Introducing Henri-Lloyd AERO-FOIL: Pro-Kit for Sailing Athletes
by Henri-Lloyd 4 Dec 2020 02:51 PST
AERO-FOIL, created exclusively by Henri-Lloyd in collaboration with INEOS TEAM UK, is the lightest, most agile sailing kit the brand has ever produced.
It's been six years of continuous refinement and development and is designed to help Britain's America's Cup sailing athletes perform at their very best onboard their AC75 race boat, Britannia.
A limited-edition AERO-FOIL range, featuring the sailors Neoprene Long John, Neoprene Pant, Hybrid Pant, Long Sleeved Rash Top, Short Sleeved Rash Top and Warm Up Jacket, designed and built for warmth makes it a firm favourite with the whole crew, launches today and is available online at HenriLloyd.com.
No 'off-the-shelf' sailing kit exists for the extremities of America's Cup racing, so the athletes' technical gear needed to be custom made. Weight restriction played a critical factor when designing the clothing, for the AC36 there's an allowance of between three - five kilos for the crew's technical sailing kit, imposed by the America's Cup Class rule. Working with their supplier, one of the world's leading and most innovative producers of neoprene, Henri-Lloyd selected materials to deliver up to a 30% weight saving.
The kit is engineered to keep each sailor, from the Grinders to Ben Ainslie at the Helm, protected, comfortable and agile, whilst 'flying' at speeds of 50kts+. Whilst most sailors won't be reaching speeds like this, they can still enjoy all the technical benefits of kitting themselves out like an America's Cup sailing athlete.
Nick Hutton is a Trimmer with INEOS TEAM UK and helped to develop each piece of technical clothing worn onboard Britannia. "Where we are at with our kit now - and what we have achieved together is the perfect combination of comfort, weight and performance.
"Henri-Lloyd have taken into account everything that we need and want from our sailing clothing. They have been trialling different materials, looking at the best for minimum weight but maximum sports performance and the outcome is a collection of products that allow us, whatever our job is, to perform at our best onboard."
Henri-Lloyd is the Official Technical Sailing Kit Supplier to INEOS TEAM UK. America's Cup racing restarts with the Prada ACWS Auckland and Christmas Race taking place in the city from the 17th - 20th December.