Bavaria acquires Nautitech and enters the world of catamarans

Bavaria enters the catamaran market and does so by acquiring 51 percent of Nautitech, a French shipyard specializing in multihulls. This is a move that should “shake up” the cruising catamaran sector, since the only major manufacturer of this type of boat, until now, was Lagoon, part of the Beneteau group.The German shipyard has always focused its philosophy on cost containment (aiming for the maximum possible ratio between quality and price), and it has all the credentials to be able to apply the strategy in the world of multihulls as well. Who knows, a battle between Lagoon and Bavaria could result in lower costs for shipowners and more choice.

TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CANNES
Nautitech’s owner has retained 49 percent of the company and is not relinquishing its management, so that the know-how gained through experience can be made available to the Germans (in fact, the North-French entity has been in existence since 2004). The strategy of the Germans remains to be understood: there will probably be no Bavaria-branded catamarans, but they will continue to be counted under the Nautitech name. Somewhat like what happened with Cantiere del Pardo and Dufour, which continued to live “independently” despite the takeover. In Cannes, Sept. 9-14, Bavaria and Nautitech will exhibit their models together for the first time.

FIVE MODELS FOR NAUTITECH
The French shipyard’s latest creation, in order of time, is the Open 40, the brainchild of Marc Lombard: a spacious 12-meter offering two interior layouts (three- or four-cabin), ideal for long sailings. The catamaran joins the other four proposed models: the 441, 442, 482, and 541.