A nautical concours d’élégance, like the automobile variety, is a parade featuring some of the finest examples of now legendary water craft. Some are rediscovered gems that charm and delight, like the Violetta Ariston Junior, a pedal-driven replica of the famous Riva Ariston. This toy, which captivated adults and children alike, unanimously won over the spectators and jury of the first Concours, winning the competition outright. The style may be retro-eccentric, distinguished chic or understated modern – there are no rules. Elegance, however, is de rigueur – for equipment, crew, behaviour and performance – as is the presence of at least one member of the fairer sex on board.
The Concours d’Elégance, orchestrated by Annette Roux, a member of the supervisory board of the Bénéteau group, succeeds in raising the bar each year, to the delight of the organisers, participants and the public, who flock to the Vieux Port of Cannes to feast their eyes on around fifteen superb motorboats during the annual yacht festival. The owners of the boats selected by the international jury are spoiled by the sponsors when it comes to the prize-giving and traditional post-Concours cocktail reception in the VIP Centre. Winners of the first prize in each category are awarded Runabout gift boxes by Frédérique Constant.
This light-hearted, high-toned event, always a hit with enthusiasts, also provides an ideal platform for the launch of the annual special edition of Skippers Motor, which has been the official media partner of the event since its launch. Beginning this year, anyone wishing to enjoy this exclusive event from the festival Beach Club, and attend the prize-giving ceremony in the VIP Club, may submit a request to the organisers.
Frédérique Constant Runabout: the tribute to the Riva continues
Since 2009 the Geneva watchmaker has been a partner of the Riva Historical Society, which aims to promote the conservation of these legendary motor cruisers. As a tribute to these sporty day boats, which first became popular in the 1920s, Frédérique Constant launched its Runabout watches in the first year of its partnership. Eight years on, two new versions of the timepiece are now available, each with a classic, sophisticated design, offering hours, minutes, seconds, date and 24-hour time zone functions, a guilloché dial and luminescent applied hour markers.
