Spinlock named official technical supplier to Land Rover BAR Academy

by Spinlock on 14 Mar 2017 Spinlock have announced that they are the official technical supplier of personal protective equipment to the Land Rover BAR Academy.

Chris Hill, CEO of Spinlock, said: 'We are delighted to be supporting the next generation of America's Cup sailors, through the Land Rover BAR Academy, as they embark on an exciting campaign in 2017. Land Rover BAR saw that we approach things very differently – with our level of detail design and production focus, we're not just trying to conform to rules and regulations, and we're trying to help people perform better. It's a performance-led approach that carries across into all parts of sailing.'

Land Rover BAR Academy find and support talented young British sailors aged between 19 and 24 years old and create a pathway into the America's Cup. The ten-strong team will be wearing their BAR T2 Jackets as they compete for the second year running in the Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) throughout 2017, as well as the Red Bull Youth America's Cup in June 2017, in Bermuda.

In a move that solidifies the relationship between Spinlock and Land Rover BAR, the British Challenger for the 35th America's Cup – the top British designers are now supplying both the senior Land Rover BAR team and the Land Rover BAR Academy with BAR T2 Jacket.

Rob Andrews, Land Rover BAR Academy Manager said: 'Safety and performance are key areas in our programme at Land Rover BAR Academy. We are therefore thrilled to be working with Spinlock and providing state of the art equipment for the sailors on our programme. The combination of buoyancy aid, impact protection, aerodynamic rash vest and easy access knife give our Land Rover BAR Academy sailors the opportunity to push the boundary of performance in the safest way.'

The BAR T2 Jacket has been hailed as the most technologically advanced lifejackets, following wind tunnel testing to maximise aerodynamic wind flow over the PFD and innovative safety features, designed with high-agility foiling in mind. The T2 has been engineered for minimum drag and optimum manoeuvrability with a primary aim of keeping the sailors safe should they end up in the water.

Spinlock's Myles Uren explains more: 'The T2 contains state-of-the-art motorcycle-grade material that acts as a shock absorbing body armour to protect the crew in crucial body areas in the event of a capsize or crash. Plus, it comes with an emergency air cylinder and an integrated knife to assist the sailors if they become trapped under a capsized boat. Crucially, we have designed it to allow a sailor to remove it within five seconds should they become caught.'

Chris Hill, CEO of Spinlock, added: 'We will be following Land Rover BAR Academy closely during their campaign and, on behalf of the team at Spinlock, I would like to wish them the very best of luck for the season ahead.'