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.

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