This Autumn, Musto and ThruDark unite to bring Nautikos to the market: Musto’s newest and most technologically advanced offshore collection, built to perform at the limits of sustained, severe-weather sailing.
It is the result of a partnership between two British performance brands – one forged in Olympic and around the world sailing, the other in Special Forces operations – brought together by a shared standard for technical, uncompromising design.
Musto has spent six decades developing technical sailing apparel for the world’s best sailors, racing in the Olympics, SailGP, and the toughest offshore races including the Route du Rhum and Vendée Globe. ThruDark, founded by former Royal Marines Commandos and Special Boat Service operators, brings a design ethos shaped by extreme environments on land, at altitude and in combat. For Nautikos, that expertise has been applied to the sea for the first time.
At the core of the range is Musto’s established use of GORE-TEX® PRO™, now reinforced with Dyneema® – 15 times stronger than steel at equivalent weight, and the strongest fibre in the world. It is the first time Dyneema® has featured on a Musto product, overlaid at the seat, elbows, knees, and hem of the Nautikos GORE-TEX® Jacket and Trousers to protect the highest-wear zones of a foul-weather kit.
A modular, removable pocket system allows storage to move seamlessly between jacket and trousers, while D3O® knee impact protection delivers class-leading impact protection on deck. Photoluminescent reflectors and tonal reflective print detailing are built in throughout the range for visibility in low light and heavy weather.
Professional offshore sailor, Will Harris, was part of the test team for the new ThruDark kit. “For me, the Dyneema reinforcement is the standout. When you’re offshore, you’re constantly on your hands and knees, bashing into things – as soon as you damage the kit it becomes a lot less effective, so having that next level of protection at the elbows, shoulders, and seat is exactly what we need. The modular pocket system is going to make a real difference too. It’s a classic sailor’s problem: you head to the bow, get out there and realise you’ve left something behind because there was nowhere to put it. With this system you can clip everything on and know it’s with you before you leave the cockpit. And it just looks incredible – I’d wear the midlayer on shore as easily as on the water. It’s Musto in stealth mode.”
The complete Nautikos range
- Nautikos GORE-TEX® Jacket & Trousers: the hard-weather shell, built for sustained offshore use. Jacket: RRP £1,500 and Trousers: RRP £1,200
- Nautikos Trident GORE-TEX® Midlayer Jacket & Trousers: a waterproof, breathable layering system with body-mapped thermal fleece. Jacket: RRP £450 and Trousers: RRP £450
- Nautikos Styk Stormfleece: a wind- and rain-resistant fleece midlayer with Dyneema® overlays at the shoulders and elbows. RRP £225
- Nautikos Styk Trousers: a fully loaded cargo trouser with Dyneema® reinforcement at the knees and hem. RRP £225
- Nautikos Styk Tee: an S.Café® base layer offering UPF 50+ protection without chemical treatment. RRP £70
- Nautikos Cap: a waterproof MPX-construction cap with fleece-lined collar and reflective camo detailing. RRP £70
Nick Houchin, Musto Marketing Director said, “This collaboration made complete sense from the moment we started talking. Musto has nearly six decades of heritage in performance sailing, and ThruDark brings a Special Forces background that demands exactly the same things we do – kit that works without compromise in the most extreme conditions. What they’ve contributed to Nautikos is a level of utility and technical detail that pushes our outerwear further than it’s ever gone. Dyneema® reinforcement, modular storage, D3O® protection – this is clothing genuinely built for purpose. And the fact that it looks this good while doing all of that is exactly the point. Function and style shouldn’t be a trade-off, and with Nautikos they’re not.“
ThruDark Co-Founder Louis Tinsley commented, “We are meticulous in our choice of partners and Musto has long stood out to us for its proud British heritage and leading technical performance. This collaboration is about what each of our two brands can bring to create the best offshore clothing available. For Musto that means decades of experience on the water, for us that means decades of experience in and under it. We’ve taken the best of what Musto does and made it as durable as possible using stronger-than-steel Dyneema® reinforcements and design techniques honed by our diverse, real-world experiences.“
Nautikos is available from Musto.com and Thrudark.com
