Famed sailor's garment manufacturer Keith Musto wins MBE

by Sail-World Cruising on 6 Jan 2014 He might have received his MBE for services to the economy, but sailors round the world can only associate the name Musto with services to sailors, keeping them warm, dry and comfortable while sailing in cold and windy conditions.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed] Keith Musto received the prestigious award in the 2014 New Year's Honours list.

Keith Musto was not originally a garment manufacturer, he was a sailor of long standing. Musto began sailing aged 15.

After National Service, he began work with engineer Ken Pearce and began working on sailing masts and sails. He went on to become a leading dinghy sailor winning national championships in five classes between 1955 and 1963. He first became well-known when he won the Silver Medal in the Flying Dutchman Class at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games with his crew, Tony Morgan.

After the Olympics he set up a sailmaking business, Musto & Hyde, along with Eddie Hyde in Rayleigh, Essex. But it was improving the clothing that sailors wore that interested him most.

'We sailed in Guernsey sweaters and old flannel trousers for years. You got wet and you accepted it. But, as we progressed up the ladder in terms of competition, we realised that this was a problem that needed to be solved.'

So Musto went to one or two manufacturers who were making clothing at that time and spoke to them about improving the designs and there wasn’t a lot of interest. Eventually he concentrated solely on sailing and outdoor clothing with his company Musto Clothing.

And Musto has been around keeping sailors warm and dry ever since.