Artemis Ocean Racing

February 1st, 2009

AOR 1

In 2006 Artemis Investment Management took possession of an Imoca Open 60, Artemis Ocean Racing 1. She was built in New Zealand, 2002, to compete in the 2002/2003 Around Alone Race. Bought by Pindar in 2003, she had 3 very good, competitive seasons, skippered by Mike Sanderson (winning skipper on ABN Amro 1, Volvo Ocean Race 2005/2006) and Emma Richards.

On taking possession of the boat, Artemis set about a re-fit and a full re-brand. This is where the team at Grapefruit Graphics became involved. The boat was taken to Hinkleys Boat Yard in Newport, Rhode Island, where our team met the boat with the branding. The topsides of the hull were refinished in blue paint and the deck in white paint, both incorporating the company logos. Negative paint mask stencils were applied to the white deck to allow the application of the logo colours. The stencils were then removed, leaving a clean-edged logo ready for a coat of clear grip paint to seal it.

The hull branding consisted of letters cut in white and blue vinyl. The main lettering was deliberately oversized by design to run off the top of the hull. This meant the fitting team were required to pin the entire hull branding to the boat, both port and starboard, to ensure the graphics were positioned perfectly. After 2 hours of deliberation and adjustment, the branding was ready to apply. Due to the size of the branding, each individual letter was taped securely into position and fitted separately from top to bottom, trimming the oversized letters back to the deck line. The cockpit area and the cabin interior were finished with general use logos’ of cut vinyl. These were placed strategically for photographic and video purposes.

Also to be branded were the sails. Using cut vinyl lettering, the Grapefruit fitting team set about laying out the huge sail collection. Using the luff and draught stripes of the sails as level registrations, the branding was taped into position and applied, letter by letter. Due to its size, both the lettering and logos were produced in tiles which had to be pieced together to achieve the end result.

As the photographs show, the finished article depicts a clean, uncluttered and high-impact brand.

AOR 2

Following the continued success with AOR1, the team took on the challenge of building a new boat. The new generation of Imoca Open 60’s are pushing the boundaries of technology, speed and performance. The boat was developed as a contender for the 2008 Vendée Globe. We know the oceans of the world are one of the most inhospitable places to be. Careful consideration was taken to ensure all branding would stand the test of time.

The design for AOR2’s branding was based on that of AOR1, in order to keep the fleet’s branding consistent, however, some simple additions were made for greater impact. The Grapefruit team laid the negative stencils of the gold penny logo and Artemis text on the deck, which were then painted and coated in a clear griptex paint leaving a small outline of satin around all markings to give a perfect finish.

The topsides of the hull were to incorporate dark blue jagged striping to be wrapped around the bow, filtering into the lighter shade of blue of the hull. The production team cut the dark blue, along with the white text and logo’s. The bow was then wrapped in the dark blue cut vinyl, along with the bowsprit. The white cut vinyl text was then positioned on top and adjusted until both the port and starboard sides matched. Using tape to secure, the text was applied individually and trimmed to both the waterline and the sheer line.

The mast and boom were branded to incorporate the cut vinyl lettering, using a reflective vinyl to create impact after dark. Two separate suits of sails were to be branded to match the boat. One set were painted with two colours of blue to imitate the hull. This effect was achieved by masking the shape to apply the first colour, allowing it to dry before freehand painting the second colour to meet the edge of the first. Using a thin flexible paint with a smooth finish, we were able to apply white cut vinyl lettering and logos on top. The second suit of sails was required to be lighter than the first suit, as they were to be used for the Vendée challenge. Again using the jagged line design, the production team were able to cut the vinyl into tiles that could be pieced together on the sails. All of the 3DL sails were branded on both sides, back to back. The taffeta sails were stencilled and painted with Artemis logos fitted on top.

Team Vehicle

Artemis Ocean Racing purchased a crew van which needed to be branded to match their expanding fleet. The vehicle’s original colour was gold, meaning a complete refinish was required.

The team at Grapefruit Graphics wrapped the entire exterior of the vehicle with a conformable vinyl. We were able to complete the colour change in half the time it would take to do a repaint, and at a much reduced outlay. The application team covered each individual panel of the van, directly from the roll of vinyl. Heat was used to reform the shape of the material around and into the contour lines of the vehicle, including the roof. Once covered and trimmed around all of the door shut areas, we fitted the company logos and cut vinyl text, giving a long lasting branded finish that is removable, leaving an untouched original paint finish beneath.

Artemis Ocean Racing also have two ribs, a tender and a selection of utility vehicles, all of which carry the Artemis brand which the team at Grapefruit Graphics have been happy to assist with.