Deafan space of more than 1,000 m2 on the top floor of the Cuntis (Photo Maria Muiña)

The classic sailboats are a window to the past. Its shipowners and crew are guardians of the unique history of each ship and of a tradition that lasts in time beyond technological advances. As the world's leading sailing industry, North Sails has a specific division dedicated to the design, manufacture and maintenance of candles for these sailing jewels. The strict regulation governing the competition of classics limits the use of materials, but evolution is part of the DNA of North Sails, so the brand experts seek improvement in optimization of forms and manufacture.

The best sailing experts for classics work in two North Sails facilities from which the needs of the world fleet are met: Milford (United States) and Cuntis (Pontevedra). In the Spanish plant, a total of 20 people are operating to match the production and maintenance of state-of-the-art candles with that of classics. "We manufacture between 100 and 150 candles for classics every year," explains Manuel Lastra, general director of North Sails Spain. Throughout its more than four decades of experience, Lastra has experienced much of the evolution and revolution of the sector. "We started in the 1980s, when we were begging for candles for school ships. These candles required a lot of manual work in traditional materials, such as out seams, leather protections, etc... From then on our specialization and interest in ships from other times, and since then they are part of our sample."

Candles with history
The North Sails facilities in Cuntis pass through pieces that go through century and half of the history of navigation. "Everyone has their share of interest and curiosity, as they come with a long 'stick' story. Boats belonging to celebrities, such as the Manitou (John Fitzgerald Kennedy); others used for documentary travel such as the Xarifa (Hans Hass),... That's the emotional part of the project. In the technical part, they all have something: You have to consider that you are walking with them about 150 years of evolution of sailing, their materials, maneuver,..."

The Cuntis Department of Classics is carrying out new sails projects for restored ships or for replicas under construction, as well as inventory renovations for ships that are competing today in races such as the Puig Vela Classica or the Copa del Rey Panerai Vela Classica Menorca. Parts that require a true tailor-made tailor-made treatment. "We are currently working for ships like the NY 30 Linnet, the MYLNE 57 Kelpie, the NY 40 Mailee and Chinook, the S & S 53 Skylark and Serenade, or the J15 Mariska." Authentic jewels of navigation.

Polyester, nylon and leather, common materials in classic candles (Photo North Sails file)

Materials
In the pontevedresa sailing are intermingled both ends of the candle spectrum. Under its roof are the candles of classics with those of ships of last generation. What makes them different? "Basically, the differences lie in the materials used in their manufacture and in the forms," Lastra explains. "Polyester and nylon are the fibres used in classical candles. These materials, combined with helmets and masts, provide an elasticity to the whole, which is quite the opposite of the" rigidity "of modern ships and candles. The classic candles need more power for the greater movements of these ships than the lighter ships of today." Bottled in 1908 and restored in 2009, the Mariska belongs to the 15M class, and with its almost 16 meters of length it moves 34 tons; a current TP52, with similar length, it only moves seven.

"The most common materials are polyester (Dacron) and nylon for spies. In competition, they have to be tissue composed of unmylar plot and warp; for this reason even the Pentex tissue is allowed, although it no longer exists in the market. For large displacements, double-layer Dacron fabrics are used, as they have greater stability to the bone than their one-layer weight equivalents. In competition, and depending on which regulations, other fibres or sails can be used, although they are penalized. Other more advanced materials, such as carbon, are directly prohibited."

Relative modernity
Within the strict parameters that govern the competition of classics, there is space for the application of more current materials and methodologies. Its improvement focuses on form and manufacture. By using the North Design Suite, designers can create 3D models of a ship to better understand how a candle will fit into the gear geometry that are usually complicated. The combination of designers specialized in classical candles with the use of powerful design software improves performance while respecting classical aesthetics.

This margin of manoeuvre "depends on the rule under which it is compiled, and sometimes the geographical area; in this regard, in the United States they are less strict. The most modern thing that the CIM (International Committee of the Mediterranean, which is in force in the Mediterranean area) admits without penalization is Pentex. In the class Spirit of Tradition (SOT or Spirit of Tradition, ships built from 1970 using modern techniques and materials but with an aspect and style faithful to a traditional era or classic project), modern fibres and constructions are allowed." Even the revolutionary 3Di technology of North Sails has a place among the classics: "It is accepted in the category Spirit of Tradition, like the J Class, of which North Sails is official sailing."

Manuel Lastra, Director General of North Sails Spain (Photo María Muíña)

From Candles Campos to North Sails
What is today North Sails Spain was born as Velas Campos in the late 1970s. Pedro Campos and the brothers Manuel and José María Lastra, still students, began making candles for their own use in a home of the Campos family in Madrid. "In 1978 we got an order from the Taylor shipyard for Dufour, which meant making more candles, bigger, and required more space," Lastra explains. "So the family of Peter offered us space in the dining room of the Cuntis spa, closed in winter; in summer we moved to the gym, a room of 7 × 18 meters that served as office and sailing. That's where we started making the first sails for school ships over 1980."

In 1981 they would build what is today the Cuntis plant. "As they finished it, we moved the sailway to a car workshop." At the beginning, the sailhouse occupied the upper floor of the current ship, a deafan space of 21 × 51 meters (more than 1,000 m2), "at that time the largest in Europe without columns," where they made candles of all kinds, "even windsurfing," always in search of the best performance. "My brother José María was always very much a material breaker, and we possibly made the first kevlar candles in Spain."

In 1984 they joined the Danish firm Diamond Sailmakers. In 1995, Jose María Lastra left the company, which was renamed North Sails. Today, the Cuntis factory is one of the most productive of the firm thanks to the mastery of its up to 40 workers "people of the area, which in some cases has been with us for almost 40 years." Its three floors and about 4,000 square meters of surface are dedicated to the division of classic North Sails candles, to the manufacture of bearer candles and, from this same year, to the application of graphics in candles. "Through our North Graphics division we have decorated half the candles of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet; the other half, in San Diego."

North Sails is the official sailing industry of the J Class Association (Photo Stuart Pearce)

North Sails, the largest division of North Technology Group, is a world leader in sailmaking technology. North Sails has the 3Di ® patent, a unique composite manufacturing process that produces high performance candles characterized by a shape similar to that of a rigid wing. North Sails is the sailing industry chosen by most American's Cup teams, grand prix competition, ocean ships and superyachts. North Sails offers a wide range of 3D candles and cruise panels, and is the world's leading sailing industry for single-type classes, accumulating more victories in national, global and Olympic classes than all other manufacturers together.