At this years Cannes Boat Show there will be plenty of exciting new powercats on show. We round up our pick of the most exciting launches
Power catamarans continue their unstoppable rise across the global market, and the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival proves that multihulls are no longer a niche alternative. By pairing huge volume with unparalleled stability and shallow drafts, the powercat platform allows shipyards to rethink onboard living from the waterline up.
From quiet long-range cruisers to cutting-edge solar concepts and rugged aluminium expedition yachts, this year’s lineup highlights just how versatile two hulls can be. Whether you are looking for transatlantic range, eco-conscious hybrid drives, or simply the deck space of an 80-footer on a 60-foot footprint, these are the standout power catamarans to put on your Cannes hit list.
Prestige M8 Evo
he flagship of Prestige’s M-line has been given a major overhaul and relaunched as the M8 Evo for the Cannes show. Chief among the changes is a pair of big-block MAN i6 730hp engines in place of the original Volvo units, which promise whisper-quiet cruising at between 55 and 62dB(A). There’s also an improved and repositioned lower helm to give the main deck galley the space to expand and become the social hub it should always have been. And it’s interesting to see that the internal flybridge staircase has also been eradicated.
This third change is arguably the most profitable of the lot. It frees up so much extra space on the starboard side of the flybridge that it actually feels like a much beamier upper deck than its predecessor’s. There’s now room for another huge galley, which once again acts as the social hub for those who venture up top.
Back down in the saloon, the removal of the staircase also generates more freedom in terms of the layout. You now get a more expansive aft dining station, alongside the option of sliding doors so you can open the aft part of the saloon right out onto the big starboard side deck.
In spite of its huge beam (29ft on a 65ft boat), the styling is also a bit of a treat. The use of a subtly dipping sheerline, long tinted windows and restrained bulwark cutouts has transformed the M8 from a boat that the monohull fan could tolerate into a platform that the stylistically minded could genuinely covet.
As for its claim to provide the space of an 80-footer on a 65ft boat, well that’s certainly open for debate. But what’s not in doubt is the calibre of the spaces it does provide. In spite of a wonderful bow lounge and a pair of crew cabins in the forepeaks, there’s still space for a show-stopping forward owner’s cabin with light flooding in from both sides – and that alone may be enough to seal the deal.
Prestige M8 Evo specifications
LOA: 65ft 0in (19.82m)
Beam: 29ft 0in (8.85m)
Engines: Twin MAN i6 – 730s
Fuel: 3,700L
Water: 2,100L
Top speed: 22 knots
RCD: A18 – D35
Price: from €4.8M ex VAT
Contact: prestige-yachts.com
YOT 53
The YOT 53 is one of at least six new power catamarans being launched at Cannes this year but what makes this one special is that it’s the first proper cruising model from the Catana Group’s YOT brand – the smaller YOT 36 and 41 are both outboard-powered day boats.
As well as being substantially bigger with multiple cabins, an enclosed main deck, a large flybridge and a choice of powerful inboard diesel engines, it boasts a number of unique features. Foremost among these are a pair of folding balconies and a lifting stern platform that expand the already large cockpit to truly epic proportions.
Like the Prestige M-class powercats, it also has a deep bridge deck between the two hulls, which allows for two unusually large ensuite guest cabins amidships and either one huge full beam-owner’s cabin forward or another pair of smaller doubles. The appealing thing about the owner’s cabin version is that it also has direct access to the sunken bow lounge on the foredeck.
The other intriguing idea is a U-shaped galley in the saloon that leaves the whole of the aft end free for seating and dining. If it looks as good in the flesh as it sounds on paper, this could be quite a game-changer for this size of powercat.
YOT 53 specifications
LOA: 53ft 2in (16.2m)
Beam: 23ft 9in (7.25m)
Engines: 2 x 440-550hp Yanmar diesels
Top speed: 20 knots
Contact: yot-power-catamarans.com
Veya 53
ith both YOT and Illiad also launching 53ft powercats at Cannes, new brand Veya will have its work cut out but it certainly has the right skill set to do it. Formed as a joint venture between French custom motoryacht brand Couach and multihull specialist Fountaine Pajot, it has both the knowledge and the experience to build a world-class powercat.
The new Veya 53 looks like being one of the biggest in its class, thanks to a vast 26ft beam and a number of different layout options that make full use of the available space. This includes both three- and four-cabin versions as well as a pair of different cockpit designs.
One features a conventional transom sofa in the middle and a pair of corner seats either side, while the other has an open transom with a corner dinette to starboard and a chaise longue to port for a more direct connection with the sea. The unusually large storage locker under the cockpit is ideal for paddleboards, Seabobs etc, with direct access from the bathing platform. All this combines to make it a great liveaboard watersports platform.
The three cabin-version has a spectacular owner’s cabin running the full length of the port hull, but even the four-cabin layout includes big double beds and ensuite bathrooms for everyone, plus a crew cabin in the bow.
Veya 53 specifications
LOA: 54ft 2in (16.5m)
Beam: 26ft 1in (7.96m)
Engines: 2 x 440-550hp Yanmar diesels
Contact: veya-yachts.com
Bering BC60
Bering Yachts is known for building robust steel and aluminium explorer yachts but it’s using the Cannes show to premier the BC60, the first of a new range of expedition power catamarans that will soon grow to include 70ft and 80ft models.
Even at this more modest size the BC60 is a very substantial craft with a displacement of 63 tonnes and a total volume of 121.2 GT for the enclosed flybridge version. Despite this it draws a miserly 1.3m, enabling it to creep into shallow bays that monohulls of similar size would never dare venture. It also carries 13,500 litres of fuel, giving it a transoceanic range of more than 3,000nm from its twin 450hp Volvo D8 engines.
Being constructed from aluminium, rather than moulded GRP, it’s not only structurally very strong but it’s also much easier to customise. Plans already exist for four, five and even six cabins as well as open or enclosed flybridge variants and doubtless you can tweak the layout of the main deck to suit your needs as well.
Being a full displacement design, it’s not as quick as some of its smaller planing rivals with a top speed of around 14 knots, but the Bulgarian shipyard claims it’s very safe, stable and well equipped for long-range liveaboard cruising.
Bering BC60 specifications
LOA: 62ft 0in (18.9m)
Beam: 28ft 2in (8.6m)
Engines: 2 x 450hp Volvo Penta D8
Top speed: 14 knots
Contact: beringyachts.com
Pioneer PY60
This is by no means the first hybrid powered solar electric catamaran but it is one of the best looking and if the quality of the engineering and build matches that of the design, it could cause quite a stir when the wraps come off it in Cannes.
Designed from the outset as a solar electric boat, rather than an adaptation of an existing diesel model, everything has been engineered to keep it as safe, simple, reliable and efficient as possible. That means 48V electrical architecture (side stepping the risks and complexity of higher voltage systems), a pair of relatively modest 50kW electric motors, LFP batteries of up to 246kWh, and a solar array on the wheelhouse roof and flybridge hard top that can generate up to 17.7kWp.
In favourable weather that should enable it to operate almost entirely on solar electric power, although a diesel generator can be used to extend the range and charge the batteries when needed. Its Category A RCD rating certainly suggests it’s capable of extended offshore cruising. And with up to five double cabins there’s no shortage of space for guests.
The first one is being built in Germany for the yard’s founder, Mike Frank, who will use it as his personal yacht to help iron out any teething issues and refine future production models.
Pioneer PY60 specifications
LOA: 60ft 0in (18.3m)
Beam: 29ft 6in (9.98m)
Motors: 2 x 50kW electric
Top speed: 11 knots
Contact: pioneeryachts.de
