Mike & Richie Evans have had a stunning two seasons aboard their 100% North Sails-powered "Snapshot".

Their very first inshore regatta in 2021 was the hotly contested Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale in June 2021 - which they blitzed the fleet, winning IRC 1 and overall Boat of the Regatta.

They followed this with a 3rd overall in IRC 1 at the ICRA Nationals in September 2021 in Dun Laoghaire.

"Snapshot" finishing 3rd overall at the 2021 ICRA Nationals in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Photo: Afloat

This year, in a true test of all-round competitiveness, they headed offshore on the 704-mile SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race - NARROWLY missing the overall win by a margin of only five minutes. They "survived a bashing", in Mike's own words.

"Snapshot" rounding Wicklow lighthouse soon after the Round Ireland start in June 2022 Photo: Afloat

They also finished 2nd overall in WAVE Regatta this year after John Minnis and his great team on their A35 "Final Call" - also powered 100% by North Sails.

Finally, they won the Beshoff Motors Autumn League in their home club of Howth last month.

Speaking just after being awarded the ICRA 2022 "Boat Of The Year", co-owner Mike Evans said:-

"My brother Richard and I had the pleasure of working on our J99 project with Shane Hughes from North Sails Ireland from the outset. Shane and the North Sails team helped us configure the yacht to perform in a wide variety of conditions, and we wanted the option to be able to compete offshore with the Round Ireland in mind. We have found good performance with our sail inventory upwind and downwind but also noticed the sails longevity and durability, having survived a bashing off the southwest coast in murderous conditions this year. There is also ongoing design refinement and optimisation, which is necessary to remain competitive, which is interesting and exciting."

HUGE congratulations to Mike, Richie and the "Snapshot" team from us here at North Sails Ireland. Your team are a pleasure to work with, and we look forward to helping you go FASTer in 2023

North Sails One Design clients have had a stunning 2022 with our fantastic customers recording victories in so many World, European, National and Regional championships here in Ireland.

For the month of October, we are running our 15% off season saving promotion on all our listed "One Design" classes.

So, if you are looking for a great deal on FAST sails for 2023, now is the time to get in touch with us.

Here is a tiny sample of some of our winning One-Design clients this year....there are many more!

1st flying North Sails - Irish National Dragon Championship hosted by the Royal St. George YC, Dun Laoghaire, September 2022: Cameron Good, Henry Kingston and Matias Helstern on "Little Fella" Photo: Afloat

1st flying North Sails - Irish National Flying Fifteen Championship Championship held hosted by the National YC, Dun Laoghaire, September 2022: Peter & Juliette Kennedy on "Team Ridgeway" Pic: Afloat

1st flying North Sails - World Fireball Championship, Lough Derg YC, August 2022: Tom Gillard & Andy Thompson Photo: Con Murphy

1st flying North Sails - European J24 Championship, Howth YC, Co. Dublin: "Jmania" Stelios Sotiriou, Christos Kifidis, Kynthia Skotida, Rania Vergou and Costas Tridima Pic: Annraoi Blaney

Sail FAST everyone.

Huge congratulations to Peter Dunlop, Vicky Cox, and their wonderful team on "Mojito".

They had an awesome season culminating in them winning the Wolf's Head Trophy for being the overall winner of the 2022 ISORA series. TREMENDOUS job, guys!

The ISORA series is a gruelling event, spanning four months of offshore day and night racing. Reliability and speed are gold in this event.

Speaking after emerging victorious in the ISORA series on Saturday, co-owner Vicky Cox said, "Mojito has been powered 100% by North Sails since day one. We love the sails and the support from the North Sail teams in both the UK and Ireland has been fantastic".

In addition, they also recorded these fabulous results:-

• Cork week coastal class - 1st overall
• Welsh IRC National championships - 1st overall
• Abersoch Keelboat week IRC1 - 1st overall

All powered 100% by North Sails!

mojito" flying her North Sails 3Di offshore mainsail and North Sails Code 2 jib

Congrats again, "Mojito" from us all here at North Sails! We are very proud to be associated with you!

Maurice O'Connell

What a week that was for North Sails Ireland!

Dragon Nationals

HUGE congratulations to the "Little Fella" team of Cameron Good, Henry Kingston and Matias Helstern from Kinsale YC, who brought the Dragon Nationals back to Kinsale for the first time in 31 years.

It was a poignant and emotional moment for Cameron, whose Dad, Courtney Good won the Dragon Nationals in 1975 and sadly left us recently. His heartfelt speech at the prizegiving last night left us all a little choked up.

I managed to snap this pic of the winning team yesterday evening in Royal St. George YC holding the coveted trophy.

L-R Matias, Henry and Cameron holding the Dragon Irish Championship trophy Photo: Maurice O'Connell

"Little Fella" was powered 100% by North Sails. Huge congratulations again, guys - epic stuff.

Click here for overall results.

Flying Fifteen Nationals

Double Olympian Peter Kennedy, racing with his fantastic daughter Juliette, won the Flying Fifteen Nationals hosted by the Nationals YC at the weekend. I witnessed the strong and gusty but magic conditions out there yesterday, and at only 145kgs all-up crew weight, they still won. "Amazed at how fast we were in 20 kts with only 145kg", commented Peter after the racing.

Peter & Juliette Kennedy winning the Flying Fifteen nationals, seen here flying their North Sails FR-5 mainsail and RS-1 spinnaker Photo: Afloat

Click here for results

J24 Europeans

Finally, racing in Howth YC all week, the Greek team of Stelios Sotiriou with his crew Christos Kifidis, Kynthia Skotida, Rania Vergou and Costas Tridima won a tightly contested J24 European Championships.

They won on "JMANIA" on a split-point "countback" tie-break against David Hale's "Cacoon".

(R) European champions GRE 5367 "Jmania" flying her North Sails Fat Head mainsail and DX7TT genoa leading into the offset mark

Pic: 2nd overall in J24 Europeans GBR 4269 "Cacoon", seen here flying her North Sails fat head mainsail and DX-7TT genoa to leeward of "Headcase" from Howth YC

Click here for overall results

We salute all the competitors for yet another memorable week of championship racing - well done, everyone!

Tis all happening here in North Sails Ireland!

We had our first outing on the new Cape 31 "BLAST" here in Dublin Bay.

This is the second Cape 31 in Ireland to be kitted out in a full North Sails inventory.

"BLAST " flew her North Sails NPL Xi upwind training sails and her North Sails NPC Norlon 75 training kite complete with "Blast" logo applied in ink by our North Sails graphics division.

Fresh out of the bag, the flawless geometry and designs were absolutely perfect, which is a credit as always to our colleagues in our Design group, Dave Lenz and Cameron McCormick and our tireless colleagues in our manufacturing group.

Cape 31 "BLAST " flew her North Sails NPL Xi upwind training sails

On our first "turn" downwind, we hit 11 knots boatspeed in only about 11 knots true windspeed.

Keep an eye out for this North Sails-powered rocketship BLASTing around Dublin Bay over the next few weeks.

As has become our custom and practice over the past 15 years at most of the major events, North Sails Ireland will be providing overnight sail repair services for next week's Cork Week in Crosshaven.

Our Service Manager Shane Hughes will be leading the effort on-site, backed up by our colleague Nigel Young, Shane and Nigel collectively have over 60 years sailmaking experience and will do their level best to keep you up and running for the regatta as needed.

We are happy to repair all sail manufacturer's sails.

Shane will be racing in IRC 2 on Mike and Richie Evans J99 "Snapshot" - fresh from their recent second overall in the Round Ireland Race........

'Snapshot' flying her North Sails A2.5 and North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail Photo: Bob Bateman

Nigel will be racing on his wife Fiona's Albin Express "North Star" in IRC 3...........

Fiona Young's North Star Photo: Bob Bateman

I will be racing on "Chimaera", skippered by Barry Cunningham in IRC 2...........

J/109 Chimaera wil be competing in Cork Week's IRC 2

I just counted - this will be my 16th Cork Week...some craic...

Our contact details are below - please not hesitate to call / SMS / Whatsapp / email if you need us:-

• Shane Hughes - +353 83 810 3539 - [email protected]
• Nigel Young - +353 87 2514434 - [email protected]
• Maurice "Prof" O'Connell - +353 86 2364200 - [email protected]

We would like to wish all Cork Week competitors a fun and safe week's racing.

It should be TREMENDOUS fun!

Shane, Nigel and Prof

NORTH SAILS IRELAND

It's great to be back! Huge congratulations to the team at Howth Yacht Club, led by the mighty Brian Turvey delivering the first major inshore event in Ireland since 2019.

The competition was awesome, the race management excellent, the craic ashore was ninety and to see so many sailors afloat and ashore was just tremendous!

The event was a true test of boat speed/VMG and reliability. There were windward leewards, the iconic Lambay Race and "round the cans" courses in conditions ranging from 8 - 12 knots on Friday, 15 - 25 knots on "big Saturday" and 10 - 18 knots on Sunday.

Given the easterlies, we were racing in a short confused seaway which necessitated a somewhat fuller and more twisted and forgiving upwind sail set-up. Downwind, spinnaker design and fabric selection help deliver stability, easier trimming and thus better VMG.

"Storm II" flying her North Sails 3Di RAW Code 3 jib and North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail Credit: Annraoi Blaney

Here at North Sails Ireland, were we proud and honoured to see so many of our wonderful customers winning so many classes and filling the podium slots. Well done everyone and thank you!

My North Sails Ireland colleague Shane Hughes had a busy event, working long into the night repairing all makes of sails to keep you, the sailors, firing on all cylinders the next day. He was repairing sails from all sailmakers - a testament to his and the North Sails regatta service commitment.

His midnight toiling was not easy given that he was also racing aboard the Wright's beautiful new Cape 31 "Adrenaline" during the day! Well done "Shano" for the massive effort.

Cape 31 "Adrenalin" flying her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail and Code 3.5 jib Credit: Annraoi Blaney

I was racing aboard Andrew Craig's J109 "Chimaera" and after a tough battle, we came through to 3rd overall in IRC 1, 1st J109 and 1st in the J109 East Coasts. We flew our North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail, Code 1, Code 2 and Code 3 jibs and also our A GRADE Superkote A2 and A4 kites.

"Chimaera" flying her North Sails A GRADE Superkote A2 asymmetric and North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail Credit: Afloat

We salute our wonderful customers and their great sailing teams - well done everyone.

Roll on WAVE Regatta 2024!

North Sails Results below:-

IRC 0

Class 0 winner "Jelly Baby" flying her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail and Code 2 jib Credit: Afloat

1. "Jelly Baby" - Jones Family - Royal Cork YC - *North Sails
2. "Searcher" - Pete Smyth - Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 - National YC - 100% North Sails
3. "Prima Forte" - Burke / Lemass - Beneteau First 40 - Royal Irish YC - *North Sails

IRC 1

"Final Call" flying her A GRADE Superkote 60 S1.5 Symmetric Spinnaker and her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail

1. "Final Call" - John Minnis - Archambault 35 - RUYC / RNIYC - 100% North Sails
2. "Snapshot" - Mike and Richie Evans - HYC - 100% North Sails
3. "Chimaera" - Andrew Craig - RIYC - 100% North Sails

IRC 2

"Lambay Rules" flying her North Sails A GRADE Superkote A4 asymmetric and her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail Credit: Annraoi Blaney

1. "Lambay Rules" - Stephen Quinn - HYC - 100% North Sails
2. "King One" - David Kelly - half tonner - *North Sails
3. "Ghost Raider" - Norbert Reilly - half tonner - 100% North Sails

IRC 3

2. "No Excuse" - Wormald, Walsh, O'Neill - X302 - Howth Yacht Club - *North Sails
3. "Maximus" - Paddy Kyne - X302 - Howth Yacht Club - *North Sails

IRC 4

2. "Bite the Bullet" - Colm Bermingham - Elan 333 - Howth Yacht Club - 100% North Sails

IRC 5

2. "Demelza" - Steffi Ennis - Shamrock - Howth Yacht Club - 100% North Sails

J24

Craig Usher calls the start line aboard "Jumpin' Jive" flying her North Sails NPL Xi genoa Credit: Annraoi Blaney

1. "Jumpin' Jive" - Mark Usher - Greystones Sailing Club - 100% North Sails

J80

1. "Mojo" - Patrick O'Neill - Howth Yacht Club 100% North Sails

Sigma 33

"Insider" flying her North Sails 3Di 330 Mainsail and No. 1 Genoa Credit: Annraoi Blaney

1. "Insider" - Stephen Mullaney - Howth Yacht Club 100% North Sails
2. "Flyover" David Marchant - Waterford Harbour Sailing Club *North Sails
3. "Boojum" - Steph Bourke / Gus Legge - Royal St. George Yacht Club *North Sails

* denotes partial inventory

I was talking to Martin Lee this morning from North Sails UK. Martin has been in charge of the sail production floor for NSUK since 1994 and is one of the world's most experienced sailmakers. We were discussing manufacturing in general and then we started talking about the spinnaker for Perseus^3 which was the largest sail ever built.......

This sail was really something special and it's hard not to be impressed by the numbers! The fact sheet below makes some really interesting reading.......If you think that the average size spinnaker in Ireland is something like 120sqm that will put things into perspective when you realise this sail is 2604sqm!! That requires some very specialised handling.

There has been a strong Irish connection to this yacht for a number of years now but she has only recently switched over to using North Sails. Peter O'Flynn and James Fegan from Cork were both on the crew and it was interesting to talk to them about the new spinnaker and sailing a boat like this in general.

Very interesting comments from Peter onboard the boat:

“When you’re on a superyacht such as Perseus^3 going downwind at close to 17 knots you want your sails to do what they should do without any additional complications. Going through the first gybe with a new Kite (A-sail) the foredeck is a dangerous place and tension levels are high, you are looking up at the biggest sail in the world and any mistake can cause mayhem and injury. This is how we unfolded the new North Sails Kite on Perseus, the crisp feel and shape of the sail when hoisted gave us some encouragement. Gybe called and we fall into it fully powered up, an outside gibing manoeuvre with almost 300 feet of new sheet to take on, clearing the old sheet as the sail goes through the wind and she flips like you are on a sportsboat, a beautiful sail and a memorable moment for all 55 people on board.”

Next time you are struggling with your spinnaker and finding it hard to handle, just imagine if it was over twenty times bigger!! Then you might have a real problem.

For the full story on the building of this sail please check out the link here, It's hard not to be impressed.....

For more info about North Sails please check out the website.

From us all here at North Sails Ireland SAIL FAST

NY

Greeting sailors from us all here at North Sails Ireland!

Things are getting moving now - the Axiom Private Clients April League is in full swing in Kinsale, they just finished their Frank Godsell March Series and AIB DBSC Spring Chicken series just finished too. It's great to see boats out training and getting ready for a packed season ahead!

Tim Kane and George Sisk's new "WOW" has been spotted training here on Dublin Bay over the past few weekends and I was fortunate enough to join the team for two sailing sessions recently which I thought I'd share with you.

"WOW" is a Reichel / Pugh design called an "X-Treme 37". She was built in South Africa c. 2012 and is very well put together, She has a high modulus Southern Spars rig (part of NTG - North Technology Group) with lots of sails designed and manufactured by our colleagues in North Sails South Africa.

On that, it was fun sussing out the sails, getting their unique ID numbers and then linking up with Shane Elliott, Geoff Meek and Rudi Fokkens in North Sails South Africa. Using each sail's unique ID number (on the older ones it is actually handwritten onto the North Sails badge), they were able to provide us with the detailed design and manufacturing specifications of the sails and in turn, we are collating this into a little database for "WOW" so that the sail inventory can be managed over the coming seasons.

NS unique ID # 180151-01 Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

My colleague Shane Hughes also had the sails into the service loft in February. Shane and Matthew performed the North Sails service check-up over all the sails and also changed out all the sail numbers to the new unique "WOW" orange!

'WOW' offshore mainsail with new orange sail numbers - Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

We also re-measured the sails (to take into account any shrinkage since new) for submission on the 2022 "WOW" IRC cert.

And so, onto the sailing!

Initially, we had super-light airs and had to have all the weight to leeward to induce heel in only 2 or 3 knots of breeze. We removed all the mast shims except for the 20mm base plate, backed off the headstay 8 turns and thus set the rig up for super-light airs.

The 'WOW' team inducing heel angle in the superlight airs flying their North Sails Code 1 Jib Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

As the breeze built to perhaps 8 knots, the boat lit up and ripped along with her North Sails Code 1 jib manufactured in Dimension Polyant Grand Prix Laminate.

'WOW' at full power in 8 knots TWS   Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

At only 4100kgs, she should be really fast downwind with her 140sqm kite. Upwind, as the pic shows, we were full "weight on the rail" hiking in about 8 knots TWS.

After some miles testing and tuning upwind, we then turned downwind and hoisted the practically unused A1.5 kite - what a beauty!

'W'OW' VMG running with her North Sails 'A Grade' Superkote 80 A1.5 Asymmetric  Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

This sail was designed by our colleague Shane Elliott in North Sails South Africa and is manufactured using Contender 'A Grade' Superkote 80 fabric - quite rare! We were able to achieve beautifully deep and stable running angles in the very light Dublin Bay airs on the day.

After some gybing practice, we then headed for the harbour and beam reached across Scotsman's Bay with the luff of the A1.5 standing up beautifully with increased tack line tension.

'WOW' beam reaching with her North Sails 'A GRADE' Superkote 80 A1.5 Asymmetric  Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

'WOW' mainsheet trimmer Ciaran Hall, owners George Sisk and Tim Kane Photo: Maurice O'Connell/North Sails Ireland

Congratulations and best wishes to George, Tim and the "WOW" team from myself, Nigel and Shane here at North Sails Ireland. It looks like you'll have a fun season ahead!

Maurice O'Connell

NORTH SAILS IRELAND

Greetings everyone from us here at North Sails Ireland.

I was fortunate enough to get in a little "warm weather training" when I spent three days working with Irish Sailing’s performance squad at their winter training base in Lanzarote a few weeks ago. It was so inspirational to spend time in this most rarefied of elite sporting worlds again.

As part of their Olympic equipment charter, Olympic classes are obliged to review their key suppliers every two quadrennials. North Sails 3Di technology is unique in the market place and we were delighted to be chosen by the Olympic 49er / 49er FX skiff classes to be their sole upwind sail supplier. More on this 49er move here.

That's not the main point of this piece though......

I was blown away by the level of athleticism, sailing skills, professionalism and commitment of both our Irish 49er teams. The two teams (Tokyo 2020 Olympians Rob Dickson / Sean Waddilove and their training partners Seafra Guilfoyle / Johnny Durcan) are putting in monstrous days down there.

The programme is overseen in a very hands-on way by super-coach and 49er double Olympian, Matthew McGovern.

They have teamed up with current world champions Bart Lambriex and Floris Van De Werken from the Netherlands in a cohesive training group that is beneficial to both sides. The daily grind is tough, REALLY tough - as it should be. The training "blocks" are three weeks long, with a one week stint back home here in Ireland. Whilst in Ireland, the teams continue to train and attend to other aspects of their campaigns - it's certainly not a week off.

The daily routine in camp can vary of course, but a typical day may look something like this:-

• eat - 30 mins
• gym and recovery - 90 mins
• technical review session - video screen and/or boat park technical work - 90 mins
• eat - 30 mins
• sail - 5 hours
• eat and debrief - 45 mins
• boat work - 60 mins
• bike ride / short-run / cardio - 30 mins
• eat again
• sleep and repeat!

Whilst I was in camp, our focus was on assessing the new North Sails 3Di sail shapes, developing a new database of rig settings and tuning techniques with the objective of optimising the 3Di sails with the new carbon rigs, supplied by New Zealand manufacturer CST. Here is a video clip of Rob and Sean in one of our early sessions:

Dickson-Waddilove IRL powered by North Sails 3Di

Credit: Maurice O'Connell / North Sails Ireland

The 49er sail plan could be seen as complex. The carbon CST rig has double spreaders with three shrouds each side, all independently adjustable in mm increments. The mainsails have six full-length adjustable battens, including the "gaff" batten on the square-head main. The jibs also have threefull-length battens. The mainsail cunningham is enormously powerful, as is the jib halyard. Both have a massive effect on the mast bend and sail shape, as have the other controls (jib sheet, jib sheet clew board attachment, jib tack height, jib car inboard / outboard position and the mainsail outhaul). The 49er is almost always over-powered so it's all about developing the right "power mix" in order to optimise upwind "VMG".

We spent three long days on the water in a big Atlantic seaway, with winds steadily blowing 22 - 23 knots TWS. See my video below - just before a wave knocked the camera away - and this was before it got REALLY windy!

Dickson-Waddilove Big Wave

Credit: Matthew McGovern / Irish Sailing performance Coach

Huge respect goes to team-mates Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan who selflessly ground it out for hours using the older mylar-based laminate sails (North Sails 3Di sails have no mylar laminate hence immense durability), whilst our main focus was on the new kit.

IRL 49er Teams - Dickson-Waddilove (L) and Guilfoyle-Durcan (R)Photo: Andrew Conan

Here is a video of Seafra and Johnny blasting upwind:-

Training partners Guilfoyle-Durcan - upwind in 20+ TWS

Credit: Matthew McGovern / Irish Sailing Performance Coach

From Nigel, Shane and myself here at North Sails Ireland, our best wishes go to both teams as they head towards their first major event of the year - the Princess Sofia Trophy event in Palma - which I last raced in the Olympic Star boat in 2007!