Setting Sail: Top Yacht Trends for This Year’s Charter Season

The yachting set descends on Miami for the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show this week (Feb. 14–18). 

Billed as the world’s largest boat and yacht event, it showcases the latest in all things nautical, from marine accessories and new technologies to all manner of seafaring craft: kayaks and paddleboards, mini-subs and very shiny new powerboats, sailboats, cruisers, and motor yachts.  

This year, around 100,000 visitors are expected to view (and covet) more than 1,000 vessels, including 51 of the show’s largest and most luxurious boats at the Superyacht Miami exhibit. 

This is a hot market, where discerning consumers demand what’s bigger, faster, smarter, tech-savvier—and eco-conscious. How will the luxury yachting industry meet these demands in 2024? Here are three trends the industry experts predict. 

1. Experiential Yachting 

Yacht designs are evolving to suit owners’ changing desires. The star of the Miami Boat Show is Victorious, an 85 m (278 ft) superyacht offered for sale at €120 million and a weekly charter price of $950,000. Turkish shipbuilder AKYacht’s revolutionary design provides 12 elegant staterooms, an elevator, cinema, wine and cigar club room (with fireplace), and a personal helipad on her bow. Her top speed is 16.0 kn with a range of 11,000 nautical miles.  

Another yacht redefining the live-aboard experience is Entourage, by Dutch shipyard Amels Yachts—winner of “Best Interior Design, Motor Yachts 500GT and Above” at the 2024 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards. The 60 m (197 ft) mega yacht’s design by Damen Yachting maximizes her multiple decks and interior volumes to frame the sea views. IMO Tier III compliant hybrid power and propulsion technology optimize fuel consumption whatever the speed. It also reduces emissions, which brings us to our next trend …  

2. Eco-Conscious Electric, Hybrid-Engine & Sail Yachts 

The superyachts on show at the Miami Boat Show hint at the future. Industry-wide, there are 250 all-electric or hybrid-engine yachts already on the high seas or under construction.  

For the ultimate in green machines, there is the Sail Yacht. One of the newest eco-conscious vessels on the water is Sarissa, built in The Netherlands by Royal Huisman and delivered last year. The high-performance sloop won five accolades at the 2024 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards, including “Innovation of the Year” and “Eco Award” for her forward-facing retractable electric propulsion and board systems, respectively.  

Dutch shipyard Amels’ 120 Full Custom, scheduled for delivery in 2025, is currently the largest Dutch-built motor yacht in the world. The 120 m (393 ft), five-deck superyacht by Damen Yachting and naval architect Espen Øino (designer of Paul Allen’s Octopus) is also green and ecological. Her diesel electric propulsion and Kongsberg Elegance® pods will limit the impact on the environment and operate with the lowest levels of noise and vibration ever recorded on a yacht of this size.  

3. Explorer, Expedition & Research Vessels 

Another growing trend in the superyacht market is the explorer/expedition yacht. These intrepid vessels have extended cruising ranges and rugged steel hulls to hazard the most demanding seas—with plenty of room for helipads, dive rooms, submersibles, and other big-ticket water toys. The Global Order Book, the definitive guide to superyacht construction projects, shows 88 such vessels under construction.  

Italian shipyard Cantiere delle Marche (CDM) has already sold four explorer yachts this year, including a 33.5 m Nauta 110 to Australian businessman and yachtsman Marcus Blackmore. The largest yacht in Damen Yachting’s explorer range is the SeaXplorer 105. The 105 m (341 ft), eight-deck mega yacht has an icebreaking Polar Class 7 steel hull, a dual helipad deck, spa, swimming pool, scuba deck, and watersports center. 

Then there’s the Rev Ocean: The ground-breaking 194.9 m (639 ft) research expedition vessel will secure the title of world’s largest yacht when she’s fully operational in 2026. The flagship of Norwegian businessman and philanthropist Kjell Inge Røkke’s not-for-profit ocean research foundation (REV Ocean initiative) was built for environmental research missions in partnership with WWF Norway. Rev Ocean will also be available for charter for recreational voyages and expeditions “from the coastal zone to abyssal depths, and from polar regions to the tropics.” 

For those looking for adventure a little closer to civilization, the waterfront properties featured below offer safe haven to dock and lock that superyacht.  

On the Market 

1. The Safar Estate in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia 

The Safar Estate lies within a private, 5.68-acre park on Romazzino Bay in Sardinia’s fabled Costa Smeralda. A one-of-a-kind trophy estate, the property has 1,148 feet of shoreline with two private beaches, two private docks, and a mooring buoy to accommodate an 80 m (262 ft) superyacht. 

The three main villas are exemplars of the classic Stile Smeraldino (Emerald Coast style), designed by Michele Busiri Vici and Luigi Vietti, two of the original architects recruited by His Highness the Aga Khan to create the Costa Smeralda resort in the 1960s. 

All the residences have a prominent waterfront setting, a newly constructed guest house, large terraces, a swimming pool, and beautifully landscaped grounds that slope gently down to the sea. Together with the separate guardian’s house, designed by Michele Busiri Vici, the dwellings offer 32,292 square feet of living space with 39 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms. 

2. Little Bay Estate in Virgin Gorda, BVI 

Little Bay Estate, with over a mile of shoreline and seven acres on Virgin Gorda’s North Sound, is a premier residential address in the British Virgin Islands. The estate is accessible only by boat, for the utmost privacy in island living.  

The estate consists of two residences: The Beach House and The Guest House at Camelia Point, each with three airy bedrooms and three full baths. A paved road links both houses and The Beach Cabana (with storage for water sport equipment). 

There are two docks: the main dock with secure dockage for multiple boats, and the swim dock, as well as a concrete ramp for easy movement of equipment.  

The property is held on a 98-year lease (with an option to renew) from the Crown from 2014. 

3. Atlantic Island Waterfront Villa in Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, Florida 

This luxurious Mediterranean-style villa occupies a prime waterfront lot on Sunny Isles Beach, a 2.5-mile-long barrier island just north of Miami Beach.   

The interior spaces, at about 5,200 square feet, offer a bright, open-plan kitchen, with new high-end appliances, serving the vast family dining/lounge under 22-foot-high ceilings. There are six spacious bedrooms and six full, opulent bathrooms, as well as a cabana bath with steam room. An elevator links all levels. The two-car garage features an EV-charging station. 

The rear gardens provide a pool, Jacuzzi, and a chef’s outdoor kitchen, surrounded by lush landscaping with mango, guava, and avocado trees. Waterside, a 90-foot dock has an automatic boat lift for direct ocean access (without intervening bridges).  

Looking for a place to drop anchor? Explore our portfolio of properties with private boat docks here.