Cruising World – August 2019

BOATS & GEAR

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88

W

hile most sailors

have overcome

an inhibition or

two en route to earning their

miles, 40 years of sailing has

taught me that hydrophobia

is to be embraced when it

comes to midlayer garments.

Rather than a psychological

fear of water or another name

for rabies, hydrophobia—or

hydrophobe—as a scientifi c

term refers to a material’s

tendency to repel water. This

in turn, allows a fabric to

remain warm and insulating

when wet.

In the case of midlayer

garments—which serves

primarily as insulation under

foul-weather gear, while occa-

sionally moonlighting as outer

armor for blue-sky days or

forays ashore—these qualities

can be mission-critical char-

acteristics. Here’s a roundup

of some of the warmest, most

hydrophobic midlayers afl oat,

and some information about

responsible stewardship of

these synthetic fi bers.

The old saying goes that

“if you get your layers right,

you’ll get your day right,”

and while this might be an

overly simplistic outlook, the

bottom-line truth for most

cruisers is that if they’re warm

and dry, they’re (reasonably)

happy. Gill Marine solves a

piece of the layering puzzle

with its Thermogrid zip

neck. This toasty-looking

midlayer top, which is

stitched from a heat-trapping

waffl elike fabric with a smooth

face and four-way stretch, was

CELEBRATING Hydrophobia

When conditions turn damp and raw, pile on water-repellant layers, and keep on sailing.

BY DAVID SCHMIDT

Outdoor Research’s As-

cendant jacket can be worn

under foulies or by itself.

Gill Thermogrid zip

neck jacket

Helly Hansen HP racing

jacket

Mustang Survival Torrens

Admiral jacket

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