- Founded
- 1976
- Headquarters
- Aigrefeuille, France
- Shipyard location
- Same as headquarters
- Official website
- https://www.catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com
Brand Overview
French builder of luxury sailing and power catamarans, founded in 1976 near La Rochelle and now part of a group that also owns Dufour Yachts.
Overview written fromfountaine-pajot.com/en/fountaine-pajot-half-a-century-of-history-expertise-and-ambition/read 9/7/2026
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
Fountaine Pajot is a French shipyard based in La Rochelle/Aigrefeuille that has specialized since 1976 in production sailing and power catamarans, becoming one of the world's leading cruising catamaran builders. It is known for pioneering infusion/injection composite construction and eco-cruising innovations, and now sits within a group that also owns the Dufour monohull brand.
Who sails them
Typical owners are experienced cruising sailors and couples or families seeking bluewater or extended coastal cruising comfort, often chartering their catamarans through management programs when not aboard. Many buyers value space, stability and shorter-handed sailing ease over racing performance, using the boats for liveaboard cruising, holiday charter, or long-distance passage-making.
Signature models
The Lucia 40 and Saba 50 are volume sellers that helped define the brand's modern cruising range, while the Taïti 75 revolutionized the day-charter catamaran market and the Samana 59 Smart Electric REXH2 represents the brand's flagship push into hybrid/electric propulsion.
Strengths
Fountaine Pajot is repeatedly credited with pioneering advanced infusion/injection composite construction for lighter, robust hulls, and with early leadership in eco-friendly and hybrid-electric cruising catamaran technology.
Considerations
As a large-volume production builder now spanning multiple brands (sailing and motor catamarans, plus Dufour monohulls), buyers may find less bespoke customization than smaller yards, and the wide range can mean variable focus across segments; pricing sits in the premium cruising-catamaran bracket rather than entry-level.
Analysis generated 9/7/2026
Part of
Also in the catalogue
Official sites
Every site this builder runs. Some keep a separate one for a separate range.
- Sailing catamarans
https://www.catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com
- Group and investors
https://www.fountaine-pajot.com
- Motor yachts
https://www.yachts-fountaine-pajot.com
Where they build
The building sites this yard publishes, in its own order.
Aigrefeuille
Aigrefeuille, France
historic headquarters and factory responsible for Fountaine Pajot's core range of boats
La Rochelle
La Rochelle, France
specialising in the 'flagship' models
Gujan Maestra
Gujan Maestra, France
for motor yachts
Perigny
Perigny, France
Dufour's historic headquarters and factory
Fleet at a Glance
12 models in total
Calculated from the models in the YachtCodex catalog, not from the builder's claims.
Sailing range
- Models in catalog
- 9
- Length range
- 18.78–35.5 m
- Hull forms
- Sailing Catamaran 9
- Cabins
- 3–6
Motor range
- Models in catalog
- 3
- Length range
- 22.95–35.51 m
- Hull forms
- Motor Catamaran 3
- Cabins
- 3–7
Models by this brand
12 models
Sailing catamarans5
History
Fountaine Pajot marks fifty years in 2026, and the way it has chosen to mark them says something about the yard: rather than write the anniversary itself, it asked owners for their photographs, their videos and their memories aboard, to be gathered into a book on the brand's fifty-year history and sent to all of them. The year is given over to open days at La Rochelle, where the yard is, and to owners' evenings at the boat shows.
History written fromcatamarans-fountaine-pajot.com/en/lets-celebrate-50-years-of-fountaine-pajot-together-a-story-that-begins-with-you/· Fifty yearsread 9/25/2026