The Dark Side...
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3284
Printed Date: 19 Aug 25 at 4:22am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: The Dark Side...
Posted By: Iain C
Subject: The Dark Side...
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 9:17pm
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Whilst there are a few personal safety threads about, here's a thought. Over the last year I have renewed or added to all of my dinghy kit. New Musto drysuit, Magic Marine Energy wetsuit, Gill Championship gloves, P&B nappy harness, MM Skiff bouyancy aid. Every single bit of it black. That was not by choice, the drysuit was at a factory outlet and was actually a swap for another manufacturer's red one which had started to leak, the MM suit was on offer, in fact the only deliberate choice was the harness so it does not get dirty like the white version.
Now many sailors seem to be turning to the dark side, in fact the only thing that could get nearer than most of us to a lifeboat without being spotted is an F117 Nighthawk. As a RIB driver myself this trend is a bit worrying.
Funnily enough, although dinghy sailors think we look "cool" in dark greys and blacks, if you sail a big boat you are obvously not hardcore unless your foul weather top has a dayglo yellow hood suitable for Southern Ocean use, which seems to be the norm regardless of the colour of your jacket.
What do people think? Should teh colours be getting a bit brighter and safer? ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Replies:
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 9:39pm
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Posted By: Webmuppet
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 9:43pm
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My little'un aged seven is just about to grow out of her current buoyancy aid, a very bright dayglo orange one made by Baltic, she can easily be spotted (AKA 'the dayglo dot') wherever she is on the lake. We're trying to find her a replacement however the best fit so far has been a Musto which is only available in charcoal/grey from our local dealer. We know that this item is also available in light grey and red but surely these darker colours should only be worn in conjunction with something bright. i.e bright red spray-top + grey buoyancy aid ? I'm sure that I would rather ensure that I could be easily spotted on the water than appease the 'fashion police' Nigel Vareo 212 "The Shed" ------------- I am the milkman of human kindness, I will leave an extra pint (Billy Bragg) Graduate 2530 'Galaxy' |
Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 12 Aug 07 at 9:47pm
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i tryed to buy some new gill offshore stuff and the only colour they could do was grey. it is a bit crap our bowman wears totally black even a black bouyancy aid. all u can see at night is the reflectors glinting and his headtorch ------------- TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala |
Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 9:47am
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probably one of the biggest reasons that puts me off buying rooster kit - it's all black (ok so I have a blue aqua fleece but that's the exception) - why I don't like black a) It absorbs heat more than other colours, thus making spraytops/wetties etc hotter on a sunny day - and as a big lad I don't need any more insulation b) the issue outlined above - it's bloody difficult to see dark kit if its' floating in the water, away from a boat or board.. mutso/gill/crewsaver/henri-lloyd/rooset - can we have some non-black colours please |
Posted By: GarethT
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 9:53am
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But when you are floating in the water, it is only really your head that is visible anyway, at the most the tops of your shoulders are. On a rough day my son always wears a day-glo yellow hat. Easy to spot in the water, and it also helps me to spot which of the near identical optimists he is sailing. |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 11:15am
a.k.a. Essex ------------- |
Posted By: Contender 541
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 11:58am
Nah, not Essex Liking a Laser rather than just sailing one ------------- When you find a big kettle of crazy it's probably best not to stir it - Pointy Haired Boss Crew on 505 8780 |
Posted By: Fin.
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 12:42pm
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Hi Iain actually, fashion for big-boats is also for really clever colours like .... black at the moment. least several manufacturers of expensive off-shore waterproofs have several lines available in black. I have red musto for yachting... I might get spotted if I fall over.... certainly would in black on a stormy night ! I guess it depends what you want to do with your sailing (yachting or dinghy) gear.... actually use it, or pose about on the slip way/beach/Cowes High Street/ regatta beer-tent. /fin - my dinghy gear is all black - but there wasn't much choice in colours when I bought my gear ... ie black. or black. ....very handy for saving your life ! |
Posted By: Fin.
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 12:43pm
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oops typo .. .... certainly would NOT in black on a stormy night ! aah better |
Posted By: Ross
Date Posted: 13 Aug 07 at 2:13pm
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The only way this will ever get resolved is if Mrs Gill and Mr Crewsaver etc happen to stumble upon our little topic. If you are really concerned about the colour and visibility issue, write/e-mail/phone the company! I'm sure if they got enough people asking for hi-vis gear then it would quickly come onto the market. ------------- Ross If you can't carry it, don't sail it! |
Posted By: Ian99
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 12:07am
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Black is actually one of the more easy colours to see against the glare of sunlight on the water (which is probably why many of those huge inflatable marks used at championships are black), so wearing black is not necessarily a bad thing. Also, as the safety rules now mean I have to spend a lot of my time at work resembling a very bright orange light bulb, I wouldn't particularly want this to be expanded to include what I had to wear to go sailing in. It's not that it isn't "cool", it's more the distraction of seeing yourself as a huge mass of orange whenever you go near anything vaguely reflective which becomes rather tiresome!! For sailing safety, It's probably more important that an upturned boat is visible, and some certainly aren't. That medium grey colour which a lot of RS200s are comes to mind ... very hard to spot from a rescue boat unless the (white) centreboard is sticking up. |
Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 12:16am
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Come to think of it we've gradually gone black - at least the hull is bright red.
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Posted By: Ross
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 1:38am
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Or we could all buy gear from the early 90's....
------------- Ross If you can't carry it, don't sail it! |
Posted By: aardvark_issues
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 8:56am
| Aah, those lovely fluorescent one piece suits... pink or green? |
Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 6:36pm
why the board up downhill when the crew is trapezing? |
Posted By: Black no sugar
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 6:42pm
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And check out the effortless elegance of the crew Is that the new and improved sailing technique, Redback? Not helming any longer? ------------- http://www.lancingsc.org.uk/index.html - Lancing SC 
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Posted By: Laser 173312
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 7:17pm
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I believe powerboat racers are forced to wear orange helmets so that they can be seen easily. My Trident dry suit is red and yellow at the top and navy lower down.
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Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 14 Aug 07 at 8:10pm
Sith city other there ... ------------- |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 15 Aug 07 at 10:51am
The battle of the Esturay has been running many years ... first fought in N18 & EODs ...modern day WYC v TBYC is continued in Musto Skiffs ... no doubt you will be running with the Dark Side at Lyme Regis ------------- |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 16 Aug 07 at 5:55pm
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i wear a white rashie over the top of everything although it is now so full of holes you can mostly see only my faded red bouyancy aid. ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 22 Aug 07 at 5:15pm
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not visible enough in black on black? - wear a flourescent hat? - carry a flare? - wear something else...a clown outfit for example would be particularly fitting for each time I miss the toe straps and go out the back  ------------- Feeling sorry for vegans since it became the latest fad to claim you are one |