The Cannes Yachting Festival is one of the premier events of the summer yachting season and offers a perfect fixture for any yachting itinerary in the South of France. In 2017, Europe’s largest yacht show celebrated its 40th anniversary and transformed the city of Cannes into a celebration of all things luxury.
With exhibition space at Port Pierre Canto, the Vieux Port, and a new ‘Luxury Gallery’ in the Palais des Festivals, visitors enjoyed a varied display of the world’s most desirable commodities. While windy conditions affected the event’s schedule, visitors were not deterred from discovering the latest innovations to drop anchor in the yachting industry.
For those in search of a luxury motor yacht for sale or the perfect vessel for next year’s sailing yacht charter, the Cannes Yachting Festival delivered a display of spectacular vessels. Exhibiting around 600 motor yachts and sailing yachts for sale and charter, as well as a stunning display of luxury brands, the Cannes Yacht Show kicked off the European yacht show season in dazzling fashion.
We’ve hand-selected five of the most alluring attractions that wowed the crowds at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2017:
- Stunning Yachts on Display | Naturally, the greatest feature of the festival was the spectacular selection of vessels on display. The Cannes rendezvous has a superb reputation for launches, with over 100 brand new boats unveiled each year. The event also presented prospective yacht buyers with the unique opportunity to test new yacht models, with shipyards offering sea trials on their latest yachts. Moreover, large superyachts – such as M/Y ANASTASIA – were moored in the Bay of Cannes and welcomed prospective buyers aboard.
- The Maserati Experience | Superyachts and supercars create a heart-racing combination, with the two sharing an affinity thanks to their luxurious appeal, their innovative application of technology, and their playful senses of fun. Maserati partnered with the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2017 to bring guests a thrilling supercar experience to enjoy during the show. The Maserati Lounge displayed the latest Maserati Quattroporte model, while all VIP and Riviera cardholders took advantage of a courtesy car service from Nice International Airport, which was offered by the luxury Italian car manufacturer.
- The Concourse d’Elegance | Delayed by one day due to poor weather conditions, this fabulous procession of day boats (of less than 12m) was presented off the Beach Club of the Cannes Yachting Festival on Friday 15th September. The parade recognized the most stylish yachts and the most elegant female crew member, with the winners announced at a glittering awards ceremony in the event’s VIP Club.
The results were as follow:
CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE
1st – Ksar
2nd – Frauscher 858 Fantom Air
3rd – HOC 33 P CRUISER
CATEGORY PRE-1980
1st – Karsai
2nd – Ksar
3rd – Lou Mai
CATEGORY POST-1980
1st – Frauscher 858 Fantom Air
2nd – Aurea 30
3rd – Aston Martin
JURY’S FAVORITE
Ksar
- The Luxury Gallery | As festival attendees passed through the gates on Cannes’ Croisette, they entered the Luxury Gallery in the Palais des Festivals – a stunning highbrow space that showcased some of the world’s finest luxury brands, from prestigious watchmakers and jewellery to high-end design and art pieces. In 2017, some of the gallery’s exhibitors include Breitling, Lalique, Charles Clavem, Orlebar Brown, American Express, and Goemai Paris.
The Fly-Over of the RAF Red Arrows | Sponsored by Sunseeker, a majestic fly-over was performed by the RAF Red Arrows, which stunned the crowds and coloured the sky. The Tricolore was painted into the sky, as 11 RAF aircraft flew over the luxury yachts in Cannes.