Gallura holds a record number of visitors: 3.114 unique yachts registered in summer 2025.
The Coast Guard's Pelagus data analysed by Cipnes Gallura certify 347 superyachts for a total value of 21,1 billion dollars, with owners from 51 countries
Gallura will remain the Mediterranean's premier superyacht destination in 2025: in the 2025 summer season (June–September), the Coast Guard's Pelagus system detected 3.114 unique yachts along the stretch of coastline from the Costa Smeralda to the Maddalena Archipelago, from Santa Teresa Gallura to San Teodoro, a 15,8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Among these, 347 superyachts were identified and profiled, with a total estimated value of $21,1 billion (source: Superyachtfan). Even more significant is the profile of the shipowners: the owners, hailing from 51 countries, have a combined personal wealth of approximately $2.000 trillion (source: Forbes), a value comparable to Italy's GDP.
These are the findings of the second study on the presence of superyachts in Gallura, developed by Cipnes Gallura through its Research Center, in collaboration with UniOlbia and the Northern Sardinia Maritime Directorate. The study was presented in Milan at the Insula spaces—Sardinia's agri-food promotion hub—on Friday, December 12, before an audience of national and international investors. The analysis is part of the agreement signed by Cipnes with the Sardinia Region's Department of Planning, the Regional Programming Center, and the Sardinia Region's Department of Industry for the internationalization of the Sardinian nautical industry.
The research stands out as unique at the European level for its scientific and multilevel methodology, developed thanks to the collaboration protocol between Cipnes Gallura and the Maritime Directorate of Northern Sardinia. For the first time, a local public body has systematically used a certified institutional data stream, integrating it with international platforms, to rigorously measure high-end nautical demand on a regional scale.
"The study combines three complementary levels of analysis," explains Cipnes Gallura. "First, we extract the Coast Guard's Pelagus data, which identifies vessels via their MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) code and allows us to count only pleasure craft, avoiding overlaps with commercial traffic. Second, we analyze the international database of the specialized website SuperyachtFan, used to accurately identify superyachts—name, length, value, shipyard, and ownership—and to estimate the overall economic value of the fleet. Finally, we use Forbes list valuations, used to estimate the wealth associated with the owners of well-known superyachts in Gallura, thus reconstructing the overall financial dimension associated with the presence of superyachts in northeast Sardinia."
The analysis covers the period June–September 2025 and seven strategic areas of the Gallura coastline: Santa Teresa – Strait of Bonifacio; La Maddalena Archipelago; Cannigione – Gulf of Arzachena – Baja Sardinia; Costa Smeralda (Liscia di Vacca – Porto Cervo – Cala di Volpe); Porto Rotondo – Golfo Aranci; Olbia; Tavolara Island – San Teodoro. The Cipnes Research Center conducted monthly extractions from the Pelagus system to measure the actual presence of superyachts in the area. To ensure maximum statistical reliability, only unique MMSIs are counted: each vessel is recorded only once, month by month, even if it moves between multiple areas or remains at anchor for extended periods. In 2025, 3.114 unique MMSIs were detected, a 15,8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Subsequently, the Cipnes Gallura Research Center cross-referenced the MMSIs with the international portal SuperyachtFan.com, thus assigning to each identified vessel the name of the owner and their nationality, the superyacht's estimated value, its length, and the shipyard it built. Through this process, 347 known superyachts were identified, with a total value of $21,1 billion.
The owners of the 347 identified superyachts come from 51 countries. The top 10 countries are: United States (72 owners), United Kingdom (36), Italy (33), Russia (20), Germany (19), Netherlands (16), Saudi Arabia (13), France (13), Switzerland (11), United Arab Emirates (10). Over half of the owners come from Europe (EU, United Kingdom, and Switzerland). Using the wealth estimates published by Forbes, the Cipnes Research Center has reconstructed the net worth of the owners of the 347 identified superyachts. This has allowed us to evaluate the potential financial dimension that interacts with the Gallura region and to estimate the economic impact that even a marginal share of this capital could generate if invested in Sardinia.
The combined wealth of superyacht owners is estimated at $2 trillion. The top 10 countries are the United States ($794,7 billion), followed by the United Arab Emirates ($457,2 billion), France ($187,6 billion), Spain ($132,8 billion), Italy ($72,43 billion), the United Kingdom ($64,5 billion), Switzerland ($33,6 billion), Russia ($32,3 billion), Saudi Arabia ($21,5 billion), and Germany ($20,7 billion). These data confirm that the Costa Smeralda and Gallura region today represent one of the largest concentrations of private wealth in the Mediterranean, with significant potential for the development of investments and new production chains linked to Sardinia's nautical industry.
Among the 347 superyachts identified for the 2025 season in the Gallura maritime region, Made in Italy confirms its industrial strength: 113 yachts are produced by Italian shipyards (32,6% of the total), followed by those from the Netherlands with 88 (25,4%) and Germany with 38 (11,0%). Together, these three countries represent 69% of the entire fleet surveyed, forming the triad that currently dominates the global high-end shipbuilding industry. Feadship (Netherlands, 44 superyachts), Benetti (Italy, 24), and Lürssen (Germany, 23) are the three main builders present in Gallura in 2025.
To complete this picture, it should be remembered that a significant portion of the ecosystem that accompanies superyachts – in particular the tenders and RIBs used as support vessels – is also the result of Italian production, with a significant presence of shipyards active in Sardinia.
In this scenario, Sardinia's role as an advanced services hub for superyachts is also consolidating: according to the 2025 Cipnes–UniOlbia study, the total turnover of companies operating on the island in refit, repairs, and storage reached €73.341.297, a figure expected to grow with the approval of new shipbuilding projects planned in Sardinia.
Among the 113 yachts built in Italy, the numbers of the main shipyards stand out: Benetti (24 superyachts surveyed in Gallura), Perini Navi (11), Sanlorenzo (10), Overmarine/Mangusta (9), Codecasa (7), CRN (7), Baglietto (5). The Benetti yachts surveyed have a value of 1,24 billion dollars, Perini Navi 293 million and Sanlorenzo 288 million. The 113 superyachts built in Italy present in Gallura belong to owners from 36 different nations. These are the main countries of the owners: Italy 22, United Kingdom 11, Germany 9, France 7, Netherlands 5, Monaco 5, United States 5, Saudi Arabia 4, United Arab Emirates 4, Mexico 4. This data confirms the extraordinary global attractiveness of Italian shipyards, chosen by a high-spending and international clientele for their construction quality, design and reliability.
Looking at the overall economic value of the yachts present, the Dutch lead clearly emerges: superyachts built in the Netherlands have an estimated value of $6,6 billion, followed by those built in Germany at $6,3 billion and Italy at $3,9 billion. In terms of average size, the German superyachts in Gallura measure 85,8 meters, followed by the Netherlands at 64,3 meters and Italy at 51,8 meters. Germany dominates the segment of gigayachts over 90 meters, while the Netherlands and Italy complementaryly cover the 40–80 meter range, which currently represents the core of global demand.
The study is part of the three-year internationalization plan for the nautical industry, approved and funded by the Sardinia Region's Departments of Planning and Industry, of which Cipnes is the implementing body. The research provides scientific tools and comparable data to strengthen the competitiveness of shipbuilding and advanced services, support the development of the maritime economy, attract foreign investment to Sardinia, and develop the biomethanol project in Olbia. The initiative is also part of the broader strategic agreement that led to the launch of the Naval Engineering degree program in Sardinia, offered at the Olbia campus by the University of Cagliari with the support of the UniOlbia Consortium, the financial support of the Sardinia Region, and the support of the Municipality of Olbia. The program, created at the request of the regional nautical industry, aims to train highly qualified professionals in the heart of the Mediterranean for a sector in which Italy holds world leadership.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE SUPER YACHT 24 NEWSLETTER
SUPER YACHT 24 IS ALSO ON WHATSAPP: JUST CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL AND ALWAYS BE UPDATED
