1974 AMERICA'S CUP DEFENDER CHOOSES AWLGRIP
In 1974 Awlgrip was still in its infancy. Although it had impressed the local boating community in South Florida, its big splash moment hadn't happened quite yet. Bob Grow, owner of Awlgrip at the time, was trying to figure out how to reach a broader audience in a short amount of time.
That's when Bob came up with the idea of getting his new topside coating on a high profile vessel. What better place to do that than Newport, Rhode Island, a true sailing mecca? And what better event than America's Cup?
The 1974 America's Cup winner was a 12 meter vessel named Courageous. And with a little smooth talk, Bob was able to convince the owner of Courageous to go with his new topcoat, Awlgrip.
Shortly after that, Courageous was purchased by Ted Turner, the famous television producer, media proprietor, philanthropist and founder of Cable News Network CNN. Turner went on to win the 1977 America's Cup with Courageous, showcasing her beautiful Awlgrip topcoat. This gave Awlgrip the headwind it needed and very quickly this new topside coating became the talk of the competition.
Photos of Courageous courtesy of Soundings Magazine
