Top 10 yacht brands

Yachts are true marvels of the oceans. These floating palaces fascinate as much by their architectural excess as by the luxury shown by their owners. But which companies build these exceptional vessels? This article lists the 10 most prestigious shipyards in the world.

The most famous yacht shipyards

German company Lürssen Yachts is the shipyard that built the world’s largest private yacht: the 180-metre-long Azzam. Announced in 2013, this mammoth project took just three years to complete, with the Azzam being delivered in 2016. In doing so, the shipbuilder has proved that it is capable of building a bigger boat than anyone else in a respectable timeframe.

Blohm + Voss is also a German shipbuilding company. It produced the Eclipse, the sumptuous yacht owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovitch. The dimensions of this giant vessel are equally breathtaking. At 165.5 metres long, it includes two nightclubs, two projection rooms, a library and an art gallery, not to mention the 465 m² of the Russian tycoon’s personal suite. Its weekly running costs are estimated at €500,000!

Founded in 1877 in Hamburg by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss, the company has built a large number of civilian ships (Peking, Gorch Fock, RMS Majestic), yachts (A, Dubai, Lady Moura, Palladium, etc.) as well as military vessels (such as the battleship Bismarck) and around fifty submarines (including ten or so U-boats). At the end of the 1930s, the manufacturer also began producing aircraft for the Luftwaffe.

Finally, the Dutch company Amels had a shipyard in Vlissingen, the country’s third-largest port. They specialise in the design of custom superyachts. Amels is one of the world’s leading builders of custom superyachts, with its Limited Edition series including Here Comes the Sun, Exilir, Lili, Step One and You. The hull platforms remain the same for each vessel, but the interior layout and outdoor guest areas are redesigned according to the owner’s wishes.

Some of the biggest boats in the world

Feadship is a century-old Dutch company, originally based in Haarlem, with four shipyards spread across the Netherlands. It is famous for building some of the world’s most famous superyachts (Aquarius, Symphony, Savannah, Anna, Venus, Predator, Ocean Victory, Musashi, Hasna, Madame Gu, Viva etc.).

Oceanco has produced some of the world’s most famous yachts: Jubilee, Aquijo, Seven Seas, Black Pearl.

Italy’s Azimut-Benetti has built several exceptional yachts: Lionheart, Motopanfilo 37M, FB284, Lady Lilian, etc.

The Italian giant Perini Navi is also well known. This shipyard produced the Maltese Falcon, the largest sailing yacht in the world. Equipped with the DynaRig system, the ship has three self-supporting and rotating masts, can reach record speeds and cross the Atlantic in just 10 days!

Sunreef Yachts is a Polish company founded in 2002. It is the world leader in the production of custom multihulls. It has a shipyard in Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, enabling it to respond quickly to Asian customers. Famous boats include the Sunreef Power Trimaran and the Lagoon Catamaran series.

Silveryachts designed the Silver Fast, the largest aluminium yacht in the world.

Nobiskrug designed and built the world’s largest sailing yacht, the Sailing Yacht A. It is also behind other famous boats (Tatoosh, Mogambo). The interior was designed by French designer Philippe Starck.

Other boat builders include Heesen, Royal Huisman, Damen Yachting, Sanlorenzo, Wally, Dynamiq, Fincantieri, Ferretti, Rossinavi, Baglietto, Mangusta, Princess Yachts, CRN, Sunseeker, Abeking & Rasmussen and many others…