Yachts & Yachting – April 2018

at the highest level, then it can certainly
make sense to invest a few hundred in
footwear that will help you to perform
as close to 100 per cent as possible.
However, if your big boat sailing is
mostly going for a fun evening race
with a bunch of friends, then the
benefi t of top end gear may be very
minimal, with the caveat that investing
to enjoy your time on the water to
the fullest always makes sense. For
occasional use, an economically priced
product such as Crewsaver’s sea boots
can therefore make a lot of sense.

GRIP
Th is is a function of a number of factors
including materials used for the sole, grip
pattern and drainage channels. Sticky
rubber certainly helps considerably
and the latest versions last longer than
earlier types. Wide channels that allow
standing water to disperse quickly are
good for use in potentially extreme
conditions, even if this reduces the
surface area in contact with the deck.
Th e fi nal element is the small scale grip
pattern. Remember that optimising
grip on deck in wet conditions
invariably means it will degrade quickly
if your footwear is worn ashore.

OFFSHORE BOOTS
Footwear for the most serious off shore
sailing has to be able to withstand the

„Lizard Spin Boot

sto Ocean

Boot

„Dubarry Newport

Yachting Boot

„Henri Lloyd

Shadow Boot

„Gul Fastnet Cordura

Leather Boot

„Helly Hansen

Aegir Gator 2

most arduous of use, potentially for

days (if not weeks) of sustained use

in the most arduous of wet and cold

conditions. High levels of waterproofi ng

and insulation are therefore essential.

Gaiters tend to be favoured as these

provide an additional water barrier,

although they need to drain easily.

Many products also off er a high degree

of physical protection to reduce the

possibility of injury. Musto’s Gore-Tex

Race Boot, for instance, has rubber on

the forefoot to provide protection and

added durability. Th e EVA midsole also

incorporates both footbed and ankle

protectors that provide impact protection

and improve comfort and support.

Coastal and inshore boots have

less of a tough life than high-end

off shore boots. While they still need

to provide the best possible grip and

protection, they don’t necessarily need

to withstand as much water pressure.

Th ese will also oft en be worn for many

24-hour off shore races in the summer

if conditions are not extreme.

Assess the level of insulation needed.

If your boots need to provide warmth

for winter racing, or night sailing,

then a high degree of insulation is

important. On the other hand, if

they are to be worn only for inshore

daytime racing in summer months

then this is less of an issue.

Helly Hansen’s Aegir Gator 2 is

a high performance ocean racing

product. It has a fully waterproof

rubber upper with a protective and

abrasion resistant gaiter. Th e fl exible,

lightweight sole has the company’s

HellyGrip rubber to improve grip.

Dubarry’s Shamrock is the latest version

of the company’s original sailing boat.

It’s made of waterproof and breathable

Gore-Tex materials, plus hard-wearing

Cordura, dry fast/dry soft leathers and

has a non-marking, non-slip sole.

Lizard’s Spin Boot has a diff erent

style to most off shore products. Th e

distinctive lacing system allows the

internal air mesh lining to ‘hug’ your foot

resulting in great support and minimal

foot roll or lift. Th is lacing is protected

by the waterproof outer meaning there

are no lacing points to allow water

ingress or to get caught. Orca Bay’s

latest product is a new rubber sailing

TECH FOCUS FOOTWEAR

We are often guilty of waiting until

footwear is no longer waterproof before

replacing it. That’s misguided

April 2018 Yachts & Yachting 79