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The industry is still looking for credible alternatives to traditional antifouling paints. With increasing environmental restrictions, port constraints and rising careening costs, solutions for protecting living structures are becoming a major technical issue for yachtsmen and professionals alike.
Against this backdrop, K Ren, based in Mauguio (Hérault, France), has announced a ?1.2 million fund-raising campaign to accelerate industrialization and strengthen its presence in the marine market.
A textile alternative to conventional antifoulings
K Ren is developing a submerged textile cover designed to cover the hulls of docked boats to limit the development of biofouling.
The principle is based on light deprivation. By preventing photosynthesis and the proliferation of micro-organisms, the solution limits the appearance of algae and dirt without releasing biocides into the water.
The idea is a direct response to the problems encountered in marinas. Conventional antifoulings are still widely used today, but their impact on harbour environments is coming under increasing scrutiny in several European countries.
For port managers and yachtsmen alike, reducing chemical waste is gradually becoming as much a regulatory issue as an environmental one.
K Ren also puts forward another argument that is very popular with motor sailors: limiting performance losses due to hull fouling.
A clean hull reduces hydrodynamic drag, improves glide and reduces fuel consumption. On certain intensive use profiles, the gain can quickly become significant.
Fundraising driven by the boating industry
The financing operation brings together several investor profiles from both the innovation and maritime worlds.
Banque Populaire du Sud's Sud Mer Invest fund participates in the round alongside several entrepreneurs and business angels, including Frédéric Mazzella, Alexis Mulliez and Sébastien Lacaze.
But one of the most interesting aspects is the participative campaign conducted in parallel with the solution's historical users.
According to the company, over 120,000 Âeuros were contributed directly by customers who had already used K Ren covers over several seasons.
Among them are several well-known offshore sailors such as Michel Desjoyeaux, Quentin Vlamynck and Adrien Hardy. Above all, their presence gives an indication of the type of sailing we're targeting: regularly used boats, stationed afloat for long periods and sensitive to hull performance.
Because on racing yachts, as on some fast sailboats, just a few millimeters of dirt can severely degrade performance under sail.
French industrialization and manufacturing
Founded in 2020, K Ren says it manufactures its covers in France from materials sourced in the hexagon.
The company is now looking to increase its production capacity in order to keep pace with commercial growth. This industrialization phase comes at a time when the market is beginning to explore more seriously alternatives to traditional antifoulings.
The subject now extends beyond individual yachts. Some marinas are also seeking to limit pollution from careening operations and biocidal paints.
The issue becomes particularly sensitive in enclosed basins, lagoon areas or ports with low water renewal.
However, textile solutions still face a number of technical challenges. Implementation in harbors, adaptation to different hull shapes, resistance over time and management of mooring lines and appendages all require adjustments to suit each boat.
The business model also depends heavily on manufacturing costs and the actual duration of use over several seasons.
Regulations driving the sector forward
European regulatory developments are one of the main driving forces behind this type of technology.
Progressive restrictions on certain biocides used in antifoulings are already prompting several players in the boating industry to anticipate new methods of protecting living works.
And the problem is not confined to pleasure boating. Light commercial vessels, harbor service units and certain rental fleets are also beginning to look at these alternative solutions.
The challenge remains the same: to maintain sufficient effectiveness against fouling while limiting operating constraints.
Against this backdrop, the coming seasons will above all be an opportunity to measure whether textile solutions can really win over conventional antifouling systems on a large scale.
