Championship Spares at P&B
by David Barnett, P&B 8 Jul 2015 18:09 BST
8 July 2015
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Championship Spares!
The 2015 Championship season is upon us and P&B representatives will be at many of the major events carrying spares.
What to take?
When heading off for an event we make a list based on our years of experience as to what might break and this also forms a good pre regatta check list.
Rudder fittings:
These are under a lot of load and wear throughout the season and bottom transom pintles are always vulnerable. It is well worth checking the fixings too.
Blocks and cleats:
These days the fitting manufacturers such as Harken, Allen and Ronstan seem to do a sterling job and not much fails but check any cleats to make sure they are springing back with a snap. Check any sheet blocks for signs of bearings giving up. Auto ratchet blocks seem to be more prone to failure than most so I double check these and always carry a spare. Through deck rig blocks take a hammering; they are a pain to change so often get neglected but once they start to seize it causes all sorts of problems such as unraveling the wire, so these should get extra attention.
Spinnaker pole ends:
If you sail a spinnaker boat double check and lubricate the pole ends. Having these fail causes a huge number of retirements and much frustration. We like the Selden ends where the piston houses into a socket giving greater strength than rival ends.
Rigging and Spars:
Day one of a championship is the wrong moment to discover a frayed halyard or loose wire in your shrouds. We try to carry spare rigging and spars at events but so much is bespoke it is not worth the risk so check this prior to the event.
Rope:
Ropes fray and get worn. They take terrific loads and that needs to be respected. We tend to carry a reel of 4mm excel racing as back up for most classes. Now that this rope has an SK78 core its strength and stretch is so low it can be used as a halyard or control line. We also back this up with a some liros D-Pro. This pure dyneema is ideal for lashings and for ti blocks. We carry a length of it whilst sailing as an emergency replacement for any shackles that might give way.
KIT of the WEEK!
Each week one of the P&B team will be looking into their kit bag and giving us an item that they simply wouldn't sail without!
After the champagne sailing at the weekend with brilliant sunshine and winds of 24 gusting 31 the perfect conditions for the Streaker National Championships down in Weymouth. James has made kit of the week the Gill Speed Sunglasses as they proved excellent for the weekends sailing conditions, feature hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings to repel and shed water from the relentless spray and chop out in Weymouth Bay. they are also float-able, which proved a lifesaver when James managed to lose them after capsizing a couple of times.The polarized lenses are specifically designed for use on the water giving you truer natural colours. This helped with his streaker's bright deck surface and was excellent when he was looking for marker buoys or checking the sail trim! James will definitely be packing his Gill Speed Sunglasses in his kit bag for his next event!
Check out the P&B summer sale for all our latest deals including rash vests and sailing shorts!
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Next Weekend we're going to...
(11 - 12th July)
Dave Wade : Banbury SC (Optimist) supporting his daughter from the shore line!
Matt Rhodes: Grafham Water SC (29er)
Lawrence Creaser: Llandudno SC (GP14)
James Dawes: Redditch SC (Streaker)
Tom Stewart: Northampton SC (N12)
Andy Farmer: Notts County SC (Flying 15)
Ian Pinnell : La Rochelle French National Championships (505)
Members of the P&B team will be attending the above events and can deliver products direct to the venue. Just email us or call us on 01604 592808 if you need anything bringing along.
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Next Weekend we're going to...
(18 - 19th July)
Dave Wade : Blackwater SC (Fireball)
Matt Rhodes: European Championship in Medemblik (29er)
Lawrence Creaser: Plymouth YC Nationals (J24)
Tom Stewart: Northampton SC (N12)
Andy Farmer: Notts County SC (Flying 15)
Alan Bax: Hayling Island (Flying15)
Members of the P&B team will be attending the above events and can deliver products direct to the venue. Just email us or call us on 01604 592808 if you need anything bringing along.
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