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Jeanneau sails into San Francisco Bay with a local option to buy new

Sailing Jeanneau's sister, Beneteau, from Brickyard Cove

San Francisco Bay sailors in the market for a new Jeanneau sailboat will no longer have to schlep to Annapolis to buy one, with the August 25 announcement of a new local dealer in the East Bay. Marine Servicecenter, which already maintains several locations along the West Coast from San Diego to Seattle, is now the exclusive Northern California dealer for Jeanneau. The dealer partnered locally with the nonprofit sailing school and club Group Nautique at Brickyard Cove, Richmond, to give Bay Area sailors a venue to check out and hop aboard new Jeanneau models.

“Expanding our distribution partnership with Jeanneau was a smart decision for us,” said Dan Krier, Vice President of Marine Servicenter, in a statement. “Jeanneau builds innovative, high quality sailboats that are in high demand, and we are looking forward to bringing the same sales and service standards our customers have come to expect to Northern California.”

Jeanneau and its sister brand Beneteau are well-known for their midsized monohulls and are a common sight on SF Bay. Cruisers and racers alike generally have positive perspectives on Jeanneaus. Volvo Ocean Race sailor Hannah Diamond said of her Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, “Everything is led back to the cockpit nicely. It has water ballast, which makes a massive difference with only two of you on board. There are lots of different sail configurations and it is very manageable with just two people.” But Jeanneaus sometimes receive mixed reviews from the salty, ocean-bound set who look for something more substantial in sailboats that can take a slam from a wave. And Tim Labute of Lady K Sailing questions the availability of some Jeanneau replacement parts, like porthole windows.

The Jeanneau parent company, Groupe Beneteau, is based in France, but many of its boats were American-made for decades, with factories in Marion, South Carolina and Cadillac, Michigan. August marked the closing of its last American factory after some difficult reorganizing. Beneteau’s boatbuilding is expected to be consolidated at plants in France and Poland. Jeanneau remains popular and is among the top three sailboat brands by sales in the US.

If you’re gaga for Jeanneau, the brand is exhibiting at three upcoming boat shows in Seattle (September 17-20), Sausalito (September 25-27), and Annapolis (October 15-18). If you’re local to the Bay Area, you can check out the new dealer location at Brickyard Cove, Richmond, which has quick access to the Slot and views of San Francisco.

Brickyard Cove sunset, soon to be viewed from more Jeanneaus at the dock.

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