Michael Schmidt has been a visionary in the marine industry for decades, starting with his 1980s Admiral’s Cup successes, the brokerage network that still bears his name, as founder of…
new gear
New gear: Seldén Synchronised Main Furling system
A straightforward concept lies behind the appeal of in-mast mainsail furling systems: haul on the clew outhaul while allowing the sail to unfurl in a controlled manner. But what if…
Gear: G-SHOCK Smartwatch – waterproof watch
The new G-SHOCK Smartwatch– the GSW-H1000 – includes an optical heart rate sensor, compass, altitude/air pressure sensor, accelerometer, gyrometer and GPS. The 1.2in colour screen has a three-tier user configurable…
GEAR: Garmin MSC-10 satellite compass
The Garmin MSC-10 satellite compass uses GPS derived data, instead of the earth’s magnetic field, to calculate a boat’s heading and is therefore unaffected by magnetic interference. It works across…
Gear: ATP2 processor – ethernet networking
A+T’s ATP2 processor allows for full ethernet networking using a single wire linking all sensors and displays. This cable also supplies 12V power to low draw items such as sensors.…
GEAR: Calypso portable ultrasonic wind sensor
The Calypso portable ultrasonic wind sensor comes at a time when onboard systems are becoming increasingly integrated and fits well in a captain’s electronic instrument arsenal. Wireless wind sensors have…
Gear: Loop Boa Base – nifty stacking clutch
The Loop Boa Base is an extremely neat idea for adding extra clutches in places where there would otherwise be no convenient deck space. It allows them to be stacked…
New Gear: Wuzzos Corinthian Pro
The Wuzzos Corinthian Pro is a new high spec deck shoe which uses leather and mesh to maximise ventilation and drainage, while the dual density outsole is engineered to absorb…
Review: Wichard Rescue Knife is a real winner
So many things can go wrong so quickly on a boat that most professional sailors always keep a knife close to hand. Which knife is a highly personal a choice,…
Gear: 878 clothing bringing graphene tech to sailing clothes
Most innovation is an iterative process of continued small improvements in product design or materials technology. However, occasionally a step-change in innovation is possible that produces radically different products. This…
Gear: New Seldén soft attachment blocks
Increasingly sailors are turning to soft attachment blocks for the many positive attributes they offer. Originally they may have been seen as a weight saving bit of kit for performance…
New Gear: Gill OS3 jacket and trousers with new plant-based coating
The new Gill OS3 fabric is a two-layer system, which has been developed to provide lightweight, competitively priced foul weather gear for coastal use. As with many clothing and accessories…
North Sails clothing: A sailing kit revolution?
Very rarely do new brands of wet weather gear come along, so when North Sails decided to enter the foray and produce their own North Sails clothing it had to…
Furlers: All the latest kit on the market
A tug on the working sheet and the furling line, the offwind sail spins open and your boat surges forward, the great joy of a furlers doing that for which…
Electric propulsion experts Torqeedo wins top award for innovative electric drive
The electric propulsion pioneer Torqeedo won the largest marine equipment prize of the year today (15 November) – for the second time in four years. The DAME (Design Awards METS)…
Raymarine Quantum unveiled – a lightweight solid-state radar with class-leading range and efficiency
Chirp technology is used increasingly by marine manufacturers in echosounders to increase target resolution when fishfinding. The same benefits are applied to marine radar with the launch of the Raymarine…
Why Spinlock’s Lume-On, a device that illuminates lifejackets, won 2015’s biggest marine design award
The concept behind the Lume-On is such a simple one in fact that I’m sure other manufacturers will have sighed a collective ‘Doh’ when it was announced at METS in…
Astra Esa smartwatch, a wrist-mounted watch/smartphone/display for those on the move
This is the first smartwatch I have seen that is designed for sailing – and it’s as neat to use as it looks, fusing the sailor’s thirst for gadgetry with…
Exposure Marine X2 marine torch
Why would you need a marine torch that costs £200, particularly if it needs recharging rather than using batteries? Although I had been impressed with Exposure Marine’s innovative and extremely…
Spinlock Deckvest LITE
The Spinlock Deckvest LITE is one of the best lifejackets I have used, principally because it feels the least cumbersome. I am not going to argue that it’s the best…