JC: You have a pretty trick van, does that make winter sailing more pleasant?
Ross: I have had my van a bit more kitted out for my UK demands, I wanted to be free to travel and make the most of conditions, so I need the van to be liveable in. I have a large storage space separate from the living area, as it’s no good having your wet gear in where you sleep and eat. This space can hold about 8 boards and 15 rolled up sails and masts, kites, surfboards, whatever you need. And then in the front is the living area. The van is insulated and has a sick heater and water tank that is connected to an outside shower, which is also heated . Then I have a sink and some hobs for cooking, lots of cupboard space for clothing and equipment, (cooking and camera.). Then the most important thing, the bed! It is the most comfortable big bed I have ever had with a memory foam mattress. There is also another pull out bed and small table for eating. I only really use these things when I am on the road and off the island. If I am going local, then I think the most useful thing has been the ability to get changed in the warm and not having to suffer the cold, wet, dirty ground outside!
JC: Do you tune your gear any differently for UK conditions ?
Ross: I don’t usually tune my gear differently, I have my style and that’s that. The wind is maybe more dense in the winter time so it can feel harder, so maybe you find yourself using slightly smaller equipment. This winter I found that the wind was actually pretty clean in the UK until the end of January, and then it seemed to become a little gustier and more unpredictable. I like to sail with a fully powered sail so I am always up and planing around.
So for me I look for a good, light feeling, controllable 5 batten sail that’s really comfortable to sail in the upper wind limits. From my experience, a good 5 batten sail is the key to enjoying your sailing in the maximum amount of wind ranges. That’s not to say that the 3 or 4 batten sails are not great sails, just that in the Manic 5 batten sail I feel we have the best of all worlds, it’s super light and soft, which helps let the sail breathe easily and pump to get the low end power, even if you do not feel the sail pulling, it’s discreetly efficient. At the high end, it’s for sure one of the fastest, most stable sails you can hope to use.
“ you know it has been epic when everybody wants to stop for a pint on the way home ! ”