Helly Hansen donates 25% of all UK online sales to RNLI during May
Global sailing brand Helly Hansen, a strategic partner of the RNLI, has announced the continuation of its support of the charity’s Mayday campaign. Helly Hansen will donate 25% of all UK online sales during May to the RNLI, as it has done since 2018.
The purpose of the Mayday appeal is to raise funds for the RNLI before the busy summer season, which sees a higher number of people in the water and in an increased risk of danger. All donations go towards RNLI lifesavers, ensuring they have the essential resources to keep families safe during this busy summer, including volunteer training, state-of-the-art equipment, and critical safety education.
Since 2018, Helly Hansen has been equipping the RNLI lifeboat crews with professional-grade gear to keep them protected from the elements in all weather conditions. The partnership has provided essential equipment and allowed the RNLI to expand their vital safety messages to reduce drowning rates in the UK.
Emma Russell, Marketing Manager for Helly Hansen in the UK and Ireland, comments, “We recognise the significance of supporting the RNLI, especially in the build-up to their busiest time of year and take great pride in being their partner. With every purchase from our UK online store, we can help contribute towards the safety of those in and near the water.”
The donations for the month of May include proceeds from sales of Helly Hansen’s newest kit for Summer 2023.
The new Ægir Race Jacket 2.0 (SRP £700), is designed with 50% recycled material without compromising professional-grade performance.
Five years in the making, Helly Hansen’s designers have taken learnings and insights from professional offshore sailors, including Thomas Coville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy. Featuring a newly developed four-layer fabric, which is made with 50% recycled material and a PFC-free durable water repellent treatment, the jacket is more responsibly made while still being performance-driven, delivering extreme HELLY TECH® Professional waterproof/breathable protection.
The Ægir Race Jacket 2.0 also offers improved mobility, meeting the demands of modern offshore sailing boats which operate at higher speeds. With an ergonomic shaped fit, articulated elbows and a raglan sleeve, the jacket is built to provide maximum freedom of movement, ideal for sailors who are working hard to push their boats to the fullest. Additional features of the jacket include a high weather-protective collar; fully sealed seams; an adjustable, helmet-compatible, packable hi-vis hood; CORDURA® fabric reinforcement; ventilation openings for added breathability; adjustable double cuffs; and SOLAS-rated reflectors for visibility and safety.
The Foil Shell Smock (SRP £250) features a new two-way mechanical stretch fabric for optimal mobility and comfort on the water. The initial iteration of the smock top was part of American Magic’s daily kit, appreciated by the team for its extreme waterproof/breathability due to its HELLY TECH® Professional three-ply lamination. Ideal for inshore sailing, the new Foil Shell Smock delivers the same professional grade protection and optimal ergonomic fit with a two-way mechanical stretch fabric. This new fabric provides the ultimate freedom of movement, enabling professional sailors to do quick manoeuvres at high speeds. It also features adjustable PU seals at the neck and cuffs, ensuring the Foil Shell Smock is comfortable without compromising on water-blocking protection. Additional features of the smock top include a PFC-free durable water repellent treatment, articulated sleeves for optimal mobility, an adjustable neoprene hem, a high protective collar, and fully sealed seams.
The Newport Coastal Jacket (SRP £300) is a fully featured sailing jacket with a colour-block design inspired by the iconic, 1990s marine aesthetic. Named after one of the world’s sailing capitals, Newport, Rhode Island, the jacket’s design is a nod to the town’s long-standing history with the sport, refreshed with modern colourways and innovative technologies and detailing. Developed together with coastal sailing professionals, the jacket provides the highest level of waterproof/breathable protection using its HELLY TECH® Professional fabric construction, while also being better for the environment.
The Newport Coastal Jacket is responsibly designed with a PFC-free durable water repellent treatment and 100% recycled, solution-dyed mesh lining. It also contains a minimum of 50% recycled content, including high-quality Ocean Bound recycled material, made by repurposing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear like fishing buoys, which are otherwise a major source of marine litter.
The Revo Sail (SRP £120) is made with high-quality Ocean Bound recycled material in its mesh upper and lining, webbings, and laces. This type of recycled material is made by repurposing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear such as fishing buoys, which are otherwise a major source of marine rubbish. With a focus on being more sustainable, 3D printing is used in the manufacturing process, resulting in zero waste in the shoe’s toebox and counter production. Additionally, all upper materials contain recycled content, and the shoes feature a PFC-free non-wicking treatment to achieve waterproofness.
Equally technical, waterproof, and breathable, the Supalight Watersport (SRP £100) is a hybrid between a trainer and a watersports shoe. Purposefully designed to offer performance and protection in wet environments, it’s quick-drying with a PFC-free hydrophobic treatment and features the same HH® Hydro-Grip rubber compound as the Revo Sail, delivering maximum grip and traction. The shoe is also lightweight and highly breathable with an HH® Lite-Frame upper and HH® Max-Vent technology, and it features a comfortable EVA foam technology in its midsole for an optimal balance of cushioning, comfort and fit. While delivering extreme performance and protection, the Supalight Watersport is also more responsible, with 100% organic cotton lining and 100% recycled polyester webbing.
The Sailsafe Inflatable Race Life Jacket (SRP £300) is a state-of-the-art ocean sailing piece for professional sailors to feel safe to push their boats to the limit even in the toughest conditions, without compromising on performance, comfort, and mobility.
Developed with feedback from professional sailors, the Sailsafe Inflatable Race Life Jacket is ISO (12402-3) certified. It’s ergonomically designed to feel lightweight and flexible, and its close-to-body fit maximises comfort while still providing optimal freedom of movement. With an automatic Hammar® hydrostatic pressure inflation system, the life jacket will only inflate if submerged. This is ideal for ocean sailors as they are often faced with spray and extremely wet conditions, so they won’t have to worry that the life jacket will accidentally inflate.
The women’s Foil Shell Jacket 2.0 (SRP £370) takes insights from professionals to introduce a sailing jacket with a feminine cut and fit, without compromising on function and performance.
Developed together with professional sailors, including solo sailors, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy, and Olympic sailing team members, Helene Næss and Marie Rønningen. The team of female designers wanted to create a jacket with a customised feminine fit and aesthetic, while still delivering the aerodynamic performance that the HP Foil Pro collection is known for.
The new women’s Foil Shell Jacket 2.0 features a shorter and modern silhouette, specifically designed to fit the female figure and hip size. This allows female sailors to have optimal flexibility and mobility without having to constantly pull down the jacket and enables multiple layering options without restricting arm movement.
The Helly Hansen collection is available to purchase online via www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/.
Helly Hansen and the RNLI have been strategic partners since 2018 and are committed to working together to educate and influence those at risk of drowning. To learn more about the Mayday appeal, or to sign up to take part in a fundraising Mayday Mile, visit www.rnli.org/SupportMayday