Zhik are announced as the Official Technical Clothing Parner of IMOCA Paprec Arkéa, hot on the heels of Paprec and Arkéa announcing the joint Vendée Globe campaign with skipper Yoann Richomme.
Yoann (38), an experienced skipper and naval architect, has already won the highly competitive Solitaire du Figaro twice, the 2018 Route du Rhum Class 40 and the 2021 Ocean Race Europe as skipper of the Mirpuri Foundation VO65. He now has his sights now firmly set on the Vendée Globe with a new boat in early design stages. Then comes a gruelling schedule starting in 2023 including the Rolex Fastnet Race, Défi Azimut, Transat Jacques Vabre, transat qualification and the 2024 Transat CIC New York-Vendée, ahead of the Vendée Globe race.
The IMOCA Paprec Arkéa campaign is built on the shared values of performance, innovation and detailed preparation with all its key partners, which aligns neatly with Zhik’s core values of challenging the status quo and creating breakthrough apparel solutions.
Yoann will be kitted out in Zhik’s newest OFS800 and OFS900 Offshore and Ocean ranges throughout his four year campaign, as well as trialling and giving feedback on development garments and fabrics.
“With the IMOCA 60s hitting speeds of 30 knots, Zhik is a natural partner for this project,” explains Yoann. “We plan to enhance our boat’s design for all sea states, however these are boats are wet. So it’s exciting for me to be working with Zhik, a brand which has invested so much time inventing better ways of keep sailors dry and warm in the extremes of ocean racing. It’s the perfect partnership!”
Zhik CEO Piet Poelmann adds, “We are thrilled to be partnering with IMOCA Paprec Arkéa. The Vendée Globe is an extraordinary, unique sporting adventure, that attracts huge global audiences, both online and on the ground, who follow the race with over 115.6m viewers. Yoann is an immensley talented skipper and highly popular in France, which is a large and growing market for Zhik too. We are looking forwards to working closely with Yoann and his team throughout the campaign.”
About Zhik:
Zhik is a dynamic Australian based apparel brand, at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries in design and fabric technology for all sailors. Founded in 2003, Zhik’s range of wetsuits and dinghy gear completely changed the design approach for performance clothing and have been rapidly adopted by sailors across the globe.
Since then Zhik has taken the same ‘clean sheet’ approach and is pushing strongly into the yachting apparel, from coastal cruising to extreme ocean range, and also into paddling and water sports.
Tested and proven, Zhik gear is the winning choice of numerous Olympic and World champions. Zhik is the official supplier to the Australian, New Zealand, Singapore and Danish Olympic teams, as well as many renowned, top level international sailors, America’s Cup and Vendee teams.
Zhik are the Technical Clothing Partner for AkzoNobel Ocean Racing for The Ocean Race Europe 2021, the prelude to The Ocean Race 2022-23. Australian Skipper Chris Nicholson, who has participated in six editions of The Ocean Race said he was very excited to be working with Zhik again.
“The product innovations and new designs Zhik created for the last race were ground-breaking for the very wet Volvo Ocean 65 yachts.”
“Just like competing at top international level you cannot stand still and having the latest clothing technology on board is all part of propelling our team to success.”
Zhik technical clothing partnerships:
• Official Supplier to the Australian Olympic Team 2021
• Official Apparel Partner to Australian Sailing and the Australian Sailing Team 2021-24
• Technical Clothing Partner for AkzoNobel Ocean Racing for The Ocean Race Europe 2021
• Official Clothing Partner to the 29er Class & title sponsor to the Zhik 29er World and Zhik 29er European Championships
• Official Technical Clothing Supplier to Alex Thomson Racing for the 2020 Vendee Globe Campaign
• Team AkzoNobel and the winners, Dongfeng Race Team, in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18
