2018 FLORIDA STATES DOMINATED BY NORTH CLIENTS

North Sails Powers Nine out of the Top Ten Finishers

The 2018 Etchells Florida State Championship was like an instant replay of prior Biscayne Bay Series events: big breeze, rain, and some serious wind chill. Although conditions were in the upper range, the upwind and downwind legs were exciting, but not as exciting as the mark roundings. Unfortunately for some, escaping without incident was nearly impossible. This stressed the importance of being in the front of the fleet.

We caught up with our Etchells expert, Skip Dieball, who raced onboard War Canoe. Here are some tips from his weekend experience:

“From my perspective with boat set up, I learned that you could get away with setting up the boat asymmetric based on the wave patterns. The main needed more twist to provide a nicer groove for the driver while going into the waves. Conversely, when sailing across the waves, you could get away with slightly harder main trim to give you more height without fear of slamming waves”.

Sunday was glamour sailing. 80 degrees, sunny and a more civilized 7-10 knots of breeze. Getting off the line was particularly difficult as the fleet bunched up towards the pin end. The current was pushing teams over the line, which forced the RC to start with the U-flag, which soon became the black flag in order to get races completed..

“Our team went for “low density” and this allowed us to remain consistent throughout an otherwise inconsistent day”.

Congratulations to Lawrie Smith and team Alfie and all teams powered by North Sails products. Contact our experts today.