Cruising World – August 2019

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230 base-layer long-sleeve

top and bottoms, both

of which are built out of a

blended merino wool and

polyester fabric that clocks

in at 230 grams per square

meter (hence, the garments’

monikers). Both items are

constructed using fl at-lock

seams, and the fabric’s hybrid

nature helps ensure long-term

fi t and odor control.

Mustang Survival’s Torrens

jacket picks up where base

layers leave off and combats

cold using Polartec’s warm-

even-when-wet Alpha Active

insulation. The Torrens jacket

uses a wind-resistant soft-shell

outer fabric that features a wa-

ter-repellant treatment, allow-

ing it to weather light rain, and

a soft liner for next-to-body

comfort and for wicking away

sweat. The coat has stretchy

mesh underarm and side

panels for enhanced mobility

and body-heat regulation. The

athletically cut jacket also

features two hand-warmer

pockets, articulated elbows,

and an inside chest pocket, as

well as stretchy wrist cuffs that

are designed to lock out water.

While long underwear

technically isn’t considered

a midlayer, merino wool has

so thoroughly proved itself

among offshore sailors that

some people (such as your

humble scribe) won’t leave

shore without packing a set

of merino-wool base layers.

Musto’s merino base-layer

pant and long-sleeve T-shirt

are built out of 100 percent

merino wool, which is excep-

tional at regulating body heat

and delivering next-to-skin

comfort, sans unnecessary

bulk. Moreover, merino

wool’s natural antibacterial

and odor-repelling qualities

enhance your odds of not

offending your crewmates.

When it comes to regulat-

ing core temperature, vests

(“gilets” in Musto’s parlance)

deliver warmth without

restricting arm movement

or ventilation. Musto’s BR1

gilet adds comfort on fall days

that don’t demand full jackets,

while also providing layering

versatility for times when the

foredeck threatens to freeze.

Finally, Musto’s Extreme

thermal fl eece top and trou-

sers are built out of stretchy

polyester jersey fabric that’s

backed with heat-trapping

fl eece. Both the top and

trousers repel water to help

you stay dry in light mist or

fog, and both use fl at-locked

seams to reduce bulk and

add comfort and durability.

The pants feature articulated

knees, while the jacket has a

tall, heat-retaining collar.

Softshell jackets hit the

scene in the late-2000s,

forever changing the way that

sailors expect their midlayer

jackets to move, both on the

water and off, and Outdoor

Research’s Ferrosi combines

the right amount of move-

with-you motion and weather

protection. To be clear, the

Ferrosi won’t stop angry North

Atlantic waves—that’s your

foulie’s job—but instead acts

as a wind and light-spray jacket

that deftly moonlights as

part of a layering system. The

packable jacket includes clever

details such as wrist-fi tted

thumb loops, hand-warmer

pockets and a chest pocket.

The Seattle-based compa-

ny’s Ascendant jacket steps

things up from the light-air in-

ventory to more-serious stuff,

offering the at-rest warmth

of a lightweight down- or

synthetic-fi ll puffy jacket while

simultaneously delivering

the breathability of a fl eece

jacket. This is done by using

Polartec’s latest-generation

Alpha Direct insulation, which

is unique in that it doesn’t re-

quire an internal liner. This, in

turn, allows the jacket to dump

more unwanted heat and mois-

ture through its stretch-woven

and air-permeable Pertex outer

shell.

Savvy sailors watch their

sun exposure, and Patagonia

offers three great tools for

creating your own shade: the

Tropic Comfort Hoody II,

the Women’s Tropic Comfort

Hoody and the unisex sun

mask. All three are made from

fast-drying synthetic fabrics

that deliver 50-plus UPF sun

protection, making them an

ideal next-to-skin layer.

Next up are Patagonia’s

legendary R1 pullover fl eece

shirts, which are available in

both male and female cuts.

All R1s use Polartec Power

Grid fabrics to lock in body

heat without adding heft or

unnecessary bulk. R1 shirts

are super-stretchy and highly

durable, and the fabric’s em-

bedded Polygiene odor control

helps keep you smelling

(relatively) presentable.

For cool days, Patagonia’s

men’s and women’s Nano Puff

jackets and vests deliver an

impressive amount of warmth

and wind protection for their

tidy, lightweight forms. Nano

Puff garments employ ripstop

polyester shells that are made

from 100 percent recycled

materials and PrimaLoft Gold

Insulation Eco, which is com-

prised of 55 percent recycled

materials. The resulting jackets

and vests easily slide over and

under other layers, and both

are equally adept when paired

with a foul-weather jacket as

they are when serving as an

outer layer on dry watches.

Australia-based Zhik

(correctly) believes that proper

layering begins at the next-to-

skin level, which it facilitates

with its HydroMerino base

layers. These garments merge

merino wool’s best properties

(warmth and odor-resistance)

with those of polyester

(wicking and durability) and

polypropylene (hydrophobia

and heat retention) to create

a warm, highly stretchy weave

that was designed specifi cally

for Dongfeng Race Team

sailors competing in the 2017-

18 edition of the Volvo Ocean

Race. Some examples of en-

demic R&D include external

stitching to reduce chafe, and

water-repellant fabric on the

cuffs, waist hem and ankles.

Once things start cool off,

Zhik’s Xe fl ex jacket and

salopettes provide insulating

armor against the chill. Unlike

most regular synthetic fi lls,

which usually lie parallel with

their garment’s shell and

liner, and are susceptible to

heat-robbing compression,

Zhik’s Xefl ex uses a vertically

lined fi ll that’s designed

to withstand the wind and

other compressing elements.

Xe fl ex fabric uses an ultrathin

metallic layer that refl ects

back the wearer’s body heat,

keeping sailors warm when

the elements turn cold. Both

the jacket and salopettes

deliver serious warmth for

their weight and sea-bag bulk,

making them especially useful

for sailors who enjoy pushing

their sailing and seasonal

boundaries.

When not researching ways to

stay warm in his home waters

around Seattle, David Schmidt is

CW’s electronics editor.

VENDOR

INFORMATION

Cora Ball: coraball.com;

$30

Gill Marine: gillmarine

.com, 800-822- 6504; from

$120

Helly Hansen:

hellyhansen.com,

866-435-5902; from $170

Henri Lloyd: henrilloyd

.com; from $225

KAMgear: kamgear.com,

206-789-0505; from $80

Mustang Survival:

mustangsurvival.com,

800-526-0532; from $80

Musto: musto.com, +44

(0)1158 962387; from $120

Outdoor Research:

outdoorresearch.com,

855-967-8197; from $110

Patagonia: patagonia.com,

800- 638- 6464; from $30

Zhik: zhik.com, 866-944-

5872; from $120

BOATS & GEAR

Merino wool’s nat-

ural antibacterial

and odor-repelling

qualities enhance

your odds of not

offending your

crewmates.