Cannes Yachting Festival 8 to 13 September 2026

SAVE THE DATE THE CANNES YACHTING FESTIVAL SHOWCASES SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

Two ports, four awards and a selection of the industry’smost remarkable innovations – 8 to 13 September 2026, Cannes

For its 49th edition, the Cannes Yachting Festival is bringing back the Innovation Route and launching the 2nd edition of its Innovation Route Awards. This setup identifies and highlights the most innovative and sustainable solutions exhibitors are presenting, thanks to a dedicated route through the Vieux Port and Port Canto. It is open to all exhibitors and rewards the most outstanding projects in the industry.

REINVENTING THE OFFER

The sector is undergoing major transformation, driven by electrification, emission reduction and the search for new uses, meaning innovation is becoming a key strategic priority for all those in the boating industry. Yachting remains a dynamic leisure activity, with a solid base of boating enthusiasts. Nearly 90,000 licences are issued each year in France, with new ways of boating growing fast, such as boat clubs. At the same time, breakthrough technologies, particularly in the field of electric and hybrid engines, are opening new opportunities for manufacturers and recreational boaters alike. Boats with electric motors are still rather marginal today (less than 8% of the world market), yet they are one of the main drivers of growth and innovation for the sector.
Considering these developments, the Cannes Yachting Festival is reinforcing its commitment to more innovative, sustainable and accessible boating through the Innovation Route and its Awards.

THE INNOVATION ROUTE: A ROUTE AND TROPHIES AT THE CANNES YACHTING FESTIVAL

The Cannes Yachting Festival is the inaugural event of the global yachting season and Europe’s leading in-water boat show, bringing together more than 680 exhibitors each year (boat builders, equipment manufacturers,
engine manufacturers, brokers, toys, marinas, service and fit-out companies), a fleet of 700 boats from 5 to 50 metres long (sailing, motor, monohull, multihull, rigid or semi-rigid hull, new or pre-owned, yachts,
dayboats, and so on), nearly 150 world premieres in water and many ashore.

Beyond the prestige and richness of the offer, the Cannes Yachting Festival positions itself as an international platform for the expertise of boat builders and equipment manufacturers from all over the world, in a sector where the energy transition is picking up speed and where the need for simplicity is a major factor in attracting new boating enthusiasts.

The Innovation Route identifies and highlights the most innovative and committed solutions, contributing to the attractiveness and sustainable transformation of the nautical industry. Selected exhibitors will benefit from increased visibility before, during and after the Festival, thanks to dedicated digital communication, and specific signage in the Vieux Port and Port Canto. This 360° setup really accelerates global visibility, allowing the show’s 56,000 visitors to easily identify and compare these innovations throughout their journey.

The Innovation Route Awards will recognise the most outstanding projects from those entered, in four categories:

• The best navigation-improving equipment
• The best sustainable product
• The best innovative boat
• The best CSR initiative
  A jury of professionals and international journalists will choose the winners, who will be announced
  on Tuesday 8 September 2026 at the Exhibitors Cocktail Reception. A special jury’s choice prize
  can also be awarded.
• 
  The 2026 jury:
• Guillaume Arnaud des Lyons – Deputy General Delegate of the FIN
• Thierry Berest – Maritime expert, Boat & Sea Consulting
• Rachel Goult (new member) – Managing Director of Yacht Carbon Offset
• Jean-Christophe Guillaumin – Journalist, Figaro Nautisme
• Geoffroy Langlade – Journalist and entrepreneur
• Elena Patriarca – Director of Adzurra S.r.l.
• 
  “Sustainable innovation is no longer an option, it is the future of our sector. I’m joining this jury to
  assess concrete solutions that address climate challenges while preserving yachting excellence.” –
  Rachel Goult, Managing Director of Yacht Carbon Offset.
  “With the Innovation Route, the Cannes Yachting Festival showcases the innovations shaping the
  boating industry of tomorrow. This programme guides visitors as they discover new solutions in the
  sector and offers enhanced visibility to exhibitors committed to this transformation. Beyond its role
  as a showcase for the French and international boating industry, the Cannes Yachting Festival
  demonstrates its commitment to the sustainable transition of the sector. Our exhibitors can enter
  until 17 July – free of charge –, and I highly encourage them to submit their entries,” stresses
  Constance Brément, Director of the Cannes Yachting Festival.

A LOOK BACK AT THE SUCCESS OF THE 2025 EDITION AND ITS WINNERS

Last year, the creation of the Innovation Route Awards marked a crucial stage with rigorous selection
among the 40 innovations selected.
It awarded visionary projects such as SEA.AI’s WATCHKEEPER smart system, which uses AI to prevent
collisions, or the MODX 70, the first 100% electric 70-foot catamaran combining inflatable wings and
hydrogenation. The awards also recognised Millikan’s autonomous solar-electric catamaran and the
95% recyclable VAAN R5 sailboat. The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Benetti’s B.YOND 37M hybrid
superyacht, which can reduce NOx emissions by 85%.