en.Wedoany.com Reported - Italian paint manufacturer Boero Yacht Coatings has gained the opportunity to solve rare engineering problems in traditional yacht construction through a sailing project in collaboration with Ferrari, and has transformed the relevant solutions into products for the broader maritime industry.
Boero provides coating technology and expertise for a high-performance foiling sailboat project currently being developed by Ferrari. The project serves both as a research and innovation platform and as a racing sailboat. For Boero's research team, this collaboration has brought unprecedented challenges. Senior Brand and Project Manager Marcus Reynolds stated that the team encountered problems they had never faced before, with the biggest challenge being balancing the competing priorities of reducing weight, maintaining long-term protection, and preserving performance.
Traditional yacht coatings are primarily designed around durability, but the requirements of the Ferrari project are different. Simone Garofoli, Hull Formulation Manager at Boero's Yacht Business Unit, pointed out that reducing the weight of the coating system while maintaining quality and protection is highly complex. The project went through multiple cycles of laboratory development, application testing, and validation before finally determining a coating system that meets performance indicators.
Given the extreme sensitivity of foiling sailboats to weight, engineers spent months testing coating thickness, application systems, and sanding processes to determine the minimum amount of material that could be used without compromising durability or appearance. Garofoli stated that much less paint was used than initially anticipated. This work also forced Boero to rethink traditional coating systems and develop several new materials, which have already been applied to products for other customers.
Founded in Genoa in 1831, Boero has evolved from a manufacturer of architectural paints into one of Europe's leading suppliers of marine coatings, now part of Portugal's CIN Group. The company produces over 22 million liters of paint annually, employs approximately 500 people, and serves customers in 15 countries. The yacht division accounts for about 20% of total revenue and has provided coatings for more than 1,000 yacht and superyacht projects.
The Ferrari project also presented Boero with the challenge of integrating solar panels as part of the yacht deck. Crew members require sufficient grip during high-speed sailing, but traditional anti-slip coatings reduce the light reaching the solar cells. Boero therefore developed a transparent anti-slip coating system, aiming to maintain traction while minimizing the loss of solar efficiency. Engineers collaborated with Ferrari and the solar panel manufacturer to test different formulations, particle sizes, layer thicknesses, and varnish systems to strike a balance between grip and power generation. Initial tests reduced solar efficiency by approximately 12%, and after continuous improvements, this figure dropped to around 3% to 4%. Reynolds stated that while it is not 100% perfect, it is the best result achievable on an anti-slip surface at present. The project also required Boero to develop coating systems for new lightweight substrates, including advanced composite materials used on yachts.
The technologies developed for the Ferrari project are being applied to other racing sailboats, and some newly developed materials have entered the company's broader product portfolio. Boero stated that throughout the research program, it is committed to reducing coating weight, lowering VOC emissions, simplifying paint systems, and shortening application time without compromising finish or protective performance. The Ferrari project has accelerated this approach by forcing engineers to tackle multiple challenges simultaneously. Reynolds believes that what is learned through the project may be as valuable as the investment itself.
Boero believes that the greater value of the collaboration with Ferrari lies in solving engineering problems at the limits of current coating technology. The company is taking on an increasing number of racing sailboat projects and views foiling as a market growth area. Many of the solutions developed for Ferrari, including lightweight coating systems, new composite material technologies, and specialized surface treatments, are expected to be transferred to future performance yachts and eventually into the broader superyacht sector, benefiting manufacturers and yacht owners across the maritime industry.
