ShipyardsCat manufacturer Fountaine Pajot wants to take over Dufour

Jochen Rieker

 · 29.03.2018

Shipyards: Cat manufacturer Fountaine Pajot wants to take over DufourPhoto: YACHT/Jean-Marie Liot
Cat manufacturer Fountaine Pajot wants to take over Dufour
The concentration process in boatbuilding continues. Bavaria and Hanse had previously joined catamaran shipyards

As the news agency Reuters announced in a short report this evening, the French catamaran manufacturer Fountaine Pajot - one of the world's largest multihull shipyards - is about to acquire a stake in Dufour. According to Reuters, a majority shareholding could be finalised in the coming weeks. This is confirmed by information available to YACHT online.

  Dufour 382Photo: YACHT/J.-M. Liot Dufour 382  Saona 47Photo: YACHT/Jean-Marie Liot Saona 47

The takeover would create a powerful alliance that would have major purchasing advantages with suppliers and a dense dealer network. Dufour is the world's number three sailing yacht manufacturer behind Groupe Beneteau and the Hanseatic Group.

The merger could help to consolidate this position - especially as Fountaine Pajot also in the charter business via a stake in Dream Yacht Charter is strongly positioned. The boat hire company founded by Loic Bonnet has a fleet of almost 1000 yachts at 45 locations worldwide - an attractive sales channel.

Bavaria Yachts (Nautitech) and Hanseyachts (Privilége) had previously taken over established cruising catamaran manufacturers in France. The Beneteau Group also has a highly profitable catamaran brand with Lagoon. Fountaine Pajot is now turning the tide and wants to be the first multihull shipyard to acquire a classic series yacht builder.

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For Dufour, this would be the fourth change of ownership in just a decade. After the shipyard, based in a suburb of La Rochelle, lost its independence, first Grand Soleil and then Bavaria got involved. Finally, Managing Director Salvatore Serio took over the majority in a kind of management buyout, supported by regional banks that secured the financing. The entry of Fountaine Pajot could put the brand back on a long-term footing for the first time.

Jochen Rieker

Jochen Rieker

Herausgeber YACHT

Aufgewachsen in Süddeutschland, hat Jochen Rieker das Segeln auf Bodensee, Ammersee und Starnberger See gelernt. Zunächst war er auf Pirat, H-Jolle und Tempest unterwegs, später auf Hobie Cat, A Cat und Dart 16. Aber wie das so ist: Je weiter entfernt das Meer, desto größer die Leidenschaft danach. Inspiriert durch die Bücher von Bobby Schenk und Wilfried Erdmann, folgte in den 90ern der erste Dickschifftörn im Ionischen Meer auf einer Carter 30, damals noch ohne Segelschein. Danach war’s um ihn geschehen. Als YACHT-Kaleu und Jury-Vorsitzender des European Yacht of the Year Award hat Rieker in den vergangenen mehr als 25 Jahren gut 500 Boote getestet. Sein eigenes, ein 36-Fuß-Racer/Cruiser, lag zuletzt in der Adria. Diesen Sommer verholt er es an die Schlei, wo er inzwischen lebt.

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