Thursday, February 14, 2008

North Sails Team BLUE


Antoine Screve and Ian MacDiarmid may have totally different approaches to racing, but when it comes to Optimist sails they both head North. They are both members of Team BLUE, North Sails’ Optimist program that gives kids resources like their own website with tips and regatta reports.

Antoine Screve, 14, was one of only three Americans in the top ten at the Orange Bowl, and won the 201-boat fleet using his North Sails DR2+ (H-08). He says of the sail, "It’s a great all-around sail. It has never failed me. Some new designs [by other sailmakers] will do well in one type of wind condition but the North Sails DR2+ (H-08) is always good."

One of Team BLUE’s big philosophies is to sail fair and exhibit sportsmanship, and Screve did exactly that at the Orange Bowl. At the windward mark of the last race, Screve was in second behind Raul Rios, who was winning the regatta by about 20 points. Screve says of Rios, "I know him from previous regattas and I respect him. So at that last race I knew he was going to win and I congratulated him on a good regatta." Later in that race, Rios was called for his second kinetics violation and was thrown out of the race. Screve went on to win the regatta and although he felt sad for Rios, Screve knew he had sailed fair. Congratulations to Team BLUE and Screve for promoting good sportsmanship.

Ian MacDiarmid, 9 (above), was sailing in his first big regatta and won the 69-boat green fleet in Miami using his North Sails NP1 (L-08). MacDiarmid has been sailing for four years and “just went out to have fun” at the Orange Bowl. He was especially appreciative of the Team BLUE clinic in Palm Beach, FL, coached by North Sails’ Brian Bissell. “Brian helped me with heavy air, and waveriding, and adjusting my sprit on the water.” MacDiarmid already has two North Sails NP1 (L-08) sails and is ecstatic about Team BLUE.

You can learn more about Team BLUE and North Sails’ new 2008 Optimist line at http://www.onedesign.com/class/optimist/optimist.html.