NORTH BOUND
Moving to North was a natural step! We had talked about the switch a few years ago but it never really materialized into a deal. With my new role at Fanatic, this year was just the right time to join. We found a deal that worked for all parties and now I am fully signed up with Fanatic / North and involved with everything from being a team rider to testing.
I really liked the Hero sail line, which was awesome for early planing and really light, but I also brought in a few ideas from my side and now I think we have a very nice mix and the sail is a lot better already. We have made the shape a bit deeper and it feathers gusts better and has improved top end control. We moved everything down a little bit, the draft is further down and the clew is a little bit lower. We have added some load stripes into the sail, which keeps the profile of the sail in place even when it is powered up, so there is less stretch between the battens. The durability has been improved as well. The whole sail stays more or less as it was when you unpacked it for the first time. The accessories North has are probably the best you can buy on the market and the whole rig is so much less weight. All the bits and pieces are just top quality. The Power XT extension is the icing on the cake. You don’t even have to sit down in the dirt to downhaul your sail. You put the mast in, click, click, click and your sail is rigged. If you feel like the wind is picking up, then you can just sit on your board on the water and click and your sail has a bit more downhaul. It’s the same the other way around too, if you want less downhaul. It is just so comfortable and easy. It is such an advantage for the racers as well!