Refit

The New Eldorado for Recreational Boating?

When you arrive at a building where the words “Pôle Refit” [Refit Center] are more visible than the name of the shipyard itself, you know something is going on... Yes, Forever Green is also about keeping old multihulls in working order and even taking advantage of being hauled out to make these vessels more environmentally friendly.

Many refit centers are now operational, such as the SAS shipyard at Canet-en-Roussillon in the South of France. The nautical center in this multihull-friendly town even announced the creation of the Refit Center Village in 2024, a group of companies spec

Published 04/07/2025

By Brieuc Maisonneuve and EvD

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Issue: SP24

Published: sept. / oct. 2025

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The late naval architect Marc Lombard used to tell anyone who would listen that the most eco-friendly boat was a used one—and he wasn’t wrong... Building a new vessel generates a significant amount of carbon emissions when you factor in the boat’s entire life cycle. Today, depending on the country, the global recreational boating market accounts for one new boat sale for every four to ten pre-owned boats. The life expectancy of a multihull, which averages 40 years, explains the very good health of the second-hand market – this durability is exceptional when compared to that of a car, which typically remains operational for around 20 years. Combined with the increase in the average size of new catamarans and trimarans over the past fifteen years, the used multihull market now logically offers more expensive units. It is therefore becoming attractive to carry out “extensive” refits of this type of multihull, which would never be viable financially for catamarans or trimarans under 35/40 feet.

These refit yards are now becoming more organized, and a genuine refit center has sprung up in Canet-en-Roussillon, France. At SAS, for example, a Lagoon 57 has been completely rebuilt. Many traditional shipyards, such as JFA in Brittany, do not just deliver new boats, but also refurbish large vessels such as the Exclusive 76 we discuss below. As for the industry’s leading players, they are not to be outdone, with Lagoon inaugurating a new facility dedicated to refits. These second or third lives for multihulls are now even being anticipated: Nautitech Catamarans has announced a new model, the 41S, whose design incorporates possible future modifications.

The advantage of composite materials is that they can always be repaired – here, a Lagoon 57 will emerge from SAS looking like new.

Exclusive 76: The Rebirth of an Extraordinary Catamaran

The sail plan will be modernized and gain power thanks to a masthead gennaker.

Given the retail price for a multihull over 80 feet, the second-hand market can offer some great opportunities... All that remains is to find that rare gem, but also the shipyard capable of refurbishing it.

The Exclusive 76 offers a spacious flybridge and a very large deck area.

The Exclusive 76 is not a multihull like any other. This large 76-foot (23-meter) catamaran launched in 2009 is the result of an ambitious project led by a French shipyard specializing in the manufacture of cruiser-racer monohulls, which already saw the large multihull sector as a market in the making. The design of the Exclusive 76 bears the signature of Gilles Ollier, a leading figure in naval architecture. Founder of the Multiplast Group in the early 1980s, Gilles quickly made a name for himself with his ability to combine cutting-edge technology, structural lightness, and hydrodynamic efficiency. He is responsible for the famous offshore racing trimarans such as Club Med and Orange II, which hold world records, as well as several ...

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