BOATS & EQUIPMENTBOATS & EQUIPMENT
APRIL 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 77Durable
foulies
Racers get
all the new
kit, but
there’s no
reason why
us cruisers
shouldn’t
benefi t too.
Gill’s KB1
Racer is claimed to be
5% lighter, 50% more durable
and 10% more breathable than
its predecessor.
The KB1 Racer uses tough,
three-layer waterproof
and breathable fabric. Its
ergonomic fi t is designed
to move with you, boosting
comfort and allowing for easier
movement around the boat.
The high-cut salopette has
broad shoulder straps with
plenty of stretch, which can be
adjusted for a wide range of
body lengths, and there’s extra
adjustment at the waist.
A ‘tactician’s pocket’ on the
right thigh, made from see-
through material, is designed
to hold pilotage notes or a
touch-screen device. Tough,
reinforced fabric protects
Prices £249 for jacket or smock,
£249 for trousers
Contact Gill
Tel 0115 946 0844
Web http://www.gillmarine.comPrice from £24/pair of glasses
including coasters
Contact Silwy
Tel +49 8551 9153022
Web http://www.silwy.deNon-slip coasters are nothing
new, but these German ones
have more attraction than
most. They’re reusable, self-
adhering, will attach securely
on any clean, non-porous
surface and have a metallic
layer inside. The colour-coded
plastic glasses have a magnet
in their base, just the right
strength to hold a full glass in
place – not so strong that the
contents go everywhere when
you lift them and the magnets
release. Lids for the glasses
keep the contents inside if
they do take a tumble.
I’m not a fan of plastic
glasses, so I’m more interested
in the real glass range coming
out later this year. Obviously
the system only really works
with Silwy’s special coasters,
but if you have a steel boat...Magnetic plastic glasses
Raymarine’s Quantum radar
uses CHIRP pulse compression
(where the signal frequency
varies during the transmission
pulse) to give a sharper, more
defi ned image that’s easier to
interpret on screen. It’s claimed
to detect land masses from 24
miles away and solid objects as
close as 5.5m (18ft).
Two big advantages over
conventional magnetron
radar are weight and powerLightweight CHIRP radar
consumption. 18in radar arrays
usually weigh about 10kg – a
lot to have high above the deck,
reducing the effectiveness of
the ballast in your keel – but this
one weighs 5.4kg. It uses less
than half as much power: 17W
when transmitting and 7W in
standby, compared to the usual
40W/20W. There’s no warm-up
time, upgrading owners can
use adapter cables, and it can
be ‘networked’ via wi-fi with a
compatible Raymarine display.compatible Raymarine display.high-wear areas from impact
and abrasion.
The top is available as a
jacket or a smock, both with
a lightweight, redesigned
hood. The makers claim you’ll
hardly notice the hood when it’s
stowed, but that when deployed
it stays fi rmly in place even
when it’s blowing old boots.Price from £1,495
Contact Raymarine
Tel 01329 246 700
Web http://www.raymarine.comNearly every yacht has over-
head hatches; some have
blinds and fl y screens, but
many don’t and if yours is one
of them, this product will give
you ventilation without light
when you want it, and you’ll
avoid becoming a midnight
feast for passing bugs.
Originally sold as either a
fl yscreen/mosquito net or a
blackout blind, the two have
been combined into a three-
layer black-out blind mosquito
net with a refl ective outer
surface. A small suction cup,
with a string attached, sticks to
the inside surface of the hatch,
the string threads through
the blind where an adjustableBlack-out
mosquito net
toggle slides up the string,
holding the blind in place.
It’s sold in various sizes to
suit anything from a small
portlight (23 x 49cm/10in x
1ft 7in) to a large forehatch
(800mm/2ft 7in square).Price from £24
Contact Waterline Design
Tel +46 8 837 000
Web http://www.waterlinedesign.se