Zhik and Nautica official apparel suppliers of Australian Sailing Team

by Craig Heydon on 20 Jul 2013 To provide its crews with cutting edge technical gear and lifestyle apparel until the end of 2016, the Australian Sailing team has partnered with top Australian technical apparel producer Zhik, and leading global lifestyle brand Nautica.

The new collaboration will see members of the Australian Sailing Team, Australian Sailing Squad and Australian Sailing Youth Team compete in Zhik gear around the world, with Zhik as the team’s official technical apparel supplier. Nautica, known for its water heritage, will provide the teams with the official non-competition uniforms. The partnerships combine Zhik’s tested and proven sailing expertise with the Nautica brand’s passion for performance and authentic design.

Australian Sailing Performance Director Peter Conde said Zhik and the Nautica brand’s range of products will provide Australia’s sailors with an elevated style and advantage on and off the water as they continue their campaigns towards 2016.

'Zhik has been a long time supporter of sailing in Australia and the Australian Sailing Team is looking forward to working with the brand through our next stage of development,' said Conde. 'We’ve had a very successful last few years and look forward to continuing that success with Zhik as a key partner. Our partnership with Nautica is fantastic for our team as it will take our on-shore team look to an entirely new level and we know our athletes are particularly excited by this arrangement.'

London 2012 gold medallist Mat Belcher says, 'To have the opportunity to partner with these two brands is exciting for us. Zhik is a specialist in technical sailing apparel and an Australian company, so it is great to support them as they have supported our sailing community.

'Nautica is an iconic brand with a deep connection to the water,' said Belcher. 'Our team has had great success over the past few years and these partnerships just add another level to our team’s professionalism and strength. These are exciting times for our team as we build on our success from London 2012. I'm looking forward to the journey to Rio 2016 with these two partners.'

The full Zhik and Nautica collections can be viewed online at Zhik.com and Nautica.com.au.

For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au.