top 2 mm Middle 2 mm Bottom 2 mm * Parallel to the mast. Distance of space distribution to be made from top to the bottom. Adjustment is required only for suitable sail shape (depth) for each condition and to be done only when needed. These are sometimes required depending on mast stiffness and sailor’s weight, but only when if needed. BASIC TRIM Wind Range 0-8 knots 8-12 knots 12-16 knots 16-24 knots 25+ knots Mast Rake 2780 – 2800 mm 2770 – 2790 mm 2770 – 2780 mm 2750 – 2760mm 2790±10mm Sprit Wrinkles Some Wrinkles A Few Wrinkles Wrinkles Wrinkles Vang No tension in upwind Light tension in upwind Tension Lots of tension Cleat with main sheet trimming harder Prebender 2 turns / Some Slack at Luff 2 turns / Some Slack at Luff No Wrinkle at Luff Tension on Luff Tension on Luff Center Board Max Max Max 0-50 mm up 30-70 mm up OUTHAUL CONTROL – VERY IMPORTANT FOR KEY PERFORMANCE! You have to pay attention to the outhaul to adjust it properly according to the conditions and sailors weight. You need to find the best position that fits your weight, mast rake( boom position), sea status, weather helm feeling for each condition. Playing outhaul in the range of 20mm at the boom end. Ease it maximum in 10-14knots and clew end has to be located 30-40mm away from the boom end. FLAT WATER – Trim 10mm more than the normal position. LIGHT / VERY STRONG WIND – Bottom to be flattened comfortably. READ MORE

ÅRETS MEDALJSKÖRD: 28 SM-MEDALJER I 19 OLIKA KLASSER! Inget är roligare än att se våra kunder på prispallen Säsongen 2021 erövrades 28 SM-medaljer med hjälp av våra segel. På bilden: Årets svenska mästare i Fareast 28R. Och när vi nu summerar säsongen och tar en närmare titt på årets resultatlistor kan vi konstatera att vi har mycket att glädjas över. Den gångna säsongen har nämligen våra segel använts för att bärga 28 SM-medaljer – varav elva guld – i 19 olika entypsklasser. Fantastiskt kul! Stort grattis till alla pristagare – och ett ännu större tack till alla er som valt våra segel. Vi är stolta över att vara er segelmakare! North Sails SM-lista 2021: C55: 1 CB66: 1, 3 Drake: 1, 3 Double Handed Offshore Mixed: 2* Express: 2 Fareast 28R: 1, 2 Formula 18: 3 IF: 1, 2 J24: 1, 2 J70: 1, 2, 3 Mälar 22: 1** Melges 24: 1, 2, 3 Neptunkryssare: 2 Folkbåt: 3 Smaragd: 2 Snipe: 3 Starbåt: 1 606: 2 2.4mR: 1 * Även den vinnande besättningen hade ett flertal North-segel ombord. Men de var utvecklade för andra förhållanden än de som rådde under SM och kom inte till användning. ** Storsegel från North Sails, genua från annan segelmakare, om sanningen ska fram. READ MORE

VILKET CRUISINGSEGEL ÄR BÄST FÖR JUST DIG? North Sails har ett alternativ för alla typer av cruisingsegling North Sails har en helt dominerande roll på världens kappseglingsbanor. Det gäller på alla nivåer – i Sverige såväl som globalt – men det är som allra tydligast i de riktigt stora sammanhangen som Americas Cup, The Ocean Race (tidigare Volvo Ocean Race) eller Vendee Globe. Men nu ska vi prata om något helt annat, nämligen cruisingsegel. Eller… ”helt annorlunda” var kanske ingen bra formulering. Visst, det är klart att prestanda, i betydelsen maximal fart, sällan är högsta prioritet för en cruisingseglare. Men prestanda är så mycket mer än bara fart. Det är det som gör att din båt inte lutar lika mycket, får mindre avdrift och blir lättare på rodret. Det gör seglingen enklare och roligare. Och att även farten ökar kan ju i vart fall inte vara någon nackdel. Dessutom är det så att utvecklingen även på cruisingsidan bygger på erfarenheter och teknologier från racingsidan. Nya material och tillverkningsmetoder har gjort det möjligt att minska vikten på cruisingsegel samtidigt som styrkan och livslängden har ökat. De håller formen längre än någonsin och den låga vikten gör dem lättare att hissa, lättare att beslå och lättare att rulla in och ut. Och prestandan är skyhögt bättre än vad någon kunnat föreställa sig för bara några år sedan. Betyder det här att ”äldre” teknologier har spelat ut sin roll? Absolut inte. Vårt sortiment av cruisingsegel omfattar allt från från traditionella dacronsegel och radialskurna laminatsegel till 3D-gjutna kompositsegel – och alla har en roll att fylla. Det gäller bara att matcha rätt segel med rätt behov. Och hur gör man då det? Hur ska man tänka? Det ska vi försöka reda ut i den här artikeln. Vi kommer gå igenom de olika segelteknologierna, förklara vad som skiljer dem från varandra och tipsa om hur du kan få ner urvalet till en hanterbar nivå. Vilken segeltyp ska jag välja? Ibland är valet enkelt. Har du en Albin Vega eller en Amigo 27 finns det egentligen ingen anledning att överväga annat än ett klassiskt dacronsegel. Skulle du istället ha en Hallberg-Rassy 64 kan vi omöjligt rekommendera något annat än 3Di. Men har du en båt av mer genomsnittlig storlek blir valet svårare. I många fall är faktiskt samtliga produktlinjer – från dacron till bakade 3Di-segel – fullt tänkbara alternativ. Inte konstigt om det kan kännas svårt. För att kunna ta reda på vilket segel som är bäst för just dig och din båt behöver vi få svar på en rad frågor. Några av dessa är rent tekniska och handlar om vilka material som kan hantera de krafter som dina segel kommer utsättas för. Här får du helt enkelt lita på oss. Men det finns också en rad överväganden av mer subjektiv karaktär. Det är frågor som bara du kan besvara: – Vad har du för båt? Och hur använder du den? Din båt och de krafter som den genererar är alltid utgångspunkten för valet av segel. Likaså hur och var du seglar. Södra oceanen ställer förstås helt andra krav än Mälaren. – Vad har du förväntningar på slitstyrka och livslängd? Slitstyrka är förmågan att motstå fladder, nötning, UV-ljus och annat som är skadligt för segel. Med livslängd menas i det här sammanhanget hur länge det håller ihop rent fysiskt. – – Hur viktigt är prestanda? Prestanda är inte bara ett mått på båtfart, utan även hur båten beter sig i varierande vindar. Mindre krängning och mer fart ger bekvämare segling. Bra prestanda kräver ett formstabilt segel som bibehåller den designade formen även under hård press. En annan viktig aspekt är formlivslängd, och med det menas hur länge det dröjer innan seglets form försämras på ett märkbart sätt. – Hur värderar du låg vikt? Allt annat lika är lätta segel snabbare än tunga. Lätta segel även är lättare att beslå, vika och stuva undan. Dessutom är de tunnare, vilket underlättar in- och utrullning av exempelvis rullstorsegel. – Vad har du för budget? Det skiljer mycket i pris mellan våra olika segelkonstruktioner. Och den gamla regeln att man brukar få ungefär vad man betalar för gäller även här. Men vi brukar ofta kunna hitta lösningar som gör det möjligt att komma ner lite i pris. För många lite mindre båtar är exempelvis ett storsegel i dacron och en fock i något mer avancerat material en bra kombination som ger väldigt mycket värde för pengarna. När du gått igenom frågorna och är överens med dig själv kan vi börja titta på vilket eller vilka alternativ som bäst matchar just dina behov, krav och förväntningar. Som du kommer se har du en hel del att välja bland.    NPC CROSS-CUT Vi börjar med det mest klassiska av alla segel: det gamla hederliga dacronseglet. Det är ofta ett alldeles utmärkt alternativ för små och medelstora båtar. Duken består av vävd, väftorienterad polyester som är starkare på tvären än på längden. Därav de liggande panelerna. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Oöverträffad. Tål det mesta och kan hålla ihop i decennier. – Prestanda: Bra när seglet är nytt, men du får räkna med stora formförändringar när seglet åldras. – Vikt. Förhållandevis tungt. Det är inget som helst problem på mindre båtar men en klar nackdel på större, inte minst hanteringsmässigt. NPC RADIAN En utveckling av det klassiska dacronseglet. Samma material men duken är vävd på ett sätt som gör den starkare på längden än tvären. Det gör den lämpad för så kallad radialskärning, vilket resulterar i en märkbar förbättring av formstabilitet och prestanda. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Utmärkt. Det här är ett segel som håller i många, många år. – Prestanda: Riktigt bra när seglet är nytt, men formen förändras i takt med att det används. – Vikt. Inte lätt – men lättare än motsvarande crosscut-segel. NPL TOUR - NorLam Xi Cruise Nästa steg uppåt på utvecklingsstegen innebär att vi går över till laminerad segelduk. NPL TOUR är ett radialskuret segel i en duk som vi kallar Xi Cruise. Den består av ett inre lager mylarfilm och aramid, omgivet av ett lager polyester. Aramidfibern (även känd som kevlar) håller nere vikten och minskar töjningen medan det yttre lagret skyddar mot nötning, fladder och UV-ljus. Ett bra alternativ för mellanstora cruisingbåtar som vill ha bra prestanda till rimligt pris. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Inte lika lång livslängd som dacron, men seglet åldras på ett bra sätt. – Prestanda: Ett rejält kliv uppåt jämfört med dacron. – Vikt. Medium. Klart lättare än dacron. NPL TOUR ULTRA - NorLam Ultra-X Seglet byggs i våra så kallade Ultra X-dukar och rekommenderas för mellanstora båtar och uppåt. Den stora skillnaden gentemot NPL TOUR är att Ultra-X innehåller UltraPE-fiber, en högmodulär och oerhört stark fiber. Duken och tillverkningsmetoden är kostsam, vilket avspeglar sig i priset, men resultatet är klart förbättrad prestanda och längre livslängd. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Utmärkt. – Prestanda: Mycket hög, tack vare UltraPE-fibern. – Vikt. Medium. NPL SPORT - NorLam Ultra XC Det här är en duk som utvecklats för stora cruisingbåtar. Den liknar Ultra-X, som vi precis har pratat om, men här är även kolfiber med i mixen. Kolfiber används som bekant i en rad sammanhang där låg vikt och hög styrka är viktiga egenskaper, och det utmärker även dessa segel. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Utmärkt. – Prestanda: Väldigt bra, på gränsen till enastående. – Vikt: Medium. Lättare än Ultra X, men för att få bra livslängd har vi byggt in mycket fibrer i konstruktionen så den är inte lätt. Och nu… i 3D! Så här långt har vi gått igenom våra panelsegel. De tillverkas på ganska traditionellt sätt och alla segelmakare kan erbjuda liknande konstruktioner. Men när vi börjar närma oss finalen kommer vi in på den unika 3Di-teknologin som bara vi på North Sails har tillgång till. 3Di-seglen lanserades kommersiellt 2010 och innebar ett radikalt brott mot alla tidigare kända metoder för segeltillverkning. Ett 3Di-segel är en gjuten kompositkonstruktion, och seglet byggs på samma sätt som ett båtskrov: Ren, riktad fiber mättad med en tvåkomponents härdplast läggs upp på en tredimensionell form, där det vakuumbakas under värme. När seglet härdat har det omvandlats till ett enda homogent material. 3Di-teknologin utvecklades ursprungligen för kappsegling, men idag har vi även tre cruisingmodeller som tillsammans täcker hela spannet från mindre kölbåtar till superyachts. Seglen byggs på exakt samma sätt som våra mest extrema racingsegel, men de baseras på mer rubusta material som polyester, dyneema och i vissa fall aramid. Med 3Di ställs en del invanda begrepp och föreställningar på ända. Det klassiska motsatsförhållandet mellan prestanda och livslängd håller exempelvis på att lösas upp. Med ett 3Di-segel går det faktiskt att få båda delarna. 3Di OCEAN 330 Ett 3Di OCEAN 33o-segel byggs helt i polyester. Det är lämpligt för cruisingbåtar upp till ca 45 fot och för clubracing, shorthand-kappsegling mm i båtar upp till cirka 40 fot. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Fantastisk. Innehåller ingen mylar så seglet kan inte delaminera. – Prestanda: Mycket bra. Inte i nivå med våra mer racingbetonade 3Di-segel, men formstabiliteten är jämförbar med ett bra membransegel från någon av våra konkurrenter. – Vikt: Medium. 3Di OCEAN 370 Någonstans kring 45 - 50 fot fot är krafterna på seglen så stora att de överstiger gränsen för vad enbart polyester kan hantera. Med 3Di OCEAN 370 kommer förutom polyester även UltraPE-fibrer in i bilden. Därmed ökar både styrkan och formstabiliteten väsentligt, samtidigt som vikten och tjockleken hålls nere. 3Di OCEAN 370 är lämpligt för båtar upp till cirka 60 fot. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Enastående, särskilt jämför med andra segelkonstruktioner med liknande prestanda. – Prestanda: Mycket, mycket bra. – Vikt: Medium. 3Di OCEAN 700 Toppmodellen i 3Di OCEAN-familjen. Här är UltraPE grundfibern, med aramid i områden med särskilt höga krafter. Hög formstabilitet i kombination med enorm stryktålighet och lång livslängd gör detta till det självklara förstahandsvalet för båtar från 60 fot och uppåt. – Slitstyrka och livslängd: Enastående. – Prestanda: Absolut toppklass. – Vikt: Medium. CONTACT YOUR EXPERT REQUEST A QUOTE READ MORE

LIVE UPDATES: THE 2021 TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE FINISH Following the Four Fleets to Martinique The Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV) departed Le Havre, France on Sunday Nov 7th, and there are four classes currently racing toward the finish in Martinique. This biennial event is a major training milestone for all the competing programs and represents a significant body of work for North Sails, especially for our colleagues in France. Of the 79 teams participating, 42 have North Sails onboard. The TJV fleets are expected to start arriving to the finish in Martinique the next few days and will trickle in throughout the next week or so. Bookmark this link and check back often for updates! RACE TRACKER   November 19, 2021, 7:01pm GMT The Transat Jacques Vabre: A Collaborative Effort at All Levels November 19, 2021, 5:45pm GMT North Sails experts cover race history and some insights for this exciting doublehanded Transatlantic challenge The 1st TJV in 1993 was a solo event from Le Havre to Cartagena, Colombia. It switched to doublehanded in 1995, and has since become known as the toughest and longest-running two-handed transatlantic race. It is sailed every two years. In 2007, the Class 40s joined the IMOCA party as a separate fleet, bringing the total number of boats (both monohull and multihull) to a record-breaking 60. In 2015, the Ultims joined the party, and we also saw the first foiling IMOCA. JP Dick won the race for a fourth time in 2017, and he still holds the record for the most wins. 2021 sees the return of the giants of the seas – the Ultims – after a gap year in 2019. All the skippers will head for La Martinique, with each of the four classes on its own route—in hope of a tightly grouped finish. Insights from North Sails Head of R&D Gautier Sergent: This race has had many faces over the years, but there are always four key defining elements: It is a grueling double-handed race often marked by violent storms. The boats are pushed to their limits. The finish is hotly contested. The finish is in a country that produces coffee! It is the “route du cafe”. This makes the TJV a wonderful testing ground for both talent and equipment. Close racing, harsh conditions, boats pushed to their maximum: what more could we ask for? The new boats, across all classes, are getting more powerful and faster. As always, power is nothing without control, and the course should be a perfect hunting ground for our Helix sails. The Helix concept was an integral part of these latest design iterations, and the conditions should further prove their improved power delivery across a wider range. 📸 11th Hour Racing Team Charlie Enright, co-skipper of 11th Hour Racing’s Malama, is sailing his second TJV. Here is what he had to say about what the race means for his team: “The TJV helps us better understand our sails because we’re going to be sailing on specific inventory combinations for extended periods of time, which is something you don’t really get a chance to do in training. In training, you’re trying to cram as much as you can into a short period of time. Hopefully, the advancements will continue with crossovers and geometries and the results will inform the development of our future sails. “It’s important that we have the most reliable sails available to us. We put them through some treacherous conditions, and we don’t want to have to think about babying them as we compete.” READ MORE

FASTER BY DESIGN REFLECTING ON THE 2021 TP52 SEASON With the end of the 2021 52 Super Series season circuit behind us, North Sails experts and designers are now gathering feedback from the teams and learning from their experiences to help refine designs and structures that will be incorporated into future seasonal development cycles. In a game of gains by millimeters rather than boat lengths, we at North are ultimately judged on the performance of our product, and in the Super Series, performance equals results. In the latest North Sails release, Grand Prix Sales Leader Paul Westlake and Sail Designers Marco Capitani and Juan Messeguer describe how North Sails has the tools, the team, and the sail technology to deliver race-winning results. READ MORE

'HOW TO' MED BOUWE BEKKING En videoserie i sju delar med inriktning på cruising Tillsammans med våra vänner på X-Yachts är vi glada att presentera en ny serie ”How To”-filmer speciellt inriktade mot cruisingsegling. Alla de sju filmerna är nu möjliga att se på North Sails YouTube-kanal. Bouwe Bekking, nederländsk proffsseglare med erfarenhet från bland annat åtta Volvo Ocean Race, tar nu steget över till cruisingvärlden för att dela med sig av sina kunskaper ombord på en X-Yacht. Tillsammans med North Sails expert Jesper Feldt guidar Bekking oss genom de viktigaste aspekterna av cruisingsegling, från manövrering av båten till trimning av de viktigaste seglen i en cruising-garderob. Filmerna spelades in på ett somrigt Öresund i närheten av Köpenhamn, och bjuder på råd och handfasta tips om hur du seglar en cruisingbåt utrustad med North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE-segel. READ MORE

Ovog vikenda na rasporedu je PH klase Melges 24 📸 regate.com.hr Od petka do nedjelje JK Mornar bit će domaćin Prvenstva Hrvatske za klasu Melges 24, a po imenima koja su najavljena za startnoj listi riječ je o vjerojatno najjačoj regati u Hrvatskoj u dugo vremena. Prije tri tjedna JK Labud je organizirao pretposljednju regatu iz ovogodišnjeg Croatian Sailing Series ciklusa i već na njoj sudjelovala je krema hrvatskog olimpijskog jedrenja. Nažalost nije bilo previše vjetra, ali u dva odjedrena plova mnogi su pokazali da su više nego spremni za kompetitivno jedrenje na najvišoj razini. Tada su izostali jedino jedriličari koji su bili spriječeni zbog nastupa na regatama u inozemstvu, ali ovaj vikend svi su oslobodili u svojim kalendarima. Natjecateljski dio trajat će tri dana, od petka do nedjelje. S obzirom na kratak dan i općenito lagane vjetrove u jesenskom periodu, realno je za očekivati da će flota na more izlaziti dosta rano. U Splitu su svjedoci tome i svi koji se tamo trenutno nalaze, jer mnoge, pogotovo domaće posade, već od početka tjedna jutra intenzivno provode u treninzima. Što se tiče konkurencije, ona će ovog puta biti pojačana i stranim posadama, a trenutna startna lista izgleda ovako: Strilica - Filip Jurišić - CRO 166 Poliklinika Nova - Ivan Kljaković Gašpić - CRO 567 Iggy - Karlo Kuret - CRO 385 Tutta Forza - Šime Fantela - CRO 643 Palmina - Bojan Vrščaj - CRO 237 Cro-a-sail - Miroslav Reljanović - CRO 782 Cezibordo - Srđan Ninčević - CRO 517 Obi Wan - Toni Bulaja - CRO 389 Panjić - Luka Šangulin - CRO 739 Blue Label - Tin Matulja - CRO 006 Melgina - Paolo Brescia - ITA 793 Lero - Ivo Kvestić - CRO 264 Joyrunner - Boris Tomić - CRO 792 Yikes - Tonči Stipanović - CRO 516 Strambapapa - Michele Paoletti - ITA 689 The Pimp - Roko Štambuk - CRO 358 Vremenska prognoza trenutno najavljuje laganije vjetrove iz skoro svih smjerova, tako da će RO imati vrlo izazovan posao ispred sebe, a možda po nekim od uvjeta bude zgodno postaviti i regatno polje ispred Sustipana što bi bilo vrlo zgodno za sve koji se tih dana nađu u blizini. READ MORE

OFFICE MANAGER (CDI, 100%) La voilerie renforce son équipe North Sails Suisse (Voiles Phi SA) fait partie du groupe international North Sails. La voilerie, avec ses 8 collaborateurs, est spécialisée dans la réalisation de voiles de bateaux, autant pour la régate que pour la croisière et recherche pour renforcer son équipe un(e) : Office Manager (CDI, 100%) Tu auras la charge des tâches administratives liées à la comptabilité ainsi qu’à l’accueil des clients. En collaboration avec les différents responsables, tu assureras le bon fonctionnement du bureau et de l’atelier. Tes responsabilités Accueil des clients (physique et téléphonique), tenue de la réception et de la caisse Gestion des stocks de fournitures et de matériel Saisie des fiches clients et des travaux d’atelier dans la base de données Facturation et lien avec la comptabilité Suivi des relations avec le Groupe (envois et commandes), les fournisseurs et les prestataires Gestion des vacances et des absences Gestion du planning de l’atelier Diverses tâches administratives (classement, courrier, prise de PV, ...) Aide à la préparation des évènements (portes ouvertes, salons nautiques, ...) Liste non-exhaustive pouvant être amenée à évoluer Ton profil Tu aimes naviguer et tu as des connaissances du monde de la voile Tu as un CFC d’employé(e) de commerce ou titre jugé équivalent Tu as 2-3 ans d’expérience dans un poste similaire avec de bonnes notions de comptabilité Ton français est irréprochable et tu as une bonne maîtrise de l’anglais (l’allemand est un gros plus) Tu maîtrises FileMaker, la suite Microsoft Office et es à l’aise avec les outils informatiques usuels Tu es rigoureux(se), proactif(ve), organisé(e) et dynamique Tu aimes travailler de manière autonome et ne crains pas de prendre tes responsabilités Tu as l’esprit commercial Nous t’offrons Un poste stable et varié au sein d’une structure dynamique à taille humaine, avec une bonne ambiance de travail La possibilité de développer tes compétences dans un cadre agréable et avec des tâches diversifiées Entrée en fonction : Début 2022, à convenir Lieu de travail : North Sails Suisse, Rue du Pré-Bouvier 5, 1242 Satigny (GE) En cas d’intérêt, fais parvenir ton dossier de candidature complet par email à info@ch.northsails.com avant le 25 novembre 2021. Les dossiers envoyés par courrier postal ne seront pas pris en compte. READ MORE

Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what classes do you compete in? I started sailing on Toronto Island in 2008, and started racing in 2012. I grew up racing in Club 420s and skiffs, and then moved into collegiate racing at Queen’s University. I also did a fair bit of keelboat sailing, both on the club circuit and with the Queen’s Sailing Team. What boats/classes do you sail? I’ve been lucky enough to race in a wide variety of classes. I’ve raced the Club 420, collegiate 420 and FJ, 29er, 49er, various asymmetrical sport boats, J/24, Beneteau 36.7, and different keelboats in the 30-40 foot range. Recently I’ve started sailing some foiling boats, including the F101 and the Waszp. What got you into the marine industry? I started coaching in 2013, and continued up until I started working at North. My coaching career started with Club 420s, and I gradually moved into coaching 29ers and collegiate sailing for the Queen’s Sailing Team. I really got hooked on sailing when I started racing, and nothing beats working on the water. Sharing my love of the sport and helping others enjoy it as much as I do has always been hugely fulfilling for me. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? That’s a really tough question, because there’s just so much to love. I really enjoy the many different technical and athletic aspects of the sport, and the social side of things is a huge highlight as well. If I had to pick one though, I’d say that my favourite thing about sailing is how beautiful it is. The boats, the sails, the water, the sky, the whole scene is so aesthetically pleasing, and I have so many vivid memories of different boats, places and people that I’ve sailed with. Even on really bad days I’ve always been able to remind myself to take a step back and enjoy the view. What are you most looking forward to with joining North Sails? Working for North is a fantastic opportunity for me, and the part I’m most excited about is the people, on both sides of the business. I’m joining a highly knowledgeable and experienced team, and I want to learn as much as I can from the experts that make up this company. I’m also looking forward to working with our customers, learning from them and hopefully helping to improve their experience of the sport. I hope to do a lot of sailing while I’m here, and I can’t wait to see where this career will take me!Contact Daniel READ MORE

Competitors from all over the World saw conditions range from 15-18 knots and high surf on day 1, to lighter breeze and big shifts as the regatta progressed. READ MORE

U petak u 21:00 starta 18. Jabuka U petak 12. studenog JK Tijat iz Vodica po osamnaesti put organizira regatu Jabuka, jednu od najduljih Jadranskih jesenskih regata. Očekuje se stotinjak posada, a za sada jedriličare očekuje lagani južin na putu prema Jabuci, te jugo u pojačanju prilikom povratka. Svima želimo dobro more i sretan povratak! READ MORE

S NS jedrima dok još jedne titule prvaka Hrvatske 📸 regate.com.hr I ovogodišnje Prvenstvo Hrvatske po ORC-u zadržalo je status najpopularnije ORC regate u Hrvatskoj, a ujedno je bila i posljednji event "po premjeru" koji se boduje za ovogodišnji CRO ORC D-Marin Cup. Organizatori su i ove godine bili članovi JK Val iz Šibenika uz suradnju s D-Marin čija marina Mandalina je bila glavna baza regate. Sudjelovalo je ukupno 15 posada, sve osim jedne posade iz Češke bile su iz Hrvatske, a češki predstavnici nisu bili u turističkom posjetu Jadranu, već je bila riječ o vrlo iskusnoj i kompetitivnoj posadi jedrilice Hebe V koji su u istom ovom akvatoriju prije dvije godine ponijeli titulu svjetskih vice šampiona u skupini ORC C. Što se tiče vremenskih prilika u Šibeniku za vikend 5. do 7. studenog nisu baš bile po volji jedriličara. Jedrenje u petak spasio je dogovor po kojem se u slučaju nepostojanja stabilnih uvjeta za jedrenje tehničkih plovova u štap polju Regatni odbor može posegnuti za organiziranjem navigacijskog jedrenja. Ovog puta puhao je lagani burin koji je bio nedovoljne snage da po njemu ORC polari kvalitetno odradi svoj posao, ali tog ograničenja nema kad je u pitanju kalkulacija rezultata po formuli Offshore TMF (Time Multiplying Factor). U njenom slučaju potrebno je samo uzeti u obzir trajanje jedrenja, a ne i duljinu rute. Rasplet tijekom ovog plova klasičan je primjer zašto su stabilni vremenski uvjeti nužni uvjet koji mora biti zadovoljen za kvalitetnu kalkulaciju rezultata po "constructed course" odnosno zašto nestabilne uvjete nije moguće kompenzirati niti jednom trenutno primjenjivanom formulom. Princip rada ORC polara je takav da oni najbolje rezultate i stvarno kvalitetnu i realnu kompenzaciju imaju kad na regatnom polju puše vjetar stalne snage i smjera. Jednako kvalitetan rezultat neće biti ako tijekom jedrenja vjetar promijeni smjer i u tom slučaju praksa je da se to jedrenje prekida, dok se oscilacija u snazi tolerira do određene mjere. Zato se prilikom unošenja parametara potrebnih za kalkulaciju ovih rezultata kao bitan element mora unijeti i smjer (kurs) vjetra. S druge strane kod navigacijskih jedrenja te elemente nije moguće unijeti u formulu što zbog duljine regatnog polja i raširenosti flote po cijeloj ruti (zbog različitih brzina i karakteristika pojedinih jedrilica), a što zbog same konfiguracije terena (otoka) gdje se jedri. Na dijelu rute gdje je otvoreno more puhat će jedan vjetar, negdje će otok raditi zaklon, između dva otoka neki kanal može "povući" itd. a s druge strane, može se desiti da na jednom dijelu rute puše jedan vjetar, a na drugom dijelu skroz suprotan. Zato se tu ne mogu koristite polari, odnosno constructed course, jer je praktički nemoguće unijeti sve relevantne parametre za svaki pojedini brod, pa se zbog toga koriste koeficijenti koji predstavljaju prosjeke raznih uvjeta koji se mogu susresti na regatnom polju. Ali o tom malo detaljnije nekom drugom prilikom. A za ovaj uvod razlog je razvoj situacije na regatnom polju na spomenutom navigacijskom plovu. Start je bio između Obonjana, Zlarina i Tijata, a prvo se morala obići bova postavljena u blizini Lupca. Nakon njenog obilaska prolazilo se kroz Zmajanski kanal, pa oko otočića Prčevca kojeg se ostavljalo lijevim bokom, te između Bavljenca i Zmajana. Zatim je trebalo ostaviti otočić Dugo s lijevim bokom, pa oko hridi Galijola (ispred ulaza u Prvić Luku), te u cilj u Zlarin. Po spomenutom laganom burinu stalno praćenom kišicom, jedrilo se sve do Prćevca. Flota se dosta razvukla i nijanse su bile presudne za bolji plasman, a očekivano su se na vrh pomalo izdvajali najveći. U dijelu regate dok je flota obilazila Prćevac vjetar okreće na levanat i vodeći nakon krme nastavljaju jedriti u oštru orcu tako jedre po sve slabijem i slabijem vjetru. To slabljenje bio je razlog da se RO odlučuje aktivirati pomoćni cilj na otočiću Dugo. Sa strane RO-a i organizatora ovo je bio dobar potez, jer je pružena šansa svim jedrilicama da dojedre do cilja, ali s druge strane dešava se klasična situacija navigacijskih regata, laganog vjetra i nekog od sustava razvrstanja, a to je da nakon korekcije manje jedrilice dobivaju mnogo bolja korigirana vremena od velikih. Ali da se nastavilo jedriti do idućeg mogućeg mjesta za postavljane pomoćnog cilja, a to je bila hrid Galijola, i nekoliko vodećih jedrilica imalo bi problema da ga dostignu, dok bi za malene to bila skoro pa nemoguća misija do zalska sunca i prekidanja jedrenja. Da bi cijela priča još više išla na ruku jedrilicama iz skupine ORC B pobrinuo se vjetar koji je drugom dijelu flote okrenuo na sjeverozapadnjak po kojem su mogli jedriti s genakerima i spinakerima dok su vodeći iz ORC A skupine istovremeno jedrili u orcu. Klasična situacija vezana uz uvodnu priču. Tako da je na kraju matematika pokazala da je Dubrovnik koji je u cilj ušao realno drugi trebao mnogo brže jedriti te završava na posljednjem mjestu, dok je u generalnom plasmanu pobjedu odnio malena Salona 34 - One koja je realno ušla u cilj 10., dok je pretposljednji Green Pepper korigirano treći. Ali to su realne situacije i svi koji jedre po ORC-u (ili po bilo kojem drugom sustavu razvrstanja) svjesni su mogućnosti takvih raspleta za vrijeme, ponavljam, nestabilnih uvjeta na regatnom polju. Subota, drugi dan regate, nije donio niti jedan novi bod na rezultatsku ljestvicu. Svi prognostički modeli najavljivali su da se neće jedriti zbog bonace, ali na kraju razlog izostanka jedrenja bilo je nekoliko nevera sa sjeveroistoka koje su bile kombinirane s vjetrom od tridesetak čvorova i obilnim kišama. Iz marine Mandalina isplovilo se već oko 9 sati, ali uvjeti su stvarno bili ekstremni i preko gornjeg limita do kojeg se jedri po ORC-u. Naime, jednako kako postoji donja granica, koja je postavljena na 6 čvorova, tako postoji i gornja koja je postavljena na 25, ali po internom dogovoru vlasnika jedrilica sudionika CRO ORC D-Marin Cupa, ta je granica spuštena na 23 čvora. Razlog je prvenstveno zbog izbjegavanja eventualne štete, nepotrebnih troškova i eventualnih ozljeda. Također treba uzeti u obzir da se ovo odnosi na uvjete na startu plova, te ako vjetar pojača za vrijeme jedrenja (naravno, ne ekstremno) jedri se do kraja. Nevere su bile relativno duge i prolazak prve se čekao u zavjetrinama od Obonjana, Zlarina i Prvića, ovisno gdje se zatekla pojedina jedrilica, dok su se u pauzi prije iduće skoro svi prebacili u Zlarinsku luku. Čekanje prolaska nevera najteže je palo najmanjima... Adriatici i Mataranu 32. Ove dvije malene jurilice nemaju na raspolaganju prostrane unutrašnjosti poput onih na ostalim krstašima, te njihove posade nemaju mogućnost skrivanja od vremenskih nepogoda, a kako problemi nikad ne dolaze sami tako se Mataran zapliće u ribarsku mrežu koja je doplivala od nekud, a Adriatica doživljava tehničke probleme na vanbrodskom motoru koji joj je jedini poriv kad ne koristi jedra. Mataranu u pomoć priskače jedan od gumenjaka RO-a, dok posada Adriatice sama uspijeva sanirati štetu, ali za povratak u Šibenik traže pomoć nekog od kolega jer po buri koja je ponovno pojačala nakon podizanja kodeksa iznad A, to je bio vrlo težak zadatak s postojećim vanbrodskim motorom. I na kraju nedjelja... Prognoza je bila slična onoj za subotu i bila je točna za prvi dio dana. Lagani burin puhao je do oko podne kad je i pokušan jedan start i kad je bilo postavljeno regatno polje. Prvi start je prekinut zbog općeg opoziva, dok se drugi pokušaj također prekida jer vjetar odlazi naglo u lijevo i prestaje regularnost. Vjetar i dalje nastavio putovati u lijevo i ubrzo se stabilizira na smjer skoro idealnog sjeverozapada. Čak je na početku i zapuhao s ugodnih 11-12 čvorova. To je bila situacija koju RO nije propustio i u 11:50 starta prvi "štap". Uvjeti su stvarno stabilni i ubrzo nakon ulaska u cilj posljednje jedrilice kreće se s idućom predstartnom procedurom. Polje je bilo jednako, jedino je vjetar oslabio za 2-3 čvora. Međutim, uvjeti ostaju regularni do samog kraja te se i ovo Prvenstvo Hrvatske proglašava uspješnim. Tko je i kako je jedrio možete vidjeti u playbackovima pojedinih jedrenja, jednako kao što možete napraviti statističku analizu pojedinih plovova i usporediti pojedine parametre za sve jedrilice koje su sudjelovale na regati, te vidjeti koje posade su se ovjenčale naslovima najboljih. Iduća regata iz ciklusa CRO ORC D-Marin Cupa, a kojem pripada i Prvenstvo Hrvatske, jedrit će se u ožujku iduće godine, a svi se nadaju da će se pozitivni trend koji je ORC doživio ove godine nastaviti i u 2022. 📸 regate.com.hr Rezultati - ORC A 1. plov - navigacija 2. plov 3. plov konačno Rezultati - ORC B 1. plov - navigacija 2. plov 3. plov konačno Rezultati - ORC A & B 1. plov - navigacija 2. plov 3. plov konačno Statistika STAT - 2. PLOV STAT - 3. PLOV Playbackovi P L A Y B A C K - 1. PLOV - NAVIGACIJA P L A Y B A C K - 2. PLOV P L A Y B A C K - 3. PLOV READ MORE

THE NORTH SAILS TEAM IS READY TO SEE THEIR WORK IN ACTION Head of R&D Gautier Sergent and Sail Designer Quentin Ponroy Discuss the Upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre On 7 November, the toughest and longest-running two-handed transat sets off for the Caribbean from Le Harve, France. Alternatively known as “the coffee route,” the biannual Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV) attracts the sport’s most successful offshore sailors and captivates sailing fans around the world. Four classes will race across the Atlantic with the IMOCA and Ocean50 boats crossing the Equator and round the Brazilian archipelago Fernando de Noronha before heading to the French West Indies. The Class40s will race a shorter route, leaving Cape Verde to starboard before heading to Martinique. And last, but definitely not least, the mighty Ultims will dive further South than the IMOCAs, rounding another Brazilian archipelago off the coast of Rio de Janeiro before heading to the Caribbean. Even with three different routes, every team in the 2021 TJV will have to manage a myriad of challenges including (but not limited to) the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, the Doldrums, and enough highs and lows to make any skipper’s spin. “The Transat Jacques Vabre is a very influential race,” says Gautier Sergent, Head of R&D at North Sails. “Not only is it a proper offshore event, but it’s also doublehanded which means you get to push the boat. Plus, there is a large fleet that attracts the best sailors. The race is also early enough in the design cycle, so you get to test a few things with your sails.” Historically speaking, the success of this offshore race is defined by strategy, tactics, and grit. However, 2021 is a bit different. The teams and their platform are so closely matched, this edition’s wins will come down to innovation, technology and (you guessed it) sail selection. For example, all five Ultims will be racing with North Sails, so, in the mind of Charles Caudrelier (co-skipper of Maxi Edmond de Rothschild), the outcome of the race weighs heavily on the relationship between the sailors and their North Sails design team. “We work in very close collaboration with our designers for two reasons,” Caudrelier explains. “Designing, for one, and then also ongoing R&D study for the future. This is the future, and the sails are the power—the engine of the boat. The big choice we can make is not only the type of sail, but also the relationship we have with North Sails and the designer who is in charge of the boat. If you have a good collaboration with your designer, you can always be one step ahead of the other teams.” Even though the TJV is one race, the various projects for the North Sails team represent a significant amount of work. After each race from this last year, the designers took into consideration everything from the 2021 offshore events. We sat down with Sergent and sail designer Quentin Ponroy to learn more about getting the sails to the start line. Ponroy explains, “to prepare the IMOCAs for the TJV, we began by gathering all of the feedback and data from recent races, like Vendee Globe, The Ocean Race Europe as well as the Fastnet. From these races, we’ve collected a lot of critical information.” “We built too many new sails to count between all the classes, but especially the IMOCAs whose sails were quite tired after the Vendee Globe,” says Sergent. “But, over the last year, we’ve witnessed some boats are really finding that next gear and are becoming super quick and learning to use the foils better. In the coming months, we expect to see even more of this from other teams – and support them in discovering their perfect sail set combination.” The North Sails team is excited about this year’s TJV race for many reasons, one of them being the unique course. “The spinnaker is the key sail for the TJV,” Ponroy remarks. “A lot of this race will be decided downwind, and it will be a great opportunity for us and the teams to test the downwind gear,” explains Sergent. “After the Azores, it is normally a VMG downwind race meaning you must gybe downwind to get to the finish, so we’ve put a lot of emphasis into the downwind sails.” The North Sails team is also impatiently awaiting the data they’ll receive at the end of the race. “Because the TJV is a doublehanded race, the sailors push the button a little harder. So, we get a little bit closer to the design world where everything is perfect, 100% they’ll get to use the boat closer to its full potential. It’s a very good opportunity for North Sails to compare the performance of the boat with the numerical tools,” Gautier says. “The learnings from these races are phenomenal. Like I’ve said it’s a downwind race, so we get to test a lot of downwind gear especially with the way you handle the sails- the way you furl the sails. We’ll be looking at the new techniques. Most of the boats, across all four classes, have Helix sails so we’ll get to see the range of these sails. Obviously, they go offshore and we’ll see a lot of variations of sea and wind conditions. To be honest, because it’s shorthanded, it’s the closest thing to cruising—bluewater cruising—where you want the most versatile and efficient sail you can have.” READ MORE

SAILORS GEAR UP FOR THE TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE Charles Caudrelier, Charlie Enright, and Sam Goodchild Discuss What It Takes To Campaign For The TJV Every other year, in late Autumn, there’s a race so exciting that it captures the hearts of the offshore sailing world: the Transat Jacques Vabre. The doublehanded sailing event brings together some of the world’s best (and fiercest) offshore competition on par with the likes of the Vendee Globe and Ocean Race. Interestingly enough, the Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV) features many familiar faces—from 2019 TJV winner Charles Caudrelier to two-time Ocean Race skipper Charlie Enright. The race also attracts many offshore fan favorites like four-time race veteran Sam Goodchild. The TJV is unique because, unlike the Vendee Globe and Ocean Race, four offshore classes—using cutting-edge design and technology—go head-to-head from Europe to the Caribbean. Many sailors, like Caudrelier, are more than experienced in this offshore stretch of ocean, however, for the first time in the race’s 28 year history, the teams will sail to Martinique in the French West Indies from Le Havre, France. The 2021 race track features three different routes across the four classes to allow for maximum competition. The TJV is one of many offshore races in a team’s “big picture” calendar however, it is vitally important for a campaign because it allows for essential development and testing in an intense offshore setting. With start set for Sunday 7 November, we caught up with Charles, Charlie, and Sam to discuss how their respective teams are using the TJV as a critical training moment for their three, very different, campaigns. For all three offshore sailors (and their teams), the 2021 TJV will be a testing ground unlike any other. The competitors will be testing themselves, their boats, and their sails. Charles Caudrelier, Co-Skipper of the Ultim, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild For Gitana Team onboard their 32m trimaran, this will be an offshore battle of fresh out of the shed boats and the sea-tested Ultims, with Maxi Edmond de Rothschild falling into the later category. “The team has done a good job . We have more nerves to discover the potential of the new boats. We know they will be fast, but we don’t know by how much because we’ve never sailed against them for more than a few miles.” In the past, the race has been about seven or eight days long, which when you’re looking for your competitive edge, can often not be long enough. Caudrelier knows these water’s well, “I’ve been sailing in every direction. I’ve done a similar leg three times with the Volvo Ocean Race, so I know what’s going to happen and what the focus will look like, but we’ll have more lessons with the longer race of 12 to 14 days. It will be very interesting in terms of strategies.” When discussing design and the future of the Ultims, specifically their sails, Caudrelier explained that although it is difficult, the key to a successful race can often come down to the sails themselves. “We’re not an America’s Cup project where we can try many, many sails or do two-boat testing. So, this is an important race to test our sails because we’re always looking to improve. In a race like the TJV race, the sails really can make the difference.” “It’s very difficult to design . These boats are going faster and faster, and the speeds in this world go from ten knots to 45 knots. The wind power and the wind speed change a lot. It’s not easy. But I think we have a good set of sails that are very fast. So, I’m happy but I know we can improve.” All five Ultims will be racing with full North 3Di inventories, so, in Caudrelier’s mind, the relationship the teams have with their North Sail designer is essential. “We work in very close collaboration with our designers for two reasons. Designing, for one, and then ongoing R&D for the future. This is the future, and the sails are the power—the engine of the boat. I’m sure we can improve a lot in this area.” “With all Ultims on the starting line having North sails, the big choice we can make is the type of sail but also the relationship we have with North Sails and the designer who is in charge of the boat. If you have a good collaboration with your designer, you can always be one step ahead of the other teams.” Charlie Enright, Co-Skipper 11th Hour Racing Team IMOCA, Mālama Not yet forty, Charlie Enright is a well-known name in the world of offshore sailing. Having completed two Volvo Ocean Races, a handful of ‘smaller’ offshore races, and one Transat Jacques Vabre, the American co-skipper of 11th Hour Racing Team (Mālama) is ready to take on his second Transat Jacques Vabre. “The TJV is an exceptionally important race for our team. It is the culmination of all this year’s hard work. It’s also the first real race for us on our new boat.” Enright’s teammates, Justine Mettraux and Simon Fisher will be sailing on 11th Hour Racing Team’s Alaka’i. “The last time we did this race , our team was unproven and our boat was quite proven. This year it’s the exact opposite. We haven’t done a lot on the new boat , and we know we have a lot to learn. It’s very important that we learn as much as we can before the boat goes into its winter refit period here in France.” There has been a lot of offshore activity this year, but very few with ocean crossings for Enright lasting more than a week. And barely any away from the challenges of land. “We learned a fair bit during The Ocean Race Europe and the Fastnet, but the TJV is different—for starters, it’s a much longer race at almost 6,000 miles. This means, the boats really get a chance to stretch their legs versus ducking and diving around headlands and sailing close to land. It will be really nice to get all the boats in the same weather system and see what kind of speeds they can reach relative to each other.” “The TJV helps better understand our sails because we’re going to be sailing on specific inventory combinations for extended periods of time, which is something you don’t really get a chance to do in training. In training, you’re trying to cram as much as you can into a short period of time. Hopefully, the advancements will continue with crossovers and geometries and the results will inform the development of our future sails.” “It’s important that we have the most reliable sails available to us. We put them through some treacherous conditions, and we don’t want to have to think about babying them as we compete.” Similar to the Ultim, the IMOCA 60 sails are essential to the engine (and success) of the boat. This means, for Enright and the 11th Hour Racing Team, it’s meant working closely with the North Sails designers. Gone are the days of the sails being almost an afterthought of the boat itself. “Sails have been a big part of our learning experience particularly with the design of our new boat. The sail designers worked in collaboration with our Naval architects here in France, and all over the world, actually, to develop an overall concept of the boat. The aero package is instrumental to the design of the entire boat—the foils, the hull shape, the systems, everything you can imagine; it’s all intertwined.” “One great thing about working with North Sails is that we’ve been able to work with various designers with the North Sails global network. Each member of our team feels comfortable working with them not only in philosophy but also with design and technical support. It’s been really great to integrate many members of the wider North Sails team into our project. We’re a French-Anglo team and it’s nice to have designers from both cultures embedded in our campaign. “We have a lot of experience with the 3Di product from two previous Volvo Ocean Races. To work on custom sails for the IMOCA has been a step up, with the decrease in weight, custom tape layouts, and structures, we’re looking to optimize but we’re always confident with the reliability of the final product when we leave the dock.” Sam Goodchild Co-Skipper of the Ocean 50, Leyton British skipper, Sam Goodchild, is chomping at the bit for the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre to begin. “It’s going to be a really fun race,” Goodchild said. “We’ve done a good job with our preparation. All the big decisions are made. Now it’s just the last checks and figuring out what we’re going to take with us. What do we want to leave? How heavy do we want to be? How many spares do we want to take? There are no big things on the job list though. It’s game on between now and the start day. “It’s a race made for these boats—the Ocean 50. These boats are designed for sailing across the Atlantic, and the fact that it’s the two of us means we can push the boat. This also means we’ll be up against the best of the best, and we’ll work as a duo to try and win the race against them. It’s a different challenge and I really like that.” Similar to Charles Caudrelier, Goodchild is excited to head out for an extended offshore adventure. “We don’t get many opportunities to do two weeks nonstop with the main performance objective being: to win. That doesn’t happen very often. We have loads of things to learn and I know we’re going to be much stronger at the end of this race.” Goodchild and his co-skipper, Aymeric Chappellier, have decided to bring five headsails on the race. “It’s a fairly easy sail inventory. There’s one small one and one big one, and everything in between. Depending on where we’re trying to go and how hard we can push the boat, we will pick the right combination.” “We have a very good, very close relationship with our sail designer, Alan. We’ve had fairly ongoing communication and discussions with Alan and North Sails throughout the year to make sure we have the best sail wardrobe for the TJV. Because of our class rules, we’re only allowed one set of sails every two years, which means we’ve had to readapt some of the sails from our old boat. We’ve also had to order a couple of new sails to enhance our wardrobe to make sure the boat is going to perform the best as possible for this TJV.” Sam Goodchild’s project is fairly new to the crew, only kicking off at the beginning of this year. However, the team has been able to sail with a lot of experienced sailors to get ready for this race. “Now, it’s up to me and Aymeric to pull everything we’ve learned in this season and put it into play.” Sometimes racing isn’t about only winning though. And, heading into this race Sam and Aymeric are going in with a clear number two objective: learn. “We expect nothing but we’re hoping to win. That’s our aim. We’ve done everything we can to be able to win. Other than that, if we don’t win, it would be good to know why we didn’t. So, when we come back next winter (for the Route du Rhum) we know what we can do to make it better, whether it’s a technical choice, a sail choice, a navigation choice, or a preparation choice. Our dream scenario is we win. And the second-best scenario is we know why it didn’t happen.” 📸 Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing, Benoit Stichelbaut / GITANA, Yann Riou / PolaRYSE / GITANA, LEYTON #sailingteam READ MORE

North Sails Nederland krijgt versterking Tom van der Vecht komt het team in Nederland versterken vanuit onze vestiging in Almere Tom van der Vecht zeilt al zijn hele leven. Zoals velen is hij begonnen in de Optimist, en daarna heeft hij het water nooit meer losgelaten. Tom heeft jarenlang als coach gewerkt in het zeilen. De laatste jaren heeft hij alle kneepjes van het zeilmakers vak geleerd. Tom is een bekend gezicht op de wedstrijdbaan en heeft al vele nationale titels op zijn naam staan. Tom is vanaf de start zeer nauw betrokken geweest bij Team Leeloo, en maakt momenteel uit van het wedstrijdteam dat deelneemt in de M32 klasse. "Ik ben eigenlijk altijd met boten bezig geweest. Altijd aan het testen geweest hoe ik een boot harder kan laten varen. Door mijn ervaring als zeiler, trainer, coach en zeilmaker kan ik vanuit verschillende invalshoeken zie wat er moet gebeuren om een boot hard laat zeilen. Door mijn ervaring in de zeilmakerij kan ik ook onze toerklanten goed adviseren over levensduur en welke materialen wel en niet werken." Tom wilde graag voor North Sails komen werken vanwege de omvang van het bedrijf en de kwaliteit van de zeilen. "De wedstrijdprojecten waar ik bij betrokken ben varen vaak met North Sails. De duurzaamheid van 3Di is echt indrukwekkend." 📸 Sander van der Borch / North Sea Regatta Tom gaat als verkoper Wouter assisteren vanuit onze vestiging in Almere. "Ik kijk er erg naar uit om samen met Wouter de zeilervaring van zo veel mogelijk boten op en rond het Marker- en IJsselmeer te verbeteren. Met mijn vakkennis wil ik mensen helpen het juiste zeil te kiezen zodat hun tijd op het water nog leuker wordt. Er is niets leuker dan zeilen met het juiste zeil." NEEM CONTACT OP 📸 Ale Bonaldo / M32 World READ MORE

MELGES 24 U HRVATSKOJ NEZAUSTAVLIJIVO GRABI NAPRIJED 📸 regate.com.hr 30. i 31. listopada u Splitu u organizaciji JK Labud, odjedrena je prva regata iz Splitskog dijela ovogodišnjeg Croatian Sailing Series ciklusa. Samo da podsjetim, ciklus je krenuo u proljeće s regatom u Biogradu, pa je potom druga odjedrena u Ičićima, a treća u Dubrovniku. Broj od deset jedrila koje su jedrile u Biogradu, a od kojih je 9 bilo pod Hrvatskom zastavom, na ovoj regati je nadmašen za jedan, K tome, svi sudionici su bili domaće posade s tim da ovo nije konačan broj naših posada, još četiri ih se priprema za idući event - Prvenstvo Hrvatske. Osim što je bilo vrlo lijepo vidjeti na okupu monotip flotu, također je bilo lijepo na okupu vidjeti skoro sve aktivne hrvatske olimpijske jedriličare, jer se rijetko koja regata može pohvaliti okupljanjem takve jedriličarske elite na jednom mjestu: Karlo Kuret - Barcelona 1992., Atlanta 1996., Sydney 2000., Atena 2004. Ivan Kuret - Atlanta 1996. Toni Bulaja - Sydney 2000. Tomislav Bašić - Atena 2004. Šime Fantela - Peking 2008., London 2012., Rio 2016., Tokio 2021. Enia Ninčević - London 2012. Mihovil Fantela - Tokio 2021. a za tri tjedna na Prvenstvu Hrvatske uz njih će još zajedriti i Tonči Stipanović i Ivan Kljaković Gašpić! To je samo što se olimpijskih igara tiče, a kad bi nastavili s medaljama na raznim Europskim i Svjetskim prvenstvima, te uspjesima u profesionalnom jedrenju na RC44, TP52, Clubswan i sličnim klasama, popis bio bio puno duži. U svakom slučaju, vjerujem da sad i malo manje upućeni čitatelji shvaćaju u kolika kvaliteta se okupila na jednom mjestu. Da ne bi netko pomislio da su posade u kojima nije bilo spomenutih jedriličara bile zakinute na bilo koji način, treba istaknuti da su u oba odjedrena plova svi bili u cilju unutar minute - minute i pol! 📸 regate.com.hr Programski se regata nije mnogo razlikovala od prethodne tri iz ciklusa. U petak je počelo službeno okupljanje, dok su neki pristigli i dan ranije. Dizali su se jarboli, pripremala sva oprema, spuštale jedrilice u more, odradio i poneki trening. Ali subota je svanula bez vjetra i na kraju je tako ostalo cijeli dan, čak nije bilo niti razmišljanja o tome da se izađe na more i pokuša bar postaviti regatno polje. Vremenska prognoza za nedjelju je također bila dosta upitna i u najavi nije bilo vjetra, odnosno na udare se najavljivalo do maksimalno desetak čvorova. Kako se s noći sa subote na nedjelju pomicao sat i kad se uzelo u obzir da se na moru mora iskoristiti bilo koji trenutak koji će osigurati kakvo takvo jedrenje, dogovoreno je da svi moraju biti na zadanoj poziciji već oko 9 sati. Kako je prognoza najavljivala južne smjerove, dogovorena je pozicija ispred splitske lučice Zenta, standardnoj lokalnoj poziciji za regate po jugu. RO je isplovio sat prije svih i polje je bilo vrlo brzo spremno, te se samo čekalo da se južni povjetarac ustabili i bude bar malo jači da regata bude regularna. Srećom, dosta brzo vjetar je pojačao na oko 8-10 čvorova i moglo se krenuti s jedrenjem. Prvi start je bio regularan, samo s jednim preuranjenim presijecanjem startne linije. Brži od signala starta bili su momci na Iggyju (385). Međutim, do kraja regate - dva kruga u štap polju, uspješno su pronalazili dobre driceve i unatoč potrebi za sustizanjem ostalih uspjeli regatu završiti na respektabilnom četvrtom mjestu. Obrnute sreće bili ja ekipa na Melgesu Obi-Wan (389). Oni su izvrsno startali, i u trenucima kad su bili među prvih 4-5 posada na prvom obilasku offseta, kad se izvlači baštun i podiže genaker tu operaciju rade u trenutku dok su bili na samoj krmi Cro-a-saila (782) i zapinju za njegov krmeni štraj. Posade brzo reagiraju i izbjegava se šteta na obje jedrilice ali se Obi-Wan mora iskupiti i više ne uspijeva nikog sustići. Kraj te situacije možete vidjeti u prvom dijelu video izvješća. S druge strane, Cro-a-sail unatoč ovom incidentu uspješno se probija kroz gužvu ispred sebe i u cilj ulazi kao treća jedrilica, a treba spomenuti da je u ovoj posadi bio jedan norveški olimpijac - Peer Moberg koji je svoju državu predstavljao u Atlanti i u Pekingu. Za vrijeme jedrenja prve krme vjetar jača za nekoliko čvorova te se u gateu se signalizira produljenje orce. 📸 regate.com.hr Što se tiče vrha flote, tu je i ovog puta svoje mjesto zauzeo Panjić. Da budemo precizni, ovog puta nije riječ o jedrilici s registracijskim brojem 568, već o 739, ali posada je bila u istom sastavu. Oni su rutinerski jedrili, a najveću ugrozu radila im je posada Tutta Forze (643). U svakom slučaju Biograjci su na kraju u oba plova bili brži od kolega im iz centra njihove županije... potpuno jednak rasplet bio je i na kraju drugog plova. Drugi plov nije startao iz prve poput prethodnog. Pred sam start RO je morao prekinuti proceduru jer je vjetar otišao u desno za oko 20°, a u prvom pokušaju ponavljanja procedure sviran je opći opoziv. Tek u idućem pokušaju svi startaju po pravilima. Vjetar je u ovom plovu malo oslabio, pa je polje bilo malo skraćeno, ali na kraju ponovno cijela flota regatu završava unutar minut i pol. Treće mjesto u ovom plovu zauzima Obi-Wan, ali kad se zbroje svi rezultati u oba plova na kraju broncu odnosi The Pimp (359) i to s bodom prednosti ispred Cro-a-saila i Iggyja, a tko je od ostalih posada završio na kojem mjestu možete vidjeti u konačnim rezultatima. A po pitanju aktualnog poretka na ljestvici, on izgleda ovako: Kao što vidite, boduje se svaki plov i za sada su moguća tri odbacivanja, a apsolutnoj prednosti nalazi se posada Panjića. Plan je da se Prvenstvo Hrvatske jedri tri dana, a ako uvjeti budu odgovarajući odjedrit će se čak 9 novih plovova. Za sada su svoj dolazak najavile i neke inozemne posade, pa bi po nekim optimističnim prognozama na moru moglo biti i 20 Melgesa! U svakom slučaju ako budete u Splitu od 19. do 21. studenog svratite do JK Mornar. READ MORE

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SWAN SAILING SEASON IS IN THE BOOKS Competition Within The Classes At Swan One Design Worlds Was At An All Time High 📸 Nautor’s Swan / Studio Borlenghi The 2021 Swan One Design Racing season concluded in a sprint to the end of the season. The Swan One Design Nations Trophy in Palma de Mallorca was quickly followed by the Swan One Design World Championships in St. Tropez, which capped off this year’s success for Swan owners. Throughout the season, North was onboard and alongside to support the class and our clients. Executive Vice President and Grand Prix Expert Paul Westlake and Luna Rossa sail designer Marco Capitani were on the water lending their eyes and expertise for the ClubSwan 50 and 36 classes. Beyond, North Certified Service was offered to all participants to ensure their sails were race-ready for each day of racing. “All of us at North Sails strive to deliver a high-performance sail package, and equally important, individual support for our owners and their teams,” remarks Westlake. “We are in constant contact with the trimmers and owners of the North teams. It’s rewarding to see that our work pays off and helps deliver race-winning results when it matters.” Case in point – North Sails held a commanding presence across all four classes at 2021 Worlds, with 35 of the 42 teams choosing to carry a North inventory. North Sails was onboard nine of the top ten ClubSwan50s. Each of the ClubSwan 36’s, including the current World Champions, included North in their inventories. And in the ClubSwan 45 and 42 classes- full podium sweeps. 📸 Nautor’s Swan / Studio Borlenghi “Results like we saw in the 2021 season, are as inspiring as they are humbling,” explains Westlake. “All of us at North Sails trust our products are at the top of the game, but to see that proved on the racecourse gives us the confidence to keep pushing our ideas forward. Even the smallest optimizations make a noticeable difference, especially in one-size-fits-all classes, where things are very close at the top.” North Sails One-Design expert and newly crowned ClubSwan 50 Vice World Champion Arnd Howar shares this observation. “The level in the ClubSwan 50 class has never been as high as it was at the 2021 World Championship; there is virtually no room for error at the top,” Howar explains. The Germany-based Howar has been successfully sailing in various One Design classes for years and is one of the most experienced trimmers in the Big Boat scene. In the ClubSwan 50 class, Howar sails as part of the regular crew onboard Earlybird. The North expert sees a major influence on the overall performance of the ClubSwan 50 with the further development of the 3Di sails. “With an improved tape layout and other smart solutions, the sails are lighter and more powerful. The difference between a 2018 and a 2020 sail is noticeable.” 📸 Nautor’s Swan / Studio Borlenghi What’s next for ClubSwan sail development? North Helix, which was featured successfully in upwind sails used at the Swan One Design Worlds. Helix is a rapidly developing design concept that is quickly becoming a necessity. In contrast to conventional sails, the so-called camber, i.e. the profile depth in the sail, can be precisely adjusted using the luff tension on the neck and head. Helix delivers the sails to a wider range of uses. As the 2021 Swan One Design season wraps, Howar reflects on what makes the circuit, and the Club Swan 50 in particular so special: “It’s really very pleasant to be around in the class. No matter how hard you fight on the water – back on land the atmosphere is good and the togetherness is friendly. The class is characterized by respectful interaction and sportsmanship in the best sense of the word, so it’s really fun.” 📸 Nautor’s Swan / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

FOILING GC32 CATAMARANS PREPARE FOR MAR MENOR GRAND FINALE 2021 Mar Menor Cup Preview © Sailing Energy / GC32 Racing Tour The GC32 foiling catamarans will line up November 3rd for the fourth and final event in 2021 at the GC32 Mar Menor Cup. This grand finale represents the first time the flying multihulls have visited Spain’s famous 170km² salt water lagoon located near Cartagena on the Costa Calida, within the Autonomous Community of Murcia. The event is being supported by the Turismo Region Murcia, the Autoridad Portuaria de Cartagena and the local municipalities of San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, San Javier and Los Alcázares. The outcome of the GC32 Mar Menor Cup will decide the overall winner of the ninth season of the GC32 Racing Tour. © Sailing Energy / GC32 Racing Tour Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi is the current favorite to take home the title. With Arnaud Psarofaghis helming, the Swiss team won the two opening events of the season in Lagos, Portugal and were on track to defend their GC32 World Championship title in Villasimius, Sardinia, until the title was unexpectedly prised off them by Red Bull Sailing Team on the last leg of the final race. Nonetheless, going into the Mar Menor event Alinghi holds a solid three point lead over second placed Red Bull Sailing Team on the leaderboard. In addition, the Austrians are also on a roll and are keen to finish the 2021 season on a high note as this event marks the retirement of their skipper, Roman Hagara and his Olympic Tornado gold-medallist partner, Hans-Peter Steinacher. The team most strongly on the ascent in 2021 has been Christian Zuerrer’s Black Star Sailing Team. Helmed by New Zealander Chris Steele, the Swiss team came close to winning the second event in Lagos at the end of July. “We made a big step forward this year and I hope we can continue,” said Zuerrer of their prospects. “We are still on the podium, but like at the Worlds, you can have a good day and be in front or have a bad day and be at the back.” © Sailing Energy / GC32 Racing Tour As the season has progressed, the standard has risen across the fleet to the extent that all of the teams taking part are capable of winning races. Since Alinghi’s run-away debut to the season, all the events have been ultra-close. “It makes for interesting racing when you are close together and everyone can beat each other,” continues Zuerrer. “Hopefully, that will help attract other owners and other teams.” Another team to watch is Zoulou, with owner-driver Erik Maris, who neatly bookended the GC32 World Championship winning the first and the last race. Showing ever increasing potential is Nicolai Sehested’s Danish team on Team Rockwool Racing while American Jason Carroll’s Argo team comes race- ready to Murcia having just set an extraordinary new race record for the Rolex Middle Sea Race aboard the team’s MOD70 trimaran. The majority of the GC32 teams have not sailed or raced on the Mar Menor before. However being separated from the Mediterranean by a 22km long sandbar ranging in width from 100 to 1,200m, the lagoon can provide not just the optimum windy, flat water conditions but also high salinity water enabling the flying catamarans to achieve their highest speeds approaching 40 knots. The team with most experience of the lagoon is Alinghi, as they have previously spent time training here. “It was really flat and we had good wind,” advises Alinghi’s Yves Detrey. “I have never seen anything this flat before. It is really good.” Racing will take place out of San Pedro del Pinata on the Mar Menor’s northern corner, and will be hosted by Club Náutico Lo Pagán The event is part of the Spanish celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the circumnavigation of Ferninand Magellan, that was completed by Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano after Magellan was killed in battle in the Philippines. © Sailing Energy / GC32 Racing Tour READ MORE

GRINGO 3 PRVI NA ZADARSKOJ KOKI 📸 regate.com.hr Zadarski festival jedrenja ove godine je odjedren u subotu 23. listopada, a odziv što zadarskih, što van zadarskih jedriličara bio je uobičajen velik. Baš u pravom festivalskom duhu na more ispred morskih orgulja isplovio je svatko tko bar malo o sebi misli da je jedriličar. Ukupno je na startnoj listi bilo 77 jedrilica, ali vremenski uvjeti omogućili su da samo 22 jedrilice stignu do cilja. Naime, lagani vjetar koji je na startu puhao iz smjera Puntamike, odnosno sa sjeverozapada, nije ništa posebno jačao tijekom jedrenja, već je samo u ranim poslijepodnevnim satima počeo sve više slabiti, da bi na kraju u potpunosti izdušio. Ovakav rasplet pratilo je i vrlo lijepo vrijeme... sunce, ugodna relativno visoka temperatura... pravo bablje ljeto i sušta suprotnost prošlogodišnjem izdanju ove regate. Vjerojatno zbog očekivanja pojačavanja vjetra, Regatni odbor se odlučio na rutu koja je uključivala jedrenje oko otočića Ošljaka. Naime, za različite vjetrove na startu, organizatori su predvidjeli jedrenje na različitim rutama. Ova, koja je izabrana za ovogodišnju regatu, imala je start na uobičajen mjestu - ispred Zadarske rive, a prva točka obaveznog obilaska bila je bova koja je usidrena ispred svjetionika na Puntamici. Nakon toga slijedila je duga dionica prema spomenutom otočiću, a potom jedrenje natrag prema rivi gdje su manje jedrilice imale postavljen cilj, a veće još jednu bovu koju je trebalo okrenuti prije povratka do Ošljaka i njegovog drugog obilaska. I nakon toga slijedio je prolazak kroz cilj na istom mjestu gdje su ga imale i manje jedrilice. Ovo je sve bilo u redu, osim što je nastala jedna konfuzna situacija kad je trebalo obići bovu ispred rive. U prvoj verziji Uputa za jedrenje oznaka obilaska definirana je bila jednom bojom, a ujutro, kad je uočena pogreška, na Oglasnoj ploči je objavljen ispravak, ali dio jedrilica je već isplovio i te posade nisu bile upućene u tu izmjenu. Posljedica je bila da su jedni obilazili jednu bovu, a drugi drugu. Ova konfuzna situacija izravno je dovela i do odluke o ovogodišnjem pobjedniku. Naime, već od starta na čelu flote je bila Furiosa, Uskokov openaš kojem su uvjeti laganog vjetra izvrsno odgovarali. Pratili su ga Gringo 3, Damaco, Panjić, Malenki, X-Cite, Zenith i svi ostali i to na sigurnoj udaljenosti. Međutim, Furiosina posada nije bila upoznata s izmjenom iz Uputa za jedrenje i obilazi krivu oznaku, a potom se trebala vratiti i obići pravu. Posada s Gringa 3 uspjela je iskoristiti ovu priliku i na vrijeme obići pravu oznaku, te drugi krug oko Ošjaka napraviti prije sviju i ući u cilj par minuta ispred glavnog konkurenta. 📸 regate.com.hr Iza ova dva bolida u cilj stiže još jedan rasni krstaš, Swan 45 - Damaco. U odnosu na prethodni dvojac ovo je prava jahta s kompletnim komforom i opremom za duga i ugodna krstarenja mnogobrojne posade, a ne samo stroj za jedrenje. Inače je ova jedrilica vrlo brza i favorit na svim regatama na kojima se pojavi, ali sigurno najviše simpatija cjelokupne flote i publike na rivi imala je posada Panjića. Ovaj Melges 24 završio je regatu na četvrtom mjestu i pokazao da je riječ o skoro pa bezvremenskom dizajnu koji se uspješno nosi i s višestruko većom konkurencijom! U sličnom položaju, na početku regate, bio je i Malenki, još manja jedrilica duljine pet i pol metara u odnosu na kojeg i Melges 24 izgleda kao veliki krstaš. Ali u nastavku regate veće vodne linije i par stotina kvadratnih metara više jedara omogućili su nekim jedrilicama da ga prestignu, tako da je regatu završio na 10. mjestu. Na kraju uspješno regatu završavaju 22 jedrilice, što iz male, što iz velike skupine. Tko je među tim sretnicima, a tko je ostao u bonaci pored Ošljaka možete pronaći u ukupnim rezultatima, dok rezultate po grupama možete pronaći na ovom linku, a ako želite vidjeti kako je izgledalo te subote na moru onda posjetite foto galeriju na ovom linku. Treba li napomenuti da je prvih šest jedrilica bilo opremljeno North Sails jedrima? Samo Furiosa nije kompletno, ali neka od važnijih su iz našeg asortimana. READ MORE

RECENTLY LAUNCHED: PATH Featuring a North Sails Engine-Above-Deck Path is the latest superyacht from the Baltic Yachts. The 44.6 meter Judel/Vrolijk designed superyacht launched in Spring 2021 and was most recently displayed at the Monaco Yacht Show. For North Sails, the has been a collaborative process between the boatyard, the yacht designer, and the project team of A2B, and Sebastian Allebrodt from the start. The process to build Path’s Engine-Above-Deck began by understanding the owner’s wishes, paired with the hull structures as specified by Judel/Vrolijk. For North Sails, this understanding relies heavily on the powerful North Design Suite. North Sail Designer Heine Sorensen explains: “This was an interesting project because of the yacht’s size. Arriving at our recommended inventory was cooperation between North Sails and the design-build team. We took full advantage of our Design Suite. The VPP program helped us understand what the boat could handle in righting moment, while Spiral, Warps, Flow, and Membrain supported our analysis of the sail shapes and structure. As the yachts get bigger, validating our designs and ideas with simulation becomes more critical. There is no doubt that we are running more these days; it’s critical a to sail designer’s job.” Arriving at an optimized inventory is a careful balance of performance and practicality. Per the owner’s wishes for global adventures with family and friends, the brief for Path is founded on a powerful, easily managed, ocean-going sailing yacht. Sorensen is quick to point out that the usability of the sails is vital in delivering on that brief,” a point which Allebrodt, a sailor himself was able to weigh in on. One point expressed early in the project was to use the sails as much as possible, and that requirement heavily influenced many of the decisions Sorensen and the North team took when designing the sail package. Path has a total sail area of 4075 sqm, the equivalent of 15.5 tennis courts. Its upwind, headsails, and offwind sails are 3Di Endurance 760. For Sorensen, tackling a project this size is routine, and it’s only upon reflection that he realizes the magnitude of the sails he is designing. “You’re looking at the numbers at the computer, and you’re used to seeing them there, he explains. “But it’s when you see them on the loft floor or hoisted during sea trails that the scale of the project sinks in.”   READ MORE

Working With The New York Yacht Club To Grow The IC37 Class 📸 Hannah Lee Noll The IC37 has quickly claimed its position as one of the premier one design keelboat classes in North America. Amongst the many class choices, the IC37, with its one-per-boat limit on Group 3 professionals, provides a unique platform for growing amateur sailing as a whole. Additionally, as the exclusive sailmaker since its introduction, North Sails fully supports the recently announced partnership between the New York Yacht Club and Thoroughbred Yacht Sales to expand the class’s domestic and international footprint. North Sails President Ken Read comments: “North Sails has been a part of this class since the beginning, and we’re excited about the future. I’ve known Greg Tawaststjerna and Bill Jenkins for a long time. They are true professionals whose understanding and contacts within the industry are unparalleled. The Thoroughbred team brings renewed energy to the class at exactly the right time. It carries the momentum showcased at the recent Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, an international Grand Prix event for amateur sailors.” First introduced in 2018, the 37-foot Mark Mills design is one of the strictest one design classes sailing today. The boat carries just three sails— a reefable main, a reefable jib, and an asymmetric spinnaker—each built by North to a class standard design. Additionally, the standing rigging must be locked at a prescribed tension for all class regattas. The built-in hydraulic mast step on the Southern Spars package is the boat’s single key tuning variable. The simplicity and consistency across all boats make for a sailor’s race, eliminating the inevitable arms race that comes with near-unlimited variables. “The beauty of the IC37 class is that it provides an even playing field for the 20 New York Yacht Club-owned charter boats and the privately-owned boats,” explains Read. “You have a very high-performance amateur race boat, with a big consideration for inclusiveness and keeping budgets under control. At September’s Invitational Cup, we saw exceptionally high-caliber racing amongst amateur sailors from around the world. They were able to step onto the IC37, get up to speed quickly, and be competitive; that’s exactly what was envisioned for this boat.” 📸 Laura Beigel / Beigel Sailing Media In line with the class distribution changes and the focus on growth outside of the Northeast US, North Sails has updated its IC37 sales strategy to provide more opportunities for its clients globally to buy IC37 sales from their local lofts. North Sails Expert and IC37 class leader Tim Healy will lead the change in expanding from a single centralized location to make information and products more accessible from any local North Sails Expert and site. Read elaborates: “We feel the one-stop-shop idea was successful for local selling in Newport, Rhode Island, but has limited us in reaching out to our clients and supporting the growth of the class. Moving forward, the IC37 is now the fold of all North One Design products, and our clients or those interested in the boat can work with their trusted North Sails expert wherever they may be to become more educated on the boat and the sail package.” “While the IC37 has seen success locally in Newport, the club’s objective is to expand the reach of this boat,” says New York Yacht Club Commodore Christopher J. Culver, a devoted IC37 sailor. “The IC37 is an ideal option for both clubs and private owners looking for a highly competitive class with a strong Corinthian spirit. With a 20-boat fleet at the New York Yacht Club and the initial construction of 15 private boats, the IC37 Class is ready for the next phase in its international growth in partnership with Thoroughbred Yacht Sales and the support of North Sails and the North Technology Group companies as a whole.” The 2021-22 winter circuit will start in late November and include three regattas sailed out of the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The class’ 2022 summer season will kick off in Newport in early June and will include both the fourth IC37 National Championship and the class’s second North American Championship. For more information on the IC37 Class Association click here. To contact Thoroughbred Yacht Sales, click here. 📸 Laura Beigel / Beigel Sailing Media READ MORE

77. Viška u znaku North Sailsa 77. Viška regata zasigurno ostaje zabilježena u povijesti po dva rekorda. Jedan je baš rekorderske prirode, to je postavljenja novog najbržeg vremena na ruti između Splita i Visa, a drugi je po broju uzastopnih pobjeda u generalnom plasmanu. Vlasnici prvog su momci sa slovenske jedrilice Generali (TP 52), dok su vlasnici drugog dubrovčani s jedrilice Dubrovnik (Enavigo 38). Obje te posade su u potpunosti opremljene North Sails jedrima, a osim njih u samom vrhu, što generalnog plasmana, a što pojedinačnih grupa, bili su većinom naši klijenti! Slovenska posada je i do sada bila u posjedu titule najbržih na 28NM dugoj ruti, a do prošlog petka to je bila posada Velikog Viharnika kojim je tada kormilario Dušan Puh, a to je bilo prije osam godina, na 69. izdanju ove regate. Veliki Viharnik ovu rutu je prejedrio za 02:24:34, dok je Generaliju to pošlo za rukom za 02:14:29. Posadu Generalija predvodio je Samo Žvan, a podjednako dobro su jedrili i na povratku te ponijeli titulu najbrže jedrilice (line honours) s ukupnim vremenom jedrenja od Splita do Visa i od Visa do Splita od 09:09:41. Već na prvi pogled vidi se da je nedjeljna etapa bila mnogostruko sporija od one jedrene dva dana ranije. Također, treba reći i da Generali nije bio najbrži u cilju, već je ušao u cilj kao četvrti. Međutim, fenomenalan rezultat u prvoj etapi osigurao mu je minutu i devet sekundi prednosti ispred Molo Longa koji je u obje etape ušao u cilj kao treći u realnom vremenu. Pobjedu u drugoj etapi odnijela je jedrilica Stravaganza, ultra ekstremni bolid iz Dubrovnika koji je do pola prve etape bio u vrlo izglednoj poziciji da osvoji i tu etapu s još bržim vremenom od Generalija. Međutim, jedan tehnički problem zaustavio ih je na tom putu, ali više o tome ispričao nam je vlasnik i kormilar Stravaganze, Niko Kmetović: Bilo je odlično i ludo! Na startu su zvali buru u padanju, ali došao je neki oblak i bura je zadimila. Na startu je prvo pala, pa smo planirali startati s full jedrima, ali kako je to zadimilo odlučili smo napraviti ruku krata i staviti mali flok. Nakon što smo tako startali opet je ubrzo palo, ali imali smo spremljen Code 0 kojeg smo odmah odrolali. Također smo i digli puno jedro i tako smo nastavili dalje. Onda je nakon 500 metara ponovno zadimilo i onda smo zarolali Code i vozili dalje bez njega. Do Vrata je to bilo full gas. Kroz njih smo prošli elegantno i tu prošli i Matu i TP-a, Full pelt, Dubrovnika... a u Vrata smo ušli zajedno s Tutta Triestom Toto Travel koju smo potom ostavili iza sebe. Onda smo nastavili jedriti, stigli skoro do Pelegrina i vidim da mi na brodu nešto ne radi kako treba, pa se odlučujem sakriti ispod Pelegrina dok ne vidim što se događa. Tamo smo spustili sva jedra i krenuli u potragu za problemom. Na brodu inače imam jedno mjesto gdje po dizajnu stoji baterija i iznad nje ima jedan otvor poput onog za one male ventilatore. Mislim da je dizajner pretpostavio da je taj otvor dovoljno dobro napravljen da ne ulazi more kroz njega i vjerojatno je to tako kad se brod pere gumom, ali kad preko prove prođe ogromna količina mora i uđe u kokpit vjerojatno tuda prođe poneka kap ili manja količina vode i tu dok smo mi to otvorili skupilo se oko litre mora koja je bila na podu, a tu se nalazi konektor koji spaja računalo s baterijom. I to je trebalo biti suho. Međutim, na spojeve je došla jedna kap zbog koje je vjerojatno negdje došlo do pada napona koji je izazvao reset cijelog sustava. Sad da se to desi znam o čemu je riječ, ali tada... jedrimo brzinom 20 čvorova, stalno smo pod morem... jednostavno, situacija je bila takva da smo morali u zaklonu spustiti jedra i provjeriti o čemu je riječ. Dok smo to otkrili izgubili smo petnaestak minuta. Onda to osušili, resetirali računalo i nastavili s regatom. Međutim, imali smo novi problem jer tu nismo mogli dignuti glavno jedro. Tako da smo dalje nastavili s flokom i odrolanim Code 0 i uspjeli smo u cilj ući kao 10. Tu bas je Polet jedva uhvatio na samom kraju. A povrat je bio s burom do Vodnjaka. Taj dio smo dobro odvozili s prvih par brodova. Ponovno zajedno s Poletom. I onda je počelo bonacati. Po nekakvim bavama smo se uspjeli izvući od Vodnjaka, pa malo lijevije, a dolje ispod nas - mnogo lijevije, bio je Molo Longo i Generali. A preko Vodnjaka bila je jedna grupa koja je prošla baš kroz njih. Tu je bio Dubrovnik i još par nekih drugih brodova, čak i neki charteraši. Oni su onda ostali na Pelegrinu, a mi smo s nekim burijaletom u neko doba stigli na ok o2 milje do Vrata dok su oni još stajali na Pelegrinu. Potom je sve to ugasilo da bi krenuo maestral koji je prvo počeo puhati niže u kanalu. Tako da ti koji su bili na toj strani vozili su dosta orcanije prema Vratima, a mi ukrmanije. I na kraju smo mi, Dubrovnik i jedan charteraš stigli zajedno u Vrata. U njima je bilo prazno. Bio je samo jedan raz do Mrduje. Tu smo napravili dvije pojalabande, spustili se ispod Mrduje i kako je to vuklo uz Brač tu smo nastavili s pojalabandavanjem i na Gomilici je totalno zbonacalo. Tu smo se našli s Dubrovnikom, TP-om, Full Peltom i još nekim, zaboravio sam kim :) Kako smo stigli na Gomilicu izašli smo iz tog raza koji nas je nosio od Galijole, ali je zato počelo puniti dolje niže u kanalu. Tu nam je TP pobjegao oko 500 metara, ali uspjeli smo ga uhititi do Splita i ući u cilj dvije minute prije njega. Niko Kmetović, Stravaganza 📸 Stravaganza Sailing Što se tiče ostalih iz vrha, tu su uglavnom bile jedrilice koje su favoriti na svim Jadranskim regatama, od njegovog sjevera, pa do juga. Uz Gringa 3, Dubrovnika, Mareusa 3, X-Citea, Luckyja, Toto Travela, Fatamorganu, Polet Furiosa, a ispred manjih jurilica poput Matarana, The Pimpa, Magnuma, T8SC-a... ugurali su se Paula i Zenith. Paula (FW 40) je čistokrvni openaš pod Slovačkom zastavom koji inače nastupa po regatama na sjevernom Jadranu, a na njemu jedri posada koja je dugo vremena jedrila na regatama CRO ORC Cupa na jedrilici Sixtynine - Brutal Fish (First 40.7). Nakon prodaje 69-e orijentirali su se na jedrenje s talijanskom i slovenskom konkurencijom uglavnom u trščanskom bazenu, a na srednji Jadran dolaze uglavnom na Višku regatu. Oni su već ranije imali nekoliko vrlo dobro odjedrenih prvih etapa ove regate, pogotovo 2016. godine kad je nastala i ova fotografija: 📸 Carević a tada su je završili kao 4. dok su ove godine do cilja doletjeli kao drugoplasirani! Druga istaknuta jedrilica je Zenith (First 53), kompletno drugačije filozofije od svih ostalih koji su se natjecali u samom vrhu. Za razliku od njih koji su totalno ogoljeni i sa samo minimalnom i najnužnijom opremom ispod palube, Zenith je impresivno jedrio s kompletnim namještajem, posteljinom, perilicama i tikovom palubom i tek u Vratima gubi određen broj mjesta prilikom povratka u Split. Naravno, za dobar rezultat važan element je dobra posada, a na Zenithu su joj jezgru činili sveprisutni Stjepan Vitaljić i Pave Pleslić, te povratnik na regate krstaša, Krešimir Đakulović, a o njihovom jedrenju popričali smo s vlasnikom Zenitha Filipom Babićem: Obje etape startali smo u prva tri četiri broda. Na brodu su bili Stipe Vitaljić, Pave Pleslić i Krešo Đakulović, tako da je to bila dobitna kombinacija. Inače je s nama i Toni Bulaja, ali ovaj vikend bio je na drugoj regati u Veneciji, pa je Krešo uskočio umjesto njega kao dostojna zamjena. Od starta već prve etape bili smo dosta dobri i cijelo vrijeme smo bili uz bok jurilicama. A iznendailo me je i to što nas je nakon Splitskih Vrata dosta posada slijedilo s biranjem postavljanja jedrilja u leptir. I tu smo bili jedini koji smo prema Visu vozili u ravnom kursu. Čak smo jedrili i brzinama od oko 13 čvorova kad bi zaglisirali. I u cilju smo bili 15. odnosno prvi od brodova koji nisu po nekom svom segmentu iz domene egzotičnog. Drugu etapu smo također dobro startali premda smo skoro imali sudar na startnoj liniji. Jedan Grand Soleil je prerano došao na startnu liniju, pa je naglo zapojao i vozio po liniji, a mi smo dolazili sa 7 čvorova. Oni su tu uspjeli zaorcati i mi smo im prošli ispred prove. Nakon starta smo jedrili paralelno s Dubrovnikom koji je išao dosta istočnije od sviju, na kraju je prošao kroz Vodnjake. A kako smo mi bili tu u vrhu, nažalost, upali smo u jednu rupu gdje smo plutali bez vjetra oko sat vremena. Ostali su to vidjeli pa su nas zaobilazili i u smjeru Šolte i u smjeru Hvara. A kasnije, kad je zapuhao maestral, nas je prve zahvatio. To je u stvari i bio Krešin plan. Moram reći da je sve pogodio. Rekao je da će u 10 sati stati levanat, oko 11-12 će krenuti maestral i on će prvo krenut puhati pored Brača. Zato smo se mi stalno i držali te strane... Paklenjaka i Pelegrina. Na toj strani su osim nas bili još i Gringo, Dubrovnik i Viga, ali su prije nego je krenuo maestral otišli pod Šoltu gdje je bila praktički cijela flota. Tada smo primijetili da je kod njih bi dosta jak kurenat koji je cijelu regatu odnio na zapad, a mi smo ga uspjeli izbjeći. To je bilo posebno vidljivo za vrijeme te rupe kad nije bilo vjetra koji je mogao jedrilice gurati u željenom smjeru. Kad nam je zapuhao taj maestral jedrili smo s Code 0 i mi smo jedrili već po vjetru od 7-8 čvorova dok ostalim nije zapuhalo. Tad se desila jedna smiješna zgoda. Na Fejsu JK Labud bilo je objavljeno da je Polet Furioso nadomak Vrata kao vodeći brod, a mi smo se zapitali gdje smo onda mi. Kasnije smo čuli da je bila priča u stilu "to je neki Ultrin brod iz chartera, vjerojatno dolazi s Brača" :) Ali kad smo baš i prošli kao prvi kroz Splitska Vrata onda smo poslali poruku da ipak moraju ispraviti taj "fake news" :) Iza nas je s maestralom kroz Vrata doletjela Stravaganza, a Dubrovnik je bio odmah iza nas. Krešo je tada morao donijeti odluku. Bile su dvije opcije i morali smo uzeti u obzir da smo mi težak i trom brod. Prva opcija je bila da nastavimo ravnim kursom prema Splitu i u određenom trenutku ponovno ući u bonacu. Ili, uz Milnu i obalu Brača hvatati vjetar koliko možemo, jer ako uđemo u rupu mi smo gotovi. Izabrana je strana uz Brač i tu smo stalno radili pojalabande s genakerom i tu smo se čak jedno kratko vrijeme borili s Dubrovnikom. Nismo mu dali da nas baš glatko prijeđe. Kad je prestao puhati taj vjetar prebacili smo se na flok i tad su nas prešli i Polet i Molo Longo i Mareus 3... Kad smo prošli Brač ponovno je krenula puhati nekakva tramuntana od 12-13 čvorova. Po njoj smo pojurili s 10-12 čvorova brzine, ali više nismo mogli stići ostale. Međutim, uhvatili smo Toto Travel što nam je bilo posebno drago. Filip Babić, Zenith 📸 Stjepan Vitaljić Unatoč genijalnom rezultatu s obzirom na konkurenciju i činjenicu da je Zenith stigao prvi u Vrata, nažalost ostaju bez pehara, jer su bili drugi u skupini, a organizatori su odredili da ako je manje od šest jedrilica u skupini bit će nagrađeni samo najbolji. Da bi regata i dalje imala doticaj s najnovijim svjetskim trendovima po pitanju ekstremnih dizajna ponovno se pobrinuo Mate Arapov sa svojom Fatamorganom (Patucelli), a sa sličnom dizajnerskom filozofijom društvo mu je pravio Lucky (ClubSwan 36) Luke Šangulina. Obje jedrilice se razlikuju od sviju ostalih po tome što imaju ugrađene foilove, Fatamorgana custom made a Lucky tvorničke. Drugačije su i izvedbe, ali principi rada su im slični. Obje jedrilice ih koriste za stabilnije jedrenje i poboljšavanje kuta jedrenja, za razliku od foilera koji se u posljednje vrijeme mogu vidjeti uglavnom na oceanskim regatama, a povremeno i u manjim izdanjima na Alpskim jezerima. Oba foilera imaju u rezultatima upisana po jedno 7. i 8. mjesto, ali iako je Fatamorgana bila u drugoj etapi brža za 15 sekundi, ukupno vrijeme jedrenja bilo je kraće kod Luckyja za 16 sekundi. Što se tiče najvećih jedrilica, uz Generalija jedrio je još jedan TP 52. Naravno, riječ je o jedrilici koja jedri pod klupskom zastavom organizatora regate, Poletu Furiosu. U Visu je za direktnom konkurencijom kasnio 25 minuta i završava kao 9. u realnom vremenu, dok se u povratku posada Nikole Deškovića mnogo bolje snalazila u domaćim uvjetima nedostatnog vjetra. A uz Zenith, najveći dvojac činile su sestrinske jedrilice dizajna Ceccarelli 53. Molo Longo u izvornom izdanju, te nešto modificiran i produžen Toto Travel. Još jednom ukupnu pobjedu odnosi posada iz Rijeke koje je i u generalnom poretku na izvrsnom drugom mjestu. Međutim, i dalje svjetla pozornice okreću se Generaliju i njegovom vrhunskom rezultatu, a evo kako je njihovo jedrenje opisao kormilar Samo Žvan: Prognoza je najavljivala dvadesetak čvorova bure na startu s tim da bi u nastavku trebala pasti na desetak, maksimalno petnaest. Ali neposredno pred start diglo iz levanta, jer se stvorioneki oblak između Biokova i Brača, pa se startalo po dobrih dvadesetak čvorova. Očekivao sam da će vjetar biti više po krmi, pa smo odmah nakon starta podignuli genaker, ali s njim smo jedrili prema Drveniku. Zato smo ga nakon par minuta maknuli i do Vrata i kroz njih, jedrili samo na glavno jedro i flok... trojku... tad nam je vjetar bio između 90 i 100° s lijeve strane. U Vratima je puhalo i preko 30 čvorova! Nakon Vrata vjetar je malo okrenuo i sad je puhao više s krme, pa smo podignuli genaker četvorku. Tad se vjetar stabilizirao na 27-28 čvorova s refulima do 35. Na lijevim uzdama smo ostavili Vodnjake (njih na desnoj strani), napravili jednu pojalabandu u desnu i drugu za u cilj. I to je to. Najveća postignuta brzina bila nam je 22.8 čvorova, glisirali kao ludi, dobro oprali palubu i hvala Bogu bez greške koja je mogla izazvati neku havariju ili štraorcadu stigli do cilja. Kad sam pogledao na sat bio je rekord :) Povrat je s druge strane bio vrlo "tricky". Znalo se da će vjetar pasti i da će se čekati maestral. Odlično smo startali i poveli regatu i vodili negdje do Vodnjaka. Tada smo pronašli neku svoju rupu... bili smo postavljeni u sredini kursa. na strani do Vodnjaka bili su Polet Furioso i Stravaganza, a dosta ispod nas Molo Longo. Kako smo bili prvi i tu se zaustavili, svi su nas zaobišli i prošli. Potom je bila muka doći do Vrata. Do njih smo stigli tek oko desetog mjesta i to s već popriličnim vremenskim zaostatkom. Ali ranijih godina znali smo doći u Vrata prvi i tu bi zeznuli, a ostali bi nas prošli, ali ove godine je bilo obrnuto. Loše smo prošli do Vrata, vidjeli da su stvarno svi brodovi bili desno, pod Bračem, pa smo mi otišli lijevo... maksimalno koliko se moglo s genakerom... usprkos tomu što se vidjelo da je tamo bonaca! Nama je bilo svejedno da li ćemo u cilj ući kao 10. ili 12. ili 20... trebali smo riskirati i ne ići tamo gdje su ostali. I eto, imali smo sreće. Maestral je polako popunjavao i uspjeli smo prestići 6-7 brodova i u Split stići kao četvrti, te s dovoljno malim zaostatkom iza Molo Longo da ukupno pobijedimo. Samo Žvan, Generali 📸 JK Labud Ali na kraju, titula pobjednika 77. Viške regate, odlazi u ruke posade jedrilice Dubrovnik. Naime, pobjednik regate proglašava se na osnovu ORC sustava razvrstanja. U floti od 146 jedrilica s valjanim ORC Club svjedodžbama bilo ih je 19. Regata promatrana kroz ovu prizmu također je bila zanimljiva. Za prvu etapu može se reći da je bila maksimalno čista, odnosno nije bilo pretjerano mnogo mjesta za kalkulacije bilo koje vrste i izvlačenje na driceve, refule i ostale nepogode koje su se javljale u drugoj etapi, već je trebalo razviti što je bilo moguće više kvadratnih medara jedara i nastojati odjedriti zadanu rutu u što kraćem vremenu. Oni što su se najviše približili idealnim projekcijama ostvarili su najbolji rezultat. U tom je najbolje prošao Dubrovnik čiji rezultat je pokazao da je i Generali mogao biti još brži jer ga je matematika stavila na drugo mjesto u ovoj etapi. Vrlo dobro jedrenje do Visa pokazao je i Mataran 32 koji je u toj etapi zauzeo respektabilno treće mjesto sa zaostatkom od 28 minuta iza 20 stopa većeg Generalija, a kad se već spominje taj omjer veličina ne smije se zaboraviti ni The Pimp, još jedan Melges, ali 24, koji je u Vis dojedrio 33 sekunde iza Matarana! Pretpostavljam da su svi do sada vidjeli bar jedan od video uradaka snimljenih na Stravaganzi, a jednog od kojih se može vidjeti i u ovom članku, ali doživljaj na ova dva manja Melgesa sigurno nije bio ništa manjeg intenziteta i niže razine adrenalina. Odmah iza Matarana i The Pimpa, u realnom vremenu, završavaju X-Cite i Gringo 3. Jednak rasplet je i u ORC-u (samo bez The Pimpa koji nije bio prijavljen i u ovoj skupini). Ovo su prve dvije jedrilice za koje se može reći da su klasičnije od onih ispred, pogotovo X-Cite kojim je na ovoj Viškoj regati kormilario Filip Jurišić, svježe ovjenčan naslovom viceprvaka Europe u klasi ILCA 7 (ex Laser Standard). Zato je povratna etapa u ORC-u bila maksimalno dramatična, jer se jedrilo po uvjetima koji omogućavaju realno sporijim jedrilicama da u korigiranom vremenu prestignu veće i brže modele. Uvjeti jedrenja po "flekama" vjetra i realna mogućnost da se ostane u nekoj bonaci dok svi oko tebe prolaze, najčešće rezultiraju tim da male jedrilice "pojedu" velike po pitanju korigiranih vremena. Točno to se desilo i sada. Veliki i brzi morali su mnogo truda uložiti u traženje lokalnih povjetaraca, jer ostanak u grupi okružen s realno i matematički sporijom konkurencijom znači da je regata unaprijed izgubljena. Među ostalima, to se dogodilo i Dubrovniku. Posada JK Orsan jedrila je obilaznim rutama i na kraju uspjela ući kao 6. u cilj, ali ORC kalkulator izračunao je da je u pitanju 9. najbolje jedrenje, dok pobjedu odnosi Green Pepper (Salona 34) čiji kormilar je bio Stipe Gašpić - zlatni na istom Europskom prvenstvu kao i Filip Jurišić, ali u klasi ILCA 6 (ex Laser Radial). Ova etapna pobjeda Gašpićevu posadu ostavlja na korak do postolja i u konačnom plasmanu su četvrti, ali sa značajno ljepšom finalnom slikom nakon 12. mjesta u prvoj etapi. Sličan rasplet na kraju regate imala je i posada Sharka. Posada koja iza sebe ima i duge offshore regate poput Middlesea Racea prvu etapu završava na 10. mjestu, a u drugoj osvaja srebro, što joj je dovoljno za penjanje na treću stepenicu postolja. Stepenicu iznad na postolju završava posada koja je imala najmanje oscilacije u prikazanom. Riječ je o jednima od doajena ORC-a u nas, ekipi Gringa 3 iz Zadra. Posada Roberta Sandalića prvu etapu završava na 5., a drugu na 6. mjestu i nedostajao joj je samo jedan bod da se izjednače s Dubrovnikom o čijem jedrenju smo popričali s njegovim kormilarom Denisom Vukasom: Prva etapa... gledali smo sve moguće prognoze... što će biti, gdje ćemo jedriti, što ćemo dignuti, koja jedra koristiti... bila je bura od nekih 15 čvorova u prognozi. Napravili smo plan i pred start idemo napraviti đir prema sredini kanala. Kad tamo iz pravca Makarske i Omiša vidimo da stiže oblak koji je sve popunio. Bilo je par dobrih refula i odlučujem da ćemo startati s malim flokom i Code 0. Taman je krenuo start kad je počelo dizati. Na kraju smo jedrili s malim flokom i jedrom, a vjetar u bok... neka bura od levanta. Kad je prošlo dvadesetak minuta po takvim uvjetima malo je više ukrmilo, pa smo otvorili Code i s njim jedrili više od pola kanala, skoro do Brača. Tamo je zadimilo malo jače, više u bok i nismo mogli to više nositi, pa smo se vratili na flok. I tako smo kombinirali Code i flok do Vrata, a u Vratima nas je prošao Niko sa Stravaganzom. Prošao nas je s gornje strane dok smo mi vozili 15 čvorova, a njega smo vidiš kako zuji pored :)) Tu su još bili Toto i Molo Longo, a mi smo bili malo iza njih. Kroz Vrata je malo ukrmilo, pa smo se vratili na Code i tu smo s njim išli odlično. Tada je puhalo oko 28-30, znalo je pasti i na 25, ono baš kako se bura ponaša. Od tuda smo zajedrili prema Vodnjacima, prošli kroz njih i dignuli genaker s kojim smo dojedrili u cilj. Mislim da smo tu rutu stvarno super odvozili i da nismo nigdje pogriješili. A druga etapa... ponovno gledamo tko zna koliko različitih prognoza... pa vjeruješ, ne vjeruješ... Bilo je oblačno na startu i nadali smo se da će se ti oblaci raščistiti. Dok je bilo oblačno, dok nije probilo sunce, držao je neki burinet - levanat i otišli smo skroz desno. Na startu su svi krenuli s Codeovima, a mi smo otišli najvisočije desno s flokom, ponovno pod Vodnjake i Hvar i napravili smo desni luk u kanal prema Starigradu. Naravno, ne do Starigrada :) Kad je pao vjetar malo prije Vodnjaka digli smo nešto što mi zovemo drifter, ali to masthead genova i tako smo jedrili dok nije sve izdušilo. U tim trenucima bili smo najistočnije od svih brodova i dosta smo dobro išli kroz kanal po umirućim refulima tog burineta. Kad je vjetar stao čekali smo prijelaz na maestral. Znali smo da što smo dublje u kanalu da će taj početak povući malo jače nego da smo bili vani. Skupa s nama je startao i First 53 - Zenith i on je malo prije Vodnjaka opao i dignuo Code i onda je počeo padati. Mislio sam da će tada poći prema Maslenici, a mi smo toliko pobjegli da nismo više gledali ni njega, nego kad je to sve izdušilo, kad je krenuo zapadnjak on se pojavio na Pelegrinu i pošao skroz uz kraj prema Starigradu. Tada je on bio najistočnije i s tim vjetrom koji je pojačavao ušao u Splitska Vrata prvi, možda stotinjak metara ispred nas. Mi smo tu bili drugi, a cijela ekipa koja je na početku išla prema sredini Šolte i prema Maslinici morala se vraćati u krmu. Na Mrduji smo već bili na dvadesetak metara od Zenitha i tada sam očekivao da maestral nastavlja probivati i da ćemo jedriti ravno na Split. Ali... Iza Šolte smo vidjeli da je sve bijelo i nema nikakvog vjetra, a neki raz je uz Brač. Napravili smo onda par pojalabandi uz sam Brač... Bobovišće... samo da stojimo u nekom vjetru i da idemo prema naprijed. Dok smo tako vozili uz Brač pomalo je vjetar popunjavao cijeli kanal i s tim maestralom smo ušli u cilj. Takva regata je bila i prije par godina. Svi manji brodovi su tada doletjeli na brzinu i pojeli nas po korigiranom vremenu, a ovog puta smo izdržali, premda ni ja ne znam kako :) Denis Vukas, Dubrovnik Kompletne rezultate ORC-a možete pronaći na ovom linku, a možda jedino na što treba skrenuti pažnju prilikom njihove analize je RET u drugoj etapi za Generalija. Razlog je što su s obzirom na prognozu prijavili Regatnom odboru da će jedriti i s drifterom koji nije bio prijavljen u ORC svjedodžbi, pa su se iz fair play razloga povukli iz kalkulacija za ovu etapu. Eh da, sve ostale rezultate 77. Viške regate možete pronaći na ovom linku. U subotu, kad je bio slobodan dan, u Viškoj luci su se odjedrila dva neobavezna revijalna plova. Oba puta pobjedu je odnijela Stravaganza, a ono što posebno veseli Niku Kmetovića je to što je vrijeme koje im je bilo potrebno za izvršavanje složenih manovri s canting ceelom, dagerboardima itd, na kratkom polju u skučenom prostoru, bilo podjednako onom koje su trebale ostale jedrilice s mnogo jednostavnijim sustavima za upravljanje. Na kraju je nastala sad već viralna snimka na kojoj je Lovre Peović, član posade Stravaganze prošetao po jarbolu u stilu Alex Thomsona, a sve s ciljem proslave pobjede u spomenuta dva plova :) Kao što je već spomenuto, regatu je organizirao JK Labud, jedan od jedriličarskih klubova s najduljom tradicijom u Hrvatskoj, a u ime Organizacijskog odbora izjavu je dao njegov predsjednik, Vedran Mlikota: Ove godine smo ponovno zajedrili prema Visu, jer lani s obzirom na okolnosti koje su tada vladale bili prisiljeni promijeniti krajnju destinaciju regate. Ali u krajnjoj liniji to nije ispalo toliko loše, jer smo dobili jednu novu regatu koja je vrlo dobro prihvaćena među jedriličarima. Naravno, riječ je o Pa(V)iškoj regati i nastojat ćemo je i dalje njegovati među ostalim našim regatama. Evo ove godine situacija je povoljnija i u dogovoru s gradonačelnikom grada Visa i lokalnom turističkom zajednicom zajedrili smo prema njima. Unatoč stanci od godinu dana odaziv je bio iznimno dobar. Na startu smo imali 154 jedrilice! Sam satrt smo odgodili za sat vremena jer smo se nadali da će bura malo pasti, ali kad je krenula procedura ona je pojačala, pa smo na startu imali i udare od tridesetak čvorova! Tako da nam se javi oproblem kako ćemo uhvatiti brze brodove, jer oni kad krenu s brzinama od preko 20 čvorova postaje ih problem uhvatiti s brodom od Lučke kapetanije. Međutim, vozili su kroz Paklinske otoke i uspjeli smo ih prestići i postaviti cilj prije dolaska prvog broda, a Samo Žvan je stigao prije trajekta i s 2 sata i 14 minuta oborio rekord regate! Uvjeti su stvarno bili za postavljanje rekorda, a taj brod ide i još brže kad je laško... stvarno ih je bilo lijepo vidjeti dok glisiraju! A na Kupu viškog zaljeva, promotivnoj regati, nije bila baš puno vjetra, više bonace nego što je puhalo. Tako da je samo 7 jedrilica odlučilo izaći i zajedriti. Na povratku je bio dobar start. Puhalo je 14-15 čvorova, ali kad je flota stigla u visinu Hvara vjetar je skroz pao. Par brodova je uspjelo proći taj dio bez vjetra i proći kroz Splitska Vrata, a tek kasnije, kad je zapuhalo pridružio im se i veći dio ostatka flote. Uglavnom, mogu zaključiti da je unatoč vremenskim okolnostima regata bila vrlo uspješna i dogodine se ponovno vraćamo na Vis. Vedran Mlikota, JK Labud I ove godine Labudaši su nastavili s praksom koju su započeli prije dvije godine kad je na regati sudjelovalo oko 180 jedrilica. Tad su prvi put organizirano dočekivali jedriličare u Visu s uputama za vezivanje i s davanjem prednosti onima koji su jedreći završili prvu etapu. Ali i dalje su na snazi stožeraške zabrane po pitanju organiziranih druženja, pa je izostao fažol dobrodošlice u Visu, a proglašenje pobjednika u Splitu obavljeno je na otvorenom unatoč strahu organizatora o najavljenoj kiši. 📸 JK Labud Što se tiče na početku spomenute dominacije s ponosom možemo nabrojati o kojim jedrilicama je riječ: Zenith - 100% NS Generali - 100% NS Paula - 100% NS Gringo 3 - 100% NS X-Cite - 100% NS Dubrovnik - 100% NS Lucky - 100% NS Mr.J - 100% NS The Pimp - 100% NS Fugu - 100% NS Zlatan - djelomično NS Rocketa - djelomično NS Molo Longo - djelomično NS Toto Travel - djelomično NS Polet Furioso - djelomično NS Mila 8 - djelomično NS Stravaganza - djelomično NS Erco D' - djelomično NS Mareus 3 - djelomično NS Magnum x3 - djelomično NS T8SC - djelomično NS Pinocchio - djelomično NS Ove jedrilice su pobijedile u dvije od tri ORC skupine, sedam od 10 R skupina, te u dvije C skupine, a također su i generalni pobjednici kako po Openu, tako i po ORC-u! Jedina razlika između pobjednika po Openu i ORC-u je ta što je Generali u svom "ormaru" imao i jedra izrađena u Helix tehnologiji, dok je Dubrovnik bio opremljen isključivo s 3Di jedrima, ako i većina ostalih navedenih. Jedino je šteta što na regati nije zajedrio i BaRe V koji je prije starta imao problema s lantinom. U tom slučaju bi Zenith imao direktnu konkurenciju, odnosno bilo bi zanimljivo vidjeti kako bi prošlo nadmetanje između ove dvije jedrilice koje su približno iste veličine, a također su i obje opremljene tikovinom na palubama. I još za kraj treba istaknuti jedan vrlo zanimljiv podatak, a to da je od prvih 14 jedrilica u generalnom poretku jurnjave između Splita i Visa, čak 12 s gornjeg popisa! I za kraj jedna mala primjedba od strane jedriličara. Naime u Oglasu ove regate, jednako kao i mnogih drugih, stoji da se prilikom službene prijave mora priložiti plovidbena dozvola. Problem je u tome što su one već par godina van upotrebe, a umjesto toga se za provjeravanje da li jedrilica ima dozvolu za plovidbu izdanu od strane nadležnih službi koristi pretraživač na stranicama Ministarstva mora, pomorstva i infrastrukture, a koji je dostupan na ovom linku. PS: rekorderska ruta jedrilice Generali 📸 Samo Žvan PPS: pozdrav doktoru Kraljeviću! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SWEEPS PODIUM AT 2021 SNIPE WESTERN HEMISPHERE CHAMPIONSHIP Diaz And Brotons Show Consistency And Top The Competitive Fleet Barbara Brotons and Augie Diaz 📸 Matias Capizzano 📸 Matias Capizzano North Sails swept the podium at the 2021 edition of the Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship hosted by Cottage Park Yacht Club in Boston, MA. Snipe Veteran and a past Snipe and Star World Champion Augie Diaz and his crew Barbara Brotons (USA) won the event after sailing 9 races over the course of 5 days. With only one race outside of the top 10, Diaz and Brotons displayed consistency in the 27 boat fleet, placing them on the #NSVictoryList. Americans Arthur Blodgett and Gracie Howie placed second overall, just seven points behind Diaz. The Chilean brother-sister duo of Matias Seguel and Constanza Seguel rounded out the podium in third.Taking their place as the “Top Female Boat,” Americans Taylor Scheuermann and crew Charlie Bess sailed a phenomenal regatta, finishing up the event in 8th place overall. Congratulations to all of our North Sails Snipe class competitors. Find full results here. Arthur and Grace Congratulating the Winners 📸 Matias Capizzano Arthur Blodgett and Grace Howie 📸 Matias Capizzano Matias Seguel and Constanza Seguel 📸 Matias Capizzano Taylor Scheuermann and Charlie Bess – Top Women’s Team 📸 Matias Capizzano READ MORE

DAVID STARCK AND MOLONEY SISTERS WIN THE 2021 WILD OYSTER REGATTA North Sails Prevails Over Challenging Charleston Harbor Conditions 📸 Frannie McKenzie The 2021 Wild Oyster Lightning Regatta was held in Charleston this past weekend with David Starck, Kathryn and Christine Maloney besting 31 other teams in very challenging conditions in Charleston Harbor. Saturday was a tricky day with a southwest breeze from 2 to 15 knots. Playing the current and staying in pressure was the key to success, and David and his team did the best with a 4, 6, 3 scoreline. In 2nd was Jonathan Lutz and his dad Jody Lutz and JoAnn Fisher leading them around the harbor to a 14, 3, 1 day. The rest of the top 5 were Marvin Beckmann and his team of Brian Kamilar and Nikki Bruno in 3rd followed by Tom Starck, Laura Goldberg and Susanna Massalon in 4th. In 5th place were tri- skippers Sabrina Starck, Debbie Probst and Sabrina’s mom, Jody Starck besting the highly competitive fleet with 2 wins in the first 2 races, but the harbor got revenge in race 3 as they posted a 21st. The cold front dropped into Charleston Harbor on Saturday night and with a strong northerly breeze creating puffs in the 20’s and a very strong tidal current making getting out of the basin a challenge, the Race Committee held out hope for more racing but by noon on Sunday, with many teams with long drives ahead of them, the final day of racing was cancelled and Saturday results stood. North Sails’ selection of Lightning Sails powered 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15, and 21 out of the 31 boats. Find full results here. 📸 Frannie McKenzie 📸 Frannie McKenzie 📸 Frannie McKenzie READ MORE

‘HOW TO’ WITH BOUWE BEKKING Introducing a 7-part Video Series Geared to Cruisers We’ve teamed up with our friends at X-Yachts and are excited to release an all-new ‘How To’ video series aimed at every type of cruiser. All seven videos are now live and available to watch on the North Sails YouTube channel. As a seasoned eight-time Volvo Ocean Race sailor, professional Dutch sailor Bouwe Bekking turns his hand to the world of cruising to share his knowledge onboard an X-Yacht. Joined by North Sails Expert Jesper Feldt, Bekking talks us through the key aspects of sailing a cruiser, from boat maneuvers to trimming every sail in the inventory. Filmed throughout the summer on the waters of Øresund near Copenhagen, Denmark, these videos provide tips and tricks on handling a cruising boat fully equipped with North 3Di ENDURANCE. READ MORE

SUCCESS AT THE i420 2021 US YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP North’s i420 Sails Enable Sailors To Excel In All Conditions 📸 Matt McCotter / US Sailing October 10, 2021, Camp Sea Gull, Arapahoe, NC — After 3 mostly grueling days of sailing on the Neuse River in North Carolina, the I420 US Youth Sailing Championship concluded on Monday. This venue is fantastic, and the hosts were incredibly helpful and gracious. Out on the Neuse River, the racing featured some very large, steep chop, along with strong E/NE/N winds that spun briskly around a stationary low pressure system off the coast. This low seemed motionless, driving in both clouds, rain, and wind for the first two days. Finally, on the third day, the breeze relaxed just a bit for the final races of the Championship. 📸 Tom Sitzmann 420 teams were challenged to sail well in a very wide range of conditions. So, the key was making adjustments, and shifting gears, from maximum winds/ de-powering (several gear breakdowns & capsizes over the weekend attested to how tough it was) to light/lumpy powered-up conditions. The i420, in particular, rewards sailors that focus on gear-shifting, adding to the importance of being able to adapt to what the weather presents. North Sails 420 sails are built for just those sailors, and with proper adjustments, can provide world-class speed and performance throughout all wind ranges. We are pleased to report that North Sails teams claimed 4 of the top 5 places (1,3,4,5), and World Champions Thomas Sitzmann and Luke Woodworth (Sail1Design) continued their incredible sailing, dominating the event by winning seven of the eight races. There was a lot gained from this regatta, and we are eager to help 420 teams looking to get to the next level, so don’t hesitate to contact us here at North Sails. Click here for full results. Thomas Sitzmann and Luke Woodworth 📸 Tom Sitzmann READ MORE

2021 VIPER 640 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP A Podium Sweep for North Sails at the Viper 640 North Americans 📸 David Trost The 2021 Viper 640 North American Championship, hosted by Noroton Yacht Club, took place for the first time since 2019. Spanning from October 7th through the 10th, competitors saw a wide range of conditions in Long Island Sound. From light breeze and clear skies, to wind in the 20s, and cooler temperatures, there was something for everyone. Mark Zagol with crew Drew Buttner and Tim Desmond took home the title and a spot on the #NSVictoryList with 11 points to spare over Jay Rhame, Peter Beardsley, and Rachel Beardsley who finished the event in second. Third place went to Cardwell Potts, Ted Ferrarone, Merideth Killion, and Jenifer Potts. 📸 David Trost The regatta had a solid turnout with 37 teams in attendance. North Sails powered 1, 2, 3, 6, 7*, 9 and a large portion of this edition of the North American Championship’s Viper Fleet. Find full event results here. 📸 David Trost 📸 David Trost READ MORE

INAUGURAL VIPER 640 WOMEN’S NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP Grace Howie And Team Are First Ever Women’s Viper 640 North American Champions 1st Place 📸 Rick Bannerot / OnTheFlyPhoto.net / Viper 640 Class Boat speed was the name of the game at the inaugural Viper 640 Women’s North American Championship this past weekend at Noroton Yacht Club in Darien, CT. The background of this event was that it was originally supposed to be a World Championship, but COVID travel restrictions required organizers to convert it to a Continental Championship. Out of the 18 entrants, most boats consisted of at least half women or majority female teams, and there was one all-female team. Grace Howie and her crew of Meredith Killion, Cardwell Potts and Ted Ferrarone won the inaugural Championship and a spot on the #NSVictoryList, displaying consistency throughout the duration of the weekend, throwing out a 4th place. They credited their consistency to their ability to go fast, and the fact that they were sailing 4 up, unlike some of their competitors. Cam Farrah, sailing with her father Cliff and Jackson Benvenutti moved up to second overall with 13 points. The final podium position went to Sarah Warren and Hanna King sailing with Mark Zagol and Tim Desmond in third with 16 points. Mary Ewenson finished up in fourth with 23 point with crews Austin Powers and Keenan Hilsinger. Jane Loutrel Moore finished in fifth with 25 points sailing with her son Parker and Marian and Vir Menon. Congratulations to all of our North Sails Viper 640 sailors. 📸 Rick Bannerot / OnTheFlyPhoto.net / Viper 640 Class 2nd Place 📸 Rick Bannerot / OnTheFlyPhoto.net / Viper 640 Class 3rd Place 📸 Rick Bannerot / OnTheFlyPhoto.net / Viper 640 Class READ MORE

SOMETHING ABOUT LES VOILES DE SAINT-TROPEZ North Sails was out in full force for this end-of-season regatta To put it simply, there’s a certain “je ne sais quoi” to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. As North Sails President, Ken Read says, “From wooden classics to flat out racing machines (and everything in between) there’s really no assembly like this in the world.” Les Voiles is two weeks of stellar sailing with a nightlife to match. And, North Sails is at the center of it all helping to propel the legacy of the event to that next level. From managing repairs and working hand in hand with teams to make the best sails available, to outfitting most of the town in our Collection gear, North Sails was in full force in Saint-Tropez. READ MORE

OPTIMIST V-SERIES: FIRST LOOK Speed and Versatility on the Racecourse After nearly two years of development, testing, re-designing and more testing, North Sails is proud to launch the all-new V-Series Optimist sail. We have streamlined our range to three sail options, all following the design philosophy of the V-Series: Optimist V-1 Mainsail, below 34kg (75 lbs.) Optimist V-2 Mainsail, between 34-42kg (75-93 lbs.) Optimist V-3 Mainsail, above 42kg (93 lbs) The V-series features a very unique radial design along with one crosscut panel, which allows both excellent shape-holding durability, and unparalleled tuning potential through the wind ranges. This sail design also reflects a long, in-depth study of all of the new equipment available in the Optimist class (sprits, spars, etc), and also how sailors now sail the boat (much more athletically than ever before). “This is the perfect Optimist sail for racers looking to get the absolute most speed and versatility on the racecourse.” — North Sails Optimist expert Tom Sitzmann. This radial sail delivers unparalleled acceleration and speed throughout a wide range of conditions. A radial sail is more rigid than a conventional crosscut sail. The sail holds its shape and responds more sensitively to trimming and tuning changes. SHOP OPTIMIST V-SERIES READ MORE

NORTH SAILS GOSPORT WELCOMES RUARIDH WRIGHT Another experienced Sailmaker & Sailor Joining the UK Sales Team 📸 Andre Carmo / The Austrian Ocean Race Project Ruaridh Wright's passion for sailing began at age seven when he first raced with his dad on a Swan 44 in Largs, Scotland. He has since racked up a host of experiences from Sydney Harbour and San Francisco bay to his current home on the Solent. He is excited to join the North Sails Sales Team in Gosport, UK, to work with clients in the club race segment. Brought up on the west coast of Scotland, Ruaridh raced on the Solent with many different teams since 2008. He raced on a 41-foot S&S classic yacht for 12 years before becoming hooked on the faster club race boats like the Corby 37 and First 40. He got involved in the IRC scene, partaking in races such as the Rolex Fastnet Race and RORC Commodore’s Cup which he won in 2018. Ruaridh first joined the North Sails team in 2018, after graduating with a degree in Naval Architecture. He started as a Laser Plotter Operator and later moved onto the loft floor as a sailmaker, working in both Production and Service. In 2019, after a summer of professional sailing on TP52’s, Fast 40+’s, and a Z86, he moved to Sydney, Australia to work as a Service Sailmaker at the busy North Sails loft in Mona Vale. Whilst out there, he also raced some noteworthy events onboard the JV62 Chinese Whisper, including a fifth overall in the Sydney to Hobart and Port Lincoln Race Week. "Working at the Sydney loft was hard work as the season of service builds up to the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race on the 26th of December,’’ says Ruaridh. “This hands-on sailmaking experience has allowed me to develop a full understanding of what happens to a sail when it comes into the loft, as well as giving me the skills to fix sails myself. I know much more about our sail materials now and can advise clients what product would best suit their needs." 📸 James Tomlinson / North Sails Sydney Ruaridh was selected as a grinder, trimmer, and driver for The Ocean Race Europe this summer, onboard the VO65 The Austrian Ocean Race Project, and went on to win the first leg. He also finished fifth overall in the Rolex Fastnet Race onboard Rob Bottomley's Performance 40, Sailplane. "The biggest takeaway from the Rolex Fastnet Race has to be the importance of having a harmonious crew, fast sails, and a fast setup,” Ruaridh explains. “Hard work and staying focused the whole time is vital. The amount of inshore sailing we had done in the Performance 40 fleet in the lead-up to the race helped our understanding of optimal rig and sail setup for every wind angle." The Sailplane team also won the 2021 UK Performance 40 season, with Ruaridh onboard as tactician. In his eight years of sailing these types of boats, he’s moved from bow and mast to trimming and tactics. On the Grand Prix scene, you will find him at the pedestal grinding. "It is great to work for a company that makes you feel like you are at the front, leading with innovation." Ruaridh remarks. "3Di Technology is the biggest development in sailmaking there probably has ever been.’’ When asked about hobbies outside of sailing, Ruaridh responds, "I didn't realize there was anything outside of sailing!" Laughing, he adds: "I enjoy current affairs and reading, as well as bouldering and keeping fit at the gym." GET IN TOUCH 📸 Paul Wyeth / Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 📸 Rick Tomlinson / RORC Vice Admirals Cup 2021 📸 Rick Tomlinson / RORC Vice Admirals Cup 2021 READ MORE

How The Sertl Family Went From The “Family Boat” to IC37 Continental Champions 📸 Scott Trauth Photography The inaugural IC37 North American Championship took place October 1- 3, 2021, in Newport, Rhode Island, hosted by the New York Yacht Club. After 8 races across 3 days of sailing, team Sertl on Das Blau Max took home the North American title as an all-corinthian team with the entire Sertl family aboard. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Sertls, so we asked Katja (daughter, jib trimmer) to reflect on how the team put it all together for the season finale. I have been sailing with my family since the summer of 1994. At the age of 5 months old, my parents raced the Rochester Yacht Club’s weekend J/24 racing series, and I was down below strapped to the mast in my car seat, both of them taking turns checking on me to make sure I was still smiling. Fast forward 27 years, and the Sertl Family still races together. We’ve since upgraded to an IC37 and now we are North American champions. In 2017, when the New York Yacht Club first announced the concept of building a fleet of IC37s for charter, my family jumped at the opportunity. It was an exciting chance for women, younger sailors, and Corinthian sailors to compete at a very high level, on an even playing field. From day one, we believed we could compete towards the top of the class as a Corinthian team. Success sailing together as a family in the Lightning and J/22 classes both nationally and internationally prepared us for a new challenge: figuring out a 37-foot, asymmetrical, high performance one-design keelboat. During that first summer of racing our team learned a lot. Cory, my mom, drove; my brother, Nick, called tactics; my dad, Mark, trimmed the main and I bounced between pit, jib trimmer, and spinnaker trimmer. Our competitors referred to our team as “the family boat” (usually sarcastically) but, like every other team, we were learning how to work together. The class organized debriefs and coaching, which enabled informational discussions and debates on what was working and tips and tricks. This really helped all participating teams improve. In 2019, we were proud of our fifth in the inaugural IC37 National Championships, and even happier with our improvement over that first season. We made the call to forego the IC37 Charter Program in 2020 due to the pandemic, but we were able to sail as a family on our Farr 30 and continue doing what we love – zooming around Narragansett Bay and spending quality time together on and off the water. The Sertl Family on their Farr 30 – Summer 2020 For the summer of 2021, we decided to rethink our team’s structure and better match our positions to our personal strengths. Nick is a great driver so he took over the helm. My dad is really good at making the boat go fast and shifting gears, so he stayed as the main trimmer. Mom called tactics (and made fantastic lunches for the team). I became the jib trimmer. For the early half of the summer, we spent a lot of time figuring out which modes worked for the boat, and how to shift gears as conditions changed. We also worked on our team communication which allowed us to excel when it came to boat on boat tactics and boat handling. With Marly Isler (runners), my mom, dad and brother in the back of the boat discussing tactics, and strategy, it was important that the boatspeed, modes and decisions were relayed forward to the remainder of the team. Jake Doyle, our offside jib/ spinnaker trimmer would often relay information about the mode that Nick needed so I could play the jib and work together with the back of the boat. The IC37 requires the jib trimmer to look at four different adjustments to control the leech profile, foot depth, and slot – the Athwartship Lead Position (a track for the jib cars), a vertical lead adjustment, jib halyard, and jib trim. All summer long, my dad, Jake, and I worked to learn about these controls and their effect on our boatspeed, and by North Americans, I really felt confident in my ability to make beneficial adjustments throughout each race. Another example of team communication was seen on the approach to the windward mark. Hugh MacGillivray (mast) discussed where he saw pressure, and this helped my mom and Nick decide on their downwind game plan. This plan was then relayed forward again to inform the trimming and bow team which type of set would be needed to execute that game plan. Decisions the team faced consisted of whether the jib would stay up or down, the type of spinnaker set (bear away set, gybe set, bear away set with a quick gybe…). Hugh, Amina Brown (bow) and Marina Barzaghi (pit), were able to work together to get the spinnaker up and down smoothly, thanks to the thorough communication from the back of the boat. The defining moment of the event was the moment when we all realized that we actually had a chance of winning the championship. For me, that moment came after winning two races on Saturday and having two major comebacks in the other two races. Everything and everyone was firing on all cylinders because we worked so hard to put everything together. Working together to make a boat go fast creates a completely different level of respect and understanding, with any team, but when your team is composed of your family it takes on a whole new level of meaning. Find full IC37 North American Championships Results here. 📸 Stuart Streuli / New York Yacht Club Sertl Family – Mark, Nick, Cory, Katja     READ MORE

24 HOURS IN SAINT-TROPEZ Have you ever wondered what it’s like to spend 24 hours in Saint-Tropez during “Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez“? Well, wonder no more. We understand not everyone gets to zip around the city and sail onboard a famous classic yacht so we decided to bring a little bit of the action to you. Enjoy this quick escape and start making your travel plans for next year. READ MORE

SITTING DOWN WITH FILIPPO PACINOTTI Getting the Know the Owner at the Helm of the Brontolo Melges 20 Program 📸 Melges Europe / Barracuda Comms. Filippo Pacinottii’s name has graced the pages and posts of North Sails for several years. Most recently he won the 2021 Melges 20 Europeans, just ahead of December’s class worlds in Miami. And while we are very familiar with his excellent results, we wanted to know more about the person at the helm of the Brontolo program. Let’s start with one disclaimer. Like many North Sails clients, Pacinotti, who grew up sailing on the east coast of Italy, is not a full-time sailor. The Milan-based businessman has only about 25 days per year to dedicate to his favorite sport, making his recent success that much more impressive. “Sailing is my passion,” Pacinotti explains. “I participate in other sports on an amateur level; I ski, I play tennis, but there are two reasons I choose sailing. First, I can compete at a high level and be successful. Second; while I’m in love with tennis, I am a much better sailor.” With limited time, a big part of Pacinotti’s success is knowing how to optimize his training time and where to place his focus. How many days to train before an event? Is there time in the off-season—and do we really want to train throughout the winter? Striking the right balance can be a challenge, but over the years he has found the right boat, built a solid team, and selected North one design sails to stack the odds in his favor. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brontolo Airlines 667 (@brontolo_airlines) The Brontolo journey with the Melges 20 began in 2018, at the recommendation of team tactician Federico Michetti, who was the President of Melges Europe. After a few years of campaigning a Melges 32, Pacinotti was looking for a change, and the Melges 20 ticked all the requirements; super-fast, downwind, super fun, a bit technical, very competitive but manageable. A step down in boat and crew size stepped up their results. “I remember winning our first regatta,” Pacinotti says; “it was close to Naples in Southern Italy. That was the spark where we believed we made the right call. I have to say over the last three years, we’ve been really, really successful.” The team, who include Michetti and Manu Weiler has a special mojo, he adds. “I know that it’s very simple to say, but we have a lot of fun. Of course, it’s easier to have fun when you are on the top of the fleet, but that’s not mandatory.” Pacinotti trusts the standard North Melges 20 sails to be fast, which allows him to focus his training time on boat handling and boat speed. “We try to avoid being very creative with custom programs, things like that. That’s why we love to use North Sails; we can get to the right speed without having to overthink the shape of our sails. As a result, I feel very confident using North.” The 2021 Melges 20 Worlds will be Pacinotti’s first time sailing on Biscayne Bay, so he’ll be relying on his crew’s experience. “Right now, we’re focused on the practical things, the logistics of sending over the boat, having the permission to travel to the U.S,” Pacinotti explains. “At the same time, we’re thinking about our competition.” He’s very familiar with their European competitors, but the American teams are a bit of an unknown. “I have very clear visibility on the Russian team and at least another Italian team that we’ll be racing against,” he says. “I’m sure they’re going to be very fierce opponents. I know that in the U.S., the fleet has practiced in Miami, but I’m looking forward to getting on the water and seeing how we stack up. “We’re quite optimistic, of course. We know we have a good team and can dial in our tuning to get the boat up to speed.” The 2021 Melges 20 Worlds are scheduled for 8-12 December. Follow the Brontolo team on Instagram at @brontolo_airlines to learn more. 📸 Melges Europe / Barracuda Comms. READ MORE

AITKEN'S ANIMAL RETAINS SCOTLAND'S RC35 CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE Fully Equipped with North 3Di RAW RC35 Class Champions, Kevin & Debbie Aitken's Animal 📸 Neill Ross Kevin and Debbie Aitken's First 36.7, Animal, has completed a three-peat as Scotia Handling Services Ltd RC35 Class Champions. The season-long championship was completed at the Clyde Cruising Club's GSS Regatta in partnership with CRhu Rigging on the 11th and 12th of September. It was all to play for between Animal, John Stamp's Corby 33 Jacob, and Charlie Frize's Corby 33 Banshee going into the final event of the series. After five close races in 5 to 18 knots, Animal continued a successful season with a regatta win followed by Jacob and Robin Young's J109, Jings. With a slightly reduced series, the RC35 fleet was happy to be back on the water after the 2020 Championship was canceled due to the pandemic. The fleet of Scottish and Irish yachts competed over five events spread from May to September on the West Coast of Scotland. It all started at the relocated Clyde Cruising Club's Scottish Series based at Largs instead of its usual home of Tarbert on Loch Fyne. A light wind regatta saw Animal get off to the best start possible with a straight-set of first-place finishes to not only win the RC35 Class but also pick up the 2021 Scottish Series Trophy. Jacob and Jings completed the podium with a 2nd and 3rd respectfully, making for a podium fully equipped with North Sails 3Di RAW. The class then moved on to the Mudhook Regatta in June. Five races were completed across two days. Saturday saw westerly winds of 8 knots gusting to 17 knots. Sunday brought near-perfect conditions, blue skies, and warm sunshine. The south-westerly began slightly lighter but built to gusts of 20 knots for some brisk and exciting racing. The results couldn’t have been closer, with the top three boats finishing on 8 points each. The win went to Charlie Frize's Corby 33, Banshee by way of a victory in the final race. Banshee was followed by Jings and Animal in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Next up was the Scotia Tree Services RC35 Championship weekend in the middle of July, sailed in conditions more commonly found in the Mediterranean rather than Scotland. Sun, warmth, and wind were in plentiful supply for both days. The fantastic racing was supplemented by a great dock party on Saturday evening, kindly put on by Scotia Tree Services and Makars Gourmet Mash Bar. Jacob got their first event win of the season, followed up by Animal in 2nd and Banshee in 3rd. Getting to the tail end of the season, the fleet moved back to Largs for the Largs Regatta Festival in the last weekend of August. Another light and tricky weekend saw Animal pip Banshee to victory with a win in the Sunday 'Round the Island Race'. Jacob closed out the top rankings in third place. The final standings after the five events, with one discard, were 1st Animal, 2nd Jacob, 3rd Banshee. "Big thanks to everyone in the class for making the season possible and all the Clyde clubs for running the events during a difficult year. Clyde Cruising Club, Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club, Helensburgh Sailing Club, Largs Sailing Club, and Fairlie Yacht Club", said outgoing Class Chairman and Class Champion Kevin Aitken. "The RC35 Class will be back in 2022 with a full program of events in Scotland and Ireland. If you would like more information, please get in touch through the RC35 Class Facebook Page", added new Class Chairman Robin Young. 2021 Scottish Series 📸 Neill Ross Robin Young's Jings📸 Neill Ross READ MORE

Srebro za Eniu i Mihaelu na EP klase 49erFX 📸 Nikos Pantis Naslov govori sam za sebe, dugi i naporni rad došao je na naplatu! Dvije jedriličarke iz JK Uskok, Enia Ninčević i Mihaela de Micheli Vitturi, koje jedre u klasi 49erFX izvrsnim rezultatom zatvorile su ovaj, olimpijski ciklus u kojem se nažalost nisu uspjele plasirati na regatu u Tokiju, ali bar su dokazale da su se svi treninzi i pripreme itekako isplatili i da pripadaju samom vrhu europskog i svjetskog jedrenja u klasi 49erFX. Ovogodišnje Europsko prvenstvo jedrilo se u Grčkoj u gradu Thessaloniki od 14. do 19. rujna po vrlo laganim vjetrovima, ali i po pratećim "flat" uvjetima na površini mora. Inače, ova regata se trebala jedriti u svibnju 2020., pa potom u rujnu iste godine, pa u svibnju ove 2021. i naposljetku smo stigli do prošlog tjedna. Osim djevojaka u jedrili su još i dečki u svojim 49erima, te posade u letećim katamaranima Nacra 17. Brze klase koje će po svemu sudeći nadživjeti klasične jedrilice u programu Olimpijskih igara. Našoj jedinoj posadi u ovoj ženskoj olimpijskoj klasi ovo je bila prva regata nakon što se nažalost nisu uspjeli kvalificirati na olimpijsku regatu u Tokiju i zbilja nema druge nego im prepustiti glavnu riječ o ovom događaju koji predstavlja krunu njihovih dosadašnjih jedriličarskih karijera: Nakon završetka kvalifikacija za Olimpijadu napravile smo pauzu nakon koje smo nastavili s treninzima baš ciljano za ovo Europsko prvenstvo i da nam je ovo prilika za postolje, jer smo očekivale da će neke od djevojaka koje su jedrile u Tokiju napraviti pauzu i da neće doći. Uglavnom, napravile smo nekoliko blokova treninga po 12 dana i stvarno ozbiljno se pripremale. Dok su trajale OI bile smo u Zadru i "potajno" trenirale u svom klubu. Čak nije bilo ni Karla, on je bio s juniorima, tako da smo se nas dvije baš fokusirale na neke detalje s obzirom da su slični uvjeti u Zadru i u Tessaloniki. Ja sam inače bila dolje prije deset godina, ali je regata bila usred zime, tako da je bilo totalno drugačije, pa to nije bila neka prednost. Ovog puta s nama je otputovala i Anđela, Mihaelina sestra. Ona je preuzela velik dio logističkih obaveza na sebe i to nam je odlično došlo jer naša klasa je logistički dosta zahtjevna, a također je puno pomogla i po pitanju kuhanja, malo bi nas izmasirala, te još jedna perspektiva jer jedri u Nacri a bila je također i izvrstan kormilar u juniorskim danima. Tako da nam je uz Karla to bila još jedna velika pomoć! Kad smo prvi put vidjele prognozu za te dane uhvatila nas je muka. Sve su bili laganini uvjeti... od 6 do 8, pa možda do 11 - 12 čvorova, ali u vrlo kratkim periodima. A najveći problem bio je što smo sve jedrile u jednoj floti, a to je za 49er kaos! Inače je pravilo klase da je za zlatnu skupinu najviše 25 u grupi, a ostali, koliko god da ih ima, da su svi u srebrenoj skupini. Ali nama su stavili da od prvog do posljednjeg dana jedrimo u jednoj grupi. Kad je mali vjetar to je opći kaos. Ako ne uđeš iza dvadesetog mjesta to je uspjeh i to treba držati do kraja. Uspjele smo se i držati toga i dva najlošija mjesta su nam 21. i 22. Matematika je po to, pitanju vrlo jednostavna, pogotovo jer na 15 plovova imamo samo jedno odbacivanje! Poučene dotadašnjim iskustvom regatu smo otvorile malo konzervativnije. Prvi plov ulazimo kao 14., pa smo u drugom bile druge i u trećem ponovno 15. i mislim da je to bilo odlično. Tako da smo tih prvih par dana bile oko 6. mjesta. U tom prvom dijelu regate skupljale smo "zalihe", odnosno trudile smo se biti unutar tih prvih 20, bez crnih zastava i slično, da bi onda u završnici mogle krenuti s malo više rizika. Bilo je izvrsnih dana. Npr. jedan smo imale četiri plova i stvarno mi je drago da smo ja i Miha uspjele taj dan odraditi vrhunski. Dan smo počele s 11. mjestom, a nakon toga pobjeđujemo i ulazimo u cilj dva puta kao treće. Taj dan nas je najvjerojatnije doveo do medalje jer smo tada napravile ozbiljnu bodovnu razliku. Imale smo zalihu koja nam je dozvoljavala da kiksamo u nekom od idućih plovova, to su bili naši jokeri. Odmah nakon toga smo kiksale s ta dva dvadeseta mjesta :) ali smo zato treći plov tog dana ušle kao 11. i malo popravile dojam i to nam je psihološki bio vrlo važan moment za nastavak jedrenja idućeg dana. Vidjelo se da i ostale posade imaju problema, pa je bilo malo lakše. Inače su uvjeti stvarno bili loši. Npr. u jednom plovu jedrimo posljednju orcu na desetom mjestu i onda u zadnjih 100 metara ispadnemo iz linije vjetra i uđemo dvadesete i tako dva puta. Inače je vjetar stalno bio s juga, a predzadnjeg dana je okrenulo na sjeveroistok, kao naša bura, isto s kraja i tu znamo da smo dobre na tim refulima. A u zadnjem danu očekivale smo još dva plova i medal race. Ali bila je utrka s vremenom. Inače niti jedan start nije bio prije jedan poslijepodne, a time limit za posljednji dan bio je da niti jedan start ne smije biti iza 16:00 za cijelu flotu, dok se medal race morao startati do 18:00. I to je psihički bilo dosta naporno, jer trebaš biti nabrijan za regatu, a znaš da te čeka cijeli dan na moru. Plov za odličja isto je bio po lošim uvjetima kao i ostali plovovi. Na startu je zapuhalo, ali je palo u drugoj orci. Startale smo čisto, nismo ništa riskirale. Bilo nam je bitno da Dankinje i Maltežanke ne uđu u cilj prve, a da mi ne uđemo iza sedmog mjesta. Ali toliko toga se izrotiralo u cijelom plovu. Vidjele smo da su Talijanke daleko prve i da ih nitko ne može uhvatiti. Na drugom u bile super brze Nizozemke i s obzirom da je polje bilo tako kratko znale smo da su prva dva mjesta osigurana. Tu su još bile Kanađanke koje su na kraju bile brončane, a Dankinje i Maltežanke su se borile međusobno iza njih i mi smo bile na šestom mjestu. Tako da smo mi bile osigurane, a kod Dankinja i Maltežanki doslovno je presudio posljednji plov. Naime, po pravilima klase, ako je jednak broj bodova pobjedu odnosi ona posada koja je bila bolja u medal raceu. Tako da nakon 15 plovova taj jedan plov donosi Maltežankama 4. mjesto. Njima je bilo baš ono, borba do samog kraja. U zadnjoj krmi Dankinje su išle u "straight set", Maltežanke u "jibe set", ono, baciš kockice i na križanju tko je ispred taj odnosi pobjedu. Stvarno dramatična regata.. Maltežanke su ušle u cilj i nisu znale da su treće među Europskim posadama, Karlo im je rekao :) Ena Ninčević, kormilarka 📸 Nikos Pantis Također smo popričali i s Mihaelom koja je ispričala i o nekim detaljima koji su se desili malo dalje od svjetala pozornice: A kako je izgledalo... kao i svaka regata... stres :) ali došle smo stvarno spremne. Nakon završenih kvalifikacija za OI nismo znale hoćemo li nastaviti dalje. Rekle smo da ćemo ići na ovo Europsko i možda još kasnije na Svjetskom, pa ćemo vidjeti što i kako dalje. Nismo imale što izgubiti. Zajedno jedrimo od ljeta 2017. i cijelo vrijeme je u 49erFX-u. Konstantno smo trenirali zbog pokušaja hvatanja norme za Tokio i evo tek sad je napokon sav taj trud došao na naplatu. Sve se posložilo. Mislim da smo nas dvije najviše profitirale lani, kad je bio lock down, jer čim su nam dozvolili da možemo trenirati mi smo odmah krenule na more i cijelo ljeto smo provele u Zadru na treninzima. Prva regata nam je tada bila Prvenstvo Italije nakon kojeg smo otišle na Europsko prvenstvo gdje smo napravile malo bolji rezultat. Tada smo bile osme. Konkurencija je bila stvarno jaka, jača nego na svjetskom prvenstvu i trebalo mi je malo vremena da se to meni sve slegne i da prihvatim da smo u samom vrhu :) Kako smo nas dvije među visočijim posadama, malo smo i teže od ostalih posada kojima je i malo teže nabiti kile, pa idemo puno bolje po jačem vjetru. I onda kad bi se desila bonaca hvatale bi se za glavu, ali izgleda da se i to promijenilo, sad smo i po bonaci vrlo dobre. U Grčkoj su bili stvarno lagani vjetrovi, ali čim bi se mogle malo ispružiti na trapezu to bi bilo to. Ali uspjele smo se držati i po tim laganim vjetrovima, tada je vrlo važna tehnika. Lako je onim malima. One sjednu i voze, lete po zraku, a nama svaka greškica dođe na naplatu. Jedan val pogriješiš i zacoketaš. Sve ove regate koje smo jedrile do sada... i SP u Novom Zelandu i Australija... bile smo tu negdje naprijed i gurale se, ali tu je bio problem taj tehnički deficit. Nismo imale pravi trim, a ni brod nam je bio stariji... Sad kad smo promijenile brod vidimo ogromnu razliku. Bilo je tih nekih stvari na koje nismo mogle utjecati, a puno su značile. Mogle smo trenirati koliko god smo htjele, ali ako je brod bio takav kakav je, nije mu bio pogođen trim... Uglavnom, novi brod smo preuzele otprilike prije godinu dana, ali nismo s njim zajedrile s njim na tom Europskom prvenstvu. Ipak ga prvo treba istestirati, priviknuti se malo na njega. To sve sa strane izgleda isto, ali sitnice su vrlo važne. Ta prilagodba nam je išla brzo i odmah smo vidjele koliko je bolji od novog broda. Nakon nekog vremena brod omekša. Voziš na valu i osjetiš da brod nije čvrst, da ne prođe kroz val... I na tom starom sam se naviknula da trebam puno raditi da bi brod išao, a sad je skoro dovoljno samo da se zakačim na trapez i da je to sve :) mislim, nije baš tako, ali to je da se shvati kolika je ta razlika. Uglavnom, sad smo došli do nekih brojeva koji nam osiguravaju pravi trim za razne uvjete, ali sad stižu novi jarboli i nova jedra i sad treba sve to tražiti iz početka. A što još reći o Grčkoj. Tamo smo jedrili samo poslijepodne, jer kroz jutro nije bilo vjetra. Vratili bi se s mora oko 19:30, pa još trebaš čekati pola sata da istekne protestno vrijeme i tek oko osam bi krenuli put apartmana. Pa tamo dok dođeš, svi su umorni, pa tko će kuhati :) Srećom, s nama je otputovala i moja sestra Anđela. Pomogla nam je da kad smo bili izvan regate da ne mislimo puno o stvarima koje su nas opterećivale. Inače smo ja, Enija i Karlo stalno sami po tim regatama i ovog puta najviše nam je pomogla psihički, a i Karlu u gumenjaku da se njih dvoje zajedno nerviraju i da jedno drugo smiruju :) premda mislim da je Karlo puno više nju smirivao nego ona njega. Bio je jedan plov kad je bilo strašno vruće. Svih dana vjetar je bio stvarno lako predvidljiv. Sve promjene su se dešavale u isto vrijeme. Iste promjene su se dešavale svakih sat vremena, uvijek bio otišao po 10° u lijevo i tako na kraju dana bi polje bilo zarotirano 50° i tako svaki dan. I taj dan je pao vjetar i za promjenu otišao u desno. Dobro, mi smo to pročitale i otišle u desno i nama je to desno izdušilo i dalo je lijevo. Sljedeći plov smo vidjele da je otišlo lijevo, pa i mi tamo, ali se nismo uspjele prebaciti na vrijeme i otišle malo preko lay linea i kad je Anđela to vidjela, cijela se snervala :) Ulazimo mi u cilj, dolazimo na gumija i po putu se nas dvije raspravljamo što je trebalo napraviti, ali kad smo došle do nje bilo je.... :))) Tada smo se malo trgnule... inače, Anđela je 5 minuta starija od mene :) A po pitanju kuhinje Karlo nam je glavni u timu. Kad imamo slobodan dan pomognemo i nas dvije, ali kad je regata stvarno ne možemo. Kad dođemo u apartman dok se otuširamo i sredimo on napravi večeru, a bude tu svega. Nije da jedemo samo pašte, kad je day off ispeče nam meso, kad je hladniji dan i kad imamo cjelodnevni program navečer spremi tingul i neko varivo, šnicele u toču, pa to ujutro bude vrhunski, kao da smo kod mame doma, a bude i juhica tu i tamo :) Mihaela de Micheli Vitturi, flokistica Kompletne rezultate regate u Grčkoj možete pronaći na ovom linku. Problem klase 49er česta je promjena tehničkih karakteristika pojedinih dijelova opreme. Kako je tvornica u Australiji, uglavnom njihovi jedriličari prvi dobiju mogućnost testiranja nove opreme i dok ta oprema uđe u proizvodnju i dok ostatak svijeta dobije pristup novitetima, njihove posade već je dovoljno dobro poznaje. Naravno, u sličnom položaju su i još neke bogatije nacije koje mogu uložiti mnogo financijskih sredstava u opremu. Možda cijelu priču oko 49er-a ilustrira podatak da jedna sezona, oprema, putovanja itd, iznosi oko 150.000 eura. Tako da je vrlo jasno zašto ova vrlo atraktivna klasa ipak nije značajnije omasovljena. Najnoviji primjer ovog problema je da je na scenu stupio novi proizvođač jarbola s novim dizajnom za idući Olimpijski ciklus. Posljednjih nekoliko mjeseci testiraju ga djevojke iz Australije. Naravno, svi noviteti su u službi ubrzavanja jedrilica i poboljšavanja njihovih karakteristika, a tehnologija koja stoji iza razvoja i proizvodnje cjelokupne opreme iziskuje ulaganje značajnih financijskih sredstava i naravno da se s gledišta proizvođača uloženo treba i vratiti. Međutim, klase 49er, 49erFX i Nacra 17 svojim cijenama čine jedrenje nedostupnim mnogim i posadama i državama. Samim tim to su postale elitne klase koje unatoč atraktivnosti prijete da budu razlog nestajanja jedrenja kao sporta na OI jer natjecateljska baza na globalnoj razini postaje sve manja. Trenutno u Hrvatskoj u klasu 49er njeguju samo JK Uskok i JK Sveti Krševan, oba iz Zadra. Za Sv.Krševan jedre samo braća Fantela, dok u Uskoka imaju malo veću flotu, pa uz Eniu i Mihaelu klupske boje brani i jedna juniorska posada koja je nedavno postigla jedan izvrstan rezultat. Posada Buba Pulek i Lorens Lokas, jedrili su od 31. kolovoza do 5. rujna na Europskom juniorskom prvenstvu klase 49er na jezeru Lipno u Češko. Momci su osvojili 9. mjesto ukupno i 8. mjesto među europskim posadama. Posebno treba naglasiti da je ovo njihova prva regata u ovoj klasi, kao i činjenicu kako su nastupili kao daleko najmlađa posada (17 godina) s obzirom da je prosječna starost natjecatelja 20-21 godine (juniori u ovoj klasi nastupaju do 23 godine). Bravo momci! READ MORE

Stipanović i Tudor srebreni na SP klase Zvijezda 📸 Christian Beck Fenomenalno ljeto Tonča Stipanovića nastavilo se i nakon povratka s Olimpijskih igara u Tokiju na kojima je osvojio svoju drugu srebrenu medalju u klasi ILCA 7. Nastavak se zbio u najjedriličarskijem gradu u Njemačkoj, u gradu Kielu koji je ugostio olimpijsko jedrenje daleke 1972. godine. Tamo je bilo organizirano Svjetsko prvenstvo klase Zvijezda, a na kojem je nastupio s Tudorom Bilićem i gdje su njih dvojica dojedrila do srebrene medalje! Osim ove posade nastupili su i naši doajeni u ovoj klasi, posada Marin Mišura i Tonko Barač, a značajnu ulogu na regatnom polju imao je i Ante Šitć kao flokista Xavieru Rohartu i sva trojica mogu biti stvarno zadovoljni sa svojim jedrenjima na Baltiku. Organizatori su uspjeli okupiti 82 posade koje su u Kielu boravile od 4. do 11. rujna. Prva jedrenja trebala su se zbiti u ponedjeljak 6. rujna ali vjetar nije bio dovoljno jak za regularno jedrenje. Po informacijama iz RO mjerilo se samo 2 do 3 čvora i to na dvadesetak metara nadmorske visine na obližnjem svjetioniku, a kako je bilo izgledno da će tako ostati i u poslijepodnevnim satima, u 14 sati dodan je i "A" uz već podignuti "AP". U utorak je sinoptička situacija bila potpuno jednaka, pa je Regatni odbor morao krenuti s razradom mogućih scenarija kako da spasi prvenstvo i da organizira dovoljan broj regata. Istina, to mu nije trebao biti pretežak napor s obzirom da od 1921. godine zvjezdaši imaju običaj da na SP jedre samo po jedan plov, pa trenutno propuštena dva natjecateljska dana mogu nadoknaditi sa po dva plova u preostalim danima. Srijeda je krenula na jednak način, AP na jarbolu, ali prognostički modeli najavljuju lagani vjetrić u ranim poslijepodnevnim satima. Prognoza je pogodila i napokon se moglo reći da je počelo Svjetsko prvenstvo. Naši su regatu izvrsno otvorili i svi naši predstavnici završavaju među najboljima. Mišura i Barač odmah od starta pokazuju da nisu bez razloga već nekoliko godina među najboljim svjetskim posadama i završavaju na trećem mjestu. Stipanović i Bilić vrlo dobro jedre unatoč tomu što po ovako laganim uvjetima nisu previše trenirali, te osvajaju izvrsno 5. mjesto, a Ante Šitić sa svojim kormilarom Rohartom u cilj ulazi kao 8. 📸 Christian Beck U četvrtak je RO po svaku cijenu morao organizirati planirana dva jedrenja i na ruku im je išlo što je već kroz jutro puhalo oko 8 čvorova, te je flota relativno ugodnije stigla do regatnog polja koje je inače svih dana bilo postavljeno na oko sat vremena od kluba. Kako je dan odmicao vjetar je jačao i s jutarnjeg sjeverca prebacuje na istočnjak koji je u najjačim trenucima puhao i do 15 čvorova. Osim ugodnih uvjeta za jedrenje, četvrti dan regate obilježilo je i nekoliko crni zastava na kojima je nekoliko top posada ispalo iz igre i koji su morali znatno pažljivije planirate iduće starteve. Naše posade srećom nisu bile u tom društvu i mnogo opuštenije jedrenje bilo je pred njima u danima koji su ostali do kraja. Uglavnom, svoj najbolji rezultat na regati ostvaruju Stipanović i Bilić koji u prvom plovu dana završavaju na drugom mjestu. Malo sporije jedrili su u idućem kojeg završavaju na 8. mjestu, dok je Mišuri i Baraču ovo bio najsporiji dan na SP jer su u kroz cilj prolazili kao 12. i 14. Šitićev kormilar bio je malo bolji od Baračevog, te njih dvojica završavaju na 10. i 9. mjestu. 📸 Christian Beck Predzadnji dan regate bio je tipično oblačan za ovaj dio Europe, ali ovog puta oblaci nisu blokirali vjetar, već je prvi plov odmah odjedren po 15 čvorova jugozapadnjaka. U njemu je Šitić prvi ušao u cilj od hrvatskih jedriličara, odnosno kao 4. u generalnom plasmanu. Mjesto iza stižu Stipanović i Bilić, dok Mišura i Barač zauzimaju posljednje jednoznamenkasto mjesto. Njih dvojica popravljaju dojam već u idućem jedrenju i osvajaju svoje drugo treće mjesto, a Ante u cilj ulazi kao 13. flokista, dok Tonči i Tudor u tom plovu knjiže svoj najlošiji plasman. Što se tiče borbe za medalje, s petim jedrenjem bilo je riješeno tko će ponijeti naslov prvaka, jer su Negri i Kleen u svom skoru imali 4., 1., 1., 1. i 2. mjesto i u subotu više nisu ni trebali jedriti, a tako su i postupili. U subotu se jedrio samo jedan plov, a kolika je bila nervoza na startu govori podatak da je čak 18 posada diskvalificirano zbog preuranjenog starta. Nažalost među njima su se našli Mišura i Barač, te Šitić s Rohartom. Zato su Stipanović i Bilić odjedrili vrlo dobro i finalizirali na 3. mjestu, te s bodom prednosti osvojili srebrenu medalju! Mišura i Barač ove godine su se zaustavili na osmom mjestu s tri boda prednosti ispred Roharta i Šitića. Točne rezultate i ostale podatke možete pronaći na ovom linku. A sad da vidimo što su o regati ispričali Tonči i Tudor: Nismo imali nešto previše treninga, ali bilo je dobro. Uspjeli smo odjedriti po tri dana u Splitu i u Kielu. Prva dva dana regate nismo jedrili jer je bila bonaca, ali smo svaki dan nakon protestnog vremena išli na trening, pa bi bili na moru po dva sata po laganom vjetru. To nam je trebalo da bi ostali "u motu", a i da bi skužili neke nove stvari po takvim uvjetima, jer nam je to bio standardni problem. A kad je krenula regata imali smo laganiji vjetar i išli smo vro dobro. Malo smo kasnili na startu, ali dobro smo napredovali kroz regatu i uspjeli smo ući u cilj kao peti. I inače smo dosta dobro jedrili, osim one kad smo završili 24. ali da zadnju krmu nismo pojalabandali i otišli lijevo mogli smo ući kao šesti, jer brod koji je bio ispred nas ušao je peti. Tako da smo mogli imati sva mjesta u prvih deset što mislim da je stvarno super jer nam je ovo tek četvrta regata zajedno. Drugi dan smo imali od 9 do 14 čvorova. Negdje su organizatori objavili da je bilo i 18, ali nisam baš imao taj osjećaj. A idući dan prvu regatu smo imali baš po jakom vjetru. Preko nas je prošla kiša i nevera, dok je drugu regatu to skroz palo i jedva smo stigli do cilja. Tada je vjetar dosta okretao za tim oblacima, tako da taj plov kad smo ušli 24. mogli smo dosta bolje. A u svemu tome najvažnije je da je taj zadnji dan sve prošlo kako treba. Dosta ekipe je izletjelo i otvorila nam se prilika da stignemo Austrijanca. I stvarno je borba bila do samog kraja. Prošli smo ga pred ciljem, ali nam to nije bilo dovoljno. Trebalo nam je još jedno mjesto između nas i njega, a tu je upao Amerikanac. Amerikanca nismo previše pokrivali da ne bi otišao na drugu stranu i da se Austrijancu ne bi otvorio prostor, tako da je na kraju ispalo da smo to pametno odigrali i da na kraju završimo drugi. Tonči Stipanović, kormilar Idući etapa po pitanju karijere u Zvijezdi je da Tonči i Tudor putuju u Švedsku na poziv proizvođača jedrilice na kojoj jedre. Tamo će sudjelovati na jednoj lokalnoj memorijalnoj regati u Stockholmu, a ujedno će dogovarati detalje oko izrade nove jedrilice koja će biti napravljena baš za njih. 📸 Christian Beck Projekt jedrenja u Zvijezdi započeli smo prije dvije godine. Tončeva dugogodišnja želja bila je jedrenje u toj klasi, a kako je nakon Londona 2012. ispala s Olimpijskih igara to nije mogla biti njegova druga klasa nakon Lasera. U međuvremenu je on par puta jedrio na finalu SSL-a gdje je išao s pozivnicom, ali nikad se nije ozbiljnije toga uhvatio. Onda sam ga ja prije tri godine pokušao nagovoriti da se zajedno uključimo u taj projekt i nije mi puno trebalo da ga nagovorim :) mislim, znamo se cijeli život, još od Optimista, Lasera i drugih klasa i eto, 2019. počeli smo zajedno jedriti. Prošle godine smo bili 4. na EP na Gardi. Zamalo smo i tamo osvojili medalju, ali prestigli su nas Austrijanci koje smo ove godine ostavili na trećem mjestu. A što se tiče cijelog ovog našeg poduhvata moram reći da iza njega stoji stvarno mukotrpan rad i puno vlastitih i sponzorskih sredstava. Ali nismo se predali. Pogotovo lani kad smo htjeli doći do boljeg broda s kojim možemo postići rezultat. Srećom uspjeli smo skupiti nešto sredstava i imali smo podršku tvornice "C Star" koja nam je omogućila da kupimo brod po nešto povoljnijoj cijeni. Brod nam se od početka svidio. Kupili smo jedan skoro novi, godište 2019. i s njim smo jedrili i u Splitu na EP i sad u Kielu na SP. Eto i tu nam je na EP pobjegla medalja. Završili smo šesti, ali tjedan ranije smo uspjeli pobijediti na Prvenstvu distrikta. Možda smo bili malo nestrpljivi, ali očekivali smo da će nam domaći teren sigurno biti jedan dodatni podsticaj. A na ovo SP smo otišli mirni i opušteni. Nešto malo smo se uspjeli spremiti nakon što se Tonči vratio s Olimpijade, a on je s druge strane bio totalno u natjecateljskom modu iako s druge strane nije lako naći motivaciju. Rekli smo da ćemo ovog puta ići skroz opušteno, regatu po regatu, metar po metar, da nećemo riskirati osim kad je to stvarno nužno potrebno. Znali smo da smo brzi skoro po svim uvjetima, osim što snimo baš dobro znali kako idemo po nekim srednjim uvjetima. S druge strane, svi smo se spremali za jaki vjetar, koji je inače standardan na Baltiku. Međutim kad smo tamo stigli bilo je lijepo vrijeme, anticiklona i praktički bez vjetra. Tako da dva dana nismo ništa jedrili i bili smo dosta strpljivi Pokušali smo trenirati što više možemo. Tražili bi dozvolu Regatnog odbora da izađemo na more nakon isteka protestnog vremena i jedrili bi po ta 3-4 čvora ispred porta. Htjeli smo ostati u fokusu. I kad je regata krenula rezultati su bili skroz OK s obzirom na neke lošije starteve nakon kojih bi se uspijevali izvući. Uglavnom smo imali sve dobre rezultate osim 24. mjesta u predzadnjem plovu koje nas je koštalo malo nervoze da uđemo u posljednji dan kao jedni od top tri sa sigurnom medaljom u ruci. U taj dan smo ušli kao četvrti s još jednom regatom ispred nas. Sabrali smo se, neke stvari su se i dogodile kako smo se nadali... neki od konkurencije su izletjeli na startu, ali mi smo i dalje mogli završiti kao 7. i 8. Bila su tri ponavljača i tu smo čekali svoju priliku. Nismo se dali zavarati i kad su bila dva ponavljača nismo bili u prvoj liniji. Držali smo se dosta ispod i čekali smo onaj pravi start, jer je kurenat bacao brodove vani. Kad je bio drugi ponavljač na startu su izletjeli Mateusz Kusznierewicz i Bruno Prada koji su do tada bili drugi. Također Mišura i Barač koji su do tada odvozili stvarno dobru regatu, koji su bili iza nas 7 bodova i još jedan Argentinac. Tada su Austrijanci još bili ispred nas i otvorila nam se prilika za treće mjesto, samo ako uđemo u prvi deset. To nije trebao neki teški pothvat, međutim, kako kod nas ništa ne ide jednostavno, startali smo i našli se na krivoj strani, jer je vjetar odmah nakon starta zavrtio s lijeve strane, a mi smo bili na desnoj. Prvu orcu smo okrenuli 21. i to nije bilo ni blizu dovoljno ni za 3. ni za 4. mjesto, jer oni što su bili 7-8 bodova iza nas bili su na prvim mjestima... Danac i Norvežanin. Shvatili smo da nemamo previše izbora nego biti maksimalno ozbiljni do samog kraja. Prvu krmu smo odvozili stvarno odlično, s lijeve strane s nekim pritiskom... jer duge su krme! Inače na 80 brodova ide dosta dugo polje. Orca se postavlja između 2 i 2.4 NM, ako se ne može postaviti tolika onda se vozi i treća orca, a ova je bila s tri orce. Na gate stižemo kao peti i nakon toga smo znali da broncu sigurno imamo u džepu ako ostanemo na tom mjestu. Drugu orcu i drugu krmu uspjeli smo se još približiti vodećima, ali i dalje smo bili peti i tu zadnju krmu okrećemo zajedno s Austrijancem. On je okrenuo desnu bovu na gateu, a mi lijevu i uspjeli smo u tom trenutku biti ispred njega. Međutim, trebalo nam je da je još netko između nas i Austrijanca. Tu se našao Amerikanac kojeg smo tada uspjeli proći. Tonči je tada vidio neki reful s desne strane. U stvari, procijenio je da će vjetar okrenut više s desna i virali smo u desnu stranu polja. I kad smo vratili natrag bili smo ispred i Amerikanca i Austrijanca. Tada smo imali samo čekati razvoj situacije, odnosno vidjeti da li će Amerikanac uspjeti ući u cilj prije Austrijanca. To se i dogodilo i to je bilo dovoljno da dobijemo Spitzauera i završimo drugi. Međutim, kad smo došli na kraj Kusznierewicz i Prada su prosvjedovali, Pokušali su dokazati da nisu bili vani na startu. To su i uspjeli, premda pod nekim čudnim okolnostima i ne znamo kako. Uglavnom, dobili su redress koji po pravilima nisu mogli odbaciti, tako da im to nije bilo dovoljno nego za peto mjesto. Tako da je bilo napeto sve do samog kraja. Ali zadovoljili bi se i s broncom. Bilo nam je važno samo da je medalja. U nekim trenucima stvarno smo imali sreće, ali vozili smo kao pravi tim, smirivali jedan drugog u nekim momentima :) A dobro je bilo što je i Šitić bio tamo. Stanovao je s nama, jedrio s dvostrukim svjetskim prvakom i stalno nam je dizao atmosferu. Stvarno nam je bio velika podrška! Tudor Bilić, flokista Iduće što je u Tončevom rasporedu je Nations Gold Cup, odnosno nastup na test eventu. Što se tog projekta tiče trenutno su van njega Igor Marenić i Filip Jurišić, a na čija mjesta su upali Stjepan Vitaljić i Darko Hajdinjak. Test event će se jedriti u Švicarskoj na jezeru Neuchatel ispred gradića Grandson. Princip jedrenja je flotno jedrenje u skupinama po četiri tim da je u grupi osam ekipa. READ MORE

FIRST, FIRST AND FIRST A North Sails Bingo at the 2021 Nations Trophy 📸 Ottavia Raggio / Rocket Performance What is one thing the Swan One Design Nations Trophy winners had in common last weekend in Palma de Mallorca? Niramo, Natalia and Vitamin all carried North Sails. A complete success, but for North Sails Executive Vice President Paul ‘Flipper’ Westlake, “you can never stop pushing.” Calling in from Palma, Westlake has plenty of reasons to celebrate. “We’ve worked heavily with Nautor’s Swan in the early days, from the very first event onwards, so getting together after the grips of this pandemic, with 29 high-level teams competing at the Nations Trophy was very, very impressive.” It’s clear this year’s results reflect the long-term collaboration between North Sails and the ClubSwan classes. “North Sails updates the sail designs at the end of every season for these one-design classes. The 2021 package got released in 2020, when there wasn’t much sailing, but we continued to develop. Our individual conversations with all our customers, our work with the trimmers and the owners, have set the baseline for what we believe is a race-winning package.” “We see that in the ClubSwan 50 class in particular,” says Westlake, “because it’s quite highly developed now, and each of the sailors has their own input.” No doubt Sonke Meier Sawatzki’s Niramo, the ClubSwan 50 winner in Palma, had his own. Natalia Brailoiu’s ClubSwan 42 Natalia took the honours in a class “that has been around for many years now but continues to push,” adds Westlake. “For us, it’s a matter of fine-tuning, adapting to people’s style and to the events that are on the circuit.” The ClubSwan 36 class however is still going through what he calls “the evolutionary phase,” explaining that “the boats were launched in 2019 and everyone is starting to race now. Obviously, we missed a lot of racing and learning last year so the top teams are still pushing hard to understand how to get the maximum performance out of the boat. The likes of Andrea Lacorte’s Vitamin, who won this year in Palma, was really dominating.” 📸 Ottavia Raggio / Rocket Performance That ClubSwan 36 is still going through some modifications, and its sail plans will evolve again in 2022. “One of our jobs is making sure that we’re always working very closely with the ClubSwan 36 class in the background,” adds Westlake. “We put a lot of effort into supporting them on the aerodynamics side.” Having not even left Palma yet, Westlake had already turned his focus to the next milestone. “All of our clients are talking about the 2021 Swan One Design Worlds in St. Tropez from October 13 to 17. You can never stop pushing. The Nations Trophy work has finished, but now the work begins for Worlds. I’m just looking at my calendar – it’s only three weeks away!” The same teams will face each other in Southern France and the fleet size will be very similar – “everybody wants to win the World Championships!” Conditions in St. Tropez are variable, making for a very open event. Westlake enthuses: “Palma Bay can be relatively predictable, although it was quite tricky this time around, with unstable winds and velocity. You can get anything in St. Tropez in October, from 5 to 30 knots, from flat to bumpy waters. It’s going to be an exciting event for sure.” That’s Westlake for you – focusing on what’s next rather than enjoying that Spanish (then French) sunshine. 📸 Ottavia Raggio / Rocket Performance 📸 Ottavia Raggio / Rocket Performance READ MORE

OUR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE: 2021 MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP A Photo Journal from Porto Cervo Regattas are long days on the water for the North Sails team, followed by late nights in the sail loft. Content creator Atila Madrona joined North for the 2021 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo to capture the our unique perspective on the action on the water and in the sail loft. His perspective provides a glimpse into what it’s like to participate in one of the most spectacular regattas. See Madrona’s photos from the 31st edition of the annual meeting of the Maxis. READ MORE

LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF Peter Warrer, Team Denmark’s Skipper for the 2021 Nord Stream Race, Shares his Life Lessons 📸 Nord Stream Race / Felix Diemer The sailors and designers in the world of North Sails are some of the most inspiring people on the water, and we’re hoping to share more of their story with you. “Letter to my younger self” is a series told by our North Sails ambassadors. In each article, we bring to life their advice and personal journeys centered around the question: if your “now-self” could give your “younger self” advice, what would it be? Dear 15-year-old Peter, You are a fantastic Optimist sailor, a two-time world champion! 43 years from now, looking back on life while skippering Team Denmark in the Nord Stream Race, you will see how this early success set a high standard for all the years of sailing that lie ahead. Here are a few things you should know: Your wild-child hippie lifestyle will temporarily divert your focus from sailing. You will eventually realize that to achieve your sailing goals, you must sacrifice your non-sailing life. Understand where your weaknesses lie and focus on improving them. For example, you will discover that your natural talents include tactics, helming, and sail trim. Technical areas will prove more difficult, but in this future world, it will be very important to master those skills too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by North Sails (@north_sails) Seasickness will prevent you from venturing offshore, but this will subside as you get older. You have to be there when you get the chance, but you also have to look for the chance. A good network helps hugely with this. Listen to your mentors, even if they are family members. Let yourself be inspired by your two-time Dragon Gold Cup-winning father. And dare to imagine a future that includes an Olympic gold medal-winning son, who will actually be a mentor for you too! But the most important thing I want to tell you, my 15-year-old self: have fun with your sailing. Jump on different boats and get involved in various campaigns; don’t be single-minded or focus too much on one class. Also, try to enjoy some cruising too. Sailing is a wonderful sport, and it will help you live a happy life. I have a lot of fun sailing and racing the ClubSwan 50, M32, J/70, and cruising on the X332. Of course, you will face obstacles… but overcoming them will be a large part of your joy. PS Peter, 68 doesn’t feel as old as you might think! 📸 Nord Stream Race / Marina Semenova 📸 Nord Stream Race / Marina Semenova READ MORE

YOU’RE ON THE LIST 19 Teams from Around the World Participated in the 7th Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup 📸 ROLEX / Daniel Forster The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is a unique event that brings together a collection of top amateur sailors from some of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs. The seventh edition of this biennial regatta was sailed in IC37s, a strict one design class first introduced in 2018 and outfitted with identical North 3Di sails. On Saturday, September 18th, the Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans went home with their second Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup win in three editions. Giulio Desiderato, One Design Manager for North Sails in Italy, coached Yacht Club Italiano for the event. He shared a few unique observations on the event and the competition. “The skill level of the fleet is quite high. The top teams could easily compete at the top of other races, even against teams with pros onboard. It’s clear that all the teams have put in their maximum effort to prepare for the regatta. “From a North Sails perspective, it’s essential to be here as a company,” continues Desiderato. “We outfit a wide range of boats from Optimists to the AC75. At the same time, we deliver a lot of support to sailors trying to reach their goals. Maybe you win an Olympic gold medal, or the Invitational, but our focus is always on providing the best product. What I saw during the week in Newport was a group of very talented sailors who are passionate about our sport and it’s an honor for all of us at North to support them.” And while it’s a fierce fight on the water, the intensity was left onboard at the end of each day. “The spirit was great,” Desiderato says. “Often, regattas are so competitive that it creates distance between the team onboard and the other participants. The Invitational is different. Of course, everyone is super competitive on the water, but the camaraderie onshore is special. All of the teams will leave Newport remembering more than just their final race result.” 📸 ROLEX / Daniel Forster A pro sailor himself, Desiderato usually finds himself at an event on behalf of a private owner. And more often than not, the team is a collection of sailors from different countries. But this time, he coached the team from the yacht club where he grew up sailing. “The experience of sailing for your yacht club is one-of-a-kind., The Yacht Club Italiano is a young team. I saw these sailors grow in their dinghy classes and have been friends with them for a long time. So we spent many hours together at the club, and it’s fantastic to have this shared experience. An event like the Invitational will make you a better sailor and give you a fresh perspective.” 📸 ROLEX / Daniel Forster Like many of the participating teams, the Italians had no experience in the IC37. Which begs the question, how do you prepare a team for a boat they’ve never sailed before? Desiderato explains: “The first day of training was our first time on the IC37. The team discovered a bit more about the boat each day. While you’d think there was a home team advantage because the local teams had more time in the boat, the result didn’t necessarily prove that to be true. “The first step for preparing is to identify a similar boat to train on. Beyond the boat, good organization on board is fundamental. Good teamwork and onboard communication are key to avoiding mistakes. Then you do your homework; research the boat, consume as much as possible from the class website, check the tuning guides, dive into YouTube, and ask sailors who do have experience on the boat. I think that you can really have all the information and jump on board and just start to feel the boat…and that’s really important.” 📸 ROLEX / Daniel Forster READ MORE