Sailing Tops Gill Marine Clothing

Gill was created in 1975 when founder Nick Gill, passionate about sailing, decided to make his own sailing apparel in the corner of his father's textile factory in Long Eaton, Nottingham. Frustrated by the lack of proper technical sailing gear available at the time, his goal was simple: build the best sailing clothing possible without compromise. Within five years, Gill had developed a range of ground-breaking garments for Britain's first America's Cup sailing team, and by 1989 introduced the world's first two-piece dinghy suit — a product that transformed the technical sailing clothing category. Today, Gill is one of the world's most trusted names in sailing clothing, covering everything from dinghy racing to ocean passage-making, and is the official technical clothing partner of the US Sailing Team.

Nick Gill started making sailing apparel in the corner of his father’s textile factory in 1975. Today, Gill is a world-leading name in marine apparel. Nick’s ethos has always been to think differently, push the boundaries of innovation and this continues today – rather than using off the shelf branded fabrics in our collections we make it our mission to develop our own fabrics that are truly fit for purpose. If a fabric needs to be lighter, tougher, or more breathable, we customise it to meet the needs of the end user – from extreme single handed ocean racers to the weekend club dinghy sailor.

Gill's quality credentials are exceptional, underpinned by a manufacturing philosophy that goes well beyond industry norms. Gill's commitment to quality goes beyond industry standards — every waterproof product is individually pressure tested on every taped seam before it can be approved, a process that takes many hours to complete. Nothing passes QC until it's been pressure tested, flexed, cooked, scrubbed, and washed. Rather than using off-the-shelf fabrics, Gill develops its own fabrics, making it their mission to create materials that are truly fit for purpose.

Yes, Gill has deep roots in dinghy sailing and continues to produce a dedicated dinghy clothing range alongside its offshore and coastal collections. Gill introduced the world's first two-piece dinghy suit in 1989, which quickly set a new industry standard and became a bestseller synonymous with the brand. Today the dinghy range includes the ZenTherm system for cold conditions and the ZenLite system for warmer weather, alongside spray tops, wetsuits, drysuits, and base layers designed specifically for the demands of dinghy sailing — where freedom of movement, quick drying, and layering flexibility matter most.