What makes good sports and outdoor wear? Grey Fox afloat at Cowes

With the holidays nearly over it's a good time to look back at some highlights. Grey Fox has a fairly watery history, having owned and shared boats, and cruised and raced for many years. A favourite sailing area has always been The Solent, so I was delighted to accept an invitation from Musto to visit Cowes Week to watch some racing and soak up some sun (and hopefully not too much seawater).

Grey Fox in The Baltic last year in his trusty Musto waterproofs

Like anyone who likes outdoor activities, I'm choosy about what I wear for cycling, mountain walking and sailing. There's nothing worse than a day's sporting activities ruined by the weather. From early in my sailing days I bought Musto sailing gear because it proved itself the best in use. I cruised in it and raced in it, getting through several jackets and salopettes over the years. In the photo above I was sailing (if you can call it that, in totally calm conditions) in The Baltic early last year in my old, mismatching, but very serviceable set of Musto oilskins, bought some years ago.

The best sporting and outdoor wear is designed and worn by people who are experts in the sports for which the clothes are made. The best cycling clothes are made by cyclists, the best climbing boots by climbers. Keith Musto was an Olympic sailor who knew the demands of his sport when he came to design clothing for it. That tradition continues. While in Cowes I met some of the Musto people who develop their ranges - sailers, horse riders - experts in the sports catered for by Musto who know what users of their clothing need and expect. See Musto's website for more information.

I'll review some of Musto's products in a later post, but first here are some images I took of a memorable day in beautiful sunshine at Cowes. Unfortunately there was little wind at first, so the fleet of two huge multihulls and six IMOCA 60 monohulls racing in the Artemis Challenge for a share of the £10,000 charity prize fund had a delayed start - so no dramatic spray-soaked pictures, I'm afraid.