Lagoon SEVENTY 7

A bit of background to the early pioneers and big boats

CNB was founded in 1987 by Dieter Gust and Olivier Lafourcade at the Sud Ouest shipyards in Bordeaux, France (this was the yard which was responsible for the building of the 5-masted France II), to build big aluminum monohulls. Mari Cha II (a 92’ German Frers design) was launched in 1989, the first in a long line of unique boats which helped to establish the CNB brand in the world of elite sailing superyacht builders. They went from strength to strength. In 1992 CNB joined the Bénéteau group and opened up to big custom boats built in composite. Building Lagoons of over 50 feet was later to be brought into the Bordeaux factory before they diversified into a semi-custom range (the Bordeaux 60 and Bordeaux 76 monohulls). Jeanneau Techniques Avancées had been established in 1982 by a team of multihull fans, led by Jean-François de Prémorel, to build racing prototypes. They built 50-odd prestigious models (Pierre 1er, part of RMO, the huge catamaran Fleury Michon VII, the trimarans for the film “Waterworld” and the Irens-designed F40s, among others) prior to launching the Lagoon 55 in 1985, then the 57: these were giants in the...