the luxurious catamarans of the Beneteau group in vogue on the banks of the Garonne

Most Bordeaux residents will never see its color or the astonishing arrangements made inside. However, some of the most beautiful boats built in the world come out of the workshops on the Quai de Brazza. The Beneteau group produces its largest catamarans on the banks of the Garonne, those exceeding fifteen meters. These exceptional ships, costing around a million euros minimum to rise to seven million or more, sail on the river to then reach the most turquoise waters on the globe. In Bordeaux, their manufacturing site covers ten hectares. A thousand people work there, representing around forty trades.

The place thrives on decades of naval history and, in particular, on the establishment at the end of the 1980s of a brand new shipyard, Construction navale Bordeaux, which then specialized in luxury sailboats. The Beneteau group became the majority shareholder in the early 1990s. Today, its subsidiary produces large multihull units of the Lagoon and Excess brands. Around a hundred very beautiful boats are designed there each year with a key advantage: the possibility of tailor-made. “Our customers have an extremely wide choice,” emphasizes Clément Himily, general director of the sailing business unit within the Beneteau group. For a single ship, we will have 150 possible configurations. »

A “promising market”

Of the 100,000 square meters it currently has, the company can count on almost half of its workshops being covered. From a new warehouse set up in 2023, the Lagoon 60 (for 60 feet, more than 18 meters), boats are coming out which sell for between two and three million euros. With a turnover of around 200 million euros per year, an activity “rather growing in recent years” and “a growing market”, the Bordeaux site is developing. A sign of the good dynamics of the sector, a training center for its employees and customers was launched a few months ago. Another subsidiary, Yacht solution, has also been created so that buyers can be supported in the preparation of their catamaran (equipment, decoration, etc.).

Does the shipyard then aim to expand further in Brazza or its neighboring towns, like the Lissandre district in Lormont? “This is not on the agenda,” assures Clément Himily before qualifying: “This may be a subject for reflection and discussion over the coming years, but not immediately. » In the meantime, Beneteau announced, at the very end of summer, the release of new models, including the “Lagoon Eighty 2”, the most imposing catamaran that the brand has ever built, flirting with 25 meters in length. Manufacturing entirely made in Bordeaux, production of which will begin during the second half of 2025.