Have you got an ILCA sailor in your life, but you don’t know what to get them from Christmas this year? With the holiday season upon us for another year, you’re running out of time to stock up on gifts for your loved ones. Here are a few ideas for gifts any ILCA sailor will love.
1 International Sailing Academy Course Subscription
With the onset of the pandemic, online coaching took on a whole new level, and training in the ILCA class is no different. The International Sailing Academy is widely considered to be one of the leaders in the ILCA coaching space, having hosted a number of top Olympic sailors, and boasting experience at all levels of the sport. They have a number of ‘go fast webinars’ which can be accessed for a yearly fee of $192 USD.
A clew strap may seem like an insignificant part of an ILCA dinghy, but most sailors wouldn’t be able to get by without one. A clew strap can be easy to misplace, so give the ILCA sailor in your life the gift of security with a back up clew strap which will keep them on the water if their current one goes missing.
3 Rope Upgrade
One of the easiest ways to make your boat feel like new is to upgrade your control lines. Over time, your control lines will get worn out through use, and this can create extra friction in your blocks. Being able to accurately adjust your control lines is crucial in sailing your ILCA fast. Gift your ILCA sailor a new rope pack to make their boat feel like new again.
4 Traveller Corner Protection
One of the most annoying things an ILCA sailor ever has to do are gelcoat repairs. Unfortunately, the traveller blocks wearing out the gelcoat around the fairleads are simply a given in ILCA sailing. This area can be protected through the use of protective tape or fittings. We recommend these polymer stickers from PROtect, which you simply place around the traveller fairleads to prevent wear to the gelcoat.
5 Coach Yourself to Win
Jon Emmett is a world renowned ILCA coach and sailor, having coached multiple ILCA 6 sailors to Olympic level success, and having won numerous ILCA 6 Masters titles himself. Alongside his achievements as a coach and sailor, Emmett also authored a series of world class sailing books. Coach Yourself to Win is one of the most well rounded sailing books, and will give any ILCA sailor the guidance they need to take their sailing to the next level.