Keith Musto, OBE, in New Year’s Honours List 7 Jan 2014

Congratulations to Keith, whose services to the economy, as founder of the Musto clothing range, have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours List. Important though the economy obviously is, that is not how most of us would consider him, but one who has managed to keep us all dry and comfortable in uncomfortable conditions!

Keith is better known to us as a dinghy sailor from the days when one expected to get wet-through to the skin, seconds after launching. We all wore bits and pieces of ‘water-proofs’, cagoules and camouflage jackets bought from camping shops or government surplus stores and not surprisingly, none of them kept us dry.

Keith reckoned that trying to train in the winter time was more an exercise in survival and the plastic bags tied over the feet didn’t work either! You have only to look at the photo of Keith’s crew, Peter Sweetman, sailing his Flying Dutchman, to see the need for all-in-one garments, without joins and gaps. But when Keith took his ideas for improving sailing kit to a couple of manufacturers, they were not keen and eventually Keith went his own way and the rest is history.

We look forward to hearing of Keith and Gill’s trip to the palace later in the year to collect the medal – Well done!