Sport fishing
When launching the Picoteux in 1962, Jean-Pierre Jouët said that he had created it for parents looking to take their children with them with peace of mind, as well as people fishing solo who needed a stable hull, and generally all newcomers to sailing who wanted a simple boat that would forgive any mistakes they might make. However, it will take a few years for this concept to become popular.
The Picoteux receives a mixed response, possibly due to its outdated design, which is not even very practical in the end when the boat is in use. And the selection available continues to be restricted: the Courlis de la Manche, built out of wood by Lude in Courseulles-sur-Mer, is aimed more at traditional sailing enthusiasts, just like the Olonnois from the Dubernet yard, while the Arcoa 520 and 600 are still made of plywood at the time and subject to all the complexity of small conventional cruisers, with lower performance levels. At this time, we see the Paimpolais from De Possesse, in Saint-Servan, or the Brittany-style dinghies built with polyester in Dinan by Amiot Naval as the only options for this simple dayboating program.
Illustrating a certain shift in the market, in its special boat show issue in January 1965, the magazine Bateaux creates, for the first time, a dedicated section for “dayboating and fishing” sailboats, with several pages presenting around 50 models, most of which are under 4m and look more like dinghies.
Somewhat ironically, this selection does not say anything about the activity of the Bénéteau yard, which has nevertheless just launched its Fletan and will soon become the iconic brand for this sailing category. Presented at the CNIT a few days after the magazine came out, this 4.33m polyester sailboat is offered in two versions: decked, with a very large cockpit, or with a deck house featuring two berths.
The rule of one meter more
Exhibited on a very small stand at the middle of 1,500 boats of all kinds, the Fletan attracts interest from professionals working out of Brittany who believe this model is very well suited to their clientele. This marks the start of both Bénéteau’s distribution network and a range that will continue to grow. Won over by the easy handling of this sailboat, which is suitable for all uses, owners are often looking for “one more meter” to have a bit more comfort or invite more people on board. The Galion (4.80m) and the Forban (5.80m) respond to this demand, and are also designed by André Bénéteau, who ensures that they respect the category’s fundamentals, with highly stable, robust hulls and deck layouts that are functional and more welcoming than sailing cruisers, all with a style that is clearly a factor behind the success of these boats, echoing traditional fishing boats.
The architect even further simplified the concept, removing the centerboard that was fitted on the first Fletans, to keep just the long sloping keel, offering easier beaching and limiting the risks of damage. Once again, the competition is still limited: with the exception of Amiot Naval, with its Fréhel, Ocqueteau and Marin, or Kirié, which launched its Baleinier range, few builders take a serious look at this market. And Jeanneau’s Arcachonnais fail to convince in terms of their design or their performance levels.
In 1969, Bénéteau releases an even larger model, the Baroudeur, whose 6.80m hull features accommodation like a true small cruiser, while retaining the traditional appearance and strengths that have been crucial to the success of its previous boats. Receiving a very good response, the Baroudeur helps make the Saint-Gilles yard the undisputed specialist on this niche and paves the way for its launch of the Évasion range three years later.
