BENETEAU REPORTS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SALES FRANCE.

Beneteau, the French boatbuilder, said that for its financial year ending 31 August, consolidated sales reached EUR619.3 million (ca. $635M), growing by 8.5% compared with the previous year's figure of EUR570.6 million. The group thus topped its initial growth target of 7%. Beneteau said the company's performance was made possible by: 1) strong results at the FRP composite sailboat division in Europe; 2) the resilience of the US market, which held at the highest point reached in 2001; and 3) rapid growth in its power boat business, where sales increased by more than 20%. The large ...