Thermostatically controlled offshore gear for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
by Dani McCormack 1 Apr 2014 20:28 NZDT
1 April 2014
Musto personal climate controlled (PCC) offshore clothing © Musto
Musto has revealed it has been exclusively collaborating with the elite round the world race team to develop a range of ground-breaking personal climate controlled (PCC) offshore clothing. The new suit, the PCC, will sit within the HPX Pro Series range which has been developed to meet the specific needs of the professional ocean racing sailor.
Based on state of art technology developed by the space agency, the
super-lightweight, fully waterproof and breathable, one-piece stretch-to-fit
Abu Dhabi PCC suits will enable the crew to maintain a comfortable body
temperature whatever extremes of hot and cold they encounter during the
38,739 nautical mile race.
The ambitious project was commissioned jointly by Musto and Abu Dhabi Ocean
Racing after physiologists in the UAE capital discovered that the Emirate's
warm winter conditions, which average at 23 degrees Celsius in December and
January, were the perfect conditions to support peak athletic performance
and muscle recovery.
To activate the suits on board their new yacht Azzam, the Abu Dhabi Ocean
Racing crew will plug themselves into the master PCC units located at the
back of the boat. Once attached, the sailors can dial up their desired body
temperature using a thermostat keypad built into the forearm of the suit.
Lithium battery backup will maintain heat for up to two hours when not
connected to allow the sailors to unplug during watch changes or to leave
the cockpit for a sail change.
Additional upsides of the body hugging suits compared to traditional
offshore gear are previously undreamed of levels of freedom of movement and
massive savings in the weight of the crew gear.
Nigel Musto, President of Musto, said: "For years we have been trying to
reduce clothing weight whilst maintaining performance. Now with the
innovative Abu Dhabi PCC suit not only have we achieved a significant weight
reduction in kit, about 90% or 80kg, but we've also improved both
performance and recovery by allowing the sailors to maintain a consistent
muscle temperature. The performance gains we have seen as a result are
extremely significant."
"As the suit is so innovative we nervously awaited feedback from Abu Dhabi
Ocean Racing's first sail aboard Azzam - the response was so overwhelmingly
positive from all the team that we couldn't wait to unveil the PCC suit."
"In the new one-design world of the Volvo Ocean Race, every reduction in
weight or improvement in performance is like gold dust to the teams and this
offshore clothing breakthrough could ultimately make the difference between
winning and losing."
ADOR Skipper Ian Walker commented "I'm certain that the Musto PCC Suit is a
real game changer - I can't wait to wear the finished version on the start
line in October. We are now able to sail around the world in our own
microclimates which for me will be set to mimic a perfect Abu Dhabi day in
December. It's set to be the most comfortable Volvo Ocean Race I have ever
done."
For Musto the breakthrough represents a new approach to offshore sailing
clothing design, which it hopes will be adopted by more elite racing teams
in the future. The Abu Dhabi PCC suits will undergo four months of further
tests and modifications as part of ADOR's training programme in Europe and
North America before the final race-ready suits are handed over to the team
in September.
Musto plan to have the new suits available in stores by the end of July 2015.