Jeanneau Boats

Jeanneau began life in 1957 when a French vehicle designer - Henri Jeanneau - discovered his love for powerboats. It began when he was staying in his coastal house, designing, and a powerboat passed by his window. These were still fairly new craft, particularly for recreational used, but Henri Jeanneau wanted one.

He went to nearby Les Herbiers set about building one in the rivers, focussing on the wooden hull. He entered a 6 hour Paris race, which he won. All in the space of 1 year. This gave him desire to grow his past time into a trade, and in 1959 he appointed two apprentice canoe builders, and his business was up and running. Originially named "The Nautical Hall of the West", he changed the name of the company to something more catchy and short - he called this company Jeanneau.

In 1961, Jeanneau launched the Calanque, it's first ever fibreglass powerboat. It wasn't completely fibreglass, instead the deck was made of wood. However, later that year the first all fibreglass boat was launched. This sped up the production of boats, without compromising on quality. In fact, the newer boats were lighter, cheaper and better quality than the traditional wooden boats. It also allowed for modification of boats and the first boat series were produced - Cam Camarat, Merry Fisher, Leader & Prestige were all began, and many still use the same moulds. Over 1,500 boats were built in each series, and it was really quick to build them.

They were tough these powerboats as well, they were tested by jumping the boat from a lake to a field. These stood up well, much to the relief of Henri Jeanneau, who was at the wheel at the time!

However, the public was less than convinced, and initial sales were disappointing. However, Henri Jenneau knew his boat - the Jeanneau Sport - was the best on the market, and organised a series of comparison tests against similar powered boats. The Jeanneau Sport won every single test, which, throughout the 1960's, resulted in more sales.

In the mid 1960's, Jeanneau expanded their range to include sailboats, using the fibreglass mould. This just so happened to coincide with France's greatest ocean racing victory, with Eric Tabarly winning the transatlantic "L'Ostar" race. Since then, sailing in France skyrocketed, and Jeanneau's range of sailing boats, including Sangria, Sun and Aquila were popular.

The growth continued into the early 1970's, when technological innovations lowered production and purchasing costs, and pleasure cruising became accessible to the masses. Jeanneau's Sangria, a low end model, sold over 2,700 boats. This remarkable success cemented Jeanneau's place at the forefront of a growing marine industry.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 is one of the most sought after boats in the Jeanneau range, particularly as now it is out of production. Released in 2000, and produced for 5 years, the Sun Odyssey 37 was 37ft long, and was a moderate racer/cruiser designed for those wanting to go fast on their yachts. Realistically, this yacht can hold 4 people comfortably, and ideal for couples wanting to share time with a couple of friends. Below deck is dominated by 2 large double cabins, and a large bathroom, as well as a navigation deck. Alternatively, the spare bedroom can be split into 3, allowing for an extra room for guests to stay in. It increases the berth by two (making 6), but the bathroom and storage space in the lockers are noticably reduced.

This cruiser is powerful enough and has great manoeuvrability, nevertheless it's never going to win any races, but that's not the point. The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey is built with cruising in mind, and the ample space on board such a small boat is fabulous.

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