NORTH SAILS BLOG

2021 SCOW SEASON – A SUCCESS! Continuous Scow Product Improvements Deliver Great Results Podium sweep at the MC Inlands 📸 Hannah Lee Noll North Sails clients have been winning regattas on the MC, E, A, C Scow, and X Boat circuits for several decades, and just like the past years, we have had another great season to report. We continue to design, optimize our products and, most importantly, share our expertise so that you can achieve your sailing goals at the next regatta. Just recently, North Sails Scow expert Allan Terhune won the prestigious Inland Championship in the MC Scow posting 4 bullets in the scoreboard. After our internal regatta, it was clear that it was the right time for an update from Scow country. What Worked at the MC Scow Inlands Allan credits his four bullets and overall victory at the MC Scow Inland Championship to a lot of homework beforehand. “The reason I was fast enough to win this regatta is that our sail-shape analyst Eric Doyle and I spent six months last winter working with the North design team. We ran numerous two-boat testing, and sail designer Mike Marshall used the collected data to combine with the North 3D design capabilities. The result was two fast sails, the Magnum and the Rocket. The Magnum is for light air, or for heavier teams and anyone who sails two-up. We redesigned our most popular sail, the Z-Max, and then smoothed out the panels. We also updated the cloth to a higher quality RSQ fabric that offers a different feel; it’s not as stiff and rigid.” And, of course, we published an updated Tuning Guide that shares everything they learned about how to set up the new sail. The Rocket was a spin-off of the Z-One, and Allan says it’s ideal for heavy air and lighter teams. “We made a little shape change in the head, and now it’s much more forgiving. It’s pretty amazing how much difference it makes to get all the little details right.” “When North Sails take control of a design program, we bring a lot more detail and precision to making sails faster. It’s refreshing, and we’ve got so many new ideas! We’re giving the Scows a higher level of attention and it’s very exciting. Welcome to the North Sails way – Let’s get faster!” New E Scow 3D-designed mainsail at the Easterns. 📸 Leon Stein E Scow R&D Wins the Easterns North is just finalizing three new designs after a similar intensive R&D in the E Scow. After sweeping the podium at the “Easterns,” class experts will release these hot new products this Fall. Second place finishers Chris Bigos and Colleen Obrien had North Sails E Scow experts Jeff Bonanni and Eric Doyle onboard to field-test the new mainsail, jib, and spinnaker. “We were very confident in our boatspeed,” Jeff said after the regatta. “Upwind is where we really excelled, especially when we were in good pressure. Downwind, we jumped lots of boats on jibes and were able to defend going into the leeward gates or finish line.” “Our sail designer Mike Marshall put in a ton of time helping Jeff get these sails right,” Allan adds. “The whole team was involved. We’re bringing a fresh approach and attitude to this class, and we’ve been trying out different ways to make the boat faster. Meanwhile, if you just want to order new sails from the designs you already know and trust, we have those too!” Success at the A Scow Inlands Unlike the MC and E, the North’s A Scow inventory didn’t need as much updating—because the current designs are fast and continue to dominate. “The boat that won the Inlands used a 2-year-old 3Di RAW mainsail, showing the superior quality of the 3Di technology. The A boats are so cool and modern looking! It makes to have modern technology sails on such a high-tech design—they just fit the boat right.” Fastest Design at the C Scow Nationals In the C Scow, Cam McNeil won the 2021 Nationals using the same North design that has powered National champs for countless years. “The North I-1 Gold mainsail is a design that C Scow sailors know and trust. It has been the fastest mainsail over the years and it’s still the fastest. Why would you choose a different design?” Cam finished the 6-race series at the Nationals with only 8 points and three bullets. A solid victory over many experienced sailors. X Boat Designs Much like the other Scows, the X Boat sails you know and trust are available from North Sails. Our designs have been winning X Boat regattas for years and we are ready to make you SAIL FAST! Whatever Scow you sail, we hope you had as much fun this summer as the North Sails experts. Please contact your North Sails expert for the fastest sails for your boat. E Scow Easterns winners Chad Hillyer, Ryan Bailey and Jimmy Kennedy. 📸 Kirby Slack Cam McNewil, 2021 C Scow National Champion powered by the North I-1 Gold mainsail. Photo courtesy Spring Lake Yacht Club Allan Terhune, MC Scow ILYA Winner with 4 bullets! 📸 Hannah Lee Noll A Scow 3Di Mainsails Dominate the Inlands 📸 Hannah Lee Noll READ MORE

SIX BULLETS, PURE SPEED AT THE STAR MIDWINTERS North Designs Show Superb Performance as Teams Warm-Up for the Bacardi Cup While most of North America was shivering and digging out from extreme winter storms, a great group of (smart) Star sailors traveled to Miami for the annual combination of the Walker Cup and Star Midwinter Championship. Teams came from as far away as California, Annapolis, and Argentina to test their skills on Biscayne Bay. The first two days were raced in tribute to the late Harry Walker who was a great friend of the Star Class in Miami for many years. Competitors were greeted on the first day with a beautiful southerly breeze, 10-15 knots, and warm sunny skies. The fleet was very tight all around the track with Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins taking the win in the first race and Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise taking bullets in race two and three. The Coral Reef Yacht Club Race committee headed up by PRO Carl Shellback did a great job running three windward-leeward courses on Thursday, and two on Friday. Eric/Payson had two great races on Friday to take the Walker Cup and it was a tight 2nd place for Augie/Arnie with Peter Vessella and Phil Trinter finishing 3rd overall. A front passed through Friday night and Saturday came with a lot less humidity and a northerly breeze, still quite strong. The breeze was quite shifty and water was flat until the tide turned and most of the Cuban navy turned out to chop up the waves. Big bands of pressure came down the bay so it was important to keep your head out of the boat with the predominantly-right shifting breeze. The first race was a course four, while the final race was a course five with an upwind finish to finish sailors closer to home. The last run ended up quite exciting with puffs over 20-knots at times and the incoming current stacking up the waves. There were some broken poles and bent masts, but all in all, it was a great day. Sunday dawned with 20+ knots and increasing, the regatta was over for the tired, but grateful teams. Eric and Payson had an unstoppable streak of six bullets to win the Midwinter Championship. “All the North teams used the M-25 main, our all-purpose option. We raced with the J-7 jib while all the other teams used the J-115 full-radial jib. I think this really showed the nice overlap between the two sails and the overall speed of the M-25 main. The North clients were all going fast and are ready for the famous Bacardi Cup next month,” said Eric Doyle. Star Walker Cup 1. Eric Doyle/ Payson Infelise 2. Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins 3. Peter Vessella/Phil Trinter Star Midwinter Championship 1. Eric Doyle/ Payson Infelise 2. Augie Diaz/Arnie Baltins 4. John Macausland/Guy Avellon 5. Ante Razmilovic/Phil Carlsson Speed-ready for the Bacardi Cup? We have sails in stock for you. Contact us today and shop for the fastest Star sails in existence. SHOP STAR SAILS Video/photo courtesy Kathleen Tocke READ MORE

LET’S TALK MC SCOW 2020 Masters Champion Matt Fisher Shares His Z-Max Tuning Tips Informative webinar with 2020 MC Scow Masters Champion Matt Fisher and North Sails One Design experts Allan Terhune and Eric Doyle. Matt talks about his dominant win at the Masters in Iowa using the North Sails Z-MAX mainsail. He shares his experiences of his 12 year journey in the MC Scow Class, from his challenges as a class novice to becoming the 2020 Masters Champion. “The North Z–Max mainsail is the only sail I have used since I have been sailing MCs. The Z-Max is easy to use, I follow the North Sails tuning guide and if I have any issues, it’s because I am over trimming.” – Matt Fisher North Sails is the only manufacturer of the Z-Max mainsail that has won the 2019, 2017, 2016, 2105 and 2014 MC Scow Nationals. It’s the exact same design that you have been winning with, that you know and you want. This proven design is only available from North Sails. Shop MC Scow North Z-Max Results MC Scow Experts Matt & Lisa winners of the 2020 MC Scow Masters powered by the North Sails Z-Max. 📸 Regatta Girl READ MORE

BOAT SETUP Take the time to check all of your pins, shrouds and spreaders for wear. Clean your mast and spreaders with soap and water or Acetone. Also, please check your wire halyard. Most wire halyards fail near the shackle so please review. Clean and lubricate your sta-master turnbuckles. Also, be sure to tape all pins and spreader ends to prevent tearing the sail. With the mast on some stands or sawhorses, compare the length of the two side stays. If they are not identical in length the mast will not be in the center of the boat. Lay the shrouds along the side of the mast and adjust the stay masters so that they are the same length down to the bottom bolt. Check your spreader length and sweep. To measure the sweep, tie a thin piece of shock cord to each side stay and measure to the back of the mast. Less sweep stiffens the middle of the mast, more sweep allows more bend and as a result a flatter sail. Standard Spreaders we recommend 4” of sweep. Max length spreaders (18 inches) we recommend 4.5″ of sweep. Be sure to install shroud tell tales! SETTING UP YOUR MAST Items you will need: Sharpie Tape Measure P-1 Loos Gauge Tape Install your sidestay turnbuckles in the forward hole of your chainplates. Ensure the numbers of the sta-master are facing inboard to see them. Tighten the bolts with a 7/16” wrench. Have the bottom of the spar held down on the mast step plate while you walk the spar up. Before you hook up the forestay, lay it along the front of the mast and put a mark where it intersects the top of the black band. Hook it up on the aft hole in the forward chainplate. Measure up from the deck to this mark and adjust the sta master so that the measurement is 742mm or 29 7/32”. Another way to double-check the rake is to take a 50ft. steel tape measure and attach it to the shackle on the wire main halyard. Pull your rope halyard so that the tape goes all the way to the top of the spar and latch the ball into the halyard lock. Pull down on your halyard so that you know it is locked in place. Measure down to the center portion of the deck at the stern. This measurement must be taken from the point where the hull and deck meet. The fast measurement for your Z Max, Magnum, and Rocket mainsail is 28’ 3”. Now you are ready to set your side stays. SIDESTAY ADJUSTMENT After you have set your mast rake at 28’ 3” the shrouds will need to be set. Put a P-2 tension gauge on the side stay and tighten each side evenly until the gauge reads 15 units. Then take two full turns off of each side. This is a good base tension setting. MATRIX: ZMAX | MAGNUM | ZAP | ROCKET DOCKSIDE TUNING MAST RAKE With a 50’ tape, have your AP mast rake set a 28’ 3” SIDESTAY TENSION 15 on Loos gauge minus 2 full turns (Base setting) SIDESTAY PLACEMENT Place sidestay in forward hole on chainplate ON-THE-WATER TUNING   Sitting on Leeward Full time on deck, not hiking Just starting to hike Max hike, overpewered MAST RAKE 28’ 3” 28’ 3” 28’ 3” 28’ 3” UPPER SHROUD TENSION Base lets a 1/2 turn BASE Base plus 1/2 to 1 full turn Base plus 1 to 2 full turn OUTHAUL Remove wrinkles,slight shelf on foot No wrinkles,more shelf on foot Pull to black band,defined shelf on foot Max outhaul CUNNINGHAM None None Full cunningham tension None OUTHAUL / CUNNINGHAM DOWNWIND Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased VANG TENSION UPWIND No vang tension Vang tension in puffs 75% vang Full vang tension. Pull hard! VANG TENSION DOWNWIND No vang tension Just enough tensionto straighten leech of sail Play vang downwind w/ waves. Eased when by the lee, pull on when higher Play vang downwind w/ waves. Eased when by the lee, pull on when higher TRAVELER Centered Centered 0-6″ below center 6-9″ below center BOARD HEIGHT All the way down, 103 degreesflush with deck All the way down, 103 degreesflush with deck 1″ above deck 2″ above deck BOARD HEIGH DOWNWIND 1/4 way down 1/4 way down 1/4 way down 1/4 way down RACING WITH YOUR NEW NORTH SAILS Your new North Mainsail is the fastest around the track. By following the guidelines noted below you will optimize your chances for a distinct speed advantage over your competition. You can make the sail full and powerful or you can flatten the sail so that your MC is easy to handle in the breeze. Please practice the following techniques and watch your MC sailing improve! One thing to mention is that the driver will want to always sit forward in the boat (right next to your mainsheet cleat) in all conditions, upwind or downwind. Only move aft when the bow tends to submarine in big waves. The order in which to adjust your sail controls will be in the order described below. Please follow this sequence in order to achieve the ultimate speed with North MC Mainsail. FULL POWER (0-8 mph) Your North Mainsail will be fast in this condition.  You are trying to get the boat to maximum heel to where you start having to use the hiking straps to hike the boat down. Boards Before sailing it is best at some point to turn the boat on its side to measure and mark the board angle. First, check to make sure the board cannot hit the front of the case by pushing forward on the board and adjusting the line in the cleat accordingly. Then take a protractor and measure the angle. We suggest 103 degrees is a full down angle for the boards in light air. Mark each side on the deck so that you can easily repeat this angle while racing. Also, take time to mark the boards for downwind. Pull the board up so that the aft knuckle is just tucked into the hull. Having these marks will ensure that the board is even from tack to tack and allow for optimum sailing. Heel You want to heel the boat to reduce wet surface area and also to get the boards basically vertical. Use the leeward rail as your guideline in all wind conditions. Maximum 15 degrees of heel is what you are aiming towards.  Never allow water to run over the edge of the leeward side rail.  When you over heel the boat develops too much weather helm and you go slow.  CONSTANT ANGLE OF HEEL IS KEY FOR SPEED! Techninque In the light air, most MC racers choose to trim and head up the moment they get new pressure. The exact opposite is the case if you want to go fast. When you get hit with a puff you want to ease a bit, keep the bow down, go for speed and then trim the main. After this, you can head up and point a little higher. The #1 goal is to achieve boat speed in this light air condition. Mainsheet Trim The mainsheet is your accelerator. Never cleat your mainsail. Always have the mainsheet in your hand so that you can trim in the pressure and ease in the light spots. Constant mainsheet trim / working is key to ultimate boat speed. Put a good mark on the sheet where you can see it so that you can easily repeat fast trim settings. In the very light air (when sitting on the low side) a great reference for mainsheet trim is to have the back of the boom over the back leeward corner of the boat. As you get more wind trim from there and feel the sail and boat respond. If the boat does not respond then ease your sail back out. You will see a response in the boat from the angle of heel. TIP – Install the 5:1 mainsheet system. It allows you to hold the sheet easier and also allows for finer adjustment! Outhaul Your outhaul should be fairly tight along the boom. You should have a shelf in the sail even in these light conditions, especially if the water is very flat. Pull the sail to the inboard edge of the white band on your boom end. This creates a small wrinkle-free shelf foot and is very fast. This will help you with speed and pointing. In very choppy conditions you might experiment with a little less outhaul tension to help power up the boat. Vang Do not have any vang tension on at all. In fact, be sure your vang is un-cleated so that when you ease your mainsail your vang does not tension up. This is very important while working your mainsail upwind. Vang should never be applied in such light conditions. Cunningham Be sure this sail control is off so that there are horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the sail. You want these wrinkles in this type of wind condition. Traveler Keep your traveler on centerline at all times. The only time you drop the traveler down is when you are fully hiked out and you cannot hold the boat down. Downwind Sailing Once you have rounded your weather mark be sure to pull your leeward board up 75% of the way up. Begin to look for wind behind you. Speed is king downwind and the only way to have speed is to be in the breeze. Set yourself up so that you have clear air and that you are in line for more breeze moving down the lake. This is very important. Technique You must heel your boat to leeward in order to reduce the wetted surface area in these conditions. The end of the boom should be kissing the water. If this is not happening you are not maximizing your speed. Your mainsheet trim is critical as well. Just like upwind, you absolutely must work your mainsheet downwind. Grab your mainsheet directly from the aft block on the boom. This eliminates the ratchet and it gives you quick and direct pull. In the very light air you must reach the boat more so that the boat picks up speed. Heel and head up to generate speed while trimming in your main. As the boat builds speed begin to head down, continue to heel the boat and begin to ease your main back out. The second the boat feels like it is going to slow down, repeat the process. In order to go fast downwind in the MC you must work just as hard downwind as you do upwind. Stay prepared to keep the boat moving and always be looking for fresh wind. Traveler is centered, vang off, Cunningham off for maximum power. Outhaul must be eased so that the shelf is gone. Do not ease to the point that the foot of the sail has vertical wrinkles. Powerboat waves: Always trim in and build up speed so that you can blast through waves. If they are very large you can pull on some boom vang so that the rig stays snug and so that the boom stays in place. Be sure to uncleat the vang after the waves have passed. ULTIMATE SPEED (8-15 mph) The MC can be overpowering (difficult to hold down upwind) for some sailors. By following the set up described below you will begin to see major speed improvements in your MC sailing. Practice these things so that you are smooth and prepared for the change in velocity. Boards Be sure that the head of your boards is flush with your deck or 1” up as the wind increases. Pulling the boards up helps reduce weather helm. Some sailors have success pulling them up as much as 2 inches when it’s really windy. Heel Again, the benchmark is your leeward rail. Never allow this to get wet while sailing upwind. As the wind begins to build, you must hike harder, use your sail controls to flatten the main and then feather the boat lightly into the wind with your steering technique. Technique For maximum speed you need to really work the boat. Hike in the puffs in order to hold the boat down. However, always keep your back vertical to the water or just aft of vertical so that you can see your horizon line. The horizon tells you just how much heel is indeed on your MC. Also, by being vertical you can trim and ease your mainsheet helping you to balance your boat. Mainsheet Trim You can trim harder in these conditions so long as you can hold your boat down. Once you become overpowered in this wind range you must begin to ease your mainsheet in the puffs. You never want the boat to overheel. When the boat does heel up you must have boom vang on so that the sail remains flat as you ease the sail. In this condition, you should sail off the angle of heel. Meaning, if you have to ease your mainsheet a foot in order to help hold the boat down then do this. The worst thing you can do is trim hard, overheel and then stuff the boat into the wind. By easing the mainsail you are able to sail at a ‘fast angle’ –not stuffed into the breeze. The boat will accelerate and begin to build speed. Never cleat your mainsail. Constant angle of heel translates into constant fast speed. Outhaul The foot of your sail should have a shelf in it which you achieve by pulling your outhaul maximum outboard. This helps to flatten the bottom portion of the main, which is quite full. Make sure you pull on this hard taking the sail to the inboard edge of the black band on your boom end. Do this before your leeward buoy rounding. Vang Due to different weight ranges we will all become overpowered at different times. Overpowered again meaning that it is difficult to hold the boat down. So, someone weighing 150 pounds will become overpowered in 10 m.p.h. of wind where someone weighing 200 pounds will become overpowered in 15 m.p.h. of wind. As soon as you become overpowered you need to apply your vang so that the mast will bend and the sail will flatten. Also, now you can ease your mainsheet so that you can keep the boat from over-healing in the puffs. The more wind the more vang you will need to apply going upwind. Cunningahm With the North designed mainsails you can apply much more Cunningham in order to flatten the sail. By applying the Cunningham you will move the draft of the sail forward and the sail will become much flatter overall. This too will bend the mast when pulled on hard – helping you to point. When it becomes very windy you must pull the vang on very hard. Traveler As the wind builds you can drop your mainsheet traveler as much as 6”. Mark your traveler track so that you know the distance. Once you have dropped the traveler, pulled on your vang and Cunningham then you need to work your mainsheet in the puffs, easing when the boat wants to heal too much. Downwind Sailing With the breeze up now it is time to sit on the high side going downwind. You do this to eliminate helm on the rudder. When sailing downwind in these conditions you want the weather board to be down ¼ of the way. The leeward board is all the way up. Upon rounding your weather mark or offset you will want to adjust the board first and then ease your outhaul so that the shelf in the foot is gone. When sailing straight downwind be sure to ease your mainsail so that it is all the way out. Your boom will actually rub against the sidestay. As the wind builds, apply more and more vang. Downwind this becomes the stabilizer for the boat. When the boat feels very jumpy or tippy, apply more vang in order to stabilize your boat. Vang is crucial to downwind speed and acceleration. Please work your vang in the puffs. Applying more as the wind hits and the boat speeds up. In the lulls, ease the vang. Always keep your weight forward and outboard. Lean out as much as possible so that the boat rocks up downwind. This helps to reduce the wetted surface area and it prevents you from ever nose-diving in large waves or chop. Even lean out when adjusting your boards after a gybe. The board lines are tied together so that you can sit on the high side, lean out and pull the leeward board up. Doing these types of things make a big difference over a long race. Most important, always look behind you for the next available wind. Staying in the wind makes all the difference. However, being in the breeze will help even more. Be aware of the new wind coming down the lake. CONTROL & DE-POWER (15-25 mph) The Z Max, Magnum and Rocket mainsails are truly the best all-around sails because they can be flattened in these conditions. You can bend your mast and flatten your sail for great upwind speed and control. With the custom material we have chosen for the body of this sail, you really can have 2 sails in one. You can flatten this sail to be just like a heavy air sail. Follow along and see what you can do to reach better performance and have more control in this type of wind condition. One of the very best things that you can do, of course, is to go out and practice in this wind range so that you feel comfortable in the boat. Your boat handling will improve for all conditions as well. Boards Raising the board in this breeze can be advantageous. Especially if you are sailing alone. Please try moving the head of the board 2” above the board box. Or on the new boats watch the line move 2 inches forward as you pull up. We feel that you will experience less helm and more maneuverability. This is a good thing to try and to practice. Heel Over-heeling is the biggest mistake made when it is very windy. When you have all your sail controls on hard you must “feather” the boat into the wind. Do not stuff the boat – you must keep the boat moving fast through the water. Easing your mainsheet as much as 2 feet may be needed in order to keep your boat on the proper angle of heel. Do not be afraid to ease the sail this much when it is windy. Technique The mainsheet is your accelerator in light air and the controller of your angle of heel in the heavy air. Practice not cleating your mainsheet. Have the mainsheet in your hand and be able to ease the sail in the puffs and trim back in as the puff leaves. This will de-power your boat. The Z designed mainsails are a flat sail when all of your sail controls are pulled on so now it is up to your mainsheet tension and steering to keep the boat on its lines. Hiking out is important as well. If you have a crew in these conditions make sure to call out the puffs early so that the crew is fully hiked before the breeze is on. Mainsheet Trim There is no set trim guideline in this much breeze. You do not need to trim hard that is for sure. With a lot of vang on you can ease the sail as much as 2 feet and not loose any speed at all. The mainsheet just controls your heel in this much wind. So, if you are over-heeled then ease until the boat settles down. While easing keep the boat on its lines – a normal course. Do not stuff the boat into the wind because then you will stop. Sail the boat fast by easing the main. Always feather the boat into the wind. Outhaul Pull hard out to the black band on the boom. Never ease in from this point with this much velocity. Vang When you are trimmed in going upwind you need to pull the vang hard. This will bend the mast, flatten the sail, and then open the leech. The boat will become very controllable. You may need to ease this a bit on the tacks and always be sure to ease the vang at least an arms length before rounding the weather mark. Otherwise you could bend your mast. Vang tension is very critical in heavy conditions like this. Apply plenty when racing upwind. At the start, it does hurt your pointing ability so you may want it eased a bit, but not completely off. Cunnigham Pull this as hard as you can. The sail will flatten right out, especially along the front of the spar. You could never pull too hard on this control in this much wind. Traveler You can drop this up to 9” if it is this windy and you do not have the weight on the boat to hold it down. If you have a crew do not drop the traveler more than 6”. When sailing alone you could go 3” further. Set this control, leave it, and then work your mainsheet. Downwind Sailing Certainly, in this much wind you must reverse heel the boat. Your board should be dropped just ¼ of the way down. Do not sail downwind with both boards down. It is slow and it could cause you to tip over upon maneuvering. Apply vang downwind so that the boat is more stable. However, be sure to not over- steer on your gybes. The boom could catch the water and take you for a swim. To be safe, ease the vang a bit before a gybe in big air. Leaving the outhaul on when it is windy will not hurt your downwind speed. So, do not worry about this control. Worry about being in the wind, sailing safe and going fast. When you are sailing in waves keep your weight in your normal position. To avoid nose-diving just lean out so the boat is heeled. This will help to prevent nose- diving. If you see a big set of waves do not be afraid to trim in and head up 10-15 degrees to reach around them. Trim your sail, accelerate and then head down with your extra speed after the set of waves. READ MORE