OUR TOP 12 RACE ESSENTIALS FOR COWES WEEK
Cowes Week is a key part of the British sporting summer with a great mix of competitive sailing and social activities. Staging up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world. If you are interested in watching the racing or enjoying the festival atmosphere, there are loads of things to see and do. If you're competing, here's our top 12 Racing Essentials for Cowes - no boat should be without them...
1. Smooth Sailing....
No self respecting race boat should be without a can of McLube spray. Perfect for mast tracks, genoa tracks and mainsheet tracks, this spray is designed to allow things to move freely (and quickly!) and prevent things snagging and sticking. See the great video online
2. Deliver your best performance...
Gill KB1 Racer Smock Suit Bundle
The KB Racer suit is at the forefront of round the cans racing. It is lightweight, easy to put on, quick to vent when you need to cool down and absolutely durable. The trousers have large shoulder straps that don't fall off when you wear them without the jacket, and the laminate fabric keeps the wind and water out. See the great video online
3. Slim & compact VHF...
Icom IC-M25 Euro VHF Radio
A slim, light, highly water resistant radio that floats if you happen to drop it in the water. Compact and easy to fit into your pocket with easy to use controls and USB charging - this is it a great handheld vhf to use on any kind craft of the water.A slim, light, highly water resistant radio that floats if you happen to drop it in the water. Compact and easy to fit into your pocket with easy to use controls and USB charging - this is it a great handheld vhf to use on any kind craft of the water.
4. Travel light...
Liros Soft Shackles
The soft shackle revolution is here, and if you haven't tried them yet you don't know what you're missing! These are much lighter than traditional shackles, while being incredibly strong for their size. They can replace metal shackles in many applications, particularly where weight is undesirable such as when connecting sheets to sails. 5 Sizes available.
5. Hard wearing for hands
Gill Pro Gloves - Long Finger or Short Finger
If you are fed up of wearing through sailing gloves then the Gill Pro Glove is the glove you have been waiting for. Using a fabric called Proton XD, these gloves are incredibly flexible and easy on the hand, while being incredibly hard wearing. The Dura-Grip fabric on the palm/finger transition provides extra grip right where you need it. Available in two flavours - long finger (with index/thumb open) and short finger for those who like a bit of extra freedom.
6. Ready to go...
Gerber EZ-Out Rescue Safety Knife
If you are after a sturdy knife that you can put in a pocket and know will be ready to go when you need it, this is it. Gerber make superb quality knives using only the best materials, and the EZ Out Rescue Knife is no exception. It has been extensively tested and has even been shown to cut 12mm kevlar rope in one action. This knife is awesomely sharp!
7. Designed for Solent Racing...
Checkcharts - Complete Solent
Designed for racing in the Solent, this A3 size, laminated chart shows all the racing marks in a clear full colour format. Buoys are shown with life-like icons so racers can compare them to the buoy they’re heading for.
There's also an area to note down course and tidal information for the race. The back of the chart has a comprehensive list of the locations (lat/lon) of all the Solent buoys and local marks with their SCRA and local designates. Also available specifically for the Eastern & Western Solent.
8. Keep sails tiptop...
Kevlar Self-Adhesive Sail Repair Patches
We prepare, we train, we provision, then on the day a tiny tear brings it all crashing down. These repair patches are a proper life-saver. Designed specifically for laminate sails, they can get you out of trouble and keep you racing for the day - no race boat should be without them! Our spinnaker repair tape can come in handy too!
9. For winners...
Fenhurst 'Helming to Win' Book
A breakthrough book from the ‘Champion of Champions’, Nick Craig, which will catapult you from club racer to championship winner. Covering everything from where to look and getting ‘in the groove’ to mental approaches and championship sailing, you will be working your way up the leaderboard in no time.
10. Happy crew - fast crew...
Guard Rail Cushions
A happy crew is a fast crew, or so the theory goes! These cushions make those on the rail that bit more comfortable. Another way of looking at it is that they can sit that bit further out, shaving a few precious seconds off your time. Whichever way you look at it, everyone's a winner!
11. Save precious seconds...
Cleatboots - Pair
These simple boots fit most cleats and prevent lines from becoming trapped around them. Ideal for bow cleats, nobody wants to lose precious seconds due to sheets becoming caught, they also prevent toe-stubbing so your crew at the pointy end will thank you too!
12. Marine Smartwatch...
Garmin Quatix 5 Marine GPS Watch
You can take control anywhere onboard with this multisport marine smartwatch. It will connect with your compatible Garmin chartplotters and other devices to control and stream data to your Quatix 5 watch, including speed, depth, temperature and wind.
Happy Sailing!
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