Please select your home edition
Edition
Noble Marine 2022 YY - LEADERBOARD

Developing products with Gul: We speak to Mark Barnes

by Mark Jardine 31 Mar 2017 14:00 BST 31 March 2017
B14 sailor Mark Barnes © Mark Jardine / YachtsandYachting.com

We spoke to B14 and Merlin Rocket sailor Mark Barnes about the sponsorship arrangement he has with Gul, how this helps him in his sailing, the feedback he gives to Gul on product, and what he and the B14 class have lined up for the 2017 season, including their new 'classic series'.

Mark Jardine: What is your relationship with Gul and how long have you been working with them?

Mark Barnes: The B14 Class Association have been working with them over the last two years. We've been working with Mike Pickering to develop products for skiff and hiking boat sailing.

Mark Jardine: How does the product development cycle work, with regards to test product coming to you and then you giving feedback to Gul on that product?

Mark Barnes: We have a two-pronged approach here. We have development product that comes to us for us to try out, such as hiking pads to see if they'll work on a hiking skiff and also sailing on other hiking classes such as the Merlin Rocket, various sizes that we'll try over a couple of events and then hand the products back to Mike for his appraisal from our information. Gul will then go away and maybe bring the product to market with a couple of tweaks or maybe bring it straight to market.

On the other side of things we get product that is currently on the market, which people use on the circuit, but after a set number of events we send all the product back to Gul - be it boots, wetsuits, gloves, hiking shorts - where the team analyse the product. From this they get real data on how a product wears over time, leading to constantly improved product.

Mark Jardine: Does this specifically relate to wear and tear? Real-world scenarios as opposed to testing a material's abrasion in a lab?

Mark Barnes: That's exactly it. They're getting the true feedback of what really happens on a boat when you're doing hoists, drops, the places that you may catch the kit against fittings, and they can see if the wear is around the shins, the top of the boots: improving the product for the next generation.

Mark Jardine: What's your favourite piece of Gul kit?

Mark Barnes: The Code Zero system and also the Hydroshield tops; they're just brilliant.

Mark Jardine: Early you talked about hiking pads and hikers. What difference do they make, especially on a hiking skiff?

Mark Barnes: We've actually decided not to use the hiking pads on the B14 as they restrict mobility, but when I take them into the Merlin Rocket it's an essential as it takes the pressure points off as your legs going round the deck. The problem on the B14 is, because you have to be so much more mobile and we're hiking straight legged, we find that if you have the pads on the back on your legs it puts a hard point on the outside of the wing which may restrict you getting back in.

Mark Jardine: So you adapt the kit according to the kind of sailing you're doing?

Mark Barnes: Very much so. With the B14 we've put padding in on the trampolines to give a softer hiking position.

Mark Jardine: What events do you have lined up for the 2017 season?

Mark Barnes: Gul are sponsoring the B14 domestic circuit. We have the standard TT series and within that we have a classic series, which is for any boat that is pre-Ovington build. They have their own series within our series and it has generated a lot of interest. People can buy a B14 at the bottom end of the ladder and they can come and compete. It's cheap sailing in a skiff on a full-blown circuit; you can get out on the water for around £2,500.

Also we have the Nationals at Whitstable, a four-day event, which is open to the European sailors as well, running straight into Whitstable Week so you can have 10 days of sailing if you want. Then we're off to Australia after Christmas for our World Championship - it's being held at Port Dalrymple Yacht Club in Beauty Point, Tasmania - and hopefully we'll bring the Ashes back to the UK!

Mark Jardine: With the Classic Series, I presume this is fully aimed at increasing participation in events and making the sailing more affordable?

Mark Barnes: That's exactly it. We have a lot of people come to our stand at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show and see the price of a new boat, and a lot of people - especially those who are coming out of University with massive debts - are looking for 'bang for buck'. They want to attend the events but they can't put the money into a top-end boat, so we're very much gearing it towards them.

Mark Jardine: Are their opportunities on any of the established B14s to crew or helm with an existing owner?

Mark Barnes: Yes, there are. Like many classes, the top sailors are often multi-class sailors, so we're always looking for high quality crews to step in for a couple of events with the likes of myself, Nick Craig, Mark Watts or Jasper Barnham: all well-known names in sailing. At some point this year all of us will be needing someone to step in to cover for our normal sailing partners.

Mark Jardine: Brilliant to talk to you Mark and best of luck for the 2017 season.

Mark Barnes: Thank you very much.

Find out more about the B14 class at www.b14.org and Gul at www.gul.com

Related Articles

Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
Understanding sMRT Alert with Jack Sharland
Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years with more features packed into smaller devices, but with all these features it can sometimes be difficult to understand what they all do. Posted on 9 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
An evening with the Scaramouche Sailing Trust
Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy (GCA). But they've shown it can be accessible to everyone, with amazing results. Posted on 2 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
Project FEAR is in the final few days
Charity circumnavigation almost over, in record time, with a record total raised Jazz Turner is expected to reach home (Brighton Marina) on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July. She has sailed round the British Isles - all round Ireland and the Shetland Islands - without any assistance in 27 days so far. Posted on 28 Jun
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun