esse 890 - The Sail Plan
16. April 2026
In collaboration with professional sailor Arnaud Psarofaghis, the esse 890’s sail plan is designed for performance, control, and versatility. In this interview, we share his personal insights.
Depending on your priorities, the sails can be configured for maximum performance or for the easiest possible handling. This allows the boat to be sailed in both a sporty and a comfort-oriented manner.
The sail plan for the esse 890 was developed in collaboration with Arnaud Psarofaghis and North Sails. Psarofaghis is an experienced regatta sailor who has competed in the America’s Cup and the GC32 Racing Tour, among other events. Psarofaghis is currently active as a wing trimmer in the
His experience in high-performance sailing has been incorporated into the design of the rig and sails, with the aim of achieving a balance between performance, control, and versatility.
Interview with Arnaud Psarofaghis
What is your relationship with Esseboats?
My relationship with Esseboats is just beginning, as this new project marks the start of our collaboration. My role is to support the team in quickly understanding and unlocking the boat’s full potential, so we can effectively showcase its performance.
I will also be involved in promoting the boat and assisting new customers whether on the Esse 890 or other Esse models who are looking to push their sailing further.
How can the new Esse 890 benefit from your expertise?
My contribution to the project has focused on helping design and develop an efficient and high-performance sail package. The goal has been to create a setup that is both easy to use and optimized for our lake conditions, while still delivering strong performance for customers.
In addition, thanks to my many years of experience in sail design and high-level racing, I can help bring the boat up to speed very quickly. This includes accelerating the learning process, refining the setup, and identifying the key performance modes early on so that both the team and future owners can get the most out of the Esse 890 from the very beginning.
What can you tell us about the sail design of the Esse 890?
The sail plan of the Esse 890 is the result of over 15 years of refinement between North Sails Switzerland and the Schuchter family. For this new boat, we have developed an all-purpose sail package as a starting point.
The boat is powered by a square-top mainsail, providing excellent power in light air and strong performance downwind. It is complemented by two jib options: an overlapping jib for maximum performance in racing conditions, and a smaller self-tacking jib for heavier winds and for ease of handling, particularly when sailing short-handed.
The asymmetric spinnaker will deliver plenty of power and allow the boat to perform strongly downwind.
How would you rate the performance of the Esse 890?
It is still early to give a precise assessment, but we expect the Esse 890 to deliver a clear step forward in performance compared to its well-known predecessor, the Esse 850.
