Customer Reviews
the biggest watch I own... 
2007-11-29
It's fairly large to say the least but doesn't seem too heavy. I have pushed the wrist side buttons a few times when moving my hand back.
The screen is big and easy to read in normal light, the thermometer is fairly useless when the watch is worn on the wrist as it always reads your wrist temperature rather than the air temperature. The backlight is not particularly bright so viewing in low light conditions is less than ideal.
The different modes are easy to navigate once you get the hang of it.
On a recent visit to a US city, the compass proved most useful in navigating the downtown area where the orientation became confusing.
The beeper for the sail timer is rather quiet but perhaps this will improve when I replace the battery.
Overall quite pleased but would like to have had a keylock, louder alarm and brighter backlight. (Leather strap would have been nice too as the metal case is great but the strap looks a bit cheap.)
Good Buy but be prepared! 
2007-01-19
This is a really good watch. The features are pretty handy - barometer, temperature, can store readings, etc.
The only concern is regarding the size of the watch. I gave it to my boyfriend for Christmas and that was the key thing he mentioned - it is really big. So I recommend seeing it beforehand.
So if you can live with the size, it's a good buy.
Excellent Regatta Watch 
2006-09-15
I have been looking for quite some time at different sailing watches. As a bowman, I compete quite heavily in sailing regatta's and have tried several different watches. I have now had this watch for a few months and I must admit it is the best watch I have ever used. It is very user friendly and has an excellent countdown timer. Having the temperature and pressure is nice, but okay... they are extras. It is a nice looking watch, good display, and very easy to use. I would highly recommend this watch for anyone who truly competes in sailing regatta's.
Spiffy but bizarre 2006-07-07
I want to like this watch a lot, but I am having to admit that my inexpensive Timex Ironman (now at the bottom of Lake Michigan ticking away) did the basics better. The baro and compass features are cool, although I don't use them that much.
I find it odd that in "Time" mode it doesn't show the seconds digitally, instead preferring to show the day of week, month, and day of month. You can get it to show seconds by pressing one of the unlabelled and not particularly intuitive buttons, but only for ten seconds, then it's back to the day (or date, I can't remember which). I generally want to know seconds, not what month it is, on the race course. There is a 36 element ring that does some stuff as seconds elapse but it isn't easy to read at a glance.
The countdown timer is odd too. There is no repeat mode, which I used to set to five minutes and just let roll during starting sequences. Instead there is a one shot timer that, once started, it seems that no force in the universe can reset, although you can get it to jump (either up or down, I can't remember which) by pressing one of the buttons.
Finally, I am reasonably intelligent but I'm no good at this thing's interface. Navigating through functions involves pressing one of three buttons either once, twice in two seconds, or holding it down for two seconds. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to when you do what.
In all, I'm disappointed with the lack of flexibility for displaying the time (you'd think they could splurge for a six digit display for the time, it is a watch, after all). The timer is "use it our way or not at all" as well. I could fight through the interface by reading the manual every night for a week, but really, it's not supposed to be that hard.
Very Unhappy with Watch 
2002-09-15
I have been sailing for some time now and received the watch as a long awaited sailing gift.
It is a little big, but I got over that very quickly. I had the watch for about 9 months and was preparing for an ocean voyage. I was looking forward to the compass feature. Two days before the voyage the compass went crazy and has not worked since.
The really annoying thing about the watch is the necessity to look "directly" into the face. If you look at an angle, you might see any array of numbers imaginable, fives are sixes or eighths, and ones become eleven. The date 9-15 becomes 8-16. It is really maddening.
I admit I haven't been back to the manufacture yet, but these problems should not occur to begin with.
Be advised.
Wow! 2002-08-14
Suunto Yachtsman features an accurate calendar watch with a countdown timer and dual time display, Suunto's famous digital compass, a barometer, and a sailing timer designed to meet the timing requirements before and during a tough race. Features include: Time-calendar, dual time, three daily alarms, stopwatch, countdown timer. Sail-sailing timer with audible warning signals. Barometer-absolute pressure sea level pressure, last 6 hour pressure trend, 4-day pressure memory, temperature. Compass-Cardinal bearing, North-South arrow, bearing tracking, start line bias, declination setting. It is shockproof and waterproof to 30 m (100 ft). The non-allergenic aluminum casing and the durable mineral crystal glass combined with a weatherproof leather band make it the ultimate tool for discerning boaters.
