THE BITE OF THE BARRACUDA
Benjamin Bénéteau created a boatyard in the south of France in 1884, and, unsurprisingly, this new venture featured his name on the gate.
Beneteau boats at this time were unpowered traditional craft, and for their hardy skippers, a boat’s performance was judged by how quickly it could transport the crew back to the harbour — whoever returned first would corner the market on price for the day.
It wasn’t until 1909 that Beneteau would build its first power boat in the region, which must have really tipped the daily race on its head.
While Beneteau may not have invented the powered
