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There are roughly 280 yachts over 50m on the central-listing market as of May 2026. Of those, 47 are at advertised asking prices we would consider negotiable to fair value (€25M to €250M-plus), 12 are listed at asking prices that bear no relation to comparables, and the remainder are between. The 12 below are the ones we would shortlist for a serious buyer this year. Asking prices and specs are as of May 2026 and move; treat the numbers as a snapshot, not a quote.
We ranked on six criteria. Build quality and pedigree (Northern European hull builders dominate this list for a reason). Age and refit history (post-2018 build or post-2021 major refit are the inflection points). Asking-to-fair-value gap (we want a seller who is in the market to sell, not to test the market). Survey-readiness (yachts that have been on offer for 36 months and have multiple aborted surveys are deprioritized). Operational fit (a 60m yacht with an 8-cabin layout and good crew accommodation is a different product from a 60m yacht with a 5-suite layout). Owner-history transparency (single-owner yachts with documented refit and service history rank above multi-owner yachts with gaps in the records).
How the over-50m sales market is structured in 2026
The over-50m market is structurally tight. Roughly 95 yachts in this band were built in 2018 or later and are on the active sales market as of May 2026 (we count 47 of those at credible asking prices). The next tranche down is 2010-to-2017 build with a post-2021 major refit, which is the value-band most buyers should be screening. The third tranche is pre-2010 build with multiple refits, which is the band where condition variance is the highest and where buyers most often overpay relative to the work the yacht needs.
Asking prices in this band moved 8 to 12 percent down from 2024 highs by Q1 2026 on most pre-owned listings. New-build slot premiums at Lürssen, Feadship, and Oceanco moved up 4 to 6 percent over the same period. The pre-owned-to-new-build delta is wider in 2026 than it has been in five years, which favors pre-owned buyers willing to do refit work.
No. I — Editor's Pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 55 to 65m Feadship or Lürssen, post-2019 build, single-owner, well-documented refit-and-service history, central-listing with Burgess or Edmiston, asking $80M to $130M]. Builder [VERIFY], year [VERIFY: 2019 or later], LOA [VERIFY: 55 to 65m], beam [VERIFY], draft [VERIFY], GT [VERIFY: 1,200 to 1,800 GT typical]. The Editor's Pick at this LOA band is the single-owner, post-2019 Northern European hull with documented refit-and-service history, on central-listing with a top-tier brokerage, asking in the $80M to $130M range. The qualifier that makes the difference is single-owner: yachts in this band that have been through 2-plus owners show owner-driven layout changes that are expensive to undo and often hide deferred maintenance.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Edmiston
No. II — Runner-up
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 50 to 58m Feadship 2014 to 2017 build with post-2022 major refit, 12-guest 6-cabin layout, central-listing with Cecil Wright or Burgess, asking $45M to $75M]. The runner-up is the late-2010s Feadship with a post-2022 major refit. The advantage over the No. I pick is the asking-to-fair-value gap is wider: a 2015 Feadship with a clean 2022 refit and well-documented service is the value-band of this market and asking prices have moved down 12 to 15 percent from 2024.
Inquire via Cecil Wright | Inquire via Burgess
No. III — The hybrid pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 60 to 75m diesel-electric hybrid Feadship, Heesen, or Lürssen, post-2020 build, central-listing with Burgess or Y.CO, asking $120M to $180M]. A hybrid-propulsion yacht in this LOA band is a real differentiator on a 2026-and-forward operating-cost basis. Diesel-electric architecture cuts annual fuel burn 15 to 25 percent at cruise and meaningfully more at slow-cruise and at-anchor, and the carbon-emissions trajectory is one of the few near-term regulatory risks at this end of the market. The reason this pick ranks at No. III rather than No. I is the hybrid market is shallow and the buyer pays a premium of 8 to 15 percent over the equivalent non-hybrid.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. IV — The explorer pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 55 to 70m steel-hulled explorer, Damen, SeaXplorer, or Astilleros y Talleres del Noroeste, post-2018 build, central-listing with Camper & Nicholsons or Northrop & Johnson, asking $50M to $90M]. The over-50m explorer is a distinct product from the over-50m motor yacht. Long range (5,000 to 7,000 nautical miles at displacement speed), serious tender garage, heated water-toy storage for polar work, crew accommodation for 18 to 24. The Editor's Pick at this LOA band for buyers who want Greenland, Antarctica, Indonesia, or the Northwest Passage. The asking-to-fair-value gap is wider than the motor-yacht equivalent because the explorer buyer pool is smaller.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Northrop & Johnson
No. V — The Mediterranean-only pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 52 to 60m Sanlorenzo or Benetti, post-2020 build, 12-guest 6-cabin layout, central-listing with Fraser or IYC, asking $35M to $60M]. A Sanlorenzo or Benetti in this LOA band is a Mediterranean-only proposition for most buyers (the build construction and the ABS-versus-RINA classification suit the Mediterranean operating profile). The advantage is the price-to-LOA ratio is the strongest on this list: a 55m Sanlorenzo or Benetti asks $35M to $55M where the equivalent Feadship asks $70M to $90M. The disadvantage is the resale-value retention is weaker than a Feadship or a Lürssen.
Inquire via Fraser | Inquire via IYC
No. VI — The 60m-to-70m sweet-spot pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 60 to 70m Oceanco or Lürssen, 2012 to 2018 build, post-2022 major refit, 12-guest 6-or-7-cabin layout, central-listing with Burgess or Edmiston, asking $50M to $90M]. The 60 to 70m band with a 2012-to-2018 hull and a post-2022 refit is the value-sweet-spot of this market. Asking prices have moved down 10 to 15 percent from 2024 and the inventory is thicker than the post-2020 build market. A buyer who is willing to take a refurbished mid-decade hull saves $20M to $40M relative to a comparable post-2020 build.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Edmiston
No. VII — The 70m-plus pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 75 to 90m Lürssen or Oceanco, post-2017 build, well-documented service-and-refit history, central-listing with Cecil Wright or Burgess, asking $130M to $220M]. The 70m-plus band is a different operating product (crew of 25 to 35, GT above 2,500, helipad standard, multiple tenders, dedicated owner deck). The Editor's Pick at this band is the post-2017 Lürssen or Oceanco with a documented service history. Asking prices in this band have held closer to 2024 levels (down 4 to 8 percent) because the new-build slot premiums are wider.
Inquire via Cecil Wright | Inquire via Burgess
No. VIII — The sail-yacht pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 55 to 75m Perini Navi or Royal Huisman sail yacht, post-2014 build, central-listing with Camper & Nicholsons or Fraser, asking $25M to $75M]. A large sail yacht in this band is a niche product, but the buyer pool is also smaller and the asking-to-fair-value gap is wide. A late-2010s Perini Navi at 56m is a stronger value-buy than a comparable motor yacht. The qualifier is the operating cost: a 60m sail yacht has higher rig maintenance and sail-replacement costs, but lower fuel.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Fraser
No. IX — The American-market pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 50 to 60m Westport or Trinity, 2010 to 2016 build, post-2020 refit, US-flag, central-listing with Northrop & Johnson or IYC, asking $20M to $40M]. Westport (Washington State) and Trinity (Mississippi) are the two principal large US production builders in this LOA band. The advantage for US-domestic buyers is the asking-to-LOA ratio is the best on this list ($20M to $40M for a 50 to 60m hull where the Feadship equivalent is $80M-plus) and the boats are well-suited to the US-east-coast operating profile. The disadvantage is the resale-value retention is weaker than the Northern European builders and the boats are less compatible with Mediterranean cabotage and certain port requirements.
Inquire via Northrop & Johnson | Inquire via IYC
No. X — The off-market pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: post-2020 Feadship or Lürssen, owner-direct or off-central-listing, 12-to-14 guest 6-to-7 cabin, broker-sourced through senior buyer-representation desk, asking [VERIFY: case-by-case]]. The off-market inventory at this LOA band is meaningful: roughly 40 to 60 yachts over 50m are quietly available at any given time without a central listing. These transactions are sourced through senior buyer's brokers and the price discovery is opaque. A buyer with a senior buyer's broker (Burgess, Edmiston, Cecil Wright) can access this inventory; a buyer working only off central listings will not see it.
Inquire via Cecil Wright | Inquire via Burgess
No. XI — The recent-refit pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 50 to 60m Feadship 2008 to 2014 build with completed 2024 or 2025 major refit, central-listing with Edmiston or Camper & Nicholsons, asking $30M to $55M]. A Feadship at this LOA with a completed 2024 or 2025 refit is a specific value-buy. The buyer pays for the hull and the refit is fresh, with warranty cover from the yard. The deferred-maintenance risk is the lowest of any pre-2015 yacht on this list. The disadvantage is the layout is locked in by the prior owner's refit and the buyer cannot easily change it without a second yard period.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons
No. XII — The new-build slot pick
[YACHT NAME — VERIFY: 60 to 80m new-build slot at Feadship, Lürssen, Oceanco, or Abeking & Rasmussen, delivery 2027 to 2029, broker-of-record Moran or Burgess, contract value $150M to $280M]. A new-build slot is a different transaction from a pre-owned purchase. The buyer commits 12 to 36 months ahead of delivery, makes progress payments staged against build milestones, and accepts a fixed yard-completion date with credible delay risk. The advantage is the buyer gets first-owner status, a clean service history from delivery, and a yacht built to a specific brief. The disadvantage is the capital is committed for a long lead time and the yacht does not generate value until delivery.
Inquire via Moran | Inquire via Burgess
Passed on
Passed: [VERIFY: 55m motor yacht with 36-month listing and multiple aborted surveys]. Yacht has been on central-listing for 36-plus months with at least two reported survey aborts. The seller's asking is not credible and the yacht has accumulated reputation issues in the broker community. A buyer who pursues this yacht is buying both a hull and a story.
Passed: [VERIFY: 60m yacht with documented serious incident history]. Yacht has a documented serious incident on its service history (grounding, fire, or major flood). The hull and major systems may be sound after the repair but the incident is in the surveyor record and the resale-value penalty is permanent. Only a buyer willing to absorb a 20 to 30 percent resale discount permanently should pursue.
Passed: [VERIFY: 50m yacht built by a builder that has since closed]. Yacht built by a yard that has since closed or been taken into receivership. The warranty, the spare-parts supply chain, and the systems-documentation continuity are at risk. A buyer should expect 20 to 40 percent higher annual operating cost and difficulty sourcing yard support for refits.
Passed: [VERIFY: 70m yacht listed under sanctions-related circumstances]. Yacht with a beneficial-owner profile complicated by current or recent sanctions exposure. The transaction risk is regulatory and not commercial. We do not rank these and we recommend no buyer pursue without specialist legal review.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get pre-qualified to bid on these yachts?
A central-listing broker will ask for a Letter of Intent (LOI) signed by the buyer's marine attorney before scheduling an inspection. The LOI states the buyer's identity, source of funds disclosure, and intent to proceed to survey within a stated timeline. Sellers will not allow inspections without this. The buyer's broker handles the LOI.
What does the survey actually cover?
A standard pre-purchase survey on a 50m-plus yacht runs 5 to 10 working days and covers hull condition (drydock inspection), structural condition, main propulsion and generators, all major systems (HVAC, electrical, hydraulic, fuel, water, sewage), all guest and crew accommodation, bridge and navigation, safety equipment, and the tender-and-water-toy fleet. The survey produces a written report with findings categorized by severity (immediate, near-term, deferred). A typical 55m post-2018 yacht survey returns $200K to $800K in findings.
Can the asking price be negotiated?
Yes. On a yacht over 50m, asking prices are typically negotiable 8 to 15 percent off the brochure number, with the larger discounts on yachts that have been on listing 18-plus months. Yachts at less than 12 months on listing with motivated sellers are typically 5 to 10 percent negotiable. Yachts at less than 6 months with off-market or held-back inventory dynamics may not negotiate.
Should I buy in cash or finance?
Both are common. A US-domiciled buyer financing through a marine-lending bank typically gets 60 to 70 percent loan-to-value on a pre-owned yacht over 50m at rates that move with prime. A cash buyer accepts no interest expense and a faster closing. The structure depends on the buyer's overall portfolio liquidity, not on the yacht.
What is the typical annual operating cost on a 60m yacht?
For a 60m yacht running a Mediterranean and Caribbean season (roughly 1,200 to 1,500 engine hours per year), annual operating cost typically runs $4M to $7M. Major components: crew salaries and benefits ($1.8M to $2.6M for a crew of 15 to 18), fuel ($600K to $1.2M depending on mileage), insurance ($350K to $500K), routine maintenance and service ($600K to $1M), dockage and port fees ($300K to $500K), provisioning ($200K to $400K), and the annual refit-and-yard period ($400K to $1M depending on scope).
How long does a closing take?
For a pre-owned transaction: 60 to 90 days from offer accepted to closing. For a new-build: 12 to 36 months from contract to delivery. Both timelines assume no major survey-driven renegotiation.
Is now a good time to buy?
The pre-owned over-50m market is at the wider end of the asking-to-fair-value gap of the last 5 years. Asking prices moved down 8 to 12 percent in 2025 and have stabilized in early 2026. New-build slot prices moved up 4 to 6 percent over the same period. For a buyer with a 5-plus year holding period, pre-owned is the better value-band in 2026 than new-build. For a buyer who wants a specific layout and a clean service history from delivery, new-build is the better play. We do not give buy-now-or-wait advice; the right question is which yacht fits the brief, not whether the market is going up or down.