Fountaine Pajot

Fountaine Pajot history

Fountaine Pajot was founded in 1976 by Jean-Francois Fountaine, Yves Pajot, Daniel Givon, and Remi Tristan, four competitive sailors building lightweight performance dinghies — the 505, 470, and 420 classes. In 1978 the yard relocated to Aigrefeuille, its base ever since, expanding into IOR offshore racing prototypes. In 1980–1981 its Half Tonner prototypes won the Solitaire du Figaro and became World Champions. The Louisiane 37 in 1983 launched the cruising catamaran programme — the yard's first production cruising catamaran, which established the segment commercially. Designer Olivier Flahault contributed the roof cap profile that defines Fountaine Pajot sailing catamarans to this day. The yard listed on Alternext in 2007. Jean-Francois Fountaine handed management to Nicolas Gardies and Romain Motteau in 2014 and was elected mayor of La Rochelle. The Dufour shipyard merger in 2018 made the group one of the largest sailing yacht manufacturers in the world. Claire Fountaine, daughter of the founder, serves as Chair.

Production and facilities

Fountaine Pajot operates four production centres in the La Rochelle basin: Aigrefeuille, the historic headquarters for the core sailing catamaran range up to 50 feet; La Rochelle, for flagship models from 51 to 80 feet with slipway access; Gujan-Mestras, handling motor yachts; and Perigny, the historic Dufour site. The 800-strong workforce builds in composite using injection moulding and vacuum infusion techniques developed in-house. The group's ODSeaLab platform, launched in 2022, is developing autonomous onboard energy systems targeting full hybrid capability across the sailing catamaran fleet by 2030.

Fountaine Pajot model range

The sailing catamaran range covers coastal cruisers through to long-distance bluewater passage-makers from 40 to 80 feet. The Smart Electric hybrid powertrain is available across multiple models including the Aura 51, Astrea 42, and Elba 45. The motor catamaran range runs through the MY series. The Dufour brand, operating separately within the group, covers monohull sailing yachts. A dedicated sub-brand, Fountaine Pajot Yachts, was created for larger units — currently comprising the Samana 59, Thira 80, and FPY70S.

Design and features

Fountaine Pajot's market position rests on nearly fifty years of catamaran-specific development — construction technology, interior volume engineering, and design iterations built exclusively around multihull architecture. The Eco Cruising Concept, initiated in 2011 and expanded with the Odyssea 24 plan in 2022, has progressed from optional solar panels to a fully integrated hybrid powertrain and, in 2023, the world's first hydrogen-powered production catamaran. Resale values are stable within the production catamaran segment, supported by the scale of the global owner community and the long track record of major model lines. The founding family remains in leadership through Claire Fountaine as Chair.