The Founder-Charles GARDETTE

Charles Gardette was born in Lyon, France, on March 30, 1989.

From an early age, he was drawn to the timeless elegance of classic runabouts vessels whose lines were shaped not by trends, but by purpose. The great Italian boats of the 1950s and 1960s represented, to him, a form of quiet intelligence: balance, restraint, and respect for the water.

But the true foundation of his vision was forged elsewhere.

Every summer of his childhood was spent on the Cap Ferret peninsula, on France’s Atlantic coast a place defined by tides, shifting sands, and ever-changing horizons. A landscape where white sand islets emerge with the rhythm of the ocean, accessible only by boat, and where nature dictates both pace and direction.

“Reaching these islands by boat, surrounded by family and friends, remains one of my strongest memories.
The wind in our hair, the warmth of the sun, laughter carried over the water.
Moments when time seems to slow down, and you understand what true freedom feels like.”

These experiences shaped a lasting conviction:
that the most meaningful moments in life are simple, shared, and deeply connected to place.

GARDETTE YACHTS was born from this belief.

Not as a conventional boat brand, but as a platform designed to accompany people through moments of connection, movement, and presence on the water. A platform where engineering, design, and operation serve a single purpose: to make these moments possible, quietly and reliably.

At its core, GARDETTE YACHTS reflects a distinctly French approach one of craftsmanship, discretion, and measured elegance combined with a modern responsibility toward the environments in which it operates.

This is not about owning a boat.
It is about experiencing the water as it was meant to be experienced: with grace, respect, and a sense of continuity, in a French savoir faire.”