Two years of build-up came to a head at the weekend as a thriving Cannes Yachting Festival drew to a close.
Following the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the show due to the Coronavirus pandemic, two years’ worth of show debuts were on display as builders from across the globe brought around 600 models to the French Riviera, including 140 world premieres.
The event can justifiably claim to be one of the best ever, with the show reporting attendance figures identical to those of the 2019 edition, which was a record year. In total almost 55,000 yacht lovers descended upon the picturesque surroundings of Vieux Port and Port Canto, which were blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine for the duration of the event.
"If the total number of exhibitors and boats was slightly down on 2019, the number of boats presented as world previews was up by 10% and the number of visitors was the same which is very positive during this time. My memory of this edition will be that it was an incredible human experience. 2021 will remain unforgettable in many ways,” said Sylvie Ernoult, Director of the Yachting Festival.
Despite safety restrictions in place, including admittance only on the condition of showing a valid health pass and a two-way path in place to make navigating the area safer and easier, the show still retained a strong sense of normality. Whilst figures haven’t been released as yet attendance seemed comparable if not even up on previous shows.
The historic Vieux Port hosted an eclectic mix of motor boats ranging from 5m (16.4ft) runabouts to superyachts such as Baglietto’s 40m (131ft) PANAM and Benetti’s 41m (134.5ft) REBECA. Azimut’s largest ever yacht, the 38m (124.6ft) Grande Trideck, was the focus of much attention as was Benetti’s 37m (121ft) Motopanfilo, which drew admiring glances for its clean-cut lines and classical elegance.
My memory of this edition will be that it was an incredible human experience. 2021 will remain unforgettable in many ways.
Director of the Yachting Festival
In a move that shows the direction the industry is moving in, the show also had a pontoon dedicated entirely to electric boats.
On the other side of the Croisette Port Canto played hosted to a serious selection of sailing boats, from 10m to 35m (32.8ft to 115ft) in length, as well as a strong selection of brokerage yachts all over 22m (72ft). There was also a fair share of fun, with the toys area exhibiting a variety of equipment including jet skateboards, longboards, jet skis and much more!
The dates for the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022 have already been confirmed, with it running from 6 September to 11 September. To get an idea of what to expect you can read our guide to the Cannes Yachting Festival.
For a closer look at some of the stars of the show this year we picked out a range of models prior to the show, including five super-flybridge models and five of the best trawler and SUV style yachts at Cannes.
If you missed the show, but are still interested in buying your dream yacht you can start your search now by using YachtBuyer’s advanced search filters to view all new and pre-owned yachts for sale.
