Christmas Gift Ideas

Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion, Paul Goodison, explains why this book is important if you want to win races. He says: “To win sailboat races you need to sail the boat fast. This comes down to hours on the water training and tuning – there are few shortcuts to hours of practising on the water.

The 130-page history, illustrated by almost as many photos mostly in colour, tells the story of how an ‘Orange Crate’ from Florida became the junior boat in over 120 countries.

It includes an 18-page supplement by Clifford McKay Jr., the first boy to sail the Optimist, with some fabulous photos of the early days. The story is taken up by Robert Wilkes who worked with the Optimist Class for over 35 years and had access to it’s archives. Young people tend to ask why things are the way they are. This history gives the answer for their beloved little boat..

Written by Robert Wilkes and Clifford McKay Jr.

Neoprene sleeve bottle holder with adjustable webbing straps at each end to fit around different circumferences of tube.

Windesign ergonomical designed kneepads with durable Kevlar® protection and a flexible neoprene padding.

It’s recommended to wear kneepads in Optimists and other dinghies. Not only to protect your own knees, also to protect the knee panels of your wetsuit. The Windesign kneepads are fitted with a double secured velcro fastening which ensures that lines will not stuck behind the velcro.

If you are looking for a glove suited to mainsheet trimming; where releasing the sheet is just as important as pulling in, the Dura Pro may be the answer. With double layer top quality abrasion resistant Amara on all high load/stress areas, these gloves are extremely supple with excellent grip and are perfect for all helming duties.

If you are looking for a glove suited to mainsheet trimming; where releasing the sheet is just as important as pulling in, the Dura Pro may be the answer. With double layer top quality abrasion resistant Amara on all high load/stress areas, these gloves are extremely supple with excellent grip and are perfect for all helming duties.

Rooster Sailing sport sunglass strap. 

Team racing is fast and furious. It places a great deal of emphasis on teamwork, boat handling and rules knowledge. It is a fun sport in its own right and a great way of learning to become a future champion.

Packed full with diagrams to illustrate the text, this companion describes the most useful moves around the race course, and the key rules that govern such moves. There are then sections on how to slow and how to overtake; how to win the start and how to control the final beat; the best routines for practising; how to develop as a team, from beginner to champion; the process for umpired sailing; and team roles, and how to make sure everyone enjoys playing a full part in the team.

Rules in Practice has been the best-selling guide to the racing rules for the last 40 years. Now, in its 10th edition, it has been updated for (and contains in full) the 2021-2024 Racing Rules of Sailing and features a brand new chapter on the luffing rules and how they are being applied. The latest rule changes are also described, along with their impact on you as a sailor.

Official ILCA daggerboard.