Schoeller's active silver accompanies Alex Thomson around globe

30 Dec '10

2 min read

On New Year's Eve 2010, Barcelona will be the main focus of the international sailing world. It is the starting point for the second edition of this double handed race non-stop around the world. active>silver technology from Schoeller Technologies will be going along on the 25,000 nautical mile trip on board the HUGO BOSS yacht, which is one of the most powerful in the race.

For three months, the two-man teams will be circumnavigating the planet in one of the most challenging sports on earth. During these demanding and competitive months, where they are racing 24 hours a day, there is little time or space for personal hygiene in the cramped conditions. For this reason, Alex Thomson has chosen underwear based on nature-identical silver nitrate.

The new active>silver finishing technology hampers the development of unpleasant odors, bacteria, mites and fungus. “The only things out there are wind, sun, storms, ice, rain and sea – the route is demanding and indeed at times very dangerous”, said Alex Thomson.

“During the race, the everyday things like food, sleep or showering take a back seat. That's why I chose the most modern technologies for my clothes. Anything that helps me to concentrate better on this non-stop around the world race improves my performance, also improves my chances of winning.”

Thanks to active>silver, the bacteria which cause unpleasant oders are reduced by up to 98.5 %. The skin flora is not affected. For long-lasting, safe and laundry-permanent functionality, the silver salts are permanently anchored to the surface of the fabric. As a result, textiles with active>silver remain reliably hygienically fresh for longer. active>silver is available under license from Schoeller Technologies and is suitable for use in clothing, gloves, caps, socks and all other textiles which users like to have at hand, fresh and “bacteria-controlled”. For example, when sailing around the world for three months!

Schoeller Technologies AG

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