Hiking pants ancient history
Before we invented hiking pants, sail-makers had made a strap-on type product called stacking pants, but these were uncomfortable and the stiff sail battens used could wear the gunwales of the boat down with excessive use by a heavy sailor.

Our beginnings
Then in 1988 (remember the Olympics in Seoul and Bobby McFerrin reminding us "Don't worry, be happy"?) a New Zealand dinghy sailor, John Dowsett, devised a wetsuit that would not only keep dinghy sailors warm but allow them to hike (lean) over the side of their boats without experiencing pain in the back of their thighs. Using flexible battens incorporated into a wetsuit, weight was kept to a minimum and as an added bonus the sailor was elevated further above the water, so reducing drag from the waves when on the wind and on reaches.

These pants became known as neoprene hiking pants (and later, in other countries, hiking shorts).

Racing Rules
After inventing hiking pants we were instrumental in clarifying their legality in terms of the racing rules. The 1997-2000 Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) specified in RRS 49.1 that:

"A boat shall use no device other than hiking straps to project a competitor's body outboard".

Some International Judges thought that this meant that IODA (and other Classes) must change their Class Rules to allow hiking pants with battens.

As a result of our request for clarification, the rules were changed as follows:

"Hiking pants, not attached to the boat and not containing any stiffening which can extend below the knee joint, are permitted irrespective of whether they would otherwise contravene RRS 49.1."

Our simple yet clever invention was now legal and quickly became a ‘must-have’ for dinghy sailors around the world. To share in our idea click here.