The Armourer

by John Curnow on 13 Feb 2017 Q is not about to appear right now. There’ll be no images of Desmond Llewelyn wiping his brow in some exotic location, wearing long socks and desert boots, with those Harry High Pants khaki shorts, and a barrage of one-liner quips for a terribly chipper, and always appreciative 007. The DB5 does not have wing mounted machineguns, nor the Beretta a silencer that all sits so very nicely into a holster under a tailored dinner jacket.

Equally, this is not a tale of the arms race under a box rule, or a measurement rating. No. No. No. This is just about competitive skippers, and boats of ordinary prices. It is a thank you to all the owners out there, especially the ones who keep investing in their craft, and therefore their crew, as time marches on.

They’re the ones that buy new sails and parts regularly, and keep the boat in dare I say it, ship-shape order. Their armoury is having a regatta main for light weather, heavy main for the blow, and maybe an ocean main as well, that could be the choice for deliveries, or even cruising. On board are a Number One, A and B for sure, then usable #2 or #3, and a four for good measure too. There are running kites, because the boat’s a bit older and still has a spin pole, but also A-Sails to fly off the improvised prodder. The smaller, fractional one of which also serves as the new ‘chicken chute’ for the really cool yeehaaa rides that happen every now and then.

Now if the boat’s newer, and possibly of a production racer/cruiser type, then there may also be a real Zero to deploy. Yet the overarching point of it all is that these extra choices keep the boat more than competitive in the kind of club racing that is going on, and most importantly, add real firepower. Not everyone needs to know how to fully interpret a sail chart, but all sailors can tell a tale about the time that sail really did its job in this weather, on this angle, and in this strength.

If you’re going into battle, then a few extra magazines in the ammo cans is always going to come in handy. One of the greatest things I love seeing is the kit left behind on the quay as the boats head off for the day’s racing. Naturally, you just hope all have made the correct selections for their weapons, and not left the best ‘guns’ behind in the Armoury. There’s always that little lump in the throat to add to your adrenalin for the day, and coffee just cannot keep up with that!

So you can see some of Sail-World’s great armourers in Cocko, Alby or Sam at North Sails, Carl Crafoord from Sail Exchange, Hooper sails, or Grant Pellew and the team at Harken, and then there’s Wichard Pacific too… You could also go the whole slog and talk with Bavaria, Jeanneau, or Beneteau - up to you! Of course, then you go and protect it all too with the best in the business - Pantaenius...

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