Jeanneau, Princess, Sunseeker, Absolute, Ferretti, Azimut and Prestige have all made our list of must see yachts. But who's taken the top spot?
The Cannes Boat Show kicks on on 11 September with lots of stunning yachts on show.
We’ve compiled a Top 10 list of the boats we are mostly looking forward to seeing.
1 – Bénéteau Swift Trawler 47
In the 14 years since Bénéteau launched the original 42 it has changed perceptions of trawlers completely. The die hard trawler men may hanker for one engine, a single digit top speed and bombproof engineering but this new breed gave customers a rugged alternative to regular flybridge craft.
The 47 is the spiritual successor to the original and it has been smoothed and refined over nearly two decades like a pebble beneath a roaring stream. The exterior has lost some of is chunky charm but this is a muscular more handsome craft with lines that ape the smaller Swift Trawlers. The most significant change is the three-cabin layout, which puts the master ensuite in the bow and a pair of guests amidships that share a bathroom. The port cabin has sliding twins that join to make a double and to starboard there is a more compact sleeping space. This is in addition to the pull-out sofa bed in the saloon, meaning you can sleep eight people in comfortable berths.
The lower helm now sits on the centreline to optimise the view. On the flybridge, as well as space aft for free-standing sunbeds there is a generous central dinette and room for three people to keep the helmsman company on the move.
With a pair of 425hp Cummins on shafts the top speed should be in the region of 25 knots but range should also impress thanks to a near 2,000-litre fuel capacity.
At a glance…
Length: 48ft 4in (14.74m)
Beam: 14ft 6in (4.42m)
Engines: Twin Cummins 425hp
Top speed: 25 knots (approx.)
Price: tbc
Contact: Bénéteau
2 – Princess R35
This is tipped to be the most talked about boat at the show and for good reason. An open Princess sportsboat with twin 430hp petrol V8s capable of 50 knots is radical enough but add in Pininfarina styling and an active foiling system and you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is something in the water in Plymouth. We got to grips with the prototype in the July issue and it’s safe to say that it blew our socks (and shoes) off but it will be fascinating to see the finished article, especially as the renderings here promise so much.
It’s not just the looks either, how will the interface to control those game-changing foils work in practice and, though we won’t be able to test this at the show, what effect does actively managing the ride have on fuel efficiency? All questions to be answered but these latest renderings give the clearest idea yet of how the R35’s carbon-fibre hull and cuddy cabin will look. The interior is simple, though it looks to be finished with Princess’s usual quality touch. There is a U-shaped dinette, which will convert to a double bed if you really need it to, a separate bathroom and mini galley.
On deck a ducktail sunpad juts out over a staggered bathing platform aft of a well-cocooned dinette that sits deep beneath the rakish windscreen. The central helm has space for three people and some substantial handholds around its perimeter, which we can confirm from experience you will need.
At a glance…
Length: 35ft 9in (10.89m)
Beam: 10ft 8in (3.27m)
Engines: Twin Volvo Penta V8 430hp
Top speed: 50 knots
Price: from £594,000 inc UK VAT
Contacts: Princess Yachts
3 – Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht
The flagship of Sunseeker’s sportsbridge range will make its global debut at the show and it’s sure to turn heads.
Using the blueprint of the Predator 74 sportscruiser, the Sport Yacht adds a sleek flybridge but retains the sunroof over the forward end of the saloon. The flybridge is more than just a steering wheel and some seats; it has a double helm with more seating adjacent and a dinette aft that is part sunbathing area too.
With the galley located below decks it is useful to have the small wet bar on the top deck so you don’t have to travel too far for supplies. Sticking the galley on the lower deck isn’t something you see often these days but it does leave a seriously spacious main deck where, thanks to doors that slide down out of the way, the link between cockpit and saloon is excellent.
Given that the majority of these boats will have crew, having the galley tucked below is no bad thing and it also explains the well-equipped crew cabin, which shares transom space with access to the tender garage. The master ensuite occupies the space amidships on the lower deck and it’s a wonderfully bright and spacious cabin with acres of floor space around a broad island double berth. There is a twin guest ensuite to starboard with sliding berths that make a double and the VIP ensuite in the bow has a generous walk-in wardrobe.
Like the Predator, power is not an issue as the Sport Yacht will hit just short of 40 knots with the largest pair of 1,900hp MAN engines on shafts.
At a glance…
Length: 74ft 9in (22.8m)
Beam: 19ft 6in (5.95m)
Engines: Twin MAN 1,150hp/1,900hp
Top speed: 38 knots
Price: from £1.9m ex VAT
Contact: Sunseeker
4 – Jeanneau NC37
Jeanneau’s NC range is known for its versatility and the 37 will continue the theme when it makes its global debut at Cannes. The modular cockpit seating, which converts to become a sunpad when required, and clever cockpit doors that split so the port pane swings outboard with the starboard hinging up to the ceiling, set the tone for these flexible living spaces.
A flat threshold between saloon and cockpit with an aft bar straddling the divide brings the two areas together well and a side door at the helm allows another path out to the side decks.
Below, there are two cabins as standard with a split toilet and shower room plus a storage ‘cave’ that can be specified as a third double cabin.
Engine options are both from Volvo Penta, either twin D3 220s or D4 260s on sterndrives with a top speed in the region of 30 knots from the larger pair of motors.
At a glance…
Length: 37ft 6in (11.5m) Beam 11ft 8in (3.6m)
Engines: Twin Volvo Penta 220hp/260hp
Top speed: approx. 30 knots
Price: tbc
Contact: Jeanneau
5 – Absolute Navetta 48
At last year’s show Absolute presented the flagship of the Navetta range and this year it ties things off neatly by launching the entry-level model. The Navetta formula has always focused on interior volume and the 48 is no different.
In an effort to include three generous cabins the master ensuite is located forward with an angled berth that allows you to walk around the island double. This leaves room amidships for two guest cabins; a double VIP to port with a neat vanity station and large walk-in wardrobe and a twin to starboard. Neither cabin has ensuite access to the second bathroom, which has a good amount of space and step-free access into a separate shower cubicle.
The flybridge is almost a perfect rectangle and arranges sunbathing space and a couple of benches around a central helm station. The dinette fills the space aft and it’s well served by a comprehensive wet bar.
The foredeck’s versatility is improved by a sliding cushion that can be used either as a headrest when sunbathing or a backrest at the forward end to create a seat for a couple of people to perch on. The styling will divide opinion but, as with its siblings, the Navetta shines once you get on board.
At a glance…
Length: 49ft 7in (15.1m) Beam 15ft 3in (4.65m)
Engines: Volvo Penta IPS600
Top speed: 27 knots
Price: from €720,000 ex VAT
Contact: Absolute
6 – Privilège Euphorie 5
The Privilège brand was founded in 1985 and is now part of the German boatbuilding giant Hanse Group. The Euphorie 5 was designed from the off to be a power catamaran and the team wanted it to be a flexible performer that could trickle along at displacement speeds to maximise range but also pick up the speed for shorter point-to-point dashes. Hence, with a pair of 220hp Yanmar diesels, it has a top speed of 21 knots. Being a purpose-built power cat the lines can be far sleeker and the deck spaces more flexible.
The spacious top deck is more akin to that of a monohull flybridge and we really like the look of the recliners atop the coachroof, a great place to soak up surroundings on the move.
As well as the access via an attractive spiral staircase in the cockpit, you can also get to the flybridge from an internal staircase that links to the saloon. There is the option to have three or four cabins and unless you really value having maximum sleeping space the former is the option to go for. This includes a fantastic master cabin forward that spans both hulls and includes a separate shower and toilet room on either side of the boat with an island berth mounted in oceans of floor space in the middle.
This leaves a broad, bright saloon amidships on the main deck and two good cabins aft with their own bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes. If you have your eye on charter, though, the four-cabin option will sleep eight people in comfortable berths.
At a glance…
Length: 50ft 0in (15.24m)
Beam: 25ft 3in (7.98m)
Engines: Twin Yanmar 220hp
Top speed: 21 knots
Price: from €1.07m ex VAT
Contact: Inspiration Marine
7 – Pearl 95
What a moment it will be for British brand Pearl when the covers come off the new 95 at Cannes. It’s the biggest Pearl ever and has everything it needs to challenge Princess and Sunseeker at their own game.
Bill Dixon took care of the naval architecture and exterior design while interior designer Kelly Hoppen is once again responsible for the inside.
A full-beam owner’s cabin on the main deck promises panoramic views and you can opt to have either four or five guest cabins down below. However, it’s secret weapon is a spectacular beach club that opens up at the transom, including folding buttresses that extend the usable areas along either side of the hull.
The standard engines are a pair of 2,400hp MTUs, good for 28 knots, but there are smaller and larger engine options available.
At a glance:
Length: 95ft 9in (29.2m)
Beam: 22ft (6.70m)
Engines: Twin MTU M96 2,400hp Top speed 28 knots
Price: from £4.65m ex VAT
Contact : Pearl Yachts
8 – Ferretti 670
This brand-new model replaces the 650 in the Ferretti Group’s flybridge line-up, and it will arrive at Cannes with a muscular new look and impressive performance figures. We have tested this boat and can therefore report that, with the 1,200hp MAN engines, it achieved a top speed of 33 knots. Not bad for a four-cabin flybridge that tips the scales at nearly 50 tonnes.
The standard layout is comprised of three cabins, with the master getting a wonderful mezzanine study area overlooking the water. This, however, will be removed if you decide to opt for the fourth bunk-bed cabin instead.
As good as the flybridge is, it’s the foredeck that steals the show. A pair of tables either side of a central walkway cantilever down to create two sunbathing spots, with the help of some infill cushions. It’s an expensive boat, but it’s a class act.
At a glance…
Length: 66ft 5in (20.24m)
Beam: 17ft 8in (5.38m)
Engines: Twin MAN 1,000hp/1,200hp
Top speed: 33 knots
Price from: €1.96m ex VAT
Contact: Ventura UK
9 – Azimut S6
Azimut’s gradual revamping of its sportscruiser range takes another step forward at this year’s show with the arrival of the S6. The Stefano Righini exterior is as eye-catching as we’ve come to expect but, with liberal use of carbon fibre in the construction and triple IPS700s, the technology under its skin is just as impressive.
The majority of the boat is GRP but substantial parts of it, like the bathing platform, hardtop and tender garage are made from carbon fibre to save weight. The yard has opted for triple pods in the name of refinement and fuel efficiency but performance is eye-catching too: 35 knots thanks to a combined 1,650hp.
The main deck is split between a glass-filled saloon, a spacious cockpit and an inviting foredeck area. There are three cabins below decks including a full-beam master.
At a glance…
Length: 59ft 0in (18m) Beam 15ft 7in (4.75m)
Engines: Volvo Penta IPS700
Top speed: 35 knots
Price: tbc
Contact: Azimut Yachts UK
10 – Prestige 590
Prestige’s relentless drive to produce new models sees the launch of this all-new 590, which replaces the 560. Garroni Design’s lines masterfully disguise the boat’s size to create one of the finest looking and best proportioned flybridges in the class.
At its core the boat trades on Prestige’s familiar plus point: an amidships ensuite master with separate access from the saloon and the increased privacy of having the guest cabins in their own space forward with a bathroom each.
This is a versatile boat and particular attention has been paid to making the deck spaces as sociable as possible. The foredeck seating area, for example, is the same size as that of the Prestige 680 and combines sunbathing space with a U-shaped seating area that, as an option, can include a table with shelter provided by a sun awning.
The cockpit seating runs along the starboard side and here there is the option to extend the sofa to include a sunbathing spot aft. There is also the choice between a crew cabin and tender garage so you can tuck the dinghy away and leave the bathing platform free.
The low-slung flybridge sees a twin helm station to port surrounded by sunpads with adjustable headrests so you can sit up on the move. There is a two-way backrest at the forward end of the dinette that also allows guests to sit facing forward when the boat is on the move.
Interestingly, Prestige has moved away from Volvo Penta and will fit the 590 with a pair of 600hp Cummins diesels and Zeus pods for a top speed we estimate to be in the region of 30 knots.
At a glance…
Length: 61ft 4in (18.7m)
Beam: 15ft 1in (4.84m)
Engines: Cummins Zeus 600hp
Top speed: 30 knots
Price: from €895,000 ex VAT
Contact: Prestige Yachts
Princess announces its Cannes Yachting Festival line up featuring three global launches (promotional post)
The V60, Princess 70 and R35 will get their global premiere, whilst the V65 and V50 will be presented on
