NORTH SAILS BLOG

PODIUM 100% NORTH POUR LE CHAMPIONNAT DES GRAND SURPRISE DE FOUNEX Encore une belle performance pour les voiles North Sails ! Lors du championnat des Grand Suprise les 16 et 17 septembre, elles font un sans-faute à Founex ! Après 9 régates disputées, c’est finalement Bernard Borter à bord de Little Nemo qui s’impose, devant Christian Haegi (Mea Huna) et Constantin Pournaras / Patrick Mazuay (Zephyros). Bernard Borter, skipper de Little Nemo : « Tout s’est très bien passé pour nous ! Nous sommes arrivés confiants, car on navigue depuis longtemps ensemble et on va plutôt bien. Samedi, les conditions étaient parfaites, juste « appuyé » comme il fallait, on a passé une journée incroyable ! Le dimanche était un peu moins facile. Il y avait plus de vent, tous les équipages ont sorti le foc. Il n’y avait presque aucune différence de vitesse entre les bateaux. Tout s’est joué au placement et sur le positionnement des bateaux entre eux. Pour la dernière manche, on a ressorti le solent que nous avions lors du Bol d’Or (et qui avait très bien marché, surtout sur le retour !), et nous en sommes plutôt satisfaits pour l’instant. On a navigué de manière assez conservatrice, sans prendre trop de risques : ça a payé, étant donné que pour les 9 manches lancées, on a fini soit 1er soit 2e ! » READ MORE

DES SUISSES VAINQUEURS DANS LA CATÉGORIE 'CLASSIQUE' DU CHAMPIONNAT DU MONDE DE 5.5 Du 4 au 8 septembre se sont déroulés les championnats du monde de 5.5 dans le Finistère, à Bénodet. Le Yacht Club de l’Odet a organisé de main de maître les régates rassemblant 26 participants venus des quatre coins du monde ! C’est un équipage suisse, composé de Bruno Engel, Bruno Allamand et Antonin Bocherens qui, à bord de Belphegor, a ravi la tête du classement de la catégorie « Classique ». Photo © Association Française des 5.5 JI Bruno Engel : « Il y avait une très bonne ambiance ! Et les 6 bateaux engagés dans la catégorie classique étaient vraiment magnifiques. Nous avons eu le bonheur d’avoir d’excellentes conditions sur toute la semaine du championnat. Le vent était constant, et soufflait en moyenne à 20-25 nœuds, c’était parfait. Nous avons été ravis des voiles dans ces conditions de vent ! Lors de notre premier championnat, nous avions fini en 2e position, et on voulait faire mieux cette année. « Nirvana » a été notre plus gros adversaire tout au long des régates, William (Borel) nous a donné du fil à retordre ! Nous étions d’autant plus contents de notre victoire. » READ MORE

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE North Sails prêt à relever le défi de la Volvo Race 2017/2018 © Amory Ross / North Sails A retenir dans ce communiqué : North Sails fournisseur exclusif de voiles de la course depuis 2014 100% du jeu de voile désormais réalisé en 3Di Une équipe impliquée sur le plancher… et sur l’eau A l’instar de l’America’s Cup et des Jeux Olympiques, la Volvo Ocean Race est un événement nautique international majeur. « C’est sans aucun doute la course la plus exigeante pour le matériel, qui est sollicité à 100% tout autour de la planète, détaille Greg Evrard, PDG de North Sails France. Il est donc logique que North Sails, leader mondial, soit depuis toujours impliqué dans cette course. Les meilleures équipes cherchant à s’équiper des meilleures voiles possibles ont ainsi choisi North Sails depuis des décennies. Aussi, comme sur l’America’s Cup, des dessinateurs et maîtres voiliers des équipes North Sails ont pendant des années été détachés au sein des équipes participant à la Volvo Ocean Race. Finalement, c’est assez naturellement que North Sails a été choisi depuis 2014 pour être le fournisseur de voiles exclusif de la course, les voiles étant devenues monotypes. » Pour North Sails, c’est la reconnaissance de la qualité et de la fiabilité de ses voiles en 3Di, mais également un sacré défi : celui d’entretenir les voiles et de garantir une monotypie stricte. C’est Gautier Sergent, Directeur de North Sails 3D Manufacturing et surtout dessinateur reconnu et expert es 3Di qui a conçu le set de voiles des VOR 65 en tenant compte des retours des équipes à la fin de la dernière édition courue. Toutes les voiles sont moulées aux USA et finies en France ou aux USA. Une expérience unique qui permet de concevoir des voiles de très haute qualité, désormais destinées à un public plus large. « Les qualités de la technologie 3Di - disparition du risque de délamination, voile composite beaucoup moins sensible aux UV, profil plus stable à matériau équivalent, forme initiale de la voile conservée plus longtemps - étaient idéales pour répondre aux exigences de la Volvo Ocean Race, explique Gautier. Aussi, il nous a semblé évident de l’intérêt de la rendre accessible au plus grand nombre, sous différentes formes, la plus récemment lancée étant le 3DiNordac, destiné aux bateaux de croisière : le même process de fabrication - voile composite filamentaire moulée - est donc adopté pour des voiles de croisière en utilisant le polyester à la place du dyneema, du kevlar ou du carbone. Les voiles en 3Di sont beaucoup plus durables par rapport à des voiles à membrane ou panneaux : elles sont en effet fabriquées à partir de filaments de composite, sans couture ni collage de panneaux et sans film plastique. Ceci explique aussi pourquoi elles sont plus légères, plus solides et plus stables. Ces caractéristiques conviennent parfaitement aux navigants qui se confrontent sur l’une des courses les plus exigeantes au monde. Le 3Di a d’ailleurs été lancé dès l’édition 2011/2012 de la Volvo Ocean Race. Depuis, le 3Di ne cesse d’évoluer, de s’adapter à différents usages (voiles de portant par exemple), ce qui fait que pour l’édition à venir, 100% des voiles seront en 3Di. Pour cette prochaine Volvo Ocean Race, les équipes naviguent encore sur des monotypes et c’est encore une fois North Sails qui a été choisi comme fournisseur officiel des voiles... Plusieurs éléments ont changé en 2017-2018 et plus particulièrement le parcours : il y a en effet plus d’étapes dans le Grand Sud. Pour simplifier la logistique et la jauge, les équipes auront le droit d’utiliser deux jeux de voiles composés de huit unités pour un total de seize voiles. » Différents types de 3Di sont utilisés dans un jeu de voiles : toutes les voiles dites “plates” sont en 3Di RAW tandis que leA3 et le FR0 qui sont les voiles de portant, sont en 3Di FORCE. A partir des retours de la dernière Volvo, une voile spécifique, le J0, a été développée. Il s’agit d’une voile gréée en tête de mât, amurée sur le bout dehors et sans recouvrement, se voulant être la plus polyvalente possible. Les premiers essais ont donné satisfaction aux équipes. L’autre évolution a été réalisée sur leA3, le gennaker de tête. Autrefois fabriqué en en cuben fiber, il est désormais réalisé en 3Di FORCE, plus stable, ce qui permet d’accroître la plage d’utilisation de la voile et la capacité d’accélération du bateau sans compromettre la fiabilité de la voile. L’engagement de North Sails dans la Volvo, c’est aussi une histoire d’hommes : « les hommes de North Sails ne font pas seulement du design et de la vente de voiles, assure Bruno Dubois, Project Manager du Dongfeng Race Team : ils passent beaucoup de temps sur l’eau avec les clients. Cela fait une grosse différence et c’est aussi l’une des raisons pour lesquelles North Sails est aussi populaire. S’il n’y avait pas ce type de relation basée sur le suivi constant, la continuité et la fidélité, cela ne fonctionnerait pas aussi bien. Les teams managers et les responsables techniques des équipes ont une relation particulière avec les membres de North Sails, qui les suivent de près à terre et en mer. Ce n’est donc pas juste une histoire de produit mais aussi d’hommes et de femmes. » © Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean READ MORE

RETOUR D'EXPERIENCE: COACHING PERSONNALISE ET CPL Depuis le début de l’année, North Sails Suisse accompagne un équipage tiré au sort lors des épreuves du Championnat du Petit-Lac. Cette fois-ci, c’est Isis, un Grand Surprise, qui a bénéficié du coaching personnalisé de Julien Monnier et de sa présence à bord lors des entraînements pour la Belle Etoile. Jennifer Schlup, à bord de Isis : « Julien (Monnier) est venu à bord pour les entraînements. C’était une très bonne expérience ! Avec l’équipage, on a participé à toutes les régates du CDPL, on navigue tous les mardis… Mais c’est la première fois que nous avons bénéficié d’un coaching de ce type. On a tous bien pu profiter de ses conseils. Il nous a beaucoup observés, pour nous faire faire des modifications par la suite. On a fait énormément de manœuvres pour qu’il nous explique comment nous améliorer sur des points assez précis. C’était un plaisir de partager ce moment ! » Pour mémo – Le concept de coaching personnalisé avec North Sails Suisse Un équipage sera tiré au sort pour un accompagnement de type coaching personnalisé durant une semaine, sur les épreuves du Championnat 2017 (hors Bol d’Or). Un équipage gagnant ne pourra pas être sélectionné une deuxième fois. Dans une atmosphère conviviale et avec pour objectif de partager notre passion commune, ce coaching personnalisé comprend les actions suivantes : J-5 avant l’épreuve : Briefing par téléphone ou à la voilerie avec le skipper et/ou l’équipage (tendance météo pour l’épreuve, passage en revue de la check list performance (carène, voiles à bord, électronique, etc.), point sur la liste d’équipage) J-4 : Entraînement du mardi soir à bord, avec si possible l’équipage au complet (à la SNG ou à Nyon) : briefing, réglages du mât et des voiles, point tactique, session de manœuvres. Puis débriefing au retour à terre et établissement d’une « to do list » d’ici à la course J-1: Briefing météo, réglage du gréement affiné selon les conditions météo, lecture des instructions de course, préparation finale du bateau H-3 : Dernier point sur la météo, stratégie générale, check list des priorités H : Selon votre configuration d’équipage, navigation à bord ou suivi de la régate par un membre de North Sails Suisse, photos techniques, vidéos et prise de notes en vue du débriefing J+3 : Synthèse avec l’ensemble de l’équipage à la voilerie, analyse et transmission des photos et vidéos, établissement de la liste des pistes d’amélioration pour les prochaines navigations. Avec nous, les pros, c’est vous ! Nous partagerons les trucs & astuces pour booster les performances de votre speedo, améliorer vos manœuvres en toute sécurité, affiner vos réglages et tactiques sur des bases simples mais efficaces. READ MORE

OFFICIAL SAILMAKER FOR AUSTRALIAN YACHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS The Partnership Is Confirmed For The Next Two Years North Sails is pleased to announce that we are the official sailmaker partner for the Australian Yachting Championships for the next two years. The 2018 regatta will be hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne from January 19 to 21, 2018 with the 2019 regatta to be held on the Derwent river in Tasmania in January 2019. North Sails will have a strong presence at the event with our Melbourne loft being located close by in Sandringham for regatta service in addition to many of our team competing at the regatta to support our clients. With both Monohull and Multihull divisions, there is sure to be some great racing with many boats scheduling in the weekend on the way home from the Sydney-Hobart race. For more information please visit the event website at the Australian Yachting Championships If you would like help in putting a team together for the regatta contact Alby Pratt at the Sydney loft. READ MORE

North Sails 3Di NORDAC Recognized as Game Changing Cruising Sail Technology   *Editors note: North Sails updated the name of 3Di NORDAC to 3Di OCEAN in 2020. It's the same great product, but not with an expanded range. Click here to learn more about 3Di OCEAN. North Sails 3Di NORDAC was named Best New Product at the Newport International Boat Show awards on September 15th. Introduced in Spring of 2017, 3Di NORDAC transforms polyester fiber into seamless, one-piece sails that are uniquely strong, beautiful, and long-lasting. Presented in partnership with Cruising World, Sailing World, and Yachting magazines, the Newport for New Products panel described 3Di NORDAC as a game-changer for cruising sailors. “We think this is going to give any cruising or recreational sailboat owner a much better sailing experience, regardless of how they are using the boat.” Sally Helme, Group Publisher for Cruising World and Sailing World, presented the award on behalf of Newport for New Products. “Transforming polyester fiber into seamless, one piece-sails that are stronger and lighter weight than the woven sails that have been the standard for over 60 years, this new technology gives cruisers a higher performance sail with a better shape and greater shape longevity.” “It’s an honor to receive this recognition for a product that our development team worked very hard to create. 3Di NORDAC represents a new breed of Dacron cruising sails that provide a better sailing experience for North Sails clients.” said North Sails CEO, Dan Neri. Designed for the small to medium size cruising boat, 3Di NORDAC addresses an inherent problem of woven polyester sailcloth – it fails to provide true value to cruising sailors because the sails lose their shape long before structural integrity is compromised. By marrying patented 3Di shape holding technology with the toughness and affordability of traditional white polyester, 3Di NORDAC offers cruising sailors a superior sail at an achievable price. “The sails are more responsive and hold their shape better than traditional panel sails, which allows more control of your sail power and increases your ability to balance the boat,” said Bill Fortenberry, North Sails Cruising Segment Manager. “Moving fast and efficiently through the water is the hallmark of the North Sails cruising experience.” To learn more about 3Di NORDAC, visit the North Sails booth at the Newport Boat Show on facedock (next to J/Boats), browse product features and benefits on northsails.com, or contact your local North Sails Expert. READ MORE

J/24 TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS Upwind & Downwind Techniques to Get Your Team Up to Speed Take some notes with Tim Healy, Will Welles, and John Mollicone on the fastest techniques for upwind and downwind sailing in the J/24. Crew weight placement, trimming techniques, and catching the perfect wave are the keys to success. READ MORE

THE NEW R5 OPTIMIST MAINSAIL North Sails is Proud to Introduce a New Member of the Optimist Radial Series Designed by the North Sails dinghy experts in Japan, the R5 is the perfect addition to North’s “R Series” Radial Optimist sails. The R Series was designed to deliver unparalleled pointing and acceleration capabilities throughout a wide range of conditions. A radial sail is more “rigid” than a conventional cross-cut sail. The sail holds its shape and responds more sensitively to trimming and tuning changes. This is the perfect Optimist sail for racers looking to get the absolute most speed and versatility on the race course. Shop R Series | Contact Opti Expert READ MORE

NORTH SAILS NEW ZEALAND NEEDS EXPERIENCED SAILMAKERS AND APPRENTICES Create your path in yachting with North Sails New Zealand. Now is a great time to start your Apprenticeship and Sailmaking career. The Volvo Ocean Race yachts are due in Auckland Late Feb until 18th March 2018. With the 36th Edition of the Americas Cup likely to be sailed on local waters who knows where you could end up. Join the world's largest Sailmaking company With over 29 lofts and manufacturing facilities worldwide that build sails from One Design Optimist's to 85 Metre Superyachts there are endless opportunities. North Sails is the official Sailmaker of the 35th Americas Cup and 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race. Contact: Derek Scott: derek.scott@northsails.com Guy Hewson: guy.hewson@northsails.com READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di POWERS ISORA OVERALL WINNERS TO NEW VICTORIES © Andy Green / greensea.zenfolio.com We caught up with J/109 clients Vicky and Peter who recently bought 3Di from North Sails UK. Here is what they had to say about their experience with their new sails with the help of their local expert, Frank Gerber. When the shiny new Pentex taffeta sails arrived to replace our old Dacron cruising sails Peter was very pleased, especially when we came 2nd overall in our very first ISORA race using them. Our 2nd place finish was swiftly followed by 3rd overall/1st in class on our second ISORA race. The new North Sails were delivered and North Sails UK representative, Frank Gerber, checked the sails and gave advice on tuning and rigging. He asked us to round up our crew for weight on the rail to simulate racing conditions. I'm sure Frank must have had a shock when he met us and our cruising setup, especially when we had to explain to him that there was no crew and it was simply just the two of us. "With Frank's patience and sound advice over the years we have gradually moved into racing mode and this year won ISORA. The spec of our sails has changed, as has the boat and number of loyal crew but we still use North Sails as we know we'll get good service." © Andy Green / greensea.zenfolio.com "We currently use North 3Di sails on our J/109 and find them very good value, as they seem to be able to stand up to the tough conditions we put them through in offshore racing. Our jibs we used at ISORA won this year have been used for the last three years now. In that time we have done two Rolex Fastnet races, one Volvo Round Ireland race and three full ISORA seasons, and are still competitive sails." -Vicky and Peter, J/109 "Mojito" © Andy Green / greensea.zenfolio.com North Powered ISORA winners Overall: 1st Mojito 2nd Sgrech Class Zero: 1st Aurelia 2nd Rockabill VI Class One: 1st Mojito 2nd Sgrech Class Two: 1st Elandra READ MORE

MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP North-powered boats win six of seven classes at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, sweep the podium in Super Maxi, Maxi, Mini Maxi RC1 and Wally divisions © Carlo Borlenghi The 28th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Maxi 72 Worlds regatta welcomed 46 yachts to the docks of Porto Cervo, Italy. Clients of North Sails sailed extremely well, winning six of seven classes and claiming 16 of 21 podium positions. The week’s racing offered a spectacular platform for the breathtaking fleets, boasting beauty in both lines and engineering on Costa Smeralda’s blue waters. Open to yachts 60’ and over, the regatta sorts entries into divisions determined by technical characteristics. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda teamed up with the International Maxi Association and lead sponsor, Rolex, to organize the annual event and, yet again, have done an excellent job; the 28th edition went off without a hitch, and North-powered teams sailed fast and furious on the race course. Competing in a variety of inshore and coastal races, the regatta spanned six days of sailing in conditions ranging from calm to fresh. In the Mini Maxi R class, Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou had a stronghold on the fleet with six bullets in six races, finishing seven points ahead of the Frers-designed Spectre. Jethou and Spectre are active UK programs with a number of North Sails experts among the crew. Both boats raced with complete North 3Di inventories. “With a few new faces onboard, the crew pulled out all the stops and we had some of the best coastal racing we’ve ever had in Porto Cervo, a great week. We’ve worked really hard on our off-the-wind setup on this boat, in particular on our reaching sails. Our 3Di FORCE Masthead Zero, Fractional Zero, and A3 ensure that, at whatever angle, we are always fast,” said North Sails expert Sam Richmond, trimmer on Jethou. North Sails clients filled the podium of Mini Maxi RC 1 – 1st, 2nd and 3rd place – with Roberto Lacorte’s Supernikka winning the division. Like the majority of her competitors, Supernikka races with a North Sails 3Di sail inventory, managed by North expert Alessio Razeto. “During the Maxi races in Sardinia we had to fight on corrected time, with boats behind us by 16 minutes, which meant there was nothing we could do if our boat speed was not 100%. This week the mistral pushed hard and we carried our brand new 3Di Code Zero in tighter angles, taking bigger risks. We felt our sail inventory, specifically the 3Di A0 did a fantastic job contributing to our success at the event.” We asked Alessio how North Sails 3Di was making a difference on the water. He replied: “We built a new 3Di RAW main, medium jib and code zero. It was impressive the improvement in performance it brought our team. We could easily sail over our target range, and saw differences when sailing upwind against our usual competition, which was historically much faster than us. Our crew has been impressed to have no failures this week, even during the strong winds we experienced from the mistral. Our maneuvers were executed perfectly, and I think this could not be achievable without our 3Di sails.” © Zerogradinord At the regatta, the largest fleet was in the Wally division with 11 yachts competing in over six races. In the 100% North-powered fleet, ultimately David M. Leuschen’s Galateia claimed the trophy after racing concluded yesterday, with the leaderboard showing a five point lead over Nahita. “It is surprising to us!” said Leuschen of Galateia‘s 1st place win. “The boat is new. We raced half the season last year when the crew was new. We have improved because the crew coordination is better. We did a lot of work on the boat over the winter and we bought a new suit of North Sails, which we like a lot more.” An impressive week in the Super Maxi’s was won by Ribelle, a Mckeon design which scored six points in five races while using North 3Di sails. And in the Maxi division, North-powered Highland Fling prevailed with owner Irvine Laidlaw at the helm and North Sails expert Mike Toppa onboard. Congratulations to all North Sails clients competing at the 2017 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. © Carlo Borlenghi © Zerogradinord © Zerogradinord © Fabio Taccola/ Aerial view of the Supernikka’s 3Di FORCE masthead code zero. © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi © Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

Peter Galloway Wins 2017 Sonar Worlds Lunenburg, pristine location and great atmosphere! Peter Galloway and his team of Ched Proctor, Garin Pace and Judy Lugar had to overcome multiple hurdles, both on and off the race course, to win the 2017 Sonar World Championships hosted by by the Lunenburg Yacht Club. Trailing 2 teams going into the final day Galloway and team posted a final day score line of 1,2,2 to complete an impressive, come from behind win. The sailors in Lunenburg are somewhat spoiled by a pristine location that has escaped much of the hubbub of modern civilization. The small clubhouse, a bar, wooden porch overlooking the mooring area and comfortable, rustic gathering great room offered a great atmosphere for the 25 teams competing for the title. The Sonar Worlds is the one major Sonar title that had eluded Galloway and just getting to the event proved a daunting task. Paul Steinborn, long time Fast Forward co-owner and crew, had a last minute injury that threw the entire program into scramble mode, including finding a replacement crew, housing and a tow vehicle just to get USA 701 to the starting line. The weather was unusual for early September. The regatta started with heavy winds of 18-20 knots for practice day. The scheduled start of racing brought a rainy day with 30 knots on the race course which made the race committee decision to abandon for the day well received by the competitors. Given a “bonus day” to tour the area many teams visited the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and enjoyed a waterfront stroll around town dodging rain squalls. Seven races were sailed to a very tight last race where three boats had the chance to win. Congratulations to Peter Galloway’s Fast Forward team, winners of the 2017 World title. Full results READ MORE

EXCERPTS FROM HAMILTON ISLAND The North Sails team in Australia rallied for a successful week at Hamilton Island Race Week - both on the water and in the service loft! We polled the crew on their experience at this years' race week in paradise, and this is what they had to say. © Andrea Francolini Billy Sykes (Swish, Ker 44, Winner of IRC Racing Div. & Passage Div. 1) Steven Proud put together a fairly young team for the event. Leading up to the regatta we put on a larger mainsail to optimize the yacht for light air, as well as a new headsail and A1.5 spinnaker. "Surprisingly the larger mainsail was also very fast in moderate to fresh conditions both upwind and downwind." After winning the regatta with a day to spare, the team decided to go for a fun cruise around Lindeman Island, though we were careful to stay out of the way of competitors who were still racing!" © Andrea Francolini Michael Coxon (R/P 100, Wild Oats XI, Winner of Line Honors) "It was a pleasure to race on Wild Oats and observe two famous Maxi Yacht rivals, Wild Oats XI and Black Jack, come head to head again at Hamilton Island Race Week. The two yachts last raced each other in the 2009 Sydney to Hobart when the now named Black Jack was Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo, which I was racing on, with Alfa gaining the upper hand. Wild Oats has remained in the Oatley family and last week the tables turned in her favor; however she did not have it all her way with Black Jack taking two impressive line honors with her new owner, Peter Harburg. Both maxis commissioned new 3Di RAW 3-reef mains for the regatta in preparation for the 2017 Sydney to Hobart Race, when they will battle super-maxi Comanche for line honors. The weather will likely play a big part in that fight, as each of the three maxis have been optimized for, and impressed in, different conditions: Black Jack in the light, Wild Oats medium, and Comanche fresh. © Andrea Francolini Mark Bradford & Vaughan Prentice (R/P 100 Black Jack) The Black Jack team was on a very steep learning curve at Hamilton Island Race Week, with their relaunched boat going head to head with semi-sistership Wild Oats XI. Despite limited practice time, the enthusiastic crew of 20 were certainly up for the challenge of this new addition to the Black Jack family. "As expected, our recent changes to the RP 100 and new 3Di sail inventory saw us very competitive in the light winds with line honors victories, and an IRC 2nd and 3rd in races 2 and 3 of the regatta." This leaves the team with the challenge of finding a click of speed in the moderate to heavy air conditions, before their next major match up with Wild Oats XI in the 2017 Sydney to Hobart. Paul Westlake, (R/P 66 NANOQ, winners of IRC Race Division) "I had the pleasure of sailing onboard the immaculately prepared Nanoq - the name HRH Prince Frederik of Denmark uses for all his yachting activities. Nanoq is the Greenlander’s word for polar bear. "HRH Prince Fredrik steered Nanoq throughout the regatta under the tactical guidance of Iain Murray, and a fantastic blend of Danes and Aussies in the crew. With a large range of wind conditions and sea states (less than five knots and flat water right through to 20 knots and wind against the tide), it was a challenge to hit the right rig tune to match with sail combinations. We were able to keep Nanoq sailing to its IRC rating against tough competition from the sister ship Alive, and also keep an eye on the TP 52 and the two 100 footers." "The 3Di RAW jib inventory and 3Di Endurance mainsail enabled us to make gains upwind, and aggressive driving put big smiles on Frederik's face as he learned the Aussie slang terms of ‘low hooks’ and ‘big sails win big races’.” © Andrea Francolini Nick Beaudoin, North Sails Australia Certified Service Manager Nick had a very busy week with sail repairs! Not only did he coordinate the service loft on the island to handle all the torn spinnakers and keep everyone on the water throughout the week; he also sailed with four North Sails clients: Day 1 (CNB 76 Charlotte, 2nd place Cruising Division 1) Nick began the week onboard Ervin Vidor’s gorgeous CNB 76 Charlotte. The race started downwind with 25 knots of breeze through Dent passage, followed by the spinnaker run of the week across Whitsunday Passage and then a beat back to the finish in a dying breeze. "The yacht’s 3-year-old 3Di Endurance Main and Furling jib were set up perfectly." Day 2 (Azuree 46, Kayimai) Nick joined Rob Aldis and his team for the second day of racing. With a lighter forecast, the crew was ready for the tour around the Whitsundays. "The strong tide pushed us along downwind to the first turning mark before a series of reaches back and forth in Whitsunday Passage. The new Code Zero excelled in these tricky conditions. The race ended on a shortened course as the breeze faded later in the day." © Andrea Francolini Day 5 (Dehler 38 Rocksalt, skipper Anthony Bishop. 1st Place Cruising Division 4) "Today we saw more classic HIRW conditions as the breeze picked up and funneled down Dent Passage for the second to last day of racing. It was another windy downwind start for all the fleets as we ran North to the first island turning mark. "With her new 3Di RAW sails, Rocksalt excelled in the upwind transition as we worked our way through the many islands and against a strong incoming tide." For more information, contact your local North Sails Expert for the latest in 3Di products. North Sails would like to thank our clients for the opportunity to contribute and participate in such a variety of programs, it's a pleasure to accommodate service needs while witnessing on-the-water performance. We already look forward to next year's HIRW! © Andrea Francolini © Andrea Francolini © Andrea Francolini © Andrea Francolini READ MORE

ONE DESIGN WINTER NEWS Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush competed in the Optimist Worlds in Thailand. Finishing with flying colors, we caught up with them to get their full story on their experience. © Matias Capizzano Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush competed in the Optimist Worlds held in Thailand and performed with some Outstanding results and great experience it was for them. Joshua Hyde competed in the European Optimist Championships held in Bulgaria and also had an amazing regatta including winning race 5. Yamaha win 18ft European Champs in lake Garda Salesman Matt Steven and team David Mcdiarmid with Brad Collins dominated the regatta with winning every race apart from one with gear failure. The team is now focussing ahead of the JJ Giltinan World Champs held on Sydney harbour in March which will see them with some new 3di Sails. Rough n Ready Dominate Elliot 5.9's at Marsden Cove Recently Matt Kelway - North Sails Salesman Teamed up with Craig Satterwaite and Richard Bearda in the Travelers series, although they won six out of the ten races they were pushed hard by Sam Edwards (also using North Sails) on Brizo. Sisters win 470 World U- 20 World Championships in Japan The 17-year-old twins Courtney and Brianna Reynolds-Smith who sail out of the Murrays Bay Sailing Club recently won the U-20 World championships. They have made the transition from the 420 very well! Watch out for these girls in the future! OK Dinghy World Championships Barbados Luke O’Connell continued his season form finishing third at this years OK dinghy worlds. NZ Sailors are performing very well in the class and are excited to host the Worlds champs in 2019 held at Wakatere. READ MORE

WELCOME TO THE TEAM We're proud to welcome new team members in Auckland. Welcome to North Sails! Matt Kelway, Salesman and Richard Bicknell, General Manager The Westhaven sales office will definitely be a quieter place with the departure of Josh Tucker, who has taken a leave of absence to sail around the world with his family. Josh remains a part of the North team, however, and will still be available by email for advice and updates. Joining the sales team is Matt “G” Kelway, who originally came to North nearly 10 years ago. He originally joined the company after finishing his business degree in 2007, working on scheduling and logistics, then spent several years overseas sailing on the RC44 circuit and with Gavin Brady’s Beau Geste programme. Kelway grew up sailing at Bucklands Beach, where he was coached by North Sales and Marketing Manager Andrew Wills — with whom he now sails on an Etchells. Kelway has been working with North on a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for its lofts worldwide, but has decided to join the Auckland-based team in a sales role. “It will be good to be more front-of-house, dealing with clients. I’m looking forward to getting out there and dealing with the local sailors, getting around the country to some of the smaller clubs and letting them know that we’re here to help,” says Kelway. “With the America’s Cup coming back here, it’s really important to get people excited about sailing again.” Supporting and managing the Auckland team will be Richard “Bicky” Bicknell, who has taken on the role of General Manager. He will also continue handling sales to superyacht clients. Bicknell recently competed at the Loro Piana superyacht regatta in Porto Cervo, Italy, aboard Farfalla, before sailing the J Class America’s Cup regatta in Bermuda, then returning to Palma in the Mediterranean for another superyacht event. Next he will be off to the J Class world champs in Newport, Rhode Island, then to the Monaco Boat Show and superyacht regatta in Saint Tropez, before finishing the year doing the Sydney-Hobart race aboard Rantan. “My role to supply cohesion to the loft and keep all the parts working together, and with the other lofts around the world,” says Bicknell. “There’s been a bit of change, but it’s all starting to come together. The team we’ve got now is very exciting.” Joining the team at the North Shore loft are two other well-known faces: Ben Costello, who has nearly 20 years’ experience as a sailmaker and on big boats, and Casey Bellingham. Costello, who has been freelancing for the past few years, has come to the North team full-time to take on the role of Service Manager. He will be dealing with sails coming in for service or recuts, organising parts, and taking care of the neds of visiting superyachts. “We’ve got a great set-up here, with a Hiab and forklifts and plenty of storage, and this summer we already know of seven or eight superyachts that will be here and need assistance,” says Costello. Bellingham, also an experienced sailmaker who originally hails from the Bay of Islands, has come to the loft as Master Sailmaker, overseeing the production quality of upwind sails, in tandem with Ben de Fluiter, who looks after downwind sails. He will also oversee the training of new apprentices. “Even though sailmaking has changed a lot, it’s really important that they have the skills and understand the principles of how the fabric behaves and can be used.” Ben Costello has come to the North team full-time to take on the role of Service Manager. READ MORE

LAND ROVER SYDNEY GOLD COAST YACHT RACE Worldwide coordination and attention to detail matched with on-point crew work gave super yacht Black Jack a chance to raise the bar. © Andrea Francolini The refurbished 30-metre racer, originally launched as Alfa Romeo in 2005, finished just three minutes behind its near-identical rival, Wild Oats XI, despite only going back in the water a week before the race, and hoisting her new sails just hours before the starting gun. Black Jack 100 had recently returned to Australia after being laid up for more than a year in Europe, and been reconfigured for its new owner, Brisbane yachtsman Peter Harburg. Mark Bradford of North Sails Brisbane, the yacht’s sailing master, says a new set of sails was required, designed and manufactured by North in the United States, and shaped and finished by the North Sails Auckland loft. “The geometry had been changed, with the forestay moved forward. The boat also has a new rig and boom from Southern Spars, so we couldn’t just press ‘plot’ and make the same sails as it had before,” says Mark. “There was a real synergy between North and Southern to get the sails to fit exactly right.” So exactly right that when the 370 square metre mainsail was first hoisted — just two hours before the race start — it fitted perfectly. “Usually we would have two or three days to fit such a big sail, but when we went out the day before it was too windy to check it out. We hoisted the mainsail with two hours to go and found no adjustments needed to be made, which is a real credit to everyone involved.” The next challenge was upwind sails: the brand-new number two was hoisted on the way out to the start, and the new number-one jib went up for the first time about two hours into the race. “Both Black Jack and Wild Oats changed jibs on the same tack, and once again, that sail which had never been up before fitted first time,” says Mark. And so what had been intended largely as a delivery trip — to get the boat up to Queensland for Hamilton Island Race Week — turned into a real race, as the two maxis duelled their way up the coast, exchanging a narrow lead several times. “We were still trying to feel our way through the boat and work out systems, but it turned into a real battle,” says Mark. “Wild Oats were within eyesight the whole way and we were pretty stoked to be in the same patch of water, considering how new the set-up was.” Black Jack was also carrying a new J5 and J6, and a new A3, which didn’t get out of the bag in the upwind conditions. The boat’s next big outing — and battle with Wild Oats — will come at Hamilton Island, where America’s Cup and Olympic sailor Tom Slingsby will be part of the crew. “We’re really going to ramp it up there,” says Mark. “Our expectations have changed a bit now — we’ve gone from getting the boat back on the water and seeing how it goes to being seriously competitive.” READ MORE

AMERICA'S CUP America’s Cup action up close in personal with front row seats report from Hayden Whitburn. Michael Douglas and Hayden Whitburn, who took a month’s leave from his role at the Westhaven office, was in Bermuda at the invitation of Sir Russell Coutts, working with the young sailors of Sir Russell’s America’s Cup Endeavour programme — and watching the racing from a VIP boat right on the course. Hayden has been involved with Sir Russell, running his kids’ sailing programme at Manly Sailing Club, north of Auckland. Hayden has known the America’s Cup legend since his days growing up in Dunedin, and has stayed in touch with his role model. ‘I’ve been working with Russell on his junior sailing programme for the past year, which is going really well, and he invited me to come up to Bermuda and help out with the guest chaser programme, too’, Hayden says. Being a Commentator on a VIP chase boat around the course carrying sponsors and celebrities like actor Michael Douglas and the King of Spain, has meant Hayden has had a close-up view of the spectacular and heart-stopping racing. ‘We were allowed to be right on the course next to the umpires and right next to the media boat. It’s pretty awesome seeing the boats up close, much like the Formula one racing!’ Sir Russell has been running the America’s Cup Endeavour community sailing programme in Bermuda during the build-up to the Cup. More than 1550 students aged 9 to 12 years old, from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds across Bermuda, have been introduced to the sport of sailing through a special education programme which features a science, technology, engineering, arts and maths curriculum, dubbed ‘STEAM through Sailing’. It's amazing what Russell is doing for our sport. So many sailors burn out at a young age but he is all about getting kids into the sport and keeping them in and most importantly having fun! Between the Louis Vuitton and America’s Cup series, a team of young Kiwi sailors also competed in the Endeavour Junior Regattas in Bermuda. ‘They got to race right in front of the grandstand, reaching back and forth, so that’s a great opportunity for them’, says Hayden. It was also spectacular to see the J-Class yachts racing with all our sails on display. READ MORE

Thorens (en réel) et Vandenberghe (en compensé) remportent la SYZ Translémanique en Solitaire Ce week-end a eu lieu la SYZ Translémanique en Solitaire, l’une des grandes classiques lémaniques et la régate en solitaire la plus exigeante du Léman. Ouverte aux voiliers monocoques de régate et de course-croisière, cent régatiers en solitaire se retrouvent pour faire le tour complet du lac ! Pour un coup d’essai, c’est un coup de maître pour François Thorens qui participait à sa toute première translémanique ! Il remporte le classement en temps réel sur son Psaros 40 après 12h13 de course. « C’était une bonne "balade" ! J’y ai pris beaucoup de plaisir, ce qui est pour moi le plus important dans la voile, avant même les résultats. Même si ça fait toujours plaisir de gagner ☺ Je navigue depuis tout jeune, souvent seul, mais c’était ma première Translémanique en solitaire. La régate a été délicate aux alentours de Rolle : j’étais à l’arrêt complet, et j’ai pu regarder passer mes concurrents à même pas 100m. Avoir l’habitude de naviguer dans le haut lac m’a permis de prendre les bonnes décisions à partir de Lausanne, ce qui m’a permis de remonter ! A l’aller comme au retour, j’ai été content des performances de ma grand-voile et de mon génois North. Même dans les grains, elles ont bien résisté dans les risées. Je serais évidemment au rendez-vous en 2018 pour passer à nouveau un super moment ! » Le podium en temps réel est complété par Nicolas Groux (l’un des collaborateurs de North Sails Suisse) et Alain Gautier (oui, oui, l’ex skipper de Foncia). Nous tenons bien évidemment à féliciter également Frédéric Vandenberghe, vainqueur de l’épreuve en temps compensé sur son VXOne habillé par North Sails ! Tous les résultats disponibles ici READ MORE

NORTH-POWERED CLIENTS SWEEP BJ MARINE'S TASTE OF GREYSTONES REGATTA Clients solidify wins across the board in all divisions Congratulations to North Sails clients who dominated the BJ Marine Taste of Greystones Regatta last weekend! North Sails powered the winners and the runners up in Cruising Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 under the Adjusted Echo Scoring System (ESS). Our clients used a combination of 3DL and 3Di products to power their way around the race track. Congratulations to the Kelly Family with guest helm Marty O'Leary and team on Storm for taking the class one overall win. in the other classes, a job well done to Dave Cullen and Ross Keating and team on Checkmate who took the win in class two, followed by Barry Cunningham and his team on Quest for winning class three. It was a close competition and some fun racing! For more information on North Sails products please go to our webpage or contact us here at North Sails Ireland. Full Results © Alan Leddy © Alan Leddy © Alan Leddy © Alan Leddy © Alan Leddy READ MORE

DRAGON SOUTH COAST CHAMPIONSHIP North Sails Clients take the top slots at South Coast Championship in Kinsale Congratulations to Cameron Good, Henry Kingston and Simon Furney for taking 1st Place at the Dragon South Coast Championships at Kinsale YC this past weekend. Powered by North Sails, Little Fella and her crew claimed the overall victory in a small but highly talented fleet. Only a cigarette paper separated the top two boats and the runners up. When it came down to the final score update, David Williams and Peter Bowring on Phantom, also powered by North Sails, scored a 3,1,2,2 and were tied in points with Little Fella. Unfortunately Phantom fell short, allowing Little Fella to come out ahead with two bullets in their score line up, winning the tie-breaker. That was a close one! Congratulations to Little Fella and Phantom for your performance this year at the SC Champs. Thank you to Kinsale Yacht Club for hosting the Dragon fleet. Great sailing and a lot of fun was had by all competitors. For more information on North Sails Dragon products, or to speak with a Dragon Class Expert, please contact North Sails Ireland. Full Results ©Shane Goggin Photography ©Shane Goggin Photography ©Shane Goggin Photography READ MORE

This was the 4th ever J111 worlds and the 3rd I have done with Rod Warren's team 'Joust racing'. We had a pretty interesting journey to get here this year, as there were no charter boats in the Bay Area and shipping Joust out from Australia was not an option we had. Gerard Sheridan Lucky for us, fellow SYC yacht club member and great NS client Phil Simpfendorfer decided to add to the growing J111 fleet at SYC and purchased 'Aeolus' from the San Francisco fleet and allowed us to use the boat in the regatta, before packing her up for freighting home to Melbourne We really gave it a good shot this year and employed a coach and allowed for 4 practice days to familiarize with with the local bay sea breeze and the tides that sailing on the bay is famous for. This definitely came in very handy in the passage race that led us outside the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz island. We took our own new 3Di RAW mainsail, A2 Gennaker and used the boats 3Di jibs from Seadon at NS San Francisco due to some small differences in the USA fleet having a higher furling drum height, meaning our RAW jibs would not sheet perfectly. Again thanks to Phil! Gerard Sheridan We definitely had legs around the track in the weeks 'breeze on' conditions but just a few slight mistakes in a very close fleet meant that just 2 points would separate 1st 2nd and us in 3rd place! We won 4 of 9 races just to show the tightness of the fleet and how consistency always pays! Congratulations to Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key for sailing very consistently and being this years J111 world champion! Thanks again to Rod and the crew for giving it all we had and getting the best result to date for Joust racing! READ MORE

2017 PROVES NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MELGES 32 North-powered clients reap benefits of 3Di sail development at Melges 32 season finale in Cala Galera The Melges 32 Worlds welcomed 17 boats from seven nations to Cala Galera, Italy. Ten races in steady wind and sunshine rounded out the class’s 2017 season, showing teams with North 3Di sails in the front of the pack. Introduced to the Melges 32 in 2016, North Sails 3Di is making it’s way through the fleet as sailors upgrade to achieve the utmost in sail performance. “The Worlds was a great event with 10 races and we are happy to say that the second and third boats were North-powered teams, ” said North Sails expert Giulio Desiderato, who works to advance North’s product development efforts in the class. In the Melges 32, a growing number of teams are making the switch to 3Di. One example is 2017 European Champions Torpyone, who finished second overall in the Melges 32 World League. Torpyone opted for a 3Di RAW mainsail and headsail, which they’ve used consistently throughout the season. North Sails 3Di is a proprietary sail technology that reduces stretch and sail weight, while increasing the structural and performance life. 3Di sails are composed of ultra-thin unidirectional spread filament tapes, which are pre-impregnated with thermoset adhesive and arranged in a complex multiple-axis array. The process allows designers precise control over the placement and orientation of material within each sail, and results in resistance to stretch in all directions. First tested and proven in larger inshore and offshore racing boats, North Sails 3Di is now making its way into popular one design classes like the Melges 32, Melges 24, Melges 20 and Melges 40 Grand Prix. In an interview following the event in Cala Galera, Giulio stresses the investment from North in competitive one design racing. “The Melges 32 is a competitive class that has been active for a long time. North Sails is invested in the development of the sails, and at every regatta we are here to collect feedback from the competitors. We work with our specialists to develop the best product we can for the teams.” READ MORE

3Di FOR RACING | C&C38 RENAISSANCE Peter Kirkwood upgrades to North 3Di, brings new life to his 40-year-old boat We caught up with Peter Kirkwood, on his C&C 38 MK 1 Renaissance, from London, Ontario. Peter just recently purchased a 3Di main and genoa and has been using them this summer at his home club. When his old 3DL sails were coming to down to their last leg, Peter knew Renaissance, now 40 years old, was ready for something new and different. “When I bought this boat I bought 3DL #1 jibs. They were great performance sails, but they didn’t last very long,” he recalled. After speaking with his local expert, Hugh Beaton, Peter was convinced he should try 3Di.“Tremendous durability was the thing that got me,” said Peter. “Considering a performance sail for my type of boat and the racing I do, it turned out to be a neat way to get back in the game. 3Di is great for those of us with older boats”. He paired his new genoa with a matching mainsail, and now he couldn’t be happier. “I think the new #1 and the new main at the same time made the biggest difference. Because I got two new sails at the same time, I got the best of both worlds. The boat has never gone faster upwind and pointed higher at the same time. I was so excited about it. It was like a whole different world. I think that has been the biggest thing I’ve noticed- It has brought life back in my old boat.” Renaissance sails a couple nights per week and, after the time changes in Autumn, the team will sail in weekend club races. They frequently match up against a J/133, X35, and Beneteau 40.7, and have noticed a big improvement with the new sails. “I’ve had a couple nemesis boats that I’ve had a hard time catching over the last few years. Now we are beating them – we are right there, boat for boat, pointing higher, going faster.” What’s more, Peter explained a few added bonuses he wasn’t expecting. “I’ll be 62 years old next month and I can pick up this genoa by myself. For a 155%, it’s featherlight! That was a big deal for me when choosing to buy new sails. The sails were the talk of the party, too. Lots of wows from all at the club. They look really cool. They look good.” We wish Peter and the Renaissance team the best of luck this fall! READ MORE

Uitbreiding North Sails Benelux met Nic Bol, Jacco Huijgen en Mark Meeuwisse North Sails Benelux breidt per 1 september 2017 uit met drie experts Het team van Wouter Kollmann en Anton Brinkhof wordt versterkt met de ervaren Rotterdamse zeilmakers Nic Bol en Jacco Huijgen. Mark Meeuwisse is het derde nieuwe gezicht en start als sales medewerker bij de North Sails loft in Almere. Met deze uitbreiding kan North Sails Benelux in de groeiende behoefte van de Nederlandse en Belgische markt voorzien. Nic Bol wordt Sales Manager North Sails Benelux Nic Bol, de nieuwe Sales Manager van North Sails Benelux, brengt ruim 25 jaar ervaring in het zeilmakersvak met zich mee. Hij zal in zijn nieuwe functie tevens leiding gaan geven aan de North Sails loft in Stabroek. Als fanatieke wedstrijdzeiler heeft Nic van jongs af aan in verschillende klassen op hoog niveau gevaren en internationaal diverse mooie prestaties neergezet: “Ze noemen mij wel eens de Joop Zoetemelk van het zeilen, immer tweede. Maar gelukkig heb ik ook een paar bijzondere overwinningen op mijn naam kunnen schrijven waaronder het WK J22 in Scheveningen afgelopen jaar.” Nic is zeer content met zijn nieuwe uitdaging als Sales Manager bij North Sails Benelux: “Met dit team hebben we als marktleider alle mogelijkheden tot onze beschikking om zeilend Nederland en België optimaal te bedienen. Met de toevoeging van North Sails 3Di NORDAC, de nieuwste toepassing voor de toerzeilmarkt, kunnen we daarnaast alle typen zeilers en van alle niveaus helpen aan de juiste zeilen.” Ervaren zeilmaker Jacco Huijgen Jacco Huijgen zit inmiddels al 14 jaar in het zeilmakersvak. Hij heeft via bijbaantjes bij verschillende zeilmakers de fijne kneepjes van het vak geleerd en is na het afronden van zijn HBO opleiding aan de slag gegaan als verkoper bij Nic. De laatste twee jaar heeft hij samen met Nic de zeilmakerij in Rotterdam opgezet. Ook Jacco is een ervaren wedstrijdzeiler, ooit begonnen in de Contender. Inmiddels is Jacco al een aantal jaren bij vele wedstrijden te vinden, van Melges 24 tot en met Swan 45. Van alle nationale titels die hij behaalde is hij zelf het meest trots op die van Benelux Kampioen in de J80. Mark Meeuwisse sales medewerker Almere In Almere krijgen Wouter Kollmann en Anton Brinkman per 1 september ondersteuning van sales medewerker Mark Meeuwisse. Mark is een ervaren rot in de watersportindustrie, een zeer ervaren zeiler en specialist in toerzeilen. In het verleden zeilde hij onder andere X99 en X35, maar is van alle markten thuis, van scherpe jachten tot aan platbodems. Wouter Kollmann, als sales medewerker werkzaam vanuit de North Sails loft in Almere is blij met de uitbreiding: “Met de expertise van Nic en Jacco in huis en daarnaast de extra hulp van Mark bij ons op de loft in Almere kunnen we onze groeiende klantenkring nog beter bedienen.” READ MORE

Los ganadores de nueve de las diez clases participantes eligieron velas North Sails para competir en la prueba reina del calendario del Mediterráneo, que durante seis días de competición reunió en la bahía de Palma a una flota récord de 138 barcos de 24 nacionalidades. READ MORE

COPA DEL REY MAPFRE: SERVICIO… Un año más, North Sails ofreció durante la Copa del Rey MAPFRE su servicio de recogida y reparación de velas para todos los participantes de la regata. Al término de cada jornada de competición, personal North Sails recogió en los pantalanes del Real Club Náutico de Palma las velas que necesitaban mantenimiento o reparación, que fueron trasladadas a la velería de Lluchmajor para ponerlas a punto por la noche y devolverlas antes del comienzo de la competición del día siguiente. El viento suave que predominó en esta 36 edición de la clásica mallorquina redujo el número de incidencias en las velas de la flota, pero cada cliente que lo necesitó pudo contar con nuestro servicio de reparación nocturna y disfrutar de sus velas al día siguiente. READ MORE

KOHLER CUP 2018 North Sails and J-Class Association announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup Following the success of the first ever J-Class overall season championship, the inaugural 2017 Kohler Cup, the J-Class Association and North Sails are proud to announce the 2018 Kohler Cup schedule. The 2018 Cup will be comprised of a total of four events as opposed to just three in 2017. The other notable difference is for the upcoming year events will be weighted equally, with boats that take part in all four events able to discard their worst result. The Kohler Cup is a perpetual trophy named in memory of Terry Kohler, the former owner of North Sails, who was also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The inaugural Kohler Cup was presented to Lionheart during prize giving for the J Class Worlds in Newport, Rhode Island. The trophy has certainly played a part in developing the J Class fleet, with at least six boats at key events. Louise Morton, J Class Association Secretary, commented: “With six yachts on the start line last week, there is no doubt that the J Class fleet is enjoying an unprecedented resurgence. It is a testament to the owners of these yachts, the competitiveness of the fleet, and the professionalism of the crew, that going into this event the top three boats were only separated by one point. However, with the J Class Worlds worth double points, everything was at play in Newport.” The Kohler Cup is the first ever season-long points championship for the fleet, aimed at promoting and enhancing the racing for the celebrated world-class fleet of J Class yachts. The 2018 season will consist of the following events: St Barth’s Bucket, Caribbean Superyacht Cup, Palma Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo Les Voiles de St Tropez, France Ken Read, President of North Sails and Skipper of Hanuman commented: “The Kohler Cup is here to stay, as it is clear that the J Class owners want to stick together from event to event which provides amazing racing. The World Championship was the perfect end to the year. I am delighted that we as North Sails, have also been able to play a part in keeping these boats together over the season through the trophy. I feel this year was unique in that regard and I can’t wait to start it all again next year with even more events and hopefully even greater racing.” The Kohler Cup Scoring System: The Kohler Cup presented by North Sails is awarded at the end of the J Class racing season using the high point scoring system Each boat will receive point(s) equal to the number of boats she beat, plus one point. The end season score will be the sum of all the points of the individual races The J Class yacht with the highest number of cumulative points wins the Kohler Cup Each event has the same coefficient Points will be calculated on the final scores at the end of each event J Class yachts not entering an event or a race will be scored with zero (0) points Only J Class yachts participating at least in three (3) events will be eligible to compete for the seasonal Kohler Cup Yachts competing in all four (4) events drop their worst score prior to final tally In case of a tie, the better position in the final event will determine who breaks the tie on top READ MORE

THE KEY TO SUCCESS AT J/111 WORLDS North 3Di powers Skeleton Key to winning victory in San Francisco After Peter Wagner’s Skeleton Key won the 2017 J/111 Worlds on San Francisco Bay, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club. North Sails caught up with tactician Seadon Wijsen, North Sails J/111 class expert and salesmen based in San Francisco, CA. Seadon identified four key points that contributed to their first place finish at one of the most competitive regattas of the J/111 season. North Sails clients have won every major J/111 Class event since Worlds in Newport, RI in 2015. This year, Skeleton Key was equipped with North Sails MNi-4 Mainsail, MHi-4 Jib, Hi-2 Jib, HWJi-2 Jib, A2-4 Spinnaker, and the A4-2 Spinnaker. Thanks to our clients and expert feedback, our designers are constantly improving sail designs, pushing to create the best products for high performance competition. 1. Experience – We have sailed a number of J/111 regattas over the years and know how to sail the boat well. 2. Consistency – Having seven of the eight crew we had at the Worlds last year, and the same team we had in Key West this past January, really helped. 3. Confidence – Knowing our rig tune and sail set up gave us a lot of consistent speed. While this time we were not always the fastest around the marks, we were consistently fast upwind and downwind throughout the wind ranges. 4. Patience – If I were to add one more thing, it is that we had a lot of patience. We were a little frustrated to not be winning after each day and sometimes we beat ourselves up, but overall we were patient, did not try anything too radical, kept covering and chipping away at the competition. Contact your local North Sails expert to get the latest information on the fastest sails for the J/111 READ MORE

NORTH SAILS INTRODUCES NEW RADIAL JIB FOR THE LIGHTNING CLASS Extended Testing Proves V17 Jib Delivers Improved Performance in All Conditions North Sails sail designer and Lightning legend, Ched Proctor has devoted many years and thousands of sailing hours perfecting fast Lightning sail designs. The “King of the South”, a nickname earned by winning a record seven Southern Circuits, Ched is one of the most renowned and respected Lightning sail designers in the 80 year history of the class. The Lightning sails produced by North Sails have been the Lightning sailors’ choice for decades, so developing a new, faster radial jib was no easy task. “I feel confident in our products and feel our sails are, by far, the fastest and the most versatile sails in the market. That said I am always looking to create a faster sail. Getting the V17 to the point where I feel confident enough to use and sell it to our clients was quite a challenge!” said Ched Proctor. The new V17 jib was developed based on the design of the R75 and the shaping of the 5A+ jibs. Utilizing a radial head and clew section, the V17 has proven to be incredibly fast and versatile in all conditions. The prototype was tested at the 2017 Southern Circuit where it won all the events and, after further testing and minor tweaks to make the sail smooth and easy to trim, the V17 is now ready and available to help you and your team get to the podium. “Ched has been very focused on making improvements to our radial sail program. After many hours of testing and tweaking, he has created the V17 which has proven to be a very fast and pretty sail. I think it is the perfect compliment to our winning lineup and a great option for someone looking for that performance edge,” said North Sails Lightning Global Class Leader, Brian Hayes. The new V17 is now in stock and ready to ship for your next Lightning regatta. Contact your nearest North Sails Lightning expert today. READ MORE

LIONHEART CLAIMS KOHLER CUP SEASON-LONG POINTS TROPHY Inaugural J Class World Championship wraps up in Newport Newport, Rhode Island welcomed the J Class Association for the inaugural World Championship this week. Six yachts competed over five days of racing, battling for the World Championship title and season-long points trophy, the Kohler Cup. Competition was tight between the six yachts, Hanuman, Lionheart, Ranger, Svea, Topaz, and Velsheda, with frequent lead changes throughout tactical courses on Narragansett Bay. The final leaderboard is a true reflection, showing seven points between first and third place and only a 13 point difference from top to bottom. North Sails is the official sailmaker of the J Class Association and is proud to have taken part in a historical year of racing. All the yachts at the World Championship raced with North 3Di sails, a unique combination of the industry’s most advanced sail technology paired with the classic lines of the J Class fleet. Congratulations to Lionheart, the first J Class World Champion as well as winner of the 2017 Kohler Cup. North Sails would also like to commend Hanuman and Ranger who finished second and third respectively. “Thank you very much to the New York Yacht Club for hosting this fantastic regatta, it’s been phenomenal. I would of course like to thank my crew and family. This is a family boat, I sail with my sons and my wife and it’s really a gift to be able to do this,” said Lionheart’s Harold Goddijn at last night’s prize giving. “Congratulations to the Lionheart team for doing an amazing job this week and throughout the year,” said Ken Read, skipper of Hanuman and president of North Sails. “Thank you to our hosts, the New York Yacht Club and to the city of Newport for their strong support on the water. This was an opportunity for sailing to come back, for crew work and sail handling to be front and center in the world again. All the teams here did an amazing job, everyone had their day, and it was so fun to be a part of. On behalf of the entire Hanuman team, it’s been a pleasure.” Competitive racing in the J Class will continue with the release of 2018’s Kohler Cup schedule early next week. View all 2017 race results at jclassyachts.com. READ MORE

NORTH U FUELS GREAT COMPETITION AT 20TH J-CUP Post-racing debriefs offer added value for J-Cup sailors in Torquay Sweeney – J-Cup 2017 Hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, the 20th J-Cup saw forty-one J boats come together for three days of racing. The J/109 was the largest fleet, with fifteen boats. In true British summertime style, the competitors had everything from sunshine to hail, but a consistent 15+ knots each day meant the boats had a fantastic time racing. North Sails was proud to be one of the partner sponsors of the event. Daily prizes for the overall winners were provided as well as daily weather forecasting briefs. The North U post-racing sessions, run by North experts, brought the crowd together for a recap and tips for the next day. Perhaps the most hotly contested fleet was the J/88. After Day 1 the top four boats were separated by only two points, with Kirsty & David Apothorp’s J-Dream and Paul Ward’s Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat tied in 1st place, followed by Gavin Howe’s Tigris and Tim Tolcher’s Raging Bull tied in second. This battle went on until the final day when Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat took the title with finishes of 1-2-(4)-2-1-2-2-3, giving them a 2 point lead over J-Dream. Congratulations Paul Ward and team for a great regatta! In the J/111 class, the competition between Sweeney and McFly continued on from Cowes Week with the two boats battling hard against each other to take the win. Between the two of them, they won all the races. However, Sweeney squeezed ahead of McFly in the end with a four point lead. The outstanding performance of the week and the overall winner of the J-Cup went to Divanti Tyres, Marie-Claude & Paul Heys in the J/112E class, who completed the series with all bullets! North Sails is proud to be the stand-out sailmaker of choice at the J-Cup. Get in touch with a North expert to learn about latest offerings and how to up your game next season! Divanti Tyres – J-Cup 2017 Raging Bull – J-Cup 2017 Jelly Belly – J-Cup 2017 Eat,Sleep,J,Repeat – J-Cup 2017 Full results READ MORE

North Sails would like to welcome Ian “Biggles” Johnson to our team. David Clark, the Vice President of the Australian Etchells has to say about the man best known as ‘Biggles’. “He is highly regarded as both a sailor and a person. It is probably because he is so much fun to sail with, for he throws humour in the face of adversity. He is a classic.” I have sailed with some real pros and Biggles makes a clever and very subtle shift between being on and off. When he’s on, he’s totally into it, and a really competitive sportsman. It is really good, because when you have a long day on the water, he makes it so much more pleasurable, and his demeanour does not change whether you’re at the pointy end or back of the fleet.” He’s just straight up, and calls it the way it is. I think he’s taken a lot away from his time sailing with John Bertrand, AO. You always use the phrase, ‘A Good Man’, when referring to Biggles”, said Clark. “ Biggles said he thought he knew a lot about sails until I sailed with John Bertrand for two years. His attention to detail and understanding is incredible. In addition to building rapport instantly with Biggles, you also get to understand the depth of his own skill base. For instance, he has attended 15 Etchells World Championships, and is looking to make it 16 next year at Brisbane. Of the many top ten placings in that time, Biggles is clear that the thing he learned the most is how not to do it. There are also 19 Sydney Hobart races on his impressive CV, with a Line Honours win followed up the very next year by stepping into a life raft. There are also two Fastnet races in there, lots of National and State titles in many things, time in the lovely Stars, as well as J24s and others. Now we mentioned the great man JB a bit earlier, and after now learning more , it is only apt to refer backwards a little. John Bertrand AO considers things for a moment, asking himself, “How best to describe Ian Biggles Johnson?” Then JB sums it up quickly and succinctly with, “Pure enthusiasm. Biggles sails and races for the joy of the sport. The man exudes a natural feel when it comes to wind, water and team building. Just a terrific bloke.” Ian will be based out of the Melbourne loft with Aarron Cole and is excited to be working with North Sails. “It was a childhood dream to be involved with the world’s best sail makers and brand. Biggles will be back in the Etchells this coming season, Some club racing at Sandringham, Brighton and down on the Mornington Peninsula. It could be Saturday to Wednesday Wonders. “I am happy to be out there helping, and love it”. READ MORE

CONSISTENT GOOD STARTS – THE KEY AT THE ETCHELLS NORTH AMERICANS Scott Kaufman and Team American Jane 11 best a fleet of incredible talent Twenty nine teams including World champions, Olympic medallists, America’s Cup sailors and many other talented sailors, raced in typical Southern California light-medium conditions for the Etchells 2017 North American title. With such a high level of the talent, there was no better place to tune-up and prepare for the World Championship in San Francisco next month. “The regatta was very challenging,” said North Sails Brian Janney, who sailed with Argyle Campbell and finished third place. “Good starts were key as the line favored the right side. Scott (Kaufman) sailed well, he had really good starts.” The top teams used the North Sails PC-F mainsail, LM-2L and LM-2H jibs and VMG and Full Radial spinnakers. Congratulations to Scott Kaufman and team American Jane 11, the 2017 North American Champions, and Keith Whittemore for winning the Corinthian division! Heading to the Worlds in San Francisco? Contact our experts today for the fastest Etchells sails. Full results 2017 North American Champions – L to R: Alex Curtiss, Jesse Kirkland, and Austen Anderson and Scott Kaufman Corinthian champions – L to R: Brian Thomas, Kevin Downey, Patricia Stadel (presenting the trophy), Keith Whittemore and Peter Busch (not pictured) Scott Kaufman earns a great start on American Jane 1, winning the boat end The youngest sailor at the regatta, nine year old Anton Schmid READ MORE

VELAS CLÁSICAS EN TIEMPOS MODERNOS Los veleros clásicos son una ventana al pasado. Sus armadores y tripulantes son guardianes de la historia única de cada barco y de una tradición que perdura en el tiempo ajena a los avances tecnológicos. En su condición de velería líder mundial, North Sails cuenta con una división específica dedicada al diseño, fabricación y mantenimiento de velas para estas joyas de la navegación. La estricta reglamentación que rige la competición de clásicos limita el uso de materiales, pero la evolución forma parte del ADN de North Sails, por lo que los expertos de la marca buscan la mejora en optimización de formas y de fabricación. Los mejores expertos en velería para clásicos trabajan en dos instalaciones North Sails desde las que se cubren las necesidades de la flota mundial: Milford (Estados Unidos) y Cuntis (Pontevedra). En la planta española opera una veintena de personas que compaginan la fabricación y el mantenimiento de velas de última generación con la de clásicos. “Fabricamos entre 100 y 150 velas para clásicos cada año”, explica Manuel Lastra, director general de North Sails España. A lo largo de sus más de cuatro décadas de experiencia, Lastra ha vivido buena parte de la evolución y revolución del sector. “Comenzamos en la década de 1980, cuando suplíamos velas para los buques escuela. Estas velas requerían bastante trabajo manual en materiales tradicionales, como costuras de cabo, protecciones de cuero, etc... De entonces viene nuestra especialización e interés por barcos de otras épocas, y desde entonces forman parte de nuestro muestrario”. Velas con historia Por las instalaciones de North Sails en Cuntis pasan piezas que recorren siglo y medio de historia de la navegación. “Todos tienen su parte de interés y curiosidad, ya que vienen con una larga historia ‘adherida’. Barcos que pertenecieron a famosos, como el Manitou (John Fitzgerald Kennedy); otros utilizados para viajes documentales como el Xarifa (Hans Hass),... Esa es la parte emocional del proyecto. En la parte técnica, todos tienen algo: Hay que considerar que estás recorriendo con ellos unos 150 años de evolución de navegación a vela, sus materiales, maniobra,…”. Por el departamento de clásicos de Cuntis pasan proyectos de velas nuevas para barcos restaurados o para réplicas en construcción, así como renovaciones de inventario para barcos que compiten hoy en regatas como la Puig Vela Clàssica o la Copa del Rey Panerai Vela Clásica Menorca. Piezas que requieren un trato de auténtica sastrería a medida. “Actualmente estamos trabajando para barcos como el NY 30 Linnet, el MYLNE 57 Kelpie, los NY 40 Mailee y Chinook, los S&S 53 Skylark y Serenade, o el J15 Mariska”. Auténticas joyas de la navegación. Materiales En la velería pontevedresa se entremezclan ambos extremos del espectro de la vela. Bajo su techo conviven las velas de clásicos con las de barcos de última generación. ¿Qué las diferencia? “Básicamente, las diferencias radican en los materiales utilizados en su fabricación y en las formas”, explica Lastra. “El poliéster y el nylon son las fibras utilizadas en las velas clásicas. Estos materiales, combinados con la madera de cascos y mástiles, proporcionan una elasticidad al conjunto, que es todo lo contrario a la “rigidez” de los barcos y velas modernas. Las velas clásicas necesitan más potencia para los mayores desplazamientos de estos barcos respecto a los barcos más ligeros de hoy en día”. Botado en 1908 y restaurado en 2009, el Mariska pertenece a la clase 15M, y con sus casi 16 metros de eslora desplaza 34 toneladas; un TP52 actual, con eslora similar, apenas desplaza siete. “Los materiales más comunes son el poliéster (Dacron) y el nylon para los espís. En competición, tienen que ser tejidos compuestos de trama y urdimbre sin mylar; por esa razón se admite incluso el Pentex tejido, aunque actualmente ya no existe en el mercado. Para grandes desplazamientos se usan tejidos de Dacron de doble capa, ya que tienen mayor estabilidad al bies que sus equivalentes en peso de una sola capa. En competición, y dependiendo bajo qué reglamento, se pueden utilizar otras fibras o cortes de vela, aunque están penalizados. Otros materiales más avanzados, como el carbono, están directamente prohibidos”. Modernidad relativa Dentro de los estrictos parámetros que rigen la competición de clásicos, existe espacio para la aplicación de materiales y metodologías más actuales. Su perfeccionamiento se centra en la forma y la fabricación. Mediante el uso del North Design Suite, los diseñadores pueden crear modelos 3D de un barco para comprender mejor cómo encajará una vela en la geometría de aparejos que son, por lo general, complicados. La combinación de diseñadores especializados en velas clásicas con el uso del potente software de diseño mejora el rendimiento al tiempo que respeta la estética clásica. Ese margen de maniobra “depende de bajo qué regla se compita, y a veces del área geográfica; en este aspecto, en Estados Unidos son menos estrictos. Lo más moderno que admite sin penalización el reglamento CIM (Comité Internacional del Mediterráneo, vigente en el área del Mediterráneo) es el Pentex tejido. En la clase Espíritu de Tradición (SOT o Spirit of Tradition, barcos construidos a partir de 1970 utilizando técnicas y materiales modernos pero con un aspecto y estilo fieles a un proyecto tradicional de época o clásico) sí se admiten fibras y construcciones modernas”. Incluso la revolucionaria tecnología 3Di de North Sails tiene cabida entre los clásicos: “Se acepta en la categoría Espíritu de Tradición, como los J Class, flota de la que North Sails es velería oficial”. De Velas Campos a North Sails Lo que hoy es North Sails España nació como Velas Campos a finales de la década de 1970. Pedro Campos y los hermanos Manuel y José María Lastra, todavía estudiantes, comenzaron a fabricar velas para uso propio en una vivienda de la familia de Campos en Madrid. “En 1978 conseguimos un pedido del astillero Taylor para Dufour, lo que suponía hacer más velas, más grandes, y requería más espacio”, explica Lastra. “Así que la familia de Pedro nos ofreció espacio en el comedor del balneario de Cuntis, cerrado en invierno; en verano nos trasladábamos al gimnasio, una habitación de 7x18 metros que servía de oficina y velería. Ahí empezamos a fabricar las primeras velas para buques escuela sobre 1980”. En 1981 construirían lo que hoy es la planta de Cuntis. “Mientras la terminaban, trasladamos la velería a un taller de coches”. En sus inicios, la velería ocupaba la planta superior de la nave actual, un espacio diáfano de 21x51 metros (más de 1.000 m2), “por entonces la mayor de Europa sin columnas”, donde fabricaban velas de todo tipo, “hasta de windsurf”, siempre en busca de las mejores prestaciones. “Mi hermano José María siempre fue muy rompedor en materiales, y posiblemente fabricamos las primeras velas de kevlar de España”. En 1984 se unieron a la firma danesa Diamond Sailmakers. En 1995, Jose María Lastra dejaba la empresa, que pasaba a denominarse North Sails. Hoy, la factoría de Cuntis es una de las más productivas de la firma gracias a la maestría de sus hasta 40 trabajadores “gente de la zona, que en algunos casos lleva con nosotros casi 40 años”. Sus tres plantas y cerca de 4.000 metros cuadrados de superficie están consagrados a la división de velas clásicas North Sails, a la fabricación de velas de portantes y, desde este mismo año, a la aplicación de gráficos en velas. “A través de nuestra división North Graphics hemos decorado la mitad de las velas de la flota Volvo Ocean Race; la otra mitad, en San Diego”. READ MORE

2017 MELGES 20 US NATIONALS North Sails clients finish 1,2,4,5 in the class National Championships in Newport © Double Shot Studios The 2017 Melges 20 Nationals started off with a bang with 22 teams from six nations arriving in Newport, RI for the last U.S. event before the World Championship in October. Light air ruled the day for the North U Melges 20 Speed Clinic on Wednesday. North U experts Tim Healy, Chuck Allen, Jeremy Wilmot, and Melges 20 sailor and Olympian, Stu McNay focused on sail trim, boat speed, and weight distribution. After sailing, images and video were shown on the big screen at Sail Newport, triggering a lively discussion on set-up techniques. Sailors of all experience levels were able to take something away that would be handy for the predicted light air racing during the event. Thursday was tricky with light air conditions as predicted, giving sailors a chance to use the techniques they had practiced during the clinic. Drew Freides’ Pacific Yankee won the second race of the day, putting them in the lead going into day two. On Friday conditions were more promising with an approaching frontal system bringing a solid twelve knot breeze. Samba Pa Ti with skipper John Kilroy started the day with a 1-1, putting them at the top of the scoreboard. Drew Freides was able to finish strong, securing the lead yet again with a 2-1 at the end of the day. Samba Pa Ti held onto 2nd place, followed by Liam Kilroy’s Wildman. Saturday’s conditions brought a nice southerly which gave the Race Committee ample wind to run two races before the cut off time. North-powered Pacific Yankee was able to hold on to their lead, winning this year’s National Championship Title. Samba Pa Ti stayed consistent, maintaining their 2nd place finish. Liam Kilroy’s Wildman ended their regatta in 4th position, followed by James Wilson’s Oleander in 5th. Congratulations to Drew Freides and John Kilroy for their performances. Click here for more information on 3Di for Melges 20, or to speak with a class expert North Sails 3Di Debuts in Small Boat One Design Pacific Yankee, 2017 U.S. National Champions! © Double Shot Studios © Double Shot Studios © Double Shot Studios READ MORE

EXPERT TIPS Leave the dock at 100% with these tips on how to prepare for racing offshore, thanks to North Sails expert and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, Charlie Enright © Amory Ross/ Volvo Ocean Race North Sails expert and Volvo Ocean Race skipper, Charlie Enright, has logged thousands of miles on the world’s oceans. As Charlie looks toward his next adventure onboard Team Vestas / 11th Hour Racing in the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race, he shares a few rules of thumb with us. Following are the “top three” areas in need of your attention. Provisioning Sustenance is important because it keeps the team going. Without proper food and water consumption, the crew will get tired and have a hard time reacting to what happens unexpectedly on deck. For instance, as I look ahead to the Chicago-Mac, we’ve planned for two freeze-dried meals a day, plus a breakfast. That will be supplemented with protein bars, snacks, and tons of fluid – the little things make a difference in the long run. In case you didn’t know, ‘Starbucks Via’ has the ability to split a watch in half! © Matt Knighton/Volvo Ocean Race Team Supplies and Equipment What should your crew have on their person? What should they have in their gear bag? These are the essentials: On Each Crew Member: Harness AIS Unit Knife Torch Headlamp Strobe In Your Crew Bag: Base layers Socks Gloves iPod Sunscreen Lip protectant Floppy hat/head protection © Amory Ross/ Volvo Ocean Race Daily Routine To maintain consistency ondeck, we run a 4 hours on, 4 hours off schedule with the team split into groups. Switching every two hours will maintain sufficient overlap so the crew has time to communicate about conditions, configurations, and trends to look out for. It’s important to be up and awake at the same time before each of your scheduled watches. Being properly dressed, well fed, and ready to go before your shift has started is important and allows the group that is finishing their shift to come down and rest. Off watch time is just as, if not more important. Focus on managing your sleep by establishing a routine you can follow – know when to eat, and when to take care of your hygienic needs so they do not interfere with your time to rest. Believe it or not, it’s little things like this that can have a great affect on performance. The more predictable and routine oriented you are, the more it helps your team do the same, making it easier for everyone to adjust to life onboard for distance racing. © Brian Carlin / Team Vestas Wind READ MORE

J/70 YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP North Sails partners with J/Boats to create a unique platform opportunity for youth sailing at a championship level Nine youth teams from Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, and Rhode Island met in Newport, RI to compete in the J/70 Youth Championships to further develop high performance racing and get more young sailors on the water. To start off the weekend, North Sails Tim Healy and Will Welles held a clinic with the youth teams to get them race ready. The main focus of the clinic was rig tuning, weight placement, and techniques. Sailors were able to take what they learned and use it during the actual regatta. After the weekend of racing, youth team Santa Barbara came out ahead with flying colors, winning 1st place at the Championships as well as free usage of a fully equipped J/70 with sails and a trailer to race for twelve months. Consisting of SBYC, Severn Sailing Association, Sail Newport, Annapolis YC, CRYC, Little Traverse YC, the Mudratz, Eastern YC, and St. Pete Youth Sailing Team, the Youth Champs was a great event for younger sailors to gain experience in a high-performance racing boat. Congratulations to the youth team representing Santa Barbara YC! Skipper Lucas Pierce and his valiant crew sailed a fantastic regatta and were well deserving of this win. Next year, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida will be the host of the 2018 Annual J/70 Youth Championships. Thank you to SPYC for stepping up for next year to promote youth sailing. We look forward to seeing more youth sailors on the water in the future. For more information on J70 products, or to speak with a Class Expert READ MORE

2ND ANNUAL J/FEST NEW ENGLAND Sailors fight the tides in the tricky conditions in Newport, North Sails clients win six divisions and enjoy the J/24 40th Anniversary race This past weekend, in Newport, RI, was the 2nd Annual J/Fest Regatta. On Friday, the J/24 class celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a fleet of 20 boats that sailed a longer race around government marks on the Eastern side of Jamestown. Starting to the South of Rose Island, sailors raced up to Ft. Wetherill G9 off of Jamestown, then to GR can at Halfway/Fiske Rock down past Prudence Island. It was a very long downwind haul against the flooding current and only 5-7 knot s of wind. After rounding GR, they beat back upwind up to the Southern tip of Rose Island, keeping R12 and GC1 to Port. Finishing 50 yards South of Goat Island, it was an awesome race that took the fleet roughly four hours. North U provided on the water support both Friday and Saturday. By taking photos and video, Chuck Allen worked with the J/24, J/105, and J/109 fleets on trimming techniques, crew placement, and rig tuning. Lots of good feedback and things to practice to improve overall boat speed. “Thanks again for your help this weekend! It really gave us big gains in speed! We still need to learn more, but we are getting there. I greatly appreciate everything you and your team does. I know you don’t have to, and there are times that you make special trips to help us out. I do recognize this and appreciate what you do even more.” -Brooke Mastrorio, J/109 Corinthian team ‘URSA’ Friday evening, past J/24 World Championship duo, Sail Newport’s Brad Read and North Sails President, Ken Read provided some insights to local knowledge and possible scenarios for what the weather would bring for the weekend. Giving sailors intel on geographics and certain weather and tide conditions around Narragansett Bay, Brad and Ken wanted sailors to be ‘in the know’ so they could focus more on tactics and align that with the tricks only a local would know. The weather report for the weekend was a bit frightening, as a low-pressure system was moving just south of Newport, creating wet and humid air, with warm temps, and pulsing sea fog which would end up affecting the wind conditions on Saturday and Sunday morning. The second annual J/Fest NE Regatta was composed of a variety of J/Boats, including J/22, J/24, J/37c, J/70, J/105, J/109, J/110, J/30, J/92s, and a PHRF division. Racing on Saturday was unfortunately impossible due to the thick fog creating zero visibility, and lack of wind mainly due to the fog and low-pressure system passing to the South of Newport. On Sunday, the Race Committee team did their best to get the most quality racing in for the sailors, achieving four races for the J/24, J/70, and J/22 fleets. The PHRF fleet got in two races, and the J/105, J/109, and J/30s were able to get in three races. Tough sailing conditions made it hard for the event, luckily ending with a solid day on the water and fun for all. North Sails is a proud sponsor of the 2nd Annual J/Fest NE, partnering with J/Boats and other local sponsors to create a platform for sailors of all kinds to sail with friends and family. North U was on the water providing coaching Friday for the J/24 fleet sailors. Chuck Allen worked with each boat on trimming techniques, crew placement, and rig tuning. Thank you to Sail Newport for hosting the fleets this past weekend, as well as RC officials, volunteers, and on the water support. Thanks to all sailors for being an intricate part of the 40th Annual J/24 Anniversary Race, making this year a special one for everyone. Full Results Here Steve Kirkpatrick and his team giving thanks to J/Boats and the J/24 sailors for making Friday’s 40th Anniversary race a great one Steve Kirkpatrick and his team on the mighty ‘Buckshot’, taking 1st overall in the 40th Anniversary race for the J/24 Fleet READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di “As a management team, we had to decide if we wanted to invest in the technology or not. The bet was about a 20 million dollar bet,” said North Sails CEO, Dan Neri, reflecting back on North’s decision to purchase an idea that eventually led to today’s most advanced sailmaking product: North Sails 3Di. Dan worked alongside lead sail designer, JB Braun, and many others among the North team to turn an idea into a game-changing sail technology. Feedback from clients and professional sailors is key to the development cycle. In this video we also hear from Cameron Appleton, who speaks from experience using 3Di sails on a variety of racing circles – from small boat one design to superyachts. READ MORE

Purjeneulomo Niiniranta Oy / NORTH SAILS pitää avoimet UIVA- FLYTANDE 2017 messujen aikana 17.- 20.8. keväällä avatussa Lauttasaaren toimipisteessä, osoitteessa VENEENTEKIJÄNTIE 12 Olemme paikalla: torstaina ja perjantaina klo 12-20 lauantaina ja sunnuntaina klo 10-18 Tervetuloa tutustumaan uusiin tuotteisiin ja toimitiloihin. Tarjolla kahvia ja syksyn kuumimmat purjetajoukset. READ MORE

SNIPE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP North-powered Raul Rios and Mac Agnese are the 2017 Snipe World Champions! 170 Snipe sailors from 16 countries flocked to Real Club Nautico de La Coruña in Spain for the 2017 World Championships. Sailors were challenged in a three-race qualifying series, which would dictate whether they would compete in the Gold or Silver division. After the qualifying round, sailors competed in a 4 race Championship round within their divisions for the #1 spot. After a week of racing, North-powered Raul Rios and Mac Agnese came out 5 points ahead in the Gold Division, taking the 2017 World Championship title using the R3-LM jib and SW-4 mainsail. Mitsugu Nakajima and Kazuhiro Ito from Japan took the top spot in the Silver Division, working hard all week to stay ahead of team USA’s Watt Duffy and crew Asher Zittrer by four points. In conditions of all kinds, Raul and Mac worked hard and kept fighting to achieve their first World Championship win. Raul Rios is no stranger to the Snipe Class, being the National Champion the last three years, he is known for his remarkable speed and talent. Congratulations to Silver Division winners Mitsugu Nakajima and Kazuhiro Ito and Gold Division World Champions Raul Rios and Mac Agnese for sailing an amazing regatta, and proving that hard work really does pay off when you have the tools you need to succeed. Click here for more information on World Championship winning Snipe products, or to speak with an expert. READ MORE

NEW J/70 JIB DEBUTS WITH TWO CLEAN SWEEPS 1,2,3 at the NOOD Regatta in Marblehead and 1,2,3,4 at the Corinthian Nationals Powered by the New J-6 Jib Brian Keane and his team on Savasana, 2017 Corinthian National Champions. © Chris Howell From light to heavy conditions, the new J-6 jib has been tested and proven to hold its own as the leading tool for all-purpose abilities. The top 3 teams at the NOOD Regatta in Marblehead: John Baxter’s Team Vineyard Vines, Bruno Pasquinelli’s Stampede, and Brian Keane’s Savasana used the new J-6 jib and showed excellent speed. “The J/6 is sweet!” said John Baxter, winner at the Marblehead NOOD Regatta. The story was no different than the report from Buzzards Bay last week where 28 teams competed at the J/70 Corinthian Nationals. The top 4 boats on the scoreboard were also using the powerful J-6 high-clew jib. Brian Keane and his team on Savasana took the title with four bullets. “We are very pleased with the new J-6 headsail from North Sails. We believe it is highly versatile, balanced, and allows for aggressive weather sheeting.” –Brian Keane, owner-driver of J/70 Savasana and winner of the 2017 Corinthian Nationals. The North Sails new high-clew jib, optimized for more in-hauling cross-sheeting abilities across the cabin-top, has proven to be the best choice for the J/70. “It is great to see our clients testing our new products and winning the events. We were 100% confident in the performance of the J-6 jib when we released it. These results prove that there is no better all-purpose jib in the market for the J/70 class and we highly recommend it for the Worlds.” – Tim Healy, North Sails One Design President and J/70 World champion. Learn more about North’s fastest J/70 sails Full Results : Marblehead NOOD | Corinthian Nationals Heather Gregg’s MUSE sailing upwind, using her new J-6 jib. © Chris Howell Glenn Darden and crew on HOSS, also using the new J-6. © Chris Howell READ MORE

Avoimet ovet Uiva/Flytande 2017 messujen aikana North Sails pitää avoimet ovet Uiva/Flytande 2017 messujen aikana keväällä avatussa Lauttasaaren toimipisteessä osoitteessa Veneentekijäntie 12. Olemme paikalla messujen aukioloaikojen mukaisesti to-pe 12.00-20.00 ja la-su 10.00-18.00. Tervetuloa tutustumaa, kahville, keskustelemaan tulevista hankinnoista ja katsastamaan messutarjouksemme! READ MORE

WINNERS ROUND FASTNET ROCK WITH NORTH SAILS 3Di A nail biting finish for the VO65s and another class win for father-son duo on Night and Day – North Sails clients find success in the 2017 Fastnet Race. © Jen Edney / Volvo Ocean Race The Fastnet Race is among the most challenging offshore races in the world, and this year was no exception with a record 368 boats crossing the start line in Cowes. Corinthian and professional teams lined up off the Royal Yacht Squadron, following a course around The Lizard (the most westerly point of mainland Britain), through the Irish Sea to round Fastnet Rock, and back to Plymouth on the UK’s South coast. While conditions this year did not serve a record-breaking run, some 2700 sailors aboard everything from 30 footers to the 115 ft Nikata, took on the highs and lows of this 605 nm offshore race – starting with an upwind slog out of the Solent in a 15-20 knot Westerly. First to go were the multihulls including Tony Lawson’s MOD70 Team Concise, who rounded the needles at the furthest end of the Solent before most boats had entered their starting sequence! Team Concise finished the race in a remarkable 42 hours and 55 minutes, just as the fastest Monohulls were arriving at Fastnet Rock. The IRC classes followed which included defending double-handed champions Night and Day. The French father-son duo once again took the double handed win as well as winning IRC 4. Ron O’Hanley’s North-powered Cookson 50 Privateer took the top spot in IRC Z and narrowly missed the overall IRC win to Didier Gaudoux’s Lann Ael 2. Racing in IRC 1, Lann Ael 2 completed the race in a corrected time of 3 days, 23 hours, 55 mins and 27 seconds, giving them the overall IRC win. George David’s Rambler 88 took monohull line honors in 2 days 9 hours 34 mins and 21 seconds, which is over six hours faster than their 2015 time. The VO65s were the last to set off. With the Volvo Ocean Race start on the horizon, the Fastnet Race is part of their “Leg 0” – a final shakedown for these around-the-world sailors before taking on the trip of a lifetime. True to form, the competition was tight. After nearly three days of racing, the seven boats were separated by less than 40 minutes! The fight for the lead came right down to the wire between Team Mapfre and Dongfeng Race Team, who in the end benefitted from a crucial sail choice. They had a smaller headsail up when a large gust came in, which powered them across the line just 56 seconds ahead! North Sails is proud to be the Official Sailmaker of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, in which all teams will race with 3Di sails. All but one of the VO65s competing in the 2017 Fastnet used North Sails 3Di mainsails from the previous race, boasting over 50,000 nautical miles logged. We estimate this is equal to about 12 years of use for the average sailor, offering superior performance with unprecedented durability. North Sails is proud to supply sails to competitors across the 2017 Fastnet fleet. Racing in the Fastnet is a right of passage for many sailors, just reaching the starting line is often an achievement in itself! Full results © Ugo Fonolla / Volvo Ocean Race © Martin Keruzore / Volvo Ocean Race © Jeremie Lecaudey / Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CLIENTS CLAIM 16 DIVISIONS AT COWES WEEK Another great week in Cowes, with North-powered wins and a new monohull record for the history books! North Sails clients are successful in both IRC and One Design racing at Cowes Week this year. Cowes Week has been running since 1826 and is the UK’s longest running regatta, proving to be one of the most popular sailing events on the global sailing calendar. This year with thirty-four classes entered from cruising boats to VOR’s, Cowes showed her true colors, and her competitors made history on the race course. The week supplied a variety of conditions. In the beginning, boats had the leverage along the North shore of the Isle of Wight due to the lack of wind. Racing was eventually called off for all but class zero and the VOR teams. By the end of the week, a low-pressure system settled in and brought big winds, giving competitors exactly what they came for. Overall, the British summer weather behaved, with just two days of rain, with the extreme days bringing a prevailing Westerly at 15-20 knots. Cowes week attracts sailors from all over the world, allowing an amazing experience on the Solent from its complex tidal system to the hidden sand banks, the Solent really is one of the top sailing race tracks that exists. The week fell just before the start of the Rolex Fastnet race, meaning larger boats such as the Class 40’s were seen practicing before the start of the prestigious RORC event. One of the unrivaled highlights of the week was watching Team MAPFRE break the around the island monohull record in a time of 3 hours 13 mins 11 sec, and they did it in 30+ knots which shot them around the needles at the Western edge of the Isle of Wight! Nice job team! Cowes Week was a success in both One Design racing and IRC racing across the board for North Sails, being the dominant sailmaker for most classes. North-powered boats took the lead in IRC 0 – IRC 4. Some of the highlights were Peter Morton’s Girls on Film winning the Fast 40 Division. There was much excitement in the fleet when 42 South broke their mast on the second day of racing. IRC 1 was swept by Sam Cox and his team on Nifty Racing, a King 40, but not without a fight from Tony Mack’s J/111, McFly who benefitted as the wind picked up using their asymmetric spinnaker allowing them to settle in and get in the groove downwind. IRC 0 was won by Bernard Langley’s TP52 Gladiator while IRC 2 with Andrew McIrvine’s La Reponse who had a great scoreboard of 4-1-1-1-1-5 across the series. In IRC 3, Adam Goslings Yes! had an impressive 1-2-1-1-1-2 run, and IRC 4 with David Franks’ Strait Dealer sweeping his competition in utmost speed. Within the One Design fleets of the week, North Sails clients took the lead with Tony Mack’s J/111 McFly winning their division. In the J/70 fleet, Jack Davies’ Yeti, took the lead, with his crew all under the age of 25! In the XOD fleet – the local One Design class member John Tremlett and his team on Lass took the win, followed by Swallow, skippered by Simon Russell. Oliver Morgan’s Christianna took the title in the Dragon Fleet and Robert Elliot’s Bon Vivant won the Etchells Division, sailing a great regatta. North Sails is a proud sponsor of Cowes Week each year, offering the best in customer service to competitors in all classes. Congratulations to our clients for excelling in all divisions, and big thanks to our loft team for working overnight to keep sailors on the race course having fun! For more information on our regatta-winning products, contact your local loft today! READ MORE

RECORD BREAKING ENTRY AT THE 36TH COPA DEL REY North Sails clients win nine out of ten classes in 36th Annual Regatta in Palma Copa Del Rey – ITA 5016 A record breaking 138 boats entered into the 36th edition of the Copa Del Rey in Palma last week. This included ORC and One Design racing. The Bay of Palma is well known for its reliant 12-18 knot sea breeze, which comes in consistently as the land heats up. Due to the extreme temperatures this year, Copa Del Rey did not see these conditions until the final day of racing. Despite the light winds, the race committee managed to fit in at least nine races in all divisions. North Sails clients won all Swan One Design classes in the regatta: Hendrik Brandis and Team in Early Bird (GER 5005) in the Swan 50 fleet, Jose Maria Meseguer’s Pez de Abril (ESP 4225) in the Swan 42 fleet, and Christian Plump and team Elena Nova in the Swan 45. In the foiling GC32 fleet, all the podium positions used full North Sails inventories. Japanese team, Mama Aiuto, won the event after the 14 race series followed by US Team Argo and the Swiss Real Team. Rafael Carbonell’s Swan 45, Rats on Fire (ESP 9400), racing in ORC1 won the class by two points followed by Luis Senis’ Swan 45 Parron IX (ESP 10222) – who were tied in equal points with Maserati (ESP 1234) in their DK 46. As Parron IX was carrying four-1st place finishes, this put them into runners up position. In ORC 2 Sum Innovation (ESP6746) took the lead in their Rodman 42. The ORC 3 podium was also dominated by North Sails clients, however, the stand out performance goes to Grupo Ceres (ESP 6928) in their Dufour 45 who finished the regatta with eight bullets out of nine races, giving them an impressive 11 point lead ahead of British team Just the Job (GBR 7897R) on the J/97, who also sailed a great regatta. Congratulations to all our North Sails clients! Find out more about our products, or get in touch with a North Sails Expert Full results Copa Del Rey 2017 READ MORE

Buzzards Bay Regatta & J/70 Corinthian Nationals North clients top the board at BBR, sweep second annual Corinthian National Championships in the J/70 © Chris Howell The 2017 Buzzards Bay Regatta and J/70 Corinthian National Championships saw a great turn out for its 45th year with 141 crews competing on a variety of sail-powered boats and boards in New Bedford, MA. From kiteboards to J/105’s, 505’s to Shields, New Bedford hosted sailors from all over the country to compete in one of the best events for summertime sailing. J/70 sailors came to test their skills in the class’ Corinthian Nationals, fighting for the top spot in this amateur-only regatta for the class. Breeze ranging from 8-15 knots gave sailors plenty of races to get a discard. North-powered teams led across the board in the 505, J/70, and J/105 fleets. Ethan Bixby, with crew Parry Barclay, won the 505 fleet on Pressure Drop, with four bullets over seven races. In the J/105 division, Nicole Breault with Good Trade topped the fleet, winning all 10 races in a perfect winning streak with nine points after a discard of one point. Mark Lindquist’s Sterling came in 2nd place, fending off third position by five points. Brian Keane’s Savasana came out at the top of the 28-boat J/70 Corinthian fleet. Heather Gregg’s Muse was close behind in 2nd, followed by Glenn Darden’s HOSS. The top teams in this event all used North’s new J-6 Jib. New on the market is North’s J-6 high-clew jib, designed for enhanced inboard sheeting. Similar to results at the Marblehead NOOD, J/70 teams at the Corinthian Nationals fine-tuned the J-6 for speed, power, and punch to claim the top four places overall. For more on the New J-6 J/70 Jib or to speak with one of our J/70 Class Experts Brian Keane and his team on Savasana hauling in the mail upwind, showing the new North Sails J-6 Jib cross-sheeted over the cabin top. © Chris Howell © Chris Howell Heather Gregg’s MUSE sailing upwind, using her new J-6 jib. © Chris Howell Glenn Darden and crew on HOSS get ready to set at the top mark, also using the new J-6. © Chris Howell Kiteboarding clinic with Brendan Healy © Brendan Healy READ MORE

KENT HAEGER WINS THE WYA C SCOW CHAMPIONSHIP Top 10 Teams Powered by North Sails A full round of congratulations goes out to Kent Haeger, the 2017 WYA C Scow Champion! Haeger finished with close to half as many points as the rest of the podium. After four races in very shifty, puffy, challenging conditions on Nagawicka Lake, the B-12 finished with 16 points and not a single finish in the double-digits. Only one point separated silver from bronze. Ed Eckert and Matt Schmidt (A-136) took second place, edging out Will Haeger, Will Hutchings, and Hannah Noll (B-1) who finished in third. Rounding out the top five were Jim Gluek and Alby Rolfs (V-137) in fourth and the family program of Steve, John, and Wendy Schmidt in the E-88. North Sails powered the top 10 in the event with many top competitors using both their Harecut and I-1 Gold throughout the three-day event. The best way to stay at the top of your game is to keep your sails fresh. Learn more abut North’s fastest C Scow sails. First Place Kent Haeger Second Place Ed Eckert and Matt Schimidt Third Place Will Haeger, Will Hutchings and Hanna Noll Fourth Place Jim Gluek and Alby Rolfs READ MORE

INTERLAKE NATIONALS Congratulations Jim & Jayme Ward and Matt Fisher! The Interlake Nationals were held at the Lorain Yacht Club this year. Four days of racing were scheduled, but only four races were sailed due to a cold front that made its way across Lake Erie. Jim Ward and his team won the title with very consistent scores of 1-1-2-1. On the Masters Division, congratulations Peter Frissell! Also powered by North Sails. Learn more about North’s fastest Interlake sails. READ MORE

2017 CAN AM CHALLENGE Where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, North Sails Clients come out on top in the J/22, Beneteau 36.7, 8 Metre, and PHRF Division Hosted by Youngstown Yacht Club on Lake Ontario, this year’s CanAm Challenge saw an excellent turnout with a variety of One Design fleets, as well as four PHRF divisions representing the United States and Canada. Never ceasing to disappoint, the hospitality at YYC is one of a kind, complete with a fantastic Race Committee team. Saturday evening after racing, North Sails Mike Ingham and Dan Fien recounted their day on the water with fellow sailors. Key takeaways included: making smooth maneuvers, having consistent crew work, trimming the jib without disturbing the flow, and using the headstay to balance power and point while racing. Thanks to the North U crew for providing technical insights to support the competitors and help keep the level of competition at its highest! A highlight of the weekend was the J/22 Grant Team North Sails, led by Alfonso Bringas coming out on top of the fleet with flying colors. North Sails One Design is proud to partner with the US J/22 Class Association to build its Scholarship Boat Program by providing new sails for the team selected for the grant. With fostering youth sailing in the J/22 Class as the main goal, our team at North Sails has created this unique opportunity for young sailors. Congratulations to Alfonso and his team for placing 1st in the J/22 fleet after only their 2nd event in the boat in a highly competitive fleet. Alfonso and his team racing to the #1 spot at the 2017 CanAm Challenge The J/88s, competing in their North American Championship, had an amazing turnout with 13 boats on the line making for some very competitive racing and one of the biggest roll calls at an event for the class. Congrats to Douglas Newhouse and his team on Yonder for staying consistent and finishing 3rd overall in the North Americans. Richard Reid’s Zingara powered by North Sails 3Di won the Beneteau 36.7 fleet with five straight bullets, defining perfection in crew work, fleet management, and tactics. John Mitchele and his 8 Metre team on Thisbe won all but one race, sailing very consistent to take home 1st place in their class. Dan Berezin and his Melges 24 team on Surprise, powered by North Sails, on took 1st overall in their division by three points. In the PHRF 1 – Spinnaker division, Andrew Kooiman and his J/35 team Loyalist took first place in PHRF 1 Spinnaker Division. In PHRF 2 -Spinnaker division, the C&C 29-2 Sting with skipper Joel Doyle claimed 3rd overall. North Sails is a proud sponsor of the CanAm Challenge, keeping sailors out on the water racing each day with overnight sail repair services. Nice job this year, sailors! Full Scores READ MORE