Lagoon Catamarans

“Catamaran Innovators Since 1984”

Overview

Starting life as a spin-off from monohull manufacturers, Jeanneau in Bellville Sur Vie, France, Lagoon Catamarans was inspired by a request to produce the futurised trimarans for the 1984 film “Waterworld”.

Lagoon is today the most prolific builder of catamarans in the world, having built over 7,000 boats since its beginning; the lion’s share has been produced following the merger with CNB/Groupe Beneteau.  The modern, technically advanced, powerful and luxurious designs we see coming through in today’s volume production runs are the result of the company driving forward the introduction of affordable catamarans into the mainstream charter market to compete with the monohulls.

High-volume production results in tight cost control and quality monitoring throughout the build process.  With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, Lagoon Catamarans continues to set new standards in the industry, making them a popular choice for those seeking a large cruising catamaran.

Today’s Ethos/Values

Lagoon continues its tradition as a premier sail and power catamaran manufacturer, employing industry-leading 3D modelling and customisation techniques to constantly redefine what a catamaran is.  They continue to lead the way in layout advancements.  The designers point out that “Lagoon gives priority to life on board”; the focus is on convivial living spaces and comfortable cabins, and the inclusion of modern conveniences, blurring the lines between life on land and life on the water.  Domestic-style equipment must often be shoe-horned into tight spaces whilst also meeting building regulations.

The company values sustainability and environmental responsibility, ensuring that its catamarans are built with the latest eco-friendly technologies and materials.  Hulls and decks are balsa-cored and vacuum moulded to reduce weight and leave a lighter environmental footprint; reconstituted wood is used for the interior panels.  Efforts are made to source components which do not have programmed obsolescence.  Their first hybrid-electric model, the 420, was prototyped in 2008.

Lagoon promotes its business as a “family” and prioritises customer satisfaction, offering personalised service and support throughout the ownership journey.  

Evolution of the Lagoon Brand

Designers Vincent Lauriot-Prévost and Marc Van Peteghem (VPLP) graduated from Southampton University in 1983 and won a design award for a 55’ catamaran a year later.  Four were sold on the architectural plans alone, and the Lagoon shipyard was born.  VPLP Design remains the exclusive architect for Lagoon, having continued their multihull design success with the record-breaking trimaran BMW Oracle.

Following the merger with Groupe Beneteau in 1995, production, geared to the charter market, snowballed.  Smaller catamarans, up to 45’ in length, continue to be manufactured in Belleville Sur Vie, whilst the larger models are built at the 100,000 m² CNB shipyard in the heart of Bordeau.

Exchanges between VPLP Design and interior designers, Nauta, have resulted in the introduction of the gull-wing shaped nacelle to reduce slamming in a big sea and the positioning of the mast further back to allow the use of a larger genoa, more easily control a smaller mainsail and to reduce pitching.  All new vessels over 12m now incorporate the forward seating area.

Production Timeline

Model
First Built
Last Built
No. Built
Lagoon 55
1987
?
?
Lagoon 57
1987
?
?
Lagoon 42
1990
1994
51
Lagoon 37
1991
1998
41
Lagoon 47
1992
?
?
Lagoon 35
1995
?
11
Lagoon 67
1995
?
4
Lagoon 410
1997
2006
250
Lagoon 470
1998
2005
51
Lagoon 380
2000
?
760
Lagoon 570
2000
2008
?
Lagoon Power 43
2000
?
?
Lagoon 440
2004
2010
423
Lagoon 500
2005
2012
150
Lagoon 420
2006
?
179
Lagoon 421
2006
?
96
Lagoon Power 44
2006
2015
Lagoon 400
2009
2012
264
Lagoon 620
2009
?
?
Lagoon 52
2011
?
?
Lagoon 560
2011
?
>100
Lagoon 400 S2
2012
2017
>400
Lagoon 39
2013
?
?
Lagoon 450
2014
?
>1,000
Lagoon 42-2
2016
In Production
?
Lagoon 40
2017
In Production
?
Lagoon Seventy 7
2017
In Production
?
Lagoon Seventy 7 Power
?
In Production
Lagoon 50
2018
?
?
Lagoon 46
2019
In Production
?
Lagoon Sixty 5
2019
In Production
?
Lagoon Sixty 7 Power
?
In Production
Lagoon 55
2021
In Production
?
Lagoon 51
2022
In Production
?

Company Profile

Lagoon Catamarans is one of nine boat brands under the Groupe Beneteau Company, which is publicly listed.  Individual performance figures are not publicly available for Lagoon on their own.

In 2021, the group bailed out Dream Yacht Charter, which struggled during the pandemic, giving them control of the largest peer-to-peer boat rental website, samboat.fr. It also acquired shares in other charter businesses and boat clubs offering weekly and day rentals.  Not only does the company manufacture a large chunk of the charter boat market, it has increased its finger on the rental of these same boats with a base of approximately 1,000 in over 50 countries (through controlling shares in Moorings/Sunsail and Dream Yacht Charter).

During 2022, Beneteau Group also pushed forward their Boat Club business, opening up 10 new bases in the USA.  This model offers members the use of a range of small motor and sailing boats (up to 9m) from a local club base for a fixed monthly membership fee starting at €252 per month.

The introduction of SEANAPPS black box monitoring into 2,000 production boats allows constant monitoring of boat usage and performance, primarily aimed at owners for scheduling maintenance tasks, but no doubt with data feedback to the Group.

Beneteau Group employs 7,900 people at its various sites in Europe and turned over €1,250.0 million in revenue from its 128 current boat models in 2022.  The Annual Report is available here.  The company focuses on four main boating markets:

• Day boating
• Real estate on the water (power catamarans)
• Monohull sailing
• Catamaran sailing

According to their 2022 Financial Report, the future focus is on improved profitability and sustainability, achieved by the “premiumization” of their boat products to make them more profitable and the incorporation of alternative propulsion from 2030, together with the use of bio-sourced, recycled and recyclable materials in boat building.