Look what I found in my museum shed!

Back in the early 2000's I acquired a job lot of assorted North sails and other hardware. Lots of new sails, but mostly samples or proto's. Some incomplete, some quite good. Almost all unused.

Most of the useful one have found other homes but while having a clean up I came across a few remaining interesting ones.

This one is a North Prisma 7m according to the printing on the battens but it has limited graphics on it. It was probably a concept proto or sample. Looks like it has never been used at all. Just out of interest I rigged it and I was amazed to be reminded how far sails have come since the early Noughties. I must say that this one may have been rejected and may not represent production sails of the time. I did have a few very nice North Sails in the '80s.

If you fancy having it: Make an offer and you pay the freight or pick it up. But I think it makes a better talking point on the beach for historical value than one to actually use!

Having used North Daytonas from that era, I'm guessing the mast is not the right stiffness or flex curve, the floppy look is not a reflection of the era and is just wrong...

Used to sail at the local beach of the guy who founded Wild Winds and then KA sails back in the day, he would quite often have clean skin proto sails out that were tacked together for testing, lucky if they would hold together for more than a few sessions. I believe he was responsible for the original 3d sail design software that was eventually adopted by all the major brands.

cool!

I have a pair of brand new never opened North slalom sails from 90 - 94 era I believe. I was given them a few years back. I'll have to look up what they were, memory is foggy!

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Smithy said..
Having used North Daytonas from that era, I'm guessing the mast is not the right stiffness or flex curve, the floppy look is not a reflection of the era and is just wrong...

Used to sail at the local beach of the guy who founded Wild Winds and then KA sails back in the day, he would quite often have clean skin proto sails out that were tacked together for testing, lucky if they would hold together for more than a few sessions. I believe he was responsible for the original 3d sail design software that was eventually adopted by all the major brands.

Andrew McDougall

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Jfunk said..

Smithy said..
Having used North Daytonas from that era, I'm guessing the mast is not the right stiffness or flex curve, the floppy look is not a reflection of the era and is just wrong...

Used to sail at the local beach of the guy who founded Wild Winds and then KA sails back in the day, he would quite often have clean skin proto sails out that were tacked together for testing, lucky if they would hold together for more than a few sessions. I believe he was responsible for the original 3d sail design software that was eventually adopted by all the major brands.

Andrew McDougall

Correct, he used to live at our local, would come out give rigging tips, we all sailed Wild Winds sails in the day. Occasionally I would get to try a proto sail.