My first impressions of this waterproof, shockproof speaker were that it’s so bombproof there seemed no obvious means even to power it up. But press and hold a discreet power…
£175.00
Gear reviews
Garmin Virb XE action cam tested
I bought the original GoPro HERO with a waterproof housing, yet never really found it user-friendly. As a comparative HD action cam, however, this Garmin Virb XE is so much…
£349.99
White Glacier Arctic 25 immersion suit
This immersion suit is a much more serious product than it perhaps looks with me pictured in it. It will keep an occupant alive for up to 25 hours in…
£825.00
Helly Hansen Crew H2Flow Jacket
Cut the fat to bare operating efficiency – that’s the motto of today, in business, lifestyle or sport. We are all increasingly overworked and need to streamline wherever possible. The…
£179.00
Karver KJ3 Cam cleat
Today’s streamlined and efficient deck layouts use purchase systems led to cam cleats for a number of functions that a decade ago would have been more likely to be led…
£53.00
Ronstan Shock Sheaveless Block
These neat and compact aluminium, low-friction, sheaveless blocks have a multitude of uses. The smallest, weighing just 2g, will take lines of up to 5mm and has a breaking load…
£10.99
HUBi Solar Hub 10k
In the face of it this is a great back-up system – a 10ah lithium battery pack/connection hub with ‘intelligent charge electronics’, plus a 20W solar panel and two bright…
£179.99
Tested: Pip Hare tries out five of the latest weather routeing packages
Every discerning sailor will carry out some sort of weather routeing before going out on the water. The extent to which we are able to predict weather patterns and assess…
Atlantic gear test – Pip Hare tests kit on a 5,400nm crossing
Varta High Optics 3C Flashlight – 9/10 Used: every night of the race for sail trim, sail changes, rig checks and problem solving. This handheld torch allowed me to pick…
Tested: AIS MOB devices – help your crew to save your life if you should go overboard
In a safety briefing for the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race, a French search and rescue pilot told us just how hard it is for a spotter plane to see…
Zhik ZMerino Thermals
I wore these Zhik thermals during the 2015 Fastnet Race, in a three-layer combination system with midlayers and outer layers. The top was worn for about 75 per cent of…
£72.30
SunGod Classics2 sunglasses review
I like sunglasses and have accrued a growing collection of assorted pairs. Rarely do I part with much money for them however, as I see little point when I know…
£45.00
Seabung review
Sometimes products come along that make you question why no one has thought of them before. And that was definitely my first impression when I got hold of a Seabung…
£49.99
Henri Lloyd Elite Therm mid layer jacket and trousers
I used these midlayers during the 2015 Fastnet Race, and although it was not a particularly cold event, these were the best piece of kit/clothing I brought with me. I…
£134.95
Pontos four-speed winch
How frustrating it would be to have a car with just two gears! Yet most sailors still rely on standard two-speed self-tailing winches for all winching applications. The self-tailing winch…
£1,033.00
Flipbelt
Although designed as a comfortable place for runners to hold their iPod or phone, the Flipbelt is also a useful way to carry money, keys or phone securely in warmer…
£25.00
Henri-Lloyd Halcon jacket
Elaine is not the only one to fall for a packaway-style jacket (see her review of the Musto Women’s Evolution Primaloft Jacket). The Henri-Lloyd Halcon jacket became an instant favourite and…
£135.00
Cousin Trestec Constrictor 10 review
Working on the same principle as the Chinese finger trap, the Cousin Trestec Constrictor 10 is a simple yet effective means of securing relatively highly loaded lines. This principle of…
£80.00
Musto Women’s Evolution Primaloft Jacket
This is my new favourite mid-layer jacket. The Musto Women’s Evolution Primaloft Jacket is warm, but incredibly light. It is filled with PrimaLoft, a patented synthetic microfibre that has almost magic…
£149.00
Sailfuse tested
There are a number of solutions on the market to help control a gybe and minimise the effects of a crash gybe, but how practical, effective and relevant are they…
£159.00