ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE 2019 OVERALL WINNER

Matt Allen and Crew Named Overall Winners, North Clients Crowd IRC Podiums

Longtime North Sails customer Matt Allen is once again hoisting the Tattersall Cup, in celebration of Ichi Ban’s victory as Overall Winner of this year’s 628 mile race from Sydney to Hobart. Matt also won this prestigious trophy in 2017, and this is another fitting victory for a yacht named “number one” in Japanese.

Ichi Ban’s sail inventory includes a full 3Di upwind package and NPC Downwind spinnakers. Matt works closely with the North team in Australia, and North experts Rob Greenhalgh and Dick Parker were both onboard for the 2019 win.

The Ichi Ban team has been dialing in the TP52’s performance since first launching in the fall of 2017. But their competition has been doing the same, so Ichi Ban had to work hard to earn their 2019 title. “All the campaigns have really stepped up this year; people have tried to emulate what we have done,” Matt said. “There’s no doubt about the competition in this race—in the 44 to 55 footers alone, it is incredible. You wouldn’t find the competition we have in this race anywhere else in the world.”

Many other North Sails clients bested their own tough competition as well. North sails were on board every super maxi competing in the 2019 race, and North inventories took the top spots in seven of nine IRC classes and swept four IRC podiums. A special congratulations to Corinthian team Katwinchar, the oldest boat to ever compete in the RSHYR, which won the Grand Veterans Division.

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08 September

NORTH SAILS POWERS VICTORY AT THE 2023 SIX METRE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

North Sails powers victory at the 2023 Six Metre World Championship. Jamie Hilton's Scoundrel and His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain's team Bribon win new world titles in their respective classes

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SUSTAINABLE SAILMAKING IN THE DESERT

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NORTH SAILS RENEWS INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPE 31 CLASS

World’s Leading Sailmaker continues its support of the Fast Growing, Owner Driver One Design Class North Sails is proud to have worked closely with the Cape 31 Class since launching the first boat in 2017, developing the optimal sail wardrobe for One Design and IRC racing. The Cape 31 is a high-performance grand prix design, asymmetric boat designed by internationally renowned yacht designer Mark Mills. The boat has proven itself as an exhilarating one design boat that planes downwind in over 13 knots and rates well under multiple rating systems, making it attractive to many sailors. The Cape 31 Class began racing beneath Table Mountain in Cape Town, SA but has taken the global sailing scene by storm in the last two years. With over 30 boats racing in the UK and several heading to the US, the Mediterranean, and Hong Kong, there are now worldwide class calendars forming for 2023 and beyond. David Lenz, North Sails designer, notes; “It’s awesome to have been involved with the Cape 31 class in the UK since the start. Picking up from the excellent work done in Cape Town, we had a great starting point for the sail designs. Since then, as with any new class, there has been tremendous progress as we work to understand what makes these boats go fast and how to use our technology, experience, and passion to produce the fastest sails in the fleet.” David Lenz is not only a Cape 31 designer but has also been very successful racing in the class, including winning the 2022 Race Circuit overall on Russel Paters’ Squirt. Additionally, the class is filled with North Sails designers and experts, which results in theories being tested firsthand with developments and advancements being made weekly. Commenting on the partnership, Tor Tomlinson Cheney, of Cape 31 Class, shares; “North Sails has worked closely with the class since its inception and has been a major factor in the success of the class in the UK. Their support is invaluable, and we are pleased to extend our partnership with North Sails to an International level.” The North Sails Cape 31 inventory is fully optimised for handicap and one design class racing and consists of one all-purpose 3Di Raw Carbon Square Top Mainsail and three 3Di Raw Helix Jibs. All 3Di sails have carbon leech battens and come ready to race. Downwind there are four spinnakers which all use a string drop system: an A1, A2, and A4 for running, plus an A3 for reaching. As the class expands globally, North Sails is working to ensure that the best sail package can be provided to teams worldwide. Get in touch with North Sails expert Ben Saxton, Cape 31 class leader at North Sails, to learn more about the class and available sail options. READ MORE

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