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Alex Thomson Racing’s new IMOCA 60 racing yacht – sponsored by Hugo Boss and the automotive brand Mercedes-Benz – is the first entirely black IMOCA 60 yacht in the world. This was made possible by painting the deck with a coating developed by BASF, which is based on the functional pigments made by the company. The yacht, skippered by leading British sailor Alex Thomson, competed in its first Ocean Masters World Championship Race, The Transat Jacques Vabre, a double handed 5000 mile race from France to Brazil, started on October 25.
The ship builders used pigments that are sold under the Paliogen brand, which are transparent for Near Infrared Light (NIR), as well as functional NIR-reflecting pigments from the Sicopal range. The pigments ensure that surfaces that are painted in dark colours can remain significantly cooler on hot days as they reflect rather than absorb heat.
