Winning with Scallywag

There is a solid argument to be made that Velox Plus antifoul made the difference in beating Magic Carpet e

So said Scallywag's talisman, legendary Skipper David "Witty" Witt, after yet another victory, this time in the 2025 Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race.

Scallywag hasn’t looked back since a refit and relaunch at the start of 2024, with a massive win at the Rolex Middlesea Race, Line Honours in the Loro Piana Giraglia, a race from Saint-Tropez to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock and a win in the offshore race of the 2024 Maxi 1 World Championship.

The run has continued in 2025, with a nailbiting victory in the Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race against the recently launched and highly fancied Magic Carpet e, leading to Witty's assertion that Velox Plus made the difference. 

And most recently, a historic second place on fastest time (monohull) after a down-to-the-wire battle in the 2025 Fastnet against a large fleet of 100-footers and a record entry list of 444 boats.

Since the relaunch in 2024, the boat’s keel and rudders have been protected with high-performance antifoul from Marlin Yacht Paints Velox Plus, in dramatic orange.

Who should use Velox Plus?

We recommend that any wet-sailed high-performance racing yacht or sports boat should seriously look at using Marlin Yacht Paint's Velox Plus, at a minimum on her keel and rudder and potentially the hull too. 

Why does it work?

Performance  / Racing Finish: Without a material hydrolised layer (unlike a traditional ablative), it can be faired with 800 grit wet and dry and subsequently cleaned underwater with 1,500 grit to maintain a racing finish throughout the season.

Durability: And unlike a traditional ablative, it is not designed to crumble, so it can be serviced underwater with a clean cloth without plumes of cloudy dust muddying the water.

Weight Saving: As a zinc-based product, it is significantly lighter than a cuprous oxide equivalent. For a TP52, the weight saving is approximately 20kg. 

Velox Plus = 

Performance & Racing Finish + 

Durability + 

Weight Savings

Preparation

As always, preparation is the key

• Remove all existing antifoul
• Make good the surface, ultimately finishing with an epoxy primed surface
• • Be mindful of the epoxy primer window for best adhesion
• Apply Marlin Yacht Paints Metal Primer, one coat
• Apply Marlin Yacht Paints Velox Plus, 6+ coats

When looking for performance, we suggest switching to a 2L pressure pot spray gun (rather than airless) for a smoother spray. There is no need to use thinners. Prepare your epoxy primer surface and then spray 6 coats of Velox Plus. Fair off using 800 grit wet and dry to get to a racing finish, leaving approx 3 layers intact. If airless is your only option, drop tip size down to 12.

For coverage, work on 10m2/L and aim to empty your tins in order to get the film thickness required. 

During the season, service with 1,200 - 1,500 wet and dry. Be aware that the more you service the surfaces, the more film thickness will be removed. This being the case, apply more coats as needed up front. 

Below, Scallywag apply Velox Plus to their rudders, keel and canting flashings. 

Where to buy

In Australia, Velox Plus is available via Marine Outlet on the East Coast, Harts Chandlery in Goolwa, and Seacraft Paints, Wilson Marine, Yacht Grot in Fremantle, or the importer Boating Products. It is also used as a specialised antifoul for props and other underwater metals.