How did 2024 go at Fountaine Pajot?
It was a very good year in terms of volumes and number of boats manufactured and delivered to our customers [Le chiffre d’affaires est de 351 millions d’euros pour 2024, contre 276 millions d’euros en 2023, NDLR]. This figure is partly explained by the number of boats sold, 300 at Fountaine Pajot and 300 at Dufour, and by growth in price because we have had inflation. For the past financial year, we also took our investment in American distribution for a full year, whereas in 2023, this would have taken place for three months. The economic context was very buoyant in 2024, but we have emerged in recent months with more indecisive boat shows. There is a general lack of market confidence in our sector.
How to explain this context?
This is a general context and it is not Franco-French. We sell 85 to 90% of our boats abroad [Europe : 45 %, Amérique du Nord : 18 %, Caraïbes : 12 %] and we are largely dependent on the international context. We had uncertainties surrounding the American election and with the new administration not quite in place, we do not yet have the keys to understanding whether the market will rebound. There was also inflation, the rise in interest rates, difficulties in accessing loans… Customers make decisions less easily than in the past. We are coming out of an interesting year commercially which made it possible to strengthen the company and launch investments, such as a new workshop in the factory and a new 41-foot boat which will follow on from the Isla 40.
Around 300 boats were sold this year at Fountaine Pajot.
Xavier Léoty / SO
What is your opinion on the cancellation of the Paris boat show this year?
The Paris show has always been an important event which allows us to showcase the know-how of the profession, at all levels. I regret that this show cannot be held. It was a time when we could see our clients again and work on their project. I hope that one day we will be able to go to a show in the capital. France is not deprived with Cannes, the Grand Pavois or the La Grande-Motte show. In Paris we attract people, it's mainstream and we make people dream. Boating needs that, it’s truly French know-how. We need trade fairs to show our products and meet our customers.
Are your decarbonization objectives achieved for 2024?
Our emissions are in the phases of boat use and fuel oil consumption (in 2023 they amounted to 2,454,021 tonnes of CO2, Editor's note). One of our areas of work this year was to imagine a new propulsion and energy production system on board our boats. We started with prototypes two years ago and last year. The solution, called Smart Electric, is active on 42, 45 and 51 foot boats. This year, around thirty of these boats were sold at Fountaine Pajot and Dufour. We also have all our production phases: waste, electricity, heating. To this end, we have initiated an awareness-raising phase and are encouraging good initiatives.
The road to better decarbonization still seems long for the sector…
There is still a lot of work! We have components with a fairly strong carbon footprint on the environment (resins, composites, cast aluminum). We will not get there alone: chemists, equipment manufacturers and engine manufacturers must also take up the subject. The use of plant fibers? It is very hydrophilic while fiberglass is neutral. For the moment, we have not found any plant-based solutions. There are other applications that we must be able to transpose to the boating professions, particularly around the deconstruction of the boat. We worked on a “Licorne” prototype at Dufour and we use this boat to test new materials and equipment.
Are you worried about the future?
We know that it is a cyclical profession which is based on the economic context and on the degree of confidence we have in the future. Our belief is that people will continue to want to go on the water. People still love sailing, the enthusiasm around the Vendée Globe is intact, it makes the general public dream. There is an attraction for boating but we are in a phase which is less buoyant than it was. We are currently experiencing a phase of adjustment and uncertainty about the future. You have to turn your back, adapt and it will come back.
