By Ken Read, President of North Sails
In recent years, offshore competitive sailing witnessed a dramatic rise in popularity and awareness. This sector of our sport pushes sailors, their boats and their equipment to the limits, and races like The Ocean Race are among the most physically and mentally demanding challenges known to man. Unsurprisingly, the race has come to be known as ‘the Everest of the Seas’. Having done this race three times myself, I sometimes wonder if climbing Everest would be all that bad…
In this edition The Ocean Race ushered in a new era of competition: two classes of boats and fully crewed racing on the IMOCA. It has been fascinating to watch the race unfold, and there has been plenty of competition throughout this lap around the planet. And true to character, the race has delivered all the highs and lows of offshore sailing: leaderboard shifts, demastings and a heartbreaking collision at the start of the final leg followed by a heroic team effort to get the boat sailing again (see page 14).
For me personally, this race saw the fall of the 24-hour monohull world speed record, which I helped set in 2015 as skipper of Comanche. The record stood for eight years before Holcim-PRB broke the record during the Transatlantic Leg 5 of the Ocean Race. But savouring their success was short-lived as Team Malizia answered by breaking that record again hours later. As the saying goes, records are made to be broken.
For North Sails, our business and products have continued to play a pivotal role in shaping innovations, raising the bar for competition year-on-year. North Sails was first named the exclusive supplier to the then brand-new VO65 one design class in 2013. Two editions later, North Sails has once again proven itself worthy of delivering consistency across the one design fleet, and is the sailmaker of choice for four of the five IMOCAs. Our sails and, more recently, our performance foul weather gear enable the teams to push their boats, and themselves, harder than ever.
Sailmaking innovation: pioneering the future of sailing
At North Sails, we have always been at the forefront of sailmaking innovation, and our contributions to The Ocean Race 2022-23 are no exception. Our sail technologies, including the revolutionary North 3Di and Helix Structured Luff Sails, have redefined the boundaries of performance and endurance in the most challenging conditions.
Thanks to North 3Di TechnologyTM, the best performance no longer comes at the expense of longevity. Built using spread-filament tapes, the sails are set on a full-size 3D mould – and crucially, involve the elimination of Mylar film. We discovered that this technology ensures exceptional shape-holding, durability and lightweight performance. This unitary, monolithic construction produces an airfoil that has balanced resistance to distortion in all directions. Setting new industry benchmarks for reliability and longevity, these sails change sailors’ mentalities. They allow teams to push the limits and achieve unparalleled speed and efficiency on the water – elevating levels of competition and excitement.
Helix Structured Luff SailsTM, exclusive to North Sails, have revolutionised sail design philosophy by leveraging the sail’s structure to enhance aerodynamics and reduce equipment load. With our Helix Headsails utilising 3Di composite structures and Helix Code Sails reducing loads on free-flying sails, teams have gained significant advantages in camber control and overall performance. These innovations have proven instrumental in propelling our partner teams towards victory in The Ocean Race.
Unmatched performance clothing: equipped for victory
In this edition of the race, for the very first time, our Performance foul weather gear was outfitted on an entire team. Developed by Nigel Musto, a true visionary in the marine performance clothing industry, our Performance Clothing offers the ultimate combination of technology, protection and performance.
As a previous skipper of a boat in The Ocean Race, I know firsthand how important it is to be equipped with the right technology. And I am not just talking about the boat. In the race, sailors endure some of the toughest conditions known to man. Our clothing must utilise the most cutting-edge technologies in the market; adequately protecting us from the elements whilst also being lightweight and durable. That is no easy feat.
Small margins are everything. Sailors in The Ocean Race have been known to snap a toothbrush in half to reduce weight, thus enhancing the boat’s speed, manoeuvrability and responsiveness to wind changes. Every second genuinely counts. So, we knew we simply had to create the most lightweight, durable and breathable gear. Our pioneering 4DLTM and TightWeaveTM technologies, along with the latest GORE-TEX® Pro construction, make North Sails Performance Clothing the most technologically advanced gear in the market.
The 4DLTM technology, with its four-layer durable laminated reinforcement patches, delivers exceptional robustness without water absorption. This technology reduces bulk and weight, allowing sailors to manoeuvre effortlessly. Meanwhile, our TightWeaveTM fabric construction, with its thinner threads and tighter weaves, offers superior water resistance and high abrasion resistance, guaranteeing long-lasting performance even in the most challenging race environments.
Using the latest GORE-TEX® Pro membrane, we have ensured superior waterproofing and breathability, keeping sailors dry, comfortable and focused on the race ahead. After all, it is impossible to perform at your best when you are cold and wet.
We will continue to craft products that help teams to chart new horizons, conquer the seas and further push the boundaries of sailing”
Committed to excellence
The Ocean Race has long been the ultimate test of sailing skill and endurance, and North Sails has consistently risen to the challenge, providing products that enable teams to push their limits.
We have a deep and genuine connection to the race, both in terms of on-water experience and technical expertise. A three-time Ocean Race competitor myself, I am not the only one at North Sails who can speak to personal experiences at this annual event.
Our Northern Europe Sales Manager, Ian Walker, is also a multi-race veteran who won the race in 2015, and this year Charlie Enright – a North Sails employee of 15 years who has been integral to pushing offshore sail development for the company to new levels – is skippering 11th Hour Racing Team.
At North Sails, we are so proud to have become an integral part of the success stories that unfold on this global stage. For this Ocean Race, and every one thereafter, we will continue to craft products that help teams to chart new horizons, conquer the seas and further push the boundaries of sailing.
