June 27, 2022

SamBoat, the “airbnb for boats”, sees things in a big way and wants to establish itself permanently in Uncle Sam’s country by becoming the worldwide reference for online boat rentals.

With a coastline of almost 2,000 km, more than 4,500 islands around and lakes as far as the eye can see, Florida is the state of choice for boating, yet “no major competitor is present in the U.S. for the time being on this market”, assures Laurent Calando, cofounder of the rental website. “SamBoat is one of the largest platforms in the world with more than 300,000 requests received per year and will be mobilized to ensure the U.S. demand.”

The platform, which has recently been adapted to allow payments in US dollars and pounds sterling, provides personalized support for each client, all for an affordable price: up to 40% lower than market prices. SamBoat is initially based on individuals looking to make their boats profitable. To expand rapidly, SamBoat wants to capitalize on Bénéteau and its successful establishment. Indeed, Bénéteau, the world’s number one yacht manufacturer, acquired the American powerboat builder RecBoats in 2014 and is taking advantage of this position to firmly establish itself in the United States.

ABOUT US

SamBoat, the European leader in online boat rental, currently has nearly 50,000 sailboats, catamarans and motorboats in more than 1,400 destinations around the world. In 2014, the two young businessmen from Bordeaux, Laurent Calando and Nicolas Cargou, founders of the company, wanted to make boating accessible to everyone: from beginners to experienced skippers, everyone can now sail. In 2018, the French company was acquired by Dream Yacht Group.