Multihulls World #180

Frankly, the day before the opening of the Cannes Yachting Festival, I still couldn’t quite believe it... And yet, all the players in the multihull universe had already arrived either in the Vieux Port or in Port Canto, or between the two, along the famous La Croisette. The reunion was in- tense: a year and a half, two years since we all last saw each other in person! The press conferences were already underway - Beneteau usually sets the ball rolling two hours before the show opens. The boat builders and equipment manufacturers have so many new models and products and ideas to share that it all had to start earlier than usual. We at Multihulls World have changes too: more and more digital, videos and relays all over the world... Later in the evening, my doubts began to subside, but not completely. We’ve all been so battered by the effects of the health crisis that my concerns are not entirely unfounded.

Some shows have been ordered to cancel just days before they were due to open. Would those freshly rolled out pink carpets along the docks really be walked on by visitors? Would all those flags in the rigs of our multihulls (more numerous than ever!) be waving in the breeze all week? Would the powercat and multiyacht enthusiasts be able to come and discover all the new models moored along the Quai Max Laubeuf, at the foot of the old town? Could our readers come visit us at our booth?

Yes, this first big boat show, the one starting it all up again, really did take place. It welcomed - hold on tight - 54,000 visitors, or the same number as the 2019 edition before the crisis! But what about the order books? They are fuller than ever. Deliveries scheduled for 2023, even 2024, we are told. The weather was wonderful in Cannes; let’s hope that the Indian summer continues for the shows in Genoa, Monaco, La Rochelle and Annapolis. So many multihull events where we will of course be present!