BREEZEYACHTING.SWISS SELLS 39M SMOOTH OPERATOR ON OPENING
MORNING IN CANNES

The 39m Jongert SMOOTH OPERATOR became the first yacht sold at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, going under contract on the opening morning. Her buyer is Dutch shipbuilder Jongert&Bijlsma B.V., a company with a direct link to the yacht itself, since it was the same ownership that finished her and delivered her to her first owner more than fifteen years ago.

The Cannes Yachting Festival opened on Tuesday morning, 13th September. By noon, SMOOTH OPERATOR was under contract, in a deal facilitated by Cornelius Kistler from breezeYachting.swiss, which represented both the seller and the buyer in-house.

It is a brisk start even by the standards of a show that trades on momentum, and it caps a strong nine months for the firm. SMOOTH OPERATOR is the eleventh yacht breezeYachting.swiss has sold this year, and the first sale of this year’s show.

A rare specification at 39 metres

SMOOTH OPERATOR carries exterior design by Azure Naval Architects and an all-aluminium hull and superstructure. Twin MTU 16V M93 engines producing 8,400hp give her a top speed of 26.4 knots; at a 12-knot cruise she offers a range of 2,800 nautical miles, with Naiad zero-speed stabilisers holding her steady at anchor.

Her aluminium build allowed for a layout uncommon at this length. The full-beam master suite sits beneath an electrically dimmable skylight above the bath and opens directly onto a private gym and steam bath in the forepeak. Five staterooms sleep twelve guests, with two further cabins for five crew.

The semi-covered flybridge carries a full bar, lounge and sun deck under a glass dodger roof with integrated blinds, while the garage houses a 4.5-metre Castoldi jet tender alongside a Sea Doo jetski and a full range of watertoys. Recent works include new TVs, Sonos audio and a new camera system throughout.

Certified to RINA LY2 commercial code, she completed her five-year RINA survey, with shafts pulled, in November 2024.

A reminder of what the show is for

For all the talk of hospitality and late nights on the Croisette, sales like this one are a reminder of the festival’s actual function. Cannes concentrates the market: a serious buyer can walk the Vieux Port and Port Canto, board a dozen yachts in an afternoon, compare them directly rather than from memory, take one out and feel it under way before committing. It is a much more exciting process than an online shortlist drawn up on a random Tuesday in February.