Rod Davis
Stay calm… and speak slowly
My, how things have changed. Bigger cats are foiling at incredible speeds and that is cool. And the AC-related ones have wings; that is a pain in the backside, but still kinda cool. One of the biggest changes, and not cool, more intimidating and chilling than anything else, is the specialist clothing the America’s Cup sailors have to wear. Proof that you should Hope for the best and Plan for the worst. When it comes to lives, all the AC teams take them extremely seriously.
The difference between the kit worn in the first 33 America’s Cups, where it was ‘proper yachting’ as some would like to say, wearing white clothing with a peaked hat, to the kit (battledress really) worn today, is the difference between the outfits of Orville & Wilbur Wright and Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin. Head to toe, the modern AC sailor is in full battledress. Let’s have a look at what they wear, why and how they use it. While we are at it we’ll also look at a few tips for when things do go pear-shaped. Mind you, you are just going to read it… the boys have to live it and breathe it every time they go on the water.
Starting at the bottom and working up: Topsiders The standard shoes for 100 odd years have gone. In fact, all ‘boat’ shoes are out. Today’s cat sailors wear shoes with knobs, almost like tiny football-shaped cleats. They grip the netting in the trampoline, by the little knob going through the gaps while the strands of netting get stuck in between. You are not going to have your feet slide out from under you, unless you are on the dock. Then you have an awkward walk like a cyclist waddling in his clips. Oh, bright colours for the soles are good too, so you can be seen if you’re in the water, upside down… Wetsuit Pretty standard, almost the most standard part of the kit. A little customising for storage of knives, and padding here and there. You will need a couple because they take a beating, thus
20 SEAHORSE
don’t last long. And dayglow colours for the sleeves, again so you can be seen in the water. Body armour Really, it’s more about spine protection that we are most concerned. Modern body armour is light, flexible where it should be, and impact resistant where it needs to be. Pretty cool technology if you don’t think too much about why you need it. The purpose is simple – impact protection. If the boat rolls over there is a good chance you’re going to fall with the initial impact of the wing hitting the water. If you do there is an excellent chance you will hit something hard before you get to the water. Thus the need for, and devotion to, body armour. Lifejacket Daaa, we have had lifejackets since Dennis Conner was a boy! The current AC team lifejacket is not so different really, customised for all the stuff we have to carry, but they float people just the same. Mind you, that is not always a good thing. The AC has a rule that you have to be able to get your lifejacket off in 10seconds. This allows you to swim down under a beam or submerged hull, rather than being pushed up against the trampoline net of an upside-down cat that is preventing you from getting to the surface.
Here is a tip: only lifejackets with a zipper up the front will do. Over-your-head types mean you will have to take your helmet off before getting the lifejacket off. The whole thought of that process while being held under water is, well, simply not pleasant. There is a thought that, in fact, it’s safer with an inflatable lifejacket. Kinda counter-intuitive, but you also might require someone else to pull the tap, like the air hostess demonstration, to inflate and have the lifejacket float you up.
Mind you, the rest of your kit, wetsuit, body armour and helmet, all have buoyancy, so you will float, but at the same time with your lifejacket deflated you will still be able to swim down short distances, enough to get under that hull that lies between you and freedom. Bear in mind also you won’t be treading water for an hour, the chase and rescue boats will be there within seconds
MAX RANCHI
GUILAIN GRENIER/GMR
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