A three-year partnership as official supplier of technical apparel for the 52 Super Series is a significant feather in the cap of any marine clothing brand. Even for Zhik, which over the last two decades has supplied sailing gear to some of the world’s most successful yacht racing teams, Olympic Gold-winning athletes and more.
‘The 52 Super Series sets the benchmark for professional monohull racing and their level of precision and consistency mirrors how we approach our own work at Zhik,’ says Johannes Polgar, the brand’s European sales director. ‘Supporting the people who make the circuit happen every day felt like an obvious fit. It’s a partnership built on shared values, trust and a clear understanding of what high-level performance environments demand.’
The stamp of official approval from the world’s leading grand prix monohull yacht racing circuit speaks volumes about the quality and innovative features of Zhik’s Inshore Performance collection. This range of technical tops, shorts, trousers, shoes and wet weather gear is the core of the new 52 Super Series staff uniform.
The whole range of Inshore Performance gear is designed and engineered specifically for athletic inshore racing and fast-paced, active sailing, where performance, comfort and freedom of movement must work seamlessly together. Additionally, polo shirts and dress shirts for onshore wear has been purpose-made by Zhik for the series.
‘52 Super Series personnel are wearing a new custom-designed and manufactured range of technical wear that will be specific to the demands of daily activities on and off the water at the range of different venues over the coming seasons,’ a spokesman for the series explains. ‘Zhik’s designers have taken feedback and ideas accumulated over recent years to specify the best, most comfortable and best performing materials appropriate for the mission critical activities undertaken by 52 Super Series staff during the course of the season, which runs from early spring to autumn.’
Winning a key supply contract with the 52 Super Series involves more than just making a deal, as Zhik’s head of marketing Johnny Rodgers explains: ‘We were part of a tender process set out by them. We had to show an ability to deliver a customdesigned, technical uniform range across multiple operational roles, proven performance in varied conditions across the season, and a sustainability approach that aligns with theirs. They were focused on getting the brand identity correct while keeping the products of high quality.’
In this case, the versatility of the garments supplied is paramount. The 52 Super Series staff who are wearing them include the race management team who have a dual on-water and office-based role. Umpires and media professionals spend long days on high-powered RIBs, getting lashed with salt water while keeping pace with the fleet of TP52s in often rough sea conditions. The shorebased logistics team need comfortable yet hard-wearing and durable kit that still looks smart and presentable after a full day’s toil in a boatyard environment.
‘Zhik was able to show the success of similar garment supplier contracts with other global sailing programmes and multiple Olympic programmes over the last 20 years,’ Rodgers says. These include SailGP, the Paprec Arkea and Gentoo Racing Imoca 60 teams, Dongfeng and Akzo Nobel teams in The Ocean Race, to name just a few.
The full range of gear supplied by Zhik will be the same for all 52 Super Series staff, with all garments available in both women’s and men’s versions. The venues for Super Series events are selected on the basis of being among the world’s very best sailing locations and the regattas are timed to optimise the likelihood of perfect (which in this instance means challenging) wind, sea and weather conditions.
Zhik’s UVActive Tops, with all-day sun protection engineered to Australian standards, are thus a key component of the gear package supplied to Super Series staff. Constructed from lightweight recycled polyester, the UVActive range includes long and short-sleeve polos, highcollar tops and tees in men’s and women’s sizes. Built to regulate temperature and wick moisture, they combine breathable performance with a clean, versatile fit delivering lightweight comfort, quick-drying performance and reliable UPF 50+ protection for high-exposure conditions on and around the water. ‘All of these have UV sun protection at the core, which is important because most events in the 52 Super Series are held in intensely sunny locations,’ Rodgers says.
Zhik’s Deck Shorts also play an important role in the garment system supplied to Super Series personnel. Designed for all-round versatility, these are ideal on a typical regatta day – warm, but with 20 knots-plus of breeze blowing across the deck. Zhik’s XWR eco-friendly water repellent technology keeps the Deck Shorts splashproof and highly breathable, while the fast-drying, four-way stretch fabric is durable enough to stand up to harsh, intensive use. Useful features include thigh, side and rear pockets, a semi-elasticated waist for a tailored, flexible fit, and anti-corrosion zippers.
Wet weather gear is of course a crucial element of any garment system for sailing regattas, and for a sunshine series like the TP52 circuit Zhik’s inshore range of jackets and gilets are ideal. Built for life on and off the water, these lightweight all-weather outer shells balance technical protection with streamlined comfort and deliver reliable waterproofing, clean aesthetics and everyday versatility in a refined, low-bulk fit. Key features of the inshore range include highly breathable and waterproof two- and three-layer performance fabric construction, fully taped seams throughout, and soft breathable linings that maximise airflow and temperature regulation. The gilets have a medium loft fleece lining to keep core body warmth, while the jackets have streamlined silhouettes for uninhibited movement and clean everyday styling.
This year’s 52 Super Series kicked off with a spring regatta in Palma, Mallorca, then moved to Porto Cervo, Sardinia in early summer before going to Lanzarote for two midsummer events where every day delivered strong winds and high-intensity sunshine. The series finale is back in the Mediterranean at Valencia in October, where a wide range of temperature, wind and sea conditions can be expected.
The 52 Super Series takes sustainability seriously, so the environmental footprint of the gear supplied was subject to real scrutiny. From product inception Zhik aims to specify new materials that are better for the planet and to use textiles which are made from recycled materials wherever possible. Durable water repellent (DWR) treatments, which play a crucial role in the performance of breathable waterproof fabrics, often contain chemicals such as fluorines that have a serious, negative impact on the environment. Zhik’s PFCfree DWR treatment is fluorine-free and repels water without using environmentally harmful substances or compromising its waterproof effectiveness. The Zhik range also includes other sustainable materials like Repreve insulation which is made from 100 per cent recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and preconsumer waste. This waste is turned into a versatile, reliable and durable product that is certified and traceable, so it is known to not include any virgin plastics.
‘Zhik and the 52 Super Series are a natural fit”, says Lars Böcking, marketing and communication director of the 52 Super Series. “We share the same commitment to innovation, sustainability and pure performance. Zhik has built a strong reputation for delivering world-class technical apparel, making them the ideal partner for the world’s leading monohull circuit, where performance is shaped by every detail.’
It’s not just the race officials and staff in the 52 Super Series who are wearing Zhik gear this year. The brand is also partnering with the new Brazil-flagged race team, Caballo Loco, supplying UVActive tops and Deck Shorts, plus lightweight high-performance salopettes and smocks from the CST500 range, and Surge Performance Shoes.
CST500 is Zhik’s high-performance coastal range of wet weather gear, designed for fast-paced inshore keelboat regattas, short-range offshore racing and overnight crossings. The smocks and salopettes are fully seam-sealed and breathable, built using Zhik’s proven Aroshell three-layer fabric technology to provide streamlined foul weather gear for a wide range of conditions. Key features include comfortable, watertight neck and waist seal systems using smooth-skin neoprene; adaptive front pockets that are designed to hold both large and small objects securely; a quick-access arm pocket to hold an emergency beacon; and articulated arm panels that allow full freedom of movement with minimal bulk.
The Surge Performance Shoe is an agile, high-traction, fast-drying trainer engineered for elite-level sailing and inshore racing. Featuring a hybrid rubber sole with multi-directional grip, rapid-drain mesh construction and ripstop reinforcements, it delivers outstanding control and agility in wet, high-pressure conditions.
‘Zhik is all about performance under pressure,’ Rodgers says. ‘We have constantly been at the forefront of winning teams, Olympic programmes and sailing leagues. Athletes know that they can rely on us to help them perform. We are the brand that professional sailors can trust when it matters.’