Groupe Beneteau unveils its first motor foiler
After developing the Figaro Beneteau 3, the first production foiling sailing yacht, Groupe Beneteau has launched a new innovation, unveiling its concept foiling motor yacht. Created through collaborative work, this unique prototype is opening up a new age of boating.
It took just nine months for the teams from Groupe Beneteau, working closely with the best partners in France, to conceive, design, develop and build this next-generation flying boat.
DEMS Sarrazin Design, Noval and SEAir brought on board a range of design, technical and mechanical skills, alongside the innovation, naval architecture and product design experts from Groupe Beneteau.
And the result is truly outstanding: groundbreaking sensations on the water with and without the foils, improved boat performance, better comfort on board while foiling, reduced fuel consumption…This concept boat perfectly sums up the Group’s approach to innovation, with a unique and pioneering project.
Built in Vendée, the boat was tested and refined at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie port at the start of February when it made its first flights.
DISCOVER THE PROTOTYPE IN IMAGES
“Following the Figaro Beneteau 3 for sailing, Groupe Beneteau is once again demonstrating its capacity for innovation with this first motor foiler. I would like to congratulate the teams who have successfully delivered on the challenge to design and build this boat”, confirms Hervé Gastinel, Groupe Beneteau’s Chief Executive Officer.
The objective with this prototype is to test and validate Groupe Beneteau’s research under real-life conditions with a view to securing the use of foils for motor yachts.
PROJECT PARTNERS
SARRAZIN DESIGN – DEMS Group: style and design agency
SEAir designs and produces flight systems, capitalizing on its expertise and boats’ flight capabilities
NOVAL designs and produces electronic systems for lifting and locking the foils and hydraulic engine bracket.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Hull length: 9.70 m
Fully infusion-built: low-emission, weight-saving technology
Pivoting foils: they enable the boat to be used with or without foils, without any loss of output on the water. Docking is simplified and the boat takes up the same space in port as a boat without foils.
Propulsion: outboard for the start of this project, with research underway for future developments.
About Groupe Beneteau
Founded in Vendée 139 years ago by Benjamin Bénéteau, Groupe Beneteau today has international industrial capabilities, with 22 production sites, and a global sales network. In 2022, Groupe Beneteau recorded €1.5bn of revenues, employing around 8,000 people, primarily in France, the United States, Poland, Italy and Portugal.
A global market leader, Groupe Beneteau, thanks to its Boat division’s nine brands, offers more than 150 recreational boat models serving its customers’ diverse navigational needs and uses, from sailing to motorboating, monohulls and catamarans.
Through its Boating Solutions division, the Group is also present in the daily or weekly rental services, marina, digital and financing sectors.
Its Housing division is a major European player for leisure homes, lodges and pods, with its 3 brands (IRM, O'HARA, COCO SWEET) offering a wide range of products. It has 900 employees across six production sites in France and one in Italy, and generated €257.2m of revenues in 2022.
Boat brands: BENETEAU, JEANNEAU, LAGOON, PRESTIGE, DELPHIA, EXCESS, FOUR WINNS, WELLCRAFT, SCARAB and GLASTRON.
