Aurore Bordage — Groupe Beneteau

By: Gordon Cruise McBride

I recently sat down with Aurore Bordage in her booth at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), and she was glad to share her industry experience with our readers. Aurore is well positioned to shed light on the trends and future markets of the pleasure craft industry. She transitioned from the west coast of France to work with Groupe Beneteau, spreading her marketing wings in Annapolis, and then headed off to the sunshine in Fort Lauderdale, where she currently holds the position of Marketing Manager for Groupe Beneteau. Aurore works in close collaboration with Erik Stromberg, Vice-President of Power & Motor Yacht Development at Groupe Beneteau. I asked them the following questions dealing with the boatbuilding industry, and wondered what the future holds for our Power Boating Canada’s readers.

PBC: With this year’s version of FLIBS, do you notice anything different than in previous years?

Aurore: From my perspective, we see a strong interest for boats, and the number of visitors at our FLIBS booth increased this year compared to last year. It is a very positive trend. While we are noticing more people visiting, we also note that they take more time to inspect the boats and think about their purchase. People see new availabilities and are less nervous to make an immediate decision. FLIBS keeps the bar really high and sets the tone every year for our industry, especially on the powerboat side. It is the most important boat show for our motor yacht units. On the other end, this year we introduced our Oceanis Yacht 60 (sailboat debut) as well as our Excess 11 at FLIBS. But the focus from consumers is on our unique selection of luxury power yachts.

PBC: Walking around the docks, I noticed that there is a big push towards powerful outboard engines. It seems that many boat manufacturers in the 40-foot range and longer are steering away from the big heavy diesel power plants and going the outboard route. What is the consensus with this at Groupe Beneteau?

Aurore: There is always a development of the offer to reply to a strong demand on the part of boating consumers. Outboards are very popular and offer many advantages. For me the future is not only outboard vs. inboard, but we also have to consider hybrid and electric propulsion units.

PBC: Is the trend towards the big outboards driven by consumer demand, or more for economical and post-sales maintenance purposes?

Aurore: We are noticing that people are looking for bigger models so the propulsion has to increase to guarantee the efficiency. We cannot just keep adding a number of engines on the stern of a yacht, so they need to be more powerful.

PBC: when I reviewed the Beneteau Swift Grand Trawler 62 in a previous issue of PowerBoating Canada, I couldn’t help but notice all the high-end finishings, especially in the galley and salon areas. How do your customers feel about the open–air concept and more expansive access points on your larger models?

Aurore: Our yacht design team is continually striving to stretch the boundaries of our fleet, and maximize the use of available space, both on the water and on the upper decks. The trend at Groupe Beneteau is to allow as much natural light as possible to flood our interiors, like inviting the outdoors into your living room. Space maximization could involve fold-down transoms, side rails, etc. And the more space you have, the more access points you are able to add to the design. And of course, what boater does not appreciate high-end features, such as those you find on our new Antares 12 or our Beneteau Swift Grand Trawler 62 … it’s a win-win choice for our boating customers.

PBC: Thank you both for your insightful comments on this growing recreational sector. We look forward to hearing more about Groupe Beneteau’s plans at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show in 2024.