Antal and Karver introduce a new long-term strategic alliance at Metstrade

By Press Mare

21/11/2025 - 17:52

At Metstrade in Amsterdam, one of the most significant events for the international yachting supply chain, Antal and Karver officially presented their long-term strategic alliance. The announcement, released a few days before the Dutch trade show and then discussed in detail with shipyards and designers during the event, marks the beginning of a collaboration aimed at integrating expertise, product ranges and design approaches within the deck hardware sector.

Founded in Padua in 1977, Antal brings to the partnership extensive experience in the production of deck hardware for sailing yachts of all sizes — from cruising boats to superyachts and ocean-racing vessels. The brand is internationally recognised for its ability to develop both standard and customised solutions, with a strong presence in the Class40 segment and higher racing categories.

Karver, for its part, contributes specialised know-how from the world of ocean racing. Founded in Normandy in 2003, the French company has successfully transferred technologies developed for IMOCA, Ocean Fifty and Ultim programmes into the advanced cruising sector, maintaining an approach focused on simplifying onboard operations.

This complementarity forms the basis of an agreement designed to offer shipyards a more comprehensive and integrated product proposition.

A central element of the alliance is the unified design process: Antal’s and Karver’s catalogues will be evaluated together from the earliest stages of deck planning. This approach allows shipyards to reduce supplier complexity, streamline integration phases and achieve greater technical coherence across all components.

In the racing, superyacht and custom segments, the collaboration becomes even closer, bringing together engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities to tackle demanding deck-system configurations.

Metstrade offered the first opportunity to hear comments from the management teams of both companies, who highlighted the technical and human aspects of the alliance.

Antal CEO Enrico Gomiero emphasised the shared values underpinning the agreement: “This partnership brings together two family-owned companies that share the same values and the same vision for the future. By integrating our experiences, we are building a common foundation rooted in trust and innovation. Together we will be able to offer complete and advanced technical solutions tailored to the markets in which we operate.”

For Karver, Marin Clausin highlighted the importance of teamwork: “Beyond its technical value, this alliance is based on mutual trust. In a complex world, teamwork makes the difference. Together we can go further — and faster.”

The partnership aims to strengthen both brands’ presence in their strategic markets: France — a global reference in sailing yacht production and ocean racing — and Italy, today a leading player in yacht construction and custom projects.

For this reason, Metstrade — attracting designers, suppliers and shipyards from across the industry — proved to be the ideal place to present the agreement and start the first operational discussions.

The alliance also comes at a time of renewal for Antal, following the entry of the Gomiero and Bruno families into the company’s shareholding. The company’s long history, which began with Gastone Carraro and continued with the technical innovations introduced by Roberto Carraro, is now entering a new phase supported by industrial investment and a growth-oriented vision.