Think of sailing and images of relaxation spring to mind, like sipping wine on the foredeck as you catch a few rays while you just hop across the Channel for a long weekend. We sailors know better. Even cruising requires copious amounts of energy to keep the boat in shape and the sails trim, not to mention all the rope pulling. Chapped fingers and rope burned hands become common place - not quite so glamorous. Thankfully Gill have come to the rescue - with the Championship Glove.
Last weekend I took a pair of Gill Short Fingered Championship Gloves sailing to see if they could stand up to the challenge of offshore racing. As you know from previous articles - I tend to feel the cold more than most out on the water, and can usually be seen sporting a woolly hat and ski gloves. In my cockpit position in the racing crew, I find they tend to be the best winter rope pulling gloves as they have warmth, grip and are waterproof. However due to the heat wave, I didn't need any extra insulation!
The Championship Gloves have excellent grip due to Kevlar® reinforcement and Proton™ palm. The seamless wraparound construction prevents rope burn and the combination of the two materials gives more advanced abrasion resistance so that they can cope with the nautical wear and tear. At £20 they won't break the bank either.
Due to the size and shape of my hands, I decided to go for the men's XS pair as they fitted snugly in between my fingers, though felt slightly constricting around the knuckles. This feeling soon went after I'd worn them for a few hours. Other than this they were very comfortable even when wet. It was no problem wearing them for 14 hours on the trot.
The gloves did take a while to dry while wearing them, but if you took them off and hung them up, they were dry in about 10 minutes (Bear in mind, it was about 30C). The only real problem I had with the glove was similar to a wetsuit - you had to peel them off your hands to take them off quickly. This meant all the fingers were turned inside out and made it rather a long struggle poking them all back through to get them on again - not very helpful in a rush!
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A great glove for foredeck and trimmers alike - pretty much any position you may be working with ropes. A steal at £20, the Gill Championship Gloves are an essential for everyone's summer sailing kit, though I think something more substantial will be needed in the winter months. |
For more information on Gill visit www.gillmarine.com
