Harken & the AC72 - Interview with Mark Wiss

We got Mark Wiss, Harken's Global Director of Sales & Marketing, to sit down with us to talk about the 34th. Americas Cup and his impressions about the new technology developed for this year's boats. Mark is one of the key people at Harken when it comes to Grand Prix racing and the Americas Cup.

Image: Mark Wiss, Jimmy Spithill and Peter Harken

We were all exceptical about this Americas Cup and the use of Catamarans for Match Racing. What are your comments after watching the races?

Mark:   I couldn’t get enough!  And I didn’t want it to stop.  This is my 5th AC that I have been involved through Harken, and it ranks as the most exciting next to the 2000AC in NZ.  I believe the Finals certainly muted all those critics who doubted the vision by Larry and Russell.   Assuming they retain the AC72, we will now be in the second generation;  where the teams will become more equal in speed and handling.  First generation of any class there is always a big speed gap as some design/sail teams get it right and others just don’t.  The following generations inside a rule always improve after watching, copying and improving .  There is no doubt in my mind that the end result; ETNZ vs Oracle was an incredible match racing event.

How do you see AC technology migrating into your everyday sailor? Do you expect to see classes sailing with Wind-Sails and Foils?

Mark:  the Americas Cup is an incredible R&D arena for our industry.  We always experience ‘trickle-down’ from the Cup, and this is already happening after the AC34.   For example, many of the newly constructed racing boats are already ordering hydraulic solutions that we supplied Oracle.  Multihulls are more popular than ever, and this is evident in what we are seeing from the boat builders.  More charter catamarans are ordered every year than monohulls now, and beach catamarans are becoming more popular than ever.  Foiling is already happening with the Moth and now the Kiteboarders are foiling too.  I’m confident that foil designs and shapes are going to improve and provide giant leaps in performance for both mono and multihulls that we are all sailing.  I believe that we will even find Wings more commonplace;  that will take more development, but I’m confident that Wing sails will become something that could be installed onto a day sailor.

Harken is a big part of the AC development. What Harken product is in use today by the everyday sailor that came directly from AC technology (year?)
Mark:  Wow…a big question, and the list is very long!  Lets see if I can start the list from memory…. I am sure I have missed a lot!

• Black Magic Airblocks (1995)
• CRX Traveler Cars (2000)
• 1111 Winch (2003)
• 65 Winch (2000)
• Carbon Pedestals (1995)
• Carbon Pedestal handles (1995)
• All our Gearbox technology (1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010)
• Pivoting Track solutions (2007)
• 50 Winch (2003)
• 990 Winch (just after 1995)
• TTR Blocks (2007)
• T2 Carbo Blocks (2007)

To find more about Harken or to order Harken products click here

Introducing the Ronstan Vaavud

Right in time for the Holiday season, we would like to introduce an exciting gift idea for the sailor or amateur meteorologist in your family: the Vaavud. 

This device turns your smartphone into an anemometer, giving accurate wind readings using the electronics in your phone.

Compatibility

The Vaavud wind meter works with all iPhones from 4 and onwards, and all iPads from 2 and onwards, running on iOS 6 or 7.

With regards to Android phones we have currently confirmed it to work with Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4 and HTC one, as well as a number of other devices.

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Design

The Vaavud design is inspired by professional cup anemometers, but with two cups instead of three, in order to make it truly pocket friendly. The  one piece, molded rotor and the low friction Teflon bearing makes the Vaavud wind meter extremely durable. If sand or dirt gets inside the Vaavud wind meter it can easily be cleaned out with water. And The Vaavud wind meter can take quite a beating – it is built for action!

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The Vaavud app

The Vaavud app gives you a clear overview of average, actual and maximum wind speed, as well as a real time graph – in fact the first real time graph in the world on a hand held anemometer! And you can scroll and pinch-zoom on the graph, if you want to taker a closer look at something.

The unit of measure can be changed on the fly by simply tapping the screen. (Available units: m/s, Kmh, mph, Kts and Bft.)

A live map gives you access to measurements made by other Vaavud users globally. Tap on a measurement to see details and a map thumbnail of the location. Tap on the map thumbnail to zoom in and see exactly where the measurement was made or tap on a nearby measurement on the list to see it’s details.

New features will constantly be added to the app. Measurement history will be available soon, and much more will follow.

Finally, you can use the Vaavud wind meter together with the Weendy app to tap into the world’s fastest-growing  community-based weather network.

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Accuracy

The Vaavud wind meter has a wind range of 2 to 20* m/s. Precision is the least of +/- 4% or 0.2 m/s. The wind meter has been tested and calibrated in a professional wind tunnel at the Technical University of Denmark.

Because of the cup-anemometer design, the precision of the Vaavud wind meter is not affected by changes in wind direction (unlike a propeller based anemometer, which must point precisely up against the wind to measure correctly). And the Vaavud app taps into other sensors in your phone, to ensure that the device is held correctly, so the risk of incorrect measurements can be minimized.

*Up to 24 m/s for iPhone 5S and up to 48 m/s on some Android phones

Zhik Wetsuits

As we approach The winter sailing season many dinghy sailors are looking at getting wet suits to protect them from the cold water and wind that winter brings. Our friends at Zhik have developed a full line of wet suits to protect sailors in every weather condition, from the hottest days of summer to the most frigid winters.

For the warmest weather Zhik has devloped the HybridGear line which keeps you cool with tough lightweight spandex while also protecting you from the suns rays and nicks from the boat. The HybridGear suits can be worn with a Zhik Spandex top for the perfect combination of sun protection and and cooling.

When the weather drops down the next step in the Zhik gear line up is the Microfleece wetsuits. These wetsuits are great for a wide range of weather conditions and are perfect for any sailor looking for a "sailing wetsuit". They have a very thin fleece layer which allows them to be thinner and more comfortable than traditional wet suits while still allowing the same level of warmth. They can be worn with the hydrophobic fleece top or Orspan top in moderate weather. When the temperature drops further they can be combined with a titanium top or a superwarm top when it truly gets cold.

The warmest Zhik wetsuits are the SuperWarm suits. They are designed for flexible racing in cold water conditions. They feature a quad layer neoprene system with hydrophobic outer nylon, superstretch insulation, internal reflective and thermal fleece layers. They are available in a full body suit version and an armless version that can be combined with a SuperWarm top.

All of the Zhik wetsuits are also available in a Hiker version, which includes the Zhik Powerpads. This turns any Zhik wet suit into a hiking suit allowing longer hiking time with less fatigue on your legs. The Zhik power pads are designed to stay in place and don't slide around as you hike as they are attached to your legs, not the suit.

Introducing Stephanie

We would like to introduce Stephanie Linton, who runs our order processing and logistics department. Stephanie has been with Mauri Pro Sailing for over 2 years and has been influential in developing the reliable and self sustaining logistics required for fully processing your orders.

Stephanie was born in New York and raised in South Florida before moving to Texas to work at Mauri Pro Sailing. While in Florida, she earned a degree in Small Business & Entrepreneurship and began working at one of the top Golf Clubs in the area. While at the golf club, Stephanie worked her way up to Club Manager, a position that required her to plan the club's annual budget, allocate appropriate funds for events, and coordinate major tournaments and club activities. Stephanie's extensive background as the Club Manager led to her current position at Mauri Pro Sailing as the head of our Order and Logistics Department.

Stephanie's background in sailing revolves around large yachts and cruising up and down the beaches of Southern Florida. When she arrived to Texas, the first boat she crewed on was a Farr 39ML and then a Lee 69. Needless to say, Stephanie was expecting to be able to hold her drink (Malibu and OJ with no pink umbrella) and sail. After getting a taste of the racing life, Stephanie was hooked! She's always down to sail and enjoys doing racing committee.


At Mauri Pro Sailing, Stephanie has excelled exceptionally well, ensuring that your orders are processed quickly, and delivered to you on time! Stephanie has been key to bringing Mauri Pro Sailing to its current success and we are extremely glad to have her aboard. If you ever have a special requirement, questions regarding shipping or the processing of your order, be sure to talk with Stephanie!