Allures Yachting has established its sailboats as the benchmark for those who aspire to sail far and wide and for a long time, seeking fast sailing with elegance suited to these noble endeavours. Stéphan Constance and Xavier Desmarest, the company’s founders, look back at the genesis and development of this French shipyard, which quickly became a leader in its field.
Allures Yachting was the first shipyard in the Grand Large Yachting group, which now comprises six yards (Allures Yachting, Outremer, Garcia Yachts, Gunboat, RM and ORC) and two service companies (Grand Large Services and EFT). Over the course of just a few years, the French sailboat builder has increased its boat orders by a factor of 10, and its founders tell you all about it.
A success story at the origin of a group dedicated to blue water cruising
Stéphan Constance: « For some time, Xavier and I had been looking for an affordable blue water sailboat that would meet our demanding specifications while remaining within a reasonable budget. We wanted a cruising yacht that would be safe in all conditions, that would perform well and be a real pleasure to sail. One that would be ingenious, that would provide access to all anchorages, that would be comfortable and user-friendly, and that would be elegant both inside and out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a sailing yacht on the market that matched our criteria. And the same was true for our fellow sailors. None of them had found the monohull that combined all the selection criteria. That’s when Xavier and I decided that we were going to build the boat of our dreams ourselves. »
Xavier Desmaret: « When Stéphan and I decided to establish our own shipyard, we had very specific personal criteria. But we also wanted this boat to meet the expectations of other sailors with whom we shared the same dreams: finding the best liveaboard sailboat for blue water cruising. That’s why, for months on end, we went out meeting other sailors, both well-known and not so well-known, to talk to them about their experiences, gained from thousands of nautical miles of sailing on all the seas of the globe. Compiling all this experience and the lessons learnt, we were able to build on them, confirming our main convictions and enabling us to determine the key features of our yachts. We chose aluminium for its strength and safety, and composite superstructures for performance, comfort, and elegance. The choice of a centreboarder was an obvious one, as it allowed us to rid ourselves of constraints and offer absolute freedom. »
Affordable aluminium blue water sailboats: the origins and development of this success story
Founded twenty years ago by Stéphan Constance and Xavier Desmarest, the French sailboat brand Allures Yachting has been following an exceptional path since its beginnings.
The genesis of this Norman shipyard in the Northwest of France was the result of the passion shared by its founders for blue water sailing and adventure at sea. Scientists by training, the founders of Allures Yachting worked together to define what makes a good blue water sailboat and determine the parameters that would enable them to solve the equation for the ideal ocean cruising yacht.
A boat that would at the same time be:
- Safe and seaworthy, whatever the conditions
- High-performance and a real pleasure to sail
- Able to access any anchorage
- Comfortable and user-friendly
- And, of course, elegant both inside and out
And thus, Allures Yachting was born to meet the expectations of demanding sailors with a passion for blue water cruising.
Their combined experience has shaped the shipyard’s identity around three fundamental choices:
- Aluminium for safety
- A centreboard for freedom in action
- And composite superstructures for performance, comfort, and elegance
Based on these principles, Allures Yachting has developed an innovative range including the Allures 45.9, a 45-foot sailboat, and Allures 51.9, a larger 52-foot sailboat, both of which are centreboard sailing yachts.
The successful growth of the French monohull manufacturer
This innovative vision, combined with an unwavering commitment to excellence, quickly propelled Allures Yachting to the forefront of the aluminium centreboard cruising yacht industry. In fact, the shipyard grew exponentially, almost doubling in size every year for the first six years.
The confidence of top sailors such as the brothers Bruno, Loïck and Stéphane Peyron, who chose the Allures 44 for their expeditions to the Arctic, underlines the recognition the shipyard enjoys. Their choice was helped along by the enlightened advice of Michel Desjoyeaux, who was involved in adapting the offshore cruising yacht to the demands of high latitude sailing. This success confirms Allures Yachting’s position as a benchmark in the world of blue water cruising.
Today, Allures Yachting is an internationally recognised French sailboat builder. Its aluminium centreboard yachts are essential references for those who aspire to sail far and wide and for a long time, combining performance, safety, and elegance. Whether they are looking for a sailing yacht for a circumnavigation as a family, an Atlantic crossing as a couple or other adventures across the oceans, Allures owners have been won over by the brand’s range under 60ft.
The success story is testament to the determination and dedication of the entire Allures Yachting team to offer exceptional and affordable blue water sailboats, pushing back the boundaries of the blue water sailing experience.
Grand Large Yachting
Founded in 2003 by Xavier Desmarest and Stephan Constance, the Grand Large Yachting group now includes six shipyards and two service companies and operates in three markets: leisure sailing, professional and service.
The leisure yachting division of the Grand Large Yachting group has:
Two brands of aluminium sailing boats, Allures Yachting and Garcia Yachts as well as 2 standard-setting brands of composite catamarans, Outremer and Gunboat.
In the group’s four shipyards, designing and building boats is only one part of the close relationship we have with each of our customers throughout their project, from the desire for a boat to its definition, from production to services during and after sailing. Much more than a boat, these shipyards offer close, long-lasting and trust-based relationships.
Since Garcia Yachts joined the group, the exceptional know-how of the fabricators at the historic Condé site has been dedicated to the manufacture of Garcia and Allures hulls. Further construction continues at our Cherbourg yard, where both brands benefit from the same specialized facilities and highly qualified teams for both design and production.
The pooling of know-how and resources is one of the fundamental principles defined for Grand Large Yachting by its creators. At the same time, this gives perfect control of production, guaranteeing a high level of quality and compliance with the programmed timelines, and sufficient flexibility to meet the positioning of each brand and the specifications of each owner. And the owners are always welcome to come along and visit, and see the facilities which allow us to respond to their specific requests and guarantee the traceability of products.
For Allures and Garcia, this common production tool is a key success factor, allowing them to benefit from much greater resources than their individual size would normally allow:
- In Cherbourg, two teams of engineers share their experience and know-how for the benefit and success of each project
- Between Nantes and Condé, two fabricating sites are available
- In the Vendée, a group carpentry shop specialising in the production of furniture for the marine industry
- Finally, in Cherbourg, a specially equipped site can be used to work on ten units simultaneously and at different stages of progress.
The identity and differentiated positioning of each brand are respected at each stage of the design and manufacture of the yachts, as they must meet distinct expectations and programmes. But Allures Yachting and Garcia Yachts benefit on a daily basis from the accumulation of experience, knowledge and know-how of our teams, whose motivation is enhanced tenfold by the variety of challenges they face.
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