Catamaran shipyard: Privilège buyer Strassberger wants "even more quality and self-sufficiency"
YACHT-Redaktion
· 22.11.2022
After leaving Hanseyachts, the Bielefeld native acquired a stake in the French shipyard Katwerft. The 48-year-old, who works in the property sector, lives in Strande near Kiel and is the owner of the charter base Infinity. Yacht.S in Greece.
YACHT: Why did you take over parts of the Privilège catamaran shipyard?
Mark Strassberger: I have been a customer since 2018 and am absolutely convinced by the boats and the service. No other catamaran comes into question for me. I asked myself whether there are comparable products on the market and realised that there are much more glamorous and faster catamarans on offer in the upper price segment. But in my opinion, there are no catamarans that are manufactured with more passion, quality and sailing expertise and meet such a high standard of safety that I would take my children with me on a round-the-world trip. And I have had a good friendship with CEO Gilles Wagner for some time.
What is your role in the shipyard?
That is the Chairman. For me, Gilles Wagner is the CEO. He has built up Privilège over the last ten years and made the brand what it is today. I try to use my knowledge from my previous fields of activity and the experience I have as a Privilège sailor to provide impetus. I stand for safety, reliability and, of course, good humour and motivation.
What do you want to change?
I only want to optimise and not change. My aim is to allow the company to find itself and to further improve processes and the product. I have started some developments together with Gilles. This includes optimising the energy system. We want our customers to be able to stay offshore even longer. We will interpret ecology in a new way.
What are your goals?
That we remain true to the DNA of our company, which was born from the thoughts of Vendée Globe sailor and co-founder Philippe Jeantot, and that we continue to develop it. We want to maintain our current production capacity of twelve yachts per year, even though we know that this is not enough for the world. We want to further expand our position as a manufacturer's product and constantly improve quality.
What does Privilège stand for?
For Bluewater Sailing with the highest standards of quality and comfort, for the high-end sailing catamaran. We are valued by our customers first and foremost for our quality. The next point is the sailing characteristics and then the quality of our furniture. Privilège also stands for the "tailor-made" yacht. Our customers can customise everything from the spacing of the mast steps to the cabinets to match the crockery and the topstitching.
Will there be further co-operations with Hanseyachts?
We have a very good relationship with Hanseyachts. This relationship gives rise to a number of overlaps, which we will maintain as long as it is beneficial to both parties.
