NORTH SAILS BLOG

ENCUÉNTRANOS EN PORT TARRACO North Sails estrena relación de colaboración de Port Tarraco, el puerto tarraconense especializado en grandes esloras con capacidad para barcos de hasta 160 metros. Los usuarios de la marina se benefician de acceso al Servicio Certificado North Sails, incluyendo recogida, reparación y almacenaje de velas. “Nuestro objetivo es estar siempre cerca de nuestros clientes para ofrecerles el mejor servicio posible, y este acuerdo de colaboración nos aproxima más que nunca a los grandes veleros de Port Tarraco”, explica Luis Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España. Desde Port Tarraco, el general manager Marc Colls destaca que: “Significa un gran logro el tener el servicio de una marca de gran prestigio para nuestros clientes”. READ MORE

NUEVA GAMA 3Di North Sails amplía su gama 3Di en 2019 con un catálogo optimizado. El catálogo abarca desde pequeños monotipos hasta enormes superyates, desde cruceros hasta barcos oceánicos, desde velas para ganar regatas de club hasta modelos específicos para alta competición. Una gama más extensa y polivalente que nunca, y que incluirá interesantes novedades. Desde su nacimiento hace ya una década, la tecnología 3Di no ha dejado de evolucionar, y hoy es posible aplicarla a prácticamente cualquier velero. En 2018, North Sails completó su salto desde las velas laminadas 3DL hasta las composite 3Di, que avanzan en 2019 para conformar un dosier dividido en cinco categorías: 3Di RAW, 3Di ENDURANCE, 3Di NORDAC, 3Di DOWNWIND y 3Di OCEAN, la última en incorporarse a la familia North Sails. “De cara a 2019 refinamos un poco la gama 3Di para adaptarla a todo tipo de barcos”, explica Luis Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España. “Las novedades nos permiten cubrir todas las necesidades y usos de nuestros clientes, tanto de crucero como de competición. A quien busque un uso exclusivamente de crucero le ofrecemos las opciones 3Di ENDURANCE, OCEAN y NORDAC. También cubrimos todos los rangos para navegación en regata, empezando por la 3Di RAW 360 específica para mediana y pequeña eslora”. 3Di RAW: Competición 3Di RAW es la vela con mayores prestaciones y menor peso del mercado, un producto ideal para uso en competición. De cara a 2019, North Sails ofrece cinco versiones, incluyendo la nueva 360 (perfecta para regatistas de club con barcos de pequeña a mediana eslora), revisando la 760 (para barcos por encima de 40 pies) y optimizando la 880 (la vela de elección para circuitos como las 52 Super Series o los RC44). En función de las características de cada vela y el uso que se le vaya a dar, la gama 3Di RAW combina poliéster, Aramida, Ultra PE y carbono. 3Di ENDURANCE: Resistencia y durabilidad La vela más resistente del catálogo 3Di está fabricada para ofrecer una durabilidad y conservación de forma excepcionales, tanto en competición como en crucero oceánico. La gama 3Di ENDURANCE posee cintas externas que protegen la vela del rozamiento y plegado a la vez que conservan la estabilidad de forma exclusiva del 3Di, una garantía de resistencia en todo tipo de condiciones. Está disponible en versiones 760 (Ultra PE y Aramida) y 780 (Ultra PE y carbono). 3Di NORDAC: Revolución La primera vela 3Di fabricada 100% en poliéster ha revolucionado el mercado del crucero. Cumplido su primer año de comercialización, es hoy un producto totalmente consolidado merced a las más de 2.500 velas comercializadas en 2018 con excelentes críticas de los usuarios. De cara a 2019, North Sails incrementa la capacidad de producción de sus fábricas para responder a la demanda de este modelo diseñado para embarcaciones de pequeña y mediana eslora. 3Di DOWNWIND: Perfección en portantes El gran número de beneficios asociados al 3Di alcanza más allá de los inventarios de navegación en ceñida y está disponible para navegantes en busca de velas asimétricas de última generación. “Es novedad la 3Di DOWNWIND 300, Código Cero de poliéster para un amplio rango de utilización, como los Clase 40”, explica Martínez Doreste. La 3Di DOWNWIND demostró su valor durante la pasada Volvo Ocean Race, en la que todas las velas, tanto de ceñida como de popa, eran 3Di. 3Di OCEAN: Novedad Completando la oferta 3Di llega como novedad en 2019 la 3Di OCEAN, una vela específica para el nicho de los cruceros de gran eslora, caracterizada por una resistencia, ligereza y fiabilidad extraordinarias. Fabricada en UltraPE y Aramida, nace “orientada a barcos con esloras grandes de armadores que priorizan la durabilidad pero sin renunciar al rendimiento y las prestaciones de una 3Di”, explica Martínez Doreste. READ MORE

Are Wiig forteller sin dramatiske historie Are Wiig gikk rundt og mistet riggen da han lå på 3. plass i Golden Globe regattaen, soloseilasen jorden rundt. Alt så lovende ut da han mistet selvstyringen etter en tre dagers storm i sør Atlanteren. Mens han holdt på å reparere utstyret gikk det galt og båten ble kastet rundt med store skader som resultat. Are Wiigs foredrag fra den dramatiske hendelsen og det som skjedde før og etterpå kan du få med deg hos oss i Leangbukta mandag 19. november kl 1900. Først holder Are sitt foredrag, etterfulgt av en samtale mellom ham og Jon Amtrup som har fulgt seilasen og forberedelsene bedre enn noen annen. Inngangsavgiften, kr 250, går uavkortet til foredragsholderen. Påmelding her, betaling via VIPPS kr 250 til 96644. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: DAVID FOY Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing? What classes do you compete in? I have sailed many different boats from an Optimist to a Tall Ship. I have been sailing my entire life. Rumour has it I was born in February and out on my parent’s boat in April. What boats/classes do you sail? I started racing in an Opti, but learned the most in an old International Cadet that my grandfather rebuilt for me. After that I moved into Laser 2 for a couple of years with my good friend before moving to keelboats. Starting in 2004 I had the luxury of sailing a Shark with my brother and friend. We raced that boat hard for 10 years; where we went on to claim 4 world championships. I now own and race a Beneteau First Class 10 in Ottawa that I actually sailed on when I was younger. What got you into the marine industry? I have always had a love of boats. Growing up I always wanted to sail and be around boats in general. At one point in grade school I had the idea of getting into boat design, constantly drawing boats instead of doing school work. How long have you been working in the industry? I started working on boats 25 yrs ago. Sometimes this was as paid crew and sometimes fixing boats. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? There are 2 parts to this for me. I would say the best thing about sailing is the freedom. Being able to get away from it all and just enjoy the wind and water. I also enjoy the camaraderie between competitors and the constant learning that sailing and racing brings. READ MORE

SÉBASTIEN DESTREMAU SUR LA ROUTE DU RHUM 2018 Sébastien Destremau et son bateau Alcatraz IT FaceOcean sur la Route du Rhum 2018 en classe Rhum Mono Sébastien Destremau En quoi consiste ton projet Alcatraz IT - FaceOcean ? Le projet Alcatraz IT - FaceOcean se situe dans la continuité de mon dernier Vendée-Globe. Alcatraz IT était à l’époque un partenaire intermédiaire. A la suite du succès du dernier Vendée-Globe, la direction de l’entreprise a décidé de devenir sponsor principal de mon bateau sur la Route du Rhum 2018 en classe Rhum Mono. Le bateau a terminé le Vendée-Globe en très bon état : il a fallu effectuer juste quelques travaux d’entretien et d’amélioration. Alcatraz IT - FaceOcean n’est pas un voilier de dernière génération comme Charal qui lui aussi est équipé de voiles North Sails. Alcatraz IT - FaceOcean est bien plus simple à naviguer et s’adapte très bien à mes expériences maritimes. Le budget est beaucoup moins important par rapport à celui des autres bateaux mais il me permet de terminer des régates et de poursuivre ma passion pour la navigation. Quelles ont été les modifications effectuées au niveau des voiles ? Les voiles sont neuves. Je suis particulièrement satisfait par la grand-voile : grâce au travail de l’équipe North Sails, on gagne 15% de la surface, c’est-à-dire 25m carrés : ce qui nous donne un surplus de puissance énorme ! Nous avons également un nouveau gennaker, un nouveau génois… Quel type de voiles utilises-tu ? Nous n’utilisons pas des voiles de nouvelle génération car notre bateau est ancien. Pas de 3Di pour moi donc ! La grand-voile est en Ultra X 450, le J2 en Ultra X 350, le gennaker en Stormlite 210 et le Spi en superkote 90. North Sails s’occupe très bien de concevoir des produits haut de gamme et aussi des voiles pour des budgets plus restreints. Je ne remercierai jamais assez North Sails pour leur aide sur le Vendée- Globe : ils ont trouvé des solutions pour que je puisse m’aligner sur le départ malgré mon petit budget. Finalement il n’y a pas de 'petits' clients chez North Sails ! Cela fait 12 ans que je travaille avec eux et je suis très satisfait. Quel est ton objectif sur cette édition de la Route du Rhum ? Je souhaite déjà la terminer sans problèmes techniques majeurs car cette course peut-être très dure pour les bateaux, comme pour les hommes… Mon équipe et moi-même souhaitons faire un podium et… ne le dis à personne mais mon objectif personnel est de la gagner dans ma classe. Pourquoi tu continues à choisir North Sails depuis 12 ans ? Dans n’importe quelle course à la voile pour descendre l’Atlantique quand tu ne sais pas quelle route choisir, tu fais de l’ouest. Quand tu ne sais pas quelle voile acheter tu achètes North Sails : tu es sûr que tu ne seras pas déçu ! READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: MIKE WOLFS Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing? What boats/classes do you sail? I've been sailing for 42 years now. I sail mostly in one design classes like the Star, Melges 20, Melges 24, and Etchells. I have also done blue water sailing, the Transatlantic races and Caribbean races as well as deliveries. What got you into the marine industry? I enjoy the sailing and learning new things about the sails. Also the experience of traveling to all parts of the world. How long have you been working in the industry? I have been working in the industry for 28 years. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? I enjoy harnessing the power of the wind and waves while in competition against others. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS SEMPRE IN PRIMA LINEA NELL’ AMERICA’S CUP Tre team su quattro annunciano la partnership con la veleria numero uno al mondo 📸 Luna Rossa Challenge North Sails è ancora una volta in prima linea nell’ America’s Cup, come conferma l’annuncio da parte del Defender Emirates Team New Zealand e dei Challenger Luna Rossa e INEOS TEAM UK di avere scelto la veleria numero uno al mondo come fornitore ufficiale per la prossima edizione dell’evento. Forte di oltre 35 anni di esperienza ed innovazione nella storica competizione, North Sails è orgogliosa di portare avanti questa tradizione e quindi di progettare, realizzare e consegnare prodotti "top" sul mercato, affinché la maggioranza dei team disponga della miglior attrezzatura possibile per gareggiare ai massimi livelli in questo sport. North Sails è nella condizione – unica – di poter fornire l’ "Engine above Deck" ideale per i nuovi monoscafi con foil , gli America’s Cup 75. Esperti della North Sails sono coinvolti nel nuovo ciclo dell’evento sin dall’inizio, e Burns Fallow e Michael Richelsen hanno contribuito a sviluppare la nuova e rivoluzionaria “soft wing” prendendo parte alla compilazione delle Regole di Classe. Persone chiave della North Sails sono state "arruolate" da tre team di America’s Cup (su quattro presenti) e saranno quindi in prima linea per risolvere tutte le complesse problematiche legate all "Everest della vela". D’altronde l’esperienza e la conoscenza che portano in dote è impareggiabile, dato che utilizzano software e tecniche di design di proprietà esclusiva di North Sails per affrontare qualsiasi sfida e consentire, a queste imbarcazioni mai viste prima, di stabilire nuovi standard in termini di velocità e prestazioni. Ken Read, Presidente North Sails, ha commentato: "Siamo orgogliosi e onorati che ancora una volta i nostri uomini e i nostri prodotti siano considerati il meglio del meglio. Il nostro è un Gruppo di enorme talento con persone in gamba e leader mondiali nel loro settore. L’America’s Cup è un evento che da secoli mette alla prova le menti più brillanti e che ci sprona a guardare le cose da prospettive diverse; la prossima edizione non sarà diversa e siamo entusiasti all’idea che North Sails sarà ancora una volta all’avanguardia come lo è stata nello sviluppo dei prodotti 3Di negli ultimi dieci anni, di cui poi ha beneficiato l’intera filiera velica, dalle imbarcazioni offshore a quelle da crociera." "Siamo entusiasti e non vediamo l’ora di navigare e di sviluppare il nuovo AC75 e l’aero package che la Classe userà per volare sull’acqua. L’aero package unisce molti elementi che facevano parte dell’ala rigida del passato ad altri legati alla nuova tecnologia "soft wing". Avendo a disposizione uno strumento come il software MembraneTM e la possibilità di lavorare a stretto contatto con velai esperti e professionisti del “rig”, otterremo molte informazioni e impareremo una gran quantità di cose ancora prima di testare queste barche direttamente in mare il prossimo anno. Ci aspetta un periodo molto eccitante!" "Il concetto della nuova randa "soft wing" utilizzato nella 36a America’s Cup è un incredibile passo avanti dal punto di vista tecnologico per tutta l’industria velica; era quindi fondamentale fare squadra con una veleria in grado di dare forma a un prodotto così rivoluzionario e non potevamo che scegliere North Sails come partner. Adesso non vediamo l’ora di spingere insieme a loro i nostri limiti mentre la nostra sfida va avanti verso Auckland 2021." "L’America’s Cup è da sempre la regata velica più all’avanguardia del mondo dal punto di vista tecnologico; per mettere in piedi una sfida vincente è quindi fondamentale lavorare con le aziende più innovative e futuristiche del settore. North Sails è in cima alla nostra lista dei preferiti sin dall’inizio della campagna e siamo felici di averla a bordo nella sfida britannica." "North Sails è semplicemente la migliore azienda con cui lavorare per portare avanti il nostro progetto in America’s Cup. Il livello di preparazione e di esperienza degli uomini North Sails è impareggiabile e la qualità dei loro software e dei loro strumenti non ha rivali. Inoltre, la tecnologia che ha sviluppato per la produzione delle vele è unica al mondo." "I mezzi e gli strumenti di cui si serve North Sails sono fondamentali per aiutarci a sviluppare il miglior aero package possibile per l’AC75 e per permetterci di giudicare e scegliere le diverse opzioni da accoppiare alle membrane per supportare i carichi degli AC75 quando questi navigheranno a oltre 40 nodi." READ MORE

NORTH SAILS PLUS PRÉSENT QUE JAMAIS SUR L’AMERICA’S CUP Trois des quatre équipes s’engagent à travailler avec la voilerie leader mondial 📸 Luna Rossa Challenge North Sails se distingue une fois encore par sa présence dans l’America’s Cup. Le Defender Emirates Team New Zealand et les Challengers Luna Rossa et INEOS TEAM UK ont confirmé avoir choisi le premier fabricant mondial de voiles comme fournisseur pour l’épreuve à venir. Avec plus de 35 ans d’expérience et d’innovation dans cette compétition historique, North Sails est fier de continuer à concevoir et à fournir les meilleurs produits du marché pour équiper la grande majorité des teams et les voir réussir au sommet de ce sport. Les voiles North Sails sont particulièrement bien placées pour offrir ce qu’il y a de mieux aux nouveaux monocoques à foils de l’America’s Cup. Plusieurs spécialistes de North Sails sont impliqués dans l’événement depuis que la Coupe a pris le tournant des foils, notamment Burns Fallow et Michael Richelsen qui ont aidé à développer la nouvelle aile souple révolutionnaire et ont participé à la rédaction des règles de classe. Des membres clés de North Sails font désormais partie de trois des quatre équipes de l’America’s Cup et participeront à la résolution des problématiques complexes posées par l’épreuve reine. L’expérience et les informations qu’ils apportent sont sans égal notamment grâce aux logiciels et processus de conception North exclusifs leur permettant une fois encore de relever de nouveaux défis et faire en sorte que ces bateaux uniques au monde franchissent un cap en termes de performances. Ken Read, Président de North Sails: “Nous sommes fiers de voir que nos produits et nos membres ont à nouveau été choisis parmi les meilleurs. Nous avons au sein de notre entreprise des talents exceptionnels qui sont au sommet de leur art. L’America’s Cup est une épreuve qui continue de challenger les plus grands esprits et nous obligent à regarder les choses sous un angle nouveau. La prochaine édition ne dérogera pas à la règle et nous sommes très heureux de savoir que North Sails sera à la pointe. Et comme l’a prouvé le développement des produits 3Di ces dix dernières années, c’est tout le milieu de la voile, de la course à la croisière, qui en récoltera les fruits.” “Nous sommes très heureux et impatients de développer le nouvel AC 75 et le pack aéro que la classe utilisera pour propulser les bateaux au-dessus de l’eau. Ce pack aéro réunira plusieurs caractéristiques des anciennes ailes rigides, mais avec la nouvelle technologie des ailes souples. Avoir à notre disposition un outil comme Membrain© et pouvoir travailler avec des designers spécialisés dans les voiles et le gréement nous donne un large panel de connaissances bien avant de naviguer et de régler les voiles pour la première fois l’année prochaine. Cela s’annonce passionnant!” “Le nouveau concept de grand-voile aile-souple qui sera utilisé pour la 36e America’s Cup est une avancée technologique très intéressante pour l’industrie nautique. Nous associer avec un fabriquant de voiles capable de suivre ces avancées révolutionnaires était essentiel, et pour nous il n’y avait que North Sails. Nous avons hâte de repousser les limites avec eux quand notre défi ira à Auckland en 2021” “L’America’s Cup est l’épreuve de voile la plus avancée au monde techniquement. Pour monter un défi qui a des chances de gagner, nous devons travailler avec les entreprises les plus innovantes. Depuis le début de notre campagne, nous pensions à North Sails pour les voiles et nous sommes très heureux de les embarquer dans ce défi britannique.” “North Sails est la meilleure entreprise avec laquelle nous puissions travailler pour ce nouveau projet d’America’s Cup. Ils emploient des salariés qualifiés et très expérimentés et ils ont des logiciels et des outils inégalables. La technologie qu’ils ont développée pour la production des voiles est exceptionnelle.” “Les outils North Sails sont indispensables pour concevoir le meilleur pack aéro possible pour l’AC75. Ils nous aideront à évaluer et à classer les différentes options pour ensuite choisir les meilleures membranes capables de supporter les charges auxquelles seront soumis les AC75 lorsqu’ils seront lancés à plus de 40 nœuds.” READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: DOUG FOLSETTER Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what classes do you compete in? I currently own and race a Viper 830 - a 27’ sportboat. I started sailing at the age of 6 when my father, who had no sailing experience whatsoever, purchased a brand new, bright orange (!) Contessa 26. So, 44 years and counting. What boats/classes do you sail? I grew up racing dinghy classes such as Laser, International 14 and Snipe and progressed to one-design keelboats such as the Melges 24 and Star. Over the years I’ve raced a variety of one-design, IOR, MORC, IRC and PHRF boats of all sizes and types. What got you into the marine industry? I was exposed to business by my father who dabbled in the marine business as a foul weather gear distributor and later as a yacht broker. I enjoy representing a product that provides joy and happiness! What’s your favourite thing about sailing? It’s such a varied sport that cam be enjoyed for a lifetime on so many different levels. From high performance sport boats, to long distance racing on larger boats to peaceful evening sails with the family… There is really something for everyone. READ MORE

North Sails Sieg am Vierwaldstätter See Cup 2018 !! Die esse850 'Steel Two' von Philipp Weber gewinnt mit seiner Crew um Oliver Ryhner und Heinz Theiler den VC-CUP 2018 mit 18 Punkten Vorsprung vor dem Team Black Nessi und 79 Punkten Vorsprung vor der Longtze von Thomas Hasler. Bei 5 Langstrecken Regatten mit immer sehr fairen Wetterbedingungen konnten 2018 tolle Regatten gesegelt werden. Neu war die „Windweek Challenge“, welche mit Start in Brunnen als Nachtregatta ausgetragen wurde. Der Eigner Philipp Weber sendet einen grossen Dank an alle, welche das Team als Sponsoren unterstützen und an das VC-Cup-Team für die professionelle Organisation. North Sails Schweiz gratuliert herzlich zu diesem super Resultat und freut sich, auch in Zukunft für das Team da zu sein. Rangliste READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: MIRO BALCAR Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what classes are you involved in? I have been sailing on Champlain lake and doing offshore passages for 30 years. Currently, I am racing and cruising my X-yacht 46. I enjoy spending time with customers on the water and overnight racing. What got you into the marine industry? I got to marine industry from being a life long customer of North Sails with this year marking my 12th year being in the industry and with the company! What’s your favourite thing about sailing? My favourite part about sailing is that sailing as a lifestyle allows me to be around people with similar passion. It also keeps me on a never ending learning curve and of young spirit. READ MORE

3Di RAW - SEBESSÉG KOMPROMISSZUM NÉLKÜL Nyers Teljesítmény, Legnagyobb Sebesség 3Di RAW a legkönnyebb, leggyorsabb verzió a 3D formázott kompozit termékeink közül. RAW a versenyvitorlák evolúciójának legfejlettebb változata, magába foglalva az összes paramétert a legmagasabb teljesítményhez. Páratlan formastabilitásának köszönhetően a 3Di RAW dominálja a Grand Prix versenyeket világszerte és már a versenyzés minden szintjén találkozhatunk vele hajómérettől függetlenül. Bármely más vitorlához viszonyítva, a RAW vitorláknál a legmagasabb teherviselő szál/súly arány és a legkisebb súly. 3Di RAW ideális választás: • legfejlettebb vitorlákat szeretné • nyertes teljesítményt vár vitorláitól • osztályban vagy előnyszámításos rendszerben versenyez VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS RAW 360 : Polyester / Aramid RAW 760 : Ultra PE / Aramid RAW 780 : Ultra PE / Carbon / Aramid RAW 870 : Carbon / Ultra PE / Aramid one design / tavi versenyzés / Grand Prix versenyzés / nagyteljesítményű többtestű ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorla / átmenőlatnis nagyvitorla / betekerős és nem betekerős orrvitorlák / CODE vitorlák 3Di RAW ELŐNYEI • 3D formázott kompozit struktúra • legkönnyebb 3Di verzió • legnagyobb teljesítményű vitorlák READ MORE

NORTH SAILS & EVERGREEN The Story of Don Green and Lowell North in The 1978 Canada's Cup Photo courtesy of Sharon Green from Evergreen Around the Great Lakes, Evergreen is a well-known name that reflects an exciting time in Canadian sailing history. Skippered by Don Green from Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, Evergreen went from being the underdogs in the 1978 Canada’s Cup to winners on September 25th, 1978. North Sails involvement with Evergreen and the Canada’s Cup begun at the beginning of the campaign. Green recalls how Lowell was actively involved, always around during training sessions and out on the water looking at the sails. Lowell North was always fascinated with the shape of sails and technology used to gain the best design and shape. One could say the ‘Science of Sails’ really began with the Evergreen project. Green points out, “Lowell was always taking pictures, looking at the shape and seeing how things could be modified.” This method of photographing sails followed by analysis, carried over deep in North Sails following the 1987 Canada’s Cup and is still used today in the company. In addition to Lowell’s photographing of sails, our history with the Evergreen projects always includes the infamous “green garbage bag” sail. This famous “green garbage bag”, as Green recalls, “was just massive and was heavy when wet”. For North Sails, this was a significant moment as it was a mylar laminate sail – the first to be flown at the time. Our sail material technology and design process has developed from this, leading to our 3Di Technology, and Lowell's desire to combine the scientific method with photographs. Green comments how "Lowell was always analyzing the photo's he'd taken and comparing them with science". For Don and the Evergreen crew, their contributed to Canadian sailing through both the 1978 Canada’s Cup and 1979 Admiral’s Cup is immense and should not be overlooked. At the time, the mayor of Toronto came out to celebrate the crew in the motorcade parade in the city – something that would not be seen in today’s post-race festivities. This past August, Don Green was inducted, by Steve Killing, into the Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame. A well-deserved moment for Don and all that he has done for the Canadian sailing community. Don is still an active sailor today when he has the time. He frequently sails with life-long friend and Executive Director of the True North syndicate in the 1980’s, John Bobyk, at Mimico Cruising Club. Don Green and John Bobyk , 2017 Don Green and John Bobyk , July 2018 READ MORE

From Dinghy Sailing to Sailmaking From Junior Sailing Onwards, For Kyann The World is Her Oyster If you’d asked me in university what I wanted to do when I grow up, I would have probably told you I either wanted to go sailing, or be a sail maker. Fast forward a few years, I’ve raced on three continents, clocked over 4,000nm since graduating, and I’m now working at North Sails as an apprentice sailmaker. While that may sound like a dream come true, it wasn’t always. I had my first sailing experience when I was 12 years old when my mom and aunt signed me up for my whitesail one, non-negotiable. The program took two precious weeks of my summer vacation, and I dragged my feet getting ready that first day. Shoved into an Opti that I was already too big for, I awkwardly sailed around the harbour trying not to crash into the big boats docked in the area. As the weeks progressed I not only began to understand the opti, but saw the older camp kids sailing 420s and lasers, and my interest peaked. By the end of the program, I had finished not only my whitesail I and II, but signed up for another two weeks at the end of the summer. Fast forward a couple years, and I was introduced to keelboat racing by my aunt. Sailing on a C&C 27 in a level fleet against 5 or 6 other boats twice a week, I loved learning the boat and trying to coax that tiny bit of extra speed out of it. Over the next six years I learned every position on the boat, eventually falling in love with the foredeck and never really making my way back aft of the mast. I was having a blast until my final years of university hit, and I took a two season hiatus from sailing. After a while, I’d forgotten how much I loved the sport and being on the water. That all changed last summer when I got back on the water. Graced with 15-extra feet of boat, I learned a new foredeck and was itching to keep sailing after the season was over. Now that I was back out there, I couldn’t stop at just a few months. I was introduced to a team sailing down to Antigua from Toronto, and with them I had my first overnight, navigation and ocean experiences. I signed up for two long distance races, but unfortunately it wouldn't work out this time for the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta and the Caribbean 600 out of Antigua, due to rigging failures. Thankfully, I finished my off-season with a go at Antigua Sailing Week. Although none of my events turned out as I’d hoped, I’d never experienced anything like these regattas in my life, and came home determined to jump right back into sailing here up North. Shortly after arriving back in Toronto, I landed a summer internship at North Sails. Every day I was immersed in a world of sails. Repairs, design, and sailing techniques were talked about all day at the office, and I was racing 3-4 nights a week. As the summer came to a close, one thing became clear - this wasn’t just a summer internship, it was just the beginning. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: GEORGE JACKSON Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert What is your sailing background? My first recollection of being on a sailboat when I was about 4 years old. My dad and a friend had a 24’ yawl. I was terrified of it tipping, and on one occasion I set off the fire extinguisher down below. I don’t have any more memories of that boat. I started to race in earnest in 1978 on a wooden 5.5 metre out of Port Dover, ON. I’m currently in a partnership owning an Olson 30. I also share a Hobie 17 and a classic DN iceboat. What boats/classes do you sail? Over the years I don’t think there’s ever been a sailboat I didn’t like. I’ve been blessed to have sailed and raced on all kinds of boats from lasers to lightnings to maxis to Open 60s to eight metres to viper 640s. Most recently, I’ve been crewing a Viper 640, a classic 8m and C&C 115. What got you into the marine industry? I’m returning to my career roots. When I graduated from Queen’s, I went to work at Rideau Marina in Kingston. At the time they were dealers for C&C Yachts. In the role of broker, I sold sails including North Sails. What goes around, comes around. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? That’s a tough question. I’ve had the opportunity to sail with some great sailors on great boats in some fantastic locations, so there’s a lot to like about sailing. But the favourite thing I like about sailing, and racing, in particular, is the teamwork that is needed to sail successfully. It’s indeed a team sport -- so the camaraderie, competition and challenge to perform well in a wide variety of conditions. READ MORE

Customer Spotlight: Endeavour It's More Than Just Sails Bill Bevan from Mimico Cruising Club, co-owner of J/105 Endeavour, shares with us the thinking behind switching to North Sails and why. Plus where he hopes to see the local J/105 fleet in a few years. What factors contributed to your decision to upgrade to North Sails? We had a previous sailmaker, the last two boats that I've had, the CC34 and then the J/105 since 2006, because I had a relationship with the individuals there. I was still learning the 105 so the sails were the least of my worries. That said, I got to the point where we got a lot of things under control so it was time to focus and remove some of the variables to find out what was really going on. North really supports the fleet well, so that was one of the factors also, the support that you guys have given the J/105 fleet for years. I think the other side of it was who's looking after us, we should look after them. That doesn't mean you're gonna go out and buy some kind of crappy technology just because they've been good to you. It's great technology, so then I go to the sails themselves. I looked at what I had versus what others had and without buying one I kinda went, "You know what, this is sail shape." That sail looked a lot flatter, a lot thinner since the mold, it's shaped differently. So quite honestly, I went on Bjug's boat that had one and said, "I wanna go, I just wanna see what it looks like" - and it was just like night and day. I'm no expert but I kind of looked and said, "Okay, I like that a lot better." I can see why some of these guys had better sail shape. Seeing others use them, actually trying that sail, whether it was that demo sail or going out with somebody else, I think that's an important factor, actually trying the sail. Any other aspects that lead to your decision? The other important factor was the whole service side of it; repair, delivery and the organization. First of all, I just had a greater confidence that North Sails Toronto was a business I wanted to be tied to for the long term. I like the knowledgeable people, the connection the organization had to their global organization and the strength of that, versus say some other smaller lofts. The experiences I had heard from others from a service standpoint, not experiencing them myself, were positive. Bottom line though, for me personally, name and the confidence to move from another vendor was really around delivery of new sales. All our sails, 3Di Raw Medium AP Jib, 3DL Light Jib, MI-4 Jib and CM-1 Mainsail were delivered on time! Have you always done One Design or is it more in recent years that you've done it with your co-owner Paul? I've sailed One Design my whole life practically. I had a C&C34 for many years, prior to that I raced One Design in the Kirby 25 fleet. I don't know if I could sail anything other than One Design. There's kind of a nice comfort to it in terms of it's almost a level playing field with everyone. It ends up being me, Paul, and the rest of the people that are on the boat. That's one of the reason too why you look at who's supporting the fleet and what are the preferred sails in a fleet, you have to get rid of that variable. Did you grow up sailing or did you get into it later? My parents sailed and raced, I can pretty well remember when I was very young my parents bought my brother and I a boat at the cottage and said, "Okay, go play." We would take off and just be on the water on two boats all summer. What would you say is your hope for the J/105 class locally to develop? I think the 105 class is probably the strongest One Design fleet on Lake Ontario. We've got, what? 18 or 20 boats registered in fleet four, so that's a very, very strong fleet. Our goal as a fleet is obvious: we've gotta continue to either A, grow or at B, at least not let it decline. I think what has to happen is, it has to stay affordable, we have to bring in youth, we have to bring in more women into the fleet and continue to have a good schedule. I think it was pretty exciting that there was, of the 18 boats that were at the recent Canadians, we had something like 10 women on board in various crew positions across the fleet. I think the other thing North has done is they've taken a pretty active role in teaching the fleet how to make what they sell and how to make what they sell on the J105 work and work effectively. Geoff can relate and say, "On a J105 you should do this and this particularly because it'll do this and this to that sail in this condition." We've had a couple people from North talk at our spring lectures, so again, it's that real connection to the fleet. You guys can relate to it to a J105, not just it's a 3Di sail and it should do this. Rather, it's a 3Di sail on a J105 and this is what it does. You guys have got it, not only for us in the 105, but other people at Mimico who deal with you guys, they get it. They understand the area, so that's pretty important from a technical standpoint. It's not good if the only guy that can do it is in San Francisco because a, you never see him or her and b, he or she doesn't know our conditions really. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS FRANCE PARÉ POUR LE RHUM La voilerie vannetaise, filiale du numéro 1 mondial, sera solidement représentée sur la ligne de départ de la mythique transat en solitaire. 📸 MACIF / Vincent Curutchet À Vannes, sur le plancher de North Sails France, l’ambiance fébrile de préparation des grandes épreuves a fait place au calme habituel des veilles de course. À quelques jours du départ de la Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, la voilerie dirigée par Greg Evrard souffle un peu. "Même si notre activité est diversifiée, les années de Route du Rhum sont toujours particulières pour nous", explique le Directeur de North Sails France. Avant de dévoiler quelques chiffres évocateurs : "le Rhum représente, pour la seule année 2018, 130 voiles et quelque 6 000 heures de travail. Soit environ 2,75 millions d’euros de chiffre d’affaires". Avec 123 marins au départ de la légendaire transatlantique qui fête ses 40 ans cette année, c’est près d’un millier de voiles que l’on peut compter sur les bateaux des six catégories présentes à Saint-Malo. Et ils sont nombreux à avoir choisi North Sails. "Pour faire simple, notre part de marché croît avec la taille des bateaux," résume Greg Evrard qui précise : "nous fournissons 15 % des voiles équipant les voiliers de la classe Rhum mono et multi, 35% pour les Class40, 40 % en Multi50, 60 % en Imoca et 85 % en Ultime". Chez ces derniers, cinq des six bateaux sont entièrement équipés de voiles issues du plancher de North Sails France. En Imoca, c’est quasiment la moitié de la flotte qui possède une garde-robe 100 % North Sails – dont Charal, dernier-né, – et sur les deux tiers des bateaux, au moins une voile North Sails sera embarquée à bord. On note aussi l’arrivée de nouveaux clients. "Par exemple, Arnaud Boissières (La Mie Câline-Artipôle) revient travailler avec nous et c’est une vraie récompense" explique Greg Evrard. La diversité des projets est un élément important pour nous, et nous souhaitons pouvoir nous adapter à tous les profils. En Class40, la voilerie gagne des parts de marché ; chez les Multi50, la reconnaissance est réelle mais le renouvellement des voiles est plus progressif. Pour parvenir à ces résultats, North Sails France s’appuie sur une organisation fiable et efficace, orientée vers le client pour gérer toutes les demandes. "Certains projets sont hyper structurés, exigeants et s’inscrivent dans la durée alors que d’autres sont plus dans le court terme avec des budgets restreints et passent parfois commande à peine un mois avant le départ", raconte Greg Evrard. Notre équipe expérimentée dispose de ressources et compétences nécessaires pour répondre à cette diversité de problématiques. La clé réside dans le travail en équipe entre design, technico-commercial, production et service". La réactivité est essentielle, écouter, comprendre et agir dans un délai le plus réduit possible lorsque c’est nécessaire, l’objectif étant de mener à bien et sereinement chaque projet pour ceux qui nous font confiance. Chez North Sails France, il n’y a pas de stars : de Yann REGNIAU à Quentin PONROY en passant par Gautier SERGENT, Yann ANDRILLON, Hugues DESTREMAU, Alan PENNANEAC’H, Julien PILATE, et d’autres, le cumul d’expériences nautiques, de palmarès, d’accompagnement de projets et d’expertises techniques est unique. C’est un panel sans équivalent permettant une réponse adaptée et de qualité à une grande diversité de demandes et une réelle créativité. "Le genre de savoir-faire qui fait la différence, car cette 11e édition du Rhum s’annonce définitivement comme celle de l’ère des foils." C’est la première course où le doute est levé : les foilers vont plus vite, tranche Gautier Sergent, le responsable R & D de North Sails France. La nécessité d’une refonte de nos voiles en Imoca et en Ultime s’est imposée, car avec les foils, tout change : la vitesse, l’angle de vent apparent, le couple de rappel, la géométrie, les plans de pont… En Ultime, les charges mises en jeu lorsque le bateau est lancé sont conséquentes et rendent le réglage des voiles difficiles. Les skippers sont obligés d'anticiper et d’effectuer des réglages tolérants. Depuis que le réglage du rake est autorisé en Imoca, on voit apparaître de foils de grande envergure et très porteurs, ce qui change les modes de navigation où l’on privilégie la vitesse au cap. "Avec le 3Di™, North Sails dispose d’une technologie qui correspond parfaitement aux nouvelles contraintes imposées par ces machines hors-normes." En termes de ratio poids/stabilité de forme, c’est ce qui se fait de mieux, assure Gautier Sergent – et le poids comme la stabilité sont des paramètres critiques dans le décollage des foilers. "Pour ces nouveaux bateaux, le 3Di™ marie les avantages : Il est solide, ce qui est primordial pour des marins en solitaire dans les manœuvres ; il ne se déforme pas sous charge, ce qui permet à la voile de convertir la puissance en vitesse en s’appuyant sur les foils. C’est un composite, donc il se prête bien aux modifications et se révèle un atout important en phase de développement", énumère Gautier Sergent, qui a déjà la tête à la saison prochaine et aux nouveaux développements à mener après la Route du Rhum… A propos du 3Di™ Les voiles 3Di™ sont composées de bandes filamentaires unidirectionnelles ultra-fines, pré-imprégnées d’un adhésif thermodurcissant. Elles sont disposées de manière multidirectionnelle et moulées en trois dimensions pour constituer une membrane composite flexible. Cette technologie brevetée permet de fabriquer des voiles avec uniquement des fibres et des adhésifs, sans film en Mylar. Le système de pose de bandes automatique exclusif de North Sails permet de contrôler avec précision le placement et l’orientation du matériau. Cette construction monobloc donne naissance à une aile portante qui résiste de façon homogène à la déformation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bmbYgGePnU READ MORE

SAIL WASHING 101 Everything You Need to Know About Sail Washing by Our Team of Certified Service Professionals We often get the question: ‘how do I clean my sails’ and ‘how do I make my sails look like new again’. Our answer, without fail, is to have your sails washed. The benefits to sail washing are exponential and bring new life into your sails after years on the water. The three main benefits to sail washing are: Brightness Cleaner Sail Life Extension Sails always come out of sail washing brighter, looking like a new sail due to the solution used. The sail itself is cleaner as the dirt is removed during the soaking process. As a result, the life of your sail is extended because you're getting rid of any mold or mildew therefore it does not rot the sail. The process itself is pretty simple and takes about a week to complete from start to finish. When sails come in we soak them in a highly concentrated formula overnight and then spray them down to remove any final bits of dirt. Once this is complete we hang the sails to dry for 2-3 days before completing our 10 point inspection. In addition to sails, we also have the ability to wash canvas! Anything from dodgers to biminis to wheel covers - we do it all. Pricing is based on the square footage of your sail, which we measure the luff and foot to calculate. Included with every sail washing is FREE winter storage in our climate controlled facility. Let's Recap! What does it remove? Bugs Dirt Salt Everything except oil stains Mold & mildew Can you wash 3Di? Yes. Like anything that is in contact with salt water, 3Di sails can be rinsed with fresh water and dried before storing. What material can be washed? Dacron Canvas How does pricing work? Square footage of the sail Luff x foot Explore more services offered by your local Certified Service team! READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: ROSS BAILEY Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what boats do you race now? I sail a Lightning, and I’m pretty sure Thunder Bay has the best dinghy one design racing in Canada. I’ve sailed since I was a kid but really started crewing when I was 13. When my Dad sold his boat, part of the deal was I would crew for the new owner. After several years crewing, I built a Lightning, raced it, and have since bought many more Lightnings and other dinghies, including Lasers and Laser 2’s. I would sail whatever was competitive within driving distance, or beyond. Although I’ve sailed a fair number of keelboats, I’m pretty much a dinghy sailor, and have sailed in Lightnings, Albacores, Lasers, Laser 2’s, 505’s. Whatever fleet was strong in the area. And of course DN’s in the winter. What got you into the marine industry? Sailing is a pretty neat sport, although sometimes it strikes me a person needs a certain bent to enjoy it. It is fun to spread the word and foster this all encompassing lifestyle. How long have you been working in the industry? I actually owned a sailing store for 11 years starting in 1981. We sold everything from split rings to C&C yachts as well as repairing scratches on up to Awlgripping large yachts. As big box store hours became necessary, we took an opportunity to sell the business. Since then sailing has been just for fun, and still is. What’s your favourite thing about sailing? Letting the boat sail to its potential while correctly anticipating what the wind will do next is hard to beat. If you can do this a little better than the guy beside you, that’s nice too. READ MORE

Keith "KC" Church Joins North Sails Chicago Strengthening the Midwest with Experience and Enthusiasm (Chicago, IL) October 23rd, 2018. North Sails is pleased to announce that Keith "KC" Church has joined the Chicago team and will work alongside Perry Lewis and Allan Terhune. KC has over 40 years of industry, and on-the-water experience to bring to his new role; most recently, he established the Quantum Sails Chicago loft. "Having sold against KC for the last several years," said Perry Lewis, North Sails Chicago Loft Manager, "I am obviously pleased to have him 'on our side.' He is universally well-liked, and it is a real treat to have new enthusiasm in our office. I am confident North Sails customers will benefit from Keith's expertise." Commenting on his new role, KC said, "What excites me the most about working with Perry Lewis and the incomparable North Sails team in Chicago is seeing customers enjoy greater success with their boats every day. Whether they're preparing for a life-changing experience offshore, or moving up in position within their racing fleet, I'm looking forward to being able to offer my customers more opportunity and help them enjoy their time on the water." KC has been an avid sailor since childhood and is a veteran of the Chicago-Mackinac Race on a variety of boats, ranging in size from a J/29 to GL70. He still cruises and races on the East Coast and Great Lakes. KC can be contacted at Keith.Church@northsails.com or by contacting North Sails Chicago. READ MORE

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT RACING Classic Yacht Flying Fish fits out with North Sails to compliment their refit Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of supplying some new sails to Flying Fish in West Cork, Ireland. Flying Fish has undergone a major refit in the very capable hands of Rui Ferreira at West Cork Boat. The boat owner was keen to retain the Classic look in his sails, as well as having a boat that sails fast.That was why he chose North Sails from our Classic division. Short video from the Flying Fish sail trials Classic yachts are a window to the past. Classic yacht sails add to the traditional look and beauty of a bygone era, which appeals to any sailor. Classic yacht owners and crew are caretakers of each yacht’s unique history, and coupled with their respect for tradition is a competitive spirit that is seen in classic yacht racing around the world. Discerning owners vie for honors in both performance and elegance. North Sails celebrates these classic yachts with a dedicated range of products and a team of experts. Our Classic experts combine elegance and innovation with their modern approach to traditional sails.Because Classic sails are limited by their use of materials, improvement comes through better sail shape and construction. Intricate rigs and rigging make Classic sails more complex to build. In order to better understand how a sail will fit the rig geometry, our specialized Classic sail designers use the North Design Suite to create 3D models of an entire yacht, producing improved performance, while respecting the Classic aesthetic. Each Classic yacht has its own story. By combining modern design innovation with historical research, we are able to reproduce the unique look of each yacht. READ MORE

NEW TEAM MEMBERS North Sails are pleased to welcome Stephen 'Rowdy' McCullum and One-Design specialist Jeremy O'Connell. North Sails welcomes Jeremy O’Connell to our team, as a member of the Melbourne Loft’s Sales and Service Team working with Aaron Cole and Ian Johnson. Jeremy comes from a background in One-Design sailing, having spent the last 6 years as a member of the Australian Sailing Squad competing in the Laser. During this time he has worked with some of the world’s best laser sailors and coaches including Tom Burton and Michael Blackburn. Jeremy has competed in 5 Laser World Championships, and many other Sailing World Cup events around the world. Aside from Laser sailing, Jeremy has experience in Etchells, Farr 40’s, Melges 32, Sydney 38, and J111 classes. Jeremy says: “I’m excited and honoured to be working with the best sail making company in the world”. He will be at the Etchell Worlds in October, and following that will be racing at Sandringham, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, and Royal Victoria Yacht Club over the Summer. You can reach Jeremy at the loft in Melbourne or by email: jeremy.oconnell@northsails.com Saturday, 25 August 2018, was a significant day for prominent Hobart yachtsmen Stephen 'Rowdy' McCullum and Stewart Gray, and for worldwide sail makers, North Sails. McCullum has joined Gray as principals of 42ºSouth Marine which operates the Hobart loft of North Sales at Cambridge, (above Lewis Marine), combining their vast yachting, sail-making and business experience. In fact, when it comes to counting up sailing experience and expertise in the marine industry, in particular sail-making, it's hard to go past 'Rowdy' and Stewart. It's a combination that seems certain to benefit Tasmanian sailing, bringing the latest technology in making sails for types of boats, off-the-beach dinghies, one-design keelboats, ocean racers and cruising yachts. North Sails continue to be heavily involved in the America's Cup, the Volvo Race and international one-design yacht racing and are noted for ground-breaking design and sail construction technology, including the creation of 3Di™ moulded sails, claimed to be the world's fastest and most durable sails, for racing and cruising. Both 'Rowdy' and Stewart began their working lives as sail-making apprentices in Hobart and soon became involved in International racing campaigns that took them overseas for further design and sail-making projects, as well as expanding their sailing careers, mostly in maxis and America's Cup contenders. "As a sailmaker I later worked with Grant Simmer on America's Cup campaigns and with the late Graeme 'Frizzle' Freeman sailing on Windward Passage II," 'Rowdy' said on the eve of their commercial partnership coming into force yesterday, "The Windward Passage campaign took 'Frizzle' and myself to Europe and the USA to work with the Italian America's Cup challenge before returning to Tasmania to join Bob Clifford with the maxi ketch Tasmania which took line honours in the 50th Sydney Hobart," Rowdy added. McCullum, who is vice commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, has competed as a key crew member including watch captain and sailing master, in 22 Sydney Hobarts Stewart Gray returned to Hobart six years ago after being involved as a professional yachtsman and sailmaker in two America's Cup campaigns and three Volvo Ocean Races. He also won two World Championships in Maxis and TP52's. "And like Rowdy, I did my apprenticeship as a sailmaker, but with Ian Ross at Hood Sails in Sandy Bay," he said. Back in Tasmania, I've owned my own business, 42ºSouth Marine, for the past six years, setting up the loft as a North Sails agency where we supply racing or cruising sails for anything from Optimists to maxi yachts. However, a big part of our business is making sail covers, canvas's and powerboat clears," Gray added. "By joining forces and combining our sailing and sail-making expertise, we plan to develop the business in line with the expansion of the sport of yachting, both in cruising and racing keelboats and in dinghy classes in Tasmania," McCullum said. "We will be in a greater position to not only supply a quality product, but to give an even greater level of advice and customer services to all areas of the marine industry," said Gray, expressing great confidence in the new partnership. North Sails, through its Worldwide resources and expertise can provide yacht owners with everything from cross cut dacron sails built from our in-house milled dacrons, through to 3Di™ sails. "3Di™ is the only sail like it on the market, it is stronger, lighter and more resistant to environmental factors than laminate string sails and we couldn't be more excited to bring it to the local market", emphasised Gray and McCullum. Written by Peter Campbell READ MORE

COASTAL CLASSIC RACE - NORTH SAILS BRIEFING Top Tips from the North Sails Team for this Years Coastal Classic Race When it comes to the Coastal Classic, New Zealand’s most iconic race, the North Sails team have done it - and won it. With more than 100 Coastal Races between them, we asked the sales and loft team for their top tips on how to make the most out of the dash up the coast, no matter which division you’re in. Andrew Wills, Sales and Marketing Manager Keep up the communication in the build-up to the race. We talk on the phone among the key crew the week before the start, looking at how the weather’s shaping up and what our strategy might be, what course would be best and what sails we think we might use. On the day of the race, share your thoughts with the whole crew, so everyone knows the plan. Concentrate on getting the best possible start, it’s a 120 mile race, but the start is critical. Get out there early and get your transits sorted, then do a few runs through the line to work out where you want to start. This is especially critical for a downwind start because you need to work out which sail you are going to be able to carry and where that line is going to take you into that first gybe by North Head. If you’re in a smaller boat, position yourself to windward of the bigger boats around you so you don’t immediately get rolled. As you head up the coast, keep eyes out of the boat. Conditions are always changing and you need to know what’s going on around you. There’s nothing worse than sailing yourself into a hole. The crew on the rail can make a big contribution, keeping an eye out for wind and sea conditions and watching what other boats are up to. Matt Kelway, Sales Break the race into four parts and think about the expected weather, tides and sail changes and approach into the next segment for each. It’s a very dynamic coastline, so you need to be thinking ahead. Think about: Exiting Auckland - start line to Kawau Island Kawau Island to Sail Rock/Hen and Chickens. Make a decision early about going inside or outside the Hen and Chickens. Setting up your approach to Cape Brett. Do you want to come in close or from out wide? Cape Brett to the finish. Quite often there’s totally different breeze inside the Bay to what you had up the coast. Make sure you are pushing the boat 100 per cent of the time. This race is an awkward length - not a day race for most crews, but not long enough to go into a full watch system. Your speed team, the trimmers and drivers need to be on their A game the whole time. Be prepared for the evening. Before it gets dark, check your halyards and sheets are all clear, get any sails you might need ready, and have torches and headlamps handy. Ben Costello, Service Manager Have your positions on the boat clearly sorted before the start. For manoeuvres, have everyone in a set position so it’s clear who’s doing what. No one can drive or trim the whole way, so make sure you rotate your helm and trimmers at least every couple of hours. It’s too easy to steer for too long, so make sure you change before you lose concentration. Don’t swap everyone at once, let the new helmsperson get settled before changing the trimmers. Matt Steven, Sales Decide before the start on a default strategy based on weather and tides, like heading offshore, hedging the west or protecting a side of the course. If you need to make a decision while racing and you are unsure what to do, or if the team is divided, default to the strategy. Before changing drivers, have the new helm sit with the person who is steering for a while, talking through what’s been happening and what angles and speeds they have been sailing, so there is a smooth transition. Richard Bicknell, General Manager Make a plan before you get to Bream Bay and the Hen and Chickens, so you don’t end up in no man’s land, too high or too low. Think about wind speed and angles and decide whether to take the longer route outside - which might be faster, depending on conditions - or sail less distance inside. If you need a rest, take short breaks rather than long ones and keep your head in the race. Stay hydrated and remember to eat, it’s more than a sprint, so you don’t want to fade away. Guy Hewson, Production Manager Always be aware of what the next sail change might be. Have your sails stacked accordingly and have sheets ready to go. Make sure all your sails are in good condition and have been serviced before the race, so you have all your options ready to go if you need them. To everyone racing, good luck! READ MORE

Udviklingen af 3Di begyndte for ti år siden og er fortsat i et hurtigt og accelererende tempo siden da. 3Di er summen af flere af North Sails egne teknologier, hvilket gør det til den ideelle platform for at skabe nye typer sejl til en bred vifte af sejlere rundt om i verden. Fordelene ved 3Di med hidtil usete præstationer og lang levetid er nu i 2019 til rådighed for såvel mindre både til superyachter, tursejlere til jordomsejlere og de lokale kapsejlere til de professionelle. Rendyrket performance, når bådfarten tæller 3Di RAW er det kapsejladssejl på markedet med højeste ydeevne og letteste vægt, der sætter nye standarder for fart og formstabilitet. Både med 3Di RAW dominerer podierne over hele verden i de mest konkurrenceprægede sejladser og klasser. Til sæson 2019 har North Sails anvendt denne avancerede teknologi til en ny produktgruppe, målrettet de mindre både, der sejler kapsejlads på klubniveau. Produktgruppen kombinerer 3Di’ signifikante formstabilitet med det, at sejlet er nemt og trimme, og den lange levetid. Rundt om jorden eller kapsejlads på fjorden Den mest robuste 3Di sejl til rådighed, 3Di Endurance er konstrueret med ekstrem holdbarhed og formstabilitet for øje, der holder uanset om det er kapsejlads eller offshore sejlads. François Gabarts 3Di Endurance storsejl havde allerede sejlet 45.000 sømil, før han startede med det på sin succesrige Around The World Solo Record. Denne gruppe 3Di-produkter har et ydre med meget beskyttende filamenttape, der skaber en hård struktur, samtidig med at 3Di sejlet beholder sin enestående formstabilitet. En ny gruppe af tursejl til superyachts Ny produktgruppe i 2019 er Ocean. Tursejl, der giver høj styrke, reduceret vægt og højeste pålidelighed til superyachts. Alt det North Sails har lært i mere end tre årtier som den førende producent af superyacht-sejl er blevet kombineret med den nuværende topmoderne 3Di-teknologi. Turbåde over 60 fod kan nu drage fordel af North Sails unikke blanding af materialer og eksklusiv teknik i 3Di Ocean. Disse sejl er uden sidestykke, lettere, mere holdbare og og nemmere at håndtere end nogen laminatsejl. Dacron tursejlet - genopfundet via 3Di-teknologien I løbet af 2018 har 3Di NORDAC - et 100% polyester 3Di sejl - skabt en tursejler revolution. 3Di Nordac blev hædret med Pittman Innovation Award af SAIL Magazine, og over 2.500 3Di NORDAC sejl er blevet leveret til fremragende anmeldelser fra vores kunder. I 2019 er vores 3Di produktionskapacitet blevet øget for at imødekomme efterspørgslen efter dette innovative og ekstraordinære produkt, der er ideelt til mindre og mellemstore turbåde. Alle sejlere ønsker hurtigere sejl, der holder længere. 3Di NORDAC leverer. 3Di komposit-teknologi til hurtige codesejl De mange fordele ved 3Di strækker sig nu ud over krydssejl, og er nu tilgængelige for sejlere, der kigger efter det ypperste asymmetriske sejl. 3Di Downwind viste sin værdi under det seneste Volvo Ocean Race, hvor alle sejl til både kryds og læns, var 3Di (ikke mere brug for at have symaskiner om bord!). Kabelfri furling-sejl er nu muligt med vores unikke Helix Luff, hvor den direkte integrerede 3Di-struktur eliminerer behovet for et separat ineffektivt kabel. READ MORE

LOOK INSIDE A LOFT: DETROIT Service Manager Bill Lesnek At Home In A New Location North Sails Detroit’s service manager Bill Lesnek has been building and repairing sails (and kites) in the Detroit metro area since 1980. Recently we caught up with Bill to learn why he’s excited about the new loft, the magic of customer loyalty, and why a small loft is best when it has background support from North Sails. First though, he took us back to 1985, when he met Lowell North while helping the company founder recut a jib for the Mackinac Race. “Lowell had a number three that needed more material in the luff,” Bill explains. “We were doing a new sail, so we cut three feet off that jib and added it to the jib Lowell had—a pretty huge recut. He asked me if I sailed and I said well no, I spent most of my youth playing baseball and football.” At Kenwood Cup in Hawaii the next year, Bill ran into Lowell again. “He says, ‘Oh yeah you're Bill from Detroit, the baseball player.’ He remembered! He is quite a character and real fun to work with.” Bill has worked for other sailmakers since the 1980s, but he always came back to North Sails. “It's the best product on the market for new sails,” he says. “And the service work, it's just a higher level of standards compared to everybody else, you know? North people care a little more, and put a little more heart and soul into what they do.” That’s helped by coordination and communication between different North lofts to help solve problems and deal with backlog. When needed, Bill and his team have gone to other lofts to help out, and they know they can count on having that help when they need it in Detroit. Working collaboratively means sharing best practices, which raises everyone’s skill level. Over the years, Bill has developed a very loyal customer base. “I was born and raised to be honest and truthful with people. A lot of people remember me too, because I've been working on their sails forever. And they know I'm consistent in what I do.” Specialized Loft Space Bill is excited about starting fresh in a new loft space, which he and his team have purpose-built for sailmaking. “We get to do it our way, and we've got this organized really well. It's convenient for us; we're not wandering all over the place. It will make us more productive in the long run.” For sail dropoff and pickup, they built racks right by the door. “You won't have to search all over the building for them,” he says. On the loft floor, they set up a raised table big enough for three sewing machines. “And we have a lower floor where we can spread out sails for 70 footers; we've already got a couple of inventories dropped off already. It's all at machine height, which makes the sewing a lot smoother and nicer.” It also makes for better ergonomics, because workers can perform their jobs without getting beat up. After almost four decades on the floor, Bill says, “Your knees get a little tender. ” For what he calls the “really huge sails,” there’s a section of floor that can be removed. Each sewing machine has its own specialty. “We have a three step machine which is strictly for nylon work. That's a long arm machine, so we can do big sails. We also have two everyday machines for luff tapes and edges and patches, one in the canvas room and one on the main floor. And we have a heavy duty Adler that sews through all the thick layers and webbing.” Keeping those machines running in top notch condition is a high priority, which is why they have a designated maintenance person. “We dealt with over 2000 sails last year, and a busted machine would’ve been a nightmare.” Kite Cult Bill works on smaller items as well. “We have a separate room just for canvas work. Boom covers or genoa socks, we could build that. I also have a cult following of kiteboarders here in the southeast area. Anytime a kite rips, they search me down and get it fixed.” According to Bill, working in a small loft as part of the worldwide North Sails company is the perfect combination. In addition to the Blue Book, which sets standards for manufacturing, there are a lot of avenues to learn from other lofts about best repair practices. “I've been doing it the same way for so long that it's just a reflex,” Bill says, “It's good to learn new procedures and different avenues.” That’s especially important as sail manufacturing evolves, because it makes it easier to keep up with technological improvements. “3Di are beautiful sails and they're durable,” he points out. “We haven't run into too many repair situations with those yet. But I know in the future it'll be nice to say, ‘We have state of the art equipment and we'll repair it to the standards of the company.’ My customers trust what I do, so they'll feel confident getting the service done.” Short Season Detroit’s sailing season is compressed into four months, with July’s two races to Mackinac (Chicago and Port Huron) the summer highlight. Now that boats have started to come out of the water for the winter, the loft’s focus has turned to storage and repairs. “As long as they pay their invoice within the first month, they can have free sail storage for the winter. Customers don’t have to keep them in their basements and by spring time, they're ready to go.” Thanks to the new location, Bill’s team will also be able to wash sails in-house. “We have a section in the back of the building which will be perfect, a nice addition to our business.” After almost four decades, the loft’s seasonality is predictable for Bill. “You get the proactive groups that'll see you in October, and the spring rush guys who are knocking at the door in April. We pretty much know what to expect.” As service manager, he is grateful to have a really strong team in Mike Stark and Karl Kuspa. “Mike and I work really well together. He's got a lot of experience, and we're on the same page. We all get along like a little family over here. Which is the way it should be, you know?” READ MORE

De ontwikkeling van 3Di begon 10 jaar geleden en is sindsdien in een versneld tempo voortgezet. 3Di is de optelsom van meerdere exclusieve North Sails technologieën, waardoor dit het ideale platform is om nieuwe zeiltypes te creëren voor een brede doelgroep zeilers over de gehele wereld. Voor 2019 zijn de ongekende prestatie- en duurzaamheidsvoordelen van 3Di beschikbaar voor kleine boten tot superjachten, weekend cruisers tot wereldomzeilers, clubracers tot professionele zeilers, en alles wat hier tussen zit. Het Dacron Toerzeil Is Opnieuw Uitgevonden In 2018 heeft 3Di NORDAC – een 100% Polyester 3Di zeil – een revolutie veroorzaakt in toerzeilen. 3Di NORDAC heeft de Pittman Innovation Award, uitgereikt door Sail Magazine, gewonnen en tot op heden zijn meer dan 2.500 3Di NORDAC zeilen geleverd aan onze zeer tevreden klanten. Voor 2019 is onze productiecapaciteit uitgebreid om aan de vraag voor dit innovatieve en exceptionele product voor kleine en middelgrote toerschepen te voldoen. Alle zeilers willen snellere zeilen die langer mee gaan. 3Di NORDAC levert precies dat. . Snelheid Zonder Compromis 3Di RAW is het lichtste en best presterende wedstrijdzeil dat verkrijgbaar is en een absolute benchmark voor snelheid en vormbehoud. Boten met 3Di RAW zeilen domineren wereldwijd podia in de meest competitieve evenementen en klasses. Voor 2019 heeft North Sails deze geavanceerde technologie toegepast in een nieuwe productgroep, waarin het excellente vormbehoud gecombineerd wordt met een makkelijk te trimmen, duurzaam wedstrijdzeil dat perfect is voor Club Race zeilers met kleinere tot middelgrote schepen. . Rond de Wereld of Rond de Boeien Het meest duurzame 3Di zeil. 3Di Endurance is ontwikkeld voor extreme duurzaamheid en vormvastheid voor wedstrijd zeilen of offshore cruisen. François Gabart’s 3Di Endurance grootzeil had reeds 45.000 mijl gevaren VOORDAT hij begon aan zijn succesvolle Around The World Solo Record. Deze productgroep 3Di zeilen bevatten een buiten laag van beschermende filament tapes, waarmee een robuuste structuur gecreëerd wordt zonder dat de exclusieve vormstabiliteit van 3Di aangetast wordt. Een Nieuwe Dimensie voor Superjacht Cruise Zeilen Ocean is een nieuwe productgroep voor 2019 en levert een zeer sterk, licht en extreem betrouwbaar zeil voor cruise superjachten. Alles wat North Sails geleerd heeft als producent van superjachtzeilen bij uitstek in de afgelopen drie decennia is gecombineerd met de meest recente 3Di technologie. Grote cruise jachten langer dan 60 voet kunnen nu gebruik maken van de gepatenteerde exclusieve technologie en mix van materialen van 3Di Ocean. Deze zeilen zijn lichter, sterker en makkelijker te hanteren dan alle vergelijkbare laminaat zeilen. 3Di Composiet Zeilen, Nu Ook Downwind De ongekende voordelen van 3Di gaan nu verder dan aan de windse zeilen en zijn nu ook beschikbaar voor zeilers die state of the art asymmetrische zeilen zoeken. 3Di Downwind heeft zichzelf bewezen tijdens de meest recente Volvo Ocean Race, waar alle zeilen, zowel aan de wind als voor de wind, gemaakt waren in een versie van 3Di(en dus geen naaimachines meer aan boord hoefden meegesleept te worden!). Kabel loos rollen is nu mogelijk met onze unieke Helix Luff, waar direct geïntegreerde 3Di structuur de noodzaak voor een externe, inefficiënte kabel wegneemt. . READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS Ante la perspectiva de una larga temporada sin navegar, debemos dedicar una especial atención a cómo almacenaremos nuestras velas para optimizar su vida útil y asegurarnos de que se encuentran en perfecto estado cuando volvamos a necesitarlas. Os proponemos unos útiles consejos básicos: Lo primero que debemos hacer es someterlas a una generosa sesión de agua dulce para retirar todo resto de salitre tanto del tejido como de herrajes y cabullería. Tan importante como endulzarlas es que sequen completamente antes de guardarlas, ya que la humedad es foco del temido hongo que puede amenazar su integridad. El mejor recipiente para almacenar la vela es su bolsa North Sails específica, y el mejor lugar para guardarla será aquel de baja humedad y que no esté expuesto a la luz directa del sol. Si no puedes o no tienes tiempo, llámanos y lo haremos por ti. En North Sails contamos con servicio de montaje, desmontaje, transporte y almacenaje. Y recuerda: el parón invernal es el mejor momento para someter las velas a un chequeo completo con el Servicio Certificado North Sails, ¡la mejor garantía para que estén en estado de revista la próxima vez que las necesites! READ MORE

VISÍTANOS EN EL SALÓN NÁUTICO DE BARCELONA Un año más, North Sails España participa en el Salón Náutico Internacional de Barcelona (10 a 14 de octubre), una de las citas imprescindibles del sector en España. Pásate por nuestro stand (C330, en el Moll de La Fusta) y descubre toda nuestra gama North Sails 3Di, incluyendo la revolucionaria 3Di NORDAC y nuestro último producto para regata, la 3Di RAW 360. ¡Nuestros expertos estarán encantados de recibirte! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS 3Di RAW: LA VELA DE CARRERAS Dentro de la gama North Sails 3Di, la versión RAW distingue a aquellas velas diseñadas bajo la premisa de obtener las máximas prestaciones, sin concesiones. Son el arma utilizada para cazar récords, ganar títulos y competir al máximo nivel, pero también forman parte del dosier de productos North Sails que podemos incorporar a nuestro barco. El equivalente a equipar nuestro coche con neumáticos de circuito. RAW es un término inglés que posee acepciones como “crudo”, “puro” o “sin tratar”. Eso nos da una pista sobre la naturaleza de la 3Di RAW, una de las cinco versiones en las que se divide la familia de velas moldeadas composite North Sails 3Di (junto a las 3Di ENDURANCE, 3Di OCEAN, 3Di NORDAC y 3Di Downwind). La 3Di RAW es la versión más ligera y rápida de toda gama. Para lograrlo reduce sus componentes a aquellos imprescindibles para conseguir las máximas prestaciones, eliminando capas exteriores de Dyneema que se utilizan como refuerzo en otras velas 3Di frente a los roces. El resultado es un tejido entre un 10 y un 15% más ligero y con una capacidad inigualable de conservación de la forma y estabilidad, lo que la ha convertido en vela de elección para los barcos que dominan la competición en todo el mundo. Comparada con cualquier otra vela, la 3Di RAW posee una combinación imbatible entre ligereza y ratio de fibra estructural respecto a su peso total. Una fórmula ganadora que se aplica en escenarios tan exigentes como la Volvo Ocean Race, las TP52 Super Series, la Vendée Globe o la America’s Cup, pero que también forma parte del catálogo comercial de velas North Sails, y como tal está disponible para optimizar las prestaciones de nuestro barco en regata. Una 3Di RAW para cada necesidad Actualmente, la gama 3Di RAW está disponible en seis versiones: 3Di RAW 330 (realizada 100% en poliéster), 3Di RAW 360 (poliéster y aramida), 3Di RAW 760 (Ultra PE y aramida), 3Di RAW 780, 3Di RAW 870 y 3Di RAW 880 (las tres en carbono, Ultra PE y aramida). Luís Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España, nos explica las particularidades de cada una de ellas. “La 3Di RAW es nuestra vela de máximo rendimiento para competición. Su gama comienza por la 330, una vela 100% poliéster pensada para monotipos de vela ligera. Además de ofrecer un rendimiento excepcional, supone un incremento en durabilidad, tanto de vida útil como de conservación de la forma”. La 3Di RAW 330 está disponible para clases como Moth y están en desarrollo para otros one design. “Es un producto nuevo en el que tenemos puestas muchas esperanzas”. El siguiente escalón es la 3Di RAW 360, específica para barcos de mediana eslora y la última en incorporarse al catálogo North Sails. “Es perfecta para barcos de regata club hasta 35-40 pies. Además de mejorar el rendimiento, entre sus peculiaridades destaca que es más estable y ligera, y posee un mayor mantenimiento de forma que otras velas equivalentes”. Para barcos de mayor eslora que los 40 pies, North Sails propone la 3Di RAW 760. Se trata de un giro de tuerca más respecto a la 360, lo que se consigue “eliminando poliéster, por lo que cuenta con más porcentaje de Dyneema, lo que optimiza sus prestaciones”. Por último, las velas más avanzadas del catálogo 3Di RAW son la 780, la 870 y la 880, las armas a las que recurren barcos de regata de alto nivel y circuitos de Grand Prix cuando se busca máxima prestaciones con mínimo peso. “La 3Di RAW 780 tiene más Dyneema que carbono y tanto la 870 como la 880 tienen más carbono que Dyneema”, explica Martínez Doreste. En la práctica, la mayor proporción de carbono supone mayor ligereza, una característica muy valorada por equipos de alta competición. “Es por ello que la 870 es muy utilizada por muchos mini maxi y maxi, pero también por otras clases como los Swan 45 o los ClubSwan 50, mientras la 3Di RAW 880 está reservada para las clases TP52 y RC44”. READ MORE

2018 CLUB SWAN 50 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Mathilde Collects Podium Finish With Help From Ireland Experts © Carlo Borlenghi North Sails in Ireland want to congratulate Team Mathilde on their podium finish at the inaugural Club Swan 50 World Championship in Porto Cervo. The Swiss flagged yacht owned and helmed by Morten H. Kielland is now in her second year of campaigning on the super competitive Club Swan 50 circuit. Leading up to the Worlds, the team had already secured podium finishes in the other class regattas competed in 2018. A second place finish at the first event of the year in Monaco last April followed by another second place at the Palma Vela regatta in May and then a third place finish at the Rolex Giraglia regatta in June. This delivered the team to the final class event of the year in confident mood and ready to take on the extremely talented International fleet. The Championship, contested by 12 talent laden teams was held as part of the Swan Worlds in Porto Cervo. Mathilde added a new J1 / Light jib and A2 (running Asymmetric) for the event. Both sails performed superbly in the predominantly light conditions alongside the rest of Mathilde’s full North Sails inventory. The extra speed the new J1 gave us, was a game changer and gave a small edge over some of our competitors in the light conditions. The J1 (3Di Raw 870) is very reactive to small adjustments in trim and allowed us to get every ounce of speed out of the boat. Add that to solid boat handling and some great tactical calls by Leigh McMillan and it produced a third place podium finish for the team. © Carlo Borlenghi Mathilde actually went into the final race tied on points with Cuordileone and eventual winner One Group, with all three boats vying for the championship win. Unfortunately Mathilde finished on the wrong side of that result, but overall the team was delighted with the progress throughout the year and to be able to fight for the championship right up to the last leg of the regatta. The finish replicated the competitive nature of the event. Seven different race winners in 10 races and the whole fleet finishing within one minute, 45 seconds in all of those races. The One Design element and tight controls are producing very even performance in the fleet and like any great One Design class, the results are coming down to who makes the least mistakes and who can find the small gains out on the track. © Carlo Borlenghi A contributory factor for Mathilde is the support of North Sails in Ireland and in particular Shane Hughes who is sail co-ordinator and trimmer onboard. The team also had a larger Irish contingent onboard in 2018 with Howth sailor Sam O’Byrne and Schull duo Jay Stacey and Oisin O’Driscoll onboard for some of the events. The Mathilde CS 50 program represents a great opportunity for young sailors like Sam, Oisin and Jay to experience high level international keelboat sailing and the guys performed very well and will hopefully be back for more in 2019. More generally the input from North Sails into the Club Swan 50 class has helped push our own standards higher. North Sails dominated the results with the podium teams all exclusively powered by North Sails and using our standard CS 50 designs. The continuous development led by Arnd Howar and lead designer Juan Meseguer is relentless. With so many North Sails representatives sailing in the fleet and feeding into the product review and refinement process, the sails simply get better and faster and keep our customers at the front of the fleet. Looking forward, the review and refinement process will continue at pace and we look forward to supporting team Mathilde into the 2019 season and beyond. READ MORE

CREW OF KIWIS WIN IRC/ORC WORLDS Read More For Beau Geste's New Crew Initiation Ritual... © Maria Muiña Even having to eat a ‘hundred-year egg’ didn’t dim the excitement of winning his first world championship for North Sails sales expert Matt Kelway. Eating these traditional ‘delicacies’ is a tradition aboard Hong Kong businessman and yachtsman Karl Kwok’s boats, and when his Botin 52 Beau Geste won the offshore sailing world championships at The Hague in July, there was no getting out of it. ‘They are a fermented duck egg, and if you are new to the boat, you have to eat one at the end of the regatta,’ Kelway says. ‘I have sailed on the boat before, but when I let it slip that it was the first time I had won a world championship, I had to eat one. It was disgusting, but it was worth it.’ Beau Geste won the combined IRC/ORC world title with a crew of mostly Kiwi sailors, regulars on Kwok’s fleet of boats. The boat sailed in a mixed division of boats of different types and sizes, including TP52 Outsider (formerly Platoon) and Ker 46s Van Uden and Lady Mariposa, with results calculated on a combination of IRC and ORC handicap times in each race. Kelway and the North Sails New Zealand team worked closely with Kwok and the boat’s management team to build a completely new inventory to challenge for the world title. ‘After last year’s Pac 52 regatta in San Francisco, the owner decided he wanted to compete in a world championship and win it, so we sat down and started planning what we would need,’ Kelway says. ‘We spent a lot of time not only training on the water but also running certificates for the sails to maximise their ratings, and working out how to mode the boat for different conditions.’ The hard work paid off. Beau Geste finished with a string of firsts and seconds, not having to sail the last race because the regatta was already in the bag. ‘The racing was really close, though — Outsider was our closest competitor, and we were always finding ourselves in a match race with them,’ Kelway says. The boat’s new Helix Luff furling masthead code zero got plenty of use in the first offshore race, with a genoa staysail set inside it. The crew were also pleased with the performance of the new high-carbon 3Di RAW 870 and 880 jibs, all designed and built by the North Sails New Zealand team. After the win in Holland, the boat and crew then travelled to the Copa del Rey regatta in Palma de Mallorca, where they comfortably won the IRC 1 division. ‘There were eight 52s there, including Super Series boats like The Phoenix and Paprec, so it was great to finish ahead of them,’ Kelway says. Next on the Team Beau Geste agenda is a change of boats, to sailing Kwok’s MOD70 trimaran of the same name in the China Coast regatta and Hong Kong to Hainan race. ‘My role is as a link between the boat and the loft, making sure everything the boat wants is done correctly and on time, working with the sailing team and the designer and the production team,’ Kelway says. ‘It’s a great programme to be involved with.’ READ MORE

HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK 2018 Hamilton Island Race Week has a reputation for champagne sailing, and this year’s regatta was no exception for the Team Hollywood crew, including North Sails New Zealand sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills. © Salty Dingo The team aboard the Botin Fast 40, launched in February this year, won every race on IRC to take out their division — while making the most of the entertainment and onshore activities on offer at the well-known regatta. Team Hollywood was competing in the IRC 2 division against a mixed fleet of boats including another Fast 40, the Carkeek design Victoire (formerly Girls on Film), Lyons 60 Triton and Cookson 50 About Time. ‘We had some really good racing with Victoire,’ Wills says. ‘Unfortunately for them, they were often leading for the first three-quarters of the race, and then we would come through at the end. It was great because we were always pushing each other, and that improved our corrected times.’ The regatta format was different this year, with no windward-leeward racing, just island courses. ‘It was really enjoyable sailing around all the islands,’ Wills says. ‘The area around Hamilton Island has such shifty geography and it’s so tidal, so there were lots of decisions to be made about which way to go around the different islands. Plus there is always lots to see — turtles and whales.’ Conditions for the regatta started out windy, then moderated as the week progressed. ‘There were some pretty big waves, and we certainly got wet on that first day,’ Wills says. ‘The Botin is an inshore-focused boat, but it still went really well in those conditions.’ Wills says a big factor in the boat’s success was its suite of sails from the North loft in Auckland, including 3Di RAW jibs designed by Mickey Ickert, which it was launched with earlier this year. ‘They’ve used them in a few regattas and the owner couldn’t be happier with them,’ Wills says. ‘We also tried some cool new things, too — the boat has a jib stick which connects to the mast and is used to pole out the clew, and you sheet off that. It gave another option on top of inboard and outboard sheeting, and it definitely gave us a couple of knots of extra speed at times. ‘The whole mast and boat package worked together really well. Our involvement right from the boat’s design, including the mast design, and of course the sail package, really paid off. The owner has also put together an excellent sailing team, and there was a great atmosphere on board.’ Team Hollywood not only won its own division but also the IRC boat of the week prize, for top IRC scoring boat. And as well as success on the water, the onshore activities lived up to Hamilton Island’s reputation, too. ‘The Oatleys really put on some awesome entertainment — they flew in some great bands and of course it was great to be a Kiwi there when the All Blacks won their two games,’ Wills says. © Kurt Arrigo Photography READ MORE

UNITED STATES SAILBOAT SHOW 2018 Visit North Sails At Dock F1 The United States Sailboat Show is taking place in Annapolis, MD on October 4-8. Experts from the North Sails loft in Annapolis will be at the show to meet with customers and provide guidance on navigating the right sail choice. The local team led by Jonathan Bartlett will be showcasing North's full range of products and services, including the award-winning 3Di NORDAC. Visit us at our Dock F1 location for more information on what we have planned during the show. The Dacron Cruising Sail Reinvented North Sails launched a cruising revolution in June 2017 with the introduction of 3Di NORDAC. Promising to deliver a better cruising experience, 3Di NORDAC combines our unique composite molded sail technology with reliable polyester that cruising sailors have trusted for decades. The result is an innovative cruising sail with smoother and more permanent aerodynamic shape. Talk to our experts about this sail at the United States Sailboat Show and find out why now is the best time to buy. Joining Forces With Beneteau In September 2018, North Sails officially launched a partnership with Beneteau America. In an exclusive showcase event, Beneteau demonstrated their partnership with North Sails inventory and experts onboard all five of their new boats. The new First 18 and First 24 come standard with North one design sails, and the new Figaro Beneteau 3 performance racing boat sports 3Di RAW. The Oceanis 46.1 comes standard with North Sails and the Oceanis 51.1 offers North Sails as an upgrade option. Make sure you visit both the North Sails and Beneteau booths at the United States Sailboat Show to find out why North sails products are the best choice for performance and cruising boats. Ask The Multihull Experts Join local North Sails expert Will Keyworth, Cruising World Magazine, and keynote speakers Behan and Jamie Gifford at the United States Sailboat Show on October 5th, to learn what it takes to sail away in a modern multihull. Hear it first hand from the panelists as they cover a broad range of multihull sailing topics which include buying the right boat, sail inventory, insurance options, logistics, and find out how and where you can brush up on your sailing and navigation skills. Sign up for this informative day, including breakfast and lunch, goody bags and door prizes. READ MORE

FAMILY FUN WITH 3Di RAW Francois Drouin & His Family Sailed to Toronto with Their New 3Di Sails to Compete in the Lake Ontario 300 A family adventure to sail 300NM around Lake Ontario was the goal for Francois Drouin and his family, who originally hail from Quebec but traveled to Toronto to participate in the Lake Ontario 300. With his new 3Di RAW Square Top Mainsail and 3Di RAW furling Jib, the family was ready to race on their Beneteau First 30. He shares with us his experience with the new boat and the new sails. What prompted you to do the Lake Ontario 300? When I first bought the boat, I understood that it was more for long distances rather than short distances. In our region, we don't have many long distance regattas or races. Since I'm racing with my family and they're my crew, they needed to be able to do these kind of races. For me, I've been doing offshore race since the 1980s, but for my children it was their first time, so we went into the regatta with the thought process that it was the next step in the progression of our crew and our boat. One thing that is also important when it came to competing in the 300 was having a co-ed crew. It's a sport for both men and women, not just for guys. From our point of view, this race was new and interesting; providing an experience for everyone onboard. It looked like you guys were having a fun time out on the race course! We were but it was also interesting as well. It's was a challenge for me because I'm from another generation, sailing with people who are younger so we have to adjust a bit. For me, it was very important to have this kind of transmission though, because sailing was a passion for me since I was young and now as an adult being able to sail with my sons is great fun. For them, the fun was to be part of the decision in the way they would run the boat; they gained confidence in what they were doing. What was your motivation behind upgrading your sail inventory? In the beginning when my family was still learning, having brand new sails wasn't necessary. Now that they've learned more and become more comfortable, it then made more sense to upgrade our inventory to the best product where we could our new knowledge and sailing together to race the boat to its potential. If you look at the beginning, using the spinnaker was too complicated, we only used the asymmetrical. Now I think it's the time that we are ready. This is the first thing. The other thing is that when I've been looking around for these new sails, I was not sure how easy it would be for the crew to have them. When I looked for the performance going up though, I decided it was the time to change. I expected what made a big difference for us was mainly how the sails can have their design, the shape, a lot more than what I have seen. Formerly, I used to have the little 36.7 with my brother and we had used the 3DL sails on that boat too but I think the 3Di sails are a lot better because the 3DL were a bit more complicated to adjust. Another thing that was useful for me was, the information from the Volvo Ocean Races; even with a lot of miles going on, they will be still in quite very good shape. What were your first impressions? Did they play out to how you were expecting them to perform or above expectations? They performed above expectations because they don't weigh much. The main thing though is the way they, even if it's light air, mid air or more heavier air, keep their shape all the time. So, you don't have that much adjustment to do with it; it's a lot easier. It's also a lot easier for the main sail trimmer to do its job right now with these sails than it was formerly. What's next on your adventure list for the family? Here in Quebec City, we have club races and regional races but we pretty much do all the races in the area. Sometimes, we have very good results and sometimes, we have fair results. The purpose for us is not always winning but rather to get better each time. What is good is that this investment in new sails is that we have a lot better results now! Francois & his family placed second in Main Duck Course - PHRF - Full Sails - Fully Crewed - 3! READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

ESSE 850 SEASONAL SAVINGS Seitdem es die Esse 850 Klasse gibt, baut North Sails die schnellsten Segel für dieses Boot. Egal wie sich die Klassenbestimmungen ändern, North Sails reagiert darauf, passt sich an und baut die schnellsten Segel. Wie ihr wisst, ist North Sails auch an den Regatten präsent, steht für Fragen immer zur Verfügung und organisiert jedes Jahr mehrere Klassentrainings. Und wir werden nicht müde, euch auch in Zukunft bestmöglich zu beraten und betreuen! Priesliste Profitiert jetzt von der Aktion, die nur bis Ende Oktober 2018 gilt!! Wie immer steht euch Daniel Schroff für Fragen gerne zur Verfügung: +41 71 680 00 80 North Sails Tuning Guide Grundeinstellungen für das Esse 850 Rigg Lesen Sie mehr → North Sails Trainings Welche Daten würden Ihnen zusagen? Lesen Sie mehr → READ MORE

A SAIL MAKING FAIRYTALE! New Sails for Darragh McCormack Help Him Win the Mermaid Nationals On the 19th June 2018 an email landed into my inbox from Darragh McCormack making an enquiry about Mermaid sails. I have been corresponding with Darragh since 2014 but in most cases, we talked about the J/24 rather than the Mermaid. This time things were going to change. North Sails have been involved in the Mermaid for a number of years now and have enjoyed Nationals winning success with Paddy Dillon and several other teams have done well with our sails but we never really took much market share even after those Nationals win. When Darragh got it touch, my initial feeling was he would just be checking out prices and getting a feel for what we might be doing in the class. Not for one moment did I think he wanted to order and do a total re-design on the Mainsail and Jib and take delivery in advance of the Nationals that were only 5-6 weeks away! After a chat on the phone I quickly got the impression that Darragh was keen to try North Sails, so I jumped in the van the very next evening and drove to Foynes YC to go for a sail. Darragh had some very strong feelings about the changes he wanted to make to the standard North Sails and of course specifically to fit his mast set up. On arriving in FYC that night, we looked at several sails on Darragh’s mast on shore and then took to the water. We flew more sails, took pictures of the sails in flight and I got a feel for the boat and the sail shapes. It has always been an eye-opener to sail with a new team and in the sport of sailing there are many ways to make a boat go fast! Armed with about 50 pictures, notes, measurements and my own thoughts about the project, I headed home with an order for twelve sails… yes, twelve and they were all wanted for the Nationals! July is one of the busiest months in the sail making world and we had to re-design the sails, make sure everything was perfect and then have the sails built in our Sri Lanka facility and shipped to Ireland! Quite a tall order but the enthusiasm from Darragh was infectious so I decided to give it our best shot. Fortunately, I was able work with Ruairidh Scott our One Design design expert in the UK, and very quickly and he worked his magic on the designs and we got everything boxed off in record time. The delivery dates were set and in theory with no shipping hold ups Darragh’s new sails would arrive just in time for the warm-up regatta the weekend before in Skerries and the rest of the order would arrive on a just in time basis for the main event, fingers crossed! Like all the best-laid plans they do not always pan out perfectly! A slight shipping delay meant the sails for Darragh arrived a day late and he missed his chance to use the sails in Skerries. I was away at the time racing in the Dragon Gold Cup which was only adding to the stress of the sails being late! As it turned out, that was a windy regatta so I am not sure the sails would have been used anyway. I landed home on the Monday and drove half-way to Foynes to meet Darragh and hand over the sails. I was off again the following day to Lake Garda for the Melges 24 Europeans so I could not even check out the sails with Darragh. Thank goodness for his confidence in us! He took the sails and spent the next two evenings ahead of the Nationals making sure everything was OK, sorting out the new Jib lead locations and wire heights. I was phoning from Lake Garda every second minute like an expectant Father waiting to hear about the new-born Mermaid sails! Like all good Fairy tales this one also has a very happy ending! The sails fitted well and more importantly proved to be very quick on their first outing. Oh, I almost forgot to say…. The other nine sails arrived the day of the practice race as well. Too tight for comfort especially as I was not about to help fit them all, which is something we always try to do here at North with a brand-new design. Fortunately, all was well and everyone got their new sails on time but only just. From conception to water in only thirty-three working days after taking the order! I think I might have lost a bit more hair during those days! Darragh went on to sail an amazing series at his home yacht club and took the overall Nationals to win in fine style, including winning the very first race the new sails were used in. I have to say, a wave of relief came over me when I heard the news after day one of the Nationals, the sails are FAST, that was all I wanted to hear! Congratulations to Darragh and his crew of Mark McCormack and Johnny Dillon, a helm is only ever as good as his crew on this occasion the teamwork was exceptional to lift the Nationals trophy for the first time. North Sails Ireland were delighted to play a small part in this success and we wish Darragh and his crew and all the other North clients in the Mermaid class all the best for 2019. For more information about the sails please do not hesitate to contact us. Sail FAST Nigel Young Darragh and his Team power to Victory with 100% North Sails Mark Boyland flies downwind with his new North MS-1 Spinnaker to finish 3rd overall Jim Carthy and his team finish 4th overall with a full new set of North Sails READ MORE

ENTSCHEIDUNGSKAMPF AUF DER KIELER INNENFÖRDE - AUFSTEIGER STEHEN FEST Es war ein Herzschlagfinale für die 2. Segel-Bundesliga und der vorletzte Auftritt der Erstligisten an diesem Wochenende in Kiel. Aufsteiger in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 (Platz 1): Mühlenberger Segel-Club (Till KRÜGER, Lynn HAFEMANN, Finn OLSEN, Yoram ZAMORY) © DSBL/Lars Wehrmann Text: Mit Material der Deutsche Segel-Bundesliga; Fotos: DSBL/Lars Wehrmann Für die 2. Liga ging es um alles oder nichts, denn es entschied sich, welche vier Clubs den Aufstieg in die 1. Liga 2019 schaffen. Die vier Glücklichen sind der Mühlenberger Segel-Club, der Schlei-Segel-Club, die Seglervereinigung 1903 und die Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See. Für die 1. Liga war es das letzte und damit wegweisende Event vor ihrem großen Finale im Oktober. Denkbar knapp gewinnt der Bayerische Yacht-Club in letzter Sekunde vor dem Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee und dem Klub am Rupenhorn. North Sails ist Ausrüster der Deutschen Segel-Bundesliga und bringt seine komplette Erfahrung in die Segel der Segel-Bundesliga ein. Für eine Regattaserie auf diesem sportlichen Niveau und der hohen Beanspruchung des Materials entwickelte North Sails zur Saison 2018 einen speziellen Segelsatz für die Segelligen. Dieser verbindet die Ansprüche an Performance und Haltbarkeit gleichermaßen. 2. Segel-Bundesliga Auch wenn der Mühlenberger Segel-Club als vorzeitiger Aufsteiger in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 bereits seit dem letzten Event feststand, lag bei den anderen 17 Zweitligisten noch ordentlich Druck und Spannung in der Luft. Am Ende haben nach insgesamt fünf Events diese vier Clubs die Nase im Gesamtklassement vorne und werden dafür mit dem Aufstieg in die 1. Segel-Bundesliga 2019 belohnt: Mühlenberger Segel-Club, Schlei-Segel-Club, Seglervereinigung 1903, Seglergemeinschaft Lohheider See. Steuermann Andreas Wilim vom Schlei-Segel-Club, der mit einer Mannschaft Chris Hartkopf, Henning Sohn und Suzanne Willim zusammen segelt, sagt: „Es war ein sehr anspruchsvolles letztes Event hier in Kiel, vor allem auch weil wir krankheitsbedingt einen Crewwechsel vornehmen mussten. Nichtsdestotrotz hat es das Team heute und über die gesamte Saison hiweg super gemacht und ich denke wir segeln 2019 berechtigterweise in der 1. Liga“, sagte Steuermann Andreas Willim. Gemeinsam mit sechs Clubs aus der 1. und 2. Liga, 12 „Liga-Neulingen“ und zwei Teams der Juniorenliga geht es vom 02.-04. November beim DSL-Pokal in Hamburg um vier Startplätze für die 2. Segel-Bundesliga 2019. Den Spieltag in Kiel gewann die Seglervereinigung 1903 vor dem Schlei-Segel-Club und dem Augsburger Segler-Club. Gewinner der 1. Segel-Bundesliga in Kiel: Bayerischer Yacht-Club (Julian AUTENRIETH, Nic CORSI, Raoul HERAEUS, Faidon KOUNAS) © DSBL/Lars Wehrmann 1. Segel-Bundesliga Die Erstligisten „probten“ in Kiel ein letztes Mal und versuchten sich die bestmöglichen Plätze für ihr Finale kommenden Monat in Hamburg zu sichern. Mit Platz fünf schwächelte der amtierende Deutsche Meister in Kiel zwar etwas, doch hat der Norddeutsche Regatta Verein als aktueller Tabellenführer mit acht Punkten Vorsprung zum direkten Verfolger weiterhin gute Chancen den Meistertitel vor heimischen Publikum zu verteidigen. Auf Platz zwei der Gesamttabelle steht aktuell der Bayerische Yacht-Club vor dem Wassersport-Verein Hemelingen auf Platz drei. Das Finale der 1. Segel-Bundesliga findet vom 18. bis 20. Oktober in Hamburg statt. READ MORE

MEISTERHAFTE VORSTELLUNG UNSER NORTH SAILS KUNDEN Die Meistertitel der IDM Seesegeln 2018 gehen an die X-41 "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" von Michael Berghorn in ORC1/2 und die Italia 9.98 "ONESPIRIT" um Steuermann Gorden Nickel in ORC3/4. Foto: Sven Jürgensen. ORCi 1/2 Deutscher Meister 2018: die "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" auf der Kreuz. Der Flensburger Segel-Club richtete in diesem Jahr die Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft im Seesegeln aus. An vier Regattatagen vom 05. bis 09. September wurden je eine Mittel- und Langstrecke sowie fünf Up-and-Down Wettfahrten gesegelt. Dabei verlangten unterschiedliche Wetterbedingungen mit Böen über der 30 Knotenmarke den Crews viel ab. In der Wertungsgruppe ORC 1/2 sicherte sich Michael Berghorn mit seiner X-41 schon vor dem Finaltag den Meistertitel. Dabei gelangen der Kieler Mannschaft drei Tagessiege und je zwei zweite und fünfte Plätze. Steuermann und Eigner Michael Berghorn vertraut dabei ganz North Sails 3Di Segeln, denn alle Amwind-Segel sind aus 3Di RAW 780 gefertigt. "Anspruchsvolles Segeln mit böigen Winden mit über 30 Knoten haben gutes Bootshandling und eine gute Crew erfordert. Nach einer erfolgreichen Saison haben wir diese Herausforderung hier ganz gut bewältigen können und freuen uns, die Saison mit einer guten Platzierung beenden zu dürfen." Michael Berghorn Foto: Sven Jürgensen: Erfolgreiche North Sails Kunden: Farr 30 "H.E.A.T." rechts (schwarzer Spi) und "ONESPIRIT" in der Mitte auf dem Vorwindkurs. Gordon Nickel zeigte in der Gruppe der ORCi 3/4 Yachten am Finaltag unterdessen erneut, warum die „ONESPIRIT“ vor Flensburg verdient den Titel des Deutschen Meisters ersegelte: In Sachen Boathandling, Speed und Fehlerminimierung ist die junge Crew mit ihrer Italia 9.98 derzeit das Maß der Dinge. Nickel sagte dazu: „Wir sind super happy über das Ergebnis und hatten eine tolle Zeit in Flensburg. Die Segeltage waren lang und schön und wir sind froh darüber, dass wir uns so gut platzieren konnten.“ Auf Rang 2 follte die Farr 30 "H.E.A.T" um Max Augustin, welcher sich mit seiner Mannschaft am Finaltag mit einem fünften Platz noch einen Platz nach oben klettern konnte. Ebenso wie die "HALBTROCKEN 4.0" setzen auch Nickel und Augustin auf North Sails 3Di RAW und Regatta-Spinnaker. Foto: Sven Jürgensen: Die siegreiche Yacht "ONESPIRIT" - unterwegs mit North Sails 3Di RAW und Spinnaker der Regattaserie. READ MORE

CUSTOMER CORNER: ETOBICOKE YACHT CLUB OPEN Strong Breeze & Strong Competition at EYC Open 2018 The Etobicoke Yacht Club Open for 2018 was a special event with EYC Celebrating It’s 50th anniversary. The club has come a long way since its founding in 1968 and one of the regular highlights of this history has been the annual EYC Open regatta. Despite foul weather in the forecast, boats came in and were ready to race. The 2018 edition of the event hosted two North American Championship regattas. The 8 Metre Class, and IRC fleet were vying for their respective titles. Among the event highlights, the IRC class presented the Perpetual Trophy to Notorious out of National Yacht Club and claiming the 8 Metre title was Etobicoke Yacht Club’s own Glenmorangie Lafayette. Another notable result was in the PHRF 2 division where a group of EYC Junior Sail alumni and instructors claimed their fleet title on Still Knot Working. It was a great weekend for Humber Bay boats with MCC boats Blast (10R PHRF -1), Hot Water (J133 IRC - 1) and Neptune’s Car (Beneteau 36.7 – Level) claiming their fleet titles as well. Warrington out of QCYC took home a first in PHRF NFS, and the top J-24 was Taz out of National. Off the water, boats had direct access to the North Sails Regatta Repair Service, prize giveaways and some great entertainment to cap off the Saturday night festivities. Band X Prime kicked off just as the rain subsided for the evening, and crews were treated to some great music from all sorts of eras. The Open was a great way for EYC to cap off it’s 50th anniversary celebration and we look forward to building on the momentum that this year brought to the event. We’re looking forward to seeing our competitors back for the 2019 edition of the regatta, so mark your calendars for August 24th and 25th 2019! READ MORE

NORTH SAILS DETROIT Find Your Dedicated Sales And Certified Service Team At Our New Location North Sails is excited to announce the relocation of our loft in the Detroit metro area. Centrally located along the 696 and 94 expressways, the new facility led by local expert Karl Kuspa is designed specifically to fit the needs of our clients. Karl is a ten time Bayview Mackinac Race winner who brings over thirty years of marine industry experience to the Detroit sales and service team. He and service manager Bill Lesnek have a wealth of knowledge and are looking forward to welcoming the local sailing community to their new location at 24777 Forterra Drive in Warren, MI 48089. The full service loft is open now with the expanded list of services available soon. “We are super excited about the new location. We are centrally located so it will be easier for our customers. We also have the capability to do sail washing on-site, and our canvas production will have a larger dedicated space. These additions are making us a full service loft.” - Karl Kuspa, Loft Manager, Detroit. North Sails President Ken Read will be hosting a Grand Opening Party at the new loft on October 25. Save the date and RSVP to join Karl and Ken to celebrate the move. Date: Thursday October 24th Time: 6pm Location: North Sails Detroit READ MORE

MORITZ WAGNER BAYRISCHER OPTI-MEISTER Moritz Wagner gewinnt mit North Sails R2-Segel bayrische Meisterschaft im Optimist Bei der Bayerischen Jugendmeisterschaft (sowie LJM Baden-Württemberg) am Starnberger See setzte sich Moritz nach sechs Rennen mit drei Laufsiegen im Feld der 57 Optisegler im Bayerischen Yacht-Club am Ende durch. Mit seinem radialen R2-Segel konnte er bei sehr leichten Winden und flachen Wasser mit viel Feingefühl seinen vollen Bootsspeed ausnutzen. Erblich vorbelastet (Großvater: Eckart Wagner, Gründer NS Europa und ehemaliger Präsident von North Sails, Mutter: Kristin Wagner, Vater: Kicker Schäfer) liebt der 11-jährige schon heute die Marke North Sails, die für ihn für schnelles Segeln steht und er hofft auf noch viele Erfolge mit North Sails Mehr: North Sails Optimist Tuning Guide North Sails für Optimisten - unsere Segel READ MORE

GRAND OPENING WITH KEN READ RSVP To Join Us In Celebrating Our New Location on October 25th at 6pm. See You There! 24777 Forterra Drive, Warren, MI 48089 READ MORE

IRISH TEAMS DOMINATE THE HALF TON CUP North Sails Clients Finish 1,2 © Fiona Brown North Sails Ireland would like to congratulate our clients Dave Cullen, Jonny Swan and both teams crews for taking 1st and 2nd overall at the Half Ton Cup last week in Belgium. The Half Ton Cup has been well supported by Irish teams for the last number of years and 2018 was no different. The week started with light winds and flat water and the breeze and waves slowly built throughout the week until the final two days saw some gusts of over 20 knots to test the crews. Dave Cullen and his experienced team were a little slow out of the blocks in terms of their results, but once the breeze came in there was no stopping them. Congratulations to Dave and all the crew for a great performance and dominating the racing as the regatta unfolded. I was lucky enough to be sailing with our latest Half Ton client Jonny Swan who recently made the step up to North Sails. Jonny was sailing with his regular crew from Howth with the addition of myself. His performance mirrored that of his club mates, starting off a bit shaky in the light airs but again showing great form when the breeze was up. Second overall and Jonny’s best Half Ton Cup result to date since purchasing Harmony. This was also his first major Half Ton class regatta using North Sails. Only three and a half points separated the top two boats in the end but to be fair we never really felt like we could beat Dave as he often had a tiny edge we struggled to match. Both boats were sailing with 100% 3Di upwind sails and V-Series Symmetrical spinnakers downwind. Click here for more information about North Sails 3Di © Fiona Brown © Fiona Brown READ MORE

AFTERBURN WINS 300NM WITH NORTH SAILS 3Di From Light Air To Match Racing, North Powers Lake Ontario 300 Challenge Winners What was the mindset of the crew going into the race? The team was excited for the LO300, it is always a challenging race and this is typically the highlight of our racing season. Although the race was shaping up to be a longer race than previous years, our routing software was predicting we would finish between late morning and early evening on Monday. The good news for us was that we would not be facing a third night on the lake, just a slightly longer Monday than usual, since we would typically aim to finish by sunrise on Monday. The team was positive and we felt well prepared, we had sailed a 65 mile tune up race the previous weekend which had allowed us to test and resolve some rigging issues and also let us fine tune our electronics displays for the data we needed available on deck in the LO300. How did the game plan change due to the light air? We made the decision to go with a smaller crew of 7 instead of our typical crew of 10. This saved us about 600lbs. in crew & gear weight; had a crew where each member could perform most of the positions on the boat. We made sure all extra gear was removed from the boat to keep weight down. We hauled the boat and cleaned the bottom several days prior to the race, we also swam in water to clean boat bottom, keel and rudder two hours prior to our start. We went with a 30 minute helm schedule in order to keep our drivers fresh and focused in the light and challenging wind conditions. We rotated through five drivers which meant you wanted to make the most of your 30 minutes on the helm and you were itching to get back on when you came back up in the rotation. Forecast was for a bubble of light air to form around Toronto in early afternoon, but there was to be better wind pressure to the east of Toronto although it was to move east down the lake as the day and evening progressed. Based on this forecast our aim was to get south of Toronto to avoid as much of the light air surrounding the city as possible and try to hook into the pressure to the east of the city, then work the boat as hard as possible to stay in that breeze all the way to Ford Shoal. What role did sail changes play in your victory? In the Susan Hood 75 mile long distance race earlier this year we identified the need to be able to execute spinnaker peels from our furling Code Zero to our Asymmetrical spinnakers (A1.5, A2 and A4), but at the time our Soto 40 was not setup to do this. Prior to the LO300 we rigged a second tack line and a second set of spinnaker sheets specifically for our furling Code 0 to allow us to perform spinnaker peels. On the 130-mile second leg from the Humberview Mark to Ford Shoal our ability to perform these peels was key to our success on this leg and allowed us to stay with a breeze that was receding down the leg into Ford Shoal. It seemed like much of the race we were sailing at a true wind angle of 120 degrees, which in light winds of 4 to 10 knots is the cross over point from the Code 0 to the A1.5. On that leg we performed approximately 8 spinnaker peels in order to always have the best sail up for changing wind strength and angle and to keep the boat moving with the receding breeze. How was this race a true test for your crew and sails? The reality is that the Soto 40 is a grand prix level race boat and we are a crew of amateur sailors trying to figure out how to make the boat go fast and we are certainly having lots of fun as we learn. Our boats strong point is off the wind when we have the spinnakers up, which was the first half of this race and we were able to establish a lead, the second half of the race coming back up the lake and with more upwind sailing was going to be our biggest test. We had boats with larger sail area and longer waterlines chasing us upwind on our return up the lake. "To improve our Soto 40’s upwind performance we had added a new 3Di mainsail this season and this sail would be important, especially with the wind dead on the nose on the 40 mile stretch coming out of Main Duck Island to Point Petre at the west end of Prince Edward County. The main performed brilliantly, it had great shape and our main trimmers were able to keep the boat powered up along this upwind section. Learning the boat over the past two seasons the setup of the square top main has proved to be our biggest challenge." In sailing with a small crew, everyone had to shift through most positions from helm, to sail trim, to tactics and navigation. One positive that came from this constant yet shifting involvement was that although the race was long all of our crew remained constantly engaged in the race. Take us through the final leg when you were neck and neck with Esprit de Corps IV? Not to make this out to be a completely light air LO300. Afterburn and the Volvo 60 Esprit de Corp IV were side by side (about 300m apart) and 12 miles out from the finish in Port Credit, we had been sailing with Code Zero’s trying to squeeze out speed from the 3 to 5 knots of patching Southern breeze that was flowing through the middle of the lake at midday. The wind started to back and both boats switched to asymmetrical spinnakers, the wind backed further and both boats gybed to a course heading to the finish at PCYC, the wind then rapidly built, within minutes it had gone from a light air drifter to a 30 to 35 knot blow. The Soto 40 quickly responded to the new breeze and accelerated to 20 knots with the puffs, and with only a few crew to hike we pushed the bow down to TWA of 158 degrees to help flatten out the boat. Because the breeze had built so quickly the lake was still flat water, we were blasting along keeping pace with the Volvo 60, both boats in a side by side drag race. "For over 10 minutes we had sustained boat speed over 20 knots with a top speed of 25.58 knots, the Volvo topped out over 26 knots. This was a new top speed for us on the Soto 40." After the initial excitement of the ride had settled in, we were faced with the realty that the new breeze had backed even further to the NE and we were now rapidly sailing towards Hamilton, 20 miles to the west of the finish. As a crew we quickly ran through our takedown procedure, in the next lull we doused the spinnaker, hoisted the jib and brought the bow up for a close reach sail for the final ten miles to the finish. How has your performance improved compared to last year? What would you say are the contributing factors? This is our third season with the Soto 40 and it has been a continual development process since acquiring the boat. I would say within the last month leading up to the race we finally began to feel that we had gotten to a solid baseline with the boat, its setup and its equipment. This year we are finally focused on sailing the boat and working to make it go fast. We are getting much closer to our target speeds and are better able to fine tune the boat setup and gauge improvements. Our upwind sailing has seen the biggest improvements over last year, and that all starts with a new inventory of Jibs (J1, J2, J4) that were added at the start of last season and the new 3Di Main that we added this season. "The new 3Di sails have great shape and our trimmers are better able to adjust and match the sail profiles between the main and jib for improved speed and performance. Upgrading the electronics and properly calibrating our boat speed and wind data now gives us the ability to sail to our target speeds and angles. Subsequently our crew has now gotten more time on the boat to work on trimming these new sails and learning which setups are fast in the various conditions." As mentioned earlier our sail handling with the addition of furling for our Code 0 and FRO and the second tack line to allow us to perform spinnaker peels also allowed for better downwind performance. READ MORE

OPTIMIST - C’EST LA QUE TOUT COMMENCE Tous les marins du monde ont débuté sur cette coque de noix et c’est à son bord que les gamins y apprennent les premiers rudiments de la navigation avant de tirer, à sa barre, leurs premiers bords en régate. L’Optimist représente bien évidemment un marché important également pour North Sails, mais paradoxalement aussi compliqué que le bateau est simple. "L’impact faible du matériel dans la performance, le niveau extrêmement élevé et resserré et la sensibilité forte aux" effets de mode "de cette classe, en sont les principales raisons", explique Gaëtan Aunette, le spécialiste du One Design en France chez North Sails. "Pour autant North Sails est toujours demeuré aux avant-postes mème si en France par exemple, nous avions un peu perdu le leadership ces dernières saisons. Mais avec l’arrivée il y a 2 ans de nouveaux modèles américains (MZX4 et MZX5) et japonais (R1, R2 et R4), nous avons refait une partie de notre retard et nous recommençons à gagner des régates. Plus que dans toute autre discipline, le rôle des entraineurs et des prescripteurs est également fondamental : ils doivent pousser à la performance tout en développant la passion et favoriser l’épanouissement des enfants. En cela quelqu’un comme Michel Gaveau est très important pour nous. Il fait partie de ces personnes « qui comptent » dans le paysage de la voile légère en France et plus particulièrement dans le Sud où il opère à la fois comme consultant mais également comme revendeur North Sails One Design." L’espoir à suivre : Zou Schemmel Issu d’une famille de régatier en voile légère, Zou est dans le top Ten français et a participé fin aout au championnat du monde à Chypre où il a terminé XXПme sur xxx, avec notamment une manche de 4, ce qui lui permet d’être en rond Or. Il navigue en North Sails depuis le début de sa courte carrière et utilise une voile R2. Zou Schemmel : "Je suis content de mes voiles. Je vais super vite avec, surtout au portant, et j’ai de bonnes sensations." READ MORE

LA R&D BY NORTH SAILS FRANCE Nouvelles manières de naviguer mais également de concevoir les bateaux : en une vingtaine d’années l’univers de la voile a considérablement évolué. Modele élément fini FSI (Fluid structure interaction) Formes volantes d´un gréement avec voiles épaisses de jauge AC36 à gauche : avec représentation des allongements dans les membranes. Le cabinet d’architecte naval traditionnel intervenant uniquement en maîtrise d’oeuvre avec ses prestataires, et notamment voilier, n’existe plus : aujourd’hui il est inconcevable de penser le développement d’un bateau performant sans s’entourer au préalable d’une équipe projet constituée d’experts dans leurs domaines respectifs. C’est ainsi que, fort d’un savoir-faire et d’outils uniques, North Sails se positionne comme un partenaire essentiel et performant. Chez North Sails, nous disposons à la fois des compétences humaines et des outils de simulation numérique exclusifs que nous avons développés, explique Gautier Sergent, responsable R&D chez North Sails. La remise en question est permanente tant dans les outils eux mêmes que dans leur utilisation, et nos clients nous sollicitent sur des sujets de plus en plus divers. Nous béneficions également de ressources de connaissances incomparables issues de nos collaborations groupe sur les plus grands projets nautiques, Coupe de l'America, Volvo Ocean Race, IMOCA, Ulltimes, Séries Grand Prix type RC44 ou TP52, et autres Super Yachts, et ce depuis plusieurs décennies. Image post processing d’un calcul CFD RANS sur l'ensemble plan de voilure / plateforme. Permet non seulement de quantifier les efforts aéro sur chaque élément mais aussi leurs interactions. On représente ici les pressions. Cela alimente ensuite le VPP pour la partie aéro. Enfin, et c’est propre à la France, nous avons la chance d’avoir un bureau d’étude où se côtoient des profils de culture, d’expériences et de sensibilités très différents, des plus pratiques au plus numériques. Nous veillons à toujours être en capacité de mêler simulations et expériences pour nourrir des reflexions que nous voulons constructives. Grâce à la qualité des données issues de nos calculs mais aussi et surtout à la capacité de nos équipes à les interpréter, nous permettons à nos clients d’aller plus loin et plus vite. En termes d’outils, nous développons continuellement en interne nos propres logiciels ce qui nous permet d’être très réactifs face aux challenges technologiques proposés, des ailes rigides au profils épais, ou encore l'impact des superstructures sur la performance aéro pour des bateaux toujours plus rapides. North Sails VPP interface graphique. A gauche : tous les paramètres de contrôle actifs et leurs valeurs. A droite : image représentative de ces réglages : formes des voiles, angles de tir, gite, foils, etc. Il s'agit ici d'un IMOCA générique a foils. Le VPP North Sails bénéficie d’une très belle interface utilisateur ce qui permet le dialogue intuitif et graphique avec les marins et architectes. On, est très loin d’un sombre feuillet de calcul noirci de chiffres… READ MORE

3Di™ : UN PRODUIT POUR CHAQUE USAGE Moins de déformation, plus de performance et une durée de vie accrue : voilà ce que tout marin demande à une voile. Le 3Di™ répond à toutes ces exigences. Aujourd’hui maîtrisée, cette technologie unique permet à North Sails d’offrir une gamme complète de voiles de haut niveau adaptèe à chaque besoin. Greg EVRARD : "Remettre le point sur le i… " "Le 3Di™ n’est pas un produit mais un process. Le nom 3Di™ est aujourd’hui connu mais on s’aperçoit qu’il existe un réel flou sur ce qui se cache derrière. Pour faire simple, on peut dire que ce process permet de travailler les matériaux à l’échelle filamentaire en trois dimensions : sur 2 axes pour l’orientation des fibres et sur un troisième pour l’épaisseur. Dès lors, toute la matière consommée (filaments et rèsine thermoset) est utilisèe de façon optimale. En outre, le 3Di n’ayant pas recours à une quelconque lamination, le risque de délamination devient nul. Enfin, les voiles sont moulées en 3D. Pour résumer, c’est tout simplement aujourd’hui la manière la plus efficiente de mettre en oeuvre un ou plusieurs matèriaux pour la production d’une voile. Cette technologie unique, exclusivité de North Sails, a été développée et éprouvée depuis 10 ans au plus haut niveau de la régate et de la course au large. Ses avantages sont tels que North Sails estime aujourd’hui devoir la rendre accessible au plus grand nombre de navigateurs possible, en l’adaptant à différents usages et besoins." 3Di ENDURANCE RAPIDE, ROBUSTE, POLYVALENT Comme son nom l’indique, le 3Di ENDURANCE est la version la plus "robuste" du 3Di grâce à des couches de surface plus résistantes, idéal pour la grande croisière ou la course au large. • 760 UltraPE / Aramid pour une meilleure durabilité • 780 UltraPE / Carbon pour une meilleure tenue de forme • Gris clair, gris foncé ou noir 3Di RAW LA PERFORMANCE SANS COMPROMIS RAW représente la technologie 3Di dans sa forme la plus pure. La structure composite d’une voile 3Di RAW est composée de multiples bandelettes de filaments pour offrir le meilleur ratio stabilité / poids. Utilisé par les prototypes et les monotypes les plus exigeants • 760 UltraPE / Aramid pour une meilleure durabilité • 780 UltraPE / Carbon pour une meilleure tenue de forme • 870 et 880 Carbon / Ultra PE pour la performance maximale, 880 très chargé en carbone. • Noir 3Di NORDAC LA VOILE DACRON DE CROISIйRE RГINVENTГE Il allie la technologie 3Di™ et le polyester. Dédié aux unités de 20’ à 45’, il offre la possibilité d’avoir des voiles dont la structure en 3D assure une stabilité de forme, une esthétique et une robustesse inconnues jusqu’alors en croisiàre. • 100% Polyester • Pour les unités de croisière dont le P < 17 m • Blanc uniquement READ MORE

3Di NORDAC - TESTÉ ET APPROUVÈ Présenté au public en juin 2017, le 3Di NORDAC™ s’est imposé en un peu plus d’un an comme un nouveau produit référence dans l’univers de la croisiére. Plébiscité pour ses exceptionnelles qualités, il a généré une demande telle qu’il a pu parfois étre victime de son succés. Retour sur un phénoméne qui ne fait que commencer… 3Di NORDAC™ : une avancée technologique incontestable En juin 2017, North Sails a lancé la commercialisation des voiles en 3Di NORDAC™ spécialement conçues pour la croisiére. Ces derniéres reprennent le méme procédé technique que celui déjà utilisé depuis plusieurs années pour les voiles destinées aux bateaux de course. Seul le matériau change. Les filaments utilisés dans le 3Di étaient jusqu'à présent un mélange d'Aramide, de Dyneema ou de carbone. Dans le 3Di NORDAC™, il s'agit de polyester. Comme toutes les voiles 3Di™, ces voiles en 3Di NORDAC™ se distinguent par l'absence de couture et de panneaux mais aussi et surtout par une structure optimisée. "A poidségale, une voile 3Di NORDAC™ sera toujours plus stable qu’une autre voile en polyester ou dacron, insiste Greg Evrard. A stabilité équivalente, elle sera plus légère et plus souple et vieillira bien mieux. A nous d’offrir le compromis optimum adapté à chaque usage." Un véritable plébiscite ! Ergonomie, longévité, plaisir de la performance et prix compétitif : ceux qui s’y sont intéressés ont très vite été convaincus par le 3Di NORDAC™. En 1 an, plus de 1500 voiles ont été vendues à l'échelle du globe pour un CA de quelques 4,5 M€ . En France, près de 200 voiles ont généré plus de 500.000 € de CA sur la mème période. Unités de 20 à 45’, bateaux récents mais également plus anciens, monocoques ou multicoques : les profils de clients sont aussi divers qu’ils sont nombreux. "Certaines voiles ont traversé l’Atlantique dans des conditions ventées sans aucun souci, complàte Greg Evrard. Mème si nous étions confiants dans la qualité de ce produit, nous devons admettre que nous ne nous attendions pas à un tel succès commercial. C’est évidemment plaisant mais cela a génvré quelques désagréments liés à des retards de livraison. Cela n’est pas dans nos habitudes et nous faisons évidemment tout notre possible pour limiter les dérapages et continuer à augmenter notre capacité de production." Et ce n’est qu’un début… Avec le 3Di NORDAC™, NORTH SAILS frappe donc un grand coup sur le marché des voiles de croisière. Un créneau majeur sur lequel, paradoxalement, "nous avions été peu actif jusqu’à présent", sourit Greg Evrard. "L'objectif est donc désormais de développer cette nouvelle clientèle et de la fidéliser par la qualité de nos produits et de notre accompagnement, comme nous l'avons fait sur d’autres segments. Car fort de ce nouveau produit à succés, la gamme 3Di ™ proposée par NORTH SAILS multiplie ses déclinaisons. Le projet est clairement de proposer la version la plus adaptée du 3Di ™ à chaque pratique, à chaque portefeuille" précise Greg Evrard. Nous pouvons parier sur l’apparition de nouveaux produits encore plus précisément adaptés à des usages donnés durant les prochains mois." READ MORE