WATERTOYS ONBOARD - YOUR OPINION / JOUETS A BORD - VOTRE AVIS

A few weeks ago, we conducted a survey to help us better understand your use of nautical toys on board.

First of all, a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you for taking the time to share your feedback! As you know, every contribution helps us to perfect tomorrow's catamaran.

First of all, we’re delighted to note that 69.2% of responses came from our customers. Of these, one third own an Excess 14, while two thirds own an Excess 11.

As for their main sailing areas, the breakdown was 53.8% sailing in the Mediterranean, and 15.4% on France’s Atlantic coast.

Let’s take a closer look now at our analysis of the toys people have on board.

The first observation: We asked you to name the three essential toys you carry aboard your boat. At 96.2%, the majority of you selected snorkeling equipment (wetsuits, masks, snorkels, etc.). In second place came paddleboards with 30.4%, followed closely by wingsurfing with 23.1% and kayaks with 19.2% of the votes. It’s also interesting to note that inflatable sailing dinghies appear frequently among your choices.

This shows that the you have a fairly diverse selection of toys on board, allowing you to enjoy more activities: one is focused on swimming and underwater exploration, another is more sporty, designed to take advantage of wind and speed, and finally, the paddleboard, the must-have, offers the opportunity to wander around and contemplate the landscape surrounding you.
This diversity is also reflected in your answers to the question: “What is the main reason or need that drives you to take toys on board?” The results show that 46.2% of you are looking for adventure, 34.6% for recreation, and 15.4% for sport.

The second observation: You want to take toys on board, but you’ve only got limited space  for them, especially inside your boat. A large majority of you (73.1%) are prepared to dedicate one of the forepeaks for toy storage, while 23.1% opt for the use of external storage lockers.

Consistently, 34.6% of you prefer inflatable toys, and 30.8% prefer a combination of inflatable and rigid toys.

Clearly, space saving is one of the essential criteria.

In the same spirit of the ease of toy transport, 57.7% of you prefer toys propelled by sail. Human power follows closely behind at 42.3%, while the electric option appealed to 19.2% of respondents. Clearly, you prefer to avoid motors or cumbersome propulsion systems.

Finally, when it comes to accessing your toys, the most convenient area is the forepeak, cited by 80.8% of respondents. A second area of interest, chosen by 19.2% of you, is to attach your toys to the guardwires along the side-decks, in order to preserve locker space. Lastly, 19.2% also see the davits as a practical place to store their toys (dinghy, SUP, etc.)

To sum up, on-board toys need to offer a variety of activities, while occupying a minimum of space, even if it means inflating them. The forepeak is the best place to store them, along with the rest of your equipment. And last but not least, these toys should be propelled by wind or human power, so as not to weigh you down, and so that you can enjoy the sea and your surrounding landscapes to the full.