Harmony 47
Practical Boat Owner|March 2022
Peter Poland trials two versions of the popular charter yacht – a standard ‘Elegance’ in the Cyclades and more bespoke ‘Esprit Vintage’ model
Peter K Poland
Harmony 47
Branding can be a black art. Ask most sailors the names of the principal French yacht brands, and they will probably say Beneteau, Jeanneau and Dufour. Over many years, all these builders have had their ‘moments’, but all three are doing well today with their monohull cruising yachts and increasingly popular catamaran ranges.

Some yachtsmen may not know however that back in the late 1980s the keen sailor and entrepreneur Olivier Poncin bought the then ailing Dufour business from Baron Bic. Bic had first bought into Dufour in the late 1970s and produced his America’s Cup challenger France lll there.

Poncin proceeded to put the company back on its feet thanks to modernised methods and the skills of yacht designers such as J&J then Mortain & Mavrikios. Then Poncin sold the revitalised Dufour and used the proceeds to set up a new French yacht manufacturing company named Harmony Yachts, which formed part of Groupe Poncin Yachts.

And since Poncin was starting from scratch (albeit with much experience and a substantial pot of cash), he was able to invest in a new factory. He equipped this with custom designed and engineered state of the art robotic gelcoat applicators, resin injection and infusion tools and computer-controlled cutters. This laboursaving automated production line soon had the Harmony business booming. The net result was an efficient manufacturing system capable of making technologically advanced and strictly controlled products.

Optimum ratio

Esta historia es de la edición March 2022 de Practical Boat Owner.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 2022 de Practical Boat Owner.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE PRACTICAL BOAT OWNERVer todo
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Practical Boat Owner

Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.

time-read
1 min  |
Summer 2024
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
Practical Boat Owner

No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash

A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Multihull sail work
Practical Boat Owner

Multihull sail work

Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing

time-read
4 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Practical Boat Owner

Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them

Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Practical Boat Owner

Sail the Atlantic with strangers

Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that

time-read
10 minutos  |
Summer 2024
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Practical Boat Owner

IZIBoat: simple sailing

Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft

time-read
7 minutos  |
Summer 2024
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
Practical Boat Owner

30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT

From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for restoring under £20,000

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
Practical Boat Owner

Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

time-read
5 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Playing with coloured sails
Practical Boat Owner

Playing with coloured sails

Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers

time-read
3 minutos  |
Summer 2024