GILL MARINE PARTNERS WITH ROTTERDAM OFFSHORE SAILING TEAM
Laurien
The world’s leading technical sailing supplier supports the next generation of young offshore racing talent in the Netherlands
Gill Marine, the leading global brand for technical sailing apparel, is delighted to partner with the exciting Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team (ROST). The team, formed to enable talented young Dutch sailors to develop themselves in the international offshore sailing world, will be wearing the latest Gill products including its innovative new Race Fusion system – offering the highest level of breathability within its race range.
The team currently consists of promising sailors from the Rotterdam Region (aged 17 to 30 years), sailing on a Ker 46 provided by the Royal Maas Yacht Club. Led by three-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran Gerd-Jan Poortman, Gill believes that this partnership will give the product team a unique insight into how product is used and importantly, giving real life feedback to ensure that every item is performing to its ultimate potential. The team has already competed for the first time in the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race in 2017, and this year the team will compete in the 2018 Offshore Worlds before returning to improve on their performance in the Rolex Fastnet 2019.
Gerd-Jan Poortman from ROST commented: “We are delighted to have a brand like Gill come on board with ROST. Our focus is on bringing a group of like-minded companies together to help make this Team the success that we know they can be. A huge part of that is making sure they stay warm and dry in what will, at times, be very challenging conditions. And through the world class products from Gill, we know that the team can focus on their sailing performance with confidence in their offshore clothing.”
Dominic McCarthy, Commercial Director, Gill Marine commented: “We are really excited to be bringing the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team into the Gill family. The added insight we can gain from working so closely with them will support our continued efforts to better understand our consumer, and the requirements of offshore sailing. This is paramount to the process of innovation and producing fantastic product. This partnership also further underpins our strategy to support promising talent in sailing and we are sure the team will go on to record some fantastic results. We wish them the best of luck for the season ahead.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
Gill was an idea first born on British waters in 1975 by founder Nick Gill, a keen sailor who wanted to create a range of sailing product without compromise; the best fabrics, the best features, the best quality.
Now trusted for over 40 years, Gill has grown into an established technical apparel brand meeting consumer needs both on and off the water and continues to combine innovative design with the latest fabric technology to increase the performance of its range.
Distributed around the world to 37 countries and more recently through a global Ecommerce platform Gill remains the number one marine glove brand and its comprehensive product range driven by the well-known Race Ocean jacket (0C1) as well as global best seller the Offshore jacket (0S2) continue to set it apart.