One of the longest-running and most hotly-anticipated events in the superyacht industry calendar, The Pinmar Golf is ticking off the days to its landmark 30th anniversary edition taking place 18 to 20 October 2018. There to share in the three-day celebrations will be Awlgrip ®, who once more lends its name to the Prize-giving, Gala Dinner and After Party.
Having been a major supporter of The Pinmar Golf for 19 years, Awlgrip ® is well-positioned to reflect on the close relationship. “The first thing that comes to mind is that 2018 minus 30 makes 1988 - this seems like another era,” says René Bremer, Superyacht Key Account Manager at AkzoNobel. “At that time, the Netherlands had a leading soccer team, we all had local currencies and The Berlin Wall was still dividing East and West. This shows just how long this event has been successful and how long Awlgrip ® has played a leading role in this fantastic industry. It also proves how seriously a healthy industry like ours takes social responsibility, we really believe in it, and I am looking forward to The Pinmar Golf passing the one-million-euro mark this year.”
For René, however, the event is still relatively new. “This will be just my second attendance at The Pinmar Golf tournament. Last year, I was introduced by my predecessor, Jörg Hauer, who recently retired after a great contribution both to the industry and AkzoNobel. This year, my expectations are for an informal but serious event with lots of communication and humour driven by important charity programs - all under the umbrella of a professional company and its staff. On all levels and fronts, The Pinmar Golf is a stimulating and inspiring event - a big ‘hats off’ to the organisation.”
Awlgrip ® is itself glowing from another ‘hats off’ – a fourth place overall for Team AkzoNobel in the 45,000-mile Volvo Ocean Race (VOR). “The VOR was very successful for AkzoNobel as company and as brand. It was an emotional moment when the VO65 racer crossed the finish line in Scheveningen, The Netherlands, after eight intense months of racing. It has given us stunning video footage and photos - but there was something more. Aside from forming a great platform for our customers and relations, it gave us room to test new generations of coating in the most brutal environment and circumstances on the planet. Including the training phases, the boats were almost two years in the water. All boats in the VOR were coated in our systems and performance was intensively analysed. The race coating results confirmed that both brands, Awlgrip ® and International Paint ® , are on the right track of development. One of the outcomes is the rollout at upcoming METS of our new generation of Topcoat.”
René hasn’t always been in the superyacht sector, but instead recently sidestepped after a long background in aviation. This affords him another unique perspective. “Indeed, I am 25 years with AkzoNobel, the last 17 in AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings responsible predominately for Russia and the Middle East. Actually the aerospace and superyacht industries are not far apart; both are very technology driven where owners’ expectations are key drivers. In commercial aviation the ground time of an aircraft is leading, whereas business aviation is on a par with superyachts. The complete process from design, colour samples, spray outs to high-end quality follow almost the same path. In both industries, the applicators form a crucial role achieving the demanded qualities and ‘teamwork’ is the Holy Grail. Sustainability is also becoming more important; both in products, application processes and in the operation time.”
Is René as proficient in golf as he is in coatings? “A sensitive topic,” he joked. “My golf skills are not to a level where it would be responsible to allow me on the fairways. I did other sporty things in my life from parachute jumping to scuba diving, but golf actually never crossed my ambitions. It seems that golf plays an important role in the superyacht industry, apparently for at least 30 years, so it could be time for me to hit the tee. Although I won’t be actively golfing, for sure I’ll enjoy the games, the humour and the contacts on the green.”
If you want to join three days of friendly golf competition, social events, networking and parties, culminating in the spectacular Awlgrip ® Prize-giving, Gala Dinner and After Party with British TV presenter and former Welsh international gymnast Gabby Logan as Master of Ceremonies and Cream Classics providing the sounds, head to the dedicated event website www.pinmargolf.es.
