As you would expect from Musto, the HPX oilskins are spot on! Everything from the articulated joints to the zipped hand-warmer chest pockets has been perfectly crafted to a sailor's needs. The HPX Gore-Tex material is one of, if not the most durable, breathable, waterproof fabric designs available commercially - you only have to look at the Volvo race crews to know this. But as a weekend cruiser; do you really want to folk out over £700 for your oilskins?
Being one who feels the cold (I'm usually seen sporting hundreds of layers while at sea), I think the favorite feature of this set is the hood. Unlike many other jackets, the HPX roll-away florescent hood is padded so it gives protection from the wind and some warmth as well as being waterproof, so you won't need a hat as well. It's also really easy to get a perfect fit with width, height and face adjustments and offers amazing protection to the face, though it can be quite tight around the neck when you're fully wrapped up if not positioned correctly - which can be hard to do with a heavily gloved hand.
Musto have incorporated 30% elasticity into the Gore-Tex material, meaning that it isn't just incredibly strong, but it is also extremely comfortable. While moving around the boat you are not restricted at all, nor are you bogged down with pounds of heavy, rigid material, as it gives in all the right places (i.e. under the arms) and is very light and supple.
With the Musto HPX jacket retailing at about £500 and trousers at £220, they are more expensive than all their waterproof counterparts - triple the cost of XM Yachting's alternatives, but there are a lot of extras you get for this: zipped hand-warmer pockets on tops and bottoms with pull-out-to-dry fleece lining, a facility to zip in mid layers and 500 denier Cordura seat patch with internal abrasion free seams as just a few points on a very, very long list. But if you look after these oilskins properly, it'll be near enough a decade before you have to even consider buying a new set.
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Top quality waterproofs at top-end prices. It's very hard to find fault with the Musto HPX jacket and trousers, but these oilskins are definitely a 'Big-boys' toy, and unless you are a hardened sailor, I'm not sure you'll truly appreciate the superb workmanship that has been crafted into these waterproofs. Basically if you're not on the water more than 10 times a year - don't bother!
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For more information on Musto, visit www.musto.co.uk
Group test
Musto's HPX jacket and trousers are among the oilskin sets we will include in our up-and-coming MainSail waterproofs group test. Keep an eye out for this Battle of the Giants (Henri Lloyd, Musto, Gill, Helly Hanson, XM Yachting) all pitted against each other. Only one will be crowned Best of the Offshore Sets, so watch this space!
