North Sails has confirmed that they have agreed to become an official Race Partner for the Global Ocean Race 2011-12. With a global network of sail lofts and unrivalled experience in the design and construction of short-handed offshore racing sails, North Sails will be offering race entries great pricing for new sails and an excellent sail servicing arrangement in each of the race stopovers.

In an innovative move, North Sails will also be designing a new generation of downwind sails that will be specifically for the Global Ocean Race – the GOR Code 5 and the GOR Code 3. The Global Ocean Race NOR (Notice of Race) permits entries to carry up to ten sails, of which four can be constructed in an exotic material. This is a higher allowance than normal Class40 regulations and allows for some advances in sail design tailored for the event.

For Josh Hall, Race Director of the Global Ocean Race, this development represents a major gain for the teams. “With our policy on sails we believe that our entries will benefit from a speed and reliability standpoint which in fact translates into a safety benefit as well,” says Hall. “We expect very close racing at high speeds and breaking sails will only slow an entry down, perhaps dropping behind the rest of the fleet and therefore becoming exposed,” he continues. “We also think that for an around the world race a greater depth of sail choice and sail overlap  is required and it is fantastic that North Sails will be designing some exciting new downwind sails specifically for the race.”

Details of these new GOR sails will be available in due course, but North Sails are committed to designing the GOR Code 5 and GOR Code 3 based on round the world weather modelling and their high level of knowledge in making fast, reliable sails for round the world racing yachts.

“We followed the 2008-09 race with great interest and indeed supplied sail inventory to the winner Beluga Racer as well as other entries,” comments Bruno Dubois from North Sails, France. “We have had a long-standing relationship with Josh Hall and we are very happy to become an official Race Partner in what will be an amazing event,” he continues. “We are very excited to be able to develop some new sail choices for the race and look forward to working on these with the race organisers and Class40.”

North Sails join a growing family of official Race Partners that will be providing entries in the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 with the quality resources vital to campaigning successfully in a highly competitive, around the world race. Attention to detail combined with reliable, high-quality materials are essential ingredients when racing across oceans and North Sails will be bringing their experience of supplying sails to many of the world’s top offshore racing campaigns to the Global Ocean Race.

“North Sails have supplied all the projects I have managed, including my own, for many years now and this arrangement will allow our entries to benefit from a team I regard as the best sailmakers in the world,” adds Josh Hall. “Great sails, great service, a new generation of sails and great people to work with – we are absolutely delighted to welcome North Sails onboard.”

North Sails – The World Leader in Sailmaking: Official Race Partners of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, The Official Round the World Race of Class40.

by Oliver Dewar

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 26 November 2009 )