Privilege Marine was founded by Rene Bernard, and the world-famous offshore sailboat racer, Phillippe Jeantot. Jeantot was considered at the time one of the best single-handed offshore sailors, and ultimately went on to start the Vendee Globe Round the World Race. The original concept for Privilege Marine was to build a blue water cruising catamaran for a family circumnavigation.
The company opened up the Jeantot Ship Yards in the heart of Les Sables d’Olonne on the infamous Bay of Biscayne. The first catamaran to come out of the shipyard was the Privilege 39, which is now considered one of the most iconic catamarans to come out of the 1980’s.
In the late 1980’s, Privilege began a 30+ year relationship with designer Marc Lombard, who to this day still designs catamarans for Privilege Marine. Some of his most famous designs include the Privilege 585 catamaran, made popular on youtube by a sailing family, and the Privilege 615, one of the first catamarans to be built with a fly bridge.
To own a Privilege Catamaran is like owning a classic Rolls Royce. They are elegant and rugged, cutting-edge designs and timeless. Each Privilege catamaran is a semi-custom build and as a result, no two Privilege catamarans are the same.
