In 2011, Le Boreal’s sister ship, L’Austral, entered service on 20 April. Less than five months later, on 26 September, Compagnie du Ponant announced it had exercised its option for a third ship of the same class to be constructed at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard. Named Le Soleal, this third ship would continue to build upon the success that Compagnie du Ponant had pioneered for itself with these modern, adventurous yachts.

In September 2012, Compagnie du Ponant was acquired from parent company CMA CGM by Bridgepoint Capital, a European private equity firm with assets valued up to €1 million. Terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed at the time, but the firm was committed to providing the resources needed for Compagnie du Ponant to continue to grow.

It was a positive move for a company that had, in the span of just a few years, gone from relative obscurity to being recognised as one of the foremost leaders in luxury polar cruising.