GranOcean is using the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival for the official European premiere of the W-72, its 21.98-metre semi-custom power catamaran. The appearance follows the arrival of the first W-72 in Europe earlier in the year and gives Mediterranean buyers a chance to inspect the platform during the region’s largest autumn in-water show.
The W-72 sits at the top of GranOcean’s W-Series and combines a 10-metre beam with open or enclosed flybridge configurations. Its design brief prioritises long-distance cruising, large interior volume and owner-driven customisation rather than a single fixed production layout.
A 10-metre beam creates substantial living volume
At 21.98 metres long and 10 metres wide, the W-72 uses the power-catamaran platform to create a very different spatial proposition from a monohull of similar length. The wide beam allows separate social areas, larger cabins and broad deck circulation while retaining the inherent separation of the two hulls.
GranOcean offers several layout paths, including owner-suite arrangements, five-cabin configurations and different galley positions. The flybridge can also be specified open or enclosed, allowing the same basic platform to be adapted for warm-weather Mediterranean use, longer offshore passages or charter operation.
Semi-custom design is central to the W-Series
GranOcean positions the W-72 as semi-custom rather than as a fixed-specification production catamaran. Owners can choose furniture layouts, cabin arrangements, tender storage, finish packages and technical options, while the builder keeps the core platform and engineering sufficiently standardised to maintain repeatable production.
That middle ground can appeal to buyers who want more control than a conventional production yacht permits without accepting the time and cost of a fully bespoke build. It also places greater importance on the design and engineering process because changes need to remain compatible with weight, systems and structural constraints.
Hybrid and solar options broaden the technical package
The official W-72 specification lists hybrid propulsion and solar among the available options, alongside a range of engine choices. GranOcean also highlights its work with Gurit on structural engineering and Vripack on interior design, combining specialist partners with the builder’s own production programme.
As with any optional hybrid system, the value will depend on the owner’s operating profile rather than the label alone. Battery capacity, generator strategy, hotel loads, cruising speed and expected time at anchor all influence whether additional electrical complexity produces meaningful savings or quieter operating periods.
The European premiere supports wider market expansion
GranOcean has already delivered a W-72 into Italy and has been building a broader European presence, so the Cannes display is part of a continuing market push rather than a one-off show appearance. The festival gives the company access to buyers comparing power catamarans from a rapidly growing group of established and newer builders.
For Luxury Yacht Guide readers, the W-72 is especially relevant because it sits just below the 24-metre boundary while offering the beam and usable volume normally associated with much larger monohulls. Its Cannes premiere adds another serious power-catamaran option to the upper end of the sub-24-metre market.
