Canandaigua Yacht Club Vanguard 15 Fleet 75

Notes on clothing:

We can’t advertise Vanguard 15s as being “dry” boats – they are too exciting in a breeze for that! “Wet” is a better description, particularly when they occasionally top over. In the summer, wet is good – keeps you cool. In the spring, however, wet and cold can range from “not fun” to downright dangerous. Here is what you can do about it:

Wetsuit – the most basic piece of clothing all dinghy sailors should have. Wetsuits are available in a number of different types, lengths, etc. The most common (and recommended) configuration is made of either combination 2/3 mm neoprene, or of all 3 mm neoprene. Many wear the “farmer john” style (full legs, no arm), while some wear a version with arms. If you get arms, consider getting half arms. You want a suit that is covered on the outside with nylon (unlike the “slick as a seal” outside that some surfing wetsuits have) – the exception could be the chest area, which doesn’t get “chewed up” as much. Several suggestions: German brothers has a special on the Magic Marine Liberty Shortarm and Energy Shortarm (and their female counterparts) – I haven’t tried them, but they come one of the best companies around, and have many good features. Another, full 3mm “classic farmer john” suit would be the Ronstan Skiff suit. Wetsuits are worn either over nothing, a swimsuit alone (allows you to change your mind in the summer and take them off!, or over synthetic long underwear (NOT COTTON) such as Thermax, Coolmax, or other polyester wear. In May, for example, I wear a full “union suit” of light weight thermax, a farmer john wetsuit, and a spray top, and are warm and happy.
Gloves – Sailing gloves are highly recommended for racing. You can get “cold weather gloves”, which are comfy and warm, but for our season, standard gloves will do for most. Try to get gloves made of Amara or something similar – not leather. The leather is a bit cheaper, but has half the life at best and hardens uncomfortably. The most common glove people use are so-called “half-finger” gloves, which are just that. However, I feel that the best combination are “3 full-fingered gloves”, with only the thumb and forefinger tips cut off – the half fingers tend to “bunch up” and lost protection when the going gets tough. True full fingered gloves are OK, but you will probably have to take the glove off to undo shackles, start stopwatches, etc – not recommended except for cold weather. There are many choice here, and they all work – the Magic Marine catalog (Steve’s deal) or some place like Annapolis Sailing give you an idea on the market. Anna Gorbold (another local FD sailor) also notes that Amara water skiing gloves work well, are available locally at good prices.
Boots – in the V15, boots are probably optional, but many small boat sailors use them. The classic choice would be wetsuit boots, while others wear aqua socks, or other things that dry when they get wet. You will be hiking using hiking straps, so most sandals are out – they will abrade the top of your foot. These can be ordered, or purchased locally in canoeing stores, etc. Of the Magic marine stuff the “hiking zipper boot” is in the classic style and price range.
Spray top – not essential, but in cold, windy or wet weather (even during the summer), a waterproof garment can add greatly to comfort, especially if sailing with a “farmer john” wetsuit, which has no arms. Relatively inexpensive zip nylon raincoats work reasonably well here (don’t get them too long in length), but the “anorak” style sailing spray tops work really well, albeit at additional expense. Consider a spraytop that has some sort of elastic or adjustable “cuff seals”, and preferably a neck seal. A reasonable Magic Marine choice would be the “Challenger breathable spray top” or the Musto or Ronstan smocks (a bit pricier).
Life Preserver – called “Personal Flotation Devices” or PFD by the coast guard. Everyone is required by law to have one on-board, and the Sherriff does check! You want a type III vest – these allow much more flexibility than type I vests, and allow you to get under the boom of the boat during tacks and gybes. If you can afford it, get a good vest and wear it more often, instead of a inexpensive vest you hate wearing. A representative collection is here. Several of us swear by the Mystique by Extrasport as being well made and comfortable, but this is an area of personal choice. Magic Marine also makes a line – just check to make sure they are US Coast guard approved.

Other things to consider (this is your mother speaking….):

Cold weather hat – more heat escapes from your head than anywhere else. Hence consider a hat in foul spring weather (if you are insistent on going out).
Sunscreen, and a rimmed hat (see, this is your mother speaking).