NORTH SAILS BLOG

i420 MIDWINTER CHAMPIONSHIP Sitzmann/Woodworth Complete Winter Trifecta Twenty-two teams competed at the 2021 International 420 Midwinter Championship, hosted by the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove, FL. While much of the nation suffered through storms, snow, ice, and generally bad weather, competitors were treated to nearly perfect conditions from the practice day right through the last race. Each day brought 80+ degree temperatures, plentiful sunshine, and SE/S winds that ranged from 6 to 18 knots. This 10-race series sailed all races between 160 and 180 degrees all weekend, with very few course alterations. Except for several general recalls that eventually brought out the Black Flag from the RC, I am not sure I can remember an event that offered such favorable sailing. With such consistent conditions, this was a regatta that really put a premium on boat speed. Using a variety of sails including the M7, M9, and M11 mainsails, J12 and J13 jibs, and the S01 and S05 spinnakers, North Sails-powered teams dominated this event, finishing 1,2,3,5,6 overall. Boats using North Sails also won every single race in this competitive ten-race series! Third place overall went to former North American Champion Thomas Hall/Liam O’Keefe, and the brother team of Griggs/Emery Diemar finished 2nd. Congratulations to Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth for winning the i420 Midwinter Championship. In fact with this win, Tommy/Luke completed the winter trifecta, winning the Nationals, North Americans, and now the Midwinters. All of our sail designs worked really well at this event! For more information on i420 Sails and tuning help, contact North Sails expert Tom Sitzmann. SHOP 420 SAILS READ MORE

NORTH SAILS RELEASES NEW J/70 TUNING GUIDE New J/70 Designs, New Tuning Recommendations After countless hours of sailing, testing, and competing in the J/70 fleet, our experts have updated the North Sails Tuning Guide. This guide is your go-to for recommendations and tips that will make it easy to get you up to race-winning speed with our World Championship winning sails. As we learn more about the J/70, we update information surrounding boat setup, tuning, and trimming techniques. “With the introduction of the new sails to the J/70 inventory, the XCS-4 mainsail and J-2+ Jib, we revised the entire tuning guide making it easier to be followed. Two new Quick Tuning Charts were added; Rig Tension and Jib Trim, as well as new rake recommendations,” said Class Leader and current World Champion, Ruairidh Scott. The Tuning Guide is a recommended starting point based on what we learned on the water. We encourage teams to explore and adjust the recommendations based on sailing style and preferences. And as always, contact your North Sails expert for all the most up-to-date information and for help tuning your boat. OPEN TUNING GUIDE READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SRI LANKA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS Evolving Together To Create The World’s Best Sail Technology This month we give special recognition to ten employees who have been part of the North Sails team in Sri Lanka since 1996. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, which is a big part of why North Sails is the leader in sailmaking technology worldwide. On February 1st, 1996, North Sails Sri Lanka facility opened with 12 employees, at one single loft location in the Biyagama Export Processing Zone. 700 employees now run the five buildings that make up the most advanced laminating line in the sail cloth industry—including 10 of our original employees. So together, we’re celebrating a silver anniversary! How it began When the facility first opened, capacity was just 25 one design sails per week. Today, a typical work week produces about 600 sails. The manufacturing compound consists of nine buildings, which house five 3D molds, Six 3Di tape heads, cloth lamination, and 11 flat-bed plotters with lasers. The total capacity is 20,000 sails per year, plus sail bags and accessories. Creating a positive work environment Over the course of their time at North Sails each employee has benefitted from their experiences in the workplace. It’s not just about building sails— it’s about building a framework and team structure that allows employees to succeed. With the many developmental programs, training sessions, and outbound programs to help align their cultures with the North Sails brand, the knowledge enhancement also offers staff a closer look into the inner workings of sailmaking. 📸 Lookatme.lk / Lasiru Lakruwan “Outbound training has shown many benefits for employees,” says North Sails Sri Lanka Director Larry MacDonald, adding that the manufacturing team had the opportunity to build and sail remote control sailboats. “Many of the participants now are grasping the intricacies of the sport and the importance of sail design and workmanship. Employees were empowered with sailing know-how, improved problem solving, and communication skills. That has given them a better connection with our product, so they can make judgments and improvements to the sail assembling process naturally.” During the pandemic the company has continued to provide a safe work environment, which allowed the facility to remain open. Here’s some of what we heard when we reached out directly to our silver anniversary employees. Employees Celebrating 25 Years Indrani Wijebandara celebrates her 25th year anniversary with North Sails Sri Lanka. She believes that North Sails is the foundation stone of all her personal and social triumphs. She comments, “This is my second home and I’m fortunate to be the first employee of North Sails Sri Lanka. I still remember my old days, 25 years ago, we worked with just a handful of people and with a very limited amount of resources. This company has evolved in so many ways, and in a very positive sustainable journey.” Sumithra Gamage also celebrates her 25 year anniversary. She comments, “The success of North Sails was not achieved overnight but with long term endeavors such as hard work, commitment and having the ability to overcome various challenges. I’ve enjoyed my 25 years here, which still feels like yesterday.” Thank you to all of our employees who help contribute to our company success. A special thank you to the ten employees who’ve been part of our sailmaking revolution over the last 25 years. 1996 1998   READ MORE

OPGRADÉR DIN J/70 SEJLGARDEROBE FOR 2021 North Sails tilføjer XCS-4 Storsejl og J-2+ Fok til udvalget af klassesejl J/70 klassen er for sejler,e der kræver det bedste og North Sails Sails fortsætter med at opgradere og forbedre en allerede succesfuld sejlgarderobe. Nyt i 2021 er to designs i Norths udvalg af klassesejl, XCS-4 Storsejl og J-2+ Fok. Her er alt du skal vide. XCS-4 Mainsail XCS-4 er en finjusteret tilpasning til den vellykkede lineup af North Sails J/70 storsejl. "Det er et "all round" sejl, der er designet til at matche de stivere master, der har svært ved at få den rette forbøjning (pre-bend) i let luft,” forklarer North Sails-ekspert Will Welles. "Det er et godt valg for hold, der sejler med besætningsvægt på den lettere side." J70-klasseleder og sejldesigner Ruairidh Scott kalder XCS-4 en udvikling af det EM vindende XCS-2-design. "Vi har arbejdet hårdt for at gøre sejlet glattere og lidt fladere. Mens F-1 storsejlet forbliver det fladeste i Norths udvalg, leverer XCS-4 bedst ydeevne under alle vindforhold. Sejlet er let at trimme og passer til både Selden og Southern Spars master. ” "Vores mål er at udvikle sejl, der hjælper vores kunder med at få succes og tillid. Det arbejde, vi har lagt i J/70 sejldesignet, giver os mulighed for at hjælpe dig med at sejle det bedste du kan.” J-2+ Jib 2021 J-2+ fokken tilføjer lidt mere dybde til den allerede succesrige J-2. "Vi prøver at gøre denne fok lettere at bruge,” siger North Sails J/70-ekspert Eric Doyle. ” J/70 har en ret stiv kulstofmast, hvilket gør det svært at at få et løst forstag, der falder til læ under meget lette vindforhold. J-2+ er lidt mere rund i bunden og i indgangen, hvilket gøre sejlet mere kraftfuldt og lidt enklere at styre på. Indhaler positionen er mindre kritisk med en J-2+, så dette er det sejl, der generelt er enkelt at trimme og en opgradering, når det er en udfordring at sejle båden i høj sø. For hold, der foretrækker at sejle med mere mastehældning, er J-2+ også tilgængelig med et 50 mm kortere skøde. Forbedring af sejldesigns er en lang proces. Efter at have indsamlet feedback fra sejlere, talte flere North Sails J/70-eksperter med designerne om, hvordan man gør J-2-fokken mere kraftfuld og lidt lettere at trimme. Med udgangspunkt i den eksisterende basisform brugte designerne flere måneder på at forfine den til det, der blev J-2+. Da alle var overbeviste om, at resultatet var en klar forbedring, blev kunderne bedt om at evaluere det og igen give feedback. Sejlets første kapsejladssejre var Annapolis Fall Regatta og Annapolis Fall Brawl i USA. Giulio Desiderato brugte det nye design til at vinde 2021 Bacardi Invitational Winter Series Event # 1, og han er begejstret for at kunne gøre det lettere for kunderne at komme op i fart under vanskelige forhold. "Vi er heldige at have succesrige sejlere, der rejser rundt i verden og sejler J/70'er og bringer idéer tilbage til vores dygtige designere,” siger han. ”Vores mål er at udvikle sejl, der hjælper vores kunder med at få succes og tillid. Den tid og det arbejde, vi lægger i J/70 sejldesign, sparer sejlerne for tid, så stol på vores arbejde, og lad os hjælpe dig med at sejle det bedste du kan. ” READ MORE

Hrvatska domaćin tri Europska i jednom Svjetskom prvenstvu u idućih 14 mjeseci 📸 regate.com.hr Tradicija održavanja vrhunskih jedriličarskih predstava u Hrvatskoj nastavlja se i ove sezone, a već su i za iduću godinu najavljena neke fenomenalne vijesti! 2021. godina proći će u znaku Europskih prvenstava, dok je za 2022. najavljeno i jedno Svjetsko prvenstvo! Prvo ovogodišnje Europsko prvenstvo u hrvatskom dijelu Jadrana ono je koje organizira JK Mornar. Riječ je o Europskom prvenstvu klase Zvijezda. Termin održavanja je 24-29. svibnja. Uglavnom je riječ o vrlo iskusnim seniorima i veteranima od kojih su mnogi jedrili kako na raznim olimpijskim igrama tako i kao važni članovi posada u mnogim drugim posadama, krenuvši od krstaša, pa do Volvo Ocean Race i America's Cup bolida! Tih dana posebno će biti zanimljivo vidjeti uvalu Baluni punu ovih jedrilica na vezu, jer se između pojedinih jedrenja one ne izvlače na suho, već noći provode na muringu. Sve novosti s regate možete pratiti na službenom web sajtu, kao i na službenoj Facebook stranici. Drugo Europsko koje je pred nama je ono čijom organizacijom se bavi JK Marina Kaštela. U pitanju je regata za klasu Laser Radial i to u "youth" kategoriji. Kako je riječ o ženskoj olimpijskoj klasi za očekivati je da će konkurencija djevojaka biti iznimno jaka, dok kad su u pitanju momci riječ je o prijelaznoj klasi prema Laser Standardu. Termin održavanja je od 26. lipnja do 3. srpnja a ne treba niti isticati da je mjesto jedrenja akvatorij Kaštelanskog zaljeva i vanjska strana otoka Čiova. Sve aktualnosti oko regate možete pratiti na službenim web stranicama dostupnim na ovom linku, jednako kao i na sveprisutnom Facebooku. 📸 regate.com.hr A u drugom dijelu ljeta, također u akvatoriju Kaštelanskog zaljeva i otoka Čiova, jedrit će se EP klase Šljuka. Organizatori su članovi JK Split i regatu planiraju organizirati između 29. kolovoza i 4. rujna. Inače, ovo prvenstvo se trebalo jedriti 2020., ali zbog svima poznatih nemilih događaja došlo je do odgode termina za godinu dana. Za razliku od Stella u Mornara, ove "male Stelle" nakon jedrenja idu vani, a njihove posade nisu toliko seniorski orijentirane jer je klasa iznimno popularna u svijetu zbog slobode u slaganju posada u vidu senior-junior, juniori, seniori, muško-ženska posada... i svi jedre zajedno. Naravno i ove regata bit će dostupna na mreži svih mreža. Web sajt je dostupan na ovom linku, dok Facebookaši rezultate i ostale informacije mogu pratiti preko ovog linka. A za iduću godinu pobrinuli su se članovi JK Val iz Šibenika koji su dobili organizaciju Svjetskog prvenstva klase IOM. Najbolji svjetski RU jedriličari regatavat će u Rogoznici od 3. do 9. travnja na istom regatnom polju gdje se jedrilo Europsko prvenstvo 2018. godine. Šibenčani su vijest o organiziranju SP-a dobili prije desetak dana, tako da još uvijek nisu spremni web sadržaji, ali ono što je za sada sigurno je to da će Hrvatska ponovno imati jednu od najjačih reprezentacija na svijetu, a zlato i srebro će braniti Zvonko Jelačić i Ante Kovačević koji su ih osvojili 2019. na SP jedrenom u Brazilu. Zgodno je spomenuti i to da je ovaj dvojac iste medalje osvojio na spomenutom kontinentalnom prvenstvu u ovom istom akvatoriju. READ MORE

THE HELIX FURLING GENNAKER: YOUR NEW FAVORITE CRUISING SAIL Expert Bob Meagher explains why you should update your Inventory   In the old days, you had two options for making it to your destination in time for cocktail hour: start the engine, or go below to lug a bulky spinnaker up to the foredeck. Unless you’re on a long enough passage to justify all that work, the diesel will probably be your first choice. Now a new gennaker gives you the best of both worlds. Regardless of whether you sail a monohull, multihull, or superyacht, I’m predicting it will become your new favorite cruising sail. Benefits of the Helix Furling Gennaker The Helix Furling Gennaker combines the power of an asymmetric spinnaker with the convenience of a Code Zero. Hoist it once and you have an easy-to-fly sail that will take you to that next harbor fast, even when your apparent wind angle is too far aft for your Code Zero reacher. Plus, this new gennaker is top-down furling, giving you a tight, neat furl that protects the sail. How Does the Helix Furling Gennaker Compare to a Code Zero or Asymmetric Spinnaker? The Helix Furling Gennaker is much deeper than a Code Zero. When the wind goes aft, release a little halyard or tackline and ease the sheet, and the luff will project out in front of a straight line between head and tack just like an asymmetric spinnaker. If the wind goes back forward again, just snug up the halyard or tack line to tighten the luff and reduce the sail’s depth. How Does the Furling Work for the Helix Furling Gennaker? The advances North Sails has made in structured luff technology and sail design are the key to making this all-new sail type work. Unlike a traditional furling sail that wraps around a stiff and heavy torque cable, the fabric provides most of the structure. A pencil-thin proprietary Helix cable allows for top-down furling without the weight aloft of a traditional cable, and its flexibility eases both handling and stowage. You can leave it up and furled like a Code Zero, and top-down furling makes it far more reliable than a typical bottom-up furl. When sails with large middles or low clews roll from the bottom up, the foot is sucked in first, dragging the clew forward and changing the sheet angle—which sometimes leaves the upper leech loose. Top-down Helix furling wraps securely, and the built-in suncover protects the sail from UV damage at rest (check out this video to see top-down Helix furling in action). When flying, the sail tacks in front of the genoa, but on a catamaran it can also fly from the windward hull, farther away from the mainsail’s wind shadow. Make the Move to the Helix Furling Gennaker From tight reaching to broad running angles, the Helix Furling Gennaker may replace both your Code Zero and your asymmetrical cruising spinnaker. This new cruising sail saves you storage space and money, and leaving it furled and ready to deploy saves aggravation. A single downwind sail you can keep rigged and ready to go, the Helix Furling Gennaker will get you to that next harbor even when the wind shifts. And that’s a lot more fun than starting the engine. Questions about how the Helix Furling Gennaker will work on your boat? Contact your local North Sail expert to decide if this will turn into your favorite downwind cruising sail.   PRODUCT DETAILS REQUEST A QUOTE FIND AN EXPERT     READ MORE

There’s been a lot of Googling America’s Cup facts and stats around the North Sails offices over the past few weeks. We’ve gathered some numbers for you so you don’t have to go searching when you’re asked “how many headsails is each team allowed?” Hint, it’s a lot! READ MORE

ALL ABOUT DOWNWIND SAIL TRIM Tips for Off-Wind Angles 📸 Lissa Photography Reaching Close Reaching As you bear away from close-hauled to a close reach the forces on the sails rotate forward, speed jumps, and heeling forces are reduced. To make the most of the wider wind angle, retrim the sails for the new course. Ease the jib and, for best performance, move the lead outboard and forward, chasing the clew of the sail with the lead. Keep the halyard firm to hold the draft forward and prevent the back of the sail from becoming too round. If the lead is not moved as the sheet is eased, then the top of the sail will twist open, spilling power, and the bottom of the sail will hook in toward the boat, creating excess drag. With the jib trimmed outboard, ease the main. Keep the vang tight, and ease the mainsheet or lower the traveler. As the main goes out, heeling forces decrease, and the boat accelerates. As the boom goes out, the vang is critical to control twist. As an initial setting, take the slack out of the vang while trimmed for close-hauled. As you turn to a reach and ease the mainsheet, the vang will go taut, preventing the boom from rising and the leech of the main from spilling. When overpowered on a reach, easing the vang will spill power, reduce heel, and balance the helm. Use the telltales to fine tune trim. The leech telltales should be flowing. If the sail luffs, then trim in. Also, ease the outhaul and backstay slightly to add power to the main. On a heavy air “blast reach” keep the main flat, and ease it to half luffing, if necessary, to control heeling forces and weather helm. If still overpowered, then reef. On a close reach, a reefed main and big jib can be an effective sail combination. Beam to Broad Reaching As we bear off more, the boat stands upright. Ease sails, using the telltales to match the angle of attack to your course. On a beam to broad reach, the top of the jib will spill open. Trim to keep the middle of the sail working. Ease the main until it luffs. The main should go way out—out against the rigging if necessary. If the sail doesn’t luff, let it rest against the rig. It won’t hurt the sail or the rig. Keep the boom vang firm enough to hold the top batten of the main parallel to the angle of the boom. Reaching in a beam or following sea can be treacherous, as the boat lurches around. A preventer (a line that holds the boom out) should be rigged to prevent the boom from swinging wildly. Autopilots are at their worst in these conditions, as are human steerers. A spinnaker can add extra power, speed, and stability. Short of that, motor sailing is an option—or consider a new destination. Running Wing and Wing Running dead before the wind under jib and main requires careful steering to avoid an accidental jibe. In light air, it often pays to reach up, sailing with the jib in normal position, as the extra speed will make up for the extra distance. In more breeze, running wing and wing (with the main on one side of the boat, and the jib on the other) can be a very stable way to sail dead downwind. A whisker pole will help the genoa fly much more effectively. The pole should be set with topping lift, afterguy, and foreguy to hold the pole in place. With the pole trimmed to position, the genoa sheet is run and trimmed through the end of the pole. In heavy air there are often following seas, which can make steering a challenge. A poled out jib allows sailing above a dead downwind course, which provides a wider steering lane and reduces the chance of an accidental jibe. To control the main and boom, rig a preventer. The line should run from the end of the boom to a block well forward on the rail, and then back to the cockpit, near the mainsheet cleat. Every time you ease the mainsheet, tighten the preventer. It doesn’t have to be bar-taut – just tight enough to prevent the boom from jumping around. If it’s led this way, the preventer can easily be adjusted or cast off as necessary. Learn more about trimming an asymmetrical spinnaker here. Gennaker Trim Cruising spinnakers or gennakers are remarkable sails for their ability to change shape to match your course and wind angle. By trimming both the tack line and spinnaker sheet, we can transform the sail from a genoa to a spinnaker, and back again. For best performance, a symmetric spinnaker must carry a curl. In contrast, a gennaker will deliver top performance without trimming on the edge of a luff. Ease the sheet until it curls to make sure the sail is not overtrimmed, and then trim just enough to remove the curl. For optimum performance, play the gennaker sheet constantly. (Me? I check it between naps.) Learn more about cruising sail trim here. What’s the difference between a spinnaker and a gennaker? Learn more here. Adjusting the Tack Line It is adjustments to the tack line that allow us to so drastically change the shape and performance of the sail. On beam reaches, keep the tack line snugged down and the luff of the spinnaker pulled firm. The Gennaker assumes the shape of a great reaching genoa. On a broad reach, ease the tack line and allow the tack to lift. Easing the luff lets the Gennaker roll out from behind the mainsail to assume a more powerful spinnaker-like shape. 📸 Marc Turner / CCC Spinnaker Trim There are three initial settings for spinnaker trim and refinements that can further improve performance. For starters: Trim the guy to set the pole perpendicular to the wind. Raise or lower the topping lift so the pole and tack are the same height as the clew. Ease the sheet to curl the luff, and trim to just take out the curl. From these initial settings we can fine tune trim in several ways. Unless it’s very windy, the guy can be trimmed aft further than square to the wind. The goal is to get the luff to run vertically from the shoulder of the spinnaker down to the tack, and to get the shape across the foot to match the mid shape. If the shoulder is rolled out, and the foot is too round, then trim the guy to pull the pole aft. If the foot is stretched flat, and the tack is poking out to windward, then ease the guy to let the pole forward. Learn more about setting a spinnaker here. Pole height can be fine tuned: On a broad reach fly the pole higher, keeping the two corners (clew and tack) even. In fresh breeze beware of flying both corners too high, which lets the spinnaker get too far from the boat and may decrease stability. If the boat is rolling side to side, try lowering the pole, pulling the pole aft, and/or choking down the sheet lead. 📸 Lissa Photography VMG Tip In lighter winds, the key to success is sailing fast angles. Do not sail dead downwind in light air—reach up until you feel some apparent wind from the side. Often the best course may be as much as 40 degrees above straight downwind. You’ll sail extra distance, but you will go so much faster that you’ll arrive downwind sooner, and you’ll have a more enjoyable sail to boot! See also: How to Hoist and Douse a Gennaker READ MORE

KOJIRO: “THE VENDÉE MAKES ME STRONG AND MAKES ME WANT TO SAIL.” When he left Les Sables-d’Olonne on November 8, Kojiro Shiraishi had no idea that he was finally going to realize his dream of finishing the Vendée Globe. He had granted us an interview a few days before the start of his second Vendée Globe. © Olivier Blanchet/Alea On November 8th, Kokijo Shiraishi (DMG Mori), dressed in his black combat suit, sword at the belt, greeted the crowd as he made his way up the channel of Port Olona in Les Sables-d’Olonne. He had no idea that he was finally going to realize his 30-year-old dream: Finish the Vendée Globe. A dream that almost collapsed a week after his start when damage to the autopilot and violent gybes broke the top of the mainsail. But thanks to remote instructions from his team and North Sails, he managed to repair the sail. It was a tremendous relief. The adventure could resume. “It’s the most wonderful day,” he said at the press conference after returning from his race. And then on February 11, 2021 at 11:52 a.m., at the end of a long journey of 94 days and 21 hours, Kojiro crossed the finish line with a smile full of gratitude and humility (ranked 16th). This is an amazing feat for this 53-year-old Japanese skipper, who marks the history of the Vendée Globe in his own way by becoming the first Asian sailor to complete this legendary race. He gave us an interview at the beginning of November before casting off for his second Vendée Globe. Can you talk about yourself and your career as a sailor? I am originally from Kamakura, a coastal town south of Tokyo, Japan. In my country, ocean racing is not popular, and it is by chance that I discovered the sailing profession at the age of 16. After seeing on TV the victory of Yukoh Tada (Japan’s sailing legend) in the BOC Challenge (single-handed round-the-world race with stopovers), I told myself that this is what I wanted to do: sailing around the world on a racing yacht. And then I went to meet Yukoh Tada. I trained with him and became his trainer for six years. I helped build his new sailboat Koden VIII, later renamed “Spirit of Yukoh” in his memory. Since then, I have sailed around the oceans, three times around the world, including one non-stop race. I took part in the race of my dreams four years ago, the Vendée Globe, but I had to give up after dismasting off the coast of South Africa. I also had the chance to sail alongside great sailors like Lionel Lemonchois and Bruno Peyron during the Pacific records, as well as with Roland Jourdain, who accompanied me as a coach throughout my DMG Mori project. © Jean-Louis Carli / Alea What attracts you to this job? Why are you doing the Vendée Globe? I feel good on the water and the landscapes you encounter in the South Seas are fantastic. To be able to sail around the world and have the land as your playground is unique. There is no other event in this world like this race. A race that makes me strong and makes me want to sail. How was your first Vendée Globe? To be at the start of this 8th edition was an exploit because time was running out for me. I got my boat in April 2016 and within a few weeks I had to qualify and do the New York – Vendée transatlantic race. Then a month after the start of the Vendée Globe, I dismasted… I was obviously disappointed with the result, and I still am, but I am lucky to be able to do the Vendée Globe again and I am grateful to all the people who have supported me so far. How is sailing perceived in Japanese culture? Both ocean racing and yachting are not widespread in my country. Historically, Japan is not a nation that has made great land discoveries. Therefore, sailing has not really had its place in Japanese culture. But my mission today and since I have been a professional sailor is to try to expand the small existing sailing community and promote ocean racing as much as possible in Japan. © Thomas Deregnieau / DMG Mori Do you know other Japanese sailors? Yes, I do of course. The few Japanese sailors who have made a breakthrough in this field have often worked outside their country and have raced on America’s Cup boats. But lately, there are several young sailors, including Masa Suzuki in Class40 and other young Japanese sailors who have accompanied me in my preparation for the Vendée Globe and who are trying their hand at the IMOCA. I’m happy to no longer be the only Japanese to sail here in France. But today, and even if it is a great honor to have become the first Asian to have participated, I want to become the first to finish the Vendée Globe. What do you think of the sailing culture in France? Why aren’t there more foreign skippers in the Vendée Globe? France remains the best country in the world in terms of ocean sailing. I’m also grateful to all the people around me for welcoming me to this very closed environment. Offshore racing is particularly difficult to integrate, which explains why there are fewer international skippers participating in the Vendée Globe. But I hope that my case can serve as an example for other foreign sailors who wish to integrate this special universe. Is it difficult to sail on an IMOCA? What do you think of these boats? An IMOCA is a powerful boat, so each manoeuvre, each sail change requires a lot of physical effort. They are demanding boats, but the sensations of speed that you can have are so different than on other boats and that’s really what I like. Do you feel much more prepared than on the last Vendée Globe? What do you expect from this race? It has only been 1 year since my boat has been sailing. We need to do even more sailing together so that the boat is perfect, but I know that time is short and that the boat will not be perfect before the start of this Vendée Globe. The goal is to finish at all costs. This is my one and ultimate goal. And Kojiro did it! Bravo! © Thomas Deregnieaux Photography READ MORE

Upon finishing the phenomenal PRADA Cup Round Robin Day 4, packed with lead changes between INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli, Sir Ben Ainslie described an issue on the boat: Britannia’s Cunningham hydraulic ram failed to work for the entire race. READ MORE

FORSKELLEN PÅ EN GENNAKER OG EN SPILER At vælge det rigtige sejl til hver lejlighed 📸. Lissa Photography Som en skaffel (kombination af en ske og en gaffel), stammer navnet Gennaker fra kombination af de to engelske ord Genua og Spinnaker. Ulig en skaffel, er gennakeren en ny sejltype. Hvad præcist er en gennaker? Kort fortalt, en gennaker har en genuas form (asymmetrisk, hvor Halsen er fastgjort til stævne og begge skøder er i samme skødehjørne med den samme dybde som en Spiler. Gennakeren er et alsidigt sejl til halvind og læns, mens spileren er bygget til dybe vindvinkler (læns). Udtrykket gennaker kan virke kompliceret. Lad os først sikre os, at vi forstår de to originale sejltyper: Spileren og Genuaen. Hvad er en spiler? En populær online ordbog definerer spileren som: En Spiler er et ballonlignende sejl der er designet til at sejle med vinden på læns og slør... Dengang alle spilere var symmetriske, ville ordbogens definition have været fin. I dag er tingene lidt mere komplicerede. Asymmetric spinnakers on Melges 32's. 📸. Zerogradinord / Melges 32 Class Association Symmetriske spilere og asymmetriske spilere Vi beskriver nu spiler på ovenstående billede som symmetriske spiler. Del en spiler lodret i to halve og de to sider vil være spejlbilleder. Luv skødehjørne holdes ud med en spilerstage der er fastgjort på mastens forside, og når der bommes flyttes stagen til det modsatte hjørne på spileren. I modsætning til et forsejl, er der ingen defineret tack or clew; begge er clews, indtil stagen er fastgjort og det hjørne bliver the tack. (Ja, det er kompliceret.) Symmetriske splere er fortsat en levedygtig sejltype til sejlads på medvind på både udstyret med spilerstager og den nødvendige rigning. De flyver godt, når de sejler "dybt", med spilerstagen kvadreret godt bagud - eller som ordbogen siger, "når de løber for vinden." I løbet af de sidste par årtier er en anden spiler-type blevet mere og mere populær - den asymmetriske spiler eller " Et sejl." En asymmetrisk spiler har tre forskellige hjørner:Hmm, det lyder meget mere som et fok eller en genua... Asymmetriske spilere er populære på både, der har permanente bovspidser eller tilbagetrækkelige stager. De bruges også af cruisingsejlere, fordi de er lettere at håndtere end symmetriske spilere. Mens symmetriske spilere og asymmetriske spilere ser forskellige ud, er de begge spilere under måleretningslinjerne i de fleste kapsejladsregler. Vi går ikke nærmere ind på specifikationerne for sejlmålingsprotokoller her, men formålet er at se på at spilere bærer betydelig omkreds (bredde) og derfor er nyttige, når de reaching/running. Et bredt, kurvet sejl som dette flyver simpelthen ikke med vinden. Fleet of symmetric spinnakers. 12 Metre Worlds 2019, Newport, RI 📸. Ian Roman Hvad er en genua? Hvis du googler 'Genua', er dette sandsynligvis, hvad du vil finde: en stort fok eller et forsejl, hvis fod strækker sig agterud for masten, især brugt på kapsejladsbåde. Alle fokke og genuer er asymmetriske; del en fok i to lodret, og de to resulterende stykker er næppe spejlbilleder. Også her hjælper retningslinjerne for måling af kapsejladsregler yderligere med at definere standardformen for en fok eller en genua: Trekantet, med en mindre omkreds end en spiler, med kun et hjørne (clew) tilladt at flyve frit (med fastgjorte reb for at holde det under kontrol). Genoa headsail. 📸. Paul Wyeth Hvis du googler 'Genua', er dette sandsynligvis, hvad du vil finde: en stort fok eller et forsejl, hvis fod strækker sig agterud for masten, især brugt på kapsejladsbåde. Alle fokke og genuer er asymmetriske; del en fok i to lodret, og de to resulterende stykker er næppe spejlbilleder. Også her hjælper retningslinjerne for måling af kapsejladsregler yderligere med at definere standardformen for en fok eller en genua: Trekantet, med en mindre omkreds end en spiler, med kun et hjørne (clew) tilladt at flyve frit (med fastgjorte reb for at holde det under kontrol). En dag for mange år siden var der nogen der tænkte: måske skulle vi tage en genuas form (asymmetriske dimensioner, head and tack pinned down, a couple of sheets tied to the clew) og give den mere omkreds som en spiler. Det er vanvittigt nok til at kunne fungere! Men hvad skal man kalde denne genua / spiler? Og så blev gennakeren født. En gennaker flyver ikke som en genua. Og den er ikke lige så effektiv som en spiler, der er bygget til specifikke vindvinkler. Men en gennaker fungerer godt som et alsidigt medvinds sejl til reaching/(almost) running. Og fordi der ikke er brug for nogen spilerstage, er en gennaker meget lettere at rigge og sætte end en symmetrisk spiler. En gennaker har den asymmetriske form som en genua med en spilers omkreds (bredde). Er en gennaker til kapsejlads eller tursejlads? Er en gennaker et cruisingsejl eller et kapsejladssejl? Ja. Det kommeer an på. Mange kapsejladsregler kræver et specifikt mindstemål for en spiler og et maksimal omkredsmål for at kvalificere sig som et lovligt forsejl - og det efterlader en no-go-zone derimellem. Når det sker, skaber dette "ulovlige"sejlstørrelsesområde til kapsejlads en meget håndterbar gennaker til tursejlads. For nylig er regler for rating / handicap begyndt at fjerne denne gråzone - måske har du hørt udtrykket "tweener" sejle? Hvis du har en gennaker, kan din sejlproducent hjælpe dig med at afgøre, om den kvalificerer sig til den type kapsejlads, du vil deltage i. En anden grund til, at udtrykket gennaker er forvirrende, er, at dets anvendelse har udviklet sig forskelligt rundt om i verden. Afhængigt af din placering henviser navnet muligvis til en cruisingorienteret sejlkonfiguration. Eller det kan beskrive et meget højteknologisk, tætvindsvinkel, sejl på højeste grand prix niveau. Hvis du har brug for hjælp, skal du bede din lokale North-ekspert om at forklare brugen. Udviklingen indenfor gennaker-teknologien Udviklingen indenfor gennakere har flyttet sig meget hurtigt i de seneste år, til både tur- og kapsejlads. Et godt eksempel er North Sails Helix Rulle Gennaker. For mere information om branchens leading edge henvises til Helix, Load-sharing og Structured Luff. Utroligt meget mere end en skaffel - en gennaker er en god tilføjelse til din sejlgarderobe - til både tursejlads og kapsejlads. North Sails er glade for at introducere Helix Rulle Gennaker, en ny sejltype til cruisingmarkedet. Den strukturerede luff Helix Furling Gennaker eliminerer det tunge kabel, der kræves til traditionel rulning, og er det mest pålidelige og let håndterbare top-down rullende cruising sejl i verden. Helix Structured Luff transformerer, hvordan sejl flyver, og er nøglen til at opbygge en moderne sejlgarderobe. Vores cruisingsejl med struktureret luff giver en mere pålidelig rulning end et sejl, der vejes ned med et tungt kabel, er vægtmæssigt lettere, nemmere at håndtere og har et bredere udvalg af vindvinkler. Det reducerer antallet af sejl, du har brug for ombord, såvel som slidtage, hvilket gør det til den perfekte tilføjelse til din cruisingsejlgarderobe. Med en række materialer at vælge imellem er en Helix Rulle Gennaker tilpasset bådens størrelse og anvendelse: fra familie cruiser til superyacht. Oprindeligt udelukkende et 3Di-sejl, nu er Helix Structured Luff tilgængelig i en række materialer fra vævet polyester til 3Di. På bestilling kan et valgfrit LightWeight UV-cover tilføjes til Helix Rulle Gennaker. For mere information, kontakt din nærmeste North Sails ekspert. READ MORE

BASIC RACING RULES OF SAILING EXPLAINED Visual Interactive Webinar In this webinar, North Sails experts Zeke Horowitz and Brian Hayes explain and demonstrate basic rules according to the US Sailing “Racing Rules of Sailing”. Using a whiteboard, Zeke re-creates many scenarios that we experience on the racecourse to explain the rules and when they can be applied. The webinar was presented to Flying Scot sailors, but the rules apply to all one-design classes. Below are the timestamps if you want to jump to a specific topic of interest. Definitions: 4:41 – Clear Ahead and Clear Astern; Overlap 6:57 – Keep Clear 8:45 – Leeward and Windward 10:30 – Proper Course 12:21 – Room 14:08 – Zone Scenarios: 17:01 – Starting Line Situations (Windward/Leeward, Rule 16, Rule 17, “Barging” and Rule 13) 50:04 – Mark Room (Weather and Leeward Mark) 1:22:00 – Open Water (Room to Tack, Room to Duck, Tacking too close, Rule 17, Rule 18) If you have a question, please don’t hesitate to contact Zeke or Brian. READ MORE

UPGRADE YOUR J/70 INVENTORY FOR 2021 North Sails adds the XCS-4 Mainsail and the J-2+ Jib to the class line-up The J/70 class attracts sailors who demand the best, and North Sails continues to upgrade and improve an already successful inventory. New for 2021 are two designs added to the North class line-up; the XCS-4 Main and J-2+ Jib. Here’s what you need to know. XCS-4 Mainsail The XCS-4 is a fine-tuned adjustment to the successful lineup of North Sails J/70 mainsails. “It is an all-purpose sail, designed to match the stiffer masts that have a hard time getting the proper prebend in light air,” North Sails expert Will Welles explains. “It would be a nice choice for teams that sail on the lighter side of crew weight.” J70 Class leader and sail designer Ruairidh Scott calls the XCS-4 an evolution of the European championship-winning XCS-2 design. “We have worked hard to make the sail smoother and flattened it slightly. While the F-1 main remains the flattest in the North lineup, the XCS-4 delivers optimum performance in a variety of conditions. The sail is easy to trim and suited to both Selden and Southern Spars masts.” “Our goal is to develop sails that help our customers be successful and confident. The work that we put into J/70 sail design let us help you sail at your best.” J-2+ Jib The 2021 J-2+ adds a little more depth to the already successful J-2. “We are trying to make this jib easier to use,” says North Sails J/70 expert Eric Doyle. “The J/70 has quite a stiff carbon mast, which makes it hard to sag the forestay in really light conditions. The J-2+ is slightly fuller down low and forward, for more power and a bit more entry angle. In-hauling precision is less critical with the J-2+, so this is the ideal sail for those of us that don’t get to race as often as we like. It’s really an upgrade when racing in bumpy conditions and driving the boat is challenging.” For teams who prefer to set up with more rake, the J-2+ is also available with a 50mm shorter leech. Sail design improvement is a long process. After collecting feedback from the fleet, several North Sails J/70 experts talked with the designers about how to make the J-2 jib more powerful and a little easier to trim. Starting from the existing base shape, the designers spent several months refining it into what became the J-2+. Once everyone was convinced the result was an improvement, customers were asked to evaluate it and again provide feedback. Its first regatta wins were the Annapolis Fall Regatta and the Annapolis Fall Brawl. Giulio Desiderato used this new design to win the 2021 Bacardi Invitational Winter Series Event #1, and he is excited about making it easier for customers to get up to speed in difficult conditions. “We are lucky to have successful sailors that travel around the world sailing J/70’s and bring ideas back to our great designers,” he says. “Our goal is to develop sails that help our customers be successful and confident. The time and work that we put into J/70 sail design will save sailors time, so trust in our work and let us help you sail at your best.” READ MORE

LET’S TALK MC SCOW First Look at the New MC Magnum The MC Scow Happy Hour was held virtually on Friday, February 5th, for a virtual debrief about the Lake Eustis Training Week/Train Wreck Regatta with North Sails MC Scow expert Allan Terhune and North sail analyst Eric Doyle. During a week of training in Lake Eustis, FL, Allan and Eric had a chance to test the new MC Magnum sail, which is an optimization of the very successful MC Z-Max. They shared their impressions on the new sail and tuning findings for light conditions. In fact, Eric and Allan are working on a new Tuning Guide for the MC Scow class to incorporate a lot of what they learned about the boat. Take a seat and enjoy the conversation! Related story: MC Scow Training Week / Train Wreck Regatta READ MORE

IS YOUR SAIL INVENTORY READY FOR THE ROLEX FASTNET RACE 2021? Live Webinar: Campbell Field & North Sails Talk Through the New Course © ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi Over 400 yachts will set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron start line on the 8th of August 2021 to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race, organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. With a finish in Cherbourg, France, the route now totals 696 nm, adding 90 nm (15%) to the previous course and presenting new challenges for both crews and navigators. North Sails has teamed up with professional navigator, Campbell Field, to help you prepare for this much-anticipated yacht race. Campbell has run route optimizations based on 10 years of weather data about windspeeds and angles on this new race course. Analyzing this information, alongside your IRC rating and sail inventory, is the best way to improve your performance. A new course brings new opportunities, but identifying areas to improve will vary with boat design and your existing inventory. To optimize your sails for your IRC rating, first, we need to answer a few questions. What are the 2021 rating updates? Are there any free gains you could make, or should you increase your rating to improve a weakness in your current inventory? By combining Campbell’s routing data with your knowledge of your boat, North experts Pete Redmond and Ronan Grealish will help you figure out the best strategy for this longer course. Special guest, Campbell Field, will discuss the route and weather predictions alongside North experts Pete Redmond and Ronan Grealish during a live, free webinar on Thursday, 18th February at 7:00 pm GMT / 8:00 pm CET. With a Q&A session at the end, don’t miss the opportunity to optimize your inventory for this year’s new and different Rolex Fastnet Race. If you already have specific questions, get in touch with Ronan or Pete ahead of time so we can prepare answers. Or just show up. We look forward to seeing you there. Register Today Average from 10-year data by time % at different TWA bands © Field Yachting Ltd. 10 years of Expedition Navigation Software Optimal routes © Field Yachting Ltd. READ MORE

We caught up with Emirates Team New Zealand embedded sail designer Burns Fallow to learn more about the twin skin mainsail; a concept decided on before they had finalized the AC75 hull design. READ MORE

The new Hylas 57 features a complete suit of North Sails. The mast furling mainsail, furling genoa, and inner self-tacking jib are all 3Di OCEAN 700. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: RORC TRANSATLANTIC Powerhouse Trio on Class40 Palanad 3 Wins Overall 📸 Ed Gifford Olivier Magre and son Antoine launched their brand-new Class40 Palanad 3 in June of 2020 with an ambitious plan: compete in the RORC Transatlantic and the Caribbean 600. Combined with a full season of Class40 racing in 2021, those two events would provide the miles needed to qualify for Olivier’s ultimate goal, the 2022 Route du Rhum. The Class40 is designed to sail shorthanded, and Olivier finds three to be the lucky number. First, he signed on Corentin Douguet, a well-known Figaro racer, brilliant with weather and strategy. Next, he asked Luke Berry, a young, strong sailor who usually races on his own Class40 and would be the perfect fit and go up the mast when needed. Youth strength plus experience: it turned out to be a winning combination. “Everyone can do every job, and with the talent we had onboard, we were able to make all the right moves at the right time.” The RORC Transat was a great chance to test the boat’s downwind sailing potential“, said Olivier. “We had strong competition with Redman, and it was a lot of fun to get to know the boat more and see how hard we could push her.” Class40s have rounded bows (like Scows), and the design is built for pure speed. Antoine explains, “With all weight focused aft and an eight-degree mast rake, it looks like a windsurfer.” Boat speed is comparable to an IMOCA, Olivier adds. “We hit 27 knots during the Transat. Even on our trip to the starting line in Lanzarote, we saw 28-29 knots. Impressive! Our average speed over ten days was 14 knots. It feels effortless to sail this boat fast, nonstop. It’s a lot of fun!” Check out what the race was like onboard. 📹 Courtesy of Luke Berry.   Olivier and Antoine both credit the support they received from North Sails experts to get the new boat up to speed. Palanad 3 is equipped with a 3Di RAW 760 main, J1, and J2. In addition, they have an A2, A5, A6, and a FR0. North Sail expert Alan Pennaneach joined him for the 2020 Dhream Cup and was involved in every step, including onboard training, testing systems, and fine-tuning sails and trim. “We’ve been delighted with our experience and our partnership throughout our program development,” Antoine said. “The feedback is helpful and constructive, the customer service is great, and the sails have not disappointed. It’s been a very positive experience.” Laurent Tilleau, who recently retired, was also a significant part of the Magre’s North Sails experience as they raced together for several years on previous boats. “The feedback is helpful and constructive, the customer service is great, and the sails have not disappointed. It’s been a very positive experience.” Olivier’s son Antoine first sailed with 3Di in 2013, and he was impressed, so a new suit of sails from North for the new boat was a must. “The stiffness provides a better feel on the helm, and of course, more durability over time. Our first suit of 3Di lasted 3-4 seasons, and we pushed them hard. With a proper service plan in the off-season, too, our sails were in perfect condition every time we needed them.” 3Di is also lighter and easier to handle than traditional sail materials, both on and off the boat. The weight difference was even more apparent when helping another Class40 with their sails. “We were shocked about how light ours were, after picking theirs up.” 📸 Pierre Bouras Both father and son enjoy the Class40’s camaraderie. “Before events and after training sessions, we discuss sail selection and design, sail shapes, rig setups– there is a ton of exchange and collaboration, which is why the Class40 is such a great class to be part of.” Palanad 3 had three crew members on board for the RORC Transatlantic. After the first six hours, they took watches of two hours on, two hours off. For sail transitions or maneuvers, it was all hands on deck. “The Class40 is built for racing,” said Olivier. “The boat designer didn’t care about comfort, so cooking is still a work in progress for us.” With a jet boil for hot water and no water maker, the only hot meal options were freeze-dried or boil-in-the-bag food. “We definitely don’t go sailing for the food,” said Olivier, “but we also enjoyed cold salads with rice and tuna, especially good in the warm weather.” He said there were two critical things to Palanad‘s Transat victory: the start and avoiding the wind shadows under the Canary Islands, and avoiding sargassum seaweed whenever possible. The tradewinds were stronger farther south, but that’s where the seaweed patches were much thicker, so they planned out their route carefully. “Every 20 minutes, we had to do a weed check,” said Olivier. “The best method we found was to broach the boat intentionally to knock it all off.” For future races, they plan to add a kelp cutter. All around, the team is composed of seasoned talent. “Everyone can do every job, and with the talent we had onboard, we were able to make all the right moves at the right time,” said Olivier. With over ten new boats launching this year, the Class40 will only get more competitive and more exciting for all involved. Olivier and his crew hope to get as much time in the boat as possible this year in preparation for the 2022 Route du Rhum. “We had planned to sail the Caribbean 600, but it was canceled,” Antoine explained. “So Palanad 3 is now headed back to Europe.” The team will start training for the Normandy Channel Race in April, followed by scheduled racing, the Rolex Fastnet in August, and then potentially the Transat Jacques Vabre. “The end goal is the Route du Rhum, and I am sure there will be plenty of smaller races in between to continue to improve on the boat,” said Antoine. “We’ll work hard to keep our training going whether events still go on as planned or not. It’s all about sailing the boat fast–and we’ve got some pretty high expectations!” 📸 Antoine Dujoncquoy READ MORE

MC SCOW TRAINING WEEK + TRAIN WRECK REGATTA A Closer Look At The New 2021 MC Product Line The new 2021 designs for the MC Scow North Sails MC Scow class leader Allan Terhune was joined by North’s top sail analyst Eric Doyle, aka ‘the man who is obsessed with making fast sails faster’ for a solid week of MC Scow training on Lake Eustis in Florida. Thank you to Lake Eustis Yacht Club and Commodore Dave Moring, who welcomed the duo and provided support as well as the perfect facility for sail testing. The MC Masters champions Matt Fisher and Lisa Fisher, as well as Sean Bradley, Ken Felis, Al Haeger, and Chris Kubickek and others also joined in the fun, making it a successful week of test trials for North MC Scow sail designs. The main goals for the week were to test the new 2021 MC Scow product line, including the brand new “M” design – the Magnum, and warm up for the upcoming regatta with all minds open to continue to learn as much as possible about sailing the boat. While Allan was sailing, Eric was busy observing all the action from the powerboat and together they made important conclusions about fine tuning the sails. For instance, In light air the main must be trimmed hard enough to bend the mast, but not too hard because it closes the leech and will stall. “This is a very tricky balance between luff curve and broad seam in order to go through the entire wind range with very few controls and adjustments,” said Eric. “It’s important to understand the level of details involved that affect sail design, and how crucial it is that the sail is fast in all conditions.” Allan had excellent race finishes, with a 3rd, 2nd, and 1st at the regatta, proving that the work done during the week of training paid off. “This is my second MC event,” said Allan. “I learned a lot about the sails and the boat this past week at Lake Eustis, including rake measurements, board angles, and shroud tension. I am excited to share what I learned with the gang.” MC Virtual Happy Hour Allan and Eric hosted MC sailors on Friday, February 5th, for an informal virtual debrief about what they learned this past week in Florida. WATCH Allan Terhune sail testing the new MC Magnum mainsail. Sail testing the ZMax and the new MC Magnum. Lake Eustis, FL. READ MORE

#NSVICTORYLIST: LUNA ROSSA WIN THE PRADA CUP SEMI-FINALS The Italians sweep the series and secure their spot in the Finals COR36 / Studio Borlenghi The drum-roll for the semi-finals of the PRADA Cup began about three days out with two big questions: had Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli found new speed and restored its mojo after its consistent losses against INEOS TEAM UK? And would the other boat even show up after its frantic repair work? Race 1 and 2 opened the semi-finals on Friday, 29 January: Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli vs American Magic. Luna Rossa was almost certainly the stronger team, but the semi-finals would see the first elimination and there was no room for complacency. Jimmy Spithill admitted this did put pressure on the team – but in a good way. America’s Cup wannabes veterans eat pressure for breakfast; this is not a game for the faint of heart. Over the weekend, the weather conditions were potentially boat-breaking: a choppy sea and puffs that sailors call bullets – sudden bursts of high-speed winds firing off the land. They can strike an AC75 at its most vulnerable when it is executing a bear-away from the top gate. It’s like watching a scary movie: you simply can not look away. Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli’s Francesco Bruni would never admit to being scared, but he later said that in such difficult conditions it is important to pre-plan the day. “There is no time to make last-minute calls,” he said, “and if you do make one, you are doing something you shouldn’t.” COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi It was exactly the racing experience the Italians needed to up their game before the finals. Luna Rossa sailed into the start box floating like a butterfly, and ready to sting like a bee. They dominated the start and led to the finish. Then they did the same again in the second race. They also displayed subtle changes in strategies. Like speed, for example. For 170 years, the experts have said that the fastest boat wins the America’s Cup, but when boat speed is red-lining at 53 knots, the ability to slow down on demand can be an advantage. Thus proving that sailing a clean race is equally important. “We’re not worried about reaching the maximum speed,” Bruni said, “and when you bear-away at the top mark you probably don’t want to be doing maximum speed.” That’s a good trick, because 53 knots at the wrong time can take an AC75 deep into the danger zone. Races 3 and 4 on Saturday, 30 January were a whole new day: sunny with an even north-easterly breeze that would provide few passing lanes on the course. Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli was almost certain to add two more to the scoreboard. They controlled both races from the get-go, sailed faster upwind, and pointed higher. The Americans suffered major issues with controlling their foil boards. Which ultimately extended the Luna Rossa lead. Max Sirena, Luna Rossa’s skipper, and team director said he was very happy with the performance of Luna Rossa and the on-board communication. “Both have been improving a lot,” he said, “so heads down and concentration up.” With the semi-finals complete, the America’s Cup bus is boarding the last few passengers, Luna Rossa has shown off its overall improved performance and is looking cool under pressure – except it wasn’t under the pressure it can expect from Ineos Team UK. Jimmy Spithill was asked what he saw as the key challenge in facing the British team when the Prada Cup finals begin on 13 February. The reply was a classic Spithill one-liner: “Cross the finish line in front of them.” COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

YOUR NORTH SAILS TEAM IS LIVE! Upcoming Expert Webinar Schedule Catch your local teams live with our upcoming interactive webinar schedule. North Sails Class Experts from around the world have joined forces to bring you the best tips and techniques that will help you get the results you are looking for. When you sign up for the webinar of interest, you will be sent the link to access the live presentation so you can view at any location you are in the world, from the comfort of your home. Grab a seat, a drink, and kick back with our full-on educational webinar schedule, open to all. *All webinars are recorded and will be published on our YouTube channel. Did you miss one? View all of our webinars and rewatch or rewind at your own convenience. Watch Past Webinars Upcoming Webinar Schedule: 🌐 LET’S TALK J/70 MIDWINTERS Get ready for the 2021 Midwinters in Tampa, hosted by Davis Island Yacht Club. Join North the Sails Experts Allan Terhune and Zeke Horowitz and Sail designer Mike Marshall for a full session of tips, tuning, and sail trim information. Tuesday, November 16th at 8:00 pm EST Register Here 🌐 LET’S TALK NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE – WEATHER & NAVIGATION North Sails is back the Official Performance Partner to the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race. Three editions in the running, we’ll once again be running our enormously informative and popular Performance Seminars, focused on weather, navigation, sail selection, and performance optimization. Raise your Newport-Bermuda weather IQ with Chris Bedford and Peter Isler, founders of Marine Weather University. Thursday, November 18th at 7:30 pm EST Register Here 🌐 LET’S TALK NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE – SAIL INVENTORY OPTIMIZATION North Sails is back the Official Performance Partner to the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race. Three editions in the running, we’ll once again be running our enormously informative and popular Performance Seminars, focused on weather, navigation, sail selection, and performance optimization. From race-record-breaking skippers to multi-edition veterans, the North Sails team’s collective experience and expertise are proven to deliver results. Thursday, December 9th at 7:30 pm EST Register Here READ MORE

Ponovno je dozvoljeno jedriti! Hrvatski olimpijski odbor je izdao službeno priopćenje na osnovu odluke Vlade od prije dva dana: Zagreb, 28. siječnja 2021. - Na sjednici u četvrtak Hrvatska vlada je odlučila da se, u sklopu popuštanja epidemioloških mjera, uvedenih protiv širenja pandemije Covid-19, od 1. veljače 2021. godine dopuste treninzi sportaša i rekreativaca na otvorenom prostoru. - Zbog pozitivnih trendova odlučili smo se za popuštanja koja nisu velika, ali su značajna za dio populacije. Fokusiramo se na djecu i odlučili smo se za povratak u školu svih učenika osnovnih škola - pojasnio je dopredsjednik Vlade i ministar unutarnjih poslova Davor Božinović. Mogućnosti za bavljenje sportom proširuju se i na korištenje bazena i balona za pojedinačne beskontaktne sportove, jer se u tim sredinama virus sporije širi zbog klora i prozračnosti. - Popuštanje se ne odnosi na korištenje zajedničkih prostorija, kao što su tuševi i svlačionice. Još uvijek nije trenutak za otvaranje sportskih dvorana - istaknuo je Božinović, uz napomenu da će nove mjere vrijediti od 1. do 15. veljače, a nakon tog razdoblja uslijedit će njihovo novo revidiranje. (izvor: vlada.gov.hr/vk) READ MORE

WHAT A WEEK FOR SAILING! The Vendée Globe and the America’s Cup has kept us glued to our screens and caused a lot of late nights Do we all agree it’s been a great week for sailing? Like you, many of us within the North Sails family were glued to our screens and had a few late nights, fueled by the Vendée Globe’s excitement, quickly followed by the start of The PRADA Cup Semi-Finals in Auckland. VENDEE GLOBE LIVE BLOG PRADA CUP LIVE BLOG Let’s start with the Vendée Globe – the closest finish for this incredible around the world race ever. Nine IMOCAs crossed the line within 30 hours, and all nine of those skippers chose North Sails to power their engine above deck. Beyond, 22 skippers who started the 9th edition of the Vendée Globe had North Sails onboard during their solo, non-stop, and without assistance adventure. The 2020-21 Vendée Globe is the closest finish for this incredible around the world race ever. Nine IMOCAs crossed the line within 30 hours, and all nine of those skippers chose North Sails to power their engine above deck. For 80 days, the Vendée Globe left us on the edge of our seats, and the race finish was no exception. To start, this race unofficially has multiple winners, Apivia’s Charlie Dalin took line honors, while Maitre COQ’s Yannick Bestaven was crowned the overall race winner, after a 10-hour, 15-minute time credit for his support in Kévin Escoffier’s rescue. Boris Herrmann, who was in the leading pack of three, collided with a fishing boat 90 miles off from the finish. Herrmann limped into Les Sables-d’Olonne line with a badly bruised boat, ultimately claiming 5th overall. Herrmann is the first German sailor to partake in this iconic race. With the French sailors filling the majority of the roster, Giancarlo Pedote (8th overall) claimed the highest finish position of any Italian to have entered the Vendeé Globe. And then there was race veteran and fan-favorite Jean le Cam. Le Cam secured fourth place on the leaderboard after receiving a time compensation of 16 hours and 15 minutes for his assistance to Kévin Escoffier. He won the hearts of fans worldwide for his bold recovery mission of Escoffier from his life raft on December 1st. In a race where emotions ran high, Escoffier was at the finish line to welcome Le Cam into Les Sables-d’Olonne. Les Sables-d’Olonne is continuing to welcome the 2020-21 fleet back home. We’ll be keeping tabs and sharing more updates as they become available. Yvan Zedda / Alea / #VG2020 We also have the America’s Cup! From near sinkings to do-or-die racing (on 75ft foiling monohulls nonetheless), the 36th America’s Cup literally has it all. As we write this update Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli sit two points ahead of American Magic after Day One of the PRADA Cup Semi-Finals. The team to claim four points first secures their ticket to the Finals against INOES Team UK. Day 2 begins at 1500 NZL time today. Can Luna Rossa wrap this up on Day 2 or will racing continue through the weekend. For now, we’re on standby. 📸 COR36 / Studio Borlenghi READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SCHWEIZ Infos über Bootsmessen + Covid 19 Auch wenn die Messen SuisseNautic und boot 2021 nicht stattfinden, können Sie bei uns trotzdem vom 8. - 12. Februar 2021 von einem virtuellen Messerabatt profitieren! Rufen Sie uns an oder vereinbaren Sie mit uns einen Video-Anruf, damit Sie bereits im Frühling mit neuen Segeln in die Saison starten können. Termin für Video-Call Aktuelle Corona Situation: Wir versuchen, uns an die Angaben des Bundes zu halten und verzichten daher wenn möglich auf persönliche Kontakte. Trotzdem können Sie uns natürlich für Servicearbeiten, neue Segel oder andere Anliegen jederzeit telefonisch (+41 71 680 00 80) oder per E-Mail kontaktieren. Segellieferungen finden ab Ende Februar wieder statt (Stand heute). READ MORE

Understanding these two sail types can help you figure out which will be best for your boat. 📸. Lissa Photography Like the Spork (a combination of spoon and fork), the name gennaker came from combining two very different sail types into one: a genoa and a spinnaker. Unlike the spork, gennakers are an entirely new sail type that demonstrate the sailing industry’s leading edge. What exactly is a gennaker? In short, a gennaker has a genoa’s form (asymmetric, head and tack pinned, sheets tied to the clew) with the wide girth of a spinnaker. The gennaker is an all-purpose downwind sail, while spinnakers are built for specific downwind apparent wind angles. Because designs are changing so quickly, the term gennaker can seem complicated. First, let’s make sure we understand the two original sail types: the spinnaker and the genoa. What is a Spinnaker? A popular online dictionary defines spinnaker as: “a large three-cornered sail, typically bulging when full, set forward of the mainsail of a yacht when running before the wind.” When spinnakers were all symmetric, that dictionary definition would’ve been fine. Today, things are a bit more complicated. Symmetric Spinnakers and Asymmetric Spinnakers We now describe the spinnakers in the picture below as symmetric spinnakers. Divide one in half vertically, and the two sides are mirror images. The windward corner is held out with a pole attached to the windward side of the mast, and to change course (or jibe), that pole is switched to the opposite corner. Unlike a headsail, there is no defined tack or clew; both are clews, until the pole is attached and that corner becomes the tack. (Told you it was complicated.) Fleet of symmetric spinnakers. 12 Metre Worlds 2019, Newport, RI 📸. Ian Roman Symmetric spinnakers remain a viable sail type for downwind sailing on boats equipped with spinnaker poles and the necessary running rigging. They fly well when sailing “deep,” with the spinnaker pole squared well aft – or as the dictionary says, “when running before the wind.” Over the past few decades, another spinnaker type has become increasingly popular – the asymmetric spinnaker or “A-sail.” An asymmetric spinnaker has three distinct corners: the head (attached to the halyard and hoisted all the way up the mast); the tack (attached by a short adjustable tackline to the bow/bowsprit); the clew (attached to the two sheets that run down each side of the boat). Hmm, that sounds a lot more like a jib or genoa… Asymmetric spinnakers are popular on boats that have permanent bowsprits or retractable poles. They are also used by cruising sailors because they are easier to handle than symmetric spinnakers. While symmetric spinnakers and asymmetric spinnakers look different, they are both spinnakers under the measurement guidelines of most racing rules. We won’t go into the specifics of sail measurement protocols here, but the purpose is to see that spinnakers carry substantial girth (width) and are therefore useful when reaching/running. A wide, curvy, sail like this simply won’t fly upwind. Asymmetric spinnakers on Melges 32’s. 📸. Zerogradinord / Melges 32 Class Association What is a Genoa? If you google ‘Genoa’, this is what you will probably find: “a large jib or foresail whose foot extends aft of the mast, used especially on racing yachts.” All jibs and genoas are asymmetric; divide one in half vertically, and the two resulting pieces are hardly mirror images. Here again, the racing rule measurement guidelines help further define the standard form of a jib or genoa: Triangular, with not nearly as much girth as a spinnaker, with only one corner (the clew) allowed to roam freely (with sheets attached to keep it under control). Genoa headsail. 📸. Paul Wyeth What is a Gennaker? One day several years ago, someone thought: “maybe we should take a genoa’s form (asymmetric dimensions, head and tack pinned down, a couple of sheets tied to the clew) and give it more girth, like a spinnaker. That’s just crazy enough to work! But what to call this genoa/spinnaker?” And so was born the gennaker. A gennaker won’t fly upwind like a genoa. And it’s not as efficient as a spinnaker built for specific downwind apparent wind angles. But a gennaker fits the bill nicely as an all-purpose downwind sail for reaching/(almost) running. And because no spinnaker pole is needed, a gennaker is a lot easier to rig and fly than a symmetric spinnaker. A gennaker has the asymmetric form of a genoa with the girth (width) of a spinnaker. Is a Gennaker for Cruising or Racing? Is a gennaker a cruising sail or a racing sail? Yes. Depending. Many racing rules require a specific minimum girth measurement for a spinnaker and a maximum girth measurement to qualify as a legal headsail – leaving a no-go-zone in between. As it happens, this “illegal” sail size range for racing makes for a very manageable cruising gennaker. Recently, rating/handicap rules have begun erasing this gap zone – maybe you’ve heard the term “tweener” sail? If you have a gennaker, your sailmaker can help you determine whether it qualifies for the type of racing you want to do. Another reason the term gennaker is confusing is that its use has evolved differently around the world. Depending on your location, the name might refer to a cruising-oriented sail configuration. Or it could describe a very high tech, close-wind angle, grand prix level A-sail. If you need help, ask your local North expert to explain the usage. Developments in Gennaker Technology Gennaker development has been moving very rapidly in recent years for both cruising and racing. A great example is the North Sails Helix Furling Gennaker. For more information about the industry’s leading edge, please refer to Helix, Load-sharing, and Structured Luff. So much more than a spork, a gennaker is a great addition to your downwind sailing inventory—for racing or cruising. Helix Furling Gennaker North Sails is excited to introduce the Helix Furling Gennaker, a new sail type for the cruising community. The structured luff Helix Furling Gennaker eliminates the heavy cable needed for traditional furling and is the most reliable and easy to use top-down furling cruising sail in the world. Helix Structured Luff transforms how sails fly and is key to building a modern inventory. Our cruising sails with structured luff provide a more reliable furl than a sail weighed down with a heavy furling cable, are lighter and easier to handle, and have a wider range of wind angles. That cuts down down the number of sails you need onboard, as well as wear and tear, which make them the perfect downwind addition to your cruising wardrobe. With a range of materials to choose from, a Helix Furling Gennaker is customized to boat size and use: from family cruiser to superyacht. Once reserved for 3Di sails, Helix Structured Luff is available in a range of materials from woven polyester to 3Di. Where requested, an optional LightWeight UV Cover can be added to the Helix Furling Gennaker. For more information, contact your nearest North Sails expert. READ MORE

LIVE UPDATES: THE VENDÉE GLOBE FINISH Following the Fleet Home After 24,000 Miles Around the World The Vendée Globe 2020-21 fleet is arriving back to Les Sables-d’Olonne after completing their 24,000-mile circumnavigation. This solo, non-stop, and without assistance marathon is one of the most difficult sailing events. Reaching the finish line, regardless of position, is considered a remarkable accomplishment. 25 competitors will complete this 9th edition of the race. 8 skippers were forced to retire the race, including Kevin Escoffier who was plucked from his safety raft by fellow competitor Jean Le Cam after his boat folded in half. North Sails is proud to power the engine above deck for 22 IMOCAs participating in the 2020-21 race. Join us on this page as we follow the finish and welcome the skippers back into port. Race Tracker February 3, 2021 5:10pm GMT She did it! After 87 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 25 seconds, young skipper Clarisse Cremér on Banque Populaire X is the first woman to cross the line in the Vendeé Globe 2020-21. Cremér is 12th overall, and has broken the previous female record set by Ellen MacArthur 20 years ago, which was 94 days and 4 hours. With a reliable and fast boat, Cremér preserved her IMOCA throughout the 87 days and was very focused on every detail to keep things in control. It’s been exciting seeing her check-in throughout the adventure, showing her energy and determination while offshore. The team’s support for Clarisse in this race has been solid. Banque Populaire teammate and mentor Armel L’Cléach rode out to celebrate this young sailor’s fantastic accomplishment and welcome her home. 📸 Adrien Francois/Alea Cremér’s first IMOCA experience was doublehanded racing in the 2019 TJV with Armel L’Cléach. Her first solo race was in the 2020 Vendée Arctic, where she finished 12th. A 12th place finish in the Vendée Globe is the icing on the cake for Cremér, her team and her country as a highly motivated and driven female role model for women in sailing. As the Banque Populaire technical team jumped aboard to congratulate her, emotions were high. She gave up control of the boat for the first time in almost three months, and took a few moments to celebrate her accomplishment free of any more responsibilities. It was clear the team made a great choice in Cremér for the 9th edition. Her boat was set up perfectly to allow her to accomplish her goals, push the limits and show just how much hard work she’s willing to put in to everything she does. She’s already talking about coming back for another Vendée Globe. We will be here too, cheering her on every step of the way. Brava Clarisse! 📸 Olivier Blanchet/Alea February 2, 2021, 3:00pm GMT It’s not over yet… Benjamin Dutreaux on OMIA – WATER FAMILY*, Maxime Sorel on V and B-MAYENNE, and Armel Tripon on L’Occitane en Provence have now reached the finish in 9th, 10th, and 11th place in what were the most challenging conditions in the final approach into Les Sables-d’Olonne. Benjamin Dutreaux, race rookie, arrived at the game late but has successfully crossed the line 9th in his first non-stop, unassisted round the world adventure. Congratulations Ben! Before the start of the 9th edition, Armel Tripon was already a familiar face in ocean racing. Over the course of his 84 days at sea he shared the importance of experience and determination, and the value of resilience. all of his offshore accomplishments, Tripon has risen above the hard moments;taking every moment in so he can be better next time. He iss the perfect example of a sailor with an immense passion for the sport that puts his heart and emotions into every maneuver and every decision. For another first timer in the Vendée Globe, we are very proud! Tripon commented, “I am lucky to have been able to race, to do what is my job. Every day I thanked my partner for allowing me to live this dream. I didn’t want to spoil it. I had an exceptional boat which was very well prepared. I got to know it well so I could push her harder and harder. It was a big chase to get back to boats as we went along. It was motivating. I really enjoyed playing with the weather systems and finding lines. Every day is to be celebrated on the Vendée Globe” 📸 Olivier Blanchet/Alea All eyes to the finish now to prepare for the 12th place finisher and first female to arrive; Clarisse Cremér on Banque Populaire X. At 31 years old, Clarisse is the youngest skipper to finish this edition race, and is currently chasing a chance to break Ellen MacArthur’s 20-year old race record for women finishing in less than 94 days and 4 hours. A non foiler and first timer, she’s no doubt won the hearts of female sailors worldwide and to see her complete the race, let alone finish in the top half is truly remarkable and an inspiration to all. She commented, “Boris’ story gave me a shock. I will have to be on the lookout until the finish, I have crossed the lanes and they were busy and I just had to slow down at one point to let a cargo ship pass. I can see them on the AIS so it is OK just now. It will not be easy to slow down in 30 knots of wind so I think I will be under 3 mainsail reefs only and I will try to accelerate to aim for a finish tomorrow afternoon. It’s not easy to predict an exact finish time, it’s a new exercise!” 📸 Clarisse Cremer / Banque Populaire X Meanwhile, Jeremie Beyou on Charal is battling the conditions near the Azores, in 35 knots and gusts ranging from 45-50 knots. The conditions are exhausting and it doesn’t look like it will improve the closer he gets into range of the finish. Romain Attanasio on PURE Best Western is also in the same boat just a tad further North, wondering if the weather will let up, exhausted, and pushing on. Spirits are high and adrenaline is pumping as the next three boats get closer to the finish port. We are keeping an eye on the race tracker and wishing all skippers the very best of luck and safety as they press on into the final sprint of the race. To be continued… January 28, 2021, 1:05am GMT Yes He Did! Jean Le Cam has crossed the Vendée Globe finish line. Le Cam secured fourth place on the leaderboard after receiving his time compensation of 16 hours and 15 minutes for his assistance to Kévin Escoffier. Jean has been part of the race since the 2004-05 edition and is known for his camaraderie, excellent navigation skills, sincerity, and passion for the sport of sailing. Le Cam won the hearts of fans around the world in his valiant recovery mission of Escoffier from his life raft on December 1st. In a twist of fate, Escoffier abandoned PRB the same IMOCA which Le Cam boarded in 2008 after his keel snapped off and his boat capsized off Cape Horn. Apart from finishing the race and placing in the top five overall, Jean le Cam has shown true sportsmanship as a Vendée Globe race veteran, and is also a role model and mentor for many new to the race. 📸 Yvan Zedda / Alea / #VG2020 With Le Cam’s finish, we have a standing shuffle, bumping Boris Herrmann, Thomas Ruyant, Damien Seguin and Giancarlo Pedote to fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively. Pedote’s first race participation is significant, and his consistency and determination has allowed him to accomplish what no other Italian has before, setting a personal record not only for himself but for his country. Pedote commented; “I managed to complete my round the world and race at the same time with rather reduced means and a small team that did not have the experience of a Vendée Globe. It is a satisfaction for me.” The top 10 will be rounded out by Benjamin Dutreux (Omîa – Water Family) and Maxime Sorel (V & B-Mayyene) who are expected to finish this evening local time. January 28, 2021, 4:30 GMT Bestaven and Dalin Share Vendee Globe Honors Since November 8, the 2020-21 Vendée Globe has left us on the edge of our seats, and now three months later, we’re watching eagerly as the finishers have been trickling in. From sinkings to accidents, this Vendée Globe has been truly special. Now, with the “famous five” lead pack ending their around the world journey all within 24 hours of each other, this Vendée Globe finish is officially the closest in the history of the race. Here’s a quick recap of the past 24 hours: Charlie Dalin’s Apivia claimed line honors, completing his circumnavigation in 80 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes, and 47 seconds. A Vendée rookie, he remained in the lead for the majority of the race and overcame what could have been race-ending foil damage early on in the Southern Indian Ocean. Coming into the finish, Dalin crossed the line at full speed hoping to put as much time between him and the rest of the pack who all finished just a few hours after him in what now is the closest Vendée Globe finish since the race’s start in 1989. Yannick Bestaven of Maitre COQ crossed the line 7 hours, 43 minutes, 59 seconds after Dalin. He benefits from a 10 hour and 15 second time credit for his support in Kévin Escoffier’s dramatic rescue, as a result, he is named the overall winner of the Vendée Globe 2020-21. Bestaven is one of two skippers that led the fleet for the longest time: 26 days. When he crossed the finish line, the spectators were shouting from their balconies to celebrate his finish and pay tribute to his amazing accomplishment as the corrected time overall Vendée Globe trophy winner. Yannick commented upon finishing; “I feel like I’m living a dream, hallucinating. You go from total solitude to this, to this party, to these lights, these people who are there despite the complicated context, I don’t realise what’s going on. I’m still in my race. It’s a child’s dream.I always believed I could do it, but in what position? I thought I would win at Cape Horn, but then I thought that if I finished 25th, then that would be good enough. We prepared a lot for this Vendée Globe, I knew I had a reliable boat and I was able to pull it off. This result is beyond my expectations. I imagined living many things, I have lived many others. After having fought as I have fought, bringing a victory to Maître CoQ IV is a dream!” Louis Burton crossed the line second, 4 hours, 9 minutes, and 25 seconds after Dalin, and has solidified third place overall on the scoreboard. Sailing around the world at an average speed of 12.6 knots, this race was a great achievement for the seasoned sailor who’s completed eight transat’s and two around the world solo trips. With this Vendée Globe finish, Burton improved his personal record by four places after coming in 7th in the 2016-17 edition. Boris Herrmann, who had a 6-hour time credit was in prime positioning for the top spot, when he collided with a fishing boat 90 miles from the finish line. Fortunately, Herrmann was not hurt in the collision, however he did suffer boat damage which forced Sea Explorer to limp to the finish line, arriving home on the morning of January 28. He currently sits in 4th place and must wait for the arrival of Jean Le Cam to determine his final position on the scoreboard. Thomas Ruyant on Linked Out rounded out the “famous five” and arrived after 80 days, 15 hours, and 22 minutes covering 24,365.74 miles at an average speed of 12.59. One of the race favorites of the 9th edition, Ruyant was in the lead pack for a good portion of the race. Despite foil damage, he pushed forward to finish the race– only highlighting his determination to not let anything prevent him accomplishing his finish line goal. In the early hours of the 28th, in tough sailing conditions and surrounded by darkness, he hedged across the line. Four years ago, Ruyant was unfortunately forced to retire from the race. This time, Ruyant successfully completed his world tour with a smile on his face so large that it spoke to his ambition and mental strengths to persevere despite the challenges. Following Ruyant, Damien Seguin on Groupe Apicil and Giancarlo Pedote on Prysmian Group. Groupe Apicil came in hot to the finish at 20 knots as the first non-foiler to finish the race, which is one of his many stand-out accomplishments in this 9th world tour. With still uncertainty for time owed to Le Cam, He and Seguin now wait patiently for their comrade to cross the line to determine their final positions. To be continued… January 28, 2021, 1:30 GMT Burton Reached Les Sables-d Olonne Bureau Valleé 2, skippered by Louis Burton, is second to reach the Vendée Globe finish line. Burton completed his circumnavigation in 80 days, 10 hours, 25 minutes, and 12 seconds. The 2020-21 race is his third Vendée Globe, most recently having placed 7th in the 2016-17 edition of the race, a remarkable position considering his former boat was deemed one of the heaviest in the fleet. In his latest adventure, Burton acquired Banque Populaire VII, the foiling IMOCA, which carried Armel Le Cléac’h to a record-breaking race. Congratulations to Burton on his Vendée Globe success and we hope he gets some well deserved rest. Oliver Blanchet / Alea January 27, 2021, 21:00 GMT #NSVictory List: Bravo Charlie! Charlie Dalin flew across the finish at 20 knots to take line honors in the Vendee Globe 2020-21. Dalin arrived at Les Sables-d Olonne after 80 days and six hours, in a race that would not let up. A Vendee Globe rookie, he remained in the lead for the majority of the race and overcame what could have been race-ending foil damage early on. Coming into the finish, Dalin did not, and could not, take his foot off the gas though, as the top five competitors will arrive home mere hours after him, in what might be the closest Vendee Globe finish ever. To add complexity to this edition, Dalin will remain on standby until the overall winner is declared; both Boris Herrmann and Yannick Bestaven have a time correction after being rerouted to support Kevin Escoffier. Herrmann was awarded a total of six hours for offering assistance and Bestaven ten hours, fifteen minutes. Olivier Blanchet/Alea The around the world race is a solo, non-stop, and without assistance, marathon covering over 20,000 nm, and is one of the most difficult sailing events in the sport. Reaching the finish line, regardless of position, is considered a remarkable accomplishment, and often the sailors who finish last are the sailors who’ve won our hearts. Over the next week, 25 competitors will finish the 9th edition of the race. Eight skippers were forced to retire, including Kevin Escoffier who was rescued from his life raft by fellow competitor Jean Le Cam. Escoffier’s boat folded in half in large seas shortly before the Cape of Good Hope in the South Atlantic Ocean. Le Cam was given 16 hours and 55 minutes for his assistance. North Sails is proud to supply 3Di and Helix Structured Luff sails to power the engine above deck for 22 IMOCAs participating in the 2020-21 race. Join us on this page as we follow the finish and welcome the skippers back into port. January 27, 2021, 19:00 GMT Watch the Finish Live January 26, 2021, 18:30 GMT An Ultra Competitive Fight to the Finish With the leading pack showing a tight gap, the suspense will be high until the end. This single-handed round-the-world race could even end in a sprint; never seen before in the history of the Vendée Globe. The designers of North Sails France take stock of this exciting 9th edition full of twists and turns. What do you think of this edition? What surprised you the most in this first part of the race? It’s an incredible edition. This Vendée Globe is very competitive, and things are happening every day! We followed it closely, and we continue until the end! We can’t wait to see them arrive. In this first part of the race, like many people, we were surprised by the bad conditions the fleet encountered and the number of technical problems with hooks, rudder, foils, sails, structure, pilot, etc. We were also impressed by the poor delta performance for the foilers against Jean le Cam’s boat (Yes We Cam!) and Benjamin Dutreux’s boat (Omia – Water Family). The weather surely contributed to the fact that the foilers did not dig an incredible gap with the non-foiling boats. And of course, the rescue of Kevin Escoffier (PRB) by Jean Le Cam is particularly noteworthy. Frankly, it reminds us of the Vendée Globe of our youth! The new foilers are put to the test in this Vendée. Is it linked to the weather that varies from one edition to the next? Is it a question of luck to pass a front without problems and without a UFO? Or is it because of the new materials that we always want thinner and lighter? The skipper can deal with a front, it depends on his strategy. Then there are the damages due to design problems that are part of the evolution of these boats. As for hitting a UFO, all the boats are equal. It is a strong random part of this competition which is not predictable for the moment. Probably the latest generation of foilers rake wider and statistically, they are more likely to encounter a UFO. The IMOCA class is working on a sonar sys READ MORE

MELGES 15 WINTER SERIES DEBRIEF North Sails Expert Mike Stark Shares His Take on the Inaugural Midwinter Regatta You stated before you left, this was a new boat/class. What did you think? The boat is awesome. We had to finish putting it all together since it has never been rigged before and the entire process was very simple. The boat was well thought out. After we put it together we contemplated on going out for a quick practice as the wind was in the mid 20's with gusts to 30. We decided to go out real quick just to get back in a boat and make sure all the rigging/new boat kinks were worked out. It was unbelievable how stable and fast these boats are. Even in the high winds, we never felt like we were in "survival mode." Before you left your goal was Top Five. How did you do? We did it! We got off to a shaky start in the first race but ended up figuring out a few things pretty quick which allowed us to have consistent finishes in the top 6 and keep it mixed up with the very talented sailors at the top. We ended up tying for 4th (losing the tie breaker), and won the Masters division (a touchy subject with my skipper). What were the weather conditions like? Cold! The day after we arrived a cold front came through. Although it brought the wind up, it certainly brought the temperatures down. Saturday was cloudy with a high of 61 degrees and wind ranging from 13-18mph with gusts just above 20. Sunday, the air was 47 degrees when we splashed. The first race was a bit breezy around 10-12 mph. The sun came out for the second race killing the wind allowing for only 3 boats to finish. This was your first one design regatta since COVID, what was it like? It was very different, especially with this being a new class and not knowing many competitors. There was a limit to 25 boats for the regatta, we had to get our temperatures taken and answer questions every day on arrival, masks had to be worn at all times on the property, and the normal end of day meal/talking around the keg was certainly missed. There are two more regattas remaining in the winter series. Do you plan on competing in them? If so, does your goal change? George and I have certainly talked about it, and we would LOVE to. There may be a couple issues we each have making it to the February dates, but definitely look forward to making the trip in March. I don't think our overall goal will change. I think top 5 is certainly a great goal for the competitors in our class and the time we're going to be able to get in the boat until then (none). But I do think we add to it, maybe a goal will be to win a race, or all races in the top 5, things like that. What are your final thoughts on the class? I cannot say enough good things about the Boat and the class. The boat manufacturer was on sight ready and willing to help at a moment's notice. It was very easy to tow, rig, de-rig, and sail. The boat is extremely fast, stable, and set up in a simple way so the amount of lines is very minimal. The class was a perfect mixture of age ranges, with a ton of family oriented teams. The talent level ranged from All American college sailors and multiple national champions, to junior sailors with only a few years of experience. The one common theme I noticed was everybody having fun and huge smiles (especially while planning downwind.) READ MORE

AN ULTRA-COMPETITIVE VENDÉE GLOBE The 9th Edition of the Vendée Is Coming to a Close 📸 Jean-Marie Liot/Alea The first competitors of the Vendée Globe are expected on the morning of Wednesday, January 27 (local time) in Les Sables-d’Olonne after more than 11 weeks at sea and 24,000 miles covered around the globe. The designers of North Sails France take stock of this exciting 9th edition full of twists and turns. With the leading pack showing a tight gap, the suspense will be high until the end. This single-handed round-the-world race could even end in a sprint; never seen before in the history of the Vendée Globe. What do you think of this edition? What surprised you the most in this first part of the race? It’s an incredible edition. This Vendée Globe is very competitive, and things are happening every day! We followed it closely, and we continue until the end! We can’t wait to see them arrive. In this first part of the race, like many people, we were surprised by the bad conditions the fleet encountered and the number of technical problems with hooks, rudder, foils, sails, structure, pilot, etc. We were also impressed by the poor delta performance for the foilers against Jean le Cam’s boat (Yes We Cam!) and Benjamin Dutreux’s boat (Omia – Water Family). The weather surely contributed to the fact that the foilers did not dig an incredible gap with the non-foiling boats. And of course, the rescue of Kevin Escoffier (PRB) by Jean Le Cam is particularly noteworthy. Frankly, it reminds us of the Vendée Globe of our youth! What is your analysis in the second part of the race? Nothing can be taken for granted! The weather allowed for some regroupings and some changes in the rankings. Each sailor’s way of sailing is revealed even more. Some attack hard, others control. Otherwise, the boats are no longer 100% as they were in the first part. The speed polarities of each one are thus completely revised, it is all the more difficult to analyze. It is then difficult to really know what the full potential of the sailor/boat pair is between technical problems and fatigue. 📸 Maître CoQ / Jérémie Beyou What do you think of these high-profile skippers forced to give up so abruptly? Unfortunately, it’s part of the Vendée Globe rule. It remains a mechanical sport. We are sad for them and for their team. We hope they will come back for the next edition! It would be a record edition considering the percentage of boats still on the water (76 percent), how do you explain it? Frankly, it’s paradoxical, because there were few of them that had to abandon and yet it seems that the conditions have been particularly tough. Let’s wait for the finish to affirm this percentage, the race is not over. Having said that, the weather has surely pushed the skippers to be more cautious with their boats. 📸 Romain Attanasio / Pure – Best Western The new foilers are put to the test in this Vendée. Is it linked to the weather that varies from one edition to the next? Is it a question of luck to pass a front without problems and without a UFO? Or is it because of the new materials that we always want thinner and lighter? The skipper can deal with a front, it depends on his strategy. Then there are the damages due to design problems that are part of the evolution of these boats. As for hitting a UFO, all the boats are equal. It is a strong random part of this competition which is not predictable for the moment. Probably the latest generation of foilers rake wider and statistically they are more likely to encounter a UFO. The IMOCA class is working on a sonar system to avoid this. It’s still quite new, but it’s a step in the right direction. What about sails? Are they also being put to the test? Yes, with the higher accelerations, and even more so with the foilers. Not because the sailors pulled on them, but. maybe even the opposite because they sailed with less pressure to slow the boat down due to the sea state, and the movements of the sails were very dynamic. It is too early to draw conclusions.We will take stock with them and review with the teams once they’re back on land. 📸 Kojiro Shiraishi / DMG Mori What happened on Kojiro Shiraishi’s mainsail (DMG Mori) ? How did you assist the skipper to repair it remotely? How do you reinforce a sail? Kojiro had pilot’s issues that resulted in untimely and violent gybes that eventually damaged the mainsail. It ripped at batten #2. We helped the skipper to work out the best way to repair the sail. In this case, two pieces of the mainsail had to be spliced together by gluing them together and using part of the sail under reef # 1 as a replacement material. Do the skippers necessarily have a repair kit on board? Do they learn how to repair sails? Yes, the skippers have a repair kit (big or small depending on their choice) and know how to use it. 3Di is a is well adapted to repairs at sea. But the sailors are not specifically trained to repair sails, they are trained for many technical interventions in the boat which can be more complex especially in a confined and humid space. But this is a point that we have been thinking about a lot and are still working on with the aim of simplifying repairs. Of course, the best repair is the one that is not done. 📸 Armel Tripon / LOccitane en Provence What is the next step after the race regarding sails? Debriefing, meticulous verification of the set of sails, feedback from the skippers and a technical review with the teams to consider the next steps. For some, it has already partly started. Depending on the budget and the good state of sails, we will establish and work on the inventory for the Transat Jacques Vabre scheduled in October 2021. Have you analyzed the race by studying the next sail designs? If yes, how do you see the future sails for the Vendée Globe? No, it’s still too early even if we can think about some ideas. We don’t know much behind our screens. It seems more logical to wait for the debriefing with the skippers and keep the conclusions carefully to really move forward. The boats will evolve as well as the rules. As a Vendée Globe is unlike any other race, it will be imperative to come back to the debrief in three years’ time to arbitrate the developments that are made in transatlantic-type races. There is also clearly an ecological issue that cannot be ignored. It is up to us to find the solutions to respond to it as best and as quickly as possible. 📸 Pierre Bouras / TR Racing / DPPI How do you see the future generation of Vendée Globe boats? Foil or no foil? The next IMOCA boats will be foil boats, that’s for sure! They will be more reliable with fully enclosed cockpits that will allow these boats to be pushed even faster. The question of the target speed for which the general design must be optimized will therefore arise. Going at 30 knots in the bay is good, but we can see that on a Vendée Globe, the average speeds are much lower, and these are the ones that will have to be improved. What is your prediction? Difficult to say, because the gaps between the leaders are very tight and three boats will benefit from a bonus for rescuing Kevin. READ MORE

MELGES 15 WINTER SERIES PRE RACE SNAPSHOT Service Expert Mike Stark Shares Insight Into The New Class Chelsie Strong from the North Sails team in Detroit catches up with service expert Mike Stark as he headed into a new class and regatta with the Melges 15. In anticipation of the first Melges 15 regatta held in Sarasota, FL, I spent some time chatting with Mike Stark, a full time sail maker for North Sails Detroit, who competed in the first winter series regatta. We discussed his sailing background and I found out that he started sailing at a young age, 7, to be exact. Between sailing on his dad's various boats as a kid and learning to race in the Optimist Class at age 11, Mike became intrigued with the sport. He continues to expand his competitive scope to this day and is now comfortable sailing on big boats, in single-handed events, One Design and Handicapped races. His most recent racing experience being on the Tartan 10 I-Ball program where over the past 4 years they have improved steadily from not placing in the North Americans to placing 3rd in 2018 and 2nd in 2019. Mike is one the few people who can say his hobby has turned into a career. This is probably due to his skill on the water and as a service sail maker. I asked Mike if his knowledge as a sail maker translates into competitive sailing. He felt that anyone who wants to can become a great competitive sailor, but being able to think outside the box and having access to more resources is attributable to working as a sail maker. Mike accepted the invite to race in the Melges 15 regatta from his friend and fellow competitive sailor, George Sipel, in between servicing sails for North Sails Detroit. With the Melges 15 being a new boat, he went into the event with an open mind, but had heard the boat was supposed to be simple to operate and more comfortable to sail in. We talked about Mike’s personal goals, reasons for going and pre-race routine before he set off for the 17 hour drive from Detroit to Sarasota. With winter in full swing here in Michigan, who wouldn’t want the opportunity to compete in southern Florida right now? Although he wasn’t sure about the other competitors, he was aiming to finish top 5. In addition the timing was right with work and family life. Mikes pre-race routine includes checking the weather first thing, arriving early to prep the boat, good music to keep him focused and most importantly, Coffee. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ADDS HELIX STRUCTURED LUFF TO CRUISING SAILS Introducing Easy To Use, Accessible Performance North Sails is excited to introduce the Helix Furling Gennaker, a new sail type for the cruising community. The structured luff Helix Furling Gennaker eliminates the heavy cable needed for traditional furling and is the most reliable and easy to use top-down furling cruising sail in the world. Helix Structured Luff transforms how sails fly and is key to building a modern inventory. Our cruising sails with structured luff provide a more reliable furl than a sail weighed down with a heavy furling cable, are lighter and easier to handle, and have a wider range of wind angles. That cuts down down the number of sails you need onboard, as well as wear and tear, which make them the perfect downwind addition to your cruising wardrobe. “By incorporating a Helix Structured Luff system into a G1-style sail, we have created an easy to fly, easy to furl, and easy to stow downwind sail uniquely engineered for cruising.” The Helix Furling Gennaker concept developed out of a 2019 design meeting, explains JB Braun, North Director of Design and Engineering. “Helix sails were delivering fast, reliable furling for racers. But non-racers typically don’t sail at the same aggressive angles, so they needed a downwind sail for deep angles without the complexity of massive, heavy, sails. By incorporating a Helix Structured Luff system into a G1-style sail, we have created an easy to fly, easy to furl, and easy to stow downwind sail uniquely engineered for cruising.” With a range of materials to choose from, a Helix Furling Gennaker is customized to boat size and use: from family cruiser to superyacht. Once reserved for 3Di sails, Helix Structured Luff is available in a range of materials from woven polyester to 3Di. Where requested, an optional LightWeight UV Cover can be added to the Helix Furling Gennaker. In 2016, North Sails doubled -down on cruising product development, and the results have been astounding. The world’s leading sailmaker has released three cruising-dedicated product offerings since 2017; 3Di NORDAC, 3Di OCEAN 370, and then a full revamp of the 3Di OCEAN product line up in early Spring 2020. The Helix Furling Gennaker is our latest significant example of a fast-tracked, adapted technology. Helix Structured Luff is a design philosophy that transfers the best of Grand Prix sail handling into a lighter, reliable, user-friendly cruising gennaker. The Helix Furling Gennaker is available for order now for spring delivery. To learn more, contact your local North Sails expert.   PRODUCT DETAILS REQUEST A QUOTE FIND AN EXPERT   READ MORE

DOWNLOAD YOUR ZOOM BACKGROUND Show Friends & Colleagues Where You’d Rather Be (other than on Zoom!) Need a change of scenery from your ‘home office? Jump onboard with North Sails Zoom Backgrounds and put yourself out on the water! Zoom is now an integral part of our daily workflow, so we’ve created a selection of backgrounds for you to choose from to upgrade your Zoom experience. Put yourself in the cockpit of a VO65, battling the Southern Ocean, or on the deck of a J Class superyacht. More into the cruising lifestyle? Sit back and relax on the leeward side and take in all the feels of a warm, open-ocean breeze. Whether you are Zooming with friends or with work colleagues, you can now set the scene and show your fellow Zoomers where you’d rather be. Click on any background below to download. Download Background Download Button Interstitial First Name * Last Name * Email * By entering your email address, you agree to receive emails from North Sails as well as promotional offers and announcements from North Sails. Collected information will not be shared with any third party. Privacy Policy Opt-In * I have read and understand North Sails privacy policy Age Consent Opt-In * I am 16 years or older Continue Download Background Download Button Interstitial First Name * Last Name * Email * By entering your email address, you agree to receive emails from North Sails as well as promotional offers and announcements from North Sails. Collected information will not be shared with any third party. Privacy Policy Opt-In * I have read and understand North Sails privacy policy Age Consent Opt-In * I am 16 years or older Continue Download Background Download Button Interstitial First Name * Last Name * Email * By entering your email address, you agree to receive emails from North Sails as well as promotional offers and announcements from North Sails. Collected information will not be shared with any third party. Privacy Policy Opt-In * I have read and understand North Sails privacy policy Age Consent Opt-In * I am 16 years or older Continue Download Background Download Button Interstitial First Name * Last Name * Email * By entering your email address, you agree to receive emails from North Sails as well as promotional offers and announcements from North Sails. Collected information will not be shared with any third party. Privacy Policy Opt-In * I have read and understand North Sails privacy policy Age Consent Opt-In * I am 16 years or older Continue Download Background Download Button Interstitial First Name * Last Name * Email * By entering your email address, you agree to receive emails from North Sails as well as promotional offers and announcements from North Sails. Collected information will not be shared with any third party. Privacy Policy Opt-In READ MORE

LIVE UPDATES: THE PRADA CUP On-The-Ground Updates and Highlights from Auckland With the PRADA Cup, the 36th America’s Cup is underway. It’s exciting for our sport and North as three of the four teams competing in this Cup cycle use North Sails, and our NTG family brands Southern Spars, and Future Fibres to power their engine above deck. Our group has also supplied design talent and software to support the teams’ quest for the Cup. And for those of you who want to dress the part, North Sails is an official partner for event branded clothing. Racing begins January 15th at 1500 NZL time. Make sure to check your time zone if you’re watching remotely. North Sails will also be covering the PRADA Cup on this live blog and on our social channels throughout the next few weeks. Race Schedule January 30, 2021, 13:30 GMT Winners are grinners in the PRADA Cup semi-finals Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli sailed confidently onto Course A in a light north-easterly that blew in smoothly from the sea. Two wins for the Italians would take them to the PRADA Cup finals to sail against INEOS TEAM UK, and eliminate American Magic. COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi Both races started evenly, and it seemed we finally had a boat race. Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli had a slight speed advantage and the Spithill/Bruni team was taking nothing for granted. “Let’s keep the foot on the throat,” Spithill told his crew as they tacked to cover, despite a comfortable lead. Classic match-racing; classic Spithill. But Luna Rossa was also pointing higher. Pointing higher meant fewer tacks, fewer tacks meant less distance sailed, less distance sailed meant two (seemingly) effortless wins. Over race one, Luna Rossa sailed 200 meters less distance and did two fewer tacks – enough for a decisive win. Race 4, was match point– the do or die moment. Spithill applied pressure in the pre-start and gradually built a lead. Halfway through the race, PATRIOT suffered electronic gremlins with its foiling arms and gave Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli the crucial fourth win. Spithill credits the semi-final races for providing the team with valuable preparation for the PRADA Cup finals. “It was an advantage to do that series and we are the stronger for it,” he said. “The boat is going better and better,” Bruni added. There is definitely new confidence in the Italian team. In the past week, in training sessions with their sailing coaches, they have found an estimated 10 percent improvement. That may include heightened confidence in the team-generated software that gives critical time-on-distance information to the startline and electronic boundaries. And there was a definite swagger in Spithill’s voice as he crossed the finish line for the second time. “Nice one,” he said. “Now, INEOS boys.” It was as though he knew they were watching… 📸 COR36 / Studio Borlenghi January 29, 2021, 17:15 GMT Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli Pick Up Two Wins on Day 1 of the Semi-Finals On day one of the PRADA Cup semi-finals, Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli came into the start box with a game plan to own the start, and then pulled no punches for their recently repaired opposition, Patriot before leading them to the start line. Yes, it was an aggressive kick-off to the semi-finals of the PRADA Cup, a best-of-seven series, but it did just the trick– American Magic was knocked off their game and didn’t manage to get it back. Once they were racing, the Italians held their lead and extended it around the eight-leg course, ending on with a generous delta. Then, they did it again in race two. Ouch. If Luna Rossa does that again on race day #2, they will sail straight into the finals to take on INEOS TEAM UK. 📸 COR36 / Studio Borlenghi But, if we’ve learned anything about this America’s Cup, there is no such thing as a comfortable lead for an AC75 foiling monohull. Among the many new challenges of racing these boats, it’s easy to forget that optimum sail selection is still critical – especially when there’s no option to change sails mid-race. One could say, it’s a bit old school. The day was a day of shifty breezes, and the wind speeds ran up and down between the mid-teens and gusts in the 20s like quick little mice on a treadmill. To manage the shifty wind, Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli went for a bigger mainsail and jib than its opposition, deciding to sail on the edge rather than being underpowered. AC75 sails regularly operate in apparent wind speeds ranging from 10 to 70 knots in a race. Their sails can take immense loads, and can flatten, or depower, through that range. On day one of the PRADA Cup Semi-Finals Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli got it right: go big, get plenty of power and then manage the control over that power. It’s risky, in theory, but it was a no brainer. The shifty conditions might have offered some passing lanes, but Luna Rossa did not come under attack and had an almost perfect day, although their supporters let out a frantic gasp as Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli bounced off their foils just after the windward gate in race two. With a comfortable lead, from then on, the team pulled out their training wheels and took the corner safely on both foils. Going into races three and four we may well see this series wrapped up. 📸 COR 36 / Studio Borlenghi January 23, 2021, 13:30 GMT Nerves on a Knifes Edge Heading into this weekend’s race with race 2 Round Robin 3 the question on everyone’s mind was would this be the race that would send Sir Ben Ainslie direct to the finals of the PRADA Cup with five wins straight, or would it give Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni a big morale boost and a chance to fight again tomorrow. As if scripted by Spielberg, it started on time. And stopped. And started. The wind shifts were messing with the race committee, there was an issue with the cunningham onboard INEOS TEAM UK, and by the time both boats charged across the line, the race was already a master class in suspense. The race would then go on to become the style of racing we’re all missing– nail-biting. Reflecting now, it was more like a tennis match or Le Mans endurance race, with something exciting happening every five seconds. If you weren’t on the edge of your seat, you were probably asleep. On the first beat, Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli attacked, luffing INEOS TEAM UK in a move that is high-drama for displacement boats with foiling arms not sticking out their sides. It worked! INEOS TEAM UK, in the windward position, had to tack away and fell off its foils. Luna Rossa was looking good as they took the lead. In earlier America’s Cup racing, PRADA would have taken off and it would have been game over for INEOS once they fell off their foils, but, like we mentioned earlier, Spithill-Bruni were not going down without a fight. But the British team was nailing the shifts, so by the time the boats reached the top gate, the lead was nothing (a mere nine seconds!). Italy screamed in on port and tacked on top of UK, but in the shifty conditions, the maneuver was clumsy. The wakes of both boats drew a perfect half-donut in the water around the mark, but INEOS TEAM UK had the inside and the lead. In a race that would see nine lead changes and more than 50 knots boat speed, the wind shifts put Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli ahead. No wait, INEOS was ahead. No, PRADA. At gate four, INEOS TEAM UK pulled one of its signature slick moves and escaped– leaving PRADA almost in the dust. Heading into the finish, Italy had one option left. On the final cross, it dialed down, tacked on to starboard, all with to hope a penalty as UK crossed ahead on port, but the umpire didn’t agree and let Britannia head for the line. The race was awarded to INEOS TEAM UK. The scriptwriter got promoted. Sir Ben Ainslie and his underdog team remained unbeaten, clinched first place in the finals of the PRADA Cup, and made the last race of the Round Robins a box office hit. The British team will now have nearly three weeks to work on their boat and further develop it, whereas Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli will have to continue heading to the start line next weekend. Carlo Borlenghi / America’s Cup January, 22, 2021, 22:15 GMT Revised Round Robin Explained Round Robins 3 and 4 have undergone a major rethink following the withdrawal of a challenger due to last Sunday’s near-sinking. The revamped schedule canceled racing on Friday and has Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS TEAM UK racing each other just once on Saturday and Sunday. That means it’s an all-out, head-to-head for the Brits and the Italians. In the 2013 America’s Cup, Spithill came back from -2 to beat Team New Zealand and win the race in what’s easily considered the best sporting comeback of all time, but only after Ainslie had come onboard to help reverse the losing streak. In this lead-up to the America’s Cup, Ainslie is so far the comeback kid, after losing the ACWS in December; now, Spithill is running out of runway to overtake him. No doubt, Spithill has done the math. INEOS TEAM UK has four wins from four starts. One win this weekend will take them straight to the final of the Prada Cup in February, and leave Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to battle it out for the remaining spot next weekend. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has two points, so if they win both Saturday and Sunday, they will be tied with INEOS TEAM UK at four points. As the winner of the most recent race, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, would win the tie and go to the final. The team that misses the first spot in the finals will go on to compete in the semi-final against American Magic, which starts on Friday 29 January; it is a best-of-seven series. The losing semi-finalist will then pack their bags to go home. Giles Scott of INEOS TEAM UK, says being the first team to the finals will be an advantage. “Winning the Round Robin buys you time to make more upgrades to the boat,” he says. “It’s going to be significant for whoever wins.” In other news, regatta director, Iain Murray, has also revamped the racecourses to remove course A where the capsize occurred. From now on, almost all racing will be an extended Course C, a good all-round course with generally flat water. In the future, if an AC75 capsizes, the race will be abandoned. Round Robins 3 and 4 have undergone a major rethink following the withdrawal of a challenger due to last Sunday’s near-sinking. The revamped schedule canceled racing on Friday and has Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS TEAM UK racing each other just once on Saturday and Sunday. That means it’s an all-out, head-to-head for the Brits and the Italians. In the 2013 America’s Cup, Spithill came back from -2 to beat Team New Zealand and win the race in what’s easily considered the best sporting comeback of all time, but only after Ainslie had come onboard to help reverse the losing streak. In this lead-up to the America’s Cup, Ainslie is so far the comeback kid, after losing the ACWS in December; now, Spithill is running out of runway to overtake him. No doubt, Spithill has done the math. INEOS TEAM UK has four wins from four starts. One win this weekend will take them straight to the final of the Prada Cup in February, and leave Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to battle it out for the remaining spot next weekend. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has two points, so if they win both Saturday and Sunday, they will be tied with INEOS TEAM UK at four points. As the winner of the most recent race, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, would win the tie and go to the final. The team that misses the first spot in the finals will go on to compete in the semi-final against American Magic, which starts on Friday 29 January; it is a best-of-seven series. The losing semi-finalist will then pack their bags to go home. Giles Scott of INEOS TEAM UK, says being first team to the finals will be an advantage. “Winning the Round Robin buys you time to make more upgrades to the boat,” he says. “It’s going to be significant for whoever wins.” In other news, regatta director, Iain Murray, has also revamped the racecourses to remove course A where the capsize occurred. From now on, almost all racing will be an extended Course C, a good all-round course with generally flat water. In the future, if an AC75 capsizes, the race will be abandoned. January 17, 2021, GMT 15:00 GMT Round Robin Week 1 Recap If the last three years have been AC75 flight school, then the first two Round Robins have been Top Gun. And school will be adjourned with a foiling monohull clinching the America’s Cup. But to get to graduation, there’s quite a lot of course work ahead. As soon as the race committee announced Race day 3 (RR2 R 2, 3) would be on Course A, the most exposed course in the Hauraki Gulf, with 20-knot winds against a strong spring tide… drama was bound to follow. And, mid-way into the first race, a major wind shift turned a downwind run into a reach featuring Southern Ocean-style sailing– the race was quickly abandoned just as INEOS TEAM UK took the lead over Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli. An hour later, Course A was a happy place after the front passed through, leaving a kindly 16 knots in a choppy sea. Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli and INEOS TEAM UK lined up again for Race 2 of Round Robin 2. The boats were evenly paced, with the Italians in the lead, although barely playing to Jimmy Spitthill’s favorite match race textbook– crossing INEOS TEAM UK multiple times without tacking on them. By the looks of it, the objective of this PRADA CUP is: sail your own race. During the race, the lead swapped three times. And, despite the chat about whether Britannia would rule the waves or the waves would rule Britannia, Ainslie was still showing off those handbrake turns that return him direct to his favored side on the course after whipping through the gate. These impressive turns won him the race. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / America’s Cup And we thought that was the big news of the day. Race 3, Round Robin 2: Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli faced American Magic; in a dramatic leg final leg with American Magic lead ingLuna Rossa PRADA Pirelli, Dean Barker surged into the final gate at full Gs speed. With a 600m lead, Barker tacked and bore away exactly as a gust hit the boat. PATRIOT reared high and crashed down: the first AC75 to capsize during a race. All crew are safe, and all teams’, including Emirates Team New Zealand’s, deployed their chase boats and powered to keep PATRIOT afloat, but she is badly damaged. The committee awarded the race to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Reflecting on Round Robins so far is like Goldilocks in reverse: the third day was too windy, the second day was too light, and the first day was just right. Halfway through the Round Robins, we now no longer know if three boats will appear on the course next Friday. Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli has two wins to INEOS TEAM UK’s four. Luna Rossa has four days to unpack the first three days of sailing and see if Spithill, the king of AC comebacks, and Bruni can find another gear. INEOS TEAM UK has four days to keep their boat sailing fast. Meanwhile, the race committee may come out with some changes to help prevent AC75 boats from taking off like jumbo jets; after all, we want Super Hornets, not Boeing 787s. We are glad that the American Magic crew are safe and applaud the quick action from event management, fellow competitors, and local responders who immediately came to help. The PRADA Cup Round Robin series restarts on January 22, 2021, at 1500 NZL. Standby by for updates as the week unfolds. January 16, 2021, 15:30 GMT Beached As If the America’s Cup is the Formula One of match racing, then day 2 was like rationing the fuel for the race cars and hiding the pit stops. And, even though these boats might look like spaceships, they still need the one thing that all sailboats need: wind. In such light wind conditions, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS TEAM UK were lucky to be racing only once. Even then, both only just finished (thanks to a shortened course) with wide margins over their opposition, who received a DNF in RR1 R3. READ MORE

PODIUM SWEEP AT THE VX ONE WINTER SERIES Congratulations Chris Alexander and Team Counterproductive Twenty-two VX One teams gathered at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for the first of three Winter Series regattas. The weekend started with practice races on Friday followed by a socially-distant onshore debrief with North experts Austin Powers and Mike Marshall. The Saturday forecast called for winds in the mid to upper 20s, but when competitors left the dock the velocity was nowhere to be found. Then, just as promised 3 minutes before the first race the wind went from a mild 7 knots to a blustery 25 knots in the span of 3 minutes. Sporty conditions made for hard work upwind, but a sleigh ride down wind with a few teams seeing 20 knots of boat speed on their instruments. The key to this race was the ability to gybe and keep the mast point towards the sky. After 1 race, the wind built even stronger prompting the race committee to postpone ashore for more favorable conditions. Unfortunately, the wind never let up ending the day with only the single race completed. Sunday blew from the 5-9 knot range with varying conditions as dark clouds passed over the course. All credit to the RC as they were able to run seven races in five hours utilizing the 3 markset bots and just one chase boat. With shifty conditions and medium length courses, every mark rounding came with emphasis on clean boat handling and the ability to separate from the peloton and find clean air. When all was said and done, Chris Alexander’s “Counterproductive” came away with the victory with North’s own Madeline Gill aboard. Second place was occupied by Doug Clark and Mike Marshall, with third place being “Tudo Bem” being sailed by Michelle Warner, Reed Baldrige, and Austin Powers. North Sails powered teams finished 1,2,3,5,6,8,9,10*. Full results SHOP VX ONE SAILS 2021 Winter Series Event #1 winners. 📸 VX One Class/Sarah Wilkinson READ MORE

2021 i420 NORTH AMERICANS Consistency Guaranteed Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth the Title Biscayne Bay threw it all at the i420 teams competing for the 2021 North American Championship, with conditions that ranged from a very brisk 12-22 knot first day, to a drifter second day, followed by a marginal trapping final day filled with very fluky shifts and breeze direction changes. After the dust settled in this eight-race regatta, teams powered by North Sails finished 1,2,5,6,8. North Sails i420 inventory includes three mainsails (M-7, M-9, and M-11), two jibs (J-12 & J-13), and two spinnakers (S1 and S5). These sails are proven winners, and our range offers teams the opportunity to choose the best fit for their particular sailing style. We are happy to help, so please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information. Defending 2020 North American Champions, brothers Justin and Mitchell Callahan sailed a very consistent event with no result out of the top ten, and (except for a retirement in race 4 due to a rudder pin failure) pushed the eventual 2021 regatta champions Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth very hard all weekend. In the end, Sitzmann/Woodworth sailed an impressively consistent series themselves, with two bullets and no race finish out of the top 4. Full results Pre-launching fun Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth, 2021 North American Champions Justin & Mitchell Callahan, 2nd Place Overall READ MORE

Welcome to “What is…” a series where we aim to answer complex questions around the 36th edition of the America’s Cup. In Episode 1 we answer the question on everyone’s mind—what is foiling and how does it work? READ MORE

Everything You Need to Know For BOISW BOISW is the biggest regatta of its kind in New Zealand, and with over 100 boats registered, this year looks to be no different. Get your team race-ready with our tips and tricks to guide you around the race course and prepare for the ultimate racing experience here at the Bay of Islands! Daily Weather Updates North Sails have teamed up with Roger Badham and Clouds to provide daily weather forecasts every morning before racing. Make sure to download the BOISW App for updates. Get the BOISW App Make Sure Your Boat Is Race Ready With many variables in sailing outside of our control, it is important to make sure your yacht is cleaned, light, and ready to be used with ease once your sails and crew are added. Learn More The Importance Of Communication On The Downwind Leg Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. Learn More Make Every Tack Count The difference between a good tack and a poor one can be measured in boat lengths and when racing is tight, superior tacks will allow you to break free from, or keep control of, a rival. Learn More Certified Service Guaranteed Bay of Islands Sailing Week is just around the corner, and your North Sails team of experts will be onsite and ready to help you with all of your sail care needs. North Sails is a long-time sponsor of BOISW, and we are back again this year to help make sure you are ready to race. Learn More READ MORE

A recap of our informative webinar with T-10 class experts Nick Turney, Perry Lewis and sail designer Mike Marshall. Allan Terhune moderates as we discuss the updates to the new tuning guide, visual rig tuning, one jib vs. two jib combos, as well as sailcloth technology and differences between 2D string sails, paneled sails, and 3Di Composite Technology. READ MORE

VENDÉE GLOBE VIDEO ARCHIVE View our 7-Episode Video Series The Vendée Globe was born in November 1989. It began as a daring challenge launched by a group of 13 sailors, including French navigator Loïck Peyron. For the skippers who participate, the lure of this race outweighs the risk of sailing non-stop, solo, and without assistance around the world. And for fans, we all gather every four years to be captivated by the next generation of IMOCAs, see who will reach the finish line and if we’re lucky, witness the setting of a new speed record. 📸 Andreas Lindlahr Episode 1: Thus was Born the Vendée Globe Peyron joins North Sails to lend his voice as our narrator in a six-part video series. He offers his perspective on this legendary race by telling the story of the exceptional skippers who dare take on the challenge, the passion that drives them, and the quest for open-ocean adventure. Beyond, the modern Vendée features the emergence of women and international sailors, the ever-evolving technology of the IMOCA, not to mention the growing enthusiasm amongst spectators and all those who are passionate about this unrivaled competition. With his impressive list of accomplishments, and collection of offshore miles, Loïck Peyron is regarded as one of the greatest French sailors. He took part in the first edition of the Vendée Globe, where he finished second. In this first episode, he recounts the history of the Vendée Globe through his eyes, from its origins to the present day, a race that has left an indelible mark in people’s minds. Episode 2: Technology and the Modern IMOCA The Vendée Globe is a race exclusively reserved for the IMOCA, a 60-foot monohull machine built for racing. The open rule gives the naval architects great freedom of design when imagining the next generation of boats. A class known for technological experimentation, the IMOCA has seen radical innovations such as foils appear in recent years. These appendages, placed on either side of the hull, provide power, reduce drag, and propel the IMOCA to fly above the surface at speeds that were once inconceivable. In two decades, the modern IMOCA has shaved close to 40 days off a circumnavigation. The 2020 race start is on the horizon, and many of us onshore wonder- how fast will these boats fly? In Episode 2 of our Vendée Globe 2020 video series, French sailor and storyteller Loïck Peyron explores the phenomenal high-tech advances of the IMOCA. Loïck brings us beyond visual appearances and dives deep into the construction and materials, most notably carbon, used in the boats. Today, the IMOCA is lighter, faster, and more reliable. The manufacturing methods of these boats are closer to those of airplanes than to sailboats. “We use the same terms, the same mathematical formulas and the same prediction and simulation tools as those used in aircraft,” stresses Loïck Peyron. Generally speaking, “the speeds of the boats have been multiplied by four in forty years.” Episode 3: The Spirit of Adventure In search of a challenge, a record, or an adrenaline rush, the sailors participating in the Vendée Globe are constantly testing their boundaries and pushing their equipment in an attempt to rack up a few miles, hours, days. From them, the open ocean beckons with the taste of adventure and a fascination for the unknown. “What’s interesting is what you don’t know,” says 61-year old Jean Le Cam, who is taking part in the Vendée Globe for the fifth time. “You are constantly questioning yourself to avoid getting bored.” More than a race, the Vendée Globe is the ultimate adventure. The skippers hunger to get out of their comfort zone and exceed their limits, and it is their story that fascinates the spectators. This race is one of the rare sporting events where completing the single-handed non-stop round the world race is seen as a remarkable accomplishment in and of itself. Join our Vendée Globe 2020 narrator Loïck Peyron as he uncovers why the race, even for veterans like Le Cam, is a once in a lifetime adventure. Episode 4: The Solo Experience Singlehanded ocean racing is demanding and not for the faint of heart. It is a profession that requires a certain state of mind and a great ability to adapt. “It may not sound like much but being alone changes your state of mind,” says Clarisse Crémer, who is taking part in her first Vendée Globe. In addition to taking on all the roles on board and managing your mind, stress, sleep and the unexpected, you also have to accept that you are not always at 100%,” admits Kevin Escoffier, who is embarking on his first solo circumnavigation after many years as an ocean racing crew member. “If the wind is different from what is expected, you have to deal with it and choose sleep over perfection for a few hours.” Today, ocean racing has become much more competitive than it was in the early days of the regattas. Modern boats are equipped with an impressive technological arsenal that almost forces skippers to hide inside their boat and think about their strategy all the time. In this fourth episode, Loïck Peyron looks back at the history of sailors venturing onto the sea. This week’s special guests include Escoffier, Jean Le Cam, and Vendée Globe rookie Clarisse Crémer, who will soon be departing for the solo, non-stop, and without assistance competitive journey around the world. Episode 5: The Women of the Vendée Globe A record of six women are included on the 33 skipper roster for the Vendée Globe 2020. This is historic, considering only seven women have participated, and six have ever completed the race since its inception in 1989. This trend is a reflection of what we’re seeing elsewhere in sailing, as more women take on leadership positions and compete at the highest level of the sport. The IMOCA is a big boat with big gear, and female sailors bring a unique approach to solo sailing. Our fifth episode of the Vendée Globe video series features their story. Loïck Peyron is joined by Clarisse Crémer and Isabelle Joschke to discuss how these six women will approach this great adventure around the world. Episode 6: The IMOCA Engine Above Deck Among the 33 skippers who will be advancing tomorrow, Sunday, November 8th, from Sables-d’Olonne at 13:02 CET, 22 are equipped with North Sails 3Di, (17 have a full inventory and 5 have a partial inventory). Onboard their IMOCA, the skippers will cover 40,075 km, which will take up to three months to reach the finish line. Episode 6 of our Vendée Globe video series drops just in time for the start of this around-the-world adventure. In this episode, we have a masterclass on the sails that power the super-charged IMOCAs. Charal skipper Jérémie Beyou, and PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier join North sail designers Quentin Ponroy and Yann Andrillon on the evolution of sails and what it takes to outfit the latest generation foiler. Episode 7: As the Fleet Set Off “We know when we are departing, but we do not know when we will return,” recalls Loïck Peyron in this seventh and last episode of our Vendée Globe video series. Although an absent crowd marked the 9th edition’s departure, emotions ran high on Sunday, November 8th. Each skipper acknowledges the incredible magnitude of this race: their story, their challenge, their competition, but also the team, sponsor, and the public with whom they will share their adventure that is full of moments of joy or sadness. Because completing the Vendée Globe remains an incredible achievement, the arrival home to the Sables d’Olonne after three months at sea is a moment as emotional as the start. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS LANSERAR HELIX-RULLSEGEL ÄVEN FÖR CRUISING Nu finns det ett enklare sätt att öka prestandan North Sails är glada över att kunna erbjuda världens cruisingseglare en ny typ av segel. Helix Rullgennacker har ett kraftupptagande förlik som gör att man slipper den tunga förlikskabel som tidigare har behövts på rullbara segel. Resultatet är världens mest pålitliga och lättanvända top-down-rullsegel för cruising. Det speciellt utformade förliket i Helix Rullgennacker förbättrar seglets aerodynamiska egenskaper och ger helt nya möjligheter att skapa en modern segelgarderob. Våra cruising-rullsegel är lättare, enklare att hantera och mer tillförlitliga än traditionella rullsegel utrustade med tunga anti-torsionskablar. Dessutom kan de användas i ett bredare spektrum av vindvinklar, och sammantaget innebär detta att du kan minimera antalet segel ombord. "Vad de behöver är ett enkelt och lätt segel som gör det möjligt att segla öppna undanvindar. Genom att applicera Helix-teknologin på ett segel liknande en G1-allround-gennacker har vi lyckats skapa ett undanvindssegel som är lätt att trimma, lätt att rulla in och ut och lätt att stuva undan.” Konceptet bakom Helix Rullgennacker utvecklades på ett designmöte under 2019, berättar JB Braun, North Sails chef för design och utveckling. ”Helix var synonymt med snabba och tillförlitliga rullsegel för kappsegling i ofta ganska aggressiva vindvinklar. Men de flesta cruisingseglare seglar på ett helt annat sätt. Vad de behöver är ett enkelt och lätt segel som gör det möjligt att segla öppna undanvindar. Genom att applicera Helix-teknologin på ett segel liknande en G1-allround-gennacker har vi lyckats skapa ett undanvindssegel som är lätt att trimma, lätt att rulla in och ut och lätt att stuva undan.” Helix Rullgennacker tillverkas i en rad olika material – från vävd polyester till 3Di – vilket gör det möjligt att ta fram skräddarsydda lösningar för såväl små familjebåtar som superyachts och allt däremellan. Seglet kan om så önskas förses med ett lätt men effektivt UV-skydd. 2016 bestämde sig North Sails för att satsa stora resurser på utveckling av cruisingsegel, och resultatet har inte låtit vänta på sig. Sedan 2017 har vi lanserat tre banbrytande cruisingrelaterade produkter: 3Di NORDAC, 3Di OCEAN 370 och en grundlig uppdatering av hela 3Di OCEAN-sortimentet. Helix Rullgennacker är det senaste exemplet på hur utvecklingen av segel för kappsegling på högsta nivå även kommer till nytta för den stora massan vanliga nöjesseglare. Helix Rullgennacker går nu att beställa för leverans till våren 2021. Kontakta ditt närmaste North-loft för mer information! PRODUCT DETAILS REQUEST A QUOTE FIND AN EXPERT READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TILFØJER HELIX TEKNOLOGI TIL CRUISINGSEJL Vi introducerer brugervenlighed og høj ydeevne North Sails introducerer Helix teknologi til tursejlere. Med Helix Rulle Gennaker får man som standard et ultralet high-end Future Fibre kabel, som er det sikreste, mest brugervenlige og mest pålidelige "top-down" rulle-sejl til cruising på markedet. Helix teknologien med "Structured Luff" ændrer hvordan sejlet flyver og er fremtiden i den moderne sejlgarderobe. Vores Helix tursejl med struktureret forlig giver en mere sikker og pålidelig rulning end et sejl med traditionelle anti-torsions kabler, da det er let og med ”top-down” systemet sikrer en altid ukompliceret rulning af sejlet, uanset vindstyrke og vindvinkel. Det reducerer antallet af sejl du har brug for ombord, hvilket gør Helix sejl til den perfekte tilføjelse til din cruising sejlgarderobe. "Ved at indarbejde et Helix Structured Luff-system i et G1-stil sejl, har vi skabt et sejl der er let håndterligt, let at rulle og let at stuve af vejen, som er konstrueret til cruisingsejlads med vinden."” Helix Rulle Gennaker konceptet blev udviklet på et designmøde tilbage i 2019, forklarer JB Braun, chef for 'Design and Engineering'. "Vi diskuterede hvordan Helix-sejl leverer high-performance og enkel furling til kapsejlerne. Men en tursejler sejler typisk ikke de samme høje vindvinkler, så de har oftest brug for et sejl til dybe vinkler og helst uden kompleksiteten på grund af tunge sejl. Ved at indarbejde et Helix Structured Luff-system i et G1-stil sejl, har vi skabt et sejl der er let håndterligt, let at rulle og let at stuve af vejen, som er konstrueret til cruisingsejlads med vinden." Med en række dugtyper at vælge imellem, kan Helix Rulle Gennaker nu tilpasses bådens størrelse og anvendelse: fra familiecruiseren til superyachten. Helix Structured Luff var i begyndelsen udelukkende en 3Di teknologi, men er nu tilgængelig i en række materialer, fra vævet polyester til 3Di. Som et tilvalg kan et letvægts UV-cover på fod og agterlig tilføjes på Helix Rulle Gennaker. Siden 2016 har North Sails målrettet fokuseret på produktudvikling til Cruising og tursejlads og resultaterne har været virkelig gode. North Sails har siden da lanceret tre cruising specifikke produkter såsom 3Di NORDAC, 3Di OCEAN 370 og siden foråret 2020 en fuld opdatering af hele 3Di OCEAN-produktlinjen. Helix Rulle Gennaker er det seneste eksempel på ”Helix Structured Luff” designfilosofi, hvor man tager det bedste fra kapsejlads og sejlhåndtering for at få en pålidelig, brugervenlig og performende Gennaker til tursejlads, der tager performance fra Grand Prix og kombinerer med let håndtering, der i sidste ende resulterer i det perfekte cruisingsejl. Helix Rulle Gennaker kan bestilles nu med en levering til sæsonstart. Kontakt North Sails i dag og få en snak om Helix Rulle Gennaker til din båd. PRODUKTDETALJER FÅ ET TILBUD FIND EN EKSPERT READ MORE

NORTH SAILS MAAKT HELIX TECHNOLOGIE MOGELIJK VOOR TOER GENNAKERS Hanteerbare en veelzijdige performance North Sails presenteert de Helix Furling Gennaker, een nieuw zeiltype voor toerzeilers. De Helix voorlijkstructuur maakt een zware anti-torsie kabel langs het voorlijk overbodig en is het meest betrouwbare en makkelijkst te gebruiken top-down oprolbare toerzeil ter wereld. De Helix voorlijkstructuur verandert de manier waarop een zeil projecteert en essentieel voor een moderne zeilgarderobe. Onze toerzeilen met geintegreerde voorlijkstructuur rollen beter op dan traditionele oprolbare gennakers met een zware anti-torsie kabel. Deze nieuwe zeilen zijn lichter, makkelijker te hanteren en hebben een groter wind(hoek) bereik. Hierdoor heeft u minder zeilen nodig, waardoor dit de perfecte toevoeging is aan uw zeilgarderobe. "Door de Helix structuur toe te passen voor deze zeilen ontstond een oprolbare all purpose gennaker die goed projecteert, betrouwbaar oprolt en makkelijk is om op te bergen.” Het concept voor de Helix Furling Gennaker kwam tot stand tijdens de Designers meeting in 2019, legt JB Braun, North Sails Director Design & Engineering uit. "Helix zeilen rolden snel en betrouwbaar op voor wedstrijdzeilers, maar toerzeilers varen meestal niet op deze aggressieve, hoge hoeken. Zij hebben een voor de winds zeil nodig voor diepere hoeken, zonder de complexiteit van zware, onhandelbare zeilen. Door de Helix structuur toe te passen voor deze zeilen onstond een G1-type zeil dat goed projecteert, betrouwbaar oprolt en makkelijk is om op te bergen.” De Helix Furling Gennaker is leverbaar in verschillende materialen, afhankelijk van grootte en toepassing. Hierdoor is het zeil geschikt voor alle toerzeilers, van weekend toerzeiler tot superjachten. Vroeger was de Helix structuur enkel beschikbaar in 3Di, maar nu is de Helix voorlijkstructuur beschikbaar in materialen van geweven polyester tot aan 3Di. Optioneel kan er lichtgewicht UV strook toegevoegd worden aan de Helix Furling Gennaker. Sinds 2016 is North Sails begonnen om zeilconstructies te ontwikkelen speciaal voor toerzeilers en niet zonder resultaat. 's Werelds beste zeilmaker heeft sindsdien 3 specifieke 3Di constructies voor toerzeilers ontwikkeld, 3Di NORDAC, 3DI OCEAN 370 en 3Di OCEAN 700. Sinds het voorjaar van 2020 is dit allemaal samengevoegd in een eigen 3Di OCEAN productgroep. De Helix Furling Gennaker is de laatste toevoeging en een fantastich voorbeeld van ons streven om altijd de best mogelijke technologie te leveren voor iedere zeiler. De Helix voorlijkstructuur is een ontwerpfilosofie waarmee het beste van Grand-prix wedstrijdzeilen doorontwikkeld is voor een lichtere, betrouwbaardere en gebruiksvriendelijkere gennaker speciaal voor toerzeilers. Uw Helix Furling Gennaker kan nog dit voorjaar geleverd worden. Neem contact op met uw North Sails Expert voor meer informatie. PRODUCTEIGENSCHAPPEN VRAAG EEN OFFERTE AAN VIND UW EXPERT READ MORE

ADVENTURE AWAITS ON QILAK Arctic Expeditions with North Sails 📸 Florian Ledoux Qilak owners, father and daughter Philippe and Marion Carlier, know they need dependable equipment to survive the Arctic ice onboard their purpose-built Owen Clarke 66. When we spoke to them, they were 69 degrees 29 minutes North, in Norway’s Lyngen Alps, well above the Arctic Circle. For Qilak, a combination of the right equipment and years of expertise make it possible to safely bring guests to explore high latitudes, sharing their passion for sailing and the sea. The Right Connections Why did the Carlier’s choose North Sails for arctic exploration? “I had North Sails on my three-quarter tonner, and she was fast– World Champion fast– so I’ve had confidence with the product from the very beginning,” says Philippe. But it was the relationship they built with North sailing expert Frank Gerber that cemented their decision for this project. “We all had the same understanding of what we were looking to do with the project,” says Philippe. “Frank was the key piece that tied all the parts together.” Marion says they first met Frank at The King and Queen Pub in Hamble, UK. “Frank’s mother owns it, and it quickly became our central meeting place, along with every other sailor in the area in England.” That’s also where they met Naval Architect Merfyn Owen. It was a combination of all the right people at the right time–and the right place. Philippe Marion . 📸 Florian Ledoux The Right Boat + Sails Qilak was purpose-built, and her solid aluminum hull can break through the ice. She has a retractable keel to go where larger ships cannot, an open cockpit—with heated seats and a warm cabin to take cover when underweigh. “Even the view from down below is stunning,” Marion explains. “The combination of boat design, rig, and sail plan was exactly what we needed and is why we can explore the arctic waters safely, comfortably, and with ease.” Philippe and Marion knew they needed a long-lasting sail product that was efficient through the wind ranges. It wasn’t just about getting new sails, though; it was about all the necessary systems easily working together. “The relationship we built with Frank has made this project successful,” Marion says. “He worked closely with my father–carefully listening to make sure he knew everything we were trying to accomplish with Qilak. He then bridged contact between my father and Naval Architect Merfyn Owen. North Sails made our project run smoothly, with the best sail options. They are true sail experts.” Qilak has many options when it comes to inventory. : NPL TOUR Furling Solent headsail : G2 Gennaker with Snuffer : 3Di OCEAN furling headsail. Qilak’s inventory consists of a full-batten 3Di OCEAN mainsail, NPL TOUR furling solent, 3Di OCEAN furling inner jib, NPL TOUR furling reacher, a storm jib, a storm trysail, and a G2 Gennaker with a Snuffer. They’ve got every wind range covered with their new setup. “As a retired pilot, I like when I can see my sails acting like wings,” Philippe explains. “Our 3Di mainsail is so stable. It generates a great deal of power, and you can feel it.” Qilak’s furling headsails make it possible to adjust the amount of power as needed, without clients even noticing. “We can achieve zero percent or 100 percent, or anything in between,” he continues. “It’s all done so easily. The convenience of furling headsails allows us to do so much more.” North expert Frank Gerber based in Gosport, UK commented, “I’m glad we were able to help them achieve their sailing goal and provide them with peace of mind along the way in their adventures.” Though they use their engine to reposition or avoid ice, the feeling onboard under sail is a special one, says Marion. “This is a great opportunity to teach our guests and enjoy each moment.” In the Arctic, the wind funnels through the mountains and down fjords and delivers varying conditions. “You can go from very light air to 40 knots just like that,” Marion says. “This is why we are always conservative when it comes to how many sails we have up at the same time. It’s for everyone’s safety.” Catch the last light before dark, or the first sun as it comes up over the mountains. If you are lucky, you can even see the Aurora borealis from on deck. From what we’ve heard, it’s spectacular. The Carlier’s have covered roughly 15,000 nm on Qilak, more than half the time under sail power alone. “We sail about 65% of the time, “We choose to motor sail when the high pressure is on us,” Marion explains. “We use our mainsail and our solent most because they are easy with guests and provide us stability.” Their longest passage so far is 600 miles, which took three days. Their best 24 hour run so far was 220 miles. “Very impressive for us non-racing sailors,” Marion laughs. “We saw 12.5 mph, with the wind at 15 knots. We stayed tucked into our pilot house with our heated seats. It was just a beautiful ride.” It’s All About the Adventure “We insert ourselves into nature and share the beauty of sailing and the environment with our guests,” says Philippe. Maneuvering under sail allows Qilak to get close to arctic wildlife. “We see so many amazing things,” says Marion. “Last year, we witnessed billions of herring moving back into the fjords, and behind them followed Orcas and humpback whales. Everywhere we went, whales surrounded us. We move slowly, with just our solent, and the whales and dolphins are curious. It is so quiet, we don’t have our motor on, and they come in very close to see what we are up to.” “The walrus are fascinating”, says Philippe. “They look sleepy most of the time, then all of a sudden they move and they are faster than you think. They are true torpedos in the water– magnificent animals.” Choose your adventure! Anything from sailing, trekking, climbing, kayaking, or relax down below in the onboard sauna… (yes, we said sauna!) There are also millions of Arctic tern, puffins, reindeer, and fox. “The reindeer are a bit more curious, said Philippe. “They often get within 10m if you are standing still. If they take off, it’s generally because a polar bear is near.” Greenland sharks are another common species they’ve seen while adventuring. “Have you ever seen one? This given species of shark could be over 400 years old– it’s just unbelievable, says Philippe. “I would not hesitate to swim with whales and orcas, but that shark, no way.” “One time, we had a polar bear reeling us in,” said Philippe. ” It was less than 50 meters behind us. They are beautiful animals, but we keep our distance. When you hear someone yell ‘polar bear, polar bear!’ it is no joke up here.” Charters on Qilak are scheduled around the best weather window. “Most of our guests like having a destination, but every now and then we get a group that is just there to go explore at our own pace,” says Philippe. “This allows for a sense of freedom. It’s a different experience to have no real limits. There is no race, nowhere you have to be, no other sailboats around, just you, the ice, and nature.” Qilak is built to make safe ice passages in the arctic territories. Why Qilak? The Qilak logo stands for the sky’s dome, the protective layer with all the living things under it. “We wanted to pick something that would be fitting with our project. A celestial sky and, by extension, like heaven all encompassed inside Mother Earth. We wanted to choose a name that was relatable to this arctic area of the world.” They wanted to name their boat something different, something unique. “We were speaking to an Inuit, and he asked us why we named our boat Qilak because his name was Qilak! It was funny. I guess we were not the only ones who thought it was a good name,” said Philippe. With a new year ahead, the Carlier’s stay positive and are ready to get creative to continue to follow their plans for adventure. “There is uncertainty still with the pandemic, but we’re not giving up. No matter what, we will still take on the adventure, and with a little creativity, it will still be successful,” says Philippe. Want to learn more about Qilak and how you can jump onboard? With tons of trip options, you can see parts of the world you would never have imagined. Visit Qilak’s website to learn more. Get the full tour and see her under sail here: 🎥 Courtesy of Expedition Sailing Virtual Boat Show, produced by Arctic Yachts. Thank you to 📸 Florian Ledoux for professional imagery. All other images + video links provided by guests onboard Qilak. Thank you Manta Vizbaras, Julie la Québecquoise, and Secret Atlas. To see what Qilak is up to, follow Qilak on Facebook and on Instagram. READ MORE

CONTROLLING JIB LEECH TENSION How to Effectively Finetune Your Fairleads with Fixed Positions Sailing dinghies are all unique. It is always fun to go from one one-design class to another and check out what makes them different, what controls they have, and in this case, what they might not have available for the crew to use to adjust and tune. One very important tuning device for jib trim is the fairlead position. Fairlead position defines sheeting angle for the jib, and many classes of course have adjustable fairleads; that is, the position can be moved fore and aft (or in some cases up and down, and in and out). When it gets windy, it’s often nice to be able to open the leech of the jib a little bit, and this can be achieved by moving the fairlead position aft. Conversely, moving it forward can create a more powerful shape. The 420 was designed, for better or worse, without adjustable fairleads; it is, as they say, where it is. How do you effectively move the fairlead fore and aft in a boat with fixed fairlead positions? The answer on the i420 is jib height. To achieve this, i420 sailors can raise and/or lower the height of the jib on the luff wire to achieve proper leech tension on the jib for given conditions and mast rake. You may notice boats in-between races that are capsized on their coach boat; often this is done to change jib height to match expected conditions for the next race. The peak rope fixed (and adjustable) at the head of the jib controls jib height. The boat also has an adjustable jib tack control to accommodate changes at the peak. Normally the jib should be fixed by having a proper deck sweeping effect. However, for the i420 class it is important to know the height should be adjusted to provide the optimum jib lead angle. Since, as we said, the sheeting point is fixed, you should adjust the peak rope to move the jib clew up or down to achieve the desired sheeting angle. In short, lower the jib down a bit to open the leech and ease power when the winds are up; in light winds, raise the jib for more power and jib leech return. It is also imperative to remember that mast rake also has a significant effect on jib leech tension. Raking back effectively opens the jib leech, and conversely, raking forward closes it. Don’t forget this when you tune the boat. Adding jib height to your tuning regimen can make a performance difference. Experiment, find the right balance, mark your settings, and go faster! For more information and questions on how to match your North i420 sails perfectly, please contact North Sails clas expert Tom Sitzmann. 2020 Miami One Design Development Program READ MORE

BAY OF ISLANDS SAILING WEEK: RACING YOUR CRUISER Preparing Your Yacht & Choosing The Right Set Up © Ian Roman BOISW is shaping up to be the main event with over 100 yachts registered! Divided into many different classes, sailing week looks to be a fun and competitive regatta for sailors of all kinds. Racing Performance Handicap regattas takes a little stealth sometimes. Handicaps are set by the handicapper to best of their knowledge of the boats design and recent results from a wide range of sources & places, which is not an enviable task. Some yachts are handicap bandits and some crews just know how to play the game. With 'keeper' scores without raising the attention of the Handicapper! Our North Sails experts have sailed in these mixed fleets at many regattas across Australia with varied results. Sometimes luck is on your side, and sometimes the handicapper is not. Either way, It’s all great fun and something our team looks forward to each year. With many variables in sailing outside of our control, it is important to make sure your yacht is cleaned, light, and ready to be used with ease once your sails and crew are added. Please refer to our starting points which are VIP to make sure we are as ready as we can be to take on the fleet, wind, and tides (not to mention, the handicapper!). Starter Tips Clean the bottom. Pretty simple this one... but an easy one to forget if having the “bottom done” is usually more of an annual event. A smooth bottom reduces the water friction around the hull and foils. If you don't do anything else to prepare your boat then make sure you do this. Remove Excess Weight. We love our floating home away from home with all its comforts…BUT the safety of a big anchor chain but getting the weight out of the boat, especially the ends will make the yacht more lively to sail. Removing weight will also help to reduce pitching when sailing upwind. Pitching is bad for the flow of air across the sails. Reducing weight where you can will have a positive effect across the entire wind range. Start with the Anchor & Chain, empty the water tanks, take off cruising or delivery sails.. Just have a good think of what you can do without while racing. *note: beer is not included on this list! Rig Tune. The rigs in most cruising boats are tensioned up very tight, this can make it hard to adjust the shape of the sails for the conditions of the day. Before you leave your home club ask your rigger or sailmaker to have a look at the rig to ensure it is straight side to side and how the mainsail sits on the mast in both light and windy conditions. Ideally the mast can be adjusted to allow the sail shape to be altered with the sail and rig controls as required on the day. Some small adjustments to mast trim and mainsail luff curve can make massive improvements to your performance and make the sails easier to trim. It is important to have your rig easily adjustable. Adjustable Backstay. Not all yachts come standard with an adjustable backstay, but if you have one or can up-grade to one, you will benefit from proper adjustment. The ability to tighten or loosen the backstay has a positive effect on the jib/genoa & mainsail at the same time. Tighter to de-power for a flatter main and jib when the wind is up, and Looser when we want power in the rig, a straighter mast and sagged forestay will power up the sails. Have your sailmaker make up an easy calibration stick or marks for repeatability. Code-Zero & Gennaker. A good VMG running sail and a code-zero for the “round the island” style racing are a must have item to be competitive. Being “non-rating” racing allows the use of a un-restricted mid girth gennaker, more like a big genoa which is a very efficient sail that has a wide wind range. From light airs upwind to medium air reaching the Code zero is best set on a furler tacked as far in front of the forestay as you can get ie; Bowsprit or strong point on the anchor roller. A running oriented G2 gennaker is your other downwind sail. A well designed G2 gennaker can have you sailing close to as low as a symmetrical spinnaker without the hassle of a pole, Some boats don’t quite have all the winches needed to handle the sheets & Braces for a pole anyway, so the running gennaker is a perfect fit. For a bigger boat, you might also consider having a snuffer fitted to the sail to make the hoist and drop safer and easier, you can also snuff & gybe if you are not confident to gybe when the breeze is up. Jib In-hauler and Traveller. Sheeting angle and traveller position are 2 great ways to improve the boats pointing ability, Jib tracks are placed pretty wide on many modern production boats to improve the cabin space downstairs, the downside of this is a wide sheeting angle for the jib, this directly affects the pointing ability or the “angle of attack” of the sail. An easy way to improve the sheeting angle is to have a “in-Hauler” or Barber haul system for the jib sheet. This can help narrow down the sheeting angle to a more race like 7-8 degrees from center line. Work with your sailmaker to ensure your jib has the correct clew height to suit. Another good trick that may apply if your boat does not have a traveller, is to have a handy billy purchase system that you can clip onto the boom end and the other end to the weather gunnel to bring the boom up to centerline or even slightly across without pulling the mainsheet to hard… especially handy in the lighter air to create some heel angle and rudder feel. Downwind sail Cross-Over Chart. Know when the code zero is faster than the jib or what true wind angles you can carry the A2 is also an easy way to save trial and error racing. Ask us to help you create a simple X-Y chart that shows True Wind Speed and True Wind Angle across the top and side of the page, then its as simple as matching TWA & TWS for the sail you need! Your North Team will be out there too, racing and for your support. We want you and your yacht to be ship-shape for racing. If you need anything, we are here to help. Don't hesitate to contact your local team to stay ahead of the game! READ MORE

CODE-SEJL FORKLARET Hvad er et code-sejl? Navnet ‘Code-sejl' kan betyde mange forskellige ting, afhængigt af, hvilken type sejler du er. Hvad der startede som et ligetil, men innovativt koncept, har hurtigt udviklet sig til en helt ny kategori af sejl. Mens Code-sejlet både kan se ud og opføre sig vidt forskelligt, er der et fælles tema: Code-sejl er hurtige, flade, fritflyvende sejl, designet til tætte vindvinkler. For at forstå alle de forskellige navne og versioner, kan det være en hjælp at se tilbage på oprindelsen af denne type sejl. Oprindeligt var "Code Zeros" designet til at måle inde som en spiler under forskellige måle regler, der krævede et midter mål på 75% af fodlængden. Volvo Ocean Race opfandt udtrykket Code Zero, som passer ind i den allerede etablerede North Sails-kodning af flyvende forsejl som for eksempel asymmetriske spilere. A1, A2, A3 osv. Code Zero sejl designet blev også populært blandt handicap sejladser under regler som IRC, ORC og DH - målereglen. Da sejlets effektivitet og brugervenlighed blev mere og mere tydelig, udvidede begrebet Code-sejl sig også til cruising sejlads. Multihull-sejlere har altid kaldt deres specialiseret high performance reaching sejl “Screechers”. Code-sejl tilføre et stort sejlareal og en masse power til tætte vindvinkler. Både med ikke-overlappende forsejl (Fok) har den største fordel ved at bruge Code-sejl, da disse sejl bedre udfylder behovet for sejlads på kryds og sejlads med spiler. Når du køber et code-sejl, er det vigtigt at tage dine bådegenskaber i betragtning (stabiliteten), ønskede vindvinkler, vindhastigheder, sejlhåndteringssystemer (rulle system) samt vælge den rigtige sejldug - så sejlet kan tilpasses dine specifikke behov. REQUEST A QUOTE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EXPERT LEARN MORE ABOUT CODE SAILS Code Zero Asymmetrisk Spiler - Midt bredte mål med (SMG) >75% Konceptet i dette sejl er stort set det samme, som den oprindelige Code Zero derfor navnet (Code Zero Asymmetrisk Spiler). Design kravet her, er det fladest mulige sejl til trods for et midt-brede mål på mere en 75%. Her er udfordringen at designe og bygge et sejl der overholder 75% midt/halv bredde målet (SMGA) af fodlængden og samtidig have en faconen der er tilstrækkelig flad så sejlet er effective på tætte vindvinkler. Code Zero´en har en meget stor kappe på grund af den store midt bredde, der begrænser sejlet i at sejle højere end 45° AWA. Code Zero Asymmetrisk Spiler laves i 3Di DOWNWIND eller Code aramid laminat-duge. Helix er en specialiseret sejl teknologi, udviklet af North Sails belastningsfordelings-teknologi. Helix er nu tilgængelig for Code Sejl, Genoa-staysails, Spiler-staysails, Jib top, Blast reachers og andre specielle fritflyvende for-sejl. Helix-strukturen er designet til at håndtere og fordele belastninger imellem sejlet og forligs strukturen og samtidig kunne give tilstrækkeligt drejningsmoment til at kunne rulle sejlet. Helix-sejl er mere alsidige, fra let vind til hårdvind med et bred vindområde. Helix-struktur og optimeret facon resulterer i sejl, der kan rulles, der er nemme at trimme, og som står roligt med et fremadrettet projekteret areal. For mere information, se Helix Blue Paper. Code 55 + 65 (SMG 51%-74%) En Code 55 har et midt brede mål på 55% (SMG), mens en Code 65 har et midt brede mål på 65%(SMG). (SMG er midt bredden af under-ligets længden). Code-sejl med en midt-bredde mellem 50% og 70% er meget effektive og alsidige forsejl. Disse sejl bliver dog undervurderet hvis ikke ligefrem forbudt af visse handicap måleregler regler. Til offshore kapsejlads, multihull sejlads og cruising, giver disse Code sejl ren fart og sejlglæde. En mindre SMG-procentdel indebærer et fladere sejl til at sejle tættere vindvinkler med, mens en højere SMG-procentdel giver et lidt dybere sejl til dybere vindvinkler. En SMG mindre end 51% betragtes som en genua, mens en SMG på mere end 74% betragtes som en spiler. Frit Flyvende Genua (SMG<50%) Ikke alle fritflyvende rullesejl betragtes som Code-sejl. Hvis et overlappende forsejl skal skødes hårdt og bruges til kryds, er det en genua. Genoa til kryds har agterligs-orienteret sejl structure, hvor Code Sejl har forligs-oriented sejl structure. "Fritflyvende" forsejl er defineret i Equipment Rules of Sailing som et sejl sat uden at forliget på sejlet er fastgjort til riggen. Som følge heraf skal fritflyvende forsejl oftest have et Anti- Torsion tov, hvis sejlet skal kunne rulles. A3 Helix Furling Gennaker Code - Mid Girth (SMG) 75-85% Dette er et andet populær kapsejlads sejl. Faconen er midt i mellem en Code Zero og en traditionel A3 og kan laves i enten 3Di, laminat dug eller en let polyester spilerdug. A3 Helix kan ikke sejle så højt og tæt til vinden som en Code Zero, men er et godt alternativ hvis man kun ønske et flyvesejl som dækker et stor vind spectrum. REQUEST A NEW SAIL QUOTE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EXPERT READ MORE

WANT TO JOIN OUR CREW? North Sails in Gosport is Hiring! Would you like to work in a fun, fast-paced environment with the Worldwide leader in sailmaking? North Sails in Gosport is looking for experienced Sailmakers. Since 1957, North Sails has led the sailmaking industry with our cutting-edge technology and knowledgeable staff. To apply for this full-time position, please email a Cover Letter and CV to Loft Manager, martin.lee@northsails.com. We look forward to hearing from you! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS RELEASES NEW T-10 TUNING GUIDE Maximize Your T-10 Performance For Different Conditions 📸 Dave Mathias The North Sails T-10 team is excited to release a brand new Tuning Guide for 2021. The T-10 can be a simple boat to sail, however it can be rather difficult to sail the boat to its full potential and have that extra edge over your competitors. Our new Tuning Guide focuses on the importance of setting your T-10 up for the different sailing conditions such as flat water vs. chop. When tuning your T-10, it is important to know how your mast bends and reacts to rig tune changes. It is also important to know exactly what to look for when tuning in different conditions or as the conditions change throughout the sailing day. Our new Tuning Guide will walk you through the whole process of tuning, from getting your mast inline with your keel for optimized tack to tack performance, to knowing how to power up/de-power the rig as conditions change. The hardest part of rig tune on any boat is knowing what changes need to be made and when to make them. Visual Tuning The new Tuning Guide is based on visual tuning. The concept of looking at your leeward shroud tension while sailing upwind, as well as sighting up the mast to visually see if the mast is bending side to side, if the top of the mast is falling off to leeward, or if the mast is straight in a side-to-side plane. Visual Tuning also involves looking at your headstay tension, or headstay sag. The T-10 being a deck step mast, your upper and lower shroud tension becomes critical in controlling your headstay sag. In some conditions such as flat water, you will want to sail with a tighter headstay. That will allow you to trim the headsail in more, which will allow you to point higher. This can be achieved by sailing with a tighter rig tension. In other conditions, such as medium air and chop, you will want to sail with more headstay sag to make the Jib deeper and more powerful. This can be achieved by sailing with a loser rig tension. Live Webinar – Sign Up! To learn more about our new Tuning Guide and Visual Tuning, sign up for our T-10 Webinar on Wednesday, January 13th, at 19:30 EST. T-10 Class experts Nick Turney and Perry Lewis will share critical updates to the Tuning Guide and explain in more detail the concept of Visual Tuning on the water. Nick and Perry will also discuss the differences between a one-jib program and a two-jib program, the advantages and disadvantages for either. Sail designer Mike Marshall will present the difference between 3Di, 2D string sails, and paneled sails. Sail expert Allan Terhune will moderate the webinar. VIEW NEW TUNING GUIDE SIGN-UP FOR WEBINAR 📸 Dave Mathias READ MORE

SITTING DOWN WITH THE AMERICA’S CUP COMMENTATING CREW Shirley Robertson Ken Read and Nathan Outteridge Share Insights Ahead of the Prada Cup 📸 Carlo Borlenghi / America’s Cup North Sails President Ken Read, Olympic gold medalist and foiling expert Nathan Outteridge, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Shirley Roberston are all part of the commentating team who are helping us follow the 36th America’s Cup. Shirley sat down with Ken and Nathan for a recent episode of her podcast. The team does a deep dive, providing their insider view on the World Series racing to date, and weighing up the strengths of each of the three Challengers. As the Prada Cup draws near, they dissect the performance of the three Challenger teams, looking at where each team may be able to improve and discuss some of the design differences apparent in each of their setups. Listen below and get up to speed on all things America’s Cup. READ MORE

2020 INTERNATIONAL 420 US NATIONALS Congratulations Tommy Sitzmann & Luke Woodworth The i420 Class doesn’t wait long to crown a National Champion! After a grueling 4-day regatta, with some moderate winds at the beginning and then 3 days of more (and more) wind, congratulations to the 2020 i420 National Championship team of Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth. According to their parents, these two student-athletes have worked hard, combining top-level sail training along with school and other sports. Team Outfit Sailing, led by Miami-based coach Lior Lavie, swept the podium, taking the top 3 finish positions. North Sails powered the top three finishers, and the sails worked incredibly well in a varied conditions from marginal trapping, to full-on heavy air. We continue to study i420 boat sail design and tuning, and we’d love to help you go faster. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS GROWS IN FLORIDA Veteran Racer Paul Abdullah Helps Expand North Sails Presence in Greater St Augustine Area Champion racer Paul Abdullah is expanding the North Sails presence in North Florida with an increased focus on cruising and club racing sailors. Working in concert with Peter Grimm and Bob Meagher of North Sails Ft. Lauderdale, Abdullah's expanded hands-on presence in the area will help clients enjoy North Sails unique cruising and racing products. Abdullah grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and started sailing in dinghies at a young age and with his father in various PHRF boats. At 18, he got his first Thistle, beginning his journey to where he is today. Abdullah competes across various one-design and PHRF class platforms and has won 16 National, North American, and World championships. Now he's applying his lifetime knowledge of sailing to help cruisers enjoy their boats more. Abdullah's goals are simple. He wants to help all sailors get the most out of their boats and introduce new people to sailing to expand access to the lifelong sport he enjoys. He met his wife Marie sailing Thistle one designs, and they both compete together often. Abdullah is supporting clients throughout St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, Palm Bay, and Daytona Beach areas, serving cruising and racing clients. Providing top-quality North Sails products and service is always at the forefront of his mind. Interested in sails or help with your boat? Clients can contact Paul Abdullah at 904-571-6051 or by email at paul.abdullah@northsails.com. READ MORE