With a whole business in crisis – and there is no other word to describe the current state of the boating industry, or, its market – most companies are sizing down, slowing down production, even laying off. Elan Yachts had announced a complete stop of production to “rethink” their whole approach, make of it what you want. I´m hearing rather somber news from suppliers, telling me that orders for parts and equipment went down in high mid two-digits, which is alarming, and some other people, for example yacht transport companies, tell me, that delivery orders also went down dramatically. Well, here it is, the crisis. So, what to do? Most shipyards, especially the big series production brands, have scaled down their production. A lower output is aligned to a much lower demand for boats. I am sure that also artificially production times may have been prolonged so that the companies can keep their valuable staff and lay off as few well trained people as possible. And now? Sit and wait? Lie low? Sweat it out?
I don´t think that this can be the right answer. Because, there are always people who buy boats. Maybe fewer, but they are still there. And the passion for sailing in general isn´t less just because there´s a crisis: People are still looking for boats, are still interested in boats, are still passionate for boats. So, instead of going into freeze mode, Beneteau for example decided to go into full attack mode: Recently their new, eighth generation of Oceanis cruisers has been launched. Being there, being loud, being innovative, that´s at least the Frenchmen´s attitude. I´ve talked to Valentin Moreau, product manager of the Oceanis-line, about the new sailing yachts which are going to be revealed in Cannes in September.
Talking to Valentin Moreau of Beneteau
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “Valentin, thanks for taking some of your precious time for me. Let´s start smoothly: Since when are you “head of sailing boats” at Beneteau? Hand on your heart: Is it more pressure or more excitement to oversee the development of this new 8th generation of the Oceanis? How does it feel? You must be pretty proud, right?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “With pleasure, Lars. Well, about me. I am with Beneteau now for some 10 years in total. Back in the day I worked in the product development and marketing department. The inception and going-to-market of the then new Oceanis 46.1 was one of my first big projects. Awesome job! After this, I changed my focus towards the renewal of our First range, which was a huge undertaking as you know. After Covid I again changed back to product development and we started the 8th generation-project. You see, it´s for me the greatest job there could be. Working right there in the center of creativity, where the new boats are developed. It´s like a reactor, so much power! It´s where everything starts, right? So, yes, it was big-time pressure. Just the thought of being responsible for the replacement of such successful and great yachts like the 46.1 and the 51.1 – built in over 430 units in total – exerted pressure, but also much, much pride. I am sure, I deeply believe, that our new boats will also become a great success and that these yachts are great.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “That´s the point I was thinking about a lot when I prepared this interview, Valentin: I´ve personally “witnessed” the launch of the 7th generation back then in 2017 with the then new OC 51.1, with Damien, and I can say it was like a quantum leap for the whole range from 6th gen to the seventh. Can we expect a similar “radical” jump from the current to the new generation of yachts?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “The boats themselves of course have a different look, but there is no radical “jump”, not at all. What sets the new boats really apart started long, long before we even knew their shapes. We call it the “collective intelligence”-approach. Not to be confused with “artificial intelligence”, though. What we did was the most extensive and intricate collection of very, very detailed feedback and reviews. In this, we´ve made surveys, collected data and even invited lots of people to sit down with us to being interviewed extensively. I personally met with … let me think … 40 to 50 customers, owners of Oceanis 46.1 and 51.1, for example. We also talked intensively to some 50 of our dealers worldwide, with each one having decades and hundreds of sold units of experience. Lots of data, as you can imagine. Beneteau also brought in professionals from the superyacht business, to sit down and look at the development of our new boats from their perspective. I cannot remember that we´ve undertaken so much efforts in advance of developing a new yacht. Very fascinating!”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “Indeed fascinating. So in essence, you´ve collected a lot of data, generalized it and laid out the groundwork for the new boats, right? So that means that these new yacht are completely new designed, also from a standpoint of naval architecture and hull design? What have been the maybe top three points these new boats were designed for?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “Yes, first of all, central to every detail, to every decision made was the question: “Is this contributing to customer satisfaction?” The expectations of our customers, real Oceanis-sailors, have been in the focus solely. We´ve also channeled these expectations through our dealers, who of course are much nearer to the clients and know them much better. Three main things new on the boats? We´ve significantly improved finishing quality, that´s for sure. You can expect a much higher emphasis on quality, both inside and outside of the yachts. Secondly, the new 47 and 52 offer much more usable space, by retaining general measurements, than the previous generation. That´s the main thing, I would say: Better quality, more focused on real demand and expectations by real clients.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “Let´s talk a bit more about what you´ve said about “usable space”. Sailing and how we use sailing yachts is an ever changing process. Sometimes more volume is the key to success, sometimes it’s the sailing capabilities. Which big trends have been identified by you mostly influencing these new boats?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “For the Oceanis 47 and 52 it´s basically the same starting points, but we decided to work with different designers. The new Oceanis 47 has been designed by Finot-Conq. They already did a fantastic job on the 46.1, the predecessor, but for us it was more important how their IMOCAs had performed during last Vendée Globe-edition. You might not believe it, but certain learnings from high-professional racing are indeed translated into cruising boats! So, for example, the Finot-boats have proven that the “tulip shape” in the bow section and the design of the chines indeed improve performance and most of all, stability, even for cruising yachts. So, if you look closer to the renderings of the 47 hulls, you will notice that the chine is now continuously elongated from the top aft side of the stern down towards the bow. It´s thus improving the boat´s stability very much: She will be sailing like on rail-tracks! They also modified heavily – but very elegantly and almost not noticeable – the whole aft section: It´s much thinner to reduce wetted surface, much more elegant.”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “… the new Oceanis 52 is another story. As you know, the 51.1, her predecessor, was the first boat launched in 2017 when the seventh generation was introduced. The 51.1 has been built more than 500 times, so she is a huge success. That said, we asked Roberto Biscontini to take care of the new boat. You know that he is responsible for the new First 44 and moreover for the highly successful First 53. So we switched to Biscontini for the naval architecture and hull design of the new 52. Here, I shall say, performance was the major key. In this boat size, the sailing capabilities become much more important for clients. He also added one continuous chine, a bit rounded in shape, to the hull which ultimately sets it apart from the more edgy and maybe bit “aggressive” 51.1. Also, the stern section is much, much thinner than in the past. Data show that the 52 will have extraordinary sailing characteristics. For example, she will be sailing superbly in strong winds, even without reefs, like on tracks – thanks to the balanced design, the chine and the double rudders. Skippers will always have full control over the boat, which is important for true oceangoing sailing yachts that size.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “As I don´t know the new 47 now, the “old” 46.1 still is the most favorite yacht of all the BENETEAU range for me personally – she sails absolutely gorgeous and offers a lot of comfort down below. What will the new 47 deliver?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “Yes, you are right, Lars, the 46.1 was and still is a wonderful yacht. And this was really the question: How can me make the new boat even better. So first of all, the 47 keeps the values which have always been the pillars of every single Oceanis we make: Strong performance, made for sailors. That´s clear. Second, an Oceanis must offer outstanding volume for maximum comforts. And third, she must retain an easy sailing-attitude, as our clients are neither racers nor lazy. They expect a decent sailing boat that is quick and fun – but easy to control. The new boat of course has been designed adhering to these three pillars. But then, as I mentioned in the beginning of this article, we kind of introduced a fourth new pillar: Quality.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “… to be honest with you, Valentin, as much as I like the Beneteau boats, the finishing especially of the joinery and boat furniture couldn´t really live up to the level other brands offered. These were comparatively minor details, but in the end those often count, you know?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “I know, yes. So we´ve taken this very seriously! We´ve been working hard to raise finishing quality over the past years. For example the re-introduction of the moule boulé in the First 53. Now, with the new two Oceanis, we´ve taken it a bold step further: Look closer to the renderings and you´ll notice that we´ve significantly improved quality. There are massive wooden bandings, massive real wood frames and borders. We´ve also introduced new Alpi veneer styles, also real wood. But the best thing about it – you know, that Beneteau has always been and will always be a brand dedicated to bring the joy of sailing to everyone – that we were able to offer these enhancements without raising the price of the boats. This is very important: We are of course aware that in recent years due to various circumstances, least of which is the inflation and energy prices, the budgets needed to buy a yacht have skyrocketed. We know that. So, for the new 47 as well as for the 52 we managed to include the trim level-options into the standard boat and not raise the price! This means that you will get an upgraded yacht already with the base boat. None of our competitors is offering this. So, the price didn´t go down, unfortunately, but customers get much more now with the standard. If you think about this and compare price lists, it becomes pretty obvious. I am very excited to see how it works out.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “You´ve mentiones the big commercial success of the 51.1, both for owners but also in charter fleets. What are the top features in the new 52 making it even more successful from your perspective?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “Well, to be honest, it was very hard. The development of the new 47 cannot be disconnected from that of the 52. Because both boats are intertwined. The 46.1, which was my personal first boat for Beneteau, is a very, very strong product. So we knew from the onset which things we´d have to keep. On the other hand, we got very interesting insights from our customer and client-surveys as well as from the superyacht specialists. So we kept the SA/D-ratio, but introduced the diamond shaped cockpit for better circulation and more space. Same for the 52: Here we noticed that there was a bit of a cannibalization-effect between the strong 46.1 and the slightly bigger 51.1 when the smaller boat took market share off from the 51.1 To circumvent this in the new generation, we decided to make the new 52 a foot longer. This sounds not so much, but in reality, one feet is a huge difference because it widens the volume in all three dimensions! For example, the new 52 is now 4.80 meters wide. That said, the – also diamond shaped – new cockpit offers a total of 30 percent more usable space. Can you imagine?! A third more area in the cockpit alone to utilize!”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “Let´s talk manufacturing and sustainability. Beneteau already offers the flagship, the Oceanis Yacht 60, already only built with recyclable Elium-resin. Which are the next steps? Will we see more transition from single-use GRP to more sustainable materials in the new eighth generation Oceanis as well? Which other “sustainable” or “green” solutions (LINK) are incorporated into these new yachts?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “This is quite an exciting topic, Lars, I am glad you bring that up! So, you know that we are very heavily investing in reducing the footprint, consumption of energy and materials and waste connected to our products. We are also keen in incorporating alternative propulsion technologies and other technological improvements. But this is done cautiously: We are making hundreds and hundreds of units each year – if we launch something in series production, we have to be 100 percent sure that it works. And don´t forget the current market situation: As you know, being a up front and leading in some inevitably area means higher prices. Speaking of Elium, we are pleased by the experience we make in the Oceanis Yacht 60 hulls. So far we´ve made another five boats in that class. We still learn. Learn a lot – and so we will take some more time to become experts in that field. But sure, in the future, I think, Elium will become the resin of choice for GRP boats. But now now.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “Little detail: The mainsheet arch is a polarizing topic. Many love it, many despise it. I personally would always go for an arch in my boat as I find it practical and it raises comfort + safety. I see that these are still available as well in the new 8th generation of Oceanis, right?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: (smiles) “Ha, also great question! Yes, we keep it, but as an option. You see, it´s very interesting to check the data of the sold boats, their real configurations. And for Oceanis it turns out, that we have exactly a 50/50 split between boats sold with and boats without the arch. Exactly fifty-fifty! So, the choice of our customers is really split. We cannot let it go, because half of the clients would miss it, we cannot make it compulsory, because the other half doesn´t like it. So we made it an option again. I am personally with you: The arch increases the simplicity of fixing the sprayhood and the bimini. It also makes working on the mainsail safer and is a big safe grad handle. Also, the leverage of the boom-attached mainsheet is much better with arch than without, because without the attachment points go much forward, increasing the stress on it. So I would always choose it for my own boat …”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “The current market situation, especially in the mid-sized section, is … to put it mildly … “stressed”. Why is Beneteau launching new models into a recessive market? What has been done for the new yachts to be attractive for owners in terms of the price? Will we see cheaper boats (for the lack of quality) or increased quality (for a stable price)? What is your idea of how the boating market will be developing?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: “Oh, nice! That is the key question Lars! Well, I have to tell a bit more backstory here, I guess. First of all, it has always been one of the dearest guiding principles for my company to act bold and anticyclic in crises. A company that old has lived through many, many crises, as you know. And it was always our take to accept the challenge and react not by standing still, taking cover and sort of wait what would happen, but to become even more aggressive, even more powerful! We invest when nobody else dares to invest. We´ve done in 2008, the last big dent of the worldwide market, and as it turned out, we became the world´s leading shipyard. So, this explains why we put extra efforts in speeding up development of the new Oceanis. But not only here, for our power boats, we will launch a complete new GT range of three yachts from 35 to 50 feet and also one new entry level Trawler. As you have seen in our talk, for the new Oceanis we put a special emphasis on upgrading the quality. You will notice a huge enhancement here! New 3 mm wooden edges, a new great looking Walnut veneer, new three layers of glossy paint, full Corian worktops, better light – we´ve invested a lot in the light concept – and new, high-class suppliers for many parts. For example, we will have now the market´s premium supplier for upholstery available for cushions in the 47 and 52. So, all this is done in a very strong and bold way. We want to be very aggressive in our offer – we want to excite people, who are otherwise bombarded with more and more bad news. Now, not with us! We have good news! And you know what? By integrating the trim levels into the base-boat, we lowered the overall price. Which people will notice when they compare offers. So that´s a strong proposal to counter the crisis. And I am sure, our customers will appreciate that. We use to say, we are now making “premium” accessible even in the mid-size range, which indeed is a huge plus.”
NO FRILLS SAILING.com | Lars Reisberg: “So, Valentin, last but not least – when can we see the boats in reality? Both Oceanis will be in Cannes, right? Where else can people see the yacht. And, as a German that’s important for me. Is there already planned maybe another “big bang” for Duesseldorf Boat Show coming up in less than 7 months?”
BENETEAU | Valentin Moreau: (smiles again) “Well, first of all, Duesseldorf is still a secret and I cannot tell you anything about it. But so much I can say, it will be worthwhile to come to the river Rhine in January. As for the new Oceanis, yes, we will celebrate their world premiere in Cannes in September. After this both boats will tour the smaller Mediterranean boat shows in Genoa and Barcelona. We will also have one present in the United States during Annapolis Boat Show. So, you are invited to see roam the new 47 and 52 in a few weeks, Lars …”
Thanks so much for the talk, Valentin! I will surely drop by on the Croisette and look for myself what you guys have achieved in the new boats.
Also interesting to read, connected articles:
Talking to Beneteau-boss Jean Francois Lair about the current situation (early 2025)
Imagining a new 40-footer: How a cruising yacht is conceived – with legendary Marc Lombard
Becoming green, seriously!