Creation of the Atlantic Boat Club
After the first independent French pioneers, the Bénéteau Boat Club of the Vendée shipyard, the Dream Boat Club of the charter company Dream Yacht Charter and the establishment of the American heavyweight Freedom Boat Club, it is now the turn of Sellor, manager of the Lorient marinas, to announce the creation of a new Boat Club network. Building on the experience of its own local boat club, the Breizh Boat Club in Lorient, the operator is expanding its offer through a partnership with NGE, the operator of the ports of Nantes, which is creating its Nantes Boat Club. Together they gave birth to the Atlantic Boat Club network.
Birth of the Nantes Boat Club
Located on the Ile de Versailles, on the Erdre River, the Nantes Boat Club will start with three boats: an open hull, a RIB and an e-Kone, an electric boat. "We looked at the market potential, the sailing basin and the clientele with NGE to define the offer and the boats," explains Brieuc Morin, director of Sellor.
Relying on local yachting
The head of Sellor explains his approach by anchoring it in a local analysis, which he believes will make the difference with the "imported" models that are struggling to develop. "Today, the Breizh Boat Club of Sellor has 100 members, and there are 1,200 rotations per year with 10 boats. In July and August, all the boats are taken on the 3 slots of the day. It is not directly transposable, but we can be inspired by it. We share the communication and an aligned offer, as well as the clients. But the American model was born on the basis of the network, whereas we start from the local, with a catchment area close to the boat club. We have a boating, afterwork feel!"
Optimize the use of the marina
Brieuc Morin remains modest in his view of development. He sees the boat club as an intelligent tool for port management. "We have reasonable and reasoned ambitions. The boat club must not be a smoke and mirrors. It won't work in every port, but the idea is to convince boaters who want it. This is part of the reflection on how to better share access to boating. See how one harbor space can be used by 10 boaters. We are in discussion with other harbour managers, to support the strategy of the city and the operator, as we do on other harbour issues" concludes the president of Sellor.
