When thirty new catamaran owners gathered in mid-May on the sun-drenched coast of Canet-en-Roussillon, France, it wasn’t just for a celebratory maiden cruise—it was for school. The third annual Excess Campus, hosted by Groupe Beneteau’s catamaran brand Excess, brought together owners from around the world for four days of hands-on training, community-building, and coastal cruising.
Launched in 2019, the Excess brand has quickly carved out a niche in the performance cruising catamaran market, offering a blend of stripped-down simplicity and sporty responsiveness. But beyond hull shapes and rig plans, the brand is cultivating something less tangible but equally valuable: a sense of belonging.
“At Excess, the adventure doesn’t stop with the acquisition of a catamaran,” the company notes. It’s a guiding principle behind initiatives like Excess Campus—a program aimed at helping owners gain confidence and integrate into what Excess calls the “tribe.”
A Floating Masterclass
The 2025 Campus event, held May 14–17, blended classroom-style instruction with real-world, on-the-water practice. Attendees rotated through modules covering mechanical systems (led by Yanmar), electronics and navigation (with Garmin), and hull and deck maintenance (with RM Nautisme). The French sea rescue organization SNSM hosted a critical safety-at-sea workshop, and each afternoon, participants sailed along the Catalan coast, applying what they learned in docking and sailing exercises.
Programs like this reflect a growing industry-wide emphasis on post-sale support—not just for service, but for skill building.
A Broader Trend in Owner Education
While manufacturers have long offered factory tours and occasional owner rendezvous, some are now creating structured programs to help owners become better sailors. In addition to Excess Campus, Groupe Grand Large’s Outremer offers its popular “Blue Water Sailing Seminars” in La Grande-Motte, and Leopard Catamarans continues to foster owner engagement through flotillas and events.
For today’s multihull buyers—many of whom are transitioning from monohulls or are new to sailing altogether—this type of education fills a crucial gap between boat handover and bluewater confidence. For builders, it also supports customer success and long-term brand loyalty.
The Human Element
Excess Campus is as much about camaraderie as it is about catamarans. Between technical sessions and sea trials, participants spent time socializing, sharing stories, and making plans for future meetups. The sense of community that emerged was palpable—evidence that support after the sale isn’t just a value-add, but a meaningful part of the ownership experience.
“The Excess Campus was launched as an immersive and communal training experience,” the company says, “designed to offer Excess owners training and support after their purchase and to fully integrate them into the Excess family.”
With its third edition now complete, the program appears to be gaining momentum—and setting an example. As more builders recognize the value of helping owners grow into confident sailors, the days of a simple handoff may be fading. In their place: experiences that strengthen both skills and relationships, afloat and ashore.
