CANNES YACHTING FESTIVAL : NAVAL DESIGN IN THE SPOTLIGHT WHERE CRAFTSMANSHIP, INNOVATION AND ARCHITECTURE SHAPE THE BOATS OF TOMORROW
The Cannes Yachting Festival lifts the veil on a profession that is often invisible yet fundamental: naval design. At the crossroads of art, engineering and craftsmanship, design shapes much more than the aesthetics of a boat: it imagines life at sea, rethinking space, light, functionality and sustainability.
From 9 to 14 September, visitors to the show will be able to discover boats designed by four internationally renowned design studios – including Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design, Piaton Yacht Design, Dixon Yacht Design, and Espen Øino International – who are redefining shapes, volumes and onboard sensations. Modularity, technical innovation, and environmental awareness: these behind-the-scenes designers are sculpting the future of yachting.
“There’s something deeply moving in boat design: it’s where the dream of escaping meets a feat of engineering, design and artisan skill. At the Cannes Yachting Festival, we want to pay tribute to those who imagine these shapes, spaces, and feelings. Because design is much more than a question of style: it is a driver of innovation, a lever of transition and a signature in its own right for every boat. Architects, designers, and stylists… their work crafts the uses and lines of sailing in the future. It is a privilege to be able to give them a stage that matches their talent, in a setting that celebrates the beauty, creativity and passion of sailing every year. With more than 700 boats on display, from the largest boat builders to niche launches, our show provides a unique setting for unveiling the excellence of boat design in all its forms.” Sylvie Ernoult, Director of the Cannes Yachting Festival.
They number nineteen, and are based in La Rochelle shaping the future of sailing boats and catamarans. At Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design, every line drawn has a function, every space an intention. The studio designs bespoke or series of boats from 10 to 45 metres long for the biggest names in sailing. They include Allures Yachting, Garcia Yachts or Gunboat, but also Amel, Fountaine Pajot, Hanse Yacht, J/Composite, Veya… who will be present at the Cannes Yachting Festival this year.
“Every project is a blank page,” says Olivier Racoupeau, founder of the studio and former regatta enthusiast. “It all starts with listening to the boat builder or the end customer: how they use their boat, whatthey want, and constraintsthey may have. Then the design comes in”.
Founded in 1983, the practice has evolved with customer expectations and changes in the industry. In 2008, Isabelle Racoupeau joined the studio to structure the interior approach. She had studied international trade and appreciated the world of yachting since she was young. She imagines interiors to enjoy living in, where volumes, lights, materials and circulation are designed to support life on board.
Crafting the interior of a boat requires a subtle balance. Unlike a house, the light moves, the floor sways, the space is restricted and even the slightest material has to resist humidity, salt and the sun. Decoration should therefore be seen as a technique in its own right: a choice of coverings, visual harmony, storage integration, a feeling of flow. “Every centimetre counts, but every emotion as well,” emphasises Isabelle Racoupeau.
Piaton Yacht Design does not put its signature to interiors to impose a style, but to revealan identity. The agency started with brand design and turned to yachting in 2010 after a first noteworthy project. Two years later, the boat builder CNB entrusted them with a founding mission: to design the interiors of its semi-custom range. It was a decisive collaboration, which anchored the agency in the boat design landscape.
For more than twenty years, Dixon Yacht Design has embodied British excellence in the world of yachting. At the helm of the studio, visionary and enthusiast Bill Dixon imposes a style where performance, elegance and technical ingenuity become one. Their motto is to turn dreams into tangible lines.
At Espen Øino International, every line drawn is a response to a real need. The Norwegian naval architect’s studio, a global benchmark in its field, pushes the boundaries of customisation with an approach that goes against the tide: here, style never comes before function. Whether it’s an exceptional yacht, a high-performance chase boat or a high-capacity ferry, it all starts with its use being analysed.
