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
