It is no nonchalantly chosen moniker that the Cannes Yachting Festival has been given. Make no mistake, the name was chosen with great precision and care to express, in just three words, the atmosphere, ethos and energy of one of the world’s largest boat shows. Because it isn’t just a show, or a luxurious exhibition space for yachts to show off their latest creations. It’s a grand celebration of the yachting lifestyle, of the luxury lifestyle, and of our love of the ocean.

In September, the Cannes Yachting Festival will celebrate its 42nd and largest edition. The entire bay of Cannes will be swallowed up by this yachting extravaganza, incorporating the Port Canto area along with the Vieux Port which sit at either end of the legendary La Croisette Boulevard. This will make Cannes the largest in-water boat show in Europe.

Over 600 boats ranging from 2 metres to 60 metres in length will sail into Cannes with their decks gleaming and ready to show off to some 50,000 people who are expected to attend the six day festival. But in addition to the boats, there is a whole other side to what is rapidly becoming the hippest show on the circuit. There’s a mind-boggling display of water toys the likes of which you’ll be hard-pushed to identify, plus the ever-growing luxury brands exhibition. Together, it all makes for an enticing week of all things yachting.

The Sailing Space

“Sailing boats that have been present at the Yachting Festival since its creation will now have more exhibition space, both on land and in-water, ensuring incomparable visibility” explains Sylvie Ernoult, Director of the Yachting Festival. The new Sailing Space occupying the 4,000 square metres of quayside in Port Canto will be a showground for monohulls and multihulls, a direct response from shipyards, brokers and indeed visitors who are responding to the boom in sailing yachts in recent years.

Some 120 new sailing boats between 10 and 35 metres in length will take centre stage in Port Canto, with the shipyards, equipment manufacturers and service companies working primarily in the sailing sector getting the space to show off their latest wind-powered masterpieces. “Visitors coming from all five continents will be able to discover the ultimate in sailing boats presented by the leading players in the French and international nautical industry” exclaims Sylvie Ernoult. “What we are in the process of creating is an unbelievable Sailing Space! This has never been seen before and our ambition is quite simply to open the largest in-water exhibition of new sailing boats in the world!”

Events within an Event

No festival would be complete without a line-up of crowd-pleasing events, and Cannes has chosen to celebrate the new Sailing Space through its events programme. First up is La Regatta Cannes on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th September. Over two action-packed days, five teams will compete in multihull vessels in the Tour Voile, a four-round competition. The Bay of Cannes will be the spectacular setting for the race, meaning spectators will get a front row seat from Port Canto – win the daily draw and you could be joining one of the teams on the regatta boats as part of the crew.

While there is a celebration of sailing yachts at Cannes this year, motor boats are still very much the beating heart of the festival over at their usual exhibition space in Vieux Port. For the fifth year in a row, the Concours d’Élégance parade of motor boats will be a highlight of the festival. On Saturday 14th September at 4pm an impressive line-up of day boats up to 12 metres will parade past Festival Beach to the admiration of the crowds. New and vintage boats will be judged and prizes awarded. Step into the judges’ shoes by casting your own vote direct from your smartphone.

Luxury and Toys

What is more luxurious than yachting? Head down to the Luxury Gallery and you’ll find out. By incorporating the ever-growing Luxury Gallery into the show the organisers of the Cannes Yachting Festival are celebrating the luxury lifestyle. With prestigious brands from across the world exhibiting, this is the place to find everything from jewellery and watches, to fashion, interior décor, furniture, art and high-tech products.

In the same spirit, but with unadulterated fun as the main objective, are the water toys located just outside of the Palais des Festivals. Toy lockers are a well-treasured and vital part of a yacht charter or owner’s yacht. And at Cannes the toy manufacturers come out in force to show off their very latest gadgets and innovative ways to get wet. In this arena, the mind boggles at the sheer imagination and engineering dedicated to the sport of luxurious fun. Inside of the Palais des Festivals is where shipyards, architects and designers come together to exhibit everything from interior designs to clothing and accessories. It’s the perfect place to start your explorations of this vibrant festival of yachting.

TJB Superyachts team will be at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2019 and have an impressive line-up of yachts and shipbuilders to show those interested in buying, chartering, or building a boat. We’d love to see you there, so please get in touch and let us show you the magic of yachting.

Credit photo @cannesyachtingfestival