Excess Catamarans Invites Buyers and Brokers Inside Its French Factory

The Excess Catamarans Factory Tour returned to its home in Poiré-sur-Vie this March, offering a rare look behind the scenes of how its performance cruising catamarans are built, with doors open on March 20 and 21, 2026.

More than a simple walkthrough, the Factory Tour was positioned as an immersive experience, aimed at owners, prospective buyers, and boating enthusiasts keen to understand what really happens behind the scenes before an Excess catamaran sets sail. Brokers and media were also explicitly included in the invitation.

From moulding to assembly, including quality control and the major stages of production, the Factory Tour offered a concrete insight into Excess know-how. The programme also included guided discovery of key models in the line-up, including the Excess 11, Excess 13, and Excess 14. It was also a unique opportunity to meet the people who bring it to life and to witness the birth of the catamarans that will soon set sail.

Excess is the dynamic catamaran brand by Groupe Beneteau. The group operates nine main brands: Beneteau, Jeanneau, Prestige, Lagoon, Excess, Delphia, Four Winns, Wellcraft, and Scarab. The shipyard that builds each Excess catamaran is located in western France, in the Vendée département, putting Poiré-sur-Vie at the centre of the brand's entire production story.

As Thibaut De Montvalon put it at a previous edition: "The image I have is that the Excess Lab is the keyhole where you get a glimpse of part of the boat building process, and so the Factory Tour is like going through the door!"

The 2026 event was not a one-off. The Poiré-sur-Vie site has previously opened its doors for the same kind of exclusive immersion into the manufacturing process, from molding through to final preparation and assembly, with the experience returning year after year. The 2025 edition ran on March 22, from 10am to 4pm, at the same Le Poiré-sur-Vie site. Expanding to two full days for 2026 signals growing demand from a buyer community that increasingly wants to see exactly where their money goes before signing a purchase agreement.

Attendance was by registration, and places were limited. Interested parties were directed to contact their local dealer to reserve a spot. For anyone who missed the March dates, the pattern of annual editions suggests the shipyard will open again in 2027, and registering early with an Excess dealer is the most reliable way to secure a place on the next one.