as designed. There are options for short or long (arm and leg length) wetsuits. In Hong Kong you will get a lot more wear out of a ‘shortie’ (short arms and legs) and you can wear a good jacket and trousers on top when it is colder. However, skiff sailors often wear long legs to give extra knee protection as their boats tend to be covered with grip tape that is much like sandpaper!
Trousers Most dinghy sailors will wear a wetsuit and those who are serious about it will have a long leg wetsuit for the winter but if you are just starting off or only have a shortie wetsuit you can keep yourself that bit warmer with a pair of waterproof trousers. If you are sailing a yacht then you would want to go for a decent pair as you are trying to keep the water out but on a dinghy you have to expect to get wet so you don’t need to spend as much, they should just be windproof. If you are sailing a dinghy be prepared to get a few rips or holes in them as there are a few things on a dinghy to get them snagged on as you move around the boat to keep that perfect boat trim and balance! Boots/Shoes A good dinghy boot will also keep your feet warm as they are often made of the same wetsuit type material. Dinghy sailing boots that go up past your ankle are good for hiking dinghies as they provide an extra layer of padding on your toe strap, while sailors who are on the trapeze may prefer the shoe type to give more flexibility. If you are prone to getting cold feet it is possible to buy wetsuit socks for another layer
Gloves Similar to boots, it is possible to purchase winter gloves, although probably not worth the investment given the few weeks of really cold weather we get here. An option for when the temperature does fall to single digits, that I have seen work successfully in Scotland (where people sail even when it is snowing!), is to layer your gloves. First wear a thin cotton or thermal glove, then (this is where it gets a bit wild) a good fitting washing-up glove (as they are waterproof) with some elecrtical tape around the wrists to keep most of the water out (but not so tight that it reduces blood circulation as that would be counter-productive!) and then finally your normal sailing glove (preferably long fingers) on top! After explaining this to a sailor in Hong Kong a few years ago I’ve seen this method be followed with good results. Keep a spare jacket on the coach boat For those sailors who are racing on a cold day another great idea is to have a big warm jacket (that you don’t mind getting wet) that you can wear on top of your sailing kit between races. While you are racing you should be working the boat hard enough to still break a sweat but those 10, 20 or 30 minutes waiting between races can be the coldest of the day. Put a spare jacket on the coach boat (clearly labelled with your name) so that you can pick it up from the coach between races! Summary of what to pack Essential additional clothing for cooler days • Warm hat • Windproof jacket and trousers • Wetsuit (short or long) if sailing a dinghy • Spare jacket for the coach boat (for regattas) And the sun still shines in the winter so don’t forget your sunscreen!
October Half Term This year we had another busy week of sail training with over 70 sailors in one week including 18 sailors at Step 3. It was a windy week that followed directly on from the China Coast Regatta weekend so it was challenging for some of our younger sailors but all good experience for them. Our thanks to all the instructors and assistants who helped to make this another successful week.
Sailing Development And Training Contacts Sailing Development Manager Richard Knight 2812 7303 General Enquiries Ms Gloria Yeung 28127063 Senior Keelboat Instructor Patrick Lam 2812 7303 Senior Sailing Instructors Ting Chan and Phoebe Tang 2812 7303 Performance Coach Nick Hollis and Rob Partridge 2812 7303 www.rhkyc.org.hk/SailTraining.aspx sailtrain@rhkyc.org.hk www.facebook.com/RHKYCsharks DECEMBER 2013 AHOY! |
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Spray top Wetsuits on their own aren’t good windbreakers although the materials used now on the top-end wetsuits are getting very good at that. Therefore most dinghy sailors will almost always have a spray top with them to lock out the wind! There are many different brands to choose from and most of the good ones will have some kind of seal (often rubberised with velcro to tighten) around your neck, wrists and waist to keep the worst of the water shooting inside. There are also other types of warm tops available that combine a bit of wetsuit material with a nice soft warm layer on the inside. Once you start layering these all together you can create a very warm outfit!
of warmth or if your boot is slightly too big (passed down from an older sibling!) to get that wetsuit material working efficiently. In Hong Kong you might need to go to a diving shop to buy these, or order them online from a colder country!