Atlantic Refit Center are thrilled to announce that in addition to winning the international bid to develop the superyacht refit business at the Grand Port Maritime of La Rochelle, France, they have now signed an exclusive six year contract with the Port Authorities to run the large dry dock (L 176 m x W 22m), as well as the technical area approx (5000 m²).

Atlantic Refit Center, La Rochelle, France - Image credit to B. Henry

Due to winning this contract, Atlantic Refit Center is now the only shipyard on the west coast of France able to welcome superyachts up to 140m in length, in perfect safety conditions. The main development project with the Port Authorities is to cover the large dry dock to ensure an even better service for their clients and far more efficient working conditions for themselves.

This January in order to strengthen its commercial team, Atlantic Refit Center are very pleased to welcome Patricia Pontis who will be based in Monaco. She has had a decade of experience in the yachting industry and she will be in charge of Commercial Sales targeting Captains and management companies for the shipyard. Patricia is well known in the industry, she started with Archibald Reid Yacht Brokers, chartering and supervising yachts then in 2008, she joined Invest Associates Yacht Painters as Sales Manager, selling and supervising for different refit and building shipyards and more recently, 2011 to 2014, she worked as Sales Representative with a well known refit shipyard in Marseille.

Patricia Pontis

Atlantic Refit Center gained solid experience and excellent references from several mega yacht refit operations such as the 72m mega yacht Skat and recently the 72m motor yacht Enigma (ex Norna), which won the World Superyacht Award 2014, organized by Boat International magazine, for the best conversion-refit.

Atlantic Refit Center operates in a tightly controlled security zone operated by the Port Autonome authority (ISPS code) and it is ideally situated on the way to the Mediterranean if coming from the Caribbean islands, the USA or Northern Europe.

2015 is going to see Atlantic Refit Center go from strength to strength as they continue to be the only deep sea port and shipyard on the French Atlantic accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their award winning facilities are excellent and offer a full range of services for both the super yacht and mega yacht refit. Atlantic Refit Center – they’ve got it covered.