PRESS RELEASE – 2026/01
Yachts du Cœur 2026: The Humanitarian Human Chain Returns to Port Pierre Canto
Cannes, 28/09/2026 – In a challenging economic and geopolitical climate, and as recent events in France have reminded us of the importance of sharing and fraternity rooted in Christian values, the association EM – Les Yachts du Cœur is pleased to announce its next flagship event.
Join us on Friday, November 6, 2026 at Port Pierre Canto in Cannes for a new edition of the Yachts du Cœur Humanitarian Human Chain, starting from the harbour master’s office at the port, held in support of the French Red Cross (Croix-Rouge française) in Cannes.
A simple gesture, a concrete impact
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10:00 AM: Set-up and donation sorting.
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11:00 AM: The Humanitarian Human Chain action, starting from the Port Pierre Canto harbour master’s office.
Volunteers, crews, partners, and humanitarian organisations will take turns passing along non-perishable food, clothing, onboard linen, and hygiene products collected from the yachting community. This gesture, both symbolic and highly practical, embodies the maritime community’s spirit of solidarity.
A Christian origin and a fight against waste
Founded on 6 March 2010 at Port Pierre Canto, the initiative was inspired by Father Mikel Epalza, seafarers’ chaplain, and launched in partnership with the City of Cannes. Its founding principle remains unchanged: to transform yacht surplus – what crews no longer keep – into vital aid for the most vulnerable. A Christian commitment to charity and a concrete response to waste, a message that resonates particularly strongly today.
An edition refocused on its birthplace
Faced with a challenging economic climate and a drastic drop in donations – ten times fewer collections than before 2024 –, the association has decided not to hold an event in Antibes this year. The organisers have chosen to focus their efforts exclusively on Port Pierre Canto, the founding site of this initiative.
“The yachting industry is going through a terrible period, but the light of the heart will always shine,” says Jean-Luc Annone, President of the association. “We are facing a striking paradox: our mission is to fight both waste and poverty, and it is precisely because yacht owners now hunt down the slightest waste on board that our surplus collections have fallen by 90%. More than ever, we need a surge of voluntary generosity to make up for the loss of those usual surpluses.“
Loyal partnerships
The event is made possible thanks to the support of long-standing institutional and corporate partners:
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The City of Cannes
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Port Pierre Canto
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Camper & Nicholsons International
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HOMEBOX (Cannes & Biot)
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Groupe Atalante Yachts Management
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AMMAC, SNSM, and other maritime stakeholders
How to get involved
Captains, crew members, yacht managers, and industry professionals are invited to:
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Gather surplus: non-perishable provisions, onboard linen, unbadged crew uniforms, hygiene products.
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Bring donations to the collection point at Port Pierre Canto from 10:00 AM.
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Join the Human Chain at 11:00 AM, starting from the harbour master’s office, to pass donations forward, hand to hand.
About EM – Les Yachts du Cœur
Since 2010, the association Eco-Mer / EM Les Yachts du Cœur, chaired by Jean-Luc Annone, has organised donation collections within the yachting community for the benefit of charitable organisations. By 2018, the association had already reported 22 tonnes of food collected since its creation. Donations are redistributed to the French Red Cross, Banque Alimentaire 06, Ordre de Malte, and other organisations. Some editions have enabled aid to be shipped as far as the Caribbean and the Philippines.
Also committed to protecting the marine environment, the association took part in drafting the “Quality Charter for the Bay of Cannes”, a project carried out by the Town Hall of Cannes in partnership with EM Les Yachts du Cœur (formerly ECO MER). Intended for a wide audience, this charter defines the rules to be observed in order to become a “benevolent and vigilant boater.” The association proposed presenting the charter in the form of the “Ten Commandments of the Boater in the Bay of Cannes” and organised meetings open to the public to highlight its key points. Presented during the plenary meeting of the Extra-Municipal Sea and Coastal Commission on 12 March 2018, chaired by Ms. Catherine Vouillon, the charter was made official by Mr. David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes, and Mr. Jean-Luc Annone, President of EM Les Yachts du Cœur, during a Yachts du Cœur event on 14 April 2018 at the Canto port in Cannes. A commitment that naturally extends the association’s anti-waste and solidarity ethos.
Press contacts
Jean-Luc Annone
+33 684 76 84 53
president@yachts-du-coeur.com
Website: https://www.yachts-du-coeur.