READY FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF SUPER SERIES SAILING?

The Ultra Competitive TP52 Circuit Commences in Late May

The 52 Super Series is gearing up to kick off another season of competitive sailing with five events in this high-powered circuit. As the sailmaker of choice to the majority of the fleet, North Sails eagerly anticipates the season opener when the Super Series fleet lines up next week in Baiona, Spain.

For those readers who are less familiar with the 52 Super Series, let us fill you in. This best of five series is one of the most competitive circuits in our sport. It draws some of the biggest names in sailing and has an aggressive sail development cycle that rivals that of the America’s Cup. The series began in 2012 and up until last year, only two teams dominated the overall season championship. In 2021, Mr Takashi Okura’s “Sled” ended that reign by not only becoming the 52 Super Series champions but also winning the coveted World Championships. Mr. Okura and his international crew will look to defend their status against the 9-boat fleet this season.

“In this game of millimeter perfect competitive racing, we’re ultimately judged on the performance of our product, and performance equals results,” remarks North Sails Grand Prix leader Paul “Flipper” Westlake. “For over a decade, North Sails TP52 class experts and sail designers have gathered feedback from the teams in the Series and this collective experience is fundamental to building the fastest sails on the racecourse.”

But in a class as refined as the TP52, where do you find your next performance gain?

North Sails Dave Lenz explains, “The trim techniques, the sail shapes…these sailors know their boat speed levers and because of that, we’re not radically changing the sail designs and structures each season. Instead, we explore fine-tune details to make that flying shape more active, which allows the trimmers to further manipulate the sail’s shape across the range.”

Last season saw North-powered teams adopt Helix Structured Luff and we expect to see even more throughout the fleet in 2022. “Helix is a game-changer that enables a new gear,” comments Juan Meseguer, North Sails designer and designer for TP52 Provezza. “The structured luff sails have a more dynamic shape, which translates into more power for the boat. We learned a lot last season and from our design team’s work within America’s Cup. Helix is the future, and we’re going to keep exploring this new design space.”

52 Super Series racing commences on May 23 in Baiona, Spain. This is the first of five events scheduled through October 2022. Learn more about the Super Series and follow all the action here.