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
