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The VCOLD Hydroflex top differs from all other Hydrophobic tops in its overall weight and construction. Using a hollow yarn fabric that is super stretchy and light to wear, the VCOLD Hydroflex Top is able to trap a significant amount of warmth relative to its overall weight. In addition, the super soft plush lining feels so nice next to skin, you will be hitting the water with a smile no matter how cold it is out there!
Importantly, the Hydrophobic Treatment on the outer stops water attaching to the top meaning that you will stay dry and warm for longer than you would in our standard VCold Base Top.
Featuring Vaikobi's trademark side mesh breathable panels, this top is all set to control your body temperature for maximum performance in cool to cold conditions.
Product Features:
Available now at your local Vaikobi Dealer and at www.vaikobi.com
We are starting to get excited now that it is less than at week until the 2019 Vaikobi Auckland King and Queen of the Harbour which also doubles up as the New Zealand National Ocean Racing Championship!
Rachel Clarke from the Shaw and Partners Race Team will be gunning for her record breaking 7th title in the Women's whilst defending champ Andy Mowlem is going to have fend off a bunch of contenders such as Garth Spencer Tom Ashley Sam Mayhew, Jordan Mclarin, Simon Longdill and Leopold Tepa who are all looking to take his hard earned crown!
With Oscar Chalupsky also in town this week running clinics and racing, the vibe will be electric come race day this Saturday March 30th.
Don't forget to come by and register on Friday afternoon at the World Famous Ocean Culter in Takapuna where the full Vaikobi range of gear will be available!
Open to all Ski's, SUP's and OC's (Waka-Ama in kiwi speak), entries are still open at: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=164095
V is for Vaikobi
John Curnow- Sail-World
Yep. That would be the other two-finger salute. You know, V. So if youre aiming to be victorious out on the water, and certainly look like it before you even start, then please read on. For Vaikobi can certainly assist you with both!
So good engineering is an integral part of any brilliant brand. R&D, real world testing, and then a graphic mnemonic that is just so memorable, are what elevate said brand to the much vaunted, and celebrated status of must have. Such is the case with Vaikobi, the brand that started out looking after paddlers, but has rapidly become the darling of OTB sailors, where fit for purpose is just as important as true, genuine and comfortable fit for your body!
The secret is that in actual fact, the founders know sailing, as they are sailors, but more importantly, they have an in depth appreciation of how to keep you warm, dry, protected from the sun, and safe whilst youre out on the sea having fun. Those four cornerstones are not only brand pillars, but essentially, exactly the way their products split into ranges, or departments. There is the sun department, the warm department, dry department, and the safe department, but well come to all of that in just a moment.
Vaikobi was established in 2012 by husband and wife team, Pat and Adrienne Langley, to provide the most innovative gear for performance water sports athletes. There is more than enough experience in both professional sailing, and also tremendous brands like Line 7, Musto, and Zhik, to go around twice over. As for the founders, well as they put it themselves, We sailed a B14 together a while, and as we survived the test of sailing together, we decided to get married.
All of the team at Vaikobi HQ have kids now, so they actively encourage flexibility for all staff. Youll regularly see them leaving early for school pick ups and after school activities. Likewise, youll often see kids around the office offering their helpful suggestions about the latest gear going into production! Best thing is, as all of the children are now sailing, so it is a great way to ensure they are on top of all the product requirements in real time. It is no mistake that in fact the work practices are simpatico with the products they make and sell, so it is very much a case of modern solutions for modern times.
Focussing initially on the paddle market was also part of the plan, for where they are headquartered on Sydneys Northern Beaches is a Mecca for all manner of watersports. Pat himself is a keen paddler, but here too, the lessons learned in terms of fit, mobility, breathability, durability, warmth, and protection have been well and truly honed, and this is why usability remains paramount.
No doubt this is reflected in the vast array of World, Olympic and National Champions across many disciplines that use/test/report on the gear, and are the companys biggest advocates. Today, you can now find Vaikobi being sold in over 20 countries, and this is set to build even faster from here courtesy of their new and ever-expanding sailing range. Incidentally, many a sailor also uses some of the paddling gear, and the paddlers are now taking to the sailing items rather smartly, as well.
Indeed it was this sort of cross-pollination that caused the Langleys to embark on their Vaikobi Sail Performance project 12 months ago. The aim was to develop sailing gear that worked harder to control your body temperature on the water. We worked with a range of Aussie sailors from the US-based, pro M32 crew on Bliksem, and the most dominant 16-foot skiff team over the past two years, Manly Surf n Slide. Additionally, we worked with a number of other sailors from 16 and 18-foot skiffs, 29ers, 49ers, Open Bics and 505s to ensure our gear performed, and identified any issues or opportunities for development.
In December we released the first of our Vaikobi Sail Performance range, which included our popular VX Race PFD, our VCold Flex2 Long John, and our VDry Performance Smock. Its all about controlling your body temperature when youre out on the water. Using our VCold Flex technology developed over the years, our gear is designed to keep you warm without overheating. We have also added in key design features based on athlete feedback, said Langley.
So the VX Race PFD is the companys signature product. It stems from a long history in creating athlete friendly, compliant, comfortable, and cool looking gear. Yes, we think we have gone a long way to making being safe a cool thing. If it becomes no hassle, because it feels better and looks better, then it is a no brainer. To do this, it was about getting the strap lengths being correct, the cut outs on the front, sides and back just right for comfort, and using our special form fitting foam that moulds on the body means you really dont know that youre wearing it.
Sailors and retailers alike are singing the praises of this one. Thats for sure. It is ISO approved, which aids in global distribution. Apart from being cool and funky, the brand is ultra-aware of its female customers, so there is a special pink version, and it also has its own subtle pattern through it. Quite possibly, this sort of awareness stems from not only the large number of female staff, but also the Langleys own two daughters. Yes. We are certainly aware of the requirement for comfort, and this does show through in our materials and designs.
You know the bright colours are more than just cool, they do stem from visibility, and some Downwind paddling races now specify not just a PFD, but a Vaikobi one at that! With the continued rise of fishing from kayaks, and the paddlers who can be up to 2nm offshore, you would think this sort of item is beyond anything but mandatory.
So from there we move to the warm department, which is called VCold. The layering (VCold Flex) of airprene with specific jerseys, lycra, and obviously strengthening/durability/reinforcement in the seat and knees is quite remarkable, but you also have a clever and unobtrusive shoulder Velcro strap to allow you to get into the item in the first place. If you cannot even get into in the shop, there is a fair chance youll never even buy it
The Long John product is where form, fit, stretch and breathability really amalgamate to give you the ultimate in body temperature control as you range from minimal movement on board, to full and even extreme exertion, and then also theres your range of movement. The hydrofleece panels on the sides attend to a lot of the breathability. It also means the chest area is never tight. Theres also a pocket on the leg for your knife or other. There is also the matching tech top (VCold flex top) that has the breathable side panels, and fleece collars, and heres also a lighter weight version (VCold base top) of that, as well, or choose one of the other existing garments from the range, all of which have no seams in the wrong places!
So then the sun department would be all about short and long sleeve UV50, light weight, 100% moisture wicking tech tops. These come in either fitted or relaxed forms, in a range of colours, and styles that suit every kind of waterborne endeavour, and very much lend themselves to be part of a team fit out scenario. There is a padded, full leg UV pant that can be matched to these, as well. It also benefits from having a high back and lower front, like many of the Vaikobi pants do.
One of the items really taking off is the VOcean board shorts. Originally an inspired paddling solution, these are making a mark in sailing, for not only are they a lot cooler and funkier than your average sailing shorts, they also incorporate an inner Lycra short, together with an airprene padded seat, and then there is the super-stretch board short shell on the outside. This is undisputedly a marvellous, general marine piece of apparel.
So then were off to the dry department, which would be VDry category. The signature item here at the moment is the VDry performance smock, which is a two and half layer, extremely breathable top. It has polyurethane collar and cuffs, adjustable waist, and the fit allows for not being too tight in the chest, too short in the arms, or rises too high as it is just too short. Not so here, in fact the tip is that you may well be one size under your normal selection, as they are generous fitments. Youll also be very happy about the price for what it is, so please do check it out. It will range of OTB to keelboat easily, and will provide cover right up until you start to need to worry about hoods and so forth.
Sitting under this gem are the single layer shell jacket, with mesh lining smock and vest, which also have a generous cut to account for sitting. So it is really about being a spray-protecting windbreaker, and there are cleverly disguised breathable panels across the back and armpits (jacket only of course), with flaps covering them over as a guard to prevent water from ingressing. They have a fleece collar, and a half zip for access, looking better, performing better when engaged in sporting activity, and there is every chance youll be in the either of them a lot for everything from going to the boat to walking the dog.
Now BoatCrewGear.com is an Australian small business that is passionate about sailing and paddling gear, as well as getting the customers the right product. Andrew Hawkins says of Vaikobi, They have always had a range of quality paddling products that we have enjoyed selling. The Vaikobi teams attention to detail and constant communication with the users of their gear has made them one of the market leaders.
When they told us they were releasing a sailing range, we were immediately receptive. Knowing that Pat Langley, one of the founders, is not only a keen paddler but a very accomplished sailor, gave us the confidence to stock the new sailing gear straight away.
"Vaikobi has a reputation for attention to detail, and listening to the users of their products. Pat is as passionate about paddling and sailing gear as we are. Vaikobi's sailing products have a lot of features that show that they have listened to sailors when designing their range."
As Pat Langley says, Overall, the Vaikobi story can be summed up in one word - passion. When you feel better on the water, you have more fun. This is our ultimate goal! See vaikobi.com for more information, product lines, and of course, a stockist near you. Great gear awaits you
SYDNEY, Tuesday 11th December 2018
Pic: TJ has his eyes on the prize
This Saturday marks the return to Ocean Ski Paddling for champion Australian paddler Tim Jacobs at the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Ocean Classic.
Better known as TJ, Tim holds the record for the most wins in the history of the 20 Beaches, having won the iconic race an amazing Seven times.
TJ’s first win was back in 2000, which saw the beginning of a decade where Tim dominated the sport, winning all the major international races and was known as the man to beat.
TJ's last Ocean Ski race was at the 20 Beaches Classic in 2014 when he was pipped by London Olympic Gold Medalist Murray Stewart, (who Tim coached to the Rio Olympics), in a tight finish at Palm Beach.
Pic: TJ and Murray Stewart battle it out for the 2014 20 Beaches Ocean Classic- The last time Tim raced.
Over the past 4 years, Tim has been working hard, growing his construction business and spending more time with his Four kids and wife Renee, however he has not lost any of his speed and the lure of extending his record to eight titles plus the $10,000 first prize cheque has got TJ back on the water and excited to compete again.
TJ will be up against the current crop of the World’s best paddlers, some of which were only five years old when Tim won his first 20 Beaches Title.
The 20 Beaches Ocean Classic takes competitors along the coastline of the Northern Beaches which presents many different conditions and local nuisances that take years to understand. Tim’s intricate knowledge of the race track will no doubt play in the mind of the others he is racing against on Saturday.
When asked how he was feeling about his comeback, Tim commented “I have nothing to loose really and all the pressure is on the young guys who race all year round, so I am really looking forward to getting out there and having fun on Saturday.”
In regards to local knowledge, he commented that "It is a tricky race course and local knowledge will play a big part in deciding who gets to the finish first. I back myself to know the right way to go!”
Pic: Current World Champion, Cory Hill is the man to beat at the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Ocean Classic
It should be an excellent tussle up front with current World Champion, Cory Hill leading the charge up against a host of contenders including Jacobs, Mackenzie Hynard, Sean Rice (South Africa), Jasper Mocke (South Africa), Josh Fenn (South Africa), Tom Norton, Jeremy Cotter, Clint Robinson, Michael Booth, and Pat Dolan and Austin Kieffer both from USA.
One thing is for certain, not many of the contenders will be feeling comfortable seeing Jacobs hot on their tail at any point of the race!
The current forecast for Saturday is for a North Easterly wind, which will see competitors start at Station Beach, Palm Beach. From here competitors will race around Barrenjoey Headland before turning south and navigate around the notoriously rough Bangalley Headland before setting course for a fast run down the coast to Fishermans Beach at Long Reef for a total course length of 20 kilometres.
The Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Classic is proudly sponsored by Shaw and Partners Financial Services and supported by KPMG and Fitness First in partnership with Ocean Paddler.
This year, Take 3 for the Sea is the official charity partner for the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Classic. For more information about Take 3 for the Sea, please visit: www.take3.org
For more race information on the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Ocean Classic, please go to www.20beaches.com.au 
Vaikobi has you covered this Christmas with stacks of gift ideas for your ocean loving friend. Check out these awesome gift ideas hand picked by the Vaikobi Team!
VAIKOBI PADDLE BOARD SHORTS
#1 on everyones gift list this year! The Vaikobi Paddle Boardies combine surf style and paddle function with an innovative “two in one” design featuring the standard Vaikobi paddle short (with 1.5mm seat pad) under a fitted 17” super stretchy and lightweight board short.
No more lycra tight paddle shorts for your man!
Available in Black/Cyan and Black/Orange
VAIKOBI TRAVEL BAG
The Vaikobi Travel Bag is your all in one travel solution. Designed to fit everything you may possibly need for your paddle trip in ONE perfectly sized bag!
Packed with features, this bag will become your "must have" for all your paddle travels to get your gear and paddle from A to B safely and cost effectively.
VAIKOBI HOODED DOWN JACKET
Warm up quickly after those cold sessions on the water with Vaikobi's Hooded Down Jacket!
Designed to provide fantastic warmth and insulation, the Hooded Down Jacket is made from 100% natural down and is extremely light and breathable making it a great jacket to keep you warm around your ocean adventures!
VOCEAN S/S UV TOP
Paddle, Surf, Sail, Swim or simply just hanging out at the beach, this is one of the most versatile UV tops in our range and is perfect for a Christmas down under!
Designed to be relaxed fitting, this will be your go to top, to keep you light and cool whilst also providing UV 50+ protection from the sun!
Available in Fluro Orange, Light Grey and Gunmetal Grey
VOCEAN L/S UV TOP
The VOCEAN L/S UV Top features our super lightweight and stretchy VLight fabrication which is extremely soft feeling for maximum comfort both in and on the water.
Providing maximum protection from the sun to keep your body cool and powering throughout summer.
Available in Silver/Cyan and Silver
VDRY LIGHTWEIGHT JACKET
On or off the water, keep powering with Vaikobi’s super lightweight VDRY Jacket.
The VDRY lightweight Jacket features a super lightweight outer shell, designed to protect your body from the elements whilst controlling body temperature.
You will barely notice you are wearing it apart from the sound of the spray deflecting off your Jacket and away from your body!
VCOLD FLEX PADDLE PANTS
Hands down, the best cool to cold condition paddling pants in the world!
Designed to control body temperature without over heating, the VCOLD FLEX Paddling Pants feature a hybrid of super stretch, perforated neoprene and hydro fleece fabrications, strategically positioned for maximum comfort, breathability and thermal regulation
Race on. The VX PFD has your back.
Introducing Vaikobi’s first Sail Performance Racing PFD, designed for maximum comfort in a sleek minimal profile.
Working with our team of legendary sailors, the VX PFD has been carefully designed to meet key weight and profile requirements to ensure maximum comfort and performance.
So light and comfortable, you will not even notice you are wearing it!
How is possible for an awesome event to become even better? Well the 2018 Shaw and Partners Doctor held on Saturday November 24th, did just that with one of the largest numbers of competitors and arguably the highest level of competition across both the Men’s and Women’s in the history of the great race.
The Shaw and Partners Doctor is the most iconic ocean race in the World for ocean ski paddling, not just because of the amazing downwind run across the channel from Rottnest Island to Sorrento, but also due to the great efforts put in by the race organisers, Dean and Sherene Gardiner and Yanda Morrison.
These three combined with an army of helpers from the West and East Coast of Australia, help make this event special in so many ways.
Thanks to the amazing support from Earl Evans and Allan Zion from Shaw and Partners, the 2018 Shaw and Partners Doctor reached new levels of interest and competition with a record $50,000 of prize money on offer for the main race and an additional $15000 of prize money for the Shaw and Partners sprint series held on Friday November 23rd at Sorrento Beach.
Pic: Shaw and Partners Co CEO Earl Evan's, 20 Beaches Foundation Director Justin Ryan and Cory Hill after the Thursday night sunset series race
Pic: Testing the new finishing chute courtesy of Shaw and Partners!
In it's maiden event, the Shaw and Partners sprint series proved to be a massive hit for spectators and competitors alike with Naomi Flood dominating the women’s and Jasper Mocke from South Africa taking out the Men’s.
Pic: Jasper Mocke (RSA) taking out the Men's Shaw and Partners Sprint Series
Oscar Jones took out the U/19’s in a red hot field whist pocket rocket, Jemma Smith won the super competitive u/19 Women’s.
Jimmy Walker took out the 40+ Men’s whilst Todd Borland won the 50+
Pic: Guy Leach interviewing 40+ Shaw and Partners Sprint Series Winner, Jimmy Walker. For the first time in a long time, Jimmy was speechless
It is fair to say that this will not be the last time this event will be run and the on the beach commentary from Guy Leach was sensational!
Saturday dawned with a forecast for light sea breeze conditions of 10 knots building to 15 later in the day. Certainly not normal “Doctor” conditions but there was promise of some bump in the middle of the channel later in the day.
Pic: The Silverado loaded and ready to head to Rottnest Island
Pic: Light conditions on the way to Rottnest Island
With a small time window granted to race director Dean Gardiner to run the race across the channel in order to avoid shipping movements, the first group of starters (SUP and Wave 1 OceanSki) departed Rottnest at 12.30 pm, followed by the Women’s and Oc’s and then the main OceanSki start at around 1pm.
Pic: The main field start
Once around the green channel marker off Rottnest Island, all competitors turned left, aiming for the Centaur mark positioned 20km across the channel off Scarborough Beach.
Usually 1-2km offshore from Rottnest Island, the waves start building and the fun begins, however this year it was to take more than 16km before any decent runs emerged as the sea breeze built closer to the coast. The last 11kms of the race saw some nice runs emerge which made all the effort worth it...if you still had any energy to maximise them.
In the Women’s Ocean Ski, Surf Athlete Georgia Laird from Northcliffe Surf Club on the Gold Coast came out all guns blazing and together with her coach, Naomi Flood, took the lead early on with Teneale Hatton and Hayley Nixon in hot pursuit.
Pic: Georgia Laird the Shaw and Partners Doctor 2018 Women's Winner
In the end, it was Georgia who took home the $10,000 in a sprint finish with Naomi Flood who claimed $6000 for her efforts. Teneale Hatton finished 3rd with Vaikobi Hayley Nixon (Vaikobi, Eurosteel, Shaw and Partners, Carbonology) in 4th and Rachel Clarke (Shaw and Partners/ Vaikobi/ Epic/Bennett) in 6th on her way back from elbow injury.
Central Coast's Gemma Smith took out the u/19’s and finished an impressive 5th overall.
It was fantastic to see so many more women competing this year and we look forward to seeing even more girls racing at the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches on December 15th.
The Men’s Ocean Ski saw the who’s who of international paddling all on the start line and ready to fire. The only people missing this year were Hank McGregor (new baby born) and Dawid Mocke. Everyone else on the World Tour was there and seriously gunning for the $10,000 first prize.
Sean Rice (RSA), Cory Hill (AUS), Macca Hynard (AUS), Kenny Rice ( RSA) Michael Booth (AUS), Clint Robinson(AUS) , Mark Ando Anderson (AUS), Tom Norton(AUS), Austin Kieffer (USA) and Jasper Mocke (RSA) were all expected to be contenders for the title with each having a legitimate chance of taking the title.
In the U/19 Men’s, a tight battle was expected amongst Oscar Jones, Josh Fenn and Noah Harvard.
It was a drag race to the Centaur mark with Cory, Macca, Sean Rice, Clint Robinson and Michael Booth all arriving close together in a pack. For the last 7 km’s, the pace lifted and the group began to fracture.
Pic: Cory Hill takes out the Men's Shaw and Partners Doctor
In the end, the Current World Champ, Cory Hill paddled his Fenn Elite S to a solid 20 second win from fellow Shaw and Partners/ Vaikobi/ Bennett team mate, Macca Hynard in his Think Uno Max, who is peaking at the right time of year.
Veteran Ocean Paddler and Olympic Gold Medalist, Clint Robinson finished an impressive 3rd from Sean Rice (Vaikobi, Think, PaddleLife) in 4th.
Michael Booth (Shaw and Partners Race Team/ Vaikobi/ Fenn/ Ocean Paddler) showed that his years of dominating the SUP scene has not slowed him down on the ski to finish an impressive 5th. Watch out for Boothy when he returns to the Ski for the 20 Beaches Ocean Classic in Sydney!
Pic: Men's Top 6 from Left to right: Tom Norton, Michael Booth, Sean Rice, Clint Robinson, Macca Hynard, Cory Hill
Pic: Women's Top 5 Left to right: Gemma Smith (5th), Naomi Flood (2nd), Georgia Laird (1st), Teneale Hatton (3rd), Hayley Nixon (4th)
In the U/19’s Josh Fenn from South Africa paddled a superb race to win from Oscar Jones and Noah Harvard in 3rd
James Casey took out the Men’s SUP from Tim Crypien and James Knowles in 3rd.
A massive congratulations to everyone for successfully completing the Shaw and Partners Doctor race again this year.
Pic: Ocean Paddler's 100+ ski's they supplied competitors for the Doctor, taking a much needed rest!
Without the brilliant support of lead sponsor Shaw and Partners, Event Organisers, Ocean Paddler and all the AORS sponsors- Vaikobi, Fenn, Epic, Think, ASN, Bennett, Gara, Kani and Sharkskin, this event would not be possible.
The focus now turns to the next round of the Australian Ocean Racing Series with the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Classic in Sydney on December 15th with $75,000 on offer. See you all there!
Full Race Results can be viewed at:
