Eleven Musto Ambassadors to take on the 2024 Vendée Globe

Musto ambassadors Samantha Davies and Violette Dorange © Musto

To qualify for the solo Vendée Globe race is tough, to finish the 24,300 mile race is even tougher. The key to success begins way before the starting gun - training, and meticulous preparation are vital.

The hardware, the software, sails, health, diet, every detail is scrutinised in the months leading up to the start, including the skipper's clothing. So important is the clothing to the skipper's physical performance and mental well-being, Musto's designers work with each of them well in advance to develop the latest, cutting-edge, innovative apparel to protect them from the sea, the wind, the cold, and the heat.

Eleven of Musto's international roster of ambassadors will line up for the start on 10 November, out of the 40 entrants. Jérémie Beyou (FRA) on Charal, Louis Burton (FRA) on Bureau Vallée, Clarisse Crémer (FRA) on L'Occitane en Provence, Charlie Dalin (FRA) on Macif Santé Prévoyance, Samantha Davies (GBR) on Initiatives-Cœur, Benjamin Dutreux (FRA) on Guyot Environnement - Water Family, Violette Dorange (FRA) on Devenir, Boris Herrmann (GER) on Malizia - Seaexplorer, Tanguy Le Turquais (FRA) on Lazare, Justine Mettraux (SUI) on Teamwork-Team SNEF, and Damien Seguin (FRA) on Groupe Apicil.

"The Vendée Globe is one of the toughest sailing races on the planet," said French skipper Charlie Dalin and one of the race favourites. "When you are preparing for this race with the aim of winning, you want the very best in every domain - Musto fulfil our specification perfectly."

Top of the list for the skippers is the HPX GORE-TEX Pro Ocean series jacket, smock, and trouser, built to withstand thousands of hours of racing in the unforgiving ocean and with innovative detailing to keep the water out. The kit is engineered with GORE-TEX Pro fabric for the greatest barrier against the elements and unmatched breathability. "I really like my pair of HPX GORE-TEX Pro Ocean trousers," commented Dalin. "They are both light and strong and I can easily move with them. Their breathable abilities and thickness always keep me dry. I also like the knee pads that protect my knees well without being bulky."

The newer IMOCA boats are designed with enclosed cockpits providing much better protection from the elements. "On my new boat when I'm in the cockpit, I'm more protected from the elements than ever," said Dalin. "So when I need to go on deck, I have to be able to put on my gear as fast as possible. This is why for this edition of the Vendée Globe, I'm taking the HPX GORE-TEX Pro Ocean jacket as it's very easy and low energy consuming to put on, but also has the ability to keep me dry when going on deck in rough conditions."

As the IMOCA racing boats have evolved into foiling speed machines, the skippers require even more protection against impact injuries. In March this year, Musto launched the MPX Impact trousers and jacket with built in protective pads at the elbows and knees, developed in association with Armel Le C'léach, who still retains the Vendée Globe race record of 74 days and 3 hours set in the 2016-17 edition.

Armel wore his MPX Impact gear during the high-speed ARKEA Ultim Challenge. Bespoke pads were designed in partnership with D3O, using the most advanced impact protection material in the world to cushion knocks to elbows and knees. Clarisse Crémer, Justine Mettraux, Jérémie Beyou, Charlie Dalin, and Boris Herrmann will also be taking the MPX Gore-Tex Pro Impact jacket and trouser with them for this race to help protect them from the risk of micro injuries in the more violent motion the boat suffers in the extreme conditions.

"Since our founder, Keith Musto, first worked with legendary skipper Conny van Rietschoten to develop the offshore clothing for his victorious 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race, Musto has continued with the same approach of listening to and working in partnership with our sailors to develop the clothing they need," said Musto Head of Marketing, Nick Houchin.

"Our ambassadors like Samantha Davies, Jérémie Beyou, and Charlie Dalin have all been instrumental in testing prototypes, spending hundreds of hours at sea putting our kit through its paces, and providing valuable feedback. This gives us the intel we need to produce the high tech performance clothing available to all sailors today, whether they are racing solo around the world, or sailing for fun at the weekends."

Musto's three-tier layering system is the key to the skipper's comfort. From the outer HPX GORE-TEX Pro Ocean series layer, to the mid-layer garments, such as the HPX GORE-TEX Windstopper Primaloft® Middle Layer jacket and trouser, and finally the HPX Merino base layer. "My most used piece of Musto gear is my pair of mid-layer salopettes," commented Dalin. "In my last Vendée Globe I kept it on for nearly a month!"

But in a race like the Vendée Globe, it is not all about the wet and cold. Crossing the Equator twice brings heat: "In warmer areas, I always wear a pair of LPX shorts whether it's daytime or nighttime," said Dalin. In addition to the shorts, the Musto ambassadors also take various garments with full UV protection.

The solo, non-stop round the world race starts Sunday, 10 November 2024 from Les Sables d'Olonne, France.

Musto ambassadors Charlie Dalin and Damien Seguin - photo © Musto