Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Boat International US Edition

I have few regrets, but I do have some. Connected to my occupation as a yacht editor, one regret I have is that I was obligated to delete a lengthy recorded interview with American naval architect Donald L Blount some years ago. He had been waiting for permission to publish an article about one of his firm’s most ambitious projects, the Aga Khan’s Alamshar, delivered by British yard Devonport that year. That remarkable vessel had been in the planning and construction phase for many years, and it was finally cruising. That permission never came unfortunately, and the ethical thing to do was to delete the recording. In 2022, Mr Blount died at the age of 87 after an extraordinary career as one of the leading architects in the world of…

Triple threat The latest launch from Alia Yachts in Antalya promises to get people talking Alia Yachts is an ambitious shipyard that, in the past few years, has carved out a spot as one of few builders to tackle projects that break from typical formulas. Just last year, its 148-foot SAN collected several awards thanks to its low-slung design and main deck with views from stern to bow. The most recent launch, currently known as ALY501 for its 50-meter (164 feet) length, promises to be equally surprising. Triple jets will give the low-profile Alustar-and-carbon yacht the ability to go fast. How fast, sea trials will tell, but speed was clearly part of the brief; Mulder Design is part of the A-list team that collaborated on the design. "ALY 501 represents…

BELLA €9,500,000 IYC Reduced by: €1,400,000 The 2005 177ft Sensation was refitted in 2023 and has a big toy collection. NO STRESS €30,900,000 Morley Yachts Reduced by: €3,000,000 The 164ft Rossinavi has dual-fuel propulsion and Al energy management. LADY MARINA €34,900,000 Moravia Yachting; Merle Woods & Associates Reduced by: €5,050,000 The 1999 210ft Feadship accommodates 17 guests. MARGUERITE $37,500,000 Moran Yachts & Ship Reduced by: €6,250,000 The 2004 200ft Lürssen has a two-deck owner's apartment and helipad. UTOPIA IV $34,900,000 Fraser Reduced by: $5,000,000 The 207ft Ressinavi has a beach club, glass-bottom pool and sundeck cinema.…

The superyacht market continues its slow Covid-19 comedown, as predicted in last year’s Global Order Book (GOB) report. This year, we counted 1,093 yachts over 24 meters (79 feet) LOA under construction or on order globally. Placed end to end, the total length of superyachts on shipyards’ order books would stretch 146,447 feet for an average yacht length of 134 feet, an increase of just two feet, seven-and-a-half inches from the previous GOB. The total number of superyachts in build is down by 45 projects, or 3.95 percent, from 2025, and down 110 hulls, or 9.14 percent, from the all-time high of 1,203 superyachts in build recorded in 2023, when orders soared as UHNWIs sought private holiday cocoons. In the next few years, we anticipate the order book to settle…

The Global Order Book follows a strict process that involves visits to yards each year to verify projects in build, hull numbers and production capacity. Our annual investigation also sources information from class societies, flag registries, press conferences, brokers and dealers, designers, engine manufacturers and suppliers. This year, 68 shipyards in eight countries were visited, accounting for 653 projects (59.7 percent of global production). Yards not visited are scrutinized using order lists from the builders showing deposits taken and data confirmed by various sources, including IMO data. Country reports are free for BOATPro subscribers. For deeper analysis and custom reports, sign up to BOATPro Premium. BOAT PRO…

Alpine adventures Ditch your skis for these two standout weekends in St Moritz, where all eyes will be on the frozen lake. First up is Snow Polo, where six teams compete in the only high-goal tournament on snow in the world. The following weekend is the The Ice (or International Concours of Elegance), where dozens of classic and vintage cars rally over the 193-acre surface. Categories for 2026 include Barchettas on the Lake, Open Wheels, Birth of the Hypercar and Legendary Liveries. Snow Polo: Jan 23 to 23, snowpolo-stmoritz.com; The Ice: January 30 to 31, theicestmoritz.ch TRIBUTE TO THE SUNDANCE KID Hollywood heads to the hills in January for the first Sundance Film Festival after the death of its founder Robert Redford. The 2026 edition promises a celebration of indie…

“WE DON’T STOP PLAYING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD; WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP PLAYING.” GEORGE BERNARD SHAW…

TRITON BAY, WEST PAPUA A huge waterfall tumbling into the sea and an underwater pinnacle rich in sea life. SUMBA, EAST NUSA TENGGARA The quality of the surf is amazing for the experienced. So remote, you'll be alone 80 percent of the time. PAPISOI BAY, WEST PAPUA Wade upriver through tropical forest to a waterfall, then float back to the beach. SORONG, WEST PAPUA Trek through thick jungle dotted with Papuan villages to a secret surf spot that offers a barrel. Very good rides. RAJA AMPAT, WEST PAPUA The underwater world here is simply amazing with its backdrop of steep tropical islets.…

Boats are in my DNA. There’s not a day I wake up that I don’t think about them. I’ve been like that my whole life. The first toy I picked up was a boat. I was adopted by English migrants in Australia who moved to an amazing part of the world, Pittwater, 15 miles north of Sydney. We lived next door to a fairly wealthy family, and I started sailing with their children at the age of six, and from then on, it’s been boating, boating, boating. I had a job at the yacht club driving the tender at the age of 12; I was a broker, selling boats on weekends at the age of 15; I was a boat building apprentice at the age of 16; and I was…

The yacht’s Ice Class steel hull is reinforced for cold and ice-affected waters in compliance with the IMO’s Polar Code for safety, structure and systems, which enables safe navigation in icy regions, expanding the list of remote areas where After You can easily cruise. A 5,000-nautical-mile range when cruising at 11.5 knots gives After You autonomy at sea for up to 30 days, allowing the yacht to cross oceans and stay away from support infrastructure for long stretches of time. This affords the captain more flexibility in route planning. The aft deck areas are customizable depending on destination needs, from the store and launch of multiple tenders, toys and dive equipment, to the facilitation of wellness areas and space for entertaining family and friends. The diesel-electric hybrid propulsion package with…

Sam Fortescue Sam is a sailor and writer who covers everything boat-related, from tech to toys and dinghies to superyachts. For this issue, he has the inside scoop on the Top 101’s new entries (page 73). What’s your favorite feature on any of the new Top 101 yachts? I was lucky enough to get the full tour of Breakthrough with the captain and chief engineer. That hydrogen system is straight out of Star Trek — a real mind-bender. In terms of boy’s toys, I think the Trackman golf simulator on Dreamboat’s sundeck will be hard to beat. What are your three most memorable life experiences so far? Watching Elton John perform in a Christmassy Venice courtesy of Ferretti, spending two months sailing with my family in Norway, and sailing across…

Ouzel takes flight The biggest custom sailing yacht to emerge from a North American builder in quite some time has had her first taste of water in November. Lovely Ouzel emerged against the backdrop of Maine’s foliage at Rockport Marine without her keel and mast, both of which soon took their rightful place. Langan Design Partners, MCM and Mark Whiteley Design are the other partners in this project that, in part, aims to put US boatbuilding front and center in the mind of owners looking to build exceptional custom yachts. At 95 feet long, nearly 21 feet wide and with a draft of 12 feet, this is a bluewater sailing yacht with a classic feel that is sure to turn heads wherever she sails. Her construction marries traditional build techniques…

“THE COLD WATER IS MERCILESS, BUT RIGHTEOUS. IT RESETS THE BODY” WIM HOF, ICE-IMMERSION EVANGELIST…

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” adopted in 2025, reinstates 100 percent Bonus Depreciation, applicable to yachts placed in commercial service after January 19,2025. It allows deducting the entire purchase price of a new or used yacht (new to the business) in the first year. Businesses can also deduct equipment costs up to $2.5 million. Lawyer Michael Moore notes some caveats. “The beneficial owner can’t use the boat personally for that calendar year of accelerated depreciation. The boat has to be in active service, not laid up in a yard." The IRS will look at how active the yacht has been and it should charter at least 50 percent of the time to qualify. "The yacht must be used predominantly in US or US territorial waters for these tax benefits.…

On one hand, tax cuts and strong stock markets; on the other, sluggish worldwide economic growth, tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty. The global superyacht industry faces a conflicted macroeconomic outlook going into 2026. The second Trump administration’s first year in power has seen moves that boost the market and ultra-high-net-worth spending, but also policies that contribute to rising costs, including tariffs on imports. The US is both the world’s largest economy and its largest yacht market, making it a bellwether for the industry. In its October 2025 Global Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund forecast global growth of a modest 3.2 percent in 2025 and 3.1 percent in 2026, roughly on a par with 2022 to 2024, following a surge to six percent in 2021 in the wake of the 2020…

New Zealand is safe, undeniably gorgeous and, by global standards, pleasantly affordable. And its luxury property market, which had been reserved for citizens since well before the Covid-19 pandemic, is once again available to foreign buyers. Prime Minister Christopher Luxton announced that investors who hold an Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa will be allowed to buy a home in New Zealand. The news overturns a ban on foreign owners other than those from Australia and Singapore, which had been in place since 2018. This means that anyone with NZD$10 million (roughly $5.6m) available to spend will be able to consider relocating to the Pacific Island nation where they can immerse themselves in some of earth’s most spectacular scenery, enjoy a coastline made to explore by boat and by and large…

"I'm an operator at heart" Converting a 50-year-old towing vessel into a charter explorer — and taking guests on original adventures FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXCLUSIVE CLUB, EMAIL ownersclub@boatinternationalmedia.com THIS MONTH: reinventing a super maxi/humpbacks and wolf packs in British Columbia/scenes from our Owners’ Club garden party…

WITH THANKS TO CARLA GUILHEM DESIGN, VOLY AND VICEROY RESIDENCES…

DEEP BLUE LOA 440' 3" GT 9,000 Builder Lürssen Interior designer Unknown Exterior designer Winch Design Shrouded in mystery, this 440-foot yacht is among the largest Lürssen has ever built, and yet no public statement has ever been made about it. The yacht was briefly glimpsed in 2023, when she was floating alongside at Bremen-Vegesack waiting to have her bow section fitted. Now we know only that the yacht was fully launched in August, and can draw some conclusions from its departure for sea trials. Widely rumored to have been built for a Chinese e-commerce tycoon, the yacht has a distinctive blue gloss superstructure, which contrasts strongly with the black glass and white paint of her hull. She appears to comprise six decks of accommodation, topped with a dramatic, aft-swept…

Racehorses, sports cars, yachts: the Aga Khan owned and loved them all. A Maserati 5000 GT made for him in the 1950s was, for a time, the world’s fastest road car. It was an appropriate choice for a man whose life was defined by velocity. This desire for speed was with him from an early age. Born and raised in Switzerland, he trained with the Austrian ski team, then represented Iran at the 1964 Winter Olympics where he deemed his middling finish “respectable if not glorious.” Although he was a venerated spiritual leader to Nizari Isma’ili Muslims (a branch of Shia Islam believed to be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad), he prized understatement, even as his pursuits were anything but ordinary. Take his passion for yachting, for instance. Andrew…

Wilderness Eha Hiiumaa Island, Estonia OPENING SUMMER 2026 Located on Hiiumaa Island, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve off Estonia’s western coast, Eha is a new wellness retreat rooted in the wilderness. With just eight suites and three forest cabins, this minimalist sanctuary has been designed to blend into its surroundings — its pale timber, linen and soft-toned stone mirroring the forest beyond. Programs here weave ancestral healing with science, meaning guests can expect thermal rituals, forest bathing, breathled movement and foraging sessions that restore both body and mind. In an age of overstimulation, Eha aims to define wellness as stillness in a quiet Baltic hideaway. eharetreat.com THIS MINIMALIST SANCTUARY HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO BLEND INTO ITS SURROUNDINGS — PALE TIMBER, LINEN AND SOFT-TONED STONE MIRRORING THE FOREST BEYOND Fregate Island Seychelles…

ENTOURAGE €74,000,000 Moran Yachts & Ship The 2003 197ft Amels 60 features an award-winning Burdifilek interior and hybrid propulsion. SAMIRA £29,900,000 Cecil Wright The 2003 180ft Amels recently came out of a €16 million refit and features a balcony on the main deck. THILA £4,850,000 Superyacht Partners The 2009 95ft Dubois sailing yacht combines elegant interiors with versatile deck spaces. CONTIGO €23,900,000 Kitson Yachts The 2024 134ft Benetti Oasis offers a "wellness cabin” and a Turkish bath and accommodates 14. BIJN €29,500,000 Burgess The 2015 164ft Heesen, refitted in 2025, features Japandi-style interiors and a beach club with gym.…

Bright ideas The latest in luxury for the new year, from hot property in the southern hemisphere to what to wear on the slopes The marine edition of the Sailing Lantern is a collaboration between Japanese creative technology company Balmuda and design studio LoveFrom, founded by Sir Jony Ive with Marc Newson. Crafted from polished stainless steel with enhanced UV and salt protection, the lantern is offered with bespoke elements, including custom-etched top enclosure, cap and lanyard button. The lanterns are made to order for $4,800, with a limited run of 1,000 units. balmuda.com THIS MONTH: new hypercars for 2026 | events from Sundance to Snow Polo | Breguet’s 250th-anniversary timepiece…

FOR WOMEN FOR MEN…

Perched on a cliff top in Torbay, Auckland, this house’s floor-to-ceiling windows take advantage of the wonderful waterfront views of the Hauraki Gulf. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home measures 5,920 square feet, and has almost an acre of garden featuring a heated lap pool. NZD$8.995m, sothebysrealty.com This modern house is built on the site of Queenstown founder William Rees’ home. The living room and main bedroom have floor-to-ceiling lake views, with three more bedrooms and four bathrooms. The property is less than two miles from Queenstown Airport. NZD$5M+, sothebysrealty.com A modern four-bedroom, four-bathroom house within a gated estate close to the historic gold mining town of Arrowtown, around 12 miles from Queenstown. The steel and wood house comes with landscaped gardens, and the estate features a championship golf course, restaurants, spa…

BORN: 1981 STUDIED: PARIS DESCARTES UNIVERSITY, UTS SYDNEY LIVES: BALI AND ON THE BOAT SPOUSE: ANITA CHILDREN: LEO EMIR Thibaud Epstein’s vivid description of wading upriver for 40 minutes to find a waterfall in West Papua paints the best picture of his adventures in Southeast Asia. Or is it his account of having to urgently placate a well-armed group of villagers preparing to stand their ground on the beach? “We assured them we didn’t want their land and were able to share our supplies with them. In return, they showed us the waterfall,” he says. Epstein outlines the many reasons why he fell in love with Southeast Asia and came to start a charter business with a 50-year-old towing vessel. Adventures aside, “Indonesia has a sense of hospitality that you…