Yachtsmen will be able to participate in yacht design with the Tribord-Décathlon Sailing Laboratory

Opening of the Starboard sailing laboratory in La Rochelle

While the Decathlon Tribord brand has already started investing in premises since the beginning of 2021, on 2 July 2021 the French sailing laboratory in La Rochelle took a new step by accepting the first yachtsmen.

“Openness to customers is one of the most important elements of the project approach,” explains Genole Gavard, head of the sailing brand Decathlon.

“The official opening will take place on September 30, at the same time as the Grand Pavois, but from July 2, we welcome our first users.

The purpose of this site is collaborative design.

Throughout the summer, we will organize site tours to showcase our business lines.

Anyone will be able to access the site if they are a Decathlon customer and provide some information. "

Joint design of equipment for yachtsmen

To introduce their new platform, the Tribord team relied on 3 pillars: inspiration, co-creation, and ease of sharing.

“We chose Code0 for inspiration because we are not futurists.

They will be responsible for creating content for us and organizing conferences.

It is from there that ideas will come.

When it comes to co-creation or co-design, it can be done in different ways: in the form of community questions and answers, as is done online at the global Decathlon website; or more accurately, by creating prototypes in-house or with partners.

Waterproofness and safety remain our priorities.

Finally, we have developed places of communication to facilitate exchange of views with yachtsmen, ”sums up Genole Gavard

A custom tool within the La Rochelle marine ecosystem

Previously based in Hyundai, sailing yacht brand Decathlon has decided to move closer to the yachting hub of La Rochelle.

“At the heart of the Rochelle ecosystem, with many boats on site, it is easier for builders to interact.

We also have test areas such as a "shower cubicle" large enough to accommodate a mini 6.50 and run tests with a good test report, replicating splash and rain.

The buoyancy reservoir allows us to pre-test lifejackets in-house before certification, which saves time.

The digital architecture of the site also implies the possibility of interviewing yachtsmen everywhere, even right in the locker room! "- says the manager of Starboard.

The Decathlon brand already has partnerships with FFVoile, SNSM and École de Voile Rochelaise, which are often present on the premises.

Collaboration with other maritime professionals may expand.

“We do not forbid ourselves to accept other professionals.

Let's see.

We structure ourselves as we move forward with new projects, ”concludes Genole Gavard.

09.07.2021