Drytac’s Polar Grip Matte film was put to the ultimate test in the last couple of months when graphics printed on the material were featured on a boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean in an extreme endurance challenge.
A team of four men rowed, non-stop, for 3,200 miles from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean, in a challenge dubbed the “Atlantic Dash.” Skipper Billy Taylor was joined by Johnny Ward, Matthew Pritchard, and Martin Heseltine for the journey, which took 50 days, 5 hours, and 12 minutes.
Monkey Fist Adventures, organizer of the event, again relied on Drytac materials for support in decorating the boat with striking graphics that would be able to withstand the harsh environment out on the Atlantic Ocean.
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Globe Print, a long-term user of Drytac products, took on the task of printing the graphics, having previously worked with Monkey Fist Adventures on one of its previous challenges. The Marlow, U.K.-based company used a Roland SolJet EJ-640 large-format printer to print the graphics on Drytac’s Polar Grip film, which was then paired with their Interlam Pro Emerytex overlaminate.
Polar Grip is a self-adhesive vinyl for digitally printed graphics and signs, designed to look vibrant and remain in place for up to five years, making it the ideal solution for such a testing project.
The graphics, featuring the many sponsors supporting the event, were applied to the boat on location in Lanzarote prior to the team setting off on their journey in early March, with the quartet making land in Antigua on May 2nd, 2021.
Barry Hayes, director of Monkey Fist Adventures, decided to work with Drytac and Globe Print again for the Atlantic Dash challenge after the graphics they provided in a previous event proved successful.
“We’ve used other companies in the past, but on previous crossing we went to Globe Print, and apart from just being all round nice people, the Drytac products supplied were far superior to anything we’d ever used before,” says Hayes. “Oceans are harsh on everything, but our sponsors – and their logos – remained solid and steadfast for the entirety of both the Atlantic Dash crossings. The Globe Print team went above and beyond to produce the printed graphics exceedingly quickly – as they knew we had very tight timeframes.”
The Atlantic Dash has raised more than £8,000 for two worthy causes: HUMEN, a movement to improve and maintain men’s mental health; and Dean Farm Trust, an organization committed to working for a sustainable, healthy, and cruelty-free planet. If you would like to donate to the above charities, visit monkeyfistadventures.com/atlantic-dash/.
For more information, visit drytac.com.