Alejandro Ruiz-Ramon
#1 2008 Valentine's Day Regatta
Chris Steele , #1 2007 Worlds
Alexandra Maloney, #1 2007 Worlds (girls)
Ever since North Sails One Design started making sails our goal has been to make the fastest sails for any type of boat. The International Optimist Dinghy Class has always been one of our main focus points as these sailors are the one’s that we will be the future of our sport. The Optimist is the dinghy in which the young people of the world learn to sail. Sailed in over 110 countries by over 150,000 young people it is the only dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors under 16 years of age. Over 50% of the dinghy skippers at the Sydney Olympics were former Optimist sailors.
North Sails One Design has been working harder than ever for the past few years developing the fastest, state-of –the –art sails for the Optimist. Sailors all over the world are desperate for that extra knot of speed and to help achieve this North Sails has had a team working full time on research and development of easy to trim fast shapes for all size Optimist sailors.
Choosing your sail:
As far as choosing a sail, our rule of thumb has always
been to sail with the flattest sail possible without sacrificing your
speed. If you can sail as fast with a flatter sail you will be able
to point and sail higher. This is very key because the start and first
tacks during the race are very important so and the ability to point
high will really put you one step ahead. Here's the sails we recommend based on the sailor's weight and predominant wind condition:
If you have any technical questions or just want to discuss which
sail might be best for you please feel free to contact Brian Bissell at at BrianB@od.northsails.com and he will be more than happy
to help you.
We look forward to helping you get the most speed and fun from your
Optimist sailing. Let us know how we can be your personal sailmaker.
NORTH RACING SAILS
NORTH RADIAL DESIGNS:
Dane Wilson, winner of the 2010 Valentines Day Regatta Powered by the North P-5 sail!
P-5 RADIAL MAINSAIL
For sailors weighting >95 lbs,
0-18 knots
#1 2010 Valentine's Day Regatta!
The NEW P-5 Japanese Design Mainsaill is a great all-around sail that has slightly more power in the head than the North H-08. This gives the sail a slight bias towards lighter winds, however when de-powered properly it will still perform well in the breeze. The amount of twist designed into this sail makes it easier to trim than most cross-cuts. This sail will suit sailors over 95 lbs.
The P-5 sails come standard with:
Contender 2.99 Polykote with Radial Construction
Mylar Window
Active Leech
IODA Button
Tell Tails
Sail Bag
Sail Number Installation (if sail # is provided)
Sail Ties
"I'm sitting in the upstairs bay window of the Sailing Centre in Schull and am looking out at 160+ Optimists being coached and racing etc. F2-3, no clouds 10C - just perfect. Both our sons have been using the new North P-5 and M-08 and say they can really feel the difference in speed over their previous sails. Both guys came ashore beaming, so hats off to North!"-- Frank O'beirne
H-08 RADIAL MAINSAIL
For sailors weighting >95 lbs, 8-25 knots
#1 2007 WORLDS ... #1 2008 ORANGE BOWL!
The sail that won the 2007 World Championship in both the boys’ and girls’ division. There is a little less return in the bottom half of the sail making it easier to trim and harder to stall out.
The H-08 sails come standard with:
Radial Construction
Mylar Window
Active Leech
IODA Button
Tell Tails
Sail Bag
Sail Number Installation (if sail # is provided)
Sail Ties
"I chose North Sails because they are higher, faster, better!!!" -- Chris Steele
2007 Optimist World Champion
P-4 RADIAL MAINSAIL
For sailors weighting 75-95 lbs
2008 World Champion!
The NEW P-4 Japanese Design Mainsail is medium design sail for sailors between 75-95 lbs. It has been added to the range of North Optimist sails after extensive testing with very positive feedback. It is a very easy to use radial design, developed along the same principles as the P-5 but slightly flatter. It was used successfully to win the girls’ Optimist Worlds in 2008.
XM-08: Very forgiving sail to trim, but their number one selling point is their durability. For beginner racers, durability is important because at this stage of their optimist career, it is rare that they will have a practice sail and a racing sail. They usually need one sail that can be used as both.
Our AP-1 sail is built to be durable and long lasting and use
the same shapes as our racing line. Protect your valuable
race sail by having an AP-1 available for non regatta practices.
H-08 RADIAL MAINSAIL
The P-4 sails come standard with: 
X-CUT MAINSAIL 
Practice with the same shape you race with!
