Lagoon Yachts has launched a program called Neo that’s intended to help with environmental sustainability. The program will see Lagoon’s team renovate older catamarans at the Groupe Beneteau shipyard to give them new life, and then offer them for sale with a manufacturer’s warranty.
The first model to go through the Neo program is a Lagoon 620 from 2012. It’s called Firefly, and Lagoon repurchased it this past February. Its first dozen years on the water had been spent in private use and in charter.
Lagoon says the Neo process includes appraisal and evaluation of the individual boat, to establish the list of work to be accomplished; completion of that work with materials and software updates in a way that reflects today’s standards and expectations; the same rigorous testing that new Lagoon builds go through; and repurposing of more than 70 percent of uninstalled equipment.
“Leaving the shipyard, the boat will be like new, with a manufacturer’s warranty of two years,” the company says. “Three types of packs will be available, according to the level of refit desired by the customer.”
Those “packs” include a premium version that includes a full structural audit, up-to-date electrical equipment including a Seanapps monitoring system, and an interior refresh with new or refurbished main equipment.
Lagoon says it will take about four to six months to pass each boat through the Neo program. The resulting manufacturer’s warranty will be backed up by the company’s international dealer network, with more than 230 service locations throughout the world.
For a look at how things turned out on the Lagoon 620 Firefly, sailboat enthusiasts can attend the Occasions du Multicoque et du Refit Boat Show coming up in October in Canet-en-Roussillon, France. Firefly is expected to be there.
Is the Neo program part of Sailing for Change? Yes. Sailing for Change is a broader strategic project for the development of more sustainable cruising. It also includes certification of production facilities, innovation in the use of biosourced and recycled primary materials, research into alternative propulsion systems, environmentally responsible equipment, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations working to protect the marine ecosystem. Overall, Groupe Beneteau is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2030.
Where to learn more: go to catamarans-lagoon.com.
