New Gear at Southampton

John Greenland looks at what's on offer, including an exclusive sneak preview of the latest additions to Harken's carbon range...

Helly Hansen - Winter range

Don't miss the djuice dragons Volvo Ocean Race team in their exclusive magenta pink Helly Hansen technical clothing. Helly Hansen were chosen by Knut Frostad's Norwegian entry to be its technical clothing sponsor.

Also available at the boat show will be the Helly Hansen TransOcean Jacket and Bib, launched into their Seagear range in 2001. This high performance two-piece is the ultimate garment for extreme offshore sailors. Made in a striking yellow it is highly visible when in bad weather or during night watches.

The TransOcean Jacket and Bib are made of high quality Helly Tech Extreme 3-ply. Designed for a close fit the jacket has profleece lined pockets and brushed tricot inside the collar for comfort and warmth. The hood is specially constructed to give full protection in rough conditions while still allowing unrestricted vision. The Bib is elasticated at the waist and articulated and reinforced in the seat and at the knees for ease of movement whilst maintaining full protection. However extreme the conditions, the high performance TransOcean Jacket (£300.00) and Bib (£250.00) will allow sailors worldwide to experience the exhilaration of their sport.

The Woman's Journey Jacket is one of the most versatile sailing jackets for inshore and coastal wear. Costing around £110, this fully waterproof jacket is also breathable, thanks to the use of soft Helly Tech fabric. Extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear, the Woman's Journey Jacket is worn with the Woman's Journey Bib which retails at around £80.00.

Also, new from Helly Hansen in 2001 is the technically advanced drysuit designed for dinghy sailors. The New Breathable Drysuit For dinghy sailors, the company are also launching a new breathable dry suit. For adults this is available with (£360.00) or without (£350.00) integral feet and has rubber wrists, ankles or feet and neck cuffs to keep the water out. This specialist performance drysuit is made from the Helly Tech® Extreme 3-ply material with reinforced knees and seat for extra durability and a waterproof zip across the back.

Douglas Gill - Winter range of warm wear

Just in time for the Southampton Boat show will be Gill's Warmwear 2002 range. The usual jackets and smocks are to be included in the range, with the majority of the items available at the show through Gill's various dealers.

The extremely popular Hudson Jacket, a versatile jacket that can be used as an outer-layer or mid-layer, will again be in the Warmwear range - retailing at £39.99. If you need a more substantial jacket then either the Breaker Jacket, by far the most popular choice in the Gill range, or Blizzard Jacket could be worth a look. Both jackets are 100 percent waterproof retailing at £99.99 and £119.99 respectively.

Also included in the 2002 Warmwear range will be the usual fleece smocks and jackets for use as base-layers when out racing.

After some gear? Buy from the madforsailing shop and it will be delivered the next day...