BENETEAU CELEBRATES 2018 AWARD WINNERS
August 14, 2018
On July 16th, Beneteau, one of the leading global boat manufacturers, celebrated the top dealers of the year at its Annual Dealer Meeting. Over 35 dealerships from North and South America gathered for the awards gala at San Diego Yacht Club in San Diego, CA.
The group of dealers are pictured here, posed on the deck of America, probably the world’s most famous racing yacht. It is also one of the most beautiful yachts in the world. The opportunity to include a visit to America for Beneteau’s meeting was obvious: The original America put yachting on the map. It is why the most famous trophy in sailing is called The America’s Cup. In 1851, a boat named ‘America’ won the ‘Royal Yacht Squadrons’ 100 Guinea Cup given to the winner of a race around the Isle of Wight. It is said that the margin was so great that watching America sail past the royal yacht, Queen Victoria famously asked, “Who came second?” “Your majesty… there is no second,” was the reply. The winners, members of the New York Yacht Club, donated the trophy to the Club, to be held as a ‘challenge’ trophy. Thus was born the America’s Cup, named after the boat not the country.
Among the attendees from the 35 Beneteau dealerships in North and South America were Canada’s Boisvert Marine, Boulet Lemelin, Grand Yachts, M&P Yacht Centre and Maple City Marine.
Three awards honored the best sales performances:
- Best Performance Overall went to South Coast Yachts (San Diego & Newport Beach, CA)
- Best Performance for Sailboats went to Naos Yachts (Marina Del Rey, CA; Oxnard, CA; and Mililani, HI)
- Best Performance for Powerboats went to Viage Group (Sarasota, Fort Myers Beach & St. Petersburg, FL)
In addition to honoring these three winners, three special achievement awards were presented at the event:
- Best Client Appreciation went to South Coast Yachts (San Diego & Newport Beach, CA)
- Best Service Department went to Castaways Yacht Club (New Rochelle and Port Washington, NY)
- Fighting Spirit Award went to SMA Yachts (Acapulco & Valle de Bravo, Mexico)
“For many years, our dealership network has been the heart of sales and service support initiatives. These awards highlight the best of our network and offer our thanks for each dealer’s field of excellence, in the backdrop of our continued growth. This is why along the awards celebrating the sales performances from our dealers, we wanted to have dedicated on to the service and the client appreciation,” stated Jean-Francois, director of sales.
The French brand Beneteau, founded in 1884, builds a comprehensive range of sailing yachts and powerboats available through its worldwide dealer network. For more than 130 years, Beneteau has pioneered advances in architecture, design, technology, materials, processes, production and services. From high-performing one designs for top-level racing to comfortable and elegant cruising yachts, Beneteau’s sailing yachts and powerboats are famous worldwide for their innovation, quality and seaworthiness.
To learn more, visit www.BeneteauLife.com