The Black Pepper sailboats settle in Nantes
The Black Pepper shipyard, specialist in high-end and technological sailing boats, is moving. The builder, currently based in Orvault, north of Nantes, is going to set the molds of its boats on the banks of the Loire, in the Bas Chantenay district, the historic cradle of Nantes' shipbuilding industry, where the city wishes to create a center dedicated to nautical and maritime companies.
" Black Pepper's new premises will be a little more than 2,000 m² covered, plus about as much land. Today our buildings in Orvault are 600 m² "Michel Douville de Franssu explains. " The city of Nantes came up with this project that it proposed to us. Nantes Métropole is the owner of the buildings that it rehabilitates for us. "Black Pepper will integrate the new facility upon completion in July 2019.
Coping with the growth of the boats and the company
Since its inception in 2009, the size and profile of the sailboats built by Black Pepper has evolved. The boats have grown and the company needed larger premises. The shipyard is currently building Armel Tripon's IMOCA for the next Vendée Globe 2020, his first step in ocean racing. The foiling yacht, designed by Samuel Manuard, will be finished in the Chantenay buildings and launched in the fall. The new location alongside the quay is an advantage for the large units that are expected to follow, avoiding complex road transport. " We are going to launch a new Code 0 (Editor's note: the 10-meter sailboat that made Black Pepper famous.) There is also a Code 2 to follow. A 72-foot Code 3 is planned for September "illustrates the founder of Black Pepper.
To face this growth of the company and the range, Black Pepper invests in its tools and should recruit quickly. The yacht yard currently employs about ten people.
