TEAM PAPREC
Technology
Fizzing with innovation Withmassive investment in R&D, Zhik’s new offshore gear is now even better
In the offshore apparel market, where heritage counts and habits are hard to break, you’ve got to admire a company like Zhik. This young Aussie brand is positively fizzing with innovative ideas and hell-bent on shaking things up. Its attitude appealed to Johnny Rodgers too, who joined as Zhik’s head of marketing after more than 10 years as an Olympic class coach with the Australian sailing team. ‘Zhik has always appealed tome
as the leader in high-end garments helping athletes winmedals,’ says Rodgers. ‘Withmy commercial background in brandmarketing, I liked that Zhik was a disruptor in the industry. It'smymission to carry that on and have some fun along the way.’ Testament to the scale of its ambition is the gilded roster of sailors joining Zhik for this wild ride. Most recently Yoann Richomme wore Zhik’s OFS900 and OFS800 ranges and the Seaboot 900 while racing into second place in the Vendée Globe on board his new Imoca Paprec Arkéa. Just days before that the crew
of the 100ft Juan K-designed supermaxi LawConnect secured back-to-back line honours wins in the Rolex Sydney Hobart fully clad in Zhik kit. It turned out to be a brutal edition in which two sailors lost their lives. With LawConnect averaging
66 SEAHORSE
17kts across the course and top speeds above 30kts, staying dry, comfortable and able to perform at your best was no mean feat. Chris Nicholson, tactician, watch leader and second-in-command, explains the challenge his crew faced. ‘We had heavy downwind with 20-40kts and then a front with reaching in 30-35kts,’ Nicholson says.’ In those conditions you are looking for something – anything – to make you more comfortable and the Zhik gear is able to do this. I was using the new-style boots, thermals and the OFS900.’ On the choice of the OFS900
smock or jacket, he makes the decision most grand-prix tacticians would: ‘I run the smock regardless due to the dry seals. I don’t usually have the time to swap between. ‘The smock has very little in the
way of features, that’s one of its main strengths – a top that fits well, is waterproof and comfortable. ‘The jacket has more features so
if I sat on the rail for long periods of time I would use the jacket, but I am in and out of the nav station, driving the boat and communicating a lot so the smock is my preferred choice. ‘The pockets on the salopettes
are good, along with the ankle Velcro arrangement. What I like about Zhik is its innovation, continued improvement on materials and a
Above: the most recent pro sailor to join Zhik’s roster of
ambassadors is Yoann Richomme who wore the brand’s gear while racing into second place in last year’s Vendée Globe
great bunch of employees.’ The focus on innovation in its
rigorous R&D programme for OFS900, OFS800 and the Seaboot 700 and 900 is quite deliberate: this is not a company that takes the easy route. The OFS900 range was designed on a blank slate, as head of design Drue Kerr explains: ‘The OFS900 was developed first and shaped by our involvement in the Volvo Ocean Race. ‘Zhik was foul weather gear
supplier to the Dongfeng Race Team in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 editions, winning the second with Charles Caudrelier leading a star- studded crew). It had to be a tough, highly durable and rugged offshore solution designed to withstand extreme conditions. ‘Balancing waterproofness, breathability and durability is always a challenge as these three elements typically counteract one another,’ Kerr explains. ‘We wanted to ensure long-term waterproofness and breathability, and that led us to develop the five-layer Isotak fabric and a unique seam-sealing system we called Qulock – those were the real eureka moments. We had the fabric independently tested and it was confirmed to have four times more waterproof durability than the best ePTFE fabric.’ ‘The OFS900 underwent a
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