Wajer Yachts is taking a different approach to Cannes this September, hosting its own private sea-trial programme just outside the festival environment from 9–13 September 2026. Rather than keeping its yachts tied to a crowded exhibition dock, the Dutch builder is inviting guests to take several models directly onto open water and experience them back-to-back.
The Cannes Rendez-Vous follows a format Wajer used in the region previously and deliberately separates the test-drive experience from the conventional boat-show routine. Guests can move between yachts, compare their different characters on the water and combine the trials with hospitality provided aboard during the event.
A Cannes programme built around driving the yachts
Wajer's emphasis is firmly on time at the helm rather than static viewing. The company says several models will be available to experience one after another, allowing prospective owners to compare handling, deck arrangements and onboard atmosphere in conditions that are much closer to normal use than a walk-through alongside a busy pontoon.
That approach also gives the builder direct access to open water rather than requiring each demonstration to begin amid dense show traffic. For a range developed around owner operation and high-speed day cruising, the sea-trial format puts performance and usability at the centre of the Cannes programme.
Private hospitality replaces the conventional show stand
The Rendez-Vous is positioned as a quieter alternative to the main festival crowds, with invited guests hosted separately from the exhibition docks. Wajer is also incorporating private-chef hospitality, turning the programme into a more relaxed ownership-style experience rather than simply another stop on a conventional display stand.
The distinction is important because Wajer sells its yachts around a broader ownership proposition that extends beyond the initial purchase. Its service and care network forms a significant part of the brand's offer, and the Cannes format gives the company more time to present that relationship directly while the yachts themselves remain available for use on the water.
Cannes forms part of a wider September programme
The private French Riviera event sits within a busy month for Wajer. The company began September at HISWA te Water in the Netherlands with the Wajer 38, Wajer 44 and Wajer 55, before moving into its Cannes programme and other international events later in the month.
Wajer is also participating in the Supercar Owners Circle weekend in Costa Navarino from 10–13 September, where four cruises are planned along the Greek coast. Later in September the builder heads to the Newport International Boat Show in Rhode Island before returning to the Mediterranean for the Monaco Yacht Show.
Monaco follows later in September
At Monaco, Wajer plans to present the Wajer 44 HT and Wajer 55 HT while also using its fleet for tendering duties around Port Hercule. That combination of display, guest transport and owner-style operation follows the same philosophy behind the Cannes Rendez-Vous: putting the yachts to work rather than treating them purely as static exhibits.
For Cannes, however, the focus remains the private sea-trial experience running alongside the festival from 9–13 September. With several models available to drive back-to-back and direct access to open water, Wajer is using one of the Mediterranean season's busiest weeks to demonstrate its yachts in the environment for which they were designed.