A belated Happy New Year, everyone. We hope you are all safe and sound from Isha and survived recent storms, Isha and Jocelyn!
I am bringing you some wonderful news from our North Sails product development teams.
At the Dusseldorf Boat Show on Tuesday, January 23rd, we launched North Sails NPL RENEW - a North Panel Laminate (NPL) sailcloth for cruising boats from 25 to 45 ft. NPL RENEW sailcloth is constructed from more than 90% sustainable sources, with no sacrifice in performance or longevity.
Some background - for many years now, many of our cruising clients have opted for our wonderful NPL TOUR sails, which are tough. Performance cruising laminates have been available in a number of styles to suit a range of boat sizes and budgets.
Here is a video of our NPL TOUR sails on the Hanse 370 "Vohirana" sail testing on Dublin Bay....
Hanse 370 flying her NPL TOUR Xi self-tacking furling jib - Vid: Maurice O'Connell / North Sails Ireland
And on a Moody 31 in Strangford Lough...........
Moody 31 "Zeelander" flying her NPL TOUR Xi sails - Vid: Maurice O'Connell / North Sails Ireland
Today's announcement is a development of the successful NPL TOUR range with a BIG difference.............
NPL RENEW
The launch of NPL RENEW sailcloth marks an important shift towards building more sustainable sails with the best materials.
North Sails’ close relationships with the major companies supplying films, fibers, and fabrics, as well as their shared commitment to creating more sustainable products, have been the foundation of the journey to RENEW. For RENEW, North Sails was able to source recycled polyester film and yarn, and bio-based Dyneema, with no compromise on performance, to create a highly durable cruising laminate cloth that features more than 90% alternative bio-based and recycled raw materials.
The supplier products for RENEW are all Bluesign Certified and ISCC compliant to guarantee the validity of the sources and processes used in their manufacture.
For some more info in Q & A form on RENEW click here.
Here is a shot below of RENEW in action on a Jeanneau 349....
A Jeanneau 349 using RENEW on Narragansett Bay in late 2023 Photo: Amory Ross / North Sails
And here is a video of NPL RENEW in action:-
A word from North Sails Product Director Tom Davis: “There's been a lot of rigorous work behind the scenes over a number of years to ensure RENEW is a sailcloth with legitimate sustainability credentials. This product has been tested to the absolute limit, and we are confident that a sail constructed with RENEW will offer comparable, unbeatable durability and sail shape for our cruising customers without compromising on performance.”
And finally from North Sails President Ken Read: “We have been deliberate and comprehensive in vetting the authenticity of sustainability claims and thoroughly testing the materials before bringing a product to market. We wanted to be 100% certain with RENEW that North Sails could stand behind the improvements in the carbon footprint and authenticity of the sustainable materials in our sailcloth. With our wider commitment to continuous improvement and our push to strive for more sustainable solutions across the business at all levels, RENEW will not stop with panel laminates, and we will look to apply this approach to sustainable raw materials across our broader range of products.”
For more information and to get a quote for your cruising sails, please get in touch with us; we'd be delighted to chat.
Regards,
Nigel, Prof & Shane - Your North Sails Ireland team
