Apparel and Accessories

In this age of the smartphone, everyone has a timepiece in their pocket at all times. As a result, like so much else in the past 20 years, the watch is now teetering on the brink of technology’s endangered species list. Out on the water, though, watches are anything but ...read more

Henri Lloyd looked to the past for inspiration when designing its newest line of racing gear—specifically the kit worn by Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes campaign (also designed by Henri Lloyd) during the 1987 America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia. The new collection, with its ...read more

From splicing lines to emergency escapes, the right knife is an essential piece of safety equipment in any sailor’s kit. So how do you go about choosing a knife that’s appropriate for you? There are many features to consider, so let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of what you ...read more

The lightweight, three-layer Musto BR2 Sport Jacket (BR2 refers to Musto’s proprietary three-layer, breathable laminate) is expressly configured for inshore racing aboard sport boats and small keel boats, and a great outer layer for any sailor venturing out for a quick sail on a ...read more

Luxury meets functionality in Garmin’s new MARQ Captain watch. Advanced sailing-specific features include GPS technology to help pinpoint your starts on the racecourse, a tack-assist function for playing the shifts and an MOB button. Other sensors include a compass, gyroscope, ...read more

Safe and Sound An age-old problem for small-boat sailors has been taking care of their wallets, keys and other valuables while, say, tooling around the harbor, a problem that has only become all the more pressing in this age of cell phones and other digital products. Now, ...read more

Super-cozy Thermals Developed in conjunction with Dongfeng Race Team, winner of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, Zhik’s HydroMerina Superthermals base layers combine the natural anti-odor, comfort and warmth benefits of Merino wool with the ultra-high wicking and enhanced ...read more

More than just a midlayer Much as we sailors respect our gnarly offshore gear, it’s the lighter-weight stuff we tend to grab on a regular basis, and for a chilly day of racing or just tooling around the harbor it would be hard to find a better piece of kit than Helly Hansen’s ...read more

Get a Grip Edson’s ComfortGrip strips provide a firm grip on stainless steel handrails, like those found on steering pedestals, which in a nasty chop could mean the difference between staying on your feet and ending up bruised or on your hind end. Available in 8- or 12in ...read more

A Better Sea Boot Following up on its successful ZK Seaboot 800, Zhik’s Seaboot 900 was created in partnership with team AkzoNobel and Dongfeng Race Team, the latter the overall winner of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Designed for serious, long-distance offshore racers and ...read more

A True Blue Tilley Sailing is all about fun in the sun, but it sometimes doesn’t take long to get too much of a good thing, especially when on a prolonged cruise or offshore passage. Enter the Tilley Polaris, the latest lid developed by iconic Canadian hat-maker Tilley. ...read more

Sand Be Gone! The summer is hot and full of terrors—not the least of which is the sand that sticks in your beach towel in the hopes of a free ride back to your car or boat. Fortunately, there's now the CGear Sand-Free Beach Towel, engineered in polyester to not only dry quickly ...read more

Killer Koozie For all that sailors love the warmth of this time of year, that same warmth can also wreak havoc on their otherwise icy-cold beers. (Unless, of course, you drink them very, very fast. But we won’t go there.) To help deal with this terrible hardship, North ...read more

Wicked Cool Specs Is there anything in the world of sailing more fun than a cool pair of shades? Heck, no! And it would hard to find a cooler pair than these new Race Fusion specs from longtime weather-gear manufacture Gill. In addition to looking great, they include a number of ...read more

A few years ago, North Sails made a big push into the apparel business with all kinds of sharp-looking button-down shirts, shorts and fleeces. That doesn’t mean, though, that the North Sails Collection isn’t still plenty practical, as is evident in its new roll-over waterproof ...read more

A Wondrous Bag Cruising sailors are always on the lookout for energy-efficient ways to prepare food, so this new take on the slow-cooker principle should prove popular. The Wonderbag is an insulated jacket that keeps food hot (or cold) for many hours and, according to the ...read more

Boot Camp Next to a dry bunk, dry feet are high on a sailor’s wish list. Look no further than Irish boating footwear specialists Dubarry, whose new Fastnet boot combines modern technology with old-school craftsmanship. The lightweight, unisex boot has a waterproof, breathable ...read more

Short Yourself It’s not that easy to find a good pair of sailing shorts—the usual cotton cargo shorts tend to soak up salt and stay damp for ages—but Gill’s new FG12 Expedition Shorts look like the way ahead for savvy sailors. The stretchy softshell fabric is water-repellent and ...read more

COOL SLEEP You’re fast asleep in a snug anchorage, forehatch open to catch the breeze, when you’re rudely awakened by a sneaky rain squall. Now you’re not only awake and wet, you’re sweltering with the hatch closed. Sucks, right? That’s why ATN came up with the Dorcap, an ...read more

WATCH THIS If you’re in the market for a high-end sailing timepiece with a few tricks up its electronic sleeve, the Breitling Exospace B55 Yachting belongs on your wrist. Not only does it tell the time with uncanny precision, it is equipped with a race timer system that has a ...read more

Heavy Duty Jacket Musto’s new MPX Pro Offshore Jacket features the same waterproof, breathable three-layer Gore-Tex fabric as its predecessors, but weighs 15 percent less. Changes to the hood make it easier to adjust and the fleece-lined collar and hood pod provide both warmth ...read more

Just because you’re not planning on braving the Southern Ocean this summer doesn’t mean that you won’t have some dicey days out on the water. If you haven’t got the right gear, a little rain or humidity can make things miserable. As with all safety equipment, “it’s always better ...read more

What SUP? Dinghies and kayaks are all very well, but there’s nothing like a stand-up paddleboard for exploring interesting new shorelines while giving you a good workout. Sea Eagle’s HB96 inflatable SUP makes a fine addition to your boat’s armory of anchorage toys, either on its ...read more

Just for Kicks Move over Crocs, there’s a new plastic shoe in town. Unlike the aforementioned fashion crimes, Tucket Footwear’s Giller shoes are made for boating. Water will get in, yes, but it will also run straight out again via rows of “scuppers” in the uppers and a dozen ...read more

Robert Reeder is a seamanship instructor for a series of online courses through Boaters University. His course, Fundamentals of Seamanship: Rules of the Road, is a great way to get a full understanding of how to interpret the USCG rules of the road and how to apply the rules in ...read more

THROW SOME SHADE Among the many virtues of cruising cats is the large expanse of netting between their bows, which is the ideal place to hang out with a cold one after a hard day’s sailing and let the breeze blow your worries away. Only trouble is it can get a bit hot up there ...read more

Get Down Gill’s new Hydrophobe jacket and vest feature a water-repellent outer shell packed with water-resistant duck down. Not only are they warm and windproof, they’ll also stand up to spray. Gill says these are the first down jackets to be designed specifically for the marine ...read more

Rumson’s, New England’s award-winning rum distillery, has created what it calls its Grand Reserve. A custom blend of fine aged Caribbean rums known for its exceptionally smooth taste; you’ll be sipping on something that reminds you of being down south, even during a cold New ...read more

KEEP YOUR COOL Hard coolers can be awkward to carry and stow on a boat, whereas a soft cooler like the Yeti Hopper Two won’t scuff up your woodwork and can be easily stowed out of the way between uses. The coolers, available in three sizes, feature closed-cell rubber foam ...read more

FEEL THE VIRB Garmin has followed up its waterproof VIRB camera with the VIRB 360, a seriously cool-looking piece of gear that will transform your sailing videos. Lenses front and back capture a full 360 degree view of the surroundings, which is then stitched together by the ...read more

HANGIN’ ON A good hammock should never be ignored, whether you’re strapping it between a pair of palm trees after dinghying ashore or letting it rock you to sleep after you’ve strung it between your mast and forestay. Beyond that, if it’s just for you, that’s great. However, if ...read more

NOT JUST FOR KICKS You know it’s time for new deck shoes when 1) your feet start to slip on board and 2) even the dog gives them a wide berth. Sperry’s new 7 Seas line could bring you back into Rover’s good graces and keep you secure on deck too. The four distinct styles all ...read more

KEEPING THE PIECE While two-piece bathing suits are an easy go-to, a one-piece bathing suit that you can swim, dive, surf or paddle in is a necessity when you are engaging in outdoor water activities where losing your top is not an option. Patagonia’s one-piece Kupala swimsuit ...read more

Ocean Reef Aria In Mexico recently I noticed a guy snorkeling with the coolest mask and snorkel combination I’ve ever seen. It was the Aria from the Italian-based Ocean Reef Group. The mask has a unique design that allows divers to escape almost every negative aspect of the ...read more

When it first came out twenty-six years ago The Art and Science of Sails immediately established itself as the preeminent text on how sails are made and work, covering the length and breadth of modern-day sailmaking—including the latest on sail design and engineering, as well as ...read more