NORTH SAILS BLOG

HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK: RACING YOUR CRUISER Preparing Your Yacht & Choosing The Right Set-Up © Ian Roman HIRW is shaping up to be the main event with a total of 163 yachts registered in the Hamilton Island-class! Divided into six classes: IRC Class, Hamilton Island Class, Multihull Hamilton Island, Non-Spinnaker, Trailerable, and Multihull Racing, it looks to be a fun and competitive regatta for sailors of all kinds. Airlie Beach Race Week, the week prior, has 50+ entries in Cruising Spinnaker & Performance Handicap racing which will make for a great warm-up event. Racing Performance Handicap regattas take a little stealth sometimes. Handicaps are set by the handicapper to the best of their knowledge of the boat's design and recent results from a wide range of sources & places, which is not an enviable task. Some yachts are handicap bandits and some crews just know how to play the game. With 'keeper' scores without raising the attention of the Handicapper! Our North Sails experts have sailed in these mixed fleets at many regattas across Australia with varied results. Sometimes luck is on your side, and sometimes the handicapper is not. Either way, It’s all great fun and something our team looks forward to each year. With many variables in sailing outside of our control, it is important to make sure your yacht is cleaned, light, and ready to be used with ease once your sails and crew are added. Please refer to our starting points which are VIP to make sure we are as ready as we can be to take on the fleet, wind, and tides (not to mention, the handicapper!). Starter Tips Clean the bottom. Pretty simple this one... but an easy one to forget if having the “bottom done” is usually more of an annual event. A smooth bottom reduces the water friction around the hull and foils. If you don't do anything else to prepare your boat then make sure you do this. Remove Excess Weight. We love our floating home away from home with all its comforts…BUT the safety of a big anchor chain but getting the weight out of the boat, especially the ends will make the yacht more lively to sail. Removing weight will also help to reduce pitching when sailing upwind. Pitching is bad for the flow of air across the sails. Reducing weight where you can have a positive effect across the entire wind range. Start with the Anchor & Chain, empty the water tanks, take off cruising or delivery sails. Just have a good think of what you can do without while racing. *note: beer is not included on this list! Rig Tune. The rigs in most cruising boats are tensioned up very tight, this can make it hard to adjust the shape of the sails for the conditions of the day. Before you leave your home club ask your rigger or sailmaker to have a look at the rig to ensure it is straight side to side and how the mainsail sits on the mast in both light and windy conditions. Ideally, the mast can be adjusted to allow the sail shape to be altered with the sail and rig controls as required on the day. Some small adjustments to mast trim and mainsail luff curve can make massive improvements to your performance and make the sails easier to trim. It is important to have your rig easily adjustable. Adjustable Backstay. Not all yachts come standard with an adjustable backstay, but if you have one or can upgrade to one, you will benefit from proper adjustment. The ability to tighten or loosen the backstay has a positive effect on the jib/genoa & mainsail at the same time. Tighter to de-power for a flatter main and jib when the wind is up, and Looser when we want power in the rig, a straighter mast and sagged forestay will power up the sails. Have your sailmaker make up an easy calibration stick or marks for repeatability. Code-Zero & Gennaker. A good VMG running sail and a code-zero for the “round the island” style racing is a must-have item to be competitive. Being “non-rating” racing allows the use of an un-restricted mid-girth gennaker, more like a big genoa which is a very efficient sail that has a wide wind range. From light airs upwind to medium air reaching the Code zero is best set on a furler tacked as far in front of the forestay as you can get ie; Bowsprit or strong point on the anchor roller. A running-oriented G2 gennaker is your other downwind sail. A well-designed G2 gennaker can have you sailing close to as low as a symmetrical spinnaker without the hassle of a pole, Some boats don’t quite have all the winches needed to handle the sheets & Braces for a pole anyway, so the running gennaker is a perfect fit. For a bigger boat, you might also consider having a snuffer fitted to the sail to make the hoist and drop safer and easier, you can also snuff & gybe if you are not confident to gybe when the breeze is up. Jib In-hauler and Traveller. Sheeting angle and traveler position are 2 great ways to improve the boats' pointing ability, Jib tracks are placed pretty wide on many modern production boats to improve the cabin space downstairs, the downside of this is a wide sheeting angle for the jib, this directly affects the pointing ability or the “angle of attack” of the sail. An easy way to improve the sheeting angle is to have an “in-Hauler” or Barber haul system for the jib sheet. This can help narrow down the sheeting angle to a more race like 7-8 degrees from centerline. Work with your sailmaker to ensure your jib has the correct clew height to suit. Another good trick that may apply if your boat does not have a traveler, is to have a handy billy purchase system that you can clip onto the boom end and the other end to the weather gunnel to bring the boom up to centerline or even slightly across without pulling the mainsheet to hard… especially handy in the lighter air to create some heel angle and rudder feel. Downwind sail Cross-Over Chart. Know when the code zero is faster than the jib or what true wind angles you can carry the A2 is also an easy way to save trial and error racing. Ask us to help you create a simple X-Y chart that shows True Wind Speed and True Wind Angle across the top and side of the page, then its as simple as matching TWA & TWS for the sail you need! Your North Team will be out there too, racing and for your support. We want you and your yacht to be ship-shape for racing. If you need anything, we are here to help. Don't hesitate to contact your local team to stay ahead of the game! READ MORE

A START TO REMEMBER Lake Ontario 300 Experienced Breeze And Sunshine 84 boats lined up on July 13th to begin the 300nm journey around the lake in celebration of the 30th edition of the Lake Ontario 300 presented by DriveHG. What made the start line difference this year was non other than BREEZE! The 12-15 knots racers experienced allowed for a quick rip up to Ford Shoal, with a squall up to 40knots included, and even up to Main Duck for the long course (Main Duck). Once sailors rounded Main Duck and headed towards the Niagara mark things got a little trickier. The wind shut down to about 2-3 knots with some boats seeing 0.3 knots. This lack of wind didn't last for long though as the front of the pack towards early Monday morning saw up to 5-7 knots bringing them back to PCYC until the Port Credit hole towards the finish mark. North powered Afterburn was duking it out with Farr 40 Hydromec from Quebec for the last 1-2 nm until Afterburn came in close to shore and put up their Helix powered Code Zero; allowing them to pick up and soar to the finish. North powered Zoe II skippered by Francois Brassard from Quebec also saw a great performance, placing 3rd overall for Main Duck, IRC, flying sails, fully crewed 1 division. For Main Duck, flying sails, fully crewed 2 division, North powered Rum Kist, Blast and Tonic, finished in the top three with Blast using their new Code Zero for the majority of the race. While North powered Angeline I, Thunder and Entourage took 2nd, 3rd and 4th for Main Duck, flying sails, fully crewed 3 division. A fantastic performance by all our North powered clients, especially Blast and Angeline I who are mainly comprised of youth sailors. For the short course, Scotch Bonnet, racers experienced similar breeze heading towards the Humberview mark and then up to Scotch Bonnet Island. Line honour winners, Beyond Survival, made terrific time arriving at the dock at 02:00 on Monday morning - just before the wind died off. Katbird skippered by Kathleen Timmins took second over the line at 06:15am. Overall, Michael Brown with Windburn powered by North took first for Scotch Bonnet flying sails double handed 1 division. North Sails is proud to sponsor and be involved in such an amazing race with competitors from all over Canada and the United States. For full results from the Lake Ontario 300, see here. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES World's Leading Sailmaker At The Heart Of The West Coast’s Premier Regatta The Rolex Big Boat Series always attracts world class competitors to the iconic San Francisco Bay. North Sails clients have a strong track record of commanding the leaderboard in the multiple classes of racing at the St Francis Yacht Club’s signature event each September. For 2019, the world’s leading sailmaker will continue to offer all regatta participants an enhanced experience and exceptional on-site support. Now in its 55th year, the celebrated regatta is expecting to attract up to 80 entries across numerous classes, including ORR, ORR Classics Class, Express 37, J/105, J/88, J/70 and J/125. North Sails will once again host the “Expert Knowledge” briefing, this time presented by renowned sailor and America’s Cup winner Peter Isler. The pre race briefing, open to all competitors, will take place on Thursday September 12 at 8 AM in the St Francis Yacht Club (Starting Line Room). Chris Bedford from Sailing Weather Service will join Peter by video connection. Chris, one of the leading sources of regatta weather forecasting, will give a detailed run down of the expected weather for the racing. Commenting on the successful partnership, now in its third year, North Sails West Coast Manager Seadon Wijsen concluded, “Our clients will be seeking every ounce of speed and performance for the Rolex Big Boat Series. We are committed to giving our customers the tools to succeed and also helping everyone competing to enjoy the event on and off the water. Peter Isler and Chris Bedford are two highly respected experts and I know the competitors will get a lot out of our ‘Expert Knowledge’ briefing in terms of weather and racing strategies. We look forward to seeing everyone at the North Sails lounge on the regatta plaza at the St Francis Yacht Club and seeing competitive sailing on San Francisco Bay. 📸 Daniel Forster/Rolex North Sails will also have a sail drop off point at their dedicated lounge on the regatta plaza, adjacent to the Yacht Club Docks, throughout the regatta, where clients, competitors, and friends are invited to meet the team, ask questions and relax. “It is St. Francis Yacht Club’s mission to show leadership in the world of yachting, and nothing exemplifies that more than the Rolex Big Boat Series,” says Paul Heineken, Commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club. “The Club is delighted to have North Sails provide support for the competitors in this year's event.” July 31 is the deadline for entries for the Rolex Big Boat Series - learn more by visiting www.rolexbigboatseries.com READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SUCCESS ON THE SOLENT J-Cup 2019 Brought Fierce Competition J/70 and J-Cup Winners: Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat 📸 Shaun Roster With 60 boats coming together for the annual Landsail Tyres J-Cup, as always, the event did not disappoint. Open to all J/Boats, the Solent hosted both One Design and IRC racing for competitors from Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and the United States. Conditions were certainly exciting for the teams, with the wind building as the event went on and peaking on the last day at 25 knots. In the J/70 Class, Paul Ward's Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat won seven of the nine races, not only winning the class but also earning the overall J-Cup for exceptional performance - the first time the prestigious award has been given to a J/70. Amongst the crew were J/70 Class Experts Ruairidh Scott (Main Trimmer) and Charlie Cumbley (Tactician). At the prize giving, skipper Paul Ward said a few words: “I am shocked, this is totally unexpected! A big thank you to Paul Heys. All of us here wish he was still around and like many of us, he has helped enormously with my sailing. A big thank you to the Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat team; Charlie, Ruairidh, and Mario.” Winning the Large IRC Class was Davanti Tyres, not for the first time having won their class for three years in a row at the J-Cup. Powered by North Sails, they shone on the last day gaining three bullets. The J/109 fleet had a healthy 11 entries with competition particularly fierce between Jukebox, Jubilee and Jiraffe. The last day was the decider and after Jukebox delivered two firsts when it mattered most, it was them who earned the title, also being crowned National Champions. Congratulations to all North clients for winning six out of the seven classes after some exhilarating racing. J/70 Class Winners: Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat 📸 Shaun Roster J/92 Class Winners: Upstart 📸 Tim Wright J/111 Class Winners: McFly 📸 Tim Wright J/109 Class Winners: Jukebox 📸 Tim Wright J/88 Class Winners: J-Dream 📸 Tim Wright Large IRC Class Winners: Davanti Tyres 📸 Tim Wright Small IRC Second Place: Jet 📸 Tim Wright J-Cup 2019 J/70 First Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat / Paul Ward Second Brutus / Charles Thompson Third Darcey / Clive Bush J/92 First Upstart / Robin Stevenson Second Samurai J / Alan Macleod J/111 First McFly / Tony Mack Second Sweeny / Paul van Driel Third JourneyMaker11 / Louise and Chris Makin and Jones J/109 First Jukebox / John Smart Second Jiraffe / Simon Perry J/88 First J-Dream / David and Kirsty Apthorp Second TIGRIS / Gavin Howe Third Raging Bull / Tim Tolcher Large IRC First Davanti Tyres / Marie-Claude Heys Second Jahmali / Michael Wallis Small IRC Second Jet / Jeff Johnstone Third Jaywalker / Bob Baker * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

LE TOUR DE FRANCE À LA VOILE : UNE GRANDE CLASSIQUE Quentin Ponroy raconte son expérience à bord de Renaissance Services De gauche à droite : Abdul Rhaman El Mashari, Quentin Ponroy et Stevie Morisson -Tour de France à la voile 2019 📸 Jean-Marie LIOT / ASO Quentin Ponroy, maître-voilier chez North Sails et fin régatier, a quitté ses dessins de voiles le temps d’une course. Et pas n’importe laquelle : le Tour de France à la Voile. Une course qu’il affectionne particulièrement pour son format et son niveau. D'ailleurs, il a dessiné les voiles (GV et focs monotypes) pour cette édition 2019. En tant que navigant, il compte 11 participations à son actif dont 4 victoires (Safran, Courrier Dunkerque, Lorina) et deux secondes places (Groupama, Trésor de Tahiti). Cette année, Quentin et son équipe, Renaissance Services/Oman Sail, terminent 5e après avoir gagné trois journées et s'être bien défendus contre leur concurrent direct (EFG Private Bank Monaco/Oman Sail). La victoire de ce Tour revient à Team Beijaflore, suivi de Cheminées Poujoulat et Team Réseau Ixio. Durant 17 jours (du 5 au 21 juillet), les 23 équipages de nationalités et d’horizons divers (courses au large, côtières ou olympiques, hommes et femmes, amateurs et professionnels) se sont affrontés sur sept plans d’eau le long des côtes françaises du nord au sud dans l’espoir d’ajouter leurs noms à la liste de grands vainqueurs comme François Gabart, Michel Desjoyeaux, Jean-Pierre Dick ou encore Franck Cammas pour n’en citer que quelques-uns. Embarqué à bord de Renaissance Services en tant que tacticien, Quentin Ponroy nous raconte son expérience lors cette 42e édition. 📸 Jean-Marie LIOT / ASO « Depuis le départ de Dunkerque (le 5 juillet), les conditions ont été superbes avec du petit temps en majorité et deux ou trois journées dans du vent thermique plus soutenu. En revanche, des journées beaucoup plus chaudes avec un vent capricieux et instable dans le Sud, parfois léger ou moyen, mais toujours sous un beau soleil ! Les GV et focs monotypes North Sails qui ont équipé l'ensemble de la flotte se sont très bien portés et ont permis aux équipes de se battre à armes égales. Le niveau était de taille avec quelques équipes "jeunes" professionnelles qui semblaient difficilement atteignables (Béijaflore, Poujoulat, Ixio). Pour ma part, j’étais sur le bateau Renaissance Services qui fait partie des quatre bateaux du team Oman Sail. L’équipage se composait de Stevie Morisson (barreur anglais), Abdul Rhaman El Mashari (régleur omanais) et de moi-même (tacticien). Avoir 3 nationalités à bord pouvait parfois rendre la communication un peu difficile. De plus, n’ayant aucun remplaçant, nous n’avons pas eu de journée de repos; le rythme était bien intense! À mi-parcours, nous avons décroché une 4e place au classement général. Nous avons gagné trois journées durant le Tour, ce qui prouvait que nous étions capables de rivaliser avec les meilleures équipes. En fin de Tour, nous étions 5e à égalité avec EFG Private Bank Monaco (Oman Sail), notre concurrent direct. Et on a réussi à les battre. On a gagné notre place ! Le support sur lequel on a navigué, le Diam 24 (petit trimaran de 7 mètres), est un très bon bateau : performant, fiable, simple et accessible. Il est aussi très exigeant à partir d'un certain niveau. Aujourd'hui, c'est le bateau idéal pour cette épreuve. Pour moi, ce Tour de France à la Voile est comme la Solitaire du Figaro ou la Mini Transat : une grande classique française. J'aime particulièrement cette régate car elle se court en équipage, le niveau y est très élevé et les jeunes donnent le rythme. C'est pour moi une belle façon de créer des liens avec les futurs champions de demain. » READ MORE

TRY REGATTA CELEBRATES 13 YEARS North Sails Supports Quebec Youth Circuit Pointe Claire YC hosted the 13th edition of the TRY regatta this past weekend. TRY is Montreal's stop on Federation Voile du Quebec's youth circuit. The event hosts youth sailors in Optimist, C420, 29er, and Laser. Sunny skies and challenging winds greeted 120 youth competitors from across Quebec, eastern Ontario and as far as New Brunswick. As usual the competitors enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere of the club. A huge number of members volunteered their time to make the event an enjoyable success. From crews at the ramps that helped speed through launching and hauling out all the competitors’ boats to crews that chopped watermelons, solved registration problems, ferried parents to watch their children race, barbecued burgers for hungry kids and coaches, and members of PCYC demonstrated utmost hospitality - which they are famous for. On the water, Madeleine Palfreeman organized an excellent crew of race officers who managed four separate race courses through a wide variety of wind strengths and directions. With wind strengths across the board, and gusts up to 25 knots, race officers used every trick in the book to get six solid races for each fleet. A special word of thanks goes to George Stedman for his 4th year as regatta chairman. Big thanks to the whole staff for their extra hard work at this event. From the organizers of TRY, thanks to all the members for giving up acmes to parking and sharing the club with a cord of young sailors. Without the cooperation of all the members we could not host this annual youth training event with such success. READ MORE

ASK THE EXPERTS Have A Question On How To Improve Your Game On The Race Course? Ask Our Team North Sails is excited to support the 2019 Camden Classics Cup and Youth Regatta. Our experts will be on hand for pre and post race coaching during the Youth Regatta, offering all entrants analysis on boat handling and how to improve boat speed. At North Sails, it's our passion to help enhance your sailing experience, so here, Kimo Worthington, America's Cup and Ocean Race Winner will be answering any sailing questions you have alongside World Champion One Design sailor Will Welles. Do you want to know what they do to prepare for a race? Or how they communicate with their crew on the race course? Well, go ahead and ask our experts. READ MORE

Kékszalag A Kékszalag vitorlás verseny Július 18-án indult. Közel 600 hajó részvétel, 2500-3000 vitorlázóval, hogy 48 órán belül körbevitorlázzák a Balatont. Gratulálunk az összes indulónak és ügyfeleinknek, akik az abszolút 1;2;3;4;5; helyezés mellet 8 katagóriagyőzelmet is megszereztek #NSVictoryList 📸 Török Brigi photographer , Magyar Vitorlás Szövetség #1 RACING DJANGO - 3Di RAW #2 MKB - 3Di ENDURANCE, NPL SPORT #3 PREVITAL - 3Di ENDURANCE, 3Di RAW #4 BLACK JACK - 3Di RAW #5 és egytestű #1 RAFFICA 3Di ENDURANCE, 3DL, NPL SPORT YS1/1 #1 TANTÁL - 3Di RAW, CUBEN FIBRE X-35 #1 HAM-LET - 3Di RAW, 3DL, NPL SPORT 11MOD #1 OBSESSION - 3Di ENDURANCE 11MOD #2 FORTÉLY - 3Di ENDURANCE EURÓPA 30 #1 ZARÁNDOK - 3Di NORDAC J/24 #1 J'KORSZAK - NPL SPORT, ONE DESIGN ELLIOTT 770 #1 HODU UTU - NPL SPORT # NO.1 - 3Di ENDURANCE READ MORE

AFTERBURN TAKES LINE HONOURS FOR LO300 North Sails Clients Perseverance Pays Off © Parker Media Management A fight 'til the finish, Afterburn took home line honours for the 30th Edition of the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge for Main Duck Course. Owned by Darren Gornall and Craig Pirie, the crew vied for the win for the past several years and 2019 was their year. After 300nm around Lake Ontario, the crew battled it out the last 3nm with Hydromec from Quebec, owned by Dave Savard, with lights winds ranging from 1 knot to 2.6 knots. The Afterburn crew crossed the finish line at 10:50am for a corrected time of 1 Day 22 hrs 57 mins 27 secs. The secret to their light wind finish, besides perseverance, hard work and dedication was their Helix powered Code Zero. From shore you could see the Soto 40 coming in with their Helix up, hugging the shore, they furled it in, jibbed and unfurled it where they immediately picked up speed and soared to the finish. Local North Sails expert Hugh Beaton welcomed the crew on the dock and congratulated them on their win: A heartfelt congratulations to the team for their well deserved efforts and tactical sailing across the lake. The race started on Saturday morning with breeze - for once - which lead to an exciting race for both spectators and racers. Afterburn had a great start right off the line heading towards Ford Shoal. Despite a 40 knot squal that came through on Saturday afternoon, the crew sailed smart, stuck to their plan and played the long game for wind after rounding Main Duck Island. © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management © Parker Media Management READ MORE

NORTH SAILS AT THE NOOD Expert Advice & Sail Care At Your Fingertips North Sails is excited to continue our sponsorship of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas, and Marblehead is the next stop on the circuit. North Sails local team will be on hand for all your sail care needs for the regatta, so whether you need to get your sails checked on prior to, or need overnight service during the race, our crew have your covered. Coupled with our sail care, the local team will be hosting a local knowledge panel to kick-off the event. Local Knowledge Panel North experts' and local sailors JB Braun, Mike Marshall and Alex Cook will be hosting a local knowledge panel to help get you ready for the NOOD. Join us prior to the skippers meeting on Thursday July 25th at 6pm in the Boston Yacht Club for some vital insights on sailing in local waters, what to look out for, and hear how the experts plan to navigate the weekend. See the full schedule of events here. Overnight Sail Repair Our Certified Service team will be on stand by for any sail issues. Each day after racing, look for the North Sails service van at Eastern Yacht Club and Boston Yacht Club for overnight repairs. North Sails Salem 978-745-1400 J/70 Dock Talk One Design Experts Allan Terhune and Zeke Horowitz will be holding a J/70 Dock Talk at EYC on Saturday July 27th after racing. Look out for the North flag and cooler on the dock and chat with the team on how to up your game for the next race. North Sails Salem Need help prior to the regatta? Contact your team at the Salem Loft. READ MORE

TWO GREAT RACES MEET ON MACKINAC ISLAND Chicago-Mac and Bayview-Mac: What’s the difference? The parties on Mackinac Island are fun for supporters and racers alike. Every summer, there are two annual overnight races on the Great Lakes to Mackinac Island, and for the uninitiated they might tend to blend together. Both finish at the top of Michigan. They’re both in July, on back-to-back weekends; which race goes first alternates from one year to the next. And they both provide enough of a tactical challenge to keep sailors coming back, year after year. One such veteran is Karl Kuspa. He’s sailed both races enough times to be an “Old Goat” (25 or more), so we asked him to compare the two. As a past commodore of Bayview Yacht Club, he's careful to first express his own preference. “The Bell's Beer Bayview to Mackinac Race is by far the superior of the two races,” he states firmly—tongue slightly in cheek. He also explains that whichever race starts on the second weekend each year sees a definite spike in entries, because Mackinac Island is halfway to the other city. “If you race from Bayview to Mackinac, you're a little less than halfway through your delivery to Chicago. And vice versa.” Favorite part of a race to Mackinac Island Karl says his favorite part of either race is going out to the starting line. “For the Chicago race, boats do a little parade in front of Navy Pier, in front of a crowd of a couple thousand people, with an announcer identifying the boats and whatnot.” Leaving from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, competitors first have to navigate up the St. Clair River to get to the start off Port Huron. It’s a slow trudge, against a three-knot current, “but the shoreline’s lined with people—they estimate three, four hundred thousand. It is really cool to see the enthusiasm, people who may have never even stepped on a sailboat, showing up to watch these boats make their way out to the starting line.” After navigating up the St. Clair River, the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac fleet ties up in Port Huron to await the start. Great Lake Sailing A sailboat race start is a sailboat race start, Karl says, but once underway the two races are tactically different. “On the Chicago race, you tend to sail one of the two shorelines. When do you go inshore to get the better thermals, and how soon do you have to break away from the shoreline before the nighttime doldrums arrive?” The shoreline breezes may play a part in the Bayview race as well, but the longer Cove Island course “takes boats away from shore, so it becomes more about positioning for the prevailing weather.” At 333 miles, Chicago is the longer of the two races—and there’s no shorter option for the smaller boats. For Bayview, the Shore Course is about 220 miles while the Cove Island Course is about forty miles longer. Both races offer plenty of tactical challenges, as well as a chance to test a boat’s legs. Both races often have a “restart,” Karl explains. For Chicago, it’s usually at the Manitou Islands. “The shorelines get much closer together because the Manitous are pretty good-sized, and they affect the thermal breezes. A lot of times there's a dead zone, so it recompacts the whole fleet back together. A lot of Chicago races are won and lost in the Manitous.” The equivalent reset point on the Bayview race is the Cove Island turning mark, which requires a ninety-degree course change. “You could have a strong off-the-wind leg, and then turn the mark and have a long beat after that. A lot of boats that lead at Cove Island don't lead at the finish, because they might be optimized for one point of sail but not do as well on the second half.” Finish festivities on Mackinac Island This year, Karl is not sailing either the Chicago-Mac or the Bell’s Beer Bayview-Mac; instead he’ll be on the dock to congratulate his wife when she finishes her 25th Bayview race—and then the couple plans to apply for Old Goat status together. (Nancy will be one of only a couple dozen women on that list.) But first, Karl is going to enjoy the pre-finish party. “They have activities on the island for significant others,” he says, “so I'm going to the big porch party at the Grand Hotel on Sunday, with all the wives and girlfriends. I'm looking forward to it!” Images courtesy of Element Inc. READ MORE

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE WEATHER'S PLANNING? The Experts At Sailing Weather Service Do We have teamed up with our friends at Sailing Weather Service to provide all entrants of the 2019 Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race with complimentary weather forecasting. Sign up now and we'll deliver the forecast directly to you, ensuring you're prepared to race. READ MORE

A REGATTA LIKE NO OTHER Fantastic Turnout For Inaugural Event at Lakeshore Yacht Club In an epic coming of age tale Lakeshore Yacht Club hosted their first Open Regatta this past Canada Day weekend – “The Raft Party Race”. Co-founded by LSYC Fleet Captain; Will French & Parker Media Management Owner; Louisa Sonosky they had a very specific vision and goal in mind. The vision behind the event was to create a low cost, high profile, fun event – inclusive for all skill levels. Their goal was to have an event which represented the good of old while welcoming the new of young boat owners on the lake. The event started with a Friday night skippers meeting & social where competitors had the chance to pick up their BOSS SUPPLIMENTS MISSISSAUGA skippers bags; filled with numerous, generous sponsored goodies! Most notably the Custom Raft Party Race FAST MASK UV Facemasks who made sure ALL competitors would be protected from the sun. Following the skippers meeting competitors were invited to a free pour social to set to tone of the Regatta; which was to have an amazing party! What started off as a light wind morning ended in an amazing show of 46 boats competing on the water in a roughly 15nm Race. When heading west competitors had a chance to round the New LSYC FOGH OFFSHORE MARK which was a legacy piece created to help improve offshore racing on Lake Ontario. This is a Seasonal Permeant Mark which ALL yacht clubs are encouraged to use for their own events. LSYC Race Committee, Headed by RO Pat Lymburner did an excellent job creating an ideal course for the conditions. Then the Party! Rafted boats throughout the club spared no time in celebrating a great afternoon on the water, some of which compared it to memories of the iconic “Levels Regattas”. Great Music provided by FiddleStix & DJ On Top kept people on their feet from beginning to end. BEACHES BEER made sure no one went thirsty while Twisted Therapy Entertainment Owner; Nicole Deanne and her professional staff kept the refreshments coming! NORTH SAILS provided regatta services for sailors as well as raffle prizes with contributions going to the winners junior sail program. All in all an amazing success best quoted as: The best regatta that we have been to in years. It had a feel of an old school regatta where it was just as much about the party as the race. This is what keeps our racing community and sport strong, this is what makes people come back year after year. We will be here next year. Congratulations to Overall Winner; Michael Pietz J35 “Shorthanded” & Short-Handed Overall Winner T. Irving on J105 “Live Edge”. Lakeshore Yacht Club and Raft Party Race Organizers are looking forward to the future of this event and can’t wait to see everyone back in 2020! READ MORE

A LONG TIME LOVE AFFAIR WITH NORTH SAILS Francois Bertheau Shares His Passion For Quality Sails and Sailing Lifelong sailor Francois Bertheau has been a fan of North Sails technology ever since he's owned a sailboat. His first set of sails were 3DL and he plans on crossing over to 3Di in the coming years for his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 469. He recently added a G Zero Gennaker to his collection after getting the last sails in production 2017, a 3DL Race mainsail and 3DL Race furling jib. Tell Us About Your History with North Sails. I've been 3DL since '99, I think. I started the process and the guys basically are all looking at me saying, "Crazy, crazy. Why do you buy such a sail? Blah, blah, blah." All of a sudden, everyone's got them. So, it's cool. I started it on the lake and it was Phillip at that time, that sold it to me. I bought 3DL sails for my boat and then my second set of sails on my Jeanneau 42. I was the first with a full jib and battens in my jib. We thought it was pretty efficient and that's where we saw the sails were pretty efficient because it was on my 42 that I had a 124 percent jib and then we made in 105 with more square foot on the 105 than I had on the 124. I did the last five years with those 3DLs on my 42 and then when I changed my boat to the 47, then it was the same dilemma. Miro says, "What do we do? We do 3DI or we do 3DL?" I say, "I love these sails so much and they're beautiful, I'll probably do that." From a beauty contest, they're good lookin' sails, and I think it makes the boat even nicer! This would be the last set of 3DL sails that North would be producing. After that, it's all 3Di! It was my last opportunity to buy the 3DL sails and I did, just because it was what I was familiar with and figured I'd stick to it while I could. It was so funny- this weekend, I was coming back and the guys at the marina came back and said, "Francois, your boat looks so good. Those sails look so amazing." Everyone is telling me that the sails look amazing. How do you think the performance is helping the ease of cruising? If you look at the performance of them, they're amazing. I have a cruising boat. It's not a yacht and I don't pursue to try to beat the J/122s and things like that but I look at my boat, the way we structured it and the way it sails, from a cruising boat, it's probably the fastest cruising boat on the lake right now. I'm not a bad skipper- but those sails are helping a lot with boat speed. It's amazing. The fact that I have a 105% on my jetty with a full roast is I'm able to get more square footage than an overlapping jetty on it. However, when sailing, I sail alone all the time, alone with a 105, when I tack, it's so easy to tack because you go from one tack to the other with a couple turns on the winch and the sails move over right away. How is the Code Zero? Is it Living Up to Your Expectations? I've used it, but not much. I've used it twice now and it is beyond my expectations. In three knots of wind, going three knots upwind. I had a 50 degree angle. The sail is beautiful. It's working really nice. Very, very efficient and well cut. What Do You Appreciate Most About Your Sails? The North Sail designers are amazing in the way they cut the sails. We had done a medium job on the 42 because we didn't have the specs at that time. We didn't have many specs on it because it was one of the first boats like that. The main sail is unbelievable. The cut is slick. The sail designers did a fantastic job and of course the cloth makes a difference, but the designers that cut the sail are very efficient. How Long Have You Been Sailing? I've been on a boat since I was three weeks old. I joined the junior squadron at Mount Seymour's Yacht Club at 10 years old. I started sailing at 10 years old. I was on the sailing team, the racing team, at Mount Seymour's Yacht Club when I was 15 with Jerry Lewis. I did a lot of sailing at Mount Seymour's Yacht Club when I was young and racing. I ran the races for three summers there, it was my summer job, I ran all the races at the yacht club. I was race committee. I've spent a lot of time on the water and plan to continue. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS PARTNERS WITH ACCESS ABILITIES Together Supporting the Local LOSHRS Fleet Growing the local sailing community has always been a core goal of North Sails. When it comes to distance racing and growing that local market, the Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series (LOSHRS) is a fantastic series which helps propel that goal of growing distance racing. North Sails Toronto is proud to support and align with the series, along with Access Abilities, to support sailors growing their skills on the variety of courses that range from 20 - 100 nautical miles. ​ Exact details on how to qualify for the race will follow shortly from Lake Ontario Offshore Racing Committee, coordinator of LOSHRS events. READ MORE

LAKE ONTARIO 300 REGATTA SERVICES Your Local Team Is Here For You At North Sails, our mission is to provide you with expert repairs, maintenance, and upgrades in a timely manner. Whether you race or cruise, your sails are a major investment, and we are committed to helping you maximize their performance and lifespan. Our team will be onsite during the Lake Ontario 300 for any last minute service needs, as well as post-event sail pick up. Contact us at Toronto@northsails.com for details. READ MORE

TACKLING THE LAKE ONTARIO 300 North Sails Expert Doug Folsetter Shares His Top 3 Tips for the #LO300 © Parker Media Management Inc. Veteran Great Lakes sailor, and North Sails expert, Doug Folsetter shares his top tips for racing the upcoming Lake Ontario 300 presented by DriveHG and the Lake Ontario Offshore Racing Committee. He has done the race himself four times and the Chicago Mackinac races fives times. His offshore experience is nothing to bat an eye out and provides his great insight on how to prepare. Weather There are a lot of different apps and good sources of weather information. Have a look at as many forecast models as you can digest to get an overall picture of how the race might shape up. If you’re serious about it, it’s worth paying for a routing forecast from a company like Commander’s Weather in order get the best information possible. By having a good understanding of what’s likely to happen, you can better positioned to identify what the weather is going to do and take advantage of the changing conditions. Gear Pack lightly but for every condition. If its warm out, don’t forget your cold weather clothes too as the weather will inevitably change. Good boots, a headlamp with red filter and a can of bug spray go a long way to making a distance race more enjoyable. Be conscious of how to pack the boat as well. Stack the sails with the at the ones most likely to be used are at the top of the pile. Plan for a couple of hot meals, even if it’s freeze dried and have a plan b in case it’s too rough to cook safely... Keep the boat moving fast Watch the forecast to do what you need to do to stay in the best pressure. Don’t hesitate to sail a bit high or low of the rhumb line to keep the boat sailing with the fastest sail combination. The extra boat speed will generally more than make up for the extra distance sailed. © Parker Media Management Inc. READ MORE

"LE P’TIT COUP DE BOL!'' Jacques Guichard, équipier vainqueur du Bol d’Or 2019, revient sur son expérience épique à bord de Spindrift racing 📸 Chris Schmid/Spindrift racing On se souviendra longtemps de la 81e édition du Bol d’Or Mirabaud à bien des égards : la victoire pour North Sails en catamaran avec Spindrift racing et en monocoque avec Libera Raffica, le coup de tabac d’une violence rare qui a causé de considérables dégâts matériels : sur les 465 concurrents engagés, près de la moitié de la flotte a déclaré forfait en raison de nombreuses avaries de gréement, chavirages et hommes à la mer, et enfin le dernier tour de piste en D35 qui laisse désormais la place au TF35, un catamaran volant nouvelle génération pour la saison prochaine. Jacques Guichard, expert technique voile chez North Sails et équipier vainqueur du Bol d’or Mirabaud 2019 à bord de Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing (garde-robe North Sails) nous livre ses impressions sur cette édition d’anthologie. Jacques Guichard 📸 Chris Schmid/Spindrift racing Votre équipage remporte le prestigieux Bol d’or Mirabaud en 10 heures, 36 min et 21 sec dans des conditions assez rocambolesques, qu’avez-vous ressenti après cette victoire ? Je participe au Bol d’or depuis 2009 et c’est ma quatrième victoire en D35. Celle-ci a forcément une toute autre saveur, elle est d’autant plus belle qu’on a réussi à maîtriser et la tempête et la course. J’avoue qu’on ne s’est pas senti serein pendant le front orageux même si on était en tête de flotte sur l’ensemble du parcours ou au moins parmi les quatre premiers. En même temps sur le lac, il ne faut jamais avoir confiance tant qu’on n’a pas franchi la ligne d’arrivée. On peut se retrouver devant en début de course, puis perdre toute l’avance car on tombe dans une zone de pétole tandis qu’à 100 mètres près, on passe à côté d’une risée qui profite à un concurrent. Le Bol d’or porte bien son nom : il faut un p'tit coup de bol pour gagner cette épreuve, et cette édition 2019 était particulière au vu des conditions météos. Même les Suisses nous confient qu’ils n’ont jamais vu une tempête aussi impressionnante sur le lac Leman en 50 ans. En tout cas, notre équipe a mérité cette jolie victoire qui signe également la fin de 13 années d’aventure de Ladycat powered by Spindrift racing en D35. Comment avez-vous vécu la course ? Les conditions étaient plutôt clémentes et légères avant l’orage : ciel dégagé et vent variable de 3-5 nœuds. Dès le début de la course, nous étions bien placés, et nous avons toujours été dans le match même après le grain. On est passé en tête de flotte au Bouveret (bouée de passage), et là on avait une belle avance sur nos concurrents qui se trouvaient à environ 10 miles derrière nous. Ensuite, le coup de tabac a duré près d’une heure. On s’est mis en « mode survie » pendant 15 minutes au plus fort de la tempête (rafales à plus de 50 nœuds) où il fallait à tout prix éviter de chavirer, casser du matériel à bord ou heurter les autres bateaux. Comment avez-vous géré l’arrivée du grain ? Je n’ai jamais vu un grain aussi fort, même en mer. C’était complètement apocalyptique. À l’arrivée du grain, le ciel s’est chargé en électricité statique, et on prenait des décharges partout à bord. Puis une masse nuageuse s’est abattue soudainement sur nous avec un vent allant de 3 à 12 nœuds en l’espace de 30 secondes, puis forcissant à 30 nœuds allant jusqu’à 45 nœuds. On est parvenu à retendre le gréement et à changer la première voile d’avant mais nous n’avons pas eu le temps de prendre un ris. Le vent a commencé à s’engouffrer et les premières risées sont arrivées. On n’a même pas eu le temps d’avoir peur tellement l’orage était soudain et violent. C’était vraiment surprenant. Pendant le premier quart d’heure, on ne voyait pas à 20 mètres. Il faisait presque nuit noire. Il s’est mis à tomber des grêlons de la taille d’une bille, puis de grosses vagues se sont formées avec des creux de 1m50. Le premier coup de vent violent est monté à 50 nœuds. Au plus fort du grain, on s’est retrouvé en cat-boat avec la grand-voile haute. C’est là où je me suis dit qu’on allait chavirer. Nous avons réussi à nous mettre à la cape. Mais on a eu peur que le bateau casse. Nous étions à la dérive en marche arrière et il fallait éviter les monocoques qui arrivaient au portant. Et pendant la tempête? C’était un tableau chaotique sur fond de ciel et mer noirs entre les nombreux voiliers qui démâtaient, chaviraient, certains ont même coulé, et la fumée des feux de détresse en raison de personnes tombées à l’eau. La visibilité était tellement mauvaise qu’on craignait de percuter des monocoques à la dérive, couchés sur leur flan. Et ils étaient nombreux. Nous n’étions pas manœuvrants et eux non plus, mais grâce au vent, les monocoques sur notre passage dérivaient vers l’arrière. Parfois, ils passaient à près de cinq mètres et on pensait vraiment les toucher. On a eu un sacré coup de bol que tout se soit bien passé malgré ces conditions assez effrayantes. Des dégâts à bord ? Contrairement à d’autres équipages, on n’a pas eu trop de gros dégâts à bord bien que les D35 soient plutôt conçus pour le petit temps. Au bout d’un quart d’heure quand le vent est tombé à 35 nœuds, on a renvoyé le foc, mais il n’a tenu que 3 minutes. On s’est retrouvé avec un foc déchiré comme nos deux concurrents derrière nous. Mais même déchiré, il a bien tenu. On a navigué le reste de la course avec une surface de voile plus réduite, et notre GV, une voile 3Di North Sails efficace dans le vent léger, en revanche inadaptée dans le temps fort, a étonnamment résisté à la violence de la tempête. Car on a vraiment cru qu’elle allait exploser. Pour le coup, c’est aussi une voile solide ! 📸 Chris Schmid/Spindrift racing Pensez-vous que le comité de course aurait dû annuler la course ? En 81 éditions, les Suisses n’ont jamais annulé de Bol d’or, question de mentalité ! En France, il y aurait eu de fortes de chances que la régate n’ait pas eu lieu. Tous les équipages étaient informés depuis quatre jours d’un coup de tabac qui allait balayer le lac, mais personne ne savait exactement à quoi s’attendre. On se doutait que ça allait être gros, mais pas aussi puissant et violent. On peut toujours remettre l’organisation en cause à savoir s’il fallait annuler ou pas mais chacun est maître de son bateau, et c’était de la responsabilité des équipages de prendre le risque de régater ou pas. Fort heureusement aucun drame humain n’est à déplorer. Le championnat en D35 se termine cette année. Allez-vous participer au Bol d’or 2020 à bord de son successeur le TF35? Oui, c’était la dernière année des D35 pour le championnat. Le nouveau support pour l’année prochaine, le TF35, est un catamaran volant nouvelle génération ! Nous avons déjà commandé le nôtre et Spindrift fera toute la saison avec ! Ça va être passionnant de travailler sur le design des voiles et de pouvoir ensuite profiter de mon travail sur l’eau. READ MORE

OPEN INTERNATIONAL LINKERS DEAUVILLE 2019 Huge Success For North Clients North Sails clients had a fantastic regatta in Deauville as guests of the Deauville Yacht Club who gave a warm welcome from the moment of arrival to the very end of the event. The club supported by an amazing sponsor in Linkers put on a really fantastic event both on and off the water. North Sails Ireland expert Nigel Young had the pleasure of sailing with Ron and Julie James in their beautiful wooden Dragon. "We had some really tough competition from Richard Davies and his crew Martin Payne and Nigel Cole. They were leading the event after day one and continued really well to finish the regatta third overall, only two points off the win!" says Nigel. "This is an incredible result if you consider the helm Richard had a stroke on three years ago and we all thought he might never sail again. Well done Richard, fantastic stuff." The lighter winds at the start of the regatta were to our advantage but as the winds increased it was the Pageboys who found their form and slowly moved up the leader board to finished only one point behind after the last race. Some great racing was had by all and we look forward to returning to Deauville in 2020 to enjoy the new club house! North Sails Clients took 1,2,3,4,5 overall. Congratulations to all. Check out the full list of results. Ron and Julie James, Overall Winners The Page Boys, Second Overall Richard Davies, Martin Payne and Nigel Cole, Third Overall READ MORE

VI MINNS LOWELL NORTH Lowell North, grundaren av North Sails, har gått ur tiden. Lowell – som även gick under smeknamnet ”The Pope” – började sin karriär som segelmakare vid 14 årsålder när hans pappa köpte en Starbåt med bomullssegel. Far och son kom sist i vartenda race, vilket fick den unge Lowell att skära om storseglet. Resten är, som det brukar heta, historia. När Lowell startade North Sails 1957 hade han en bakgrund som flygingenjör och insåg att vägen mot snabbare segel gick via systematiska tester och gradvisa, väldokumenterade förbättringar. Hans metodiska, vetenskapliga inställning till segeltillverkning förändrade branschen för evigt, och hjälpte honom att vinna fem världsmästartitlar i Starbåt och en guldmedalj i OS 1968. Lowell grundlade redan vid starten en kultur som har genomsyrat North Sails sedan dess. "Lowells filosofi bakom utvecklandet av North Sails var enkel", säger Tom Whidden, vd för North Technology Group. "Rekrytera de bästa personerna, som han kallade ’Tigers’, och utnyttja vetenskapliga och teknologiska landvinningar för att ta fram den absolut bästa produkten. Lowell gick i spetsen när det gällde att utveckla nya sätt att tillverka och formge segel. Hans tydliga målsättning, kreativitet och tävlingsanda driver North Sails framåt än idag – även när företaget nu är inne på områden som han aldrig hade kunnat föreställa sig under sin aktiva tid." Lowell sålde North Sails 1984 och drog sig tillbaka från segelmakeribranschen. Han fortsatte att segla och kappseglade med sin båt Sleeper under många år, och ägnade sig även åt avslappnad cruising i Stilla Oceanen. Lowell avled 89 år gammal i San Diego med hustrun Bea vid sin sida. Han lämnar oss i stor saknad. READ MORE

HÄRLIGT VÄDER MEN UTMANANDE FÖRHÅLLAMDEN PÅ SANDHAMN OPEN Med årets SM i Sandhamn och årets EM i Oxelösund känns det som att temperaturen är på väg uppåt bland ostkusten ORCi-seglare. Under Sandhamn Open 6-8 juni fick de en bra genomkörare, och det som testades var inte bara det gamla vanliga med trim, taktik och strategi utan även förmågan att hantera sömn – eller snarare bristen på sömn. Sandhamn Open var årets första deltävling i North Sails ORCi Cup, som även omfattar ÅF Offshore Race, SM i Sandhamn och KSSS Indian Heat Regatta. Precis som förra året bestod Sandhamn Open egentligen av två separata kappseglingar: Dels en längre distanskappsegling, dels en efterföljande tvådagarsregatta med korta kryss-läns-banor. Valfrihet var ordet som gällde. Det gick bra att anmäla sig till bara den ena eller till båda två, och både distanskappseglingen och regattan var uppdelad i en SRS-klass och en ORCi-klass. I distanskappseglingen fanns dessutom en shorthanded-klass. De som ville kunde alltså få tre dagars kappsegling på raken, och det visade sig populärt, trots – eller kanske tack vare – att det blev lite si och så med nattsömnen. Upplägget med en längre distanssegling tätt följd av bankappsegling är hämtat från SM och EM, och de som planerar att vara med på något av dessa fick därmed en bra genomkörare, där inte minst förmågan att snabbt ladda om efter en påfrestande nattsegling prövades. Distansracet, på runt 50 distansminuter, startade vid sextiden på torsdagskvällen och tog mellan tolv och femton timmar att genomföra. Båtarna kom i mål först fram på morgonkvisten, så de som skulle vara med även på bankappseglingarna fick ett ganska tufft program. Några särskilt tuffa förhållanden var det annars inte fråga om, för hela helgen präglades av sol och lätta vindar. Behagligt alltså, men också svårseglat, med mycket vrid och vindhål – och det kan ju vara precis lika påfrestande som ett riktigt hårdvindskör. All de sex planerade banracen – två på fredagen och fyra på lördagen – kunde genomföras. Resultatmässigt skedde efterhand en del omkastningar, men i slutändan visade resultatet inte på några större överraskningar. Och att våra kunder skulle göra bra ifrån sig var heller ingen överraskning… Resultat Sandhamn Open 1:a SRS Ban: Dehler 45 Solong, Johan Bratt 1:a ORCi Ban: X-41 Magic Mix, Patrik Björklund 1:a SRS Hav: First 36.7 Team Pro4u, Patrik Forsgren 2:a ORCi Hav: IMX 40 Foxy Lady, Rickard Bergkvist READ MORE

TANDTEKNIKERN SOM SADLADE OM Andreas Turesson på North Sails i Göteborg har varit med om ett och annat som segelmakare och seglare. Andreas, längst till höger, firar segern på Marstrand Big Boat Race. Trots att han bara är 36 år gammal har han 18 års erfarenhet av yrket, han har seglat legendariska Fastnet Race och prisskåpet rymmer bland annat ett EM-guld i ORCi och ett par SM-silver i Express. Men hans väg har knappast varit spikrak. Ett tag var han exempelvis på god väg att fastna i dentalbranschen. Men låt oss ta det från början. Om man växer upp i en bohuslänsk kustort, exempelvis Uddevalla, och har seglingsintresserade föräldrar får man sin beskärda del av segling vare sig man vill det eller inte. Så var det i alla fall för Andreas, som brukar beskriva sig som "uppvuxen i en Maxi 77". Han seglade på egen hand också men var aldrig något stjärnskott i exempelvis optimist. Det var så mycket annat som var minst lika roligt, bland annat fotboll, och att han en vacker dag skulle bli europamästare i segling var inget som föresvävade honom. Intresset för segling tog egentligen inte fart på riktigt förrän han var 14-15 år. Det är ju annars en kritisk period där många ungdomar slutar med segling, men Andras fick tvärtom en nytändning. Och det var inte bara kappsegling som lockade. Tillsammans med några kompisar köpte han nu en 707. De var överkomliga i pris redan på den här tiden, och båten är inte större än att den kan hanteras av ett par vana tonåringar. Den är ju inte mycket att bo i, men funkar fint för tonårsgrabbar som inte kräver mer än varsin koj och tak över huvudet. Och så är den ju rolig att segla. Grabbgänget ägnade några somrar åt att segla runt mellan hamnarna i Bohuslän, gärna de ställen där det kunde bli lite ”ös”. Och så kappseglade de. Det gick bättre och bättre, och vid ett oförglömligt tillfälle blev de totalsegrare i Lysekils Race. För Andreas är detta än idag en av de vinster som han minns med allra störst glädje. Ska man kappsegla behövs bra segel, och på den vägen fick Andreas och hans kompisar kontakt med en segelmakare i Kungälv som hette Henrik Ottosson. Ett visst tycke uppstod, det ena ledde till det andra, och direkt efter gymnasiet började Andreas som lärling på Henrik Ottosson Segelmakeri. Hos Henrik lärde sig Andreas yrket från grunden, och fick jobba med både service och nyproduktion (för det här var på den tiden då även ett oberoende svenskt loft kunde tillverka konkurrenskraftiga prestandasegel). 707:an avyttrades till förmån för en Express, som kompletterades med en Starbåt. När så CB66 Racer dök upp på scenen hoppade Andreas på det också. Vid det här laget var kappsegling det allt överskuggande intresset och Andreas ville segla så mycket som det bara gick. Andreas blev kvar på Henrik Ottosson Segelmakeri (sedermera Quantum Sails) till 2009, då Henrik bestämde sig för att avveckla företaget och istället ansluta sig till oss på North Sails. Andreas, som nu stod utan jobb, köpte en enkel biljett till Australien och började på North Sails i Sydney. Här var allt större än i lilla Kungälv. Andreas var med och gjorde segel till maxibåtar som Alfa Romeo och Wild Oats och fick en fast plats som trimmer på en Swan 601:a. Andreas var totalt ett år i Sydney och jobbade på North så länge hans visum tillät. Han var nu i 25-årsåldern och förutom att arbeta och segla storbåt fick han tid att fundera över vad han skulle bli när han blev stor. Väl tillbaka i Sverige skrev han in sig på en treårig utbildning på Institutionen för odontologi. Meningen var att bli tandtekniker och jobba med att tillverka specialgjorda implantat och proteser (som kronor och bryggor). Studierna kombinerades med extrajobb hos oss, så helt släppte han inte sin gamla bana. Dessutom kappseglade han flitigt och var bland annat med om att bärga EM-guldet i ORCi 2011. Efter examen började han helt enligt plan arbeta som tandtekniker, och här kunde den här historien tagit slut. Men Andreas märkte snart att det inte var det här han ville hålla på med. Det var inte så att han vantrivdes, inte alls. Men han var heller inte entusiastisk inför sitt yrke. "Det fanns de som brann för att göra den perfekta kronan", säger han, "men jag var tyvärr inte en av dem". Det Andreas verkligen brann för var segling och segel, det kändes allt mer uppenbart. Och nu föll det sig lyckligtvis så att North-loftet i Göteborg behövde förstärkning på säljsidan, och i januari 2015 var Andreas tillbaka i branschen på riktigt. Karriären som tandtekniker blev kort, ett drygt år bara, så man kan tycka att det var ett illa investerat studielån. Men Andreas tycker att all erfarenhet är bra att ha, och utbildningen innehöll faktiskt mycket materiallära som han fortfarande tycker sig ha nytta av. Vill du ha tag på Andreas träffar du honom enklast på loftet i Göteborg, om han nu inte är ute och mäter båtar eller seglar med någon av våra kunder. Är det kappsegling brukar han återfinnas i sittbrunnen på J/111:an Blur, där han sedan många år ingår i den fasta besättningen. Det här är ett sammansvetsat gäng, som under ledning av ägaren och skepparen Peter Gustafsson långsamt men metodiskt håller på att ta sig igenom en gemensam "bucket-list". Fastnet Race bockades av 2015, och nu är siktet inställt på Rolex Middle Sea Race, en drygt 600 sjömil lång havskappsegling runt Sicilien med start och mål på Malta. Racet startar 19 oktober och det är en hel del som behöver fixas till dess, med skeppning av båt som den tyngsta posten. Seglingsprogrammet på hemmaplan får därmed bli lite som det blir, vilket inte hindrade besättningen på Blur från att spika lilla klassen i årets Marstrand Big Boat Race. Andreas hade en seger tidigare, då med den X332:a som han har tillsammans med sin pappa, men det var ändå kul. Nästan lika kul som när han och hans kompisar vann Lysekils Race, men bara nästan. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS CLINIC OCH MARSTRAND BIG BOAT RACE 2019 Helgen 1-2 juni avgjordes Marstrand Big Boat Race, för åttonde gången sedan starten 2012. Vinnare Lilla klassen: Peter Gustavsson, J/111 Blur. Totalt 66 besättningar från Sverige, Norge, Danmark och Tyskland var där för att göra upp om placeringarna i de numera tre klasserna. Nytt för i år var nämligen att det förutom en stor och en liten klass även fanns en separat klass för sportbåtar. Men egentligen började det hela redan på fredagen. Då arrangerade vi på North Sails en ”clinic” för besättningar som ville slipa lite på formen inför helgens regatta. Den leddes av Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från Göteborgsloftet, med extraförstärkning av Johan Barne och Thomas Ottosson. Johan är Sveriges kanske meste proffsseglare med meriter från OS och Americas Cup och med VM-guld i allt från Soling och 5.5 meter till TP52. I jämförelse med detta är Thomas meriter av det mer blygsamma slaget, men han har ett tiotal SM-guld i bland annat Express och bred erfarenhet av allt från R6 till CB66 och J/70. En startlinje och en kort bana var utlagd precis utanför Skallens fyr, och en gång i timmen körde vi ett enkelt träningsrace för de som ville känns på timing och manövrar under någorlunda realistiska förhållanden. Det hela gick annars till på så sätt att vi åkte runt med två RIB-båtar, filmade och fotograferade, och hoppade sedan ombord för att ta en närmare titt på trimmet och förhoppningsvis bidra med några små tips. Ett femtontal båtar hade nappat på erbjudandet, och eftersom cirka 45 minuter tillägnades varje båt var det här en aktivitet som höll på till långt inpå eftermiddagen. Men väder och vind var på vår sida, så man kan väl säga att vi fick en bra dag på jobbet. Genomgång på morgonen inför North Sails Clinic. Både lördagen och söndagen inleddes med frukost på Marstrands Havshotell (frukostpaket till hela besättningen ingick i startavgiften), följt av rorsmansmöte klockan 09.00. Man kan möjligen tycka att det här fördröjer schemat men vi hörde ingen som klagade, och själva tycker vi att det är en social och en trevlig del av regattan som andra arrangörer gärna får ta efter. Själva kappseglingarna ägde rum på Marstrandsfjorden. Här väntade utmanande förhållanden, särskilt under lördagen, med hårda sydvästliga vindar, stark ström och stötig sjö. Klassiska Marstrandsförhållanden med andra ord, och det var mycket riktigt många som sökte strömlä längs land på vänstersidan. Det var länge en vinnande strategi, men mot slutet av andra seglingen vred vinden kraftigt höger, varför de båtar som hade koll på prognosen och höll högersidan under uppsikt kunde göra ett riktigt klipp. I samband med vridet ökade vinden ytterligare och enligt prognoserna var ännu mer vind på väg, så tävlingsledningen beslutade att ställa in dagens sista segling. Det var nog klokt. En mast hade redan gått överbord i en gipp, och mer kunde ha hänt; båtarna hann knappt i hamn innan det riktiga busvädret drog in över Marstrand. Söndagen bjöd på lugnare vindar och till och med lite sol, och dagens tre seglingar kunde genomföras helt enligt plan. Att få igenom fem av totalt sex race känns helt okej, och totalt sett kan man inte säga annat än att det var rättvisa förhållanden från början till slut. Det var således tre värdiga vinnare som till slut kunde koras, om vi nu får säga det med tanke på att Henrik Ottosson och Andreas Turesson från North Sails Göteborg var med ombord på de vinnande båtarna i stora respektive lilla klassen. Vi hade mer än så att glädjas över. Mer än hälften av flottan var utrustade med North-segel, och i toppen av resultatlistorna var andelen ännu större: Alla de tre klassvinsterna och totalt sju av nio pallplatser togs av båtar med våra segel. Vinnare Stora klassen: Sten Haeger, X-41 Kwanza Vi gratulerar alla pristagare och tackar Hjuviks Båtklubb och Marstrands Segelsällskap för en mycket väl genomförd regatta. Ett extra stort grattis riktar vi förstås till våra kunder på prispallen: Stora klassen Sten Haeger, X-41 Kwanza Jonas Grander, Elliot 44 CR Matador Lilla klassen Peter Gustavsson, J/111 Blur Lars Wikander, FinnFlyer 36 Zlatan Mattias Wilson, Bavaria 38 match Draklunne Sportbåtsklassen Pär Svärdson, Fareast 28r happyyachting.com Carl Fjällman, Archambault Grand Surprise Rebellion Vinnare Sportbåtsklassen: Pär Svärdson, Fareast 28r happyyachting.com READ MORE

VELERÍA OFICIAL DEL MUNDIAL DE 12 METROS North Sails será la velería oficial del Mundial de 12 Metros, que se celebrará en la localidad estadounidense de Newport (Rhode Island) entre el 8 y el 13 de julio. 📸 Sally Anne Santos Hasta 21 equipos de seis nacionalidades han confirmado su participación, la más numerosa de la historia en aguas de Estados Unidos. North Sails ofrecerá servicio de reparación a todos los equipos y varios de ellos contarán a bordo con miembros de la velería. Es el caso de Ken Read, presidente de North Sails, que navegará con el Challenge XII en Modern Division: "Qué mejor lugar para ver estos barcos navegando que Newport, escenario de tantas batallas de America’s Cup”, explica. “North Sails se enorgullece de proponer las mejores soluciones para cada cliente, del más pequeño al más grande, y estos impresionantes barcos se encuentran entre los más icónicos". READ MORE

ONE FOR THE BOOKS A Surge In The Atmosphere At Block Island Race Week © Cate Brown There was a distinct shift in the vibe at Block Island Race Week this year. The new title sponsor Margaritaville injected the 28th edition of the weeklong regatta with a new energy, impressive onshore activities, and—last but not least—a surprise closing gig by the legendary Jimmy Buffett. As a returning partner, North’s involvement with Block Island Race Week this year included live coaching and daily debriefs, complimentary weather forecasting, the pop-up sail repair loft, and hosting the Lowell North Memorial Lay Day 5K. Over 20 North Sails experts from five lofts were on the island to support all competitors, including Northeast Sales Manager, Kimo Worthington—one of only three Americans who’s won both the America’s Cup and The Ocean Race. Kimo helped Chuck Allen coach the performance cruising fleets, offering the complimentary coaching program to all boats. By providing photography and video from the race course, Kimo and Chuck were able to help teams improve boat handling and sail trim to perform better in their next race. © Cate Brown 122 boats dealt with a variety of conditions throughout the week. Monday saw 8-12 knots and sunshine. Tuesday’s Around the Island Race lived up to its reputation of delivering a wide range conditions: rain and wind throughout the race, capped by thunderstorms and torrential rain; the North Service loft was kept busy with repairs that night. Sailing around the wind farm kept navigators and tacticians on their toes during the Around-The-Island Race. The newly resurrected Lay Day was embraced by crews and families with the introduction of The Storm TRYathalon. First thing in the morning, North Sails hosted the inaugural 5k, bringing over 100 runners out to start the day. Ben Quatromoni, pitman aboard Interlodge IV, was the overall winner with a superb time of 19 minutes, 55 seconds. Quatromoni got out to a fast start and left his lone competitor behind during the long uphill climb along Ocean and Beach avenues. The Newport, Rhode Island resident was one of three Interlodge IV entrants along with headsail trimmer Dave Armitage and navigator Geoff Ewenson. The afternoon brought more competition, with Trivia presented by Margaritaville followed by a New England Ropes Tug-O-War. Wednesday was also the lightest air day, perfect for some quality time on shore to enjoy New England's summer hotspot. © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown Thursday and Friday saw winds averaging around 10-12 knots. Fog was an added challenge on Thursday, but the race committee was able to fit in two great races. Friday cleared up nicely for a beautiful, warm, sunny finale to a great week of sailing in New England. North’s client victories included Kevin McNeil and his Farr-30 team on Seabiscuit, which won four of the seven races for a low score of 19 points in this evenly matched class. The performance cruising Spinnaker division was won by Reef Points, owned by Gurdon Wattles from Little Compton, RI. Thomas Lee and the crew of Jammy, a Gunboat 55, took home first place in the Multihull fleet, scoring two bullets out of three races. Wings, owned by Mike Bruno of Armonk, New York, dominated the J/88 class. Wings added a fresh inventory of North Sails 3Di this year, and so far the team has won the J/88 Midwinter Championship, Charleston Race Week, and the American Yacht Club Spring Series. “Our amazing racing season continues!” Mike Bruno said, “Thanks to my amazing tactician, my excellent crew, a well-prepared boat, and North’s 3Di sails.” According to host Storm Trysail Club, almost 50 percent of the 2019 fleet were newcomers. With the Margaritaville effect from this year, event organizers and partners are looking forward to what 2021 will bring. “We are very pleased about the number of first timers. We think it points to a brighter future for the event, and a renaissance of folks bringing their boats back to the race course for competition and fun.” Ed Cesare - Regatta Chairman © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown © Cate Brown READ MORE

NOT YOUR AVERAGE STARTING LINE Wednesday Night Series at Mimico Cruising Club Reflects Dedication and Commitment to Weeknight Racing Every Wednesday boats from Mimico Cruising Club gather to race on the lake. Boats big and small get together for friendly competition, week after week, and the hype is stronger than ever. Over 20 boats compete in both Spring and Summer series racing, and take advantage of the bragging rights. What makes MCC race nights different from other clubs on the lake is the size of their starting line and consistency in participation each week. In addition to their own boats, MCC has partnered with neighbor club Etobicoke Yacht Club to allow sailors to co-mingle for racing during the week – at no extra cost. Members from EYC can race at MCC on Wednesdays and MCC members can race at EYC on Thursdays, providing two great opportunities for the clubs to race with eachother frequently. The reciprocal racing rights not only foster the local sailing/racing community but also enable sailors to hone their skills and get out on the water more; which most sailors on the Great Lakes want since the season is so short compared to other areas that can race all year round. Not only do boats big and small come out for racing at MCC but also sailors from all ages show in numbers. A great number of youth sailors and young adults are crew on members boats – a fantastic occurrence that we love at North Sails. Ways for clubs to help youth sailors grow and transition from junior sail to keelboat racing/sailing is amazing; a feat that a lot of other clubs, and the sport in general, are struggling with. READ MORE

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Une Duo Cat-Amania sportive et conviviale 20 équipages aux couleurs de North Sails, partenaire de l’événement 📸 Sylvain Huet La Duo Cat-Amania s’est clôturée vendredi 21 juin après six jours de régates en double le long des côtes bretonnes (une boucle de Crouesty à Crouesty en passant par Quiberon, Lorient, Locmiquélic, Concarneau et la Trinité-sur-mer). 50 équipages dont près de 20 bateaux North Sails ont participé à cette compétition amateur de haut niveau qui allie sport, professionnalisme et convivialité. Et pour la quatrième année consécutive, North Sails sponsorise l’événement à travers la distribution de nombreux lots. « Cette grande classique est un moment fort du calendrier nautique, commente Laurent Tilleau, commercial IRC à North Sails et régatier par passion. La plupart des navigants sont des amateurs aguerris et exigeants, toujours à la quête de conseils, et avec Thibaut Agaugue, responsable service voile à North Sails, nous avons assisté les coureurs North Sails après chaque régate le soir venu pour toute question technique concernant les voiles. » Navigants le jour et experts voile le soir, les deux hommes faisaient partie des 100 marins présents sur l’épreuve. Antony Durand, Président de l’amicale des coureurs, remercie North Sails pour sa contribution à « la belle course qui est la Duo CAT-AMANIA. Course qui associe technicité, compétition et convivialité ! Une semaine de joie et de plaisir qui reste dans les souvenirs de l'année. » READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: CHRISTIAN KOULES Get To Know Your Local Service Team Tell us about yourself. I am a rising senior at the University of South Florida. I am an active member of the schools sailing team, which consistently ranks in the top 20 programs in the country. I prefer racing on one design sport boats like the J70 or RS21, but I primarily race 420’s and FJ’s during the school year. I also actively race PHRF and other long distance racing. I recently raced from Saint Petersburg, Florida to Havana, Cuba on a J112e. This summer I am looking forward to the Chicago Mackinac race, it will be my fifth Mac race. How long have you been sailing and/or involved in the marine world? A long time, as far back as I can remember, but I really started actively racing when I was seven or eight. What are you most looking forward to about working at North Sails? Expanding my knowledge about sail shaping, design, costumer service and developing customer relations. What’s your favourite part about Summer? Sailing. What’s your earliest memory of being on the water? Driving my fathers thirteen foot Whaler Super Sport. I was maybe three years old. Get to know more of the Chicago team from North Sails. READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Aunque la evolución en diseño y tecnología es la base de nuestro trabajo, en North Sails no olvidamos los orígenes de la navegación. Nuestros expertos en barcos clásicos trabajan para preservar la historia con el máximo respeto al diseño y los materiales originales, apoyándose en herramientas como el North Design Suite para crear modelos 3D de los barcos para los que fabricaremos las velas. Se trata de trabajos a medida y con alto componente artesanal realizados por personal especializado como el que trabaja en las velerías de Cuntis (Pontevedra) y Milford (Estados Unidos), que estudia, diseña y produce velas para barcos clásicos de todo el mundo utilizando materiales como el poliéster o el nylon. READ MORE

DOMINIO EN EL EUROPEO DE FINN North Sails fue el claro dominador del campeonato de Europa de clase Finn, disputado en Atenas (Grecia) del 10 al 18 de mayo. 📸 Robert Deaves Nueve de los diez primeros clasificados eligieron velas North Sails para disputar la corona continental, incluyendo al campeón absoluto, el británico Giles Scott. Desde North Sails España transmitimos nuestras felicitaciones a todos ellos y nuestro agradecimiento por confiar en North Sails. READ MORE

LORO PIANA SUPERYACHT REGATTA, TERRITORIO NORTH SAILS Clientes North Sails coparon las plazas de podio en las tres categorías de la Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2019, la prueba de superyates disputada en la localidad sarda de Porto Cervo entre el 3 y el 8 de junio. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi Los ganadores fueron el Wallycento Magic Carpet Cubed en Performance Class, el Silencio en Cruising Class y el Grande Orazio en Southern Wind Shipyard Class. Un nuevo éxito para la gama North Sails especializada en grandes esloras. Performance Class 📸 Carlo Borlenghi Southern Wind Shipyard Class 📸 Carlo Borlenghi Cruising Class 📸 Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

ÉXITO OCEÁNICO EN LA ROLEX GIRAGLIA La 67ª edición de la Rolex Giraglia finalizó con excelentes noticias para North Sails, que equipó a los ganadores de diferentes categorías, incluyendo al campeón absoluto, el Caol Ila R de Alex Schaerer. 📸 Carlo Borlenghi El Maxi 72 suizo fue uno de los muchos barcos que apostaron por la nueva 3Di Helix para afrontar la regata oceánica de 241 millas náuticas entre Saint-Tropez (Francia) y Montecarlo (Mónaco) vía la mítica roca Giraglia, en el extremo septentrional de Córcega. También eligió velas North Sails el ganador en tiempo real, el Rambler del estadounidense George David. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS, PROTAGONISTA EN LA SUPERYACHT CUP North Sails ha vuelto a dominar la Superyacht Cup Palma (19-22 de junio), la regata de superyates más antigua de Europa, y los 13 barcos que compitieron por la edición 2019 equiparon velas 3Di. 📸 Sailing Energy El ganador absoluto fue el 33 metros WinWin diseñado por el español Javier Jáudenes, que se impuso en las tres pruebas disputadas, llevándose además la victoria en Clase A. El vencedor en Clase B fue el 42,7 metros Topaz y en Clase C el 30 metros Becquia. El 40 metros Huckleberry recibió el premio North Sails Boat of the Day Award como barco con mejores resultados en la jornada del viernes, 21 de junio. Creado este año, el trofeo estuvo dedicado a la memoria del fundador de North Sails, Lowell North, y fue entregado por Tom Whidden (director general de North Technology Group) y Quinny Houry (director de North Sails Palma). El equipo de North Sails Palma prestó servicio de puesta a punto y reparación en sus dos velerías de la isla, el mayor centro del mundo especializado en superyates. READ MORE

3Di OCEAN, LA VELA PARA CRUCERO OCEÁNICO DE GRAN CALIBRE La última incorporación al catálogo North Sails es una vela específica para superyates de crucero oceánico. 📸 Jeff Brown Su eslogan “ultra fuerte, ultra refinada” desvela dos de las muchas virtudes de este producto específico para grandes esloras de armadores que priorizan la durabilidad sin renunciar a las prestaciones asociadas a la tecnología 3Di. La nueva 3Di Ocean es la última incorporación a la gama North Sails 3Di, en la que comparte espacio con las conocidas NORDAC (3Di realizada en poliéster, ideal para crucero), RAW (indicada para competición), DOWNWIND (específica para velas de popa) y ENDURANCE (con especial rendimiento en durabilidad y conservación de la forma). La 3Di OCEAN está diseñada específicamente para cumplir con los exigentes estándares de calidad asociados al crucero oceánico de superyates a partir de 60 pies de eslora (18,3 metros). Para su creación, el equipo de diseño North Sails ha aplicado el conocimiento adquirido en el desarrollo de las velas de competición oceánica equipadas por los IMOCA, los Volvo 65 y los trimaranes Ultime, toda una garantía de fiabilidad. En su fabricación se utiliza la proporción más alta de Ultra PE de toda la gama 3Di, lo que le confiere una imbatible combinación entre facilidad de uso y manejo al reducir volumen, peso y rigidez, pero sin comprometer los altos niveles de robustez y fiabilidad característicos de las velas de composite moldeado 3Di. Ultra PE posee mayor grado de elasticidad que el carbono o la aramida, lo que se traduce en un mayor margen de seguridad frente al estrés. Quinny Hourly, director de North Sails Palma y uno de los máximos expertos en velería de superyates, explica el origen y las características de la nueva 3Di OCEAN: “Identificamos la falta de un producto en el mercado que cubriera las necesidades de armadores de barcos de cierta eslora que buscaban una vela para crucero oceánico con un equilibrio entre prestaciones y estabilidad diferente a lo que ofrecíamos con el 3Di ENDURANCE, demasiado estable para cierto perfil de clientes. La idea con la 3Di OCEAN es proporcionar una vela de considerable durabilidad pero que proporcione un poco de elasticidad, sea más permisiva en su manejo y más fácil de trimar. Todavía ofrece la energía de una 3Di, pero la libera de una manera más gradual. No es un producto para alguien que antepone las prestaciones y realiza dos o tres regatas al año, sino para quien disfrute navegando de crucero por el Mediterráneo”. En la fabricación de la 3Di OCEAN se utilizan protecciones exteriores con tapes de tafeta de poliéster tejido, una solución que se traduce en mayor resistencia y durabilidad que los recubrimientos sin tejido, ofreciendo protección extra frente a la flexión, las rozaduras, la abrasión y la degradación por radiación UV. La gama North Sails 3Di OCEAN está disponible para mayores convencionales, de sables forzados, de cabeza cuadrada y enrollables, así como para velas de proa enrollables y no enrollables. READ MORE

Bol d'Or és Rund Um győzelem Gratulálunk a Raffica Sailing Team győzelméhez a Bol d'Or és a Rund Um versenyein. A kihívást jelentő megmérettetésen a kiemelkedő csapatmunkát a NORTH SAILS gyors és tartós vitorlái is segítették. 📸 Brigi Török @torokbrigiphotographer READ MORE

LES COUREURS NORTH SAILS S’IMPOSENT SUR LA ROLEX GIRAGLIA CUP La voile Helix de North fait ses preuves sur cette 67e édition 📸 ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi Evénement incontournable de la saison estivale, la Rolex Giraglia Cup est devenue depuis sa création en 1953 une des plus grandes compétitions de voile en Méditerranée. L’édition 2019 qui s’est déroulée du 7 au 15 juin a regroupé 297 bateaux dont quelques-uns des plus beaux voiliers de la planète et près de 3000 marins professionnels et amateurs. La Rolex Giraglia Cup se dispute sur plusieurs jours comprenant une première régate de nuit au départ de San Remo pour rallier Saint-Tropez, une série de courses côtières à Saint-Tropez et enfin l’étape finale, point d’orgue de l’événement, « la Giraglia » ou Grande Course: une course au large de 241 miles entre Saint-Tropez et Monaco contournant le rocher de Giraglia situé au nord de la Corse. Lors de cette 67e édition, les coureurs North Sails se sont imposés une fois de plus sur le podium. Le Maxi 72 Carol Ila R d’Alex Schaerer, muni de voiles North Sails 3Di et de la nouvelle voile Helix, décroche le titre de champion de la Rolex Giraglia Cup 2019 (classement overall) en temps compensé. George David et son monocoque Rambler 88 (voiles 3Di et voile Helix) remportent en temps réel la Grande Course en 16 heures et 35 minutes dans des conditions météos musclées. Rambler 88 reçoit également la récompense ‘Beppe Croce’ pour avoir contourné le premier l’Îlot de Giraglia. Carol Ila R remporte la Rolex Giraglia Cup en temps compensé. 📸 ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi D'autres bateaux North Sails ont également triomphé lors de cette grande fête nautique sponsorisée par Rolex depuis 1997. C’est le cas de Jethou, propriété de Sir Peter Ogden, qui arrive en tête de la classe IRC O Racer côtier. Le Maxi 72 Jethou est l'un des premiers bateaux à avoir adopté dès 2018 le concept Helix. La voile Helix, développée selon la technologie de répartition des charges ( Load Sharing Technology) propre à North Sails, est une voile d’avant à enrouleur sans câble qui permet une meilleure distribution des charges dans la voile ainsi qu’une stabilité accrue et une plage d’utilisation étendue. Résultat, on obtient une voile de reaching polyvalente et rapide. « La voile Helix est une arme redoutable au reaching, commente Joey Newton, régleur de voile à bord de Jethou. Cette voile permet un large éventail d’utilisations aux allures abattues. Historiquement, les Code Zéros étaient conçues comme des voiles de près petit temps, mais la voile Helix a l'avantage d'être bien plus polyvalente. La distribution des charges plus équilibrée dans la voile et la facilité de réglage via de petits ajustements de l'amure sont des atouts non négligeables. » Stella Maris 📸 ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi Cette année, la Rolex Giraglia Cup a également accueilli plusieurs Swans dotés de voiles North (en catégorie Club 50, 45 et 42) qui ont devancé leurs concurrents pour s’offrir des places de podium. Ainsi, Stella Maris (ClubSwan 50) s’adjuge une première place en ORC overall, et empoche le très convoité ‘Nucci Novi Challenge Trophy’. Son propriétaire August Shram se félicite de cette victoire surprenante alors que lui et son équipage ont commencé à régater il y a moins d’un an en prenant part à la Copa del Rey MAPFRE. Parmi les autres gagnants North Sails, on notera la performance du TP52 @Robas 2 qui finit 3e toutes classes confondues sur la Grande Course de la Giraglia. Wallyno et Prototype Vera arrivent respectivement en 2e et 3e positions en RC 0 Cruiser-racer, Cannonball est classé 2e en IRC 0 racer. Imagine, Albator et @Robas 2 s’adjugent la 1e, 2e et 3e places en combiné IRC A Inshore & Offshore, Raging Bee finit 2e dans la catégorie Combiné IRC B Inshore & Offshore. Et dans la catégorie IRC A régate cotière, Freccia Rossa arrive en tête de classement. Freccia Rossa 📸 ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi Enfin, on retiendra de cette édition 2019 de belles images sous spi lors de la descente depuis la bouée de Cavalaire jusqu’au rocher de la Giraglia dans 25-30 nœuds de vent où l’on pouvait observer une flotte de bateaux surfer sur le plan d’eau. 📸 ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi READ MORE

LA 6ÈME ÉDITION DE LA TIWAL CUP Compétition de dériveurs gonflables équipés de voiles North 📸 Christiane Nevo Pour sa sixième édition, la Tiwal Cup a réuni le 8 juin dernier dans le golfe du Morbihan (grande plage de l’Île-aux-Moines) 48 dériveurs à coque gonflable dont deux Tiwals 2 (un Tiwal nouvelle génération), tous équipés d’une voile North Sails. Malgré la tempête Miguel la veille du départ, les 65 navigateurs en lice (répartis sur 31 solos et 17 doubles) ont régaté dans de belles conditions sous un beau soleil et un vent de 15 nœuds en moyenne avec quelques rafales à 20 nœuds. C’est le breton Pierre Le Clainche qui remporte toutes les manches et décroche la victoire au classement général à bord de son Tiwal 2 muni d’une voile jaune North Sails distinctive au milieu d’une flotte de Tiwals aux voiles noires. D’année en année, la Tiwal Cup ne dément pas son succès et attire toujours de nombreux marins des quatre coins de la planète avec 9 nationalités représentées : Japon, USA, Royaume-Uni, Italie, Allemagne, Suisse, Espagne, Belgique, France. La nouveauté de cette 6ème édition est incontestablement l’arrivée du Tiwal 2, un bateau plus compact et plus léger doté d’une voile North Sails en Dacron de 5, 60 m² de surface conçue sans bôme et lattée à trois endroits, sur sa bordure et sur sa chute notamment au niveau de la corne. La voile s’enroule autour du mât avec un matelotage simplifié et sa couleur jaune est facilement repérable sur le plan d’eau. À noter que ce Tiwal 2 tient dans deux sacs après démontage. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS HOMENAJEARÁ A SU FUNDADOR EN LA SUPERYACHT CUP North Sails anuncia la creación de un nuevo premio para la Superyacht Cup de Palma. El primer North Sails Boat of the Day Award será dedicado a la memoria del fundador de North Sails, Lowell North El North Sails Boat of the Day Award será entregado al superyate con mejores resultados en la jornada del viernes, 21 de junio. En esta primera edición, North Sails dedicará el trofeo a la memoria de Lowell North, recientemente fallecido. El fundador de la velería es considerado un referente mundial que cambió la industria velera. Lowell North fundó North Sails en 1957 con un revolucionario enfoque de metodología científica para desarrollar velas más rápidas. Una filosofía que cambió la fabricación de velas para siempre y que continúa siendo la base sobre la que la firma explora los límites de la tecnología y el diseño, resultando en productos de última generación para superyates. En opinión de Tom Whidden, director general de North Technology Group: "North Sails cuenta con una larga y fructífera relación con la Superyacht Cup, evento en el que equipamos a muchos barcos y trabajamos con sus equipos para conseguir puestos de podio. Queríamos crear un premio que nos ayudase a mostrar el éxito en la flota de superyates, y tras la pérdida de Lowell North este mes de junio, pensamos que dedicarle el premio sería una buena forma de reconocer su legado y celebrar su contribución al deporte. Estamos deseando entregar el premio al ganador en memoria de un gran hombre a quien debemos tanto". Whidden navegará en la Superyacht Cup a bordo del 92 pies estadounidense Bequia. El trofeo es un precioso decantador de cristal en edición limitada con cuello de plata de ley y acompañado de vasos con base igualmente de plata, que el ganador podrá disfrutar de por vida. En tributo a la memoria de Lowell North, el premio irá acompañado de un gorro conmemorativo para cada miembro de la tripulación emulando al que el fundador de North Sails vestía siempre, y que se convirtió en todo un icono de este gran hombre. El North Sails Boat of the Day Award será presentado el 21 de junio por Tom Whidden y Quinny Houry, director de North Sails en Palma. La regata Superyacht Cup Palma 2019 se celebra en Palma los días 19 a 22 de junio. North Sails ofrecerá su servicio de recogida, reparación y entrega de velas durante el evento a través de sus instalaciones de Palma y Lluchmajor, la mayor velería del mundo especializada en superyates. READ MORE

Tools To Get Your Team Race-Ready Block Island Race Week is just around the corner. Our experts created this Tool Kit to help your team prepare for racing in one of the most idyllic sailing destinations on the east coast. Navigating Island Waters Long time Block Island Race Week participant and local expert Todd Berman gave us his tips and tricks for dealing with the ever complex waters around Block Island. Onboard Communication Onboard communication for yacht racing is a key factor for performance, no matter what type of sailing. We have some suggestions to keep your boat moving through the water and around the corners more efficiently with better communication. Fine Tune With North Find your groove. Get your numbers. Be confident in all wind conditions. Here are the North Sails Tuning Guides for your boat. J88 | J105 | J109 Register For Free Daily Weather Forecasts North Sails and Gowrie Group have partnered up with our expert friends at Sailing Weather Service to provide complimentary daily weather forecasts. Register now and receive these daily updates sent directly to you each morning. Maintaining Speed Throughout The Range Of Conditions Whether it's your first Block Island Race Week, or you are a veteran, it's hard to anticipate the ever-changing conditions. North U Expert Bill Gladstone explores Angle of Attack in moderate air trim and also techniques for de-powering in heavy air and powering-up in light air. READ MORE

TIPS FROM EXPERT TODD BERMAN Todd's Take On Block Island Race Week And What You Should Expect While Racing We talked to local expert and North U. Coach Todd Berman to get his perspective on sailing at Block Island Race Week. Having sailed his first race week as a thirteen-year-old back in 1977, and sailed in almost every race since, who better to give us some local tips on navigating such a complex island with tricky tidal and current related factors you need to think about ahead of time. Block Island – What Makes Sailing In These Waters So Unique? Block island is an exercise in versatility. It’s the nature of June sailing in New England. The first thing I think about when preparing for Block Island Race Week is that you need to have a fundamental understanding about the tidal picture of how the water flows around both sides of the Island. Block island is in a very interesting position, where to the west of the island, most of the water flows in a north/south axis – this is the water between the southwest corner of Block Island and Montauk. Then to the north side of the island where there's the buoy, 1-B.I and ultimately Point Judith, where all the water that is flowing through that gap and is flowing in an east/west axis. Essentially, you have this weird phenomenon where the water splits in two different directions, one going north/south, one going east/west. When you come into the the Salt Pond from the sea, and you get that first whiff of the beach plums. It, to me, feels like I'm home. Block Island Race Week has become like a totem in my life. Understanding where your racing circle is, will go a long way in helping you gauge what is likely to happen on your particular course area with the tide. That’s a really important piece of advice I cannot emphasize enough for this regatta. There are a couple of fundamental overarching things that I do when it comes to the tide at B.I. There are lobster traps all around. One of the practices that I think is essential at race week, A-L-W-A-Y-S, always, make an observation and a mental note about the direction of the tide. From your experience sailing anywhere with tides and currents, and what you believe to be experiencing with observations of fish traps, lobster buoys, anchored marks or the buoys on the race course -- are all the same. All of these will tell you what the tide is doing, and at Block Island, you need to observe these indicators all the time. The Infamous Around The Island Race – Tips & Tricks This is an extremely difficult race and sometimes tends to be the race where people’s week fall apart. If you're really good at Windward Leeward racing and you've had great success at Charleston Race Week or Key West Race Week, where it is Windward Leeward racing, Block Island trips you up when now you've got to race around this island. Many teams go into the week with the great finishes, only to be caught out by the Around The Island Race – the pothole waiting to blow out your tire. There are six key points to talk about for this race. These points are founded upon going counterclockwise in a wind direction between 205 and 230 degrees true wind direction. On any given day, that's the rough range of wind direction. First Beat Of The Race Prior the race you have to know what the tidal conditions will be at your next mark. The navigator and the tactician should have a discussion about knowing the bracket of time where you'd likely arrive at a mark so that you can know what the current will be doing there. What the current does at the major rounding points in this race typically defines your tactical and strategic norms. On the first beat, the conventional wisdom is to start on starboard and sail closer to the island to pick up more wind velocity. And in a flood tide, the incentive to stay to the left of the straight line, to go closer to the island is stronger. Right at the end of that leg, R-4 is the big bell buoy that you're really setting up to round, and that's typically where you go from beating to now either an A-sail or a spinnaker. The last 20% of that first beat can get really dicey just from a wind velocity and sea state perspective because, for the very first time you’re heading out into almost open ocean there. On the flood tide, you almost have to approach R-4 from the port tack lay line. On the ebb tide, the starboard tack lay line is much more forgiving. If the water is flowing south, you can get out into more open water and you'll be fine on your approach. But on the flood, it's a significantly different perspective. Rounding R-4 This leg is based on traffic management and not getting too high, or too low. You’ve rounded R-4 and now you’re going to reach along the south end of the island. The danger of sailing low of the rhumb line and getting too close into the island is that the wind lifts up over the island and you can get lighter winds in shore. However, there is also a risk about getting too far offshore to the south of the rhumb line because as you get further east, you have to sail lower, and it's slow. This is a leg where I like to just go fast as close to the rhumb line as I can. Traffic management is a real challenge on this leg because the boats are still pretty compressed and it's hard to find clear lanes of wind. Next Turn –Southeast Corner This is typically a jibe from starboard broad-reaching to port-reaching, which takes place at the southeast corner. The exact tactics of the southeast corner are typically determined by real-time conditions and where the markers are .The Storm Trysail club place one or more inflatable orange markers out there. The southeast corner is not a government mark rounding, it's an inflatable mark that's put out there, and depending on where that inflatable is placed, it's just good sailing, there's no magic, formula for the southeast corner. *be careful about getting too far east because the wind can get lighter out there. Racing toward Port – The Longest leg This is the longest leg of the around the island race where you’ve turned the corner and are on port. This is a 12-mile leg so it’s very important that you have the right spinnaker up. We typically change to the reacher before we do the final jibe onto the long leg, and actually sail the last 1% of the previous leg with the wrong spinnaker. This means that when we jibe onto the long 12-mile leg, we have the right spinnaker up and don't have to do the change while we're reaching hard. For this long leg along the east end, you have got to know your predicted apparent wind angle way ahead, you've got to have an advanced prediction of that so you can know what spinnaker you want. You will also need to know what the tide is doing at 1-B.I, which is the next mark you're going to. This is the single most important tide management leg. If you're doing that stretch in an ebb tide, on the last 1/3 of the leg, which means the water is flowing to the east, you can never, let yourself get swept to the east side of the rhumb line. In addition to that, you need to expect that the velocity of eastbound current you will encounter increases dramatically as you approach 1-B.I. You could be two miles away and have a knot on your port beam, but when you're 200 yards way, you could have three knots on your port beam. Peak velocity at 1- B.I can get close to three knots Riding The Tide On The Longest Leg In an ebb tide, eastbound flowing water, you can sail above the rhumb line and ride the sand spit down, and almost have a trailing current for the last part of that leg. You sail more distance, but at the end you come in with fair current behind you and, that's great. You don't sail down the rhumb, you sail a great circle to the west side of the rhumb line. That's what I like to do in an eastbound ebb tide. In a westbound, flood tide, it's not as important not to get swept east because as you get out further north, you have all this water carrying you, west and you approach one BI with fair current pushing you up to the mark. If the water is flowing west at 1- B.I, it's a much easier proposition. You don't want to get caught high of the mark fighting down into that current. Rounding & Exiting From 1-B.I Now you're heading up, and your beating again, and it’s in the ebb tide. People tend to tack pretty quickly onto starboard to get into shallower water between 1- B.I and Block island under the normally correct theory that current runs weaker in shallower water. However, the shape of block island is such that the water sort of piles up. As the water that's flowing east hits the part of the island between the salt pond and the end of the sands spit at the north light, it gets up. There is a lot of current is being focused into that little shallow spot. You want to stay on port for a fair bit of time until you can really quite easily clear all the frothy water that is flowing over the sand spit at this point. Lots of boats tend to tack on to starboard to get into the shallower water right away. And that rarely works. Take the scenario and the tidal scenario and reverse it. Let's say it's a flood tide, so the water at 1-BI is flowing to the west. This is particularly fun when the wind is strong from the southwest. You have tide against current, and what I try to do is stay on port as long as I can, and if you go maybe three or four minutes on port past 1-B.I, you get into extremely deep water , approx. 100 feet or more. You will notice that the sea state gets huge. So again, a little bit counter intuitive, when you get into that really dramatic sea state, you know that you're on the strongest positive current escalator. Even though the waves are huge and you might be pounding a little more from that sea state, which feels slow, you should remember you're on this huge tidal escalator pushing you toward the finish. One of the things that you can really see is the sea state change as you exit 1-B.I. and you're heading towards the west. You can just watch the sea state build and build and build, and then before you know it, you've hooked into that beautiful tidal river to take you to the finish. READ MORE

DOUBLEHANDED TEAM WINS ANNAPOLIS TO NEWPORT Taking Home Line Honors & Sportsmanship Trophy 📷Will Keyworth Sailing the innovative 32-foot Beneteau Figaro 3, Laurent Givry and Sidney Gavignet raced from Annapolis to Newport in just under three days. They say nice guys finish last, but for the 2019 Annapolis to Newport Race, Laurent Givry and Sidney Gavignet won line honors over the entire 23 boat fleet - and they were also awarded the C. Gaither Scott Trophy for Sportsmanship by Annapolis Yacht Club's Race Committee. "It was totally unexpected," Laurent says, still digesting his quick transition from self-described "regular guy" to a name in the week's sailing news. "I was quite shocked, but very, very happy, obviously." Laurent grew up sailing on the south coast of France and moved to the United States in 1991. He took delivery of his Beneteau Figaro 3, La Défonce, in the fall of 2018. Over the winter, while North Sails designers in France were doing their homework and testing new designs to prepare for the professional Figaro circuit, Laurent told North Sails Annapolis expert Will Keyworth that he wanted to buy the new sail package. “To me it was important that I am part of this batch,” Laurent explains, adding that his new upwind inventory is 3Di RAW. “My boat is exactly to the rules for the class. I buy everything like the class Figaro. So when they make a bunch of sails for the Figaristes in France, they make mine too. Exactly the same.” The new mainsail is much flatter, he says. “The shape of the gennaker is much flatter as well. And the clew is much higher on the new A2. I’m very happy with my new set of sails, and also happy they were designed by a French designer. Will did everything right for me, so I’m very grateful.” Laurent gives full credit for the line honors victory to teammate Sidney Gavignet, a retired professional on the shorthanded sailing circuit. “Sidney is the best person. Because we are French, we have a very close connection, and I learned from him to be a better sailor. I was always trimming my mainsail much too open on the top. Now I will definitely take a reef instead of twisting more.” The team at North Sails has also been a big help, he says. “Anything I need, they do it. I ask for something, it's done. I always buy my sails from North Sails, because I have a very good service.” 📷Will Keyworth And there’s plenty more to learn. “I want to become better, I want to learn all the time. The day that you say that you’re good, it’s over. Do I put all myenergy into it? Yes, no question about that. I'm doing my own tuning, doing everything myself. I love it, you know, so I'm really into it 100 percent, no question about that. This is who I am as a person—I don’t do stuff halfway. Go full in, or nothing.” While resting up between the Annapolis-Newport finish and the start of the New York Yacht Club Annual regatta, Laurent’s made several new friends. “I'm meeting lots of very famous sailors. And those guys are like me, they’re regular guys, even though they’re very famous in the sport. They’re very keen to share their experience. They teach me, they tell me tricks. Steve Benjamin, I met him two years ago. I have a few beers with him, we have a great laugh. Next thing you know, he’s sending me an email with all the tricks, all the current. And I'm a nobody! It’s super cool,” he continues. “It’s like in a movie.” What’s next for Laurent, Sidney, and La Défonce? “There is great news—we’ve been invited by the Chicago-Mac to go compete there. Everything is going like in a dream, like in the movies!” he repeats. The boat will be trucked to Chicago, after a careful rig check and thorough cleaning; “I have salt everywhere.” “I'm a better sailor today than I was a year ago,” Laurent concludes. “It’s a great sport. I’m a regular guy, maybe not a beginner anymore, but I am not a big shot. My goal is to sail with very, very good sailors. So I can progress. This is what I want to do.” Nice guys can sometimes finish first after all. 📷Will Keyworth READ MORE

ENRICO CHIEFFI NAVIGA A PORTO CERVO CON VELE NORTH SAILS Il campione del mondo star del 1996 torna in campo nell’affollato mondiale della Costa Smeralda. 📸 Borlenghi Parte in questi giorni a Porto Cervo il Campionato del Mondo classe Star, la nota regina dalle barche a chiglia. L'evento è organizzato dallo Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaborazione con l'International Star Class Yacht Racing Association (ISCRYA). Tra i 65 protagonisti che arrivano da 20 nazioni spicca tra gli italiani la presenza di Enrico Chieffi, uno dei migliori talenti della vela italiana che partecipa con uno spirito Corinthian con il prodiere Manlio Corsi. Chi è Enrico Chieffi? L’inizio della sua favola è a Marina di Carrara, dove lui e il fratello Tommaso cominciano a navigare assieme. La prima vittoria è il campionato del mondo classe 470, poi a cascata arriva tutto il resto: altura, America’s Cup, Olimpiadi. Ma soprattutto nella carriera di Enrico conta la stella d’oro che decora la sua randa, bel ricordo della vittoria del campionato del mondo Star in Brasile a Rio davanti a Mark Reynolds e Torben Grael . Enrico Chieffi, dopo anni di vita da manager all’interno di Nautor’s Swan ha scelto di tornare in acqua per questo mondiale che inizia domani a Porto Cervo, un evento che torna dopo 30 anni, unico per partecipazione e spettacolo. Ecco le sue risposte e le sue motivazioni prima della partenza. Enrico come mai questo ritorno in Star? "Puoi anche mettere da parte le passioni, le puoi sopire, ma rimangono tali e prima o poi tornano. In realtà ho continuato a navigare in Star, soprattutto con gli amici di Viareggio dove c’è una piccola flotta. Quest’anno è una anno ricco per l’Italia, con gli europei (vinti da Robert Scheidt a Malcesine sul lago di Garda) e il mondiale di Porto Cervo. Con la mia stella d’oro posso esercitare il diritto a partecipare (wild card) senza selezioni. Ora che la classe è uscita dal circuito olimpico è molto più umana, la partecipazione è meno intensa e ci sono tanti appassionati come me. Tengo a dire che non sono più un professionista …. Il mio allenamento invernale è stato andare a sciare tutti i week end". Come sei arrivato a scegliere vele North per la tua Star? "Quando ho deciso per questa stagione ho comprato tre giochi di vele diversi tra cui uno North Sails. Avevo bisogno di capire in che direzione era andata l’evoluzione delle vele in questi anni, per partire da dove erano arrivati gli altri. Ho trovato qualità e vele fatte molto bene. L’evoluzione per la Star è stata principalmente legata, rispetto ai tempi dei miei risultati, dalla limitazione del peso massimo dell’equipaggio, che non esisteva. Io e Roberto Sinibaldi che eravamo in linea con il peso dei primi dieci migliori al mondo pesavamo 214 kg, ora il peso massimo non supera i 200 kg. Una quindicina di kg in meno fanno una differenza enorme sull’assetto della barca, di conseguenza tutti i materiali sono studiati per questo peso inferiore". Quale gioco hai scelto? "I tre giochi erano tutti composti da belle vele, ma le North Sails si adattano meglio al mio modo di regolare la barca, con il sistema albero e sartie piuttosto rigido. Allora avevo messo a punto un sistema che mi consentiva di andare molto forte, mi è rimasto quel modo di andare in barca e le North mi sono piaciute per come si adattano a questo mio modo di navigare. E’ un prodotto molto curato nei minimi dettagli". Il tuo è un gioco vele standard? "Diciamo la verità: un ‘amatore’ come me non chiede nessuna personalizzazione, compra quel che è disponibile. La Star è talmente malleabile che puoi raggiungere con tutte le regolazioni che vuoi con quello che hai. In Star trovi i più grandi campioni di tutte le generazioni e di tutte le provenienze: vuol dire che ha qualcosa di magico ed è il risultato del fatto che la barca è cosi sensibile e raffinata. E’ una barca a chiglia relativamente lenta e fare all’interno della flotta giuste tattica e strategia è un’arte: si gioca al vero gioco della vela". Enrico, Nautor’s Swan ha appena lanciato il nuovo 36, cosa vi aspettate? "Anni fa abbiamo scelto di realizzare barche da regata di alte prestazioni, che hanno riposizionato Nautor’s come marchio. Continuiamo a realizzare delle barche da crociera veloce, dove abbiamo fatto quasi un passo indietro verso barche più confortevoli. Il 36 completa la linea verso il basso e risponde alla nostra visione legata alle regate one design di alte prestazioni che culmina con il Nation Trophy di Palma dove quest’anno avremo oltre 40 barche. Tanto per indicare qualche numero il 36 in poppa raggiungerà i 18 nodi, il 50 passa regolarmente i 20". Che vele avranno gli Swan Club 36 "Abbiamo scelto un pacchetto vele limitato: una randa due fiocchi e il gennaker. Ci saranno pochi cambi autorizzati per anno, vogliamo contenere i costi. Per lo sviluppo dei tagli abbiamo fatto un consorzio con le quattro velerie più importanti del mondo. Ognuno ha fatto un gioco di vele e valuteremo tutti assieme i risultati. Le regole della classe non impongono vele one design, le vele sono libere e dunque ogni armatore può scegliere le sue. Devo ammettere che i velai per noi sono una fonte di potenziali clienti, per le loro numerose relazioni". Enrico Chieffi READ MORE

NORTH SAILS COLLECTION OPENS US FLAGSHIP STORE Locals & Sailors Gather To Celebrate The New Location In The Home Of Sailing 📷Allison Barrett Photography North Sails Collection, renowned for its lifestyle clothing and sailing crew collections in Europe has opened a new US flagship sportswear store in Newport, RI .The new store location is significant, placing it in the heart of the North Sails global headquarters and the hub of East Coast sailing. To celebrate the opening of the Flagship store, located on Bannister's Wharf in downtown Newport, North Sails invited the local sailing community to see the collection, meet the local team, and enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres provided by the Clarke Cooke House. North Technology Group CEO Tom Whidden attended the grand opening to sign copies of his recent book, The Art & Science Of Sails. Featuring both the men's and women's lifestyle lines of the brand, the store reflects the spirit of exploration and the most playful aspect of sailing, as well as emphasizing the performance function of North Sails products. Newport is an ideal setting to display the North Sails Collection mood, reflecting the two spirited factions of the sailing world: those of recreational and competitive mindsets. A mix of light and high performing styles come in a range of typical sailing colors - red, white, blue and yellow - while ocean blues, coral, orange and lagoon greens also add seasonality and high summer focus. 📷Allison Barrett Photography North Sails continues to create sustainable designs throughout the collection: jackets, T-shirts, and swimwear made from recycled materials are enriched with shark imagery and graphics with the aim of raising awareness of conservation efforts. While NSX-Performance styles perfectly merge technical fabrics and details with style and comfort for everyday challenges. The new Newport store also offers the North Sails Crew Collection, the most technical part of the collection intended for sailors and sea lovers. A line of high-performance products with proven cuts, tailored fits, and innovative materials. All the garments can be customized with team names and logos to make them unique. The store is located in historic Bannister's Wharf, the iconic waterfront area of Newport, a city with a rich sailing connection and sporting heritage. The store will cater to the diverse and active community of sailors in the region who are regularly racing and cruising in the waters off Rhode Island, and tap into the busy schedule of world-class sailing events hosted in Newport. 📷Allison Barrett Photography Thanks to a specially developed design concept, the store was planned down to the last detail to highlight each individual item of clothing: the shop windows immediately capture the attention of the consumer who is led into the North Sails world through bright environments and sleek, light lines outlining an architectural style in perfect harmony with the brand image. The fittings consist of steel structures while the original wood roof and floor — without any plastic materials used in the construction — reflects the mission of North Sails to educate consumers to embrace the change and protect the seas from plastic pollution, season after season. Visit North Sails and shop the collection at 16 Bannister's Wharf, Newport, RI, 02840. Contact number : 401-324-5750 📷Allison Barrett Photography 📷Allison Barrett Photography 📷Allison Barrett Photography READ MORE

NORTH POWERED RS 21 PERFORMS STRONG AT CHICAGO NOOD Chicago Based USA 1 Takes Top Spot Christian Koules, racing onboard USA 1 in the RS21 fleet with Judy Lutz and Alex Newton Southon, from North Sails Chicago recaps the weekend of racing at the 2019 Helly Hansen Chicago NOOD. The newest addition in the RS lineup is the RS21. I had the opportunity to sail in the new fleet at the Chicago NOOD series this past weekend. The 2019 NOOD series was a difficult one. Friday was promising, with a nice northeast breeze filling early on in the day, sailors were excited for champagne conditions. That excitement was quickly dulled, as a thick fog rolled in, reducing visibility to one hundred yards. Race committee made an on-shore postponement call, and sailors waited anxiously on land for the fog to lift. Unfortunately, at 1:30p.m. race committee flew the AP over A flag, or the no racing today flag. This did not stop most of the J/70 and all of the RS21 fleet from heading out and getting some great medium breeze practice in. The RS21 fleet was able to run four, two lap races. The J/70 fleet was able to get off three practice starts and three full 2 lap practice races. Saturday offered a range of different conditions for racers in all circles. The breeze began as a strong northerly, consistently in the 8-12 range, but as the sun rose over the city the breeze clocked to the right and pressure dropped to a light 5 knots. The sea state was kicked up from the northerly early in the day, so it was a light and lumpy five knots. As the day trekked on, the breeze shifted back left again, and the velocity increased to a stellar 15 knots and sailors once again had the opportunity to try their luck in the bigger breeze. Saturday night was a textbook Chicago NOOD party, with sailors from every fleet congregating at Chicago Yacht Club Monroe Station for the Mount Gay Rum Party. The competitors enjoyed the blustery Chicago spring weather, and rousing stories from the day. A highlight of the night was certainly the RC boat racing. The Dragon Force 65 is a fleet that has taken off in Chicago, with almost twenty RC boats entered into the regatta. Consistency was key in the fleet, and Val Smith walked away with the win, with an impressive score line, and only two races out of the top five. Sunday began with almost no breeze, and the forecast looked disappointing. Rainstorms south of the city appeared to be consuming most of the breeze in the morning, and the sun struggled to peak out from behind the thick cloud coverage. Race committee made the call and sent all fleets out promptly at 10 a.m. As competitors sailed out, the breeze began to fill nicely, with puffs of ten and twelve knots becoming regular occurrences. Hopeful the breeze would stay consistent, all fleets started the first race of the day. As the fleets all approached the windward marks, the breeze dropped quickly to an unsailable one to two knots. As the breeze was dropping a thick fog also began to roll through the course, which made racing almost impossible. Shortly after the race was called and once again AP over A was flown and the fleets were all sent in, thus wrapping up the 2019 Chicago NOOD series. The RS21 is a phenomenal sport boat, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to sail them, against difficult competition. Although the fleet was small, there was a strong international presence, and the team I sailed with spent most of the regatta duking it out with the Japanese team. The RS21 is a simple boat. The deck and all rigging has been designed with simplicity in mind, making it the perfect club boat, or go fast boat, for those who just enjoy ripping around on a breezy Sunday afternoon. The cockpit is wide open, and the carbon fiber rig is designed with only one set of spreaders. Arguably the most convenient of all the features on the RS21 is the integrated engine set up. The hull is designed with a drop-down engine, where you release a cleat, push the motor into place and put it into gear. This is easily one of the most flawless integration of boat and engine I have ever seen. My only gripe with the boat is the Vang-sheeting angle. In my opinion, sport boats like the RS21 should have the Vang lead back to the driver or main trimmer, not only for safety but also for speed. The Vang on the RS21 dead ends at the mast, which means if you need to crank on more Vang or blow it in a spin out, you’re out of luck. Aside from the Vang positioning the RS21 is a very well thought out and agile sport boat. Given the opportunity I would recommend everyone sails them. Chicago NOOD 2019 North Winners 1st Victory / J/70 1st Vytis / J/105 1st NoMaTa / PHRF 2nd Das Boot / Beneteau 40.7 2nd Soulshine / Beneteau 36. 7 2nd Warlock / J/111 2nd Heartbreaker / PHRF 1 3rd Kashmir / J/111 2rd Erizo de Mar / Beneteau 36.7 3rd Painkiller / PHRF 3 3rd Natalie J / PHRF 52 3rd Inferno / Farr 40* 3rd Windsong / J/88* North Sails Rally Winners ORR 1 - 2nd Night Train* ORR 1 - 3rd Aegir ORR 2 - 3rd Badge PHRF 2nd Jahazi PHRF 3rd Ob La Di ORR Cruising - 2nd Mise en Place * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DOMINATES BAYVIEW ONE DESIGN REGATTA Bayview One Design Regatta 2019 Overall Boat of the Week, Jim Allen, winner of the Lightning Class. Photo Credit: Skip Dieball Racers eagerly lined the docks for the 2019 Bayview One Design Regatta at Bayview Yacht Club the first weekend in June to kick-off a race filled weekend. What a great event. Even though the weather didn't cooperate for the whole weekend. Congrats to Race Chair Nathan Hollerbach, Bayview Yacht Club and all the Volunteers on a great event. North Sail is pleased to see all of our customers have a great time on and off the water. We had many accomplishments on the water that it is hard to highlight them all. North Sails Detroit local expert Karl Kuspa shares; One team that really caught my attention was the Kirkman sons Michael and Conner. They sailed the family J70 in this weekend finishing 5th but winning two races. The average age of their crew was about fifteen. How exciting. Of course we also need to acknowledge Jim Allen who won the Lightning Class in his boat powered by North. His performance earned him Overall Boat of the Week. We were pleased to see how many people took advantage of us bringing Andreas Josenhans (AJ) in for post-racing debriefs. He did a lot of one on one consultations with boat owners and crew; there was a line all weekend to talk to him. What a great resource, we appreciate AJ coming in for this event and sharing his years of experience. Local sales expert Geoff Moore, racing on a Beneteau 36.7, also mentioned the benefit of having AJ on site for racers to connect with post-racing and learn from. Photo Credit: Element Inc North powered J120 "Hot Ticket" owned by Mike and Bob Kirkman Photo Credit: Element Inc North powered J35 "Blackhawk" owned by Tim and Amie Ross Photo Credit: Element Inc Bayview One Design Regatta 2019 Star 2nd Compulsion / Terry Gibney Lightning 1st Atom / Jim Allen 2nd USA14867 / Ernest Dieball 3rd USA15545 / Todd Wake Beneteau 36.7 3rd Patriot / Ken Sharpe J120 3rd Kairos / Greg Baker PHRF A 2nd Spitfire / John Marentette Tartan 10 3rd Taz / Hanson Bratton C&C 35 1st Contender / Gary Graham Cal 25 1st Pagan Baby / Merc and Eric Hollerbach J70 1st Pale Horse / Jake Christy 2nd FM / Todd Sackett 4th Hot Ticket / Michael Kirkman * Denotes Partial North Sails Inventory READ MORE

BEN KELLY JOINS THE NORTH SAILS BRISBANE TEAM The sailmaking veteran focuses on multihulls for Australasia Ben Kelly joins North Sails in Brisbane Ben Kelly has been working with racing and cruising multihull clients for twenty-four years, but he grew up sailing skiffs and dinghies. "People always say, "Oh, you're a cat sailor," he explains."And I say, "No, I'm not. I'm a sailor." I still love to jump on all sorts of boats. But it’s a little bit of an awakening, when skiffies and other sailors realize, "they're not all weird over here." After so many years in the sailmaking business, it’s easy to forget that Ben originally planned to study architecture. Instead he apprenticed at the sail loft owned by friend and mentor Colin Metcher—because "life just looked too much fun as a sailmaker," he says with a laugh. "On my school holidays, I worked to try to pay back all the sails we dreamed up for the various boats I was sailing. I was pretty handy at making my own sails, and I loved it. I just got sucked into the creative side, learning the art of building strong but light sails." In 2004, Ben and his wife bought the business; after a few years, they changed the name to Sailtech Sails Australia, to better capture an increasingly national customer base. Around the same time, Ben was invited to sail on Trilogy, a Grainger 31. "Here in Australia, we have a huge range of multihulls that sail to a rating rule called OMR, a bit like IRC. The fleets include a wide range of boats and a mix between inshore and offshore racing, a bit of an Aussie thing." Over the next ten years, Ben helped Trilogy win seven national multihull championships and also won national titles aboard Voodoo Spirit and Mad Max. Along the way, he developed a specialty in multihull sails. "I really enjoyed going fast and working with a small team to get results," he explains. "It just became the type of sailing I mostly do." By 2012, Ben had realized that future sailmaking success would require connection with a global brand, so he sold the loft to Quantum Sails. In 2015, he took over management of the Australasia area as director of sail design; a year later, he won first prize in an internal company competition for customer service, which made it possible to take his family on a four week trip to Europe. Meanwhile, competing with North Sails was becoming increasingly difficult. "It was very hard for us to sell against a team of highly skilled people that offered state of the art products with ever-increasing durability," Ben explains. "North is working hard on low-stretch and durable options that perfectly suit my clients. I started to see the potential of being part of that, which would help me help my customers." Ben’s departure will shut down the sail loft where he’s worked since childhood, so the move is definitely bittersweet. "I've been involved with this business, this actual business, since I was ten," he explains. "Colin’s kids were my friends, and we all sailed together. But North has great systems and great people, and they are acknowledging what I specialize in and the success I’ve had. I can be more successful with that platform." He’s also excited about the rapid growth of multihull sailing. "In Australia, you can't ignore the Mum and Dad sailors. I feel like I’m in a great position to broaden the footprint I work with and generate a path for multihull sailors to get really good racing and cruising sails, and work with really good service teams." Ben and his wife have a nine year old son who, like his parents, loves being outdoors. "Mountain biking, sailing - he comes out with me on customers’ boats." Proudly, Ben adds, "He’s been spoiled. He’s done 20 knots lots of times." Ben’s next regatta will be Airlie Beach Race Week, sailing on one of the four Extreme 40s based in Brisbane. "It's a lot like sailing skiffs with training wheels," he says. "All four are my customers, and all four will meet for the first time in the Whitsundays. And then we're going to Hamilton Island Race Week. That is going to be a serious amount of fun." Whether off at a regatta or in his new office at the North Sails Brisbane loft, Ben says his focus will remain on customer service: "Each and every one of those guys is incredibly important to me." He’s also excited to share the multihull experience. "There's some really good sailing to be had, and in recent years there has been more sailors experiencing what multis have to offer." Last but not least, he admits that he’d love to be dropped onto Francis Gabart’s big tri Macif for a day. "Sailing fast, it’s so addictive!" READ MORE

WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY Another Successful Year For The Catamaran Guru Rendezvous 📷 Catamaran Guru In 2018, our friends at Catamaran Guru initiated the first annual All-Catamaran Rendezvous, drawing over 30 boats to join in for a couple of days of sailing, activities, socializing and fun. After such glowing success, the 2019 event, held May 26th - 29th attracted more Catamarans and over 100 excited sailors for the second annual Rendezvous in Abaco, Bahamas. North Sails Catamaran expert and Fort Lauderdale loft manager Bob Meagher attended the rendezvous to spend time with the fleet, assisting with on-boat inspections of sails, and delivering tips & tricks for getting the most out of these popular boats. Owners of Lagoons, Leopard, Prouts, and many more enjoyed a week of workshops, parties and camaraderie. 📷 Catamaran Guru At the end of the week, Catamaran Guru leaders Stephen and Estelle Cockroft presented the Hopetown Junior Sailing Club with a generous donation of $2,000 in support of the new generation of sailors. To conclude the week, some boats lifted anchor from Marsh Harbor and headed to cooler climates in the North, while other planned to spend some quality time exploring the Bahamian waters before returning home to South Florida. We couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable week. Getting on board these fun boats, helping out with all aspects of the sails, and getting to know the sailors was a pleasure. Seeing people living their dream and exploring new waters is what it's all about and we're happy to be there to see it with them. Bob Meagher, North Sails Loft Manager, Fort Lauderdale The growing success of the last two years means that the 2020 Rendezvous will be in high demand. If you would like to join in 2020, please continue to check in with Catamaran Guru for updates on dates and sign up information. Bob and the team at North Sails are excited to continue supporting the event and all boats and crew year round, so if you have any questions on your sails or want to find out how North Sails is optimized for Multihulls, please do not hesitate to talk to your local team. READ MORE

Be Prepared For The 2019 Queen's Cup Race Sign Up For Complimentary Weather Forecasting Provided by our expert friends at Sailing Weather Service. READ MORE

3è PLACE EN COUPE DU MONDE POUR LE 470 SUISSE Coupe du Monde de Gênes Un fantastique résultat de l’équipage 470 Sailingforadream / SUI – 46, Kilian Wagen et Grégoire Siegwart. Ils ont su saisir leur chance et signent leur premier podium en Coupe du Monde ! Interview avec Kilian Wagen : - Présente-toi en deux mots : sur quoi navigues-tu, depuis quand ? Quelles sont les prochaines étapes de vos projets ? « Je navigue avec Grégoire Siegwart depuis 6 ans maintenant, et c’est notre 4ème année en 470. On vient de rentrer de Gênes avec une médaille de bronze sur une étape de Coupe du Monde… notre premier podium à ce niveau ! Et on repart déjà à San Remo, aux championnats d’Europe, puis on enchaîne direct avec les finales de Coupe du Monde à Marseille. Après notre tour en Europe, cap sur le Japon pour un camp d’entraînement de trois semaines afin d’observer et analyser le plan d’eau pour les Jeux Olympiques de 2020, pour lesquels on essaie de se qualifier. » - Depuis quand naviguez-vous avec des voiles North Sails ? « La première fois que j’ai navigué avec North, c’était tout jeune en Optimist ! Ensuite, dès la deuxième année en 420 avec Greg, on est à nouveau passé sur North, et depuis nous n’avons jamais changé. Nous sommes régulièrement en contact avec la branche au Japon, qui s’occupe principalement des voiles de 470. Le service et la qualité sont vraiment géniaux, et le travail est extrêmement précis. Même lorsque l’on commande qu’une seule voile, on sait qu’on aura exactement les mêmes caractéristiques, et c’est vraiment le top car on est tellement sûrs que le travail sera bien fait. Ça nous est arrivé de sortir une voile neuve le jour même d’une régate. » - Est-ce que tu as un bon conseil à nous donner ? « Vous pouvez sans problème vous fier aux ‘tuning guides’ de North pour les réglages de vos voiles J ! Ils sont vraiment bien faits, il y a plein de bons conseils, et c’est une très bonne base pour apprendre les trucs de pro pour bien régler vos voiles, et les dernières astuces à appliquer aux voiles que vous venez d’acheter. » Toute l’équipe de North Sails Suisse félicite Kilian & Greg pour leurs excellents résultats, et leur souhaite le meilleur pour les prochaines régates ! READ MORE