On the eve of its 140th anniversary, Groupe Beneteau is remodelling itself with a new look. International champion with its nine brands of boats, the French group is developing new services and committing to contribute fully to the ecological transition of its sector.
Groupe Beneteau has been building sail and motor boats since 1884 to suit all types of navigation. The only multi-specialist able to cover the broadest spectrum of product and service segments on the market is ending its 2020-2023 strategic plan “Let’s Go Beyond!” in advance of its goals and is showcasing its new look at the launch of the Cannes Yachting Festival show on 12 September 2023.
Groupe Beneteau has had a record year, where its innovative ability and its vision of the market and customer experience have enabled it to meet the new expectations in a market that is in full upheaval. The French champion, with its international boat business accounting for 84% of its turnover, intends to play a key role in transforming its sector and the change in uses to contribute fully to meeting the environmental challenges. Lastly, faced with major changes in practices and new expectations of future generations in terms of experience, technologies and sustainability, the group is increasing its position in services, beyond its traditional activity of boat building.
After four years of transformation, Groupe Beneteau is once more tasting success and is in rude health. The Boat Division increased its turnover from €1.14 billion to a historic €1.45 billion in 2022, despite being strongly affected, like its entire sector, by the supply difficulties post-Covid. The Group has doubled its stock market capitalisation and also its EBIT margin by setting a target of 11.5% for 2023. Lastly, Groupe Beneteau has a positive cash position of more than €200 million and thus can look forward to a comfortable future. The 2023 results will be published on 27 September 2023.
Groupe Beneteau is currently active in four market segments (monohull, multihull, day boating and Real Estate on the Water). It offers 128 models, both sail and motor, across its nine brands, from 4.5 to 24 metres. Groupe Beneteau has not stopped innovating since 2019, launching an average of twenty new models a year and focusing on customer experience.
The Group is making progress in its four market segments through sector-based innovations and an increasingly aspirational positioning.
In the sail segment (monohull and multihull sailboats): the group offers the widest nautical experience on the market in 2023, from racing to luxury cruising. It has a 50% market share with four flagship brands: BENETEAU, JEANNEAU, LAGOON and EXCESS. The Group has achieved this by renewing and reinforcing the leadership of its Oceanis (BENETEAU brand), Sun Odyssey, (JEANNEAU brand) and the LAGOON brand. The emblematic First (BENETEAU brand) range has been relaunched from 36 to 53 feet. Lastly, in the catamaran market, alongside its leader LAGOON brand, the youngest brand in the Group, EXCESS, is targeting customers seeking the thrills of multihull sailing.
Photos cr̩dits РBENETEAU First 53
In the Day boating segment: the Group has doubled its market share in the United States in three years It fully intends to expand its presence with its European ranges Cap Camarat, Merry Fisher (JEANNEAU brand) and Antares (BENETEAU brand), create new premium segments and continue to diversify the range of its two American brands, WELLCRAFT and FOUR WINNS.
In the Real Estate on the Water segment: two major brands, BENETEAU (with Swift Trawler) and PRESTIGE, are improving their range and the brand experience further by rationalising this segment. The Group has 20% market share in this segment, i.e. one boat in five.
“The cornerstone of our success has been the constant focus on innovation serving to improve the user experience. We have carried out our plans diligently, delivered on our commitments and put together a close-knit team capable of expanding effectively in key strategic segments. Faced with the challenges that lie ahead, we are determined to continue this momentum in all our segments, as we have always done for more than 140 years. Only those who dare, take risks and encourage innovation will carve out a better future”, states Gianguido Girotti, CEO of the Boat Division.
Photos credits Atelier Transmedia
2 – Ecological transition: Groupe Beneteau commits to a 30% drop in its CO2 emissions by 2030
The Group’s CSR approach, now in existence for over ten years, was speeded up when its Programme B-Sustainable was formalised in 2022. The Group takes a global environmental approach, based on an in-depth analysis of the life cycle of its various boats, with different results and therefore solutions between sailing and motor boats. Groupe Beneteau is increasing the initiatives to offer additional and impactful solutions depending on uses. At its level, the Group’s stated ambition is a 30% drop in CO2 emissions by 2030.
Groupe Beneteau has thus set three major priorities for actions to be performed to meet this objective:
1 – Offer alternative propulsions appropriate for each use to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. The result is a variety of technical solutions, depending on the boating experience, for example 100% electric for day boating, series hybrid for sailboats and parallel hybrid for the Real Estate on the Water segment. The Group thus commits to offering alternative propulsions on its entire product range by 2030.
2 – Acting on materials, with more sustainable components and the development of new recycled materials. For example, the Group is working on changing the amount of biosourced material in its polyester resin. This is increasing from 14% in 2022 to 35% in 2023. Another example is replacing the current polyester resin by an Elium® recyclable resin, which may be re-used at the boat’s end-of-life. This material will ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of our materials by 70% compared with standard materials on the market. The first production run has recently left the Group’s Nantes boatyard with a racing boat, the JEANNEAU Sun Fast 30 OD, produced in partnership with Multiplast , which will demonstrate its performance and robustness in extreme conditions.
And going even further, in 2024, Groupe Beneteau will also be the first boatyard in France to re-use all the off-cuts from its glass fibre production. Its products are destined for the car industry.
3 – Working on the architecture: A foil to minimise water drag, advanced technology. The Group’s work on the naval architecture of the boat has reduced its hull drag and therefore its energy requirement. This is true of the M8 by Prestige. Energy consumption was divided by 2 by moving from a monohull to a multihull. But Groupe Beneteau has no intention of stopping there. It will exhibit the FOUR WINNS TH36 fitted with foils at the Cannes Show in September 2024. This innovation will improve glide over water, thereby reducing drag by 20%. This will not only reduce consumption; it will also be a new experience with smoother driving and greater comfort for the user.
FOUR WINNS TH36 MOCK-UP: Garroni Design
“As a major player in the marine industry, we have a responsibility to the environment and are part of the solution. The innovations we have developed over the years help us to convert our ideas into concrete, robust and mature solutions for all our products, without excluding user experience. That is the most important thing. But innovation is not just about developing eco-designed products. It goes further by analysing changes in the use of our boat and its associated new opportunities”, analyses Gianguido Girotti.
Faced with major changes in practices and new expectations of future generations in terms of experience, technologies and sustainability, the group wishes to take any increasingly significant position in services, in line with its traditional activity of boatbuilding.
Boating Solutions, the services division of Groupe Beneteau, is expanding its range of solutions so as to live experience on the water to the full.
Groupe Beneteau’s Boating Solutions division is a major component in its global strategy, which aims to offer full and innovative experiences on the water to both owners and renters. “Boating Solutions” was originally developed with the Financing business. The Group used its subsidiary SGB to structure the boat financing model for the entire European distribution. Today, the ecosystem of the Boating Solutions division has expanded to meet new expectations for use.
For its owner customers, Groupe Beneteau intends to develop its personalisation services and to this end took a 20% minority shareholding in the company Yacht Solutions last July. This company offers owners of large boats a wide selection of technical, interior and personalisation solutions designed specifically for their boat model.
It has entered the digital sector with SEANAPPS, an application providing boat monitoring and preventive maintenance In just a year it has already equipped 6,000 boats and 500 dealers and is targeting 20,000 by 2025. The aim is to connect the entire Beneteau Group to Seanapps.
“The sharing economy will also be part of the pleasure boating ecosystem”, states Bruno Thivoyon, CEO of the Group and the Boating Solutions Division. “We have decided to be a part of it. The Boating Solutions services division is taking up the baton and starting precisely where our boat builder business ends, i.e. once the boat has been delivered. It will also open up to anyone wishing to sail without being an owner.”
For rental business, the Group’s services division has entered the Charter business alongside the specialists Dream Yacht and Navigare Yachting.
Already available in boat clubs in the United States with “Your boat club” and its 35 bases, the Group has recently announced taking a majority shareholding in WIZIBOAT, specialised in boat rentals by subscription to expand into Europe. Groupe Beneteau is targeting a total of ten thousand members over the next five years, taking advantage of the Group’s dense and professional distribution network.
CONCLUSION : Groupe Beneteau, building on the transformations of the last four years, is beginning its 140 years calmly and with ambition.
“Groupe Beneteau is continuing its mission of “Bringing dreams to water” to as many owners and renters as possible. Today, Groupe Beneteau is the only multi-specialist in the marine industry. Our approach focused on the customer, user experience and quality is at the heart of our sustainable development. Our goal of 30% drop in CO2 emissions by 2030 testifies to our commitment for a more environmentally- friendly industry. As we celebrate our 140th anniversary next year, we continue to transform our activities with the same values – passion, boldness, transmission and a winning mindset.”, concludes Bruno Thivoyon.
28th February 2024
28th February 2024
26th January 2024
T: +852 2555 8377
E: hongkong@simpsonmarine.com 
© Simpson Marine Limited 2024. All rights reserved. Site by Alt
