1884-2024: Groupe Beneteau, 140 years of yachting innovation

At the prestigious showcase of the Düsseldorf Boat Show 2024, – the world’s largest indoor international boat show – Groupe Beneteau is celebrating its 140th anniversary under the banner of innovation. With 13 new models presented for 2024, the French giant continues to set new goals in terms of on-board experience and technological innovation. A pioneer in the boating industry for almost 150 years, Groupe Beneteau thus pursues its growth strategy in the market through the four values that have always distinguished it: passion, transmission, conquest and audacity. Strengths that have taken Beneteau to 80 countries, 44 models in 6 ranges and no less than 118,000 boats built.

Groupe Beneteau History

“All began in 1884 in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in Vendée (France), a small fishing village on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Benjamin Bénéteau built fishing boats there, with the aim of being ever faster to be the first to reach port,” recalls Gianguido Girotti, Boat Division CEO, Groupe Beneteau. “His visionary influence was later passed on to his granddaughter, Annette Roux, who went on to define the modern concept of leasure boating. As a pioneer, she combined know-how with the series production of boats to make leisure boating accessible and distributed worldwide.”

Over the decades, the Group has enjoyed remarkable growth thanks to the successive contributions of prestigious brands: Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Excess, Delphia, Four Winns and Wellcraft. They have all contributed to enriching the offering of the group, which now counts 8 thousand employees throughout the world.

This development has gone hand in hand with the launch of an environmental sustainability programme over the last ten years. For Gianguido Girotti, ” We have a kind of an obsession to ensure that we respect and protect our navigation area, the water. The sustainable Group’s approach is based on an analysis of the life cycle of its different types of boats and sailing activities, in order to provide solutions with efficient impact. Our stated ambition is to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.”

Future plans and 2024 models

After 2 flourishing years for the boating industry, the Groupe Beneteau and its boat division are approaching 2024 with a clear vision, i.e. to focus on its 3 market segments: dayboating, real estate on the water, and monohull and multihull sailing boats.

The brand continues to innovate in 2024 with the Oceanis 37.1, the latest model to feature electric propulsion, illustrating the constant advances made in terms of sustainability. The second major innovation is the Swift Trawler 54, a combination of tradition and innovation, with a Fusion hull by Bill Dixon, Sleipner vector fins and an elegant design by Pierangelo Andreani. Autonomy is a key feature, offering a range of 800 nm at 9 knots and advanced energy solutions.

As for the 140th anniversary celebrations, the Beneteau Group will organize a major nautical event next June: the ‘Great Loop Europe‘, a cruise that will cross Europe from Sweden to Greece on board a specially equipped Oceanis 37.1. The brand will also participate in the Vendée Globe, marking two decades of collaboration with this major sailing regatta that consists of a complete solo circumnavigation.