DuPont Developing Olympic Sailing HazMat Suits

Southampton UK (1 April 2016) – World Sailing announced a strategic partnership with DuPont in the development of a Level A HazMat suit for use by sailors at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Before his short tenure ended, Peter Sowrey, World Sailing CEO noted, “Sailing in Rio is like swimming in the primary intake tank of a sewage treatment plant. Nasty doesn’t even get there. Sailing in this sewer without protection is like running naked through a poison ivy meadow; you’re going to get nailed. We think we can protect athletes and DuPont is going to help.”

World Sailing’s Technical and Offshore team noted: “One of the challenges is the air supply needed in a fully enclosed suit. Using respirators won’t work as we need to keep all the sludgy water away from the sailor’s face, hence the need for a Level A suit. Don’t want our lads and ladies bobbing for apples in port-a-potty now do we?”

The new DuPont suits are being tested as we speak in Flint Michigan not far from the Mt. Clemens plant.