Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh argues in favour of the Breton cap as the one-size-fits-all-conditions superior sailing headwear
Are you happy with your hat?
Does it stay on your head in a gale, keep you warm, dry and protect your face from the sun? Do you have different hats for different conditions? And do you find that you’re often wearing the wrong sort of hat?
Hats come into and out of fashion. But for sailing, there is only one type of hat that works in all situations–the Breton cap. They look equally fine on male or female heads and are good at staying on in strong winds. Variations include the Greek Fisherman’s cap and, of course, we in the UK have been wearing this style of hat for centuries.
The basic shape has always been used in the UK Merchant and Royal Navies (dressed up in summer with white covers) and until recently it was the favoured cap by many yacht clubs. The reasons why they were so popular are three fold:
1 They stay on your bonce in strong winds.
2 They are both warm in winter and cool in summer.
3 They provide some partial face and ear protection from the sun’s rays.
The reason the Breton cap stays on your head in a strong wind is because the peak slopes down and the wind gets caught between the peak and the beret/ top pushing the hat down and not up. The shape has evolved after many years of experience by seafarers. So, whoever thought it was a good idea to take a cap from a baseball stadium and stick it on a sailor’s head?
The funny old chap wearing a blue pullover in the picture (above) is me at Oban sporting my favourite Breton cap. Note that this type of hat is also useful for wiping whiteboards and mopping up oil spills. It doesn’t show the stains but increases the cap’s ability to repel water. Of course, you can buy them with an oiled or waterproof top but that is cheating. A good Breton needs to be soft and pliable. It will adopt a character all of its own.
So, if the Breton is the perfect hat for sailing, why do so many sailors now wear the wrong sort of hat?
I’d put it down to fashion because it’s mainly funny old unfashionable chaps like me who still wear Breton caps. But I can remember a time when they were highly fashionable with both young men and women in the swinging sixties. John Lennon for example. But now the only famous person I’ve seen wearing one on TV in recent years is Jeremy Corbyn. On the water, they’re confined to just men of a certain age. So, what is it that we older men know that others do not? Well, it’s all to do with experience.
Over the years I have tried more hats than I have had boats and here are a just few examples wi
