First Sunseeker Manhattan 94 Launched Ahead of Cannes World Debut

Sunseeker has launched the first hull of the Manhattan 94, formerly known as the 94 Yacht, as the new model moves into its final preparation phase ahead of a global debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026. The launch brings the yacht out of the build programme and into Sunseeker's testing phase before the show, which runs from 8 to 13 September. It also gives the British builder a new flagship for its Manhattan range at one of the Mediterranean season's key yacht exhibitions.

First Manhattan 94 reaches the water

The first launch marks the transition from construction into testing, commissioning and final sea trials. Sunseeker says the programme is designed to confirm the yacht's performance, safety and quality before clients, media and industry visitors see the model in Cannes. The milestone follows months of work across the company's engineering, carpentry, electrical and interior teams.

Sunseeker used the launch to emphasise the breadth of work behind the new model rather than treating the occasion as a purely ceremonial step. Interim CEO Steve Timms thanked the teams responsible for bringing the project to this stage, while the company described the Manhattan 94 as the latest evolution of its design and engineering approach. The yacht will remain in the testing phase until its final preparations for Cannes are complete.

A centrepiece for Sunseeker at Cannes

The Manhattan 94 is scheduled to make its global public debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, taking place from 8 to 13 September 2026. Sunseeker says the new model will be the centrepiece of its display, placing the first hull directly in front of clients and industry visitors shortly after the launch and testing period. Its appearance will be the first opportunity for the wider market to experience the completed yacht firsthand.

Sunseeker is planning a broad Cannes line-up around the premiere, spanning performance, sport-yacht, flybridge, ocean and larger yacht ranges. The display is expected to include the Superhawk 55, Predator 55, Manhattan 56, Manhattan 68, 75 Sport Yacht, 76 Yacht, 82 Ocean Enclosed and 100 Yacht alongside the Manhattan 94. That range gives the new 94 a prominent role while also placing it within the builder's wider product portfolio.

Manhattan 94 takes over from the 94 Yacht name

The model was previously presented as the 94 Yacht but now enters the market under the Manhattan 94 name. Sunseeker describes it as a further development of the company's design, engineering and performance philosophy, with the first hull serving as the production yacht that will introduce the model to the public. The Cannes debut therefore represents both a model premiere and the first public view of the completed first hull.

For Sunseeker, the timing compresses several major programme milestones into a short period: launch, testing, final sea trials and then the international unveiling. That sequence makes the first week of September a practical validation phase as much as a publicity build-up, because the yacht must complete its remaining checks before the show opens. The company has said its testing process is intended to ensure the vessel meets its standards across performance, safety and quality.

Hull number two already sold

The Manhattan 94 programme has already moved beyond its first hull, with Sunseeker confirming that construction of hull number two is under way and that the yacht has been sold. That provides an immediate follow-on build as the first yacht prepares for its debut and shows the production programme continuing alongside the Cannes launch campaign. Attention now turns to completion of the first hull's trials and its presentation at Cannes Yachting Festival 2026.