"It is with great emotion that we celebrate this year the 140th anniversary of a Group founded in 1884 by my grandfather, Benjamin Bénéteau, in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

Before founding the family business, it is said that he initially hesitated to move to South America or Canada, but with his strong attachment to his roots and his desire to promote them, he finally decided to set up in this cradle of fishing and trade.

Our grandfather was a man of character and conviction. He was also a man of vision: as early as 1909, and despite the animosity that his idea aroused at the time - the fishermen, who were afraid that the noise of the boats would scare away the fish, were waiting for him at the port with stones! - He stood firm and created the region's first motorised sardine boat, dubbed "Le Vainqueur des Jaloux" (The Jealous Winner). The uproar only lasted a few months, the time it took to convince people, and the second sardine boat to arrive was given a gentler name:

"La Paix". It was a success story that laid the foundations for our entrepreneurial adventure: avant-garde, conviction and boldness.
The story could have ended there. When our grandfather died, our father was just 21.

With an exceptional aesthetic sense that he expressed through his drawings, he revolutionised the way Beneteau boats were produced, indulging in his greatest pleasure: drawing, creating, supervising the construction of each boat, and above all monitoring the performance - both in terms of speed and fishing - of his creations.
In the 60s, we had to change our strategy to catch the wave. Our parents had three children to raise, seventeen employees and the fishing industry was running out of steam.

Yachting was emerging, but we didn't know it yet.

What made this turning point possible for Beneteau was once again a story of innovation: the arrival of polyester on the market, and the birth of what we will call pleasure fishing. It was in 1964, aged just 22, that I took over as head of the company. A year later, at the Paris boat show, we got a surprise: we came back with an order for 50 polyester boats!

This was a major turning point, which laid the foundations for the Bénéteau Group and its network of dealers as we know it today: both imbued with the values cherished by its forebears and always resolutely looking to the future.
It is in line with these values of innovation and daring that I have always operated.

Our Group may not be the same size today, but our values remain the same. That's why I never tire of telling this family story. It contains all the elements that have made the Beneteau Group a flagship of French industry, proud of its roots, bold, innovative and, last but not least, a family business.

As we celebrate 140 years of Bénéteau, I would like to dedicate it to this family of mine, which includes the 8,000 employees of the Bénéteau Group, as well as our customers, our dealer network and our loyal suppliers.

It is thanks to them that everything was possible yesterday, and that everything will be possible tomorrow".