Cannes Yachting Festival 2018 Review

Early September saw the full Grabau International team make their annual visit to the Cannes Yachting Festival. A firm favourite of ours, the Cannes show is a heady mix of sunshine, fascinating yachts, and fantastic people.

The real highlight of the show for us was the world premiere of the new Baltic Yachts 67 Performance Cruiser. It is rare for a boat to show better in the flesh than in the glossy sales photos, but having worked through every cabin, cupboard and locker of this new composite cruising, she was genuinely without fault. Baltic are regarded as world leaders in full custom composite construction, but we hope that the inevitable success of the 67 may encourage further forays into semi-custom series construction below 100ft.

Baltic Yachts 67 Performance Cruiser

Staying with the sailing world, the Cannes show also offered opportunity to check out the new Swan 78 from Nautor, the absolutely amazing new Southern Wind SW96, and to catch up with our good friends at Italia Yachts who were displaying a beautifully finished Italia 13.98 and the funky Italia 9.98 Club of which a demonstrator boat is presently offered for sale through our company.

SW96 – SEATIVS

One area which is really taking off right now is the catamaran market, and this was very much evident at the Cannes show with one of the largest selections of sailing and motor catamarans we have ever seen. The standout highlight for us was the newly-launched 14.99 from Ita Catamarans in Italy. Stylish, practical, well-built and boasting a very smart hybrid drive system, she offered the perfect compromise between practicality, performance and design.

Ita Catamarans 14.99

Moving across from the sailing world, the Cannes show is one of the most important for the European motor yacht market with all major brands in attendance. From the largest Ferretti Custom Line megayachts to the smallest RIBs and tenders, there was plenty to see. Particular highlights for us were the Pirelli range of RIBs from Italian Technorib, and the two boat displayed by Cantiere Navali Cerri (CCN). The 30m ‘FRANCESCA’ boasted one of the smartest ‘apartment living’ saloons we have seen on any motoryacht, while the avantgarde 27m ‘FREEDOM’ of legendary Italian designer Roberto Cavalli pushed both external and internal yacht design into new levels of detail and indulgence. CCN are a great shipyard to work with and we are delighted to be appointed sales agent for their 26m Cerri 86 Flyingsport.

CCN 28m ‘FREEDOM’

For further information on any of the boats mentioned above, or to discuss your yachting plans in further detail, please contact us.