This year’s US-based gear supplier, like the past few Newport Bermuda races, is Stars Signatures of St. Petersburg, Florida.  Stars works hard in the year before the race to identify and stock items that race participants will need to get themselves down the rhumb line dry, protected from the sun, and comfortable – and  of course everyone wants to look good on the docks when they get to the RBYC.  This year’s focus is on Gill technical and foul weather gear, supplemented by lots of traditional choices for jackets, polos, T’s, hats, belts, bags and fleece.

BermudaRace.com sat down with Atle Moe, owner of Stars with his wife Kristina, to ask about the Bermuda Race project.  Our first question: what’s the hottest item for 2008?

“The clear winner was definitely the Gill Beanie.  We actually cleaned out both Gill North America’s and Gill England’s stock.  You never know what biggest hit will be and it varies from year to year.  The Beanies were all sold out by the first of May.  In 2006, we were amazed at how many Soft Shell Jackets we sold.  We couldn’t keep them in stock.”

Other hot items are fleece vests and Gill Tech shirts, and there has been an up-tick in demand for belts and windproof fleece jackets.  Caps with the Newport Bermuda Race logo are always a big seller.

We asked Atle when captains should have their gear orders organized and submitted.

“No later than the end of May, and preferably earlier.  We try to cater to the late orders and pride ourselves on making sure everybody gets what they want.  We will keep taking orders into June.  Some of the Gill Technical Gear is where we have the biggest stocking challenges so it is important to place these orders early.  You don’t want to leave the dock without the right gear.”

Atle & Kristina are lifelong sailors.  Kristina grew up in a family that spent all their free time on the water.  Atle is from Norway where boating was his main hobby: “Both my parents came from places where boats were the only means of transportation, so we have salt water in our blood.”  Kristina and Atle are primarily cruising sailors, but cruise these days on their Cape Dory 28 motorboat out of St. Pete.  Before starting Stars Signatures they were both ocean engineers.  With Stars they quickly became suppliers to yacht clubs around the country, and a few years ago were approached by Newport-Bermuda Race organizers to handle race gear.

We asked Atle what the biggest challenges are of being a supplier for the Newport Bermuda Race.  The most important thing, he said, “is to have an excellent staff that can handle the deadlines and field the many questions that customers come up with.  Organization is key to staying on top of orders and not making mistakes.”

Make sure to stop by the Stars Signatures booth at Race Registration in Newport to say hi to Atle and Kristina.  They’d love to hear what race participants are looking for and want to send everyone off to Bermuda well dressed and properly protected.

You can find Newport Bermuda Race gear at www.bermudarace.com, or go directly to the Stars Signatures website at www.starssignatures.com/bermudarace/.