- Founded
- 1884
- Headquarters
- Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France
- Shipyard location
- Same as headquarters
- Official website
- https://www.beneteau.com
Brand Overview
French yacht builder founded in 1884, among the world's largest producers of sailing and motor yachts.
Overview written frombeneteau.comread 8/31/2026
YachtCodex Analysis
AI-generatedAn independent reading of this builder written by AI. Unlike the specifications and descriptions elsewhere on this page, it is interpretation rather than a sourced fact — treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
What this builder is
Beneteau is one of the world's largest and most established production boatbuilders, based in France, offering a broad lineup spanning monohull sailing yachts (Oceanis, First, Figaro), motor yachts (Gran Turismo, Swift Trawler, Grand Trawler) and outboard dayboats (Flyer, Antares). It sits in the mainstream/volume segment of the market rather than the ultra-luxury or custom segment, distinguished by its long heritage dating to 1884, global dealer network, and strong presence in offshore one-design racing.
Who sails them
Buyers range from first-time owners and families looking for accessible coastal cruising sailboats and dayboats to experienced offshore racers drawn to the First and Figaro lines; many boats are also used in charter fleets given Beneteau's global dealer and service network. Crew sizes are typically small (couples or families), and boats are used for weekend sailing, coastal and occasional ocean cruising, and competitive racing.
Signature models
The Oceanis range is Beneteau's core cruising monohull line and just marked 40 years in production, making it the brand's signature volume seller across many sizes. The First line is the performance/racing-oriented range known for results in races like the Fastnet, Sydney Hobart and Middle Sea Race, while the Figaro Beneteau 3 is the one-design boat used in the prestigious Solitaire du Figaro offshore race.
Strengths
Beneteau is widely credited with a broad, well-rounded model range, strong build consistency at scale, an extensive international dealer and service network, and a long racing pedigree that lends credibility to its performance-oriented models.
Considerations
As a large-volume production builder, Beneteau's boats prioritize accessible pricing, broad dealer availability and proven layouts over bespoke customization, so buyers seeking unique blue-water specification or ultra-high-end fit-out may look elsewhere.
Analysis generated 8/31/2026
Part of
Also in the catalogue
Where they build
The building sites this yard publishes, in its own order.
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France
Fleet at a Glance
52 models in total
Calculated from the models in the YachtCodex catalog, not from the builder's claims.
Sailing range
- Models in catalog
- 22
- Length range
- 4.3–18.95 m
- Hull forms
- Sailing Monohull 22
- Cabins
- 1–5
Motor range
- Models in catalog
- 30
- Length range
- 7.2–18.95 m
- Hull forms
- Motor Monohull 30
- Cabins
- 1–4
- Production years
- 2014–2026
Models by this brand
52 models
First7
First SE5
Flyer9
Flyer 7 SPACEdeck
LOA: 7.2 m
Flyer 7 SUNdeck
LOA: 7.2 m
Flyer 8 SPACEdeck
LOA: 8.17 m
Flyer 8 SUNdeck
LOA: 8.17 m
Flyer 9 SPACEdeck
LOA: 9.1 m
Flyer 9 SUNdeck
LOA: 9.1 m
Flyer 30
LOA: 9.22 m
Flyer 10 Sport Top
LOA: 9.95 m
Flyer 10
LOA: 9.98 m
Antares9
Antares 7
LOA: 7.48 m
Antares 7 Fishing
LOA: 7.48 m
Antares 8
LOA: 8.06 m
Antares 8 Fishing
LOA: 8.06 m
Antares 9
LOA: 8.23 m
Antares 11 Fly
LOA: 11.08 m
Antares 11 Coupe
LOA: 11.16 m
Antares 12 Coupe
LOA: 12.97 m
Antares 12 Fly
LOA: 12.97 m
Oceanis7
Gran Turismo5
Trawler6
Swift Trawler1
History
Benjamin Bénéteau, born at Saint-Gilles into a large family of little means and a ship's boy at twelve, created his boatyard on the Quai des Greniers in 1884 and in 1909 designed the region's first engine-powered fishing boat. After the Great War the yard restarted in 1928 under his son André, aged 21; it prospered again after the Second World War, and in 1963 André's children, André and Annette, built polyester dinghies for the sardine boats -- the material that changed everything. At their first Paris Boat Show in January 1965 three dealers signed up within hours, in 1972 the family built its first plant designed for semi-industrial production, exports followed in the 1970s with a subsidiary in Annapolis in 1976, and in 1985, besides the new factory at Challans, Beneteau opened its first production site abroad at Marion, South Carolina. The Oceanis range was born from the Idylle boats developed with The Moorings -- Philippe Briand's Oceanis 350 and 430 were an immediate success and the range now counts eight generations -- the First was revived with Philippe Starck's First 35 S5 of 1987, and in 1989 the Figaro one-design chosen for the Figaro race began the Figaro era.
History written frombeneteau.com/en-us/history· Our historyread 9/22/2026