Best Sailing Watch

Rick

You are dressed head to toe in black neoprene that shows every inadequacy of your figure. Your buoyancy aid makes you look pigeon-chested. You cap is tied to your buoyancy aid by a bit of string. Your sunglasses are kept on by similar means. Your harness is called "nappy style" for good reason. How exactly is a good-looking watch going to rescue that image?

Argos cheapy at £10. I think mine is a Timex Ironman but, in truth, it was "the one on special offer". Watches, hats and sunglasses are consumable items. You lost your last one to the deep. What makes you think the next won't go the same way?

Rick,

I've been using a Timex Bodylink system which has a GPS unit and heart rate monitor that it interfaces with (GPS unit size of 2 matchboxes - goes in pocket of spray top easily).

I've found it really interesting sailing with this as it will give you a countdown for a race, then time the race.  If you then stop the timer at the end of the race, it will give you all the data for the race such as max heart rate, av heart rate, av speed, max speed, distance sailed, etc etc.  Also gives up to three lines of data (you can choose) in real time, which has been an eye opener.

OK, I know GPS is banned from most dinghy classes, but I'm only using it for interest purposes rather than advance navigation and then only in club racing.

On an hours club race at low water (creek crawling) it's the equivalent of a good hour work out at the gym, according to the watch.

Oh, and you can also add a data logger to it if you want.  Same size as the GPS unit again, and records well in excess of what most sailors require.

Not cheap, but a good fun toy.

best regards

Paul

  Perfect answer    That justifies that £12 watch from Asda I've been wearing every day for more than 2 years!

I would agree with m_liddell that a second hand is far easier to 'read' for starts than digital.

I use the cheapest Timex in the sale that was water resistant but looks reasonably tidy in everyday life, so I don't have to have two watches.