Cannes Yachting Festival 2021: Enjoying sailing with an environmental conscience
by Yachting Festival Cannes 27 Aug 2021 12:24 BST
7-12 September 2021
Cannes Yachting Festival © Jerome Kelagopian
Yachting is not immune to awareness of the environmental crisis. Reconciling nautical activities with respecting the environment is tomorrow's challenge.
Marinas, the nautical sector, professional actors and users have been becoming aware of the true consequences of their activities on the environment for several years.
Despite restrictive international rules aiming to protect natural environments (hybrid propulsion, reduction of noise pollution, more regulations for mooring zones to preserve seabeds...), and the obligation for marinas with more than 100 places to reserve 1% of their spaces for electric boats from 2022, the transition is slow.
On 28 July, Annick Girardin, French Minister of the Sea, therefore launched a mission dedicated to the sailing sector.
The aim? To identify solutions to develop the sector while finding the balance between sailing freely and an environmental conscience that is indispensable today. The challenge is to undertake a green transition in nautical activities that is similar to that which the car industry is experiencing.
These new sustainable development themes are an incredible opportunity to reinvent nautical activities to imagine the world of tomorrow.
To firmly accompany this green transition, the Yachting Festival had already started making an environmental shift in 2019 with the "Energy Observer" educational exhibition presenting work on hydrogen and renewable energy undertaken by the boat of that name.
To go even further, this year the Festival has organised a full "Green" route for visitors: it is an environmental route highlighting exhibitors developing or presenting an environmentally-friendly concept. More than 50 exhibitors are taking part in this route which will showcase equipment and 80 boats or equipment that are innovative from an environmentally-friendly viewpoint.
All exhibitors taking part in this route show the logo.
In addition, for the first time since the Yachting Festival was created, this year the Vieux Port will accommodate a nautical zone exclusively dedicated to fully electric and hybrid boats which will present a dozen 8- to 12-metre boats.
Finally, from the Vieux Port to Port Canto, several eco-friendly boats can be seen.