THE YACHTING YEAR 2018 | 89
Class of 1934
If the images of America’s Cup challengers past, in-
cluding the J-Class yachts of the 1930s, whetted your
appetite while watching the 35th Cup in Bermuda
last June, then this image taken by Frank Beken on
a home-made camera in August 1934 might tempt
you. From left, Britannia (K1) and Astra (K2) (both
converted to be Js), Shamrock V (K3) and Candida
(K8) (also converted) give chase to Velsheda (K7) in
the Solent. A limited edition silver gelatin photograph,
printed using the original 8in x 6in glass plate.
From £995
brettgallery.comWaterproof camera VIRB Ultra
This is a great find for any watersports video
enthusiast. Firstly, and most essentially, it’s
waterproof. It captures images and videos,
and those images will be clear and smooth,
thanks to 3-axis image stabilisation. It has
built-in sensors and GPS to record speed and
altitude, and the high-sensitivity microphone
will capture clear audio in and out of its
waterproof case. With HD live streaming.
Price from £313
garmin.comFusion StereoActive
Fusion’s StereoActive is a water-resist-
ant portable marine stereo that floats.
Designed to thrive in marine environ-
ments and engineered to deliver crystal clear audio, the StereoActive will suit the yacht as much as it will the beach BBQ! Oering an
AM/FM radio, USB port for audio playback or smartphone charging, Bluetooth streaming, MP3 playback, and wireless control through
the free Fusion-Link app available for download from the Apple App store and Google Play. It boasts 20 hours of battery life and can
be installed in less than two minutes, without cutting holes or running wires.
fusionentertainment.com
Price £298.95Japanese
binoculars
These 81cm-long (32in)
binoculars once perched
on the conning tower of
a Japanese Word War II
submarine, the only pair
of their type to survive the
war. They are from a huge
I-Class sub, big enough to
carry aircraft. They have
been in the possession of
a Royal Australian navy
captain since post-war days.
Price £POA
nicholasbrawer.comNew Rolex
Sea-dweller
The fact that the words
Sea-Dweller are in red on
this new 2017 model will
have Rolex aficionados
stopping dead in their
tracks. Launched on the
50th anniversary of
the legendary 1967 Sea-
Dweller, it also features – in
another shocker for Rolex
fans – a cyclops above
the date.
Price £8,350
rolex.comSilver J-class
Celebrate the glory days of
the America’s Cup and the
era of the J-Class with this
silver sculpture made by
Theo Fennell.
Price £POA
theofennell.comTYY4 Gear.indd 89 06/12/2017 17:29