Emirates Team New Zealand are benefiting from a brand-new product designed by Italian safety specialist Dainese.
Normally known for their clothing and safety solutions in motorcycling, and lifetime sponsorship of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, Italian firm Dainese is hoping to revolutionise sailing safety equipment with their latest garment.
Technology from their MotoGP program has gone directly into the Dainese Sea-Guard vest, a new product designed to keep sailors safe in boats that are able of traveling at speeds of 50 knots (92 km/h).
The Sea-Guard is the first item of protective clothing specifically designed for competitive sailing, providing, floating function, impact protection and also allows complete freedom of movement for next-generation grinders, who use leg-power to operate winches – instead of arm-powered winch grinding.
Sea-Guard is the only ergonomic and comfortable solution designed to optimise crew performance.It even incorporates an aerodynamic motorcycle hump, together with oxygen tank housing, and on-board communication devices.
“With the advent in the last few years of AC catamarans, the sailing world has evolved to unprecedented levels,” said Technical Advisor and Management member of Emirates Team New Zealand.
“Now in our partnership with Dainese, speed and safety go hand in hand. It is the first time that safety, floating, protection and aerodynamics have been combined, all of which contribute to improving our performance on the water. With “flying” catamarans, every detail, from boat to clothing, makes for faster sailing.”