Dubarry Sea Boots rule the waves

by Brett Filby on 26 Nov 2006 In 1994, the 50th Sydney to Hobart brought to Australia some of the world’s best crews and with them some of the best yachting gear not previously seen down under. Most curious being the Dubarry sea boat looking initially more suited to rodeo riding then offshore yachting.

My first pair of Dubarry sea boots were purchased for the 2000-mile Pacific cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2002. Prior to the race all reports forecast the first few days off the Californian coast to be very wet and for their summer, alarmingly cold. Second night of the race in freezing conditions the Dubarry boot became the saviour.

The boats skipper thought the reports were somewhat exaggerated and started the race with only water proof socks under his deck shoes, how sorry was he, with the little Mumm 30 totally awash for the first three very uncomfortable days.

The Dubarry tradition began as a specialist hand stitched moccasin manufacturer in County Galway on the west coast of Ireland during the 1930's. Since then Dubarry has developed this heritage and expertise, combining generations of skilled craftsmanship with the best of modern developments in footwear technology to produce world class products for the most demanding environments.

Martin Burke, is one of Australia’s leading marine importers and manufactures and holds the import license to distribute Dubarry’s range of marine footwear, he says, 'Dubarry is still a leading player in sailing, it is an Irish company that was set up with part ownership from the Irish government and an English family owned the other half.'

Burke continues, 'In Ireland they are the shoe brand, they make school shoes and everything. Then a Danish company approached them to make sailing shoes and that is how they got into the boat shoe business.

‘They came up with the Goodyear sole grip pattern, the pattern that disperses water in multiple ways. It really made them quite famous.

Then the other thing they used and still use is the English leather called Pittards leather, which is specially oiled leather that doesn’t let water through but breathes. They really invented the category of boots; they certainly did change boots I think. In the marine area they were the first. We sell a lot before major events.'

Further, 'the best footwear components and technology are used to manufacture Dubarry footwear. All leathers are uniquely water resistant with quick dry properties to ensure your boots and shoes retain their shape over time.' Burke explains, 'The use of GORE-TEX lining offers waterproofing and breathability in addition to wicking perspiration away from the foot ensuring a dry and comfortable environment even in the most extreme conditions.'Additionally a 'unique range of footwear care products has been developed by Dubarry to help you maintain your boots and shoes.'

Quality defines the entire manufacturing process, from the selection of raw materials to the visual inspection of every pair and Dubarry was the first shoe manufacturer in Ireland or Britain to achieve the ISO 9001 International Standard for excellence in quality. The flagship product is mostly the unique boot range that has become the footwear of choice for leading yachtsmen and crews competing in The Race, the Admirals Cup, the Vendee Globe, Americas Cup and B.T. Global Challenge amongst others.

Without doubt the clear indication of the unequalled performance of the Dubarry sea boots comes from the frequency with which they have been chosen for most of the major open water ocean racing events around the world.

Little wonder then, that when Volvo came to select the Official Footwear Supplier for the ultimate offshore racing event, that they chose Dubarry for the Volvo Ocean Race!

For the Tow Truck crew, our latest extreme test for the Dubarry sea boot came with our entry in the 2005 Sydney to Hobart race, with the entire crew wearing Dubarry Sea boots.

As could be expected in a Mumm 30 we continually found ourselves standing in cold, ankle deep water as we surfed downwind across Bass Strait, and that was just below decks.

The Mumm 30 Tow Truck was the first, and probably the last, of her breed to sail the 628 nautical miles to Hobart in the 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart race.

Our Lake Macquarie crew had raced the Mumm 30 hard, up and down the Australian East Coast. She won the 469 nautical mile Sydney to Mooloolaba race on IRC Handicap overall in 2005.

We figured we could have a glamour race if the conditions were right. With a 30 knot tail wind, Tow Truck is 50 foot long, but if the breeze turns she is 9.43 metres and very, very wet. We were hoping for a race like 1999, which would have ‘the little flier’ across Bass Strait and half way down the Tasmanian coast before we hit the wall.

It was tough going, on the second day a trysail and storm jib in the middle of Bass Strait. It was a long way; we had a south -wester 40-45 for 12 hours, on the nose, pretty yuk.

There was not a bit of the boat that did not get wet. When the wind settled from the north-west we had some really wild rides.

We had 30 plus knots of wind and we did 15 to 18 knots boat speed. We had a lot of knockdowns. It was a very confused seaway and we had a tough time - the boys had a lot of fun, but were battered and tired. We finished off with a jib top and storm chute; we just ran out of runway and pressure.

We had done it, we ticked the box and we can report that Mumm 30’s are not meant for Hobart. It was the most grueling conditions we’ve ever endured.

The Dubarry sea boots played a very important role in keeping the entire crew dry for the duration of the race. Don't go offshore without them!!

For further information on Dubarry sea boots visit http://www.burkemarine.com.au