Racers’ Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for the perfect gift for the sailor in your life—or want to drop a hint for something you’d like? Our friends at RCR Yachts took a look at multiple gift guides to find some of the most popular recommendations.

Sailing Gear
• Sailing Gloves: A new pair for a new season. Specialized sailing gloves from brands like Harken, Gill, and Ronstan are made in men’s and women’s sizes, come in full or fingerless versions with good grip and protection.
• High-Tech Sailing Jacket: Waterproof, windproof, and breathable jackets from brands like Musto or Helly Hansen.
• Polarized Sunglasses: Reflection and glare off the water and sails is hard on the eyes so choose polarized lenses with lightweight, comfortable frames.
• Deck Shoes or Boots: Look for grippy soles and shoes that are waterproof or quick drying.
• Beanie: Pick a soft, cozy knit hat with fleece lining. Bonus points if you get it embroidered with your boat/team name.
• Customized T-Shirts or Hats: Featuring your team name, boat name, or a funny sailing slogan.

Navigation and Tech
• Racing Watch: A sailing-specific watch like the Garmin Quatix or Optimum Time series, featuring race timers and tactical functions.
• Handheld VHF Marine Radio: Choose a waterproof one with a simple, intuitive interface, good battery life, and buoyancy if it goes overboard.
• Headlamp: Choose one with multiple levels of brightness and both red and white light options.
• Garmin InReach: A satellite tracker that uses the Iridium satellite constellation, it can send an SOS message from anywhere, 24/7. Short text messaging, tracking and one-button emergency calls are all possible.
• Binoculars: You can choose a pocket-sized set or go for a full-sized model from Fujinon, Steiner, West Marine, and others. Go with affordable and basic or splurge on fully-featured with image stabilization and premium optics.

Onboard Comfort
• Dry Bags & Waterproof Cases: There are many options for dry bags from ones with specialized water-resistant zippers to roll-up tops to seal in clothing, laptops, food and more. They come in sizes from cellphone to backpack size.
• Personalized Towel or Gear Bag: Add a monogram or your boat name for a thoughtful touch.
• Yeti Rambler: Keep your coffee hot for early mornings or drinks cold after a race. The Rambler gallon/half gallon jugs make a lot of sense for day sailing racing, either to keep soup hot or your Dark ’n Stormy cold.

Training & Reading
• Tactical Sailing Books
• Subscription to a Sailing Magazine
• Racing Rules App
• A Bonus Book Choice: Barry Pickthall’s ‘A History of Sailing in 100 Objects’ is a great gift for someone who loves sailing. The book gives an alternative insight into how and why we sail the way we do today.

Boat, Safety & Maintenance Gear
• Sailing Knife or Multitool: Compact and corrosion-resistant, perfect for emergencies. Look for features like a marlinspike to loosen a knot or shackle, a serrated edge for tough jobs, and a bottle opener for when it’s time to relax.
• Sail Repair Kit: Most will include everything you need for whipping lines, replacing sewn-on hanks or slides and emergency sail or canvas repairs.
• Sail Graphics: A great way to add some flair to any sailor’s boat. Whether it’s a cool graphic to go with the boat name or the team’s logo, graphics can be a great, creative gift. You can print out a mock-up to wrap.
• Battle Flag: Hoist up your team name and logo before a big regatta or a cruising rendezvous. Contact your local sail loft for options on design, logo, and size.

Experiences
• Sailing Clinic or Coaching Session: A chance to improve skills under expert guidance.
• Tickets to a Sailing Event: Such as a boat show, SailGP event, or local regatta.
• Lego Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 America’s Cup: On a cold, wintry day, you can spend your time building this model of the Americas Cup boat from 2024, which doubles as cool display piece when you’re done.

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