Dinghy, Boats and Yachts

Sailing clothing is manufactured to be water proof, wind proof and breathable. Due to the physical nature of the sport, sailing clothing also needs to bee designed in such a way they it does not inhibit the movement of its wearer. This is especially important when it comes to the gloves designed for sailing.

The ability to be able to tie knots, work ropes and winches and undertake many other tasks requiring great dexterity is equally as important as keeping ones hands warm. Usually, the warmer the glove means the thicker the glove, but this is not good for sailing. Instead a sailing glove must be as warm as possible whilst not restricting dexterity.

The top brands in sailing clothing are Helly Hanson and Gill Sailing, and both these companies have invested huge amounts of money developing warm, wind proof and water proof gloves which also allow the wearer to do all the fiddly little tasks such as tying and undoing knots. Some sailors prefer the short finger or fingerless glove as these allow for maximum manual dexterity. However they do not protect the ends of the fingers from the elements.

Although full fingered sailing gloves look inhibitive; those manufactured by Gill and Helly Hanson are surprisingly nimble. The fabric which clads the palm and wraps around the fingertips is derived the the same sort of rubber compound which is used on the soles of rock climbing boots and is therefore extremely grippy, acting almost like a second skin.

A wide range of Helly Hanson and Gill sailing gloves are available from www.marineandoutdoorclothing.co.uk, along with complementary ranges of other sailing clothing.

by Carl Liver

Douglas Gill was a keen dinghy sailor in 1975. But his favourite sport was blighted by the lack of dedicated sailing clothing which actually worked. Of course at the time the cagoule existed, as did many other items of waterproof clothing. But these items lacked engineering and therefore hindered the free movement one needs when when involved in a physically demanding sport such as sailing. This lack of suitable clothing for sailors gave Douglas Gill an idea, and 5 years later the Douglas Gill brand was born. That same year, Gill was appointed official supplier to the British Americas Cup entrants, which was the first of many endorsements.

Throughout the 1980′s, the Gill sailing range went from strength to strength with further advancements in their engineered waterproof clothing ranges. Although most lines were designed for sailing, the versatility of the garments was obvious to many buyers, with British Airways commissioning Gill to supply their ground staff with waterproof gear based on the popular Gill Storm jacket and sailing jackets. In fact Gill sailing gear and sailing trousers are often used as snowboarding and ski clothing, as well as proving popular with walkers and climbers as well as under armour clothing and under armour heatgear.

As the 1980′s drew to a close, Gill expanded their product base even further to include boots, gloves and fleeces to their range of sailing clothes. Gill also designed and developed the two-piece sailing suit which replaced the traditional one piece suit. This innovative design proved hugely popular amongst dinghy sailors, for whom it was designed and similar designs were quickly adopted by other manufacturers of sailing clothing, like Helly Hensen jackets and Helly Hensen Clothing.

TheGill sailing brand continued to prosper through the 1990′s with Gill appointed the official clothing supplier of the British Olympic Sailing Team. Team GBR sailed to win gold medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000, and yes, they were wearing Gill performance clothing. Throughout the following year Gill have invested their expertise in a new breed of performance clothing and in 2008 they launched the Gill Compressor Vest, a fitted buoyancy aid which offers uninhibited movement and optimal comfort. The following year, Gill launched the lightest performance sports waterproof to date as part of their Race collection for sports and Grand Prix sailing.

Who knows what the future holds for the Gill brand. The last 40 years have seen the brand become one of the leading innovators in water sports clothing, with their design team branching out and providing performance clothing for a wide variety of water sports and marine activities. Maybe Gill will branch out further to bring their highly engineered performance clothing into land based sports such as cycling, motocross and ski clothing too?

By Carl Liver & Barry Summers

Aquapac 608 Keymaster Transparent Waterproof Case. £10.98 Aquapac 604 Keymaster Transparent Waterproof Case is ideal for protecting car immobilisers, keys, credit cards, cash and keeping asthma inhalers safe in all weather conditions. Maximum size of equipment to fit in case: – Circumference 6in/155mm x Length 3.5in/90mm. The UV-stabilized TPU material won’t be broken down or discoloured by sunlight. Submersible in water up to 15ft/5m maximum plus keeps …

DURAGADGET Waterproof Waist Bag / Dry Pouch For Smart Phones Including iPhone 4 / 4S & HTC One X (Blue) £9.99 DURAGADGET’s waterproof waist bag is the perfect companion for your valuable smart phone.This case offers you protection from the elements giving you the opportunity to transport your phone with you anywhere. A douple seal and a Velro strip for reienforcement provide the water tight seal.The handy waist strap can be adjusted to suit your needs and lets you transport your device hands-free, even wh…

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Ocean racing is one of the most physically demanding sports known to man. Especially the ‘around the world’ races such as Around Alone, the Volvo Challenge and the Jules Verne Trophy where crews get little sleep throughout the weeks and months they spend manually sailing their yachts across the ocean. In these conditions they need all the help they can get, and the Ocean Racing Dry-suit from Helly Hanson gives all it can.

This one-piece racing suit provides exceptional water proof, wind proof and breathable qualities. It is not intended to get you around the Isle of Wight, instead, this highly engineered sailing suit will get you around the Antarctic. Made from professional grade three-layer HellyTech^® O2 fabric which is designed to stand up against a constant battering from the elements. It features an adjustable waist and cuffs, and internal adjustable braces for the ultimate in comfort and agility.

This red and black sailing suit has plenty of pockets and also has a hi-viz yellow hood, making its wearer highly visible, even if they are unfortunate enough to go overboard. In fact this sailing suit has left nothing to be desired. Extra buoyancy can be attained via an inflater tube and its water proof cuffs, collar and zips keep the water out. In fact one could almost do away with the boat when they have the Helly Hanson Ocean Racing Suit.

The best news is it’s on sale at www.marineandoutdoorclothing.co.uk, so snap one up quickly because when it’s gone, it’s gone.

By Carl Liver