NORTH SAILS BLOG

LET’S TALK MOTH WITH TOM SLINGSBY AND ROB GREENHALGH Session Three Moth World Champion Tom Slingsby and North Sails class leader Rob Greenhalgh talk us through the in’s and out’s of race day strategy, and provide tuning tips for the newly released 9DSX Decksweeper mainsail in the third webinar, ‘Let’s Talk Moth’. READ MORE

A LOOK INSIDE THE NORTH SAILS LOFTS: SPINNAKER SAIL CARE Our Certified Service Experts Explain Review and Repair of Downwind Sails No matter where you are in the world, you can prepare for your next event or be ready for when sailing season picks up again by knowing what to look for when it comes to a healthy spinnaker. A few months ago we published ‘When to Replace Your Spinnaker;’ a how-to on what to look for and advice on prolonging the life of nylon downwind sails. Many of the tips were visual cues for when you’re out sailing, but our service experts also have a process where they can inspect your spinnaker inside our lofts, and help to determine if it’s in repairable condition or if you should think about replacement. We called on Certified Service managers Bacci Sgarbossa and Nick Beaudoin, from Italy and Australia respectively. Below is an explanation of their simple, but effective process for assessing the lifespan of your spinnaker. This North Sails Blue Book process holds true for spinnakers of all sizes, from one design to supermaxis. Step 1: Rinse That Salt Off It’s important to rinse spinnakers after sailing. Salt retains humidity making the kite heavier and more elastic. Plus, dried salt crystals in spinnaker cloth add weight. Let your service expert know if your sail needs to be rinsed when it arrives at the North loft. Step 2: Hang Dry Once your spinnaker arrives at the loft, it is draped and hung up to dry overnight. Once dry, it is ready to “fly” (inside!). Depending on the size of the spinnaker, two to four staff “fly” it in the air, which allows the team to get underneath and inspect the sail for any tears and/or holes. As the sail is being flown, damaged areas are marked with fluorescent stickers. Step 3: Repair The service technicians use fluorescent stickers to easily identify areas that require sail repair. Pinholes and tears are patched with the appropriate cloth. Once all work is completed, each sail is flaked and bricked for easy transport and storage. Step 4: Replace (if necessary) There are times when a sail is beyond repairable. Your Certified Service expert will let you know when the sail is on its last legs and then get you in touch with the proper loft contact.   Find A Loft Find An Expert Request a Quote READ MORE

LET’S TALK VIPERS Latest Tuning & Trimming Tips Class Experts Zeke Horowitz, Austin Powers, and Jackson Benvenutti give the latest on tuning and trimming tips, and how to put yourself at the front of the pack. READ MORE

SAIL TO CATALINA: PART 1 The Best Sails To Use When Sailing To And From The Island North Sails experts Alex Curtiss and Bill Herrschaft share their advice for the best sails to use when heading to Catalina Island from Marina del Rey. Bill shares, "Back in the early 70’s, my mom, dad, two brothers and I would do weekend trips to Catalina from Marina del Rey on our Catalina 22. That’s right, a family of five on a 22-foot boat towing a dinghy all the way there, 42 miles. Needless to say, it took forever. It was a fun adventure and we would play with the other yacht club kids once we got there." Nowadays, production sailboats have evolved with better hull, rig, and sail plan designs that make sailing easier and certainly a lot more comfortable. With the advent of modern sail handling systems, it’s easier to hop on your boat and get out of town. Almost all production boats come with a furling genoa, and your choice between an in mast furling main or the “Classic” mainsail you have to actually hoist. Great stuff for a new boat owner in terms of sail handling convenience. One thing Bill likes to look at with a typical round-trip sail from Marina del Rey to Catalina; How can we add performance and fun when the wind goes aft and the stock genoa looses pressure and just sags? Enter the G1 All Purpose Cruising Spinnaker, or Gennaker as we call it. It’s an asymmetric spinnaker, designed to be flown without a spinnaker pole, on a beam or broad reach. Usually built out of ¾ or 1.5oz Nylon, they’re easy to trim and do not add any complicated rigging or huge expense. You hear a lot about racing Asymmetric spinnakers that take a crew of 15 to handle, but these sails have been around for over 30 years and designed for short handed sailing. Gennakers come with a Snuffer, a long sock type arraignment with a molded cone at the bottom to help control, deploy, and take down (snuff) the gennaker. So, what are the weather conditions you can expect on a typical trip from MDR to Catalina? Starting out in the early morning the breeze will be a light southerly, probably motor sailing or sailing upwind with main and Genoa. Once past Palos Verdes, and away from land influence, the wind should increase and move aft. This is the perfect time to try our your new Gennaker in the wide open Catalina Channel before it gets too windy. Hoist the Gennaker in its Snuffer all the way up. The sail is contained in the Snuffer until you’re ready to deploy. Bear away to a broad reach, snug the sheet a little and use the Snuffer control line to raise the sock and open up the Gennaker. Slowly head up and sheet in until you feel the Gennaker fill and pressurize the boat. Once sailing a comfortable course, ease the sheet until the Gennaker luff curls, then sheet in slightly to achieve the proper trim. Now is the time to get a feel for your new Gennaker and try sailing up (closer to the wind) or down (a deeper angle to wind direction). Alex points out, " These sails are more sensitive to wind speed and angle than a genoa so it’s good to learn how high or low you can effectively sail in a given wind speed." Generally, a tight reach in light air, or a broad reach in higher wind speeds. You do not need complicated wind instruments to sail with a cruising spinnaker. Just a mast head fly for wind direction, and a simple anemometer for wind speed. Or, the old fashioned way, a feel for wind on your face. To douse or Snuff the Gennaker, do these easy steps. Simply bear away and sail low enough so the mainsail helps block the wind and “relaxes” the pressure in the Gennaker. Go forward and pull the sock’s control line down so the sail is contained in the sock all the way to the clew. You now have time to safely ease the spinnaker halyard and snake the entire package on deck. How about coming home from Catalina? Depending on the time of day, the wind in the Catalina Channel could fill-in nicely. If you can maintain a comfortable sailing angle heading to Palos Verdes, then deploy the Gennaker. Sometimes the wind will head, or go forward, as you get closer land (Palos Verdes Peninsula) and you might need to douse the sail to get around the point. Once past the point, you will almost always have a good wind angle to use the Gennaker all the way back to Marina del Rey. A Gennaker will add fun and horsepower to your boat for shorthanded sailing without unnecessary complication. Read Cruising to Catalina, Part II Learn more about cruising with our Cruising Tool Kit. READ MORE

LET’S TALK OPTIMIST WITH ANDREW WILLS, DEREK SCOTT, AND CHRIS STEELE Session One Optimist class experts Andrew Wills and Derek Scott talk all things Optimist with special guest Chris Steele who won the Worlds in 2007 with Wills as a coach. This session covers planning, daily routine, race routine and how to maintain a good training mindset. READ MORE

THISTLE HEAVY AIR TIPS A Recap From the Midwinters East with Mike Ingham 📸 Cory Hall, St. Pete Sailing Center Breeze on! The 2020 Thistle Midwinters East was sailed in overpowered conditions for the entire weekend. It was a lot of fun! Going fast was about hiking hard, steering for waves, playing the main to keep the boat flat, and good on board communication. Here are Mike’s top 5 points on sailing fast in a breeze: Sail Flat Flat defined: I define this as a few degrees of heel (not necessarily totally zero degrees flat) Helm check: You should have no noticeable helm, and to check this you should let go of the tiller and see how fast you head up. You will likely find that at 0 degrees you go straight, and with a few degrees you head up slowly. If you head up at all quickly, you are too heeled! Hike Hard Hard hike defined: 100% hike is unsustainable. 80% or something like that is a sustainable hike for long races on multiple race days. Pain: 80% still hurts! There is no way around it, hiking hard is work. Your 80%: Everyone’s 80% is different, all you can do is what you can do. Find your 80% and stick with it. Hike steady: Don’t hike harder in a puff and softer in a lull (assuming the lull is still overpowered as most were at MWE). Sustain that 80%. DO hike harder in critical situations. Occasionally I would say something like “100% hike until we cross this pack”. DO hike less when not critical. “50% hike, there is a gap ahead and behind, lets save our energy to the finish” Vang is a Big Depower Tool Vang flattens the sail: It bends the mast down low by ‘ramming’ the boom forward into the mast. You will notice more overbend wrinkles when vang is on, less when it is off. More wrinkles means your sail is flatter, less means it is fuller. Ease in lulls: If you do need power in a lull, ease the vang and sheet in. Still at 80% hike until you are clearly underpowered. Pull on vang in breeze: If you need to depower more, tighten your vang. There is a limit; our boom bends a lot with vang on full. Our limit is just before we feel we will break the boom. Main and Steering Keep the boat flat: To state the obvious, easing the main and steering up keeps the boat flat in a puff, and vise-versa in a lull. It takes both: It is always a combo of the main and steering, I know of no condition where I do one without the other, its the % of each changes depending on the wave condition Main and Steering in Waves and Wind Foot: In waves, pinching up can be super slow because the boat is slowed by waves. Aggressive steering: I steer all over the place looking for the best path through waves. I find low spots and avoid steep waves, or in smoother waves to steer up the face and down the back. Steer to waves, trim to heel: To do this, I have to prioritize steering where I need to for the wave while trimming the main to keep the boat flat Main and steering in flat water: OK to pinch: In flat water, I can steer wherever I want with no worry that I will slam into a wave Pinch to depower: In flat water when I am overpowered, I prioritize trying to steer to the wind (up in a puff, down in a lull) Mainsheet to fine tune: I will still need small main changes to keep the boat flat where I can’t keep up with it steering It’s Rarely All Waves or All Flat Most of the time, there is some combo of steering for wind and steering for waves. In the flattest water, 100% of my steering is to the wind because there are no waves. In the roughest water, I probably steer to the waves 80%, and steer to the wind 20%. I would say a typical thistle heavy wind race at MWE was 50% / 50%. The bigger waves I would have to steer through, but flat spots would allow me to steer up in a puff ALWAYS play the main Waves: In waves, I am steering a lot through waves, so I need to play the main constantly and aggressively. I go through a large (at times an armlength) range. Flat: In flat water, even though I want to steer mostly to keep the boat flat, I find I need to constantly adjust the mainsheet to keep the heel just right. These are small (a few clicks here and there) but frequent adjustments Jib When we are overpowered, we set the jib to the main backwind bubble. That means when the main is eased a lot, we have to let the jib out too. If our main flogs the jib is to blame (until it blows about 30, then there is nothing left to do but flog both sails!) A gentle bubble of about 1 foot behind the mast is about right. More and you need to ease. Less and you need to trim. Stay ahead of the curve by calling wind and waves “Puff in 3, 2, 1 puff on” allows me to start easing at “2” and that prevents an initial heel in the puff. Very effective. “Big wave”, or even better something descriptive like “Square wave” or “A lot of waves” is super useful. “Flat spot” is great info on a bumpy day. If there are lots of waves, it seems silly to call them all, I need to just assume there are waves until told otherwise That should cover it. Sailing flat by being proactive on depowering (vang…), then sailing the right combo of steering and main sheet is the way to go fast in big breeze. Oh yes, almost forgot – hike hard! READ MORE

FRIENDS REFLECT ON A GREAT SAILOR AND PARTNER Remembering Travis McGregor Travis was a great sailor and a great friend of mine. I contacted the sailor who spent the most time racing with him on Turnagain as well as his partner and asked them a few questions. Here are their responses to the questions I asked Uncle Vern Burkhardt. Your first time meeting Travis. I met Travis in Victoria during the Swiftsure International Yacht Race while I was the Chair of this event. A great friendship subsequently began when Travis was a student in 2013 of an Offshore Personal Survival Course (Safety at Sea) where I was one of the three instructors. Early on it was apparent that Travis was a highly skilled mariner who loved to sail and to compete in sailboat races. How many races/deliveries have you done with him? I raced with Travis in about four Oregon Offshore Races (since renamed the Pacific NW Offshore Race), four Swiftsure International Yacht Races, two Southern Straits, a Snowflake winter series run by the West Vancouver Yacht Club, and two Vic Maui Races (2016 and 2018). I also helped him deliver his SV Turnagain from San Diego to Vancouver. Also, we jointly arranged and took turns skippering various legs in the delivery of John and Judie Abel’s Beneteau 49 from Puerto Rico through the Panama Canal and back to Victoria via the Galapagos Islands, Marquesas, and Hawaii (over 11,000 nautical mile delivery). We also helped Abels deliver their newly acquired yacht from Halifax NS to New York City. A funny experience with Travis. Travis and I had many wonderful times together and shared some funny and also some very challenging conditions. We both loved to fish while offshore by dragging behind the boat a 1/8” line attached to a leader and lure. Whenever we had a fish strike Travis would become highly excited, unusual for Travis, and rush to grab the line to bring in the fish. The only time I would get to the line before Travis was when he was sleeping, but even then a few times he rushed out from below and grabbed the line with the fish before anyone in the cockpit could get to it. With a “fish on” he became very animated and excited when it was landed. Whenever we raced in the Pacific NW Offshore Race we would sail to Astoria a week in advance presumably to be in Astoria in time for the start of the race. The real reason, it seems, was that Travis loved to sample the libations offered by the many brewpubs. Almost every time we headed offshore for a delivery or a race, Travis would be seasick for the first several days. When asked why he didn’t quit sailing and instead take up golf he replied, “You can’t golf at night.” One of the most memorable experience with Travis was during the delivery of SV Turnagain from San Diego to Vancouver. We were off the Oregon coast at night and it was pitch black with no moonlight. Travis and one other crew member were below decks as they were off watch, and I was on the helm. A wave hit the side of the boat hard and washed over the deck knocking me off the helm and with great force against the pushpit. Travis bolted out of the cockpit and yelled, “Are you still on the boat” as the MOB ring and light were disappearing behind as its bracket attaching it to the boat had been bent by the wave. In a few hours Travis lamented that we missed a great opportunity to practice a MOB recovery drill in the extreme wind and sea condition by retrieving the MOB ring and light. He didn’t mention, but I’m sure it was in his mind, and save the cost of replacement. Two years later the life ring was retrieved by a mariner off the Brooks Peninsula, and through luck the MOB life ring minus the light was returned to Travis only a week before his death. What was the best attribute Travis brought to a sailing team? Travis was meticulous in his preparation of SV Turnagain for any race. He knew every aspect of his yacht and had thoughtfully equipped it with incredible attention to detail. He was one of the best helmsmen, and a highly competent navigator and leader on a boat. Travis never lost focus and was always thinking about how to go faster and in the right direction to gain advantage. A time Travis went above and beyond to make sure his team was safe. Travis always went above and beyond to make sure his team was safe by ensuring the boat was well prepared, and he was physically and mentally up for any challenge that came along. He showed his leadership skills when we lost the quadrant in the steering system in the 2016 Vic Maui Race. His first priority was the safety of crew and leading the crew in making a decision whether or not to continue racing with our emergency steering system knowing we were no longer competitive or change our mission to arrive in Lahaina, Maui in time for the Awards Party. The party option was the chosen option. Travis’ crew briefings prior to each race or offshore passage were thorough and clear. He had a checklist of items to cover and did so in a manner that all crew were aware that a safety first culture prevailed on the boat. And he led by example. What do you think Travis should be remembered for? Travis loved his two children and was often melancholy about being away from them when we were offshore. He often spoke about them and how proud he was of them—a great role model for a father. He should also be remembered as a highly accomplished mariner who loved being on the water. He was a wonderful gentleman, a great friend, and respected and admired by an incredibly large number of people. Kaitin Brunt: When was your first experience sailing with Travis? The first time Travis and I went sailing was for a few days cruising in the Gulf Islands. He picked me up at a tiny dock where he maneuvered Turnagain (in reverse!) into this super tight slip and made it look effortless, as he did with most things. As I was stepping onboard I thought to myself, "Oh my god, who is this guy??" What was your favourite memory on Turnagain? We were sailing back from Wigwam with Travis's kids. It was sunny, we had a beautiful breeze behind us, and Sylvia (his daughter) was driving. He loved being out with his kids and having them participate in the sailing. Sylvia was doing an amazing job and Travis was such a proud dad! What were Travis's favourite activities/passions outside of his boat? He loved to explore, be active and be in nature. He loved skiing, diving and hiking, anything that brought him outdoors. He was also a fantastic cook! Who did you consider Travis favorite person to be on a boat with? He was definitely happiest when his kids were onboard. He really wanted to show them the world by boat. Where was Travis' favorite or top spot he enjoyed sailing ? Tough question... I think he loved all his sailing adventures, whether it was Gulf Islands, Hawaii, or Galapagos. He really wanted to see it all by boat, but I think his heart belonged to the coast. Secret Cove, Tribune Bay, Princess Louisa .. he always said he wanted to end up here. Which do you think Travis enjoyed more cruising or racing ? Travis was definitely a cruiser. He enjoyed racing because it got him on the water but he was happier to explore on his own time. He liked racing because it was a great excuse to sail to Hawaii, but he would have cruised there if he could have justified it! Our sailing community lost an amazing sailor and friend. Before Travis passed he was co-chair of the Vic Maui and one of the reasons that the race has been as successful as it has been over the last few editions. He also helped a local couple deliver their boat home from the Caribbean. Travis always had his next adventure on his mind and I hope that his legacy will live on in the memories of his friends. READ MORE

REMEMBERING TRAVIS MCGREGOR A Cruiser, A Racer, A Friend The first time I met Travis was on his Beneteau Oceanis 50 Turnagain when installing a new sail he purchased from North Sails Vancouver. 6 years later I was invited by Travis to race to Hawaii on the same boat in the 2018 edition of the Vic Maui. When I first met Travis he was a full on cruiser and he decided to join the Vic Maui in the cruiser class to get some ocean miles under his belt. He enjoyed his first Vic Maui so much he decided to do it again in 2016. Travis also raced on many other boats in the PNW as his boat was set up for ocean sailing. After racing Travis was a social guy and you could always be sure to find him enjoying a hoppy beer either on the docks or in a local brewery. I think a bit of the local racing and his enjoyment during his first two Vic Maui's really started to push him to truly crave ocean racing. He put a real competitive team together for the 2018 Vic Maui which I was lucky enough to be invited. Travis was competitive but results were not first priority, the list went like this 1) the personal safety of the crew 2) boat preservation and then 3) results. I learned a lot from Travis and his ability to prepare and organize an ocean racing boat and team. One of the coolest things Travis could do in my opinion was while laying down underneath he could tell if someone was not driving the boat correctly. He put a lot of miles on Turnagain and it was almost like when he was on the boat, him and the boat were one... as weird as that sounds. He took very good care of Turnagain and I even remember when we got to Lahaina and he was giving the final crew briefing before we hit the docks to celebrate with family and the organizers and he said "so they are going to give us champagne and whatever you do, DO NOT spray it on the boat!" Another little story about how safety orientated he was after we finished the 2018 Swiftsure Yacht race we hit the docks at 6 am for breakfast and listened on the radio for the rest of the finishers. I had done the math and we were looking good to win our division overall, Travis was listening but made every single crew member coffee and breakfast while I kept my ear glued to VHF. After breakfast the final few boats we were worried about finished, I did the math and I had announced that we won our Division. As soon as we found out that we had won, dock lines came off the dock and we headed out for a man overboard drill... you'd think after 24 hours of racing and winning the division the captain would let us sleep a little. I asked Travis why he thought it was so important to go and do a man overboard drill at 6 am and I will never forget his reply, he said " I want to practice this drill while everyone is overtired and worn out as that could be the same state we are in if someone falls overboard.” Hear more about Travis and the impact he made on his friends and competitors. READ MORE

INSPIRED RACING. EMPOWERED RESULTS. Blind Sailing Worlds 2019 If you think you are up for a challenge, try this the next time you go racing. Put a blindfold on your skipper and jib trimmer before the start of a race. If you somehow manage to avoid a collision in the first four minutes, the prospect of making the starting line let alone making it around the first mark of the course are dim. This past September, Kingston Yacht Club welcomed fourteen teams from 6 nations at the World Championships for Blind Fleet racing -- the first Blind Worlds hosted in Canada. The regattas high profile garnered the attention amongst many, Kingston's mayor and provincial member of the legislature, beginning with the opening ceremonies and all through the week of racing. Club members, family and media jumped onto spectator boats to be treated by all the action. Watching blind and visually impaired sailors take their sighted crew around a windy, wavy racecourse is inspiring. Made more impressive since the Shark, at 24 feet, is a tight ship for a crew of four adults (two sighted crew to call tactics and trim the main ONLY) with no lifelines. Approached by the race organizers, North Sails supplied the 150% genoas for the chartered Sharks. It was an honour to be a part of this transformative event. Most of the top sighted crews race Sharks with 180% genoas even in the windiest conditions. For crews new to Sharks, as almost all these teams were, the 150% genoas can be a handful in 12 knots true or more. The fleet of Sharks were equalized as much as possible with the Dacron 150% genoas as an excellent middle ground; capable of powering the boats through all the wind and wave conditions Kingston offered up. The on-water racing was as intense as you will find anywhere. The adaptive skills and competitive drive of this group of sailors were only matched by their outgoing friendliness and camaraderie. Trans-formative was the common refrain from so many of the 70 volunteers. Fun was the word used by competitors. Noted repeatedly was how sailing and racing empowered these athletes to rise above their visual challenges. At the recent Sail Canada Awards Gala, in recognition of the fantastic effort put forth by the race organizers, officials, and the host club volunteers, Sail Canada selected the Blind Worlds as the top regatta in the country for 2019. Discover all Shark sails available from North Sails here. READ MORE

LET’S TALK SOLO WITH CHARLIE CUMBLEY & TOM GILLARD Tuning the Boat for Speed & Upwind Tips Solo Class Leader Charlie Cumbley and Class Expert Tom Gillard discuss all things Solo with special guest and Solo Class Chairman, Doug Latta. Topics include tips on how to maximize speed on the racecourse, boat setup advice as well as a focus on upwind sailing with Charlie and downwind sailing with Tom. READ MORE

CURBSIDE SERVICE Preparation Starts Today North Sails Vancouver wants to help you get ahead this season and your local service expert Chris Walter is here to make it happen. Due to our current global situation, please call us to arrange for pick-ups or drop-offs Monday thru Friday, 8am-4pm. In order to maintain social distancing and follow government guidelines, our loft is closed to visitors, but our sales team and admin are still working remotely. Pre-arranged drop-off will be in the parking lot of our building. We are offering complimentary pick-up and drop-off in the Lower Mainland. All invoices must be paid prior to pick-up. Please provide payment when you arrange for your pick up by calling us direct at 604-271-2111. Have questions? Contact Chris. READ MORE

NORTH SAILS OFFICIAL SUPPLIER TO THE VO65 CLASS IN THE OCEAN RACE The World’s Leading Sailmaker Ready for Round Three with One Design Fleet North Sails is honored to be selected as the official one design sail supplier to The Ocean Race 2021-22. Known as the most grueling offshore team race, the Ocean Race has attracted the most skilled sailors and competitive teams since 1973. Equipping the VO65 teams with the industry’s most reliable high-performance products is paramount to the success of The Ocean Race, its sailors, sponsors, and fans across the globe. The relationship between this storied race and North Sails goes back decades. Many within North Sails have sailed onboard various teams and have won the race, while numerous designers and sailmakers have supported the technical side of programs in their quest to finish first around the world. Collaboration between North Sails and Ocean Race teams has resulted in breakthrough technologies, including North 3Di, which was born in response to skipper requests for reliable shape-holding, durability, and of course lightweight performance sails. The extreme nature of The Ocean Race requires sails that can withstand upwards of 55,000 nautical miles and four equator crossings. In 2013 North Sails was first named the exclusive supplier to the then brand new VO65 one design class. Two editions later, North Sails has once again proven itself worthy of delivering consistency across the one design fleet and a superior product which allows the teams to push their boats harder than ever. “We are profoundly proud that our sails will have gone three editions on the VO65, and look forward to working with the new race organizers, partners and the teams in their upcoming adventure” “The Ocean Race is one of the most prestigious events in our sport and is the ultimate proving ground for the reliability of 3Di,” remarked North Sails President Ken Read. “By introducing drones into the last event we have gotten to see how much abuse our sails can withstand. We are profoundly proud that our sails will have gone three editions on the VO65. North Sails and North 3Di are 100% on board for the 2021-22 race and look forward to working with the new race organizers, partners and the teams in their upcoming adventure.” The 2021-22 edition of The Ocean Race is scheduled to start from Alicante, Spain in October 2021, with stops in Cabo Verde; Cape Town, South Africa; Shenzhen, China; Auckland, New Zealand; Itajaí, Brazil; Newport, Rhode Island; Aarhus, Denmark; The Hague in The Netherlands; before the Grand Finale in Genoa, Italy. The race course takes on some of the toughest ocean miles on the planet. “Over the past two editions of the Race, our arrangement with North Sails to equip the VO65 fleet has contributed to the closest racing in the long history of the event,” said Phil Lawrence, the Race Director for The Ocean Race. “This competitiveness comes when the teams know they have sails they can push to the absolute limit, without compromising safety, durability or performance. “We consulted with our VO65 teams who made clear their preference to again have a single-supplier for sails as in the past two races, and we’re very happy to be able to continue our relationship with North Sails into the next edition of The Ocean Race.” Discover more at NorthSails.com, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@north_sails). Follow The Ocean Race at TheOceanRace.com and @theoceanrace on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. READ MORE

LET’S TALK MOTH WITH ROB GREENHALGH Session Two North Sails Moth Class Leader Rob Greenhalgh is joined by North Sails designer Ruairidh Scott and Chris Dixon from CST Spars for the second live session for the Moth class. READ MORE

LET’S TALK J/70 Mainsail Trim In this J/70 Webinar class champions Giulio Desiderato, Zeke Horowitz and Allan Terhune talk in detail about mainsail trim and onboard communication. Topics covered include: 3:02 How do you do your initial J/70 setup 7:35 J/70 Controls. Which and How to Use? 37:24 J/70 Light Wind 47:15 J/70 Medium Wind 53:39 J/70 Strong Wind 1:03:30 J/70 Downwind Learn more about North Sails fast J/70 designs. READ MORE

Webinari - za svakog ponešto Kako se u skoro cijelom svijetu ograničilo slobodno kretanje i boravak na otvorenom, pa tako i na moru, bilo bi dobro iskoristiti sve ovo "slobodno" vrijeme za unaprijeđenje bar teoretskih znanja. Zato je North Sails prošli tjedan krenuo s online edukacijama. Pokrenut je veliki tim stručnjaka iz raznih područja jedrenja i bilo bi šteta to ne iskoristiti. Ovisno o tome gdje se nalaze pojedini predavači, vremena održavanja webinara bit će različita, neka će više odgovarati publici u Europi, a neka onima preko nekog od oceana. U svakom slučaju ovdje možete pronaći popis tema koje će se obrađivati tijekom idućeg tjedna krenuvši od ponedjeljka. Nadam se da će svatko pronaći nešto što ga zanima! KLASA J 70 - 2. DIO PONEDJELJAK, 06. TRAVNJA, 20:00 GMT FINO TRIMANJE JEDARA I SAVJETI ZA OPTIMIZIRANJE KOMUNIKACIJE NA PALUBI LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU MALE KLASE - JEDNOSJEDI UTORAK, 07. TRAVNJA, 13:00 GMT SAVJETI ZA POVEĆANJE BRZINE NA REGATNOM KURSU, OPREMANJE JEDRILICA I POSEBNI SAVJETI ZA JEDRENJE U ORCU I U KRMU. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU NORTH U WEBINAR UTORAK, 07. TRAVNJA, 13:00 GMT OSNOVE STRATEGIJE, TAKTIKE I PRAVILA. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU UGODNO KRSTARENJE UTORAK, 07. TRAVNJA, 13:00 GMT SAVJETI ZA UGODNO JEDRENJE POPUT TRIMANJA VELIKE GENOVE PO JAKOM VJETRU ILI PRIPREME ZA KRAĆENJE JEDARA... PRIMIJENJIVO NA IZNAJMLJENOJ CHARTER JEDRILICI, TAKO I NA OKRETNOM REGATNOM KRSTAŠU. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU KLASA VIPER SRIJEDA, 08. TRAVNJA, 20:00 GMT SAVJETI ZA TRIMANJE I KAKO SE POSTAVITI NA ČELO FLOTE. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU KLASA MOTH - 3. DIO SRIJEDA, 08. TRAVNJA, 21:00 GMT SAVJETI IZ PRVE RUKE OD TOMA SLINGSBYJA, PROŠLOGODIŠNJEG SVJETSKOG PRVAKA. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU KLASA OPTIMIST SRIJEDA, 08. TRAVNJA, 22:00 GMT O SVEMU ŠTO JE VAŽNO U OVOJ KLASI. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU 10 STVARI O JEDRIMA ZA KRSTARENJE ČETVRTAK, 09. TRAVNJA, 17:00 GMT ZANIMA VAS ZAŠTO SU NAJBOLJI TIMOVI TOLIKO BRZI? SAVJETI IZ PRVE RUKE OD ČOVJEKA KOJI RADI S NAJBOLJIMA. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU KLASA J 22 PETAK, 10. TRAVNJA, 20:00 GMT SAVJETI ZA MAKSIMIZIRANJE UČINKA JEDRENJA U ORCU. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU SAVJETI "LETEĆIH ŠKOTA" - BRIAN HAYES, ZEKE HOROWITZ, GREG FISHER SUBOTA, 11. TRAVNJA, 20:00 GMT RAZNA PITANJA I ODGOVORI NA NJIH! SLOBODNI STE PITATI SVE ŠTO VAS ZANIMA. LINK ZA REGISTRACIJU Možda neke stvari neće biti zanimljive našoj publici jer je riječ o klasama na kojima se ne jedri u Hrvatskoj, ali svejedno, mnogo stvari se može univerzalno primijeniti i u drugim sličnim klasama. Što se tiče troškova sudjelovanja njih nema u 9 od 10 webinara, a jedini u kojem je potrebno uplatiti kotizaciju je North U webinar Billa Glasdstonea. Vidimo se u online učionicama! READ MORE

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Information Hos North Sails overvåger vi nøje udviklingen af Coronavirus (COVID-19) situationen og følger den aktuelle vejledning fra myndigheder og sundhedsmyndigheder for at sikre, at vi træffer de rigtige beslutninger for at beskytte vores kunder og ansatte. Det betyder at alle vores sælgere samt designere i denne tid arbejder hjemmefra. Vores Serviceafdeling kører på fuld styrke for at sikre at alle sejl bliver klar til sæsonstart. Så er dine sejl klar til afhentning, bedes du ringe på forhånd, så vi kan aftale hvilke forholdsregler der skal tages med henblik på udlevering. Vores sælgere og designere kan selvfølgelig kontaktes på e-mail eller telefon indenfor vores normale åbningstider: Mandag - torsdag kl 9:00 - 16:30 Fredag 9:00 - 16:00 Telefon 39204090 Email: DEN@northsails.com< READ MORE

TUNE INTO A LIVE MOTH WEBINAR WITH TOM SLINGSBY AND ROB GREENHALGH 2019 World Champion Joins North Sails for Let’s Talk Moths Webinar Series Join Moth World Champion Tom Slingsby and North Sails class leader Rob Greenhalgh live on Wednesday, April 8th for the third session of Let’s Talk Moth. These two world-renowned sailors will take us through the in’s and out’s of race day strategy and provide tuning tips for the newly released 9DSX Decksweeper mainsail. Sign up and register today for the Zoom link. Register Now Session 1: Expert Opinions and Introductions to the North Sails Class Leaders North Sails Moth Class Leader, and National and European titleholder Rob Greenhalgh gives his expert opinion on a variety of topics and introduces key people within the class. Topics include an introduction to the series, a fleet update, and foiling like a pro. Session 2: Sail Design, Spars and 3Di for the Moth Class North Sails Moth Class Leader Rob Greenhalgh is joined by North Sails designer Ruairidh Scott and Chris Dixon from CST Spars for the second live session for the Moth class. READ MORE

LET’S TALK MOTH WITH ROB GREENHALGH Session One North Sails Moth Class Leader and National and European titleholder Rob Greenhalgh gives his expert opinion on a variety of topics, and introduces key people within the class in the first of many live sessions for the Moth class. Essential topics include an introduction to the series, a fleet update, and foiling like a pro. READ MORE

CHECK-IN. GIVE US A CALL. WE’RE HERE TO HELP WITH ANSWERS. Just Like All Of You, We Can’t Wait to Get on the Water North Sails President Ken Read checked in to give us an update on what’s going on at North Sails this week. Ken, like all of us, is working from his makeshift home office in Rhode Island. It’s a strange time for the world right now, but our lofts are open where possible, and the North sales and service team are available for a call at any time. Like all of you, we can’t wait to go sailing; being contained to our homes right now is only growing our desire to get on the water. We’re working hard to deliver updates and a daily dose of the sport we love. Check-in on northsails.com and follow along with Instagram or Facebook for the latest news at North Sails. Pre-Season Prep We may not have our exact launch dates, but we are all looking forward to getting on the water as soon as possible. Your local service teams are hard at work to make sure that you’re ready to enjoy every single second of the 2020 sailing season. At North Sails, our mission is to provide you with expert repairs, maintenance, and upgrades. Every sail serviced by our teams undergoes a thorough inspection designed to identify maintenance issues to avoid major problems later on. Our Certified Service teams are on hand during this time to provide you with pre-season service, including the North Sails signature 10-point inspection. By Appointment: Curbside Service Come to us or we’ll come to you! North Sails is now offering curbside pick up and delivery of sails where local rules allow. Call and schedule a time for pick up or drop off out in front of our building or at your home. Find your nearest loft today and make an appointment to have your sails serviced or new sails delivered so you can hit the ground running once the sailing season begins. READ MORE

LET’S TALK VX ONE Jibes & Donwind Modes Tune in with North Sails VX One expert Mike Marshall for an interactive web talk on the different types of jibes and downwind modes. READ MORE

BUILDING YOUR SAIL INVENTORY A Look Into Code Zeros Local North Sails expert Hugh Beaton shares advice on building your sail inventory when it comes to Code Zero's. It all starts in a consultation with lots of open questions to fully understand how the sail will be used and where it fits into the rest of the boat’s inventory of sails so that good crossovers can be achieved. This past year I had the pleasure of working on a new project where the inventory of sails needed to be simple and easy to handle by a small crew when sailing offshore, and yet high performance to compete in the premier races on the Great Lakes. Suspect was launched just days before the Susan Hood Race, and completed her sea trials during the race. Well done to all that worked on her beautiful refit. Our task in designing the sail wardrobe was to cover as much of the wind speed and wind angle chart as possible with just four sails; Mainsail with three reefs, 135% furling genoa, A2 spinnaker, and a versatile Code Zero. Later in the summer I was able to join the boat for the Lake Ontario 300 and use the sails in a wide range of challenging conditions. "This experience allowed me to came away with a new appreciation of what Code Zero's can offer for all of us, regardless of the speed of the boat or the size of the budget", commented Hugh. In the case of Suspect, the design of the sail is much more full to give the sail a clean and easy-to-use reaching shape that works really well in the 55-90 awa range (apparent wind angle). In light winds the A2 crossover is at 75 AWA, compared to 90-100 AWA for winds above 12 TWS. For modern sailplans with non overlapping jibs, the Code Zero can be a very different sail, targeted to tight wind angles and light winds, offering the performance of a huge genoa. Our new Helix family of Code Zero's is ideal for these applications offering a flatter shape while maintaining a clean leech exit. For any type of distance racing, a modern Code Zero that has been custom designed for the application is a very valuable weapon - a must have for most. READ MORE

LET’S TALK OFF THE WIND SAILING WITH AUSTIN POWERS North Sails expert Austin Powers and Broad Bay Sailing Association discuss modern advancements in off the wind sailing. READ MORE

LET’S TALK LIGHTING Changing Gears Lightning Class Expert Brian Hayes and special guest Greg Fisher share tips on how the top teams change gears and keep the boat going fast in this interactive live session. READ MORE

A NEW WAY TO NAVIGATE SAIL CHOICES North Sails Introduces an Interactive Sail Finder to Pair Sailors With Their Ideal Material Match Do you race, cruise or do both? North Sails offers a broad range of sail materials to meet a wide variety of needs. This can make navigating sail material choices daunting. Depending on whether you are racing around the buoys on a summer evening, racing offshore, or competing at a world championship, your sail requirements will vary. The same is true for cruisers. You may be enjoying an hour-long daysail or spending a year exploring the South Pacific. Either way, making the right sail choice is important. What if you race and cruise? We offer crossover sail materials for dual purpose use as well. We’d like to introduce you to our new interactive sail finder which will help you find the ideal match for your type of sailing. Find Your Sail   READ MORE

LET’S TALK OPTIMIST WITH HUGO ROCHA Session One North Sails Optimist expert and winner of several World and European titles, Hugo Rocha, gives his opinion as an expert on various topics alongside guest Olympic sailor Jorge Lima. READ MORE

We’re All About Your Next Adventure Our experts have created a variety of articles to help you gain confidence for your next getaway. Topics include battens, weather, safety, durability of cruising sails, and more. Whether you are leaving land behind or simply sharing leisure time with friends and family, our North Sails Cruising Tool Kit will help you prepare for your next trip. Forecasting For Your Trip Libby Greenhalgh has navigated around the world twice with the Volvo Ocean Race; she’s a director with the Magenta Project and has an offshore resume that ranks her among the top sailors in the world. Greenhalgh sat down with North Sails to share her steps for planning a trip offshore.   Learn More   Installing and Tensioning Your Battens Thinking about battens? Preparing for a new season is something that is on everyone’s mind. Whether you’re staging your boat to launch or planning an extended cruise, it’s important to make sure you’ve got your battens installed properly and tensioned correctly.   Learn More   Furling Sails & UV Suncovers What happens if you furl your sail the wrong way? – with the sun cover on the inside instead of the outside of the furl? Learn more from Expert Hugh Beaton on how to prevent UV exposure and a bad furl.   Learn More   Safety Always Comes First Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. Practices from racing in the World’s toughest conditions of the Southern Ocean can be applicable to sailors of all levels and speeds. North Sails President, Ken Read, shares his tips for all sailors on his best protocols for sailing offshore.   Learn More   Cruising Sailors Demand Durability Predicting durability is a tough challenge, because sails are subjected to so many different forms of use and conditions. That said, the most common question we hear from cruising sailors is: “How long will my sails last?”   Learn More   Sources Of Power Cruising sail trim priorities will vary depending on the wind strength. The easiest trimming condition is moderate winds of 8 to 10 knots, because you trim for full power and indicators like telltales are easy to read. Here’s how to set each source of power.   Learn More     Interested in North Sails cruising sails? Contact your local loft today. READ MORE

Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. READ MORE

Libby has delivered and cruised all over the world. Her experience has given her an exceptional eye for weather. Greenhalgh sat down with North Sails to share her steps for planning a trip offshore. READ MORE

READY FOR THE ETCHELLS WORLDS Successful Australian Season Comes to an End Magpie 📸 John Curnow North Sails Etchells designs dominated four Australian events leading up to the 2020 Worlds in Fremantle in November: the state championships for Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and the Australian Nationals. Graeme Taylor helped the team onboard Magpie claim the National title and then went on to win the New South Wales Championship on Lake Macquarie where North boats claimed the top four finishing positions. Another very strong fleet turned out for the Victorian States, and this time it was Iain Murray’s Havoc that took the win with a race to spare. Despite extremely shifty, offshore, easterly winds, no other boat came close to their consistency; Murray and his crew won all three races. Havoc 📸 John Curnow Both teams used the same designs that won last year's Worlds in Corpus Christi, Texas: PC-FM Mainsail, MAL and GT jibs, and FR-2 spinnaker. A more recent introduction is the VMG-3 down-range spinnaker. Asked what makes North designs so quick, Etchells class expert Noel Drennan replies, “Our Etchells sails benefit from old-school style tuning and are designed by people with an experienced eye. The MAL and GT headsails were developed from long-standing North designs, using straight-line sail testing; if it's not faster, try something different.’’ “Our Etchells sails benefit from old-school style tuning and are designed by people with an experienced eye. The MAL and GT headsails were developed from long-standing North designs, using straight-line sail testing; if it's not faster, try something different.’’ Taylor and Murray two-boat-tune together before each regatta, which helped Murray win the 2019 Worlds. Drennan says that this team approach is being replicated by several other Australian Etchells teams. “With many teams now armed with both the PCFM/MAL/GT jibs and a full understanding of the tuning, we are seeing very strong performances from people like John Bertrand, JC Strong, Chris Hampton, David Clark, and Mark Thornborrow.’' 2020 Worlds Local Knowledge Drennan knows Fremantle well. “In a normal sea breeze day with two races, I would expect the first race to be approximately 10-14 knots and the second 14-18 knots, probably building after racing has finished. That being said, the Swan River fleet had a training camp in November 2019, and the entire week was light air.'' "There is a high likelihood of sailing in fantastic upper-range, sea breeze conditions. The local fleet is very much behind the regatta, and it will be a fantastic championship.’’ “Tactically, in a normal sea breeze race, a good start with the ability to stay on starboard tack for at least four to six minutes will probably be rewarded,’’ he continues. “If the wind comes off of the land instead, it will be a case of looking upwind and using what you see, knowing that every course option is open. In this breeze, there will be many opportunities for teams that have slipped behind to recover, making for some exciting racing.’’ Leading up to the Worlds, the Swan River Fleet has mini-regattas planned monthly through the winter at the racing venue. The Syd Corser Regatta in October is a very prestigious Etchells event which is likely to have a strong turnout, and the Australian Championship is planned for mid-November. “Freemantle is one of the epic sailing venues of the world,” Drennan says, “with a history of hosting racing for America’s Cup and Olympic classes, as well as Etchells, Dragon, and Soling Worlds. There is a high likelihood of sailing in fantastic upper-range, sea breeze conditions. The local fleet is very much behind the regatta, and it will be a fantastic championship.’’ Forte 📸 John Curnow Lisa Rose 📸 John Curnow Havoc 📸 John Curnow READ MORE

PARABÉNS O SEU VOUCHER FOI VALIDADO COM SUCESSO! Veja a nossa colecção aqui! O vosso pedido de encomenda com referência, quantidade e cor deve ser enviada para office.cascais@northsails.com READ MORE

VALIDE SEU VOUCHER READ MORE

LET’S TALK J/70 Lessons Learned in Miami Keeping the J/70 conversation going with class champions Tim Healy, Ruairidh Scott, and Allan Terhune. This interactive session includes lessons learned at the 2020 Bacardi Invitational and J/70 Midwinters. READ MORE

La crise de santé publique que nous traversons aujourd’hui est au cœur de toutes les préoccupations. Chez North Sails Suisse, nous souhaitons répondre aux incertitudes de nos clients pour les servir au mieux et le plus sereinement possible. À l’issue des nombreuses questions que nous avons reçues, nous avons élaboré ce document de questions/réponses pour faire le point sur la situation et préparer le retour à la normale une fois cette catastrophe sanitaire passée. Vos centres de production de voiles sont-ils toujours opérationnels ? Oui. Chez North Sails, nous prenons toutes les précautions de sécurité recommandées pour limiter l’impact du Covid-19 dans nos ateliers de fabrication. L’un des avantages de notre présence à travers le monde est que notre production n’est pas à l’arrêt. En effet, plusieurs pays dans lesquels nous fabriquons nos voiles sont moins affectés par la crise sanitaire. En revanche, l’impact est plus important dans certains pays qui ont dû par conséquent fermer leurs installations. Nous assurons les fonctions de production sur nos sites lorsque cela est permis et dans la mesure où la santé et la sécurité de notre personnel et de nos clients ne sont pas compromises. Dans l’ensemble, nous sommes aptes à fonctionner au mieux de nos capacités durant cette crise. Puis-je encore faire réviser mes voiles ? En Suisse, la voilerie est actuellement fermée au public, mais notre activité sur le plancher se poursuit à taux réduit et en télétravail. Nos collaborateurs sont à votre disposition principalement par téléphone, What’s App et e-mail (info@ch.northsails.com), afin de gérer avec vous le retrait, la livraison de vos voiles ou pour toutes autres questions. Lorsque je commande de nouvelles voiles, je viens généralement au bureau et je passe en revue tous les détails avec mon représentant commercial. Pouvons-nous faire tout cela par téléphone ou par Internet ? Absolument. Nous continuerons à fournir à nos clients un service de qualité par téléphone, par SMS, e-mail ou lors de réunions virtuelles. Nous pouvons demander à notre designer de se joindre à l’appel. La majorité de notre personnel travaille à distance et se tient à votre disposition pour répondre à vos questions et vous assister dans la mesure du possible. Vous trouverez les coordonnées de votre équipe locale sur northsails.com. J’ai commandé des voiles. Quand puis-je être livré ? À ce stade, nos installations sont pour la plupart opérationnelles. Cela dit, nous prévoyons certains retards car les pays, les États et les régions décident à chaque instant d’imposer le confinement à la population ou de laisser les gens continuer à se rendre à leur travail en toute sécurité. Il y a également beaucoup de questions relatives au transport, aérien comme maritime, l’un comme l’autre étant fortement affectés. Actuellement, nous traitons toutes les questions concernant l’expédition sur une base individuelle et nous recommandons à notre équipe de rester souvent en contact avec ses clients. En résumé, nous essayons de respecter au mieux notre calendrier de commandes, mais nous nous efforçons d’anticiper les retards de planning imprévus et nous travaillerons avec nos clients au cas par cas. J’ai commandé des voiles mais je n’en ai pas l’utilité en ce moment. Allez-vous stocker mes voiles jusqu’à ce que je puisse les utiliser ? Absolument. Nous stockons gratuitement vos voiles dans nos locaux. Nous émettons une facture une fois la voile produite, comme à l’accoutumée, et nous vous envoyons un courriel de confirmation. Nous stockons vos voiles jusqu’à nouvel ordre et nous vous les livrerons dès que vous en aurez besoin. Nous espérons que vos voiles ne resteront pas longtemps sur nos étagères et que nous serons tous bientôt sur l’eau ! J’envisage d’acheter de nouvelles voiles et j’espère pouvoir naviguer d’ici le milieu de l’été. Pouvez-vous respecter cette date de livraison ? À l’heure actuelle, oui. Selon le type de bateau que vous possédez et la voile dont vous avez besoin, nous avons des créneaux de livraison disponibles à la fin juin, juillet et août, mais sachez que nous nous attendons à une reprise chargée, il est donc plus sûr de passer votre commande dès maintenant, plutôt que de le faire dans l’urgence par la suite. Là encore, la réglementation du pays concernant nos installations de fabrication aura une incidence sur notre service et les délais. Nous mettons tout en œuvre pour respecter au mieux les demandes de nos clients. Comment North Sails apporte-t-elle son aide dans cette crise ? Actuellement, dans de nombreux pays où nous disposons d’installations de service et de fabrication, nous travaillons avec les autorités locales, régionales et nationales pour lancer la production de masques de sécurité. Nos collègues de North Sails en Italie ont été les premiers à lancer cette initiative. Les ateliers de voilerie peuvent contribuer à alléger le fardeau d’une pénurie d’équipements essentiels comme les masques en ces temps de crise. La priorité de North Sails est de mettre à contribution nos compétences et capacités pour apporter notre assistance dans la mesure du possible. READ MORE

Ništa od Tokija ovog ljeta U utorak 24. ožujka Međunarodni olimpijski odbor je prekinuo nagađanja i kalkulacije oko odgađanja 32. Olimpijskih igara koje su bile planirane za ljeto ove godine. U jednu ruku, odluka je ipak očekivana i u skladu s trenutnom situacijom u svijetu, a to je da je situacija s Korona virusom još uvijek neizvjesna i da je najbolja odluka ipak da se Olimpijada odgodi za godinu dana. Među svim sportašima koji su osvojili kartu za sastav u prestižnoj nacionalnoj vrsti trenutno se nalaze tri jedriličara i jedna jedriličarka, a još nekoliko ih ima šansu za kvalifikaciju. Evo njihovih dojmova i emocija o cijeloj ovoj situaciji. Jedno su želje, a drugo je realnost. Stvarno su bile veće šanse da se neće održati, nego da će se održati, jer se ne vidi kraja ovoj situaciji. Možda s druge strane ipak je manje presudilo to što se ne vidi kraj, već to što ne treniramo. Koliko sam uspio saznati većina jedriličara ne trenira i možda samo jedan mali postotak trenutno može jedriti. Tako da mislim da nitko od nas tamo ne bi došao spreman ni blizu onoliko koliko bi bio spreman da nema Korone i da su uvjeti normalni. I mislim da je ovo najrealnija i najbolja opcija. A to što ova odluka utječe na planove za 2021.... preživjet ćemo. Inače, u 2021. sam planirao više jedriti u Stelli. Zajedno s Tudorom Bilićem sam osmislio plan regata i aktivnosti u tom smjeru. Čak smo dogovorili i nabavku nove jedrilice, ali sad ćemo teško to ostvariti, pa će taj projekt morat čekati bolje dane i da prođe ljeto 2021. Zbog toga neću jedriti ni na Europskom prvenstvu za Stelle koje će organizirati JK Mornar u svibnju iduće godine. Što je tu je. Ali u svakom slučaju u planu nam je da odjedrimo regatu Svjetskog kupa u Miamiju u studenom. Tonči Stipanović, klasa Laser Standard Po pitanju kućnih treninga i kod Tonča je slična situacija kao i kod sviju ostalih. Srećom po sportaše, njihove obitelji su svjesne situacije i da oni svoje treninge moraju napraviti u svakom slučaju, pa su svi u domove dovukli raznoraznu opremu i rekvizite. Tonči ponekad ima jedan trening dnevno, a nekad i dva, ali nakon ove odluke o odgađanju Olimpijade najvjerojatnije će sve treninge svesti na jedan dnevno. FOTO: OSOBNA ARHIVA Slična situacija je i u Zadru, rodnom gradu braće Fantela, naših predstavnika u klasi 49er. Njih dvojica su u nešto ozbiljnijoj situaciji u odnosu na Tonča, jer su u Zadar stigli s Palma de Mallorce gdje su se pripremali za Trofej princeze Sofije. Zbog Korone je regata otkazana i svi jedriličari su se vratili doma i ovisno o danu povratka dio njih je s aerodroma morao obavezno doma u izolaciju jer su se vratili iz rizične zone. Evo brojim još nekoliko dana da završi karantena. Doma sam sa ženom i malim, brat je s ocem doma. I nedostaje mi malo izaći vani, bar eto nisam sam, eventualno izađem na balkon na svjež zrak i to je sve. Stvarno nedostaje malo svježine. Mislim da smo svi završili u izolaciji nakon povratka s Palme... ja, Miho, Edo, Karlo, Enia, Mihaela, Igor, Mate Arapov, Ivan Bulaja... jedino mislim da je Neno Bugarin ostao iza nas na Palmi. Ali srećom svi smo zdravi i sa svima je sve u redu! Što se tiče odluke o odgodi Igara, mislim da je odluka dobra, jer ne zna se koliko će to trajati i kad će sve ovo proći. Neke zemlje su OK, neke nisu, neki su mogli trenirati, neki mogu još uvijek trenirati, a većina je zatvorena doma i ne smije nigdje izaći. Olimpijski odbor je jedno vrijeme govorio da će Igre ići u dogovorenom terminu, pa se baš loše osjećaš kad to slušaš, a ne možeš se maknuti iz kuće. Mislim, nama je to posao i moramo biti u top formi, a vrijeme nam nepovratno prolazi. Tako da to emocionalno nije bilo dobro... stalno su se mijenjali planovi, svaki dan se odgađala neka regata. Pa se treba kontejner s opremom idući tjedan slati u Japan... pitanje je hoćemo li ga slati... da bi imali brod tamo u lipnju kontejner treba sad na put... Puno tih stvari bilo u zraku, mislim, nismo znali koja će biti odluka. I onda mi je stvarno laknulo kad su to odgodili. Mislim, svi želimo da ovo što prije prođe i da smo svi zdravi, ali kako smo ja i Miho u cijeli projekt ušli 2017., relativno kasno, nama ta jedna dodatna godina puno znači. Naravno, ako ćemo krenuti s jedrenjem za mjesec dana, ali ako budemo morali čekati pet mjeseci onda smo na istom... Najvažnije nam je da što prije izađemo na more, da možemo jedriti ovdje u svom gradu, a odlasci na regate su tek na drugom mjestu. Šime Fantela, klasa 49er Što se tiče nekih eventualnih dodatnih kvalifikacija, one ne dolaze u obzir, bar što se klase 49er tiče. Tu su zauzeta skoro sva mjesta i ostalo je još samo po jedno mjesto po kontinentu. To mjesto za Europu se trebalo dodijeliti na regati u Genovi, ali nakon stabilizacije globalne situacije donijet će se odluka o novoj regati na kojoj će se zaključiti startni popis ove klase. FOTO: OSOBNA ARHIVA Također su od Genove puno očekivale naše djevojke u 49erFX i momci u klasi Finn, jer je i njima to bila posljednja šansa za upadanje u reprezentaciju. A trenutno jedina jedriličarka u ovom prestižnom društvu je Elena Vorobeva, djevojka koja je Moskvu zamijenila Splitom i klasu Elliott 6M u kojoj je jedrila za Rusiju na OI u Londonu s klasom Laser Radial u kojoj će imati Hrvatsku zastavu na jedru. Ona je svoju olimpijsku normu ostvarila na nedavno završenom Svjetskom prvenstvu koje se jedrilo u Australiji. Po mom mišljenju odgoda je bila jedina pametna odluka i u rok od godinu dana trebao bi biti dovoljan da se sve smiri i vrati u normalu. Zadnji mjesec živjela sam pod pritiskom nepoznanice. S obzirom da su krenuli otkazi predstojećih regata, koji su nam bili u planu, odlučili smo da ćemo do zadnjeg trenutka ostat kući i jedriti na domaćem moru. A kad su nam i to zabranili zabrinula sam što će sad biti s treninzima i što s Olimpijadom... Dogodilo se to da nisam bila u istim uvjetima s ostalim sportašima, npr Englezi su još uvijek redovno trenirali na moru do početka ovog tjedna, a mi ne smijemo ni napustiti kuću. I zahvaljujući jačim državama i njihovim savezima, kao što su Kanada, Australija, Norveška... zbog njihovih pritisaka da neće poslati svoje sportaše ove godine u Japan, MOO je dosta brzo odlučio. Inače su htjeli čekati još mjesec dana i držati svih stand by. Sljedećih dana mijenjat će se i kalendar regata koje još nisu bile otkazane za ovu godinu. Nama je npr. bitno Europsko prvenstvo, koje je prebačeno na 10. mjesec. Uglavnom, dobila sam dodatnu godinu za pripremu do OI. Zadnjih 6 godina nisam imala normalne uvjete za to. Bila sam sama sebi i trener i manager i logističar, prošla sam kroz puno izazova ali još uvijek bila konkurentna pored onih koji imaju to sve uređeno. A od prošle godine, od kad sam došla u JK Split i od kad je nešto kasnije u ovaj klub došao i vrhunski trener Tonći Antunović, moj život je postao puno lakši. Mogu se koncentrirati samo na sebe. I naravno da gledam na ovu dodatnu godinu kao sudbinski poklon. Nakon što ovo ludilo s Koronom se smiri, krenut ćemo ozbiljno i iskoristiti ćemo ovu odgodu što bolje. A trenutno vježbam u kući, skupila sam po kući sve utege, bicikl, simulator za višenje - improvizacije u toku. Elena Vorobeva, klasa Laser Radial FOTO: BOGEE TOTH A da je termin OI ostao isti raspored kad bi navijali na naše jedriličare bi izgledao ovako: LASER STANDARD: regata: 26. - 31. srpnja slobodan dan: 29. srpnja medal race: 2. kolovoza LASER RADIAL: regata: 26. - 31. srpnja slobodan dan: 29. srpnja medal race: 2. kolovoza 49ER: regata: 28. srpnja - 01. kolovoza slobodan dan: 30. srpnja medal race: 3. kolovoza Pomicanje Tokija za godinu dana ne bi trebalo utjecati na Olimpijske igre u Parizu i one i sve koje idu iza bi se trebale nastaviti u već određenom četverogodišnjem ritmu. U prilog tom zaključku ide i to što su organizatori ovogodišnjih Igara odlučili ostaviti u nazivu Tokio 2020, a ne Tokio 2021. READ MORE

HONDA MARINE HANGS ONTO THE 18FT SKIFF WORLD TITLE Third Time's a Charm 📸 Michael Chittenden After nine exhilarating races on Sydney Harbour, Honda Marine took the prestigious JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship title for the third year running. An equivalent regatta to a World Championship, the crew combination of Matt Steven from North Sails New Zealand (middle-crew), Brad Collins (bowman) and David McDiarmid (helmsman) proved unbeatable yet again. The trend was set in 2018 when Honda Marine became the first New Zealanders in 45 years to win the JJs with the same crew as today. Asked how it felt to maintain this record, One Design expert Matt Steven replies, “It is very special; 18ft Skiff racing has a huge following and a rich history in New Zealand. Many older sailors have sailed them in the past and the Trans-Tasman rivalry makes it one of the most followed events in New Zealand.’’ Steven is no stranger to sailing on Sydney Harbour. “It is a testing venue with an enormous amount of challenges and obstacles, including wind, headlands islands and most importantly, the traffic.’’ Sailing with a full 3Di inventory, the team has used their mainsails for three years and jibs for two years: “The fact that our mainsails have lasted every race and training session for three years is a massive statement in itself. We ran two new jibs this year with the Helix luff structure in them; with the stiffness of 3Di and the amount of control we have over our jibs now, it’s quite amazing how much you can alter the shape with very little adjustment.’’ Asked which conditions the 3Di sails excelled in, Matt says “They perform well across the whole range. As the breeze gets up they have more responsiveness which allows us to change gears better than the competitors.’' “The fact that our mainsails have lasted every race and training session for three years is a massive statement in itself. They perform well across the whole range. As the breeze gets up they have more responsiveness which allows us to change gears better than the competitors.’’ The Honda Marine crew sailed a strong regatta, discarding a fourth place in race 7. Speaking for the team, Matt says “We were very lucky on that day. We made the wrong rig choice and with two rigs moded for 0-12 and 12-25 knots respectively, the decision can be critical if you get caught out of range which happened to us in race 7. We pulled a few good maneuvers out of the bag and maintained our fast downwind speed to finish with a fourth. The next day, we prioritized the rig choice decision and got it right to match the conditions.’’ With clients on Winning Group finishing just four points behind Honda Marine, we asked Matt what their tactics were going into the final day. “Our game plan was to sail how we had sailed every other day,” said Matt “The goal was to beat Winning Group in the first race of the day which we managed to do. They were getting quicker every race and we knew they would come for us - having won four JJ titles together as a combination, they were our serious rivals throughout the entire event.’’ Having sailed as a combination for five years, about 70% of their preparation goes into boat handling to control such high-powered skiffs in a busy fleet. “The gains and losses in boats like these are huge when it comes to turning corners,” Matt explains. “We know each other well which is key to pulling off maneuvers in pressure situations.’' So what is next having won the JJs for three years in a row? “We are all on the same page that we would love to do another one as we have some ideas on improvements we can make to the boat. We are still enjoying sailing together, so why not?!’’ 📸 Michael Chittenden 📸 Michael Chittenden 📸 Michael Chittenden READ MORE

HOBIE 33 SIZZLE WINS PUERTO VALLARTA Boat prep, Sail Selection, and Keeping an Eye on the Prize 📸Mark Albertazzi / PV 2020 Talented tactician and helmsman, Bill Hardesty has been part of sailing’s winning history in the J/70, Etchells, Melges 20, Melges 24, Farr 40, and has won a total of 12 World Championship titles, which include three in match racing. He awarded Yachtsman of the Year in 2011. Bill hails from San Diego Yacht Club, California, and recently competed in the 1020nm race from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on his club racer, Hobie 33, Sizzle. This race was different from Bill’s normal regatta weekend. It was his first time on a boat this size, sailing distance offshore. North Sails Expert Patrick Murray, based in San Diego, California, spoke with Bill about the race and got the full scoop on what made team Sizzle’s experience a memorable one. The crew Hardesty’s crew consisted of Bad Pak former owner Tom Holthus, Chuck Eaton, and Parker Mitchell. “A few months before the PV race, I got a call from Tom, and he said, “What’s up! I haven’t heard from you yet, are you doing the PV race?”. “Tom wouldn’t take no for an answer, and I knew it would be a great experience for the team, so I agreed.” “It really was quite simple to join the Sizzle team,” said Tom. “Bill and I had a great time sailing BadPak so the history was there. I sold BadPak after we won the Transpac and I had the time to help out. We both saw that the little Hobie 33 had potential. The boat can really move in lighter breeze conditions–just as well as any big boat– and we saw a lot of light breeze during the race. Billy is an awesome sailor. He sails offshore just like he does inshore – with high intensity where everyone had to and wanted to do their watch like it was a short dinghy race. We kept saying that we can sleep when we die.” “We tested our systems with Patrick, practiced with our inventory to fine-tune, and figure out what we needed. Patrick checked our sail repair kit and made sure we had the right batten tools. That was next level support”, said Bill. Patrick commented, “I wasn’t the only one checking out the boat before the race. People were coming by to see how preparations were going on the ‘race winner’, so it was no doubt in everyone’s minds that they could win it.” “We took the rig down and cleaned it up–we made sure we had Sizzle set up for success,” said Bill. “We cleaned the boat well and polished the bottom; we did everything we could do to gain speed. Tom made a good teammate, which was no surprise, and the entire crew kept the fun -factor high.” Keeping an eye on the prize Sizzle started the race on Thursday, in ORR-6. Conditions at the start were north-westerly offshore, and once the fleet cleared the bay, it was DDW from there. “We set the kite and sailed into the darkness, sailing as deep and as fast as we could,” Bill said. “We had originally planned to go between the islands, and we ended up not laying it, so we had to jibe. We lost a bit of distance, and the One Design 35 crossed us once, but once we jibed onto port, we got the boat going again and never saw them again.” “Sizzle was ahead on the tracker almost all the time,” said Patrick, who was following the race remotely from the Caribbean. “Everytime I downloaded their latest positioning, they were holding down the lead. I was amazed how long they were able to hold off the bigger boats. It’s really amazing for a Hobie 33! Everyone had high expectations for this team, and it was great to see them leading.” Bill commented, “We were pretty new to the systems on board, and I think that may have been to our advantage. Not having our tracker on kept us on our toes and not looking at the screen–it kept us working hard the whole time. We always assumed someone was outside, going faster, in better breeze–whether we could see them or not. We would jibe and catch a puff and ride that for a few hours; the crew worked hard the entire race.” Once they got down to the Baja Peninsula, it got lighter and warmer. Bill sailed the shortest distance possible. “We pretty much stuck to the rhumb line from there until we got to Cabo. We did some sail changes to our light air sails–it was nice to have the options. Sea state was dead-flat, but that turned out to be in our favor. Once we built up our apparent wind, we were able to generate enough power to get her going fast and maintain speed with the waves.” Hobie 33 Sizzle sailing downwind with A2.5 + genoa staysail and 3Di RAW 360 mainsail. 📸Mark Albertazzi / PV 2020 Once Sizzle made it to Cabo, they downloaded the tracker information and could see their positioning for the first time since the start of the race. “We could see the bigger boats offshore coming up quickly,” said Bill. “Pyewacket was one of them, but surprisingly there wasn’t anyone else in our division that was that close. It all worked out. Not knowing about other boats allowed us to focus on what we could do to sail faster.” "Our mix of sail options, paired with the conditions we had was what we needed to perform our best." “We saw there was more wind coming down the Sea of Cortez,” said Bill, “and we just kept focusing on sailing as deep as we could. The wind appeared to be shifting left, so we got back on the rhumb line. The crew was on the rail for the tighter reaches in the morning, sailing 100 to 110 TWA (true wind angle). I can’t say the boat liked that, but once the waves kicked up and the breeze shifted aft, we were back DDW and could bring the pole back 165 degrees. We hit nine knots at one point. The boat sailed exceptionally well in those conditions.” 📸Mark Albertazzi / PV 2020 Sail selection & crew management North Sails 3Di 360 is made for smaller boats, like Bill’s under 30’. Sizzle’s new 3Di RAW 360 mainsail made a positive impact on their performance. It was twelve lbs lighter than Sizzle's standard dacron main and had perfect flying shape. Bill commented, “We had a flat, smaller A1 which was good for the tight reaching and lighter stuff”. “The A2.5 was a rocketship for the middle ranges. Patrick adds, “We built Sizzle a new A2.5 that would be great for the bow-up offshore points of sail. The 2.5 is optimized for planing conditions when the boat is ‘on the step’. Our genoa staysail was a Star headsail, which gave us a half-knot increase. “Our mix of sail options, paired with the conditions we had was what we needed to perform our best,” said Bill. Crew weight placement was important on this boat, especially in the lumpy conditions. “The boat is very narrow, so we had to be gentle when we would move about the ship. If you had to wash your hands or use the head, you’d go forward instead of back to the stern,” said Bill. Small boat sailing offshore was a bit different than what Bill regularly experienced on a 52-footer. The boat was super sensitive to any weight changes. “We were tip-toeing just like we would’ve done on a dinghy.” Hardesty and crew took first in ORR-6, and Overall. Sizzle started the race on March 5th and crossed the finish line in Mexico on March 12th, with a corrected time to win it all of 6 days, 3 hours, 37 mins and 25 seconds. Congrats team! Have questions on how we can help you optimize your sail selection, including spinnakers and staysails for offshore sailing? Contact Patrick Murray for more information. READ MORE

LET’S TALK FLYING SCOTS Changing Gears Join Class Champions Zeke Horowitz and Brian Hayes for an informal web talk covering tips on how the top teams change gears and keep the boat going fast! READ MORE

Seja como participante ou espectador, este é um Campeonato de Vela que não pode perder! Fique atento às informações sobre as próximas edições, seguindo toda a informação através do Facebook da J Boats Portugal VR Series. Para assistir às regatas ligue-se através do Youtube ou Twitch #SailFast #StaySafe READ MORE

SAIL CARE & MAINTENANCE TIPS Ways You Can Protect Your Investment 📸 Cate Brown / Block Island Race Week 2019 There are many ways you can help prolong the life of your sails. Here are some pointers to keep you aligned with our sail care maintenance practices, which can be part of your regular routine while on your own whether you are at home, or on your boat. Preserving the life of your sails is important for performance and you can take these guidelines to help protect your investment. Avoid prolonged flogging of sails. Flogging and leech flutter can degrade a sail’s performance before its time. Minimize motoring into the wind with flapping sails. After hoisting sails, trim promptly and steer a course so the sails fill rather than flog. Use your sails in their designed wind ranges. If you don’t know the recommended wind ranges for your sails, contact your North sailmaker. Adjust your leech line to eliminate leech flutter (tension it just a touch more than necessary to stop the flutter). The tension needed will change as the breeze increases and as the jib sheet is adjusted. Do not over-tension the leech line; if the leech becomes hooked, ease it off. Proper placement of genoa cars will also prevent leech flogging on your genoa. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images Avoid unnecessary contact between sails and standing rigging. Avoid releasing the genoa sheet late in a tack. Backwinding the leech against the windward spreader tip will distort the leech and can split your sail. To combat chafe, be sure to cover spreader ends, and check there are no exposed split pins, cotter pins, or other sharp edges around the mast, foredeck, lifelines, and turnbuckles. These can chafe and/or tear your sail. Make sure your sails have extra reinforcement in areas of high chafe. Spreader patches on overlapping genoas and mainsails, as well as extra chafe protection on headsails where they come in contact with mast mounted radars and stanchions, will extend the useful life of your sail. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images When leaving the boat, ease the jib halyard, main halyard, and outhaul to prevent permanent luff and foot stretching. Releasing batten tension also reduces distortion at the batten ends Limit exposure to the sun for extended periods of time. UV rays are one of your sail’s worst enemies. Roller furling genoas should have UV-resistant material covering the leech and foot. If you store your mainsail on the boom, make sure it is always covered when not in use. Rinse your sails with fresh water and dry thoroughly before storing, to prevent mildew and color bleeding in spinnakers. Rinse fittings in fresh water to help prevent corrosion. Store dry sails in a well-ventilated location. And remember, making sure they are dry is as important as the initial rinse. Wet sails create mold issues. Avoid folding sails on the same fold lines so that small creases don’t become permanent. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images Remove mildew stains on polyester, Spectra/Dyneema or Vectran sails promptly. Use a mild household bleach solution with water and a soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly. DO NOT USE BLEACH ON NYLON, ARAMID, OR LAMINATED SAILS. To remove oil/grease stains, scrub with Simple Green and a soft brush, then rinse. Follow with a mild soap scrub and rinse to remove the Simple Green completely from the sail. Be careful not damage the sail with excessive scrubbing. Depending on the stain, you may not be able to remove it completely. Removing rust stains is tricky. We recommend that you contact your North Certified Service expert for treatment. We may not be able to completely get rid of it, but we can make sure the area is still in good working order. Regularly rinse sail bag zippers or lubricate with silicone spray. Patch minor tears as soon as possible with a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). Avoid using duct tape! Check nylon/polyester downwind sails a few times each season for small tears. Catching small holes early can reduce the chance of them becoming bigger tears later on. Spray luff tapes on both genoas and mainsails as they slide up the track, using a Mclube-style lubricant. This will help clean the tracks and make hoisting and dousing easier. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images Check battens for splintering. Splintered battens should be replaced, or at least taped, so the splinters don’t harm the sail. Check luff slides and other hardware to make sure they are still securely attached to the sail. Check seam stitching to make sure it is still intact. UV can quickly damage certain threads. Have your North Sail Certified Service expert inspect your sails at least once a season. Regular inspection will prevent small problems from becoming big ones. You can also ask your local loft to create an onboard sail repair kit for your specific sails. Keep a sail log. Photographing your sails on a regular basis and logging the hours they are used will help you and your sailmaker evaluate your sail inventory seasonally. Your sail photos can also be digitized and analyzed using North’s SailScan computer program. Contact your North representative for details. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images READ MORE

CREATING A STARTING PROCEDURE How To Use A Conservative Starting Routine To Eliminate Big Scores When you look at the best teams in sailing, a common trend is how regimented and organized they are at a regatta. They show up each day well ahead of time and generally follow the same pre-race routine, the same on the water warm-up, and meticulously mark settings and take notes about each day's races and lessons learned. This is done to eliminate as many variables as possible to give themselves the best chance of winning the event. Creating team procedures and schedules can drastically reduce mistakes and allow the team members to maintain a more relaxed and procedural mindset on the water. A common misconception is that starting has to be this chaotic event at the beginning of each race that is won with instinct and improvisation. Starting can actually be treated very routinely with a few steps that can land front row starts the majority of the time. When I sail with someone who is having a tough time finding a consistent start, we break it down into a step by step, conservative method to get off the line and head to the correct side. Pre-Start Plan Before the sequence even begins, I go through the starting plan with the skipper to make sure that we are both on the same page with how the start should go. In this time we work through pinging the line, a wind shot, and a proper back down to clear the foils. We then identify which third of the line we want to start in (pin third, middle third, boat third). As the skipper gets more comfortable with the routine we might get closer to each end, but to just get in good starting habits we try to keep it as simple and as low density as possible. It is also important to clearly establish the terminology that will be used on the starting line. Using terms like “copy” and “understood” help keep tensions down when trying to determine whether crew members are hearing communications. If you are in a starting rut, keep it to the low density areas away from the ends. As you get more comfortable you can start closer to the ends if the situation calls for it. The Circle Harping back to keeping it simple I get the skipper immediately into the circle that the majority of the fleet ends up in during the pre start sailing on starboard towards the pin and the gybing and heading on port towards the boat. At first, it is always a gybe at the pin and a tack at the boat side. If you are in a class where you are allowed an instrument that gives you distance to the line, I will also give the target distance in which we want to be sailing. The more data driven I can be with these directions, the easier it is to be on the same page as the skipper. The distance from the line you want to be circling is very boat and condition dependent. The most important is to communicate the target depth to keep the entire crew on the same page. Port Tack Approach When it is time to head back on port for the final approach towards our intended hole, I will give a time to turn back and a final depth in the box number. Generally the windier it is, the deeper in the box we will be because we will eat up distance quicker in the breeze. If we are trying to start in the boat third, the turn back time will be sooner than if we are shooting for a middle or pin third start. For example we might turn back at 1:45 for the boat, 1:30 for the middle and 1:15 for a pin third start. As we prepare to tack into a hole, I will identify which boat that we will tack underneath in advance. If you are in a starting rut, keep it to the low density areas away from the ends. As you get more comfortable you can start closer to the ends if the situation calls for it. Tacking into the Hole The target of this tack is to get as close as we can to the windward boat and to generally keep at least a quarter of the bow out ahead of the windward boat. I will generally talk through the tack about exit angle weather we want to be tight to the wind or on a general close hauled course. After the tack we need to immediately be looking for boats trying to do the same to us. Generally the best defense when a boat comes into leeward is to show your bow down parallel with the line for a brief moment to force the leeward boat to tack early and then turn back up. With this maneuver you will at least have one boat length of space to leeward. From this moment it is important to not let any boats come from your weather side and hook you to leeward. Crew communication here is key to have someone keeping an eye behind. Tacking tight to the boat to the windward side is paramount. Staying high out of the tack helps kill speed and maintain height inside of your hole. Approaching the Line “We are in our final approach, we have a nice hole to leeward, what now?” Once we have our hole, I relay to both the trimmers and driver the rate at which I want to approach the line. Remember, if the wind is shifted right you will use up distance to the line at a quicker rate than if you are in a left shifted breeze. The goal is to always be sailing toward the line on a close hauled course luffing when needing to control speed. Too many times boats that have to head onto a reach to stay below the line use up their hole to leeward and get pinched off soon after the start. Try to leave room to sail a close hauled course to the line. Try and avoid reaching right before the start as you lose your hole to leeward and can slip sideways on the turn up. The Start We hit the line with speed and in the front row, now it is time to work to stay punched out until the first shift. Final starting jobs include one member on the radio to listen for OCS boats, and one person giving relative speed and height to the immediate boats around off of the line. In putting your starting routine together, the main aspect to focus on is to identify the critical pieces of information that the particular helmsman is looking for. Finding conservative ways to be in the top group off of the line EVERY time and not just gambling at the ends is the priority. Following some of these steps will help eliminate the starts that cost major places over the duration of your next regatta. Crew starts calling relative speed and height immediately to try and maintain a clear lane. READ MORE

ROLLER FURLERS & UV SUNCOVERS: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Understanding Your Furler and How it Works Will Prevent Disaster 📸 Billy Black What happens if you furl your sail the wrong way? – with the sun cover on the inside instead of the outside of the furl? Unfortunately, we see the effects of this in our service lofts around the world. The result is UV damage to the sailcloth that has been left exposed to the sun, instead of being protected by the UV leech and foot cover. Most often, this happens when a sail has a UV cover that is the same colour as the sail material. Such as a white cover on a white sail or a grey cover on a grey sail. When the sail is rolled around the headstay in the wrong direction – with the UV protection on the inside of the roll, it is not always obvious leaving the base sail material exposed. In some cases, this can happen on a new sail that has been installed incorrectly – with the sail cover that is on the inside of the furl due to the direction the furling drum turns when furling – either clockwise or counter clockwise. This also can happen seasonally when the boat is unrigged or mast is not stepped (assembled and placed vertical). If the furling line is re-rigged, it must be wound the correct direction around the furler, to be compatible with the sail. Fortunately, North Sails always have a sticker displayed as a visual reminder that the sail is furled the correct way based on what side the UV protection is applied. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images To avoid this mistake which may result in the need for a sail repair, here is a short checklist to ensure that your sail is installed with the UV protection on the outside: Determine which side of the sail has the built in UV protection – for coloured UV materials this is easy – but not as much as matching colors. The UV cover is either on the Port or Starboard side of the sail. If there is any question regarding which side of the sail is protected please contact your local North Sails professional for assistance. There are many easy ways to tell which side your UV protection is attached. Next, you want to check that the furling line has been loaded into the drum so that the sail will roll with the UV on the outside. An easy rule to follow is that the furling line needs to enter/exit the drum on the opposite side than the UV protection. i.e if the UV is on the PORT side of the sail, then the furling line needs to exit the STARBOARD side of the furling drum. Normally, it is a very easy fix to re-rig your furling line, by unwinding it completely, then re-winding it in the opposite direction. Once you are certain that your furling direction is in sync with your UV protection, you can be confident in leaving your sail hoisted and furled for extended periods of time. Please note, the type of UV material and your latitude make a substantial difference in the length of time and level of protection you can expect from your UV leech and foot covers. 📸 Michael Egan/ Egan Images READ MORE

MEET OUR FURRY COWORKERS Working From Home Has Its Perks Meet Louisa's furry coworker while she works from home. Tell us about your furry companion, name, age, favourite activities? Jack is a fur-ball of fun at 7.5 months old labradoodle who is quickly growing into his floppy ears. He weighs in at a hefty 55 lbs for a puppy who is constantly burning energy. His favourite activities are stealing his parents socks and eating his dad's shoes, not to mention cuddling as much as possible (belly rubs are his favourite). Do you take him/her sailing with you ever? We hope Jack is a nautical dog. He hasn’t been on a boat yet however we’re hoping to get him on the sailboat as soon as possible. He loves walks on the beach and close to the water, even though he doesn’t like the sound of waves. It’s a work in progress though and he will be getting his first lifejacket very soon. How is he/she adjusting to your temporary work from home order? Jack is loving having both of his parents home 24/7. He is a great assistant who helps bring laughter throughout the day. He occasionally sleeps on the job but being cute is hard work! He gets paid in treats and belly rubs, you may occasionally hear him on a video call, he always wants to say hi. How are you reacting to the work from home order? Working from home is great. Other than the mound of boxes as I am trying to move, things are going pretty well. Our loft as a whole has been able to adjust to the conditions and make a plan that works for us and helps customers. Our priorities are always to keep everyone safe, healthy and follow government guidelines. We are working with multiple plans and backup plans to ensure customers can go sailing when the weather gets warm and it’s safe to do so. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation during this time. READ MORE

The North Sails teams around the world have received a bunch of calls and emails recently. A quick Q+A has been put together to help provide you with information on where we are at during this crazy time. We also hope the information below provides you with a realistic outlook that we will eventually get back to some semblance of normal, and find joy in an activity we all love. Are you still making sails? Yes. At North Sails, we are taking all the recommended safety precautions to limit the impact of COVID-19 in our production facilities. One advantage of multiple manufacturing facilities globally is that there are several countries that we manufacture in which have had less effect from the crisis to date, while others have had quite a large effect and are currently in shut down. The current situation is very fluid, and at this time, we are running essential operations at our sites when permitted, that will not compromise the health and safety of our staff and clients. All in all, we are up and running to the very best of our capabilities during this crisis. Can I still get my sails serviced? You can coordinate sail drop off and pick up with your local team in any open location. If picking up, please ensure invoices are prepaid and schedule a time with your North sales or service representative. The phone is your friend. Call and schedule a time for pick up or drop off out in front of the building. We are continuing to arrange sail collections, deliveries and installations with clients by appointment. Please contact us to arrange your’s if your local area allows for this freedom of movement. Again, local regulations are different from place to place thus, so we have no global policy. We are completely reliant on our local teams to monitor and support this process. When I order new sails, I usually come in to the office and go through all my details with my sales rep…can we do all this over the phone or the internet? Absolutely. We will continue to provide our customers with world-class customer service via the phone, text messages, or virtual meetings. We can add in one of our designers to a call. The majority of our staff is working remotely and ready to answer your questions and support where possible. Contact details for your local North Sails team can be found on northsails.com. I have ordered sails. When can I expect delivery? At this stage, our facilities have been for the most part up and running. That said, we do anticipate some delays as countries, states and regions make moment to moment decisions whether the public must shelter-in-place or if people can continue to safely go to their jobs. There are also plenty of shipping questions at this stage with air and water transportation greatly affected. Currently we are handling all questions concerning shipping on an individual basis and recommend that our sales team stay in touch with their clients often. So, the short answer to this question? We are trying to stick to our schedule but do anticipate likely unintended scheduling issues going forward and will work with our clients on a case by case basis. I have sails on order but won’t need them when I thought I would. Will you store my sails until I need them? Absolutely. We call this “Pay and Hold.” We will store your sails on our shelves for no charge. We simply get final payment upon sail completion as normal, along with a confirmation email from our client that the sail has been sold to them and we are keeping it until needed. We keep your sails on our shelves until the sail is needed and we know where to send it. We hope your sails won’t be on our shelves long and we will all be getting on the water soon! I am considering a new sail purchase and hope to be able to use my boat and new sails by the middle of the summer. Can you make that delivery date? At this stage, yes. Depending on the type of boat you have and sail you need, we have delivery slots available in late June, July and August, but be aware we expect quite a backlog of orders to push through so it will be safest to get your order into the system now, rather than relying on a rush request down the road. Again, this will be affected by the country, state, region and local regulations concerning our manufacturing facilities. I can say that when we are able to work within safety guidelines set by local authorities we are doing so at this stage. How is North Sails helping during this crisis? Currently, in many countries in which we have service and manufacturing facilities, we are working with local, regional, and national authorities to begin production of safety masks. Our North Sails colleagues in Italy were the first to start this process. “Cut and sew” facilities can help ease the burden of a shortage of essential materials like masks during a time of crisis. It is the priority of North Sails to utilize our skills and capabilities to help where we can. READ MORE

MEET OUR FURRY COWORKERS Working from Home has its Perks! Meet Chelsie’s new co-workers, keeping her company during her time of working from home. Tell us about your furry companion, name, age, favorite activities? My furry companions are Chow and Miss Poot. Miss Poot is featured in a beautiful North Sails scarf and is ready for action. She weighs in pretty hefty at 18.4 lbs, but she is on a new diet plan to work on her figure for spring (and little does she know, for the rest of her life). She has her eye on a local fella cat which helps keep her motivated. The next contestant, Chow, found a way to activate my printer and print the ink level reports to help out with my workload. He likes to be the center of attention. If things are not going his way, he enjoys eating things he isn't supposed to, scratching pictures off the wall, and meowing. He also enjoys sleeping and climbing trees. Do you take him/her sailing with you ever? Miss Poot doesn't partake in sports but she has modeled at a Nautical themed fashion show for big and tall models in the past. Chow did go on a boat ride once, but he literally jumped ship and we decided not to ever take him on the water again because we kinda like the handsome fella. They do both fancy sitting near the pond and watching fish. How is he/she adjusting to your temporary work from home order? Miss Poot is still getting her beauty sleep as of 3:02pm and as long as the feeding schedule remains intact, she is A-OK. Chow needed a special space created Just for him in the new office...otherwise he threatened to keep pushing buttons on the printer. After that, he calmed down and went to sleep. So overall, I would say, pretty good. How are you reacting to the work from home order? My position as office admin within the loft allows me to be able to function pretty well from home. After getting the kinks out, our loft has been able to formulate a plan as things continue to develop. Our priorities right now are keeping everyone safe, following the guidelines set forth by our local government, and finding creative ways to take care of our customers as we near the sailing season. We are also working on Plans A, B and C to make sure everyone gets their sails in time. We will have more information on that for everyone soon. So far, customers have been understanding and helpful with our shelter in place restrictions. All in all, I think everyone is working together to weather this storm so we all come out ok on the other end. READ MORE

Bacardi Cup 2020. FOTO: MARTINA ORSINI I ove godine posada Marin Mišura - Tonko Barač, naš najbolji dvojac u klasi Zvijezda, dobio je pozivnicu za jedrenje na prestižnom Bacardi Cupu. Svi sudionici, a bilo ih je u osam različitih klasa, na Floridi su boravili od 1. do 7. ožujka. Mišura i Barač su ujedno bili i jedini hrvatski predstavnici na ovoj regati i s obzirom na aktualnu Korona situaciju imali su dosta sreće, jer ih nisu zadesili nikakvi problemi prilikom povratka na stari kontinent. A kao i većina razgovora ovih dana u cijelom svijetu i ovaj je počeo s njom u prvom pitanju. Kad smo mi bili tamo nije bilo opasnosti. Mislim da je tada aktualno bilo samo na sjeveru i u Kanadi i još se nije spustilo na jug. Tako da mislim da smo od tamo otišli u posljednji tren. Sletjeli smo u Munchen kao da se ništa ne događa... kad smo došli doma nitko nas nije ništa pitao, tako da nismo u nikakvim karantenama i samoizolacijama. A i obojica smo još uvijek bez ikakvih simptoma. A regata... moje mišljenje je da je dobro prošla... rezultat je puno bolji nego što je bilo moje jedrenje. Ja se nikako nisam mogao spojiti s taktikom. Gdje god sam išao nisam mogao pogoditi stranu. Tu smo se puno mučili... Onda opet i ono naše standardno, da smo išli praktički bez treninga. Dok pohvatamo krmu i sve ostalo prođe pola regate. Ovo 24. mjesto u prvom plovu... da smo bili u treningu sigurno bi u cilj ušli 13. ili 14. jer smo tako i okrenuli prvu bovu. Tako bi imali to 24. manje. Miami je specifičan. To najviše dolazi do izražaja kad je mali i srednji vjetar. Onda je teško vidjeti vjetar na moru. Boja mora je takva da se vjetar i refuli ne mogu baš tako lako razlikovati, a puno je rupa. Može se desiti da brod koji je ispod tebe dvadeset metara, njega uhvati pritisak, a tebe ne i onda on napravi razliku. Ako si to skužio onda si stvarno mogao profitirati. A u globalu je bio mali vjetar. I onda je to veliki problem sa Stellom, pogotovo kad se jedri krma. Tu nastaju velike razlike i tu se dosta gubilo. Mi smo se zato najviše nadali da ostanemo na poziciji na kojoj bi okretali prvu bovu, a stalno smo bili u prvih 10-12 brodova u prvoj orci. Tako da je na kraju taj rezultat stvarno puno bolji od onoga kako sam se ja osjećao. Mislim, nisam nezadovoljan rezultatom, već s tim kako sam ja jedrio. Mučio me onaj osjećaj kad nisi siguran što radiš unutar polja. S druge strane iznimno sam zadovoljan sa startevima! Sve skupa smo napravili 9 ili 10 starteva. Jedan nije bio toliko loš, ali nismo bili dovoljno komodni nakon njega, dok smo sve ostale mogli birati gdje ćemo i na kojoj strani nastaviti regatu. I onda me ljutilo to što iz tih situacija nismo mogli izvuči najbolje moguće. Po pitanju vjetra bilo je isto zanimljivo. Jedan dan smo imali 15-18 čvorova, ali ne može se reći da je bio dan s jakim vjetrom, jer je to bilo nešto slično našoj buri. Puhalo je doslovno sa sjevera... doleti reful od 18 čvorova, a onda padne na 7... A ostalih dana smo imali neki njihov lokalni jugozapdnjak. Jednog dana je puhao 14-15 čvorova, pa jedan dan ga je bilo 5-6, pa 8... tako da je bilo svega. Najgori nam je bio dan kad se spustila užasna vlaga. Lokalci su nam rekli da sigurno dvadesetak godina nije bila tolika... temperatura 38°C, sjediš u hladu i znoj ide s tebe... dok sve ostale dane oni koji ne trpe zimu su mogli nositi lagane jakne. Čak je u najavi bila i jedna velika nevera, pa su organizatori kombinirali različite varijante programa, ali na kraju je to stiglo u nedjelju, nakon što je regata završila. Moram reći da smo imali i problema s kutom u orcu. Ali mislim da je to bilo više do moje ruke. Marin Mišura, kormilar FOTO: MARTINA ORSINI Ova regata je bila prva na kojoj su Mišura i Barač jedrili nakon pauze od sedam mjeseci, odnosno nakon Svjetskog prvenstva. U Miamiju su jedrili na iznajmljenom brodu, što je i logično s obzirom na lokaciju regate, ali u sličnom problemu bi bili i da su nastupili na nekoj regati u Europi. U Splitu su primijetili da su se pojavili "valovi" na površini kormila s jedne strane i s obzirom da nije malen posao skinuti kormilo s ove jedrilice, pred odlazak u Miami poslali su je na remont u Italiju kod proizvođača. S obzirom na trenutnu situaciju jedrilica je i dalje na Lago di Como. Naša posada je regatu završila na vrlo dobrom 15. mjestu između 66 posada! Osim analiziranog prvog plova i odbačenog 24. mjesta, u cilj su dva puta ušli kao 12., jednom 13, te još 19. i 23. Jedan bod ih je dijelio od švedske posade na 16. mjestu, dok su im 14. bježali za 15 bodova. Pobjednici regate su posada Mateusz Kusznierewicz - Bruno Prada. Kombinacija koja u različitim klasama ima pregršt medalja sa svih najvećih globalnih natjecanja. Kompletnu rezultatsku sliku možete pronaći na ovom linku. FOTO: MARTINA ORSINI Nije loše podsjetiti da su Split, JK Mornar i Dalmatinska flota dobili domaćinstvo Europskog prvenstva klase u svibnju 2021. Nadajmo se da će do tada globalna situacija po pitanju pandemije biti samo jedna priča koju ćemo svi ostaviti iza sebe i da neće biti problema u organizaciji. Jedino što je trenutno izgledno je to što su Olimpijske igre u Tokiju prebačene na ljeto 2021. i to će sigurno utjecati na startnu listu počevši već od našeg laseraša Tonća Stipanovića koji će u tom periodu biti maksimalno fokusiran na olimpijsku regatu u Japanu. Ali slavnih imena iz svijeta jedrenja ne bi trebalo nedostajati, jer je napravljen dogovor sa Star Sailor League o sponzoriranju u vidu trackinga, video prijenosa u živo i osiguranja jedrilica za natjecatelje s drugih kontinenata. Možda niste znali... pravila klase na velikim natjecanjima predviđaju samo po jedno jedrenje na dan. READ MORE

OFF-SEASON CONDITIONING Improving Your Laser Sailing During Off-Season To Better Your Results Laser sailing is one of the most physically demanding boats in the dinghy world. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a high performing international competitor, fitness is one of the most important things you can invest in for many reasons. Improving your level of fitness can impact your speed and boat handling in a laser. Sailing a one design boat means that many variables are relatively the same across the fleet. So, in general everyone across the fleet should be theoretically going the same speed. However, we all know this isn’t exactly the case but if you were to remove a lot of these variables what’s left is the sailor. Any laser sailor knows the harder you hike the faster you will go, having a higher level of fitness can greatly impact your ability to hike harder and go faster. Improving fitness can help reduce chances of injury. Whether you are just joining the class or have been in the class for multiple years injuries are something any athlete in any discipline will endure throughout your career. Strength training to build muscle and endurance can greatly impact your hiking position and how efficient you are in your movements on the downwind legs. Laser sailors don’t just need strong legs for proper hiking, having a strong core and lower back are important things to also focus on as these muscles are used to support your body while hiking upwind. Notice how the word “proper” is used here, a hiking position should be almost straight legs with your upper body extending outwards away from the boat with shoulders being pressed down towards the water. This is why a strong core and lower back are vital to support having your body extending out of the boat. Putting your body into a hiking position isn’t the best thing for your joints and over time laser sailors can experience ankle, lower back, knee and hip problems. Ensuring your strength is developed will mean your muscles can do a better job at supporting these joints by taking pressure off your joints and allowing your muscles to support. As Canadians we have a small window to train and build tiller time throughout the year. That said, having a higher level of fitness can ensure you maximise the time in this window. We love being Canadian but as sailors we hate the short season. If you’re serious about your laser sailing maximizing your time during the spring, summer and fall months is very important. During the winter off-season working on conditioning to have the goal of being fit for spring will mean you will spend less time “brushing the cob webs off” when you first step back in the boat. Enjoy the boat across all levels. Lastly one of the most important reasons which applies to everyone is overall enjoyment of sailing the laser. This doesn’t mean that the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the boat but it will help. The laser can be a tricky boat to sail and many laser sailors find building confidence especially in windy conditions very difficult. High levels of fitness can help build confidence knowing that you are fit and prepared will make any session more enjoyable. Many times sailors will attribute a bad day or bad training session to getting exhausted too soon. Here are some areas to focus on when looking into conditioning: Weight Training The best way to build strength for laser sailing is to sail more in hiking conditions. However, this may not be attainable to all laser sailors. Short seasons and predominantly light conditions hinder sailors from gaining experience and fitness in hiking conditions. Strength training can be different for everyone as not everyone has access to a trainer or gym. Focusing on finding ways to incorporate weight resistance training to build strength by either using free weights, dumbbells, barbells and resistance machines are great. There is no shortage of prepared training programs online that you can do at home or in a gym that will work, the importance is to find what is best for you and to focus on form during workouts to better maximize the workout and to prevent injury. If you are serious about laser sailing the best thing is to talk to a trainer to design a fitness plan thats best for you. Most trainers will try to understand the physical requirements of laser sailing before designing you a plan but if you can find a trainer that know sailing thats even better. Aerobic Training Aerobic training is defined as any activity that is cardio in nature but performed in intervals or short but high intensity sessions. Simple examples that you can incorporate into your offseason conditioning could be running sessions on a treadmill or outside keeping a high pace for short defined intervals. During the offseason many laser sailors turn to the rowing machine for aerobic training. Although these are different sports the rowing machine engages your whole body while at the same time focusing on your cardiovascular ability to keep you body moving. A strong aerobic ability is good for short but high intensity activities things like tacking, mark rounding’s, accelerations and holding lanes in windy conditions. Endurance Training This is pretty simple, incorporating long cardio sessions at least 1-2 times a week will improve endurance. These sessions can be anywhere from 30min or longer. Choosing something you enjoy doing will make these sessions much more enjoyable, going for a long run mixed with some walking or taking up cycling are great for endurance training. Cross Training Cross training can be anything that will get your heart pumping and get you moving. This can be fun part about your off season conditioning. Taking up another activity that you enjoy doing like tennis, basketball, cycling or swimming are just some examples of cross training. Many Laser sailors take up other sports to satisfy their cross training which is great for your conditioning but also for mental health. Changing things up and taking your mind away from the boat will make you wanna jump back in. READ MORE

RIGGING & TUNING THE NEW MOTH 9DSXR Featuring Rob Greenhalgh & World Champion Tom Slingsby Rob Greenhalgh has won National and European titles in the International Moth Class and serves as the North Sails Moth Class Leader. For the newest member of the fleet, to the seasoned champion trying the 9DSX for the first time, Greenhalgh is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to putting the Moth together, and to its highest performance on the water. Follow along as Rob unpacks, rigs, and de-rigs the 9DSX, to learn every detail of caring for your new Moth sail. Moth World Champion Tom Slingsby dominated the 2019 Moth Worlds with the new North Sails 9DSX Decksweeper, engineered to push the limits on speed and durability for maximum performance on the racecourse. Tune-in, as the world champion, gives a master-class on tuning the Moth, taking sailors step-by-step through his tips. Learn the technical details behind the fiery competitor that make Slingsby nearly unstoppable in the Moth class. Buckle up and get ready for take-off. Have questions about Moth sails or how to rig for speed? Contact Rob for more information. READ MORE

LET’S TALK VX ONE Tuning the VX One for Speed Join North Sails expert Mike Marshall for the first session of the VX ONE informal web talk about sailing even if we can’t physically go and do it. READ MORE

Derzeit bestimmen die Auswirkungen des COVID-19 Virus unser tägliches Leben. Wir bei North Sails haben alle empfohlenen Sicherheitsvorkehrungen getroffen, um die Auswirkungen von COVID-19 zu begrenzen. An unseren Standorten setzen wir die wesentlichen Tätigkeiten fort, welche die Gesundheit und Sicherheit unserer Kunden und Mitarbeiter nicht gefährden. Gleichzeitig haben wir alle anderen Aktivitäten vorübergehend eingestellt. Wir sind stets erreichbar Natürlich bieten wir Ihnen weiterhin einen erstklassigen Kundenservice und sind für Sie per Telefon, Email oder virtuellem Meeting erreichbar. Abholung oder Abgabe von Segeln Bitte nehmen Sie vor einer geplanten Abholung oder Abgabe von Segeln mit uns Kontakt auf. Gerne besprechen wir dann mit Ihnen persönlich die derzeitigen Möglichkeiten einer Segelübergabe. Wir alle bei North Sails sind leidenschaftliche Segler und erfahren darin, in ernsten Situationen auf See einen ruhigen Kopf zu bewahren. Helfen Sie uns, diese Einstellung in den kommenden Tagen und Wochen in unser Leben an Land zu bringen. Bleiben Sie gesund! Ihr North Sails Schweiz Team READ MORE

TOP 5 SAILING MOVIES & BOOKS Staff Picks For Their Top Sailing Themed Movies And Books Escape to a different oasis for a little bit with one of our staffs' favourite movies or novels. The Toronto team from North Sails has shared their favourite sailing themed novels and flicks to dive into when things get a little rocky. We hope you enjoy these as much as we do and share some of your favourites as well. Top 5 Movies / Documentaries Maiden An inspirational story that keeps you hooked the moment it starts on the screen with its classic footage and heartfelt interviews. Based upon on a true-story, Maiden follows 26 year old Tracey Edwards and their crew on their quest to become the first-ever-all-woman to compete in the Whitbread race. The book, written by Edwards, is also a fantastic read on the entire endeavour and what followed afterwards. Wind While some may say it's cheesy, it is still an awesome sailing packed film with amazing 12m and i14 scenes. Released in 1992, Wind follows Will Parker on his quest to win back the America's Cup from the Austrians in the early 1980s. The film star's Jennifer Grey, Joe Heisler and Matthew Modine as well as a host of other actors and actresses. No one can forget the classic "Whomper" scene towards the end of the film. A must watch for every sailing fanatic! Morning Light Follow along as sailors compete for a spot on Roy Disney's Morning Light, a TP52 competing in the 44th Transpac Yacht Race. Eleven sailors are selected and trained with world-class instructors to help them prepare for the 2,300 mile race. A heart warming story that showcases the will power, determination and strength of young sailors determined to prove themselves in the prestigious race. One of the young competitors in the film you'll see vying for one of the spots is Volvo Ocean Race sailor and North Sails expert Charlie Enright. Under 30 Available on Amazon Prime, this documovie follows Team Brunel during the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race focusing on two members of the team who are under 30: Louis Balcaen and Rokas Milevicius. An absolutely amazing piece which highlights the life changing adventures of the two young sailors from start to finish of sailing's toughest race. A life changing experience that takes the two sailors around the world with some of the best sailors around, creating a bond that will hold them together forever. Hands down must watch! Captain Ron A feel good favourite for the whole family featuring funny man Martin Short, Mary Kay Place and Kurt Russell. Share a laugh as Martin Harvey (Short) inherits a boat from his uncle in the Carribbean for his family vacation, only to discover upon arrival, the rough state of the boat and their over the top skipper Captain Ron (Russell) as they head out to sea. Top 5 Books Against the Flow by Dee Caffari First solo round the world sailor, Dee Caffari shares her story of stepping outside her comfort zone and achieving her dream. Discover how the then teacher became a record-making yachtswoman through her journey sailing the wrong way around the world. The Billionaire and The Mechanic by Julian Guthrie Discover how Larry Ellison teamed up with a car mechanic to win the America's Cup with Oracle Team USA. Godforsaken Sea by Derek Lundy Classic story for the 1997 Vendee Globe Race, a favourite of our North Sails expert Doug Folsetter. Sailing on the Edge: America's Cup by Bob Fisher and Kimball Livingston Going behind the scenes of the oldest sailing race that has inspired sailors all over for more than 150 years. Beautiful photos accompany this compelling and comprehensive read. A wonderful addition to any sailing library and favourite of team member Louisa Bobyk. Against the Odds by Doug Hunter Discover the story of Evergreen in the 1979 Canada's Cup. Featuring local sailors Don Green, Steve Killing, John Fitzpatrick and Al Megarry to name a few. Beyond Endurance Adam Mayers Learn about the famous 1979 Fastnet race which claimed the lives of 15 competitors and local boat Evergreen competed in. READ MORE