Departure of Gildas Le Masson
Catamaran builder Nautitech sees the departure of its managing director Gildas Le Masson. Bavaria Yachtbau Holding, the German owner of the French shipyard, based in Rochefort in Charente-Maritime, has made it official that it has accepted the departure at its request of the executive who arrived at the head of the multihull specialist in April 2018, after 9 years with equipment manufacturer Navico. Arriving four years after the integration within the German group, he had given back its Nautitech name to the shipyard and managed the industrial and social difficulties in the company, until restoring profitability to the shipyard. Kai Brandes, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bavaria Yachtbau Holding, sums up: "Under his leadership, Nautitech Catamarans has enjoyed historic success, including the launch of two new models, one of them award-winning, that have redefined industry standards. We thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
Nautitech is now looking for a new manager, while Gildas Le Masson is expected to remain in the nautical industry.
A multihull sector on the move
The departure of Nautitech's CEO is yet another change in a catamaran sector that continues to attract investors. Notable among these is the emergence of a new multihull player, the Czech investment fund PPF, with its successive investments in the Robertson and Caine shipyard, builder of the Leopard in March 2023, and in Privilège Marine more recently. In the fast multihull niche market, Grand Large Yachting's portfolio is also substantial, with the acquisition of Marsaudon Composites at the end of 2023.
