Sailing Magazine
pic by Bertrand DUQUENNE/Jeanneau
In 1957, when Henri Jeanneau was just 37 he created the Hall Nautique de l’Ouest.
From humble beginnings, and after building his first wooden hulled speedboat, Henri Jeanneau began a career in boatbuilding, and eventually taking his Jeanneau brand to ‘world leader’ status.
In 1961 the company moulded their first GRP hull on a wooden matrix in secret. They had discovered a way to build hundreds of identical hulls from a single mould – saving time and money and revolutionising the boat building industry.
Jeanneau CEO, Jean-Paul Chapeleau, who has been with the company some 40 years says, “When I look back at those early days and I run through Jeanneau’s history, I am still filled with wonder at the way in which the man’s enthusiasm evolved into enduring collective enthusiasm. This desire to take on the world that had such a strong impact on the French nautical industry of the 1960s is as fresh as ever! It embodies everything that enabled Jeanneau to represent a kind of timeless modernity that has inspired its success.”
60 years on, Jeanneau has a staff of 1,200, an international network of nearly 5,000 people, and is breaking new ground with their boat designs. Their range features a variety of sailing and inboard and outboard powered vessels with over 50 different sailing and power-driven models available.
The Sun Odyssey sailboat range is now in its 8th generation, with the new generation of Sun Odysseys reflecting harmony on board. This well-being flows from a clever ergonomic design, an entirely new innovative layout – and of course seaworthy. These models are available from 44′ to 49′.
It comes as no surprise therefore that the Sun Odyssey 490 has been named “Best of the Best by the prestigious Robb Report.
Each year, Robb Report Spain recognizes the “Best of the Best” in 24 categories, including wine, jewellery, real estate and aeronautics.
This prestigious award underscores the tremendous work realised by the Jeanneau team, Philippe Briand, naval architect and designer and Jean-Marc Piaton, designer.
Local agents are Boating World
