For over 45 years, MULTIPLAST has been designing and building competition boats made from composite materials, which stand out thanks to their unrivalled track record: Atlantic records, Jules Verne Trophy, Route du Rhum, Volvo Ocean Race, etc.
Our expertise in high-performance composites is rapidly gaining recognition, enabling us to collaborate with the world’s best skippers and naval architects.
Since the 2000s, we have expanded our field of activity by offering our expertise to new sectors: Aeronautics, Defence, Industry and Civil Engineering.
In 2013, an external growth strategy initiated by Dominique Dubois gave rise to the CARBOMAN Group, now chaired by Jean Denis Bargibant and Damien Harlé, with Yann Penfornis as Chief Executive Officer. The Group comprises four companies, 250 employees and generates turnover of €35 million, with a shared ambition: to push the boundaries of composite innovation.
The MULTIPLAST Management Committee is completed by:
- Olivier Joubert: Chief Financial Officer of the CARBOMAN Group,
- Stéphanie Vallée: Director of Financial Affairs, MULTIPLAST
- Jeremy Mazzolini: Head of the Design Office,
- Mathieu Le Quilliec: Production Manager,
- Gildas Le Vagueresse: Purchasing and Logistics Manager
- Myriam Akalay: Group Quality Manager, CARBOMAN
Since 2011, MULTIPLAST has been certified as a Living Heritage Company (EPV) and, since 2016, it has been certified to ISO 9001 and EN 9100 standards.
A vision,
some convictions
At the end of the 1970s, racing boats were still being built from aluminium, moulded wood or fibreglass/polyester. Driven by strong convictions, naval architect Gilles Ollier founded MULTIPLAST based on a simple principle: to bring together the design office and workshop on the same site, just like a Formula 1 team.
His approach is based on innovative choices:
- forms simplified to the maximum, designed using mathematical formulas,
- the use of high-performance fabrics (glass, Kevlar and then carbon) impregnated with epoxy resin polymerised under vacuum,
- sandwich structures, combining PVC foam and honeycomb.
This forward-thinking vision quickly bore fruit. By 1983, other architects were calling on MULTIPLAST to build their iconic boats, such as the Royale 2 catamaran and the Charles Heidsieck trimaran. This was the first step in a diversification process which, twenty years later, would pave the way for many other areas of activity.
Multiplast in a few key dates
1981 :
- Creation of MULTIPLAST by Gilles Ollier, naval architect, to build the first Jet Services catamaran in Carquefou (44),
1984 :
- Launch of Crédit Agricole, the first 100% carbon fibre racing catamaran
1984 :
- Arrival in Vannes, on the shores of the Gulf of Morbihan, in a 900m² workshop,
1987 :
- Manufacture of the two arms of the Jet Services catamaran in pre-impregnated monolithic carbon fibre.
1989 :
- Production of F1, 1st Class America launched after the 12mJI period,
1993 :
- First victory for a MULTIPLAST boat in the Jules Verne Trophy (79 days),
1998 :
- Launch of 6ème sens, French challenger for the America’s Cup, made entirely from pre-impregnated carbon fibre.
1999 :
- Delivery of two flight simulator domes for Tiger helicopters for THALES. This deal marks the beginning of the diversification process.
2000 :
- Three 30-metre catamarans designed and built by MULTIPLAST took the top three places in The Race, a crewed round-the-world race.
2004 :
- Launch of the Orange 2 catamaran for Bruno Peyron. Records in the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic and the Jules Verne Trophy complete the list of achievements.
2006 :
- Launch of the Groupama 3 trimaran. This boat won the Jules Verne Trophy in 48 days and won the Route du Rhum three times (2010, 2014 and 2018).
2007 :
- Start of the ALMA project, a set of 25 radio telescopes mounted on the Atacama plateau in Chile. MULTIPLAST delivers one part every six weeks until 2010.
2009 :
- Dominique Dubois takes over as Chairman of the company following the departure of its founder Gilles Ollier.
2011 :
- Awarded the Living Heritage Company (EPV) label,
- Launch of Groupama 4, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race
2013 :
- Creation of the CARBOMAN Group, comprising MULTIPLAST in France and DECISION S.A. in Switzerland.
2016 :
- Delivery of the five domes for the Russian spiritual centre in Paris, designed by Wilmotte & Associés.
- Achievement of ISO 9001 and EN 9100 certification,
2017 :
- Launch of the Gitana 17 trimaran, winner of the 2022 Route du Rhum and the 2024 Arkea Challenge.
2019:
- Manufacture of the fuselage and assembly of Alice, the electric aircraft from Israeli start-up Eviation.
2022 :
- Jean Denis Bargibant and Damien Harlé take over as Chairmen of the Carboman Group,
2024 :
- Construction of Orient Express, K-Challenge’s AC75 for the 37th America’s Cup,
2025 :
- Delivery of the first SolidSail rigid sails for Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
