Tribute to Jean-François de Prémorel, a Visionary
An Iconic Developer
There were years of challenges and daunting tasks, punctuated by successes, as he served as director and contributed significantly to the growth and development of Jeanneau and PRESTIGE.
A Visionary Yacht Builder
An enthusiastic competitor, he accepted the challenge to relaunch PRESTIGE, starting in 1998, in a market that was then dominated by Italian and British boatbuilders.
With vision, drive, and a breadth and depth of experience, Jean-François de Prémorel enabled PRESTIGE to become a major, international brand.
He recently recalled at the 30-year anniversary of PRESTIGE:
We have created a strong brand that is now internationally renowned thanks to a very cohesive team of architects, designers and engineers, and drawing on the industrial strength of the shipyard. We have always known how to anticipate trends and offer innovative yachts, developed by sailors for those who love the sea… The tremendous success of the PRESTIGE 500 is the best proof of this: we have been the first to understand new expectations in terms of layout and cruising comfort. PRESTIGE is an extraordinary human adventure!
Today, PRESTIGE remains a world leader in the market of yachts from 40 to 60 feet.
The PRESTIGE Crew Salute Him
Few people have been gifted, like him, with as keen a vision of markets and new trends. I was at his side in launching the PRESTIGE brand. I thank him for this positive attitude, this exigence and this capacity to dare that he was able to convey to us and that we will ensure lives on.
Jean-Paul Chapeleau, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Bénéteau Group and Executive Director of PRESTIGE until 2019.
The PRESTIGE crew would like to thank him for simply being the man that he was: we will never forget his ever-positive outlook, his boldness and his unconditional love for the nautical world.