The evolving world of sailing fabrics
by Mark Jardine 4 Jun 09:00 PDT
Armel Le Cleach in the MPX Impact Jacket © Marin LE ROUX / polaRYSE
The sport of sailing is evolving, and the clothing we wear is changing with it. We see features such as impact protection becoming more commonplace, but there is a more subtle change happening with the fabric of the garments themselves. During a day at Musto's headquarters, close to Tower Bridge and St. Katherine Dock in London, I spoke to Suzanne Baxter, a Fabric Technologist, to find out more.
The clothing industry is finding ways to produce garments in a more responsible manner, partly due to evolving legislation saying what can and can't be used, and partly due to the brands themselves wanting to do their bit for the environment.
It's very easy to get lost in a maze of acronyms when talking fabrics, and there will be a fair few of them in this article, but I'll do my best to explain what each are, why they're important, and what the advantages are.
Gore-Tex ePE1 is the material used for Musto's 2026 LPX range (LPX is Musto's inshore and lightweight range and not really an acronym). This has a completely PFC2 free DWR3 face fabric. This is moving away from the C64 based DWR which you also find on frying pans for the non-stick properties, as well as carpets and cushions so that stains can be wiped off. The problem is it doesn't break down, so isn't good for the environment.
The move is for all the right reasons, but Gore-Tex ePE does require more care to remain water repellent. The advice on care has always actually been the same but there now needs to be more emphasis on aftercare.
The advice is: when water doesn't bead on the surface and starts to sink into the fabric now's the time to wash with a dedicated waterproof fabric detergent. Musto recommend Grangers, absolutely not your standard laundry washing powder that can clog the pores in the membrane. Washing is however vital as it removes impurities that can eventually penetrate the membrane if not removed. After wash, the garment then needs to be dried, ideally line dried. The fabric may appear to have lost its water repellent properties at this point if you take no further action, but the fabric has memory from when the DWR was initially applied under heat and this is all that is needed to re-activate. This is simply a low temp iron or low temp tumble dry dependant on wash care (latex seals or neoprene should not be tumble dried so this is where the iron kicks in!). The good news is from extensive research and testing, Gore-Tex have found if garments are cared for as recommended above this new chemistry can be just as durable as the old C6 chemistry.
I don't know about you, but the idea of tumble drying or ironing my sailing jacket or hi-fits fills me with fear. I simply had no idea that it could be good for the fabric, or more importantly, why.
If you just wash and line dry a PFC-free DWR face fabric, it will absorb water. This doesn't mean your jacket won't be waterproof, but it does mean it won't breathe properly, will feel damp as the water is there, and will gain the weight of the water on the fabric.
So, this is how we're going to have to take care of our sailing jackets and hi-fits? Yes, it takes a bit of effort on our part, but if we're going to have less harmful products then we have to play our part as well. Plus, if we care for our kit better it will last longer, and currently the most responsible products are the ones which last us the longest, and replacing clothing less often is cheaper in the long run.
There are so many different fabrics on the market that it can be confusing as to what is best. There are pros and cons to each, and different methods and layering solutions give different results for different applications. It isn't one size fits all.
Musto are continually looking at what they can do next, but it isn't a quick process. Moving too quickly could mean a range is released with a fabric which doesn't perform to expectations or last the test of time. Extensive research is undertaken by the team at Musto, and then testing is done by the Ambassadors out on the water, each of whom is at the top of their field in one of the many disciplines of sailing.
There are a number of innovations in the pipeline with bio-sourced fabrics, such as FCFC 100% bio-based PA11 from caster beans, or FENC 30% bio-based PES (polyester) from sugarcane or carbon capture, lab grown cotton, Spiber (which is a brewed protein fibre), and elastane alternatives. Each needs thorough research to find out if the sourcing is correct; the advantages can easily be negated if more water is needed in the dyeing process or the manufacture is more energy intensive.
On the dyeing front there are now water-free dyeing options such as NTX, PureDye, Xefco and Colorifix. There is also a focus on yarn shape, such as diamond instead of circular yarns in Pertex Diamond Fuse with HMPE quantum, helping with the water repellent properties of a fabric and its strength. Finding the right solution for any given application though is painstaking work.
How about recycling clothing at the end of its useful life? There are projects out there, but again it is early days and validating results is difficult. It's all happening, but we've seen in the news when recycling projects in other fields turn out to be less than promised, or in some cases non-existent. Getting it right is vital before flag waving about green credentials.
We've all heard about microplastics in the ocean, and washing clothing is a major contributor to this. Specially designed bags to put in your washing machine can help with this as they capture microplastics, which is another step we can take as consumers to reduce our impact on the environment.
The Research and Development process is a continuous cycle, with multiple feedback loops, experimenting to see what works and what doesn't in the real world. The timeline from concept to development, testing and feedback can be a 3-year process, with many iterations along the way.
While the design is done in the UK, Musto's manufacturing is done in the Far East. I asked whether this could be done in the UK, but the reality is that when the fabric itself is being manufactured there, it makes sense to produce the items nearby as otherwise the materials have to be shipped in their raw form, which has its own impact on the environment.
Musto is working across all areas of sailing. From offshore racing, cruising, inshore yacht racing, dinghy, and foiling/kiting of all types, with coastal cruising being the biggest area for the business. While IMOCA Ambassadors such as Charlin Dalin, Justine Mettreux and Jérémie Beyou may be the ones who grab the headlines, Musto's association with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race may be more important, giving them access to 800 sailors from a non-sailing background, testing kit in harsh environments, which is a hugely valuable source of feedback.
As Musto's Nick Houchin said, "The definition of sailing is continuously changing. We engineer the finest high-performance clothing so you can thrive in life's extremes."
Engineer is the key word: fabric technology is engineering, and getting it right is a science and an art. Your own sailing may not be at the extremes but knowing that your kit is designed for the toughest conditions, while continually striving to be produced in a more responsible way, is reassuring.
We have to do our bit by caring for our kit properly, which as I've found out is down in part to education, but that's beneficial to us all.
Acronym Explainer and Notes
1. GORE-TEX ePE membrane is PFAS-free* with a reduced carbon footprint**. To form next-gen GORE-TEX Products, the membrane is combined with carefully selected textiles including recycled, solution or undyed textiles***.
2. PFCs (per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals) are all completely man-made chemicals which do not occur naturally. They are commonly used in DWR (durable water repellent) coatings and waterproof membranes. These fluorochemicals have been used for some time to give clothing water and stain resistant properties.
3. DWR stands for "Durable Water Repellent" and refers to a coating that is added to fabrics used for functional clothing and footwear.
4. C6-based fluorotelomers (6-carbon molecule) are used to treat textiles and nonwovens to impart water, soil, oil and stain resistance, and to provide a protective barrier against infiltration by contaminants. They replaced the C8-based DWR (6-carbon molecule), and break down quicker in the environment, but the aim is to move to C0 DWR.
* Made without intentionally added per- and polyfluorinated substances; may contain trace amounts
** through the laminate's innovative membrane and select textiles (per Higg MSI)
*** Depending on laminate choice