2018 Cannes Boat Show: This year’s most anticipated global reveals

THE 2018 Cannes Yachting festival is one of the biggest boating events on the European calendar.

This year, about 550 boats will be on display at what is the region’s largest on-water show, including about 150 Eurozone debuts – as well as a number of global reveals ranging from luxury RIBs and runabouts that show water and electricity can mix, to hard-edged, stealth fighter-styled cruisers made for exploring new waters.

Here is our pick of the show stoppers slated in for a September 11 reveal.

Measuring 25.9m, the Azimut 83 is described as “the science of luxury”. The Italian yachting giant appears to be giving the 83 a makeover ahead of a Cannes re-launch of the triple-decked flybridge cruiser, including a more contemporary fit-out and modifications to the flybridge.

Italian boatbuilder Baglietto specialises in building steel and aluminium mega yachts stretching beyond 40m. The sharply styled 48 DISP measures 47.6m, displaces 430 tonnes and cruises to a maximum range of 4500 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots via twin CAT 3512 industrial diesel engines. Five cabins sleep up to 12 guests.

Last year British boatmaker Fairline revealed the Targa 63 GTO, scooping up a number of awards with the retracting-roofed motor yacht that also had aft cabin doors that descended into the floor. This year, it will hold the European debut of the Alberto Mancini-designed Targa 43 Open, a cleaner-looking, more compact version of the 63 with a similar retracting glass roof over the main cabin. Look for this boat to win fans when it comes Down Under.

Combining costal cruising with sports performance, the twin Volvo Penta IPS800-powered Fjord 52 Open will hit 40kt. The 16m motor yacht with its simple, clean lines is designed as an open boat with a sun deck on the bow and a lounge area ahead of the transom, in a similar layout as the smaller Fjord 40 Open.

This design combines the joy of personal watercraft with the convenience of an entertainment-focused mothership that means you don’t need to head back to shore to swap riders. The aluminium Iconcraft 24 measures 7.32m and nestles the PWC in a space that appears to have drop-down aft coamings. These look to transform the rear of the craft into a large swim deck. Up front, a comfortable lounge area makes the wait for your turn on the PWC all that more pleasant.

Cashed up, like your luxury but don’t want to harm the environment? Liso will unveil the Aquamare 750 GTE. Claimed to be fully recyclable, this boat gives more than a passing nod to sustainability via “vegan” synthetic leather and a bank of batteries feeding an electric motor. The batteries will fast-charge via a plug ranging anywhere between a US-friendly 110V to a rapid-charge 420V.

The British brand will release a new 10.9m luxury motor yacht at Cannes. What’s different about this one is its lightweight carbon-fibre construction, and a 50kt top speed from the inboard V8s, helped by a foiling hull. The Princess R35 marks the debut of what will become a growing range of R Class-badged boats.

This Danish boatbuilder specialises in electric drivetrains, and is expanding its product portfolio with a clean-lined day boat called the Play 24. Featuring a 50kW electric motor, the 7.4m centre console boat looks a bit like an extended, softer chined version of the 5.35m Picnic 18 that has a picnic table built forward of the console.

Based on a hull designed by acclaimed British naval architect Nigel Irens, Turbocraft claims the clean-lined, arrow-like 11.9m Silverfin’s lightweight semi-planing hull is faster than a displacement boat and almost as fuel-efficient as a foiled craft. Powering it is a single Volvo Penta D3-220 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel engine, giving the single-cabin Silverfin a range of about 400 miles.

Aussie high-performance, rigid-hulled inflatable boat maker Wimbi will unveil its new-generation W9 to Europe for the first time at Cannes. The made-over W9 grows slightly in length to 8.86m, while underneath it a new hull design including a reshaped curve on the bow to improve stability. The improved W9 also shifts the boat’s centre of gravity slightly forward to put more weight over the bow, improving handling.

Looking more like a cut-down US Navy stealth frigate than a 10.3m luxury yacht, the Finnish-built XO Boats Explorer is an ocean-going cruiser capable of a claimed top speed of 49kt, with a cruising speed of 30! Powering it are twin 350hp Mercury Verado supercharged outboards. Despite its size, the Explorer can accommodate only two people in a single cabin.

Our next look at Dufour’s 14.7m catamaran – a first for the French boatmaker – after its reveal in Paris earlier this year takes place at Cannes. Combining what the company calls an “elegant and comfortable catamaran with outstanding sailing abilities”, the 8.0m beam 48 is the first model in a future range of catamarans that will range from 45-50 feet.

The 458 is the latest addition to Hanse’s 8 Series range, and a direct replacement for the now-retired 455. Improvements include a restyled interior, more hatches and windows to let light into the cabin, and sleeker lines on the deck to remove visual clutter.

Former Aussie-owned catamaran brand McConaghy has started reinforcing its designs using carbon-fibre. The latest development is this, the 18.6m MC60, with a beam of 8.88m. The cat runs a carbon mast fitted out with 210 square metres of sail, with three or four-cabin layouts available to owners.

This 24m yacht is a direct descendant of the Swan 80 and 82, although the hull has shrunk slightly to meet Europe’s recreational boat length limits. However, in the process the Swan 78 has extended its beam and become more powerful with a race-honed keel. The boat maintains its traditional double-berth VIP and two twin berths layout.

The Eurocentric luxury cruising yacht brand employs the same foam core sandwich technique used to build racing boats. The 14.1m X4.6 follows on the transom of the recently released X4.9, filling the role as a fast family cruiser with three double cabins.

The Cannes Yachting Festival runs from September 11-16.