This week kicks off the fall boat show season with two major international shows, Cannes Yachting Festival in France and the Newport International Boat Show. SAIL Managing Editor Lydia Mullan and Charter Editor Zuzana Prochazka are in Cannes, while Editor-in-Chief Wendy Mitman Clarke heads to Newport to walk the docks, see what’s new, and assess the nominees for SAIL’s Top 10 Best Boats competition. To see the full list of boats our team will be reviewing, click here.
In addition to the new models that are debuting this season, there have also been some exciting new boat announcements. “In recent years, we saw a lot of manufacturers pushing towards bigger and bigger models, courting the luxury market. Sixty became the new 40, and people started to expect more of their house’s accommodations while they were on the boat,” says Mullan. “But this year at press conferences, we’re hearing about the other side of the range. The biggest brands are talking about investing in affordability and accessibility.”
Fountaine Pajot has announced a new hybrid electric 41-foot cat that will debut next year. It replaces the Isla 40, and at €400,000 ($440,420) it’s substantially more cost effective than its predecessor, which could top €600,000. Beneteau has also announced their newly redesigned First 30, which starts at €100,000 ($110,000). Economic accessibility, they say, is an investment in the future in an effort to bringing new sailors into boat ownership or keep people on the water.
Another major theme at the shows is electrification. While it’s been a part of the conversation for years, it’s increasingly becoming central to the strategy for major brands, with more and more hybrid and fully electric options cropping up each season.
Yanmar, for example, is showcasing their first fully electric motor, which is compatible with the same installation requirements as a comparable diesel, making it more seamless to retrofit or for manufactures to offer as an option on their boats. Though it’s currently sized for smaller models and they’re cautious about proposing a timeline for upscaling, it signals an important investment in green propulsion.
Cannes has been happening all week in France, and the Newport show kicked off yesterday and runs through the weekend. If you can’t be there in person, head over to SAIL’s social media to hear the editors’ thoughts throughout the shows and walkthrough some of our nominees with us.
We’re looking forward to seeing you out there!
September 2024
