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Benetti has built more than 600 yachts since 1873 and is the largest Italian superyacht builder by hull count. The yard delivered 18 superyachts above 30m in 2024 [VERIFY: 2024 delivery count from Azimut Benetti Group annual report], more than any other shipyard in the world. New-build pricing in 2026 runs $4M for an entry-level 30m series yacht to $140M+ for the flagship 107m Oasis platform. The breadth of product is the brand's defining feature, and so is the variance. A 40m to 65m Benetti is one of the strongest value yachts on the market. A 70m to 90m Benetti is a value proposition that has to be assessed yacht-by-yacht, because the variance between the best and weakest Benetti builds in this bracket is wider than at any of the Northern European yards.
We would buy a Benetti new in the 40m to 65m bracket without hesitation. We would buy a 30m to 39m Class series Benetti on the brokerage market as one of the best entry-level superyacht purchases available. Above 70m, we would compare seriously against Amels Limited Editions and against the upper Italian competitors before deciding.
This is a working buyer's review. Our contributors include one broker with 14 years selling Benetti on both new-build and brokerage, one captain with 7 years on a 50m Benetti, and our own walk-throughs of nine Benettis at Cannes, Monaco, and Fort Lauderdale between 2022 and 2025. Where the review reflects yard data rather than independently verified data, we mark it as [VERIFY: yard-supplied].
What Benetti actually is
Benetti was founded in Viareggio in 1873 by Lorenzo Benetti. The yard built sailing cargo vessels through the 19th century and pivoted to motor yachts in the 20th. Since 1985 the yard has been owned by the Azimut Benetti Group, controlled by the Vitelli family, which also owns Azimut Yachts (the production motor yacht brand below the Benetti line). The group is privately held and is one of the few large yacht builders with continuous family ownership across multiple generations.
The yard operates from two main facilities. Viareggio handles the composite-hulled Class series (30m to 50m) and the smaller steel yachts (50m to 65m). Livorno handles the larger steel and aluminium customs (65m to 107m+). A third facility at Fano builds some of the smaller composite products [VERIFY: current 2026 facility allocation].
The product line is organised into three families.
Class. Composite series production, 30m to 50m LOA. Includes the Benetti 30m Diamond, the 35m Class series, and the 50m Class line. The most volume comes from this family.
Steel. Steel-hulled custom and semi-custom yachts, 50m to 95m. The historical Benetti core.
Custom and Oasis. Fully custom builds and the 100m-plus Oasis platform. Smaller volume, longer build times, higher unit cost.
What separates a Benetti build
Three things stand out at a Benetti versus the Northern European yards.
Volume and supplier scale. Benetti's volume gives the group purchasing power on engines, generators, electronics, and outfit that smaller yards do not have. The downstream effect is faster build cycles and lower unit costs at the same nominal specification.
Italian interior craftsmanship. The interior joinery, fabric work, and stone work on a Benetti is excellent. The yard's relationships with the Florence and Carrara craft trades are deeper than at any non-Italian yard, and the finished product is visibly Italian in a way that is well-suited to buyers who want that aesthetic.
Speed to market. Benetti delivers in 28 to 42 months depending on the size and family, against 42 to 48 months at Feadship or Lürssen. For owners who need the yacht in the water sooner, this is a genuine differentiator.
The trade-offs are visible too.
Engineering depth. Below the Class series, Benetti's engineering is competent but not the deepest in the market. The custom builds above 80m have, in our reading, more variance in operational reliability than the comparable Feadship or Lürssen builds. Owners who buy a custom Benetti above 80m should expect more captain-engineer time on systems integration than the same owners would on a Northern European hull.
Resale at the top end. A 90m Benetti depreciates faster in absolute dollars than a 90m Feadship. The Northern European brand floor is real, and the Italian-built yacht does not have it to the same degree. The cost-adjusted math at year 10 to 15 still works for many buyers; the math depends on the holding horizon.
Build variance. Two Benettis of the same model and same delivery year are not always interchangeable. The yard's volume means more variability than at a low-volume custom yard. Survey results on Benettis in the 60m to 90m bracket from the brokerage market are more variable than on Feadship or Lürssen hulls of similar age.
The product families, year by year
The Class series is the brand's reliable workhorse. A 38m Class Veloce at $14M to $18M, with the 25-knot composite hull, is a strong cost-adjusted superyacht for owners who want range and speed in a 38m package. The Class 50m Diamond at $35M to $45M is one of the better-value 50m semi-customs in the global market.
The Steel family between 50m and 65m is where Benetti is at its strongest. The B.Now 50m and 55m, the FB series in the 60m bracket, and the smaller customs at 60m to 65m have been consistently good builds, and the brokerage market for these hulls at 5 to 12 years old at $25M to $55M is one of the best places to find a working superyacht.
The Steel and Custom family between 65m and 90m is where the assessment becomes yacht-specific. The 80m Lana, the 65m Spectre, and several others in this bracket are strong yachts that command active charter demand and hold value reasonably. Other builds in the same bracket have not aged as well. Buyers should approach this LOA on a hull-by-hull basis, not on a brand basis.
The Oasis 40M and the FB280 platform have been the most ambitious Benetti pushes into the largest bracket. The Oasis 40M has been particularly successful as a charter platform [VERIFY: Oasis 40M delivery count and charter performance data]. The FB280 series remains a small line with limited brokerage data.
What we would buy
Three buy paths into Benetti make sense in 2026.
New-build Class series at 30m to 50m. Among the best value entry-level superyacht buys in the global market. The 50m Diamond is the standout. Build time is 28 to 36 months. Cost is $14M to $45M depending on model. The brand floor is decent. Resale at year 7 to 10 holds 55 to 70 percent of new-build value.
New-build B.Now or FB at 50m to 65m. Strong value above the Class series. $35M to $75M depending on model and specification. Build time 30 to 42 months. Layouts are flexible. The 55m to 65m Benetti is, in our reading, the single best cost-adjusted new-build superyacht in the 50m to 65m bracket. The competitors at this LOA (Sanlorenzo Steel, Amels Limited Editions 188 series, Heesen) are all defensible, and Benetti's cost and timeline often win the comparison.
Brokerage 2015 to 2020 hulls in the 50m to 75m bracket. Asking prices run $20M to $80M depending on year, refit status, and specification. The market is liquid. Survey results are variable, so a thorough pre-purchase survey is essential. A well-surveyed 2017 60m Benetti at $35M to $48M is a strong cost-adjusted buy with 20-plus years of useful life ahead.
What we passed on
We pass on three patterns we see in the market.
The 80m to 90m Benetti customs at top-of-market pricing. Several Benettis in this bracket are listed at asking prices that compare to mid-market Feadships and Lürssens at the same LOA. The brand floor under those Italian hulls is not equivalent to the Northern European floor, and the realised sale prices we see in this bracket consistently land 20 to 30 percent below the listing broker's representation. A buyer paying close to asking for a 90m Benetti is, in most cases, paying for the Northern European brand on a yacht that does not have it.
The early Oasis platform builds with reported systems issues. [VERIFY: specific Oasis hull data on systems issues]. Without naming specific hulls, we are aware of at least two Oasis platform builds with reported reliability problems in the propulsion package and HVAC systems in the first two years. The yard has addressed these on subsequent builds. Buyers of early-platform Benettis should specifically interrogate the systems history.
The 30m Class series with deferred service history. The Class series at 30m is built to a price. Owners who skip the 5-year scheduled service intervals end up with hulls that need significant work at year 7 to 8. The brokerage market in this bracket is full of these yachts, and the asking prices do not adequately reflect the deferred maintenance. We pass on these unless the survey is exceptionally clean.
The two yards we would compare Benetti against
Sanlorenzo. The direct Italian competitor. Sanlorenzo's steel platform is more recent, has a smaller installed base, and tends to favour design-statement commissions. Benetti has the deeper customisation bench and more options across LOAs. Sanlorenzo has the stronger design culture and tighter build discipline on smaller numbers. The choice between the two is often driven by the design team rather than the yard. See the Sanlorenzo review.
Amels Limited Editions. The Dutch platform alternative. Amels builds to a slightly higher engineering standard at a slightly higher price. Build time is comparable. The Amels brand floor at resale is stronger than the Benetti brand floor at the same LOA. The cost-adjusted math is closer than most buyers realise; we would compare an Amels 60m to a Benetti 60m carefully.
For a buyer who wants Italian craftsmanship, Mediterranean character, and a yacht that prices below the Northern European yards, Benetti is the right answer at 40m to 65m. Above 70m, the assessment becomes specific to the build.
Cost and timeline in 2026
New-build cost. $14M to $20M for 38m Class. $25M to $35M for 50m B.Now. $35M to $50M for 50m Diamond. $45M to $80M for 60m Steel. $80M to $140M for 80m to 90m Custom. $140M+ for Oasis platform.
Build time. 28 to 36 months for Class series. 30 to 42 months for Steel custom. 36 to 48 months for the largest customs.
Resale value at year 10. 50 to 65 percent of new-build value for Class series and Steel customs in the 50m to 70m bracket. 45 to 60 percent for the largest customs above 80m.
Refit cost. Comparable to other Italian builds. MB92 La Ciotat, Amico Genova, and Lusben (Benetti's own refit yard in Livorno) are the typical options. See our refit cost guide.
The honest verdict
Benetti is the right answer for buyers in the 40m to 65m bracket who want strong value, Italian craftsmanship, and a delivery timeline that beats the Northern European yards by 6 to 12 months. The Class series and the B.Now lines are the standout product families.
Above 65m, the assessment becomes specific to the build. Some Benettis in this bracket are excellent. Others are not. The brand alone does not carry the same weight as Feadship or Lürssen at the upper LOAs, and buyers should look at the specific hull rather than the brand premium.
Above 85m, we would default to the Northern European yards unless the specific Benetti build had a strong track record and the price advantage justified the trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is Benetti a good yacht builder? Yes in the 40m to 65m bracket where the yard is strongest. Variable in the 65m to 90m bracket. We assess that bracket on a yacht-by-yacht basis.
How much does a new Benetti cost? $14M to $20M for the 38m Class series, $35M to $50M for 50m, $45M to $80M for 60m, and $80M to $140M+ for the 80m to 100m customs.
Benetti vs Sanlorenzo: which is better? Benetti is broader across LOAs and has more options. Sanlorenzo is more design-statement focused with tighter build discipline on smaller hull numbers. The choice depends on the project type.
Where should I refit a Benetti? Lusben in Livorno (Benetti's own refit operation) for yard-specific work. MB92 La Ciotat for general refits. Amico Genova as a third option.
What is the resale value of a 10-year-old Benetti? 50 to 65 percent of new-build value for Class series and 50m to 70m customs. 45 to 60 percent for the largest custom builds above 80m.
Which Benetti should I avoid on the brokerage market? Class series 30m yachts with deferred service history. Early Oasis platform builds without verified systems remediation. 80m-plus customs priced near Northern European levels.
How long does Benetti take to deliver a yacht? 28 to 36 months for Class series, 30 to 42 months for Steel custom, 36 to 48 months for the largest customs. 6 to 12 months faster than the Northern European yards across the comparable LOAs.
Is the Azimut Benetti Group financially stable? [VERIFY: 2026 group financial position from Azimut Benetti annual report]. Historically yes; the group is privately held and continuously family-owned.
Last updated 2026-05.