WHAT'S IN YOUR KIT?

Here's What To Bring On Your Next Adventure Around The Racecourse

Long-distance racing is one of my new favourite ways to enjoy this sport. Having put a few of these races under my belt in the past couple years, I’ve pared down my kit to the essentials, including a couple indulgent items that I like to bring as well, space permitting. Your boat will likely have a size restriction of the bag you bring, so find out before you pack your largest suitcase with every piece of sailing gear you own, “just in case”.

Outside The Bag

Good foulies. I spent the 2018 Caribbean 600 in a pair of pants that were no longer waterproof. Even in the tropics, I was cold and miserable.
Boots: unlike day racing, once your feet get wet out there, they can stay wet until you’re over the finish line (ew!)
Life jacket with tether, if not provided by boat.

Inside The Bag

Base layers: I have a set of 100% silk layers that I love, but merino wool is the popular choice. Natural, wicking materials are your friend here. It gets cold at night, even in the summer or in the Caribbean.
1 pair of long pants: I bring a pair of lulus that I wear over the silk if it’s really cold.
1 pair of shorts: Fast-drying, comfortable shorts. If you can get a pair with a padded rear, do it.
2 T-shirts: I prefer long sleeved UV shirts, especially on wetter boats where my sunscreen might not last long.
1 sweater to layer at night.
Wool socks: I also bring my layering socks (made for skiing), for super cold nights.
Gloves, and if you’re in colder weather, bring waterproof ski gloves, especially if you're driving!

Small Items

Baseball cap and/or a toque. Nothing is worse than being sunburnt on your scalp or freezing.
Sunglasses. The raccoon eyes tan is always in.
Sunscreen or a Zinc stick. Reapply often.
Chapstick. There's nothing worse than chapped, salty lips. I put one in every pocket of my jacket.
A sailing knife for safety.
Extra hair elastics and a comb. Missed this once, 5 days later my hair was a salty matted mess. If you have long hair and want to keep it, don’t forget this one.
Baby wipes. Baby wipes. Baby wipes. You will probably use these to shower.

Bonus

Coffee! This is my one non-essential / essential item that I always bring with me… Now. I learned the hard way that the provisioning isn’t always perfect; we ran out of coffee in the last two days of my first delivery. I’ve brought my own coffee since, just in case.

I don’t bring a reusable water bottle. This seems counterintuitive in 2019, but unless your boat has a drinking fountain on board, you’re probably going to be drinking out of single use bottles. I bring a thermos-type bottle for coffee, if the boat doesn’t have them for crew.