Click on the Logo to visit the Aztec Camping web site

Sleep is a valuable commodity, especially when you are trying to race your boat through some of the most demanding waters around the british isles.

The team were all equipped with Aztec Compact sleeping bags, and as you can see from the image on the left, they were very welcome.

One or two of the team were doubtful as to the performance of Aztec's lightest sleeping bag so a trial was run during March. Stormcruiser was sailed from Kip on a very cold night and spent two days and nights sailing around the Firth of Clyde.
The sleeping bags passed the test, they are now a valuable part of the crews race gear.



Click on the Logo to visit the Mag-Lite web site

What do you do when it is pitch dark and the backlight on your instruments fails? A torch is the obvious answer. What about your night vision?

Help was at hand in the form of a Mini Maglite AA torch and one of the dedicated accesories from Niteize. The coloured Glowspot simply pushes over the Maglites and provides a soft coloured glow, in this case Red.

The end of the Glowspot is open so that a narrow beam of white light is available for looking at charts.

The setup saw us through two very cold nights on the same set of batteries and gave us the ability to read all the instruments and still see what was happening to other yachts around us.



Click on the Logo to visit the Recta web site

Approaching unknown harbours using only the charts is not a problem for Stromcruisers crew but it does help when you add in transits and bearing from other marks.

Scott is taking a bearing on our approach to Salen on the Isle of Mull using the new marine compass from Recta. The accurate and easy to use compass was actually more accurate than the big steering compass at Stromcruisers helm!



Click on the Logo to visit the Swiss Army web site

As with all activities Victorinox produce a Swiss Army Knife for the job. The Skipper, one of the lockback series of Swiss Army Knives, designed for marine use came in handy throughout the race.

From tightening shackles, cutting new sail ties, opening bottles of beer! This is the Navy remember!

Stormcruiser's skipper, Ian Jones carries his Skipper knife on a lanyard attached to his safety harness so it is always to hand.

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