PROtect tapes LOOPX has been nominated for the DAME Award Design METS 2013, the world’s number one international design competition for new marine equipment and accessories.

The judges are looking for all-round excellence in design. They will evaluate on:

• design 
• styling 
• construction 
• functionality 
• proposed use of the product 
• environment of the product 
• originality / innovation 
• ease and use of human operation 
• price versus performance 

Winner announcement will be made on November 19th at METS.
LOOPX will be displayed at our booth in Hall 1 Booth 551) together with all existing and new innovative PROtect tapes products. 

If you need an free of charge invitation for METS write to info@administrator

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen secured history by winning the 49er World Championship.
Two races were held in the morning for the silver and gold fleets and the bronze fleet results stood on the previous days score. Six to eight knot winds mixed the fleet up a bit as last attempts were made to make the medal race. 

As a tribute, the medal race winners carried a black card in their sails in memory of Frank Bethwaite. 
Young guns Marcus Hansen and Josh Prebski (NZL) sailed a brilliant medal race to move them up in the standings with the medal race held directly in front of the S.C. Uskok to the delight of the crowds that had gathered on the beach and pier to cheer on the sailors.

Second overall was the team of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) who had incredible speed and amazing ability to pick the right shifts on the water all week. Danish Olympic team members Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang moved into the bronze medal position by having two great races earlier in the day and finishing 4th in the medal race.

Nath and Gooby have designed the PROtect tapes 49er kit available worldwide. For more info

Jimmy Spithil and crew Dirk de Ridder, John Kostecki, Jono MacBeth and Joe Newton is first in the last race of the ACWS in San Francisco and the additional fourty points for the race put the Oracle team crew in a tie with Ben Ainslie of J.P. Morgan BAR) for the series championship, which placed fourth in the final race. Spithill won the championship based on the final race finishes.

The day before the crew won the Match Racing Championship after capsizing and breaking frames in the wingsail during a fleet race.Terry Hutchinson on Artemis Racing – White was third today and finished third overall. Dear Barker of Emirates Team New Zeland placed fourth overall and Russel Coutts fifth.
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PROtect tapes is widely used on AC45 and AC72 and we took the chance to spend time on the water, meet all teams and define the product road map for the coming months, a lot of work for our Research & Innovation team.  

Congratulations to Oracle Team USA for winning the 34th America’s Cup against Emirates Team New Zealand.
Thank you to the defender and all challengers for using the PROtect tapes, for the support and for the opportunity given to our company.
This edition was extremely challenging because we wanted to develop something better, stronger and lighter.
Performances and reliability were the key points and each team had a different approach, singles side tapes were very important but the new product was the shrink film to cover the wing and on top double sided tapes to fix it to the carbon frame.
At PROtect tapes, we believe that we are just at the beginning of a new sailing era.
Once again thank you to Oracle Team USA for the fully deserved victory.

Rán Racing claimed the Royal Cup and their first overall victory in the TP52 class in a challenging day’s racing at Palma de Mallorca on Saturday that victorious skipper Niklas Zennström.
World champions Quantum Racing finished second being forced to retire in two races when they broke their headstay ram, headfoil and jib in extreme conditions and All4One completes the podium.
The whole podium is using PROtect tapes but the winner Rán Racing is a fan of PROtect tapes and in particular of PHP, the special tape protecting the headfoil from the severe abrasion from the gennaker sheets.

1. Rán Racing 23pts
2. Quantum Racing 24pts
3. Audi All4One 24pts
4. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team 27pts
5. PowerPlay 41.4pts
6. Gladiator 44pts
7. Provezza 47pts
8. Aquila 56pts

It’s very nice to supply tapes to super yachts 180′ long, AC72, IMOCA60, etc but at the beginning of the year, we have decided to develop something special for the smallest boat, just LOA 2.35, less than 8ft. The challenge was to put together a kit for a boat where abrasion and friction are limited because the sail size, the number of ropes and loads. Applying the same approach used for Moth and 49er we have approached the best sailors (Singapore Team and his coach Fernando Alegre) and work hard to develop effective solutions, we spent time in designing the shape, modifying some adhesives, creating special dies for the PTFE disks. 
After the Europeans in Hungary, we spent several days with 5 fantastic kids (always smiling) and his coach, fine tuning the products for the Worlds, we did 5000 km from the factory to Riva to give them the best possible solutions. Fernando is the most demanding partner we ever had, looking for the best possible solutions with no compromises, shaving microns, grams if not necessary.
Singapore team was the only team using our products and racing against 58 nations coming from 5 continents.
Loh Jia Yi is the 2013 World Championship sharing the podium with Tan Edward (3rd), just in front of Han Bertha (4th and female World Champion). 6th is Koh Yi Khun then Mod Fathin (silver medal in female World Champion).
Singapore won the Team World Championship title too against (sorry to say) Italy.
It was a great experience and we would like to thank the kids, Singapore Sailing and Fernando for the opportunity given to PROtect tapes. 

Optimist Kit will be available from August 5th.