At the Cannes Yachting Festival, the second edition of the Concours d’Elegance delighted the crowd of spectators who came to admire fine Rivas or other sea jewels and their crews.
Cannes Yachting Festival offers since last year a nautical parade full of elegance that also pays tribute to the rich history of yachting in the heart of the French Riviera. If the concours d’élégance are usually reserved for nice-looking automobiles or horse-drawn carriages, the Concours d’Elegance is a rare event in the field of yachting and water sports.
Since its first edition in 2015, this competition is exclusively reserved to older boats (motor boats) and more recent motor boats (day-boats), less than 12 meters long. The crew – four people maximum – is enhanced by the grace and charm of a woman at least.
A nautical style ballet
At the Concours d’Elegance, held in the Old Port of Cannes before the new luxury exhibition area La Terrasse, 30 beautiful boats offered to the public, massed on the dock next to the VIP Lounge of Yachting Cannes Festival, an outstanding ballet of high water refinement. With the elegance worthy of the famous parade of vintage cars of the Villa d’Este, the Riva vintage or modern other sea jewels, delighted the audience with an exquisite and harmonious parade in front of the beach festival with the Lérins Islands as a background.
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Violetta – 2004
Sea jewels to draw out
The boats participating in the Concours d’Elegance are divided into three categories. The units built before 1980, those built between 1980 and 2000, and finally the new models designed after 2000. These seas beauties are judged by a jury of six people installed on a ship anchored off the festival beach. It has to appreciate the scarcity the model, its history, the quality of its renovation, design and state of preservation. When passing the jury boat, each crew, a glass of champagne in hand, must greet the public as a sign of good manners and friendliness.
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Prix de l’élégance féminine
A professional jury of connoisseur
The jury, chaired by Mrs Annette Roux, President of Yachting Festival, was composed of Marc Ouayoun, Managing Director of Porsche France, Olivier Piquet, CEO of Lise Charmel, Dominique Gabirault, pharmacist passionate about yachting, Nicolas Kappenberger, Director of Switzerland Market for Audemars Piguet and Roberto Franzoni, journalist.
After the parade, participants, partners, VIPs and journalists were invited to the awards ceremony held on the terrace of the Cannes Yachting Festival VIP Club. The partners of the Yachting Festival spoiled the winner by presenting them with many splendid awards.
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Le Jury
The Concours d’Élégance winners
Category before 1980
1er prix: Riva Bertram sur Lady Bambi – 1974
2ème prix : Roméo et Charly sur Riva Acquarama – 1965
3ème prix : Pinocchio sur Riva – 1969
Category after 1980
1er prix : Violetta – 2004
2ème prix : Intreprid 327 – Cuddy – 2015
3ème prix : Ventura 850 – 2015
Prize of female élégance
1er prix : Intrepid 327 – Cuddy – 2015
2ème prix : Riva Bertram – Lady Bambi – 1974
3ème prix : Ventura 850 – 2015
Jury’s Coup de coeur
Riva Bertram : Lady Bambi – 1974
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Les lauréats du Concours d’Élégance
The rare elegance!
During the prize-giving ceremony, the last fine word went to Franck Chikli, Deputy representing the Mayor of Cannes David Lisnard, who, paraphrasing the late comedian Pierre Desproges, concluded with this statement: “Enjoying the beach in August, and enjoying the sea in September is the ultimate aristocracy and rare elegance!”
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