49'er Spinnakers mono-colour today.

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49'er Spinnakers mono-colour today.

by News Editor on 20 Sep 2000

Katrina Butler

ISAF plans for the colourful national flag spinnakers for the high tech skiff class in the Sydney 2000 regatta were spoilt by the silicone waterproof coating on their asymmetric kites.

This slippery coating ensures that the kites gybe easily and they do not become waterlogged.
However they have always presented a signage problem.

Australian sailing industry sign writers have cautiously experimented in past times with a range of paints and solvents but have been unable to find any solvent which would allow the paint to adhere without dissolving the material. They therefore refuse to paint these kites.

It seems the German suppliers, used a hydrocarbon solvent which certainly ensured the paint melded with the base material. And did even more than that..

As a result the fleet was today sporting a range of single color spinnakers, courtesy of ISAF.

Not exactly lining up with national colours but randomly distributed…Kiwis were white and the Swedes black, the Italians were blue .

Perhaps by 2004 the problem will be solved and we will see the colourful national flag spinnakers speeding around the Mediterrean.

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