When you think of a soft top, sun canopy or bimini for a boat you immediately think of NV Equipment. This manufacturer is the specialist in the equipment of large production boats. But this industrialization is not adapted to small productions. Indeed, if the products are designed and adapted from the conception of the boat, it is not possible to ask for specific adaptations for an old sailing boat or small series.
Owners of atypical units are then accustomed to turning to their master sailmaker who, knowing the sewing and fabrics, can imagine a condom. But how do you know the exact shape and final appearance of the product? Often, the master sailmaker calls upon an external service provider who makes the stainless steel structure before adapting the canvas over it. The customer only sees the result once the canopy is in place.
The SNA company based in Sarzeau on the Rhuys peninsula has a very different approach. It proposes to visualize your soft top in a 3D image. On this model everything appears: the shape of the roof, the position of the winches and their crank, the look and the colour... The customer can then add his personal touch according to his size for example or according to the position of the windows. To make this 3D view and to be sure that the canopy is perfectly adapted to the design of the boat, SNA comes on board to take a rib survey thanks to a metrology arm. Thus all the pieces of the puzzle (hoops, fabrics, rails...) will be perfectly adapted.
This methodology favours customs facilities. SNA adapts to all boats. But innovation does not stop at designing hoods. SNA is also present among the racers to offer lighter fabrics for example. For example, Banque Populaire VIII in the Vendée Globe saw its mainsail lazy bag go from 7 kg to 2.2 kg. This gain of 4.8 kg was possible thanks to the use of adapted fabrics.
