Australia’s innovative technical apparel brand Zhik has announced they have partnered with Christian Beck’s ‘LawConnect’, the Australian based Super Maxi, for the next three seasons.
Going into the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, owner and skipper Beck will lead a high profile crew who have raced multiple seasons together, including sailing master Tony Mutter, tactician Chris Nicholson (AkzoNobel Ocean Racing skipper) and boat captain Ty Oxley. Also onboard will be five LawConnect staff taking part in this iconic race for the first time who are set to gain an ‘in at the deep-end’ experience alongside their professional peers.
The entire crew will be using Zhik’s recently launched OFS800™ offshore range made from eVent® Direct Diffusion fabric which offers unrivalled breathability levels without any compromise on durability and waterproofness. It also features Zhik’s inventive new ‘head-lock’ hood, designed to engage neatly around your face and always follow your head movement whilst preventing wind and water ingress. Australian tactician Chris Nicholson, says he is very excited to be working with Zhik again for this campaign, “Having the latest clothing technology on board is all part of propelling our team to success.”
The campaign will be the Super Maxi’s fourth Sydney Hobart since Beck’s ownership and will be a predominantly Australian affair. The majority of the crew are Australian or reside there permanently. The boat recently took the name of Beck’s latest legal search and collaboration tool ‘LawConnect’ enabling easy selection and booking of a lawyer online. It has also had a complete overhaul of systems and equipment by entirely Australian and NZ-based businesses including fitting the fleet’s largest bowsprit.
Christian Beck comments, “It’s great to partner with Zhik. Both LawConnect and Zhik were founded in Australia and both set out with a mission to change the way things are done in their respective markets, giving people easy and effective solutions. We are a high-performance team and we are looking forward to putting Zhik’s OFS800 through its paces during what we hope will be a fast and furious Sydney Hobart.”
Zhik CEO, Piet Poelmann adds, “The development of the OFS800 had absolutely no compromise. The result is the best offshore performance gear, with unrivalled breathability and extreme waterproofness. It’s therefore fantastic to be part of the LawConnect team and contribute to the iconic Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race”.
