Fraser's 2026 superyacht horizon: record-breaking size and excellence
European leadership in production and a market that is aiming upwards
In the premium yachting landscape, the ability to anticipate trends is a strategic necessity. It is with this in mind that Fraser—one of the leading global operators in brokerage, management, and consulting for new builds—regularly publishes its market analyses. Offering an analytical snapshot of a highly active sector, these analyses have become a point of reference for shipowners and industry professionals.
According to the latest data compiled by Fraser's team of specialists, the newbuild market is experiencing an unprecedented surge in activity. Demand for custom and semi-custom yachts is proving highly resilient, leading the world's leading shipyards to operate at full capacity, with delivery times continuing to extend, especially for high-end brands.
Currently, there are over 600 vessels over 30 meters under construction. Driving this growth is the complexity of the projects, rather than their sheer size: the average length of new builds has reached an all-time record of 48,5 meters, a clear sign of how shipowners today are seeking greater volumes and superior technical sophistication.
In this context, Fraser itself reports that in the last 24 months it has completed 13 new construction projects up to 80 meters in length: a result double that of its closest competitors and which confirms the market trend towards relying on consultants with solid transactional experience.
Looking at the geographical distribution of production, Europe remains firmly at the helm. Italy remains at the heart of the global shipbuilding industry, accounting for over 55% of global production; in this scenario, the Azimut-Benetti Group maintains its position as the world leader in terms of production volumes.
Turkey remains the world's second-largest shipbuilding nation with 90 ongoing projects, despite analysis showing a slight decline in orders in 2025, driven by inflationary pressures and a general increase in operating costs. The Netherlands comes in third with 52 projects. Despite their smaller numbers compared to their competitors, Dutch shipyards remain the champions of "outsized" yachts, dominating the segment of the world's largest and most technically advanced vessels (with 26 vessels over 100 meters currently under construction globally).
In conclusion, according to Fraser, the past year has marked the debut of yachts that are already milestones in terms of innovation and design. Looking ahead, given that the market is not only growing but also evolving, we will see increasingly informed and selective contemporary owners, oriented towards brokerage houses that can guarantee not only access to the best shipyard slots, but also integrated management of the complexities that characterize the new-generation giants of the sea.
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