We usually discuss the forecast with you and your instructor in the days before so you know if you need to pack all the waterproof layers, or if you can leave bits at home.

The length of your trip (1, 2, 5, 12 days) makes all the difference really.

• Sleeping bag and pillow

• Wash kit and towel

• Waterproofs

• Sailing boots or welly boots/waterproof boots with non-marking soles

• Soft-soled deck shoes or non-marking trainers for warmer weather, some people where these in the winter too.

• Thermal underwear or base layers

• Warm clothing- fleece jumper (natural fibres will keep you warmer)

• Shorts and t-shirts for warmer weather

• 2 pairs of thick socks

• Underwear

• Clothing for going ashore

• Hat (sun and woolly)

• Sailing gloves

• Warm gloves

• Head or pocket torch

• Sunglasses and sun cream

Perhaps if your heading down for a day sailing in the Winter/Frostbite or Spring Series this is the list for you.

All items are not necessary but depend on you and your preference!

Outer Layers

• Waterproof Jacket

• Waterproof Salopettes

• Waterproof Boots

• Sailing shoes for warm weather

• Warm hat/ ear band

• Hat/Cap

• Neck buff

Base Layers

• Shorts

• Leggings/long-johns/sailing trousers

• Long sleeve thermal base layer top

• T-shirt

• Long Sleeve T-Shirt

• Puffa/Down lightweight jacket

• Underwear

• Socks

Toiletries

• Personal medication

• Contact lenses if needed

• Sun cream

• Lip balm

• Hair ties if needed

Safety Kit & General Gubbins

(*provided for everyone but you can bring your own)

• Lifejacket*

• Tether (3 point)*

• Sailing Knife

• Headtorch (with red light) - required if night sailing involved

• Spare Batteries if needed

• Power pack for electronics

• Charge cable(s)

• Sunglasses (and spare if you're like me)

• Day bag for gubbins

• Sailing gloves (especially if you suffer from office hands)

Party Wear

• Clean clothes for getting those prizes on the stage!

For example our events that which apply to would be Taittinger Regatta, part of Cowes Week or perhaps a RORC Offshore Race to France and back

Outer Layers

(* - provided on the boat but you can bring your own)

** - depends on your preference for comfort/warmth)

• Waterproof Jacket

• Waterproof Salopettes

• Waterproof Boots

• Sailing shoes for warm weather

• Warm hat/ ear band

• Hat/Cap

• Neck buff

Base Layers

• Shorts

• Leggings/long-johns/sailing trousers

• Long sleeve thermal base layer top

• T-shirt

• Long Sleeve T-Shirt

• Puffa/Down lightweight jacket

• Underwear x the number of days

• Socks x the number of days

Sleeping Kit

• Sleeping Bag

• PJ's

Toiletries

• Personal medication

• Contact lenses if needed

• Sun cream

• Lip balm

• **Hair ties

• Biodegradable wet wipes

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Deodorant

• **Moisturiser

• Sea sickness pills

• Towel

• **Heat pads

• **Ear plugs and eye mask

Safety Kit & General Gubbins

• *Lifejacket

• *Tether (3 point)

• Sailing Knife

• Headtorch (with red light) - required if night sailing involved

• Spare Batteries if needed

• A battery/power pack for electronics

• Charge cable(s)

• Sunglasses (and spare if you're like me)

• Day bag for gubbins

• *Sailing gloves + possible spare pair (especially if you suffer from office hands)

• Packing Cubes to organise your kit!

Party Wear

• Clean clothes for getting those prizes on the stage if appropriate (offshore races returning straight to home port won’t have a prizegiving. This is more for the coastal/inshore regattas)

Outer Layers

* - provided on the boat but you can bring your own

** - depends on your preference for comfort/warmth

Outer Layers

• Waterproof Jacket

• Waterproof Salopettes

• Waterproof Boots

• Sailing shoes for warm weather

• Warm hat/ ear band

• Hat/Cap

• Neck buff

Base Layers

• Shorts

• Leggings/long-johns/sailing trousers

• Long sleeve thermal base layer top

• T-shirt

• Long Sleeve T-Shirt

• Puffa/Down lightweight jacket

• Underwear x the number of days

• Socks x the number of days

  Sleeping Kit

• Sleeping Bag

  On the Fastnet, common practice is to be hot bunking, this means you either share a sleeping bag or you and your opposite number do what you can to keep the bunk dry, also your kit organised. Often you might just pull your sallapets down to your feet and jump in the bunk depending on how wet you are. More often you’ll take any wet layers off and get in as you are. Some people attempt to be hygienic, while others don’t…

Toiletries

• **Personal medication

• **Contact lenses if needed

• Sun cream

• **Lip balm

• **Hair ties

• Biodegradable wet wipes

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Deodorant

• **Moisturiser

• Sea sickness pills

• Towel

• **Heat pads

• **Ear plugs and eye mask

Safety Kit & General Gubbins

• *Lifejacket - all our boats are fitted with auto-inflating, serviced lifejackets which meet offshore race standards.

• *Tether (3 points)

• Sailing Knife - ideally without a sharp tip, if it has a marlin spike/ shackle key attachment then even better.

• Headtorch - battery or rechargeable (bring spares if battery) but if it doesn’t have a constant red light then it’s useless.

• A battery/power pack for electronics - phones are best turned off/aeroplane mode to preserve power.

• Charge cable(s) - sharing is commonplace

• Sunglasses (and spare if you're like me)

• Day bag for gubbins - a small 2-3 Litre dry bag with your name on to have your regular useful items in near your bunk. Your main bag (20L) will be kept in a cabin to be accessed maybe once a day.

• *Sailing gloves + possible spare pair (especially if you suffer from office hands)

• Packing Cubes to organise your kit! - really helps in your main bag to find what you’re looking for in a hurry.

Party Wear

• Clean clothes for getting those prizes on the stage if appropriate - we will have team shirts so often best to save these for the finish party. Maybe treat yourself to a clean set of under layers!

Coming Soon

Outer Layers

• Oilskins

  • we have sampled a fair few, currently, we wear Triboard Ocean Proof from Decathalon. Unbeatable value and while less breathable, it’s more waterproof and hardwearing than many more expensive brands in our opinion.

• Boots

  • You can’t beat a good pair of Dubarrys on your feet. For the boots make sure you size up as they tend to come out small and they don’t stretch much.

  • Can be worn with almost any socks, don’t smell, waterproof and warm

  • Quite tough on the feet if standing at the helm for hours.

  • Our preference when ploughing across the Celtic Sea

• Shoes

  • We prefer shoes with waterproof socks or none at all if warm and a bit wet. Like when the sun is out and the sea state isn’t too bad.

• Gloves

  • Many options, we prefer fingerless gloves for dexterity around the boat

  • If gloves get wet and absort the water, take them off to warm up your hands

  • Very few gloves are properly waterproof

  • Most useful when helming or trimming the spinnaker/ sails constantly

Inner Layers

• Thermals

  • So many to choose from but we’ve got a set of HH thermals

Mid Layers

• Very underrated, need to get a good fleece layer or two that doesn’t absorb all the sweat or spray

Usual wear offshore in fair weather - Not appropriate for people working on the BOW

• Dubarry deck shoes/ sailing trainers and sports socks/bare feet (watch the smell)

• Quick dry stretchy shorts or trousers (all sailing brands do these for £££ but some good alternatives at Decathalon etc…

• 100% cotton underwear or good quality

• Longsleeve quick dry/UV sailing t-shirt

• Softshell jacket

• Optional mid-layer fleece in a day bag

• If working on the Bow or getting water over the deck, the same as above but with oilskins on, possibly allows the loss of a mid-layer.

Brutal Conditions

• Gatorred Sailing boots, long socks

• Trousers - maybe with thermals if susceptible to the cold

• Sallapets

• A number of layers to match the job you’re doing and the general temperature - personally not a fan of wearing too many layers and overheating, but if on the rail then make sure you layer up

• Oilskin jacket/smock

• Buff

• Gloves

For any questions, please get in touch or ask fellow crew through your WhatsApp group.