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Yves Lyon-Caen is President of the Confédération du Nautisme et de la plaisance, the organizer of the first Nautic Forum. With just a few days to go before the event, he talks to us about the tensions in the industry and the questions being put to the public authorities.
Why did you launch this first Nautic Forum?
The reason is simple. The Confederation was born in 2015, after the "Mer libre" appeal, launched by players in the yachting industry against a bill that aimed to introduce paid moorings. I'm not talking here about organized moorings, but rather a more general logic of taxing usage.
This appeal resonated strongly within our community, and forced the government of the day to abandon the project. We then realized that the players in the industry shared many common issues. That's how the CNP was born.
We then organized the Assises du nautisme et de la plaisance in 2018 in La Rochelle, then in 2019, in Les Sables d'Olonne. The health crisis in 2020 prevented any meetings in 2020 and 2021, and was followed by strong demand for outdoor leisure activities. Then the market slowed down. The Nautic Forum responds to this new context. We feel the need to find a second wind in a constrained context.
What are the major issues you want to put on the table in Saint Malo?
The first issue is the impact of climate change on the coast, ports and all nautical activities. We know that major investments will be required, particularly in port infrastructures.
Decarbonization also raises concrete questions. Ports must support new uses, welcome new engines, adapt their services and continue to modernize their facilities.
Nautic Forum will also give us the opportunity to recall the economic weight of coastal tourism, which represents 25 billion euros in France and provides some 350,000 jobs. Nautical activities play an essential role in the success of coastal tourism, providing a lively and attractive environment for local communities.
Is the nautical roadmap moving fast enough?
No. The roadmap unfortunately illustrates the current relationship with the Ministry of the Sea and its administration. We signed this contract in September 2025, but the priority measures are not being implemented, and two key issues have not even been addressed.
The first is the unique status of pleasure craft, which should enable them to be used privately or commercially without administrative intervention. This would make it possible to simplify administrative mechanisms that are complex in France, while other European countries and overseas territories operate with simpler frameworks
The second issue concerns the reciprocal recognition of diplomas. We need bridges to facilitate exchanges between the different sectors, from the merchant navy to the Ministry of Sport's diplomas for management, training, boat piloting...
Why are diplomas so important?
Because the industry needs to recruit and develop skills. If each administration remains locked in its own corridor, professional career paths, mobility and career development will be hampered.
A sailor, trainer, supervisor or yachting professional needs to be able to have his or her skills recognized more easily. Otherwise, we're impoverishing an industry that needs skilled jobs.
We have spoken to the Minister, Catherine Chabaud, and asked for progress to be made before June 30, 2026. For the moment, we see no signs of progress.
The taxation of pleasure boating also creates tensions. What are your criticisms of the public authorities?
The modification of the yachting tax, included in the finance law, was very badly conceived by an administration that should know our realities. It is currently causing a great deal of discontent. In addition to being ill-prepared, it is also creating a sense of injustice by affecting small yachtsmen. Why is this new tax - due to come into force on 1/01/2027 - taxing popular family boating, modest boats (6 to 7 meters) with few engines - which until now has been exempt? No explanation has been given!
We need to go back to the drawing board and get the professionals, the communities and the public authorities around the same table to find an acceptable solution.
Boaters sometimes feel that access to the coast and mooring areas is becoming more complicated. Do you share this view?
Yes, France is still a country of bans. Today, it's essential to take better account of the natural environment, but this has to be done intelligently. We need to support usage, adapting the rules at the same time as we create solutions.
As Spain has done. That's why we invited a representative from the Balearics to the Nautic Forum. There, the authorities have developed anchorages with reservation and management systems. In France, first we ban, then we look for solutions.
Which examples do you find most telling?
Corsica has lost almost 50% of its yachting traffic as a result of these bans. At the same time, the Spanish have set up support systems to protect seagrass beds, organize anchorages and develop business.
In Brittany, there are some 22,000 berths and 11,000 moorings. When the authorities plan to modify or relocate certain moorings without clear methods and communication, this becomes a deterrent for yachtsmen.
Is the role of local authorities becoming more important?
Yes, of course. Marinas are often the responsibility of regions, communities or municipalities. Their management can be direct or delegated, but it's the people on the ground who know what's needed.
We exchange a lot with local authorities, and work with networks such as France Station Nautique and ANEL. This territorial link is essential for the future of boating.
Will the Nautic Forum become an annual event?
The quality of the event, as I anticipate it, and the interest it arouses, lead me to believe that the Nautic Forum can become an annual event.
We'll be taking stock after this first edition. But the issues raised in Saint Malo will need to be sustained over time. The nautical industry needs visibility, continuity and direct dialogue between all its players.
