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The first meeting between SLAM's style department and the Tita-Banti duo opened up a direct dialogue between two worlds: that of design and that of racing.
Slam designers bring with fabrics, patterns, expertise. The athletes bring experience, sensations, specific demands.
Ruggero Tita-Caterina Banti, training in Cagliari (end of 2023)
"It’s too hard. It holds you back on fast turns."
"You can feel the compression, but when you are wet the neoprene loses its elasticity and turns into a problem."
So it was back to the lab for the SLAM team. A change of course was needed.
Traditional wetsuits are designed for surfing, for kiting, for sports where the body position is more static than that of a sailor foiling across the water. In a race on board a Nacra 17, the body is always under the stress of constant motion: tension in the legs, drops from waves, impacts against the boat, sudden accelerations.
We tried switching to a lighter, stretchy neoprene, but after testing, the crew was still unhappy.
The turning point came when the team came up with a stretch neoprene featuring targeted compression and improved shape memory. This meant that the wetsuit could adapt perfectly to the body, but without losing its grip over time.
The answers were then translated into precise changes:
- Preformed knees and elbows, so that the sailor can spend more time in a dynamic position.
- Silicone grips on the cuffs to prevent the sleeve from sliding up during a manoeuvre.
- A bare neoprene band on the waist to improve its fit without becoming too tight.
- Targeted compression on the legs to prevent cramping after hours of intense sailing.
Slowly but surely, the wetsuit begins to take form.
The time had come to see if all the work had paid off. The Nacra 17 Worlds are the last trial before the Olympics. And so, SLAM handed over the final prototypes to Tita and Banti.
The duo climbed into the boat for the first race. The wind was strong, the racecourse unforgiving. No second chances. Either it works, or it's back to square one.
After the first day of testing, the phone rang in the SLAM R&D office.
That was it. The mission was complete. The wetsuit was finally ready.
That week, Tita and Banti won the fourth Nacra 17 World Championship in La Grande Motte, the third win in a row and last title before leaving for the Paris 2024 Olympics. All while wearing the wetsuit they themselves helped design, test after test, until it became a fine-tuned weapon made to win.
Behind every technical garment is a story. The Foil Wetsuit 1.5 was not born in a meeting room. It was born on the boat, on the water, from the sweat of every gybe and the tension of every race.
Tita and Banti brought their experience to the table. SLAM brought innovation and materials. The outcome? A wetsuit that anyone can wear today, knowing that every seam, every grip, every finish has been designed for those who sail at high speeds, who fly on foils, who don’t know the meaning of limits.
A wetsuit that won the World Championship and then went down in history with the champion duo claiming their second Olympic gold medal. A piece of technical clothing now just waiting to accompany new sailors to their next victories.
Are you ready to take flight?
Author: ELENA GIOLAI/SLAM
Das Foil Top 1.5 wurde über fast zwei Jahren mit dem zweifachen Nacra 17-Olympiasiegerduo Tita und Banti entwickelt. Es ist wie eine zweite Haut für alle, die über den Wellen schweben oder Mehrrumpfboote mit unglaublichen Geschwindigkeiten segeln. Eng anliegend und superelastisch, garantiert es totale Freiheit bei Wenden, Halsen und allen schnellen Manövern, die auf einem superschnellen Boot erforderlich sind. Gezielte Kompression, blanker Neoprengriff, Innenfutter der Manschette aus Silikon und ergonomisches Design. Die perfekte Ergänzung zu den Foil Long Johns oder zum Tragen unter dem Spray Top. Geschwindigkeit ohne Kompromisse!
Der Foil Long John 1.5 ist für diejenigen gedacht, die mit extremen Geschwindigkeiten über das Wasser fliegen. Entwickelt zusammen mit den zweifachen Nacra 17 Olympiasiegern Tita und Banti, bieten diese Long Johns das Beste an Freiheit, Stärke und Stabilität. Super-Stretch-Neopren, ergonomisches Design, gezielte Kompression und strategische Verstärkungen. Rutschfester Griff und ein Unisex-Look. Leicht, langlebig, bereit für alles!
Das Foil Spray Top ist ideal für intensive Rennen an kalten und windigen Tagen und wird über einem Neoprenanzug oder einer Thermoschicht getragen. Leicht und schützend, bietet dieses Spray Top Wasserdichtigkeit (20.000 Wassersäulen) und hohe Atmungsaktivität (30.000 g/24h). Es verfügt über einen halben Reißverschluss (YKK-Qualität) zur Belüftung, Klettverschlüsse am Hals (Rücken) und an der Taille sowie eine praktische Tasche für Euer Werkzeug. Eine umweltfreundliche Option, die schnell trocknet.
Tech Cap ist eine Schirmmütze aus wasserabweisendem und leichtem Funktionsgewebe, das schnell trocknet. Sie verfügt hinten über die übliche Kordel mit Clip, um sie am Lycra-Shirt, der Schwimmweste oder dem Pro Ocean Spray Top zu befestigen und nicht zu verlieren. Verstellbarer Riemen hinten.
