TRYING SOMETHING NEW!
I have found a negative to my recent entry into the world of keelboat racing, it has taken a while but the lifting and scrubbing side of things is absolutely the most important factor in being on the pace, our boat is coated with copper bottom antifouling which performs like any of the good hard racing anti fouling products but after 7-10 days in the water you can expect to find slime and weed taking hold.
I always want the bottom of the boat and foils to be immaculate probably to the point of it being slightly obsessive but when a tiny bit of weed can literally destroy your boat speed why settle for anything else? A chip in a foil or a trailing edge shaped like the ramp at your local club can have equally bad effects. I’ve never been convinced that a matt finish hull produces a faster surface than a polished finish, there are arguments either way but the biggest factor for me is that clean is fast and therefore a polished finish will always be my choice as it keeps all dirt off the hull where a matt hull will attract it. Last summer at the I14 POW our hull was polished each morning and so were the foils, if you have the time then why wouldn’t you when it is the most important event of the year? Last summer on the Merlin I tried McLube’s High Performance Speed Polish and I’ve not stopped using it since, while I will never change what I do at a Championship this polish kept the Merlin clean and shiny for the remainder of last season which I have never found with any other products.
So with all this in mind, after scrubbing last Wednesday I decided it was time to try something new in the McLube range. The Anti-foul Alternative Speed Polish can be used on all hull finishes to help prevent build-up of scum and weed on boats being left in the water for long periods of time. Having applied this to the hull, a week later in prime weed growth conditions the hull is still clean! I’m under no illusion that I won’t be lifting and scrubbing next week as the product says it will work for up to 2 weeks but under normal circumstances which we have seen over the last few months we would have had the start of a good slime covering after a week. With that in mind, if nothing else it is keeping the hull as clean as possible during each 2 week period and for Cowes Week I can apply it and be confident we will still have a clean hull at the end of the event without diving.
Anyone wanting to keep their hull clean whether a dinghy, keelboat or yacht, I cannot recommend this product range enough.
Available in store at P&B South, 15% discount off RRP until Cowes Week.
SUMMER CLOTHING
We have had some excellent weather recently, hot and sunny although not much wind. Challenging conditions for working out what to wear to keep cool and then what to carry with you should the breeze build or the sun disappear behind in cloud (it is the UK after all!).
We have a fantastic number of layering systems in store from leading suppliers Zhik, Gill, Crewsaver and Gul and there are some simple items you can add to your kit bag to make the difference. Rash vests, thermal rash vests and wetsuit tops can offer many different benefits including UV protection and additional warmth. The 0.5mm Gul wetsuit top or Zhik Orspan top offer a light weight compact item that can go in the spinnaker bag or a tank and can be combined with a long john or hikers should the conditions change. The Orspan is a firm favourite with my I14 crew.
Personally I always carry a spray top or dry top depending on which boat, breathable, windproof and light weight, I think they offer great warmth when it is needed without retaining water when they are in the boat. The Zhik Aroshell Smock is my favourite, it has worked really well for me both keelboat sailing or in the I14 and B14. I also carry a woolly hat in every boat I sail, this is a great way to adapt on days when the sun comes and goes, it quite often ends up on my head for the first beat and then under my buoyancy aid or in the bottom of the boat down the first run once up to temperature and with less wind chill, then after the race it is straight back on my head again.
Available in store at P&B South, 15% discount on rash vests, wetsuit tops and spray tops, offer ends 5th July.
ADRIAN'S PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Does your kit smell? Mirazyme is a great product to stop your sailing kit honking, it works by killing the bacteria that creates the smell. Simply mix a solution in the bath or a bucket, dip your sailing kit and hang out to dry. |