Many thanks to those who thought me worthy of this prize of the Dubarry Fastnet boots.

The boots are much appreciated and I will try to give an honest unbiassed review on them in a years time.

As I sail a small and relatively wet boat and in nearly all conditions, I'm sure they will be put to the test.

Two tips

• don't wear them ashore as the soles will wear too fast!
• always wear socks inside them, I wore my Dubarries without socks for half a season, the smell is unbelieveably disgusting, even three years later, they have to be stowed in a plastic bag in a cockpit locker, despite the attention of all the shoe deoderisers and immersions in bio active washing liquiods!

Next time my boys empty the freezer of pizzas I will give it a try!

I think if you wear them without socks, all the dead skin goes into the goretex and that is what the bacteria seem to feed on - at least thats my theory!