A look ahead to the Cannes Yachting Festival 2019

By Katia Damborsky 27 August 2019

Between 10-15 September, Cannes will be a hive of activity as the 2019 Cannes Yachting Festival gets underway between Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto.

The 42nd edition of the Cannes Yachting Festival gets underway in 2 weeks, attracting a fleet of yachts, an array of exhibitors and thousands of attendees to the city of Cannes for five days of on-the-water action.

This year’s line-up includes almost 700 vessels in total, of which 134 are making their worldwide debuts.

The event will be an important event for industry professionals and clients to network, tour the yachts on display, and discover the products and services being exhibited.

A wide range of boats

The show is renowned for its diversity, with plenty of superyachts, pleasure cruisers, day boats and tenders on display. The event is primed for prospective boat-buyers, as it gives show-goers the chance to find everything they need all in one place.

2019 will also see the introduction of a dedicated zone for sailing yachts, which is a ‘strategic’ move which aims to increase the visibility of sailing vessels and ‘help visitors find what they want’ according to Sylvie Ernoult, Director of The Cannes Yachting Festival.

New sailing zone

Yachts in the harbour at cannes yachting festival

The new sailing zone will be located in Port Pierre Canto, and will include more than 100 new sailing yachts alongside 80 exhibitors.

Explaining the new feature, Ernoult has said; “We had over a hundred sailboats on the water during previous years, but they were mixed with motor boats. A lot were in a very tight space, so the visibility for visitors was not so good.

“Most other boat shows, worldwide, are dedicated to having one type of boat as 80% of their content. In Cannes, [...] we have a lot of different families of products, a rich content.”

The new sailing zone will include more than 100 new sailing yachts alongside 80 exhibitors.

Indeed, the largest yacht expected to attend the show is the 64m/208ft sailing yacht ‘Mikhail Vorontsov’.

Launched by Turkish shipyard Dream Ship Victory in 2013, the schooner is a proven charter platform which is sure to attract plenty of attention when she makes her inaugural appearance at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

Superyachts

Luxury yachts in the evening at Cannes yachting festival

52 superyachts are attending the 2019 Cannes Yachting Festival, with an average length of 36m and an average age of 4.5 years.

Show-goers shouldn’t miss the chance to step on board Cantiere delle Marche’s award-winning 33m/110ft motor yacht ‘Mimi la Sardine’. An elegant and well-equipped option for superyacht charters, her refined interiors have been subject to much acclaim since her delivery last year.

Some of the other must-see superyachts include the 50m/164ft luxury yacht CECILIA. Part of Wider Yachts’ W165 series, she is characterised by a touch-no-go helipad on the bow and an airy, open-plan layout.

Attending alongside her will be Benetti’s 50m/164ft motor yacht ‘Blue Night’ and Bilgin Yachts’ 2019 launch, the 48m/156ft motor yacht LILIUM.

This year will include a strong turn-out from shipyards including Benetti and Overmarine, with five yachts from each set to go on display next month.