Corporate

History

Creation

Created in 1977 , on the initiative of Constant and Olympe Pafsides, Locaboat Plaisance, the main company within the group, has managed to set up and then develop an original holiday concept.

River tourism had existed in France for almost 10 years, and in England since the end of the last century, but the birth of a totally integrated product was only achieved by Locaboat « with the passing years » .

With this notion of the global responsibility of its product, the Locaboat group has become a leader in the river tourism market , a recognised specialist due to the manufacture of the Penichette, the leading make of boat in the field of river tourism.

Today, the brand name of river tourism is:
« Holidays on a Penichette® »

In July 2006 the Locaboat Holidays group was purchased by European Boating Holidays Ltd. A British company owned by its Executive Management and the Investment Institution RJD Partners.

The significant events

1977 Creation of Locaboat Plaisance and the Joigny base (Yonne)

1978 Appearance of the first Pénichette: the Pénichette 960

1979 Creation of Locaboat Industries, the manufacturer

1980 Launch of the mass production of the Pénichette 930

1981 Creation of the Pénichette 1100

1982 Opening of the Homps base on the Canal du Midi

1986 Introduction of the first Pénichettes 935 and 1107
Creation of a sales office in Germany :
Locaboat Plaisance GMBH
Opening of the Aigues Mortes base in the Camargue

1987 Opening of the Dijon base in Burgundy

1988 Birth of the Pénichettes 1500 "Aft-Deck"

1989 Opening of the Agen base in Aquitaine
Creation of the Pénichettes 1260

1990 Opening of the Corre base in Franche Comté
Opening of the Luzech base on the Lot

1991 Creation of Locaboat Nederland and the opening of the Loosdrecht base
Creation of the Pénichettes 1120

1992 Opening of the Lutzelbourg base in Lorraine/Alsace
Opening of the Negra base on the Canal du Midi

1993 Opening of the Fürstenburg base in Germany
Creation of a base at Argens on the Canal du Midi

1994 Opening of the Pont Royal base on the Canal de Bourgogne
Creation of the Pénichette 1106

1995 Birth of the new generation of Pénichettes 1160, the 'Flying Bridge'

1996 Opening of the Dompierre-sur-Besbre base in Southern Burgundy
Opening of the Cappy base in Somme-Picardy

1997 Creation of the Pénichette 1400

1998 Transfer of the Aigues-Mortes base to Lattes near Montpellier
Management of a base with 200 mooring points
Opening of the Cognac base in Charente

1999 Transfer of the Dijon base to Plombières-Les Dijon
Transfer of the Corre base to Scey-Sur-Saône

2000 Creation of Locaboat Ireland along with the opening of the new base in Ballinamore on Shannon Erne waterways.
Birth of the Flying Bridge 1020

2001 Opening of the St Leger sur Dheune base.

2002 Opening of the Venarey les Laumes base.

2003 Opening of 2 new bases in Germany; one in Matzlow, the other in Töplitz.
Opening of the new port St Sylvestre in France and Athlone in Ireland.
Birth of the P1500 FB

2004 Opening of the CHIOGGIA base in Italy in partnership with Rendez-vous Fantasia

2005 Opening of the Valence base in the French South-west.
Creation of the 1180 FB Penichette

2006 Opening of the base at Loisy in southern Burgundy on the Seille river
and of Ketzin near to Potsdam in Germany - Brandenburg

2007 Locaboat will be celebrating its 30th anniversary and the 30 years of the famous "Pénichette" trade mark

2008 Opening of the base at Base at Redon in Brittany, Tenherne in Holland, Mikolajki in Poland.
The boats "Europa" of Cardinal in France, Holland, Poland and Germany.