Archambault
Archambault: from the Surprise to the M34, the IRC yard in Dangé-Saint-Romain
Foundation and trajectory
Yard founded in 1967 in Dangé-Saint-Romain (Vienne) byJean-Jacques Archambault, coming from polyester lamination. Production of series-built race-cruise sailboats, in nearly exclusive collaboration with the design officeMichel Joubert then Joubert-Nivelt. Judicial liquidation in 2015 after a first restructuring in 2012 (takeover by GCBTP of Gilles Caminade).
Construction
On the latest models (A35, M34, A13), hulls in glass/foam vinylester sandwich, injected decks, carbon masts (Axxon on the A13), deep bulb keels. IRC optimization on most of the post-2006 range.
After the liquidation
The molds were taken over in 2015 byBG Race in Saint-Malo (Servane Escoffier and Louis Burton), which relaunched a small series of Surprise. After BG Race's liquidation, Didier Bouygues acquired the Surprise molds and createdBateaux Phoenix (La Rochelle) which continues small-scale production today.

