Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 puts slow cruising in focus

The 49th Cannes Yachting Festival, taking place from 8 to 13 September 2026, will highlight what organisers describe as a growing interest in slow cruising. Inspired by slow tourism, the approach centres on travelling in stages, choosing shorter coastal itineraries, spending more time at stopovers and placing greater emphasis on the places visited.

The organisers say the concept is supported by both a new generation of boats designed for more relaxed cruising and networks of marinas that make shorter passages easier to plan. Destinations and operators represented at the festival include Barbados, Catalonia, D-Marin, Sardinia and Tunisia.

According to the festival, well-spaced marina networks can help boating enthusiasts plan shorter coastal passages, adapt stopovers to weather conditions and reduce reliance on engines. The organisers also say directing boats towards equipped marinas could help reduce pressure on environmentally sensitive anchorage areas while encouraging visitors to spend more time exploring local food, heritage and coastal communities.

Several marina and destination organisations will be represented in Cannes. The Associació Catalana de Ports Esportius i Turístics represents nearly 50 marinas along 580km of Catalan coastline. D-Marin says it operates 28 marinas in nine countries, with more than 14,300 berths, while Associazione Rete Porti Sardegna represents 29 facilities and more than 8,300 berths around Sardinia.

Other exhibitors include Maribay Infrastructures Management, Barbados Tourism, IPM-IMG Marine Group, Marina Vieux Port de Cannes and the Tunisian National Tourism Office.

The release also cites a 2023 Fédération des Industries Nautiques study in which 72% of sailors surveyed said they wanted to slow their cruising pace, 65% wanted to reduce fuel consumption and 58% reported frustration with restricted itineraries. It also refers to a Booking.com survey of more than 27,000 travellers in 33 countries, in which 67% said they wanted immersive experiences and destinations with fewer visitors.

Among the boats highlighted by the festival is Jeanneau’s Sea Loft 480, developed from Groupe Beneteau’s Island Cruising prototype. In hybrid form, Jeanneau says the boat can achieve a range of up to 250 nautical miles at 7 knots. In electric mode, the stated range is 15 nautical miles, supported by 4.2kW of solar panels for charging during stopovers.

Caelum’s Oasis Meu Amor is presented as a two-level floating house for four people, powered by solar batteries and designed for extended stays on the water.

The Aventura 37 Explorer is also cited as an example of the trend. The 11.60m powercat trawler is promoted for long-distance cruising at moderate speeds, with more than 80 boats produced on its original platform.

Organisers say the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival will bring together more than 680 exhibitors and around 700 boats from 5m to 50m, including yachts, sailing boats, monohulls, multihulls, dayboats, trawlers and inflatable boats, with nearly 150 world premieres.