The World’s Best Yacht Brands

Even to those in the industry, the definition of the term “yacht” often falls in a gray area. What one defines as a yacht, another may refer to as a boat. This ambiguity is an accepted oddity within the yachting world and while there are some broad definitions, there are no firm rules. 

Where the industry generally unites is in defining that recreational vessels over 80 feet are classed as superyachts, although even there, some will hold out for 100 feet. Boats below 80 feet become more difficult to define. A luxury sportfishing boat is unanimously considered to be a yacht, as are modern luxury trawlers. But in many quarters, most boats over 30 feet are classified as a yacht if they have a quality, “yacht-like” finish. This can include small motoryachts, cabin cruisers, well-appointed center consoles,  and express or open sportfishing models. Sailboats are also widely referred to as yachts when even shorter than 30 feet, perhaps because cruising sailors are frequently known as “yachties.” Virtually all larger sailboats with cabins and galleys are called yachts.

Which brings us to the other definition of a yacht, and that is the level of luxury it possesses. A simple, mid-sized fishing boat that’s a little rough around the edges is unlikely to ever be graced with the name “yacht”; the finishings, the furnishings, the electronics, the decks, the cabins, galleys, and general outlook of the boat play a significant role in it being given the title of yacht. 

Let’s take a look at the many different types of yachts on the market today and look at some of the best yacht brands building them. It’s important to remember that there are a huge number of luxury boat brands all across the world, and this is just a small selection. 

 

Best Motor Yachts

The term motor yacht can describe any luxury recreational vessel from 30 feet up to the largest superyachts, but is typically used for mid-sized cruisers from 30 to 80 feet in length. They’ll have cabins, galleys, saloons, and heads; they’ll have a high-end finish, plenty of space for sun lounging, and be geared towards families and weekend cruising.  

 

Best Motor Yacht Brands

Sunseeker: With its origins in the 1960s, this British brand of motor yachts has an extensiveline-up (and even more models on the used market). Models range from mid-sized to superyacht scale, and they have both a luxury finish and a sleek, distinctive appearance. Sunseeker boats for sale

Riva Yachts: The Riva Yachts brand has a long history and for decades has been synonymous with fine Italian craftmanship. Today it is owned by Ferretti Group and offers a range of sleek, elegant motor yachts that honor its classic heritage. With a current range including Sportfly, Flybridge, and Open models, it remains one of the most prestigious brands in the industry. Riva boats for sale

Princess Yachts: Another British brand, Princess Yachts builds fine motor yachts from midsize to superyacht size. The company was founded in the 1960s and operates out of a huge, 1.1 million square feet shipyard. Its luxury motor yachts are some of the most technologically advanced for their size in the industry. Princess boats for sale

 

The term motor yacht covers a wide range of sizes and styles of vessels, but is usually used for motor boats between 30 and 80 feet. Princess photo.

 

Best Sailing Yachts

In an era where motor yachts dominate the waters, it’s easy to forget momentarily that sailboats were the very first yachts. Over around 30-feet they fall into the yacht category, with cabins, galleys, and heads making them suitable for longer-range cruising. The rigging and sails tends to make little difference to sailing yacht classification, but rather the vessel’s ability to cruise farther and longer and in more comfort and luxury. Sailing yachts for sale

 

Best Sailing Yacht Brands

Jeanneau: Jeanneau has been building capable, innovative ocean-going sailing yachts for over 60 years and has gained a great reputation for innovative design and good sailing performance. The brand’s current range includes large yachts, small ocean racers, and 35- to 49-foot cruising models that are well thought out, offer clever use of space, high quality finishes, and excellent handling. Jeanneau boats for sale

Hallberg-Rassy: The long-standing Swedish brand Hallberg-Rassy has an impressive line-up of quality ocean-going sailing yachts that offer sturdy blue-water capabilities and comfortable, elegant interiors. The brand has a range of models from 34 to 69 feet that are excellent long-distance cruisers. Hallberg-Rassy boats for sale

Nautor Swan Yachts: Strongly built of high-quality materials in Pietarsaari, Finland, Swan yachts gained a premium, ocean-going reputation right from the start since the first 36-footer was designed by US naval architects Sparkman & Stephens in the late 1960s. Another early model designed by S&S, the Swan 65, won the Whitbread Around the World Race. Today, the luxury Swan cruiser lineup ranges from 48 to 65 feet, complemented by smaller, high-performance ClubSwan models and superyacht-sized Swan Maxi models up to 128 feet long. Nautor Swan boats for sale

Dufour Yachts: Another stalwart of the sailing yacht industry is Dufour Yachts, today part of Fountaine Pajot. It’s been crafting luxury mid-sized sailing yachts since the 1960s which range in size from 37 feet to over 60 feet. With such a long legacy there are many good examples to be found on the used market too. Dufour boats for sale

 

The classic sailing yacht offers home comforts, cabins, and long-range capabilities. Hallberg-Rassy photo.

 

Best Luxury Yachts

The term luxury yacht can define any vessel that offers an exceptionally high-quality finish, luxury furnishings, and is generally a cut above the rest. The term luxury can apply to all styles of boats that we look at in greater detail on this list, including cruisers, modern recreational trawlers, sportfishing yachts, superyachts, motoryachts, and sailing yachts.  

 

Best Luxury Yacht Brands

Azimut: This Italian shipyard is one of the most respected luxury brands in Europe and the US, and it includes well-known brands such as Bennetti under its umbrella. It’s been in operation since 1969 and is a stalwart of the luxury yacht industry. Azimut boats for sale 

Beneteau: Building both luxury sailing yachts and luxury motor yachts, French brand Beneteau are one of the key players in the industry. They recently celebrated 140 years of shipbuilding, with many brands also under their umbrella including luxury catamaran brand Lagoon and motor yacht brand Jeanneau. Jeanneau boats for sale

Sanlorenzo: The Sanlorenzo shipyard has been building high-quality motor yachts since 1958, and offers a range of sophisticated, custom luxury yachts. Its Yacht Series ranges from 78 to 120 feet in length, while the Superyacht Series offers yachts up to 220 feet. Sanlorenzo boats for sale

 

Luxury yachts can be of many types and sizes including cruisers, modern recreational trawlers, sportfishing yachts, superyachts, motoryachts, and sailing yachts. Sanlorenzo photo.

 

Best Superyachts

Superyachts are generally categorized as yachts (both motor and sail) over 80 feet, and they are typically the largest and most luxurious vessels in the world costing millions of dollars. The heart of the superyacht manufacturing industry is in Europe, with many of the world’s top brands based in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany, but with builders in the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia also making big waves. Superyachts set the bar for the boating industry, pushing the boundaries of innovation and engineering. 

 

Best Superyacht Brands

Lürssen: German brand Lürssen have their finger on the pulse of innovation, and their huge luxury yachts pave the way for the industry as a whole. Lürssen has built some of the largest and most expensive luxury yachts in the world including 511 feet-long Dilbar. 

Feadship: Dutch brand Feadship is a major player in the superyacht world, and has built some of the largest luxury vessels including Anna at 360 feet. It was founded over 70 years ago as an alliance of several shipyards and continues to challenge itself to create ever-more daring and innovative vessels. Feadship boats for sale

Oceanco: Another Dutch builder, Oceanco, focuses on superyachts in the 80 meter range, with their largest being Infinity at 374 feet featuring seven decks and luxuries including a spa, sauna, gym, and yoga studio. 

 

Superyachts are the largest and most luxurious of all the vessels and can range from 80 feet to more than 300 feet in length. Oceanco photo.

 

Best Small Yachts

Pocket yachts offer the best of both worlds, with clever use of interior and deck space providing versatility, overnight stays, and comfort for family and friends aboard. And all in a compact and often more affordable package. Larger doesn’t always mean better, and these brands are proving just that with their small yachts. 

 

Best Small Yacht Brands

Prestige Yachts: Part of the Groupe Beneteau is Prestige Yachts, whose range of small luxury cruisers showcases an impressive use of space, both interior and on deck. With a focus on being a home-away-from-home, Prestige—who has been in operation for 30 years and has some 4,000 boats on the water today—has models such as the M48, which has everything you’d expect on a much larger yacht; a spacious flybridge, full-sized master cabin, berths for seven, complete galley, and huge deck and dining spaces. Prestige boats for sale

Fountaine Pajot: This renowned multihull brand has a broad range of motor and sailing catamarans which, thanks to their double-hulled wide beam can pack a huge amount of boat into a comparatively small length. With multiple cabins, huge above-sea lounge and dining areas, vast deck spaces, and tons of storage they make excellent long-distance cruisers. Fountaine Pajot boats for sale

Hinckley Yachts: Dating back almost a century, Maine-based Hinckley Yachts builds elegant pocket cruiser yachts. Its Picnic Boat range of models 37 and 40 feet in length, which combine classically beautiful lines, cutting edge technology, and a finish of rich woods and plush seating, are true hybrids, offering a silent, smooth, and fast ride as well as exceptional comfort both inside and on deck. Hinckley boats for sale

 

Small yachts, or pocket cruisers, offer the chance to experience the yachting lifestyle in a more compact package. Hinckley Yachts photo.

 

Best Affordable Yachts

Yachts are a luxury asset, and whenever we talk about affordability it ultimately comes down to a buyer’s personal budget. Of course, buying a used boat is always going to be more cost effective than a brand new one, but there are also yacht brands that focus on quality and value-for-money affordable yachts including:

 

Best Affordable Yacht Brands

Ranger Tugs: Ranger Tugs is one of the most affordable yacht brands, with a great choice of family-friendly pocket yachts and long-distance cruisers. The R-23, in particular, has been built with price at the forefront and allows buyers to purchase an excellent trawler boat at well under the price of most competitors. Ranger Tugs boats for sale

Cutwater Boats: While Cutwater describes its vessels as boats, we feel the size range and finish of their cruising trawlers qualifies them for yacht status. They are functional, reliable, and affordable, with a quality finish and plenty of home comforts making them good value-for-money. Cutwater boats for sale

Chris-Craft: For those wanting to buy a boat with true yacht looks and power at moderate cost, you can’t go wrong with the all-American brand Chris-Craft. While its range of models are smaller in size than many others on this list, its 34-foot Catalina and 35-foot Calypso certainly fit in the yacht category with small interior cabins and heads. Chris-Craft boats for sale

 

There are brands which offer excellent value-for-money yachts, with high quality workmanship and finishes at lower cost than the competition. Cutwater photo.

 

Best Sportfish Yachts 

The sportfishing yacht market is booming in the United States, with the popularity of these mean fishing machines growing year on year. Sportfishing yachts are characterized by their speed and reliability, as well as offering plenty of fishing amenities, comfort, and a great driving experience. There are many brands out there to choose from, with some of the major players including;

 

Best Sportfish Yacht Brands

Scout Boats: Scout’s center console sportfishing yachts are some of the most luxurious in the industry. With models ranging from 17 to 67 feet, they offer accommodation, large horsepower, as many as four outboard engines, spacious flybridges, and all manner of fishing accessories. These sportfishing yachts combine cruising comfort with serious offshore angling to create a multi-functional cruising yacht. Scout boats for sale

Boston Whaler: No list would be complete without Boston Whaler on it, so popular is this all-American brand and its stellar reputation. In its current line-up the Conquest, Realm, and Outrage ranges offer models which easily fall into the over 30-foot luxury yacht category, with multiple, hefty horsepower engines, all the offshore fishing equipment you can imagine, and a beautiful finish. Boston Whaler boats for sale

Viking: Head-turning, luxurious, and seriously powerful, Viking Yachts’ range of sportfishing yachts is one of the best in the industry. The family-run brand has a huge line-up, with nearly 20 models ranging from 38 feet to a whopping 90 feet including convertibles and enclosed flybridge yachts, each one finished to an incredibly high spec. Viking boats for sale

 

Sportfishing yachts combine comfort and high speeds with exceptional offshore fishing capabilities. Viking Yachts photo.

 

Best Trawler Yachts

The slow, sturdy trawler has had one of the most impressive makeovers of any vessel. Once considered a fishing boat workhorse, today they are one of the most sought-after long-distance cruising yachts on the market. These impressive ocean-going yachts offer luxury, comfort, space, speed and fuel-efficiency in one highly capable and attractive package. Today’s trawler yachts are differentiated by their iconic silhouette resembling a mini superyacht.

 

Best Trawler Yacht Brands

Nordic Tugs: These American-built trawler yachts are the epitome of what today’s trawlers can be: luxurious, long-range and spacious. They’re anything but a tug boat, and built with meticulous attention to detail creating reliable, adventure-bound cruisers. Nordic Tugs boats for sale

Grand Banks: One of the pioneers of the cruising trawler, Grand Banks have brought these hugely popular yachts to superyacht levels in a compact package. They have six decades of boat building under their belt, offering reliability, customer service and forward-thinking ideas. Grand Banks boats for sale

Nordhavn: Nordhavn produces well-engineered, high-performance trawler yachts ranging from 41-foot pocket cruisers to 120-foot superyachts. Yet each one always retains its trawler image, which has been Nordhavn’s signature look for several decades. Nordhavn boats for sale

 

Modern recreational trawlers are long-range spacious yachts which make good liveaboards or for off-grid explorations. Nordhavn photo.

 

Best Sport Yachts

The sport yacht (or sports cruiser as it is also commonly referred to) brings speed, adventure, versatility, and comfort to the table in huge measures. They range from around 30 feet all the way up to 80 feet and, while there’s no hard and fast criteria to define them, are usually sporty-looking powerboats with an open cockpit, a forward cabin forward, and no flybridge. 

 

Best Sport Yacht Brands

Axopar: Finnish brand Axopar simply exudes adventure with its range of hardy yet elegant sports boats. With distinctive angular styling and a forward-thinking multifunctional and modular concept, its boats allow owners to travel farther and do more. Its largest 37-foot and 45-foot models offer everything from watersports to overnight trips, navigating inclement weather, transporting on-land adventure sports equipment and more. Axopar boats for sale

Sea Ray Boats: Sea Ray has been building some of the best sport cruiser yachts in the US since its founding in 1959. Today it remains one of the most popular, with a strong focus on customer service and satisfaction, as well as attention to detail. While most of its current models are smaller (and more affordable) than others on this list, its hugely popular Sundancer series offers models up to 37 feet with outboard and stern-drive configurations and a strong emphasis on interior and deck space. Sea Ray boats for sale

Tiara Yachts: Tiara Yachts was founded in 1974 and is highly regarded as one of the premier sport yacht builders in the industry. Its models range from 34 to over 60 feet, with a choice of inboards and outboards. Features such as huge side swim platforms, rotating cockpit seating and dinettes, impressive fishing accessories, and accommodations for up to four people, they are as sporty as they are luxurious. Tiara boats for sale

 

Racy looking sports yachts offer speed, adventure, versatility, and comfort. Sea Ray photo.

 

This article was published in March 2023 and updated in July 2024.