Displaying items by tag: North Sails Ireland

7th August 2020

North Sails Ireland 1720 News from the Baltimore Cup

Winner Robert O'Leary was flying a North 3Di mainsail and large jib

Congratulations to all the North Sails Ireland customers for their great results in the recently held 1720 Baltimore Cup in West Cork.

First overall was Robert O'Leary flying North 3Di Mainsail and Large Jib.

Second overall was Anthony O'Leary flying the same combination of North 3Di sails.

Second overall was Anthony O'Leary Photo: Deirdre Horgan

The Durcan Family sailing Team T-Bone was 4th overall Flying 2017 3DL upwind sails and excelling downwind with the latest T-6 spinnaker design.

1720 T-Bone Photo: Deirdre Horgan

T-Bone was the only boat to win two races........Great to see this class enjoying such close racing in the beautiful waters of Baltimore.

Back in April 2019, I wrote a piece called "The Trickledown effect" this piece talks about how 3Di started life in the America's Cup and is now on the smallest One Design boats including the 1720. Well worth a read......

Also whilst we are on the subject of 3Di take a look here to understand exactly how it's made. Totally unique in the sailmaking world, when you watch this video it will go some way to explaining why a 3Di sail might cost a little more than a conventional 2D sail.

We look forward to the next 1720 regatta at the end of August as part of the Cork 300 celebrations.

Sail FAST!

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4th August 2020

North Sails Ireland's Update on the RL Sailing Figaro 3 Campaign

Dubliner's Kenneth Rumball and Pamela Lee

Learning to sail fast offshore in a foil assisted one-design race machine is not an easy task but that's the challenge Dubliner's Kenneth Rumball and Pamela Lee have lined up as they embark on their doublehanded Figaro3 campaign. Here, sailmaker, Nigel Young of North Sails Ireland reports on feedback received from France on the fledgeling Irish campaign.

We got a lovely note from Kenny and Pam about the new sails for the RL Racing Team last week. Read it here.

It's always nice to get feedback like this from our clients as they compete at all levels and all over the World.

3Di is unique in the World of sailmaking and the Figaro 3 class is another example of the benefits of 3Di in action.

Good Luck to Kenny and Pam as they compete in one of the toughest Offshore One Design classes in the World. Here at North Sails Ireland, we are delighted to be playing a small part in this campaign.

Keep up the good work and sail FAST.

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21st July 2020

Flying Start for North Sails Ireland New Wicklow Service Loft

Busy times at the new North Sails service loft in County Wicklow

North Sails Ireland is reporting that the new service location in County Wicklow is off to a flying start writes Nigel Young.

In the first 21 days, Shane Hughes and his team have serviced over 75 sails and they do not look like they are slowing down anytime soon.

I had the pleasure of visiting Shane last week at the Wicklow location and it was great to see the operation first hand. For a loft that's only been in operation for 20 days, it looks well established and the guys look very efficient in their surroundings. That's what happens when the operation is run by someone with Shane's skill set. Shane is a fully trained sailmaker with years of experience, a top-class International sailor and very in tune with modern sails and service.

Sail repairs underway at North Sails Ireland's new east coast service loft

Only North Sails can service 3Di sails correctly...

One of the most important things to remember with sail service these days is that things have changed. With the advent of 3Di sails the service skill set required to work on those sails is very different to a more conventional sail material. Having said that, one of the great things about 3Di is that it does not go into the service loft very often!

With 3Di repairs, we use specialist adhesives and 3Di repair materials that are unique to North Sails. No other sail repair shop can work on the body of a 3Di sail without compromising the structure and integrity of the sail.

3Di repairs we use specialist adhesives and 3Di repair materials that are unique to North Sails 3Di repairs use specialist adhesives and 3Di repair materials that are unique to North Sails

3Di is a one-piece composite filament structure engineered very precisely and you cannot just bolt on a new reef for offshore sailing or take a heavy-duty sewing machine and start sewing in the middle of the sail.........3Di construction is unique in the sailmaking industry and it requires a specialist to service and repair it to the North Blue Book standards.

You would not take your new Tesla Car into the corner shop garage so please do not do the same with your 3Di sails......Always make sure they come back to Shane and his Team in Wicklow or one of the other specialist North Sails Service lofts that can be found all over the Globe.

If you have any sail service needs please do not hesitate to contact us here at North Sails Ireland.

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1st July 2020

North Sails Ireland Opens Wicklow Service Loft

North Sails Ireland's Wicklow Service Loft is now open

North Sails Ireland has announced the opening of our new Service loft in Wicklow, close to the main Dublin sailing centres at Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

Shane Hughes is the man behind the new operation and he is more than qualified for the job. Shane has been a big part of North Sails since 1999 when he first joined the company and is a fully trained time-served sailmaker.

Shane Hughes of North Sails Ireland Shane Hughes

Having previously managed the service floor for North Sails UK in Gosport, Hughes is no stranger to the world of sail service. He was born in Dublin and began his racing career at the age of nine at Howth Yacht Club. He went on to compete nationally and internationally in Mirrors and 420s and began racing keelboats at the age of 15. As a very experienced sailor, racer, and fully-trained sailmaker, you can rest assured your sails are in very safe hands at North Sails Wicklow.

For the full story please check out the link on the North Sails Site here

The loft is up and running at the Boatyard, Newcastle in County Wicklow and ready to take care of all your service needs.

North Sails Ireland new repair loft is open in County Wicklow

Please do not hesitate to contact us here at NS Ireland.

Sail FAST

Nigel

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North Sails Ireland

23rd June 2020

North Sails Ireland Launches 'Trade In Trade Up'

Our 2020 "Trade In Trade Up" recycle programme is here at North Sails Ireland!

This is a great opportunity for sailors and boat owners to recycle that older sail that's done its time. Many of you have sheds and garages full of them!

When you order your replacement sail from us, simply let us have the old one and we will give you up to 20% off the new sail. Simple as that.

Click here for more information on this and please do get in touch with us. It would be TREMENDOUS to hear from you.

From the team here at North Sails Ireland - see you on the water!

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North Sails Ireland

15th June 2020

North Sails Launch a Complete Range of 3Di Ocean Cruising Sails

3Di Cruising Sails have been launched in Ireland by North Sails

Last week I mentioned a new product launch was coming for 3Di Cruising Sails and please find the link below for the complete range of Ocean 3Di sails here

Before 3Di it was almost impossible to build a low stretch, high performance Cruising sail without a plastic film. As you know any sail with a plastic film is exposed to the possibility of delamination.

Laminate string sails are the worst product type for exhibiting this trait even though at first glance they may look like the answer. 3Di has many unique benefits and if you follow the link here you can read all about those.

The biggest difference is that with no plastic film in 3Di and a thermoset glue (chemical reaction) means No Delamination Guaranteed......... We have been selling 3Di in all its forms here in Ireland for the last 10 years and we have not had one sail delaminate, with 3Di it's not possible.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact us at North Sails Ireland on the contact details below

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North Sails Ireland

5th June 2020

Things to Look for in A Good Sail When Cruising

A Beneteau Oceanis 51.1 sailing in Narragansett Bay with North Sails 3Di sails

North Sails may be known best for their racing products but what many people do not know is that close to fifty percent of our total global business is actually in cruising sails.

With the genuine trickle down effect from the AC North's unique 3Di product can now be found on more and more cruising boats throughout the world. The same benefits of 3Di that make it a world beater on the race track also make it very suitable as a cruising sail. 3Di durability is well known and the latest range of Ocean 3Di is about to be expanded to cover all sizes of cruising boats. More news to follow on that next week...

3Di Ocean under construction

Just because you are cruising and not racing you should still expect the very best from your sails. Here at North Sails we have products to suit all boat types and budgets.

North Sails 3Di Ocean Close up under sail

Take a look at the link here for a bit more information on what North sails can do for you today!

Please do not hesitate to contact us here at North Sails Ireland with any questions you may have.

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North Sails Ireland

12th May 2020

North Sails Ireland Sail Design Webinar With Jeremy Elliott

North Sails Ireland will be running our local Irish Webinar series on Wednesday the 13th May. This time we are talking about the North Sails design process "From Concept to Reality" and explaining how we go through the various stages of design from start to finish.

North Sails Design expert Jeremy Elliott originally from Kinsale and now residing and working in the UK will be our guest speaker. He's in charge of Design Services for North Sails and has been involved in many Irish projects and sailing teams over the years.

Design webinar

Here at North Sails Ireland we have all had the pleasure of working and sailing with Jeremy over the years and we are delighted to have him join us for the presentation on Wednesday evening.

Please sign up in advance using the registration link HERE. The Webinar is open to all Irish Sailors and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening the 13th of May at 8.30 pm.

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10th May 2020

Prof O'Connell of North Sails Ireland to Host Melges 24 'Downwind Speed' Webinar with World Champion Federico Michetti

Ireland's "Embarr" with Prof O'Connell on spinnaker trim at US national Championships in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

I am honoured to host a North Sails Ireland 'downwind speed' webinar on Monday, May 11th at 8 pm (9 pm CET) with Five-time Melges 24 World Champion Federico Michetti.

We will be discussing:-

Displacement (non-planing) sailing
Transitioning to "Bow Up" planing
Gybing techniques and when to use them
Sail selection for the different conditions

Joining us from Genoa will be my friend and colleague Giulio Desiderato from Norths Sails Italy.

Prof trimming kite on Embarr training day Ireland's Embarr" with Prof O'Connell on spi-trim training in waves off Miami Beach

Frederici Michetti Frederico Michetti

So if you are interested in what makes modern asymmetric keelboats go FAST, then be sure to join us by registering here

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North Sails Ireland

9th May 2020

North Sails Ireland Stay Connected With Irish Webinar Series

In these uncertain times, North Sails are pulling out all the stops to stay connected with our customers and friends here.

The International Webinar Series is proving incredibly popular and if you missed them on the day you can view at your leisure via the North Sails YouTube page.

Here in Ireland, we have just started our local Irish Webinar series and have run three of these to date and our fourth Webinar will run next week.

Start line North Sails A slide from a North Sails Ireland webinar

More news and details to follow on that one as it unfolds.

We have enjoyed some great interaction with the sailors of Ireland on Zoom recently, this platform looks like it's going to be playing a larger part in our future for a while to come.

Kind regards from us all here at North Sails Ireland,

Nigel, Prof and Shane.

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Page 8 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.