Splash Point

The scale of plastic pollution in our oceans inspired Devon-born economist Helen Newcombe to return to her coastal roots and create a sporty swimwear range partially made from recycled fishing nets.

- Anna Turns

As yawls line up across Salcombe Estuary, ready to race on a windy Saturday, Helen Newcombe and her boyfriend Anthony Lofts steady the sails until the klaxon sounds and the fleet heads out to the first buoy. ‘I love high winds and the challenge of a rough sea,’ says Helen, exhilarated from racing her traditional wooden boat. Once over the finish line, she can’t resist a quick dip. ‘Whenever I’m near the sea, I have to go for a swim,’ she says. Her passion for water sports dates back to her childhood, spent on the South Devon coast.

Sailing and swimming also allows her to road-test the Davy J range of active swimwear she launched in spring. ‘I’m not self-conscious when I wear my Davy Js, so I can focus on pulling in the jib sheet, preparing to tack or trimming the boat. A bikini isn’t practical and a sports bra and T-shirt isn’t waterproof,’ she explains. Her swimwear collection benefits the environment too, and is designed using innovative fabric made from ECONYL® nylon yarn which is regenerated from plastic waste, such as fishing nets and carpet fluff, by Italian company Aquafil. An average of 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets are left in oceans every year – that’s 10 per cent of all marine litter – and for every tonne of waste nets collected, enough nylon can be regenerated to create more than 10,000 swimsuits.

MAGIC CIRCLE