Catway now offers its customers the trawler Nexus 870 Revo, from the Polish yard Northman. This is your first motorboat. Can you explain this choice?
Jean-Baptiste Bittard : Catway has been in business since 2007 and has been distributing Maxus yachts since 2009. The Polish shipyard Northman, which builds the Maxus, has been active in the motorboat market since 2015. He started with the Courier 970, a popular Polish model whose moulds he had bought back. Northman then launched the Nexus 850, and although the shipyard offered it to me, I didn't want to present these two models to French boaters, as I didn't think they were well suited to our market. With the new Nexus 870 Revo, I believe in it much more. Initially more used to sailing boats, I decided to enter this new market. In 2 years, Northman has been able to better understand the market and now is the right time for Catway to offer this more mature product.
Who are the Nexus 870 Revo's target customers?
J-B B : The Nexus 870 Revo is a coastal trawler. Of a design more typical for Northern Europe, it is not made for speed, but for a small quiet cruise from port to port. It is also suitable for mixed navigation between canals and the sea. The first returns from the construction site after the presentations to the public in Germany and Poland made it possible to identify two main customers. On the one hand, they are sailors who stop and switch to motorboats and on the other hand, owners of motor units less than 9 metres long who are fed up with putting petrol in their tanks. They can improve their habitability and reduce their fuel consumption.
Thanks to our limited budget, I think we can attract neophytes. For a short cruise, you can attract a motorhome clientele wishing to discover the sea.
How do you see the continuation and development of the engine for Catway?
J-B B : With the motorboat, you reach a new market with your finger, which is always exciting. The trawler, with reasonable speed and price, is a niche that has many bridges with the sailing world, without competition from the big shipyards. This corresponds to us and we will soon see the return of customers.
On the range side, there's nothing official yet, but with Northman, everything can go fast. New models can be expected quickly.
