High Performance 10+ Year Anti-Fouling System
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"After a superlative job of protecting the hulls during the 2017-18 edition, COPPERCOAT is again selected as Official Antifoul Supplier for the next two editions of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, 2019-20 and 2021-22."
You can view the complete article here.
As you may know, COPPERCOAT is the antifouling paint being used by the fleet in the Clipper Round the World Race. COPPERCOAT was chosen as the antifouling for the fleet after it was applied to a couple of the training boats a few years ago. It performed so well that it was chosen for the entire fleet for the 2017/2018 Clipper Round the World Race. In past races, the entire fleet needed to be hauled in Australia for new antifouling to be applied. This year, because of the long life and durability of the COPPERCOAT, the boats did not require new antifouling paint mid-race saving time, money and hard work. You can view the complete press release here.
Customers of long lasting COPPERCOAT anti-fouling paint have reason to celebrate; their 10 year touch up kits can fly with them, instead of being shipped. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced in their 2015 regulations that substances classified as UN #3077 and UN #3082, which were previously classified as low level hazardous materials, are no longer subject to those regulations, provided the packaging meets their general provisions. In a nutshell, customers who need COPPERCOAT to touch up their boat in the Caribbean or South Pacific can take it back on the plane with them in their luggage. COPPERCOAT has been available for 25 years, so there are a lot of boats out there with many years of COPPERCOAT service.
On January 12, 2012, COPPERCOAT received approval from the California EPA, Department of Pesticide Regulation for the use of COPPERCOAT in the state of California effective January 1, 2012. (California EPA Reg. No. 85396-1-AA)
In the December 2007 edition of Practical Boat Owner, the editor Sarah Norbury extolls the virtues of COPPERCOAT after a 14-year test on her family boat, a Starlight 39. She writes:
"Our experience with Coppercoat has been fantastic. In all the 14 years we've never had a barnacle, seaweed, nothing.... The original claim for our Coppercoat was that it would last 10 years and many people were sceptical. Our test proves the doubters wrong."
The results have arrived from COPPERCOAT trials undertaken on two new Sunseeker 82 Yachts in Dubai. When these new boats arrived in Dubai both sported the factory approved conventional anti-foul and achieved the factory speed claims when sea-trialled. Both were then lifted and the anti-foul replaced with COPPERCOAT. When re-tested, both had gained almost 2 knots of boat speed. Ali Al Jafla, Chairman of Sunseeker Middle East reported:
"We are amazed and delighted - this scale of increased performance was unexpected and helps to set our boats apart."
Not only are the boats faster, but more economic too. Running at full speed the choice of COPPERCOAT proved to save approximately 20 gallons of fuel per hour.
The 35ft Warwick Collins yacht “Moonlighting” skippered by Martin Chilver-Stainer came 1st in Class in the recent 2006 Round the Isle of Wight Race. By finishing second overall, “Moonlighting” also won the Fidelis Trophy. This yacht was originally treated with Coppercoat in 1996, and while the keel and rudder were treated with fresh Coppercoat earlier this year, the main hull still retains the original coating. Even after 10 years of use a treatment of Coppercoat provides a successful racing finish!
In 1999 the Environment Agency applied Coppercoat to a 10m RIB to test its credentials and feasibility as a ‘green’ anti-foul. In October 2006 the RIB was lifted for the first time and Mark Warmsley, Transport Manager, said:
“As the environment agency we are keen to use products that minimize the impact on the marine environment and as a result we decided to try Coppercoat.
The copper is suspended in epoxy resin which gives the hull extra protection and it doesn't harm the marine life but just stops adhesion of growth. As a non-leeching, long term anti-foul solution Coppercoat was the obvious choice and its’ proven track record meant we were keen to trial it ourselves. The vessel, a 10mtr RIB has been permanently in the water since June 1999 and to date not had the need to have Coppercoat re-applied.
When the vessel is removed from the water for maintenance, there is no marine life or growth on the hull. If we can minimize the environmental impact of antifouling we will and as a result we will be using Coppercoat on our other vessels in the future.”
Clearly we are delighted with the results of this seven-year trial from the Environment Agency. As no other available anti-fouling is proven to work for seven years from a single treatment, the fact that our environmentally friendly solution has been independently proved to do so once again is particularly pleasing.
June 2007 - W.Trout & Sons (Exeter) have now been instructed to also treat the latest Environment Agency boat with Coppercoat.