SMN takes over the distribution of Hallberg Rassy sailboats in France
The Swedish shipyard Hallberg-Rassy has found a new distributor. It had been imported into France for many years by LJB Marine in La Rochelle. The latter wishing to stop its activity, it had already given up its Lagoon catamarans card . It is finally the SMN shipyard, located in Port Grimaud in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and directed by Patrick Lecomte, which takes over the distribution of the famous Scandinavian yachts in France.
Employing about thirty people, SMN also markets the Targa, Key Largo and Sessa motorboats and the Brig semi-rigid boats. Also a shipyard, it offers both careening and maintenance services in carpentry or lamination.
A logical continuation for a shipyard specializing in Scandinavian boats
The choice of SMN by Hallberg Rassy was made between 3 candidates. While Covid delayed opportunities to meet and visit the infrastructure, the decision was able to be made quickly. "We left for Sweden on Monday. We met on Tuesday to discuss distribution and signed in the evening," reports Franck Doudet, SMN sales representative who is taking over responsibility for Hallberg Rassy.
For SMN, the addition of Hallberg-Rassy to its brand portfolio looks like a natural fit, alongside high-end sailboats Black Pepper, Solaris Yachts and Dehler. "We have a good understanding of the Swedish center cockpit yacht scene. SMN represented Naiad yachts for 7 years between 2003 and 2010. They were built 20 kilometers from Hallberg Rassy and were very close in terms of quality and finish. But Naiad was less strong in terms of communication and name, leading eventually to a bankruptcy filing. The new owner is struggling to relaunch the company, contenting himself with optimizing existing models without launching new boats," explains Franck Doudet. SMN also distributed Swedish sailboats X Yachts, before stopping the brand when it took the Solaris Yachts card in the Var, Alpes-Maritimes, Monaco and Corsica.
