And the feeling is mutual … To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Corsica’s only RIB manufacturer and Honda Marine invited us to Isolella to experience their partnership first-hand. A promising alliance!
Words ) Philippe Leblond
Based in Pietrosella, south of Ajaccio, U Fanale (“the lighthouse” in Corsican), the company founded by Pierre-André Paoli, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. To mark the occasion, it will soon move into a new facility that will double its production space. “Since we started building boats, we have launched 140 RIBs. They operate in the Mediterranean, but also in the Atlantic. Our current production capacity is around 15 to 20 boats a year, but the new facility should allow us to reach approximately 30 units. That said, we have no intention of producing significantly more, because we want to meet our customers’ needs as closely as possible, which requires time and flexibility. Besides,” Pierre-André continues, “we are out on the water every day, so our customers benefit from our first-hand experience.”
Catherine Ghilain, a qualified lawyer, joined the company at an early stage, but soon took on a wide range of responsibilities in this small-scale operation, which employs six people full-time. These include managing the charter fleet, boat licences and communications, among other things. The third member of the management team is Jean-Jacques Paoli, Pierre-André’s brother. A motorsport enthusiast and an aircraft mechanic by trade, he is U Fanale’s technical specialist. Although the shipyard builds its RIBs with the help of Italian subcontractors – who supply the hulls, tubes and upholstery – the final assembly and technical installations are carried out in-house, including engines, electrical systems, electronics and deck fittings.
The range now extends from 6 to 14 metres, with prices ranging from €40,000 to €700,000, including engines. Deeply attached to his native Corsica, to the point of teaching polyphonic singing, Pierre-André wanted to name the various models after birds found on the «Île de Beauté»: Altagna, Altore, Falchettu, Filanciu … Birds of good omen, recently joined by two newcomers that break with the tradition: the Piume 600, an open boat with a rigid hull, and the brand-new Acula Marina 560 RIB. We took advantage of the anniversary celebrations to get behind the helm of most of the Fanale Marine models, all launched at Isolella, a stunning inlet on the southern coast of the Gulf of Ajaccio.
We were able to appreciate the successful pairing of Fanale hulls with Honda outboards. The partnership is recent, but it is off to an excellent start, according to Guillaume Valladon, Marketing and Communications Manager at Honda Marine France. “This collaboration began with the launch of our 350 hp V8 two years ago. Depending on the length of the Fanale RIBs, which range from 5.70 to 14 metres, our packages offer engine configurations from 115 hp up to twin 350 hp engines. Shared synergies and human values are at the heart of our alliance, which aims to expand our premium package offering in France and across Europe. That is why we have a joint presence at boat shows whenever possible. The spirit of the partnership is always evident there, bringing together two companies that share the same vision of recreational boating.”
With Honda’s support, Fanale Marine – which has an annual turnover of one million euros – is moving up a gear. It also expects to further expand its distribution network, which already includes around 15 dealers, among them one in the Caribbean and one in Croatia.
Photos ) Honda Marine