Local News
North Sails, which has powered every America’s Cup winner since 1987, is proud to be the sailmaker of choice for all entries participating in the 37th America's Cup. The five teams signed up to compete …
Sea Bags, the Maine-based designer and manufacturer of bags, totes and accessories made from repurposed sails, is pleased to announce a partnership with North Sails, the sailmaking industry leader. The two brands have teamed up …
Thinking about battens? Preparing for a new season is something that is on everyone’s mind. Whether you’re staging your boat to launch, planning an extended cruise, or hoisting your sails for a weeknight club race, …
A: Because a multihull does not heel and release the wind load when the pressure hits, multihull sails must be able to handle higher wind loads than monohull sails. This means every aspect of multihull …
We’ve teamed up with our friends at X-Yachts and are excited to release an all-new 'How To' video series aimed at every type of cruiser. All seven videos are now live and available to watch …
The 6th of September and the end of Kiel Week 2021 marked the beginning of the ninth edition of the longest offshore race in the grueling Baltic Sea, the Nord Stream Race.
Sailing the 1000 nautical …
North Sails cruising experts Jeremy Smart, Bob Meagher, and Ridgely MacKenzie join World Cruising Club’s Andrew Bishop to discuss sail selection for offshore bluewater sailing and ARC Preparations. This webinar is a particularly beneficial watch …
Nicolas (Nico) Cohen-Addad’s J/122 Jinn captured the attention of the North Sails team in Hong Kong after winning a host of recent regattas, including the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Summer Cup (IRC) and the …
Service no matter where you are. With three North Sails Certified Service locations across the Midwest, your sails are in good hands no matter where you are in your sailing adventures.
What makes the difference in …
We are excited to get back out racing again, and we wanted to reshare some of our favorite articles and webinars before you head to Annapolis for the J/70 North American Championship. This Tool Kit …
You can imagine the future or you can be a part of it. Lowell North decided to be a part of it-- and lead it. When he started North Sails, Lowell North’s philosophy was simple...get …
With the help of smarttune load sensors from Cyclops Marine, North Sails One Design Expert, and J/70 World Champion Charlie Cumbley explains how the dynamic balance of upwind performance hinges on forestay load.
Click here to …
The MOD70 Trimaran PowerPlay, led by Peter Cunningham and skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, has set a new Fastnet record.
The team completed the original Fastnet course of 595 nautical miles in a new world Fastnet …
I grew up in a sailing family. My parents, sisters, and brother Mark are avid sailors. Mark is also part of the North Sails team. I started in Chicago and spent 10 years sailing in …
I have been in the industry for 25 years. Working at the yacht clubs, and many events. I started in sailmaking over 20 years ago. I began as the office manager and learned how to …
North Sails is excited to announce the opening of our new location in Chicago, IL. Managed by local experts Perry Lewis, Keith Church and John Baxter, and previously based on N. Elston Avenue, the North …
When it comes to downwind sails, there are a dizzying array of choices for today’s sailor. There are even two types of spinnaker: asymmetric and symmetric. So how do you decide what would be right …
The J/70 class attracts sailors who demand the best, and North Sails continues to upgrade and improve an already successful inventory. New for 2021 are two designs added to the North class line-up; the XCS-4 …
https://youtu.be/mXLqjAcYvu8
The MC Scow Happy Hour was held virtually on Friday, February 5th, for a virtual debrief about the Lake Eustis Training Week/Train Wreck Regatta with North Sails MC Scow expert Allan Terhune and North sail …
North Sails MC Scow class leader Allan Terhune was joined by North’s top sail analyst Eric Doyle, aka ‘the man who is obsessed with making fast sails faster’ for a solid week of MC Scow …
Catch your local teams live with our upcoming interactive webinar schedule. North Sails Class Experts from around the world have joined forces to bring you the best tips and techniques that will help you get …
North Sails is excited to introduce the Helix Furling Gennaker, a new sail type for the cruising community. The structured luff Helix Furling Gennaker eliminates the heavy cable needed for traditional furling and is the …
https://youtu.be/LP8q78XTiWU
A recap of our informative webinar with T-10 class experts Nick Turney, Perry Lewis and sail designer Mike Marshall. Allan Terhune moderates as we discuss the updates to the new tuning guide, visual rig tuning, one …
The North Sails T-10 team is excited to release a brand new Tuning Guide for 2021. The T-10 can be a simple boat to sail, however it can be rather difficult to sail the boat …
Last week we announced the launch of our new Performance range of foul weather gear that will be available in Spring 2021. Each week, until launch, we’ll unpack how our team conceived the range, the …
https://youtu.be/c35mZT0ifys
Informative webinar featuring E Scow expert Jeff Bonanni, multi-class World Champion Eric Doyle, and our one-design expert Allan Terhune. This webinar focus on upwind tips to make the E Scow fast in different conditions. Jeff, …
Bonanni is a five-time National and North American Champion, including the 2015 E Scow Nationals, and brings extensive experience in the E Scow class as the North Sails one design representative. An active racer in …
North Sails is pleased to announce that John Baxter and Christina Donnermeyer have joined the Chicago loft team. Baxter, the former owner of Doyle Midwest, brings over three decades of sailmaking industry experience and consolidates …
North Sails Expert Tom Davis is particular about sail storage. He’s shared his best tips below to ensure your sails remain in top shape for next season.
Given how strange 2020 has been in many respects, …
As you may know, North Sails and Melges Boatworks (North Sails Zenda) have worked in conjunction in the past to provide sails and service to the Scow fleets across the U.S. We are writing to …
It wasn’t flashy imagery or action sports videos that got Steve Calder, North Sails designer, interested in kiting. His love for the sport began when his son decided he wasn’t interested in sailing optis while …
In the Wasatch Mountain Range, the team at Park City Sailing has created a sailing haven, where people from all backgrounds, in all stages of life, have experiences and make memories on the water that …
We spoke to 2020 MC Scow Masters Champion, Matt Fisher, to get the full download what has helped him raise the bar to be even more competitive in the MC Scow fleet.
Matt: I have been …
Pros at the top of the fleet share how the North 9DSX Moth sail takes them through the range of conditions and their personal tuning tips.
Shop Moth Sails
Making a name for himself in the fiercely competitive Optimist fleet is 14-year-old British sailor Santiago Sesto-Cosby. Having sailed the Optimist for an astounding 10 years, we were eager to find out about his journey …
North Sails were lucky to have the two doublehanded experts Armel Le Cléac’h & Clarisse Crémer host a webinar for an in-depth masterclass.
Best known as a singlehanded sailor with notable race wins in the Solitaire …
November 8th, the next edition of the Vendée Globe race is set to start from Les Sables d'Olonne, North Sails has designed the sails for the ¾ of the IMOCA fleet, 17 of which have …
Steering off the wind, on reaches and runs, requires a coordinated effort between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. The spinnaker trimmer often has as good a feel for performance as you do while driving, and together …
The most important element of upwind boathandling is tacking, though every once in awhile an efficient reef or genoa change could also win you a race. Tacking seems like a minor thing, but the difference …
In 2018, Mr. Enrico Bonatti purchased Kinina, a Swan 78. Why a Swan 78? “I prefer the best quality,” he said. “And the 78 is the right size for me.” Mr. Bonatti then met with …
Doublehanded sailing has gained momentum globally, as the gateway to getting back out on the water while remaining socially distant. It is also the latest event added to Paris 2024, so now is the time …
Owner and co-skipper, Catherine Pourre and co-skipper Pietro Luciani are the winning duo onboard Class40 Eärendil. Together, the pair are the reigning Class40 World Champions, have twice won the RORC Caribbean 600, The Atlantic Cup, …
With nearly 20-thousand miles under his belt, Sam Fitzgerald is no stranger to the challenges of going offshore, especially with only two sets of hands onboard. A naval architect and seasoned Class40 racer, with accolades …
In 2016, Ken and Liisa Bacco set sail from Newport, Rhode Island on December 1st during a snow storm onboard their Oyster 47.5 cutter rig, Altair, to meet up with the Oyster World Rally (OWR) …
A few months ago, North Materials Expert Tom Davis wrote an article titled “What are the Best Sails for Club Racing?” It only seems logical to have a companion piece that focuses on cruising, so …
The ClubSwan 36, which made its debut in May 2019, is seeing significant signs of growth. Despite a delay in sailing in 2020, the North Sails team has spent the first half of this year …
Southern Spars, a North Technology Group company, is proud to announce they have joined forces with Magma Structures to deliver a new generation of DynaRigs. The DynaRig concept has proven itself as an effective alternative …
A: 3Di OCEAN is the newest line of 3Di sails from North Sails, designed and engineered exclusively for cruising.
A: 3Di OCEAN is for you if you are looking for a premium cruising product, providing high …
After an exhaustive research and development program, North Sails is thrilled to launch 3Di OCEAN 370, our latest innovative sail product that completes a line-up of 3D molded sails dedicated to cruising.
This new product is …
North Sails expert Tom Pease of North Sails in Milwaukee shows us how to use the three most common types of batten closures: velcro stuff, lace in and wing tip.
To learn more about tensioning and …
You know when it feels right. It’s that moment when you could almost let go of the wheel and the boat could steer itself. A boat in perfect balance. Racing sailors will go to extraordinary …
North Sails announces an exciting new partnership with leading sailing rally organizers World Cruising Club. The aim of the partnership is to inspire sailors around the world to embark on a cruising adventure, using North …
It’s still a complicated time in many places around the world, and a huge thank you to our entire North Sails team, clients, and friends who have pulled together in a way that is quite …
By Tom Whidden
One of the goals for our book, The Art and Science of Sails, is to connect the theoretical with the practical. An understanding of the physics of aerodynamics will help us better trim …
Fill your social feeds with all things sailing. Each day North Sails is curating our social media channels with content that showcases our passion for being on the water. We're collecting images that inspire us …
Personnel, lofts, clients, and friends of North Sails are navigating this global crisis together.
Many of our local Certified Service Centers have taken the initiative in their areas to build masks when possible and support their …
Lightweight, reliable, unique. North 3Di sails are engineered to minimum weight and maximum performance. By eliminating the use of mylar, 3Di will not delaminate. Each 3Di sail is precisely shaped on full-sized molds and built …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Hardcore ocean racers and coastal cruisers alike should all make safety at sea a priority. Practices from racing around the world, including the toughest conditions of the Southern Ocean, can apply to sailors of all …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Cruising sailors demand durability. Yet, durability is not an easily quantified element of sail performance. Predicting durability is a tough challenge, because sails are subjected to so many different forms of use and conditions. That …
For Chad Atkins and Oliver Moore, winter means fast apparent wind sailing on their DN iceboats—whenever they can find ice and wind within driving distance of Rhode Island. We recently spoke with them to learn …
SHOP SAILS REQUEST A QUOTE
For some sailors, “club racing” means a casual jib-and-main evening race aboard a well-stocked cruising boat carrying roller furlers and its anchor and chain in the bow. For others, it means …
People with sailboats use them in many ways, but broadly speaking we define them as either cruising or racing. Cruising might be an hour-long daysail, with only one sail hoisted, or it might last a …
Sudden snow and winter winds didn’t stop sailors from gathering for the first of three winter North Sails seminars this past Wednesday. North Sails Expert Allan Terhune shared his knowledge of race course tactics to …
The basic rig dimension for a yacht are generally understood. However, there are some differences in how some sailors describe these dimensions. Here is how we define them at North Sails.
I – Height of Foretriangle
Elevation …
Join North Sails experts to hone your racing skills for the upcoming season with North Sails Chicago seminar series. In coordination with Columbia Yacht Club and Chicago Area Sail Racing Association, this three part series …
Personally, one of my least favorite jobs after sailing is getting the sails down and rolled or folded. Fortunately, there is a sail handling system that can take some of the pain away for just …
Jeanneau America announced today that world-renowned American yachtsman and North Sails President Ken Read will campaign the new Jeanneau SunFast 3300 in the double-handed division of the 2020 Fort Lauderdale to Key West race along …
North Sails is a proud supporter of Chicago racing, including in our continued gold-level sponsorship of Chicago Areas Sail Racing Association (aka CASRA).
CASRA and North Sails share the common commitment to supporting the growth of …
Building on the HUGE success of last Winter's Seminar Series, North Sails Detroit is pleased to announce this years Winter Series. All events are free except Feb 15th's full day seminar.
What can you do to …
How wide is your groove? Sounds like a question from the ‘60s, doesn’t it? In this story, North expert Skip Dieball explains the upwind groove and tells us what to look for.
Earlier this year, as …
We have the most comprehensive service system backed by over 60 years of servicing the sailing community.
Mildew, chafing, UV cover tears and corner webbing and stitching degradation are common issues we are looking for when …
We're coming to you to make it easier than ever for fall service and winter storage. It's time for some TLC for your sails that have done a lot this season.
Crowley's Yacht Yard | November …
It was a jammed packed summer for Don Condit and his crew aboard his Tartan 4000 Roxy, which is powered by 3Di Endurance Main, Jib and Genoa as well as an AirX A2. Over the course of …
Patriot Owner Ken Sharpe and his crew for their overall victory, winning six of 11 races. Chris Duhan's Tequila Mockingbird took second, and Jarrett Altmin's Soulshine took third and was also the Corinthian Champion. "Our …
North Sails expert Skip Dieball shares a recap of his winning weekend!
The 2019 Hobie 33 North Americans were held at my home club on the North Cape the first weekend of September. The format was …
When J/145 owner Bill Schanen III was looking to gain that extra edge for racing this season he knew he wanted something cable-less. He contacted North Sails expert Tom Pease on what his options were. …
North Experts Seadon Wijsen on Skeleton Key and Allan Terhune on Velocity sailed the Verve Cup, which was also the J/111 Pre-Worlds. After three days and eight races, both teams had plenty of takeaway lessons. …
Every summer, there are two annual overnight races on the Great Lakes to Mackinac Island, and for the uninitiated they might tend to blend together. Both finish at the top of Michigan. They’re both in …
I am a rising senior at the University of South Florida. I am an active member of the schools sailing team, which consistently ranks in the top 20 programs in the country. I prefer racing …
Christian Koules, racing onboard USA 1 in the RS21 fleet with Judy Lutz and Alex Newton Southon, from North Sails Chicago recaps the weekend of racing at the 2019 Helly Hansen Chicago NOOD.
The newest addition …
North Sails is excited to continue our sponsorship of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas, and Chicago is the next stop on the circuit. North Sails local team, led by expert Perry Lewis will be on …
The One Design team at North Sails are driven by our commitment to find solutions for our customers and to always find more speed and boat performance. This is why the new F-1 mainsail was …
I’ve been sailing out of Chicago since I was four years old when my dad decided to buy a Capri 22 Catalina. As the family grew, so did the boat, and we upgraded to an …
Anything from Cruising boats to racing. I grew up sailing on my family's Chesapeake 32 and Cal 36, and I've been sailing since I was a kid.
Growing up on the water, I was drawn to …
The lake was still frozen in patches around the old ice breaker home of Columbia Yacht Club. Our Midwestern sailors can't wait for winter to be over, and 120 of them trekked out for this sold …
I learned how to sail a Sailfish and Sunfish in Barrington Rhode Island. As a boy I was fortunate to be able to go to sailing camp at Camp Monomoy on Cape Cod. While in High school, …
My dad is a nuclear physicist who also loved fooling around in boats, and designed & built his 1st 33-footer. When I was six years old, he bought a 1947 wooden S&S 40. My family vacations …
It was great to have our old friend & former Evanston resident Bill Gladstone back in Chicago at Columbia Yacht Club for the first of our winter seminars. In conjunction with CASRA and Columbia Yacht …
Start 2019 the right way and brush up on your sailing skills with North U, the training division of North Sails. Providing the world's best seminars and instruction since 1980, our experts create curriculum to …
(Chicago, IL) October 23rd, 2018. North Sails is pleased to announce that Keith "KC" Church has joined the Chicago team and will work alongside Perry Lewis and Allan Terhune. KC has over 40 years of …
Development of 3Di began ten years ago and has continued at a rapid and accelerating pace ever since. 3Di is the sum of multiple technologies exclusive to North Sails, making it the ideal platform for …
I am from Chicago and grew up in a large family of sailors. I am a rising sophomore at Syracuse University, studying television and accounting. I’m on the sailing team, getting great collegiate racing experience …
At North Sails, our mission is to provide you with expert repairs, maintenance, and upgrades in a timely manner. Whether you race or cruise, your sails are a major investment, and we are committed to …
North Sails one design experts met in Newport, RI for a three-day collaboration featuring North's exclusive two-boat testing system. Attendees brought a range of expertise, from sail experts to sail designers, augmenting the further development …
The NOOD regatta, as well as the Colors Regatta the weekend before, open up the Chicago racing season. Rain, fog, and cold temperatures accompanied with light, and shifty winds dominated the weather for this years' …
The J/70 has become one of the most competitive classes in one-design racing and North clients have consistently taken the top spot on the podium. In fact, North products have powered the winners of all …
A perfect combination of pristine waters, spectacular scenery and ever changing weather conditions makes the Great Lakes an exciting place for sailors of all levels. Distance racing in this unique environment can teach even the …
The North U Racing Trim Seminar is offered as a one-day course focusing on boat speed and sail trim, and it's coming to your city! Two locations, back to back, Chicago and Milwaukee. Get the …
We are pleased & excited to welcome Allan Terhune back to North Sails and introduce him to our Midwestern sailors!
Many of you know that we have had a consistent veteran staff for quite a long …
The third event of the 2017-18 J/70 US Winter Series was sailed in light and shifty conditions. Even some of the best teams struggled with the unknown of when the next shift would happen, what …
(Annapolis, MD) February 1st 2018: Allan Terhune, Jr., who first joined North Sails in 2007, returns to the North sales team to provide world class expertise to customers. North’s head of One Design Vince Brun …
As we come to the end of the sailing season and head into winter, the North Sails global service team is gearing up for a busy period - from helping clients prepare for the Caribbean …
Sailors on 301 boats joined a quest for speed in the Chicago Yacht Club’s 109th Race to Mackinac. North-powered teams held on strong to the finish and won 10 classes, including the Chicago Mackinac Trophy, …
With ideal sailing conditions, the 79th Queen’s Cup was smooth sailing for 140 competitors. An annual distance race from South Shore YC in Milwaukee across Lake Michigan, North Sails Clients finished in the top three …
The windy city did what it does best! A fun weekend in Chicago for the NOOD regatta where 146 boats came to compete on the cold and shifty waters of Lake Michigan. The local representation …
New York was more than slightly crazy, it was fully fledged crazy! Even with all of the insanity on the water, the same couple of teams keep coming out ahead. If I were a competitor …