Select Store
EU
US
Well, that was quite a summer!
We’ve spent the last few months doing what we love most, getting out and about, meeting sailors, supporting events and generally spending far too much time talking about sailing. Our Rooster van has covered some serious mileage, carrying the shop, prizes, bean bags, ping-pong table and a team who are always happy to have a chat about all things boats.
From Youth Weeks and class Nationals to World Championships, we’ve been lucky enough to be part of some brilliant events this summer. We’ve travelled from Parkstone and the Royal Southern to Weymouth, Hayling Island, Largs and Eastbourne, and across the Irish Sea to Dún Laoghaire, supporting the ILCA Masters, J Cup, the ILCA, IOCA, Topper and WASZP Nationals, HISC, Royal Southern Yacht Club and Parkstone Youth Weeks, ILCA Skills Week, the ILCA 7 Men’s Worlds, RS Aero and RS200 Nationals, and finally, the ILCA 6 Women’s Worlds. That’s a fair few events, and quite a lot of packing and unpacking! But behind all those events are the moments we’ll remember far more than the mileage; conversations with sailors, coaches sharing their thoughts from the day, parents working out what their kids actually need and young sailors discovering new kit. And of course, the “I’ve got one of those and it’s brilliant” conversations are always a favourite.
One of the things we love most is that, in the space of a few days, we can go from chatting to some of the best sailors in the world at the ILCA Worlds to helping someone who is stepping onto a boat for their very first Youth Week. From chasing a World Championship title to figuring out which end of the boat you’re supposed to sit in, we want our kit to work for everyone. Being able to talk to, understand and hopefully resonate with sailors across that whole spectrum is something we’re incredibly proud of.
That’s the stuff we love about being at events. You can’t really learn sailing from behind a desk. We’re proud to be a British clothing brand, but we’re also proud to be part of the sailing community and to spend so much time talking to the people who actually use our kit. That’s how our founder Steve Cockerill started Rooster, you learn what sailors really wear, what works when the weather turns, what coaches recommend and what people would like to see us do better. Some of that knowledge won’t ever make it into a product review or a spreadsheet; you simply pick it up by being there soaking wet through in a boat park, or more likely this summer, sunburnt to a crisp.
We’re certainly not claiming to know everything (sailors are very good at keeping us on our toes!), but every conversation and every event adds a little more to what we know, and hopefully that helps us make better kit for the people who use it.
We’ve also loved seeing the Rooster van become a familiar sight around the boat park. Yes, there’s a shop inside, and yes, there are prizes and a ping-pong table that somehow becomes far more competitive than anyone intended, but hopefully it’s also become somewhere people feel welcome. Somewhere to grab a bit of kit, ask a question, have a chat, sit on a beanbag for five minutes or simply escape the chaos of the boat park.
Because sailing events are about so much more than the racing. They’re about the clubs, volunteers, coaches, families, class associations, friendships and the people who keep coming back year after year. That’s the bit we feel very lucky to be part of.
So, to everyone who has stopped by our van this summer, whether you bought something, asked us a question, played ping-pong, grabbed a prize, plopped in a beanbag, or just came over for a chat, thank you. We’ve loved it, we’ve learnt a lot, we’ve driven a lot of miles, and we’ve probably eaten far too many sausage baps from WPNSA. We’re already looking forward to doing it all again.
Because ultimately, we don’t just want to make kit for sailors. We want to be there with them. And if that means another summer of avoiding not getting burned by the heat press and chasing ping-pong balls around the shop floor… well, we’re in!
