J/70 WORLDS: WINNING THE CORINTHIAN FLEET

Great Team, Fast Sails: The Formula for Team Marnatura

We are very proud to share that all top five Corinthian teams at the 2018 West Marine J/70 World Championship were powered by North Sails. We had a chance to catch up with Luiz Bugallo from Spain, skipper of Marnatura who finished 6th place overall and won the World title for the Corinthian division.

Luis, congratulations on your excellent regatta at the J/70 Worlds, finishing 6th place overall and winning the Corinthian Division. What was the key to keep consistent finishes?

Thank you very much. The event was very challenging and fun for us. That said, for us the reason for our success lies entirely with our team. Each of us knows what to do in the boat in different situations so our teamwork and trust in each other builds our confidence. We all believe that an important factor is to keep the entire team motivated and to stay positive. Additionally, our game plan is very focused on distributing responsibilities on the boat so we are working at all times as a team., focusing on our jobs.

Tell us about your team.

We are lucky to have such a great group to sail with and I was fortunate to be able to be the helm with such a talented team.

From bow to stern:

Jorge Lorenzo (23, Spain) was our bowman. He sailed Optimists and had good results in the 420 class. He is studying to be a Naval Engineer.

Gerardo Prego (24, Spain) trimmed our spinnaker. Gerardo sails Snipes at a high level in the European Snipe Class. He is a very good bowman and is in high demand on larger keelboats as he pursues his degree in Business Administration.

Alberto Basadre (23, Spain) was our jib trimmer. A bit ironic since he sails mostly Lasers! He is continuing his studies in Mechanical Engineering.

Enrique Freire (46, Spain) was our most “experienced” teammate and took on the difficult role as our tactician. Enrique is the owner and CEO of Marnatura and the keystone of our success.

Luis Bugallo (23, Spain), skipper. I started sailing Optimist when I was 7 years old. I have sailed Optimist, 420, Platu 25 and the 49er. I am studying Engineering.

Choosing which sails to use is an important ingredient to a successful program. What were the main reasons Team Marnatura chose North Sails to power your Corinthian program?

Deciding on what sails to use is not something we take lightly. We work hard to improve every aspect of our racing so we were not in a position to consider just anything. We are only willing to use what will give us the best chance to perform. We have always believed that the North Sails technology is above all others as far as sail manufacturing.

We felt that the XCS-1 main, J-2 jib and AP-1 spinnaker best fit our team and they are designs we had confidence in training. Knowing that, in addition to our focus on shapes and design, the materials North Sails uses are the best materials on the market. Lastly, the North J/70 team has a deep pool of talent and they willingly sharing information with us to help us get better and faster.

Your Corinthian team not only dominated the Corinthian fleet but also your 6th place overall finish bested some of the most talented sailors in the class. What tips would you give to other Corinthian teams?

We believe that success on the race course involves a formula that includes commitment, focused goals, and fun. That said I think our tips would be:

• First and foremost, sail with friends and try to build and generate good relationships. Sailing and racing with people you enjoy and have fun with makes the successes much sweeter and the disappointments less bitter.
• In general, focus on a target and a goal and center your resources on it. Being target focused is important but can easily distract you from the “big picture”.
• In the J/70, downwind, it’s key to choose the correct mode: VMG, WING-WING, or “on the step”. The distances gained or lost can be amazing by picking the right (or wrong) downwind mode so make it a goal to learn which is best in each condition and work as a team to be able to quickly transition into each of the modes.
• Try to use the sails you will use for regattas when you train. This will give you more knowledge about your trim settings and boat tuning/setup.