ILIAD Catamarans to unveil 53F OffGrid Hybrid at Cannes

ILIAD Catamarans picked Cannes for more than a boat-show debut. By unveiling the 53F OffGrid Hybrid on Pantiero Pontoon G in the Vieux Port, the builder turned Europe’s biggest in-water stage into a clear signal that it wants a stronger place in the multihull conversation, not just in Asia Pacific and North America. Cannes brought the traffic for it too, with more than 700 boats, around 680 exhibitors and roughly 56,000 visitors spread across the Vieux Port and Port Canto.

The attraction for owners and brokers is the package, not the badge. The ILIAD 53F OffGrid Hybrid combines the award-winning 53F platform with e-Motion hybrid technology and a parallel hybrid propulsion system, using Volvo D6 480HP engines, lithium-ion batteries, integrated generator functionality, a 5kW solar array and 2.45kW of flexible solar panels on the coachhouse roof. In plain terms, ILIAD is pushing a boat that can move from diesel power to silent electric cruising without making the owner feel like he is compromising on range or liveaboard comfort.

That matters because the underlying 53F already had credibility before the hybrid treatment. ILIAD says the base model won the 2024 Multihull of the Year in the MultiPower category, offers exceptional bridgedeck clearance for offshore safety and comfort, and delivers a cruising range of 2,500 nautical miles. The model has already sold in Asia Pacific, North America and Europe, which makes this Cannes appearance less like a concept reveal and more like a next-step product move for buyers who want long-range autonomy with better dockside manners.

The company’s own growth story helps explain the timing. ILIAD says it was founded in 2016 by Australian firm Global Marine in partnership with Italy’s ITAC Marine, then launched as a brand in 2019 and has been building international momentum since. Its North American push included Atlantic Yacht & Ship, Inc. becoming the exclusive U.S. and Bahamas dealer in 2024, and the dealer later said it sold the first ILIAD 53F in U.S. waters. With Riccardo Bulgarelli behind the naval architecture and a shipyard in Zhuhai, China, ILIAD is using Cannes to show that the 53F OffGrid Hybrid is not a one-off. It is the kind of Europe-facing statement serious powercat brands make when they want buyers to believe the range, the systems and the support are all real.