Beneteau Yachts

Beneteau Yachts: Builder Profile

Beneteau is a French manufacturer of sailing yachts and motorboats, founded in 1884 and headquartered in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, in the Vendee region. The company produces sail and power boats from 14 to 62 feet, exported worldwide through an extensive dealer network. Beneteau is one of the world's largest volume boat manufacturers and the leading sailboat builder by production output.

About Beneteau Yachts

Beneteau history

Beneteau was founded in 1884 by Benjamin Beneteau in Croix-de-Vie, initially producing wooden fishing vessels — first sail, then motor. His son Andre expanded the business from 1928. In the 1960s, the third generation pivoted to composite construction and began building pleasure and sport fishing boats. The First series, launched in 1976 and designed by Andre Mauric, Herman Frers, and Jean Berret, established the brand's credentials in performance sailing. The Oceanis cruising line followed in 1987, designed by Philippe Briand, and became the backbone of the sailing range. The Figaro Beneteau offshore racing monotype launched in 1990 — now in its foil-equipped third generation, it remains the one-design class for the solo Figaro race. The company listed on the stock exchange in the 1980s; members of the founding family remain on the group board in the fourth generation.

Production and facilities

Beneteau's headquarters and main production facilities are in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Vendee, where the company was founded. The broader Beneteau Group — which includes Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Excess, Four Winns, Wellcraft, and Scarab among others — operates 16 production sites worldwide and recorded revenue of €849 million in 2025. The group employs more than 6,400 people across France, the United States, Poland, Italy, Portugal, and Tunisia. All Beneteau boats are produced in composite materials.

Beneteau model range

The current Beneteau range covers sail and power boats from 14 to 62 feet. The sailing side is anchored by two families: the First series, oriented toward performance and racing, and the Oceanis series, a cruising range that has become one of the best-selling bluewater sailing lines in the world across multiple generations of design. On the motor side, Beneteau produces the Antares range of sport fishing and leisure motorboats and the Gran Turismo series of express cruisers.

Design and features

Beneteau's primary competitive advantage is scale — production volume, design research, and supplier relationships that deliver a price point custom and semi-custom builders cannot match. The yard responds to market trends faster than most, with short development cycles between model generations. Resale values are stable in absolute terms, though depreciation runs steeper than at lower-volume yards — a predictable consequence of supply volume. The Figaro programme gives the brand a genuine offshore racing pedigree that feeds directly into the First series design DNA.

Beneteau Yachts: Builder Profile

Beneteau Yachts model range

Oceanis Series

Oceanis yacht Series

First Series

First SE Series

Flyer Series

Antares Series

Gran Turismo Series

Swift Trawler Series

Other Beneteau Models