Musto launches all-new, technologically-advanced HPX Collection
by Musto 7 Feb 2023 08:17 PST
Musto's new HPX Collection © Amory Ross
After three years of intensive research, innovation, and development, Musto has launched its next generation, head-to-toe, high-performance HPX Collection. HPX is designed to protect sailors against some of the harshest environments on earth and is being put through its paces onboard 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia in The Ocean Race 2022-23 and over 700 Race Crew on the upcoming Clipper 2023-24 Race.
The range of eleven new HPX products work in a three-layer system and build upon a relationship with GORE-TEX that started in 1994 and has seen continuous R&D in fabric innovations with them. The prototypes were rigorously scrutinised by US-based offshore sailing outfit 11th Hour Racing Team, and fellow #TeamMusto ambassadors, Sam Davies, Jérémie Beyou, and Clarisse Crémer, whilst the fabrics were tested over 40,000 nautical miles by professional Clipper Race Skippers on the previous edition of the race.
Engineered from the toughest GORE-TEX Pro fabric, the most rugged waterproof membrane, specifically engineered to keep out salt water and remain extremely breathable under pressure. Stamped with Musto's unique Ocean Technology seal of approval, Ocean Technology combines knowledge from the industry's most experienced developers, who have engineered the best ocean kit, with GORE-TEX's precision in developing advanced waterproof membranes.
The all-new HPX Collection includes a base layer top and trouser, a mid-layer jacket and salopette, an outer-layer smock, jacket and trouser (the latter in men and women's styles), a drysuit, gloves, and waterproof socks.
The stand-out features of the eleven-piece HPX range include the new GORE-TEX Pro fabric across all HPX outer-layers, a woman-specific outer-layer trouser with drop seat, GORE-TEX INFINIUM™ midlayers, and advanced base layers with reinforced elbows and knees. The XVR Interconnect modular collar system was developed in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing Team who needed more adaptable kit due to the new enclosed cockpit onboard their 60-foot IMOCA race boat. The external collar and hood on the smock and drysuit are completely detachable negating the need for a separate dry smock.
The collection has been engineered to ensure all layers work seamlessly together to provide the highest level of performance and comfort from Musto to date. The HPX drysuit features a split-waist entry and lifejacket compatibility design to allow freedom of movement and access to the collar, hood, and pockets. The 100% recycled face fabric of the outer-layers, combined with the GORE-TEX Pro membrane and solution dyed micro grid backer is a Bluesign Approved 3-layer fabric.
Musto Ambassadors 11th Hour Racing Team (Charlie Enright, Jack Bouttell, Francesca Clapcich, Simon Fisher, Justine Mettraux, and Amory Ross) are wearing HPX in The Ocean Race 2022-23, as well as competitors Team Malizia (Boris Herrmann, Will Harris, Rosalin Kuiper, Nicolas Lunven and Antoine Auriol).
Charlie Enright, Skipper of 11th Hour Racing Team, commented: "We have been part of the Musto development process of the next generation HPX for the past three years. Every few months a new iteration of the product would be sent to us to wear onboard Malama, and then we'd debrief with Musto on areas that we felt could be revised and improved. It's been a really rigorous process and one that we have all enjoyed being involved in.
"Comfort and freedom of movement are paramount when you're racing an offshore machine like an IMOCA; you cannot be restricted by your clothes. Musto's HPX gives us that freedom, warmth, and comfort, and is well-aligned with our sustainability values, allowing us to focus on doing what we do best."
"When there's not much space on the boat, your kit needs to be compact but still deliver on quality, protection, and performance," agreed team member Justine Mettraux. "With The Ocean Race you're also contending with many different climates and you need to be able to adapt quickly. I find the HPX Merino Base Layers particularly versatile in that respect; they are warm enough to wear as underlayers but also highly breathable, so they stand alone well in the cockpit."
Skippers, First Mates and Race Crew on the Clipper 2023-24 Race will be wearing state-of-the-art HPX Gore Tex Pro Ocean Smock and Trousers, providing the greatest barrier against the elements and unmatched breathability that doesn't hinder performance as crews race over 40,000 nautical miles around the world.
Jeronimo Santos Gonzales, Skipper of Punta del Este on the Clipper 2019-20 Race was one of the Skippers who tested the new fabric over the course of the eleven-month circumnavigation and 40,000-plus nautical miles. He comments, "The Musto HPX really helped me through the race, in particular in Leg 1, where we raced from Portimão to Punta del Este in Uruguay and hit Storm Lorenzo. It was a heavy weather storm with big waves, strong winds and rain coming horizontally. The high neck and hood on the HPX meant I was well-protected. The new material is so flexible that I could be doing sail changes or moving quickly on deck with ease, whilst keeping warm."
On the conditions faced whilst racing, Mark Light, Clipper Race Director added: "Clipper Race Crew will face the very worst conditions that Mother Nature can send their way as they race across the world's oceans. Whether that's storms and freezing conditions in the North Pacific and Roaring Forties, or the squally weather and tropical storms of Asia and Australia, crew will experience it all."
Lucy Davis, Musto's Designer commented: "This is the most comprehensive range of the HPX collection ever. It's diverse enough to cater for multiple environments, from the extremities of the Southern Ocean to the Doldrums. Durability, adaptability, safety, and sustainability are at the core of our designs: there isn't a stitch in this range that isn't there for a reason."
Nick Houchin, Musto's Head of Marketing said: "The 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race is the toughest yet, with the longest leg in the near 50-year history of the race, from Cape Town to Brazil. From the conditions they experienced in Leg 1, the sailors will be in the harshest of environments including the Southern Ocean for nearly five weeks. They need to ensure they can perform day after day at the top of their ability. With over 700 sailors in the Clipper 2023-24 Race also covering so many nautical miles in extreme conditions, the demands on HPX have never been greater.
"At Musto, we have been driven by innovation since 1964 and when a sailor wears Musto, it's more than just a product. They are wearing thousands of hours of rigorous testing, in the toughest of conditions, by the very best athletes in the world. The new Musto HPX kit has been put through the most rigorous paces by our hugely impressive roster of Musto ambassadors and will keep the sailors warm, safe, and dry. This next generation of offshore sailing gear is unrivalled in the market," Houchin concluded.
HPX is on sale online at Musto.com, instore in the UK at Cowes, Falmouth and The Lighthouse, Portsmouth can also be purchased at Harrods, Ocean Leisure and Marine Super Store.
*Bluesign© is a stamp of approval for regulated chemicals and traceability within the textiles industry. It unites the entire textile value chain to reduce impact on people and the planet with a focus on sustainable chemistry.