Beneteau Yachts... in business since 1884

1 /1884: Benjamin Bénéteau, founder of the company, launched his first sailing trawler.

2/ 1964: Bénéteau looked towards yachting and introduced polyester into boat building.

3/ 1965: A new boat design, the 'fishing/excursion motorboat', with the Galions, Piranha, Forban, and Baroudeurs.

4/ 1973: Creation of the Evasion 32, designed by André Bénéteau.

5/ 1977: Creation of one of the most famous Bénéteau yachts, the First 30, designed by André Mauric. The First 30 was voted boat of the year at the Paris Boat Show in 1978. This yacht marked the entry of Bénéteau in the world of yacht racing. Skippered by Michel Malinovski, she finished third in the overall ranking in the Course de l'Aurore (later to become the Figaro). This racing success was accompanied by a large commercial success; more than a thousand boats sold.

7/ 1981: The First Evolution landed the title of world half-ton champion at the 'Half Ton Cup'

8/ 1982: BENETEAU launched the Idylle range; cruising yachts that were both fast and comfortable.

9/ 1984: Centenary year and introduction of BENETEAU securities on the unlisted securities market of the Paris Bourse.

10/ 1985: The BENETEAU yacht “Phoenix” won the Admiral's Cup, World Championship of Offshore Racing.

11/ 1986: 10 years after the First 30, BENETEAU launched a new generation of yachts, at the Paris Boat Show. These were the OCEANIS cruising yachts, based on the concept of “the pleasure of better living conditions at sea”.

12/ 1986: BENETEAU inaugurated the Marion factory in South Carolina.

13/ 1987: BENETEAU combined audacity and experience by launching the FIRST 35 S 5: the project was entrusted to Jean Berret, the French designer and to the interior designer Philippe Starck. From the moment it was launched, it was acclaimed by the sailing industry and elected “boat of the year”.

14/ 1989: BENETEAU added a reference to beauty with the new large racing yacht: First 45 F 5. This is an outstanding model, co-designed by two legendary talents, Pininfarina and Bruce Farr.

15/ 1989: The FIRST CLASS FIGARO Solo was retained as the one-design for the Figaro Single-Handed Race.


16/ 1991: The First 53F5 became the RORC champion in 1991 and obtained the envied title of “CHS Yacht of the Year”, which it received again in 1993. In 1992 it was the turn of the First 45F5 to obtain this honorary title, which, for three years consecutively, was awarded to BENETEAU.

17/ 1993: Bénéteau was selected by the RORC to build the Mumm 36, Admiral's Cup one-design in 1995 and 1997.

18/ 2001: The Océanis 473 was voted boat of the year in the United States. The brand is now present in 33 countries.

19/ 2003: The First 36.7 became the IMS World Champion. That same year, the FIGARO BENETEAU 2 was retained as the one-design for the Figaro Class.

20/ 2005: The yachting market started to expand and open to new yachters. BENETEAU broadened its ranges by launching the Cyclades, yachts based on a 'holidays and freedom' concept.

21/ 2006: BENETEAU launched a new generation of Océanis co-designed by Berret Racoupeau and Nauta design, the large Italian design office. Four models from 40 to 50 foot were launched in a year!

22/ 2006-2007: BENETEAU launched a yacht whose unashamed beauty was immediately recognized by professionals: The First 50, designed by Philippe Briand, was voted boat of the year in Italy and “Best Boat” by the American Sail Magazine. This same year 2007, BENETEAU received the highly envied title of “Yard of the Year” from the European Press during the Düsseldorf boat show, rewarding BENETEAU for its creativity and its capacity to innovate, both in the design of its models and in the quality of its construction methods.