As we approach the UK's winter, it's worth noting that Clipper Yachts are not heated! Some will have a small oil-filled heater & dehumidifier which is aimed, largely, at trying to keep the crew area and sail bags (in the same place on a Clipper 68 training yacht) as dry as possible when alongside and between courses.

However, overnight and when at sea, Winter on a Clipper Training Yacht is cold. When there are lots of people below, it can also get wet, with lots of warm breath and a cold deck making for a chilly rainforest in some conditions.

​The best way to plan for this is to invest in a specialist marine sleeping bag. Ocean Sleepwear do one which is Goretex ™  lined and has dual fleece interiors. These are great bags, but not cheap. The basic mummy-shaped bag comes in at over £250 and the square 'Volvo' bag is over £300. Our pre-used classified ads also have Ocean Bags from time to time.

The Sutherland Sleeping Bag is perfect for fishing trips into the wild. Designed in durable ripstop polyester fabric, it is fleece lined for better insulation and extra warmth when out camping on cold winter evenings.

SPECIFICATION

• 3/4 Season - Cold nights early Winter
• Left Hand Zip - The zip is located on the left hand side, perfect for right handed people
• Two Way Zip - A two-way zip is useful for easy opening when ventilation is required. Zips can be full length or just half way.
• Envelope Shape - Envelope shaped bags are essentially rectangular, offering you more space to move around in your sleep
• Rip Stop Fabric - Stop rips in their tracks with this heavy duty fabric
• Insulation - Insulated with hollow fibre stuffing
• Personal Preference - Please remember that everyone feels the hot and cold differently. Always go with your personal preference
• Great For Outdoor Adventures - Perfect for outdoor activities like fishing trips in the wild
• Extreme Rating - Can be used for extreme temperature of -18°C. This is a survival temperature only. The bag is not intended for regular use at this temperature
• Comfort Temperature - The comfort temperature for this sleeping bag is 3°C to -2°C. This is the minimum temperature that the sleeping bag is designed for
• Weight - 3.7kg
• Dimensions - 220cm x 98cm
• Packed Dimensions - 32cm x 45cm

If you are training in the UK between October and April, I seriously suggest you consider buying one of these warm, fleece-lined sleeping bags. The Volvo Ocean bag is brilliant, but about 5 x the price of this bag.

The Sutherland bag can be ordered on Amazon and delivered in the UK. They sell for about £60 at the time of writing.

In this short video I discuss what you should be thinking about packing for a cold ocean leg. In this context, I consider Cold Ocean Legs to be Legs 2, 3 , 4, 6 and Leg 8.

Fierce Turtle (Packing for Training)   : http://bit.ly/PackingListfortraining

Check Out our Classified Pages for pre-used kit:
​https://www.fierceturtle.co.uk/pre-used-kit

Le Chameau Boots:  http://bit.ly/sailingboots
Ocean Sleeping Bag Hire: http://bit.ly/oceansleepingbag

Sailing in the Southern Ocean in Summer is a tough old gig, even for the pros on The Volvo Ocean Race. It seems no coincidence that so many use the Le Chameau Neptune boot for the really tough, cold race legs.

Click here for our review of the Le Chameau Neptune. Clipper Crew can claim 15% OFF the Le Chameau Neptune if purchased in February 2018.

The DISCOUNT CODE is WARMFEET.  Just enter the code at checkout.

Sail safe.

Leg 2 is, as the name suggests, still quite early in the race. The round-the-world crew and those that are continuing from leg 1 have some experience and they will know their way around the boat and be much better at sailing her and undertaking 'evolutions' such as reefing and sail changes. Also, leg 1 is over and the race is very much on!
 
In previous years the race has started in Rio de Janeiro and finished in Cape Town.
 
Pros;

• You cross an ocean again, this time the South Atlantic and sail from South America to Africa. That's pretty cool.
• As the second leg, you have a crew that has more experience. The competition is getting fiercer.
• You have all received the same training and those that have completed race 1 are there to help you learn the ropes again.
• The race starts in warm climes but the fleet usually dive South to get the benefit of the Westerlies rolling around the bottom of the planet. It is likely that you will dip below 40 degrees South and into the Roaring Forties and the Southern Ocean!
• The weather is varied but gets colder as you go South. You may encounter some head winds and the weather generally can get pretty lumpy sometimes as you find out the bigger winds. Warmer clothing and decent boots are required!
• ​​If you sail from Rio to Cape Town you have some pretty iconic approaches to sail and both cities are pretty iconic in their own right. You also get to sail to one of the Great Capes.
• I liked Leg 2. It offered varied and challenging racing, it wasn't too long a crossing and you get close to the Southern Ocean and one of the Great Capes. 
• It is one of the shorter legs in terms of time, meaning less time off work.

 
Cons;

• A large part of the whole race is downwind, but Leg 2 might have some upwind or beam reach sailing too as you drop South and East trying to find the quickest way to Africa. This makes for some challenging sailing, especially as the temperatures drop and the winds increase. This is generally considered a 'pro' but if this doesn't appeal. this leg might not be the best for you.
• You generally only get to do one race, unlike leg 8 for example, which might be split into several shorter races. If the race goes wrong for your boat for some reason, that's your whole race done.
• If you are combining a leg with travel, then landing in South Africa is pretty good. I know several people that have done 2 or 3 legs and travel continents in between. That's a great way to spend a year!
• My experience of the race was that in the first couple of races, racing is generally not as close as the last few. The fleet tends to close up as everyone (in particular the round the world crew) become more experienced and they gel into a team. So leg 2 might not be quite as close on the water as leg 8 for example. The racing is still close though.
• It is one of the shorter legs in terms of time, meaning less time off work (see pros above also!)