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Superyacht Builders: Who Builds the Big Yachts, Ranked by Order Book, Plus the Brands at 20 to 40 m

Azimut|Benetti leads the 2026 Global Order Book with 163 yachts. See the top superyacht builders, from Lürssen to Feadship, and the brands at 20 to 40 m.

By Wijet Editors

Superyacht builders at work: a large steel superyacht hull on the slipway in a covered Northern European shipyard

At a glance

Superyacht builders at a glance

Largest order book
Azimut|Benetti Group, 163 yachts, 5,924 m
Boat International Global Order Book 2026, as reported by Yacht Style, December 2025
Years at number one
26 in a row
Yacht Style, December 18, 2025, reporting the Global Order Book 2026
Longest yacht by a custom yard
Azzam, 180.65 m, Lürssen, 2013
Lürssen company history, read November 2026
Custom builders named by Boat International
Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco
Boat International, February 2025, on full-custom yachts

The biggest superyacht builders by order book are Azimut|Benetti, with 163 yachts totalling 5,924 m, and Sanlorenzo, with 130 yachts totalling 4,698 m, according to the Global Order Book 2026 as reported by Yacht Style in December 2025. The names people mean when they talk about the very large custom yachts, Lürssen, Feadship and Oceanco, sit behind them on that table by total length.

Those two lists answer different questions. This guide sorts the superyacht builders into custom yards, which build one-off yachts above roughly 50 m, and production brands, which build the 20 to 40 m yachts most owners actually buy.

The Biggest Superyacht Builders by Order Book

Boat International’s Global Order Book counts yachts of 24 m and above that are on order or under construction, and ranks yards by total length. Yacht Style reported the leaders of the 2026 edition on December 18, 2025, and the table below follows that coverage.

PositionBuilderCountryWhat the 2026 edition showsSource
1Azimut|Benetti GroupItaly163 yachts, 5,924 m, number one for the 26th yearYacht Style, Dec 2025
2Sanlorenzo (including Nautor Swan)Italy130 yachts, 4,698 mYacht Style, Dec 2025
NextLürssen, Feadship, The Italian Sea GroupGermany, Netherlands, ItalyNamed after “a large gap in total length”; no figures givenYacht Style, Dec 2025
6Sunreef YachtsCatamaran specialist41 projects, 1,185 m, up from ninth in 2025Yacht Style, Dec 2025

Three details from the same coverage explain the shape of the market. Azimut|Benetti’s builds in this size range average 36.3 m. Italy accounts for 568 yachts and 240,560 gross tons in the book. And Sunreef is the only catamaran-focused builder among the 19 yards ranked.

The order book rewards volume, which is why a yard building many 30 to 50 m yachts can outrank one building a handful of 100 m ships. If you want the largest yachts afloat instead, see our list of the biggest yachts in the world.

The Custom Superyacht Builders

Boat International describes a full-custom yacht as “completely bespoke,” designed from hull to interior for one owner, with a build that is “expected to take several years” (February 2025). It names Lürssen, Feadship and Oceanco as example builders. The profiles below use each yard’s own site where it gives the fact, and the listing site YachtBuyer’s builder pages (read November 2026) for founding history, attributed as such.

Lürssen Yachts

Lürssen is the German name on most “top superyacht builders” lists. Friedrich Lürssen founded the company on June 27, 1875, in Aumund near Bremen, and the yard moved to Bremen-Vegesack in 1904, according to Lürssen’s history page. Production moved to Lemwerder in 1985 and 1986, and a dedicated yacht division followed in 1988.

The deliveries are the reason it leads the size tables. Lürssen lists Azzam at 180.65 m, the world’s longest yacht when delivered in 2013, and Dilbar at 156 m and 15,917 tons in 2016, the largest motor yacht by gross tonnage. For German superyacht builders, this is the benchmark. The company says it marked 150 years in 2025.

Feadship

Feadship was founded in 1949 to target the American market, per YachtBuyer. It combines two older Dutch yards, Van Lent (established 1849) and De Vries (1906), with De Voogt Naval Architects (1913). Headquarters are in Haarlem, and the brand sells everything as full custom.

Feadship’s own site describes “pure custom creation since 1949” (feadship.nl, 2026). YachtBuyer credits the yard’s early reputation to steel hulls, unusual for American yachts in the 1950s, and names the 64.64 m Al Riyadh, launched in 1968, as its move into large yachts.

Oceanco

Oceanco is the youngest of the big custom names. YachtBuyer says it was founded in 1987 by South African investors and is headquartered in Alblasserdam, in the Netherlands. In 2002, per the same profile, the yard shifted its focus to yachts of 80 m and above, which is why its name comes up whenever the talk turns to very large one-off builds. Boat International lists it alongside Lürssen and Feadship as an example of a full-custom builder (2025).

Benetti

Benetti traces its roots to 1873, when Lorenzo Benetti bought a shipyard in Viareggio, according to its YachtBuyer profile. Paolo Vitelli, the founder of Azimut, bought it in 1985 and formed the Azimut-Benetti Group. A dedicated facility for yachts over 80 m opened in Livorno in 2016.

Benetti is both a custom yard and a semi-custom brand. Benetti’s own site lists Lana, Luminosity and IJE among its largest custom projects, at 107 to 108 m (benettiyachts.com, 2026). The same site lists lines such as Oasis, B.Yond and B.Loft for smaller yachts.

Amels

Amels says its family legacy began in 1918 in Makkum, in the north of the Netherlands, per YachtBuyer. The Damen family acquired it in 1991, kept the name, and later moved the yard to Vlissingen.

Amels is closer to a series builder than a pure custom yard. YachtBuyer lists a line running from the Amels 60 to the Amels 80, a structure that suits buyers who want proven platforms.

Heesen Yachts

Frans Heesen founded the company in 1978 by acquiring the Striker Boats yard, and it is based in Oss, in the Netherlands, according to YachtBuyer. The first Heesen was a 28 m yacht in 1979. In 1988 the 38 m Octopussy became, in YachtBuyer’s words, “the first large vessel to surpass the 50-knot speed barrier.”

Per the same profile, the yard moved to long-range steel-hull superyachts in 1992, and its listed models include 55 m steel, 65 m aluminum and 70 m aluminum designs.

Luxury Yacht Brands for 20 to 40 Meters

The yacht brands below build in series: a fixed hull, with choice in layout and finish. Boat International lists Sunseeker, Azimut and Princess as examples of semi-custom builders (February 2025). The founding history below is from the listing site YachtBuyer’s builder profiles, read November 2026.

Sunseeker Yachts

Robert Braithwaite founded Sunseeker in 1969, and the first model, the Sovereign 17, arrived in 1971, per YachtBuyer. Its first superyacht came in 1990, and the company is based in Poole, on England’s south coast.

Princess Yachts

Princess began in 1965 as Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd under David King, and is still based in Plymouth. The 40 m Princess 40M, introduced in 2012, is the largest in the range YachtBuyer lists.

Azimut Yachts

Azimut dates from 1969, when Paolo Vitelli began chartering sailing boats, per YachtBuyer. In 1982 it unveiled the 32 m Failaka, described as the largest GRP production yacht of its time. YachtBuyer lists a current range running from about 12.9 m to the Grande 44M at about 43.85 m.

Riva Yachts

Pietro Riva established the boatyard in 1842 on Lake Iseo, making it the oldest yard in this guide, according to YachtBuyer. The Aquarama launched in 1962, and the Ferretti Group acquired Riva in 2000.

Ferretti Yachts

Ferretti was established in 1968 by Alessandro and Norberto Ferretti, per YachtBuyer, and built its first superyacht in 1996. The group also owns Pershing, Riva, Itama, Mochi Craft, CRN and Custom Line, and YachtBuyer lists in-production Ferretti models from 15.33 m to 30.13 m.

Custom vs Semi-Custom vs Production

Boat International’s February 2025 guide gives the cleanest split. A production yacht is “a standardised model mass-produced by large yacht manufacturers” with a fixed design. A semi-custom yacht is built from a shared base design with choices in layout, finishes, materials and some technical features. A full-custom yacht is “completely bespoke.”

What Changes for the Buyer

Custom means control and time. Boat International says a full-custom build is expected to take several years (2025). Semi-custom starts from an existing base design, so less has to be engineered from scratch, and a production yacht has a fixed design that is already in the builder’s catalog.

Which Group Fits

The practical rule is that the choice follows the size you want. Most buyers below 40 m choose between the production brands above. Above roughly 60 m, the shortlist is the custom yards, and yards such as Amels and Benetti sit across the line with semi-custom platforms.

How Long and How Much

Custom yards do not publish build prices, so no table here puts a number on a build. On time, Boat International’s guidance is that full custom takes several years (2025), and the more of the design is fixed in advance, the shorter the wait.

For cost, use our guide to how much a yacht costs, which separates purchase price from running cost. If you would rather try the lifestyle before you buy, the yacht charter cost guide shows what a week on board runs. Monaco’s harbor is one place to see this work in person, and our Monaco Grand Prix tickets guide covers the race weekend there. More on the water is in the cruises and yachts hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the top superyacht builders in the world?
By the Global Order Book 2026, Azimut|Benetti Group ranks first with 163 yachts and 5,924 m, followed by Sanlorenzo with 130 yachts and 4,698 m. By size of individual yacht, Lürssen, Feadship and Oceanco are the names usually cited for custom builds.
Who are the German superyacht builders?
Lürssen is the best known. Friedrich Lürssen founded it in Aumund near Bremen in 1875, and production moved to Lemwerder in 1985 and 1986, per its history page. It built Azzam, listed at 180.65 m and the world's longest yacht when delivered in 2013.
What is the difference between a custom and a production yacht?
A custom yacht is designed from scratch for one owner and, per Boat International in 2025, takes several years. A production yacht is a standardized model with a fixed design, with only the interior finish varying. Semi-custom sits between them.
Which luxury yacht brands build between 20 and 40 meters?
Sunseeker, Princess, Azimut, Ferretti and Riva all build in that range. Boat International lists Sunseeker, Azimut and Princess as semi-custom builders (2025), and YachtBuyer's profiles give each brand's current model range.
How long does it take to build a yacht?
It depends on type. Boat International says a full-custom yacht is expected to take several years (2025). Semi-custom yachts start from an existing base design and production yachts from a fixed one, so both are quicker. Ask each yard for its current delivery slot.

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