The Deo Juvante M24 will make her world debut at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival. Belgian entrepreneur Thierry Verstraete founded Deo Juvante after selling his trucking business and spending years cruising the world’s oceans, and the M24 is built for that same kind of long-range exploring, with naval architecture by Auckland studio Lomocean and an interior by Kurt Wallaeys. Twin MAN diesels produce a combined 1,000hp, and while the M24 name reflects her 24 metre waterline length, she measures 25.5 metres overall. Solar panels and an optional kite propulsion system round out a yacht designed for ocean crossings and long stays at anchor.
She’s one of nearly 700 boats expected across the Vieux Port and Port Canto from 8 to 13 September. Of those, 591 are new boats rather than brokerage listings. Cannes traditionally opens Europe’s autumn boat show calendar.
The entries range from three 2.8 metre tenders, the Agilis Jettender 280, Williams Jet Turbojet 280MX and AS Tender 280 Folding Transom, to Heesen’s 55 metre After You, refitted in 2022 with an updated interior by Mark Berryman and a blue exterior originally designed by Omega Architects. Flybridge boats lead the motor yacht entries at just under 200, followed by dayboats, runabouts, tenders, RIBs and cabin cruisers.
Cannes will also mark the public debut of Pioneer Yachts’ first boat. Founded in 2024 by engineer Mike Frank, the German yard is about to launch a solar-electric catamaran called Pioneer One.
Multihulls dominate the sailing entries, led by Excess, Lagoon and Leopard Catamarans. Motor yacht premieres include new models from Axopar, Pearl, Amer and Absolute.
Kiwi presence goes well beyond the Deo Juvante. Propspeed, MC-ZERO and ZeroJet are all exhibiting, and both 36° Brokers and Orakei Marine are sending teams to help Kiwi buyers with appointments and local know-how. Australian builders Riviera and Seawind will be there too, alongside Ribco and insurer Pantaenius.
Lomocean drew her lines from Auckland, and she’ll float in the south of France alongside boats from some of the biggest builders on the planet. Not bad for a design office most Cannes visitors have never heard of.
