The 12 Best Motor Yachts from the Cannes and Monaco Yacht Shows

This year’s yacht launches in Cannes and Monaco were not only the most numerous in a decade, but they also had some of the most exciting designs ever.

Michael Verdon

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The Cannes Yachting Festival and Monaco Yacht Show have marked the official starts of the yachting season, with more than 100 new yachts—from tenders to gigayachts—introduced in two of the French Riviera’s most beautiful harbors. Cannes has always been the launching point for midsized yachts, and this year was no different. The show saw 84 yachts making their global debuts. Cannes also saw many hulls in excess of 100 feet this year, with noteworthy premieres like the Azimut 35 Metri, Custom Line Navetta 33, and Sunseeker 131, among many others.

Given the dozens of launches, most observers agreed that this was the best Cannes yacht show in more than a decade.

The Monaco boat show had an entirely different character. Monte Carlo’s harbor accommodates fewer vessels, but the 100-plus superyachts gathered there carried an awe-inspiring presence—a collection of the best-designed custom yachts gathered in one place, with the opulence of Monaco’s hills as the backdrop. Beyond the harbor, 300-foot-plus gigayachts too large for the show were anchored offshore. Like Cannes, Monaco was considered a banner show, with visitors from all over the world coming to see yachting’s finest collection.

Here are a dozen samplings of the best of both boat shows.