Emilien Faurens imagines, develops and builds boats. This 42-year-old self-taught sailor and trimaran enthusiast has already built more than a dozen boats. He is now embarking on a more constructed activity.
Affordable sailboats
The common thread running through its production is affordability. Indeed, this builder doesn't understand why boats are so expensive! Seeing that he couldn't afford one for himself, not even second-hand, he decided to take the plunge and start producing his own models. His aim is to make sailing accessible to everyone. To achieve this, he uses construction methods and the reuse of materials that enable him to produce sailboats at truly surprising prices.
Half the price of the competition
For Emilien, outsourcing is out of the question: his boats are built in France. And yet, a small, ready-to-sail 16-foot polyester trimaran starts at ?12,500. By way of comparison, the Astus 16.5 is advertised from ?21,200...
To pull off this magic trick, Emilien opted for stitch-and-glue construction, not with plywood panels, but with polyester laminates. As a result, all his models are designed from easy-to-assemble expandable shapes to save time.
Upcycling to cut costs
For all accessories, Emilien relies on what's already available on the market. For example, he based the design of his 16-foot trimaran on the mainsail surface of a Hobbie Cat 16, a common model that all master sailmakers know how to produce, and which is also easy to find second-hand.
Sober finishes
What's more, Emilien admits to limiting himself in terms of finishing. Hours of sanding are time-consuming and costly. While the exterior is clean, because it's built on marble, the sober interior is less polished than some of today's products. The price to pay for not paying it?
Livable centerboarders and high-performance trimarans
Today, Emilien builds boats by the unit. He can either supply the plans for an amateur build, or deliver the boat at different stages of construction: bareboat or ready-to-sail.
The range includes small trimarans, from 4 to 7 m, as well as 7 and 8 m habitable integral dinghies. For example, the MDR 7.0, a 6.98 m integral dinghy with 4 berths, 1.78 m headroom, galley and head, is priced at ?28,500. That's enough to make your head spin when you compare it to the monohulls of the competition...
