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The Beneteau Group is arriving at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival with a packed schedule: 24 new models for the 2026?2027 season and the expansion of NEO, its refit program, to include eight models from Lagoon, Beneteau, and Jeanneau. Behind this acceleration lies a broader strategy. The manufacturer is seeking to refresh its product lineup without abandoning smaller boats, while also focusing more on giving boats a second life. Bruno Thivoyon, Chairman of the Beneteau Group?s Executive Board, details this direction and the decisions made in a market that remains uncertain.
The Beneteau Group owns brands that operate in very different segments. How do you manage such a broad portfolio in the current environment?
We recently decided to focus on seven strategic brands: Beneteau, Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Excess, Wellcraft, and Delphia. At the same time, we have begun phasing out production and the process of divesting our U.S. brands?Four Winns, Glastron, and Scarab Jet.
We can't do everything. So we've chosen to take a much more aggressive approach to the brands and segments where we want to focus our resources, rather than spreading our investments too thin.
This is also the philosophy behind the 24 models launched for the 2026?2027 season. They reflect the changes we want to make to our product lineup, while maintaining the unique identity of each brand. We are working to improve both affordability and premium offerings.
Launching 24 new products in an uncertain market may seem counterintuitive. Why speed things up now?
Because we need to rekindle our passion for investing. Markets experience periods of uncertainty that vary from year to year, but uncertainty itself is ultimately quite constant. In this environment, we must take a long-term view and continue to be proactive.
This involves updating our product lineup. The boats we launch must meet evolving customer expectations and stand out from the ones we offered two, five, or ten years ago.
But we must preserve the identity of each of our brands. The goal is not to move all product lines in the same direction. Each segment must continue to cater to different uses and price points.
This strategy is no longer limited to new boats. What role does the NEO refit program now play?
We started with two projects. We are now moving on to a full-fledged program, NEO, which initially covers eight models. We began with Lagoon and are now expanding this initiative to Beneteau and Jeanneau monohulls.
The idea is to extend the boat?s service life and reduce its total cost of ownership. The first market we?ve chosen to target is that of rental and charter fleets. This is a particularly suitable market because there is a large fleet of relatively standardized, mass-produced boats whose design we know well.
We want to take an industrial approach to the refit.
What exactly do you mean by an "industrial" approach to refit?
We'll put together a quote just as we do for a new boat. There will be a standard refit package, followed by various options.
Depending on the boat?s age and condition, the customer may, for example, choose whether or not to perform maintenance on the engines, the electrical system, or other equipment. The needs are obviously not the same for a seven-year-old boat as for a fourteen-year-old one.
But our goal isn't to always provide custom solutions. First and foremost, we want to offer a structured and repeatable service, with options and, potentially, some opportunities for customization.
This is what sets our approach apart from part of the traditional refit market, which often focuses on larger, older vessels and highly customized projects. We work on boats that we have built over the past ten to fifteen years, which allows us to standardize our processes to a greater extent.
Will the Beneteau Group purchase the boats itself before they undergo a refit?
No. That?s not our model. In the case of a rental company, it may decide to continue operating a boat or find a new customer for the vessel. A transaction can then take place between the parties involved.
For our part, we act as a service provider to carry out the refit. We have facilities in the Mediterranean capable of handling vessels of various sizes.
For charter operators, there is also an interesting seasonal pattern. The boats are in heavy use from spring through late summer. The off-season therefore provides an opportunity to carry out maintenance work.
Why did you start with charter boats?
Because the fleet is particularly well-suited for this. The boats were produced in large numbers, their configurations are relatively uniform, and we know their technical history.
We decided to start with fleet-surplus vessels, which can be seven, ten, or fourteen years old, depending on the case. This is likely the most suitable market for developing a solution that can be deployed on a larger scale.
We tested the concept at both ends of our sailing product line and found that it worked. We can now further structure the program, expand it to include several Lagoon models, and begin rolling it out on Beneteau and Jeanneau monohulls.
Will the dealer network play a role in NEO?
Yes, and actually, several.
The program can help dealers facilitate the resale of used boats they take in trade. Some members of our networks are also rental operators. In that case, the connection to NEO is clear.
For distributors located in countries where the charter business is less prominent, the program can also serve as a tool for repositioning a repossessed boat or helping to bring it back to market after a refit.
The goal, therefore, is to gradually integrate the network into this activity, both to identify the vessels and to support their second commercial life.
At what stage is the program actually at?
It is already in industrial operation. We have produced the first units, and several other projects are in the works.
The next step is to accelerate the product launch. The teams already working with charter companies will serve as the point of contact with the operators. The offering must also gain greater visibility on our digital platforms.
Moving from a few pilot projects to a full-scale program means, in fact, scaling up: it requires an organizational structure, processes, and a rollout plan.
Does the refit also align with your goal of reducing your environmental footprint?
Yes. Our approach covers the entire lifecycle of the boat. This includes production, the choice of materials, and onboard energy management during operation, as well as the boat?s service life and end-of-life phase. In particular, we are working on materials with a lower carbon footprint?whether bio-based or recyclable?depending on the application.
Extending a boat?s service life through refit is therefore one of the key elements of this strategy. We have committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 30% by 2030, and we want to continue moving in this direction.
At the same time, you place a strong emphasis on affordability. Why return to smaller models like the new Leader 6.0?
Because sailing often begins on a small boat. It had been a long time since we?d updated this part of the Leader lineup, and it was important to revamp this gateway to sailing.
On a six-meter boat, one of the main challenges is optimizing space. Weight and size constraints make it necessary to find solutions that differ from those used on larger vessels.
This category is also important for the network. Beyond the revenue generated directly by the boat, it helps attract new customers to the boating industry. A boater starts with a small boat, gains experience, and their needs may then change.
So we need to continue working on these entry-level boats as well, even as we develop larger, higher-end models at the same time.
How can we balance this pursuit of accessibility with the market?s shift toward higher-end products?
That's not a contradiction. We need to cater to different segments and support customers throughout their boating journey. Some are looking for an affordable first boat. Others eventually want a larger, more comfortable, or higher-performance vessel.
Inflation over the past three or four years has significantly driven up boat prices. Further periods of inflation may occur. Maintaining solutions that make boating accessible is therefore a priority.
But that doesn't stop us from continuing to improve our high-end product lines. The challenge lies precisely in working on both of these fronts at the same time.
Can these new trends also help make recreational boating more accessible?
That's Wiziboat's goal. We've taken two different approaches.
In the United States, we operated directly. We were unable to find the right business model in a market that has also undergone significant changes, particularly on the lakes.
In Europe, we?ve made a different choice: we rely on our distribution network. The platform is operated in partnership with distributors and allows members to use their usual base, as well as other bases in the network on an ad hoc basis.
We are also developing a model that allows a boat owner to retain ownership of their boat while sharing its usage time with multiple members. This can reduce the owner?s total cost of ownership and, at the same time, provide a new way for users who do not necessarily want to become sole owners to gain access to a boat.
This model is still in the development phase. Its success depends heavily on the quality of local management, the platform, and the reservation system.
Could the growth of the Asian market one day lead the Beneteau Group to begin manufacturing locally?
We need to distinguish between two questions: at what rate will the recreational boating market grow in the Asia-Pacific region, and at what level will it become worthwhile to establish an industrial presence there?
Exporting a small boat from Europe to Asia is expensive. Shipping costs weigh much more heavily on this type of vessel than on a large yacht, which can be marketed globally.
Ultimately, local players will naturally play a significant role in their domestic markets. We need to monitor the pace at which these markets are growing.
At this point, we have not launched any industrial program in this area. We are monitoring this development closely, but without rushing into anything.
After this 2026 edition of the Cannes Yachting Festival, what message would you like to take away for the coming years?
We operate in a market fraught with uncertainty. In this context, we need to think long-term and remain proactive.
The long term pertains, in particular, to our environmental trajectory. Affordability is another priority, especially after several years of inflation that have significantly driven up the price of boats.
And at the same time, we must continue to support recreational boaters who wish to upgrade to larger, more comfortable, or higher-performance boats.
This season?s numerous product launches reflect this commitment to the product. The NEO refit program now follows the same approach: we began by testing a few projects. We are now moving to a structured program, with the goal of gradually rolling it out across a broader portion of our product lineup.
