France is certainly the most prolific and important nation in terms of sailing, especially sailboats production.
Here is a list of French sailboat manufacturers that have been active over the past 100 years, along with a brief description of each company’s history and current status:
Jeanneau –
Founded in 1957, Jeanneau is a leading sailboat manufacturer that produces a wide range of sailboats, from small day boats to large cruising yachts. The company is based in Les Herbiers, France, and is part of the larger Beneteau Group.
Beneteau –
Founded in 1884, Beneteau is one of the oldest and most well-known sailboat manufacturers in the world. The company produces a wide range of sailboats, from small day boats to large cruising yachts, and is headquartered in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France.
Dufour Yachts –
Founded in 1964, Dufour Yachts is a well-respected sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of sailboats, from small cruising boats to large racing yachts. The company is based in La Rochelle, France.
Fountaine Pajot –
Founded in 1976, Fountaine Pajot is a leading manufacturer of catamarans and other multi-hull sailboats. The company is based in La Rochelle, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 36 to 67 feet.
Archambault –
Founded in 1967, Archambault is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in racing yachts. The company is based in Dangé-Saint-Romain, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 20 to 43 feet.
Wauquiez –
Founded in 1965, Wauquiez is a sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of high-end cruising and racing yachts. The company is based in Neuville-en-Ferrain, France.
Bénéteau Group –
Founded in 1977, the Bénéteau Group is one of the largest sailboat manufacturers in the world, with a portfolio of brands that includes Bénéteau, Jeanneau, Lagoon, and other well-known names. The company is headquartered in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France.
JPK Composites –
Founded in 1989, JPK Composites is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in offshore racing yachts. The company is based in Larmor-Plage, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 10 to 45 feet.
Alubat –
Founded in 1973, Alubat is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in aluminum-hulled boats. The company is based in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 35 to 80 feet.
RM Yachts –
Founded in 1990, RM Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in high-performance cruising yachts. The company is based in La Rochelle, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 10 to 14 meters.
Amel –
Founded in 1968, Amel is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in blue-water cruising yachts. The company is based in La Rochelle, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 50 to 74 feet.
C&C Yachts –
Founded in 1971, C&C Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing yachts. The company is based in La Trinité-sur-Mer, France.
CNB Yachts –
Founded in 1987, CNB Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces luxury cruising yachts. The company is based in Bordeaux, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 60 to 130 feet.
Dehler Yachts –
Founded in 1963, Dehler Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance cruising yachts. The company is based in La Rochelle, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 29 to 46 feet.
Etap Yachting –
Founded in 1970, Etap Yachting is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in unsinkable boats. The company is based in Ostend, Belgium, but has a production facility in France.
Garcia Yachts –
Founded in 1974, Garcia Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces blue-water cruising yachts. The company is based in Condé-sur-Noireau, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 45 to 115 feet.
Hanse Yachts –
Founded in 1990, Hanse Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance cruising yachts. The company is based in Greifswald, Germany, but has a production facility in France.
J Boats –
Founded in 1977, J Boats is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing yachts. The company is based in Newport, Rhode Island, but has a production facility in France.
Lagoon –
Founded in 1984, Lagoon is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in catamarans. The company is part of the larger Bénéteau Group and is based in Bordeaux, France.
Océanis –
Founded in 1985, Océanis is a sailboat manufacturer that is part of the larger Bénéteau Group. The company produces a range of cruising yachts and is based in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France.
Outremer Yachting –
Founded in 1984, Outremer Yachting is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in high-performance catamarans. The company is based in La Grande-Motte, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 45 to 55 feet.
Pogo Structures –
Founded in 1987, Pogo Structures is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing yachts. The company is based in Combrit, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 30 to 50 feet.
Privilège Marine –
Founded in 1985, Privilège Marine is a sailboat manufacturer that specializes in luxury catamarans. The company is based in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, and produces boats ranging in size from 50 to 75 feet.
Soubise Yachts –
Founded in 1987, Soubise Yachts is a sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing yachts. The company is based in La Rochelle, France, and produces boats ranging
These are just a few of the many French sailboat manufacturers that have been active over the past 100 years. Each company has its own unique history, approach, and product line, and all of them have contributed to the rich and diverse world of sailing.
France is especially the land of multihulls, catamarans and trimarans.
Here is a list of French catamaran manufacturers:
- Lagoon Catamarans
- Fountaine Pajot
- Nautitech Catamarans
- Privilège Marine
- Catana Catamarans
- Sunreef Yachts
- Outremer Yachting
- Bali Catamarans
- Leopard Catamarans (part of the larger Robertson and Caine Group, with production facilities in France)
- Gemini Catamarans (part of the larger Performance Cruising Inc., with production facilities in France)
- Espace Catamarans
- Alibi Catamarans
- Infini Catamarans
- Corsair Marine (part of the larger Bavaria Group, with production facilities in France)
- Astus Boats
- McConaghy Boats (has a production facility in Cherbourg, France)
- Catathai Catamarans
- Nacra Sailing
- Dream Catamarans
- Yapluka Catamarans
Please note that some of these manufacturers may produce other types of boats in addition to catamarans.
To add more information to the above, please find more details on the most relevant catamaran yards of France.
Lagoon Catamarans –
Lagoon is one of the world’s largest catamaran manufacturers and a leader in the cruising catamaran market. Based in Bordeaux, Lagoon produces catamarans ranging in size from 40 to 78 feet.
Fountaine Pajot –
Founded in 1976, Fountaine Pajot is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces a range of cruising catamarans. The company is based in La Rochelle and produces catamarans ranging in size from 37 to 67 feet.
Nautitech Catamarans –
Nautitech is a French catamaran manufacturer that specializes in high-performance cruising catamarans. The company is based in Rochefort and produces catamarans ranging in size from 40 to 54 feet.
Privilège Marine –
Privilege Marine is a French catamaran manufacturer that specializes in luxury cruising catamarans. The company is based in Les Sables-d’Olonne and produces catamarans ranging in size from 50 to 75 feet.
Catana Catamarans –
Catana is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces high-performance cruising catamarans. The company is based in Canet-en-Roussillon and produces catamarans ranging in size from 42 to 70 feet.
Sunreef Yachts –
Sunreef is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces luxury custom catamarans. The company is based in Gdansk, Poland but has a production facility in La Rochelle, France.
Outremer Yachting –
Outremer is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces high-performance cruising catamarans. The company is based in La Grande-Motte and produces catamarans ranging in size from 45 to 55 feet.
Bali Catamarans –
Bali is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces innovative cruising catamarans. The company is based in Les Sables-d’Olonne and produces catamarans ranging in size from 40 to 55 feet.
Leopard Catamarans –
Leopard is a global catamaran manufacturer with production facilities in France, South Africa, and China. The company produces cruising catamarans ranging in size from 40 to 58 feet.
Gemini Catamarans –
Gemini is an American catamaran manufacturer with a production facility in France. The company produces cruising catamarans ranging in size from 34 to 105 feet.
Espace Catamarans –
Espace is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces cruising catamarans ranging in size from 37 to 58 feet. The company is based in La Rochelle.
Alibi Catamarans –
Alibi is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces high-performance cruising catamarans. The company is based in Les Sables-d’Olonne and produces catamarans ranging in size from 53 to 96 feet.
Infini Catamarans –
Infini is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces cruising catamarans ranging in size from 40 to 65 feet. The company is based in La Rochelle.
Corsair Marine –
Corsair is an American catamaran manufacturer with a production facility in France. The company produces racing and cruising catamarans ranging in size from 24 to 37 feet.
Astus Boats –
Astus is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces trimarans and catamarans ranging in size from 16 to 24 feet. The company is based in Quimper.
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