The Best of METS 2011 A Look at the Coolest New Sailing Toys By David Schmidt


Portlight, which is better suited to the powerboat and cruising set than the dedicated racer. The DAME jury was particularly impressed with the fact that the Revolving Portlight opens on the same plane as its closed-position orientation, thus eliminating the issue of lost cabin space when the portlight is opened.


Lewmar Solar Panel Hatch


One of the coolest aspects of my job as one of SAIL Magazine’s editors is my role testing and evaluating sailing equipment. This often requires travel, and while the Annapolis Boat Show is a great consumer opportunity to ink deals, the annual industry-only METS trade show—held each mid-November in Amsterdam—is impossible to beat, both for new offerings, and for international variety. While Amsterdam’s nightlife is legendary, the show offers a rare glimpse at brand-new gear that won’t be in full circulation until next year, as well as European gear that won’t necessarily immigrate to the States.


METS is staged in the massive


Amsterdam Rai convention center, a building so immense that it takes most show goers the full three days simply to lap each aisles once—especially if you’re like me—prone to investigating all the eye candy along the way. Fortunately for show goers who are less tapped into new-gear releases than myself, the DAME awards— recognizing innovative new gear—are presented at the beginning of each METS show, helping to illuminate some of the show’s most forward-thinking gear. While the show’s offerings were as equally vast as the halls themselves, here’s a look at some of the most innovative and interesting toys that were to be found at METS 2011:


Think you’ve got big winches


aboard your boat? Check out Harken’s new Captive Reel Winch, which was 48° NORTH, JANUARY 2012 PAGE 56


designed for the super-yacht crowd. This mighty unit can be fitted either above or belowdecks, and can tackle frighteningly high loads.


Solar panels are great, but they’re


not always the most aesthetically pleasing things when fitted to racer/ cruisers. Lewmar overcame this issue with their newest hatch, which is equipped with several “stealth” panels that feed into a USB port. According to Lewmar’s PR team, this is especially good news for distance racers who want to juice their iPods without cluttering up the nav station with USB wires, or for owners who want to trickle charge their house batteries while the boat hangs on her mooring.


For the classic-yacht owner who


hates rope stretch, New England Ropes unveiled their new Vintage Sta-Set, a high-strength, low-stretch double- braid line with a high-tech core and a vintage-looking rope jacket. Vintage Sta-Set is available in four sizes to cover a wide range of applications and is purportedly easy to splice.


Spinlock turned heads with their Harken’s Captive Reel Winch The DAME jury was especially


fond of Stampaggio Costruzioni Meccaniche’s (S.M.C.) Revolving


new Deckvest LITE, a simplified version of their heavy-duty (and exceptional) Deckvest, which debuted in 2007. The LITE is designed for day sailors, cruisers, and even the powerboat set that want the protection and comfort of an auto-inflating PFD, but without excess bulk and weight. The Pylon can be fitted to the LITE, adding another degree of safety to a MOB situation. Finding souls unfortunate enough


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