The People Behind the Products - A Life on the Water

It's no surprise that where we work plays a big part in our lives and lifestyle as a whole. The team at Rooster are fortunate that we have regular opportunities to integrate our favourite elements of water sports with what we do everyday. Our sales team could discuss wetsuits, neoprene and getting the most out of your time on the water till the end of time, some just love to articulate every nook and cranny of chandlery all day every day down to the last 4mm spring. The product designers are self critical sailing champions, not to mention our Directors, Accounts, Marketing and Warehouse teams are constantly testing, obsessing over and critiquing every product thrown around our open plan HQ.

We're lucky to have the perspective that we get from this never ending learning curve, so we'd like to share with your our personal favourite products - Kit that we always keep in our bags, fit for purpose and exactly what we need on the water.

Coming in at top spot is our fearless leader, Steve Rooster founder, inventor, product designer and ideas man:

"Hikers - Carbon Tiller Extension and Pro Laced Boots. These are my three connections with the boat.  Sailing high performance dinghies means I need those connections to be effective - comfortable hiking on a super grippy hiking strap.  Hike pads on my Pro Hikers that allow me freedom of movement and at the same time secure connection with the side deck and a secure relaxed grip of the tiller extension that transmits the feedback from the rudder." 

As far as good advice goes, Monique in Marketing is simultaneously working on an olympic 49er FX campaign so her preferred kit is worth a glance:

"My go to bit of kit is the Womens Thermaflex longjohn, the womens version is so comfy I've had it since it came out and its still going strong!! Its perfect for 49er FX sailing as I get very warm a lot of the time and the thermaflex longjohn is perfect to pair with either just a rash vest, the Thermaflex top or the supertherm top in the winter." - The Thread of the Womens Thermaflex is undeniably prevalent in the womens kit here at HQ. Monique just gets to say it first because she's campaigning.

Paul from our accounts team is out there every week cutting up the water, an extremely vital and active member of the Rooster Team:

"My two favourite Rooster Items I never go sailing without my Polypro top – So comfortable against my skin, keeps me warm when the water is cool – Always my first item of clothing on means whatever I am wearing I will be comfortable – also great for other activities eg cycling and Skiing."

Second favourite item is my Pro race gloves- I try to sail several boats and these are always comfortable to put on protect my hands when playing the mainsheet and spinnaker sheets. Really hard wearing regardless of what boat you sail. Means I have good control of the sheets and tillers which means the only problems are down to me when things go wrong.

Emma P's brain for dinghy sailing kit and technical boat knowledge spans so widely from her dedication to hitting the water while the rest of us are still trying to thaw out our toes from the shock of Autumn... don't even get me started on winter:

"I LOVE my Pro Aquafleece! I am a very cold person and it keeps the icy air and cold water out, while retaining all the body heat on the inside. The high neck collar is not cumbersome at all and means I don’t need a neck gaiter anymore and I’ve even stopped wearing a neoprene top with my longjohn because I was getting sweaty… in a northerly 25knots on the sea! This has been a game changer for me and being able to sail in blissful warmth all winter.

Yours,
The Ice Queen" - Did she just say she's stopped wearing a neoprene top already or am I losing it?

Luke, our Managing Director, a busy man but still finds time to keep getting out, has given us his two-cents on his favourites:

"My Overhead BA - Always unnintrusive and lightweight, giving me the the quick and easy adjustment I want and it looks great. Also, my AquaPro Gloves - Toasty Warm, keeps the wind chill out and have great grip on the lines."

Now, Flo knows a thing or two about clothes, one of the office's snappiest dressers as events and sponsorship coordinator:

"I have 2 favourite products, the first would have to be the new Navy Hoodie- it is so comfy and soft, I wear it as soon as it's off the washing line. It is perfect for when I go to the gym, chilling at home and wearing it to the office. I live in it! Second favourite product is The Womens PolyPro Leggings, as a non sailor these for me are an alternative to wearing leggings and they absolutely can be worn on land for a whole day. They are so soft and comfortable not to mention very flattering and keep you warm all day long. I would also wear these everyday if I could. I've heard they're great for being on the water too! I would also like to add the new and coming soon seagrass bucket hat- looking forward to repping it at Glastonbury one day" - NB this bucket hat is yet to be on sale but Flo, being a key fashion icon in the office, was one of the key testers of this item.

Abi, our customer service queen as well as free time dinghy instructor and competitive sailor:

"My Supertherm Longjohn is by far my favourite and most used piece of kit. I feel the cold so I wear it all year round with alternating layers on the top depending on the conditions. On colder days I will wear it with a Thermaflex top and Polypro and on warmer days swap out for a Rash Vest. The race style back is great for flexibility, which is essential for quick and smooth spinnaker hoists, perfect for the RS200! I also use it for windsurfing, its super comfortable with a harness and keeps me nice and warm especially as I am still learning so I am spending a lot of time swimming.

My second favourite would be the Aeromesh Visor, it is perfect for keeping long hair out of my eyes when on the water. The material is nice and breathable so it does not get too hot, it also enables it to dry very quickly which is useful on days where there’s lots of spray. Also it provides good protection from the sun."

Andy from the warehouse knows his fair share from a lifetime on the water but his thing is now everything cycling:

"UV Neck sleeve and hot hands, I love to use the neck sleeve as a hat to wear under my cycle helmet and also as a neck sleeve and the gloves for when it's cold."

Another warehouse wunderkind, Theo knows what he wants:

"Favourite product currently is the rooster Pro Grip because it actually sticks…" - That's huge praise for Theo, the king of the RS700, if he think it works, you take his word.

Mark, Oracle of all things Chandlery, Solo Master and sales expert:

"My all time favourites are the Rooster padded toestraps, the Rooster low cut boot, and the Rooster Solo padded rudder bag, to protect those edges on the rudder blade, oh and those chafe protectors for dinghy booms!" - You can tell when a man loves his Chandlery

Sue, our wonderful warehouse woman wants you to know that although she doesn't get out on the water, she absolutely loves the new NAVY Hoodie - It's made from recycled Coffee Beans don't you know? - it's very comfortable.

Sue loves anything practical and has noted her love of the keeper bag to keep her shopping in as well as the Quick-dry ponchos for her daughters to change in and use at the beach. Practical, quick, drying, comfortable items that make life that little bit easier!

Christine, our long-term lady on the phone turned accounts team rep, lady who launches:

"I always wear polypro socks (first on) then hot socks to keep my feet toastie even on a wet launch. Because they are both quite thin, my normal boot size works well too."

Another win for the New Navy hoodie from Sales Sarah, Customer Service guru, what she doesn't know about our systems isn't worth knowing.

"My favourite product is the new navy hoodie because it doesn't lose its cosy fill after several washes and I like how its make using recycled coffee, which i drink properly too much of..." - Extremely relatable rationale there.

Emma, (me) marketing and design legend, hero to the masses:

I like to surf and wakeboard more than anything so it's the Womens Thermaflex Top and Longjohn for me, there's just nothing more comfortable that I have ever tried - and I love my neoprene. Can't forget the neoprene Buoyancy Aid either, there's nowhere near as much protection in the usual competition vests you get for wakeboarding than there is in this 50N CE impact Buoyancy Aid. Also my Hot Hands are indispensable, they're great for surfing and are much better for wakeboarding in the winter compared with thick neoprene gloves that give me the most horrendous forearm pump.

Last but not least, our high-flying product designer Kate, pioneer of the Women's range amongst so many more incredible product innovations:

"For me, it's the women's range, I designed it precisely to fit and be comfortable to all female body shapes and still has all the technical features needed for hiking, supping and chilling . Also the polypro gloves as they are handy to keep in your pocket for emergencies and perfect for a lightweight warm layer to keep your hands warm for sports. And also the 10L drybag, as it's ideal for putting wet swimming kit in to separate it from your dry stuff"