The birth of the ANTAL Group: setting course for international growth
2026 opens with major news in the world of sailing hardware. Italian brand ANTAL is unveiling its ambitions for the years ahead: a newly structured group, a bold global development strategy, and carefully chosen alliances. XPO, the brand's long-standing French distributor, sits at the heart of this transformation — and with it comes a concrete opportunity for its customers.
1. The birth of the ANTAL Group
The start of 2026 has been marked by a series of significant announcements from ANTAL, a key Italian player in the sailing hardware industry. Driven by new investors, the company has taken control of its French distributor XPO — a strategic partner of over 30 years and a well-established name in the French nautical industry — giving rise to ANTAL Group.
The group's ambition is clearly defined: to grow market share on a global scale, targeting four key segments — series production, offshore racing, the superyacht market, and the broader ecosystem of services and retail distribution.
2. ANTAL forges an alliance with KARVER
To accelerate this growth, ANTAL has chosen to join forces with leading sailing hardware brands. Chief among them is KARVER, a recognised leader in the furling systems market and a prominent name in offshore racing. The French company, whose manufacturing facility is based in Honfleur, also operates a showroom in Lorient — ideally located at the heart of its core customer base.
More recently, Italian brand ROPEYE has also joined the ANTAL ecosystem, further strengthening the coherence and complementarity of the group's overall offering.
3. XPO will now carry KARVER products
The XPO team recently visited KARVER's premises in Lorient to explore the full breadth of the brand's product range — an inspiring encounter that is already translating into action. A selection of KARVER products will soon be available through XPO, complementing the ANTAL range and all the other brands already featured in our catalogue and on our website.
