Alfa Romeo uses new product to preserve hull weight and design shape

by Sail-World on 6 Feb 2010
The name Alfa Romeo evokes sensuous lines, Italian design and the domination of the the famous Mille Miglia Endurance Races.

Alfa Romeo also has an extremely successful yacht racing team. The indomitable owner and skipper Neville Crichton and his team has won a glittering array of prizes, including Sydney to Hobart Race, the Barcelona Cup, and the uber-prestigious Giraglia Rolex Cup.

One of the major concern in any race boats is unnecessary weight. Any excess weight will create performance penalties that define the difference between victory and defeat. When it was time to redo the anti-foul paint from the hull, the requirement is that 36 kg of old Anti-Foul needs to be removed, and precisely 36 kg be put on again.

The boat hull is also precision made and the finish impeccable. Alfa Romeo elected not to go with the 'traditional' method wet sanding off the old Anti-Foul that may damage the finish of the hull. The wet sanding also creates an environmental hazard of toxic water running into the water ways if not properly contained.

Instead, NanoShield Foul Off was chosen to effectively remove the old anti-foul. It is applied by brush, and can be easily controlled and used for curved and hard-to-reach areas. The product is allowed to dwell for between 30-60 minutes. Foul Off gently but effectively works to release the old anti-foul from the surface. It is then easily scraped off with a plastic or metal spatula. Foul Off locks the old anti-foul in clumps. The clumps can then be collected and disposed off responsibly without danger of toxic runoffs.

The surface then is washed with water to completely neutralise the lifting action. NanoShield Foul Off readily biodegrades to its elements in the presence of water. The Alfa Romeo's hull is now ready to be prepared for a new Anti-Foul coat without any weight increase. The precision and control in the removal of the anti-foul also means that the integrity of the hull design is also preserved.

NanoShield Foul Off will not affect two-pot epoxy paints or fibreglass surfaces. It is non-infammable not Tagged as a Dangerous Good, and can be taken on board all forms of transport without restriction. It's low toxicity formula means it is more environment and user friendly. It readily biodegrades into its elements in the presence of water. NanoShield is proud to be associated with Global Yacht Finishers who completed the work on the Alfa Romeo.

'Alfa Romeo has a hull that has been designed to a very fine tolerance. Using the traditional methods of grinding off anti-foul paint runs the risk of gouging and compromising the engineering integrity. NanoShield's Anti-Foul remover allowed us to effectively remove the layer of anti-foul without damaging the surface.

'It made achieving a good finish that much easier. The fact that the product also locks the spent anti-foul into clumps makes for a very environmentally friendly and easy disposal and clean up. No more hazardous and polluting grinding for us. We at Global Yacht Finishers is proud to be able to be part of Alfa Romeo's record breaking success.

'We also highly recommend the Propeller Coating remover. The gel, once applied, makes removing of the Propeller coating a breeze. The coating can almost be scrapped off with a finger an hour after application. Again, locking the product in lumps means for a more environmentally friendly clean-up and disposal'. Jason, Global Yacht Finishers NZ

For further information on NanoShield FOUL OFF and our range of products, please NanoShield:

NanoShield Treatments Limited
Unit 11, Madden Marine Centre
Madden Road, Viaduct Basin, Auckland
New Zealand

Tel: 0800 NANO4U
Website: www.nanoshield.biz

Email: enquiries@nanoshield.biz