NORTH SAILS BLOG

Drachen Weltmeisterschaft Boote aus 18 Nationen kämpften in einer der anspruchsvollsten Regatten des Jahres um Sieg. North Sails Kunden sichern sich die Plätze 1, 3, 4, 5, 9 und 10. Die alle zwei Jahre stattfindende Drachen Weltmeisterschaft war ein voller Erfolg. Neun Tage lang bot Cascais spannende Regatten bei 15-22 Knoten Wind. 24 Drachen aus 18 Nationen erlebten eine vom Clube Naval de Cascais hervorragend ausgerichtete Meisterschaft. Die North Sails Kunden segelten mit hervorragender Geschwindigkeit auf dem Wasser und sicherten sich die Plätze 1, 3, 4, 5, 9 und 10. Benjamin Morgen gewann mit Rosie den Corinthian Titel. Vicente und Joana Pinheiro arbeiteten unermüdlich mit ihrem Team bei North Sails Cascais und boten den Teilnehmern den benötigten Overnight-Serivce an. Vielen Dank an das Cascais-Team, welches für die Teilnehmer vor Ort da war. Dadurch sah man glückliche Segler und damit ein erfolgreiches Event! Herzlichen Glückwunsch an Andy Beadsworth und sein Team auf Provezza für den Gewinn der 2017 Drachen Weltmeisterschaft! © Elena Razina READ MORE

3. Spieltag der 1. Segel-Bundesliga Die 18 besten Segelclubs der 1. Segel-Bundesliga haben von Samstag bis Montag (17.-19. Juni) im Rahmen der Kieler Woche direkt vor dem Olympiazentrum in Kiel-Schilksee ihr drittes Event ausgetragen. Die teilnehmenden Teams aus ganz Deutschland kämpften in den baugleichen, knapp sieben Meter langen J/70 Kielbooten auf der Kieler Förde bei mittleren westlichen Winden in 45 kurzen, spannenden Wettfahrten um die Tabellenführung. Der Norddeutsche Regatta Verein gewinnt vor der Segelkameradschaft „Das Wappen von Bremen“ und dem Berliner Yacht-Club. Norddeutscher Regatta Verein © DSBL/Lars Wehrmann North Sails, Partner der Kieler Woche und der Segel-Bundesliga, hat alle Bundesliga Schiffe mit North Sails One Design Segeln für die J-70 ausgestattet. Ein Satz besteht aus den Weltmeister-Segeln XCS-1 Großsegel und J-2 Fock sowie die Gennaker im AP-1 Layout aus Norlon 75. Dem Team vom Norddeutschen Regatta Verein (NRV) mit dem ehemaligen Olympiasegler Tobias Schadewaldt gelang es, auch am dritten Tag seine Führungsposition vom Vortag zu halten. Bei abnehmenden südlichen Winden am Montag beendet das Team mit 37 Punkten als Sieger das dritte Event. Dabei zeigten sich die besonderen Qualitäten der Mannschaft (Tobias Schadewaldt, Daniel Reichart, Florian Weser, Klaas Höpcke), die auch bei unterschiedlichen Windbedingungen konstant auf die vorderen Plätze segelte. Aber nicht alles war perfekt beim NRV-Team: „Obwohl wir noch zu viele Fehler am Start gemacht haben, konnten wir aber im Gegenzug unsere Chancen im Rennverlauf gut nutzen“, erklärt ein sichtbar überglücklicher Tobias Schadewaldt und ergänzt: „Das war super knapp und wir sind sehr happy“. Quelle: Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga GmbH , Fotos: DSBL/Lars Wehrmann READ MORE

North powered teams stack the top of the fleet in Sweden for Act 3 of the European Series In ideal conditions for the Melges 24, the top places in Act 3 of the class’s European Series were taken by corinthian teams, making for a refreshing change for the Swedish and Nordic Championships. In blustery conditions, waves were big, winds were strong, and team spirits were high as boats enjoyed thrills and spills in the top of the fleet. North powered teams placed 2nd through 5th overall; Geoff Carveth’s Gill Race Team in 2nd, Wes Whitmeyer Jr. close behind in 3rd with his team on SlingShot, followed by skipper Jason Rhodes with his team, MiKEY. In 5th was Blow Slam Racing, with Norway’s skipper Peder Nergaard. Nice job to our clients! Next stop, the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland July 28th! © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu © Piret Salmistu READ MORE

SIBLINGS EDDIE & KATE COX WIN 2017 MC SCOW NATIONALS North Sails’ Z Max Design Used by the Winners of All Divisions Photo by Regatta Girl Photography Rush Creek Yacht Club, Texas (June 17, 2017) – Eddie and Kate Cox took the MC National Championship title in a brand new Melges MC Scow powered by North Sails’ Z Max design. It is the first MC Nationals win for the sibling duo from White Bear Yacht Club. Cox won three out of seven races. The title came down to the final race. Leading up to the final day’s one scheduled race, Cox was close at the heels of regatta leader Mark Tesar. It was Cox vs Tesar in the final shootout. Cox set up on the starting line immediately to leeward of Tesar. Cox’s boat speed put his bow out, and just after the cannon the race was his to control. At the first windward mark he had a 30 second lead ahead of Kenny Wolfe and Virginia Hannen, the second place boat. Tesar was 18 boats back. Cox led the race wire to wire, holding off Wolfe and Tesar. Tesar climbed back on the last beat and finished with a 13th place, the deepest finish in a very strong, consistent regatta for the MC veteran. The day started with winds blowing 20 to 26 mph. A very patient Principle Race Officer Chip Mann and the race committee team held the fleet onshore until the breeze came down to 15 to 20 mph. It was fun sailing all regatta long with fair racing in moderate to heavy winds on Lake Ray Hubbard. Rush Creek Yacht Club proved to be a great venue for the championship, bringing masses of volunteers, strong leadership, and an excellent racetrack. North Sails finished first and second. Andrew Vandling won the Youth Division. Katie Arvesen took the Women’s Division. In the Grand Master’s Division, Greg Gust edged out Eric Hood and Kelson Elam. Mark Tesar won the Master’s Division followed by Bill Draheim and Ron Baerwitz. Mike Keenan took the Mega Master’s Division. In the Singlehanded Division, Mark Tesar beat out former US Sailing Team member Andrew Casey and Ivan Lopatin. Races were won by Eddie Cox, Mark Tesar, Bill Draheim, Will Crary, and Ivan Lopatin. The next three major-scale events for the fleet are the Masters Nationals, the Inland Lake Yachting Association Championship and the Western Michigan Championship. READ MORE

The settings below are recommended for Fiberfoam 14 / DNA masts and 80 kg skipper. Download PDF MAST UPWIND DOWNWIND   WIND SPEED   Knots   SPREADER RAKE   PREBEND   CUNNIGHAM   BATTENS (Top 4 battens)   MAST ROTATION   CUNNIGHAM   MAST ROTATION   TRAVELER   (off the center line if foling) 5-8 42 mm 20 mm OFF Light 45-50 degrees OFF 80 degree if foiling 180 mm 8 - 12 56 mm 27 mm 15 - 40% Light Medium   (10+ kts)   35-45 degrees 10 - 25% 70 degrees 220 mm 12 - 16 60 mm 32 mm 100% Medium 25 - 30 degrees 60 - 75% 65 degrees 300 - 400 mm 16 - 20 75 mm 38 mm 100% Medium Heavy (18+ kts) 20 - 25 degrees 80% 80 degrees 500 mm 20 - 24 90 mm 42 mm 100% Heavy 20 - 25 degrees 80% 80 degrees 500 mm (Hang on!)   Lighter skipper will slide settings up the range one and heavier skipper will stay down range one setting for best performance. (70kg is light. 90kg is heavy) Mainsheet should be tensioned enough to have an even twist profile from top to bottom and all tell tails should fly evenly. READ MORE

CARTON PLEIN POUR LES VOILES NORTH SAILS SUR LES PLUS GRANDES RÉGATES LÉMANIQUES Après la Genève-Rolle-Genève et le Bol d'Or, le bilan est plus que positif pour les voiles North Sails! © Nicolas Jutzi Sur ces deux derniers week-ends, les deux plus grandes régates lémanique se sont déroulées dans des conditions très différentes: du petit temps pour la Genève-Rolle-Genève et une bise bien soutenue lors du Bol d'Or. Dans les deux cas, les voiles North Sails ont fait un tabac: sur les 6 podiums de la Genève-Rolle-Genève, 13 bateaux portaient nos couleurs. Et rebelote pour le Bol d'Or, avec 13 coureurs équipés par North Sails sur les 5 podiums. Un véritable succès! Suite à ces épreuves éprouvantes, toute l'équipe se tient à votre disposition pour des conseils d'entretien ou des petites réparations de remise en état sur vos voiles. N'hésitez pas à nous appeler pour un devis, ou à prendre contact pour un coaching personnalisé en vue des prochaines régates! Nous félicitons chaleureusement tous les marins ayant pris part à ces épreuves, et nous nous réjouissons de vous revoir, sur l'eau comme à la voilerie. READ MORE

GAMME DE VOILES Découvrez tout ce que North Sails peut vous offrir en terme de gamme de voiles sur le récapitulatif ci-dessous. Bonne nouvelle ! Pour chacun de vos programmes (croisière, compétition, course-croisière et bien d'autres), North Sails a ce qu'il vous faut ! Pour toutes questions, contactez la voilerie : 022 782 32 22 / info@ch.northsails.com READ MORE

Update from North Sails Ken Read ahead of the America’s Cup finals The 2017 America’s Cup has delivered thrills, chills, and spills – and also great quality racing. Recap two weeks of racing before challengers Emirates Team New Zealand face ORACLE TEAM USA in the ultimate re-match. Since packing up their bases in 2013, New Zealand has not taken their eyes off the prize. Saturday, June 17th begins their final quest, the first team to win seven races will claim the Cup. READ MORE

CALENDRIER DU TEAM NORTH SAILS SUISSE Pour rencontrer les membres de l'équipe hors de la voilerie, lorsqu'ils sont en régate ou en déplacement dans des ports, cliquez ici pour consulter l'agenda. READ MORE

The second installation of the Kohler Cup presented by North Sails will take place when the 35th America’s Cup hosts the J Class Regatta June 16, 19-20 in Bermuda. The Kohler Cup is a season long cumulative point championship. Throughout 2017, each yacht will accumulate points based on their results, with events bearing more significance in the lead up to the class Worlds in Newport, RI, August 21-26, 2017. Bermuda will see 2017’s largest fleet and the overall J Class Regatta winner will add 12 points to their series tally. Jim and Kristy Clark’s JK6 Hanuman leads the Kohler Cup series, collecting six points in St Barth’s. JK7 Velsheda and JK1 Lionheart round out the leaderboard with four and five points respectively. America’s Cup veteran and North Technology Group CEO Tom Whidden joins JS1 Svea in her regatta debut and will be looking to capitalize on the bonus points for winning in Bermuda. Although the J Class is considered a Superyacht, a betting man (and J Class crews!) will tell you the gloves are off and these boats will be sailed more like small dinghies. Just as modern innovation has delivered the foiling America’s Cup Class, today’s generation of J Class yachts are more responsive and have better boat handling, allowing skipper and crews to race with more confidence. Close racing, close calls and a few choice words are sure to be heard on the racecourse. Introduced during the 2017 St Barth’s Bucket, the Kohler Cup is named in memory of Terry Kohler, former owner of North Sails, who passed away in September 2016. North Sails is proud to be an Official Partner to the J Class Association and the presenting sponsor of the Kohler Cup. Join @North_Sails on Instagram Stories for live updates from the J Class Regatta in Bermuda. J Class run downwind at the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta in Bermuda. Ranger, a replica of the original “Super J” that successfully defended the cup from Endeavor II, chases the 1935 design, J-Class Topaz, launched in 2015. The crew handle sails on the deck of Hanuman, a replica of the biggest J-Class ever built to date: Thomas Sopwith’s 1936 J Class, Endeavour II. Terry Kohler, owner of North Sails from 1984 – 2014, worked to maintain and reinforce the company’s position as the technological leader in sailmaking. READ MORE

FLYING FIFTEEN TUNING GUIDE FR-3/FR-5 MAINSAIL & NXG-3 JIB WIND SPEED (knots) 0 - 4 5 - 8 9 - 12 13 - 16 17 - 22+ Sea State Flat <---> Choppy Flat <---> Choppy All Sea States All Sea States All Sea States Mast Rake 24'11 (7595mm) 24'10 (7570mm) 24'10 (7570mm) 24'9 (7545mm) 24'8 (7520mm) Rig Tension 180 kg <---> 160 kg 160 kg <---> 140 kg 160 kg 160 kg 180 kg Kicker Tension Slack (set for downwind) Just snug Tension until 2nd tell tail on the leech stalls 10% of the time Increase tension bit by bit as the wind increases 30-50% Ram Pull fwd 30mm <---> Pull fwd 20mm Pull fwd 15mm <---> Pull fwd 10mm Neutral position Neutral position Ease fwd 5mm Outhaul Ease 10mm from max <---> Ease 20mm from max Ease 20mm from max Ease 10mm from max Max outhaul Max outhaul Cunningham None (see notes) None (see notes) None (see notes) Removing all wrinkles on the luff Increasing to max tension Jib Inhauling None (see notes) 50% <---> 25% 25-50% None None Jib Luff Tension Soft, slight wrinkles on luff Soft, slight wrinkles on luff Just removing wrinkles No wrinkles Firm Notes: Spreader Length: 420mm-430mm based on overall crew weight, heavy teams should use 430mm, lighter teams 420mm, (if under 23stone then reduce to 410mm) Spreader Angle: FR-3 mainsail use 175mm, for FR-5 mainsail use 185mm Ram: The Neutral position is set on the dock using 24'10 rake and 350lbs of rig tension, this should produce around 20-25mm of pre bend, Mark this position at deck, this is the zero point or Neutral. Move the ram from this position the amount in the guide. Cunningham: Our mainsails use a rubber luff rope which is slightly elasticated which helps to release tension when the cunningham is eased, it does mean it can create larger wrinkles off the luff so its best to lightly snug the cunningham in the lighter winds to remove the larger of these wrinkles without affecting sail shape. Jib Inhauling: With the newer higher aspect jibs there is the option to sheet the sail closer to the centreline, there are too many different sheeting setups to give a measurement figure but if you try using the max you think you could inhaul for a short spell, 30 seconds off a start line for example, this is 100% inhaul, use the % guide figure as a ball park to how much you can use in regular sailing in the longer term. I.e 8 kts in flat water would be the likely most effective inhauling condition using 50% of max. You need to ensure the boom is on or even slightly over the centreline to make this work as effectively as possible. READ MORE

North Sails Flying Eleven Development READ MORE

Mast Rake Use Bruce Farr’s mast rake diagram as a starting point. Most top boats have recently had the centre of their mast set 60 -80mm (2 or so inches) aft of the intersection point of the tapes. When your boat is going well, use a stick to measure your forestay lashing so that you can set it at the same place every time, or experiment knowing what your rake actually is. 4mm on a forestay changes the rake quite a bit (check it out and see). Use a measuring stick - don’t try to experiment by the power of your biceps when setting up the mast. The writer’s experience is that even though in principle everything should be equal, the forestay sets mast rake, while the tightness of sidestays affects rig tension before it seriously affects mast rake. Sailing upwind, it is definitely the forestay that remains tight, and upwind is where the rake matters most. Don’t be afraid to vary your mast rake according to wind conditions, fresh or salt water. (Forward on fresh water, unless it is choppy). Raking your mast too far aft, or forward, will lose you upwind pointing ability. If your rake is too far aft in strong breeze you will capsize a lot. Some skippers believe that as soon as you are in big waves or chop, having your mast raked forward will make your boat bunt into the waves and go slow upwind. If you rake it correctly aft, the bow will lift nicely through the waves without you having to move back in the boat while trapezing. Rudder Class Restrictions give you total freedom for your rudder design. Some believe that when you are planing at high speed off wind, the distance between the centreboard and rudder determines how sharply you will turn with whatever minor movement you make on the tiller. If you want to survive more easily in 20 knots plus, (downwind, of course) hang your rudder blade at least 6 inches aft of the transom and have both your rudder gudgeons and your rudder blade raked at the same angle as your centreboard. A thick, rounded leading edge should help reduce your rudder’s tendency to cavitate (suck air right down, make spray, and stop steering.) At high speed, you will not have very good control of your boat if there is a lot of play in your rudder gudgeons. At high speed (ie, off-wind in a blow) the boat is controllable only through ultra-quick use of the tiller and very quick shifting of body-weight - and both controls must be precise. Don’t be afraid of some swims in the learning stages. You’ll know you’ve made it when you’re with the guys who don’t swim. (If you aren’t willing to enjoy the odd massive wipe-out, maybe you should stick to sailing Optimists!) Unless something major is wrong with your board or rudder blade, 90% of your boat speed will stem from your rig (mast rake, mast bend, and sail shape), assuming your hull and body are down to weight. READ MORE

Introduction First we would like to congratulate you for choosing North Sails Europe Class sails. Here we will present the basic set up and some guidelines on how to get the most out of your North Sail. Follow the guidelines, but always experiment and try finding your own trim. The weight of the crew, the balance of the boat, the stiffness of the mast together with specific local wind and sea conditions will all influence the fastest and final trim. Upwind Trim Even though the Europe is not as physical as the Laser or Finn you will still need to hike to get the maximum performance out of your sail when sailing upwind. If your sails are trimmed perfectly and you are just sitting on the side enjoying the scenery, you will be slow. So remember to take care with your self-preparations. It is always a good idea to use trim scales on your boat so that it is easier to get a reference point. One of the most important trim functions on the Europe is the mast rake. We have found that 5440cm is a good base position to start from. 0-5 KNOTS In less than 5 knots, when hiking is not required, concentration and setup are crucial. In light wind conditions we find that raking back the mast approx. 2cm from base position gives the boat more feel and will help you control the leech easier. Play the mainsheet so that the top tell tail stalls 20% of the time. To keep the leech loose in light conditions is very important. The traveller should be adjusted so that the end of the boom is at mid tank. In light air the outhaul should be 6cm forward of the black band and the inhaul should be loose, 3cm back from the aft edge of the mast. The cunningham is kept loose. 5-10 KNOTS As wind velocity increases, your primary concern is leech tension and traveller position. At around 5 knots of wind the mast can still be raked back 2cm from base position to help you control the leech. As wind velocity increases, from 6 knots of wind, the mast should be raked forward to base position. As you slowly tighten your leech by pulling the mainsheet you should at the same time work with the traveller. The end of the boom should be around mid tank to transom corner depending on the conditions. The top tell tail should stall 30% of the time. From around 9 knots of wind the end of the boom will hit the deck and the top tell tail will probably fly all the time. When the boom hits the deck you can no longer control the leech tension with the mainsheet. Rake forward the mast 1-2cm from base position to help you get the proper leech tension. The outhaul trim depends a lot on the sea state. In flat water conditions the outhaul should be approx. 6cm from the black band and in choppy conditions approx 10cm from the band. With the inhaul trim it is the opposite way. In flat water it is kept loose, 3cm from the mast, and in choppy conditions it will be tightened. The cunningham is kept loose. 10-15 KNOTS In 10 knots of wind the Europe is fully powered. Mast rake will be from base position to 1-2cm forward. The boom should be touching the deck at all times. The traveller position should be so that the end of the boom is from 3cm from the inside corner to the transom corner. Remember to play the traveller in puffs to help you balance the boat. The outhaul trim follows the same ground rule as in 5-10 knots but should be kept tighter, 4-9cm from the band. The inhaul should be tightened. As wind velocity increases to around 14 knots you will also start to need to use the cunningham. A good starting point is to start smoothing out the wrinkles along the mast. From around 14 knots of wind you can also lift the centreboard, approx. 10cm, to help balance the boat. 15-20 KNOTS At this stage it is really time to start de-powering the Europe. To keep the boat well balanced is the main focus. At around 15 knots of wind the mast rake will still be from base position to 1-2 cm forward. As wind velocity increases, to around 20 knots, use base position. The mainsheet should be kept tight with the boom touching the deck at all times. The traveller position should be so that the end of the boom is from the transom corner to some cm outside corner. The outhaul should now be from approx. 4cm from the band to maximum tension. The inhaul should be tightened even more to maximum tension. The cunningham should also be tightened, smoothing out all the wrinkles along the mast. The centreboard can be lifted approx. 20cm. 20-25 KNOTS As we have said before a well balanced boat is the key to success on the race course. It’s all about de-powering. Mast rake should be in the base position to 1-3cm back. The mainsheet should be kept tight but can be played in the puffs. The traveller position should be so that the end of the boom is outside the transom corner at all times. The outhaul and inhaul should be at maximum tension. The cunningham should be kept tight to maximum tension. The centreboard can be lifted even higher, almost to deck level as the wind velocity increases. Downwind Sailing Downwind sailing is an art in itself. Many sailors like to compare it to, for example dancing and they are in many ways right. It takes many hours on the water to really master the art of downwind sailing so be prepared to do some hard work out there. Here we will present some guidelines for helping you to reach that medal winning downwind speed. When approaching the weather mark try to adjust all the sail controls before you reach the mark so that you can concentrate on surfing that first wave instead of messing with your lines. Release the cunningham and inhaul. How much you release the outhaul depends on the wind velocity, you still have to get around that mark in one piece. In higher wind speeds you can also preset the vang. The vang should be set so that the top batten is 2-3° open relative to the boom. Play the mainsheet directly from the boom (1:1) until it feels like you are going to be pulled out of the boat, from that point it is not longer effective. Remember that steering always comes first, before pumping and rocking the boat. With too much power in your arm you can no longer concentrate on finding the right way through the waves but are instead just wrestling with your mainsheet which is not fast. At this point switch to 2:1, it then becomes more manageable and safer. As the wind velocity increases even more, pull the mainsheet directly from the ratchet. When surfing, always concentrate on finding your way through the waves. Don’t be greedy and stay too long on each wave. Instead you should use the top speed gained on each wave to try catching the next one. You should always aim to surf from one wave to the next continuously. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

TWO EVENTS LEADING TO THE J/24 WORLDS Around the Island Race to Celebrate the J/24 Class’ 40th Anniversary NEWPORT REGATTA North Sails Clinic with Will Welles & Tim Healy – Friday 1:30 – 4:00 pm The Newport Regatta will be a great tune-up event for the Worlds. Join Will and Tim at Sail Newport on Friday (1:30-4:00 pm) for a North Sails clinic. Make it a long weekend! Fleet 50 invites all out of town teams to sail in the Thursday night race and enjoy the camaraderie of the fleet members. J/FEST & AROUND THE ISLAND RACE To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the J/24 Class, J/Fest New England and Sail Newport invite all J/24 sailors, past and present, to enter the Around the Island Race on Friday, August 11th. Stay for the weekend and sail the J/Fest New England Regatta. READ MORE

North powered clients finish 1st in six divisions, wrapping up a fun and warm summer weekend in New England A beautiful weekend in Newport, RI for the 163rd New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta where 131 boats from all over North America came to enjoy sights and sounds of Newport as well as experience the beautiful New England weather. The dying westerly presented interesting sailing conditions for Friday’s around the island race, which is roughly an 18-mile race that goes around Jamestown. As the sailors were closing in on their finish line, the westerly had completely dissipated and the southerly filled in, giving everyone a chance to feel the cool sea breeze. Because it was delayed, the race was very close to being over, so sailors had to maintain their sail combinations, carrying them through the next range. Saturday was stadium style, which made for a great spectator day with fleets racing inside Narragansett Bay, and under the famous Newport Pell Bridge. Fantastic conditions, tough competition, and close quarters made for some great racing! Sunday’s racing for most classes was held offshore, also in sustainable wind conditions, creating the perfect ending to a weekend of pure sailing satisfaction. Congratulations to our clients! READ MORE

The Windy City keeps her promise and North Sails clients take the win in five classes overall, with local presence strong as ever The windy city did what it does best! A fun weekend in Chicago for the NOOD regatta where 146 boats came to compete on the cold and shifty waters of Lake Michigan. The local representation at the Chicago NOOD was top notch, with all but seven boats from Illinois or Indiana area being members of CASRA (Chicago Area Sail Racing Association). The overall attendance was strong from the Midwest, with many familiar faces, families, and friends sailing together on their hometown lake. North Sails local knowledge and weather briefing, lead by Perry Lewis and Andrew Kerr As predicted by North Sails Perry Lewis and Andrew Kerr in the local knowledge and weather briefing Thursday evening, a solid breeze delivered excellent and very challenging racing on the great Lake Michigan. When the gradient breeze is battling the thermal, anything can happen on the lake. Choosing the correct side, maintaining boat speed, sailing out of a hole with light wind (specifically on Friday), and often taking a “chance” on a side were all concerns for sailors in the tricky, shifty conditions. Being familiar with the breeze directions helped sailors navigate through Friday’s ups and downs. On Saturday it was a whole new ballgame with winds consistently above 20 knots, with occasional gusts over 30, leaving North Sails Saturday competitors and Rally Racers pushing their boats and crew to the max. Some, unfortunately, were unable to finish because of breakdowns, while most boats needed repairs at the end of the day. Smiling sailors still looked forward to redemption on Sunday and to hear stories of carnage and excitement from their fellow competitors at the regatta tent that evening. Sunday was a day for all, with the wind between 12-18 making it much easier for everyone to get around the race course. This upped the competition, with many close calls on the scoresheet as the sailors battled for 1st position in their class. Congratulations to North Sails clients at the Chicago NOOD and a special shout-out to local sailors onboard Tartan 10 ‘Mutiny‘ who’s fantastic performance secured them a spot at the NOOD Championships in the British Virgin Islands this October! North Sails Saturday: Rally Race award winners with Beneteau 40.7 team ‘Badge’ READ MORE

OLYMPIAN VITTORIO BISSARO FLIES WITH NORTH SAILS It was a great start for Vittorio Bissaro in the A-Class, the Italian athlete was second on the podium of the European Spring Championship, Arco. Despite being only his second race in the A-Class, Bissaro was successful in a fleet of almost 50A flying catamarans, among which there were previous World and European champions. Vittorio’s venture into the A-Class follows his Rio Olympic Games campaign with Silvia Sicouri, in the Nacra 17 Class. After the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, you moved your attention to the A-Class. Is your Olympic games experience over, or will you be looking to participate in Tokyo in 2020? The idea of trying the A-Class was born exactly by the fact that I have never stopped thinking about the Olympics. After the last four years racing in the Nacra, there are people now talking about the foiling Nacra for Tokyo 2020. Because delivery times are extremely long, instead of waiting and doing nothing I decided to join the A-Class to learn in a class that is continuously developing globally. The A-Class started foiling three years ago for downwind sailing, while the ability to foil upwind is just a recent phenomenon, I would say it started no more than one year ago. The A-Class is an open class, how was your boat developed? Currently, in the A-Class there are two predominant boat builders that build the boat for almost 98% of the fleet, DNA in the Netherlands and the Polish shipyard Exploder, where my boat was built. I opted for the Polish because the boat is more flexible and adjustable. Knowing from my first experience with sailing the Nacra, I wanted to have some space to maneuver for adjustments. In fact we worked a lot on the catamaran this winter and I would say that results of our work were pretty good in the first regatta of the season, held last week in Arco. Mischa Heemskerk, the current World champion, remained behind me in a few races, which was very satisfying. North Sails is helping you in the development of sails for the Nacra. What are your feelings about this collaboration? In contrast to the boat builders, the choice of sailmakers is much wider, there are at least five or six suppliers for sails to the A-Class. I first started with a Polish sailmaker who was recommended by the shipyard, but a series of issues with the design, the service and the quality, made me switch to North Sails. The idea of cooperation was proposed by sails specialist Giulio Desiderato. I also knew that North Sails was already working on projects with Glen Ashby, 13-time World champion and a legend in the catamaran. The designs are great, the quality is excellent, and Giulio has supported me all through the process making it the perfect choice. Since the very first day I knew things with North Sails would work great. The A-Class is in continuous development, are these changes perceivable also during races? Well, yes. The A-Class goes further than the choice of profile for sails. After foiling, some athletes started to work on masts, rigs, distribution of weights, etc. Everything is continuously changing and probably now it is really worth concentrating on the settings of the boat as a whole. Despite that you are a newcomer in the A-Class, you have already obtained some great results. What are your plans for the rest of the season? In mid August we will have the most important event of the season, the Worlds in Poland. Before that, I will go to Lake Iseo at the end of June for another event in the A-Class circuit and that will be my third race ever in the A-Class. The season is going to finish in Campione, but immediately after the Worlds all attention will be focused on 2018. You are not alone in this experience in the A-Class. Who is sharing it with you? I’m sharing it with a team, Lorenzo Bianchini is always training with me, he has the same boat as mine and also uses North Sails. Working with similar materials helps us to make better adjustments to the boats, otherwise you risk getting lost in the myriad of possible refinements that you can do on an A-Class. What are your feelings over the Nacra? Are you planning to have a new crew? The Nacra Class grew a lot in the lead up to the Olympics in Rio, but then it experienced a slow down. We are all waiting for the introduction of the new platform of the Catamaran, which will be presented at the end of June. The new Nacra should have Z-foils instead of C-foils and L helms, much similar to the actual configuration of the A-Class. These new introductions will change the conduction of the boat under the technical point of view. The Nacra should manage to fly both downwind and upwind, this will make races even faster and more acrobatic. It will be when this introduction is released that we will all start to focus on the Nacra again. Learn more about the North Sails A-Class designs. READ MORE

TA EN TITT I 3DI-FABRIKEN. När 3DL lanserades för 25 år tog vi steget från hantverk till industri, och när 3Di kom 2010 skruvades nivån upp ytterligare. Följ med på ett besök till Minden, Nevada och se hur ett 3Di-segel blir till! Fabriken i Minden, Nevada byggdes ursprungligen för produktion av 3DL-segel, men har styrts över till 3Di-teknologin. Det i princip enda som är kvar från tillverkningen av 3DL är de stora, justerbara 3D-formarna och symaskinerna som används för slutarbetet med exempelvis travare och likband. Vi kanske inbillade oss, men det kändes som att det gick en skälvning genom branschen när 3DL introducerades för 25 år sedan. Det var inte bara en en unik och banbrytande produkt som i ett slag gjorde den dåvarande tekniken gammaldags, utan skulle också komma att tvinga fram en genomgripande omstrukturering av en bransch som hade fungerat på i princip samma sätt sedan mänskligheten lärde sig segla. Datorstödd design och ett allmänt vetenskaplig synsätt hade i och för sig funnits ganska länge – North Sails var pionjärer även här – men innan 3DL kom in i bilden producerades de flesta segel lokalt av segelmakare som kröp omkring på stora golv, klippte i dukrullar och hängde över symaskiner. Nu blev segeltillverkning en avancerad industriell process med fabriker och robotar. Det som krävdes för att hänga med i utvecklingen var inte bara know-how, utan också produktionsanläggningar som ingen tidigare varit i närheten av. Det tog några år men med tiden fick branschen upp ångan och lyckades så småningom få fram alternativ till våra 3DL-segel. Det var nog bra, för utan konkurrenter som jagar en i hasorna är det lätt att sluta utvecklas. Men de lär få fortsatta att jaga, för i och med lanseringen av 3Di 2010 tog vi ett nytt stort steg i utvecklingen. Den tekniska nivån har skruvats upp ytterligare. Likaså kraven på både know-how och maskinpark. I den här artikeln tar vi en tur till vår fabrik i Minden, Nevada, och tar en titt på hur 3Di-segel tillverkas. Som du kommer se påminner det inte så värst mycket om de klassiska ”loft” som för bara 25 år sedan var själva sinnebilden för vår bransch. READ MORE

INGEN VET HUR LÄNGE ETT 3DI NORDAC-SEGEL HÅLLER. MEN RACINGVERSIONEN KLARAR MINST ETT VARV RUNT JORDEN. 3Di-segel är lättare och stummare än alla andra typer av segel. Men den viktigaste fördelen är att de har en oslagbar slitstyrka och en livslängd som inget annat prestandasegel ens kommer i närheten av. 2016 seglade Thomas Coville ensam runt jorden på 49 dagar och tre timmar och krossade rekordet i Jules Verne Trophy. Båten, en trimaran på 105 fot, var utrustat med ett tre år gammalt 3Di-storsegel, byggt i kevlar och dynema. Totalt har seglet tillryggalagt över 75.000 sjömil och är fortfarande i användbart skick. . 3Di-segel är lätta och töjer sig minimalt, vilket är exakt vad kappseglaren eftersträvar. Men de är framför allt hållbara på ett helt annat sätt än exempelvis våra 3DL-segel, som ändå får betraktas som ledande inom kategorin membransegel. Och det är inte några små skillnader vi talar om. 2008-2009 var sista gången någon använde membransegel i Volvo Ocean Race. Vi på North Sails levererade seglen till samtliga båtar, och hade bullat upp med det absolut bästa som gick att få fram. Ändå krävdes det tre storsegel för att ta sig varvet runt – och det första var slut efter två etapper. I den senaste upplagan var samtliga båtar istället utrustade med 3Di-segel. Den här gången klarade man sig med ett enda storsegel under hela racet. Dessutom såg det nästan oförskämt bra ut efter målgång. Det som hade slitits mest var faktiskt inte själva strukturen utan de påmålade sponsorlogotyperna. Bouwe Bekking, skipper på Team Brunel, konstaterade efteråt att det det nog hade kunnat klara ett varv till om så krävdes: ”Give it a new paint job and I bet if you would ask somebody he/she would say this is a brand new main. Same for the other sails. You can see they’ve been used but they are still in good shape.” Då ska vi betänka att båtarna pressades oerhört hårt, och att storseglen inte fick en minuts vila under hela racet. De satt uppe i ur och skur och utsattes för allt från stormvindar och snöglopp till stekande sol under drygt 3.500 timmar. Det kan å andra sidan verka nästan kännas futtigt i jämförelse med vad seglen till den 105 fot långa katamaranen ”Sodebo Ultim” fått utstå. Båten användes när Thomas Coville hösten 2016 seglade ensam runt jorden på 49 dagar och 3 timmar, och därmed putsade det tidigare Jules Verne-rekordet med över åtta dagar. Det intressanta i sammanhanget är att han gjorde det med ett storsegel som var tre år gammalt redan vid starten. Idag har seglet gått över 75.000 sjömil – vilket motsvarar tre jorden runt-seglingar – och är fortfarande i användbart skick. I båda fallen handlar det om racingsegel där fibern framför allt består av kevlar och dynema. Livslängden för 3Di Nordac, som ju är ett likadant segel fast med fibrer i polyester, lär knappast bli kortare. Under Volvo Ocean 2008-2009 behövde varje båt tre 3DL-storsegel för att sig runt jorden, och det första var slut efter två etapper. I den senaste upplagan 2015 var alla båtar utrustade med 3Di-segel, och då räckte det med ett enda. Och när man inspekterade seglen efter målgång såg de ut att kunna klara ett varv till. READ MORE

3Di-SEGEL ÄR LÄTTARE OCH STUMMARE ÄN ALLT ANNAT. MEN DET ÄR INTE DEN VIKTIGASTE FÖRDELEN. Vad innebär 3Di-teknologin? Vad är skillnaden mellan 3Di och 3DL? Och vad är det egentligen för fel på dagens membransegel? Det reder vi ut här. Häng med på en resa som spänner över 25 år! 3Di-seglen lanserades 2010 och tog seglarvärlden med storm. Snart satt det 3Di-segel på de flesta av världens hetaste kappseglingsbåtar. Bilden var tydlig; Om du kappseglade och verkligen siktade högt, då var det 3Di du skulle ha. Det var förstås bra. Men det gjorde kanske också att den absolut största fördelen med 3Di hamnade lite i skymundan. Ett 3Di-segel är lättare och stummare än allt annat på marknaden, ja. Men det viktigaste är att de håller mycket längre än alla andra typer av prestandasegel. Skillnaden är faktiskt dramatisk. Det finns 3Di-segel som har gått 75.000 sjömil och som fortfarande är i hyggligt skick. Och då talar vi om racingsegel byggda i stumma material som kevlar och kolfiber, och sådana är ju inte direkt kända för att vara långlivade. Membranseglens uppgång och fall För att förstå det unika med 3Di-teknologin får vi börja med att titta lite närmare på hur ”membransegel” eller ”stringsegel” är uppbyggda. Anledningen till att vi för drygt tio år sedan började utveckla 3Di var nämligen att komma tillrätta med de ganska allvarliga brister som den här typen av segel har. Det gäller såväl våra egna 3DL-segel som alla de andra varianterna av membransegel som numera finns på marknaden. Först en snabb recap: Våra 3DL-segel, som väl får betraktas som alla membransegels moder, gjorde entré 1992 och under de 25 år som gått sedan dess har de vunnit allt som går att vinna på världens kappseglingsbanor, från Americas Cup och Volvo Ocean Race till lokala klubbkappseglingar. Vi var länge ensamma om tekniken, men dag kan alla segelmakare erbjuda sina kunder något liknande. De större kedjorna har byggt upp egna produktionsanläggningar och mindre segelmakare köper membran eller rent av färdiga segel från bland annat Kina. Vi är oerhört stolta över våra 3DL-segel och vad de inneburit för segelsporten. Samtidigt är det uppenbart att den här typen av segel har inneboende problem som aldrig kommer att kunna lösas. Vi kan ju inte tala för resten av branschen, men för oss är lösningen ganska självklar: Det börjar bli dags att låta membranseglen gå i pension. Vi är oerhört stolta över våra 3DL-segel och vad de inneburit för segelsporten sedan de lanserades för 25 år sedan. Men som alla membransegel har de en del fundamentala problem som aldrig kommer att kunna lösas. För oss är lösningen ganska självklar: Det börjar bli dags att låta membranseglen gå i pension. Utmaningen: Att ta fram ett segel helt utan film Ett membransegel skapas genom att långa strängar av någon stark fiber (exempelvis kevlar eller kolfiber) limmas ihop med ett eller flera lager av mylarfilm. Ibland lägger man också på ett skyddande lager av tunn väv. Konstruktionen anpassas efter varje specifikt segel, och fibrerna läggs så att de följer den förmodade kraftriktningen i seglet. Det får på så sätt ett karakteristiskt och ganska vackert utseende med bågformade linjer från horn till horn. Strukturen är särskilt tydligt i motljus. Man kan säga att membransegel bygger på en sorts lager-på-lager-princip. Man skulle också kunna säga att det i grund och botten är ett mylarsegel förstärkt med tunna strängar av kevlar eller kolfiber. Och det är just mylarfilmen som orsakar de största problemen. Filmen har egentligen bara en enda uppgift, och det är att hålla de kraftbärande fibrerna på plats. Mellan strängarna uppstår ett ”mellanrum” som bara består av mylar. Det är ett tunt och sprött material, känsligt för UV-ljus och obetydligt starkare än en vanlig presenning. Och det här gör seglet känsligt för veck, fladder och nötning. Fiber och film har också helt olika egenskaper, inte minst när det gäller elasticitet, vilket gör det svårt att få dem att fungera bra ihop. Dessutom är det bara en tidsfråga innan fibern och filmen börjar släppa från varandra. Man brukar tala om delaminering. Om du någon gång haft ett laminatsegel med några år på nacken vet du nog vad det innebär. Problemet är varken nytt eller specifikt för just membransegel. Det har varit känt ända sedan Lowell North hissade den första mylargenuan (känd som ”The garbage bag” på grund av dess gröna kulör och glansiga ytfinish) på tolvan Enterprise under Americas Cup 1977. Efter att ha brottats med det här problemet i över 30 år insåg vi till slut att enda möjligheten var att utveckla en helt ny typ av segel som inte innehåller någon film. De första stegen togs i samband med Americas Cup 2007 med ett projekt som gick under kodnamnet ”Amalgam”. I största hemlighet byggde vi 19 segel helt utan film till Team Alinghi. Seglen blev ärligt talat ganska misslyckade men vi lärde oss massor. Året därpå hade vi lyckats utveckla ett fungerande segel och 2010 hade vi en färdig produkt som gick att sälja. Vi kallade den 3Di. En helt ny typ av segel 3Di-teknologin är alltså INTE en utveckling av 3DL, och ett 3Di-segel har egentligen ingenting gemensamt med ett membransegel. 3Di är en kompositkonstruktion där två olika material, i det här fallet fiber och en speciell sorts lim, via en kemisk reaktion omvandlas till ett enda homogent material. Det är precis som när man bygger ett båtskrov i glasfiber och polyesterplast. Om du sågar ut en provbit från skrovet på din båt och tittar närmare på den kommer du inte kunna skilja glasfibern från plasten. Efter härdning är det ett och samma material. Så är det även med ett 3Di-segel. Rent konkret byggs seglet upp genom att speciella fiberförsedda tejper (som vi själva tillverkar) läggs om lott enligt ett givet mönster tills det får formen av ett segel. Materialet läggs sedan upp på en tredimensionell form där det värms upp under tryck, vilket sätter igång härdningen. Själva fibern är oerhört tunn – som ett hårstrå ungefär – vilket gör att de till skillnad från fibersträngarna i ett membransegel kan läggas extremt tätt utan att få problem med vidhäftningen. Därmed undviks de ”mellanrum” av mylar som är ett av problemen med membransegel. I ett 3Di-segel är varenda kvadratmillimeter täckt med fiber. Tejperna med fiber är förimpregnerade (pre-preg kallas det på fackspråk) med en speciell sorts härdplast som aktiveras när den värms upp till en viss temperatur, och som därefter får en stark och kemiskt sett mycket stabil struktur. I ett membransegel består limmet däremot av en sorts termoplast. Det är samma typ av material som används i exempelvis glassbyttor eller köksskålar, och den är allt annat än stabil. Testa att hålla en plastmugg över ett stearinljus så får du se vad som händer. 3Di har fler fördelar. Ett membransegel består till stora delar av mylar, och ibland även väv, och inget av detta bidrar till styrkan. Däremot väger det ju en del. Det finns också en övre gräns för hur mycket fiber man kan laminera in mellan två mylarskikt. I ett 3Di-segel kan man lägga in hur mycket fiber man vill och konstruktionen innehåller ingen som helst film. Fiberhalten i ett 3Di-segel är därför nästan dubbelt så hög som i ett membransegel med samma vikt. Detta är en av anledningarna till att nya 3Di Nordac håller formen så bra, trots att konstruktionen baseras på en fiber med viss flexibilitet: Skillnaden i töj mellan ett membransegel som innehåller 10 kilo kevlar och ett 3Di-segel med 20 kilo polyester är knappast synbar för andra än rena experter. 3Di-segel har egentligen ingenting gemensamt med membransegel, som exempelvis våra 3DL-segel. 3Di är en kompositkonstruktion där fiber och en speciell härdplast via en kemisk reaktion omvandlas till ett enda homogent material, på precis samma sätt som när man bygger ett båtskrov i glasfiberarmerad plast. Det finns ett 3Di-segel för alla behov Möjligheterna att skräddarsy 3Di-segel är nära nog oändliga. Genom att laborera med olika typer av fibrer i olika kvantiteter kan vi få fram segel med vitt skilda egenskaper. Valet man gör handlar främst om hur man prioriterar mellan å ena sida låg vikt och å andra sidan styrka och livslängd. Det finns dock ett antal standardmodeller, med namn som exempelvis ”3Di Endurance”, ”3Di Race” och ”3Di Raw”. Och nu får alltså 3DI-serien ett nytt tillskott i form av 3Di Nordac. Det är kanske inte det ”häftigaste” seglet i familjen, men på ett sätt det kanske viktigaste av alla. 3Di Nordac produceras med exakt samma avancerade teknik som de andra 3Di-varianterna, men eftersom det baseras på en i sammanhanget billig fiber har vi kunnat få ner priset till en nivå som faktiskt ligger närmare ett dacronsegel än ett membransegel. Äntligen ett 3Di-segel som är tillgängligt för en bredare skara seglare! En helt unik teknologi Till sist: Ibland får vi på omvägar höra att det finns branschkolleger som påstår sig kunna erbjuda segel som är ”ungefär som 3Di”. Men det kan de inte. Det här sättet att bygga segel är helt unikt och skyddas av en rad patent. Ingen annan segelmakare kan göra något som ens liknar 3Di-segel utan att få ett antal barska, förmodligen amerikanska, advokater på halsen. Att man är så på hugget på vårt huvudkontor beror förmodligen på att det så att säga ligger mer än bara segel i potten; 3Di-teknologin används numera även inom rymdindustrin, flygindustrin och Formel 1. Mycket spännande. Men det är, som det brukar heta, en helt annan historia. READ MORE

TRIPLE WIN FOR NORTH SAILS CLIENTS AT NYYC OD REGATTA North Sails powers Etchells National Champions, Melges 20, and J/70 Class Winners at the 2017 NYYC One Design Regatta Last weekend’s New York Yacht Club One Design Regatta was a great event and had perfect sailing conditions for all Etchells, Melges 20, and J/70 competitors. This event was also a part of the Etchells Atlantic Series and scored as the fleet’s 2017 U.S. National Championships, which began on Friday, June 2nd. Eight races were completed in the Etchells, allowing one discard. Twelve Melges 20 teams and 14 J/70 teams competed on June 2nd-3rd, totaling five races, also allowing one discard. Competing for the National Championship in the Etchells fleet, Steve Benjamin and his crew aboard ‘Stella Blue’ were untouchable with a total of 11 points after a 7th place throw-out, followed by George Francisco and his team on ‘American Baby’ with 28 points. A close battle for 2nd place, Chris Larson was just one point behind Francisco, with his team from Annapolis Yacht Club. North powered teams finished 1,2,3,4,5,6*, and 7th out of 15 boats. Congratulations to 1st place finisher ‘Stella Blue’ for winning the 2017 Etchells National Championships! The J/70 division saw a great turn out with 14 boats and tight racing, especially in the lead pack. Brian Keane’s ‘Savasana’ took first place, followed by John Brim and his team on ‘Rimette’. Bruno Pasquinelli placed 3rd with team ‘Stampede’. Beautiful racing conditions on both the J/70 and Melges 20 race courses, with excellent sailing from some familiar faces. The Melges 20 fleet was topped by Wes Whitmyer Jr. and his team on ‘Slingshot’ by four points. In second was Drew Freides and his team ‘Pacific Yankee’, who were also the overall winners of the Miami Series this past winter. The Melges 20 fleet is gearing up for the World Championship, which will be in Newport later in the fall. Some serious competition is expected from boats all over the world which will make for a great event. Congratulations to our clients this weekend on a job well done! READ MORE

Erste-Hilfe für Kieler Woche-Teilnehmer mit mobiler Werkstatt Wenn am Freitag die Kieler Woche beginnt und 4.000 Seglerinnen und Segler den Olympiahafen in Schilksee bevölkern, wird auch North Sails nicht fehlen. Zum zehnten Mal in Folge zieht die Hamburger Segelwerkstatt um und bietet an allen Regattatagen einen umfangreichen Reparaturservice für die Teilnehmer der Kieler Woche. Ein defektes Segel könnte für viele Teilnehmer ohne den Reparaturservice ein bitteres und frühzeitiges Ausscheiden bedeuten. Damit es erst gar nicht soweit kommt, bietet North Sails den Teilnehmern mit seiner mobilen Segelwerkstatt direkt vor Ort schnelle und unkomplizierte Hilfe bei Schäden an ihrer Segelgarderobe. Segelmacher von North Sails neun Tage im Dauereinsatz Dafür zieht das komplette North Sails-Loft von Hamburg in den Kieler Olympiahafen, inklusive Nähmaschinen, Werkzeug, Ersatzmaterial, Tuche – alles muss mit. Für die bis zu acht Segelmacher und Helfer ist nicht nur der Umzug ein gewaltiger Kraftakt. Da die beschädigten Segel bis zum nächsten Morgen repariert sein müssen, wird häufig die ganze Nacht durchgearbeitet. Je nach Wetterlage repariert das North Sails-Team während der neuntätigen Veranstaltung bis zu 250 Segel – vom Jollen-Spinnaker über schwere Sturmsegel bis zum Folien- und Membransegel. Wer glaubt, dass dabei keine Zeit bleibt, um selbst zu segeln, der irrt. Teilweise sind die North Sails-Mitarbeiter sogar noch selber auf den Regattabahnen als Trimmer, Taktiker oder Vorschiffsmann aktiv. Tagsüber Rivale und im Anschluss Helfer in der Not. Das ist wahrer Sportsgeist. READ MORE

EXCELLENT SPEED GUARANTEES THE J/70 EUROPEAN TITLE TO PETITE TERRIBLE North Sails’ Shane Hughes, Trimmer on Jelvis, Checks In From the UK’s First International J70 Event © Paul Wyeth The 2017 J70 Europeans came to the UK shores for the first time and what a baptism of fire for the area’s first International J70 event! With all racing held in winds averaging 20 knots plus, the event put the 43 teams to the test, along with the Race Committee and support staff at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble. The Royal Southern is well used to running world-class international events but even they would find the conditions difficult to handle. PRO Stuart Childerly and his team did a great job of balancing fleet safety and getting enough races in to have a good and fair regatta. The first race day was scheduled for Tuesday but with the 25 knots wind limit consistently being broken with much higher gusts, the decision was taken out of the Race Committee’s hands – no racing for the day. Wednesday morning brought similar conditions but with an earlier start time (brought forward one hour) the event got off to an exhilarating start. Racing on the hill head plateau, the South Westerly winds were near the limit and a left to right west-going tide made for a challenging race course, with crews focused on holding a lane to the left. This requires speed! Luckily, it was fairly apparent that a couple of boats had brought plenty of that. The Italian defending champions Petite Terrible (Claudia Rossi) immediately punched out of the fleet, as did Peter Duncan’s Relative Obscurity. Conditions remained right on the class wind limits for the second race. This time the Spaniards on Noticia took the win from Petite Terrible with Calypso, a British team with Sebastian Ripard at the helm coming in third. Already a pattern was emerging with a couple of the top teams showing consistency. Petite Terrible showed very solid upwind speed and electric pace downwind where they were consistently the fastest boat. Myself and Ruairidh Scott were onboard Jelvis with Martin Dent and we were happy to finish the day with a couple of 4th places. Our speed upwind and down was proving quite competitive using the standard North Sails XCS mainsail, J-2 jib and AP-1 spinnaker. We were also sticking to the current North Sails tuning numbers and found the settings to be quite versatile in the choppy and windy conditions. Unsurprisingly, it was noticeable that all the top performers were on the heavier end of the crew weight spectrum. Day 3 and it was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day…. more wind, more waves and four races scheduled. The Spanish really put down their marker with a 1-2-1-2 score line. Almost equally impressive was Petite Terrible’s 2-3-2-1 score line. By this point in the regatta, these two teams had separated themselves from the trailing pack and were lining up for the Euro’s title. Our team on Jelvis and Peter Duncan’s Relative Obscurity had reasonable days to finish in a tie for 3rd overall. Final day’s racing and you guessed it… more wind! With the top two set to duke it out, the battle was on for third place between Jelvis and Relative Obscurity. As it turned out the American boat had a stellar day posting a 2-1-1 to almost pull themselves into 2nd place. It was an unfortunate last day on Jelvis, the rudder broke in the penultimate race forcing us to retire from that and the final race. This dropped us down to 6th overall which was a little frustrating to say the least. Back up front, the Italians were closing out the event in style. A 1-4-2 score line on the last day was more than enough to see them retain their Europeans crown. Their full North Sails inventory drove them to victory with seriously impressive boat speed – certainly this team will be one to watch in Porto Cervo later this year at the World Championships. The 2017 Worlds are certain to see some of the most exciting and close racing the class has experienced thus far. READ MORE

Update from North Sails President Ken Read A semifinals filled with highs, lows, overboards and capsizes – sailing fans had plenty to take in while Softbank Team Japan, Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Land Rover BAR battled for the one and only seat against ORACLE TEAM USA in the final America’s Cup match. READ MORE

This tuning guide has been prepared to help you get the most out of your North Sails as quickly as possible. It is meant as a starting point only, as we cannot cover all options and techniques. Feel free to modify and experiment in small steps to find what suits you best. If you find a settings that really work well, please keep us informed. Mast Preparation Ensure all sheaves are free running and the rigging is clean prior to stepping the mast. SPREADERS Spreader Angle: Measure from spreader tip to tip. Super Spar M2 Sleaved – 780 mmProctor D+ – 760 mm Spreader Length: Measure from spreader tip to wall of mast. Super Spar M2 Sleaved – 410mm Proctor D+ – 410mm Rig Tension / Mast Rake Rig tension is measured on the shrouds with a 3mm wire gauge. Mast rake is measured from top of mast to the centre of the transom. For sailing in all conditions the rig should be set up with Jib hoisted and tension fully on: Rig Tension: 400lbsMast Rake: 6470mm This should make the mast straight with no Mainsail hoisted. Mainsail Ensure the Mainsail is fully hoisted – halyards do stretch. Battens Battens should be left in the sail at all times and whilst not afloat, the sail should be rolled down the leech, parallel to the battens. Cunningham This is used to position draft in the sail. Do not use any Cunningham until you become overpowered in heavy airs, then pull Cunningham on progressively harder as the breeze increases. This will move the draft of the sail forward in the top and de-power the upper leech. Outhaul Beating: In light and heavy airs the foot of the sail should be pulled tight. In medium airs, ease approximately 12mm. Running: Keep the foot tight in all conditions. Reaching: Ease fully in medium conditions, in light airs ease 25mm and in heavy airs pull out tight. Jib To find Jib lead position, follow the sheeting angle through the Jib clew. This should divide the Jib luff approximately in half. When sailing upwind in a Force 3, all the tell tales should break together. In medium/heavy airs, the Jib should be sheeted hard to maximise pointing ability. In lighter conditions the Jib sheet needs to be eased approximately 12mm to keep the top of the leech open. Once a fairlead position has been found, use it in all conditions with very heavy airs, then move back 25mm. This will flatten the base of the Jib and open the leech, keeping the boat driving and on her feet. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

Basic Setup Rake – 21ft 2inSpreader length –  430mmSpreader Angle –  100 -110mm (track to line straight between wires at tip)Prebend –  20 – 25mm (with the lowers slack)Lowers Tension until the mast is straightShroud Tension 26-28 on a Loos gauge Centreboard Position Upwind GUIDE SETTINGS 0 – 8 knots – Vertical9 – 12 knots – Up 5-8cm (from vertical)13 -18 knots – Up 10-15cm19 -25 knots – Up 20-25cm It is almost impossible to change your mast rake on the water but because the top mast is long and the lower mast is controlled by the lowers, as you pull on the kicker the mast tip moves back in much the same way as it does when you increase mast rake. This creates weather helm so to balance the helm the centreboard angle should be adjusted. This becomes the key to speed through the wind range. The exact positions will vary depending on your weight and height as well as the stiffness of your mast and the seastate, but the principle is that as the wind increases raise the board enough to keep the helm balanced and the boat driving forward as opposed to luffing and stalling in the gusts. If you raise the board too far the boat will feel easy to sail but you will be unable to point. There is always some tolerance when searching for the optimum board angle, so if you want to point high and you are prepared to sacrifice a little speed lower the board a little, if you want to go low and fast raise it. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

North Sails has a long history with the America’s Cup, supplying every America’s Cup Defender and Challenger since 1988. Our shared story is one of innovation, often resulting in breakthrough sail design and materials. READ MORE

This Tuning Guide has been prepared to help you get the best out of your North Sails. This is meant as a starting point, feel free to modify and experiment in small steps to find what suits you best. If you find a Setting or Settings that really works, please keep us informed. Mast Position The aim of the B14 settings is to keep the lower ¼ of the mast as straight as possible. To achieve this you will need to move the mast foot as far forward as is possible, and use a small chock in front of the mast at the mast gate. The size of the chock will vary and you will need to set this by looking up the mast when it is tensioned and checking it is straight. On The Water Tuning Because the rig is very simple, there are not a lot of changes you can make while you are on the water. There are your normal sail controls, the jib tack height and the centre board. CUNNINGHAM As you start to become overpowered start to pull on the cunningham a little, as the breeze increases progressively pull on more. JIB TACK HEIGHT The jib tack height is the only control for the sheeting angle of the sail. Lowering the tack will increase the twist of the sail. If the conditions change you can alter the tack height between races, lowering the sail if the breeze increases and raising it if the breeze drops. CENTRE BOARD As with the jib, the centre board can only really be adjusted between races. If you feel the boat ‘tripping up’ over the board in breezy conditions raise it up.As a guide:15-20kts: 150mm (6”)20kts+: 300mm (12”) Notes Tensions are found with Loos PT1-m rig tension gauge.The spreaders are measured from a straight line between the shrouds to the back of the mast track, without rig tension. The holes are a bit of a course adjustment so you might not be able to exactly match these figures. If in doubt go slightly further forward on the lowers and slightly further back on the uppers, if possible try to keep the 2 sets of spreaders in line or the upper set slightly aft. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

TOP JUNIORS AT THE 2017 SNIPE NORTH AMERICANS Snipe Duo Jensen McTighe & Andre Guaragna share their first-hand experiences in the Snipe Class at the North Americans in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida © Matthew Ditzel We caught up with top juniors from this years’ Snipe North Americans, hosted by Ft. Lauderdale Yacht Club. Jensen and Andre were in the heat of battle the entire event, finishing 3rd overall, coming just short of world class sailor Augie Diaz who finished 2nd. Here is what the young team had to say about their experience and the things in life that contribute to their successful Snipe sailing. They have an exciting journey ahead as they are attending the Snipe World Championships in August, held in Spain. This isn’t the first time they will be traveling out of the country to race Snipes, nor will it be their last! How often do you sail together? How does it contribute to your performance in the Snipe? “We practice a lot together, but we are both skippers so we do sail on our own quite a bit. We make a good team though and I think we both know each other well enough now that we don’t really need to talk about things, we just do it.” What was the hardest part about sailing at NA’s? “On the last day it was very hard to keep up. Staying faster off the wind was so important in the lighter air.” What was the funniest part of the weekend? “When we registered we got visors instead of shirts. We rocked the visors on the water, and only when we were in the boat. We think that also contributed to our speed that weekend.” You used the SW-4 at North Americans. What did you like about it? “We use both the SW-4 and the PR-3. The SW-4 was the weapon of choice for NA’s because it is versatile, but depending on how much wind we was forecasted it can be a better option to use the PR-3. At North Americans we wanted the most power through the big waves, so we chose the SW-4, which worked great.” I know the scores were pretty tight on the last day. What were you both thinking going into the last race at North Americans? “Right before we started, I said we can do this we have just one more race. We’ve been in second the whole regatta, we can do this.” “We didn’t think Augie was going to come after us like he did, and we weren’t expecting it. Coming into the finish it was so close, but we needed more opportunity upwind that would’ve gotten us a few more boat lengths.” What race at NA’s was the hardest for you? “In one race we were the first boat to round in front of Ernesto. He wasn’t too close, but he was there and ended up rounding the opposite bottom gate mark at the exact same time as us. We never saw him again after that.” What are your strengths and weaknesses in the Snipe? “We are still young and energetic which helps a ton because the Snipe is so physical. We are always pushing to work the boat harder than everyone else. That made us pretty fast at the NA’s. Our weakness would be overall experience, and we get a bit anxious and frustrated when the pressure is on.” How does it feel to cross the finish line in front of Augie in 4/8 races at NA’s? “It felt pretty good. One race in particular where we came in 3rd and he got 4th. We were able to pass Augie in the last quarter of the downwind. We looked back and saw his frustration, and thought wow we were pretty fast.” What things would you consider contributions to your results at NA’s? “The fact that I live right down the street and sail out here everyday is ideal. We think the same about racing and tactics, and we could stay on the same page both upwind and downwind. We were always in phase with each other, which really helped us maintain our position every race. We made most of our gains downwind in the bigger waves which was a lot of fun and paid off significantly in each race.” Andre, Now that you’ve had a taste of College Sailing at Jacksonville University, can you tell me what you notice is different about Snipe sailing and competing in college? “College sailing is completely different than Snipe sailing. College sailing is a lot shorter courses, you have to think about it differently when it comes to tactics. Snipes sail longer courses so it’s the whole race, not just the first shift you have to catch to be ahead. Because Snipe racing is a lot longer, you have to stay focused for longer, and keep in mind the big picture.” In your opinions, what is the hardest part about sailing Snipes? “Numbers and measurements, really more about the feel knowing when you are going fast. It’s really about feel when it comes down to it. You know when your set up looks right. There are many things that all add up to make you fast. The hardest part is managing all of the details, but it all starts with initial rig set up. Being able to feel if you are too tight or too loose is really important.” Are you excited about sailing in the World Championship this year? “Yes, we are very excited. We feel like we ready to get out there and compete. We feel like we are prepared mentally and physically, and we are going to do well.” What are your main goals in sailing? “We want to make the team for the Youth America’s Cup.” If you had the chance to meet any (pro) sailor of your choice, who would it be and why? “Ben Ainslie, because he is super successful and driven.” Contact your local North Sails Snipe Expert for the fastest sails in the class! READ MORE

Cougars were on the prowl this year taking 2/3 National Titles and the Overall Leonard M. Fowle Trophy A solid finish to a week in Charleston, SC at the 2017 ICSA College Sailing Nationals! North Sails is proud to sponsor the 2017 College National Championships consisting of Women’s Semifinals/Finals, Team Racing, and Coed Semifinals/Finals. We would like to congratulate the following teams for their honorable achievements and hard work throughout the week at the 2017 National Championships. Hats off to Yale for taking 1st in the Women’s Finals, winning the Gerard C. Miller Trophy, Boston College for taking second overall, winning the Kleckner Trophy, and the U.S. Coast Guard for placing 3rd overall, coming down to the last race to win the Ann Campbell Trophy. Special congrats to Erika Reineke, women’s A-division skipper for Boston College, for earning the Women’s College Sailor of the Year trophy after her fantastic performance throughout the week. Her teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship over the past 4 years prove hard work really does pay off. Way to go! Special Awards were also given to the winner of both A and B divisions in the Women’s Finals. Winner of A Division was Boston College, taking home the Madeline Cup. Winner of Division B, Yale, took home the Judy Lawson Trophy. The College of Charleston Cougars were unstoppable at the Team Racing Championships, winning 21 out of 25 total races, with an 84% total average. They took home the Walter Cromwell Wood Bowl this year, breaking Yale’s 4-year winning streak and taking the title! When it came down to the Coed Finals, College of Charleston did not disappoint on their home turf, taking home the Henry Morss Memorial Trophy for the overall National Championship win. Yale was close behind, winning the Oxford University Yacht Club Trophy, and Dartmouth was awarded the Metropolitan Sailing League Trophy for third place. Coed Division winners were also recognized, with the Robert M. Allen Jr. Trophy awarded to Dartmouth College’s B-division team, and College of Charleston’s A-division team receiving the Robert M. Allen Sr. Trophy. Finally, the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy. The Fowle Trophy is determined by results earned throughout the 2016-2017 sailing season, including the Women’s Singlehanded, Men’s Singlehanded, Intermediate Match Race, Women’s Semifinals/Finals, Team Race Overall, and Coed Semifinals/Finals regattas. Again the College of Charleston Cougars have risen to the occasion and achieved the ultimate season goal; the overall 2017 ICSA College Nationals win! Cougar sailors everywhere, including fans and alumni, are proud to have the Fowle Trophy displayed at the CofC Sailing Center for the year ahead, representing their amazing performance across the board throughout the 2016-2017 college sailing season. Congrats Cougars! 2017 Quantum Women’s Sailor of the Year and Winner of A Division, taking home the Madeline Cup, and Women’s Kleckner Trophy, BC Senior, Erica Reineke. ©Michael Wiser Ann Campbell Trophy Winners, 3rd Place at Women’s Nationals, U.S. Coast Guard © Michael Wiser Yale University, Winner of division B, took home the Judy Lawson Trophy. 2nd Place overall at Coed Championships, taking home the Oxford University Yacht Club Trophy ©Michael Wiser CofC, winners of the Walter Cromwell Wood Bowl , 1st place Team Racing National Champions! ©Michael Wiser Dartmouth, placing 3rd overall winning the Metropolitan Sailing League Trophy , and 1st place in B division winning the Robert M. Allen Jr. Trophy ©Michael Wiser Henry Morss Memorial Trophy Winners, 1st place overall, CofC ©Michael Wiser CofC winners of the Robert M. Allen Sr. Trophy for first place finish in A Division in the Coed Championship Finals ©Michael Wiser College of Charleston Cougars, Winners of the 2017 Team Racing and College National Championship ©Michael Wiser READ MORE

Ladies gamble on the infamous Solent in the UK. North Sails clients take the top 3 spots in the overall IRC results Josie Gliddon and her team on North’s Peloton, overall regatta winner The 9th Dubarry Women’s Open Keelboat Championship was hosted by Hamble River Sailing Club (HRSC) over the weekend of 3rd and 4th June 2017 and sailed in the central Solent. A record number of 20 boats and some 150 women came to sail, continuing the growth of this event as a go-to for women’s keelboat racing. This number included the welcome return of the J/80 fleet as well as good numbers in both IRC Class 1 and IRC Class 2. Notable newcomers were the Royal Navy Team led by Laura Blagden in the J109 Jolly Jack Tar. This was the first time a complete crew of serving women have turned out to represent the Navy, and how appropriate on the centenary of the Women’s Royal Naval Service! If six races in two days were not enough, half the crew were going to sea on Monday for their day job. The ladies from the Senior Service were keen to lay down a challenge to the Royal Air Force and Army women for next year so that Jolly Jack Tar can win the 2018 services prize. After a number of years of interest, Southampton sailmaker Nicky Octon turned up for the first time in the Corby 35 NJOS. Another new Corby was the 25, M,Enfin!?, entered by HRSC’s own Sophie Chudziak. The forecast was for sun, and wind from various points west, so race officer Kathy Smalley, with a heavily female gender biased group of Hamble’s finest, set up station between Jonathan Janson (4Q) and Hamble Yacht Services (4V). There was quite a bit of north in the westerly, so to warm the crews up Race 1 featured a triangle windward-leeward. The size of the race courses all depended on the class you were in. Defending overall champions J111, Journeymaker 11, Louise Makin, were in the Class 1 start but were forced to take third place at the end behind the J122 R&W, Jo Quigly, in second and J88 J-Dream, Becky Walford, in first, proving that the J88 can sail to its handicap. Jolly Jack Tar, Laura Blagden, got off to a blistering start in Class 2, winning over Dubarry WOKC regulars, Black Jack 11, Annie Kelly and the much improved Berret Half Tonner, Chimp, Amanda Marino. The J80 Class saw Jitterbug, Clare Carden, win the first race ahead of Wildcat 111, Lucy Burn and Josie Gliddon in North’s Peloton. Regular Solent Sailors will know that when there is some north in it the wind, it is seldom from a steady direction, and so it proved for Race 2. The pressure was gradually building, however, and for crews who do not normally sail together the rest of the year, the sailing became more challenging. By Race 3, normal service was resumed in terms of direction with a classic south-westerly coming up from Lymington. The pressure, however, continued to build with 20-23 knots across the race course which concentrates the minds of most sailors. By the end of Day 1, North’s Peloton had proved that maturity, experience and the ability to hold a J/80 up in a blow gave them two bullets in races 2&3. Jitterbug was lying in second and Wildcat 111 in third. In Class 2, Blackjack 11 also went top of the leaderboard with two wins, from J92 Nightjar, the Scorpion Class Association, and Chimp. The same pattern led to Journeymaker 11, leading Class 1 over R&W, Mat 12 and Night Owl 2, sailed by Julie Fawcett with Dubarry WOKC chief organizer Jen Smyth on board. The highlight of day one was a double broach by J88 J-Dream near the leeward mark in Race 3, which meant that Nikki Woodroffe had to hang on to the boom, not once, but twice to avoid getting anything worse than wet legs and tired arms. Day two dawned and there was an eerie quiet over Hamble as the sailors recovered from the infamous “frocks and flip-flops” party the night before. Cruelly, the start times were half an hour earlier on Sunday and it seemed that the committee boat, Implacable, was going out on the Hamble on its own until slowly but surely all 20 competitors made it to the start area just southwest of Royal Southern (4S). The breeze was already SW and indeed it would not vary all day in direction, so Kathy Smalley was able to set up for a series of windward/leewards using East Knoll (4H) as the windward mark and Royal Southern (4S) as the leeward mark. Although not becoming as strong as Saturday afternoon’s conditions, the wind built to the upper teens in strength, which gave champagne sailing for those suffering from the previous night’s Prosecco. It also gave the opportunity for spectacular downwind legs and the odd incident or two. The first to go home early was NJOS, Nicky Octon, who had problems with their jib. At least they know a local sailmaker! The J80, Jitterbug managed the “mother of all wraps” on the last downwind leg of Race 4, and though they eventually recovered the red cloth, whilst disappearing towards Ryde, they decided to call it a day. Race 6 brought the most interesting incident. The Scorpion Class Association’s Nightjar stung Blackjack 11 up the transom with their bowsprit, as they surfed down a wave, which led to a bit of a cuddle before both retired. Fortunately, no one was hurt. And so, as they say, to the results. In the J/80 Class, those wily old birds on North’s Peloton managed to discard their first race 3rd and end up with a perfect score. The ever improving Seafire, Ali Hinds, came second and Wildcat 111, Lucy Burn was third. In Class 2, the bump up the rear end did not stop Blackjack 11 from winning by a good margin from Amanda Marino and crew in Chimp. The Royal Navy women in Jolly Jack Tar, Laura Blagden, sailed a consistent series to take third place. Army and Airforce women are warned. Journeymaker 11, Louie Makin, with only a slightly wet spinnaker trawl to their name all weekend, came home 2 points ahead of R&W, Jo Quigley in second with J-Dream, Becky Walford third. All that remained was the naming of the overall champions. When questioned about the formula used, Kathy Smalley gave a very credible answer which ended with “and multiply by the first number you thought of.” There was, of course, no supplementary question. It was a close run between the three class winners. Blackjack 11 scored 24.95, Journeymaker 11 scored 24.75, but the champions with 22.36 were Josie Gliddon, Jody Slater, Becs Reynolds Jones, Jane Saunders and Rebecca Sykes in North’s Peloton. Once again thanks go to Dubarry for some super prizes and the team at HRSC for running the event. The event raised money for two charities, Breast Cancer Care and the Hamble Lifeboat, which is still being counted as we speak! Next year will be the 10th Dubarry Women’s Open Keelboat Championship, which will be quite a milestone. The date will be announced shortly when the final RORC and JOG dates have been confirmed. Stay tuned ladies, this is a not-to-miss event! Written by: Trevor Pountain Full Results ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain ©Trevor Pountain READ MORE

UPWIND SAILS GUIDE Options Fit For Any Sailor All sails can be described using four basic criteria – Size, Shape, Style and Specifications Size quantifies the two dimensional aspects of the sail: luff, leech and foot lengths, and the sail’s roach profile. Shape describes the three dimensional aerodynamic form built into these perimeter dimensions, which is commonly referred to as the Mold Shape. Style refers to the material used to build a sail. Specifications indicate the specific construction features such as hardware, reefs, luff attachments, fittings, and other sail handling systems. North designers use complex numerical tools in concert with extensive empirical data to create unrivaled sails. The starting point is a well-suited mold shape selected from a design library with a fifty year lineage. The mold shape is then adapted to a particular target use, based on multiple inputs determined by our sail experts in consultation with our customers. Factors such as boat type, righting moment, rig geometry, sail size, material type, aspect ratio, wind speed, wind angle, sea state, mast bend and headstay sag are just some of the critical elements to successful sail design. Navigating all of these variables can be challenging for even the best and most experienced sailors. Compounding the issue are the different languages of sailing used around the world. This guide is intended to help us speak a common language when describing sails. Mainsail and Mizzen Mainsail Types Standard Mainsail This is our default mainsail type for both racing and cruising. Standard Mainsails may include up to 2 full-length battens and use conventional roach profiles that are customized to the boat’s geometry and customer requirement. Available in all material types, popular configurations are 1 full-length top batten for racing, and a “2 Plus 3” (2 full, 3 leech) batten configuration for cruising. Full Batten Mainsail Cruising Mainsail with more than 2 full-length battens. Available in all material types, usually paired with a luff car system and mechanical fasteners to batten receptacle. High Roach Mainsail Traditional cruising catamaran roach profile with full-length battens. Sometimes called a “Butter Knife” or algorithmic curve. The key feature of our High Roach Mainsail is that the batten can be designed parallel to the boom for easy flaking or boom furling. Available in all material types, but best suited for NPC Radian, NPL Tour, 3DL Marathon and 3Di Endurance styles to support the wide head angle. Square Top Mainsail Our most modern mainsail profile, with a head width supported by a gaff batten. Available in all material types, but best suited for NPL Sport, 3DL and 3Di. Boom Furling Mainsail Mainsails specifically designed for use on furling boom systems. Typically designed around a boom manufacturer’s specifications, these include special features like hard braid luff rope, leech plies and extra battens. Available in all material types, but best suited for NPC Coastal, NPC Radian, NPL Tour and 3Di Endurance. Mast Furling Mainsail Mainsails to be used with in-mast or external mast furling systems. Can be configured in a wide array of batten and roach profiles depending upon furling system and performance requirements. Available in all material types; best suited for NPC Coastal, NPC Radian, NPL Tour and 3Di Endurance. Racing Headsail Types Sails listed as headsails can be made either as Genoas or Jibs. Sails listed as Genoas are only made as overlapping headsails, while Jibs are only made as non-overlapping headsails. Light Headsail Maximum size specialty headsail for very low boat speed and boats that have other, full-sized headsails. Typically used when the boat is tacking through wide angles, with an emphasis on getting the boat moving. This mold has a full shape, with enough curvature in the leech to remain smooth when not sheeted in hard. Light Headsails will not perform well when trimmed in tight. The luff curve is designed for very straight headstay. Super Light Headsail Similar to Light Headsail but often made in the lightest cloth possible, with a very low maximum apparent wind speed rating. Light/Medium Headsail Maximum size headsail shaped for power more than pointing. Used when maximum upwind hull speed cannot be achieved or it is a struggle to maintain it. Medium Headsail Maximum size headsail used when the boat is powered up, but has still has not achieved maximum upwind hull speed. The Medium Headsail has a flatter shape that can be trimmed harder than a Light Headsail. The luff curve is designed for low headstay sag Medium/Heavy Headsail Maximum-sized headsail with an all-purpose mold shape. Geared slightly toward pointing more than power. Heavy Headsail Maximum, or near maximum size headsail used when the boat has reached maximum upwind hull speed. This shape is best when the boat will not go much faster, but can go higher by sheeting hard. This mold has a very straight leech and needs to be sheeted hard to remain smooth. The luff curve is designed for moderate headstay sag. #2 Genoa Reduced size genoa designed to fill the gap between the Heavy Genoa and #3 Jib. This mold has a very flat shape and a very straight leech to allow for a wide sheeting angle. The LP, mid-girth and luff length are designed around the rig geometry. This sail may not sheet well around some spreader arrangements and is not suitable for all boats. The luff curve is designed to match moderate headstay sag. #3 Jib A non-overlapping headsail for heavy air use on boats that also carry genoas. This sail sheets inboard of the shrouds and in front of the mast, which allows the mainsail to be eased or traveled down without backwinding. This sail is typically sized with a maximum foot length and mid-girth to fit in front of the rig. It has a round entry and very straight back to power through waves while maintaining pointing. # 4 Jib Reduced size Jib for use when the mainsail is reefed or nearly reefed. This sail is short of maximum luff length and has a reduced foot length to allow effective steering in large waves and reduce mainsail backwind. Heavy Weather Jib Similar to #4 Jib but sized to Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) guideline. Furling Genoa All Purpose Roller Furling headsail with an LP greater than 110%. Designed for a wide range of wind speeds and angles. The material must be low stretch to hold shape in heavy air, and strong enough to handle furling and rig impact. Designed with a shape similar to Light/Medium Racing Genoa, it is optimized for eased out, upwind trim in the middle of the target wind range. Furling Jib All Purpose Roller Furling headsail with LP less than 110%.Typically designed for modern cruising boats that utilize non-overlapping headsails. Can also be designed as a heavy weather specific sail for cruising boats that also carry overlapping genoas. Self-Tacking Jib All Purpose Roller Furling headsail with LP less than 110%. Designed for modern cruising boats that utilize non-overlapping headsails with a lateral, self-tacking sheeting track. Commonly fitted with a clewboard for sheeting adjustment, and optional vertical battens. Yankee All Purpose, high clewed headsail for cruising. May be set on roller furler or fixed stay. The high clew enhances reaching performance and improves visibility. Commonly used on cutter rigs or boats with an inner Jib. Inner Jib / Inner Fore Staysail / Staysail Small Jib set on an inner forestay. May be set on roller furler or fixed stay. Typically designed as a heavy weather jib, but also used a Genoa Staysail for cutter and double head rigs. Storm Sails Storm Trysail Designed to attach to mast and sheet independently from the boom. Typically set on a dedicated luff track, its size is based on Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) guidelines. Storm Jib Designed to attach to headstay or inner stay with luff tape or hanks. Size is based on Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) guidelines. READ MORE

LIGHT WINDS AT THE VIPER 640 ATLANTIC COASTS Tips on Tuning the Rig for Extreme Light Conditions Congratulations Zeke Horowitz, Sam Stokes and Ian Coleman! Photo SpinSheet Magazine | spinsheet.com Fifteen Vipers gathered for the Southern Bay Race Week in Hampton, Virginia to race for the Class’ Atlantic Coast Championship. The breeze was extremely light for the 3 days of racing and each day had several major wind shifts and a couple of total glass offs. LIGHT WIND TIP FROM ZEKE When sailing in the extreme light air conditions we had at the ACC’s, it’s important to make sure you get your rig tune soft enough to let the mast flex, and to remove enough mast blocks to let the lower mast bend. In under 6 knots, the rig tune should be about 20 on the uppers on the PT1 Loos Gauge, and you should set your lowers so that you see a hint of leeward “sag” in the mast when sighting up the mast track. Remove enough mast blocks so that when trimmed in, you still have to use the mast puller to pull the mast into the blocks to generate pre-bend, flatten out the lower part of the main sail, and induce head stay sag. On our boat, 2.5 inches of mast blocks was the right setting. Also remember that trying to point can be deadly upwind in light air! Press on that jib and get the boat speed up first! This gets flow on the foils to create lift and ultimately give you your ability to point! NORTH AMERICANS UPDATE There are currently 71 Vipers signed up for the Beacon Group Viper North American Championship in Ft. Walton Beach, FL this October. The North Sails team is super excited to support the NAs. Join Zeke, Eric Doyle, Jackson Benvenutti and Ched Proctor for the North Sails Tuning clinic a couple of days before racing starts. We look forward to seeing you there. Contact Zeke Horowitz for assistance with sails or logistics for the NAs. READ MORE

North Sails clients dominate the leaderboard in Westport, CT 1st Place Youth Team. Congrats to team ‘Mudratz’! No less than 350 sailing fanatics found their way to Connecticut last weekend for the annual Cedar Point Regatta, which was a great turn out for the J109, J105, J88, J70, and Beneteau 36.7 fleets. On Friday, North Sails Regatta Services provided a clinic and debrief to give competitors feedback on techniques, boat set up, and fine tuning. North Sails’ Brian Hayes, with help from the Cedar Point Yacht Club event staff, ran several practice starts and races. The team focused on videotaping sailors’ techniques to offer ideas on trimming and boat speed improvements. Unstable conditions were not the easiest for the clinic attendees, but the breeze forecast was expected to be strong for the weekend, and emphasis on crew work and timing had significant importance. The Race Committee did a great job managing Saturday’s “blustery” conditions as best as possible, allowing competitors to get some fun and challenging racing in. Time management was key this weekend, and the PRO’s on both courses were on top getting the most out of the wind and daylight. The army of “yellow shirt” volunteers made the event a total success, the team in constant motion working to shorten courses and anticipate the shifts. With the club’s strong OD sailing program and grassroots involvement, it was clear all weekend that Cedar Point YC had it going on. Saturday and Sunday provided great sailing conditions. Post race debriefs hosted by North Sails showed video of the day’s highlights, including some carnage in the breeze! The North Sails Regatta Services, team led by Chuck Allen, provided photos for all sailors so they could see what was needed for improvement within their team. North Sails’ local legend, Ched Proctor, a Cedar Point YC member competing in the J/88 class, provided some key points and shared some of his personal pearls of wisdom with the sailors at the tent after racing. North Sails is proud to partner with the members of CPYC to host some of the best One Design sailing of the summer. 1st Place J/88 Team, ‘Escape’ with skipper Elizabeth Barry 3rd Place J/88 team, ‘Jazz’ 1st Place J/109 Corinthian team, ‘Emoticon’ ‘Escape’ heading downwind J/109’s Edging upwind First Place J/70 Doug Clark with team ‘Mudratz’ sailing upwind J/105 1st Place, ‘Good Trade’ Puffy conditions at the bottom of the course Exciting day on the water! Carnage from Saturday The Atlantics Fleet, with North Sails Overall Winner ‘Shucks’ coming out on top Daily debriefs with North Sails Experts READ MORE

1ÈRE VICTOIRE POUR LE 3Di RACE EN CATAMARAN M2 Victory remporte le Grand Prix d’Estavayer, devant TeamWork et Swiss Medical Network. © Benoit Fallot A bord du M2 vainqueur, le SUI 17, Cédric Pochelon et Stéphane Meylan, ainsi que deux des membres de l’équipe North Sails Suisse (Nicolas Groux et Michel Vaucher) ont pu faire valoir les atouts de leurs nouvelles voiles dotées de la technologie 3Di Race. Dans le petit temps, ces dernières apportent la légèreté recherchée (sur un poids moyen de 17kg, la grand voile 3Di Race a gagné 800 grammes sur la version 3DL !). Dans des airs soutenus, c’est tout le concept de la technologie 3Di qui se met au service de la performance. Stabilité de forme et contrôle du profil sont des outils formidables pour un rendement maximum et améliorer la durée de vie de vos voiles. Nicolas Groux : "Au près sous gennaker, la forme de la voile est impeccable. Et lorsque nous avons navigué dans 18 noeuds de vent toute la journée à Grandson, nous étions bien en vitesse. Le foc de brise est top dans le vent, avec un ajustement idéal du profil. Certes, on a identifié des zones avec des plis lors de la réception des voiles. Mais dès que l’on navigue un peu et que l’on prend soin de bien régler les lattes, la voile se "met en place". A la fois, avec du tissu noir, cela se remarque plus facilement qu’avant. Je dirais donc qu’il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences et venir les essayer pour se rendre compte par soi-même de leur efficacité. Au niveau de l’équipage, nous avons eu plusieurs changements depuis le début de saison et cela va continuer avec Eric Monnin qui prendra le relais de Michel sur la Genève-Rolle et le Bol d’Or. Mais le potentiel est là et on a tout pour bien faire !" Cliquez ici pour en savoir + sur l’épreuve Cliquez ici pour les résultats Crédit photos : © Benoît Fallot, Erwan Pelisset et EP Medias READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di™ TECHNOLOGY DEBUTS IN SMALL BOAT ONE DESIGN North Sails offers 3Di RACE as standard inventory for the Melges 20 Newport, RI (June 6th, 2017) – North Sails is proud to introduce 3Di sailmaking technology to the Melges 20 class. In the past five years, North Sails 3Di™ has received unrivaled success in grand prix markets, with around-the-world speed records and exclusive supplier status to sailing’s premier events. Adding 3Di as a standard offering to the Melges 20 class is an example of North’s commitment to providing all sailors with advanced sails for an improved on-the-water experience. North Sails 3Di technology enables sails to be made from fiber and adhesive only—without the need for Mylar film used in string-sails. An automated tape laying system allows designers precise control over the placement and orientation of material within each sail. “For the Melges 20 we have focused on a bespoke tape layout using North Sails 3Di RACE; Aramid/Dyneema sails developed to meet the demands of smaller boats,” said Tim Healy, President of North Sails One Design. “The result is a sail with a wider wind range, a more supple feel and a more user-friendly experience. The ability to adapt this technology for one-design classes makes our team unique and we look forward making 3Di available to more classes in 2018.” The new Melges 20 3Di mainsail posted its first victory when Mascalzone Latino Jr. claimed the 2017 Melges 20 Scarlino Championships in May. “I was extremely happy with the 3Di RACE sail,” said Cameron Appleton, North Sails Melges 20 class leader and Mascalzone Latino Jr. tactician. “We noticed the mainsail handled a wide range of wind pressure and resulting rig tune. It was a relatively seamless transfer from our 3DL main, the sail reacted on-par with what we’d expect from 3Di RACE vs. 3DL sails.” Consistency is a key feature of 3Di manufacturing. The technology’s reputation has earned North Sails exclusive supplier agreements to the 35th America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Extreme Sailing Series, all of which mandate identical sails under a strict one-design rule. Featuring a high level of repeatability and quality assurance, North Sails 3Di will benefit one-design sailors in the form of consistent weight, measurements and sail shape. The new 3Di Melges 20 inventory is now available for purchase, click here to learn more or get in touch with a Class Expert. READ MORE

Introduction The purpose of this tuning-guide is to give our clients in the H-Boat class some guidelines on how to get the most out of their North Sails. The tuning guide is made by Steffen Stegger, Lars Christiansen and Theis Palm. Follow the guidelines, but always experiment and try finding your own trim. The weight of the crew, the balance of the boat, the stiffness of the mast together with specific local wind and sea conditions all have influence on the fastest and final trim. Mast Trim Before stepping the mast in the boat, some very important measurements have to be made to follow this tuning guide. 1. The length and angle of the spreaders are important to the shape of the main, they help to control the bend of the mast and thereby the tension of the forestay. The length of the spreaders is measured from the side of the mast to where the shroud passes the spreader, the measurement is 81 cm measured along the middle of the spreader. The spreader angel is measured by fixing a fine line between the two top shrouds, measure from the line to the aft side of the mast, the measurement is 19 cm. Next make two tape marks on the spreaders at respectively 44 and 54 cm from the side of the mast. These are used to trim the jib. 2. Lead the upper shrouds and forestay along the mast, the upper have to be out of the spreader tips. Pull them as hard as you can and put a mark on all three wires at the height of the black mark at the gooseneck. These three marks are now used to check if the mast is straight from side to side in the boat, and to check the mast rake. The mast is then stepped. 3. The foot of the mast is placed so that the distance between the center of the forestay pin to the front edge of the mast is 2,42 m. 4. Control that the distance from the top of the gooseneck mark to the deck measured along the side of the mast is 54,8 cm any possible difference should be adjusted when setting the forestay in the next step. 5. The mast rake is set so that the distance from the mark on the forestay to deck measured along the forestay is 1,37 m. 6. Now that the correct mast rake has been set, control that the mast rest on the full surface. If this is not the case, the pressure on the rig will become uneven and the forestay unsteady. 7. The marks on the top shrouds (from step 2) are now used to control if the mast is placed in the middle of the boat. This is done best by measuring the distance from the mark to the deck. This should be the same on both sides. 8. Rig tension is somewhat difficult to define, because not everybody has the same meter to measure. We have used a Loos Gauge type PT-1 M. See the On the Water Tuning Guide. 9. The lower shrouds are tensioned, so that the mast is completely straight in the boat up to 20-22 knots. From here on tighten them till the mast drops 5-10 cm off to leeward at the forestay fixture – the exact measure depending on crew weight. Mainsail 1. The mainsheet is the most important factor when trimming the main. Even minor adjustments can have a big effect on speed and pointing. If the sail is sheeted hard the leech will close more and increase rudder pressure, but the pointing ability will be improved. This can be used in middle air and flat water as long as the boat can be hiked flat. In light wind the mainsheet is eased so that the tell-tale by the top-batten flies straight aft. In heavy winds the mainsheet is pulled very tight and the H-boat Tuning guide backstay is pulled until the boat becomes light on the rudder again. As the waves increase more twist is needed to facilitate steering. At the same time it improves speed and hereby pointing. As a thumb rule trim the aft part of the top-batten parallel to the boom in all wind strengths. 2. The outhaul is also an important factor when trimming as it controls the draft in the bottom of the mainsail. In light winds (0-4 knots) the sail should be 3 cm from the mark. In a little more wind (4-10 knots) about 1,5 cm from the mark and in more wind than this pull the sail all the way to the mark. 3. Avoid using the Cunningham in light winds. In middle winds pull only so much so that the wrinkles disappear. In winds above 14 knots pull the Cunningham hard to open the leech and the draft forward. 4. Adjustment of the traveller affects rudder pressure and depends on the crew weight. The traveller is adjusted so that the boom – as long as possible- is kept parallel to the centerline. This is to keep maximum distance between the main and the jib. As the wind increases and the backstay is pulled let the traveller to leeward until the boat is balanced and light on the rudder. 5. The backstay has two functions: To control mainsail depth and to control forestay sag. This means that a tighter backstay flattens and opens the mainsail, gives less forestay sag and hereby a flatter jib. We have put marks on our backstay every 5 cm, so we can return to good trim after mark rounding etc. 6. The kicking strap is used upwind in heavy winds to bend the mast and hereby opening the sail in the bottom part. It also keeps the leech from opening too much when easing the mainsheet in the gusts. Never use the kicking strap upwind in less than 16 knots. Remember always to ease the kicker before going downwind to prevent the boom from breaking. When reaching, set the kickingstrap so that the aft part of
the top batten is kept parallel to the boom. Jib 1. JIB LEAD As a general rule set the jib lead at a distance of 2,88 m from the forestay pin to the center of the block. The jib shall luff evenly along the luff of the sail. This means that the telltales should break evenly. If the waves are big in more than 6 knots move the lead 1-2 “holes” forward and if the wind is less than 6 knots up to 5 “holes” forward. 2. SHEET TENSION To trim the jib, use the marks set on the spreaders. In wind strengths that are less than 6 knots use the mark at 54 cm from the mast in more wind use the inner mark
(44cm). 3. HALYARD TENSION Never over tighten the halyard, as this will move the draft to far forward. Pull as much as to remove the creases, but not more. In light winds leave some creases at the
luff, as this will cause the draft to move aft, thereby increasing depth.As a general rule set the jib lead at a distance of 2,88 m from the forestay pin to the center of the block. The jib shall luff evenly along the luff of the sail. This means that the telltales should break evenly. If the waves are big in more than 6 knots move the lead 1-2 “holes” forward and if the wind is less than 6 knots up to 5 “holes” forward.SpinnakerThe height of the spinnaker pole on the mast should be 1,50 m over the cabin top roof. The pole is kept horizontal in most conditions. This makes it possible to take full advantage of the whole pole length, keeping the spinnaker as far away from the other sails as possible. Our GRADIENT spinnaker is designed for this. In light winds the pole height is adjusted to keep the clews at the same height to get the best angle of attack on the windward leech and keeping the leeward leech open. In heavy winds on a tight reach, the spinnaker pole should at no time be closer to the forestay than 60 cm to prevent the boat from coming out of control. If you have any questions regarding trim or H-Boat sailing in general, please contact Theis Palm. Good luck on the water! READ MORE

Update from North Sails President Ken Read Checking in from the America’s Cup TV Commentary booth (best seat in the house!) is North Sails President, Ken Read, updating us on the action in Bermuda’s qualifying round. Oracle Team USA will take on five challengers in these initial two round robins: Artemis Racing, Softbank Team Japan, Land Rover BAR, Groupama Team France, and Emirates Team New Zealand. The 2017 America’s Cup is officially underway. READ MORE

J/70 ITALIAN SERIES: ALCATEL CUP North Sails Teams Take Act 2 of the Italian J/70 Series Scoring 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9, and 10th! Great results from Malcesine, Italy where Act 2 of the J70 Italian sailing series took place this past weekend in the most beautiful sailing conditions. With 68 teams on the starting line, North Sails clients placed 9 out of the top 10 with unbelievable performances by the top finishers in both overall and Corinthian division. Overall, an impressive victory for team ‘Calvi Network’ with skipper Carlo Alberini and crew members Branko Brcn, Karlo Hmeljak, and Sergio Blosi. They won the regatta with four bullets! Using North Sails XCS 1 mainsail, J2 jib, and Ap1 kite, they were faster than ever and were untouchable! The Corinthian podium was also proudly powered by North Sails. First place was team ‘White Hawk’, with skipper Gianfranco Noe. In second was ‘Pensavo Peggio’ with skipper Andrea Magni. In third was ‘DAS Sailing’ with skipper Alessandro Zampori. Congratulations to our clients! Next stop, Garda for the Euro Cup! READ MORE

A FIRST-HAND REVIEW OF 3Di NORDAC Sail deliveries, fittings, and sea trials with North Sails expert Bill Fortenberry Being a part of the 3Di NORDAC product development team, I was excited to spend some time this winter sailing in the Caribbean with our final version sails. The project is two years in development, involving a bunch of great people working through some interesting problems, all with a goal of redefining the Dacron cruising sail. An added bonus was including my family over a long birthday weekend! It promised to be a fun trip both personally and professionally. Descending into the BVI for 3Di NORDAC product testing. On the plane heading down to BVI, I kept asking myself, “How we are going to extend the trust we have in this product to our customers?” Internally, we know the 3Di success stories well – around the world race durability, record-setting performance and the product’s hard earned approval in the highly demanding Superyacht arena. We trust 3Di and we also trust the science. Polyester is a nearly perfect fiber for cruising sails and, as predicted, applying modern manufacturing technology has resulted in a stronger sail with more permanent shape. Still, gaining the trust of skeptical cruising sailors, who may well be satisfied with cross-cut sails of woven polyester, was on my mind. 3Di NORDAC sails are made with the same precision manufacturing as 3Di Superyacht sails. This trip had some logistical challenges. The idea was to put our final versions to the test in Caribbean climate. Further, we wanted them on charter boats where we know sails get regularly abused. The plan was eight sails, installed on four boats, all on different islands. As a lifelong sailmaker, the anxiety of delivering sails and running into problems, such as sails not fitting or not arriving when and where we expected, has never left me. The number of sails, the importance of the project and the normal challenges of operating in tropical islands hightened my normal nervousness. Thankfully, a few days later, I was relieved to sit back with a rum drink knowing all of the sails fit and functioned properly – it was now time to go sailing. A lot of my concerns about building trust were relieved during the sail fitting process. When it comes to understanding quality, first-hand experience is invaluable. While removing the charter sails and installing the 3Di NORDAC sails, I was reminded how heavy Dacron sails can be and how challenging it can be for one or two people to handle them. We have engineered 3Di NORDAC to weigh the same as comparable woven sails, so there was no real difference in picking up, moving flaking or folding the sails. However, the word “bulletproof” came to mind. No one will confuse 3Di NORDAC as a racing sail. Their inherent toughness, along with the familiar look and feel of Dacron will be reassuring to cruising sailors who are concerned with durability. High quality finishing details are standard features on all North cruising sails. While the sails do have the basic look and feel of Dacron, there are some important distinctions. First, there are no seams. Composite sails built on full-size 3D molds are truly stunning to see and use. Perfect sail shape that persists in a range of wind conditions is a hallmark of 3Di sails. I kept thinking: we will no longer have to answer the most popular question from cruising sailors at boat shows, “How many rows of stitching do you use?” Answer: none. Another distinction of 3Di NORDAC is the integration of features like batten pockets and reef points within the sail, reducing the amount of patching and sewn-on parts. The extra strength is applied exactly where it is needed, with the right amount in exactly the right orientation. The sails are stronger as a result. Once sailing, I was reminded how reefed sail shape is another key distinction of 3D molded composite sails. The reef positions on mainsails and headsails have the reefing structure internal to the sail and aligned perfectly with the sail loads. Reefing most sails is a compromise in performance. Sailing with reefed 3D sails is a welcomed pleasure. 3Di NORDAC offers perfect reefed mainsail shape. Beyond the differences in sail construction is the difference in performance. It takes fewer adjustments to control the sail power of molded sails. They react as you expect and part of the fun is actively being engaged in sailing the boat to its potential. Rather than sitting back and enduring the ride, the cruising experience is way more enjoyable when you participate in performance. With sails that stretch less, trimming and sail controls make a difference. Pulling on the backstay, easing the traveler or adjusting your jib car will all have the intended result in your sail. The result is a boat that moves through the water more efficiently with better motion. Your crew will certainly appreciate less heel and pitching, and you will enjoy steering more with less helm and leeway. Making sailing fun and enjoyable is a key benefit of great cruising sails. Steve and Joy Fredrick sailing their Beneteau First 42 with 3Di NORDAC sails. Now, I was even more confident in our product, and luckily I got the chance to share my excitement with a client. Steve and Joy Frederick have sailed their Beneteau First 42 around the Caribbean for 15 years, and they planned to meet us in Virgin Gorda for some sailing. They are outstanding sailors, whose experience and lifestyle made them great test pilots for 3Di NORDAC. In a recent conversation, Steve recalled their first passage with the new sails, “On our first stiff upwind sail was from St. Maarten to Antigua. Under a single reefed main and roller-reefed Genoa, we were punching through 6-foot seas at 7.5 knots with a 35-degree apparent wind angle. That’s not too shabby for a 30-year-old performance cruiser!” After two weeks of sailing with family, friends and other North Sails cruising experts, a final theme came to mind: familiarity and reliability. As you use your equipment, you gain confidence. It did not take long to develop confidence in these sails. Seeing the stability of the sail shape while pounding through waves in the open ocean was a testament to the engineering behind 3Di NORDAC, and the complete transformation of cruising sails on the market today. Cruising sailors can now expect more from their sails, and as my friend, Tim Murphy from Cruising World magazine likes to say, “Sailboats were made to be sailed.” Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Author, Bill Fortenberry, is the Global Market Segments Manager at North Sails and a lifelong sailmaker. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS LANCIA IL RIVOLUZIONARIO 3Di NORDAC IN POLIESTERE PER LA CROCIERA 3Di NORDAC: la vela in Dacron reinventata per la crociera Newport, RI (1 giugno, 2017) - North Sails, leader mondiale nella produzione di vele, introduce sul mercato l’ultima applicazione della sua tecnologia brevettata 3Di: una vela rivoluzionaria realizzata al 100% in fibra poliestere. Il 3Di NORDAC è un prodotto innovativo che unisce la tecnologia 3Di con la resistenza e l’accessibilità economica delle vele in poliestere. Concepito per barche da crociera di piccole e medie dimensioni, il 3Di NORDAC trasforma la fibra di poliestere in una vela unica, senza cuciture, di resistenza straordinaria, bella esteticamente e di lunga durata. Dan Neri, Amministratore delegato di North Sails, dichiara: “Pensiamo che ottime performance delle vele aumentino direttamente il tempo che i nostri clienti trascorrono sulle loro imbarcazioni. Questo è vero tanto per barche da crociera giornaliera e costiera quanto per barche da lunga navigazione o da regata oceanica. Abbiamo analizzato i prodotti offerti ai clienti che fanno crociere giornaliere e costiere e ci siamo resi conto che c’era l’opportunità di realizzare qualcosa di meglio. Combinando i concetti strutturali del nostro processo di costruzione in composito con le proprietà e l’aspetto attraente delle vele in Dacron tradizionale, siamo oggi in grado di proporre vele “bianche” che riescono a mantenere una forma aerodinamica stabile ed efficiente anche all’aumentare del vento”. Per migliaia di anni, il tessuto delle vele è stato realizzato attraverso l’antico processo di tessitura delle fibre in un materiale finito. Per oltre 60 anni, il poliestere intrecciato ha dimostrato di essere la fibra preferita per le vele da crociera, coniugando un basso costo e vele strutturalmente durevoli. Oggi, il Poliestere resta la fibra quasi perfetta per le vele da crociera per le sue caratteristiche di robustezza e di stabilità ai vari agenti atmosferici. Tuttavia, le vele intrecciate sono destinate a perdere la loro forma molto prima che ne venga compromessa la loro integrità strutturale, evidenziando così che la loro longevità non è bilanciata con le loro prestazioni. Il 3Di NORDAC utilizza al meglio la capacità di realizzare fibre composite che garantiscono un incremento delle capacità di tenuta della forma sotto carico e un deciso aumento dell’aspettativa di vita. I crocieristi ora hanno la possibilità di divertirsi con vele sensibili, che offrono maggior controllo sulla potenza della loro vela: elemento distintivo che caratterizza l’esperienza della crociera targata North Sails. Il brevetto 3Di di North Sails stende le fibre in filamenti individuali, pre-impregnati con collanti termoindurenti applicati su nastri ultrasottili. I nastri vengono quindi interfogliati in una complessa matrice multi-asse e termoformati su stampi 3D North Sails che sono precedentemente deformati al fine di riprodurre la forma desiderata in fase di laminazione. Le vele in 3Di NORDAC sono realizzate al 100% in fibre di poliestere, collante poliestere termoindurente e una robusta superficie poliestere protettiva. Le vele 3Di hanno le proprietà di vere strutture composite, resistenza allo strappo e a forze compressive in tutte le direzioni. “La vela da crociera è sempre stata intesa dagli stessi utenti come qualcosa a bassa tecnologia, dal costo contenuto e dalle bassissime pretese in termini di prestazioni e contenuto estetico" – dice Alessio Razeto, Sales Manager North Sails Italia. "Il 3Di NORDAC non potrebbe rivoluzionare meglio tale concetto, rendendo accessibile all’utente comune un prodotto ad altissima tecnologia, facile da usare e da riparare, ad un costo accettabile ma con un risultato estetico , di prestazioni e durata mai visto prima in una vela da crociera”. Bill Fortenberry, responsabile di questo segmento di mercato North Sails, conclude: “Essendo stampata in 3D, la vela 3Di NORDAC è più efficiente nell’uso dei materiali e nella manifattura, garantisce lunga durata e robustezza, inclusa resistenza ai raggi UV, flessione e abrasione. Di classico colore bianco tradizionale, queste vele garantiscono leggerezza e facilità di regolazione per una migliore esperienza di crociera. Con 60 anni di esperienza nella realizzazione di vele in Dacron, North Sails ha incorporato in questo nuovo prodotto la scienza che serve nello sviluppo di vele con massima performance”. READ MORE

3Di NORDAC: The Dacron Cruising Sail Reinvented Newport, RI (June 1st, 2017) – North Sails, the worldwide leader in sailmaking, introduces the latest application of their patented 3Di technology – a revolutionary cruising sail made of 100% polyester fiber. 3Di NORDAC is an innovative product that marries patented 3Di shape holding technology with the toughness and affordability of polyester sails. Tailored for small to medium sized cruising boats, 3Di NORDAC transforms polyester fiber into seamless, one-piece sails that are uniquely strong, beautiful and long-lasting. Dan Neri, CEO North Sails, said: “We believe that great performing sails directly enhance the quality of the time our customers spend on their boats. This is as true for daysailing and coastal cruising as it is for voyaging or ocean racing. We looked at the products being offered for day sailors and coastal cruisers and saw an opportunity to do better. By combining the structural concepts of our 3Di molded composite construction process with the properties and good looks of traditional Dacron, we can now offer white sails that have a locked-in aerodynamic shape and stay flat as the wind increases.” For thousands of years, sailcloth has been made by the ancient process of weaving fibers into a finished material. For over 60 years, woven polyester (Dacron) has proven to be the fiber of choice for cruising sailcloth – providing low cost and structurally durable sails. Today, Polyester remains a nearly perfect fiber for cruising sails due to its strength and environmental stability. However, woven sails will lose their shape long before their structural integrity is compromised, leaving their longevity and performance life out of balance. 3Di NORDAC uses a composite process which promises increased shape holding capabilities and longer structural life. Cruising sailors will now enjoy sailing with responsive sails that offer more control over their sail power – a hallmark of the North Sails cruising experience. North Sails patented 3Di process spreads yarn fibers into individual filaments, pre-impregnated with thermoset resin, and laid into ultra thin tapes. The tapes are then interleaved in a complex multiple-axis array and thermoformed on North’s 3D adjustable molds in the sail’s unique flying shape. 3Di NORDAC sails are 100% polyester fiber, polyester thermoset adhesive, and a rugged polyester protective surface. 3Di sails have the properties of true composite structures, resisting strain and compressive forces in all directions. Bill Fortenberry, North Sails Market Segment Manager, concluded: “Being 3D molded, the 3Di NORDAC sail is a more efficient use of materials and manufacturing, with high durability and toughness, including resilience to UV, flex, and abrasion. Along with the classic white look of traditional sails, 3Di NORDAC will ensure less heel, less helm, and less leeway for a better cruising experience. With 60 years of expertise in making Dacron sails, the science behind North’s development of top end performance sails has been applied to the new product.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS REVOLUTIONIERT DEN FAHRTENSEGELMARKT 3Di NORDAC vereint die Robustheit von Dacron mit der Formstabilität der 3Di-Technologie North Sails, der weltweit führende Segelmacher, bringt mit 3Di NORDAC speziell für Fahrtensegler ein völlig neues Produkt auf den Markt. Anders als bei herkömmlichen Dacron-Segeln aus Polyester bestehen 3Di NORDAC-Segel nicht aus gewebtem Tuch, sondern werden mit der patentierten 3Di-Technologie von North Sails gefertigt. Dafür werden Polyesterfilamente mit Duroplast-Klebstoff getränkt und auf einer dreidimensionalen Form in mehreren Achsen ausgerollt. Unter Vakuum entsteht das profilierte Tuch. Der Kleber härtet unter der Zugabe von Hitze abschliessend dauerhaft aus. “3Di NORDAC repräsentiert eine neue Generation Dacron-Segel“, sagt Bill Fortenberry, Leiter der Fahrtensegel-Sparte bei North Sails. „3Di Segel lassen sich gegenüber herkömmlichen, sprich aus Segmenten zusammengesetzten Tüchern, feinfühliger trimmen und behalten dank durchgängiger Struktur länger ihre Form über alle Windbereiche.“ Hinzu kommt die enorme Gewichtsersparnis, die sich unter anderem im Handling eines 3Di-Segels deutlich bemerkbar macht. Und je formstabiler das Segel, desto weniger Krängung, Leegierigkeit und Ruderdruck – ein echter Sicherheits- und Performance-Vorteil für Fahrtencrews. Hier schliesst die Vereinigung von Dacron und 3Di eine echte Lücke, denn herkömmliche Dacron-Segel aus gewebtem Tuch haben zwar eine lange Lebensdauer, verlieren jedoch schnell ihre Form. Polyester, davon sind die North Sails-Designer überzeugt, ist heute wie vor 60 Jahren immer noch das beste Material für Fahrtensegler. Gegenüber Fasern wie Aramid oder Carbon hat es im Cruising-Sektor gleich mehrere Vorteile: in Sachen UV-Resistenz, Widerstandsfähigkeit und Materialpreis ist Polyester ungeschlagen. Da 3Di anders als Laminat-Segel kein Mylar enthält, ist 3Di NORDAC ausserdem vor Delamination geschützt. Und letzten Endes möchte so mancher Fahrtensegler auch beim neuen Segel die klassische Optik des weissen Dacron-Segels beibehalten. Bewiesen hat sich das neue Material bereits. 3Di NORDAC-Segel haben im Winter 2016 umfangreiche Testreihen auf verschiedenen Booten durchlaufen. Unter anderem auf Charterbooten in der Karibik, um Formstabilität und Bedienfreundlichkeit auch unter Extrembedingungen und häufiger Nutzung zu garantieren. Der Preis für 3Di NORDAC liegt nur leicht über dem des herkömmlichen Dacron-Segels. „Letztendlich bekommen unsere Kunden mehr für ihr Geld“, ist sich North Sails Geschäftsführer Daniel Schroff sicher. „Dank der grösseren Langlebigkeit sowie mehr Boots- und Segelkontrolle entsteht weitaus mehr Segelspass. Und das ist unbezahlbar.“ In der Schweiz ist das neue, revolutionäre Fahrten-Segel ab Juni 2017 erhältlich. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS LANCEERT REVOLUTIONAIR DACRON PRODUCT VOOR TOERZEILERS 3Di NORDAC: Het Dacron Toerzeil opnieuw uitgevonden North Sails, wereldwijd marktleider in het produceren van zeilen voor zowel toerzeilers als wedstrijdzeilers, lanceert de nieuwste toepassing van hun 3Di technologie – een revolutionair toerzeil gemaakt van 100% polyestervezel; Dacron. 3Di NORDAC is een innovatief product dat voortvloeit uit het combineren van de gepatenteerde 3Di mal-technologie en het duurzame en betaalbare Dacron zeildoek. Speciaal voor kleine tot middelgrote toerzeilboten, maakt 3Di NORDAC van polyestervezel prachtige naadloze zeilen uit één stuk, die uitermate sterk en duurzaam zijn. Dan Neri, de CEO van North Sails: “Wij geloven dat de kwaliteit van onze zeilen direct een positieve invloed heeft op de beleving van de tijd die onze klanten aan boord doorbrengen. Dit geldt voor zowel dagzeilers, kustzeilers als voor toerzeilers en wedstrijdzeilzeilers op zee. We hebben gekeken naar onze producten voor toerzeilers en kustzeilers en zagen daar ruimte voor productverbetering. Door ons 3Di composiet constructieproces te combineren met de eigenschappen en de fraaie uitstraling van het traditionele Dacron, kunnen we klassieke witte zeilen aanbieden met een vaste aerodynamische vorm, die ook met hardere wind mooi vlak te trimmen zijn.” Zeilen worden al honderden jaren lang gemaakt van geweven polyesterdoek. De afgelopen 60 jaar heeft Dacron (geweven polyester) bewezen het meest geschikte materiaal te zijn voor toerzeilen door de lage kosten en het feit dat de zeilen lang meegaan. Lang voordat de kwaliteit van het zeildoek is aangetast verlezen deze geweven zeilen echter eerder hun vorm, wat de performance levensduur beïnvloedt. 3Di NORDAC maakt gebruik van een composiet proces waardoor de zeilen langer hun vorm behouden en structureel langer meegaan. De zeilen ‘reageren’ snel en zijn dus eenvoudiger te trimmen. Dit geeft toerzeilers meer controle geeft over hun boot, een belangrijk aspect van de zeilervaring met North Sails. Het gepatenteerde 3Di proces van North Sails transformeert polyester kunststof vezels tot enkelvoudige draden, geïmpregneerd met thermogehard epoxyhars. Naast elkaar vormen deze draden een ultra dunne film. Deze films worden vervolgens in verstelbare 3D mallen gevormd tot een uniek zeil. 3Di NORDAC zeilen zijn gemaakt van 100% polyestervezel, thermogehard polyesterhars en een stevige polyester beschermlaag. De zeilen hebben de eigenschappen van een composiet structuur, zijn rekvast en bestand tegen krachten in alle richtingen. Bill Fortenberry, marktsegment manager bij North Sails, stelt: “De 3Di NORDAC technologie is efficiënter in productie en in materiaalgebruik, de zeilen gaan structureel langer mee, ze zijn sterker, UV bestendig, rekvast en ze kunnen tegen een stootje. Het varen met deze 3Di NORDAC zeilen geeft een optimale zeilervaring met meer controle op trim, helling van de boot, roerdruk en koersvastheid. Bovendien heeft het witte zeildoek dezelfde fraaie uitstraling als traditionele witte zeilen. Met 6o jaar ervaring in het ontwikkelen van Dacron zeilen heeft North Sails alle kennis en expertise op het gebied van het vervaardigen van de beste racezeilen ter wereld gebundeld in dit nieuwe product.” READ MORE

NORTH SAILS LANCERER REVOLUTIONERENDE POLYESTERSEJL 3Di NORDAC: Dacron-sejl opfundet på ny Vi introducerer seneste tilføjelse til vores serie af 3Di-sejl – et revolutionerende tursejl fremstillet i 100% polyester. 3Di NORDAC er et innovativt produkt, der forener teknologien bag de mest formstabile sejl med det holdbare materiale, der er overkommeligt i pris. Udviklet specifikt til både på op til 40 fod, transformerer 3Di NORDAC polyesterfibre til et helstøbt, sømløst sejl, der har unik styrke og holdbarhed. Jens Christensen, administrerende direktør, North Sails, siger: ”Vi går efter devisen, at når sejlene præsterer efter hensigten, får vores kunder en langt bedre oplevelse på vandet. Det gælder lige meget, om man sejler rundt på fjorden, op langs kysten, eller ude på de store oceaner. Da vi kiggede på udbuddet for tursejlere, så vi plads til forbedring. Ved at kombinere teknologien fra de 3D-formstøbte sejl med den tradionelle Dacrons kvaliteter, kan vi nu tilbyde hvide sejl med fast aerodynamisk form, der holder sig flad, selvom vinden tiltager. ” I hundredevis af år har sejldug været vævet. I over 60 år har vævet polyester (Dacron) været favoritten indenfor tursejl; strukturelt holdbare sejl til en overkommelig pris. I dag er polyester stadig det mest ideelle materiale til tursejl på grund af sin pris, styrke og stabilitet. Problemet med vævede sejl er dog, at de mister facon, langt før strukturen nedbrydes - holdbarhed og ydeevne er ude af sync. 3Di NORDACs komposit-struktur udnytter polyesterens styrke til fulde, hvilket forlænger formstabiliteten, hvilket igen forlænger ydeevnen. Tursejlere kan nu nyde sejl, der reagere prompte, så de har langt bedre kontrol over deres fremdriftskilde – et af kriterierne for helhedsoplevelsen med North Sails’ tursejl. North Sails’ patenterede 3Di-proces spreder fibrene ud i individuelle filamenter, pre-imprægnerede med termohærder, og udlagt som ultra tynd tape. Tapen bliver derefter fordelt i en kompleks multiaksial vifte og termostøbt på Norths 3D-justérbare form i lige præcis den facon, som designeren nøje har udtænkt. 3Di NORDAC-sejl er lavet af 100% polyesterfibre, polyester-resin, og en robust, beskyttende polyester-overflade. 3Di-sejl har egenskaberne som en regulær komposit-struktur, stræk- og trykresistente i alle retninger. Ved at formstøbe sejlene udnytter man materiale og den teknologiske proces optimalt! Resultatet er et robust og formstabilitet sejl, der er UV-resitent, fleksibelt og slidstærkt. Med sit klassiske hvide udseende kan disse sejl sikre mindre krængning, afdrift og pres på roret, så skipper og familien kan nyde turen endnu mere. Med 60 års erfaring har North Sails nu inkorporeret videnskaben, der ligger til grund for vores performance-serier, i disse nye Dacron-sejl. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SCHEDULE FOR THE 2017 FLYING SCOT NACS Get Up-to-Speed Every Morning with Zeke & Brian.. and Recap After Racing! Join North experts Zeke & Brian each race day between 8:00 and 9:30 am for your morning coffee and snack under the North tent. Also, at 9:00 every morning we will be presenting the “Tip of the Day” where Zeke, Brian and other Flying Scot experts share their thoughts on what they expect for the day’s racing. Zeke and Brian will be moderating scheduled daily race debriefs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after sailing. This is your chance to hear from the days top performers and learn their secrets to success as well as ask questions from the successful teams that day. Look for times for the debriefs to be posted on the official notice board at the North Sails tent. Need Sails for the NACs? Call Zeke or Brian today or order online. ZEKE HOROWITZ M: 941-232-3984 zeke.horowitz@northsails.com BRIAN HAYES M: 203-887-1176 brian.hayes@northsails.com © Danielle Panasiuk READ MORE

The J/24 class has a new Italian National champion! Thirty teams have successfully completed the 5-day regatta on the beautiful waters of the archipelago of La Maddalena.  READ MORE

NORTH SAILS, VELERÍA OFICIAL DE LA 35 AMERICA’S CUP La batalla por la 35 America’s Cup ya está en marcha, y North Sails participa como velería oficial de la considerada “madre de todas las regatas”. Cinco equipos de otras tantas nacionalidades pujan en Bermuda por un puesto en la America’s Cup Final, en la que se enfrentarán al Defender ORACLE Team USA a partir del próximo 17 de junio. North Sails cuenta con una larga y fructífera relación con la America’s Cup. Desde 1980, cada desafiante y cada defensor de La Copa han competido con velas North Sails. Desde 1995, cada finalista de la America’s Cup ha equipado únicamente velas North Sails. La America’s Cup fue precisamente la cuna del 3Di, cuya evolución (desde el 3DL) comenzó cuando ingenieros suizos desarrollaron las “Black Sails” de Team Alinghi para la edición 2007 de Valencia. Las velas no serían utilizadas en aquella ocasión, pero los ingenieros de North Sails del entonces defensor Team Alinghi reconocieron su potencial. La velería relanzó su desarrollo tras La Copa, naciendo así la tecnología North Sails 3Di. En 2010, el producto ya estaba listo para salir al mercado. Hoy, es el máximo exponente en prestaciones y durabilidad, propulsa a los mejores barcos de competición del mundo y ha comenzado a extenderse al mercado de crucero, ofreciendo opciones para barcos desde 20 pies de eslora. La 35, en marcha Seis equipos de seis nacionalidades aspiran a la 35 America’s Cup. Cinco son Challengers (desafiantes): El británico Land Rover BAR patroneado por Sir Ben Ainslie, el sueco Artemis Racing de Nathan Outteridge, el neozelandés Emirates Team New Zealand de Peter Burling, el francés Groupama Team France de Franck Cammas y el japonés Softbank Team Japan de Dean Barker. Todos ellos se enfrentan entre el 27 de mayo y el 12 de junio por un puesto en la final, primero en los Louis Vuitton Americas Cup Qualifiers, y por último en los Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs. El otro finalista es el Defender, el estadounidense ORACLE Team USA de Jimmy Spithill. Los seis equipos compiten con monotipos ACC, catamaranes de 15 metros de eslora equipados con foils, ala rígida y foque. Los foques de los seis aspirantes a la 35 America’s Cup son North Sails 3Di Endurance, la versión más robusta de la familia 3Di. America’s Cup se decantó por Endurance frente a Raw para ofrecer a los equipos (y sus patrocinadores) una mayor variedad de colores (negro, gris o blanco). Cada equipo recibe tres tamaños de foque: dos de ellos llegan hasta cubierta, y el tercero, pensado para vientos más duros, es más pequeño para facilitar el trabajo de las tripulaciones en las maniobras. El foque es probablemente el elemento más simple de los catamaranes ACC, pero resulta esencial para equilibrar el barco y que navegue bien. READ MORE

RETOURS D'EXPÉRIENCE Coaching personnalisé et CPL Comme annoncé en début de saison, le Championnat du Petit-Lac et North Sails Suisse ont décidé d’intensifier leur collaboration pour 2017. Parmi les actions mises en place, deux équipages tirés au sort ont déjà pu profiter du concept de coaching personnalisé : Ventcoulis et Divine Comedy, deux Luthi 33. Qui mieux qu’eux pour évoquer leur expérience ? Tony Lerch et son équipage de Ventcoulis, accompagnés lors de l’épreuve d’Ouverture à Crans « Cela nous a rafraichit la mémoire d’avoir un « pro » à bord. Nous avons pu profiter de toute l’expérience de Patrick (Mazuay) en terme de réglages des voiles. Nous avions décidé de garder tout l’équipage à bord et donc de naviguer avec une personne de plus. C’était super, au moins tout le monde a pu bénéficier de ce moment. Le débriefing avec tout l’équipage était bien aussi. Entre tous les Luthi 33 sur le plan d’eau, il n’y a au final que peu de différences de vitesse, les écarts se font au travers des réglages. Nous avons maintenant notre feuille de route, une sorte de ‘To do list’ pour tout ce que nous avons à faire sur le bateau. C’est bien que ce soit écrit ! Et à nous de jouer maintenant ! » Yvan Glatz et son équipage de Divine Comedy, accompagnés pour la Coupe du Petit-Lac « Quelques jours avant l’épreuve, Pierre-Yves (Jorand) est venu à bord pour une sortie un soir. Nous, on fait du bateau pour le plaisir mais lui, on sent bien qu’il maitrise le sujet ! En fait, il est…impressionnant ! Mais il s’est mis à notre niveau et a fait son possible pour nous expliquer avec des mots simples les différents sujets abordés. En tous cas, il est vraiment super sympa et tous les conseils qu’il a pu nous donner sont très intéressants. Dès la réception du débriefing après l’épreuve, j’ai transmis la synthèse à mes équipiers, certains l’ont imprimé même et dès que nous aurons un peu de temps libre, nous avancerons dans les petits réglages à affiner. » Pour mémo - Le concept de coaching personnalisé avec North Sails Suisse Un équipage sera tiré au sort pour un accompagnement de type coaching personnalisé durant une semaine, sur les épreuves du Championnat 2017 (hors Bol d’Or). Un équipage gagnant ne pourra pas être sélectionné une deuxième fois. Dans une atmosphère conviviale et avec pour objectif de partager notre passion commune, ce coaching personnalisé comprend les actions suivantes : J-5 avant l’épreuve : Briefing par téléphone ou à la voilerie avec le skipper et/ou l'équipage (tendance météo pour l'épreuve, passage en revue de la check list performance (carène, voiles à bord, électronique, etc.), point sur la liste d’équipage) J-4 : Entraînement du mardi soir à bord, avec si possible l’équipage au complet (à la SNG ou à Nyon) : briefing, réglages du mât et des voiles, point tactique, session de manœuvres. Puis débriefing au retour à terre et établissement d'une "to do list" d’ici à la course J-1: Briefing météo, réglage du gréement affiné selon les conditions météo, lecture des instructions de course, préparation finale du bateau H-3 : Dernier point sur la météo, stratégie générale, check list des priorités H : Selon votre configuration d’équipage, navigation à bord ou suivi de la régate par un membre de North Sails Suisse, photos techniques, vidéos et prise de notes en vue du débriefing J+3 : Synthèse avec l’ensemble de l’équipage à la voilerie, analyse et transmission des photos et vidéos, établissement de la liste des pistes d’amélioration pour les prochaines navigations. Avec nous, les pros, c’est vous ! Nous partagerons les trucs & astuces pour booster les performances de votre speedo, améliorer vos manœuvres en toute sécurité, affiner vos réglages et tactiques sur des bases simples mais efficaces. READ MORE