The World's Largest Yachts - 2010 Edition

Yachts International Magazine Staff Report | PHOTOS SuperyachtPhoto

Our top 100 list features six new entries in the select group of the world’s largest yachts. The largest of these new entries, until that long-awaited and long-observed Eclipse is delivered, is thought to be Mr. Abramovich’s other yacht, the 377’ expedition yacht Luna.  The average length among the six new entries is 303’ (versus 283’ in 2009). The trend within this very special set of superyachts still is to order and build bigger. Of course, these new yachts were in the works long before the latest world recession hit. But, if everyone suffered in 2008-2009, many who dropped off Forbes’ list of billionaires last year are back as of 2010. Only time will tell what long-term effects this two-year recessionary period will have on the superyacht set. There is more to come in this special group of superyachts before the end of 2010, including that new “number one”, so stay tuned. Our cut-off date for this year’s list was for the yachts to be delivered before July, so these new vessels will appear on the 2011 list, if not sooner in the news pages of upcoming Yachts International magazines.

For the first time this year, we included the world’s largest sailing yachts, instead of focusing on motor yachts alone. This reflects our new editorial direction. With a strong “green” wind blowing through the yachting industry, it has become impossible not to consider sailing yachts. Plus, if the likes of the Maltese Falcon are not superyachts, then what are they?

We chose to keep state and royal yachts on the list because the leaders of countries large and small have been a steady source of work for superyacht builders. Successful entrepreneurs and heirs of financial empires may be the main source of orders, but the very largest yachts still tend to go to heads of state. North American owners still lead the pack in terms of superyacht orders, but for how long? Most of the new yachts on this year’s Top 100 list went to owners from other parts of the world.
See the full list here