While competing with his Flying Dutchman at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics equipped with flannel pants and a Guernsey jersey, Britain’s Keith Musto decided that had to invent something better. This is how Musto was born, the benchmark for nautical equipment that this year celebrates 60 years of evolving technical navigation clothing.
The story of Musto would not be understood without that of its founder, Keith Musto. Born in the British town of Rochford in 1936, he sailed from the age of 15 and shone at national level in five classes before focusing on the Flying Dutchman category, Olympic from Rome 1960 to Barcelona 1992. Musto represented the United Kingdom in the JJ.OO. Tokyo 1964 as helmsman alongside Tony Morgan.
The Musto-Morgan tandem was considered at a disadvantage because they were light compared to their competitors. They competed in street clothes: flannel pants, Guernsey sweaters, and canvas sneakers. None of it waterproof. «We wore sweaters that our wives knitted. They were very heavy sweaters and even more so when they got wet, which you did on purpose before the start to have more power when upwind. They literally soaked their clothes to be more competitive.
Keith and Tony won a silver medalthe only medal for British sailing in 1964. From that experience, and aware of the lack of adequate sailing clothing that offered protection against the elements and freedom of movement, Keith embarked on a journey that led him to create the Musto performance clothing brand.
One of the first Musto technical clothing designs.
three layers
The development of sailing clothing over the last 60 years has evolved thanks to a constant attention to innovation and detail. It was Musto who developed the concept of the three-layer system, which advises sailors to dress in thin layers for warmth, protection and freedom of movement.
“We thought, ‘What’s ideal?’ We want to be the last to enter the locker room and the first to leave. We want to have little to wash and we don’t want to have to spend a lot of money on a lot of clothes. “We started looking for materials that offered a very good thermal rating for underwear, and we were very lucky.”
Installed in a former prisoner barracks from World War II In Essex, Keith Musto carried out extensive research and discovered that the minimum number of layers needed for maximum protection was three. At first he found a fabric that the Italian company Mont Eddison had developed, which offered good thermal and absorption possibilities; Additionally, it was non-absorbent and, more importantly, lightweight. This fabric became the basis for the first layer of the iconic Musto three-layer system. For the middle layer, 3M had at that time launched a new microfiber yarn that provided plenty of warmth without the bulk. But the key layer was the outer layer.
“At the time, our options for the outer layer were limited. We knew we needed it to be waterproof. The PU-coated nylon we had then was fine for boats, but not suitable for clothing. There was British Nylon, which was strong enough for ocean racing, but it was quite heavy and none of these materials breathed, so they collected quite a bit of condensation. The first three-layer system we developed for offshore used the heavier British Nylon, and for coastal sailing the PU-coated nylon, but we soon ran into problems because the PU nylon was coated and would wear quickly in saltwater.”
The solution came from the United Statesas Musto explains. «I read an article about a material developed in the United States by a company called Gore-Tex and asked for samples. We decided it was ideal, but we had to try it. It was at the same time that Dutch skipper Conny van Reitschoten was looking for better protection, so we invited him to visit us. He arrived at Southend Airport on his private plane, we sat down with pen and paper, and asked him: what do you want? “He simply said, ‘sit in a cold aluminum shell for a month and stay warm and dry.'”
The idea took off in the 1981-82 edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race (today The Ocean Race), when van Rietschoten put it to the test in the Southern Ocean. Today, layering is common in all outdoor activities. Keith firmly believed that everything he created for professional sailors should be affordable for the recreational sailor, a philosophy that remains part of Musto’s decalogue.
Sail Team BCN youth crew.
The competition laboratory
Like van Rietschoten on his trip around the world, today the Musto ambassadors in ocean sailing and Olympic sailors are given prototypes that they test to the limit and return with detailed feedback. They give their opinion on topics such as pocket placement, protective padding or hood systems, allowing designers to refine their products and apply it to all collections. The BR1 cruising range, for example, has the same hood design worn by The Ocean Race sailors.
Musto has outfitted some of the sport’s most recognizable names, from solo adventurers like Ellen MacArthur to The Ocean Race and America’s Cup teams. Today, Musto is the technical supplier chosen by the British Sailing Team, it has dressed four Puig Women’s and UniCredit Youth America’s Cup teams (including the Spanish Sail Team BCN) and eleven Musto ambassadors have embarked to participate in the Vendée Globe 2024 , including the British Sam Davies with Initiatives Coeur.
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