NORTH SAILS BLOG

“The purpose that we all share is to access places where one cannot normally go by boat, no charters available, those that are less explored and, coincidentally and fantastically, at extreme latitudes.” In late 2015, childhood friends Vincent Moeyersoms, Olivier Moeyersoms, and Marc Vander Stricht bought the 53’ aluminum, French-designed exploration sailboat, Alioth. Why? Because these Belgian cruising sailors share a love of extreme latitudes—now they have the vessel to get them there. Built in 2009, Alioth is fully kitted-out with a lifting keel, water ballast, twin rudders, and crash bulkheads in the bow and stern. She is an ocean-goer with some miles in her wake, having completed a circumnavigation with her previous owners. Alioth came with sails that Vincent describes as “old” since they have 50,000 miles on them and her year-old North Sails spinnaker is a “keeper.” Next month she will receive North Sails NPL TOUR heavy-duty cruising sails. For Vincent and crew, expedition sails might be a better term. For 2-3 months out of the year, Alioth will serve as home for Vincent, Olivier, and Marc. Within five years they hope to lap the Americas on a zig-zag route reaching far North, and far South. In May, the crew delivered Alioth from Belgium to Norway. Over the next few months they will make their way from the Lofoten Islands, down the coast of Norway, and start ticking the boxes on the Atlantic. “Next summer we should be coming up the coast of the US to Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland,” Vincent said. “If the conditions are right, we could then attempt the Northwest Passage. If not, we will delay a year.” Completing the Northwest Passage would leave them in Alaska. From there, the planned route would deliver them down the coast of Canada, across the Pacific to New Zealand, across the South Pacific to Chile, then onto Antarctica, South Georgia, and back up to Europe. “I sailed professionally years ago and I took part in the Round the Word Race and raced maxi boats,” Vincent said. “Later I ran a few campaigns in the Maxi class and America’s Cup. In 1992, I managed the winning America’s Cup team America3.” Five years aboard Alioth is the next challenge. Alioth’s name signifies the brightest star in the Big Dipper. “We decided to keep the name,” Vincent said. This decision is a nod to the crew’s shared ambition to add a greater purpose to their exploration. “We would love to adopt an environmental aspect of the journey, to contribute toward trying to find a solution to the ocean’s plastic pollution problem we’ve seen growing for so many years. In 40 years spent on the water, we have seen trash accumulating on the ocean, and we want to be part of the solution.” We look forward to keeping in touch with Alioth throughout her journey on the globe through North Sails Waterlogs – composed by a tribe of adventurers powered by North Sails. More at northsails.com/water-logs READ MORE

EXCLUSIVE SAILMAKER OF THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE © Ugo Fonolla / Volvo Ocean Race The Volvo Ocean Race announced today that North Sails is the exclusive sail supplier for the 2017-18 edition. One of the ocean’s toughest races, the VOR draws the world’s most skilled offshore sailors to compete in a highly competitive drag race around the planet. Equipping teams with the industry’s most reliable high performance products is paramount to the success of the Volvo Ocean Race, it’s sailors, sponsors, and fans across the globe. North Sails has been deeply involved in the Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race since the mid-1980’s. Collaboration between North Sails and Volvo Ocean Race programs has lead to breakthrough technology, most recently North Sails 3Di ™, which was born in response to skipper requests for reliable shape holding, durability, and of course lightweight, performance sails. The extreme conditions of the Volvo Ocean Race demand sails that can withstand upwards of 45,000 nautical miles and four equator crossings. 3Di ENDURANCETM has proven itself worthy of this epic adventure in the last two editions of the race, allowing teams to push their boats harder than ever — a valuable advantage in any one design competition. “The 3Di sails from North have been excellent. We just compared a picture of our mainsail from just before the start with one of today after 35,000nm usage. Bit more draft aft. Give it a new paint job and I bet if you would ask somebody he/she would say this is a brand new main,” said Bouwe Bekking, Skipper of 2014-15 2nd place finisher Team Brunel. “Same for the other sails, you can see they have been used, but still in good shape. This mileage would be a lifetime for the average cruiser. I know what I would buy.” The 3Di product’s unique construction process allows for repairs that do not compromise the structural integrity of the sail. With a tightly designed inventory, both durability and ease of repair are key. “Most boats made it to Itajai on their first set of sails. This is unheard of.” said Nathan Quirk, Sail Loft Manager in the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard, in reference to the 2014-15 race. “3Di can be maintained and repaired easily with confidence. Hard to imagine doing this with string sails.” The North team looks forward to working together with Volvo Ocean Race to further push technical and durability boundaries to new territories. For 2017-18 the VO65s will be equipped with 100% 3Di inventories, pushing latest technology to the downwind sphere for the with the introduction of 3Di FORCETM. 3Di Force boasts downwind performance characteristics of unmatched stability, high tenacity, UV resistance, and low water intake. Produced on a 3D mould, 3Di FORCE runners will benefit from unmatched design execution, making the ranges more precise when sailing on the ocean. “The team at North Sails especially looks forward to continuing our development and execution of cutting edge products with the Volvo Ocean Race. This will be my fifth design generation with this ever challenging race and ultimately our goals and motivations are the same – make for a trouble free race, exciting for all the right reasons!” – Gautier Sergent, 2014-15 VOR Designer of Record and Manager of North Sails 3D. North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE is preparing sailors the world over to #GoBeyond. Discover more at NorthSails.com, on Facebook (@North Sails), Twitter (@NorthSails) and Instagram (@north_sails). Image credits © Matt Knighton / ADOR / Volvo Ocean Race (top); © Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race (left); © Matt Knighton / ADOR / Volvo Ocean Race (left) READ MORE

North Sails designer Mike Marshall has teamed up with leaders in the F18 class to develop the North Sails inventory. Since March 2014, Mike has worked closely with Tripp Burd and Olympic hopeful Mike Easton to create a trio of sails that will push their Falcon F18 to peak performance. Using North’s proprietary modeling software to optimize the designs, results were tested with on-the-water trials. While Mike and Tripp won the 2014 F18 US Nationals with the initial designs, the team found areas for even further optimization. “We’ve since made two generations of the main. The first design adjustment was to allow for better light air performance, and the second was a small shift back in the direction we started with, to preserve the all around performance of the sails,” said Marshall, who has designed for North Sails since 2012 and sailed the F18 for the past year. “The sails give a little more power in light and choppy conditions and are able to flatten out in big breeze despite the extra depth. One final test to go but but so far we are quite happy with the current set as a solid all-purpose option.” The final test he mentions is the Cata-Cup in St. Barths, where 55 of the class’s top sailors face off in what is traditionally a series of epic big-breeze, big-swell races in the Caribbean Sea. While Mike had a conflict, Tripp took the boat south and enlisted the help of a friend, Bracco Jacopo to drive the boat. The pair finished 19th in the end. During the week Tripp sent in several progress reports: November 15, 2015 – Tripp Hey guys, first day of Catacup done. Happy to report that the sails are pretty well sorted. Whatever changes were made to the main bolt rope, luff curve, or batten end spacing has mostly fixed the hoisting problems and our setup seems fast! One race today, counter-clockwise around the island. Shifty and 5-10 knots for the most part. Rain squall moved through towards the last quarter of the race and launched the lead pack while everyone else got becalmed for a bit. A bunch of teams finished in the dark. The sails have almost the same low end punch as the previous set, which is sweet. During the squall, the breeze cranked for a bit and we didn’t have any major luffing or main inversion problems which was great! We’re sailing heavy this week and light air and chop should’ve killed us. Two races tomorrow, mid-teens supposedly. Should be sweet. November 22, 2015 – Tripp It’s been an uncharacteristically light event this year, not the full tradewind conditions we’ve had in the past. Still, we’ve managed to break a few things which has hampered our results a bit. The racing lifestyle is pretty civilized…we’re in for a lunch break right now! The parties and group of sailors here make it a ton of fun. This afternoon will be the last race and we have some Nikki Beach champagne stakes going. Gotta win! I’ll send a good summary tomorrow if that’s cool. November 25, 2015 – Tripp A downside to racing in such a unique venue is the long travel home…and it’s a trade I’d make a thousand times. The passionate team of organizers at the St. Barths Cata-cup have consistently delivered the best event in sailing, and this year was no exception. The weather wasn’t as expected. We broke some stuff. Spent hours loading hot 40’ containers, and it’s all worth it. No other event I’ve sailed combines such an exceptional level of competition, with fun racing formats, and an (overly? nahh) full social schedule. Even rounding deep after a botched start, you’re then chasing down a fleet at twenty knots through cliffs, reefs, and ocean swell. Vendee champs, medalists, couples, friends, and families, can all compete on equal terms. My friend, Jacopo, whom I sailed Cata-Cup with, sails once a year…this event. Bringing sailing friends from around the world together, Cata-Cup is a perfect example of why high performance beachcat sailing has such a draw. For those who aren’t as familiar with the F18 class, it’s a development box rule with restrictions on materials to keep costs down. Turnkey new boats cost under 25k, while 15k gets you an equally competitive ride on the used market. New hull shapes, foil packages, and sail designs keep the tinkerers engaged, while effective weights and rules keep all the designs very close in performance. Performance that can smoke 50’ keel boats and then take a few friends out for a beach cruise. The fleet’s a blast and at the end of the day, we’re all out there sailing to have fun. Events like Cata-Cup keep that spirit blazing. READ MORE

Al Declercq and Team Join North Sails North Sails is pleased to announce that accomplished sailor and experienced sailmaker Al Declercq and his team have joined North Sails. Declercq, based in Detroit, MI, is returning to North Sails after a 22-year hiatus and made the decision with their customers’ best interests in mind. “North Sails leads the sailmaking industry with superior products and excellent customer service and sail care. It was the right choice for our client base and we are thrilled to be back with the North Sails team,” Declercq said. “North Sails is committed to improving our presence and providing more sales representatives and sail care lofts to the thousands of sailors on the Great Lakes,” said Ken Read, President of North Sails Group. “Earlier this year, we partnered with Skip Dieball and we are thrilled that Al and his team have decided to join North Sails as well,” Read continued. “Between Al and Skip in Detroit, and our existing sales and service centers in Chicago and Toronto, they will anchor a network of North Sails lofts from Thunder Bay to Montreal. Personally, I am excited about the strength of the team we have to support the beautiful Great Lakes region,” Read concluded. Throughout his career, Declercq has raced in the Fastnet, Transpac, Newport to Bermuda (five times) and several other notable offshore events. He has raced in an unprecedented 49 Port Huron to Mackinac races and 36 Chicago to Mackinac races, winning a total of 26 times. “I know sailors who have worked with Al for more than 20 years because of the excellent customer service and sincerity he and his team are known for,” said Kimo Worthington, Sales Manager for North Sails in North America. “Al has sailed over 50,000 miles on the Great Lakes which makes him an undisputed expert for sail needs in that region,” Worthington said. “We welcome Al and his team, including wife Sara, who will be the Detroit office manager.” “Returning to North Sails is a win-win for our clients and our team,” Declercq said. “North Sails is the worldwide leader in sailmaking because of technology and innovation that results in the best products and value on the market,” he continued. “We are proud to offer our clients such a vast range of products, from paneled sails to 3D sails. We have a number of cruising clients who will be amazed by the North Sails difference and we intend to work hard to keep them all happy and satisfied with their sail investments,” Declercq concluded. Al can be reached by calling 586-790-7500 or by email: READ MORE

At times the costs and disappointments nearly sunk us, but we kept going through to the 2008 Worlds, where we were third yet again. READ MORE