AkzoNobel recently announced that its Awlgrip brand will be the official coatings supplier for New York Yacht Club’s American Magic team, which will challenge for the 36th America’s Cup. The American Magic entry will use Awlgrip’s HDT Flag Blue as the hull color for its first AC75 racing boat. The high-performance coatings system used on the boat will feature AkzoNobel’s new high-definition technology (HDT) topcoat, which reportedly offers gloss, depth of image, and reparability in a single product.

“We’re delighted to team up with American Magic for one of the sporting world’s most prestigious events,” said Jean Michel Gauthier, AkzoNobel’s global business director for Marine, Protective and Yacht Coatings. “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 reports that it spent more than three years developing and trialing its Awlgrip HDT topcoat, which included collaborating closely with the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard as the official coatings supplier for the 2017-18 edition. A key feature of the product is that it requires fewer layers of coating to be applied, resulting in weight savings. 

“For the AC75, it’s important for us to use the most advanced and durable paint products on the market,” said Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and Executive Director of American Magic. “HDT coatings were the perfect choice for us as we pursue the America’s Cup.”

The next America’s Cup will take place in New Zealand in March 2021. For more information, visit www.akzonobel.com, https://americanmagic.americascup.com, and www.americascup.com.