It was interesting to catch up with Nick Gill to find out a bit more about this industry. Gill, in the company’s own words, is the only 100% marine technical clothing maker in the UK. This, Gill feels, is one reason why the company has a growing number of clients who prefer to buy from a company whose range doesn’t always include clothing for non-marine areas.

He’s quick to point out that despite this, many of Gill’s products do end up in non-marine environments including walking, skiing and other pursuits. Apart from the dedicated bike clothing range, the company has not diversified into other areas.

This is also true of its philosophy regarding fashion. With some others being more focused on the fashion side of the business it can have something of a knock-on effect on how its run. Gill pointed out that if you follow a more fashion focused path this season’s stock may well be ordered in one batch with a “when it’s gone it’s gone” attitude.

Reordering new stock can provide a problem for some. But this is not the way Gill has gone.

As with most of the big names Gill make the majority of their products in Asia, keeping costs down and making the opening of markets in the likes of Australia and New Zealand easier.

Gill has visited the area a lot over recent years and as a result the region is “growing nicely”. This could be something of an understatement with Gill being chosen as the clothing sponsors for the Australian Sailing team for the Beijing Olympics.

Like the others, Gill has brought out new products, including the Ocean range which is described as “high tech”. The knock-on effect on other product ranges ensures the more mainstream ranges benefit from these newer developments.

Trends seem to be towards softshell, something borne out by others when looking at their latest offerings. Gill’s is not 100% waterproof, but close. And it’s designed to be easy to wear and stretches to give a good fit. Made from a laminate of materials, this area looks likely to continue to grow.

Gill feels they have bucked the trend and sales are up on last year which, in itself, was a record year. There are still no shops planned and sales will continue via dealers. Gill also says exports are doing very well, with both Europe and the US growing well.

The autumn/winter collection from Gill for 2006 runs from base layer to fully waterproof winter jackets including; Convert Mid Layer, Crew Element Jacket and the more casual Traverse Fleece.

Convert is a mid layer development that offers a product for changeable sailing conditions which is a lightweight, windproof and water-repellent mid layer solution. The fabric is a highly breathable rip stop nylon and the lining is a Thermore synthetic fill.

Crew Element is designed as a winter jacket providing warmth using the same Thermore synthetic lining, as in the Convert. Again it’s lightweight and breathable as well as completely waterproof. The design uses bonded zips and boasts a pocket for the now obligatory mp3 player.

New products

Like all the main players in the clothing area, Musto has been working to add new products and features to its range.

The new additions to the catalogue are Evolution and Asymmetric. The latter range includes padded jackets filled with duckdown, together with a range of wadded jackets and gilets. Musto has also included new fleeces and stretch pique tops.

Musto, unlike Gill, has an already established range of products in areas outside the marine sector. Logic might dictate that this is the way to go but Gill could prove otherwise. As if to prove that diversification is the way to go, Musto has released a number of suggestions for the coming festive season. These include the waterproof, 42.4 litres capacity Dry Back Sack. The Barrel Bag made from Carbon PVC with top opening and lockable twin zips. And a Musto Wallet in carbon or sailcloth.

Other Christmas suggestions are the Performance Winter Gloves, with pre-curved design and grip fast wrap-around palms and fingers. And, for dinghy sailors, Frostbite Gloves are also pre-curved.

The Evolution Jacket is Musto’s latest jacket with a Gore-Tex two-layer outer and a Polartec 200 fleece body. As with most new designs it comes with an mp3/iPod headphone facility which we assume means a pocket with an opening for the headphone wire.

Innovative and functional are the words used by Helly Hansen for its summer 2007 watersports range that is designed, they say, to offer extreme protection for offshore sailing, ocean racing, power boating and wave sports. To benefit the retailer and the consumer, the series has been segmented into four key collections: Manmade, Natural, Racing and Floating.

Manmade Collection: for surfers, sailors, boarders and powerboat junkies. Including the F-Rigging Coat, a padded, waterproof, breathable coat to keep athletes and coaches warm before, between and after sessions on the water.

Natural Collection: classic and technical outerwear providing weather protection. The new Fjord Jacket – a waterproof and breathable 3/4 length sailing jacket for coastal and offshore sailing.

Racing Collection: The professional Offshore Jacket is waterproof, breathable, light, and comes with an integrated Silva headlamp in the sleeve pocket.

Floating Collection: The low bulk Rider Plus for high activity sailing and watersports.

Feature item

In footwear, the feature item for the next summer season is the Shorehike 2. The current Shorehike has been re-engineered as a two-in-one multi-watersport boot for offshore and on-shore wear, in hot and cold conditions. It features two removable liners, one made from quick drying Lifa technology that’s breathable and keeps the foot cool and dry and the second bootie from Helly Tech XP, a waterproof breathable fabric. The wearer can choose which liner to wear dependent on activity/conditions.

For the rest of 2006, and into 2007 Helly Hansen is going to be pushing a new product called the 1/2 Freeze  Zip Turtle. Said to be based on the insulation qualities of polar bear fur, the new products are designed with a lightweight base layer designed to provide both warmth and dryness during winter activities.

The Freeze is part of the Helly Hansen Warm Collection of thermal base layers and has been designed using Thermic Tube Technology (T3) Lifa fabric on the inside and prowool technology on the outside. It’s this T3 technology that is supposed to mimic the properties of polar bear hair which is also made up of hollow tube-like fibres that trap heat and move excess water away from the skin.

HH’s new 2007 range will be on show at the London Boat Show on the Purple Marine stand, where the company will also be showing the whole range of clothing as well as buoyancy aids and accessories.

SeaSafe, is not always thought of as a clothing company in the same way as some of the other big names but this year it celebrated 40 years of trading. 2006 also saw a move to a bigger factory, near Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The company also launched a range of undersuits manufactured from a new material called Flectalon. Said to be suited for wearing beneath dry suits, wetsuits or foul weather clothing, the undersuits are designed to provide total insulation.

The new material contains fine reflective fibres that make it lightweight. Flectalon is designed to reduce air movement and reflect thermal radiation and, we’re told, has the ability to reflect body heat back to the user, making it an ideal material for undergarments. These insulative qualities are retained even when wet.

Fleece lined

The undersuits on offer are fleece lined and feature elastic thumb and foot stirrups, hip pockets and two-way zippers and are available in a range of both men’s and women’s sizes, together with custom made options. SeaSafe claim they are the warmest undersuits available today and could change the way that professional mariners and sailors insulate themselves from the cold.

The company has also brought out the SeaSafe Sea Trekker – a sleeveless coat that features an integrated 150N lifejacket. Designed for warmer months or warmer waters the Sea Trekker has a fully integrated lifejacket with self or automated inflation options.

As a jacket it has purpose-designed pockets for a GPS, mobile phone, flare and torch. Inside there is both the back-up manual inflation activation and the oral inflation tube system. Optional extras include marine grade retroreflective tape, a safety light, whistle, EPIRB (PLB) and strobe light.

Other options available include a choice of six colours, a lifting becket with “D” ring, maglite, additional inside pockets and embroidery.

As with all the company’s range of clothing, the Sea Trekker is custom made to an individual’s exact requirements for colour, size and optional accessories.

Embargo

Henri Lloyd told us there were a number of other new product announcements for the London Boat Show but sadly, due to an embargo, we are unable to publish these at present.

The London Boat Show will also see the launch of the new Code Zero range from Gul Marine. Code Zero is said to be a technologically advanced racing apparel range, made with four way stretch materials to give a closer fit, reducing wind resistance and to work with the body without impeding movement.

The range includes a jacket, smock, salopettes, drytop, spraytop and Softshell jacket.

The Code Zero drytops and spraytops have been developed with Skandia Team GBR sailors. These new products are waterproof and breathable and are made from Evo-Stretch fabric. The garments are suitable competition apparel for a range of performance racing classes.

A new stretch Softshell jacket is also now available within the Code Zero range. The waterproof, breathable, tri-laminate Softshell combines the outer and thermal layers in one fabric, giving a low weight garment.

Code Zero will be on display on the Gul stand at the London Boat Show as well as the Purple Marine, Pinnel & Bax and Mailspeed Marine stands.