THE BIMINI INVENTOR INTRODUCES A FULLY INNOVATIVE 4-IN-1 MODULAR PROTECTION SYSTEM AND THE NEW T-TOP SPORTLINE 2026
by Véronique LARGEAU16 November 20256 min read
NVequipment presents two major innovations that highlight its vision of smarter, more sustainable and experience-driven boating: a 4-in-1 modular protection system and the T-top Sportline 2026.
Both products reflect the company’s long-standing commitment to improving life on board through protection solutions that combine technical reliability, refined ergonomics and responsible design.
For more than forty-five years, NVequipment has supported the transformation of the leisure boating industry. As the inventor of the modern bimini and a pioneer in onboard textile protection, the company has become a reference for shipyards, OEMs and marine professionals looking for dependable, long-lasting equipment. Its solutions are now present on over 160 boat models in partnership with forty shipyards worldwide, ranging from blue-water monohulls and multihulls to coastal powerboats and custom projects.
From its integrated 19 000 m² facility in Vendée, NVequipment manages the full production cycle: user research, design, prototyping, industrial manufacturing, quality control and export logistics. This vertical, French-based approach ensures product consistency and enables the company to respond quickly to shipyards’ evolving requirements, particularly in a market where comfort, durability and sustainability have become decisive factors for buyers.
The company also relies on a strong ecosystem of marine upholstery specialists and technical partners who contribute to the development and maintenance of tailor-made solutions worldwide. This network supports NVequipment’s international reach, with forty per cent of its turnover now generated through export markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Today, as boating evolves toward more modular layouts, easier handling, climate-aware design and improved user experience, NVequipment positions its protections not as accessories but as structural components that shape life on board. The 4-in-1 modular system and the T-top Sportline 2026 embody this approach: products that improve comfort and safety, simplify day-to-day use and reflect a long-term commitment to responsible, durable marine equipment.
THE 4-IN-1 MODULAR PROTECTION SYSTEM
TESTED OVER THREE YEARS AND THOUSANDS OF MILES AT SEA
Developed through three years of work and validated across thousands of miles in real sailing conditions by founders Mr and Mrs Chevalier, the 4-in-1 modular protection system offers a highly adaptable solution for sailing yachts and multihulls. Each installation is fully custom-made according to the boat’s deck plan and cockpit layout, ensuring optimal integration and a premium finish.
The system allows sailors to adapt their cockpit enclosure in four configurations:
• full protection
• sun canopy
• half-protection
• open bimini
Each configuration can be installed or removed within minutes, without tools. The design improves visibility, circulation and storage while offering immediate adaptation to changing weather and sailing conditions.
Manufactured with Sunbrella+ marine fabrics containing up to seventy per cent recycled fibres, the system combines textile innovation and structural engineering to deliver long-term durability and reduced environmental impact. Its components have been designed to withstand repeated handling and intensive cruising.
First showcased in France in September at the Grand Pavois La Rochelle, the 4-in-1 system was immediately praised by specialist media for its practicality, refined lines and its contribution to onboard comfort.
“Every new product must combine ease of use, technical reliability and environmental progress,” explains Catherine Cardi, chief marketing officer at NVequipment. “This system reflects our ambition to make marine protection simpler, lighter and fully adapted to today’s sailors.”
T-TOP SPORTLINE 2026
LIGHTWEIGHT, STRONG AND OEM-READY FOR POWERBOATS
Making its European debut at Metstrade, the T-top Sportline 2026 is NVequipment’s new generation of protection for 5 to 9-metre open boats, RIBs and small powercats. Designed with direct feedback from OEMs and end-users, it brings reliable rigidity, efficient shading and an elegant silhouette aligned with modern powerboat design.
Its welded aluminium frame, made from 50 mm tubing reinforced with lateral stabilisers, delivers excellent structural stability even at speed or in choppy waters. The curved roof improves water runoff and UV protection while keeping weight low and ensuring easy onboard circulation.
Providing up to 5,3 m² of shade and a clearance height of 1,90 m, the model offers generous protection tailored to real-world boating needs. Available in four sizes and four textile colours (black, tweed blue, quartz grey and beige) with two frame finishes (matte black or white anodised aluminium), the T-top Sportline 2026 integrates easily into OEM production schedules. Each unit is delivered within ten working days and comes with a three-year warranty.
“Our collaboration with shipyards goes far beyond supplying accessories,” adds Cardi. “We co-design solutions that enhance comfort, usability and brand identity. The Sportline 2026 reflects this partnership-driven approach.”
Industry context and strategic vision
NVequipment is addressing a marked change in how sailors and powerboat users experience time on board. Expectations now include better thermal comfort, rapid modularity, lighter and quieter structures, simpler handling and a reduced environmental footprint. Protection is no longer considered optional: it has become a defining part of the boat’s architecture.
Shipyards require ready-to-install solutions that integrate seamlessly with their models and ensure consistent industrial quality. With its in-house engineering, prototyping and manufacturing capabilities, NVequipment is positioned at the heart of this value chain. The company’s testing protocols span different climates, sailing profiles and onboard configurations, ensuring that products perform in real boating conditions, not just in controlled trials.
Through recycled textiles, repairable components, long product lifespans and controlled French manufacturing, NVequipment contributes to a more responsible boating industry. Its ISO 9001 certification, French Fab membership and EPV label attest to this long-term commitment.
With this dual launch, NVequipment reinforces its role as a trusted partner for shipyards seeking dependable, French-made solutions that enhance comfort, safety and overall onboard experience.
About NVequipment
Founded in 1977 and based in Vendée (France), NVequipment designs and manufactures high-quality marine protection systems for OEMs and the aftermarket. Certified ISO 9001, a member of French Fab and holder of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, the company distributes its products worldwide.
Labels and commitments
Recognised as a Living Heritage Company (EPV) since 2022 and a member of French Fab since 2018, NVequipment also holds ISO 9001 certification. Its sustainability approach includes renewable canvas components and product lifespans ranging from eight to fifteen years depending on use.
Key facts
• Independent French company
• 160 employees
• Around twenty thousand products manufactured annually
• More than eight thousand active references
• Distribution in fifty countries and over six hundred retail partners
For more than forty-five years, NVequipment has supported the transformation of the leisure boating industry. As the inventor of the modern bimini and a pioneer in onboard textile protection, the company has become a reference for shipyards, OEMs and marine professionals looking for dependable, long-lasting equipment. Its solutions are now present on over 160 boat models in partnership with forty shipyards worldwide, ranging from blue-water monohulls and multihulls to coastal powerboats and custom projects.
From its integrated 19 000 m² facility in Vendée, NVequipment manages the full production cycle: user research, design, prototyping, industrial manufacturing, quality control and export logistics. This vertical, French-based approach ensures product consistency and enables the company to respond quickly to shipyards’ evolving requirements, particularly in a market where comfort, durability and sustainability have become decisive factors for buyers.
The company also relies on a strong ecosystem of marine upholstery specialists and technical partners who contribute to the development and maintenance of tailor-made solutions worldwide. This network supports NVequipment’s international reach, with forty per cent of its turnover now generated through export markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
Today, as boating evolves toward more modular layouts, easier handling, climate-aware design and improved user experience, NVequipment positions its protections not as accessories but as structural components that shape life on board. The 4-in-1 modular system and the T-top Sportline 2026 embody this approach: products that improve comfort and safety, simplify day-to-day use and reflect a long-term commitment to responsible, durable marine equipment.
THE 4-IN-1 MODULAR PROTECTION SYSTEM
TESTED OVER THREE YEARS AND THOUSANDS OF MILES AT SEA
Developed through three years of work and validated across thousands of miles in real sailing conditions by founders Mr and Mrs Chevalier, the 4-in-1 modular protection system offers a highly adaptable solution for sailing yachts and multihulls. Each installation is fully custom-made according to the boat’s deck plan and cockpit layout, ensuring optimal integration and a premium finish.
The system allows sailors to adapt their cockpit enclosure in four configurations:
• full protection
• sun canopy
• half-protection
• open bimini
Each configuration can be installed or removed within minutes, without tools. The design improves visibility, circulation and storage while offering immediate adaptation to changing weather and sailing conditions.
Manufactured with Sunbrella+ marine fabrics containing up to seventy per cent recycled fibres, the system combines textile innovation and structural engineering to deliver long-term durability and reduced environmental impact. Its components have been designed to withstand repeated handling and intensive cruising.
First showcased in France in September at the Grand Pavois La Rochelle, the 4-in-1 system was immediately praised by specialist media for its practicality, refined lines and its contribution to onboard comfort.
“Every new product must combine ease of use, technical reliability and environmental progress,” explains Catherine Cardi, chief marketing officer at NVequipment. “This system reflects our ambition to make marine protection simpler, lighter and fully adapted to today’s sailors.”
T-TOP SPORTLINE 2026
LIGHTWEIGHT, STRONG AND OEM-READY FOR POWERBOATS
Making its European debut at Metstrade, the T-top Sportline 2026 is NVequipment’s new generation of protection for 5 to 9-metre open boats, RIBs and small powercats. Designed with direct feedback from OEMs and end-users, it brings reliable rigidity, efficient shading and an elegant silhouette aligned with modern powerboat design.
Its welded aluminium frame, made from 50 mm tubing reinforced with lateral stabilisers, delivers excellent structural stability even at speed or in choppy waters. The curved roof improves water runoff and UV protection while keeping weight low and ensuring easy onboard circulation.
Providing up to 5,3 m² of shade and a clearance height of 1,90 m, the model offers generous protection tailored to real-world boating needs. Available in four sizes and four textile colours (black, tweed blue, quartz grey and beige) with two frame finishes (matte black or white anodised aluminium), the T-top Sportline 2026 integrates easily into OEM production schedules. Each unit is delivered within ten working days and comes with a three-year warranty.
“Our collaboration with shipyards goes far beyond supplying accessories,” adds Cardi. “We co-design solutions that enhance comfort, usability and brand identity. The Sportline 2026 reflects this partnership-driven approach.”
Industry context and strategic vision
NVequipment is addressing a marked change in how sailors and powerboat users experience time on board. Expectations now include better thermal comfort, rapid modularity, lighter and quieter structures, simpler handling and a reduced environmental footprint. Protection is no longer considered optional: it has become a defining part of the boat’s architecture.
Shipyards require ready-to-install solutions that integrate seamlessly with their models and ensure consistent industrial quality. With its in-house engineering, prototyping and manufacturing capabilities, NVequipment is positioned at the heart of this value chain. The company’s testing protocols span different climates, sailing profiles and onboard configurations, ensuring that products perform in real boating conditions, not just in controlled trials.
Through recycled textiles, repairable components, long product lifespans and controlled French manufacturing, NVequipment contributes to a more responsible boating industry. Its ISO 9001 certification, French Fab membership and EPV label attest to this long-term commitment.
With this dual launch, NVequipment reinforces its role as a trusted partner for shipyards seeking dependable, French-made solutions that enhance comfort, safety and overall onboard experience.
About NVequipment
Founded in 1977 and based in Vendée (France), NVequipment designs and manufactures high-quality marine protection systems for OEMs and the aftermarket. Certified ISO 9001, a member of French Fab and holder of the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label, the company distributes its products worldwide.
Labels and commitments
Recognised as a Living Heritage Company (EPV) since 2022 and a member of French Fab since 2018, NVequipment also holds ISO 9001 certification. Its sustainability approach includes renewable canvas components and product lifespans ranging from eight to fifteen years depending on use.
Key facts
• Independent French company
• 160 employees
• Around twenty thousand products manufactured annually
• More than eight thousand active references
• Distribution in fifty countries and over six hundred retail partners