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There are roughly 80 yards in the world that have delivered at least one yacht over 40m LOA in the last decade. The number of yards that deliver consistently at or above 50m, to a structural and systems standard a serious buyer should accept, is closer to 22. The number of yards we would actively recommend a buyer commission with in 2026 is 12, and that is the list below. Slot pricing in the 60m-plus market moved up 5 to 7 percent between Q1 2024 and Q1 2026; order books across the top six yards extend to 2030 and beyond. A buyer commissioning in 2026 is committing capital for a 3 to 5 year build window with material delay risk, and the yard choice is the single most important decision in the transaction.
A short note on what this ranking is and is not. This is not a list of which yards are the largest, or which deliver the most expensive yachts, or which win the most awards. We do not weight awards because the awards process is structurally compromised by the same yards the awards rank. We weight build standard, project-management consistency, post-delivery service continuity, residual-value performance, and order-book stability. Buyers should read each yard's editorial page before committing.
We ranked on six criteria. Structural and systems engineering at the yard's typical LOA band. Project-management consistency across the last 10 deliveries (variance is the enemy). Post-delivery service continuity (does the yard support its fleet through second and third yard periods, or does the relationship end at delivery). Residual-value performance over a 10-year hold (a 65 percent retention rate is good; below 50 percent is a warning). Order-book stability (a yard with a 6-year backlog is healthier than a yard with a 2-year backlog, and far healthier than a yard hunting for orders). Owner-side accountability when something goes wrong (the only meaningful test is what the yard does when a delivered yacht has a problem).
How the superyacht build market is structured in 2026
The top six yards (Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, Abeking & Rasmussen, Heesen, Damen) hold roughly 70 percent of the global order book in the 50m-plus segment. The next six (Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Amels, Codecasa, Perini Navi, Royal Huisman) hold most of the remainder. Below that the market thins quickly and the variance widens. New entrants and yards with disrupted ownership are not on this list; the buy-side risk of commissioning with a yard that may not survive the build window is the largest avoidable risk in the transaction.
Slot pricing on 60m-plus new builds at the top six yards moved up 5 to 7 percent in 2025 and into 2026, with the steepest moves at Feadship and Lürssen and the shallowest moves at Damen and Abeking. Hybrid and methanol-prepared specifications add 8 to 14 percent to the base contract value but are increasingly considered residual-value protection rather than premium add-on. Yards with credible alternative-fuel programs (Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, Damen) are pricing slots into 2030. Yards without (most southern European production builders) are pricing into 2027 to 2028.
No. I — Editor's Pick: Feadship
Feadship sits at No. I because the build-quality variance across the last 10 deliveries is the narrowest of any yard at this LOA band, the post-delivery service continuity is the strongest, and the residual-value performance is the best on a 10-year hold. The yard is structurally a partnership between Royal Van Lent and De Vries, and the partnership is the structural advantage rather than a structural risk. The disadvantage is the slot lead time: a Feadship commissioned in 2026 typically delivers in 2030 or 2031, and the contract value is at the top of the market. Buyers who want the build-quality benchmark and can absorb the lead time should commit to a Feadship before considering alternatives. Buyers who cannot absorb the lead time should look at No. II or No. III.
No. II — Lürssen
Lürssen ranks at No. II because the yard is the technical benchmark for the largest LOA bands (80m-plus and 100m-plus) and the order-book stability is the best in the market. The four-facility build network across Bremen, Rendsburg, Aumund-Vegesack, and Lemwerder absorbs project flow that other yards cannot match, and the hybrid program is the most developed in the industry in 2026. The reason Lürssen does not rank above Feadship is the project-management variance across facilities is slightly wider than Feadship's, and the build-cost discipline at the upper LOAs has slipped on a small number of recent deliveries. The premium over Feadship at the same LOA is 4 to 8 percent in either direction, depending on the LOA band and the spec.
No. III — Oceanco
Oceanco ranks at No. III because the yard has rebuilt its build standard and project-management discipline materially since the 2018 restructuring and the deliveries from 2022 onward sit comfortably alongside Feadship and Lürssen on technical merit. The hybrid and methanol programs are credible. The reason Oceanco does not rank higher is the order-book stability: the yard has more concentrated order flow than Feadship or Lürssen, which is a risk for a buyer commissioning a 2030 or 2031 delivery. Buyers who want a Northern European hull at a 5 to 10 percent discount to Feadship or Lürssen should look at Oceanco closely; the build standard at this point is competitive with the top two.
No. IV — Abeking & Rasmussen
Abeking & Rasmussen ranks at No. IV because the yard's engineering standard at the 60-to-90m band is at parity with the top three, and the post-delivery service continuity is unusually strong for an independent yard. The yard has built a defensible position in the support-yacht and explorer-prepared LOA bands, and a small subset of deliveries with ice-class notation and extended range that perform unusually well on residual value. The reason Abeking does not rank higher is the order-book is smaller and a buyer's slot options are narrower; a buyer who wants the yard's build standard typically waits 18 to 30 months longer than a comparable Feadship or Lürssen slot.
Read the full Abeking & Rasmussen review
No. V — Heesen
Heesen ranks at No. V because the yard has executed the cleanest run of mid-size deliveries (40m to 65m) in the last decade and the build-cost discipline is the strongest at the sub-70m band. The hybrid program is credible and the post-delivery service is responsive. The reason Heesen does not rank higher is the upper-LOA build is constrained: a buyer who wants a 70m-plus hull should look elsewhere. A buyer who wants a 50m to 65m hybrid hull at a 10 to 18 percent discount to Feadship should look at Heesen first.
No. VI — Damen Yachting (SeaXplorer)
Damen Yachting ranks at No. VI because the SeaXplorer program is the credible benchmark for purpose-built expedition yachts in the 50m to 80m band. The yard's parent group has structural and engineering depth that no other dedicated expedition-yacht yard can match, and the deliveries from 2018 onward have a documented operating record on serious itineraries (Antarctica, Greenland, Solomon Islands). The reason Damen Yachting does not rank higher is the program is concentrated in expedition specifications and a buyer who wants a conventional motor yacht should look at other yards on this list. Buyers who want an explorer-prepared hull from a yard that knows how to deliver one should commit to a SeaXplorer before considering alternatives.
Read the full Damen Yachting review
No. VII — Amels (Damen)
Amels (part of Damen) ranks at No. VII because the Amels Limited Editions program produces the most consistent semi-custom deliveries in the 55m-to-80m band and the build standard sits above most southern European yards at the same LOA. The reason Amels does not rank higher is the Limited Editions concept is structurally less customizable than a Feadship or Lürssen full-custom build, and buyers who want a deeply specified hull should look elsewhere. Buyers who want a near-custom Northern European hull on a faster timeline (Amels can deliver in 30 to 40 months where Feadship takes 48 to 60) should look at Amels.
No. VIII — Benetti
Benetti ranks at No. VIII because the yard is the largest builder by volume at the 35-to-70m band in southern Europe and the build-cost discipline is meaningful at the price-to-LOA ratio. The yard's recent deliveries in the 60m-plus band have lifted the build standard to a level that competes with the top tier on most operating metrics. The reason Benetti does not rank higher is the build-quality variance across deliveries is wider than the Northern European yards, and the post-delivery service continuity is not at parity with Feadship or Lürssen. Buyers who want a 50-to-65m hull at a 25 to 35 percent discount to a comparable Feadship and are willing to manage the higher annual service line should look at Benetti.
No. IX — Sanlorenzo
Sanlorenzo ranks at No. IX because the yard has executed the cleanest brand-positioning shift in the southern European market over the last decade and the build standard at the 50m-plus band has lifted materially since 2018. The 56 Steel and 62 Steel programs deliver a defensible product at the price point. The reason Sanlorenzo does not rank higher is the upper-LOA build is still maturing and the resale-value retention is weaker than the Northern European builders. Buyers who want a 50-to-65m hull with a distinct design language and a Mediterranean operating profile should look at Sanlorenzo.
Read the full Sanlorenzo review
No. X — Royal Huisman
Royal Huisman ranks at No. X because the yard is the technical benchmark for large sail yachts in the 50m-plus band and the deliveries from the last decade have set the standard for the segment. The Project 406 and Project 410 deliveries underline the yard's capability at the upper end of sailing yacht engineering. The reason Royal Huisman does not rank higher is the yard's order flow is small and a buyer's slot options are narrow. Buyers who want a 50m-plus sail yacht should look at Royal Huisman first; buyers who do not want sail should not look at Royal Huisman.
Read the full Royal Huisman review
No. XI — Perini Navi (The Italian Sea Group)
Perini Navi ranks at No. XI because the yard's history of large sail-yacht delivery is the deepest in the market and the post-restructuring program under The Italian Sea Group has stabilized. The post-2022 deliveries are credible. The reason Perini Navi does not rank above Royal Huisman is the post-restructuring track record is short and the buy-side risk on a 2027-or-later delivery is meaningfully higher than at Royal Huisman. Buyers who want a Perini Navi specifically should be in close dialogue with the yard's senior management throughout the build.
Read the full Perini Navi review
No. XII — Codecasa
Codecasa ranks at No. XII because the yard delivers consistent classic-style motor yachts in the 50m-to-70m band with a build standard that suits a specific buyer profile and a defensible price-to-LOA ratio. The reason Codecasa does not rank higher is the design language is conservative and the residual-value performance is weaker than the top tier. Buyers who specifically want the classic Italian motor-yacht aesthetic and operating profile should look at Codecasa. Buyers who want a contemporary hull should look elsewhere.
Passed on
Passed: [VERIFY: yards with current restructuring or financial distress]. Yards in active restructuring, receivership, or with credible going-concern risk are not in our ranking. The buy-side risk of commissioning a 3-to-5-year build with a yard that may not survive the build window is the largest avoidable risk in the transaction, and we recommend buyers screen for this before signing. The list of yards in this category moves and we maintain a private working list, but we do not publish it because the legal exposure is material.
Passed: [VERIFY: yards with recent serious delivery defects]. Yards that have delivered hulls with documented structural or systems defects requiring yard-level rework within the warranty period are deprioritized for a minimum of three years after the rework is complete and the cause has been remediated. The yards in this category are typically smaller specialist builders rather than the top tier.
Passed: New entrants without delivered hulls in the 50m-plus segment. Yards announcing 60m-plus build programs without delivered hulls at that LOA are not in our ranking. The market regularly sees announcements that do not produce deliveries on the announced timeline, and buyers should look only at yards with deliveries in the relevant LOA band.
Passed: [VERIFY: yards with severed post-delivery service relationships]. Yards that have terminated post-delivery service for fleet hulls or that do not maintain a credible service-network presence in the principal operating regions (Mediterranean, Caribbean, US East Coast) are deprioritized. The post-delivery service continuity is one of the criteria the secondary market prices most heavily, and a buyer commissioning a new build is making a 15-to-25-year decision rather than a 3-year decision.
Frequently asked questions
How do I screen a shipyard before signing a contract?
Read the yard's editorial review, request the last 10 delivery references from the yard's project office, contact three of the last 10 owners directly through a buyer's broker, review the order-book status and yard financials, and inspect the yard in person before signing. Buyers who commit without inspecting the yard, the project office, and the construction in-progress on at least three recent deliveries are committing on faith. The serious yards welcome this level of due diligence and the buy-side broker organizes it.
What is the typical contract structure for a new build?
A new-build contract at a top-tier yard typically involves a 10 to 20 percent payment at contract signing, staged progress payments at 4 to 6 build milestones (keel laying, hull turnover, paint, sea trials, delivery), and a final payment at delivery with a portion withheld for the warranty period. The contract is typically governed by Dutch, German, English, or Italian law depending on the yard, and the buyer's marine counsel should be deeply involved in the contract review. Standard contract templates exist (NSC, MYBA new-build) but the specific commercial terms vary by yard.
How long does a new build actually take?
A 50-to-70m new build at a top-tier yard typically runs 30 to 40 months from contract to delivery. A 70-to-100m hull typically runs 36 to 48 months. A 100m-plus hull typically runs 42 to 60 months. The published yard lead times typically underestimate the real timeline by 2 to 4 months. Buyers should plan delivery 3 months later than the yard's published estimate and add an additional contingency for fit-out and commissioning before the first owner trip.
Should I commission a new build or buy pre-owned?
The decision depends on the buyer's specification flexibility, the lead-time tolerance, and the capital structure. A buyer with a specific brief that does not exist on the pre-owned market should commission a new build. A buyer who can find 80 to 90 percent of the brief on the pre-owned market and accept some compromises typically saves 25 to 45 percent versus a new build and has the yacht available 2 to 4 years sooner. We cover this in detail on new vs pre-owned.
Do yards negotiate slot price?
Yards in the top tier rarely negotiate slot price meaningfully because the order books are full and the spec premium absorbs the price-discovery friction. A buyer commissioning a credible hybrid-and-alternative-fuel specification at scale may negotiate 2 to 4 percent on contract value, typically through the spec allowance rather than the headline number. Yards further down the order-book ranking are more negotiable but the buy-side risk is correspondingly higher.
Where do hybrid and methanol specifications sit in 2026?
Hybrid (diesel-electric) propulsion is now standard on the top tier of new builds at 60m-plus and is increasingly standard at 50m-plus. The premium has compressed to 8 to 14 percent and the residual-value retention is meaningfully better than non-hybrid equivalents. Methanol-prepared and methanol-capable hulls are still early-stage, with Lürssen and Feadship leading the credible programs. Buyers committing to methanol should plan operating costs and fuel-availability assumptions carefully, and we recommend reviewing the yard's methanol-development memo before committing.