Inside the Spanish family shipyard redefining the art of owning a yacht — from four generations of craftsmanship to the new Astondoa Coupé Collection

Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 | Vieux Port, Cannes

There is something inherently Mediterranean about Astondoa.

Perhaps it is the sunlight reflected across a sculpted hull. Perhaps it is the open-air living, the long lunches that become late afternoons, or the unmistakable feeling that a yacht should never be separated from the sea around it.

At the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026, Spanish shipyard Astondoa brought that philosophy to the Vieux Port with two distinctly contemporary expressions of its heritage: the new 577 Coupé and the 677 Coupé.

But behind the yachts was another story — one about a family, a century of craftsmanship and a new generation of leadership.

At its centre stands Ione Astondoa, representing the fourth generation of the Astondoa family.

And if the yachts are evolving, so is the woman helping to shape the future of the brand.

A CENTURY, WITH NO DESIRE TO STAND STILL

Founded in Spain in 1916, Astondoa has spent more than a century building boats while remaining a family-owned shipyard.

That history could easily become a reason to look backwards.

Instead, Astondoa uses it as a foundation for moving forward.

The company is based in Santa Pola, Alicante, where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary yacht construction. Its current portfolio stretches from the sporty Coupé collection to Flybridge yachts, the AS range and the larger Century family.

The philosophy is distinctly Spanish: craftsmanship, individuality and a strong connection to Mediterranean life. But the design language is increasingly international. And that is where Ione Astondoa enters the story.

IONE ASTONDOA: THE FOURTH GENERATION

Ione Astondoa joined the family business full-time in 2019, bringing a distinctly contemporary perspective to a company with more than 100 years of history.

As a member of the fourth generation, she represents something increasingly important in luxury industries: continuity without repetition.

Her role has included the modernisation of areas ranging from communication and digital strategy to human resources and cost management, while supporting Astondoa’s international development.

Her presence is also significant within an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men. Rather than treating heritage as something static, Ione represents a more modern interpretation of what a family luxury business can become. The question is no longer simply how to preserve a name.

It is how to make that name relevant to the next generation of owners.

THE NEW ASTONDOA OWNER

The luxury yacht buyer is changing.

Today’s owner may be younger, more design-conscious and less interested in traditional symbols of status.

They want their yacht to feel personal.

They want interiors that reflect their own aesthetic. They want spaces designed for friends, family, wellness, entertaining and spontaneous escapes.

And they increasingly expect the yacht to behave like an extension of their home — only with the Mediterranean as the front garden.

Astondoa’s answer is customisation.

The shipyard’s Coupé range, for example, combines distinctive exterior design with interiors that can be personalised with different materials, finishes and layouts.

It is a philosophy that makes sense for a generation accustomed to choosing everything from the colour of their car to the architecture of their home.

Why should a yacht be any different?

THE COUPÉ COLLECTION ARRIVES IN CANNES

At this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, Astondoa presented the 577 Coupé alongside the 677 Coupé.

The 577 was making its Cannes debut, marking an important international moment for the new model. Astondoa positioned the collection as a contemporary interpretation of Mediterranean luxury — sophisticated, sporty and highly connected to life outdoors.

The 577 Coupé, at 15.90 metres, combines a sporty profile with a more social approach to onboard living. It can be equipped with Volvo IPS 800 engines or, optionally, three Mercury Verado V12 600 hp outboards, with a claimed top speed of 36 knots.

Then comes the 677 Coupé.

At 18.94 metres, she is the more dramatic expression of the collection.

Her inverted bow has become one of the signature visual elements of the Coupé family, while expansive glazing brings the Mediterranean directly into the interior.

A retractable sunroof opens the upper spaces to the sky. The design is sporty, but never sacrifices comfort.

And this is where Astondoa’s idea of modern luxury becomes particularly clear.

Performance is no longer the opposite of relaxation.

The two are designed to exist together.

A YACHT THAT LOOKS TOWARDS THE SEA

Step aboard the 677 Coupé and the architecture immediately encourages movement between spaces.

The large glass surfaces are not simply decorative. They change the relationship between the interior and the water.

The sea becomes part of the living room.

The interior can be configured with three cabins and private bathrooms, with an optional fourth cabin depending on the owner’s requirements.

It is a subtle but important shift. The yacht is not designed around a rigid idea of how a wealthy person should live. It is designed around how an owner might actually want to spend their time.

Breakfast outside. A swim before lunch. A long afternoon in the shade. Dinner with the horizon as the only backdrop.

CANNES, THE PERFECT STAGE

There was something wonderfully appropriate about seeing Astondoa in Cannes.

The festival brings together yacht owners, buyers, designers, shipyards, brokers and international media — but it is also one of the few places where the business of luxury and the pleasure of luxury exist side by side.

The Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 welcomed 56,600 visitors, more than 680 exhibitors and over 710 boats and yachts between the Vieux Port and Port Canto.

Among all that movement, Astondoa’s presentation had a distinctly Mediterranean character.

The yachts were not presented simply as products. They were presented as invitations. An invitation to imagine summer. To imagine freedom. To imagine a different rhythm of life. And perhaps that is exactly what today’s sophisticated owner is buying. Not another possession.

Another possibility.

THE BEAUTY OF FOUR GENERATIONS

There is a particular elegance to a family business that survives for more than a century.

It requires patience. Adaptation. And the courage to change without losing identity.

Astondoa’s story is ultimately not about choosing between heritage and innovation.

It is about understanding that the two can coexist.

The craftsmanship remains. The family remains.

The Mediterranean remains. But the language is changing. With Ione Astondoa representing the next generation, the brand is speaking increasingly to owners who want their yacht to be fast, beautiful, individual and unmistakably their own.

At Cannes, the 577 Coupé and 677 Coupé made that message visible. They looked modern. They felt Mediterranean. And beneath the polished surfaces was something much older:

a century-old belief that the sea is not simply somewhere you travel.

It is somewhere you live.

CITY for VIP | Event Reporter
Reporting from Cannes Yachting Festival 2026