Silzig was developed by Alain Daoulas, a Breton from Morgat. This commander of L'École Navale has always practiced sailing. He is also the one who is at the origin of the Grand Prix de l'École Navale. The many regattas he has taken part in have allowed him to think carefully about the safety of sailors.
When a crew member falls overboard, you have to be able to send a floating device to him, pull him to the edge of the boat and finally hoist him on board. Alain developed the Silzig buoy to meet these three phases with a single device.
This "little sausage" (Silzig in Breton) is a flexible tube that closes around the castaway. The Silzig should be connected to the boat by a rope (floating if possible) which should measure about twice the length of the boat: about 20 m for a 10 m sailing boat.
In the shape of a tube (a kind of pool fry), the Silzig offers no resistance when dragged through the water. In the event of a man overboard, the Silzig must be dragged behind the shipwrecked person and once overtaken, the Silzig is turned 90° to "lock it in" with the rope. The man overboard can then grab the Silzig by the handles and let himself be pulled along by lying on it.
The Silzig is built with a strap that crosses it from side to side. It is this strap, which withstands 1.1 tons of traction, that ensures the buoy's solidity. Around it, a foam buoyancy is installed, held in place by the PVC outer casing. This strap ends in a buckle at one end and a carabiner at the other. It can easily be closed around the shipwrecked person and used to hoist him or her aboard. With 145 N of buoyancy, the Silzig meets safety standards and can replace the horseshoe buoy without becoming an outlaw.
Silzig is voluntarily produced in France in Brittany with French products. The production of this buoy provides a living for 6 people. Certainly, this model is more expensive than a simple crown buoy, but it ensures a real security. Just look at the transoms of the boats currently racing, the Silzig is everywhere: Mini, Class40, IMOCA and even on the Ultimate. Often racers tie it across the boat in the lines between the balconies.
The Silzig is available at a price of 159.00 euros.
