Beneteau news

[Jackdaw]

First from the annual report: Boat sales grew 6.7% to 1.094 billion euros. The operating profit was 135 million euros. Sales breakdown, 56%, is generated by motorboats. The rest is attributable to sailboats.

Beneteau makes more profit than most builders do sales. Slovenian sailing brand Seascape acquired, which is now continued under the name First. All four models 18, 24, 27 sold as First worldwide.

Beneteau brands worldwide:
Beneteau
Jeanneau
SeaScape
Lagoon
Prestige
Monte Carlo Yachts
CNB Yacht Builders
Four Winns
Glastron

As of next year, Beneteau will built US versions of the popular Antares OB-powered cruisers in Cadillac Michigan.

Opened a permanent fixed sea base near Barcelona for press and customer visits.

Decent year.

 

[Mikem]

Jack, what does Beneteau do that makes them successful? I watch what seems to be the continuing decline of Catalina and Hunter (Marlow) and wonder what they could do better to improve sales. Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Apex]

IMO, the biggest is changing design alongside it's a reputation of quality (for a production boat).
Catalina is very conservative, and so design seems behind.
Hunter innovated, but perception of quality leads to "unproven" innovation.
and being french doesn't hurt, sailing is huuuge in Europe.

Their model of building all woodwork in France, really is interesting and I assume gives them a competitive edge on cost and quality.

 

[JRT]

Bingo @Apex, it is about design. We shopped a bit this year with really no rush or need and after looking at a Hunter 45, Hunter 36, Jeanneau 349 and Jeanneau 440 the Hunter models are pretty much old school and tradition while the Jeanneau really were very different and seemed to be designed around a fresher modern approach. To my wife a new Hunter looks no different then a 15-20+ year old Hunter or Cataline. Trust me I saw the difference but she didn't and the space and comfort of the Jeanneau pretty much means no hope even considering an 'old' sail boat design. And I agree with her, while I think the older boats have great proven qualities and I like them but I also think moving forward is key.

 

[Jackdaw]

I think the guys hit a lot of it.

Being big is its own reward. It allows you to to big things.
Hire great designers for innovative designs (not use same old in-house guys)
Get in to BIG boats (55-100 feet) with CNB
Get into powerboats
Get into sportboats (Seascape)
Get into cats (Lagoon)
Sell tons into charter, its good for business, then charterers buy boats that have sailed.
Be GLOBAL. Being basically only USA is slowly killing Hunter and Catalina.

The real key is designing innovative boats that make people WANT to by a new boat vs an older used. Several people have said it, if the new boat looks like a 10 year old boat, why not buy a perfectly decent used one for 50% the cost??

You know some people will buy used and you expect that. But you also know that next year you HAVE to sell over a BILLION dollars of new boats. Focuses the mind.

 

[Dennis Kitchen]

I really liked the First 20 and First 25 of recent years. Surprised to know they're out of production already. I doubt they produced enough of them to ever get the used market down to where I could consider one. Hmmmmm, perhaps that's what they have in mind to protect the buyers resale value.
Dennis

 

[Jackdaw]

I really liked the First 20 and First 25 of recent years. Surprised to know they're out of production already. I doubt they produced enough of them to ever get the used market down to where I could consider one. Hmmmmm, perhaps that's what they have in mind to protect the buyers resale value.
Dennis

Both those boats have been in continuous production since the mid 90s, so 20 years. The First 25s is actually the First 260 (BlueJ) with a different rig. A new First 25s was almost 100K. Unless it meets your needs PERFECTLY, a lot of people will buy a 10 year old First 36.7 for that money. My sense is that Beneteau saw what Pogo and SeaScape were doing and liked it... creating small fun boats that plane easily. People will by those new. I always figured they would buy one of those two companies.

The First 260 actually is perfect for us, based on water, marina, club, sailing type, etc. I'm not sure what I'd trade up for... maybe a First 27? But we really love the diesel. Maybe a Pogo 30, but thats too big for our club.

 

[BobbyFunn]

Hunter innovated, but perception of quality leads to "unproven" innovation.

At least for small boats. What does Hunter provide that cant be bought off a shelf somewhere else?

The business model is to build a featureless hull then order parts to go on it.

Once you have the assembly you never hear from them again.

 

[Jackdaw]

I thinks its hard to overestimate the value of using outside designers to keep things innovative and fresh. The list that Beneteau uses looks like a whos-who in the yacht design hall of fame.

Conq/Finot
German Frers
Berret-Racoupeau
Farr Yacht Design
Marc Lombard
And the latest high-tech Darlings, VPLP

Often the design rights are granted after a design competition, offered to bring out the best from the teams. Its hard to image an in-house designer working or pushing the envelope of whats safely possible in such a manner. And it shows.

 

[cymeyer]

Jackdaw,

I am fairly sure Jeanneau is not made by Beneteau unless they were recently acquired. Is that the case?

Chris

First from the annual report: Boat sales grew 6.7% to 1.094 billion euros. The operating profit was 135 million euros. Sales breakdown, 56%, is generated by motorboats. The rest is attributable to sailboats.

Beneteau makes more profit than most builders do sales. Slovenian sailing brand Seascape acquired, which is now continued under the name First. All four models 18, 24, 27 sold as First worldwide.
View attachment 158043

Beneteau brands worldwide:
Beneteau
Jeanneau
SeaScape
Lagoon
Prestige
Monte Carlo Yachts
CNB Yacht Builders
Four Winns
Glastron

As of next year, Beneteau will built US versions of the popular Antares OB-powered cruisers in Cadillac Michigan.
View attachment 158042

Opened a permanent fixed sea base near Barcelona for press and customer visits.
View attachment 158041

Decent year.

Jack

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw,

I am fairly sure Jeanneau is not made by Beneteau unless they were recently acquired. Is that the case?

Chris


Jack

Beneteau has fully owned Jeanneau for over 10 years. They maintain separate Marketing identities, but they do been doing joint boat-building with interlocked product roadmaps (as to not compete directly against each other) for over 5 years.

 

[Apex]

Conq/Finot
German Frers
Berret-Racoupeau
Farr Yacht Design
Marc Lombard
And the latest high-tech Darlings, VPLP

Do you have a fav @Jackdaw ? ....and why

 

[Jackdaw]

Conq/Finot
German Frers
Berret-Racoupeau
Farr Yacht Design
Marc Lombard
And the latest high-tech Darlings, VPLP

Do you have a fav @Jackdaw ? ....and why

I admire them all, and each has at least one Beneteau i would own in a heartbeat.

Bruce Farr, would be the runner-up, his First series boats from the late 90s to the mid-teens were world beaters on the race course and solid cruisers. I loved the 36.7 and would absolutely own a First 40.

But J-M Finot would be the winner. His loved of deep keel, ‘alive’ boats matches mine exactly. He designed and then owned a First 260, a boat I cannot image ever not owning. And his Pogo 12.50 is my dream boat when my company sells.

A wonderful article on his body of work is here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2dqq1zjpdupi9u3/finot overview.pdf?dl=0

 

[jssailem]

Great story about a talented boat designer.
I like the fundamental thought that "good design is a successful marriage of form and function". But like all good designs, they only show their worth when a builder decided to build the design. If not for Finot finding Walter Huisman we might never know his brilliance.

 

[Jackdaw]

Great story about a talented boat designer.
I like the fundamental thought that "good design is a successful marriage of form and function". But like all good designs, they only show their worth when a builder decided to build the design. If not for Finot finding Walter Huisman we might never know his brilliance.

Indeed. The way it normally works is a talented new designer joins an existing design group and takes on bigger and bigger roles over time. Soon they end up being lead on the entire program. Pascal Conq joined Finot in the same manner, now he’s the lead designer at the firm.

 

[cymeyer]

Beneteau has fully owned Jeanneau for over 10 years. They maintain separate Marketing identities, but they do been doing joint boat-building with interlocked product roadmaps (as to not compete directly against each other) for over 5 years.

Wow, had no idea. I stand corrected!
Chris

 

[thinwater]

The Seascape "Firsts" are a completely new, direction, if I'm seeing this right. Instead of being quick starter cruising boats, these are flat-out sport boats with carbon booms and stripped insides. I sailed on a Seascape 24 and it was a hoot, planing like a rocket if you keep her light and fly the chute. But not a cruising design at all.

Is that what the markets wants? I don't know. If I were looking for a "starter" cruising boat I wouldn't be looking for new at all, but one of many good cheap AWBs. So perhaps the Seascapes make more sense in the new market, where they have less competition and the target buyers want a new boat. Otherwise, they are competing with used Beneteaus for the next 20 years.

 

[weinie]

For half the price of a 35 to 38 foot cruiser you can go twice as fast. Not a bad tradeoff. I'm loving the Seacape 27, j88s, Pogo30s and the like. There's a big segment of the market with a bit of disposable income that doesn't want to spend overnights camping or paying for a boat stove they never use and the headaches that come with all the accessories. They just want to go fast with the barest minimum crew.

 

[Jackdaw]

The Seascape "Firsts" are a completely new, direction, if I'm seeing this right. Instead of being quick starter cruising boats, these are flat-out sport boats with carbon booms and stripped insides. I sailed on a Seascape 24 and it was a hoot, planing like a rocket if you keep her light and fly the chute. But not a cruising design at all.

Is that what the markets wants? I don't know. If I were looking for a "starter" cruising boat I wouldn't be looking for new at all, but one of many good cheap AWBs. So perhaps the Seascapes make more sense in the new market, where they have less competition and the target buyers want a new boat. Otherwise, they are competing with used Beneteaus for the next 20 years.

Great question. Is is what the market wants? Well first, it's new. If you want it, you pretty much have to by new. The First 24 basically replaces my First 260 (24.5 LOA). People look at her and think its a new design (wide transom, dual rudders, tall non-overlapping rig) but in fact shes 20 years old. The 24 is doing very well in Europe. Here? We will see. I really want a 27, but maybe that really means a Pogo 30.

 

[Jackdaw]

For half the price of a 35 to 38 foot cruiser you can go twice as fast. Not a bad tradeoff. I'm loving the Seacape 27, j88s, Pogo30s and the like. There's a big segment of the market with a bit of disposable income that doesn't want to spend overnights camping or paying for a boat stove they never use and the headaches that come with all the accessories. They just want to go fast with the barest minimum crew.

Indeed. The irony of modern existence for lots of people is that the extra money from being successful is matched by a decreased personal time to relax. That's why big boat crews are getting smaller. And people stay out for less time, and want to do less prep and messing around. It means simpler systems. Toby Hodges of Yachting World called it 'French Camping' when he reviewed the Pogo 30, and that's is exactly. Spartan but comfortable, pump water, alcohol stove, head, icebox. Light simple fast.