Cannes 2026: Why Weight Still Matters

The 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival again put sustainability, electrification and energy efficiency firmly in the spotlight.

Lightweight composites, Composite manufacturing, Marine composites, Weight reduction, Carbon fibre, Composite structures, Outsourced manufacturing, Vietnam manufacturing

Much of the conversation understandably focused on how we generate and store energy: solar panels, batteries, electric propulsion and increasingly sophisticated energy-management systems.

But there is another question worth asking first: How much energy does the boat actually need?

One of the most effective ways to reduce that demand is to reduce weight.

Lightweight design has to become lightweight construction

Rapido Trimarans has long followed this approach.

Its boats are designed by Morrelli & Melvin around efficient hull forms and carefully engineered composite structures.

Triac Composites then has to turn those engineering targets into finished boats.

That means controlling weight throughout the build - in the hulls, floats, beams, bulkheads, decks and highly loaded components such as carbon masts, rudders, daggerboards and foils.

It isn't simply a question of using carbon fibre.

The objective is to use the right material, in the right place, in the right quantity.

The savings compound

Reducing structural weight lowers the amount of energy needed to move a vessel.

That can also reduce the requirements for propulsion, batteries, fuel and supporting systems - creating further weight savings. The same principle applies well beyond performance yachts.

Triac recently replaced a steel mast on a commercial passenger vessel with a composite structure.

• The original mast weighed approximately 700 kg.

• The composite replacement weighed 76 kg.

• That reduction also allowed the heavy hydraulic lifting system to be replaced with a much smaller electric actuator.

One weight saving led to another.

Build efficiency into the structure first

Cannes showed how quickly marine technology is developing. Solar generation, electric propulsion and battery systems will continue to improve, and all have an important role to play.

But adding more energy supply is not the only route to efficiency.

Sometimes the better starting point is: Reduce demand before increasing supply.

For Triac, that means helping customers create lighter structures - whether that is a complete vessel, mast, foil, beam, console, gangway, panel or another component currently manufactured in aluminium or steel.

If weight matters to the performance or efficiency of the product, advanced composites may be part of the answer.