Field note
This initial loadout is a transparent composite drawn from national-event practice, not a quotation attributed to an invented official. The voice is deliberately practical; future versions can feature named mark layers, their photographs and the reasons behind their individual choices.
My grab bag — the items I use all day
This stays with me, rather than with a particular RIB. Everything is tethered or contained, and the frequently used items are accessible without unpacking the boat.
- Configured handheld GPS with fresh power and lanyard
- Hand-bearing compass kept away from magnets
- Waterproof notebook, soft pencil and permanent marker
- Event channel card, call signs and compact course table
- Watch with seconds display
- Personal VHF or agreed event radio plus tether
- Anemometer and lightweight burgee or wind indicator
- Polarised eye protection with retaining strap
- Sun protection, warm layer and compact food/water
My waterproof setup box
This is the box that makes a borrowed RIB familiar. I divide it into labelled pouches so a crew member can find an item from a one-line instruction.
- Known GPS cradle, short ball arm and correctly sized clamp
- Independent device tethers and spare lanyard cord
- Rubber isolation strip for clamps
- 12V and USB power leads, power bank and dry charging pouch
- Radio adapter, PTT, headset windshields and connector caps
- Small cable ties, reusable straps and self-amalgamating tape
- Multitool, adjustable spanner and compact screwdriver set
- Spare pencils, marker, laminated cards and cloth
My small repair pouch
The aim is to finish the day safely, not perform a permanent workshop repair afloat.
- Assorted shackles and mousing wire or ties
- Short Dyneema loops and pre-made soft shackles
- Sailmaker’s palm or compact needle and whipping twine
- Electrical and self-amalgamating tape
- Spare burgee tails and microphone windshields
- Knife secured in a sheath and positioned for emergency access
- Head torch for late recovery
What I expect the event to provide
Personal kit must not blur responsibility for statutory or event safety equipment. The organising authority should provide an appropriate RIB, fuel, kill cord, anchors, warps, marks, first-aid and safety equipment, charts or local hazard information, and the event’s approved communications plan.
Three things I do before launch
I photograph the final RIB layout, confirm which box each spare is in, and test a full radio exchange at engine speed. That ten-minute routine prevents most of the frantic searching later.
What stays ashore
Loose gadgets, untested adapters, large tool collections, open coils of cord and anything without a secure home. Every extra object in a RIB becomes weight, clutter or a snagging risk.