I once learned a great phrase from a wise old school boat captain, Jim Cannon. Every time we hoisted the mainsail he would say aloud: “Look up before you hook up.”

Cannon was, of course, referring to the proper habit of looking aloft before attaching a halyard, to ensure it’s not twisted or fouled at the top of the rig. Attached to our halyard was the standard-issue Tylaska H8 2:1 shackle, and by nature of it being a simple 2-to-1 purchase, it is easy to find a twist or two in the halyard, so it was always good practice to make sure all was right before the mast man did his thing.

After so many years of hooking up that reliable H8 and countless others, I never realized the Tylaska factory was a mere 45-minute drive from Newport. Over the bridge, down I-95 and through a wooded exit of Mystic, Connecticut, one comes upon an industrial park owned by Dr. Timothy Tylaska, who apparently invented the Tylaska Snap Shackle during his doctoral studies at the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering. At the back of the sprawling park is building No. 14, which Tylaska recently built to house its expanding operation. The facilities may be new, but inside are relics of the metalworking industry; giant milling machines and presses that lead engineer Thomas Dixon keeps reprogramming and maintaining to crank out a long SKU of metal parts for boats, parachutes and anything else that needs attaching leading: shackles, friction rings, hooks the size of your hand—you name it, Tylaska can likely make it.

Curious to see how the stuff is actually made, we took a recent field trip to visit Tylaska, and while the Doctor himself was off on an errand, Dixon gave us a tour and walked us through, step-by-step (sans the anodizing bath), the birth of an H8 2:1. Now, whenever I look up to hook up, I know where and how it’s made in the US of A.

The post The Making of A Shackle appeared first on Sailing World.

Love the sun, but hate what it can do to our skin, especially areas that are continually exposed, such as ears, face, etc?  Here’s a nifty new Zhik product that helps keep us out where we love to be. While the Zhik Motion top does a great job of wicking moisture away from your body and cutting wind chill, the real draw is how it combats the sun’s rays, especially around the head and face, which is accomplished by a hood and balaclava. The hood is form fitting, meaning it stays put. 

While I was a bit skeptical about the balaclava function, it hangs just off your face so as not to obstruct breathing but keeps the lower portion of your face well out of the sun.  A big bonus.  When not in use, it comfortably rests below your chin.  Similarly, when you pull the hood off, you’ll hardly know it’s bunched up around your neck.  

Offering UFP 50-plus protection, the Zhik Motion top is breathable, fast drying and also functions as a great base layer.  If you’re thinking it’s your typical regatta shirt but with a hood, you’ll be surprised by this.  It’s much heavier and has a soft “peached finish,” which means that toward the end of the manufacturing process it’s received a light sanding. You can really feel the difference between this and a typical sun-blocking top. It’s not waterproof, which isn’t the intent, but it does shed small amounts of spray. And its four-way stretch helps ensure you’ll not only be protected from the sun but comfortable while out there. 

Available in men’s sizes from S to XXL, and women’s sizes from XS to XL. Black or Platinum at $99.99 

The post Zhik Motion Top, More Than A Hoodie appeared first on Sailing World.

Do you have a bruise on your hip or tear in your favorite sailing shorts from that #$%^ cam cleat on the deck right next to where you sit? That’s what inspired professional sailor and expert Star crew Mark Strube to develop the CleatSlider. After coming home from yet another regatta with ugly purple on his hips, “I started thinking about how many people get bruised on boats and how much gear gets torn, plus the ease of cleating.”

Produced in two different sizes to fit both micro- and standard-sized cam cleats, the CleatSlider is easy to install; just place it under the cleat and then fasten both to the deck. As part of his four-year development process, Strube tried a prototype that glued onto the deck. “But after about a year, the glue got hard and it popped off. So we added the backing plate.” The CleatSlider works with both Harken and Ronstan cleats.

This simple add-on is rapidly developing fans around the sailing world. At the 2020 Star Midwinters, CleatSliders were installed on 10 boats from four countries. Strube says the feedback has been great, because adding them to the deck makes sailing less damaging to both body and clothing—and also makes getting a line into the cleat easier. “We really fine-tuned the angles, so when you cleat the line, instead of having to pick up the line and then align it with the cleat, you can just pull from anywhere and it’ll slide right over and drop in.”

“Cleat Slider was born to solve a problem,” Strube says. “I’m hoping this leads to less bruising, increased performance, and a more enjoyable time on the water. Juniors will be more receptive to proper weight placement from instructors if it doesn’t hurt to move a little more forward over a cleat. Crews will be happier, and so will skippers because performance will be enhanced.”

At $15.95 for the micro and $19.95 for the standard, adding a pair seems like a small investment to, as the promotional video puts it, “protect your assets.” They are available directly from Strube’s website, and at several retail shops. For more information, visit https://strubesailing.com/shop/.

The post CleatSlider Protects your Assets appeared first on Sailing World.

Rooster Sailing has come up with a innovative way to carry water bottles aboard dinghies—a neoprene pouch that can be attached to almost any tubular surface, including masts, booms, and skiff rack arms. Called a “Joey,” after young Kangaroos, it attaches with Velcro straps at each end. A series of silicone dots inside each strap allows it to cling to any surface and gives a firm grip. The water bottle is completely enclosed, so it’s impossible to snag lines, unlike bicycle bottle cages or other homemade bottle carriers. The Joey also eliminates the hassle of retrieving a water bottle from inside an inspection port—saving time and avoiding the risk of water getting into the hull while the port is open.

To use, slide the water bottle in through the opening and then pull the neoprene over the top of the bottle to secure. Reverse to remove. With a minute or so of practice, you’ll find you can do both processes with one hand.

The post Gear Box: The Joey appeared first on Sailing World.

Saskia Clark, 470, Great Britain

I can’t do without a decent pair of boots as a 470 crew. So for this I wear Sperry Top Sider Sea Sock. A great soft sole so your foot can mould to the deck for maximum grip and feel of the boat. Shoes come in short and tall, starting at $70. sperry.com

Jonathan Lobert, Finn, France

If you don’t have good hiking pants, you won’t be sailing for long. With your legs pushing on the side of the boat, if you don’t have the battens on the side of the legs, you’ll be in pain. I wear Sandiline, and I work with the design team to make the pants as light and strong as possible. These pants don’t move around the legs so when you’re up on your feet in the boat they don’t ride up. $234 and up, sandiline.com

Briana Provancha, 470, USA

White Zinc, from Zinka, is a must for me. Annie and I put it on together in the boat after we launch. It’s become part of our routine. It’s great because you don’t rub it in so you can see it. When it disappears, that means it’s time to reapply. $6.99, Buy It Now!

Lisa Darmanin, Nacra 17, Australia

My gloves are one thing that makes sure I can sail day to day. As a crew, it’s so important for me to hang on to ropes all day. I tear through them so quickly — I have a new pair almost every six days on the water. I go through them so quickly that I just buy gloves at the hardware store. I look for the grippiest ones I can find, either Showa or Atlas.

Anne-Marie Rindom, Laser Radial, Netherlands

I never sail without my hiking pads, they’re the only thing that makes sailing easier every day. If I didn’t have them, my legs would be destroyed by how hard I work them in the Radial. I use Zhik Power Pads under my wetsuit.

Charlie Buckingham, Laser, USA

I can’t live without Vertra Face Stick sunscreen. It leaves a non-transparent, white layer on my cheeks and nose. I use it as the second layer of sunscreen on my face for extra protection on the water. $23

Dave Hughes, 470, USA

Stu McNay and I jokingly call Zhik’s Microfleece Skiff Suit our “AP Kit” because it covers such a wide range of temperatures and conditions. I’ve been wearing Zhik’s versions of the skiff suit for years, but with the most recent design the material is more stretchy and the warmth-to-weight ratio is far better. It’s perfect for a day in Rio, when anything can be thrown at you. $269

The post Gear Olympians Use appeared first on Sailing World.

SOAK halyard clip, Gill’s Pro Racer Performance Trainer, Free Fly Apparel’s Bamboo Tech shirt

While racing on the J/70 Helly Hansen at this year’s Quantum Key West, one of the most important things we tried to sort out was how to prevent the spinnaker from shrimping during the set. One key was ensuring the spinnaker halyard got to the top of the rig without the head getting stuck in the shrouds. We initially tried the trusty electrical-tape method, whereby you pre-load a bunch of wraps at the port turnbuckle and use one wrap to hold the halyard outboard. When you hoist, the tape breaks. But with the big wind and waves, the tape often failed to stick and was a pain to reload each time, so on the third day I bought a SOAK halyard clip, a clever little $20 plastic device that’s been around for a while.

Using its nylon lanyard, I tied it to the base of the mast on the port side, angled forward so the halyard was pulled away from the shrouds. Simply slip the halyard between the jaws, tension the halyard, and you’re done. It held reliably—in fact, so well that when my temporary knot came untied, the clip went up to the top of the rig during one set. We’d thought we lost it overboard, but there it was when the kite came down. It’s a perfect piece of gear for any keelboat or dinghy, and over time, will offset the cost of multiple rolls of tape—while preventing shards of tape from littering the water. www.soakllc.com

Ever had to take a minute mid-race to re-tie or tuck in your shoelaces? Gill’s Pro Racer Performance Trainer makes those aggravating laces a thing of the past with its integrated lace protector. These newly released sneaks also boast an anti-microbial treatment on the insole, giving us hope that our sailing shoes won’t offend those we carpool with. Such features as lightweight, quick-drying construction, toe protection, and water-dispersing channels on the outsole should make these shoes commonplace on decks of big boats and small boats alike. $135, www.gillna.com

Compared with cotton, the modern dry technical shirt is a huge upgrade for performance sailors. But it’s not perfect. Chief among the complaints is the feel of polypropylene and other synthetic fabrics. They just don’t wear that comfortably against bare skin, which of course is where they need to be for their wicking properties to be most effective.

Free Fly Apparel’s Bamboo Tech shirt, which is made from a blend of bamboo viscose and polyester, is the most comfortable performance-oriented shirt I’ve ever worn. It has the soft, supple feel of expensive cotton sheets. Since it doesn’t generate static electricity like a synthetic shirt, it also tends to hang a lot more naturally right out of the drawer. Unlike cotton, it wicks moisture away from the skin and dries quickly.

Free Fly Apparel was originally created for saltwater fly fishermen, and the company website is full of testimonials raving about the fabric’s odor-resistance and UV protection. My test results agreed. It kept me from getting sunburned, and while I may have developed a bit of musk by the end of the day, the shirt was largely odor-free. The Free Fly line includes shirts, hats, and sun masks, but plans are in the works to expand the company’s offerings. $49.99, www.freeflyapparel.com

The post Gear Box: The Little Things appeared first on Sailing World.