Choosing antifouling

Choosing the right antifouling is one of the most crucial sailing decisions you’ll make all year. New sails, carefully tensioned rigging and vigilant balance and trim are worthless if beneath your boat resides a malevolent hybrid between a coral reef and the hanging gardens of Babylon. Even moderate fouling can easily lose you a knot or more of boat speed, slowing your cruising, affecting handling and destroying any chances you might have round the cans.

For this reason, racing sailors can frequently be seen scrubbing their hulls or even dry-sailing their boats (keeping them ashore) to make sure the hull is perfectly smooth and clean, but most cruisers prefer a lower-maintenance