Displaying items by tag: North Sails Ireland

7th May 2020

Cobh's Marshall Marine Textiles Produce 10,000 Gowns in COVID-19 PPE Fight

Richard Marshall and his Cork Harbour company Marshall Marine Textiles are the Service Arm of North Sails Ireland.

Richard has been at the forefront of PPE supplies to the HSE and is currently working flat out with his small Team in Cobh.

The work is very specialised as you might imagine and he has invested in some specialist machinery to improve the efficiency of the production.

Boxed and ready to go IMG 2934 Boxed and ready to go - Marshall Marine gowns boxed for the front line fight against COVID-19

Right now they are working on an order for over 5000 gowns for the front line and he has already supplied masks, face shields and now they are working on the second large batch order of gowns.

Earlier in the week Richard and the team passed the 10,000 mark in items supplied and here at North Sails Ireland we could not let that go past without celebrating the news.

Thanks, Richard and team for your excellent work and commitment to the cause. You guys are making a difference!

Link to our North Sails Ireland tribute here

Letter Marshall A Thank you letter Richard Marshall received from the Master of the National Maternity Hospital

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27th April 2020

Prof O'Connell to Host North Sails Melges 24 "Upwind Sail Trim" Webinar Tonight!

Ireland's Embarr crew at the Melges 24 World Championships

Our North Sails Melges 24 "Upwind Sail Trim" webinar will be on tonight, Monday, April at 8 pm. I am really looking forward to re-connecting with this great class and it also gave me a misty-eyed reason to review these epic "Embarr" upwind pics!

Joining me on the webinar will be John Bowden (North Sails USA), Giulio Desiderato (North Sails Italy) and special guest Mike Buckley (Stars & Stripes America's Cup Challenge CEO and "Monsoon" tactician) where we will be discussing all things upwind on this fantastic boat.

Melges_24 The winning Embarr crew, including Maurice O'Connell, at the Melges 24 World Championships

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20th April 2020

North Sails Master Class in Offshore Sailing

Aboard ISORA yacht Windjammer (1st in IRC 2 2019 flying 100% North Sails) with a view of her new 3Di code jib

Here at North Sails Ireland, we are delighted to see our offshore racing community responding proactively to the Cv19 pandemic. The Round Ireland race that's been rescheduled to Aug 22nd will be a highlight in the calendar! Fingers crossed that we will have the environment to allow it to go ahead come August. We are also hoping that a late-season ISORA programme may be possible.

Speaking of offshore racing, here is a real gem for Irish offshore sailors.............from our homes to yours, North Sails invites you to join us and our all-star line up for a master class in offshore sailing on Wednesday, April 22 at 9 pm GMT.

North Sails President, Volvo race veteran and industry-opinion leader, Ken Read, will host a discussion with 11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright, and offshore veterans Rob Greenhalgh and Alberto Bolzan. You can only catch this expert group in one place.

Please register today and tune in to this exclusive talk for insights and take away expert tips from the best in sailing.

From your team at North Sails Ireland - enjoy it and best wishes to everyone!

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North Sails Ireland

7th April 2020

What Should I look for in a Cruising Sail? North Sails Webinar

North Sails Ireland-supplied Tour Xi performance cruising sails n action in Strangford Lough on the Moody S31 "Zeelander". See video below.

Here at North Sails Ireland, a large portion of our customer base is made up of a wide range of cruising sailors writes Maurice O'Connell.

They range from blue-water sailors who have circumnavigated the globe to coastal sailors who undertake short "hops" with friends and family.

Cruising sailors' requirements can be a little different from our "all-out" racing clients. Here at North Sails, we have an extensive range of cruising products that will deliver fast, reliable cruising for many many years.

Have you ever wondered about, "what should I be looking for in a cruising sail?". Well, here's the answer...North Sails invites all sailors to join our "10 Things To Look For In Cruising Sails" webinar.

This fun and informative webinar will be hosted by our colleagues Bob Meagher, Peter Grimm (North Sails Fort Lauderdale) and Austin Powers (North Sails Annapolis).

Read about them here:-

https://www.northsails.com/sailing/en/experts/peter-grimm-jr

https://www.northsails.com/sailing/en/experts/bob-meagher

https://www.northsails.com/sailing/en/experts/austin-powers

All are welcome to our webinar...........

With very best wishes from North Sails Ireland.

Please register here

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31st March 2020

Tune into North Sails Webinars

Our North Sails Moth webinar last week was a great success with "Mothies" from all over the world tuning in - including Irish Moth sailors from around the country!

The upcoming North Sails Webinar schedule can be found here

We'd love to see as many of you as possible clicking in to join in these fun and informative sessions.

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North Sails Ireland

24th March 2020

North Sails Moth Masterclass From Rob Greenhalgh & Tom Slingsby (Worth Watching, No Matter What Boat You Sail!)

Tom Slingsby has won Olympic gold and numerous world titles in the Laser class. He has won the America's Cup as strategist with Team Oracle USA.

Last December, he flew his North Sails 3Di mainsail in a never seen before domination of the Moth World Championship

Rob Greenhalgh, now based in Sydney, is our North Sails Moth specialist. He himself has won numerous national and international titles (including the 2004 1720 Europeans!) and indeed represented Ireland as a member of Anthony O'Leary's "Antix" team in the 2008 Rolex Commodore's Cup. Rob is veteran of five Volvo Ocean races and was a member of the winning team in the 2005/6 edition on "ABN Amro 1".

North Sails Wins 2019 Irish Moth Nationals

Closer to home, Alistair Kissane from Howth Yacht Club (pictured below) won the 2019 Irish Moth nationals in Baltimore Sailing Club flying his North Sails Vi-8LA 3Di mainsail.

Alistair Kissane flying North Sails 3Di to win the 2019 Irish Moth Nationals in Baltimore SC

Please click on the link here to watch a fascinating North Sails video, narrated by Rob with special guest Tom Slingsby, on the technical aspects of setting up the new North Sails Vi-9DSX Moth sail and rig. No matter what boat you sail, this is well worth watching!

Join North Sails Moth Class Leader, National and European titleholder Rob Greenhalgh for the first of many live webinars, on Wednesday, March 25th at 8:00 pm GMT, register here

From all of us here at North Sails Ireland - stay safe and well.

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24th March 2020

North Sails Ireland: How to Remain Focused Racing Offshore

Offshore sailing - how to cope with those long periods of isolation where you can only do so much

Offshore Sailing Guru Casey Smith shares his thoughts on how to remain focussed during long periods at sea in this latest North Sails article. When we get back to racing later in the season this could be really helpful for all of the ISORA and Round Ireland racers looking to up their game.

Day after day, mile after mile, distance racing reminds us of that never-ending feeling of being stuck in one place for extended periods of time. Hear more from Casey Smith (CS) how to cope with those long periods of isolation where you can only do so much. Casey is a two-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran and was a key member onboard during all of Comanche’s record runs and race wins. Casey knows a lot about being stuck out at sea, but still finds humour in the little things and gets his job done, which is most important.

We hope you enjoy the read here

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19th March 2020

North Sails Ireland - Let's Stay Connected

Chris Power Smith's Aurelia with her big gold North Sails spinnaker at the start of the 2019 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race

Greetings to all our North Sails Ireland sailing friends at home here in Ireland and around the world.

All of us are passionate about sailing and we can keep a calm head afloat when things get serious. Please join us in bringing that mindset into our lives on land these coming days and weeks. It is a tough time for us all. Stay connected everyone!

We will continue to provide you with customer service via the phone, text, email, Whatsapp or virtual meetings. Most of us are working remotely and ready to answer your questions and support you where possible.

We are preparing a schedule of content for you based on a variety of topics - cruising, technical topics, videos etc. We hope that you may find these interesting while we await getting back out on the water.

Our US colleague, Tom Davis, penned this informative piece about "What to Look for and How to Prolong the Life of the Material" in your spinnaker and ultimately when to replace it. We hope you like it. Click to read it here

From us all here at North Sails Ireland - stay safe and well, both mentally and physically.

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North Sails Ireland

11th March 2020

Why are Racing Sails Black?

3Di RAW North Sails on Swan 42 one designs

North Sails have been the market leader in sail technology for as long as I have been sailmaking, and that's a couple of years now! (started back in 1981). When a company like North Sails comes up with something new, the majority of the other sailmakers tend to try and follow. They cannot match the technology, so what's next? At least they can copy the colour!

Back in the '90s when 3DL was the leading race product with clear mylar films the sails were see-through. Then North Sails changed the film colour to a dark grey and the world followed, it took some time but the switch happened. The next step was to black mylar films and they all followed again......each time it took a while but eventually the market shifted to follow the leader.

When North Sails introduced 3Di sails roughly 10 years ago the look of sails changed dramatically to a matt black and this has continued across the majority of the North race product line today.

What we are now seeing in the race market is almost 100% Black sails.........North Sails are black for a reason, most of the others are only black to follow the leader with zero benefits to the client.

See what Per Anderson the head of 3Di development has to say on the subject here

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North Sails Ireland

25th February 2020

What is The Difference Between Racing & Cruising Sails?

North Sails colleague and friend Neil Mackley has just written a really nice piece on the difference between racing and cruising sails that I wanted to share with Afloat readers writes Nigel Young of North Sails Ireland

Neil has been with North Sails since 1982 and as you might imagine knows a thing or two about sails...

Before I started North Sails Ireland in 2004 Neil was a regular visitor to Ireland looking after the clients here at that time. Neil attended the first few ICRA conferences with me when we were starting out here in Ireland and his experience in the industry is second to none. He can still be seen in Ireland often sailing with Nigel Biggs and the Half Ton fleet.

My own sailmaking career started in 1981 so we have seen all the industry changes together since that time. The big difference is that Neil was with North Sails for the full 38 years and I have been with three lofts, joining North Sails in 1994.

I hope you enjoy the article here and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

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North Sails Ireland

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Page 9 of 17

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.