The team at Sailingfast enjoy an event-packed year and 2023 is to be no different. As soon as we have unpacked after the RYA Dinghy and Watersports Show, Duncan will be back on the road and heading to Stokes Bay for the first of the UKLA ILCA Spring Qualifiers.

Sailingfast are proud sponsors of the UKLA ILCA class: not only does this mean we sponsor the prizes for the Qualifiers, we also provide T-shirts for the Nationals and chandlery support at as many of the UKLA ILCA events we can get to.

The reasoning behind our event support is for us to provide you, the sailor, with chandlery support in the unlikely event that you suffer gear failure while on the water. Some of you are prepared, and have an arsenal of spares and a well-stocked toolbox at your disposal to enable a quick fix and return to the race course in time for the next race. However, experience shows that not everyone is as uber-organised, so if we can be on hand to help, we will. The last thing we want is for you to drive 4/6/8 hours or more to attend the Qualifiers only to go home after a race or two because of gear failure.

The first UKLA ILCA event of 2023 sees us all down at Stokes Bay with its notoriously stony beach but otherwise a great place to sail. If you haven’t come across our event support vehicle, then you will usually find us parked up in the Stokes Bay car park, as near to the beach as we can get. This saves you having to run too far in the event of a catastrophic failure mid-race.

Keep your eyes peeled for Duncan, usually in a Sailingfast branded jacket, chatting away to various folk. He will be in or around the branded trailer, which we turn into a mobile chandlery unit, complete with card machine and rope cutter and, if you ask really nicely, you might even get to borrow the rivet gun. (Bring the boat/spar section with you because the tools don’t leave his sight!) For the UKLA ILCA Spring Qualifiers, we will have a variety of ILCA specific kit from covers to carbon tillers & extensions, friction pads to pre-cut control lines and mainsheets. If you would like us to bring something for another dinghy class, please pre-order through the website (instructions below)

The last two weekends of March, we will be back to the home of most big sailing events in the UK, the Sailing Academy at Weymouth and Portland. Again, we endeavour to be close to the water, within the dinghy park, but this does depend how busy the Academy is.

These are events are a great opportunity to chat to Duncan about part exchanges, new boats, charter boats, delivery time frames or just put a face to a name. We offer free delivery on any pre-orders which can be collected during the Qualifiers (handy if you need a new spar section!):

1. order via the website
2. Select ‘collect from event’ at the checkout
3. Tell us which event you will be collecting (in the comments box at checkout)

Pre-ordering means we will have your order bagged up for quick and easy collection but we are also able to process orders onsite.

We look forward to seeing you get out on the water and having some fun at the first big ILCA event of the 2023 season!

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing! Alfred Wainwright

Whether you live in sunny climes, or the upper reaches of northern Europe, there is an increased appetite to enjoy the traditional summer sports like sailing or paddleboarding all the way through into the winter. Based as we are in Scotland, we have put together this guide of our favourite things to wear to enjoy sailing and other watersports, throughout the winter months.

1. Base layer – Zhik hydrophobic fleece top

Not for use every day perhaps, but on the really cold days, you could add an extra layer underneath your wetsuit. Our personal favourite is the Zhik Hydrophobic Fleece top which can also be warn on its own, or with just a wind-proof layer over the top. We wear ours running, skiing, paddleboarding, etc, etc!

2. Mid Layer – Zhik Superwarm X

Worn as a long john with a separate top, the Superwarm X from Zhik has lines of fleece on the inside which help trap the air (or water) next to your skin and keep you warm. Add the top for the complete set but you might like to size up as they are small made.

3. Outer Layer – Rooster Aquafleece

The best-selling Aquafleece from Rooster should be one of the staples of the water sports enthusiast’s wardrobe. Designed to keep you warm even when wet, this fleece-lined, wind-proof top comes in 2 designs: Pro Lite – with cuffs at the wrist and waist, or Classic – without cuffs. Also comes in a women’s cut and children’s sizes. We would recommend sizing up again here as they are quite neat otherwise.

4. Extremities – hands, feet, head.

Our favourite hat for the dinghy park is, of course, our Sailingfast branded bobble hat, made by hand in the Scottish Borders. Those of you who prefer a hat minus the bobble need look no further than the Zhik Beanie.

As for your hands, it sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find what suits you best. Our Director Emma suffers from Reynauds, so likes to layer up even her hands with 2 pairs of gloves. The Rooster PolyPros make a fab 1st layer, with a grippier outer layer like the Showa Thermo gloves.

Layering up your feet can also be a good idea – Rooster polypros or a pair of Supertherm Socks from Zhik work well with a pair of dinghy boots on top. You may wish to try a larger size in the boots, to accommodate the extra layer.

If you need advice on sizing, or which combination of products might work well for you, call us on 01324 861 756.

Like this post? If you would like us to cover other useful topics, please drop us a line in the office with your suggestions [email protected]

WASZP 1000 SNEAK PEAK!

We only have 5 days remaining in our historic WASZP #1000 competition and we can assure you there are some fantastic slogan entries rolling in. So they should be with the chance to win the amazing limited edition GOLD WASZP 1000.

To enter it is simple, head to http://racehub.waszp.com and purchase an International WASZP Class Membership (IWCM) for existing WASZP owners or a Future WASZP Class Membership (FWCM) if you do not own a WASZP. Then give us your best WASZP slogan in 25 words or less, the top 5 slogans will be voted on from December 7th -10th on our social platforms to determine who will win the 1000th boat.

Not a WASZP owner and want to win? No problems!

This competition is open to everyone! Just head over to racehub.waszp.com and sign-up to our FUTURE WASZP MEMBERSHIP and enter, it is only $15! See image below for what you recieve as a FWCM. 

Own a WASZP and want to enter?

There are a host of benefits to go with the new IWCM and you can see the full press release here >>> https://www.waszp.com/news/waszp-1000 you will see the value you receive for the membership, we are more than just a racing class, we are a way of life. If you sign up to the IWCM or FWCM you also have the opportunity to win 2nd prize, an Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset, through our partnership with MarineVerse Cup you can experience the WASZP in virtual reality as well as racing your mates all over the globe.

Our class manager Martin Evans has been working hard on the 2021 Event calendar and we will be announcing a full set of events for 2021 by the end of the year and any benefits the class recieves through strategic and commercial partnerships will only be available to IWCM. It is looking like an amazing return to championship racing in 2021 with loads of events to satisfy everyone’s needs.

Can’t wait to see you on the water.

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Sailingfast are sharing the challenging times with everyone of you. Each day we engage with the media, perplexed by the constant stream of bad news, wondering what we could do to help, but at the same time praying for some good news, that might see the restrictions lifted and let us return to the water.

Are you still open?

For now we need to all stay at home, boats parked up in gardens and sailing clubs. That is the advice from the RYA and the government. With sailing clubs closed for the foreseeable, all we can do is hope that sailing is one of the first sports back on the ‘allowed’ list when restrictions do start to ease.

Sailingfast, like many businesses, is reviewing the government advice on a daily basis and very much hope it will be back to ‘normal’, or a version thereof when the lockdown is reviewed on 8th May. We are fortunate to work from home so when restrictions are lifted it will be business as usual very quickly. Social distancing is easily accomplished and we have built in new hygiene measures to our packing system to keep our customers safe.

Until then, like many sailors, we are taking advantage of the time at home to homeschool the children, spruce up the garden and get through the long list of maintenance tasks which invariably gets ignored in favour of travelling the country to support Laser Qualifiers, RYA Youth Nationals and more locally, the Scottish Topper and Optimist Traveller Series.

Those of us who are lucky enough to have our boats at home, now is the time to check things over and make sure you are 100% ready to hit the water when lockdown finishes. Don’t forget to check your sailing clothing too. For now, we must content ourselves with looking back at all the sailing images and footage from previous years and sighing wistfully *sigh*!

New Website launching soon

Now for some good news! We are very excited to launch our new website, something we have been working on for over a year now. With a fresher, updated look, you will also enjoy a more logical layout and straightforward shopping experience.

While the layout and aesthetics are new, the great products and 5 star service is still key to the Sailingfast website. Whether you are a first time visitor or one of our loyal customers, we are sure you will appreciate the ease of use the website delivers, not to mention the exciting new products that we have added.

Keep checking the website as there will be lots of special launch offers.

Sailingfast was founded back in 2002 which means we have nearly 20 years of experience and are always happy to help. As always if you have any questions or would simply like to speak to someone about different options, please call 01324 861 756 or email.