L’Atelier sur Mer : “Sail painting is a hands-on, physical craft with a geniune artistic dimension”

From offshore racing to wind-powered commercial shipping, L’Atelier sur Mer has established itself as one of the leading specialists in sail painting and hull branding. Recently acquired by Stickerman, the Morbihan-based company is entering a new phase of growth. We spoke with Operations Director Isabelle Saulnier and Associate Director Alexandre Le Gallais about the technical, human and strategic challenges behind this unique expertise.

 Can you introduce L’Atelier sur Mer?

Isabelle Saulnier: The company was founded in 2003 by Isabelle Vigier. Initially, its business focused on large-format digital signage: vehicle wrapping, shop signs, display boards—in short, everything used for visual communication by retailers, craftspeople and local authorities. Over time, the company increasingly specialised in sail painting and boat hull graphics. In 2019, L’Atelier sur Mer was acquired by Roman Nedellec and Frédéric Le Corre, who refocused the business on sail decoration and hull branding, making it a leading player in the marine industry. All other activities became secondary.

Alexandre Le Gallais: More recently, at the beginning of May, Stickerman—a company specialising in signage, visual communication and sail painting—acquired L’Atelier sur Mer. The historic L’Atelier sur Mer division will now focus exclusively on marine and sailing-related activities, while Stickerman will manage the remaining business. The company now operates across three sites: Carnac for sail painting, Lorient La Base for hull wrapping, and Auray-Pluneret for signage. Sail decoration now accounts for 60% to 70% of L’Atelier sur Mer’s activity, with the remainder dedicated to hulls and vehicle graphics.

What makes L’Atelier sur Mer’s expertise unique?

I.S.: Originally, sail painting was carried out by traditional sign painters. Today, our team still includes a sign painter who has been with us for 15 years and now trains new recruits. It’s a hands-on, physically demanding craft with a real artistic dimension. You need to understand how different inks behave on different materials, have excellent manual dexterity to apply masking films precisely, and possess strong three-dimensional visualisation skills.

A.L.-G.: With a 1,000 m² sail floor, we have the largest sail workshop floor in the industry. Managing that floor is like playing Tetris: we sell not only technical expertise but also valuable workshop floor time.

What technical challenges do you face?

A.L.-G.: Depending on the client’s needs and budget, we either use paint or adhesive graphics. Some racing teams refuse to use any stickers at all—even the smallest line has to be painted. Others choose vinyl graphics because, although they add a little more weight, they can be more cost-effective. It also depends on whether the decoration is intended to be temporary or permanent.

Which racing classes do you work with?

I.S.: Our workload follows the offshore racing calendar. A Vendée Globe year is very different from a Route du Rhum year. Our schedule fills up extremely quickly and the workload becomes very intense from the start of the season. We work across virtually every offshore class, from the Mini 6.50 to the Ultim trimarans, including Figaro, Class40 and IMOCA boats.

Atelier sur Mer also works with companies developing wind propulsion systems. Does this help smooth activity between offshore racing cycles?

A.L.-G.: Wind propulsion projects follow a completely different schedule. Instead of racing calendars, they are driven by vessel construction and delivery timelines. For example, the sail we are currently working on for the Vela project weighs 900 kg and covers an impressive 600 m². These are exactly the kind of long-term projects we want to attract. However, because they are still prototype developments, delivery dates often change.

Are there differences between working for wind propulsion projects and offshore racing teams?

I.S.: Absolutely. The materials are different. In offshore racing, we mainly paint on 3D membrane sails. For commercial wind propulsion projects, we may work with more conventional fabrics, inflatable structures or highly specialised materials. Every time, I have to work closely with our suppliers to test ink compatibility and long-term durability.

Is sustainability and corporate social responsibility an important focus for L’Atelier sur Mer?

A.L.-G.: I’ve only recently joined the company as a partner, but I quickly realised there is a genuine commitment to finding less harmful inks and products. The transition is underway. Today, however, it’s still very difficult to switch entirely to water-based or biodegradable products. Some acrylic paints are available, but the pigments also need to withstand the harsh marine environment.

I.S.: Since our teams apply the paint manually, we’ve already eliminated inks containing the most hazardous solvents. From a health and safety perspective, we also built a dedicated ink preparation laboratory two years ago, equipped with an extraction system to prevent operators from inhaling solvent fumes.