First 30, Melody, Pen Duick VI: Mauric celebrates its 80th anniversary

Founded in 1945, the Mauric naval architecture firm celebrated its 80th anniversary. The firm has had a profound impact on the French maritime landscape, particularly in the field of racing and ocean-going yachts. A look back at an innovative trajectory, from the first hand-drawn hulls to today's autonomous naval platforms.

André Mauric, an architect inspired by sailing and performance

André Mauric's name is inextricably linked with the history of ocean racing in France. It was in 1972 that he first came to international attention with the half-tonner Unthinkable winner of the IOR Half-Ton Cup. This bold plan gave birth to the First 30 it was chosen as the one-design for the Tour de France à la Voile in the early 1980s. It was the first sailboat of this size to be built on a large scale.

The following year, in 1973, Mauric designed two iconic boats: Melody (10.25 m), which has become a Jeanneau bestseller with several hundred units sold, and Pen Duick VI for Éric Tabarly, racing in the Whitbread. This 22.25-meter aluminum ketch, with its depleted uranium ballast, made a lasting impression thanks to its performance, which was unfortunately hampered by a long development period.

©OGR2023/Aida Valceanu
©OGR2023/Aida Valceanu

In 1975, it was Jabadao another half-tonner designed by Mauric, which won the Course de l'Aurore with Guy Cornou at the helm. This was followed by ocean-going yachts designed for the North Atlantic, such as Kriter V (1978) and Kriter VIII (1982), helmed by Michel Malinovsky. André Mauric also made a name for himself in the world of the America's Cup, working on the following projects France and France 2 for Baron Bich in the 1970s.

A scientific approach since the 1980s

At the turn of the 80s, Mauric became one of the first firms to introduce digital simulation tools into sailboat design. At a time when most calculations were still made by hand, André Mauric introduced a rationalized approach based on hydrodynamic optimization of hull shapes. This scientific rigor explains the longevity and robustness of the boats designed at the time.

From sailboat to naval multi-expertise

While sailing remains the cornerstone of Mauricâ??s identity, over the decades the company has broadened its scope of action. Today, the firm has designed more than 500 âeuros vessels, many of them âeuros sailboats, and applies its skills to a variety of segments: defense, research, offshore, passenger transport, fishing and, of course, pleasure boating.

Mauric, a player in the maritime energy transition

De gauche à droite, Vincent Seguin : Président, François Sébilo : Directeur Général, et Fabrice Ghozlan : Directeur Commerce et Développement, le 5 mai 2025 au restaurant La Nautique à Marseille, lors de la  célébration des 80 ans de MAURIC.
From left to right, Vincent Seguin: Chairman, François Sébilo: Managing Director, and Fabrice Ghozlan: Sales and Development Director, on May 5, 2025 at La Nautique restaurant in Marseille, during MAURIC's 80th anniversary celebration.

Mauric has not forgotten its sailing roots. On the contrary, the company builds on this tradition to offer innovative vessels like the Neoliner Origin a 136-metre sail-powered cargo ship, or sail-assisted maritime patrol boats. Sailing is once again a strategic mode of propulsion, and Mauric, true to its initial vision, integrates it into complex, carbon-free maritime projects.

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