Why has marine and related clothing become so popular over the last few years?

Maybe it has something to do with the image of healthy living, fitness, the outdoors or success and wealth that is coveted by an increasing number of, non or infrequent, boaters?

As in the walking boot and 4 x 4 analogy these products have not only become fashionable items but they have been found to be highly practical as well.

Many of the coats, and other items made for marine use, are manufactured using the same components and latest technology used in the foul weather gear, thus ensuring they have good thermal and waterproof properties.

So maybe the public has cottoned on to the fact that as well helping the wearers look like they own, or at the very least sail, a yacht they also keep them warm and dry.

High profile teams and sponsors are also helping to fuel the market for clothing that sports a popular brand or team in much the same way as happens in Formula 1. With more money coming in to higher and higher profile events, such as the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendee Globe, this is only likely to keep up the momentum.

With the developments in the Cowes area quoted as "aiming to make what Cowes could be to high performance sailing what Oxfordshire is to Formula 1", the comparison is not so far off the mark.

Media images of high profile people like Ellen MacArthur, Ben Ainslie et' al, only go to reinforce the stereotypical image of the sailing community, and our recent successes in the Olympics can only help the image and the profile.

Often it is the clothing and the equipment used that is as memorable to some as the achievements of the wearer. It is undoubtedly with this in mind the clothing manufacturers have been only too happy to cater for this market with the big four, Gill, Musto, Henri-Lloyd and Helly Hansen (all of which are sponsors of many events and teams), keeping the market filled with the latest products for both the dedicated sailor and the those who want to look like one.

Technology advances Advances in materials have also had a contribution to the increase in water sports clothing with the very latest in and most technologically advanced materials being used in more and more items. This is obviously of great benefit to the wearer but must also help to continue the desire in some to own the latest spec apparel.

It also helps to reinforce the view that the products are now not only fashionable but highly practical as well.

It only takes a glance down Cowes High Street or to thumb through the pages of many of the big selling magazines to see the wide range of specialist shops selling just clothing and, with online stores and catalogue buying increasing, the market would seem to be growing.

So what's new with the 2004 season behind us and the 2005 season beckoning, the big players are gearing up and starting to launch the new season's ranges.

Gill will have a number of new items for London in January including three new reversible i5 products from its Windward range.

The jacket, smock and vest all have a shelled side and fleece side and Gills says these products are designed as mid layers but work well as stand alone products and may well be of interest to members of the infrequent boating community.

Gill (which will be celebrating 30 years in the marine clothing market in 2005) will also be launching new products in its KB (keelboat) Racer Range.

These will be high performance products as will the OC Racer smock which was developed and tested during the VOR and Transat. For the more general boater the company produces a Coastal range and the Sport will be new for 2005 as will a new range of deck coats.

There's a new Crew Jacket, Crew Sport Jacket, Pilot Jacket and Maxi Jacket. The Crew is a unisex jacket with the Sport being available in both men's and women's sizes. The Pilot is the high tech end of the deck coat range with the Maxi being marketed as "great for all day outdoor use".

Planning autumn '05 Nigel Musto and his team has now closed its order books on spring and summer 2005 and are busy planing the autumn winter 2005 range.

Usually this part of the season produces a lower volume of sales but higher value with more coats and fleeces being sold rather than the polo and tee shirts of a spring summer collection. Musto is showing a growth of 23% on the same period last year and Musto feels the company is now getting the mix right.

The mix to which he refers is the range, style and quality and the mix of the partnership between the makers and the retailers, who are only now selling to a more high street type of shopper.

"In the past they were great at selling to the ardent yachtie, " he told BB, "but with casuals coming along the new buyer is in the high street more than in the marina."

As a result, he said, the sales approach must reflect this and they, (the buyers), expect to be sold to in the same way as a big, high street retailer.

As for developments, Musto says the company's No1 men's range has proved very popular and a new women's range will be out in the autumn to complement this. When asked about his feelings on the way the marketing is going Musto told us: "People buy into the image of the brand so this brand image must be maintained and built upon to maintain this element of marketing."

The other big player in the market is Helly Hansen, which has been in this part of the industry for over 180 years and has recently set out a number of goals in its literature including a wish to "become the leading conceptual multi-specialist brand within technical wear".

Interestingly the company has listed "to expand from functional core to lifestyle mass appeal" as its second aim.

Helly Hansen's recent launch of its spring and summer 2005 range of action and utility wear emphasised the need, not only for protection from the elements, but also the need to maintain agility and movement.

Helly Hansen has, like others in the sector, developed its own materials which are used in many of the products.

The LIFA Versa Rashguard, Versa Trailblazer and Shorehike Breathe ranges all use "moisture management technology" to keep moisture away from the wearer's skin.

Hydrophobic polypropylene The LIFA name appears on many of Helly Hansen's products and is made from a hydrophobic polypropylene material to aid the management of moisture.

Henri-Lloyd, which sells though six of its own shops and a number of mail order outlets, launched its 2005 range to the trade at the Marine Trade Show.

The new products included the new Salt Tribe range of casual clothing, which includes cotton jersey, pique, woven and canvas materials. The range is a collection of sweats, t-shirts, trousers, shorts, skirts and accessories and produced in a range of washed colours aimed to "reflect the natural coastal environment".

For menswear there is the Longships Jacket and the sand washed Hogus T with double sleeves.

Following on from its 2004 HL Innovations range, the company launched a new One Design range for 2005.

The Shadow range consists of the Shadow Jacket, Shadow Hood Smock, Shadow Smock and Shadow Salopette and is made from the company's new TP2 Alpha fabric. TP2 Alpha is designed to eliminate "the debilitating effects of more traditional fabrics which can impair performance during high energy activity".

As official technical clothing supplier to the RYA Team GBR Olympic Classes Squad, it's no surprise H-L has launched the Breaker 2 Spray Top. Making the best use of some of the UK's top dinghy sailors for product trialling and design, the company has used the resulting feedback and input in the design process.

The top is 100% waterproof and features a side fastening Dartex collar; reflective detail on the sleeves; adjustable Dartex cuffs and adjustable neoprene hem and an ergonomic easy access sleeve pocket for essential kit, as well as a kangaroo chest pocket with water-resistant zip that can be accessed whilst wearing a buoyancy aid.

Leicester based Joules, which sponsored the Mumm 30 team Asterix during 2004, originally started in equestrian clothing, regards itself as an outdoor clothing company while admitting there is a conscious move towards the marine market, and sailing in particular.

The company has up to 300 stockists as well as mail order sales, an internet store and four franchised stores of its own and, says Joules, some stockists are reporting sales increases of around 1000%.

Currently the Joules range is only for women but its deck and polo shirts are unisex. The 2005 range has already been launched to the trade and will be made available to with the public in April next year.