NORTH SAILS BLOG

THE SCURRS AND THE WILD GOAT ADVENTURE Dipping Their Toes Into The Cruising Lifestyle We caught up with our clients, Shari and Robin Scurrs to hear about their cruising adventure down in the BVI's and how this is just the beginning of their lifelong dream as live-a-boards. What inspired you to start cruising? Shari: Robin’s brother owns a 36 ft Beneteau, which was apart of a charter program in the BVI's, not having any clue, never ever been on a sailboat. After that we started sailing yearly with Robs brother in Puerto Rico. One of the last trips, New Years Eye, had gone to a small island in Belize. They started chatting with the boat next to them and end up meeting husband and wife couple that live on the boat. Where ever they go, next town, next country, the whole sailing community ends up there too. There is this sailing community of live a boards up and down the Caribbean. Robin: After that night, Shari started on this idea; "Hey, we could do this more," and that was five years ago. People thought we were talking garbage and didn’t think we could pull it off. What steps are you taking to prepare for this journey and what kind of resources will you be utilizing in the prep stage? Robin is in a position where he’s been in the schools for over 30 years - and he can now retire at 55. We can go anywhere; we have a home that we inherited in Florida, which we keep as a home base and we rent the property when we're not there. Between the pension and the condo, things kept falling into place for us to start living the cruising life. Can you elaborate on your planned route? How did you decide on it? Sailing through the Apostle Islands then south along the east coast to a destination in Florida. Robin: We’re planning on casting-off sometime in July, since I retire in June. We’re going to sail around various ports in Michigan and eventually get down to the Bahamas for next winter. I'll go due east until the temp starts to drop, and then turn right. From there, we'll head due south, depending on the winds, there's multiple places to check-in and make landfall. Shari: In July, we're going to go up to the Apostle Islands and Lake Superior along the Pictured Rocks. From there we'll hit Isle Royal back down the channel in CA, lake Huron and the Georgia Bay Area, then eventually make our way out of the St. Lawrence Seaway. What made you choose a 1981 S-2 11.0/36 ft, and why do you think it's ideal for your new cruising lifestyle? We started our hunt for a boat with a short list; friends found a boat and recommended it. Well kept freshwater boat, kept in Lake Michigan, made in Holland, MI. Good solid fiberglass with no coring of any kind. Robin: It was an older boat, and the couple that owned it had planned to live a board and had fixed the boat up on a budget. They added dinghy davits, they added solar, an inverter, and refrigeration. They refinished everything, and added a chart plotter and radar. It really had all that it needed for us. The minute I went down below, I was done. What's attractive about it is it’s an older boat, it has all this wood. This boat reminded them of Robin's brothers cottage - all wood. Shari commented, "I go below and I’m in my happy place. I’m at the cottage." They had never sailed it, but they bought the boat, a year ago in December. The boat purchase happened sooner than they had expected. They added AIS, changing the ports and using the additional budget to continue to outfit the boat. After much debate, they decided upon Wild Goat as the name due to Shari’s fondness to goats. What is your background/experience in long distance offshore sailing? Robin: We have no offshore experience other than watching other people on YouTube do it. They make it look like if you pick your routes and choose your weather wisely it’s not that bad. It’s obviously a very intimidating thing for the first time. People are afraid of it which is a perfectly valid response because obviously bad things happen to boats in the ocean. We have a wealth of weather information for help to do route planning and communications options that simply didn’t exist even 20 years ago, so I’m not terribly concerned, but it is something new for us and will be learning experience. What led you to the Detroit team of North Sails to inspect and repair your sails in preparation for the trip? Shari saw the North Sails logo on one of the sails that came with the boat and did a web search. She found North Sails Detroit and filled out an online request form. She knew North was a big company with a good reputation. When we called her back she was impressed with how we took the time to answer all of her questions. On her first visit to the loft, she was greeted with a tour which left a good impression on her. She said she felt like we treated her like family from the first phone call to the completion of the service work on their sails. Not to mention the mutual connection loft manager Karl Kuspa had with a good friend of hers associated with Two-Hearted Ale. How long do you anticipate this trip lasting? What are your plans once you arrive at your destination? Shari has big plans. She is eyeing up the many maps she has plastered on her walls with places like Bimini and the Galapagos circled. Robin is helping with the logistics aspect. She is very optimistic about making it to many far flung places. Robin has to remind her about the logistics aspects, but won’t rule out any ideas right away. What is the biggest motivation that keeps pushing you onward to make this happen? Robin: There is that magical moment when you pull out of the slip, or wherever it may be, and you head out and turn up and you raise the sails, fall off and get the boat propelling under there, and then you turn the engine off. It’s the magical moment where it's just the sound of the waves and the wind and the boat moving, it's like silence and it's calm. Shari: I wanna say by sailing you’re not flying into an airport, you’re not being taken to the touristy areas. When you come in on a sailboat, you come in to the same place that the fisherman do. You're immediately gonna see the local part of it…the real stuff. You open yourself up to really seeing what a place is about. Traveling by a boat, you are just automatically a couple steps ahead. We love to travel and the adventure that comes from being on the road. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: TOM PEASE Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing? What classes do you compete? I was introduced to sailing when my dad bought his first boat, a Flying Dutchman, when I was about five years old. I really started to get involved when he moved up to a 26 ft keel boat and joined the local yacht club and started racing on the weekends and in the Wednesday night beer can series. Going through the club’s Jr program, I sailed and raced many different single handed and crewed centerboard and keel boats. What boats/classes do you sail? As a Jr we had access to and raced Butterfly’s, Lasers, Flying Juniors, 470’s, Lightnings and International 210’s. As part of the North Sails team, my focus had been primarily offshore racing on the Great Lakes in MORC, PHRF, ORR (and IOR back in the day) and one design offshore classes. What got you into the marine industry and what do you like about it? North Sails Midwest was our local loft and one day I walked in and asked for a job to make some money to go to school. I started as a shipper and worked my way through the ranks of handwork, service manager, designer, and sales. The new challenges always kept the job fresh and there were plenty of opportunities to learn from the talented North Sails team. Because of the connections, I've had the chance to sail with numerous clients on many different boats across North America- which has been quite rewarding. How long have you been working in the industry? What keeps you coming back for more? I’ve been in the industry for nearly 40 years, starting in the 70’s in boat yards and at North Sails. I took a 10-year break from 1995 – 2005 to see what the ‘real world’ was all about. I discovered neckties and suits were not my thing and rejoined North Sails where I get to work with clients that are passionate about their hobby and the sport. What's your favorite aspects about sailing? There’s no one single answer to this question; If it’s cruising with my wife, it’s the freedom and relaxation of going with the flow and throwing a timeline out the window. When I’m racing it’s the competition and working with the team to show our best for the day or event, and the satisfaction of coming into the dock and being able to say we gave it our all and it was pretty good. READ MORE

CHICAGO MAC STRATEGY Perry Lewis And Bill Gladstone Of North U Share Advice For The Chicago Mac The lake was still frozen in patches around the old ice breaker home of Columbia Yacht Club. Our Midwestern sailors can't wait for winter to be over, and 120 of them trekked out for this sold out race seminar. We had a wide range of experienced sailors attending and it was a great opportunity for all to dust off the snow and salt in anticipation for the 111th CYC RACE TO MACKINAC - JULY 13, 2019. Continuing our North U. winter seminar series, Perry Lewis and Bill Gladstone hosted the Chicago Mac Strategy seminar at Columbia YC last Wednesday. Perry shared his 40+ years of knowledge and expertise of racing the Chicago Mac and Bill took us through the very useful routing software, Expedition, to plan strategy for a race like the Chicago Mac with his many years of experience also racing this one-of-a-kind event on Lake Michigan. Want to make sure your sails are ready for the race? Connect with our team from the Chicago loft to see how they can help you and your sails be race ready! READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: KEITH CHURCH Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert What background do you have in sailing? I learned how to sail a Sailfish and Sunfish in Barrington Rhode Island. As a boy I was fortunate to be able to go to sailing camp at Camp Monomoy on Cape Cod. While in High school, I built a 110 foot Sloop, “The Sloop Providence”, in Portsmouth, RI. While in college I sailed on the Black Pearl, Barclay Warburton’s H-Brig Schooner out of Bowen’s Wharf in Newport RI. Mr. Warburton assigned me to civilian crew; sailing the Coast guard Ship the Eagle out of Groton, CT to the port of Baltimore, MD. What boats/classes do you sail? I have sailed in PHRF regattas on many boats, my favorites being the Express 37 , GL70’s, and most recent enjoyed cruising on an XP 55 out of Chicago. I’ve always enjoyed the level of competition of One Design sailing on Penguins. I have raced on J/Boats, Sydney 38s, Farr 40s, Farr MUMM 30s, and more. What got you into the marine industry? When I was very young I would go to the boat yard in Barrington, RI and hang out in the ship’s store glazing over the shinny marine hardware and listening to the stories being told by the old salts. While in grade school I built models of hydroplanes. In high school I built, during the summer, a 110 foot Sloop, “The Sloop Providence” in Portsmouth RI. I started boat shows in Chicago in the mid 80’s and managed the Ship’s Store in the largest boat yard in the Midwest. A number of years ago I helped bring the 33’ daysailer; the e33 to market. How long have you been working in the marine industry? I've been in the industry for 45 years, and I've been selling sails for 10 years. What do you love most about sailing and what keeps you coming back? At first I was driven by the idea that I could move anywhere and do this kind of work. I felt like I had something to offer and contribute to this industry by making old technology products more desirable or by bringing new products to market. Ultimately, my goal is just making our customers happy with the best available options, which is North Sails. The people keep me coming back. I enjoy the interaction on the boat whether I am learning or teaching someone else, or competing for the prize. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: BLAY SHOENHERR Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing? In what classes do you compete? Sailing has always been in my family and I started at at seven in the junior program at Grosse Pointe Club. By age nine, I was ready advance to a more serious program and joined the Bayview Yacht Club junior program where I raced competitively in Optimists, Flying Juniors, and 420s. I joined the Grosse Pointe South Sailing team when I started high school and raced 420s all four years competing in both fleet and team racing. At the same time I raced actively in local Detroit fleets including, J/35s, Beneteau 36.7 (Multiple North Americans), J/120s, NA 40s, J/105s etc. I have completed 15 Port Huron Mackinacs (1 overall, 1 first in class, and 12 Chicago Mackinaws-with one first in class finish in 2018 in the J/111 fleet). Over the years I have race on many performance boats including, Ultimate 20s, Melges 32s, Melges 24s, TP52s, and Santa Cruz 70s. I currently am active in the Melges 24 class and 'll be racing a TP52 this summer in the Great Lakes circuit. What's your background in the marine industry? What do you like about it? I started working on race boats at age 17 and continued with various race programs in the summers through college. I currently work as a marine technician focused on sailboats and rigging at a local northern Michigan boat shop. My favorite aspect of working in the marine industry is the technology and the people. There is always something new to learn as the industry evolves. Being able to share my knowledge and solve problems with clients and the community is truly rewarding. What keeps your coming back for more? The competition and family nature of the sailing community keeps me coming back. Every time I'm on the water I learn something new. What's your favorite thing about sailing? My favorite thing about sailing is the camaraderie. It’s an amazing community and has rewarded me with lifelong friendships. READ MORE

ETCHELLS SUCCESS FOR NORTH SAILS IN GEELONG Top Of The Fleet Powered By North Sails At Victorian Championship Regatta While the Etchells Victorian Championship regatta in Geelong, Australia last weekend brought mixed conditions, the results for Magpie, skippered by Graeme Taylor and his crew Richie Allanson and James Mayo, remained consistent. Finishing top of the podium, they won four out of six races, (placing second in the other two), followed closely by North’s own Charlie Cumbley in Tango with Chris Hampton and Sam Haines. Third was Jean-Claude Strong’s 1435, with Tom Slingsby, Marcus Burke and Kate Devereux crewing. Charlie Cumbley, Etchells Class Expert: ''North Sails light and heavy air jib designs proved their versatility and success during the regatta, handling well in a range of wind strengths, from 5 to 35 knots.''. Visit our Etchells class page for the latest results, tuning guide and to contact your local expert. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: JOE PARKER Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing and what classes do you compete in? I have been sailing for 40+ years. I have sailed in many PHRF events over the years on boats from 22' to 70'. I have sailed in the IOR One-Ton NAs and Worlds. I've also raced Beneteau 36.7s, Catalina 22s, Tanzer 26s, J/24s, J/35s, International 110's, MORC and Great Lakes 70' fleet. I have competed in five Key West Race Week events, a number of Harbor Springs regattas, more than 20 Bayview-Mackinac races, 15 Chicago-Mackinac races, three Ft Lauderdale to Key West races, six doublehanded Lake Huron Challenge races. I've also raced in multiple Detroit NOOD regattas and countless local PHRF races on Saginaw Bay and Tawas Bay. My wife Debbie and and I have cruised all over the lakes and along the eastern seaboard as well for 40 years. What's your background in the marine industry? What's your favorite aspect of working in the industry? I have been in the Marine Industry for 36 years. I started a small boat repair business (Bay Boat Works) in 1982. I built small boats and repaired boats of all kinds. I added sailboat rigging into the business in 1988 and still do rigging today. I started selling sails as a local rep in 1986 and have done that continuously since then. In 1990, Meade Gougeon asked me to join the team at Gougeon Brothers Inc (makers of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy) as a Technical Specialist. While there, I helped boatbuilders around the world develop and implement improvements in boatbuilding technology. During that time, I also continued to operate Bay Boat Works and sell sails locally on Saginaw Bay. I retired from Gougeon Brothers as PRO-SET Epoxy Product Manager in mid 2014 but operate Bay Boat Works today. I am very enthusiastic about the Marine Industry as it provides many challenges for the technically-minded individual. My interest spans the entire range of the marine industry from materials to boatbuilding methods to cordage and rigging and of course to sails and sailmaking. What keeps you coming back for more? I truly love being on the water. Every day is somehow different than every other day. Often I am asked how long it took me to learn to sail and I simply respond with: "my entire life; I am not done learning how yet" What's your favourite thing about sailing? I guess I do not have one favorite thing about sailing. I love to cruise and see new (and old favorite) places. I love to race, particularly with fun people at any level of competition. And as unusual as it may sound, I love to work on boats and find the most elegant solution that I can to any problem at hand. READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: DAN FIEN Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert How long have you been sailing? What classes do you race? Over the past 50 years, I have sailed with numerous fleets including IC dinghy, Lightning, Laser, Thistle, J/24, Farr 30, Soling and PHRF. My experience has lead me to three One design National titles and a US Sailing Championship of Champions gold medal over the last five years. I also have a Professional Mariners 50-Ton, Near Shore, Masters License, with Sailing and Towing Endorsements from US Coast Guard. What's your background in the marine industry? What's your favorite aspect of working in the industry? I have coached beginners and Olympians and enjoys supporting sailors at all experience levels. When consulting I hope to increase racers and casual cruisers enjoyment of sailing by making their experience simple, safe, and successful. Further, as a member of US Sailings Diversity and Inclusion Committee I believe that awareness of and access to, sailing by all socioeconomic groups should be our sports' main priority. What's your favourite thing about sailing? I enjoy the competition and camaraderie in this sport but is fascinated by how sailing challenges many fields of science and every engineering discipline. As a professional engineer by training, I view the opportunity to solve problems in our sport as a life long and even infinite endeavor. READ MORE

BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK 2019 North Sails Returns With Expert Coaching, Weather Forecasts & Pop-up Service Loft North Sails is excited to continue our support of Block Island Race Week. The race, entering its 28th edition in 2019, is one of the Northeast’s most anticipated and attended regattas. The expansion of racing formats is set to attract a wider variety of boats this year, with the regatta estimating over 150 entrants, ranging from grand-prix teams to family-friendly cruisers. North Sails has a long history with Block Island Race Week, outfitting and supporting a significant number of boats, including many clients with race victories. In the last edition, North clients took the top podium spots in 11 fleets, including first place J/105, Bruce Stone's Good Trade and first place in ORC, Lincoln Mossop's The Cat Came Back. Partnership, Seabiscuit, and Ranger took home 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the PHRF 1 division and the One Design fleets saw great success, with north clients claiming 1st – 3rd in the J/109 Corinthian fleet. Expert Coaching The PHRF and the performance cruising fleets will have the chance to take advantage of North Sails expertise on the water. Our coaches will be out to provide guidance, tips, and post racing debriefs, focusing on boat handling and sail trim. Find out more and register for our Three Free program. Daily Weather Forecasts Partnering with Gowrie Group, North Sails will be providing complimentary daily weather forecasts, available to all entrants. Register to receive daily weather briefings sent directly to your inbox each morning. Regatta Repair Our Certified Service team will be returning this year with our pop up sail loft, located in the Block Island Maritime Institute, adjacent to Payne’s Dock, from June 22nd – 29th. Open to all boats for overnight sail repair, the North Sails service loft offers every crew the peace of mind when it comes to sail care matched with expert service. Storm TRYathalon 5K Switch your sailing shoes for running shoes on the lay day. Part of the Storm TRYathalon, North Sails is hosting the first annual 5K at 8:30am on the designated lay day. No excuses not to take part in this short morning jog OR sprint. Starting at the North Sails pop-up service loft in the Block Island Maritime Institute, the race loops 5K and ends at the regatta tent at the Narragansett Inn. For those with a competitive streak, the winners will be greeted with North gear awards. Register fast as the first 100 entrants will receive a North Sails hat. READ MORE

GO BEYOND AT BLOCK ISLAND RACE WEEK Expert Analysis With Winning In Mind North's sailing and technical experts will be on-hand to provide free expert analysis, race commentary, and coaching at Block Island Race Week, June 23-28. Crews in the Performance Cruising fleets will be able to take advantage of North's live race commentary and our Three Free program, specifically designed to help improve boat handling and sail trim. Those who register for the Three Free complimentary coaching will receive photographic analysis on at least three angles of boat handling and sail trim taken during racing. Crews can then follow this with an in-person consult with the North Sails experts on the morning of the next race day. Combined with our daily weather forecasts, delivered to you in partnership with Gowrie, our North experts can walk you through the race day on what to expect weather wise and can help you improve your boat and sail performance for the next race. READ MORE

DAILY WEATHER FORECASTS Powered By North Sails & Gowrie Group For Block Island Race Week READ MORE

WHO WE ARE: PERRY LEWIS Get To Know Your Local Sales Expert What got you into sailing? My dad is a nuclear physicist who also loved fooling around in boats, and designed & built his 1st 33-footer. When I was six years old, he bought a 1947 wooden S&S 40. My family vacations all through grade school and into high school were to jump in and take off for several weeks. Most afternoons after we anchored, I’d sail the Dyer Dink around the harbor. I got my first taste of racing when I was in college. What boats/classes do you sail? I have been very lucky to be associated with great teams in grand prix classes like the 1D 48s, Mumm 30 & 36 and Farr 40s – where the talent levels & learning opportunities were highest. What got you into the marine industry? I graduated from University of Chicago with a degree in mathematics and with no idea what I was going to do with it. Within two weeks-by accident actually- I stumbled into a job of “captain” (boat boy) for Don Wildman’s converted Americas Cup 12m Heritage. For the next three years, one race boat job led to the next. How long have you been working in the industry? Most of the boats I worked with are clients of North Sails, including Heritage, who the famous America's Cup veteran John Marshall came to take care of. On the last, 3/4-tonner Chocolate Chips, Gerry Gavin joined us from the Pewaukee, Wisconsin loft for the 1978 Worlds - and afterwards asked if I had thought about sailmaking. I gave it a try at the ripe age of 25 and never left! READ MORE

WHY SPREADER PATCHES ARE YOUR FRIEND Advice On Avoiding Chafe and Protecting Your Sails © Mark Dobson You don’t need to be a sailor to know – chafe is not a friend. While this holds true in other places as well, it can be detrimental to your sails. It doesn’t take very long for a chafe point to become a more serious problem, especially if you’re out sailing in good breeze. Spreader and stanchion patches protect your expensive investment at a very low cost, and prevent early wear and tear on the sail. The only time your sails should be flown without chafe patches is when you are measuring where to install them, with the exception of non-overlapping jibs. Ideally, hoist your sail in a place where there is not a lot of wind. On your genoa, mark the sail where it meets the stanchions and mark any spreaders that would come into contact during a tack. Your North certified service expert can professionally install rectangular patches in these areas. For your mainsail, mark where it meets the tip of the spreader. Here we can install a circular patch to prevent chafe during broad reaching and running when your main is pressing against the spreaders. For in-mast furling sails, a rectangular patch may be installed, similar to the spreader patch we use for an overlapping genoa. Did you know? Spreader and stanchion patches are included with your new sail purchase. If we’ve measured your old sail, they will be installed before delivery and you will be ready to sail as soon as your sail arrives. Learn more about chafe with traditional fabrics. READ MORE

OTVORENA JE ORC SEZONA foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Broj od pet ORC posada koje smo naviknuli uvijek vidjeti na ovim regatama od ove zime se smanjio na četiri, jer se jedrilica Yellowpad prodala i uskoro odlazi za Grčku. Srećom, čast CRO ORC D-Marin Cupa spasila posada jedrilice Sky. Kao i uvijek, u najavi je bilo desetak jedrilica, ali s približavanjem dana zakaznog za susret u Sukošanu krenuli su stizati i otkazi. To nije obeshrabrilo ekipe s Gringa, Mareusa, Orce, X-Citea i Sky da naprave jedan vrlo kvalitetan trening po stvarno raznim uvjetima na moru. U subotu, prvog dana regate puhao je lagani maestral, do oko 10-12 čvorova. Po njemu su se odjedrila tri plova, a kako je vjetar bio vrlo stabilan nije bilo potrebe za mijenjanjem regatnog polja, pa je Regatni odbor najviše posla imao oko spredstarnih procedura i kalkulacije rezultata. Uglavnom, svi su ugodno proveli jedan od prvih pravih predproljetnih dana. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Slična situacija po pitanju stabilnosti vjetra je bila i u nedjelju. Razlika je bila u smjeru i u snazi. Tada je puhalo jugo. Iz prva umjereno, da bi u drugom plovu preraslo u jako s udarima preko 22-23 čvora s umjerenim valovima. Suma sumarum, izvrsna lepeza različitih uvjeta za korištenje skoro cijelog seta raspoloživih jedara, a kad se jedra spominju treba istaknuti potez ekipe Gringa 2 koji su se u ovoj sezoni odlučili na drastičnu promjenu u jedrenju. Oni su se ove sezone odlučili na upotrebu genakera umjesto spinakera. Naravno, nije im ovo prvi put da jedre s ovim jedrom, ali u ORC konkurenciji ipak jest. Da cijela priča bude zanimljivija pobrinuo se njihov službeni jedrar, North Sails, koji je uspio isporučiti novi genaker do starta regate. Za razliku od onog kojeg su do sada koristili na Open regatama ovaj je oko 20m2 veći! Inače je Open logika da se podigne što više "kvadrata", a da se u ORC-u pazi na brojeve koje će izbaciti računalo, te se ne pretjeruje s površinama jedrilja, ali ekipa Gringa očekuje da će im brzina po laganim vjetrovima biti dovoljno povećana da se na taj način poništi teret nepovoljnijih koeficijenata u kalkulaciji. Po laganom subotnjem maestralu se pokazalo da ovo novo jedro ima potencijala. Do tada je X-Cite bio praktički neuhvatljiv i po ovim uvjetima, ali Gringo ga je u krmu uspješno hvatao, a u drugom plovu je čak i realno ušao prvi u cilj. Istina, nakon korekcije X-Cite je i dalje bio ispred Gringa, ali sad je ta prednost s prosječnih više od dvije i pol korigirane minute u sezoni 2018. sad smanjena na oko minutu. Subota je posebno dobar dan bila i ekipi Mareusa II. Oni su korigirano pobijedili u prva dva plova, dok su u trećem završili na drugom mjestu. Taj plov se posada X-Citea se trgnula i upala u pobjednički niz koji je trajao i po jugu u nedjelju. Za razliku od ove tri posade koje su se izmjenjivale na vrhu, ekipe na Orci i Skyu su se uglavnom nalazili u donjem dijelu tablice. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Orca je najveći hendikep imala u tome što je za razliku od ostalih četrdesetica jedrila s genovom, dok su oni koristili flokove. U sklopu priprema za Svjetsko prvenstvo u Šibeniku Orca najavljuje par novih jedara tako da bi i oni trebali još ubrzati. A Sky nije imao sreće u subotu jer je riječ o jedrilici koja svoj forte ima po jačim vjetrovima. Ta činjenica se pokazala točnom kako je vjetar jačao. Nakon tri 5. mjesta u prva tri plova krenuli su uzlaznom putanjom već u četvrtom plovu. Njega su završili jednu stepenicu više, a u petom plovu su dojedrili do 3. mjesta. Vikend na Zadarskoj rivijeri nije prošao samo na moru. Udruga ORC jedriličara je u sklopu subotnjeg druženja koje je organizirano u prostorijama kluba organizatora, JK Uskok, organizirala predavanje koje je vodio glavni ORC premjerač, a ujedno i glavni premjerač u Hrvatskoj, Zoran Grubiša. Uz objašnjavanje elemenata koji su mnogima bili u zoni apstrakcije odgovarao je i na mnoga konkretna pitanja koja su pripremili kormilari i vlasnici koji su se okupili u velikom broju. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Treba li napomenuti da je 80% flote jedrilo s North Sails jedrima? READ MORE

KEN READ HEADLINES SAFETY AT SEA COURSE March 30 | Annapolis, MD "The sea is relentless, you never know when it's going to come out and bite you. You simply have to be prepared. The more prepared the better." - Ken Read, North Sails President Let's face it, with safety comes confidence. Keeping safe is paramount on a yacht, so whether you're in a dinghy racing on Wednesday nights, or taking on the 2225 nautical mile Transpac, we should all be in the same boat when it comes to ensuring ourselves and our crew are safe. US Sailing's Safety at Sea Course is designed to prepare you for whatever challenges the sea throws your way. To celebrate the 40th year of curriculum, North Sails President Ken Read will attend the seminar as Keynote Speaker. One of the world's most accomplished sailors, Ken has 200,000 offshore miles under his belt, and his first and foremost goal for any race has always been safety, which has been put to the test numerous times. Join Ken, Saturday March 30 at the United States Naval Academy where technical experts, premier ocean racers and sail training professionals blend their experience into what has become the most complete and comprehensive safety training course. Storm sails Care & maintenance of safety equipment Damage control & repair Heavy weather Seamanship Overboard prevention & recovery Hypothermia Weather forecasting USCG SAR & communications March 30 | 7:30am | United States Naval Academy | Alumni Hall READ MORE

GET READY FOR THE SEASON AHEAD North Sails Toronto Teams Up with LOOR North Sails Toronto and Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) are teaming up to provide racers with a measurement and certification event to help racers prep for the upcoming 2019 season. Join the team for a morning of fun and preparation! No limit on the number of sails you can bring in; our team will help ensure your PHRF and IRC certificates are signed off and you are race-ready. READ MORE

A PASSION FOR SAILING AND 3Di Kim Piller's Secret Weapon On The Race Course Are you a racer or cruiser? 90% of my sailing is on the race course. The other 10% is with my wife entertaining family and friends sailing around Port Credit. That’s the great advantage of a J/109, J Boats design group did a great job combining the amenities and comfort for family cursing with a very competitive racing design. My race schedule is pretty full as with most boaters in the great lakes. At most, we only get four months to sail, we need to make the most of it. The majority of my racing schedule is planned around single-handed races. Luckily there are several options in Lake Ontario for anyone up to the solo challenge. LOOR (Lake Ontario Offshore Racing) is the racing entity run out of Port Credit Yacht Club (by a great group of volunteers) that manager all the single-handed races I participate in. These include the Susan Hood, The LOSHRS’s (Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series) and the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge. Last season I did do some crewed races in the LORC (Lake Ontario Racing Council) series. My first challenge was to find crew, next was for me to get comfortable with having others on the boat with me while racing. After I realized that I didn’t need to drop the asym by myself I started to get comfortable with the extra bodies. We ended up doing pretty good in the series coming in 2nd. Kudo’s to everyone that crewed for me. How has 3Di helped your performance? Hands down -my 3Di sail from North is my secret weapon. Sailing a J-109 single-handed can have its challenges. Sailing up wind is one of the challenges. Keep in mind that fully crewed I’d have six to seven crew. Fully crewed with a good upwind breeze I can have bodies sitting on the rail. When I’m by myself, theirs no one on the rail. This is where the 3Di comes in. I met with Mike Wolfs from North to find out the best sail combination for going upwind in a good breeze, single handed. Mike came back and suggested a 110% 3Di headsail. What difference did you notice in your old sails vs. 3Di? When I first got the 3Di 110% delivered I was wowed. Hey, black sails have that stealth look to them. Maybe that’s a competitive advantage? Normally in a good upwind breeze I would opt to furl my old number one. This was never a great option. As soon as you furl the sail all the natural shape built into the sail is gone. The biggest difference with the 3Di was having the right sail up in the right conditions. Specific to the 3Di, the sail was designed perfectly right out of the bag, there were no adjustments to make. It is a furling sail with soft furling battens. The furling makes it super easy for me when setting and dropping the asym. The 3Di is my go-to sail. At 110% it’s perfect for me going upwind in breezes starting around 13 knots. The boat sails flatter and tracks to weather with ease. Helming is easier with the 3Di 110% as I can find that optimal balance and trim in a good breeze. There is no fighting with the helm. Overall the boat just drives better to weather with a lot of power. It feels great. Walk us through the process you took in making the decision to buy 3Di. Making the decision to purchase the 3Di took a few weeks. First, I knew that I needed to do something, I was not competitive upwind in stronger breezes. It was great to have the resources of the North staff to speak with. I had several discussions with Mike to gleam any tips, and to understand the features of the different sail types. Mike in turn spoke with North Sails Toronto's Hugh Beaton to get his suggestions. At the end of the day Mike gave me three different options which I appreciated. Basically, three different material & price options. I choose the 3Di based on the new technology, certainly price comes in as a factor but I felt if I was paying any money for a new sail, I wanted to get the best and newest technology. I also feel that the 3Di will stand up and give me additional years of use compared to other materials. At the end of the day, Live Wire had a pretty good sailing season. I can’t say that the new 3Di was responsible for all the results, but I do know that some podium positions would not have happened without the 3Di. Final comments are to thank the staff at North Sails in Toronto. They are extremely supportive to me and the sailing community locally and around the globe. If you’ve never stopped by the loft please do, they are very friendly and welcoming. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS EN EL FESTIVAL SAIL IN La pasada semana North Sails estuvo presente en el Festival SAIL IN de Bilbao, donde tuvo lugar diferentes y muy interesantes charlas. Junto a muchas personalidades de la élite de la vela, como Santiago Lange o el Equipo Mapfre de la Volvo Ocean Race. Nuestro responsable en la Zona Norte de España, Jorge Martínez Doreste, impartió una Master Class sobre las últimas tecnologías en fabricación de velas y trimado en ceñida. Todo ello acompañado de una fantástica organización por parte de todo el equipo de SAIL IN, a los que agradecemos enormemente su invitación y esperamos volver el próximo año. READ MORE

KIWI BIANCA COOK JOINS NORTH SAILS Following her latest circumnavigation, Cook joins the world's leading sailmaker for her next challenge 📸 Turn The Tide On Plastic / Volvo Ocean Race North Sails is excited to announce the addition of Bianca Cook to its sales force. Based out of New Zealand, the talented sailor will focus on the local New Zealand market. She is a key hire who will be looking at further enhancing the depth of knowledge and expertise within the loft ensuring the best client experience possible. Starting out in dinghies but quickly progressing to Classic yachts, match racing, and superyachts, Cook has an impressive CV for a 29-year-old. Hailing from a boat building background, she understands the need for early inclusion of sails into a design and development program to ensure optimum performance. With her wealth of knowledge and significant experience on large boats, having accumulated over 100,000 offshore miles, Bianca realized a lifelong dream to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race when she was selected to race on Turn the Tide on Plastic in 2017-18. She most recently was part of the first professional all-female crew to compete in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race with the Ocean Respect Racing Team on Wild Oats X. 📸 Sue Ellen / Live Sail Die As one of the world's most exciting young sailing talents, she will be an important part of the North Sails team who will continue to help deliver a premium and unrivaled customer service, and ensuring that the company continues to stay at the forefront of innovation and performance. Richard Bicknell, North Sails New Zealand General Manager commented: “Bianca is a well-known and hugely respected sailor, not only in New Zealand but around the world. She has a considerable amount of ocean miles under her belt and has sailed in a wide range of classes and events. We are delighted that she has decided to join us to bring her knowledge, experience, and infectious smile to the team - we know that she can help us further develop our network across New Zealand. She also brings with her the ability to grow our younger market and show the North range of product to the next generation." Bianca Cook commented: “I have used North Sails across most of the boats that I have sailed on in recent years and there is no doubt it is a quality brand with outstanding products. Sailing around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race was the greatest challenge of my life but this is an exciting next phase in my career. The team at North Sails are second to none and I look forward to joining them and all that we can do together in the future.” 📸 Turn The Tide On Plastic / Volvo Ocean Race 📸 Turn The Tide On Plastic / Volvo Ocean Race READ MORE

MEET THE WOMEN OF NORTH SAILS TORONTO Talented & Experienced, Our Teams Focus Is Maximizing Your Sailing In the sailing industry we're faced with intense seasonality on the Great Lakes (compared to other areas who can sail year round) which means the season is short and the pressure to maximize results is high and a guessing game of conditions. A shorter season means most racers want to achieve the greatest results they can within the 4 or 5 month span of Summer, which is usually flagged by lack luster wind (sorry Mother Nature, it's true). Cruisers want to maximize their time on the water, enjoy the sunshine and breeze as well. Everyone's trying to maximize our short season, so our job at the Toronto loft is vital as we try to keep sailors on the water as much as possible and manage the stress of sails in for repair or delivery of new sails. Kyann is on the floor majority of the time servicing sails while I spend most of my time upfront working on marketing and interacting with customers. Come Summer we spend more time outside the office than in, helping customers install sails, picking up sails or delivering them, measuring boats or doing sea trials. Last year at the 2018 Susan Hood Trophy Race, we installed a new mainsail on a Perry 57 - with hardware - hours before the skipper meeting and start of the race. Not something you see everyday - both the install or the two women doing it. Not something of the norm yet in the community (yet) which results in a little bit of surprise when we are seen coming down the dock with battens or sails. It is a great feeling when someone asks who they should talk to for a quote or a new sail and you respond by saying they can talk to you. You can quote them - then delve into questions about what they're looking for, what type of sailing they do and what the best options are for them and the technology in the sails. This feeling continues when delivering sails; most people are pretty surprised to see a young female lugging sails down the dock or up a mast fixing things. To say we're used to it would be an understatement however we enjoy surprising customers and helping with all aspects of sailing + sailmaking. While sailing has historically been a male dominated industry, there are a great numbers of female sailors and athletes who can a) sail and b) help customers with their sailing needs, especially at a company like North Sails. Kyann and I both have the experience. Kyann has been sailing since she was 11 years old, starting in junior sail at Etobicoke Yacht Club, working here way up to racing by the age of 13. She's also raced down south on Open 60's in places like Malta and Antigua while also sailing 8 Metre's, Shark's, Beneteau's and Soto 40. I have nine years in the marine industry with lots of experience in event coverage, management and support for sailors. I've also sailed Beneteau's and J/Boats, growing up sailing a Beneteau 36.7. It's a wonderful thing to work for a company that recognises this experience and work ethic; aiding in the continued growth of our skills and knowledge. Beyond our office, athletes like Sally Barkow, Marie Riou and Carolijn Brouwer are competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, America's Cup and World Match Racing Tour. Riou is the only sailor competing in the Sail GP event with the French Sail GP team while Brouwer is looking to be the first female skipper in the America's Cup and Barkow is trying out for Stars + Stripes Team USA. Additionally, we’ve seen teams like Team SCA from the 2014/2015 Volvo Ocean Race to Team Magenta 32 who competed in the World Match Racing Tour have helped change the stage for women in professionally yachting. We're both fortunate to work for a company that supports women in sailing and the marine industry as a whole. North Sails has welcomed our enthusiasm and supported our drive to get out on the water more, supporting customers as much as we can. We love the industry that we both never thought we'd ever be working in and it's fantastic to witness the growth over the last couple of years for female sailors. Kyann and I are both looking forward to the season ahead with our North Sails team and customers. Happy International Women’s Day to all! Check out more leading ladies changing the tides in sailing. READ MORE

HELLY HANSEN NOOD REGATTA SAN DIEGO The Kick Start To The Season | March 15 - 17 The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta is coming to San Diego March 15 - 17, and our San Diego and Long Beach teams will be there for all your sailing needs. Local experts will be on hand during the regatta for any sail care issues you have and our overnight regatta repair will ensure you're back on the racecourse without any worries. Overnight Repair It's the last thing you want to deal with after a day of racing, so let us. Our Certified Service experts will be on shore for you after each race day to collect sails for overnight repair. The North Sails van will be at CYC after racing on Friday and at SDYC on Saturday. You can pick up your sails at 8am on Saturday and Sunday at SDYC. If you have any questions, contact Bobby Richards: 619-846-3967 Dock Talks North Sails experts, Eric Doyle, Brian Janney and Chris Snow will be holding a series of dock talks, focusing on the immediate feedback from the race course. Look out for the North flag and crew and join your class dock talk to work on how you can improve, or keep on doing it right, for the next race day. Friday March 15 | Coronado Yacht Club J/70 with Chris Snow RS21 with Brian Janney Viper with Jay Golison Saturday March 16 | Corondao & San Diego Yacht Club Etchells with Eric Doyle RS21 with Brian Janney North Sails Rally Race Back for its 5 edition, the North Sails Rally Race is the perfect event for all types of cruisers. Rally racers are able to get all the benefits of a regatta with one day of racing. To top the day off, the NOOD after party at SDYC is the place to be for the Rally Race prize giving. Make sure you attend and claim your award and spot on the podium. READ MORE

NORTH U AT NORTH SAILS DETROIT North U Expert Bill Gladstone Stop By To Discuss Sail Trim And Boat Speed We had 54 people (near capacity of 60) attend North U's full day Seminar Feb. 23rd on sail trim and boat speed. This on the heels of the 110 people that attended the January Thursday Evening Seminar covering tactics and trim. Everyone who attend the Full Day Seminar seemed to enjoy it. How can you not, Bill Gladstone is an excellent speaker! The local loft provided coffee, water, soda and snacks throughout the day. We even had beer out during the last break. This was not included in the price of the seminar. We did have a donation can out to benefit DRYA Jr Sailing. Karl Kuspa, loft manager, personally committed to match dollar for dollar for the first $150. We raised $120. At the next seminar we will be asking for donations to benefit the Bayview Mackinac Foundation. The next free seminar is March 14th, from 7-9pm covering Mackinac Race Strategy, weather and routing. This is event will be at Bayview Yacht Club. Please RSVP to Detroit Office Manager, Chelsie Strong at chelsie.strong@northsails.com. READ MORE

SPECIAL VISIT AT NORTH SAILS LOFT A thank you from Emirates Team New Zealand, to welcome North aboard on their journey toward the 2021 America’s Cup. Not everyone gets to touch the America’s Cup — but the lucky team at North Sails’ Auckland loft recently had the privilege, where the historic trophy came and paid a visit. A group from Emirates Team New Zealand, including the Cup’s own personal ‘bodyguard’, brought the silverware from its home at Auckland’s Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to the Glenfield loft, where the staff were able to hold and be photographed with it. The special visit was a thank you from Emirates Team New Zealand, to welcome North aboard on their journey toward the 2021 America’s Cup. North Sails is the international supplier of choice for not only Team New Zealand but also the Luna Rossa Challenge, Stars & Stripes Team USA and INEOS Team UK. Blanks for the new sails will be made at the specialist North Sails three-dimensional moulding loft in Minden, Nevada, and finished and detailed to Team New Zealand’s specifications in Auckland. The North Sails Auckland team will work closely with Rob Salthouse from Emirates Team New Zealand, himself a former sailmaker with years of experience in Cup competition. The Cup made its trip over the Auckland Harbour Bridge in a case specially designed and built by North Sails, from 3Di fabric, for its journey to London jewellers House of Garrard for a check-up last year. The 2021 event is seeing a return to the use of more ‘traditional’ sails than the hard wingsails used in Bermuda and San Francisco, but the new America’s Cup 75 foiling monohulls will still break new ground with their innovative ‘softwing’ double-skinned mainsails. Long-time North Sails designer Burns Fallow, who is currently embedded with Emirates Team New Zealand, was a key member of the team developing the AC 75 class rule and was instrumental in developing the new softwing system. The North Sails team has a busy few months ahead, with the first new Cup boat to be launched in late winter. "It was a great chance for our team to get to see the 'Holy Grail' and to really show them why we do this," says North sales and marketing manager Andrew Wills, who got his own 'selfie' with the silverware. "We are very proud to be part of the campaign — it’s going to be an exciting few years coming up." READ MORE

NORTH SAILS TRIM SEMINAR AT HOWTH YACHT CLUB Training Provided By Your Local Experts North Sails Ireland had the pleasure of presenting their latest sail trim seminar at Howth YC last night for its members and guests. I counted over seventy people in the audience and my colleague Maurice "Prof" O'Connell took the lead backed up by Shane Hughes the newest member of the North Sails Team here in Ireland. Both Maurice and Shane as well as being top level sailors are exceptional coaches both on and off the water. Not only do they know their subject inside out they have a really nice way of presenting that makes the complicated subject of sail trim understandable for expert and beginner alike. One of the big features of the latest talk is the use of North Sails Trim simulator. Please take a look at the link to download your own copy to experiment with at home: North Sails Trim Simulator This fantastic training tool was developed by Bill Gladstone and his Team at North U, the training and teaching arm of North sails. The simulator uses real information from the North Sails Design Suite to produce a really accurate presentation of the real changes to sail shapes when you make a change to the set up. You get to view the changes from on board and off the boat all in the comfort of your own home without getting your feet wet! The North Sails Roadshow has been all over the country during the last few weeks and Prof is in action again this weekend in The Royal St George YC Saturday, March 2nd at 12pm. Then we are off to the East Antrim Boat Club on the following Wednesday, March 6th. "Keep an eye out for a North Sails Talk near you! Sail Fast and have fun!" -Nigel Young, North Sails Ireland READ MORE

CARNAVAL EM VILAMOURA A North Sails vai estar presente em Vilamoura, durante o Torneio de Carnaval. Procurem-nos para Tips & Advices sobre a vossa North Sails e também para qualquer informação sobre as nossas velas. Velejadores de Optimist e Snipe não percam a oportunidade de saber mais sobre as campanhas em vigor, válidas até ao dia 11 de Março de 2019! Se não nos estiverem a encontrar podem sempre ligar, pois estamos por perto: Vicente Pinheiro - 916 857 896 Joana Pinheiro - 916 830 166 Good Luck & Sail Fast! READ MORE

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD Five yachts enjoyed close racing throughout the three-day regatta in the Bay of Islands at this year's Millennium Cup. 📸 Jeff Brown / Breed Media This year’s Millennium Cup superyacht regatta was just a taste of what is to come in the next few years, as momentum builds towards the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland. Five yachts, including stalwarts Tawera and Silvertip, enjoyed close racing throughout the three-day regatta, but they could be joined by more than 25 others as numbers grow over the next two years. All five yachts competing this year had sails by North, and many had North Sails experts aboard. Coming out on top after five races was the Ron Holland design Tawera, which also won the event in 2016 and 2017, skippered by Mike Mahoney and with Chris Dickson as tactician. This year her main competition was provided by Swan 90 Freya, a first-time entrant in the Millennium Cup. Also competing were Silvertip, with veteran Kiwi sailors Tom Dodson and Tom Schnackenberg calling the tactics and navigating, Thalia and Sassafrass, which unfortunately had to withdraw after the first day with gear damage. 📸 Jeff Brown / Breed Media North Sails Auckland superyacht specialist Matt Smeaton says exciting times lie ahead for the regatta and for the superyacht industry, as owners start planning a visit to New Zealand to tie in with the America’s Cup regatta and its lead-up. This was the first year the event had been run using the ORC superyacht handicapping system, to bring the regatta in line with international regattas. "ORC is a great thing for the event," says Smeaton. "A team of handicappers came to New Zealand from Italy and sailed a race on each of the boats, to make sure the ratings were accurate, as most of the yachts competing here haven’t raced under the rule before." Smeaton says ORC is “really going to grow the regatta”, hopefully even beyond the size it was during the 2000 America’s Cup, when 36 boats competed in the event. A motor yacht division is also going to be added. This was also the first year the regatta was held separate from Bay of Islands Sailing Week, giving race organisers more scope to lay courses around the islands of the bay and in differing wind directions. Veteran race officer Harold Bennett was at the helm of the race committee, and on shore “the voice of New Zealand yachting”, Pete Montgomery, took on MC duties for the social events, based at Russell’s historic Duke of Marlborough hotel. Unlike during the 2000 and 2003 America’s Cups, when the Millennium Cup event was held in Auckland, future regattas will stay based in the Bay of Islands, giving visiting owners and crews the chance to enjoy one of the world’s most beautiful sailing grounds. Smeaton says he and the North Sails team plan to work closely with superyacht owners and crews over the coming years to ensure they are getting high-quality service. "We are already looking at the boats that are going to follow on from this and come next year," he says. "We are expecting to start seeing more people come down next season, so there will probably be double the number of boats at the Millennium Cup next year. We are really looking forward to seeing these boats coming down into the Pacific, and are going to look after them as best we can." 📸 Jeff Brown / Breed Media READ MORE

CONSEJO NORTH SAILS ¿Qué significa NPL? NPL es el acrónimo de North Panel Laminate y hace referencia al material producido utilizando el laminador de tejido más avanzado del mundo. La magia de nuestras velas NPL se encuentra en el proceso integrado Exact, que permite la aplicación instantánea de x-scrims de ángulo variable (hilo unidireccional entre dos films). Nuestro proceso exclusivo permite una magnífica adherencia con la mínima utilización de adhesivos. El resultado son velas más ligeras y robustas, con menor rango de estiramiento y una durabilidad superior a la de otros laminados. Nuestra gama de velas laminadas NPL ofrece tres versiones: NPL Sport, NPL Tour y NPL Downwind. Para más información, contacta con tu agente North Sails, visita www.northsails.com o escríbenos a info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

REUNIÓN DE DISEÑADORES La localidad estadounidense de Marblehead (Massachusetts) acogió la reunión anual de los principales diseñadores de velas de North Sails. Durante tres jornadas, 23 expertos de ocho nacionalidades compartieron ideas sobre los avances realizados en 2018 y los proyectos de 2019, con especial énfasis en el desarrollo de velas, el perfeccionamiento de la herramienta de diseño North Design Suite y los paquetes básicos para equipos de competición, donde se aplican innovaciones que una vez probadas en regatas de alto nivel se podrán aplicar a las velas que comercializa North Sails. "Contamos con diseñadores de talento apasionados por hacer que los barcos naveguen más rápido", explica JB Braun, director de diseño e ingeniería de la firma. "North Sails nos ofrece una oportunidad única en software, maquinaria y organización, permitiéndonos operar a un nivel súper alto, fabricar velas y conseguir opiniones inmediatas de regatistas profesionales". READ MORE

STARS & STRIPES TEAM USA TAMBIÉN ELIGE NORTH SAILS El equipo estadounidense Stars & Stripes Team USA ha elegido North Sails como diseñador y proveedor oficial de velas para su desafío por la 36 America’s Cup. 📸 Stars & Stripes Team USA Este anuncio se une a los de los desafíos italiano Prada Luna Rossa y británico INEOS Team UK, y del defensor neozelandés Emirates Team New Zealand, quienes también confían en el líder mundial. JB Braun, director de diseño e ingeniería de North Sails, será además el director técnico de Stars & Stripes Team USA. "Llevo más de 18 años involucrado en la America’s Cup, y en ese tiempo he visto cómo tecnología e innovación han cambiado las cosas a niveles irreconocibles", explica Braun. "Pero una cosa permanece invariable: siempre gana el barco más rápido. Nuestro desafío esta vez, con un barco nuevo y tanto por aprender, es cómo asegurarnos de que navegamos con trimado óptimo un mayor porcentaje de tiempo que nuestros rivales". READ MORE

NORTH SAILS ESPAÑA, AL SERVICIO DE LA VELA North Sails cuenta en España con cuatro velerías, incluyendo la mayor en servicio para superyates y una de las siete que fabrican velas de la firma en el mundo. Una estructura de más de 70 profesionales al servicio de la vela. 📸 Ian Roman Las plantas estadounidenses de Milford (Connecticut) y Minden (Nevada), la neozelandesa de Auckland, la esrilanquesa de Colombo, la británica de Gosport y la española de Cuntis cubren la demanda mundial de velas North Sails, que asciende nada menos que a 33.000 unidades anuales. La firma cuenta con 1.600 empleados, 110 velerías con servicio certificado y 150 puntos de venta. En España, la estructura de North Sails está compuesta por cuatro velerías en Palma, Valencia y Cuntis, además de las oficinas comerciales ubicadas en Barcelona y Málaga. En total, algo más de 70 profesionales, incluidos 40 comerciales, que en 2018 vendieron cerca de 700 velas en nuestro país. Pero la labor de North Sails España es mucho más que la de vender las mejores velas del mundo. "Nuestra vocación es la de dar servicio al cliente, que esté contento y conseguir fidelizarlo para mantener con él una relación que se prolongue en el tiempo", explica Luis Martínez Doreste, director comercial de North Sails España. "La calidad de las velas North Sails es innegable, pero la clave del éxito está en el servicio". El equipo liderado por Martínez Doreste comercializa todas las referencias del extenso catálogo de la firma, desde Óptimist hasta superyates, desde clásicos hasta monotipos, desde crucero hasta vela de alta competición. "Por número de unidades, lo que más vendemos son productos de vela ligera, pero por facturación los más importantes son el nicho Premier Race –barcos de serie utilizados en regata– y los One Design". Cuntis, una de las siete La velería de Cuntis (Pontevedra) es uno de los siete centros de producción de North Sails en el mundo, uno de los tres de Europa y el único que fabrica velas en España. Sus instalaciones constan de tres plantas y cerca de 4.000 metros cuadrados que incluyen una espectacular sala diáfana de más de 1.000 metros cuadrados. Al frente se encuentra toda una institución, Manolo Lastra, auténtico gurú del sector con más de cuatro décadas de experiencia. Aunque fabrica también velas de portantes, la velería de Cuntis es una de las dos plantas North Sails especializadas en clásicos, junto a la estadounidense de Milford. "Fabricamos del orden de 400 velas al año, de las que alrededor del 25% son velas de clásicos", explica Lastra. Para responder a la demanda del mercado, el personal de la velería recurre al saber hacer de entre 20 y 30 expertos veleros en función del ciclo de producción. Superyates, en Palma Gracias a su posición estratégica en el Mediterráneo, Mallorca concentra prácticamente la mitad de la estructura de North Sails España. Sus dos velerías de Lluchmajor y Palma suman 6.500 metros cuadrados de superficie, y su plantilla asciende a 42 trabajadores, erigiéndose como referencia absoluta entre las velerías especializadas en superyates del mundo. "Nuestro objetivo es que los capitanes de los barcos no se preocupen de nada desde que llegan a puerto", explica Marc Patiño."Descargamos las velas, las transportamos hasta la velería, realizamos un informe detallado de cada una de ellas, completamos las reparaciones o modificaciones que nos pidan, y las devolvemos al barco". Por las velerías de North Sails Palma pasan una media de 180 velas al mes, y sus instalaciones tienen capacidad para almacenar más de 2.000 velas. "Damos servicio a barcos de todo tipo, desde Óptimist, windsurf o crucero regata, hasta colosos con velas 3Di de una tonelada de peso". La estructura de North Sails en la isla incluye una veintena de veleros, diez comerciales y diez especialistas en logística. Multiservicio, en Valencia La velería de North Sails Valencia cuenta con una ubicación privilegiada junto al Real Club Náutico de Valencia. Sus instalaciones constan de aproximadamente mil metros cuadrados de superficie donde se ofrece todo tipo de reparaciones y modificaciones de velas para todo tipo de embarcaciones. "Ofrecemos desde asesoramiento técnico hasta confección", explica Nacho Braquehais."El servicio es prácticamente integral, e incluye desde desmontar, revisar, reparar, modificar y limpiar velas, fundas y capotas, hasta almacenarlas para hibernar o probarlas con el cliente". La actividad de la velería no cesa durante todo el año, aunque los meses con mayor carga de trabajo se concentran entre marzo y junio. Al final de la temporada, North Sails ofrece un interesante servicio de chequeo "que permite detectar con tiempo las reparaciones o modificaciones que requerirá la vela para aumentar su rendimiento y vida útil, y así poder programarlas de manera que la vela esté en perfectas condiciones cuando el cliente la necesite". Las cuatro velerías cubren la demanda del mercado nacional, pero la ambición de North Sails España es no sólo consolidar su posición como líder del sector en nuestro país, sino incrementar su presencia por las costas españolas y fidelizar al cliente con una relación todavía más directa y cercana. "De cara a 2019 queremos evolucionar en oferta de servicios y ampliar nuestra red de puntos North Sails para cubrir todos los puertos y marinas de la costa española", concluye Martínez Doreste. READ MORE

PRVO PH U 2019. JE USPJEŠNO ODJEDRENO foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Jedriličarski klub Val iz Šibenika i Wave Sailing Center bili su organizatori Prvenstva Hrvatske u dvobojskom jedrenju, na regati koja je ujedno bila i uvodni događaj u ovogodišnji ciklus European Match Race Toura. Sudjelovalo je sedam ekipa iz Hrvatske, Slovenije i Danske. Iz Danske je stigao, Downhill Sailing Team, mladi momci predvođeni Emilom Kjaerom (ISAF rank: 100), kojem je ovo bio treći nastup na jednoj match race regati u Šibeniku. Od slovenskih jedriličara tu su bili Jure Jerkovič (ISAF rank: 226) i Bojan Presen (ISAF rank: 142) koji su sa svojim posadama već odjedrili nekoliko regata u Šibeniku. A Hrvatsku su predstavljale lokalne zvijezde u usponu, posada WSC Sailing Team-a, sastavljena od srednjoškolaca i brucoša kojima je glavni i odgovorni Marko Smolić (ISAF rank: 169), turbo iskusni Murterski jedriličari koje je nakon duže pauze još jednom okupio Tonko Rameša (ISAF rank: 333), te dvije posade iz Splita. Posada Tome Stipanovića (ISAF rank: 803) koji je već ranije krenuo sa skupljanjem bodova za ISAF match race ljestvicu, dok je premijeru u match raceu imala posada splitskog Pomorskog fakulteta koju je predvodio Toni Bušić. Od standardnog termina u kojem se PH jedrilo nekoliko prethodnih godina, odustalo se nakon problema s organiziranjem istoga za 2018. godinu. Zato je iskorišten termin EMRT-a, a regata je ujedno dobila i na dodatnoj kvaliteti nastupom iskusnih inozemnih posada. Program regate je predvidio kvalifikacijski dio s dva Round Robina, te finalni dio s King of the Castle, polufinalom i finalom. Regatu su otvorili parovi Kjaer - Bušić i Rajar - Stipanović. Jedrili su po buri koja je konstantno puhala oko 20 čvorova. Snaga vjetra i čudljivost burinih refula bili su razlog mjere predostrožnosti koju je zadao Regatni odbor natjecateljima. Riječ je bila o obaveznom prvom kratu i nekorištenju spinakera. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Uvjeti na moru su malobrojnoj publici uskratili pogled na više atraktivnih situacija u predstartnim nadmudrivanjima. Uglavnom su se jedriličari držali na sigurnim udaljenostima jedni od drugih, ali svejedno su se desila dva manja sudara. U jednom je ekipa Gibanca udarila jedrilicu Panja i zaradila pola kaznenog boda, dok su u drugom incidentu Panji imali bliski susret s brodom RO-a. Tek nakon 15 sati bura malo slabi i podižu se kompletna glavna jedra, a u posljednja dva odjedrena flighta dozvoljava se i upotreba spinakera. Ali unatoč svim pokušajima ostaje neodjedren posljednji match prvog Round Robina. Vodeća ekipa na kraju dana su Panji s impresivnim 100 postotnim učinkom! Iza njih petak završavaju danci s 83% i domaćini iz WSC-a sa 67%. Sutradan jedriličare dočekuje prekrasan sunčan dan, ali s minimum vjetra. Odmah nakon izlaska na more, po laganom maestralu, uspijeva se samo završiti započeti Round Robin. Jedini potez koji je tada RO-u ostao na raspolaganju bio je izlazak kroz kanal Sv.Ante i prebacivanje regatnog polja pred Jadriju. To se već za vrijeme prolaska pored tvrđave Sv.Nikole pokazalo izvrsnim potezom jer je maestrala bilo više nego dovoljno za nastavak regate čim se postave bove. S obzirom na količinu vjetra odlučeno je da se drugi Round Robin jedri do kraja dana, bez prekidanja i započinjanja finalnog ciklusa. Jednako tako je i vremenska prognoza obećavala dovoljno vjetra i u nedjelju, pa nije bilo potrebe za forsiranjem završnog dijela. Spomenuti prekid je bio opcija jer je u match raceu dozvoljeno da se prekine Round Robin na sredini, kad sve posade imaju jednak broj odjedrenih matcheva, a također je uvedeno i novo pravilo o polovičnim bodovima koje je iskorišteno u ovom slučaju. Naime, maestral koliko god je bio dobar dok je puhao ipak je sa smirajem dana počeo smanjivati svoj intenzitet. Uspješno se kraju privelo 8 flighteva, a neodržanih ostaju tri (u stvari dva i pol, jer je u kombinaciji 7 posada posljednji flight samo s jednim matchem). Da bi se dobilo konačno bodovno stanje za formiranje finalnih parova trebalo je usporediti tablice prvog i drugog Round Robina. U njima je trebalo pronaći matcheve u kojima su bili isti parovi i tu se pobjednicima dodjeljivalo za pobjedu po pola boda umjesto dotadašnje upisivanih jedinica. To je razlog malo neobičajenijoj brojevnoj slici koja se može vidjeti u rezultatima. U odnosu na petak, redoslijed se promijenio samo po pitanju vodećeg dvojca. U posljednjem subotnjem matchu susreli su se upravo Panji i Downhill Sailing Team, uvjerljivo najbolje ekipe regate. Ovaj put je pobjedu odnijela danska ekipa i tako se bodovno izjednačila s murterinima, ali kako su klinci iz Danske bili bolji u kasnijem dvoboju po pravilima preuzimaju ulogu lidera na bodovnoj ljestvici. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Nedjeljno jutro je bilo jednako subotnjem i regata se odmah nakon napuštanja veza uputila prema Jadriji. Nije više bilo maestrala, već je puhalo lagano oštro. S obzirom da se nije očekivalo značajnije jačanje vjetra tijekom dana program je skraćen na minimum. Za pobjede u King of the Castle srazovima bila je dovoljna samo po jedna pobjeda, dok su se polufinala i finala jedrila na dvije pobjede. Prvi match derbija začelja imali su 6. i 7. s rang ljestvice. Kao bolje plasirana, posada PFST-a je u match ušla pod žutom zastavicom, odnosno s desne strane s mogućnošću dočekivanja protivnika na favoriziranim desnim uzdama. Protivnička ekipa, s Tomom Stipanovićem na kormilu ulazi s lijeva, s plavom zastavicom i u zanimljivom nadmudrivanju po vrlo laganom vjetru starta s par sekundi prednosti. Cijelu prvu orcu i prvu krmu jedre jedni blizu drugih, izmjenjuju se u vodstvu, ali u posljednjem duelu, Stipanović iskorištava preklapanje s kojim iizgurava Bušićevu ekipu dovoljno daleko od željene rute da se uspije prvi spustiti do bove od krme i u drugu orcu ući sa značajnom prednosti koju ne ispušta do kraja. U drugom matchu iz ciklusa King of the Castle, Stipanovićevu ekipu dočekala je petoplasirana posada, slovenci iz Gibanca tima. Na nešto kraćem regatnom polju mnogo iskusnija posada iz Slovenije nije dala puno šanse našim mladićima. Od početka do kraja dvoboja imali su inicijativu i ostvarenu prednost su uspješno održavali do kraja plova. Nakon što se ovako razriješio redoslijed od 5. do 7. mjesta ostalo je još da se odjedre polufinalni matchevi. Po pravilima je vodeća posada izabrala svoje protivnike, a i ovaj put je bilo kao što se to najčešće radi, izabrali su četveroplasirane slovence iz posade Eureke. U drugom matchu su jedrile preostale naše dvije posade. U oba polufinala rezultat je na kraju bio po 2:0., a u finale su otišli Rameša i Kjaer, dok su se za treće mjesto nadmetali Smolić i Rajar. Jednaki rezultati, po 2:0, su bili i u posljednja dva flighta. U srazu za prvo mjesto uvjerljiviji su bili murterini, dok je Smolićeva ekipa odnijela pobjedu za treće mjesto. Osim titule apsolutnih pobjednika European Match Race Tour - stop Šibenik, posada Panji ovjenčala se i titulom prvaka Hrvatske za 2019. godinu, dok su drugoplasirani završili momci iz Šibenika, a na trećem i četvrtom mjestu su posade predvođene Tomom Stipanovićem i Tonijem Bušićem. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić – www.regate.com.hr Nakon ove regate EMRT se nastavlja na još šest regata po slijedećem rasporedu: Tivat (Crna Gora), Neusiedl See (Austrija), Limano (Rumunjska), Gothenburg (Švedska), Swinojuscie (Poljska) i Ledro (Italia), a finale za 2019. godinu će ove godine biti po prvi put u Šibeniku. Rezervirani termin je 4 - 6. listopada, tjedan dana prije seniorskog Europskog prvenstva koje će se jedriti u istom akvatoriju. READ MORE

A LONG TIME COMING How Client Stephen Jones Won The 2018 Shark Worlds Stephen shares how he and his crew, comprised of North Sails expert Geoff Moore and Breck McFarlane, took home the 2018 Shark World Championships in Kingston this past August. While the crew had minimal amount of training together before the Worlds, the crew was able to come together in tough conditions and sail smart. That said, the crew did do a lot boat prep work and preventative maintenance to the boat before the event started after they arrived in Kingston. Included in this was time spent mast tuning, specifically individual shroud tuning matrix, which Moore says contributed to their success. The maintenance continued throughout the event, each day before and after racing; allowing them to ensure the boat, the rig and the sails were in the best condition for racing. Tell us about how the journey to the Worlds and what steps you took to ensure success? I got to Worlds because my brother said, “I can't make it, but you can take the boat if you want.” He started a new job, and he didn't have any vacation time. So I said, “Okay, great!” and I immediately contacted Geoff and I said, “Geoff, do you want to do the Worlds?” And he said, “Sure, I'm in.” Then we recruited Breck McFarlane who has also done lots of different Shark events with us. And I've raced with him on J/22s and he raced on my J/22s. How were the conditions in Kingston? Usually it can either be raging winds or light air. It blew hard all week. Moderate on the last day, but we were on the jib for, I think, the first four days. The distance race, the squall came through where, reportedly, the Kingston Yacht Club's weather station reported 37 knots. For the first six races we had nothing worse than a three, so we were looking pretty good. Then we won the distance race, more just by keeping our heads together in the squall, and then for Friday, the last day of the event, we just kind of lifted the foot off the pedal a bit. I think we had a 6 and an 11, then we dropped the 11. It was an 11 and then a 6. Tell us about the squall and the distance race more. We actually changed from the Blade to the Genoa, that kind of moderated halfway through the race, and then we dropped to the low mark and we went back to Genoa, cause that's what was hinked up, the squall came through and it jumped from 18 to 38 knots. Boats were wiping out all around us. One guy went bare-headed and one guy dropped main and jib just to ride out this storm. Meanwhile Geoff was able to keep the boat going, keep the boat upright. And he told me to do something that I would not have done; he said, “Let the jib out.” I said, “Okay, are you sure? He says, “Yeah!” and then he said, “Let it out more, more.” Like, I let it out a meter, a meter and a half. I just thought, “That can't be right.” But we ended up actually still making progress upwind, where everyone else was basically just being bumped backwards, or sideways. we went from 8th or 9th in that race to winning it. North Sails expert Geoff Moore recalls the distance race was 4.5 hours and required the team to switch from little jib to big jib upwind (bare handed). Moore said "When the squall came thru most people left jibs over trimmed so they couldn’t fly their mains. We let out the main then eased the genoa so we could fly both sails at the same time." In addition to expert boat handling in the windy conditions, Moore also doubled up on battens in the mainsail to allow for better control, going so far as to "hand stitch battens into pocket." How would you say the sails have contributed or have they contributed to your success over the years, especially at the Worlds? We've always been loyal with North and I just think that the Shark sails won't let you down, they're known commodities, there's nothing radical about them. I had North on my Shark, well, I had actually a mixed inventory, but I came 2nd in the '06 Worlds, which is a very light air event. It's like how back in the day they'd used to say that no one would get fired for choosing IBM. You're not going to go wrong choosing North. Moore shares how “Our jib fit the boat beautifully” and the conditions required them to trim their sails perfectly throughout racing. For more information on our Shark products and how you can win the next Worlds, check out our inventory and contact your local experts today! READ MORE

CONDICIONES ESPECIALES PARA VELAS ENTREGADAS EN MARZO Si estás pensando en actualizar tu inventario de velas, ahora es el momento. Pide ya tus nuevas North Sails y recíbelas en marzo con magníficos descuentos. Las oportunidades están para aprovecharlas. En North Sails entendemos la inversión que supone actualizar un inventario de velas y por eso ofrecemos condiciones especiales cuando nuestras velerías disponen de mayor capacidad para aceptar pedidos de entrega inmediata. Si encargas ahora tus velas North Sails en tejidos NPL o NPC podrás beneficiarte de un suculento descuento y recibirlas en marzo. Y si lo tuyo es el 3Di, pregúntanos cómo equipar tu barco con las velas con mejores prestaciones y durabilidad del mundo. Te sorprenderás. Utiliza el código MARZO al realizar tu pedido y conseguirás condiciones especiales. Contacta con tu agente North Sails o pídenos presupuesto sin compromiso en info@es.northsails.com READ MORE

DINNER IS ON US We're Swapping Sails For Spatulas At The February Meeting READ MORE

Racing all over the world, here's what she had to say about her experience and goals in her sailing career so far.  READ MORE

Rendez-vous au SuisseNautic de Berne du 20 au 24 février SuisseNautic, le plus grand et plus important salon national du nautisme et des sports nautiques destiné au grand public, a lieu tous les deux ans. Du mercredi 20 au dimanche 24 février, votre équipe North Sails vous accueillera dans la Halle 3.2 sur le stand E02. Nos collaborateurs seront à votre entière disposition pour répondre à vos questions, échanger sur votre saison passée et celle à venir, vous faire découvrir nos nouveautés ou encore vous faire profiter de nos "offres spéciales salon". Horaire et billetterie: Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus et acheter vos billets d’entrée. N'oubliez pas de contacter nos experts afin de bénéficier d’une réduction sur votre billet d’entrée ! Gammes 2019: Découvrez déjà nos gammes de cette année en cliquant ici. Nous vous souhaitons une belle saison de ski et nous nous réjouissons de vous accueillir à Berne! READ MORE

ORC PLANOVI ZA JADRAN U 2019. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - www.regate.com.hr Udruga ORC jedriličara u nastojanjima da još više populariziraju sustav po kojem rade su za sezonu 2019. pripremili još jednu novost. U stvari riječ je o malo razrađenijem pristupu lanjskoj inicijativi, a u svakom slučaju o akciji koja bi mogla biti zanimljiva još širem krugu jedriličara na krstašima. U sezoni 2018. pokrenuta je rang ljestvica koje je rangirala jedriličare koji su bili sudionici na deset regata koje su se bodovale po ORC Club sustavu razvrstanja, regatama koje nisu u sklopu D-Marin CRO ORC Cup-a koji se jedri po ORC International-u. Osnovna ideja je bila povezati regate koje jedre na duljim rutama i da po mogućnosti budu "offshore" što je više moguće. Kako takvih regata koje bi u potpunosti zadovoljavale tu definiciju nije bilo previše, a i u cilju bolje promocije odlučeno je da se uključe i regate koje se već dulje vremena jedre po ORC-u i na kojim se generalni pobjednik dobiva iz ove skupine. Tako se dobila lista na kojoj su se našle Jadranska, Komiška, Južnodalmatinska, Trka oko Krka, Regata 1000 otoka, Galijola, Viška, Regata oko Dugog otoka i Jabuka. Iako je u nazivu ove ljestvice stajalo "offshore" ipak zbog Komiške, Južodalmatinske i Viške to nije bila baš "čista" ljestvica regata koje se jedre na stvarno dugim rutama. Unatoč tome, cijela akcija je dobila pozitivne reakcije jedriličara uz određene sugestije da se još više približi većini koja ipak nije toliko zaražena višednevnim jurcanjima na dugim relacijama. Zato se unutar Udruge ORC jedriličara ove godine odlučilo formirati i tzv. "inshore" ljestvicu regata koje se jedre po ORC Club-u, a za ekipe koje više vole otvoreno more da se pročisti njihov popis regata. Izvorni popis dugih regata skraćen je za spomenute tri regate koje se u principu ne uklapaju u ovaj koncept, a dodana je jedna novost iz Kvarnerskog akvatorija. Članovi YC Croatia iz Opatije su odlučili napraviti još jednu pravu zimsku dugu regatu, kombinaciju Jabuke i Sv.Nikole. Ruta je vrlo jednostavna... start ispred marine Ičići, baze YC Croatia, pa oko otočića Suska i natrag u Ičiće. Promotivno izdanje regate će biti oglašeno za posade, a ovisno o interesu jedriličara organizatori razmišljaju i o otvaranju regate za dvojce. Ova regata bi bila posljednja za offshore ljestvicu u 2019. dok cijeli popis izgleda ovako: Datum Regata Okvirna duljina 26.04 - 01.05. 13. Jadranska regata 220 NM 20.09 - 22.09. 6. Trka oko Krka 55 NM 22.09 - 25.09. 6. Regata 1000 otoka - 1. etapa 280 NM 26.09 - 29.09. 6. Regata 1000 otoka - 2. etapa 280 NM 27.09 - 29.09. 37. Galijola 80 NM 25.10 - 27.10. 5. Regata oko Dugog otoka 110 NM 08.11 - 10.11. 16. Jabuka 90 NM 22.11 - 24.11. Susak za posade 100 NM Sustav bodovanja ostaje jednak sustavu iz 2018. i količina skupljenih bodova najviše ovisi o duljini rute na kojoj se regata jedrila. Ideja je jednostavna, što je regata dulja veća je vrijednost osvojenog mjesta. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - www.regate.com.hr Tri regate koje su maknute s offshore ljestvice prebačene su na inshore ljestvicu. Uz njih su dodane još četiri koje su također popularne među našim jedriličarima, a neke od njih imaju dugu povijest bodovanja po ORC-u. Također se nastojalo da se zastupe regate po cijelom Jadranu, pa ih ima od Kvarnera do Dubrovnika, a za razliku od gornje tablice u kojoj se može primijetiti da su regate većinom smještene u jesen, inshore su raspoređene od proljeća do jeseni: Datum Regata 01.03 - 03.03. Karnevalska regata 06.04 - 06.04. Gladuša 2019 27.04 - 28.04. 17. Zlarinska regata krstaša 24.05 - 26.05. 28. Komiška regata 02.08 - 04.08. Južnodalmatinska regata 13.09 - 15.09. Lošinjska regata 18.10 - 20.10. 75. Viška regata Princip bodovanja je drugačiji nego kod navigacijskih regata. Temeljna prednost koju će neka od regata imati je broj sudionika prijavljenih po ORC-u. Što ih bude više vrijednost bodova za osvojeno pojedino mjesto će biti veća. Formula po kojoj će se taj element uzimati u obzir izgleda ovako: BROJ BODOVA = 100 + 300*LOG(BROJ SUDIONIKA NA REGATI) - 200*LOG(MJESTO OSVOJENO NA REGATI) Istina, nije baš uobičajeno logaritme i slične matematičke funkcije viđati prilikom slaganja rang ljestvica ali treba napomenuti da gornja formula nije izmišljena za ovu prigodu već je preuzeta od "modelara" koji ovakav način bodovanja za svoju rang ljestvicu koriste već više od desetljeća. Prvi bodovi će se podijeliti već za mjesec dana na Karnevalskoj regati u Biogradu i to će ujedno biti prva regata u 2019. koja je uključena na jednu od ORC ljestvica. Obje ljestvice će bodove dodjeljivati jedrilicama, a ne kormilarima. Drugim riječima, otvara se prostor kalkulacijama i lakšem planiranju osvajanja vrha ljestvica, pogotovo ako ekipe koriste jedrilice iz chartera. Element vlasništva je ovdje posve nebitan, a nije loše spomenuti da je velika većina jedrilica u charteru je uredno premjerena i posjeduje potrebni certifikat. A za kraj je ostala bazična ljestvica za čije osvajanje jedre sudionici D-Marin CRO ORC Cupa. Kao što se iz imena vidi, sponzor ovog natjecanja je još uvijek D-Marin koji i dalje sponzorira regate za Cup koje se jedre u nekoj od njihovih marina, a to bi u principu bile sve osim Uskrsne regate koja je pod kapom PBZ Leasinga. foto: Hrvoje Duvančić - www.regate.com.hr Sponzorstvo D-Marina se i dalje koristi za smanjivanje troškova održavanja regate, pa su svi oni koji uplate godišnju članarinu u Udruzi ORC jedriličara i dalje pošteđeni startnine na regatama (osim Prvenstva Hrvatske gdje participiraju s dosta manjim iznosom). S druge strane od ove godine na Uskrsnoj regati se ponovno plaća startnina koje također nije bilo u posljednje vrijeme. Također više neće biti ni Open skupine, već će se jedriti isključivo po ORC-u, tako da ako planirate do Hvara u travnju provjerite da li imate valjan ORC certifikat! Broj regata koje će se ove godine jedriti za Cup je smanjen za čak dvije. Dosadašnja praksa je pokazala da regate koje se organiziraju u rujnu i listopadu imaju veliki problem s okupljanjem dovoljnog broja posada koje su najčešće spriječene obavezama u charteru. Tako su u službenom kalendaru ostale samo proljetne regate, a na jesen će se jedriti samo Prvenstvo Hrvatske: Datum Regata 09.03 - 10.03. Zadar ORC Cup 10.04 - 13.04. 23. Uskrsna regata 03.05 - 05.05. Šibenik ORC Cup - Pre worlds 13.11 - 15.11. Prvenstvo Hrvatske S obzirom na ovogodišnje ORC Svjetsko prvenstvo koje će se jedriti u Šibeniku od 31. svibnja do 8. lipnja u Udruzi se nadaju značajnijem porastu broja sudionika na regatama za Cup, dok bi se na Šibenik ORC Cupu u svibnju mogla naći međunarodna konkurencija na regatnom polju pored Zlarina. U svakom slučaju, bar po pitanju ORC-a, očekuje nas zanimljiva sezona! READ MORE

LOCAL SAILORS MAKE WAVES IN MIAMI, FL, USA © Martina Orsini / Star Class North Sails Ireland would like to congratulate Robert and Peter O'Leary for a fantastic result at the Star Class Junior World Championships in Miami. For this regatta Robert and Peter swapped positions in the boat with Robert taking the helm. Competition was extremely tough as it always is in the Star class but the Brothers just got better and better as they became more comfortable with their new roles winning the final race of the regatta. Imagine what they could have achieved with some real solid practice! Talking to Robert and Peter after the regatta they were quick to praise their boat speed generated in part by their North Sails. Peter has been a Star customer of North Sails since 2010 and has played a large part in developing the sails they are using today. To echo his own words, "once you have confidence in the kit it's easier to spend more time with your head out of the boat." Now straight after the Junior Worlds the Brothers are swapping back to their more familiar roles with Robert back in the crew seat for the Walker Cup and the MidWinters. North Sails Ireland would like to wish them all the best going into the final races of the Star midwinters today in Miami. We will be watching. Good Luck! © Martina Orsini / Star Class READ MORE

CODE VITORLÁK - FUTTATOTT ÉS ÉLES MENETEKHEZ „CODE” vitorláknak a specializált, gyors, lapos, betekerhető bőszeles vitorlákat nevezünk, amiknek a keresztmérete 50%-75%-a az alsóélnek. Ezek a vitorlák az Upwind orrvitorlák és a bőszeles vitorlák (spinnakerek/gennakerek) közé esnek. CODE vitorlák különösen hatékonyak a nagyteljesítményű egy- és többtestű hajóknál. A CODE Zero 75%-os keresztméretének köszönhetően, bizonyos osztályokban spinnakerként is felmérhető. A személyre szabott vitorlaformák, az elsőélre terhelő vitorlastruktúrának köszönhetően páratlan sebességet és stabilitást nyújtanak. 3Di CODE vitorlákban magas felbontású teherviselő szálak alkotják a szerkezet. A paneles vitorlák esetén a legoptimálisabb panelelrendezés, a választott anyagnak megfelelően. VÁLTOZATOK Code Zero (75% smg) spinnakerként felmérhető Code 70 (70-74% smg) bőszeles VMG Code 60 (60-69% smg) „Reacher” Code 50 (50-59% smg) „Tight Reacher” JELLEMZŐK • Helix Luff (Code Zero) • optiomalizált vitorlaforma • elsőélterhelésre tervezett struktúra • Soft Clew • állítható élkötelek • vitorlaszám, országjelzés • hitelesített felmérés • North zipzáras zsák OPCIONÁLIS • Helix Luff (Code 70) • Future Fibres Torquelite betekerős elsőél • SailKote Plus • egyedi grafika READ MORE

3Di ENDURANCE - GYORS, ELLENÁLLÓ, SOKOLDALÚ Föld Körül Vagy A Versenypályán 3Di Endurance a legellenállóbb változata a 3D formázott kompozit vitorláinknak. Az ENDURANCE az eredeti 3Di változat folyamatos továbbfejlesztése, ami legjobb teljesítményt a legnagyobb tartóssággal egyesíti. Az összes 3Di termék előnyét ötvözve az ENDURANCE vitorlákat egy speciális, felszíni gyantával, átitatott külső burkolat még ellenállóbbá teszi a külső, mechanikus behatások ellen (lobogás, hajtogatás, gyűrés, súrlódás és UV sugárzás). Sok vitorlázónak ez komoly előny, az enyhe súly és vastagság növekedés ellenére is. 3Di ENDURANCE ideális választás: • amennyiben a legfejlettebb túravitorlákat szeretné • ha tartós nagyteljesítményű versenyzésre is alkalmas vitorlát szeretne • egy szett vitorlát használna versenyzésre és túrázásra egyaránt VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS ENDURANCE 760 : Ultra PE / Aramid ENDURANCE 780 : Ultra PE / Carbon / Aramid tavi túrázás, tengeri túrázás, tavi versenyzés, tengeri versenyzés, óceáni versenyzés, többtestűek ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorla / átmenőlatnis nagyvitorla / árboc és boom betekerős nagyvitorlák / betekerős és nem betekerős orrvitorlák ENDURANCE ELŐNYEI • 3D formázott kompozit szerkezet • legellenállóbb 3Di vitorlák • meghatározó teljesítmény a tengeri vitorlák között READ MORE

CROSS-CUT - KÖNNYEN ELÉRHETŐ TARTÓSSÁG Mindennapi és Általános Használatra NPC Horizontál szabású vitorlákat nagy szakítószilárdságú NorDac Fill™ Polyester szövetből készítjük. North Sails már több mint 50 éve finomítja a NorDac anyagokat, jellemzőjük a lehető legsűrűbb szövés, a jó alaktartás, a kiemelkedő ellenállás a mechanikai behatásokra és a magas UV ellenállóság. NPC CROSS-CUT ideális választás: • olyan csúcsminőségű vitorlát szeretne, amelyek megfelel a költségvetésnek • magas élettartamú vitorlát szeretne • könnyedén, egyszerűen vitorlázna VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS NorDac Fill Low Aspect (LA) : 2.5/1-nél kissebb magasság/szélesség arányú vitrolákhoz tervezve NorDac Fill high Aspect (HA) : különösen alkalmas magasabb, keskenyebb vitorlákhoz. taví túrázás, tengeri túrázás, óceáni túrázás, klub versenyzés ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorla/átmenőlatnis nagyvitorla/árbocba és boomba tekerős nagyvitorlák/betekerős és nem betekerős orrvitorlák NPC CROSS-CUT ELŐNYEI • magas minőségű dacron szövet • könnyen kezelhető • versenyváltozatok sebességre és tartósságraoptimalizálva • széles spektrumú szélviszonyokra • horizontál szabással, a hátsóéllel párhuzamosra igazítva a legalacsonyabb nyúlás érdekében READ MORE

NPL SPORT - VILÁGVEZETŐ LAMINÁLT ANYAGOK Verseny Paneles Vitorlák NPL SPORT vitorlákat a nagyteljesítményű NORTH SAILS Xi Race laminált anyagból készítjük, amit a világ legfejlettebb gyártósorán állítunk elő. Az eredmény: kivételes minőségű kötés, minimális agasztóanyag felhasználásával. Az iparágban egyedülálló eXact™ eljárás lehetővé teszi, hogy gyártás közben módosítsuk a teherviselő szálak irányát a teherviselő hálón belül. A precíziós eXact eljárás előnye a hagyományos fix szövésű hálóval szemben, az anyagba fektetetett kevesebb, de hatékonyabb teherviselő réteg. NPL SPORT ideális választás: • osztályelőírás nem engedi a 3Di technológiát • kedvezőbb árú vitorlákat szeretne versenyzéshez • magas teljesítményű ”CODE” vitorlákhoz VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS Xi RACE : tiszta Mylar külső rétegek, fekete Twaron/Technora® teherviselő szálak, eXact X-háló Xi RACE T : kiegészítő egyoldalas taffeta Xi CODE : könnyebb (0.75mil) külső film Xi CODE T : kiegészítő egyoldalas könnyű taffeta one design/tavi versenyzés/tengeri versenyzés ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorla / átmenőlatnis nagyvitorla / square top nagyvitorla / verseny orrvitorlák / CODE vitorlák NPL SPORT ELŐNYEI • vezető paneles vitorla a one design és klub versenyzésben • erősebb, könnyebb, kisebb nyúlás a többi laminált anyaghoz képest • egyedülálló mélynyomásos gyártósor, integrált eXact variálható hálókészítővel READ MORE

3Di NorDac - ERŐS, LETISZTULT , VARRÁS NÉLKÜL A Dacron Vitorla Újrafeltalálva 3Di NorDac egyesíti a kompozit 3D sablonon formázott technológiát a megbízható, tartós polyester szálakkal, amiket a vitorlázók évtizedek óta bizalommal használnak. Az eredmény egy innovatív vitorla, simább felülettel és permanens aerodinamikai formával. Az exkluzív gyártástechnológiának köszönhetően, magasabb teljesítményt lehet elérni a hagyományos teherviselő szálakkal. North Sails kifejezetten a kisebb és közepes méretű hajók számára fejlesztette a 3Di NorDac-ot. 3Di NorDac gyorsabb, könnyebben kezelhető, elérhető árú és nagyon tartós. 3Di NORDAC ideális választás: • értékeli a nagyszerű formájú vitorlákat • szeretné hajójából kihozni a legnagyobb teljesítményt • tartósságot és a kitűnő értéket várja • paneles szövet vitorláknál nagyobb teljesítményt szeretne VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS 3Di NORDAC : 100% Polyester tavi, tengeri és földkerülő, kis és közepes méretű hajókra ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorla/átmenőlatnis nagyvitorla/árbocba és boomba tekerős nagyvitorlák/ betekerős és nem betekerős orrvitorlák 3DI NORDAC ELŐNYEI • egy részből álló, 3D formázott kompozit vitorla • 100% polyester, a legtartósabb anyag • fehér szín, kiváló ellenállással a mechanikus behatásokra • változó anyagsűrűség, irány és rétegek a terhelések szerint • integrált latnizsákok, erősítések és reff struktúra • magas UV tűrés READ MORE

RADIAN - RADIÁL SZÖVÉSŰ FORRADALOM Alacsony Nyúlás A Szövetvitorlákban Saját szabadalmú NPC Radian egyedi vitorlaszövetünk, nem laminált polyester, radiál paneles konstrukciókhoz készül. A hosszirányú, egyenes szálak közé, speciálisan formázott keresztszálakat fonunk. Ez teszi lehetővé, hogy a vitorlákat radiál szabással, szofisztikáltabb panel elrendezéssel készítsük, mint a hagyományos horizontál szabásúakat. NPC Radiannal vitorlázók film és ragasztás mentesen élvezhetik a szabás előnyeit és az alacsonyabb nyúlást. NPC RADIAN ideális választás: • szeretné a polyester szövet tartósságát • szeretné a triradiál szabás fejlettebb szerkezetét, nagyobb formastabilitását • kis, közepes méretű verseny, túraverseny hajója van • one design osztályban versenyez, ahol előírás a szövet anyaga VÁLTOZATOK + AJÁNLOTT FELHASZNÁLÁS NorDac Radian : magas szakítószilárdságú polyester, szabadalmaztatott szövésminta, melemine impregnált bevonat NorDac Radian OLY : exkluzív „magas molekula tömegű” urethane „OLY” bevonat (One Design vitorlákon) tavi túrázás, tengeri túrázás, tavi versenyzés, tengeri versenyzés, one design és klub versenyzés ELÉRHETŐ VITORLATÍPUSOK standard nagyvitorlák / átmenőlatnis nagyvitorlák / square top nagyvitorlák / árbocba és boomba betekerős nagyvitorlák / betekerős orrvitorlák / nem betekerős orrvitorlák NPC RADIAN ELŐNYEI • polyester szövet bizonyított tartóssága • magas szakítószilárdságú polyester szabadalmaztatott szövéssel • magas ellenállás a mechanikai hatások és az UV károsodás ellen • one design verseny nyerő teljesítmény READ MORE

PREPARATION FOR THE SCOR REGATTA North Sails Charleston Is Always On Your Team 2018 SCOR Regatta 📸 Priscilla Parker The North Sails team in Charleston will be on hand to lend support to all teams in preparation for the the upcoming SCOR Regatta. Taking place February 15 - 17, all teams will have the support of local experts John Bowden, Tripp Fellabom and Ervin Grove as they prepare their crews and boats for the collegiate regatta. Kicking off on February 15th at 1pm in Carolina Yacht Club, the North experts will be available to provide guidance on crew handling, placement and maneuvers. | Notice of Race Carolina Yacht Club Sailing Center | Friday February 15th | 1pm READ MORE

NORTH U AT COLUMBIA YACHT CLUB Bill Gladstone Shares Advice on Tactics & Speed It was great to have our old friend & former Evanston resident Bill Gladstone back in Chicago at Columbia Yacht Club for the first of our winter seminars. In conjunction with CASRA and Columbia Yacht Club, our objective this winter is to give all involved sailors the opportunity to invest time in the development of their sailing knowledge base. "If nothing else, it helps keep the memory of warmer sailing days alive as we wait for the next season on the water. We are inspired when knowledgeable sailors let us know they came away with a few bits of clarification or a deeper knowledge of tactics at these events." We had 80+ participants on a cold, snowy Wednesday night for Bill’s introductory North U. survey seminar on “Tactics Tips & Go Fast Topics”. The North U courses take a full day, each discussing Speed and then Tactics, so Bill had his work cut out trying to fit as much as he could into two hours. Bill began his seminar with the “pyramid of success” for sailboat racing. Starting with a foundation of Boat Handling, he emphasized the importance of practicing with specific drills and tips on increasing proficiency of captain and crew alike. With better Boat Handling, you can then start to focus on increasing your Boat Speed, which in turn will allow you spend more effort on maximizing your Position on the race course. Sailboat racing is a bit like chess, in that the maximum enjoyment comes from mastering the mental aspects of the game; but you cannot get to that point until you first know how all the pieces can move! Those sailing components include boat handling, crew teamwork, boat & equipment prep, understanding sail shape & trim, steering, & more – all topics that are dealt with, in detail, at the full North U Speed course. Thank you, Bill, for a very enjoyable learning experience. We hope to see in March at another event! Upcoming events include: March 2: Chicago March 3: Milwaukee March 3: Chicago - CYC Monroe Meet'n'Greet March 13: Chicago - Chicago Mac Strategy Seminar READ MORE

STARTING STRATEGIES, SAIL TRIM + TUNING New Year, New Skills With Your Local Experts Wednesday March 20 | 6:00PM The margin between a mid-fleet finish and winning is often less than 2%. At our racing seminars, you will learn the fundamental concepts and nuanced techniques that can deliver your winning margin. Join North Sails experts Chuck Allen, Tim Healy, Will Welles, and Mike Marshall for a night dedicated to starting strategies, sail trim and tuning. RSVP today for this complimentary seminar, open to all boats, and join us in March at the Portsmouth, RI loft READ MORE

PARABÉNS A TODOS OS VELEJADORES NORTH SAILS PELOS RESULTADOS NO SEIXAL Na regata do passado fim-de-semana, o Francisco Uva e o Augusto Castelo Branco tiveram uma grande prestação e subiram ao podium como 2º e 3º classificados, respectivamente. Francisco Uva Photo Credits:Luis Fráguas Augusto Castelo Branco Photo Credits: Luis Fráguas As velejadoras Katharina Leite e Matilde Bandeira fizeram, também, um excelente trabalho! A Katharina conquistou o 1º lugar e a Matilde o 3ºlugar, em Feminino. Katharina Leite Photo Credits: Luis Fráguas Matilde Bandeira Photo Credits: Luis Fráguas Entre os onze primeiros classificados foram 6 os velejadores North Sails. Competiram com os modelos de vela R-1 o Francisco Uva e a Matilde Bandeira, com a R-2 o Augusto Castelo Branco, com a R-4 o Salvador Baptista-Fernandes e o Maxx de Groot e com a R-5 a Katharina Leite. Não podemos deixar de referir que o velejador Maxx de Groot está na sua primeira época de competição. Parabéns pelo bom trabalho! No final, o Francisco Uva consolidou, assim, a sua posição no ranking centro, mantendo-se no primeiro lugar da tabela. Agora é continuar a treinar com empenho, pois Vilamoura está mesmo à porta! Até lá, não deixem de nos consultar para mais informações sobre as North Sails. Photo Credits: Luis Fráguas Contacte-nos já hoje! Sail Fast and Good Luck! READ MORE

THE NEW NORTH SAILS LONG BEACH Your Team Has Moved To Long Beach. Visit Our New Location, Open Now North Sails is excited to announce the opening of our new loft in Long Beach, CA. Managed by local experts Bill Herrschaft and Zack Maxam, the North Sails loft previously based in Costa Mesa has moved operations to a new location: 5752 E 2nd Street, Long Beach, CA 90903. Open now, the new loft is ideally located in Long Beach, the racing hub of central California and is in close proximity to serve local clubs including Long Beach Yacht Club and ABYC. The new location will be convenient for sail pickup and drop off and service work on the extensive dinghy fleet in the area. Working in close partnership with North's West coast superyacht hub in San Diego, the majority of larger sails will be transported and serviced in San Diego where the extensive floor space is designed to handle any service needs. North Sails has a long history in the Long Beach area, stemming from the original location in the late 70's. The team is excited to return to the area as the new location allows full coverage and support for clients based in Marina Del Rey down through to Dana Point, with Long Beach as the central hub. "One of the many benefits for everyone in the relocation effort is that we can now provide customer service to a broader range of territory, and we have a great location for clients to visit and talk about their sails" - Bill Herrschaft, Loft Manager The new loft is a fresh addition to the downtown Long Beach area and a prime space for clients to meet with the sales and design team. Contact your local team at 949-645-4660 and make sure you stop in and visit. READ MORE

DIE NÄCHSTE MESSE STEHT VOR DER TÜR SuisseNautic in Bern Vom 20. - 24. Februar finden Sie uns an der SuisseNautic in Bern in der Halle 3.2 am Stand E02. Gerne können Sie schon heute einen Termin mit uns abmachen: 071 680 00 80 READ MORE