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September in Cannes is always an important marker in the boating calendar.

The Cannes Yachting Festival brings together new yachts, world premieres and some of the biggest names in boatbuilding, giving owners an early look at what is coming next.

This year brought plenty to talk about.

Across Beneteau, Lagoon and Excess, new models are taking shape for 2027, from versatile cruising yachts and long-range motorboats to performance catamarans and an 80-foot power cat built for serious time aboard.

For New Zealand owners looking ahead to their next boat, here are some of the standout models.

Beneteau: A New Generation Across Sail and Power

Beneteau arrived at Cannes with new additions spanning both sides of the marina.

On sail, the Oceanis 42 continues the evolution of one of the brand’s best-known cruising ranges, while the First 60 takes performance cruising into considerably larger territory.

On power, the new Swift Trawler 43 Fly and Gran Turismo 40 Open made their world premieres at Cannes, offering two very different ways to spend time on the water.

Beneteau Oceanis 42

The new Beneteau Oceanis 42 replaces the Oceanis 40.1 in an important part of the cruising range.

Designed by Marc Lombard Yacht Design, with exterior and interior design by Nauta Design, it has been developed around flexibility. Five layout options are available, with accommodation ranging from two to four cabins and a choice between two different galley arrangements.

At 12.86 metres overall, it remains a manageable cruising yacht while creating more options around how the space is used.

The cockpit can be configured with an open stern that carries the living area towards the water, while below deck the different layouts allow owners to prioritise accommodation, storage or living space depending on how they plan to cruise.

That versatility should make the Oceanis 42 particularly relevant for New Zealand. A boat used for weekends around the Hauraki Gulf may eventually be asked to head much farther north, and having a yacht that can adapt to both makes plenty of sense.

Beneteau First 60

The Beneteau First 60 takes the First name into new territory.

At 18.95 metres overall, it is the largest First Beneteau has built. Biscontini Yacht Design is responsible for the naval architecture, with Lorenzo Argento designing both the exterior and interior.

The emphasis remains unmistakably First.

Sailing systems have been organised around precise control, while the cockpit separates the areas used for sailing, dining and relaxing. A walk-around winch island centralises running rigging, and the deck remains relatively clean despite the yacht’s scale.

Below, the layout includes three cabins and three heads, with a full-beam galley and dedicated navigation area.

For sailors who want performance without giving up the space needed for extended cruising, the First 60 represents a substantial step forward. It has also been nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2027.

First 36 Spirit

At a very different size, the First 36 Spirit keeps the emphasis firmly on the sailing.

The approach is lighter and simpler. Rather than adding complexity, the boat has been developed around direct handling, useful cruising accommodation and the ability to move easily between performance sailing and more relaxed time aboard.

It adds another option for sailors who want a yacht that can comfortably spend a weekend at anchor but still feels alive when the breeze arrives.

Swift Trawler 43 Fly

For those looking beyond sail, the Swift Trawler 43 Fly was one of Beneteau’s major premieres at the Cannes boat show.

The Swift Trawler range has always approached powerboating a little differently.

Rather than focusing purely on speed, the boats are designed around range, visibility, storage and the simple idea of spending more time aboard. The new Swift Trawler 43 continues in that direction, with generous living spaces and practical solutions aimed at longer trips.

For New Zealand owners, that approach has obvious appeal.

A week moving slowly through the Bay of Islands, exploring Northland or spending several nights aboard asks different things of a boat than a quick afternoon run across the harbour.

The Swift Trawler 43 Fly is designed with those longer journeys in mind.

Gran Turismo 40 Open

The Gran Turismo 40 Open takes almost the opposite approach.

Also unveiled at Cannes, it has been developed around open-air boating, freedom of movement and shorter escapes. Beneteau describes it as suitable for both day trips and weekend cruising, with an emphasis on spaces that remain connected to the sea.

Where the Swift Trawler encourages owners to slow down and keep going, the Gran Turismo is about covering water and making the destination part of the day.

Two very different boats, both answering different ways New Zealanders use the coast.

Lagoon 47: More Space to Live and Cruise

The Lagoon 47 is likely to attract plenty of attention from cruising families and owners looking to spend longer periods aboard.

Lagoon brought the new model to the 2026 Cannes Boat Show alongside a broad range extending from the Lagoon 38 through to the EIGHTY 3.

The 47 continues Lagoon’s familiar focus on space, comfort and easy movement around the boat, while refining the way the interior and exterior areas connect.

It occupies an interesting position in the range.

Large enough to provide the volume and separation that make a cruising catamaran attractive for extended trips, but without moving into the scale of Lagoon’s larger luxury models.

For New Zealand and South Pacific cruising, that balance matters.

A catamaran may need to work equally well for a summer around Waiheke and Great Barrier, several weeks through the Bay of Islands or a much longer passage towards Fiji, Tonga or French Polynesia.

The Lagoon 47 gives owners another option in that middle ground.

For anyone looking at a new Lagoon catamaran for sale in NZ, it will be one of the key models to watch as the 2027 season develops.

Lagoon EIGHTY 3: Power Cruising on Another Scale

Then there is the Lagoon EIGHTY 3.

Sometimes searched as the Lagoon 83 or Lagoon 83 power catamaran, this is a very different proposition from the sailing cats that built Lagoon’s reputation.

At 24.4 metres overall, the EIGHTY 3 is a large power catamaran created for extended cruising and highly personalised ownership. It offers four to six cabins, accommodation for eight to 16 people and more than 300 square metres of exterior living space.

The first EIGHTY 3 was officially named in March 2026 before the model appeared at Cannes later in the year.

Its scale creates opportunities that would be difficult to achieve on a conventional monohull of similar length.

There is considerable outdoor living space, separate areas for guests and owners, and an aft platform extending up to 22 square metres. Twin 580 hp engines provide the propulsion.

For owners researching a Lagoon EIGHTY 3 price, there is no single figure that tells the whole story. At this level, configuration and personalisation become a major part of the build, so final pricing depends heavily on specification.

It is best viewed less as a standard production powerboat and more as a yacht that can be shaped around the way its owner intends to use it.

For anyone considering a Lagoon power catamaran in NZ, the EIGHTY 3 also demonstrates just how far the power-catamaran category has developed.

Excess 16: Something Bigger Is Coming

Excess approached Cannes with a different kind of announcement.

Just days before the show opened, the builder confirmed that a new catamaran project was underway in Bordeaux.

The name has not yet been fully revealed, but Excess has confirmed one important number: 16.

The new project is being developed for offshore sailing, with Excess describing it as a catamaran intended for sailors who do not want to choose between comfort and the sensation of sailing.

That matters because it points towards the same philosophy seen throughout the existing Excess range, now being applied at a larger scale.

Excess has always placed more emphasis on helm feel, sailing performance and keeping the person steering closely connected with the boat. The new project appears set to take that thinking into a bigger long-range platform.

For now, many of the details remain deliberately under wraps.

At Cannes itself, Excess displayed the Excess 11, Excess 13 and Excess 14 rather than the new 16 project.

That means this is one model we will be watching closely as more information emerges heading into 2027.

Different Boats, Different Ways to Cruise

The interesting part of this year’s new-model line-up is not simply the number of boats.

It is the range of experiences they represent.

The Oceanis 42 is aimed at adaptable cruising in a size that remains accessible. The First 60 puts the sailor firmly at the centre of a much larger yacht. The Swift Trawler 43 Fly is designed around comfortable, unhurried power cruising, while the Gran Turismo 40 Open takes a faster and more open approach.

The Lagoon 47 brings the space and stability of a cruising catamaran into a size suited to serious time aboard.

The EIGHTY 3 takes power-catamaran cruising into yacht territory.

And somewhere in Bordeaux, the next chapter for Excess is beginning to take shape.

That variety is part of what makes the Cannes Yachting Festival useful. Seeing different boats side by side makes it much easier to move beyond specifications and work out which style of boating actually suits the way you want to spend your time on the water. The 2026 festival ran from 8–13 September, with 36° Brokers attending alongside Beneteau, Lagoon and Excess.

Looking Ahead to 2027

New boats inevitably attract attention when they first appear.

What matters more is what happens once they leave the marina.

A good cruising yacht has to work when the weather changes, when the boat is full for a week, when the anchorage is crowded and when the next destination is several hundred miles away.

A good day boat needs to make getting out on the water easy enough that it happens often.

The new Beneteau, Lagoon and Excess models approach those requirements from very different directions, giving owners more choice around how far they travel, how quickly they get there and what life looks like once the anchor goes down.

For New Zealand boaters considering a new Beneteau for sale in NZ, a new Lagoon catamaran, or the next generation of Excess performance catamarans, 2027 is shaping up to be an interesting year.

Exploring the new Beneteau, Lagoon and Excess ranges? Talk to 36° Brokers about the latest models, specifications, availability and which boat best fits the way you want to cruise.