It almost seems unfair that the Monaco Yacht Show and Cannes Yachting Festival are held ahead of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show each autumn. The Europeans get a first look at some of the newest models while we Americans have to practice our patience.
And yet, if the photos in these pages are any indication, this year’s launches from many of the world’s top builders are going to be worth the wait to savor, like the long-anticipated dessert in a nine-course tasting. Shipyards are premiering all sizes and styles of yachts, ranging from a Swan 95 fast cruiser to Evo’s shape-shifting 42-foot WA to Tankoa’s first S501 superyacht, the 163-foot Vertige.
Technical innovations are expected too. The 62 Fly is Numarine’s first yacht designed with all-LED lighting. Sanlorenzo is debuting its SX88, built with low-environmental-impact materials and methods, as well as its first 52Steel, Seven Sins. At 170 feet length overall, she’s the largest-ever Sanlorenzo. The Benetti Fast 125 Skyler has new Rolls-Royce Azipull propulsion developed specifically for the Fast 125 hull — a system Benetti calls “the most technologically advanced on the market.”
Other builders are evolving previous models to expand on what buyers say they like. The Ferretti Yachts 920 is a new hull design with an interior décor updated from the 850, while the Otam 80HT Mystere shows how that model operates with twin 2,600 hp MTUs versus the previous 80HT’s quad power plants. (Otam says Mystere topped 48 knots during sea trials.)
European yachtsmen will get the first taste of these beauties, but Americans will have the last bite come November at FLIBS. For now, let’s savor the anticipation.
