Beneteau

French boat manufacturer Beneteau Group has reported robust results for 2022, including fourth-quarter revenues of 476 million euros. The group says these results will pave the way for 2023 full-year income from operations to ‘significantly exceed’ previous estimates.

Overall, Beneteau Group closed out the 2022 financial year with revenues of 1,508 million euros, up 22.9 per cent based on reported data (or +19.4 per cent at constant exchange rates). The firm says this performance factors in a favourable base effect for around 50 million euros linked to the 2021 cyberattack, which caused major disruption and suspended some production.

The group says its operational management performance during the last quarter enabled it to ramp up the pace of deliveries at the end of the year and achieve its significant Q4 revenue of 476 million euros. This figure represents 56.6 per cent growth compared with the same period in 2021 — ultimately offsetting the delays with billing that had been caused by the sourcing difficulties seen at the start of the year.

The firm says this strong level of billing in the fourth quarter, combined with the effective management of inflation and the favourable impact of exchange rates over the year, will pave the way for full-year income from operations to ‘significantly exceed’ the previous estimate of 125 million euros.

Boat division: record level of business in the fourth quarter
During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Boat division recorded 56.3 per cent growth based on reported data (+51 per cent at constant exchange rates), with revenues of 408.5 million euros. In addition to the continued catch-up with billing during the first half of the year (around 80 million euros), the boat division’s growth benefited from the measures rolled out at the start of 2022 to increase production capacity, particularly for the multihull sailing and dayboating segments.

Full-year revenues for 2022 are therefore up 19.7 per cent based on reported data (+15.6 per cent at constant exchange rates), with consistent performances between the two sailing and motor activities.

The “motorboat” business, which now represents nearly 58 per cent of the boat division’s revenues, was driven by the robust development of all the group’s brands in the dyboating segments (motorboats up to 40 feet).

This performance reflects the continued development of distribution in the United States for the Beneteau and Jeanneau brands, and the growth of the three American brands, Wellcraft, Four Winns and Scarab (+26 per cent at constant exchange rates), as well as the ‘premiumisation’ achieved in the premium segments, illustrated by the successful launch of the Wellcraft Commuter 355 and Jeanneau DB43 models.

In the real estate on the water segments, the positive response to the M48, the Prestige brand’s first motor catamaran, contributed to the group’s good order book trends, while the Monte Carlo Yachts brand is gradually shutting down its operations.

The “sailing boat” business was supported by the upturn in sales to charter professionals, with 31.8 per cent growth for the year, as well as the success of the Excess brand, which is now ranked fifth on the market following the launch of the new Excess 14, and the operations rolled out at the start of the year to increase production capacity with a view to accompanying the Lagoon brand’s dynamic growth.

Driven by sales in the dayboating segments, the North and Central America region is reporting 27 per cent growth at constant exchange rates and now makes up one-third of the boat division’s revenues.

Sales on the European market increased by 9.5 per cent over the year, with the second half of the year’s 31 per cent growth making it possible to offset the delays with billing resulting from the supply chain disruption seen during the first six months.

In January, Beneteau Group appointed Yann Masselot as chief brands and communication officer for the boat division, and Jean-François Lair as director of Beneteau brand. The shake-up comes as part of the restructuring of the brands, under the company’s ‘let’s go beyond’ plan.

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