At The 2024 Monaco Yacht Show, These Trends Took Center Stage

There’s a first time for everything, and even veteran Monaco Yacht Show attendees agreed on one thing this year: that they had never seen as much rain during the four-day superyacht bonanza than the drenching that the Principality received on Thursday, the second day of the event.

While the wet did throw plans into chaos for those with a coveted lunch reservation on the upper terrace of the Yacht Club de Monaco—and force the hasty swap of cocktail soirees from the aft deck of yachts into exhibitor stands—it did little else to dampen the buzz of the show on what is, generally, the busiest day.

By the time British singer Craig David came on stage at the Omniyat party at the Yacht Club to celebrate the Dubai property developer’s latest project with the Dorchester Collection, The Alba, the rain had stopped, replaced by a seemingly endless flow of Möet & Chandon.

The Monaco Yacht Show knows how to throw a party, but the headline acts are undoubtedly the yachts on display. This year delivered the requisite smorgasbord: 120 of them.

Innovation Comes In Many Sizes

The 122-meter Kismet, Lürssen’s 2024 delivery that’s for charter with Cecil Wright for €3 million a week, was the one everyone wanted to get close to, although nearby docked along the cruise ship terminal, 112-meter Renaissance towered six decks high, daring anyone to overlook its presence. It charters though Burgess for the same weekly price as Kismet.

Some of the latest launches served as a reminder that a yacht doesn't have to be the length of a football pitch to pack a punch: Columbus Yacht's fully-custom Anjelif impressed with the array of features packed into 50 meters, including a plunge pool and jacuzzi, an owner's suite with a sauna and a touch-and-go helipad that converts into an open-air cinema when on charter.

For Gäelle Tallarida, the Monaco Yacht Show’s Managing Director, this year’s edition was about cementing recent initiatives, such as the Yacht Design & Innovation Hub. “We haven't launched a new area, instead this year is the consolidation of what we has been developing over the last three years,” she told me in person.

The show continues to be the place for industry premieres. “Exhibitors choose Monaco for presenting new yachts or new products and innovations,” Tallarida continued.

Cultivating More Quality Time On Board

As always, Heesen Yachts kicked off proceedings at its Wednesday morning press breakfast, unveiling Project Monte Carlo, a four-deck, 62-meter yacht that will be one of the largest by volume that the Dutch yard has ever built.

Heesen CEO Niels Vaessen said that the design responds to the growing trend of spending more time on board. "We are addressing a key market that are looking to maximise space and experience on board to share with family and friends," he said in a statement.

Feadship, celebrating its 75th anniversary, revealed the 75-meter C, the latest in a line of cutting-edge concepts that push the boundaries of what is possible in yacht design. A fully electric propulsion powered by methanol fuel cells and playful, duplex-style living areas are some of the standout features.

Purpose-Built Charter Yachts Vs. Individual Playgrounds

The conference schedule further demonstrated how sustainability is front of mind for the main players the industry, with many discussions centered around next-generation propulsion. But it also offered insight into other trends—such as the gap in the market for a yacht tailored to the charter market that brokerage Hill Robinson is looking to fill with the “Perfect Charter Yacht,” a 60-meter concept in partnership with Dölker + Voges Design.

"The charter market is full of yachts built for an individual, instead of being purpose-built for the charter activity," explained Nicolas Fry, Head of Charter Management, Hill Robinson, to me in person. "I had this idea to build a yacht specifically to be successful on the charter market with all the features and qualities requested by most charter clients."

Tried-And-True Trends Meet New Technology

Videoworks gave a taster of what to expect from AI applications in yachting, presenting the digital modeling installations on the Rossinavi catamaran Seawolf to monitor and optimize onboard functions as an example.

Yet, while some trends are still nascent, others show no sign of fading: the alley of high-tech water toy gadgets, from submersibles to electric scooters and inflatables, was as buoyant as ever—even in the rain.