NORTH SAILS BLOG

ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART YACHT RACE PREVIEW Gearing Up for the 75th Edition 📸 Carlo Borlenghi With more than 160 boats registered and more than 1,000 crew members ready to take on the iconic 628nm offshore sprint from Sydney to Hobart, excitement is now spilling onto the docks as we count down the last few days before the start of the race (December 26, 1:00 pm local time). This race is watched by sailors all over the world, because it’s a true test of ability and perseverance. See how you can follow the race below. Boats we’re following Line honours contestants Wild Oats and BlackJack will be going head to head with Scallywag. In the ORC fleet, Matt Allen’s TP52 Ichi Ban took 5th place last year and won overall in 2017, so she’s another contender for the overall regatta win. Expect a battle with Barry Cuneo’s Envy Scooters, which last year was put together in haste and this year will include several young guns in the crew aiming to be the Tattersall Cup winners. Christian Beck’s InfoTrack*, Noel Cornish’s St Jude, Paul Buchholz’s Extasea, and Frederic Puzin’s Daquet (previously Patrice) are all expected to do well in their respective fleets. Additional clients of interest include Keiran and Elizabeth Mulcahy’s King 40 Soozal. Soozal had a refit in November and will be joined by three additional family members for the race to Hobart. Mark Hipgrave’s short-handed experienced crew onboard Jeanneau SunFast 3600 Mister Lucky shows a lot of potential. Helmed by Deb Fish, her goal is to be the top female to cross the finish line. Katwinchar, built in 1904, will be the oldest boat ever to compete in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart. Over the last two years, owner Bill Barry-Cotter has rebuilt this 32-footer, and along with his team of Murray Spence, Michael Spie, and Kendal Barry-Cotter, he’s ready to race. We look forward to seeing this Corinthian team cross the finish line in Hobart. Weather predictions The last few races have rewarded boats that thrive off the wind. North expert and Sydney local Alby Pratt says, “we’re overdue for an upwind race, so anything can happen!” If the fleet does see tighter sheeting angles, Scallywag, BlackJack, and Quest will all have the chance to extend on the fleet thanks to their North Helix Code Sails. This year’s race forecasting has been complicated by Sydney’s ring of brush fires, which reduced visibility so much on Sydney Harbour that the Big Boat Challenge was cancelled. Fire alarms have been triggered in homes and buildings downtown, and ferries cancelled. Despite ongoing concerns, the Bureau of Meteorology indicates that conditions for the start should be clear, with a north-northeast wind that builds and shifts south. This will make the start a battle of crewwork—who can pull of the smoothest transitions. There is no way to predict what exactly will be the outcome, but some can hope that conditions may give the smaller yachts in the race a chance to shine. While once the ‘holy grail’ for racing from Sydney to Hobart was to complete the course in less than two days, this year the record to beat is one day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds. Along with you, we’ll be tracking the fleet’s progress. Good luck to all! How to follow Be at the epicenter of the main event. Race villages are set up in Sydney and in Hobart to catch the beginning and the end of the race Australia’s Local Network 7 News will be broadcasting a 90 minute program starting at 12:30 AEST on Boxing Day. Tune in! If you are not in AEST, check for live news announcements at www.RolexSydneyHobart.com. Track the entire fleet, or just one boat. See how fast different teams are sailing and how far they have to go to the finish line using the fleet tracker app. If you’ve got a boat, get out on the water for a front row seat to all the action. Just remember to stay clear of the exclusion zone. Want to participate in the race, but from the comfort of your own home? Compete with Virtual Race! Sign up to compete here. READ MORE

OPTIMIST NOVOS MODELOS DISPONÍVEIS Os novos modelos das velas de Optimist (MNR) já estão disponíveis, em Portugal, para demonstração. Se tem curiosidade em conhecer os novos modelos e em experimentá-los marque connosco um Demo Session para o seu Clube. A equipa North Sails Portugal leva até ao seu Clube os novos modelos para que as suas equipas tenham a oportunidade de conhecerem as velas North Sails para Optimist, em conjunto com os seus treinadores. Para marcações contacte o Vicente Pinheiro através dos contactos vicente.pinheiro@northsails.com ou 916 857 896. Saiba mais sobre o novo modelo através dos links e do video em baixo. #SailFast #GoBeyond NORTH SAILS INTRODUCES THE NEW BI-RADIAL OPTIMIST MAINSAIL NEW MNR SERIES OPTIMIST BI-RADIAL MAINSAIL https://youtu.be/D3PCbl3yjCc READ MORE

SUMMER SEASON SHAPING UP WELL FOR YOUNG P-CLASS SAILOR Great results with new sail from North Sails Auckland's One Design loft All eyes will be on Tim and his close rival Rowan Kensington this summer. The summer season is shaping up well for young P Class sailor Tim. Fourteen-year-old Tim, who is in his third season in the class, has been using a new F1 sail from North Sails Auckland’s One Design loft, and has been seeing great results. Tim, who sails out of the Kohimarama Yacht Club, won the P Class North Island championships at Tauranga at Labour Weekend, and is warming up for next year’s Tanner and Tauranga Cups event, to be held at the same venue. He also finished second at the recent Auckland champs at Glendowie, The North Island championships were sailed in fresh conditions on both days of the regatta, allowing only five races to be completed. Young sailors had to cope with not only changeable wind strength, but big changes in direction and the strong tidal flows of the Tauranga Harbour. Tim sailed consistently to win two of the races, finished second in two others, and round out his scorecard with a fourth placing, in a large fleet of 35 boats. This season Tim has moved from sailing Mintie into Vengeance, in which clubmate Blake Hinsley won the Tanner Cup earlier this year. Blake was also using a North F1 sail, and Tim decided to get one made for this season. North Sails One Design manager Derek Scott says the F1 is has a radial clew and a cross-cut top, to spread the load out of the clew. "It also allows the top of the sail to twist off nicely," Scott says. Tim’s father Richard Howse says Tim is enjoying using the sail. "He’s one of the more senior and heavier sailors in the fleet now and his Achilles heel has been sailing downwind," Richard says. "We have found his downwind speed with this sail is really, really good. It’s a real weapon." All eyes will be on Tim and his close rival Rowan Kensington this summer, especially at the 2020 Tanner Cup (interprovincial) and Tauranga Cup (national) P Class regatta, which will be sailed from January 2–7. READ MORE

SARASOTA WINTER SERIES #1: 4 LESSONS Vipers And VXOnes Get The Winter Party Started Jackson Benvenutti, winner in the Viper 640 class. 📸SJTStudios Friday With thunderstorms looming offshore for the setup day, Vipers and VXOne teams focused on getting their boats set up and tuned. North experts Jackson Benvenutti and Austin Powers moved from boat to boat, helping all the teams dial in their base rig settings. The day ashore was actually quite valuable, because setup takes time. A reminder to be patient, don’t rush establishing your base setting! Saturday Teams were rewarded for their patience with champagne conditions on the first race day. A warm 10-15 knot breeze delivered four awesome races. After racing, debriefs were run for both the Viper and the VX fleets. Two Lessons From Saturday: Teams that were aggressive in tightening the headstay (by increasing shroud tension and adding blocks) found their boats more manageable in the puffy conditions. Vang usage/tension shows whether your rig is right. If you are maxed out on the vang more than ¾ of the time, tighten the rig. If you are not using any vang, loosen the rig to power up the sail plan. Hayden Bennett, 2nd place VX One class 📸SJTStudios Sunday Sunday delivered lighter breezes, from 5-10 knots (and sometimes less than 5 knots later in the day). The Race Committee managed to squeeze in another 4 races, Jackson Benvenutti, Jesse Fielding, and Nick Ward took the Viper win. “Jackson set us up for fast with the latest inventory from North Sails,” Jesse said. “It was my first time in the Viper, a fun boat. I can’t wait for the next race, because Sarasota always delivers!” Nick signed on only two days before the regatta, after the original third crew member had to back out, since he was already in Sarasota for a family event. As a past Viper owner, he was psyched to be part of what turned out to be the winning team! North boats also took 3 of the top 5 spots in the VXOne, along with a partial inventory for winner (and new class president) John Potter. Two Lessons from Sunday: Pressure was king, and there were big holes in the middle of the course. Teams coming from the edges had success. Maintaining a high average speed downwind was crucial. There was a big penalty for teams that soaked too low, because it took so long to get back up to speed. Travis Yates & Mike Meighan, 2nd place in the Viper 640 class 📸SJTStudios Shoreside Local Knowledge Some popular hangout spots after sailing were the Daiquiri Deck and the local Irish bar. We look forward to seeing everyone there during the next event in January! North Scoreboard: Viper 640: 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 – Congrats Jackson Benvenutti VXOne: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Kelly Ann Cole (Driver), Sarah Wilkinson and Katy Hannan 📸SJTStudios 📸SJTStudios READ MORE

2019 - A MEMORABLE YEAR FOR NORTH SAILS IRELAND Reflecting On Another Great Year Scottish Series, Tarbert 1st RC 35 Chimaera Andrew Craig 📸 Brendan Fogarty 2019 was a jam-packed and action-filled racing season for North Sails Ireland. Our team of Nigel Young, Shane Hughes, Richard Marshall and Maurice O'Connell (yours truly) were on the water around the country from the first day of the Spring Series in February to the last day of the Winter Series last weekend. Richard kept our customers going delivering our overnight service at the major events during the summer. We also competed internationally at numerous events abroad which helps us "stay current" with the trends and thinking with our North Sails colleagues from around the world. Maurice even managed to fit in some TV studio punditry at the Star Sailors League finals in Nassau in the Bahamas. Someone’s got to do it! Our customers have once again delivered an amazing set of results with numerous championship, regatta and series victories. Here is what they had to say: "This year has been an amazing year for us winning the Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race, ICRAs, Calves Week and now the ISORA series. Kieran Tarbett, our helmsman loves our new 3Di Code 1 and Code 2 jibs! Our original 2016 3DL offshore mainsail that we use for ISORA continues to perform really well and of course, our "Leinster" A3 reaching kite is such a great sail. Massive thanks to the North Sails Ireland team for helping us achieve such success" - Paul O'Higgins, JPK 1080 Rockabil VI - ICRA, ISORA and Calves Week Champions. "North Sails have been powering Joker II since 2007. They just keep getting better and better and I have no doubt their latest 3Di Raw headsails have been a big factor in our success this year in the ICRA's, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and now the J109 Nationals. A big Thank You to Prof and the North Sails team for your fantastic support." - John Maybury, J109 Joker II - ICRA, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Week and J109 National Champions "The new North sails contributed to the improvements that were required to deliver a very successful racing season. The 3Di Nordac sails and the new spinnaker were designed and optimised using an impressive computer based design system, they gave the boat the power required to perform well in all conditions. Hands on setup of the new sails and practical trimming advice enhanced the experience." - Denis Byrne, Trapper TS250 Cracker - RCYC Club Boat Of The Year. “I’ve regretted buying from others but never regretted buying a North sail.” - Joe Carton Dehler 34 Voyager, Howth Yacht Club Thank you to all our customers - you have all been fantastic and look at these results! Sail FAST, Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all afloat in 2020. Horgans Quay October League Jump Juice at speed! Darragh McCormack Mermaid National Champion 2018 & 2019 Denis Byrne and Cracker flying her 3Di Nordac sails Paul O'Higgins' Rockabill Vl 📸 Afloat.ie Partial Inventory* READ MORE

FROHE FEIERTAGE Und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! Das North Sails Schweiz Team wünscht Ihnen ein fröhliches Weihnachtsfest. Wir hoffen, dass Sie schöne Feiertage mit viel Freude erleben werden und wünschen Ihnen einen gelungenen Start in ein gesundes und segelreiches neues Jahr. Bitte beachten Sie, dass unser Büro vom 24.12.19 bis und mit 09.01.19 geschlossen ist. Wir danken Ihnen für Ihr entgegengebrachtes Vertrauen im 2019! Unser Team freut sich schon jetzt auf Ihren Besuch im 2020 und die neue Segelsaion. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CUSTOMERS EXPLORING THE PACIFIC ISLANDS Two lucky North Sails customers have had a winter of pleasure on the water Emmanuel Vannier is currently living aboard his Dufour 455 with his two teenage children at Nouméa, New Caledonia While the onset of summer has many sailors’ minds turning to cruising, two lucky North Sails customers have also had a winter of pleasure on the water, exploring the Pacific Islands. Mark Clough of Auckland headed for the islands in his 44-foot Jeanneau 439, spending three months in Tonga before reluctantly heading home. Clough mostly cruised with his wife Judith, but was joined at times by their children and a delivery crew, who helped on passages up and back to the islands. They started in Tongatapu, then sailed north to the Ha’apai group and onto Vava’u. "We spent most of our time up there — it was just gorgeous, really good cruising grounds, and lots of whales," Clough says. Clough bought the boat in Vanuatu two years ago and brought it down to New Zealand, but was dissatisfied by its initial performance. "When I sailed it down from Vanuatu the boat still had the original sails on it - the boat was built in 2015, so it was quite new, although it had already done about 15,000 nautical miles," Clough says. "I was quite disappointed in how it sailed and thought that maybe I had made the wrong decision." However, after talking with North Sails in Auckland, he ordered a new 3Di NORDAC moulded Dacron cruising mainsail and number one jib. "They’re now coming up to two years old and they look as good as they did when they were put on the boat, with no signs of significant wear. They get used every weekend and now have had this trip up to Tonga and back, and they are still in excellent condition and the shape is great." Clough says he had several envious cruisers come over to his boat to admire his sails and ask him where they came from. "The new sails completely converted the boat, and I can’t speak highly enough of them," he says. Another happy North Sails customer French cruiser Emmanuel Vannier, who is currently living aboard his Dufour 455 with his two teenage children at Nouméa, New Caledonia. Vannier got a new 3Di NORDAC main and furling jib from the Auckland North Sails loft in January this year, and has so far sailed about 15,000 nautical miles with them, in winds of up to 45 knots. Next on his cruising agenda is a 4000 km eastern Australian cruise from mid-December. "First about it is the very nice profile cut and shape of it. It’s highly efficient, and the stability makes it possible to carry a full jib and main up to 18 to 20 knots," he says. "With the jib partly furled and two reefs in the main, we can keep stability and good speed up to 35 knots." "To compare it to the classic Dacron sail, it works better in low wind but can also be used in higher wind conditions. It’s a real blue-water sailing gear with the high standard of performance - a piece of race equipment on my cruising boat." 3Di NORDAC combines North Sails’ unique composite moulded sail technology with polyester fabric, creating cruising sails with smoother and more permanent aerodynamic shape. NORDAC was developed with small to medium-sized cruising boats in mind, to deliver greater control, more comfort and better speed in an affordable and durable package. "It’s a real blue-water sailing gear with the high standard of performance - a piece of race equipment on my cruising boat." READ MORE

NORTH PROUD TO PRESENT THE VOLVO YACHTING EXCELLENCE AWARDS Not just to celebrate high performance on the water Emily Overend and Harry Edwards from the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club with Matt Steven from North Sails New Zealand. 📸 Yachting NZ North Sails was the sponsor of the new Sportsmanship Award, which sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills said was just as important as recognising those sailors who have had big wins this year. "We were proud to sponsor this new award, as it recognises a key value in competitive sailing," Wills says. "This special award goes beyond performance to acknowledge fairness and generosity in the sport, which is every bit important as achieving a good result on the water. As the great Paul Elvström said, ‘"You haven’t won the race, if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors." The inaugural recipients of the sportsmanship award were young sailors Emily Overend (16) and 14-year-old Harry Edwards, from the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club. Sailing a Nacra 15 at the Oceanbridge regatta in Auckland in February, the crew gave up their own boat after the leading sailors, Jack Honey and Helena Sanderson from the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, were involved in a major collision. Overend and Edwards loaned their boat to Honey and Sanderson so they could complete the regatta, and sailed the damaged boat back to the beach. After the swap, the Bay of Islands duo won their final two races, to clinch the title and book themselves a place at the Youth Worlds. While some other competitors protested the move, they were unsuccessful, and the result stood. Other sailors using North Sails were also honoured at the awards, including Orbit World Travel Sailor of the Year Dan Slater and the Volvo Young Sailors of the Year, Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan. Menzies and McGlashan won the boy’s 420 division at the 2019 youth sailing world championships and came second at the open 420 worlds. Former Olympian Slater started the year by winning the OK Dinghy world championships in Auckland, then was tactician for the team that won the 12 Metre world championships in England and came second at the 8 Metre world champs. READ MORE

Bahami Percyju i Ekstromu, Tonči i Tudor su mogli i bolje FOTO: GILLES MORELLE Od 2. do 7. prosinca na Bahamima se okupilo 46 jedriličara iz cijelog svijeta s ciljem osvajanja 4000 bodova za SSL rang ljestvicu, a također i za ne baš zanemarivih 200.000 USD! Domaćini su već tradicionalno bili iz Nassau Yacht Cluba, a organizatori fondacija Star Sailors League. Ove jeseni već smo imali jednu temu vezanu uz SSL, a bila je vezana uz idući korak koji je zamislio Michel Niklaus, idejni začetnik cijelog SSL projekta. Tada je naša izabrana vrsta trenirala u Švicarskoj za nastup na Nations Gold Cupu, a početak prosinca, odnosno kraj kalendarske godine je već nekoliko sezona rezerviran za finalno natjecanje sezone za najbolje od najboljih. Još jednom je naš predstavnik bio Tonči Stipanović, a ove godine je uz njega, kao flokista, jedrio Tudor Bilić. Konkurencija je bila standardno fenomenalno jaka, a red je i da ovdje prenesemo tu statistiku kojom se organizator s pravom voli pohvaliti. Kad se samo najpoznatiji naslovi ovih jedriličara stave na jedno mjesto dobiju se četiri zlatne, tri srebrene i šest brončanih medalja na olimpijadama, 23 svjetska naslova u klasi Zvijezda, dva svjetska naslova u olimpijskim klasama, po jedna pobjeda u Luis Vuitton Cupu i VOR-u, te osam naslova na nekoj regati organiziranoj od strane SSL-a. Inače nikad nije lako na jednom mjestu skupiti takvu količinu talenta, ali nagradni fond je iznimno velik, iskreno govoreći i jedini tako izdašan u jedriličarskom svijetu, pa je sigurno i on, uz zadovoljstvo jedrenja s najboljima, vječno jak mamac. Treba uzeti u obzir da je ova zima posljednja pred olimpijske igre koje će se organizirati iduće ljeto. Tako da je mnogim jedriličarima ovaj odlazak na Bahame vjerojatno dobro došao kao mali odmor od svakodnevnih treninga i smanjenje psihičkog pritiska priprema i eventualnih potjera za posljednjim mjestima u vlaku za Tokio. Što se tiče Tonča kojem je ovo bio četvrti nastup na Bahamima, on je među prvima ispunio normu u Laseru i na izlet na Karibe je otišao između dva seta priprema za Svjetsko prvenstvo koje će se jedriti u veljači u Australiji, a između treninga u Splitu pronašao je vremena i za treninge s novim flokistom koji je inače bivši Finnista, Tudorom Bilićem iz JK Trogir. Tudor je iskazuje želju za probat jedriti u Stelli sigurno posljednjih godinu dana. I sjećam se da i lani kad sam se za Bahame pripremao s Federico Melom dolazio je do Splita, do nas, da vidi kako izgledaju jedrilice i bili su planovi da izađe na more kao flokista Marka Marinovića. Međutim, ta ideja se nije realizirala, ali zato smo nas dvojica po ovom pitanju ostala u kontaktu. U međuvremenu sam kod nas jedrio s Mariom Lulićem, ali Mario je prelagan za u odnosu na idealnu masu s kojom svi nastupaju u Stelli. Zato sam morao napraviti tu promjenu, a Tudor je bio voljan dolaziti iz Trogira u Split na treninge, bio je pun želje i počeli smo trenirati. Također mi nije bilo ni važno da je flokista netko s iskustvom u Stelli na velikim natjecanjima i mislim da je na duge staze ovo dobar izbor. Žao mi je jedino što se nije uspio organizirati Croatel Cup koji je trebao biti u prvom dijelu jeseni, pa je Tudoru prva regata u Stelli bio SSL. Unatoč tome mislim da je dobro da je odmah nastupio u ovoj konkurenciji, premda s druge strane, moja su očekivanja bila mnogo veća i brzo sam shvatio da se moje želje neće ostvariti. Ali brzo sam se pomirio s tim i nisam bio nešto žalostan zbog rezultata. Sigurno bi volio da smo bili bolji, ali gledam dalekosežno i ovo je definitivno bilo vrlo dobro s obzirom na planove koje imamo nakon završetka ovog olimpijskog ciklusa. Inače što se izvedbe na ovoj regati tiče, imali smo velikih problema s jarbolom kad smo jedrili krmu. Na treninzima je bio lagan vjetar i tu smo išli OK, ali kad je došla regata i kad je malo jače zapuhalo taj jarbol nije stajao dobro, a nismo imali nikog tko nam je mogao reći što je krivo, pa smo sami nešto pokušavali ispraviti. Ali kad je vjetar kasnije slabio to je sve zajedno sve bolje izgledalo. Inače imam neke mjere kako treba namjestiti jarbol, koje sam koristio doma, ali sve se mijenja i po tom pitanju bi nam sigurno pomogla da je bila još neka regata u međuvremenu. Kad smo se doma pripremali u većini slučajeva nas dvojica smo sami izlazili na more, a samo povremeno bi s nama na more izašli Mladen i Lovre Perhat. Tako da sigurno moramo još dosta trenirati kako bi došli i do trima s kojim nas dvojica možemo biti ravnopravni na regatnom polju protiv najboljih. S obzirom na veliku pauzu koju zbog ostalih obaveza imam u Stelli, svaki put iz početka moram hvatati "mot", a također treba uzeti u obzir da ostale posade ako nisu imale kormilara koji je jedriličar u Stelli, onda su imale flokiste kojima je Stella matična klasa i oni su se bavili pripremama jedrilice. Tonči Stipanović, kormilar - JK Mornar FOTO: GILLES MORELLE Što se tiče jedrenja, ukupno je završeno 10 kvalifikacijskih plovova nakon kojih su se po knockout sistemu jedrili četvrtfinale i polufinale, da bi u konačnici dobili četiri posade u finalnom plovu. S obzirom na 23 posade koje su jedrile ove godine, 7. mjesto u otvaranju je bilo stvarno obećavajuće za Stipanovića i Bilića. Međutim, slijedi faza jačeg vjetra na regatnom polju i za njih kreće loš niz s plasmanima između 17. i 21. mjesta. Kad je vjetar oslabio situacija se popravlja ostvaruju tri mnogo bolja rezultata, ali i dva puta prestupaju na startnoj liniji. S obzirom da je na deset jedrenja bilo samo jedno odbacivanje ukupna suma ih je vratila na nisko 20. mjesto. Malo više detalja o situacijama na regatnom polju ispričao nam je Tudor Bilić: Imali smo raznolike uvjete tijekom tog tjedna. Kako smo jedrili u zaljevu val je svih dana bio manje više isti, dok je vjetar vrtio... kako koji dan. Prvi dan je bilo do 10-12 čvorova. Tada smo imali jedno dobro mjesto (7.), drugu smo ušli 17. iako smo dobro startali, ali malo smo se pogubili po polju. Pripisali smo to prvom danu i privikavanju na brod, jer nije isti kakvog imamo doma. I trim je bio drugačiji i vožnja i sve ostalo. U drugi dan smo krenuli s nadom da je to to. Vidjeli smo da možemo dobro startati iako nismo imali niti jednu regatu do sada da smo zajedno jedrili. Na kraju je ispalo da je start bio najmanji problem. Taj drugi dan najbolje smo startali drugi plov u čistoj situaciji, a i kasnije su nam svi koji su pratili regatu rekli da smo imali možda najbolje starteve. Ali ne znam točno opisati što se dešavalo. Polje je bilo kratko, a poznato je da Stelle imaju veliki kut i ako nisi u pravom refulu i pravom dricu samo te "isisa", ispadneš iz toga. A kad si ispao iz toga onda više ne voziš regatu, nego regata vozi tebe. I to nam se na žalost dogodilo možda desetak minuta nakon starta jedne regate, a drugu jednu smo čak i vodili nakon prve orce... išli smo s lijeve strane... nismo zatvorili kako je trebalo i eto... uglavnom nije ispalo kako smo htjeli i onda nastane nervoza po pitanju zašto ne idemo, pa tražiš razlog zašto se to dešava i jednostavno prođe dan. Moram priznati da smo lošije vozili u krmu. Naime ima više različitih tehnika vožnje, pogotovo kad je "free pumping". Inače je u regularnim regatama za Stelle to zabranjeno, ali u SSL-u je dozvoljeno. Jesmo to trenirali ali tehnike su različite, pa nekad više gledaš da li si ispravan ili ne, a regate su stvarno bile kratke... svaki plov je trajao oko 50 minuta do sat. Npr. kad je Svjetsko ili Europsko prvenstvo duljine su puno veće, ja još to nisam vozio, ali kažu da se ne vidi bova od orce, bude postavljena na oko 1.7NM. A ovo je zbijeno više radi kamera i prijenosa u živo. I stvarno je puno zanimljivo... kad okreneš 20. u principu si okrenuo odmah iza prvoga. Međutim, isto tako ako si okrenuo 7. ili 8., a iza tebe je grupa onda možeš vrlo lako završiti na 20. mjestu. Mislim da se na live prijenosu vidjelo koliko je to u stvari mala razlika. To je bilo ta prva dva dana, a trećeg smo isto imali dobre startevi i pokoji dobar ulaz, ali dva OCS-a su nas vratila natrag. Kad smo imali prvi OCS orcu smo okrenuli 8. Kako se zbog širine linije ne čuje tko je imao prijestup, pravilo je da na ploči na bovi od orce objave tko je prestupio, naravno, bude i zastava, ali stvarno se ne čuje poziv na liniji, pa nas zaustave na orci. A drugu regatu i dalje smatramo da nismo bili vani, ali nismo ništa mogli napraviti... tada smo na orci bili 7. Eto da smo to imali regularno na kraju bi vrlo vjerojatno bili oko 11. ili 12. mjesta, na korak do finalnih jedrenja. Ali sve u svemu nismo nezadovoljni, ipak nam je prva regata. Također je bilo malo posada u kojima su oba člana jedna nacija. Uglavnom, guramo ovo dalje. Trenutno su najvažnije Tončeve OI, tako da sad nećemo ništa forsirati, a ja ću nastojati odvoziti jedan kamp na Gardi na proljeće i malo raditi na brodu kojeg imamo doma... ne stajemo, idemo dalje! Još moram istaknuti da smo bili okruženi stvarno izvrsnim ljudima i jedriličarima... sami dođu i kažu to si dobro napravio, radiš to i to, nemoj ono... stvarno super atmosfera! Tudor Bilić, flokista - JK Trogir FOTO: MARC ROUILLER Ubrzo nakon povratka s Barbadosa krenule su sve uobičajene obaveze, a Tončijeva je povratak pripremama. Kako će se predstojeće Svjetsko prvenstvo jedriti na oceanu s uvjetima jačeg vjetra i definitivno većeg vala nego što ga se može pronaći na Jadranu, stručni stožer je izabrao odlazak na Maltu kao najbližu lokaciju s uvjetima koji mogu simulirati one koji se očekuju na južnoj polutci. READ MORE

SLINGSBY DOMINATES AT MOTH WORLDS The New World Champion Credits 3Di Decksweeper for his Winning Boat Speed When North Sails announced four new 3Di Moth sail designs six months ago, class leader Rob Greenhalgh said “I am confident Moth sailors will reap the rewards on the race course.” This week, Tom Slingsby proved him right by sitting out the final day of the 61-boat Gold Fleet at Moth Worlds, after clinching victory with bullets in all but one race. Greenhalgh himself finished seventh, and six other North boats finished in the top 10. “I’m really happy with the North Decksweeper,” Slingsby said, shortly after cementing the overall win. “It’s been performing all the way through the range for me, from about 10 knots all the way to 25-plus. It’s the only sail I’ve used all week, and in all conditions I’ve had a lot of boat speed.” He described his final race day as a beautiful afternoon; “15-25 knots of seabreeze here on the Swan River.” With such impressive boat speed, only a breakdown, getting tangled up with another competitor, or a starting penalty could lose him the championship. “The final race, I had a really good start. I was concerned I was OCS, but it was all clear.” Once he got out in front, he managed the traffic well and crossed the finish line first, again. To prepare for the Worlds, Slingsby trained with Greenhalgh and Scott Babbage, who finished fourth behind Tom Burton. “We’ve got a really good training group. We’re able to slowly make refinements and then check it against a stable platform. So every time we made a change, we’d see how it would go against the baseline. If it worked, we’d all move to that concept. If it didn’t work, we’d go onto the next thing. We just constantly made little steps, and it’s shown in the results—all of us are in the top group. It’s really satisfying that our little group’s done so well.” Tom thinks the Decksweeper could also win next year’s Worlds in Weymouth, UK. “It’s also a flat water, windy venue. There might be a couple of little refinements, but the concept is there. What North has done is a great product, and I think you could rock up to next year’s Worlds with the sail right now and be competitive.” 📸 James Tomlinson READ MORE

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FULL PODIUM SWEEP FOR NORTH SAILS AT J/70 CHILEAN NATIONALS Designs Dominate in Algarrobo Pablo Herman’s New Wave, 2019 Chilean National Champions. 📸 Benja Sans 26 boats sailed the J/70 Chilean Nationals in Algarrobo, Chile, December 13-15. After nine tight races, the winners were on New Wave: two Herman brothers, Felipe Echeñique calling tactics, and Kake “priest” Montes on the bow. “They were very consistent in all conditions,” Matias Seguel, who skippered the second place team, says. “We sailed in really light up to 20 knots. New Wave used the XCS-2 mainsail, J-6 jib, and AP-2 spinnaker. That gave them great speed, and combined with great starts and going the right way they proved they were best.” Matias’ own VOLVO team finished second with the same sails they’ve used for the last two seasons (XCS-1 main and J-6 jib). Third was the talented family on Ducasse, a father with 4 of his 7 sons sailing together. “They’ve won many local championships using the XCS-2 and J-6,” Matias says. “It was awesome to have almost all the top Chilean sailors sailing together in Algarrobo for a great event that was very well organized. Our J/70 class is our highest level local class, and it’s great to have the chance to race at an international level here at home.” Matias Seguel, 2nd place. 📸 Benja Sans Team Ducasse, 3rd place. 📸 Benja Sans READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Las velas de composite son muy diferentes de las laminadas La diferencia principal radica en que en las de composite se combinan varios materiales para maximizar sus ventajas y minimizar sus desventajas. En el laminado se utiliza el mylar como elemento que aglutina los adhesivos y el resto de tejidos que componen la vela, mientras que las 3Di están fabricadas exclusivamente con filamentos esparcidos y resina termosellada, sin mylar, lo que nos permite ofrecer una garantía de por vida por deslaminación. Las velas 3Di son más robustas, ligeras y resistentes a los factores medioambientales que las velas laminadas. Para más información, contacta con tu agente North Sails o escríbenos a info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

CALENDARIO ENERO La actividad de North Sails España regresa en 2020 📸 Chris Howell Comenzaremos los días 17 y 18 de enero en Vigo, donde nuestros expertos en monotipos Nacho Braquehais y Hugo Rocha impartirán un clinic de clase J70. El día 21, Nacho también será el encargado de dirigir el Seminario de Moraira el 21 de enero en el Club Náutico de Moraira (Alicante). Pídenos información en info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

TODO A PUNTO PARA LA 75ª ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART El 26 de diciembre comienza en la bahía de Sídney (Australia) la 75ª edición de la Rolex Sydney Hobart, referencia de competición oceánica en el Hemisferio Sur desde 1945 📸 Kurt Arrigo / Rolex Más de 160 barcos han anunciado su presencia frente a la línea de salida, destacando cinco supermaxis de 100 pies de eslora como máximos favoritos a liderar la flota en el recorrido de 628 millas náuticas rumbo la isla de Tasmania. El pasado año, los tres primeros barcos en cruzar la meta incorporaron velas North Sails, incluyendo al vencedor en tiempo real: el todopoderoso Wild Oats XI, que regresa este año para buscar la que sería su décima victoria en 15 años. El Servicio Oficial North Sails estará esperando en Hobart a los barcos capaces de completar el recorrido. READ MORE

TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE Nacida en 1993 como una regata oceánica en solitario, hoy la Transat Jacques Vabre se disputa con tripulaciones a dos 📸 Mx Horlaville La edición 2019 contó con 60 participantes distribuidos en tres clases: Multi 50, Class 40 e IMOCA frente al exigente recorrido de 4.350 millas náuticas entre el puerto francés de Le Havre y el brasileño de San Salvador de Bahía. Ocho de los diez primeros clasificados de clase IMOCA incorporaron inventarios North Sails, incluido el ganador, el Apivia copatroneado por Charlie Dalin y Yann Eliès, después de 13 días, 12 horas y 8 minutos de regata. Les siguieron el PRB de Kevin Escorrier/Nicolas Lunven y el Charal de Jérémier Beyou/Christopher Pratt, también propulsados por velas North Sails. Enhorabuena a todos ellos, ¡y gracias por confiar en North Sails! READ MORE

BREST ATLANTIQUES Los cuatro colosos equiparon inventarios completos North Sails 📸 Yann Riou Cuatro trimaranes Ultim de 32 metros de eslora compitieron por la Brest Atlantiques, una regata de 14.000 millas náuticas con salida y llegada en el puerto francés de Brest. La victoria correspondió al Maxi Edmond de Rochtschild copatroneado por Franck Cammas y Charles Caudrelier tras 28 días volando a una impresionante media de 24,57 nudos. Los cuatro colosos equiparon inventarios completos North Sails. READ MORE

PREPARA TUS VELAS PARA EL INVERNAJE El final de la temporada es un momento clave para nuestras velas. El parón invernal supone una magnífica oportunidad para revisar nuestro inventario, valorar su salud y solucionar problemas. 📸 Ian Roman North Sails ofrece servicio de recogida, lavado profesional, programa de diez puntos de inspección con informe final, puesta a punto, almacenamiento y la garantía de que nuestras velas estarán en plena forma cuando volvamos a izarlas. Afrontar el invernaje de nuestra embarcación puede generar muchas dudas. Supone un buen momento para revisar todos sus componentes después de una intensa temporada, identificar problemas y anticipar futuras averías. Las velas son uno de esos elementos susceptibles de deterioro, y por ello requieren una atención especial. North Sails ofrece su Servicio Certificado de inspección y puesta a punto con todas las garantías del mayor fabricante de velas del mundo. Pero, ¿cómo es el proceso? ¿En qué consiste? ¿Qué me ofrecen? El primer paso es ponernos en contacto con nuestro agente North Sails más cercano; él nos indicará la oferta disponible para los servicios que necesitemos y aclarará todas nuestras dudas. Los principales que nos pueden interesar al final de la temporada son: recogida, limpieza, revisión, inspección, reparación y almacenamiento. Recogida North Sails ofrece servicio de recogida a domicilio en toda España. Basta una llamada de teléfono, y las velas serán transportadas a la velería especializada más conveniente. Limpieza Una limpieza a fondo es mucho más que endulzar las velas. Los expertos North Sails aplican productos especiales para eliminar cualquier elemento indeseado, como moho, restos de salitre o manchas persistentes, mejorando el aspecto y la longevidad del material. Tras un concienzudo proceso de secado, las velas están listas para su revisión. Inspección Un auténtico reconocimiento “médico” de las velas realizado por expertos North Sails. La marca ofrece su Inspección de Diez Puntos: Inspección de los accesorios del puño de driza, amura, escota y rizo. Inspección de cinchas y herrajes contra el daño causado por el roce y los rayos UV. Inspección de las puntadas a mano Inspección de las cintas y accesorios del grátil Búsqueda de roces en puntos de contacto con crucetas, obenques, candeleros, etc. Inspección de la relinga del grátil, pujamen y sistema de anclaje Búsqueda de daños causados por rayos UV y comprobación del correcto enrollado Inspección de tope de las fundas de sables y accesorios Inspección del cuerpo de la vela para verificar la condición del tejido, las costuras, los números de vela, las bandas de trimado y las ventanas. Reponer o añadir los catavientos. Inspección de accesorios: Cabo y aro del calcetín de spinnaker, sistema de rizos de mayor, sables verticales del foque, protección UV, etc. Inspección del correcto cierre del saco de la vela, cremalleras, tirantes y etiquetado. Informe de la vela: Diez puntos de verificación, comentarios. El informe final constituye todo un certificado del estado de las velas. En caso de que todo esté correcto, ya están listas para su almacenamiento; si se detecta algún problema, North Sails proporciona un presupuesto de puesta a punto profesional en la velería más adecuada para cada cliente. Puesta a punto North Sails dispone de la red de velerías más extensa y profesional del sector, con 110 puntos de servicio oficial distribuidos por todo el mundo en el que los procesos estandarizados, unidos a la profesionalidad del equipo humano, garantizan la máxima calidad. En España, cuenta con velerías en Valencia, Cuntis y en Mallorca (Palma y Lluchmajor). El equipo de North Sails España nos propondrá solución más adecuada a cada incidencia. Almacenamiento Tan importante como la revisión y puesta a punto de las velas es su almacenamiento en un entorno adecuado. Factores como la humedad, la exposición al sol, el contacto con materiales agresivos o el plegado incorrecto pueden afectar a su salud. Los expertos North Sails recomiendan que nos aseguremos bien de que las velas están totalmente secas antes de almacenarlas y que intentemos plegarlas evitando las líneas de pliegue habituales para evitar marcas. Si no disponemos de un lugar adecuado para el almacenamiento de nuestras velas, North Sails ofrece este servicio con la garantía de que estarán en el mejor entorno posible hasta el inicio de la próxima temporada. Para más información, contacta con tu agente North Sails, visita www.northsails.com o escríbenos a info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

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CLÍNICA DE NATAL 2019 OPTIMIST - Terceira Edição A North Sails, em Portugal, promove pela terceira vez uma clínica de Natal em Cascais. A Clínica de Natal para Optimist vai decorrer nos dias 27, 28 e 29 de Dezembro na Marina de Cascais. Os velejadores vão ser acompanhados pelos treinadores Bruno Luz e Pedro Bolina que em conjunto com o sails expert Vicente Pinheiro, irão implementar o programa previsto para os três dias. Nesta iniciativa, que é aberta a todos velejadores, treinadores, equipas / clubes, os participantes terão a oportunidade de conhecer e experimentar os novos modelos de velas North Sails para Optimist. Contactem-nos para receber todas as informações sobre a Clínica! E office.cascais@northsails.com | T 916 857 896 North Sails Velas Optimist clique aqui para mais info North Sails Novos Modelos Optimist veja o video https://youtu.be/D3PCbl3yjCc #Sail Fast #GoBeyond READ MORE

Jedan i jedini: Sv.Nikola za samce i dvojce FOTO: FACEsukošanBOOK REGATE Jedriličarski klub Mornar iz Splita je još jednom u suradnji s gradom Komiža organizirao jednu od najočekivanijih zimskih regata, a za koju se može reći da pomalo postaje zaštitnim znakom jedrenja u dvočlanim posadama. Ne treba posebno isticati da je riječ o Regati Sv.Nikole za samca i dvojce. Inače je regata do lani u svom nazivu ponosno isticala da je namijenjena isključivo solo jedriličarima, ali od 2015. su službeno i dvojcima otvorena vrata, a po odzivu koji se ostvaruje može se reći da je to dugo očekivano osvježenje koje su jedriličari iznimno dobro prihvatili. Da nije riječ o pukoj pohvali organizatoru i priznanje odvažnim sudionicima dovoljno je pogledati brojčano stanje na startevima lani i ove godine. Na premijernom izdanju je cijela flota brojila 18 jedrilica, dok je ove godine startalo njih 17! Složit ćete se svi da je to više nego na mnogim klasičnim regatama za kompletne posade. Normalno, lakše je organizirati manji broj članova posade, ali svejedno, potrebna je jedrilica koja je opremljena nužnom opremom, a i dozvoljava jedrenje s minimalnim brojem ruku na palubi. Također, dvojac koji u tom setupu izađe na more treba imati apsolutno povjerenje jedan u drugog da su oboje i fizički i mentalno spremni izdržati sva iskušenja i riješiti probleme koji se za vrijeme jedrenja mogu naći ispred njih. Ove godine je start regate bio u Komiži, 7. prosinca. Nakon starta se jedrilo direktno prema Palagruži, koja je u nekim drugim kombinacijama bila posljednja točka obaveznog obilaska. Iza Palagruže idealno je bilo ako se kurs mogao namjestiti na 60° za direktno jedrenje prema Glavatu, najistočnijoj točci parka prirode Lastovskog otočja. Nakon ove lanterne ostalo je još samo obići Maslinicu, odnosno Šoltu sa zapadne strane i ako to vjetar dopusti, sjuriti se u cilj u Splitu. A u cijeli ovaj izvještaj uvest će nas jedan od članova Organizacijskog odbora regate, Goran Martinović: Moram priču započeti s jednom simpatičnom anegdotom. Damir Mitrović (drugi dodirektor regate, op.a.) je prije starta imao interview na lokalnoj radio postaji gdje su mu spomenuli da su na startnom popisu vidjeli Darka Prižmića, pa su ga upitali za njegove izglede na regatnom polju i da li ponovno ima status favorita. Na to je Damir odgovorio "mislim da Darko Prižmić nije jedan od favorita regate, ali definitivno osoba s iznimnim iskustvom na ovoj regati..." i onda Darko digne regatu :) Uz ovu priču ide dodatak da Darko ima mobitel s kojim može samo razgovarati i razmjenjivati SMS poruke, dok mu je kolega u kokpitu, Tomislav Grubelić svoj pametni mobitel utopio ubrzo nakon starta.Tako da njih dvojica nisu imali nikakav doticaj s vanjskim svijetom.. trackeri, prognoze... ništa nisu imali. Tako da su kod Glavata otišli vani po svom osjećaju, jer su očekivali da će vjetar puniti iz vani... očekivali su da će imati samo jednu pojalabandu, dok će se ostali morati naviravati. Dok su jedrili oko Lastova imali su neki maestral pa su rekli idemo vani, napravit ćemo jednu viradu i vratit se natrag, na kraju je to isti put. Uopće nisu gledali gdjesu ostali i pogodili su... eto to je obilježilo ovu regatu. A generalno gledajući moram reći da je na startnoj listi bilo 17 jedrilica, a 16 ih je startalo jer jedna od jedrilica kad je shvatila da neće skupiti svu potrebnu opremu koju smo tražili da imaju, nije niti krenula prema Komiži. Što se tiče pregleda jedrilica, Mitre i ekipa su stvarno napravili odličan posao... sve se gledalo... kad ističu baklje, kad ističu splavi... tako da je dosta ekipa moralo povlačiti razne veze i vezice i dobavljati opremu što im nije bila u skladu s propisima ili što joj je istekao rok trajanja. Što se tiče vremena, bilo je ugodno. Po nekoj laganoj tramuntanici su se svi dovukli do Palagruže i onda im je pala bonaca. Zatim se tramuntana vratila i odvela ih je do Glavata. Tamo im je zapuhao maestral koji je trajao skoro cijeli dan... na moru im je bilo lijepo vedro vrijeme, dok smo u Splitu uz obalu imali stvarno gustu maglu. I u nedjelju navečer, nakon maestrala okrenulo je na jugo s kojim su došli do cilja. Prvi su u cilj stigli u nedjelju u noći, dok je posljednji dojedrio u ponedjeljak do podne. Kroz otprilike 13 sati su svi završili. Inače, svi su zadovoljni s rutom koju smo ove godine okrenuli, najviše zbog organizacijskih zahtjeva, a i da ne postane monotono. Nit vodilja nam je bila da se teži dio, ono pravo offshore jedrenje od Komiže do Palagruže i do Glavata, kad se nemaju gdje skloniti u slučaju nekih problema, odradi tijekom prvog dana i prve noći dok su svi još odmorni. A taj drugi dio regate kad se počinju osjećati posljedice umora, da se odradi u blizini kopna, pa da u slučaju potrebe bude lakše i intervenirati a i njima samima da se sklone. Tako da malo psihološki bude lakše. A pitanje starta, koji je bio ove godine 7. prosinca, je što regatu organiziramo zajedno s gradom Komiža, čiji patron je Sv.Nikola i imaju običaj koji ne podržava isplovljavanje na taj blagdan. To smo poštivali i zato je regata startala dan kasnije, a to je i jedna od bitnih razlika u odnosu na ranija izdanja regate, jer su termini starta uvijek bili tempirani tako da jedriličari svi završe do blagdana Sv.Nikole. Većina sudionika je u Komižu stigla 5. pa su onda morali proći provjeru opreme, a i sudjelovali su na tradicionalnom paljenju broda ispred crkvice Sv.Nikole. A što se tiče samaca, ove godine smo imali samo jednog, Ivicu Kostelića. To mi je najviše žao, ali bila je neminovnost da će se to dogoditi. Uz Ivicu je trebao solo jedriti i Fabijan Roić, ali je on otišao na RORC transatlansku regatu. Unatoč ovoj tendenciji da solista bude ovako malo, njih kao kategoriju nećemo ukidati, ali činjenica je da s ove strane Jadrana nema jedrilica koje su napravljene za samačko jedrenje i ljudi su skužili da se na takvo jedrenje nije dobro upuštati s klasičnim charter jedrilicama. A dvojce smo uveli više zbog povećanja sigurnosti i samaca i flote kao grupe, jer kad si sam i u problemu si ili ti ili kolega na drugoj jedrilici ne možeš puno napraviti da nekom pomogneš. S druge strane kad su dvojica na jedrilici to je veće nešto drugo. Goran Martinović, dodirektor regate Što se tiče pregleda opreme, koji je ove godine bio rigorozniji nego inače, treba spomenuti da su natjecatelji među ostalim morali dokazati da znaju i postaviti olujna jedra. Mora se reći dadugopolje je to aktivnost koju mnogi jedriličari nisu nikad imali potrebe upražnjavati, pa mnogi to nisu nikad niti probali. Prva regata u Hrvatskoj na kojoj su jedriličari to znanje morali dokazati, a i zadovoljiti sve sigurnosne parametre zadane raznim propisima, bila je 2. Thousand Islands Race, 2014. godine. Unatoč mnogim negodovanjima i problemima koji su se javili zbog nagle potražnje za olujnim jedrima, ispravnim raketama, kompletima prve pomoći, neodgovarajućim pojasevima za spašavanje, harnesima i ostalim, na kraju su svi sudionici te regate iskazali podršku toj rigoroznosti, jer im je za vrijeme prve etape te regate vrijeme bilo takvo da je bilo izgubljenih jarbola, ljudi u moru... a mnogi su rekli da bez nadopunjene sigurnosne opreme pitanje je da li bi stigli do cilja. Ali vratimo se Sv.Nikoli. Start regate je signaliziran u subotu 7. prosinca ujutro u 10:00, a vremena ulaska u cilj su se korigirala na dva načina. Jedan je već standardni Sušac Open sustav razvrstanja, a drugi je THC, koji je u Splitskom bazenu postao familijaran sa Splitskom trening ligom i nekim većim regatama. Korekcija Sušac Open je korištena za cijelu flotu, dok je još i THC izabralo deset jedrilica. Po Sušcu pobjedu na regati je odnijela jedrilica Silvana na kojoj su jedrili Darko Prižmić i Tomislav Grubelić. To je Duffy 29, maleni oldtimer kojeg je Darko čak pripremio za ovogodišnji Middlesea Race, ali zbog poslovnih obaveza nije došlo do realizacije ovog projekta. Zato je Silvana bila maksimalno pripremljena s kompletnom sigurnosnom opremom i skoro svim novim jedrima! Po strach sheetu za ovu regatu Silvana je morala završiti unutar 04:59:05 iza najbrže jedrilice, Class 40 - Crazy u slučaju da on završi prvi. S obzirom da to Crazyju nije pošlo za rukom, već je u realnom vremenu u cilj prvi ušao Club Swan 36 - Go Racing, to vrijeme je skraćeno za 47 minuta i 57 sekundi. Na kraju su Prižmić i Grubelić finiširali 03:59:54 iza Kljaković-Gašpića i Česića i to im je bilo dovoljno za korigirani trijumf od 11 minuta i 14 sekundi! Darko je Silvanu stvarno vrhunski pripremio, jer je bio plan s njom poći na Maltu. Većina toga je nova... drifter, code 0... jedino je Super Silva, najjače Silvanino oružje ostalo iz starog seta. Riječ je o spinakeru od ne znam točno koliko kvadrata :) A driifter je montiran na baštun koji je u stvari rezervni baštun Munjeka F. Njega smo montirali još lani, tako da je dosta dug s obzirom kolika je duljina Silvane. I onda drifter ne ide prema krmi, već dođe do štrajeva i onda kad se skine gornja ograda na provi, a drifter se spusti na donje hvatište, cijeli drifter može biti unutar ograde, pa bude kao neka light genova s kojom možeš na stvarno razne promjene vjetrova samo dobivati. I to nas spašava kad su uvjeti bonace koji su u stvari i bili tamo oko Glavata kad je vjetar padao. Ostali su tada produžili gore u Korčulanski kanal, a Darko je odmah rekao "najbolje nam je da se vratimo natrag i ostanemo u tom vjetru... bolje nego da stojimo". Ta je varijanta ispala najbolja jer je ostao vjetar koji nas je pratio od starta, pa preko Palagruže. Iza Lastova smo također najviše vozili s drifterom. Očekivalo se jugo, ali nama je došao više neki oštar. Poslije Vodnjaka opet smo dizali spinaker do neverica koje su bile u kraju. Kad smo već imali orcu put Splita, tad smo dignuli flok. Znači, od starta je bio code 0, pa spinaker, pa kad smo vidjeli da su ovi ispred nas stali na Palagruži dali smo se desno i tu smo vidjeli Munjeka da se ukopao, pa smo i njega zaobišli u malo većem luku i uhvatili pravac za Glavat. Onda je svanuo lijepi dan i krenulua je igra. Netko bi rekao igra živaca, ali kod nas je bilo "ajmo zapalit, pa ćemo onda vidjeti" :) A zanimljivo je bilo i kako sam izgubio mobitel s Navionicsom, prognozom i ostalim... i kako Darko ima običan mobitel imali smo samo instrumente na jarbolu, jedini instrument koji smo pogledali i to u drugom dijelu regate bio je Darkov ručni GPS i nešto smo krivo vidjeli ili nam je krivo pokazao... mi smo jedrili više put Rogoznice nego prema Maslenici. Tu nam se Munjek približavao, a prošli smo ga na Vodnjacima. On je vozio normalno na Maslenicu i tu smo se sreli drugi put. Onda je odjurio dalje prema Splitu. A onaj moj mobitel... kad smo se malo ustabilili u vožnji prema Palagruži, kad smo jedrili sa spinakerom... kako ja i Darko volim pjevati i lijepu muziku, izvadio sam bluetooth zvučnik, telefon stavio na ulaz u kabinu i krenuo u kabinu po spizu, brod se neznatno nagnuo i ovaj klizne preko 3-4 konopčića od barbera... nemam pojma kako se to uspjelo desiti. Moguće da bi u tom slučaju drugačije odvozili, vjerojatno bi to jugo pratili i čekali. Kako su bile neke popodnevne ure, a juga još nije bilo, prepotstavili smo da neće ni zapuhati. Cijeli dan je bio onaj dnevni vjetar koji je pratio sunce i jugo kao jugo se nije pojavilo, tako da je i kroz noć bila neka druga situacija.Što se tiče spavanja ja sam spavao dva puta po pola sata, a Darko jedan put pola sata. Kako nema autopiloa, Darko je bio na timunu cijelo vrijeme, a ja sam odrađivao sve ono naprijed i on bi mi pomagao u pojalabandama. Po pitanju hrane, na meniju su prevladavale polpete koje smo napravili dan ranije. Imali smo imalo slatkoga... suhe smokve spašavaju stvar! Otac mi je napunio kutiju suhih smokava i zajedno s raznim oraščićima dobije se prava stvar... po šaku toga se stavi u džep i to te drži. Tomislav Grubelić, suskiper Silvane Realno prvi, Go Racing je opravdao status favorita u realnom vremenu. Vrhunski proizvod tvrtke Nautor u kombinaciji s dva vrhunska jedriličara zadao je mnogo muke cijeloj konkurenciji, a posebno posadi Farra 40 - Toto Travel koji ih je u drugom dijelu regate pratio u stopu. Već je bilo riječi o tome kako je Swan stigao u Hrvatsku i o projektu u koji je ACI uložio poprilična sredstva, a u kratkoj povijesti ove jedrilice ovo je bila druga ozbiljna offshore regata, nakon što je odjedrila hrvatsku premijeru na nedavno održanoj Jabuci. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE I o ovoj regati smo popričali s voditeljem ACIjevog projekta, Ivanom Kljakovićem-Gašpićem: O regati mogu reći sve najbolje. Uz Jabuku je ovo jedna od najzanimljivijih i najintenzivnijih regata što Jadran može ponuditi. Ovo je bilo prvi put da jedrim u dvoje na Swanu i prezadovoljan sam kako smo Ante i ja kvalitetno odradili sve od početka do kraja. Priprema broda je bila dosta zahtjevna, jer je uz sve ostalo trebalo posebno pripremiti i sigurnosne sustave. Zajedno smo odradili trening - dva, tako da smo bili spremni. Start nam je bio dobar i na početku dok je puhalo dosta smo se odvojili i kasnije nas je dočekala bonaca i lagani vjetar na Palagruži, pa smo se tamo samo jedva vukli. I onda je stigla prva noć i kad je počelo puhati i kad smo već imali solidnu razliku, pomela nas je jedna nevera. Dosta ružno je izgledala. Logika i razum su prevladali, pa smo skratili jedro i stavili olujni flok. Izabrali smo ono što se kaže "na pomorački način", sigurno jedrenje i tu su nas Mario i Mario - Toto Travel, sustigli. Mi se tu nismo htjeli izlagati nepotrebnom riziku jer je ipak novi brod i dosta zahtjevni uvjeti na moru, pa smo se odlučili na safety varijantu. To prebacivanje na olujni flok smo napravili na vrijeme, dignuli smo ga desetak minuta prije nevere i kasnije spustili kad je nevera prošla. Mislim, nije to bilo ništa strašno, dvadesetak čvorova, ali bila je noć, vidjeli smo samo da dolazi ogromni crni oblak koji je izgledao stvarno ružno, puno munja ispred nas... nismo vidjeli što je tamo dalje ispred nas, pa smo odlučili ne riskirati ni tehnički problem a ni da netko od nas padne u more! Kako smo već ranije pripremili sve mjere i za olujni flok tako je i jedrenje s njim išlo bez problema. Brod je bio spreman u 5 minuta... a balans broda, prvi krat i taj mali flok su bili skroz u redu, a i kut stvarnog vjetra je bio oko 70°, laška orca. Nakon toga je uslijedilo praktički 24 sata match racea s Totom, a što je na kraju završilo dobro za nas. Po laganom vjetru smo imali dosta deficita... fali nam sprijeda nekakav drifter, ali nismo se dali i izdržali smo do kraja. A što se tiče foilova, oni se koriste po jačem vjetru u orcu i po jačem vjetru u mezzonavu i krmu. Tako da smo ih koristili minimalno, jer nije bilo dovoljno vjetra. A taj match race s Totom... stvarno nam je najveći handicap bio taj nedostatak driftera. Jedrili smo samo s flokom i genakerima, pa kad bi vjetar pao na 2-3 čvora onda smo malo gubili i Farr bi odlazio naprijed jer mi nismo imali pravog alata. Ali to je bilo očekivano i čim bi zapuhalo 5-6 čvorova mi smo imali za nijansu bolju brzinu, a sve iznad 10-12 smo letjeli u odnosu na njih. Tako da smo se konstantno lovili s njima... baš ono što jedrenje treba biti. Ivan Kljaković-Gašpić, suskiper Go Racing Druga strana ovog dvoboja za vrh je iskusnija na ovoj ruti. Prošle godine su Mario Hrvoj i Mario Škrlj odjedrili prvo zajedničko izdanje Sv.Nikole za dvoje i također igrali jednu od glavnih uloga. Jednaka sportska sreća ih je pratila oba puta, samo što im je lani glavni protivnik za prvo mjesto bio Dubrovnik. Istina, Dubrovnik im je pobjegao nešto više od Go Racinga, ali i uvjeti koji su lani vladali su bili nešto dugačiji. U principu, Dubrovnik je također jurilica koja voli više vjetra, slično kao Swan, pa kad se usporede analize od lani i ove godine vidi se da je, bar za realni ulazak u cilj, Toto Travel imao više šanse ove godine nego lani. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Dokaz ovoj tvrdnji je i to što je i Toto jedan dio regate bio u vodstvu. Od Korčule, pa skoro do Šolte, Toto je imao respektabilnu prednost ispred Go Racinga. Čak im se u tom dijelu regate priključio i Crazy. Međutim, nakon obilaska Maslinice presuđuju nijanse i Go Racing stiže u Split osam minuta ranije. Meni je ovo već 8. ili 9. Sv.Nikola, a start iz Komiže je bio i 2002. godine kad sam i pobijedio na ovoj regati. Mislim da je ovaj smjer regate mnogo jednostavniji za voziti, jer se jedri direktno na Palagružu. Zatim je 40 NM do lastova i kasnije si cijelo vrijeme uz kraj, a prije se jedrilo na potezu Blitvenica - Palagruža... cijelo vrijeme na otvorenom. Meni je najdraže bilo to što je more bilo "flat" cijelo vrijeme - bez valova, nije uopće bilo ozbiljnog vala na cijeloj regati. Stvarno je bilo ugodno za voziti. Bilo je i toplo. Bio sam par puta na Sv.Nikoli kad su bile bure... sam na otvorenom... za smrznuti se! Vozili smo s genakerima do Palagruže i tu je Bambi napravio dva sata razlike ispred nas. Jednostavno je brži od sviju ostalih i kasnije smo zaključili da smo do 5 čvorova bili brži od njega, a sve poviše 5 u svim kutevima ga nismo mogli stići. Iako je napravio tako veliku razliku uspjeli smo ga uloviti do Lastova. To nam je bilo nevjerojatno i poslije smo čuli da su oni skidali flok zbog jedne jače nevere koja je bila ispred njih i trajala je oko sat vremena. A mi smo tada skinuli genaker, dignuli flok i s njim nastavili voziti po toj neveri. Na kraju to nije bilo prejako, dizalo je do možda 23-24 čvora. Tu smo mi jedrili pun gas prema njima, ali mi je i dalje nevjerojatno da smo ih tu uspjeli stići, ipak su bili dva sata ispred nas. Mi smo u toj neveri jedrili brzinama od oko 9-10 čvorova, bila je laška orca, skoro pa je puhalo u bok. Kasnije je vjetar pao na oko 5 čvorova i mi smo po tom jedrili s oko 2 čvora. Mi smo ih po tom u principu pomalo grizli jer smo sigurno u tim uvjetima bili brži. Glavat smo okrenuli zajedno i od njega kreće nadmudrivanje i biranje tko će na koju stranu. Stranu smo mi pogodili i napravili razliku od 2-3 milje. Kad je jugo napokon probilo dignuli smo genaker vozili smo do desetak čvorova, ali Swan je vozio po 2-3 čvora brže, tako da koliku god da smo mi napravili razliku po laganom vjetru on je u sat vremena vrati. A na Maslinicu smo stigli ono, brod na brod, praktički u 20 metara razlike. Oni su bili privjetrinski i pokrivali su nas cijelo vrijeme. Reagirali su na svaku našu viru i nikako nam nisu dali proći. S druge strane mislim da su oni tu izgubili regatu! Da nas nisu pokrivali, već da su jedrili direktno za Split sigurno ne bi izgubili po korekciji. Kako je vjetar oscilirao mi bi nadoknađivali razliku kad bi pao na oko 5 čvorova, ali čim bi dignuo na 7-8 oni bi otišli i tako sve dok jugo nije dignulo na 12 čvorova i tek tada su odjurili. Njih je bio strah da ih mi ne prođemo, a ostali su svi bili predaleko i nisu na njih obraćali pažnju, a na kraju su minute odlučivale. Toliku razliku smo napravili jer smo mi odjurili kad su oni svi ostali u bonaci kod Vela Luke. S druge strane je Prižma napravio šou kad je otišao s vanjske strane Lastova. Imao je manji brod, čisti vjetar, a davali smo mu 4-5 sati po korekciji. Što se tiče tehničke izvedbe tu smo prezadovoljni. Napravili smo 5-6 milja puta manje nego bilo tko od ostalih i nismo imali nikakvu štetu na brodu. Mislim da bi rasplet bio drugačiji da su bili teži uvjeti na moru, onda bi i Swanu bilo puno teže voziti nego sad, jer ovo je sad bilo nevjerojatno koliko je more bilo mirno na cijeloj ruti. Čak i ta nevera je bila u pola krme, tako da se val ni tada nije osjetio. Što se tiče spavanja, išli smo po bonacama naizmjenično po četrdesetak minuta, čisto da se odmore leđa, jer dok se samo vozio brod dosta je bio jedan da bude vani, ali kad je bila neka akcija morali smo obojica biti zaposleni. Mario Hrvoj, suskiper Toto Travel Među jedrilicama koje su posebno izdvojene u ovom članku izabran je i Satan 2 2Π/7. Riječ je o jednoj od najstariji jedrilica na regati s ujedno i najmlađom posadom koja je ove godine nastupila na ovoj regati. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Gledajući u realnom vremenu, ovaj Stag 29 je uglavnom bio negdje na začelju flote, ali vrhunsko jedrenje je Maria Lulića i Filipa Miroića dovelo do 7. mjesta po Sušac Openu, a evo iz prve ruke priče o njihovom doživljaju ove regate: Za početak moram reći da je naša jedrilica je bila najsporija po handicapu. Što se tiče starta, nismo briljirali, bili smo osrednji. Bio je neki lagani vjetrić. Nakon što smo se odvojili od Komiže jedna grupa je vozila malo pojanije, livije od Palagruže, vjerojatno su kasnije u orcu očekivali veću brzinu, a mi smo išli nekom driturom prema dolje i na desetak milja od Palagruže počeli su slabiti ti vjetrovi a mi smo počeli sustizati brodove ispred nas. Može se reći da su to bili naši uvjeti. Okrenuli smo Palagružu, možda je pet brodova bilo iza nas. Baza je bila to da su na svakoj oznaci... Palagruža, Glavat, Šolta... bile totalne bonace! Bar kad bi mi došli. Ta prva bonaca, na Palagruži nas je uhvatila na nekih 6-7 milja od nje. Povremeno bi došao neki reful koji bi trajao tri minute i s njim bi se približili 50 metara. Dok nismo stigli do te bonace jedrili smo sa spinakerom, a tu kad smo upali u bonacu digli smo drifter. Kad smo okrenuli Palagružu, u stvari onaj mali škojić, Malu Palagružu, trenutno je okrenulo na neki levanat, uglavnom neki vitar za voziti prst laško. Tada je dobro puhalo, imali smo krat glavnog jedra i to nas je dovelo dosta blizu Glavata. To je trajalo cijelu noć, a nas dvojica smo odlučili da nećemo spavati ovaj prvi dio regate, možda da uspijemo napraviti neku razliku. Glavat smo okrenuli kao treći brod od iza. Svanulo i to je bio dan u kojem smo po našem planu trebali nešto i odspavati. Kad smo stigli do Glavata tu je u bonaci stajalo 6-7 jedrilica. Većina je stajala s desne strane Glavata, a Fangac je bio skroz lijepo, baš blizu Glavata. Onda smo pratili situaciju na trackeru i vidjeli da su ti gornji brodovi imali neki burin koji je kasnije okrenuo u provu, došao više s levanta. Tada smo morali donijeti odluku idemo li lijevo ili desno. Ako odemo desno u najboljem slučaju možemo doći do krme ovoj grupi i eventualno ako stigne jugo iz prognoze možda pobijedimo jedini brod koji je s lijeve strane. A ako odemo lijevo možemo eventualno pobijediti ovih 5. S druge strane niti jedna od prognoza nije baš točno pogodila što će puhati, pa smo odlučili otići lijevo i "tko pukovnik tko pokojnik"... Za početak nas je uhvatio neki privatni reful s kojim smo došli Fangacu doslovno na pet metara i tada smo uspjeli proći ovu desnu grupu. To je bilo važno jer je to bilo pola regate i kako smo jedrili na handicap i prošli smo brodove koji su brži od nas i favorizirani po handicapu i sad je njima zadatak da naprave duplu razliku do kraja da bi bili bolji. Nakon što smo okrenuli Glavat nastavljamo dalje jedriti s drifterom, ali je bolje od nas prošao First 40.7 koji je okrenuo s nama i jedrio s nekom dubljom genovom. S nekim refulićem se on odovojio od nas, a tada nekako i sunce počinje padati. I tako smo ostali stajati negdje na pola puta između Lastova i Korčule, a njega je ispalilo na 2-3 milje od nas. Srećom smo bili u nekom južnom kurentu pa nas nije vraćalo natrag i stalno smo išli naprijed s možda pola čvora. Tu nas je još držala euforija od prolaska te grupe, ali kako je počela padati noć trebalo je napokon i malo odspavati. Tada je Mario otišao u kabinu, a ja ću voziti dok je lagano jugo. Kad krene malo jače budim Marija. I on je odspavao dok ga nisam probudio kad sam vidio po trackeru da su se ovi iza počeli kretati... znači stiglo im je jugo. Spavao je možda 45 minuta, a ja sam onda uspio još nekih 15-20 minuta... sve ostalo spavanje prije toga je bilo petnaestak minuta dok sjediš sa škotom u ruci... To sve smo jedrili s drifterom, a kad smo prošli Korčulu prebacili smo se na genaker. Inače Satan ima jarbol, glavno jedro i taj genaker od minija i u principu smo testirali kako taj noviji koncept jedara radi u kombinaciji sa starim linijama trupa. To je dosta dobro prošlo. Vjetra je tu bilo oko 15-17 čvorova i do Maslinice smo uspjeli ostaviti iza nas sve osim Fangaca i Adio pameti. Tu smo hvatali dobre brzine. Bilo je marete i u lijevi i u desni kvartir, tako da smo jedan dobar dio dosta dobro surfali. Imali smo brzine čak i do 8 čvorova. Nakon bonace na Palagruži, cijelog dana provedenog u obilasku Glavata, ponovno nas je uhvatila bonaca i na Maslinici. Ova je najkraće trajala ali je bila najzeznutija, jer je ostalo dosta mrtvog mora od juga s kojim smo stigli do tu. Tako da i onih čvor ili dva što bi mogli uhvatiti od tih valova nismo mogli realizirati. Nakon nekih pola sata stajanja smo ponovno krenuli. Jedrili smo po burinu a imali smo dignuto puno glavno i flok... ono u Čiovo, pa okreni, Čiovo, pa okreni... Nas dvojica nismo baš najjači s tim akvatorijem, pa smo tek kasnije saznali da smo trebali ići put Šolte jer da je tamo manji kurenat po jugu. Ono što je prevladalo da mi odemo put Čiova je što smo na trackeru vidjeli da ovi što su bili uz Šoltu su doslovno stajali, a ovi što su jedrili uz Čiovo su imali brzine od bar 5 čvorova. Nekako u svitanje smo počeli vidjeti Split i mislili smo da je mukama kraj, ali je onda odjednom Split nestao u nekom crnilu, nestao je i Brač... kiša... Kako brod nije naš, stariji je, a i po handicapu smo stajali dosta dobro, tada smo skratili na treći krat i stavili smo olujni flok. Pustili smo onda da to stigne do nas, ali na kraju to nije bila neka posebna nevera, možda dvadesetak čvorova juga. Tako smo čekali petnaestak minuta da vidimo kako će se vrijeme razvijati, a za to su nas Gingolina i još neki su nas prošli. Kad smo vidjeli da od tog svega nema ništa dignuli smo sve natrag i zajedrili do cilja. Moram spomenuti, ne znam da li je još netko to pričao, ali kad smo jedrili par milja iza Palagruže more je alduravalo, ali s ogromnim balonima. To je bilo bajkovito za vidjeti. Nekoliko milja smo plovili kroz to. Ne znam da li su to bile najlonske kese ili meduze, ali stvarno nešto lijepo za vidjeti. Filip Miroić, suskiper Satan 2 2Π/7 Ove godine na regati je nastupio samo jedan solo jedriličar. Riječ je o Ivici Kosteliću, možemo slobodno reći jedinom hrvatskom jedriličaru koji u posljednje vrijeme aktivnu i ozbiljno prakticira ovaj stil jedrenja. FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Nastupio je na Miniju 650 imena Libera, za razliku od lani kad je jedrio sa svojim Class40 koji se trenutno nalazi u Francuskoj. Unatoč tome što je jedrio na najmanjoj jedrilici na regate nije bio zadnji. Istina, uglavnom je bio u posljednjem dijelu flote u blizini Satana 2 2Π/7 i sličan premjer, tako da su i nakon korekcija ove dvije jedrilice završile vrlo blizu. Libera je finiširala na 8. mjestu, a kako je to izgledalo na moru najbolje će vam dočarati video uradak njenog kormilara koji postaje sve bolji u izradi svojih jedriličarskih reportaža! A za kraj je ostala još i kratka priča Emila Tomaševića koji je lani pobijedio u kategoriji samaca i to sa Seascapeom 27. Ove godine je na regati odlučio nastupiti u društvu Igora Piacuna na Firsto 40.7. S obzirom da je riječ o jedrilici iz škole jedrenja, bez posebno pripremljenih regatnih jedara i ostale malo sportskije opreme, 5 sati i dvadesetak minuta zaostatka za Go Racingom je dosta dobar rezultat koji je osigurao čistu sredinu na korigiranoj ljestvici. Bilo je lijepo, nije bilo lošeg vremena, bilo je zanimljivog regatavanja i za malo laganije brodove jer je bio laganije vjetar. U prvoj noći je bila jedna nevera, dok je u drugoj bilo jugo s par neverina i to je to. Kako smo bili s težim brodom, ja i Piacun smo malo spavali. Pokušavali smo pratiti ove laganije i brže, a s druge strane smo i takvi likovi. Ja sam ukupno u dvije noći odspavao 2-3 sata, a toliko i Igor. Pokušavali smo maksimalno voziti brod. Uhvatila nas je jedna nevera od tramuntane u orcu ispred maslinice, a drugima je udarilo u krmu. Što se tiče opreme na brodu smo imali dva spinakera i flokove. Ona prva noćna nevera nas je uhvatila na izmaku, malo više je zakačila prve brodove, tako da smo mi vozili s jednom rukom krata i teškom genovom. A drugu noć smo imali neke neverine pod niskim oblacima, pa čak smo imali i jednu čudnu situaciju ispod jednog vrlo niskog oblaka. To je bilo u trenucima kad smo mi izgubili mogućnost da završimo regatu kao četvrti brod. Upali smo u neku rupu... par stotina metara okolo sve normalno puše, a kod nas ništa i tako dva puta. Neki teški oblak od polu kiše je bio praktički na vrhu jarbola i povlačio je vjetar prema gore... spinaker je stajao paralelno s jarbolom. To nisam baš do sad vidio... vjerojatno jer je bilo nestabilno vrijeme, dolje još toplo, a gore hladnije... stvarno čudno. Prvu noć nije bilo ni vlage, bilo je toplo, istina malo bolje obučeni. A i brod je dozvoljavao malo više komoda, pa sam i malo kuhao :) Emil Tomašević, suskiper Ultra Svibor FOTO: FACEBOOK REGATE Ako nekoga zanimaju rezultati deset jedrilica koje su se prijavile i po THC-u, možete ih pronaći na ovom linku. I za kraj je ostala jedna specifičnost svih regata koje traže od sudionika ulaganje iznimnih i fizičkih i psihičkih napora... Pričalo se o popriličnom broju halucinacija za vrijeme jedrenja drugog dijela regate. Neki su vidjeli neke ljude na provi koji su im slagali genove. Bilo je i ljudi koji su sjedili u košu i nisu dozvoljavali da se vide špije. Čak je prijavljen i jedan lijes na provi s čovjekom koji je ležao pored njega i gladio ga... Neki su mislili da im je glavno jedro palo po gindacu... Pa ako mislite da je ovakva regata i za vas i da sve ovo možete uspješno savladati imate godinu dana da se spremite i izbr READ MORE

ETCHELLS BISCAYNE BAY SERIES: LOUIS PIANA CUP Podium Sweep in Miami The opening regatta of the Biscayne Bay Series served up tricky conditions for a fleet of 50 Etchells, a larger fleet than previous years. North Sails were onboard 8 of the top 10 finishers, as well as 12 of the 14 Corinthian teams. Congratulations to Peter Vessella, first place in the Corinthian division. 5-10 knot breezes allowed for four races over two days. The winning team on Steve Benjamin’s Stella Blue combined clean starts with excellent boat speed to control their own destiny. “Only Benj’s team and Scott Kaufman’s team had all single digit finishes,” Skip Dieball explains. “It’s such a tough fleet, and if you get off the line in bad shape, chances are you’re going to have a high number. It’s very difficult to get back.” The FR-2 is an evolution of the Full Radial, but with some long overdue tweaks to shape and panel orientation. It is a fantastic sail. Conditions were perfect for the PCF-M mainsail, LM-2L jib, and VMG spinnaker, but Skip’s team did test out the new FR-2 spinnaker for the last race and were quite impressed. “Ultimately, this new FR-2 will replace our Full Radial spinnaker,” he says.”The FR-2 is an evolution of the Full Radial, but with some long overdue tweaks to shape and panel orientation. It is a fantastic sail. We also looked at the new LM-6R and MAL jibs in our practice sessions. Both are beautiful out of the box and set up perfectly. We will be updating our tuning guide for 2020 and will have all of our trim notes regarding these sails.” North Scoreboard Overall – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 Corinthian – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Etchells next stop – The Sid Doren Regatta January 11-12. READ MORE

Najmasovniji Sv.Nikola do sada! FOTO: ELVIS MALAGIĆ Čak šest regata se prošlog vikenda jedrilo što u čast Sv.Nikole, zaštitnika pomoraca, što u vikendu koji se datumski poklopio s ovim blagdanom. Jedina od tih regata koja je organizirana za "male klase" bila je u Puli i riječ o tradicionalnom međunarodnom eventu koji 28. put okupio iznimno velik broj natjecatelja u klasama Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial i Laser Standard. Datumi rezervirani za jedrenje su bili od 6. do 8. prosinca, ali pripreme za ovaj jedriličarski megadogađaj, bar u hrvatskim okvirima, počeli su tjednima ranije. Pripreme su krenule tjednima ranije, od uređivanja okoliša kluba, pripreme slipova i pontona, administrativnih sadržaja, logistike... a sve to bi bilo mnogo teže da se članovi JK Vega nisu složno udružili i zajedno s roditeljima svojih klinaca posao odradili zajedničkim snagama! Ovaj njihov pristup i stil rada je prepoznat od strane svih sudionika, a dobar glas se uvijek vrlo daleko čuje i to je svake godine rezultiralo sve većim brojem sudionika. Trend se nastavio i ovaj put, pa je u Pulu stiglo ukupno 576 jedriličara i jedriličarki! Kao i uvijek, najbrojni su bili kadeti u klasi Optimist. Njih je je jedrilo čak 393, dok su Laseri bili zastupljeni sa 102 natjecatelja u klasi 4.7, 68 u Radialu i 13 u Standardu. A sad ćemo riječ malo prepustiti članici Organizacijskog odbora Gei Damjanić: Bilo je odlično! Najviše smo odjedrili u nedjelju, tri plova. U petak nismo ništa napravili, a u subotu samo jedan plov. Grozno je krenulo i u nedjelju... ujutro magla, neki su se već počeli pakirati, ali onda se magla dignula i zapuhao je neki slabi zapadnjak, slabašnih 5-6 čvorova. U petak su laseri uspjeli startati, odjedriti orcu, a Optimisti nisu niti to uspjeli napraviti. U subotu smo uspjeli dati start tek oko 13 sati, a to vrijeme nam je stvarno velik problem jer je zima i dan je prekratak. U 14 sati nam mora krenuti posljednja predstartna procedura, tako da se svi startevi na svim poljima odsviraju do 14:30, pa da posljednji u cilj uđu do 15:30 i da svi budu na kopnu do 16 sati. Eventualno petnaestak minuta duže, ali nema tu puno mogućnosti... U subotu nam je isto puhalo sa zapada, ako nekakav maestral, ali ne toliko jak, više kao nekakav propuh :) Inače su flote bile odvojene na dva regatna polja. Optimisti su bili na jednom, a Laseri na drugom. Optimisti su zbog ogromnog broja sudionika bili podijeljeni u četiri skupine od po stotinjak natjecatelja u skupini. Laseri su također bili podijeljeni u grupe. I 4.7 i Radiali su bili podijeljeni u dvije, dok je Standarda bilo premalo za takav potez. A što se tiče Radiala njihova podjela nije bila na mušku i žensku flotu. Jedne godine smo to pokušali, ali zbog kriterijske ljestvice na kojoj nema takve podjele morali smo odustati od tog poteza. S druge strane ovakva podjela omogućuje formiranje zlatne i srebrene skupine, ali kako nije bilo dovoljno odjedrenih plovova prva dva dana to nismo mogli napraviti. Što se tiče kurenta najgore je bilo Optimistima u subotu, ali sreća je bila što je smjer bio u smjeru vjetra, pa ih je držao ispod startne linije, a mala panika je bila pred zadnji start kad je kurenat oslabio, da će biti izlijetanja ali srećom je su svi i taj start dobro odradili. MOram se pohvaliti da smo ove godine oborili rekord u broju natjecatelja. Lani smo ih imali 529, a ove godine 47 više i do sada smo imali 14-15 nacija, a obe godine 20, a među njima jednog Australca i jednu Amerikanku... predstavnici tri kontinenta! Amerikanci su čak najavili da će ih dogodine doći više. Ove godine smo napravili i jednu super stvar. Pronašli smo djecu koja su imala rođendane tih dana, pa smo ih obavijestili da moraju doći u ured Regatnog odbora. Naravno, nisu znali zbog čega i možete zamisliti njihovo iznenađenje kad su tamo došli u panici, a dočekali su ih pokloni :) Gea Damjanić, JK Vega Što se tiče protesta, s obzirom na broj natjecatelja nije ih bilo previše, može se čak reći i zanemariv broj. U nedjelju su tako bila samo tri protesta. Po pitanju ostalih kazni najviše su se dijelili penali zbog nedopuštenih aktivnosti s kormilima na startnoj liniji. Također je i dosta manje UFD-ova bilo dodijeljeno u odnosu na prošlu godinu, možda po 2-3 u prosjeku. Inače se na ovoj, a i drugim regatama koje su s ogromnim brojem natjecatelja, vrlo brzo primjenjuje crna zastava, jer nema dovoljno vremena za mnogostruko ponavljanje starteva. Još jedan od razloga zašto se to brzo koristi na regati u Puli je što stranim natjecateljima ova regata nije u kriterijska i na starteve ulaze opušteniji i skloniji rizicima, pa često povedu flotu preko linije. Na ovaj način ih se ipak bar malo "disciplinira". Natjecatelji koji su u svojim karijerama sigurno odjedrili najviše regata u Puli su najstariji momci, natjecatelji u Laser Standardu. Od njih 13 samo 5 je bilo iz Hrvatske, ali su zato vodili glavnu riječ. U četiri odjedrena plova najbolji je bio Božidar Golubić (JK Mornar), a do pobjede je došao s tri prva mjesta i jednim 5. koje je mogao odbaciti. Borba za drugo mjesto je bodovno bila mnogo zanimljivija. Bolji prosjek je imao Marko Smolić (JK Val, Šibenik) koji je tako ponovio plasman osvojen u Opatiji tjedan dana ranije, dok je bod iza njega završio talijanski jedriličar Elia Stocco. Kompletne rezultate ove klase možete pronaći na ovom linku. Radiali su bili malo manje uspješni za našu flotu, ali svejedno imamo jednu medalju. Prva dva mjesta su otišla u Grčku i na Cipar, a brončani je bio Matija Reljanović (YC Croatia). On je imao jednak broj bodova kao klupski mu kolega Roko Stipanović koji ej završio na četvrtom mjestu i kao najbolja djevojka među Radialima, talijanska jedriličarka Sara Savelli. Matiji je prevagu donijela pobjeda u trećem plovu. Naša najbolja jedriličarka je bila Karla Šavar (YC Zagreb). Ona je završila odmah iza gđice. Savelli i predvodila je skupinu od još dvoje natjecatelja s jednakim brojem bodova. Njen adut je bio isti kao kod Matije Reljanovića, jedno prvo mjesto, a osvojila ga je u prvom plovu. Plasmane ostalih 18 CRO jedara možete pronaći na ovom linku. FOTO: HRVOJE DAMJANOVIĆ Najbrojnija podskupina klase Laser je bila kategorija Laser 4.7. Na moru su bila čak 102 jedra ove kvadrature, a od toga je hrvatskih bilo 39. Oni su odjedrili tri plova s mnogo većim uspjehom za strane natjecatelje nego za naše. Naša perjanica je ovog puta bio mladi zagrebački jedriličar Luka Fatović. Prvi plov ga je dosta vratio unatrag, ali su drugi i treći pokazali njegov potencijal i najavili bolje rezultate u budućnosti. Na koncu je završio kao 12. Prva iduća CRO jedra su bila od dvije djevojke. Na 14. mjestu je završila članica JK Mornar, Petra Marendić, djevojka koja je u rujnu jedrila svoju posljednju regatu u klasi Optimist. S 12., 10. i 12. mjestom ostavila je iza sebe mnogo iskusniju Eleonore Borgin (JK Tijat) koja je bila lošija za 6 bodova i dva mjesta na ljestvici. Tek od 19. pa do 25. mjesta pronalazimo veću skupinu naših jedriličara u većoj koncentraciji, dok su se preostali više manje ravnomjerno rasporedili do dna rezultatskog popisa. Što se tiče klase Optimist tu smo imali udio od oko 25% flote. Kadetkinje i kadeti su odjedrili po četiri plova, a veliku zadovoljštinu domaćinu za uloženi trud donio je njihov mladi jedriličar Tristan Tol. Ujedno je njegov rezultat ostavio upitnik iza sebe, jer je fenomenalno krenuo s pobjedom i drugim mjestom, a potom u trećem plovu biva diskvalificiran... srećom nije posustao duhom i u posljednjem jedrenju završava dosta dobar 6. Prvi idući naš predstavnik je član JK Jugo, Grigor Pettener. Iz Pule odlazi s 24. mjestom. Što se tiče djevojčica, najbolja naša predstavnica je bila Ema Grabar (JK Uljanik plovidba). Regatu završava na 38. mjestu, ali zato je bila najbolja u kategoriji djevojčica do 12 godina! Kompletni rezultati klase Optimist nalaze se na ovom linku. Prva iduća, a ujedno i posljednja ovogodišnja hrvatska regata za Optimiste i Lasere je Novogodišnja regata na Hvaru. Jedrit će se od 28. do 30. prosinca. READ MORE

WINGS OUT, SAILS IN The Return Of Traditional Sailmaking Sail loft production manager, Ian ‘Shinzy’ Pattison © Harry KH This article was first published by INEOS TEAM UK, November 2019 Sails have taken a change in direction for the next edition of the America’s Cup and with it comes the return of more traditional sailmaking. OUT are the semi-rigid 23 metre wings that were used on the 50’ ACC catamarans, IN are the new double-skinned mainsails that are now raised and lowered 26m to the top of the mast. The revolutionary new design brings some of the aerodynamic advantages of the wing into the traditional sailing world. The two ‘sail skins’ that constitute the mainsail are attached to the rig, one to each corner of the back of the D-shaped mast section. It’s a 3Di product from North Sails, made from carbon fibre and equipped with buoyant material or airbags at the top, to provide buoyancy in case of capsize. The rig is one design, developed and produced by Southern Spars. Prepping the new double skinned mainsail © Harry KH Each team can produce up to 10 mainsails under the rules. Along with the mainsail you have the jibs and code zeros. There are five jib sizes to accommodate the different conditions and they weigh around 60kg each. Unlike the main, they are a single skin construction. The code zero, used in lighter sailing conditions has replaced the traditional spinnaker on the downwind legs, but could also be used upwind when it’s very light. The previous wing concept was complex and required a specialist operations team and a crane to attach it to the platform. The new mainsails need support from more traditional sailmakers and allow the team to change sails on the water. The INEOS TEAM UK sailmaking team is three strong, headed up by Sail Loft Production Manager, Ian ‘Shinzy’ Pattison alongside sailmakers Sam Haines and Danny Leech. INEOS TEAM UK Sailmaker Sam Haines © Dan Wilko Shinzy has campaigned with numerous Cup teams, whereas for Sam and Danny the AC36 will be their first. Sam has over 20 years of sailmaking knowledge and provides some insight into the new sail concept: “The nice thing about this type of sail, compared to the previous wings, is that it does bring back the more traditional skills and machine work, which I think some people have been missing in the previous editions. “The mainsail is the biggest sail on the boat; it is the primary device for controlling and powering the boat. It’s the equivalent to having a rudder in the sky! Iain is our trimmer onboard, there’s a lot of controls that primarily attach to the top (head) of the sail, including the twist and camber control.” INEOS TEAM UK Head Of Rigging, Chris Noble © Lloyd Images These controls have a big impact on the balance of the boat, and the mainsail trimmer must work very closely with the helmsman to control the boat and keep it going fast. “The main sail is essentially the same product you see out on a 30-foot sailboat out on the Solent, just some of the engineering is different because of what we are trying to achieve with these AC75s. There’s a lot of components inside the sails so the boat builders are manufacturing these for us, there’s a lot of involvement from the different trades within the team. “We are still in a development phase and looking at different concepts and set ups. However, a lot of the thinking has come from how the wing sails worked, so we are trying to adapt this concept into the soft sail. We are really going to be pushing the boundaries.” Sam described a typical sailing day for him and the team. “The mainsail goes on the boat around 15-20 minutes before we are due to leave the dock. Then out on the water there’s one or two of us out there from the sail loft, in case we need to make any quick repairs and to assess if any changes need to be made. “But our day really starts when the team get back! We bring the mainsail, jib and code zero into the base, check all the internal and external components, check the corners and batten tensions to make sure there’s no wear and tear we have missed. It’s around three hours of checking per sailing session.” INEOS TEAM UK Sailmaker Sam Haines © Dan Wilko “It’s a really exciting time to be a sailmaker in the America’s Cup and I think this concept can – and will – eventually trickle down to the wider sailing industry.” READ MORE

SAVASANA SHINES IN J/70 WINTER SERIES OPENER North Designs Powered Top Five in Tampa The weekend champion, Savasana, won with North Sails. 📸 Chris Howell Sunny conditions welcomed forty-eight teams for the J/70 Winter Series opener, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club. North clients dominated the fleet, taking the five top spots. Congratulations to Brian Keane and his corinthian team on Savasana for winning first place overall. The weekend kicked off as usual with the Friday Porch Series, a series of practice races and starts for all competitors organized by North expert Jackson Benvenutti. All teams did practice starts and races to get warmed up for the weekend, followed by a comprehensive debrief led by coach Jackson. The club was packed with enthusiastic sailors sharing ideas, techniques, and information. On Saturday the fleet only got one lap in before the wind shut off for the day. Once racing was abandoned, sailors were treated to chili and beer at DIYC, proving once again why it is one of the most hospitable clubs around. That evening, teams headed to some of Tampa’s many sports bars for NHL hockey action. On Sunday morning, three races were sailed in a 5-10 knot easterly breeze that put a premium on clear air off the start and avoiding holes. Here are two lessons learned: Steer With Your Weight Downwind The spinnaker trimmer moved side to side (along with some help from the bow person) to help steer the boat, which reduced the amount of rudder movement needed. Accelerate As A Team Starting in light air, there is always a battle between allowing enough distance to accelerate without being covered by competitors. On final approach, our jib trimmer relayed distance to the line. That allowed trimmer and driver to be on the same page for the final acceleration. The next regatta in the J/70 Tampa Winter Series is set to begin January 10, we look forward to seeing everyone there! 📸 Chris Howell 📸 Chris Howell READ MORE

PODIUM SWEEP AT THE J/70 SOUTH AMERICANS A Tie For First, With Two Different Mainsails 📸Jorge Cousillas The J/70 South Americans were sailed in Punta del Este, Uruguay the first week in December. Giulio Desiderato, the mainsheet trimmer onboard winners Petite Terrible, says it was a really close championship. “The top two boats were tied and the third just one point behind. Punta del Este was a great racing venue, and we sailed in all the wind conditions, from really light up to 20 knots.” The italian team skippered by Claudia Rossi used the F-1 mainsail, J-2 High Clew jib, and AP-1 spinnaker. “The F-1 mainsail compared to the XCS-2 has less luff curve,” Giulio points out, adding that it was the first time the team used that sail. “We really focused on the bend, trying to tune a straighter mast.” Playing a lot with the lower and with the vang also helped control the bottom shape of the mainsail, he says. “A powerful shape allowed us to be really fast with the chop and cross waves of Punta del Este. Especially the last day, it was really puffy and patchy, so our goal was to find a set up that allowed us to play with the maximum range of backstay.” In second place on countback was a team led by Guillermo Parada, who sailed in the Olympics for Argentina and is also helmsman of the TP52 Azzurra. Both Parada’s team and third place Enfante Terrible sailed with the XCS-2 mainsail, J-2 High Clew jib, and AP-1 spinnaker. North Sails designer Giovanni Cassinari was Enfante Terrible’s main trimmer. “It was a great event, really well organized, and with great sailing conditions,” Giulio concludes. “And it’s been great training for us, looking forward to our objectives for the 2020 season.” Related articles: Which J/70 mainsail is best for your team? How to choose the best J/70 jib Learn more about the world’s fastest J/70 designs. Starting line in Punta Del Este. 📸Jorge Cousillas Claudia Rossi’s Petit Terrible, 2019 south American Champions 📸Jorge Cousillas 📸Jorge Cousillas READ MORE

Hrvatski RU jedriličari su najbolji na svijetu FOTO: IOM WORLDS 2019 Osim dvojca iz naslova i ostatak hrvatskog tima se vratio doma sa Svjetskog prvenstva radio upravljanih jedrilica klase IOM s osmjehom na licu, pa da rezimiramo... Zvonko Jelačić sa zlatom, Ante Kovačević sa srebrom, Mirko Ukas sa sedmim mjestom, Bruno Marević je najbolji junior, a Vedran Vesanović najbolji grand master! Ovako iznimni rezultati su definitivno rezultat kako iznimnih talenata, tako i uloženog velikog truda. Da ne bi bilo zabune, naši jedriličari su u samom svjetskom vrhu ove klase već dugi niz godina, ali ovako nismo dominirali još od Barbadosa 2009. godine kad je Zvonko Jelačić osvojio svoju prvu svjetsku titulu. Ovo mu je ukupno treći naslov svjetskog prvaka, jer je rezultat s Barbadosa ponovio prije dvije godine u Francuskoj i trenutno je jedini jedriličar koji je uspio obraniti naslov i koji ih ima čak tri! Kako je to izgledalo s bodovne strane možete vidjeti na ovom linku, a kako je to izgledalo na licu mjesta i u pripremnom razdoblju najbolje je da nam ispričaju i sami glavni akteri ove lijepe priče: U Brazil smo stigli dva dana prije početka da se malo aklimatiziramo, samo četiri sata je vremenske razlike, pa to nije bio toliki problem, ali trebali smo malo izviditi situaciju. Obavezno je uspješno proći premjeravanje, koje traje dva dna, pa smo htjeli malo izviditi područje jedrenja, smještaj itd. Prejeravanje je proteklo manje više glatko, ta dva pripremna dana smo napravili i dva treninga. Znali smo da smo brzi, ali nismo znali koliko jer nitko nije htio s nama trenirati :) Dobro, nismo se baš ni ciljali da treniramo s nekim od jakih. Oni bi došli ujutro, a mi bi brodove bacili poslijepodne. Onda b oni došli i gledali, nitko nije htio baciti brod skupa s nama. Jedino se Mirko žalio nakon tih treninga da mu je brod spor, pa smo mu morali objasniti da nije on spor, već da smo se mi značajno ubrzali :) Ja i Ante smo cijelo ljeto radili na brodovima i kad se jedri toliko dugo onda više nije samo u brodovima, već si cijeli u tome. Točno znaš da li je to to ili brod može još brže. Mislim da nam je to bilo ključno, jer su se uvjeti u Brazilu stalno mijenjali. Nismo imali dva plova po istim uvjetima. Ujutro bi imali nešto kao što je u nas maestral. Ujutro bi bio lagan vjetar, a za uru i pol već je dva čvora jači. A s obzirom da do idućeg plova moramo čekati po sat i pol - dva, dok se izredaju sve grupe, uvjeti se značajno promijene. Pa do trećeg plova u danu vjetar možda ostane iste snage, ali je u međuvremenu narastao val. Četvrti plov možda ostane isti uvjet, a na petom plovu već krene slabljenje vjetra, a val ostane... To je npr. bila značajna razlika u odnosu na Barbados gdje nisam promijenio trim niti jednom u sedam dana, a ovdje je svaki plov bio s drugim trimom... što promjena u sakovima, tenziji štraja. Mislim da je to bio vrlo važan element ove regate, naravno uz dobar start i dobru brzinu, jer vjetar je bio dosta stabilan. Nije bilo nekih posebnih driceva, OK, uvijek je neka strana bolja, ali s tim se nisu mogla čuda raditi. U redu, bilo je nekih ruta s kojima se moglo dobiti nekoliko dužina broda do bove, ali ako ja to mogu nadoknaditi brzinom to nije toliko bitno. Da ne bi bilo zabune, brzine koje smo imali ja i Ante nisu bile nešto značajno veće od ostalih koji su brzo jedrili. U nekim uvjetima bi se netko našao tko je pratio našu brzinu, ali stvar je u tome što kad bi se uvjeti promijenili taj više nije imao istu brzinu, već bi usporio, a netko drugi bi nam se približio. Da se razumijemo, nismo imali brzine s kojima nas nitko nije mogao pratiti, ali bila je dovoljna da npr. nakon starta prvi dođemo do laylinea i tad se već stvori situacija po kojoj nas nitko više ne može pratiti. Onda dođe vira, koju u mnogim uvjetima Kantun 2 može napraviti brže od ostalih, pa tu dobijemo još pola dužine. Tako da ako se regularno startalo s ostalima, sad si već među prvih nekoliko brodova, a onaj koji je startao pored tebe ako nije pao u šiju, nego je bio malo sa strane, sad je već 7-8. To je ogromna razlika... I onda kad na bovi od krme ponovno okreneš među prva 3-4 broda ponovno prođeš jedan - dva broda na račun brzine... Najbolji primjeri ovih razlika su Britanac Peter Stollery (svjetski prvak iz 2011., u Brazilu završio na 5. mjestu) koji je najbolje rezultate radio kroz jutro kad je bio lagani vjetar. Onda kad bi vjetar pojačao više nam ne bi bio opasnost, a njegovo mjesto bi zauzeo Novozelanđanin Ian Vickers (završio je s broncom) i Francuz Romain Dubreull (4. mjesto). Da ne bi bilo zabune, svi oni su jedrili dobro. Zvonko Jelačić, svjetski prvak FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA Za Brazil smo kontinuirano trenirali od regate u Rogoznici, u siječnju. Jedrili smo po svim uvjetima... buri, jugu, kiši, suncu... a program priprema smo obogatili odlascima na dvije velike regate u inozemstvu. Jedna je bila u Engleskoj, a druga u Španjolskoj. Njih smo izabrali jer su nam trebale jake regate da se vratimo u regatni mod, jer smo inače kontinuirano jedrili samo brod na brod u smislu iznalaženja njegovih najvećih brzina i najboljih mogućnosti. Tako da su nam te dvije regate bile potrebne baš zbog samog regatnog karaktera. Što se tiče Brazila, nas petorica smo bili zajedno smješteni u jednom stanu u blizini kluba, tako da nismo bili ovisni o autobusu koji je ostale natjecatelje vozio od hotela i natrag, pa smo mogli imati svoj ritam i rutinu. Svako natjecanje ovako jakog karaktera počinje s vrlo detaljnim premjeravanjima. Što se tiče mene i Zvonka to je trajalo malo duže, jer smo neke stvari ostavili za sam kraj. Naime, do pred sam odlazak iz Splita radili smo na kolombama i ostavili smo neke stvari nedovršene s ciljem da ih finaliziramo na licu mjesta u skladu s uvjetima koji su tamo vladali. Ono što nam je najviše nedostajalo u pripremnom razdoblju su startevi i pripadajuća gužva, što mi doma nemamo već neko vrijeme. To je praktički meni i presudilo. Moj zaostatak za Zvonkom je u tome što sam ja tih šest dana jedrenja imao 6-7 izlijetanja na startu. Jednostavno zbog tih 6-7 regata, dovoljno da sam bio par mjesta iza njega, a što i jesam, jer se moraš vratiti, ponovno startati... i to je tih 18 bodova razlike na kraju. Mislim da on nije niti jednu izletio i da je to odlično odradio. Što se tiče uvjeta za jedrenje moram reći da smo mi u tom pripremnom razdoblju proveli sate i sate proučavajući video snimke regata koje su se jedrile u tom akvatoriju. Pregledali smo sva dostupna videa na YouTubeu. I mislim da smo dosta dobro snimili uvjete koji su na toj vodi... jer to tamo je voda, nije more. To je inače ušće velike rijeke i oko 90% regata smo odvozili tako da nam je kurenat te rijeke bio u krmu, pa nas je guralo vani i vjerojatno je i to razlog zašto sam toliko puta izletio na startu jer na to nisam navikao. Međutim, kurenat nije bio toliko jak jer je rijeka na tom mjestu stvarno široka. Što se tiče vala, on je bio kratak i "čopav", razlog je što je to bila slatka voda, pa se ona lakše obrušava i teren je drugačiji, plitko je. Tako da smo pokušavali ovdje pronaći takve uvjete i najbliže tome smo pronašli kod Trogira kad puše jugo, pa smo nekoliko treninga napravili i tamo uz pomoć Marija Škrlja. Tu smo npr. testirali B jedra po takvom valu. U svakom slučaju tu domaću zadaću smo odlično odradili jer smo bili dominantni po takvim uvjetima. Vjetar je bio takav da je vladala dnevna termika, ujutro lagani vjetar, a kasnije okretanje za suncem, samo što taj "maestral" puše s druge strane, jer smo bili na drugoj zemaljskoj polutki. Slična situacija je bila i sa suncem, jer drugačije putuje nego što smo na to naviknuli. Bili smo postavljeni slično kao kod nas, gledali smo put juga, ali sunce je prolazilo nama iza leđa, a ne ispred nas kao što smo naviknuli gore na sjeveru. I to sunce, odnosno refleksija, bi nam smetalo tek na kraju dana. A boja vode, onako smeđa... rijeka je puna mulja, nitko se nije kupao u njoj osim nas kad smo na kraju morali skočiti u nju :), a po riječima lokalaca navodno je bilo i aligatora na drugoj obali. I za kraj još jednom moram istaknuti da je ovaj rezultat plod velikog rada zadnjih godinu dana, svladavanja tehnike jedrenja po tom čopavom valu, kao što vjerujem da su svoj udio imali nova peraja i olovo koje smo dizajnirali baš za takav val. I ne smijem zaboraviti spomenuti da smo baš zbog takvih uvjeta dolje išli s malo dubljim jedrima, jer za takav val treba imati malo više snage u jedrima. A u dizajnu tih novih jedara svojim prijedlozima nam je pomogao i Tomislav Bašić. Ante Kovačević, svjetski viceprvak Osim njih dvojice svoj veliki pečat regati je napravio i Mirko Ukas. On jedini od našeg tima nije jedrio s najnovijim Zvonkovim dizajnom, već s generaciju starijim Kantunom S. Ali svejedno, nakon što je uhvatio ritam uvjeta i vala i Mirko pokazuje svoju kvalitetu i osvaja fenomenalno 7. mjesto na svijetu. Inače je on bio glavni logističar tima. Pripremu svih doručaka i večera je preuzeo na sebe i sa svojom kuhinjom sigurno dao svoj doprinos osvojenim medaljama. Prvi put na regati smo imali i jedriličara u kategoriji grand master. Riječ je o Vedranu Vesanoviću, koji je stalni član naše reprezentacije već desetak godina, ali sad prvi put u ovoj kategoriji, a taj ulazak u ovu konkurenciju obilježio je osvajanjem titule najboljeg u svojoj dobnoj skupini. Još smo imali i najboljeg juniora prvenstva, Bruna Marevića. Njemu je ovo bio prvi izlazak na najjaču svjetsku scenu u ovoj klasi. Vrlo dobro je krenuo s jedrenjem. Na kvalifikacijama je skoro završio na 3. mjestu i odmah bi upao u A grupu, ali na kraju nije uspio izorcati cilj, pa je virao i kad je izbjegavao četvrtog udario je u petog. Nije se dobro snašao kod iskupljivanja i završio je zadnji, pa je regatu započeo iz grupe E. Tako da se prvih tri - četiri dana vrtio u zadnjim grupama i tek se zadnji dan stabilizirao u grupi C. Napokon se natrimao da ide dobro i onda je došao do grupe A u kojoj je uspio ostati dva puta. Najbolje se snalazio kad je vjetar bio najjači, za najmanja jedra (C komplet). Po laganim i umjerenim vjetrovima uglavnom se jedrenje svodi na stegnuti škotu i strpljivo odjedriti zamišljeno, dok s C jedrima potrebno je puno više raditi i s jedrima i kormilom, a to ga je više podsjećalo na klasu 420 u kojoj i inače gradi svoju trenutnu jedriličarsku karijeru. U svakom slučaju IOM scena u Hrvatskoj je dobila još jednog prosperitetnog jedriličara u svojim redovima. FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA Naša ekipa je u Brazilu stanovala u blizini kluba u jednoj stambenoj zgradi i praktički su mogli do kluba ići pješice, dok su ostali jedriličari bili u udaljenom hotelu do kojeg i od kojeg su putovali autobusom kojeg je osigurao organizator. Porto Alegre je inače na sjeveru Brazila u dijelu koji je dosta razvijeniji od ostatka države, ali je stopa kriminala svejedno dosta visoka i zbog sigurnosti su domaćini preporučili svim jedriličarima da noću ne izlaze na ulicu. A što se tiče osiguranja zgrade u kojoj su stanovali zanimljivo je da je ograđena visokim zidom na kojem se nalazi žica pod naponom, naoružani čuvar na ulazu s ulice i još jedan na ulazu u zgradu. Također je i jedriličarski klub okružen jednakim sigurnosnim mjerama s neizbježnim naoružanim čuvarima, dok je regatna zona je bila smještena na otočiću ispred kluba. Do njega se dolazilo preko mosta na čijem početku je također stajao čuvar i natjecatelji su praktički bili izolirani od ostatka Brazila. Unatoč van serijskom jedrenju naših jedriličara treba pohvaliti i dizajne jedrilice s kojom su jedrili... Kantun 2 i Kanutn S. Kad se letimično statistički obrade podaci dolazi se do podatka da su ovi dizajni osvojili više od 50% prvih mjesta na ovom prvenstvu. Naravno, u paketu s trupom idu i pripadajuća 3D jedra koja se izrađuju po Zvonkovom patentu i posljednjih desetak godina je jedini proizvođač koji koristi ovu tehnologiju u svijetu radio upravljanog jedrenja. Da to nije mala stvar govori i to da se mnogi vrhunski dizajneri bave i oviim malenim jedrilicama. Najzvučnija imena su definitivno Giovanni Ceccarelli s čijim dizajnom imena Sedici je jedrilo nekoliko jedriličara, a na trećem mjestu je završio novozelandski jedriličar i dizajner Ian Vickers koji je bio jedan od dizajnera jedrilja na nekoliko novozelandskih America's Cup jedrilica! Osim jedriličarske strane, na kraju prvenstva se pokazala i ljudska strana. Kako danas skoro svatko koristi Facebook i sve se nalazi na društvenim mrežama, tako su i mnogi sudionici primijetili da naši reprezentativci dijele neke novinske članke u kojima se spominje JK Zenta. Upotrebom Google prevoditelja mnogi su išli pročitati o čemu se radi i nisu mogli vjerovati da se malverzacije koje se događaju u Zenti mogu uopće dešavati u jednoj pravno uređenoj državi. Posljednjeg dana su odlučili da će svi zajedno u znak podrške ovom jedriličarskom klubu napraviti grupnu fotografiju: FOTO: FACEBOOK PRVENSTVA I za kraj jedna zanimljiva crtica vezana uz klasu IOM je i taj što do nedavno, po pravilima, nisu mogla biti organizirana kontinentalna prvenstva, osim Europskog prvenstva i Svjetskog prvenstva. To se može tek od posljednje izmjene koja je napravljena na inicijativu trenutnog predsjednika klase, brazilca Freda Roche. Prilikom glasanja za ovaj prijedlog najveći protivnici su bili Britanci. Oni su inače jedna od velesila u radio upravljanom jedrenju, ali unatoč velikoj brojnosti i dugoj tradiciji pomalo gube svoj dosadašnji značaj rastom popularnosti i dostupnosti ovog sporta u ostatku svijeta. Direktna posljedica novih pravila, osim što će sad svaki kontinent moći imati svog šampiona, je i drugačija raspodjela mjesta na svjetskim prvenstvima, jer se mora promijeniti i ključ distribucije. Naravno, Britanci će na taj način zbog loših rezultata u posljednje vrijeme izgubiti određeni broj mjesta, a također i svoj utjecaj prilikom donošenja pravila. Najbolji primjer utjecaja britanskog lobija je i korištenje sustava jedrenja velikih prvenstava. Trenutno je u upotrebi sustav koji dozvoljava kontinuiranu fluktuaciju natjecatelja kroz jakosne skupine, ali smanjuje maksimalni broj natjecatelja, broj jedrenja u jednom danu, ima utjecaj na brzinu rješavanja protesta itd. Dok se u Hrvatskoj na velikim regatama trenutno koristi sustav vrlo sličan sustavima koji koriste mnoge druge klase, a zasniva se na tome da se u prvom dijelu regate jedre kvalifikacije i kasnije finala. Prilikom posljednjeg glasanja o ovom sustavu Hrvatski prijedlog je izgubio tijesnom manjinom, ali možda s novim promjenama doprinese modernizaciji ovog segmenta jedrenja. U svakom slučaju naši jedriličari na regatnom polju pokazuju da su najbolji neovisno o sustavu, a s obzirom na nove akcije koje se rade na popularizaciji ovog vida jedrenja, svi mladi i budući jedriličari radio upravljanim jedrilicama imat će sigurno najbolje mentore na svijetu da ih upute u sve detalje ove vještine! READ MORE

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JOIN US AT THE 2020 TORONTO BOAT SHOW Shop New Sails And See What's New READ MORE

NORTH SAILS POWERS STAR SAILORS LEAGUE WINNERS Iain Percy & Ander Ekström Take Home the Big Prize 23 of the world’s best sailing teams gathered in Nassau, Bahamas for the seventh edition of the Star Sailors League Finals. With Olympic medalists lining up with world champions from a variety of classes in a knockout format, it was a battle right from the first start. Four days later, a too-close-to-call finish gave the British/Swedish duo of Iain Percy and Ander Ekstrom a tiny victory over the French team of Xavier Rohart and Pierre-Alexis Ponsot. Both teams finished only meters ahead of Norwegian Evind Melleby, who sailed with American Josh Revkin. The top two teams race with North Sails and were fast throughout the wind range. Iain Percy used the same M-16 mainsail that helped him win a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and a new J-115 full radial jib, and he felt they were incredibly quick during the finals. Xavier Rohart, who used the lighter air J1-R5 jib, said, “The boat was very easy to sail and really, really fast, I just had to try and go the correct way.” The M-16 design is ideal for softer rigs. The more recent M-25 design is optimised for the newer stiffer masts, though it can also be used with confidence on other masts. The North designs are faster than ever. The SSL result, combined with the victories at the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and the North Americans, proves that there are no better Star sails on the market. Star World Champion and North Sails expert Eric Doyle also made the finals and was really impressed with the sails. “Our designs are faster than ever. The SSL result, combined with the victories at the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and the North Americans, proves that there are no better Star sails on the market.” Congratulations to the top two teams on their excellent results, and also thanks to the Star Sailors League and Nassau Yacht Club for putting on such a fantastic regatta. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS RELEASE NEW JIBS TO MEET J/105 LATEST CLASS WEIGHT RULES New Lighter Sails Retain Market-leading Durability, Shape Holding And Performance North Sails have released new 3Di jibs for the J/105, updating the popular Mi-4 to the Mi-5 and the Li-5 to the Li-6 to meet the new weight rules set by the class. The new designs continue to offer unparalleled durability, speed and range as a result of North’s unique 3Di technology. Allan Terhune, the J/105 Class Expert with North Sails in Annapolis MD, added, “The new Mi-5 and Li-6 jibs are now really right in the wheelhouse of peak performance, as we were arguably previously over-building them before to meet the weight requirements. But with the new minimum weight, these sails are really coming into their own.” Sail designer Rich Bowen added, “The designs remain the current standard and the previous sails had some parasitic features to boost weight to achieve the old class minimum, so updating the finishing and tape layouts has been key to the new sail. The new J/105 jibs are now all 760 RAW, which immediately saved some weight. We were then able to reduce sail structure and still have the strength required to achieve the same flying shape. “Non-standard” edge reinforcements were removed, and we applied appropriate-sized corner rings and webs on the new models.” J/105 boats racing with North Sails have long benefited from 3Di technology, with no delamination and uncompromised shape retention. North J/105 clients are able to see sustained performance over multiple racing seasons without replacing sails, netting a bigger return on investment and value-for-money. The J/105 events in 2020 include the popular NOOD Regattas in the Spring in Annapolis MD, San Diego CA and Marblehead MA, as well as the North American Championships in October. In 2019 North Sails clients dominated the North Americans, Midwinter Series, East Coast and NOOD regattas, in one of the strongest results for North powered boats on record. North Sails supports the Class across all key events, with representatives on the ground at regattas offering instructional seminars and helping clients get the most out of their sails. As the leader in One Design sailmaking, North Sails is offering special pricing for all orders placed by December 31st, 2019. Contact your local North expert today. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: BREST ATLANTIQUES Second Major Offshore Victory For Gitana’s Edmond de Rothschild 📸 Yann Riou This article was published at 0400 on Friday December 6th. At this time, MACIF & Actual Leader had not finished. You can track them here. The 2019 edition of the Brest Atlantiques was known as the “flight of the giants,” with four super -charged Ultim trimarans driven by talented sailors and powered by North Sails 3Di. The race cast off on November 5th from Brest on a 14,000nm journey and has now reached an ending with three of four teams making it to the finish line. The winner, Gitana’s Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, crossed the finish line in the morning on December 5th, making this the second major offshore victory for the team this year, first being the Fastnet in August where they claimed multihull line honours. Covering a total of 17,084 nm at an average speed of 24.57 knots, and only 28 days to finish the race, skippers Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, and media team member Yann Riou kept their Ultim on the edge as much as possible, racing as fast as they could with a clean and clear strategy to snag the lead on the fleet. 📸 Yvan Zedda They didn’t have the lead until they crossed the Robben Island course off of Cape Town and worked hard to eliminate maneuvers and reel in Sodebo, who was at that time 13 hours and 53 minutes ahead. Battling the unstable tradewinds, Edmund de Rothschild couldn’t follow a course as direct as they had planned but they kept their heads in the game and to find the most optimum route across the Equator that would put them ahead of their competitors. Once they passed the Cagarras Islands, Actual Leader was close on their tail, so they knew they had to play it smart and sail fast to get ahead of the weather systems that were pushing in. Once Edmond de Rothschild had less than 2000nm to go, they knew they needed to reach the Azores quick so they could catch the front where the conditions were sporty but most ideal for their plan to get ahead of the fleet. MACIF and Actual Leader were still close behind, but now battling each other for second place, giving Rothschild a chance to break free and extend. Unfortunately Thomas Coville’s Sodebo suffered a collision with a UFO, which forced them to make a pitstop in Cape Town giving them no other option but to retire. Before the incident they were well ahead of both Edmund de Rothschild and MACIF, so it was a bit of bad luck that changed the race for the team. As amazing as it truly was, when Edmond de Rothschild made landfall in Salvador de Bahia, their stay would last roughly 13 hours and 40 minutes, and when they got back in the game, it would only take them a solid two days to catch up and take back their lead. Designed to literally fly offshore, Gitana’s Edmond de Rothschild is built for speed as is the standard for the entire Ultim trimaran fleet. Her sailors also deserve a big round of applause, both being recognized as Sailor of the Year at least once, if not twice as well as winning other major offshore races like the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Jules Verne Trophy, Route de Rhum and the Volvo Ocean Race. Spending time on the Ultim trimaran has given Franck and Charles that competitive edge, knowing how hard they can push the boat and be comfortable taking it to the next level. https://prmediazone.s3.amazonaws.com/videos/m26156_191204_bout-a-bout-arrivee-itw-en-aglais-beauty-shot_1080p_vi.mp4 READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ARRIVES IN LORIENT The Center For Offshore Racing & Technological Innovation 📸 Yann Riou North Sails has opened a new loft in Lorient, France. The new location will allow the company to welcome a large number of its clients who are based in the “Sailing Valley”, a strategic area in Brittany dedicated to offshore racing and technological innovation. “Our approach to be in close contact with the leaders in sailing and innovation in the Lorient area perfectly complements the links that we already have with our partners and collaborators who are our neighbors in Vannes,” comments Gautier Sergent, director of North Sails France. “The desire to settle in Lorient has long been a subject of discussion within North Sails,” he continues. “We are pleased that this initiative has finally materialized.” “Today more than 80% of French offshore skippers, from all classes including mini, Figaro, Class 40, IMOCA, Ultim and more, are present in Lorient,” explained Éric Gallais-Hamonno, production manager with North Sails. “It was clear we needed an outpost there, not only to strengthen the relationships with our existing clients but to also develop our local network and access new markets, such as cruising and local IRC.” “More than half of the sails that we service at our loft in Vannes are for boat projects based out of Lorient,” adds Thibaut Agaugue, service manager at North Sails. “So it’s a logical evolution. The goal is to better meet the needs of the sailing teams by offering local service and skills, with the added presence of technical-commercial experts and designers. Our presence across this area, including Port-la-Forêt, will simplify logistics and allow us to be even more responsive.” The North Sails loft has a new 500m² floor dedicated to service (after-sales service, modifications and repairs). “This will allow the floor space in Vannes to manufacture more efficiently and serenely,” says Thibaut. The Vannes loft will remain the production site for North Sails, and service for customers in the Vannes region. Thibaut Agaugue will be in charge of service in Vannes and Lorient and can be available as needed. The loft in Lorient also has office space and a 50m² meeting room to receive a team of five or six people (service, commercial and design). READ MORE

SAVE ON NORTH 1720 SAILS Celebrating 300 Years Of The Royal Cork Yacht Club In celebration of the Cork 300 Regatta in 2020 North Sails are offering a very special deal for the 1720 fleet. For all sails ordered before the end of December 2019 we are offering savings on the full range of sails. North Sails have been involved in the 1720 class since its inception and our sails have enjoyed some great results over the years. We were delighted to see our 3Di sails at the front of the fleet in 2019 and the feedback has been excellent. In recent times things have been a little quiet in the class but with the 1720 Europeans forming part of the Cork 300 celebrations, it seems like every 1720 within a 400 miles radius will be joining the fleet in 2020! So with that in mind, we decided to make a one time special offer to the class to allow more teams to experience what North Sails and 3Di can do for you. For prices and terms please do not hesitate to contact us at: info@irl.northsails.com We look forward to hearing from you very soon. Offer ends 31st December 2019. READ MORE

North Sails France s’installe à Lorient Un nouveau plancher de service ouvre ses portes à Lorient : the place to be North Sails France s’installera début décembre à Lorient La Base (Morbihan) dans l’ancien bâtiment de la voilerie Tonnerre. Ce nouvel emplacement permettra à l’entreprise d’accueillir un grand nombre de ses clients basés au cœur de la Sailing Valley, un lieu stratégique dédié à la course au large et à l’innovation technologique. Aujourd’hui, 80 % des coureurs offshore (Mini-Transat, Figaro, Class 40, IMOCA, Ultim, IRC, etc.) sont installés à Lorient, explique Éric Gallais-Hamonno, responsable de production chez North Sails. La nécessité d’avoir un point de chute là-bas devenait évidente, à la fois pour renforcer nos liens avec nos clients existants, développer notre réseau local et conquérir de nouveaux marchés (croisière/IRC local, …). « Plus de la moitié des voiles en service dans notre loft à Vannes sont des voiles de projets de bateaux dont le port d’attache est à Lorient La Base, ajoute Thibaut Agaugue, responsable service à North Sails. C’est donc une évolution logique de notre activité. L’objectif est de mieux répondre aux besoins des équipes navigantes en offrant un service de proximité et de compétences avec la présence également d’experts technico-commerciaux et d’un bureau d’études. Notre rapprochement sur cette zone et celle de Port-la-Forêt simplifiera la logistique et nous permettra d’être encore plus réactifs. » « Cette démarche d’être au contact avec les acteurs de la voile et de l’innovation dans le bassin lorientais complète parfaitement les liens que nous avons déjà avec nos partenaires et collaborateurs dont nous sommes voisins à Vannes, commente Gautier Sergent, directeur de North Sails France. La volonté de s’installer à Lorient est un sujet de longue date au sein de North Sails France, poursuit-il. Nous sommes heureux que cette initiative se matérialise enfin. » En effet, depuis quelques années déjà, North Sails France souhaitait s’implanter à la Base des sous-marins. À l’origine, l’entreprise devait récupérer la partie rez-de chaussée du bâtiment des défis, mais celui-ci a été détruit par un gigantesque incendie en juin 2018. La voilerie North Sails disposera désormais d’un nouveau plancher de 500m² dédié au service (SAV / modifications / réparations). « Cela préservera l’espace de production au plancher de Vannes pour fabriquer plus efficacement et sereinement, » informe Thibaut. Le loft de Vannes restera le site de production pour North Sails France, et de service pour les clients de la région vannetaise. Thibaut Agaugue devient responsable du service à Vannes et à Lorient. Il se rendra disponible en fonction des besoins. Le loft de Lorient compte également un espace de bureau et salle de réunion de 50m² pour recevoir une équipe de cinq ou six personnes (service, commerciaux et bureau d’études). Le nouveau plancher a nécessité quelques travaux de rénovation avant d’être opérationnel et son inauguration aura lieu prochainement. READ MORE

SARASOTA BAY: LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IS KEY Vipers And VX One Winter Series Sarasota Bay has to be one of the most beautiful places to sail in the country. Its gorgeous blues and greens reflect off the sandy white bottom and a warm salty splash is always refreshing. Perhaps the only thing more heartwarming than leaving the Sarasota Sailing Squadron is the return back to the dock, where you’re always greeted with a cold beverage, a smile, and story from another sailing enthusiast. It’s no wonder why the Squadron’s racing calendar is constantly booked. This venue also delivers a challenging race track that keeps every tactician on their toes! The geography and weather patterns can provide just about every type of racing condition imaginable. A three day regatta might have 50 degrees temps and 25 knots from the north one day, a 3-12 knot easterly and 40 degree wind shifts the next day, and finish off with a building 8-15 knot sea breeze from the northwest. Perhaps the only people scratching their heads more than the tacticians are the PROs that have the pleasure of running our races! I learned to race on the Sarasota Bay when I was 9 years old and I’m very fortunate to get to return to my home waters quite often. I’ve been on both the right and wrong end of the Bay’s challenges, so here are some trends I’ve noticed along the way. Sea Breeze Day The sea breeze has a tendency to influence the gradient any time temperatures ashore get over about 80 degrees. If there is no other weather system in the area and the day is supposed to get that warm, you can fairly reliably look for a light easterly (often with a bit of south in it) when you arrive at the Squadron in the morning. Hopefully our PRO is reading this, because with this scenario there is really only one thing to do: POSTPONE! This morning easterly will pump in and out and shift slowly south as it dies. Keep an eye over the Van Wezel (it’s purple – you can’t miss it!) and look for puffy clouds to will build up until about 12:30pm. By 1:00 – 1:30, the easterly will have given up, and—as fast as you can snap your finger—the WNW sea breeze will make its grand entrance off the shores of Longboat Key. Now we’re in for a beautiful afternoon of racing. The sea breeze is fairly steady, but as the weather mark gets closer to Longboat Key the land can create 10 degree shifts. Shortly after the sea breeze comes in, look for more velocity on the right side of the race course. Make sure you play shifts to get over there, and then look for opportunities back to the top left closer to land. Later in the day, the pressure tends to even out and you start seeing more gains on the top left. But be careful, because if the course is too close to Longboat Key, the holes get bigger and bigger and you can get hung out to dry if you go too far left. On the downwind legs, try to keep an eye on the puffs settling in off the Key. Cold Front Day Any decent weather forecast will typically predict these a long time out. Unlike Miami, Sarasota occasionally gets hit with the big winter cold fronts that sweep across our country. Often these fronts pass through overnight (tie your boats down!) and we are greeted the next morning with a few inches of rain, temperatures in the 40s, and a NNW breeze that might be gusting over 30 knots. If the breeze does settle down enough to go racing, plan on shallower water because the wind will have blown a lot of water out of Big Pass (the Southern exit of the bay, near Siesta Key). This means “lots of sheep” as a popular class member likes to put it… steep chop to the rest of us. Plan on exercising your bailing arm and your hiking muscles as these days can be pretty full on. The wind is generally pretty steady, so it’s usually about starting at the favored end and minimizing tacks. The top priorities are boat speed and boat handling. Strong Easterly It’s fairly common in the spring to have an easterly breeze strong enough that it’s not affected by the sea breeze. It will often start out around 15 knots in the morning and die down to around 5 knots by the end of the day. This is the most dynamic condition on Sarasota Bay; the shifts and puffs are quite large and not always predictable. Get on the long tack early, and stay on it as long as you can. Point your boat at the mark, even if you have to sacrifice clean air to stay on the lifted tack. You can’t afford to sail away from the big shifts. Many times, it seems there is a left shift near the bottom of the course, a right shift in the middle, and a big left shift again at the top. But nothing can be counted as rock solid in this condition! Before the start, look up the course and try to start where you think the most pressure will be. From there, get on the lifted tack ASAP. Coming into the weather mark, decide what the shift is and get on the correct jibe right away as well. There’s a lot to be gained and lost there. Southerly It’s rare, but every now and then we get strong south breeze. In fact, last year’s final day of racing at the Midwinters was blown out by a building southerly. More often, when the breeze comes from the south it is lighter and more variable, often with big shifts and pressure from course right as the sea breeze endeavors to have its way. In a southerly less than 12 knots, my money’s on the right side of the course because it generally marches over to the right in a typical “clocking” fashion (with smaller “backs” to the left throughout the process). Early in the day it’s common to see huge right shifts with velocity, but as the direction works right the breeze settles in from the SW and the big shifts become less dramatic. The right seems more reliable, but it’s still possible to play the shifts on the left for a nice gain. Keep reading the water for velocity, and play the compass numbers above all else. There are some good rules of thumb that may help out when racing on Sarasota Bay, but this venue has stumped me plenty of times—even when I think I have a good idea of what’s going on! That is why the racing is so fun here—everyone has to be ready for anything! READ MORE

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: ARD VAN LEEUWEN New Year, New Boat, New Adventures Tell us about your journey to the J/112s? What was your biggest surprise when it came to the learning curve of the boat? There was hardly a learning curve to speak of. After two seasons on a J/88 the J/112e felt like a more forgiving version of the J/88. For racing it helped that we were now pretty much in the middle of the fleet in terms of boat length, PHRF and displacement. It made it easier to learn from what other boats were doing. How did you decide on your new inventory of sails? We decided to keep it simple for starters and just go with 105% jib, main and A2. The second year we added an A1/A3 hybrid. I wanted to do some point to point races and we thought a reaching spinnaker would come in handy. North Sails advice has been very helpful. As I’ve gotten more into racing over the last four years, I bump into the Toronto staff more and more. They run on the water racing clinics. They give seminars on sail trim in the winter. I’ve seen them crewing on boats I’m racing against. They volunteer to help organize regattas. They are plugged into the local racing scene and can offer advice accordingly. What steps did you take to learn more about the boat? How did these steps help improve your sailing? The most important thing was to just get out on the water in all kinds of conditions and experiment. That really helps to determine where the boat’s boundaries are. The polars were always a good reference point. Asking a lot of questions to people who’ve been sailing for decades is still a big help. The winter is (too) long so there’s was a lot of time to learn in different ways other than sailing. The biggest difference between this year and last on the boat? I learn best after doing it wrong the first time. Having had three seasons of doing many things wrong really helped. In terms of racing one big difference is that we are making fewer mistakes and recovering from them faster when we do make them. There’s less second guessing because we are now more confident about knowing the pros and cons of choices in front of us. What is your best piece of advice for anyone thinking about solo-sailing? Get a reliable auto-pilot and a furling headsail. The crucial parts are figuring out a way to get your sails down and how to get back on the dock by yourself. The rest is easy. For inspiration go to YouTube and search for the “Don't text and drive (with the big gennaker up)” video by Peter Gustafsson. It hooked me. What motivates you to keep going? To keep racing? It’s fun, relaxing and challenging all at the same time. Racing adds a little edge and excitement to that mix. A crew adds in teamwork and there’s always the social angle after the sail. And, let’s not forget the prizes. I won the “Best hat in the fleet” award at Mimico. What’s not to like? READ MORE

Preparing successfully to compete in the biggest offshore races requires putting your attention to every detail. When sailing the Transpac, Sydney to Hobart (or a similar race that heads well offshore such as the Newport Bermuda Race), you’ll need to win a different sort of race after crossing the finish line—the delivery back to your home port. READ MORE

POST-REGATTA SAIL SERVICE Offering Service For Sydney Hobart / Australian Sailing Championship Sailors North Sails Certified Service Experts in Tasmania are here to get your sails repaired overnight post Sydney-Hobart. Our service van will be onsite offering pick-up and drop-off to the regatta venue. Things can happen after a 600nm race, but that doesn’t mean you are left without a key feature of your sail inventory! North Sails Tasmania is situated a short distance from the heart of Hobart and will be ready to service your sails as soon as you have finished the race. To make it easy and to accommodate the influx of yachts coming to Hobart, we are offering a pickup and delivery service at two ideal locations: Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, host of the IRC Nationals Peter Johnston Ship Chandlery, situated at the docks in Hobart If you are competing in the IRC Nationals after this year’s Sydney to Hobart, North Sails can be there to pick up your sails from Kings Pier as soon as you have completed the great race. Please feel free to contact our friendly North Sails team to assist with your service needs. We look forward to seeing you in Hobart! North Sails Tasmania 273 Kennedy Drive, Cambridge, Hobart, Tasmania READ MORE

In the lead up to your next offshore race, here’s a look at a typical mainsail reefing system and some tips for looking after the mainsail when reefing. READ MORE

For the majority of boats racing offshore distance, the crew size will be between 8-16. To get the best out of everyone while racing the boat hard around the clock, the skipper or sailing master needs a clear view of each crew member’s skill sets: their strengths and weaknesses, and where they will work best within the team.  READ MORE

MINI-TRANSAT LA BOULANGÈRE - ÉDITION 2019 Ambrogio Beccaria, vainqueur en classement série © Christophe Breschi / Mini-Transat La Boulangère La Mini-Transat La Boulangère 2019 a été officiellement clôturée dimanche 24 novembre avec l’arrivée du dernier concurrent en Martinique. Formidable école de la course au large, cette transatlantique en solitaire n’en reste pas moins éprouvante et difficile pour tous les skippers en lice. Créée en 1977 par l'anglais Bob Salmon, elle se dispute tous les deux ans sur des voiliers de 6.50 mètres sans aucun moyen de communication et avec le minimum d’instruments de navigation à bord. Axel Tréhin finit 2e au classement général en série prototype © Christophe Breschi / Mini-Transat La Boulangère Pour cette édition 2019, Alex Tréhin à la barre de Project Rescue Ocean (FRA 945, voiles North) s’était promis qu’il ne lâcherait rien, et il l’a fait. Après avoir gagné la première manche (La Rochelle - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), il a remporté une magnifique 2e place au classement général en prototype malgré une avarie de spi. Il a franchi la ligne d’arrivée en Martinique tout juste derrière François Jambou (Team BFR- Marée Haute Jaune). En classement série, c’est Ambrogio Beccaria, grand favori, sur Geomag (ITA 943, voiles North), qui a terminé sur la plus haute marche du podium et 3e au classement général toute série confondue. Violette Dorange (FR 955, voiles North), la plus jeune concurrente (18 ans) de ce cru 2019, a décroché une belle 16e place en série pour sa première participation. Dans cette même catégorie, Felix de Navacelle (FRA 916, voiles North), Mathieu Vincent (FRA 947*), Guillaume L'Hostis (FRA 868, voiles North) et Julien Letissier (FRA 869*) ont fini respectivement 4e, 7e, 11e et 14e. Violette Dorange, la plus jeune concurrente, décroche une 16e place en série © Christophe Breschi / Mini-Transat La Boulangère Autres chiffres à retenir de cette 22e édition : 87 marins dont vingt bateaux équipés North (jeu complet ou partiel) étaient présents sur la première étape (La Rochelle – Gran Canaria), 82 skippers ont pu prendre le départ de la deuxième étape (Gran Canaria- Martinique, la plus longue également avec 2700 milles). Et sur les 78 navigants qui ont bouclé le parcours, 37 sont arrivés échelonnés en l’espace de 24 heures dans le port du Marin, une première dans l’histoire de la Mini-Transat. Les participants de cette édition 2019 se retrouveront le 7 décembre au Nautic de Paris à l'occasion de la remise des prix. *Inventaire partiel READ MORE

NAVIGATING ROLEX SYDNEY-HOBART Meteorologist Chris Bedford Explains the Many Challenges of the Ultimate Offshore Experience © Kurt Arrigo / Rolex Sydney Hobart The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race is one of the classic yachting events on the annual race calendar, arguably the most famous and difficult race taking place in the Southern Hemisphere. Its reputation is well deserved, giving all who enter it numerous challenges – not only in the level of competition the race draws, but also with many hurdles brought by Mother Nature. These environmental challenges take the form of fast changing and often strong winds, squalls, complex ocean currents, and potential for extremely rough, boat-breaking sea conditions. All that on top of what is often a more than 20 degree Celsius drop in air temperature from balmy Sydney to cool Hobart. Navigators of the race watch typical wind patterns of the Australian summer: a semi-permanent high pressure to the east over the Tasman Sea, and another over the Great Australian Bight west of Tasmania. Air flows anti-clockwise around these high pressure systems, which means there is a tendency for northerly winds off the Sydney coast and southerly winds west of Tasmania. Between these two high pressure areas there is normally an extension of the thermal low pressure from the hot interior of Australia, extending into NSW and pointing toward the Bass Strait. The patterns described above represents the average – that is, what you get if you average the weather maps over a long period of time in the Australian warm season. However, the actual weather on any given day is the result of modulations on the average pattern and disturbances (weather systems) embedded within the larger scale. SOUTHERN OCEAN CHILL One such important and common disturbance involves the northward intrusion of cold air out of the Southern Ocean. When cold air pushes north toward Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southeastern Australia, some very abrupt and severe changes can result. Ahead of the cold fronts which mark the leading edge of a cold push, winds typically build from the north along the coast. Sometimes thunderstorms can develop over the hot interior of NSW and move east into the course from Sydney and south to Green Cape. Such storms have generated spectacular waterspouts on the course – an encounter with which is not only memorable, but potentially very dangerous. “Being ready to weather strong upwind sailing and very rough seas in the wake of a S’ly change are a must for any crew and boat taking on this race.” As a cold front moves north and east across the race route, fast running conditions down the coast abruptly change to hard, very rough, upwind conditions. Not to mention the fact that squalls and much cooler air make sailing more difficult. These post-change encounters are a make or break point for some teams. Being ready to weather strong upwind sailing and very rough seas in the wake of a S’ly change are a must for any crew and boat taking on this race. TRICKS OFF TASMANIA Further down the track from crossing the Bass Strait to east of Tasmania, winds are no less challenging. Large ocean swells are common crossing the strait, and Gale or Storm force winds can occur – especially in the day or two following a front. Off Tasmania, winds can run the gambit from strong to exceedingly light. One certainty of sailing off Tasmania is that the wind will change. The weather patterns there are fast moving and can behave erratically. An area of no wind can exist within hundreds of meters of gale force gusts. Understanding how conditions will change and making a correct call at the last moment can make the difference in almost any team’s race. SURF OR SWIM Another important factor in the strategies for this race is often the East Australian Current (EAC). The EAC is a western boundary current similar to those found on the east coasts of most continental land masses around the world (Gulf Stream off North America; Brazilian Current off South America; Agulhas Current off South Africa, and; the Kuroshio off Asia). The EAC is a generally south-flowing current off the coast, typically extending from north of Sydney to the Bass Strait and off the east coast of Tasmania. While the current is always present in one form or another, its speed and position relative to the course can vary significantly. In addition, tight swirls or eddy’s are typically present in proximity to the main current flow, and can result in areas of rotating water over ten miles wide, often delivering the opposite of what a skipper may expect. While the current doesn’t change much on a day-to-day basis – unlike the weather – it does vary over a period of weeks. Sometimes it is close to the coast and within reach of the fleet to take advantage of its southward flow. Other times, it is further offshore, and sailing out to it can be a gamble whether or not the favorable flow will be enough to offset the extra distance necessary to get to it. There is also a potential significant downside to being in the current – even if it is within reach. When winds are blowing from the south, very large and steep waves can develop within the EAC which can, at a minimum, slow progress or, in the worst case, be boat-breaking. Anytime there is a southerly change and strong upwind conditions in this race, sea state within the EAC is a significant factor. The crews will be closely monitoring the weather forecasts and EAC condition in the days leading up to the race. While the forecasts can be reliable, it is often the small differences that are more difficult to predict. That will combine with the level of seamanship on-board to determine how well a team does. “Having a fast boat and sails are of course a bonus, but being ready and able to handle whatever the weather and sea brings will make the difference.” Chris Bedford is a well known sailing meteorologist and has advised many professional teams on inshore and offshore race routing, including the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race team. Read more from Chris at sailwx.com Contact your local North Sails experts to get your sails inspected and ready to take on the big race! READ MORE

M32 CLASS SAIL CONSISTENCY Quality Assurance Production With North Sails 📸Drew Malcolm / M32 World Consistent Shape How does North Sails make sure that the new M32 sails are consistent in shaping? The process starts with the layout. For the 3Di mainsail, each sail is machine-taped from the same file so it is identical. For the paneled gennaker, sails are cut on a laser plotter using the same cut file, in a humidity- and temperature-controlled room. 3Di sails for one design classes are molded to the exact same shape. When more than one sail is made at a time, they are put on the mold one right after the other. Assembling paneled sails is done by the same experienced team, with each member of the team specializing in one specific job (eg., sticking the seams). The level of detail in the molding is such that when repeat sails are made at a later date, the same mold is used and the same shaping file is used to adjust it. This means that even if a sail is made 6 months later, it is molded to the same shape. 📸Raphael Demaret Consistent Finish How does North Sails make sure that the new M32 sails are consistent in finishing? To ensure that finishing on all the sails is the same, the full order of sails is added to the same work ticket and once again a team of experts completes the job. The work ticket specifies every detail of the finishing, including the length of the webbings, the position of the batten boxes back from the luff, and the location and size of the reef patches. It even specifies the stitching pattern and thread. For example, a set of templates locate the batten boxes in exactly the same place on the sail. This ensures that the boxes are the same distance back from the luff and at the same angle, on every single sail. 📸Raphael Demaret Consistent Size How does North Sails make sure that the new M32 sails are consistent in sizing? Once the sails are finished, they are all measured to make sure they’re within class tolerances. The rare sail that doesn’t measure correctly is either fixed or rejected. Measurements include perimeter dimensions, girths, batten lengths, batten boxes, luff offsets, and several other details. Once sails pass inspection, they are packaged and shipped to the distribution site where they are checked again. The battens are installed before they are shipped to the end user. Update for 2020: While the luff lengths for all the sails are identical, the specifications for luff tape and bolt rope tensions are going to be further refined to be within 5 kg of each other. Additionally, the batten pocket end finishing is going to be changed from cuben fiber to 3Di utility cloth for smoother finishing and increased durability. At the request of the class, the sail shapes are going to remain unchanged. 📸 Drew Malcolm / M32 World READ MORE

BISCAYNE BAY LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Get To Know Your Racing Area © Andrew Palfrey, Etchells Winter series Miami, FL To help you prepare for the 2019 Winter Racing Circuits, we asked the local Star and Snipe World Champion Augie Diaz to explain about his home waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami, FL. Biscayne Bay is I think pretty straightforward. The weather is driven by cold fronts approaching, and we don’t get as much breeze as we used to because the city’s grown so big. But generally, any breeze from the northeast around through the southwest is great sailing. From this direction, the breeze is usually under fifteen knots, with relatively flat water (chop but no swell). Spring and fall are the best seasons, because we don’t get many fronts. Dominant wind direction: easterlies The old rule of thumb is still the case: if the wind’s to the left of the south end of Key Biscayne, you go left. Near the Key, from 120-160 degrees, there is a little more pressure closer to the end of the Key, and also a geographical shift off the land. How favored is somewhat current-dependent; from 70 degrees to 160 degrees with an outgoing current, then left is really good, what we call the “Old Man Expressway”. At the top of the beat on the J/24 Worlds course, the Old Man Expressway could be important. On what I call the Cuba Course, where the Etchells sail, way down south of Matheson Hammock, there’s less left down there than there is closer to the point of Key Biscayne. So you have to keep in mind where you are on the Bay. Current Understanding the current is very important. People think the current comes in and out of the Bay from the east, but it actually runs in and out from Bear Cut. If you get close to what we call the Valves, which are the channels through the shallow areas that on the chart are labeled Biscayne Flats, there is a component of current going in and out of there. But you have to be very close to the Valves for that to be the net effect. Otherwise, the current basically ebbs from the southwest to the northeast, and goes the opposite way when it floods. As for the timing relative to high and low tide, I’ve seen it as much as an hour off, so I just use tide change as a gauge and then keep checking the buoys, all the time. Sometimes seaweed will show lines of current, but I’ve never really seen a change in the color of the water. Other wind directions Once the wind gets to about 170-180, it’s pretty important to protect the right. That’s true all the way to 220 degrees. Anything right of 220-230, it’s going to march quickly to the northwest because that’s a frontal-driven direction, which doesn’t doesn’t have the ability to stick. If the wind’s right of 230 degrees, I like coming in from the top left because you get some really nice puffs off the left shore. It depends where you are on the Bay; on the J/24 course, close to the west shoreline, you’ll definitely want to come in from the top left. Northwesters are like you’re on a lake: very shifty, very up and down. But in late October, it’s actually less frontal, so that’s less likely. Secret to success Focus on what the current’s doing, and in the easterly understand how important it is to go left. READ MORE

FROM 3DL TO 3Di AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN Jenny III Gets An Upgrade For Her Furling Headsail Ron Meredith-Jones is a longtime sailor and member of Mimico Cruising Club. You'll see him out on the course every week on his C+C 33 Jenny III with his crew, having fun and pushing the limits. He purchased his furling 3DL genoa from local North Sails expert Hugh Beaton almost 20 years ago and when it finally bit the dust this past year, it was time to upgrade. Hugh recommended the 3Di Nordac for him as it checked all the boxes: durable, better performance, greater control yet great value and a perfect fit for both racing and cruising. Hugh received the email below from Ron after it's first two weeknight races: "Jenny III has now had 2 races with its new 3Di genoa ... both were wins! Have attached results for these races as well as for a recent pre 3Di race (June 19, 2019). For the pre 3Di race. Jenny III was using it's North Sails NORDAC genoa (circa 2010). Jenny III's PHRF rating was 168 for both the undamaged NORDAC and the new 3Di genoa. Based on these results and ignoring in race screw-ups (in race one several boats misread the course and briefly headed to the wrong mark) ... switching to the 3Di seems to have allowed Jenny III to finish about 5 minutes..i.e about 10% faster than its pre-3Di performance. The most relevant comparison is Jenny III to Glayva II. Needless to say owner and crew are delighted and other MCC racers have taken note. Thank you for recommending 3Di as the replacement for our damaged genoa and thanks to the North Sails Toronto Crew for getting the new sail to us so quickly and professionally." Once we received this, we knew we had to speak with Ron further to hear more about his success with 3Di NORDAC. Tell us about your season this past summer. The first half of the season, we were mediocre. We generally fit in, there are two boats that are tough to beat: Blast and Glava II. We did manage to beat them over the season, but for the first half the most I can say is, I saw them at the starting line. We were having a good time. Middle of the pack, whatever. The boat's old. It was built in '75, but there are a couple of other boats in the fleet that are roughly the same era. We easily were in with them. If we did everything right, we might beat them. If we did one thing wrong, we would lose. Blast was an image that we occasionally saw. They would usually finish a leg ahead of us. How did things change once you put the new sail up? We plunked it up, went out. I think on that day it was probably 12, 14 knots. Usually, in that sort of wind range we don't do very well. The boat just can't go into the waves, and they will go on the wave. Lo and behold, I think we were certainly within sight of both GLAVA, but GLAVA II, and Blast as in on adjusted time, we beat them by a country mile. Fleet captain says it's the fastest Genoa in the club. What's the biggest change you've noticed between your 3DL Furling Genoa and the new 3Di Nordac Furling Genoa? We have a lot more power. An amazing amount of power. People said, "Where did you get that sail?" We said "North Sails." The word from everybody else was, "Don't touch it, don't touch it," or, "That's enough. I don't want to race against you. You got an unfair advantage." It was a spectacular increase from one week to the next. What everybody noticed was that this sail was spectacularly better than anything we'd had on the boat ever, including the 3DL. We do quite well, particularly in light winds with the 3DL. Much better than we were doing later. The 3DL met it's demise the last day of the year when I decided that we would go out sailing with my son and his fiance. We only had the Genoa up, and we were doing nine knots, when the normal technical maximum speed on the boat is about 6.9. We went for about 10 minutes until there's this mighty rip; the 3DL and I parted company at the disco dump. Would you say the sails performed to your expectations? Absolutely. Exceeded expectations. I was expecting we'd be back sort of, good in light air, and suffering because we never had enough power to really power through the waves every year. The boat would just plow into them, and slew down. This time we held speed going through them, which was really amazing. READ MORE

WATCH THE STAR SAILORS LEAGUE FINALS Don’t Miss The Action Streamed Live From Nassau 📸 Martina Orsini The elite of the sailing world will go head-to-head tomorrow in Nassau, Bahamas for the much anticipated Star Sailors League (SSL) Finals. The first four days of racing act as qualification rounds for the 23 crews, with the competition going up a notch on Saturday for the knockout stages. These single races decide who survives, with the first warning signal for the Quarterfinals at 11:00am. Later that day, the Final will see the last four teams compete, with the first to finish claiming the $200,000 prize. Saying this is an exciting line up would be an understatement. A selection of big name sailors make up each team, including 5.5 Metre World Champion and North Sails Expert Christoph Burger, Two-time Olympic Star medallist and Beijing 2008 champion Iain Percy, and Volvo Ocean Race winner and America’s Cup veteran Paul Cayard. Live Stream The Action: The racing will be live streamed on the SSL Facebook with expert commentary and drone footage. SSL Website and Race Results: Latest press releases, race news and media can all be found on the dedicated race minisite. Entry List Event Schedule Race Videos Race Photos READ MORE

HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE Supporting Mississauga Food Bank We're giving back this holiday season, help us support our local community. Our holiday food drive is on now until December 23rd. Our goal is to collect 250lbs of food to donate to the Mississauga Food Bank. Drop off items when you're picking your sails up or dropping them off at the loft - anything helps! Most needed items are listed below. READ MORE

Trevor Middleton’s team onboard the Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep celebrated a busy and rewarding 2018-2019 offshore racing season at the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Annual Dinner and Prize Giving in London. As well as picking up first place in IRC Overall, the team won five other awards including Navigator and Consistent High Performance. The RORC Season Points Championship comprised 14 challenging offshore races at locations including the Caribbean in Antigua and Grenada, Lanzarote, Malta and the Netherlands. Missing just the Isle of Man Race and the Cervantees (due to the ship transporting the boat breaking down), Black Sheep very much earned her place at the top of IRC Overall. We talked with boat owner Trevor Middleton about their season success and when asked which race and venue was the highlight, there was little hesitation: “Definitely the Transat Race where we had all we could want – a really good race with fantastic downwind conditions. We averaged 200-mile days and even covered 240-miles one day, finishing the race just under 17 days. With regards to venues, what is not to like about leaving from Lanzarote and arriving in Grenada!’’ Naturally, the five-strong crew were slightly apprehensive about the Transatlantic Race on a 36ft boat, but three of them had been on a Clipper in the Southern Ocean in gusts of 86 knots so they were fully aware of what the ocean could serve-up. Trevor says “The feeling of satisfaction at the end of that race was immense.’’ Having started sailing 10 years ago, 26-year old skipper Jake Carter met most of the crew through the 2013-2014 Clipper and Rona Sailing Project. This year was Jake’s first full campaign with Black Sheep, “sucked in’’, he explains, “when Trev announced he was going for some trophies in 2019!’’ The team collecting their awards at the RORC Annual Dinner and Prize Giving in London 📸Sportography.tv Rob Craigie and Deb Fish’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino was Black Sheep’s main rival throughout the year. We were interested to hear if Trevor felt they had an advantage or disadvantage being two-handed: “It varies by race; for a short race in lighter winds then I think two-handed crews have the advantage, whilst in longer, windier races (like the latter part of the Middle Sea), I think fully crewed boats are favored. However, I don’t think it always favors one or the other, especially as the boats have slightly different set ups – Bellino runs with symmetric and we run with asymmetric, which again hands different advantages for different races.’’ After buying the boat in 2016 with a plan of going for the overall win in 2019, the team focused their efforts in the first two years learning what worked best on the boat. “Good attention to detail helped us keep consistently good results this year,’’ Trevor explains, “as well as having a consistent, hard working crew and keeping the boat in top condition to reduce the risk of retirements. Jake did a great job of keeping us on our toes!’’ What are your key takeaways after the season? “Persistence – when all looks lost, don’t give up! We can also confirm that the 3600 is a great boat (we were thinking of changing but have now decided not to). Lastly, we have learned firsthand that nothing comes easily, you have to keep working at it.’’ Trevor confirms the sails performed well on the whole, despite some abuse from the crew. “The 3600 is very good at reaching’’ he says. “Our fastest leg had to be running downwind in the Transat with the A2+ pushing out 200+ mile days.’’ “Our fastest leg had to be running downwind in the Transat with the A2+ pushing out 200+ mile days.’’ The team’s Sails Expert, Ronan Grealish, explains “It is a testament to the durability of North 3Di Endurance that Black Sheep have used the same set of sails for three hard seasons, topped off in 2019 by their RORC season win. North Sails are looking forward to optimising Black Sheep for next season, with some new 3Di Raw sails being added to their inventory.’’ “It is a testament to the durability of North 3Di Endurance that Black Sheep have used the same set of sails for three hard seasons, topped off in 2019 by their RORC season win.’’ Jake comments “2020 is a real opportunity to set Black Sheep up well and we aim to apply what we have learnt this season to defend IRC3 and get some clear wins. After some great advice from North on our Superkote A2 in the past, we are now taking advice on 3Di Raw. The retained strength and weight saving of 3Di Raw is a big plus.’’ “The retained strength and weight saving of 3Di Raw is a big plus.’’ After completing a 10,000-mile season (including deliveries), it is time for both the crew and the boat to reset for next year, with Black Sheep having some repairs and refits to get her back where she needs to be. The plan for next season is still being developed, but Trevor hopes to shift his concentration on the upcoming RORC season. Congratulations to Trevor Middleton and his crew for an epic, jam-packed year of superb racing. We look forward to seeing you on the water next year. Black Sheep was equipped with an Offshore 3Di Endurance 780 Mainsail and a reefable 3Di J2+, Xi Code Zero, J1.5 NorLam Sport, J3+ reefable NorDac Radian, A2 Asymmetric in Superkote 60, A2+ and A5 in NorLon and an A0 in Norlam Code Xi. Light winds and bright sunshine during the race from Cowes to Dieppe for the Morgan Cup 📸Rick Tomlinson/RORC READ MORE