The Global Order Book 2026, released December 11, 2025, counted 1,093 yachts of 24 metres or more in build worldwide — down 4% from the prior year — yet with record average length and tonnage. Ferretti's results (backlog +12.9%, superyacht segment +29.5%) and Sanlorenzo's (a €1.7 billion backlog) point the same way: sign a contract today, and delivery lands in 2028-2029.
Table of Contents
- The paradox: fewer contracts, bigger boats
- The numbers behind the 4% drop
- Ferretti and Sanlorenzo confirm the trend
- Who leads the production queue
- What ordering a yacht today actually means
- What this changes for anyone who wants to sail sooner
- FAQ
The paradox: fewer contracts, bigger boats
The Global Order Book 2026, Boat International's annual survey drawing on data from 190 shipyards across five continents, counted 1,093 yachts of 24 metres or more on order or in build — down roughly 4% from the prior year's 1,138. At the same time, the report itself flags that average length and average tonnage under construction hit record highs. Fewer contracts, in other words, does not mean a weaker market: it means a market concentrating around larger vessels, with production slots at the leading yards already committed through 2028-2029.
The numbers behind the 4% drop
The fall from 1,138 to 1,093 yachts represents 45 fewer units globally — a statistically moderate pullback, one Boat International chose to highlight alongside the record average size rather than in isolation. The source reviewed does not break down where that drop is concentrated (smaller 24–40 metre vessels versus a more even spread across size bands), so this article does not extend that segmentation beyond what was disclosed.
Ferretti and Sanlorenzo confirm the trend
Quarterly filings from Italy's two largest groups, released ahead of the Order Book, were already pointing this way. On October 23, 2025, Ferretti Group reported nine-month 2025 results: revenue of €887 million (+2.5%), a backlog of €1.5 billion (+12.9%) — driven by made-to-measure orders (+23.9%) and, above all, by the superyacht segment, up 29.5% for the period. On November 10, Sanlorenzo reported net revenue of €690.1 million (+3.2%), a €1.7 billion backlog (90% already sold to end clients), and order intake up 18.4% to €689.7 million.
| Group | Backlog (9M 2025) | Change | Key detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferretti Group | €1.5 billion | +12.9% | Superyacht segment +29.5% |
| Sanlorenzo | €1.7 billion | Order intake +18.4% | 90% of backlog sold to end clients |
Ferretti's superyacht-segment growth specifically is the number that most directly ties individual company results to the Order Book's record average size: it is precisely in the largest size band that demand is growing fastest, even as total contract count edges down.
Who leads the production queue
Azimut|Benetti Group tops the builder ranking for a 26th consecutive year, with 163 units in build, totalling 5,924 metres of combined length and roughly 23% of the global market. Sanlorenzo, now including sailing brand Nautor Swan, ranks second, with 130 yachts and 4,698 metres of combined length. As a country, Italy extends its lead to 52% of the global total (568 yachts, 240,560GT) — up 2 percentage points from the prior survey.
What ordering a yacht today actually means
The most concrete takeaway from the Global Order Book 2026 for anyone considering a new build is the delivery horizon: production slots at the leading yards are already committed through 2028-2029, close to a four-year span between signing a contract and taking delivery. The source reviewed does not specify whether that timeline varies significantly among the major groups (Azimut|Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Ferretti) or runs roughly uniform across them, so this article does not extend that comparison beyond what was disclosed.
What this changes for anyone who wants to sail sooner
For buyers unwilling to wait until 2028 or 2029, the natural alternative is the secondary market — yachts already delivered and available for purchase or charter — rather than a shipyard's production queue. That is exactly the dynamic we explored in The Charter Market in Numbers: Why Boats Are Scarce and Demand Isn't: the same shipyard-slot scarcity stretching new-build timelines today also underpins demand for yachts already in operation. Add to that the rising regulatory cost covered in our EU ETS 2026 report, which already reaches the largest superyachts in build and in service. For the Brazilian high-net-worth buyer, whose profile we detailed from the UBS Global Wealth Report 2025, the fastest alternative to a multi-year new-build queue is the international fleet already available at voguer.yachts; for boat rental on Brazil's coastline, the route is voguer.com.br.
FAQ
What does "fewer yachts, bigger yachts" mean in the Global Order Book 2026? It means total contract count fell about 4% (from 1,138 to 1,093 units), while average length and average tonnage under construction hit record highs — demand is shifting toward larger vessels, not disappearing.
How long does it take to receive a yacht ordered today? According to the Global Order Book 2026, production slots at the leading yards are already committed through 2028-2029 — close to a four-year span between signing a contract and delivery for anyone booking a slot at a high-demand yard today.
Which shipyard leads the order book, and for how long? Azimut|Benetti Group, for a 26th consecutive year, with 163 units in build, 5,924 metres of combined length and roughly 23% of the global market, per Boat International's survey.
How do Ferretti's results confirm the bigger-yacht trend? Ferretti reported, in October 2025, a €1.5 billion backlog (+12.9%) for the first nine months of the year, with its superyacht segment specifically up 29.5% — growth outpacing the total backlog, pointing to demand concentrating in the group's largest models.
Where does Sanlorenzo rank? Second among builders, with 130 yachts in build and 4,698 metres of combined length, including sailing brand Nautor Swan. Financially, the company closed nine-month 2025 with a €1.7 billion backlog, 90% already sold to end clients.
Is Italy gaining or losing ground in the global order book? Gaining: Italy's share rose 2 percentage points to 52% of the global total, equivalent to 568 yachts and 240,560GT of gross tonnage — the largest share among the countries the survey covers.
Does this affect someone who wants to charter rather than buy right now? Yes, indirectly: with shipyard slots scarce and delivery timelines running years, demand pressure tends to fall on yachts already built, in both the sale and charter markets — a pattern already visible in the Mediterranean charter market.
Where can I find the full Global Order Book 2026 report? On Boat International's BOATPro portal, which published the survey on December 11, 2025. Ferretti Group's and Sanlorenzo's individual nine-month 2025 results are also available directly through each company's investor-relations channels.
Following this story's next chapters
The Global Order Book 2026 is a snapshot; Ferretti's, Sanlorenzo's and Azimut|Benetti's coming quarterly results through 2026 will show whether the bigger-yacht trend keeps deepening. Voguer continues tracking this story both for the Brazilian market, at voguer.com.br, and for international superyacht charter, at voguer.yachts.
