I used these midlayers during the 2015 Fastnet Race, and although it was not a particularly cold event, these were the best piece of kit/clothing I brought with me. I had not used any other midlayers since buying a set of Mustos about 12 years ago – which were warm and splash-proof, but bulky and heavy (they took up half of my kit bag on their own).

The Elite midlayers are very lightweight, compact and warm. They are also water-resistant, meaning I could often wear them on their own with no outer layer needed, even in damp conditions.

The jacket has a couple of pockets, but not so with the trousers. If worn with wet weather trousers outside, this is obviously no problem, but pockets on these Midlayers would be useful when they are worn on their own.

The only other niggle I had was with the adjustable shoulder straps of the trousers – which failed to stay at their adjusted length on a few occasions, plus the buckle fell off a couple of times, so it is worth checking how well the buckles are laced. That said, these are extremely comfortable midlayers, and the Jacket when bundled up also doubles as the best pillow on a race boat!

Retail price £134.95 each from Force 4 Chandlery