15 minute read
Buyer’s Guide
Suits you, sir
There are some exciting updates in the world of sailing kit. Sam Fortescue turns his gimlet eye to the latest updates in sailing waterproofs
After a bumper year of regattainspired sailing clothing in 2021, the pendulum has swung back towards bluewater cruising again. While there is still plenty of new gear for dinghy and keelboat racers, the bulk of the launches ahead of this summer focus on full-fat foulies.
Musto, Henri-Lloyd and Gill have all tweaked their headline ranges, and it is encouraging to see that sustainability is taking root in this most synthetic of sectors. Many of the novelties for 2022 relate to recycled fibres and non-harmful fabric treatments.
It’s been a busy 12 months for Musto, with new products aimed at pretty much every category of sailing, from dinghy racing to offshore racing and cruising. On the cruising side, Musto’s mid-range BR2 foul-weather clothing line has also been given a performance boost for the coming season. “Using innovations from our MPX and HPX offshore gear, the new BR2 products are packed with new technologies that will protect against any adverse weather conditions,” says head of marketing Nick Houchin.
The fabric is still polyamide, but it has been given a new two-part membrane to boost waterproofing and breathability. The result is a fabric with twice the performance of the previous BR2 line. And as ever, it is topped off with a Durable Water Repellent treatment to prevent the fabric from wetting out. In the new line, this DWR has a longer life thanks to much better wet abrasion resistance.
Meanwhile, Aussie brand Zhik has come over all military with the launch of its new pinnacle OFS800 line of ocean wet weather gear. It’s not so much the look of the gear, which features jazzy acid lime
and flame red colourways, but the technology inside it. That’s because the waterproof and breathable heart of the new line is a membrane called eVent, which has found favour with the world’s armed forces.
Zhik is the first manufacturer to adapt the technology for sailing clothing, and believes it is a gamechanger. The company uses a different measure of breathability to other sailing brands, making comparison difficult. However, its rating of 5m2 Pa/W is considered excellent, and akin to clothing that can transfer 15,000-20,000 grams of water vapour per square metre per day. That puts it on a par with Musto HPX, for instance.
It is the durability of these garments which really make headlines, though. Resisting oils and harsh chemicals, they were developed over three years of testing in the lab and on the water, thanks to the participation of sailors on AkzoNobel and Dong Feng in the last Volvo Ocean Race.
OFS800 jacket: £579.95 OFS800 smock: £579.95 OFS800 salopettes: £449.95
Occupying a similar market segment is Mustang Survival’s EP wet weather gear, bridging offshore racing and bluewater sailing. The design has been honed with input from Team Comanche and 2017 Volvo Ocean Race sailor Emily Nagel. Available only in no-nonsense black, the EP 6.5 Ocean Racing Jacket uses militaryspecification GoreTex to keep the water out. It has a high fleece-lined collar and high visibility hood, plus Exoskin wrist cuffs. Pair it with the identically-specced salopettes for a high-performance suit with a streamlined, ergonomic fit.
For a lightweight option that’s also lighter on the bank balance, the Callan is Mustang’s awardwinning inshore jacket. With a stretchy, three-layer construction it has an athletic fit with decent waterproofing. There’s an adjustable hood, cuff and waist for getting the fit just right, and a loop specially designed for attaching the engine kill-cord.
EP 6.5 racing jacket: £850 EP 6.5 racing salopettes: £750 Callan jacket: £260
Henri-Lloyd has relaunched its core wet weather gear lines this year with recycled Gore-Tex Pro face fabric. Like its M-Pro Jacket Blu 2.0, which has had some styling tweaks and been shifted to a recycled polyester fabric. It still uses Gore-Tex Pro for excellent waterproofing and breathability.
Though the photography is all about a rugged-looking Nordic model ashore, this is a very capable sailing jacket. It packs articulated arms and a detachable hood, fleecelined neck, storm clip and low seat for waterproofing. There are even laser-cut perforations in the chin guard at the top of the zip so you can breathe easily when fully zipped up.
On the race variant, there are additional features such as a fastdraining EPIRB/knife pocket on the left sleeve, HL’s Optivision hood, a towering protective collar, a double storm flap and quickdrain handwarmer pockets.
For layering, Henri-Lloyd offers its Mav short- and long-sleeved
ABOVE
Zhik's OS800 jacket
LEFT
Henri-Lloyd's M-Pro top
Musto and 11th Hour Racing
After inking a deal with Musto, US outfit 11th Hour Racing set designers a challenge to produce a line of clothing that used one single material (OSM). The idea was that it could then be effectively recycled at the end of its useful life. The material in question is polyester, and a whole Evolution OSM line has been produced from it, including the Evolution Newport jacket (£250). The shell, lining and the PrimaLoft insulation are all made from recycled polyester, and the fabric is dyed using a solution that requires 85 per cent less water and 90 per cent less harmful chemicals than is standard. Other products in the link include a parka, hoodie (£80), sweatshirt and long-sleeved tee. “The Evolution OSM Collection is the first step towards supporting a circular economy, and this project has made our design process become more considered and holistic in our approach to garment development,” said Houchin.
t-shirts, which are now made from recycled polyester. Quick drying and impregnated with Polygiene antimicrobial treatment, they also meet sun protection factor 50.
M-Pro Blu 2.0 jacket: €525 O-RACE 3l GTX Blu jacket: €565 M-Pro Blu 2.0 trousers: €420 Mav Tech tee: €35
Gill is deepening its racing credentials this year, through a tie-up with the US Sailing team that will see it provide clothing for five foiling classes and two skiffs. The move is calculated to drive technical innovation, but the big leap for Gill this year has come on the cruising side, with its OS1 and OS2 gear.
Louis Burton put the OS1 ocean jacket and trousers through their paces in his Vendée Globe campaign last year. It already featured Gill’s new XPLORE+ three-layer waterproof fabric – now Gill’s new plant-based water repellent coating has been added. Called XPEL, it is free from the toxic fluorocarbons that have traditionally been used, and which ironically damage the very environment sailors are trying to enjoy. It is based on plants instead, and in fact offers four times better durability, as well as repelling saltwater, oils and other stains. “Each fibre of the outer fabric is coated with XPEL during the manufacturing process, resulting in a durable and long-lasting finish,” explains a Gill spokesperson. “We guarantee consistent levels of performance for up to 30 washes, with the treatment continuing to be effective for up to 50 washes.”
Otherwise, the redesign runs to practical details, such as a two-way zipper with a storm guard, hi-vis polyurethane inner cuffs, a PLB attachment point and shackle tool. And the styling has been rethought, with a new orange and graphite design.
The OS2 gear features Gill’s slightly lighter two-layer EXPLORE membrane and the same XPEL treatment for water repellence. But an impressive 98 per cent of the jacket is made from recycled fibres – chiefly polyester and nylon. The equivalent of 14 plastic bottles goes into each one, and even the polyurethane membrane is recycled from camera lenses. Two tonnes of plastic packaging will be eliminated for OS2 each year.
Of course, the gear needs to perform too, and Gill says it packs waterproofing equivalent to more than 20,000mm HH, and medium breathability. It has many of the same features as the OS1, including the super-high fleecelined collar, hand-warmer cargo pockets and reflective patches. There’s a men’s and women’s variant, with colours including sulphur, eggshell, graphite and red.
OS1 jacket: £520 OS1 ocean trousers: £415 OS2 offshore jacket: £300 OS2 offshore trousers: £235
Helly Hansen has also been busy on the sustainability side, relaunching several of its key performance jackets without chemical DWR treatment of any sort. Normally DWR is necessary to repel water and stop the top layer of fabric from wetting out and allowing down moisture transfer from within. But its Lifa Infinity Pro membrane system achieves the same thing by heating and stretching the fabric. The Aegir jacket is the first to benefit on the sailing side.
Helly has also launched a new jacket called the Skagen, which includes many of the features of the Aegir. It uses Helly Tech membrane for waterproofing and breathability, and the synthetic yarn used in making the fabric
ABOVE
Gill's OS1 and OS2 jackets
BELOW
The Atacama drysuit from Crewsaver is 50 per cent sourced from waste plastic recovered from the sea.
HH Aegir jacket: £550 HH Skagen jacket: £325
Serious high-latitude adventurers should take a look at the Atacama Sport+ drysuit from Crewsaver. Key kit for the rescue services, it is built of a three-layer, waterproof and breathable fabric with a soft Glideskin neoprene neck and cuff seals to keep the water out. Drysuits aren’t hugely comfortable or warm by themselves, so there are fabric socks sewn in to the feet and Crewsaver is throwing in a Stratum fleece onesie with every purchase. At £475, this is serious kit at a serious price.
And Helly’s new Salt coastal boat shoe could also be worth a look. It balances technical performance with dock walker looks. It has a quickdry construction and high breathability, with a toe- and heelcap for protection and Helly’s proprietary Storm Grip outsole.
Salt Cruiser: £110
Making a foray into coastal sailing is Rooster – perhaps better known for their dinghy clothing expertise. However, their Passage 3 layer range offers an interesting alternative, offering
Constructed from 3-layer material with durable fully taped seaes for maximum water and spray protection. The Hi-fit trousers are tailored to include durable reinforcement at seat and knee panels, cleverly positioned pockets,
fleece lined hand warmer pockets, and adjustment at the shoulders, waist and ankle. The unisex jacket features cleverly positioned pockets, reflective stow away hood, fleece lined hand warmer pockets, reflective prints and adjustable cuffs/hem.
Passage trousers: £199 Passage Jacket: £235
Around the cans
Occupying the pinnacle of Musto’s product development out on the performance side, LPX Foiling has been refined with input from the France SailGP team. The jacket uses Gore’s latest Infinium and Stretch fabrics, which offer extreme breathability, total windproofing and lightweight insulation for athletes. They are only water resistant, but if you’re doing 50 knots with your heart rate topping 120, that’s not so much of an issue. The longjohns really look like the business, with built-in G-Form smart Flex pads at the knee, shin and hip, to protect the wearer from impact.
There’s a figure-hugging top and pant layer in the LPX range, too. Dubbed Thermocool for warm climates and Thermohot for cool weather, they are both made from four-way stretch Cordura with reinforcing and articulation darts at key points. The warmer of the two garments has a three-layer waterproof construction with fleece for added warmth. Its breathability has a middling rating of 10,000, as does its waterproofing. Available in white or black, both work well as part of a layered system. There’s also a softshell hoodie, a sunblock polo shirt and aero shorts.
LPX Foiling jacket
Dubarry Boots
The old favourite that never goes out of fashion and the ultimate companion for most sailors. Most people when thinking of Dubarry think of the classic brown Ultima boot (£299) but in addition there is the lightweight Fastnet boot (£199), the half leather, half Gore Tex Shamrock boot (£249) plus the top of the range Crosshaven boot which comes in at £379.
dubarry.com LPX Foiling long-johns: £140 LPX Foiling Thermohot top: £70 LPX Foiling Thermohot pant: £110
For the small boat racers, Musto has launched a new Flexlite Alumin wetsuit line with input from the British sailing team. Neoprene thickness has been beefed up to 3mm, and it is combined into a fourlayer construction with a thermal fleece layer, a metallic thermal reflector and a durable nylon outer. Available as hikers, long johns, a bottom and a long-sleeved top.
Flexlite Alumin 3.0 hikers: £250 Flexlite Alumin 3.0 long john: £240 Flexlite Alumin 3.0 longsleeved top: £160
On the beach
Back on the beach, Gill has been busy with some handy gear for surfers, paddleboarders and kitesurfers – anyone, in fact, who wants to change into something warm without doing the dance of a thousand elbows under a towel. The Aqua Parka has a windproof, waterproof and breathable exterior shell, with high-loft thermal fleece lining for warmth. There are handwarmer pockets, adjustable cuffs and a two-way zipper, plus generous dimensions to make changing out of a wetsuit easy. There’s also a super-absorbent polyester changing robe as a less technical option.
Aqua parka: £140 Changing robe: £42
In a similar vein, the men’s skin protection brand Lifejacket has launched a new long-sleeved tee that combines the function of a rash vest and a ultraviolet barrier in one.
The tee shirt is designed to be worn on long days in and on the water, and offers protection of SPF 50+, thereby keeping your skin well protected from the sun even on long days. The garment is made of a mixture of polyester, Tencel and spandex to make it lightweight, breathable and quick-drying. This makes it comfortable to wear in hot conditions while the long-sleeves and zip-up collar provide full upper body skin protection against UVA and UVB rays. There are also cycle-jersey style pockets on the back for stashing bits and bobs.
Lifejacket Skin Protection: £40
ABOVE LEFT
Musto's Thermohot foiling top
ABOVE RIGHT
Gill's Aquaparka
BELOW
Lifejacket's innovative long sleeved T-Shirt
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