ILCA Protection Tape Kit – PROtect Tapes

An ILCA wears out in the same six places on every boat: the mast step, the lower mast where it meets the deck, the top section joint, the deck under the tiller, the outhaul area and the centreboard case. This kit from PROtect Tapes covers all of them in one go, with every piece already die-cut to size.

The tapes are UHMWPE film with an aggressive acrylic adhesive. The material is self-lubricating, has a very low coefficient of friction and resists abrasion around 15 times better than carbon steel, which is why it keeps working in the mast step long after ordinary tape has ground away. The two 1 mm disks sit in the step itself and take the load of the lower mast directly.

Fit it to a new boat before the first sail and you keep the hull tight and the resale value intact. Fit it to an older boat and you stop the wear getting worse. The snug-fit rolls also tighten up a mast joint that has started to rattle, which quietens the rig and takes play out of the section. PROtect lists the kit as suitable for class racing, so check your current ILCA class rules if you are preparing for a championship.

Why PROtect Tapes

PROtect Tapes has built protective film solutions for dinghies and racing yachts since 2007, developed with polymer specialists and professional sailors. Made in Europe.