CLOTHING From the bottom up, the crew members wardrobe started with underpants, some had the thermal variety that whicked moisture away from the body, and waterproof socks. Keeping your bottom and feet warm and dry prevented nappy rash or " gunnel bum " and kept foot rot at bay. Anyone who ignored these essentials ended up with sores, athletes foot and splitting skin as a result. Over this was worn a thin layer called " Thermals " ( synthetic fibre to whick moisture and retain heat ) during the colder periods with shorts and T-shirts and deck shoes for the more tropical climes. Then came the " Thermal mid-layer " which was either one piece or two with an inner layer of fleece and a nylon outer layer designed to keep the body warm and the muscles working. The top layer of foul weather gear or " Foulies " which was a lightweight suit to keep the rain and seawater out. The suit was breathable allowing the sweat of exertion to leave the suit. All the gear had the Sponsors logo on it for instant recognition and not to miss out on a photo opportunity, in any conditions. To compliment the suit and finish off the outer layer were Wellington boots and a gaiter to seal the suit and boot together. The hood on the Foulies carried the crewmembers name for recognition during bad weather. The suit had reflective strips on it to light up under torch light, crucial for being seen at night. This layered system was officially supplied to the crews by Musto. The full system was completed by a three layer glove comprising a sailing glove, thermal liner and top layer of waterproofing. All layers were detachable and worn in different combinations depending on the weather. A woolly hat / balaclava and ski goggles were considered essentials by the crews especially whilst at the helm in the Southern Oceans. However technical the clothing was, nothing worn was designed to keep the crews completely dry. The dea was to keep the body warm and whick moisture away from the body. 30 foot waves have a way of finding weaknesses in any combination of clothing ..... going down the neck being a favourite. Some invested in dry suits with rubber seals to keep the water out which worked especially well in the harsh and unforgiving waters around the South Pole. Every outfit has it's matching accessories and on the BT Global Challenge catwalk could be seen sunglasses, mirrored to keep the strong sail-reflected sun from damaging the eyes. Baseball caps were a common site, the peak worn forwards to keep the sun out of your eyes or reversed to protect your neck. A torch was carried to trim sails at night and needed to be strong enough to illuminate to the top of the 87 foot mast. The most important accessory was a sharp knife. This was carried at all times and in a readily accessible place, often round the wrist in a sheath. To be used in emergencies, the knife was only brought out to cut crewmembers free of ropes to prevent injury from running ropes or to stop you from being flipped overboard.

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