We have advised NextStage on the sale of its minority stake in La Compagnie du Catamaran, the controlling holding of the Fountaine-Pajot group, the leading shipyard of premium sailing catamarans and monohulls, to Arkéa Capital.
The Fountaine-Pajot group, controlled by La Compagnie du Catamaran holding company, was born in 1976 from a passion for the sea and sailing shared by Jean-François Fountaine and Yves Pajot. Located near La Rochelle, this family business has been recognised for its expertise and technical know-how in the cruise navigation market for more than 40 years. Initially manufacturers of dinghies, the founders then diversified towards regatta boats in the 1980s. After having distinguished itself in the world of offshore racing with, among others, the victory at La Solitaire du Figaro sailing race, the group designed its first cruising catamaran in 1983. To date, more than 3,000 catamarans of 45 different models have been manufactured by the Fountaine-Pajot group.
Further to the merger between Fountaine-Pajot and Dufour Yachts, the group offers a complete and renewed range of premium catamarans and monohulls. Listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Compartment B), the group generated revenue of €168.3m over the 2019/20 financial year (as of 31 August 2020). With more than 1,300 employees dedicated to design, the company produces and sells a diversified range of quality boats, distributed in fifty countries on five continents.
This investment of Arkéa Capital aims at supporting the Fountaine family and the management team of the group, which owns the Fountaine-Pajot and Dufour Yachts brands, in the next stages of its development. As an undisputed shipyard in the premium boating market, the Fountaine-Pajot group intends to pursue an ambitious development strategy, driven by genuine technical know-how, innovation and the quality of its products.
