Production of pleasure boats in figures
The Fédération des Industries Nautiques has provided some key figures on the activity of the yachting sector. BoatIndustry focuses here on the construction of new boats. Note that statistics are for the 2016-2017 season.
Turnover of recreational boat builders
1.09 billion in 2016-2017, up 12.2%. It has passed the ?1 billion mark and is back to a level comparable to the period before the 2008 crisis. Growth, covering all types of boats, sail and motor, was particularly strong for multihull yachts (+34.8%).
Turnover from the production of boats and other yacht units in M € HT
Workforce
The shipyards recruited heavily to cope with the increase in production, bringing the number of employees to 8,292, up 6.98%.
Number of vessels produced
24142 boats were produced in France for the French market and 28847 for export. As a result of the move upmarket and the size of the units produced, the number of yachts produced for France is down, despite the increase in turnover.
Breakdown by type of vessel
The boat building activity is driven by the sailboat market which represents more than 60% of the turnover. While sailing enthusiasts prefer units between 12 and 15 metres, motor yachtsmen concentrate on boats between 6 and 9 metres in length.
Share of exports
Exports accounted for 75.1% of boat production in France in 2016-2017, for a turnover of ?816.4 million. Major exports, driven by the North American market, account for most of the activity, ahead of European countries.
