1. Hi Sanna and Julius. Thank you for taking some time to talk to us. You have been making ‘waves’ on the coastal and offshore sailing circuit with your J109 ‘Irie’. What made you interested in this model of boat for the sailing you were wanting to do?
J&S: Before Irie, we were racing double-handed with a Scandinavian classic yacht (H35) equipped with a spinnaker (and a long spinnaker pole), runners, and a large genoa. It wasn’t an ideal double-handed boat, so we began looking for a more appropriate yacht for double-handed offshore racing. Our specifications were: asymmetric spinnaker, competitiveness in shorthanded offshore racing and comfort for living on board during longer trips. There was one J109 in Finland that we had raced against, so we knew that the boat is a perfect match. It didn’t take long before Irie (formerly JoJo Gunne) came up for sale and we very keen to take ownership.
2. Usually; we would have spent many hours in the loft or on zoom calls discussing sail wardrobes and sail set ups – but you were introduced to our sails after taking ownership of ‘Irie’. What were your first impressions of our sails?
J&S: We were really impressed when we first saw the sails during the test sail in the Solent 2020. In fact, we had never seen or sailed Lite skin sails before. The sails looked amazing down to the smallest detail (actually, they are the best-looking and most well-finished sails we have ever seen!)
We quickly noticed the sails are very easy to trim and handle. Our sail wardrobe consists of a mainsail, J1, J3, A2, A3, and Code 0. We didn’t have a specific sail plan with crossovers when we bought the boat, so we’ve been learning by sailing and experimenting. The more racing we have done, the more we understand how well-planned our set-up is. The wardrobe is simple and efficient. We’ve had incredible results in both IRC and ORC racing events.
3. Your mainsail and headsails have been designed to cope in the vast range of conditions associated with offshore racing with the use of GPL Lite Skin. Have you been happy with this sail cloth and has it held up to the standards you require when racing?
J&S: We are very impressed with the durability of the GPL Lite Skin sails. The mainsail is from 2018, and the two headsails are from 2016. In addition to the racing done by the previous owner, we have pushed the limits in offshore racing with these sails for almost 5,500 nautical miles (plus cruising/delivery miles) over the past four seasons, all without any damage. They are still fast and look almost like new.
4. You have had some fantastic sailing results these past two years. What would you say is your greatest result, or the one you are most proud of so far? How did the sails help you achieve this?
J&S: It’s hard to name just one but finishing 2nd in the double-handed class and 9th overall in the RORC Baltic Sea Race 2024, along with winning the Finnish Double-Handed National Championship, are accomplishments we are very proud of. Also being the first Finns to finish the Fastnet Race double-handed in 2023 (a quite rough race!) is an accomplishment we are proud of. Our sails are easy to trim and handle, we have found good boat speed and trims. In double-handed sailing, it’s crucial to have a good, well-functioning setup with crossovers to minimize the energy spent on sail changes. Our Sanders wardrobe is simple and well-planned and has worked great in all conditions.
5. Finally; in couple of sentences, how would you describe your experience with Sanders and our sail and cover products?
J&S: In our experience, the sails are of very high quality, well-finished, and fast! We also have Sanders Sails wheel and sail covers that are easy to apply, look good, and are made of durable fabric. We have received excellent service and quick responses from the Sanders team for all our questions. We look forward to working together going forward.