In the context of a continuous evolution of its product range, the company specializing in custom tops for yachts proposes to the nautical market a new and innovative solution for which two patent applications were filed.
An innovative opening mechanism and a maximum possibility of customization. That is what is provided by the latest project of the nautical division of Opac: a retractable laminar roof in aluminium for the upper decks of the yacht, that revolutionizes the classic concept of top and broadens the range of luxury products of the company.
The innovation consists in the possibility to open, completely or up to the desired extent, a laminar top. With respect to a similar solution in fabric, the top with aluminium slats guarantees a longer life and a greater resistance to water and atmospheric events. The top can be realized in different sizes, depending on the specific requirements of the designers of the boat, and is therefore adaptable to any roofing.
Top opening is managed by a hydraulic system. The motion toward aft allows the translation of the slats which are “packed” in rest position leaving the deck below open. The opening and closing operations take place in a very short time. The company is developing a new design of the top that will ensure an even greater brightness.
For the mechanisms that operate this innovative roofing solution, two specific patent requests were submitted.
To enhance the product also from the point of view of style and to enrich the look of the areas, Opac has taken care of the finishes and of each aesthetic detail of the new product, expanding the range of customizations. The slats that compose the top can be lined, in the lower part of the structure, with linings of different type, material, texture, shade, to complete the style in line with the furnishings and the colours of the underlying yacht areas. Many customizations are offered for every type of setting: for instance, it will be possible to line the underside of the top with a fabric in harmony with the furniture or the floor.
The upper area of the slats can be also be covered by a rich variety of linings with characteristics which are suitable to the marine environment. Also in this case the company provides the customer with a wide choice of materials and colours. It is planned the possibility to line the top of the roof with thin photovoltaic panels.
As regards the components, according to the established tradition of the company, particular attention was paid to the use of luxury materials with specific treatments suitable to a brackish environment.
“Within the scope of the roofing, we have so far adopted solutions always sophisticated but in each case derived from the traditional idea of top borrowed from the automotive industry – explains Luca Sacco, CEO of Opac -. With the retractable laminar roof in aluminium, we sought a solution capable of performing its functions of top effectively but in a different way than in the past. We are convinced that the market will look to our proposal with great interest. We will continue anyway to produce also the top in canvas, still the most used in the nautical sector”.
The retractable laminar top in aluminium slats was selected to participate in the “Dame Design Award”, a competition which rewards the best new technologies and designs for recreational boating. The initiative is organised within the framework of Metstrade, the most important European and world-wide fair on naval components that will be held in Amsterdam next November.
Opac will attend the event, inside the SuperYacht Pavilion, with its stand (11,409), where the entire production for the naval sector will be presented.
