3Di FOR RACING | C&C38 RENAISSANCE

Peter Kirkwood upgrades to North 3Di, brings new life to his 40-year-old boat

We caught up with Peter Kirkwood, on his C&C 38 MK 1 Renaissance, from London, Ontario. Peter just recently purchased a 3Di main and genoa and has been using them this summer at his home club. When his old 3DL sails were coming to down to their last leg, Peter knew Renaissance, now 40 years old, was ready for something new and different.

“When I bought this boat I bought 3DL #1 jibs. They were great performance sails, but they didn’t last very long,” he recalled. After speaking with his local expert, Hugh Beaton, Peter was convinced he should try 3Di.“Tremendous durability was the thing that got me,” said Peter. “Considering a performance sail for my type of boat and the racing I do, it turned out to be a neat way to get back in the game. 3Di is great for those of us with older boats”. He paired his new genoa with a matching mainsail, and now he couldn’t be happier.

“I think the new #1 and the new main at the same time made the biggest difference. Because I got two new sails at the same time, I got the best of both worlds. The boat has never gone faster upwind and pointed higher at the same time. I was so excited about it. It was like a whole different world. I think that has been the biggest thing I’ve noticed- It has brought life back in my old boat.”

Renaissance sails a couple nights per week and, after the time changes in Autumn, the team will sail in weekend club races. They frequently match up against a J/133, X35, and Beneteau 40.7, and have noticed a big improvement with the new sails.

“I’ve had a couple nemesis boats that I’ve had a hard time catching over the last few years. Now we are beating them – we are right there, boat for boat, pointing higher, going faster.”

What’s more, Peter explained a few added bonuses he wasn’t expecting. “I’ll be 62 years old next month and I can pick up this genoa by myself. For a 155%, it’s featherlight! That was a big deal for me when choosing to buy new sails. The sails were the talk of the party, too. Lots of wows from all at the club. They look really cool. They look good.”

We wish Peter and the Renaissance team the best of luck this fall!