"Free man, you will always love the sea!
The sea is your mirror; you contemplate your soul
in the infinite unfolding of its wave".

Charles Baudelaire

This Special Yachting 2026 issue of Avion Luxury Magazine was created not to build a simple review of models, but to tell the way in which yachts, superyachts and sailing yachts are being redefined today through projects capable of expressing different visions of how to navigate the sea in style.

The numerous new products proposed at the European Boat Shows in Cannes, Monaco and Genoa resulted in a selection that deliberately does not follow a ranking of size, power or prestige. The boats on offer, each in its own segment, clearly show a design direction, a recognisable identity and a specific way of interpreting life on board.

In the Yacht section, very different languages coexist. Azimut, Bluegame and the multiple brands of the Ferretti Group represent approaches ranging from flybridge to sports boats, from crossovers to multihulls, from the Mediterranean open to models in which comfort, dynamism and direct relationship with the sea take on different weights. It is precisely this variety that guided the selection, showing how profoundly different sailing experiences can exist within the same segment.

The transition to Superyachts expands the scale, but the criterion does not change. Azimut, Ferretti Group, Sirena, Sanlorenzo and Benetti today interpret the segment through different approaches, focusing on increasingly decisive issues such as space, autonomy, customisation, relationship with the sea, quality of life on board and integration of technology. More than just size, the way in which these yachts are designed and experienced counts. There are those who work on the opening of spaces, those on autonomy, those on customisation, those on well-being and technology. The solutions change, the design language changes, the relationship with the sea changes. And it is precisely in this plurality of visions that the evolution of the contemporary superyacht can be read more clearly.

The Sailing Yacht section introduces a further change of language. Nautor Swan 58, Swan 80 and Swan 128, Cantiere del Pardo's Grand Soleil Plus 80 Long Cruise Bianca II, Ares Yachts' Simena and Sunreef 100 Eco show how contemporary sailing can move between performance, long cruising, large volumes, formal research and new energy solutions. The proposals compare different ways of interpreting contemporary sailing, enhancing different design approaches, performance and on-board experiences.

Taken together, all these boats make up a heterogeneous picture of contemporary boating. Some privilege the pleasure of driving, others the permanence on board; some focus on lightness and performance, others on autonomy, livability or the custom-made transformation or customization of spaces. It is precisely in the comparison between these differences that what is changing today emerges most clearly: the very way of designing and experiencing the yacht. Attention is increasingly paid to the natural and authentic relationship with the sea, to the flexibility of spaces, to attention to detail, to autonomy, efficiency and to an increasingly integrated and less invasive technology.

The editorial selection of this special observes, compares and relates different projects, identifying those capable not only of representing the present, but also of suggesting a future direction that treasures an invaluable savoir faire. Because, even in an increasingly technological, sophisticated and open to sustainability sector, there remains something that cannot be automated: the experience and sensitivity with which balance, character, creativity, craftsmanship and above all a lot of beauty are recognized and expressed in a masterful way.

Angela Trivigno