North Sails-powered TP52 Crush is victorious in the 700 nautical mile Fremantle to Exmouth Race.
David Davenport’s North Sails powered TP52 Crush has added a third race record to their long list of achievements in 2023, with the latest line honors win taken in the Fremantle Exmouth Race and Rally along Australia’s iconic western coast. North Sails Expert Andrew Harry commended the team’s efforts in the complicated race, “it was a great race for a lot of our clients. It’s the first time that the boat has done this race, and they add another race record to their names.” “Previously this year, they set a new record for the Bunbury return, which is 180nm, and the Cape Naturaliste and Return race which is 210nm, so three race records this year for the team, and all have been standing for quite some time. They won IRC overall in the race as well, which is part of our Bluewater Pointscore and secured the overall win for them this year in the series, so it’s a great win for the guys.” There was another win for North Sails customers in the long-distance race, with Alan Stein winning both the Overall PHF and Division 1 titles in his Pogo 40 called Fat Bottom Girl. “North Sails Expert Kyle Dodds onboard with Alan for the race, as he used to work in the Perth loft and sail with him before moving over to Sydney.” Andrew highlighted the development the team has worked with Alan on recently, saying, “Just three months ago, we put new sails on the boat, including all new 3Di inventory, and it really has transformed the boat. Alan’s really loving the sailing, and in this race, he won PHF, and he was fourth across the line as well. He’s stoked and really happy with the boat’s progress!” Unfortunately for Andrew and the crew on Obsession, they weren’t able to finish the race to Exmouth. “It wasn't the greatest for us, we got 100 nautical miles in and in a bare headed change, the breeze increased to about 35kts and we destroyed our headfoil, so therefore it gave the rig a bit of a shake, so we had to turn around. But the team and I all made our way up to Exmouth so we’re all here to support the rest of the fleet as they come in!” commented Andrew. “The first six hours of the race was really fresh, with easterly breezes between 18 to 38 knots, giving the fleet great power reaching conditions straight up the coast. As they got further north, there were a lot of shutdowns in the breeze, and it got a little trickier and more complex tactically. There was some great sailing going on out there, and everyone had fun with a big smile on their face as they arrived, so all in all, a successful race!” “It’s a great race. It's only the third time it’s been run, so over the last 30 years, it’s typically a long-distance race with a 1500nm around Bali, but as things changed over the past few years, it got moved to the beautiful Exmouth.” See full results from the 2023 Fremantle to Exmouth Race and Rally here.
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Matthew Bitterman shares his journey to refitting his Hans Christian 38 MKII.
We made it to Boston, sailing through Mexico then eventually deciding to ship the boat overland the rest of the way to get back to work. We've been testing your sail here in the freezing weather on occasion, so far so good. We seem to be one of the few nuts that still take their boat out in the winter. I have been enjoying learning more about the physics of sail trim and it is great to have the tools to see the difference now.
Working with Pete McCormick and North Sails Sausalito was the highlight of our multi-year refit of our 80's era heavy-displacement Hans Christian cruising boat. This process gave a new meaning to the saying that 'nothing breathes life into an old boat than new sails'. The boat now sails 10° closer to the wind, heels significantly less, and we are able to sail in less than 10 knots of wind efficiently - all of which translated into an entirely different approach charting passages with more sailing, less motoring, and greater safety.
Pete and the designers at North Sails worked tirelessly to maximize the flexibility of our more traditional cutter rigged sailplan (off a bowsprit), increasing all of the sail-area sizes by firstly nailing the max available dimensions of the track lengths and triangles where previous sailmakers had not, and employing tricks such as vertical battens in the staysail to maintain stiffness and shape, while reducing flogging and wear in the leech. The balance between the headsails and main through every reef point is masterful, not only for helm balance but also the little aesthetic notes such as seeing the head of the main under two reefs align perfectly with the head of the staysail; the eloquent marriage of form and function.
