Cannes' old port turns into a floating showroom every September, and this year's edition is shaping up as a strong one for sailing yachts. Three brand-new 80-foot fast cruisers headline the show, while the multihull scene brings nine world premieres between 43 and 70 feet — three of them from Fountaine-Pajot alone.
The star of the monohull lineup is the Swan 80, the smallest model in Nautor Swan's Maxi series and the first third-generation boat of that line. At 23.99m it sits just under the length that triggers heavier regulatory requirements for larger yachts. It's a family look-alike of the Swan 88, 108 and 128, with a low coachroof, long clean foredeck and tall rig. Cleverly, it's built to be run by a small crew on passage yet handle regatta-style fully crewed sailing, with flexible deck layouts and interiors — a guest cabin can even convert into crew quarters for up to five. A transverse tender garage opens into a beach platform for easy swims off the stern.
Italy's ICE Yachts is launching its first 80-footer, the ICE80 Blue Water Sport, designed by Umberto Felci and priced at €6.9m. It's aimed at owners who want genuine ocean-crossing speed: a telescopic keel drops to 4.7m, a self-tacking jib and furling boom keep handling simple, and there's clear separation between guest and sailing zones on deck. A Platinum version adds superyacht touches, including a curved windscreen nodding to the classic Riva Aquarama.
Grand Soleil's Plus 80 Long Cruise is the largest semi-custom model from Cantiere del Pardo, built in Fano with hull lines by Matteo Polli and interiors by Nauta. The first hull, Bianca II, is heavily customised: telescopic keel, twin rudders and a hybrid drive, set up to switch between luxury charter duty and owner-driven racing. Prices start at €5.7m fully equipped.
Smaller budgets aren't forgotten. The Dufour 39, from about €195,000, packs a surprisingly generous 6m² forward owner's cabin with a peninsula bed into a 35-foot hull — usable as an office if you'd rather. ICE's new 56, at €1.21m, scales up the ICE80's look while staying manageable without permanent crew, complete with a 3m tender garage.
Fountaine-Pajot's three launches push catamarans further towards greener cruising. The FP48 comes with a 2.3kW integrated solar array and the yard's ODSea+ hybrid-electric system, plus a deeper draught than most cats for better upwind sailing. The FP55, its smallest flybridge model, carries 6.3kW of solar — enough to run air conditioning without a generator — and offers up to six identical double cabins. The FPY 70S edges into superyacht territory with up to eight layout configurations, from three to six guest cabins.
Why care? Even if an €7 million yacht isn't in the plans, Cannes each September is the best place in Europe to see where sailing design is heading — greener propulsion, lifting keels, and boats built to sail shorthanded. The show runs along the Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto, and walking the docks is free with a visitor ticket.
