Kit Guides

Standardisation of rope colours has been a hobby horse of mine for a very long time. I'm pretty sure it started when I used to swap boats with my mates to check out their rig or when stood on the shore, coaching. I would look down at perhaps 4 control lines and find that none were harmonised with the part of the boat they affected. Early on I standardised my control line colours and once I had the chance to influence what was available on the market, I made sure we offered Spectweleve™ Dyneema®  and now Easysplice® for primary lines that matched my standard - Anything to help my tired brain when on the water! My preference for the last 35 years: Kicker or Vang: RED Cunningham or downhaul: BLUE Outhaul: GREY or BLACK Spinnaker Halyard: FLURO YELLOW For those of you with a traveller and inhaul control line, I'm yet to adopt a standard. So what are your preferences?Don't know which line to choose? Checkout our Blog and order online when you're sorted!

Blog entry by Steve Cockerill     Putting your spars and foils into a cosy bag feels like the right thing to do. But if you are not careful, what appears to be a caring thing, might also be the worst thing. After sailing on salt water, we should wash our spars down with fresh water and where possible allow them to dry out. I tend to bag mine for safe keeping in transit. However, many bags use non-breathable fabrics and foams in their construction which trap any residual moisture. Moisture encourages dissimilar metal corrosion where stainless or Monel rivets react with the aluminium of the mast. The fizzing is proof of the corrosion taking place. What you need is a spar bag that breathes.Foils packed away in a non-breathable foil bag will sweat rather than dry out, causing Osmosis. Ideally, you should dry off your foils before packing them away. Again salt water is a hindrance as it attracts moisture so a quick wash helps to remove the salt and gives it a chance to dry out. Look for foil bags that breathe. What to Look For Open cell foams with a breathable membrane is the safest option for both Spars and Foils. Spars and foils dry out naturally if they are packed damp which prevents dissimilar metal corrosion and osmosis. In my experience, many manufacturers are keen to save money on material cost which ends up costing you more in replacement spars and repairs to foils. Below are some of the bags we make to protect your gear: Padded Spar Bag 3650mm by 165mm (Laser Top Mast, Aero Top Mast and 9 Lower Mast, Lightening Upper and Lower mast) Padded Spar Bag 2950mm by 165mm (Laser Boom and Standard Lower Master, Topper Upper, Lower Mast and Boom, Aero 7 Lower Mast, Aero Boom, Optimist Lower Mast and Lightening Boom) Padded Spar Bag 2350mm by 165mm Optimist Foil Bag Foil Bag for the Laser/ILCA - also fits the Europe 4000 Rudder Bag 4000 Daggerboard Bag Solo Rudder Bag Solo Mast Bag Europe Travel Mast Bag Europe Boom Bag