Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
0 Likes
0 Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • The ML Interview

Winning Races, Saving Lives: The Story Behind the Mustang Survival Sailing Collections

  • June 8, 2020
  • Ned Morgan
Total
9
Shares
9
0
0
0
0
0
Total
9
Shares
Share 9
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

words :: Ned Morgan.

The Mustang Survival sailing collections are designed to stand up in the most punishing offshore environments on our planet. Out there, a prolonged squall—not to mention a mid-latitude cyclone—will render most civilian rainwear next to useless. And that’s exactly where Mustang Survival’s workmanship and materials prove their ultimate mettle.

So what does outfitting the world’s top sailors—including the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, an official challenger for the next America’s Cup—look like? 

 

Winning Races Saving Lives Prada Boat
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s AC75 under sail. Photo: Courtesy Mustang Survival

 

Designing with the Pros

We asked Mustang Survival Design Manager Sophie Laliberte and Product Line Manager Vanessa Fors about their testing and design process with the pros—and how that transfers to the general public.

Mountain Life: Can you describe the process of designing racing gear for the likes of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli? 

Mustang Survival: It started with a meeting with the folks from Prada visiting our Mustang Survival Waterlife Studio in Burnaby, BC, to check out our facility but also discuss the possibility of entering into a sponsorship agreement. They had heard about us through sailors on the team they were putting together. I guess ever since we developed the EP Ocean Racing Collection with the sailors from the Comanche [a record-breaking racing yacht], word spread like wildfire.

Winning Races Saving Lives EP38 Ocean Racing Inflatable Vest
The EP 38 Ocean Racing Inflatable Vest (Auto Hydrostatic). Photo: Mustang Survival

 

Building Trust

Our EP Ocean Racing Collection was worn unofficially in the last Volvo Ocean Race where word travelled from boat to boat that we had stock and the sailors were buying the gear to wear when they were not in front of the cameras. (We were not Volvo Ocean Race sponsors so the teams would get in real trouble if the sponsor brands found out.) But they wanted our gear because they trusted it to keep them dry and warm in the rough elements.

When the team from Milan arrived, we showed them our recreational collection as well and they were visibly impressed with the workmanship and the refined details. They were turning the Callan Short inside out and complimented us on our quality—a proud moment for us to get complimented by the likes of this luxury brand that holds so much respect on a global scale. Once they saw our quality assurance methods, it must have given them the confidence to trust us with their technical gear. Once it became official that we were moving forward with the partnership, our design team worked with the Prada design team to finalize the details.

 

https://www.mountainlifemedia.ca/2020/06/wear-your-pfd-a-cautionary-tale-from-mustang-survival/

 

Since some of the team had already experienced our EP Ocean Racing Collection (previously they were on the Comanche), we were able to get right down to brass tacks. We reviewed every detail and made small modifications to the preference of the sailors. (For example, latex seals and some small fit modifications for the athletic Italians.) Also, we had to make sure we got the colour matching just right to match the Luna Rossa grey in the Mil Spec Gore fabric and ensure the other sponsor logos were in the right spot.

 

Winning Races Saving Lives Mustang Luna
Photo: Mustang Survival

 

We did this through weekly Zoom meetings to review drawings and discuss samples that we shipped to them. They knew which sizes to order, because at the outset we had shipped them a full size set to have their sailors and staff try on.

Mustang Survival’s Testing Process

ML: Describe your testing process—do the teams take prototypes on races and then report back?

MS: Yes, exactly. We sent the Luna Rossa designs to the team at each stage to get their feedback. Then we modified for the next round. They would use the prototypes on their training runs and put them to the test at up to 50-knot winds.

 

Luna Rossa Team Photo EP Racing 06
Photo: Courtesy Mustang Survival

 

Which was a good thing because one of the edits that came from that testing was to add some adjustment to the smocks for this race at higher speeds. (By adding adjustments to the smocks, to cinch in around the lats, it helps to reduce the flapping in the wind and reduces the noise and drag.) This is a feature you may or may not see in mass production as it is really specific to racing at those high speeds. But it was a great takeaway as we consider racing-specific designs.

 

“If we can reduce a pain point for a pro, it will certainly help the recreational user.”

 

How Recreational Users Benefit

ML: How do you take all this technology and design and mass-produce it for a recreational sailor? 

MS: It really helps to understand professional athletes’ needs because if we can reduce a pain point for a pro, it will certainly help the recreational user. How that works is that the pros might be using our gear for longer periods or more harsh environments. If we can solve a problem at that level, then the recreational user will benefit. We learn a lot by working with professionals. We then test and test (and test) the Recreational collection with Elite users and even pros. So that loop really gets tight.

 Mustang Survival’s Meris & Callan: the Design Process

ML: Could you talk a bit about the design process behind the Meris Collection and the lighter-weight Callan Collection?

MS: We design for environments. So we’re looking deeply at where an activity is taking place first and foremost. It really guides the designers as they set out to create new product. In protective waterproof-breathable gear for marine environments, we start with the fabric. We work closely with our fabric suppliers to develop fabric that works specifically with marine environments. We just couldn’t find an off-the-shelf solution that solved our need for durability and breathability in saltwater. Or working around diesel and fish guts.

 

Winning Races Saving Lives Chris Rubens Steering Boat
En route to Greenland in the Meris Sailing Jacket. Photo: Mustang Survival/Chris Rubens

 

We brand our unique fabric development as Marine Spec and right now we offer three levels of breathability and burliness. The Meris Collection is an offshore collection so we use the Marine Spec BP which is a four-layer waterproof-breathable. That fourth layer offers tonnes of protection and durability. And it still allows us to get an offshore jacket to just under 890 grams.

The Callan Waterproof Jacket is intended for inshore, high-output activities that require more breathability and lots of stretch. So we developed a three-layer mechanical stretch called Marine Spec MP that is super-lightweight and moves with you.

 

Winning Races Saving Lives Callan Waterproof Jacket
The Callan Waterproof Jacket. Photo: Mustang Survival

 

 

The process is to begin with the fabric, then the cut of the fabric, often with as few seams as possible in critical areas to remove the risk of any water ingress at seams. Then the refined finishing and details are what we try to build the Mustang Survival aesthetic around. The Callan Collection, by the way, won the DAME Design Award in 2019.

Our design team tries to hit the right balance that allows athletes to move without restriction, while still feeling protected and confident. If we can deliver product that users and athletes will forget they’re wearing, then we’ve done our job to keep them dry, comfortable, protected from the elements and ultimately safe.

https://www.mountainlifemedia.ca/contests/win-mustang-survival-essentials-kit/

 

Total
9
Shares
Share 9
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • jacket
  • Mustang Survival
  • waterproof
Ned Morgan

Previous Article
  • The Great Outdoors

Finlanders Love Nature, and Their Education System Thrives Because of It

  • May 28, 2020
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
  • Mountain Lifer

Bionic Stoke: Business As Usual For Tyler Turner

  • June 8, 2020
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario
  • The ML Interview
  • Women

Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 

  • Editor
  • May 29, 2023
Lara-Shea
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • The ML Interview
  • Videos
  • Women

ML Podcast: Award-Winning Filmmaker Lara Shea

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 9, 2023
Caroline-Cote-Antarctica
View Post
  • The ML Interview
  • Trips & Expeditions

Caroline Côté en mission solo jusqu’au pôle Sud pour sensibiliser à la fragilité de nos hivers

  • Mountain Life Media
  • November 10, 2022
Caroline-Cote-Antarctica
View Post
  • The ML Interview
  • Trips & Expeditions

Caroline Côté’s South Pole Solo Mission to Raise Awareness of our Fragile Winters

  • Ned Morgan
  • October 28, 2022
Canadian-Museum-of-Nature-Arctic-diving-expedition-Savoie-and-colleague
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • The ML Interview
  • Trips & Expeditions

Searching for Kelp Forests and other ‘Marine Superstars’ in Canada’s Western Arctic

  • Mountain Life Media
  • September 13, 2022
Jamie-Mocrazy-portrait
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Skiing
  • The ML Interview

Jamie MoCrazy: Thriving after Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 17, 2022
Helly-Hansen-search-and-rescue-helping-hand-OVERBECK_HH-SAR_4503
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • The ML Interview
  • Videos

Friday Flick: What it Means to be a Search & Rescue Responder

  • Mountain Life Media
  • April 29, 2022
Greg-Hill-solo-touring-Selkirks-Revy-BC
View Post
  • Skiing
  • The ML Interview
  • Travel
  • Trips & Expeditions

Greening the Revy Backcountry with Greg Hill

  • Ned Morgan
  • March 14, 2022

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • Kathryn-Corbiere-artist-Indigenous-Ontario-Blue-Mountains 1
    Artist Profile: Elevating Awareness 
    • May 29, 2023
  • Mike-Traslin-Andy-Traslin-ski-touring-KootenaysBC 2
    The Traslin Brothers: 200 Months of Earned Turns
    • May 30, 2023
  • Leslie-Timms-Devils-Glen-Nutcracker-Colin-Field 3
    Behind the Devil’s Glen Climbing Route Closures
    • May 25, 2023
  • Fisher-Monahan-illustration-illustrator 4
    Sweetgrass Chronicles: Walking from BC to San Francisco
    • May 26, 2023
  • Paul-Manning-Hunter-Kananaskis-River-surf 5
    Mountain Life Takes Home Multiple Awards
    • May 23, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • John-Haines-Simcoe-Street-Collingwood2-at-CreativeSimcoe-Street
    Tribute: ML’s Map Artist John Haines
    • June 1, 2023
  • benno_bikes-46er-sea-otter-tour-web2
    Gear Shed: Picks for Spring & Summer
    • May 24, 2023
  • Baptism By Gravel: Rab Equipment Enters The Adventure Cycling Game
    • May 19, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 0 Likes
Twitter 0 Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM

Warning: preg_match(): Unknown modifier '0' in /home/customer/www/mountainlifemedia.ca/public_html/wp-content/plugins/powerkit/modules/lazyload/helpers/helper-powerkit-lazyload.php on line 146
avatar
mountainlifemedia
Mountain Life
25K Followers
Check out our signature 20th Anniversary tees that just dropped in our shop! 🔥 10 0
For 15 years the Ontario artist drew ML’s gatefold map for both the Blue and Coast Mountains editions. 16 1
Just your average day on the trails…nothing to see here. #mountainlifer #onewheel 24 4
How many turns did you earn last winter? Most skiers and boarders would be proud to say they logged a week with no chairlifts and zero auxiliary help to the top—or toured exclusively for a month. 47 2
onekwe didn’t set out to become an artist. She first became a welder with the intention of establishing herself in the trade. But, as good welding jobs are few and far between where she lives on Manitoulin Island, she began doing commissions for architectural pieces and modern furniture. “From there, I found the opportunities and the abilities in myself to create art,” she says. 75 1
ML and partners offer a gear list curated for spring-summer stoke, including the latest sunnies, trail shoes, sun shirts, e-bikes, headlamps, racerback tanks, Rollerblades and sun hats. In alpha order. #linkinbio to check out all picks! 22 0
"Alright—where to begin? Between the months of July and November 2022, I walked about 2500 kilometres from British Columbia to San Francisco. Yes—I walked." 47 4
🚫The sweet sound of the wilderness at Devil’s Glen… 77 5
✨It's time for another giveaway! 69 126
☝️Ahem, so … we’re officially “award-winning” again. Yup: ML Rocky Mountains and ML Coast Mountains both received awards recently at the 2023 Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Conference. 82 9
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Check out our signature 20th Anniversary tees that just dropped in our shop! 🔥 10 0
For 15 years the Ontario artist drew ML’s gatefold map for both the Blue and Coast Mountains editions. 16 1
Just your average day on the trails…nothing to see here. #mountainlifer #onewheel 24 4
How many turns did you earn last winter? Most skiers and boarders would be proud to say they logged a week with no chairlifts and zero auxiliary help to the top—or toured exclusively for a month. 47 2
onekwe didn’t set out to become an artist. She first became a welder with the intention of establishing herself in the trade. But, as good welding jobs are few and far between where she lives on Manitoulin Island, she began doing commissions for architectural pieces and modern furniture. “From there, I found the opportunities and the abilities in myself to create art,” she says. 75 1
ML and partners offer a gear list curated for spring-summer stoke, including the latest sunnies, trail shoes, sun shirts, e-bikes, headlamps, racerback tanks, Rollerblades and sun hats. In alpha order. #linkinbio to check out all picks! 22 0
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.