After building a wooden hull in his father’s hardware store in Les Herbiers and tacking a buoy in the lead during the 6 Hours of Paris, Henry Jeanneau decided to set up his own boatyard in 1957. Only one year later, the builder produced his first polyester hulls. By 1963, Jeanneau was mass-producing small launches. Sailing began in 1964 with the Alizé, which was a huge success. This was followed by the Sangria, the Love Love and the Mélody. Jeanneau strengthened its position in powerboating and became the world’s leading sailboat manufacturer in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982, Jeanneau launched Jeanneau Techniques Avancées, a workshop that would go on to build prestigious racing multihulls such as Pierre 1er, winner of the Route du Rhum in 1990 with Florence Arthaud, as well as the very first Lagoon! The name Sun was introduced with the Sun Fizz, and later evolved into the Sun Fast and Sun Odyssey ranges, which are still in use today. In 1995, the Bénéteau Group took control of Jeanneau, and the brand continued its international expansion with the opening of offices in the United States and Hong Kong.