AkzoNobel’s Awlgrip brand will be the official coatings supplier for the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic team that is challenging for the 36 America’s Cup.
American Magic will use Awlgrip’s HDT Flag Blue for the hull color of the team’s first AC75 foiling sailboat. The company’s new HDT topcoat will be used above the water line and Griptex nonskid will be applied to the decks.
“We’re delighted to team up with American Magic for one of the sporting world’s most prestigious events,” Jean Michel Gauthier, AkzoNobel’s global business director for marine, protective and yacht coatings, said in a statement. “Only the best will do at this level of performance and we’re confident that our innovative products and the team’s state-of-the-art racing yacht will prove to be a winning combination.”
AkzoNobel spent more than three years developing Awlgrip HDT topcoat including collaborating with participants in the Volvo Ocean Race boatyards in 2017-2018.
“For the AC75, it’s important for us to use the most advanced and durable paint products on the market,” Terry Hutchinson, skipper and executive director of American Magic. HDT coatings were the perfect choice for us as we pursue the America’s Cup.”
