Gill was created to ensure sailors were protected from the elements whilst out on the water. This remains our purpose today.
"When I first started sailing, we had no sailing gear, we used to go sailing in t-shirts, shorts and canvas shoes and we never went out on the water in winter, we just couldn't. I was passionate about sailing so I decided to write a business plan for a sailing product company, I first put that plan into action in 1975 in the corner of my Fathers textile factory in Long Eaton, Nottingham. Back then we had a space just 10 meters squared but it worked - we were flexible and creative and always had the end user in mind as we developed new sailing product. That business ethos is what has led to the successful business and brand we have today and why so many sailors and outdoor enthusiasts trust and rely on our products."- Nick Gill.
Nick Gill grew up sailing but with no sailing gear to his name. That didn’t dampen his passion for the sport. Instead, it inspired him to make his own sailing apparel in the corner of his father’s textile factory in 1975. Gill quickly gained a reputation for quality and performance, and within five years, we had developed a range of ground breaking garments for Britain’s first America’s Cup sailing team. By 1989, our innovative spirit reached new heights by introducing the world’s first two-piece dinghy suit; Gill transformed the technical sailing clothing category and made being out on the water more comfortable and extended the sailing season, and we haven’t looked back since.
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.
Tested Beyond Standards: Ensuring Unrivalled Performance & Comfort
We create technical clothing for all types of sailing or boating activities. Whatever the activity, all of our waterproof products are tested to the same high standards. In fact, our commitment to quality goes beyond industry standards to ensure that when you need to stay protected you can trust Gill – no compromise.
Built To Last
Our commitment to quality and technical excellence means your Gill product will last longer than you would expect. Our in-house technical team are responsible for quality assurance and guaranteeing that every one of our products performs as expected.
Every one of our waterproof products is individually pressure tested on every taped seam before they can be approved, which is a process that takes many hours to complete. Nothing passes our QC until we’ve pressure tested, flexed, cooked, scrubbed, and washed it. Our industry-leading rejection rates and low level of customer returns are a testament to the huge amount of time, effort and resource we put into our product performance.
Ocean Protection
As a marine brand we have a vested interest in protecting the ocean, whilst we don’t have all the answers on how to do this, we are making changes that collectively make an impact. We have taken steps to eliminate single-use plastics from our supply chain by reducing our use (our wetsuit packaging uses 75% less plastic) or eliminating them altogether (over 20% of our styles are now plastic-free with more added each season). We have also offset our carbon emissions by investing in reforesting projects.
Over a third of our collections feature recycled, renewable or plant-based materials. Our OS2 Offshore Jacket and OS2 Offshore Salopettes are the world’s most sustainable sailing suit, using 98% recycled materials.
