THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR 2026 RICHMOND AWARD WINNER MATIJA SUCCI

This sail designer and talented sailor perfectly embodies the spirit of the Young North Sails Tigers. 

The Richmond Award was established in 2023 to honour the memory of Sam Richmond, a beloved colleague and elite sailor who tragically passed away in 2022. Designed to champion the company’s brightest young stars, this peer-nominated accolade recognizes employees under the age of 35 who carry forward Sam’s unique blend of leadership, dedication, and technical expertise. 

This year’s winner, Matija Succi, is a brilliant sailor and a talented sail designer. He encapsulates both the passion and drive that made Sam Richmond a much-loved member of the sailing community and an emerging standout within North Sails.  

“We firmly believe that Matija embodies the values of the Richmond Award. He combines youthful enthusiasm and technical expertise with a deep passion for sailing.” said Daniele Cassinari, CEO of North Sails Italy and Southern Europe sales manager. 

Matija grew up in Trieste, an iconic port city in northeastern Italy, and studied at Università degli Studi di Trieste where he graduated Cum Laude in Naval Architecture. In his final years at university, he reached out to Daniele to request permission to develop his Master’s thesis using the North Design Suite. He then spent six months working from the loft in Carasco, focusing on sail‑trim optimization algorithms and leveraging the full capabilities of the North Design Suite. While previous engineers had explored similar topics for catamarans and wing sails – particularly in the context of the America’s Cup – very little research had been conducted on classic sails, and none had utilized the suite’s advanced modelling tools. This project marked the beginning of Succi’s career as a sail designer. 

Now, just a year and a half into his role, Matija, driven by his relentless curiosity, passion for fast boats, and brilliant design mind, works alongside Giovanni Cassinari on the Wally Rocket 51, and Marco Capitani on Django 7X – two key projects for North Sails Italy. He supports defining the sail design, carries out the simulations, and manages the production details.  

But Matija brings an additional layer of real-world experience. During his studies, he led his university team to victory in both the 1001 Vela Cup and the SuMoth Challenge. The SuMoth is a competition that tasks university students with designing, building, and racing a high-performance foiling Moth boat. It is judged not only on pure speed, but on engineering quality, creativity, and responsible design choices. Matija also holds Italian titles in the ILCA 6 and Melges 24 classes, a J/70 Corinthian World Championship, and a silver medal at the CS 28 World Championship. It is safe to say that he is a talented sailor. 

His sailing talent allows Matija to frequently sail with the Wally Rocket 51 and Django 7X teams, spending time getting to know the boats, experiencing real loads, analyzing sail shapes, trim behavior, and onboard systems in dynamic conditions. By observing how the crews use their sails, he gains a deeper understanding of the demands, rig configurations, and the specific performance challenges each program faces. “I think it's crucial. I could not imagine designing a sail without seeing the boat, how they set up their sails, discussing different solutions with the team. It gives me a lot of information that I need to design the best sail,” says Matija. 

“I must say that I sail and race a lot in general, and this experience is critical to my designs. I couldn't imagine doing my job without getting out on the water and handling the sails. You can run a thousand different simulations on the computer, but you have to see and feel it on the water.”  

“Matija is reliable and always open and eager to learn. I have seen him improve day after day, taking on increasingly important projects and managing the responsibility very well. His skills as a designer are complemented by his abilities as a sailor. At just 27 years old, and after only a year and a half at North Sails, he already feels like a true veteran of our group” says Giulio Desiderato, One Design Manager, Italy and Southern Europe Grand Prix Coordinator. 

WHAT'S A PROJECT YOU'RE MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

“What I’m most excited about is the Wally Rocket 51. I’m very curious to see the new sails hoisted during the sail tests, and to see how the boat performs at the ORC Worlds and Sardinia Cup. It’s really exciting because some of the designs are radically new in terms of both shape and materials. These materials have never been used together in this type of sail before. The Wally Rocket team is very creative and quick-thinking, which encourages us to experiment and innovate.” 

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR CREATIVITY? 

“I’m at my happiest when I'm making a boat go as fast as possible. I apply everything I learn when pushing the limits of the boat and sails to my designs. Being at North Sails means I'm surrounded by a supportive environment that encourages creativity and pushes the boundaries of what's possible. There’s so much innovation going on in terms of both upwind and downwind sails and new materials.” 

The sail designers at North have always been defined by their hunger to advance the sport. At North Sails, no one ever says 'it can't be done', and Matija embodies this drive and passion for sailing. “He’s also just a very good guy,” says Daniele. His favourite place to sail remains Trieste – “in Trieste, we all joke that there’s either no wind or too much wind. We only get zero or 40 knots,” he laughs. He now lives in Genoa, where he works at the new loft. The future is very bright for Matija.  

“Matija perfectly represents the spirit of the Young North Sails Tigers and the work ethic that so strongly distinguished our friend and colleague Sam Richmond. His passion makes him a tireless worker and an inquisitive professional”, says Giulio. 

2026 RUNNERS UP 

Megan Brickwood, Sales Expert, Gosport UK 

“Megan has been at North Sails for 2 years now. She is a fantastic addition to the team at NS UK. She has had an immediate impact, liaising with customers, managing deliveries and clearing old debt. Service has improved remarkably under her management. She still does this and has now moved into the sales team as well. She is the first female member of the UK sales team and she is already building a fantastic client base. Alongside this, she has helped manage the Performance 30 and 40 classes with me. The P40s were a class partly set up by Sam Richmond and the P30s are an offshoot of this. They are the most important classes in the Solent Race and Premier Race market, all run by North sails. All in all Meg is a furiously hard worker and a great ambassador for North Sails. She embodies the spirit and enthusiasm of Sam in everything she does.” – Ruaridh Wright, Sales Expert 

Matias Sabate, Sail Designer, Gosport UK 

“Matias has shown dedication, creativity, and relentless work ethic make him an essential part of our team. He consistently goes above and beyond, putting in extra hours, solving problems quickly, and providing exceptional support to every client he works with. His passion for sail design shows in his meticulous attention to detail and the innovative ideas he brings to each project. Clients frequently praise his professionalism, responsiveness, and willingness to help. His contributions have strengthened our reputation and elevated the quality of service we provide.” – Jeremy Smart, UK Sales Manager