Ocean Racing Line - Next stop Fastnet

by Ross and Whitcroft on 22 Sep 2015 Giant offshore trimarans are some of the most fascinating and exciting projects in our sport. Marinepool is partner of two of the leading teams and their racing machines - Spindrift2 - arguably the fastest racing yacht in the world - and of Oman Sail´s flagship MOD70 Musandam. For them and in close cooperation with the teams of these trimarans Marinepool developed this new Ocean Racing Line which was already used by both skippers in the 2014 Route du Rhum cross Atlantic race and has become the sailing gear of choice on both yachts which are hot contenders for Line Honours in the Fastnet. Oman Sail´s MOD70 Musandam is the holder of the official records around Britain and Ireland and around Ireland.

Yachts like the two mentioned hardly ever sail below 20 knots, are often sailing in 30+ knots for a prolonged time and have top speeds in the 40ies. Yacht, man and equipment are exposed to enormous strains and the skippers often don´t get out of their suits for days. Highest levels of waterproofness, breathability and best possible comfort therefore rank high on their list and the new Ocean Racing suit ticks all the boxes. With a water column of 27.000mm and breathability of 27.000g/sqm/24hrs the new Ocean Racing suit has some of the highest tech specs of any product in the market.

The combination of Ocean Racing smock and Ocean Racing trousers was designed for highest performance and robustness in extreme conditions.

The top is made from three-layer Dermizax® stretch fabric and equipped with a high offshore collar and a tuck away hood in signal colour. The same top is available with a latex neck seal only, instead of the collar, for conditions where only a helmet with full visor is the answer to the spray. Waterproof latex cuffs at neck and sleeves and a non-slip neoprene hem keep water reliably out, the long back provides added protection when seated. Sleeve cuffs can be adjusted with elastic hook and loop fasteners. The chest features a bulky pocket with laser cut drainage holes, two fleece lined side pockets with YKK® Aquaguard™ zippers keep hands warm. 3M™ reflective patches on shoulders, sleeves and hood provide good visibility at night. The left sleeve has a special pocket for an AIS beacon or EPIRB.

The tops are complemented by the high cut Ocean Racing trousers from the same three-layer Dermizax® NX membrane and are a high performance garment at minimum weight. The 3D design with pre-shaped legs make these trousers comfortable to wear. Highly abrasion resistant Cordura® reinforcements on bottom and knees are the answer to sharp deck surfaces. YKK® Aquaguard™ zippers and 3M™ reflective patches are standard.

The Ocean Racing smock and Ocean Racing trousers by Marinepool are the new bench mark for yachts in the 40+ knots category.