To compete in the Vendée Globe requires each skipper to come with their very best game; to win it takes almost superhuman concentration, enormous skill and a hefty dose of luck. It goes without saying that the clothing chosen by each competitor must exceed the very highest standards.

Little surprise, then, that Musto is the brand that supports so many Vendée Globe campaigns. No fewer than 11 of the starting line-up for the historic 2024/25 edition are Musto ambassadors, who have curated a selection of clothing to see them through the extremes of the gruelling 24,500-mile race. They include titans of the ocean racing scene, such as Jérémie Beyou, Samantha Davies and Charlie Dalin, as well as rising stars like Benjamin Dutreux and Violette Dorange, the youngest competitor in the race.

“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 fulfils our specification perfectly.”

These are not just sailors who wear the gear; they exemplify Musto’s brand values. Dedication to success, dogged perseverance, strength of will and moments of genius are what have brought them to the start line. They will need all of it and more before they cross the finish, taking on the storm-tossed Southern Ocean and the volatile Tropics as they go.

Top of the kit list for Musto’s ambassadors is the HPX Gore-Tex Pro Ocean line of outerwear, which comes as a jacket, smock and trousers. It offers the very highest level of waterproofing and breathability, with a wealth of features from knee pads to a high collar and reinforced lower back. Every element of the design has been developed and tested with professional offshore sailors.

Charlie Dalin one of the race favourites. Photo: Martin Viezzer / Disobey / Macif

“When I need to go on deck, I have to be able to put on my gear as fast as possible,” adds Dalin. “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 to put on, but also has the ability to keep me dry when going on deck in rough conditions.”

Newer IMOCA boats sport giant foils and are designed with enclosed cockpits, which reduce the need for extreme waterproofing. But the motion of these flying boats is so vigorous that impact protection becomes the priority. To that end, Musto partnered with Vendée Globe record holder Armel Le Cléac’h to develop its MPX Impact range. Astonishing performance comes courtesy of a unique anti- ballistic gel encapsulated inside pads at key points in the garments.

“Developing MPX Impact with Musto has enabled me to try and test various solutions in real ocean conditions; and we’ve worked together to design, what I believe to be, the ultimate offshore impact kit,” Le Cléac’h says. “It’s the first of its kind.”

Heat also stalks pro sailors, whether it’s at the Olympic Games or hunting for wind in the Horse Latitudes. Musto hasn’t neglected this extreme, either. “In warmer areas, I always wear a pair of LPX shorts whether it’s daytime or nighttime,” says Dalin. There’s also the range of lightweight Sunblock gear that runs from tees to long johns.

Conditions at sea are never stable for long, so flexibility is the key. It’s not just about extreme waterproofing and breathability. That’s why HPX is a three-tier system, giving competitors the tools to tog up as they need. The base layer is in fine merino wool, which wicks away sweat, regulates body temperature and suppresses odour for weeks on end. Then the Gore-Tex Windstopper Primaloft Middle Layer Jacket or Salopette adds a major boost of warmth when necessary. Boots, gloves and socks round out the offshore kit list.

Sam Davies is expected to be competing with the front runners in this year’s edition. Photo: Jean-Louis Carli / Initiatives Coeur

If Musto is the choice of so many of the world’s top sailors, it is perhaps due in part to the mindset of founder Keith Musto. He brought home silver in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and decided that sailors should not have to sacrifice performance because of being cold and wet. As a competitor at the highest level, he understood the incremental gains that better clothing could deliver.

As a result, Musto was the first sailing brand to partner with Gore-Tex back in 1994. It remains a close collaboration to this day, with Musto still the first in the sector to develop new clothing with Gore’s latest technology.

Combined with the lessons learnt at sea, the world’s best fabric technologies empower Musto’s performance on land. That’s why the brand continues to deliver kit that can handle extreme adventures and propel winners to new heights. And it’s why so many of the world’s top sailors still wear Musto.

“Musto definitely helps me to feel confident with my clothing before we take on this challenge,” says Justine Mettraux

“I’ve been wearing Musto now for years and it’s good to wear a brand you know well, that you trust will keep you dry and comfortable,” says Justine Mettraux of Teamwork – Team SNEF. “The experience with Musto definitely helps me to feel confident with my clothing before we take on this challenge!”