The 21st edition of the World Superyacht Awards returns to Venice this May. The goal? To recognise the most ingenious and finely crafted yachts over 24 metres in the world. The World Superyacht Awards 2026 shortlist continues to reveal a shift toward capability, range, and real-world performance across every class.
Often described as the ‘Oscars’ of yachting, complete with black tie and owner voting, these yachts must have been delivered or significantly refitted within the past calendar year. Significantly, these are not boats that disappear in a puff of breeze. They are substantial, complex machines built to cross oceans, often capable of ice operations, and designed to support an ecosystem of owner, guest and crew living onboard.
Owners make up the judging panel, with final decisions reached by secret ballot after a full day of debate. Not always polite debate, either. As judge Alan Dabbiere put it in BOAT International, “This is a group that has strong opinions about what makes a great boat.”
That is the point. These are people who live with the outcomes of design decisions. And it is not just usage that is debated. Design, engineering, build quality, innovation, and usability—the latter two, high on the list of key differentiators—all come under scrutiny. As they should. It is not about the highest spend but the best result.
World Superyacht Awards 2026 nominees: scale, spread and standout themes
The 2026 nominees reveal a market evolving beyond size, with capability, range, and purpose leading design.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: 2,500GT and beyond
Start with scale. Four displacement yachts exceed 2,500GT, all over 100-metres in length. At the top sits Breakthrough, the 118.8-metre build from Feadship, reported to be the world’s first superyacht to use liquid hydrogen fuel cells as its power base.
Close behind is DreAMBoat at 111-metres from Oceanco. The difference lies in the beam. Nineteen metres for Breakthrough and 16 metres for DreAMBoat. That reduction minimally trims guest and crew capacity, with only a 1-knot gain in top speed.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: recognised yards shaping the fleet
Feadship’s presence is hard to ignore. Naval architecture from the Dutch yard underpins multiple nominations, including Moonrise and Pi, both competing in the over 100-metres category, while Valor sits just under 80-metres, and Solace, a refit, sits at 57-metres.
Potential clients are aware of the awards, and yards are increasingly asked about their track record. As Heesen’s Sara Gianola told BOAT International, “Brokers have asked us for the list of recent awards won by our boats because it was requested by a client. It definitely has value.”
Across the mid size displacement classes, there is broader representation. Cantiere delle Marche, Baglietto, and Tankoa appear repeatedly. All luxury platforms, but all are built for range, reliability, and time at sea.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: capability over size
One of the more interesting entries sits at the smaller end. Haze², at 30.8 metres, falls into the displacement class under 499GT. Designed by Hydro Tec and built by Cantiere delle Marche, she carries a 7.43-metre beam and a 2.3-metre draught.
Her long distance cruising numbers tell the story. With a cruising range of 5,000 nautical miles at 9 knots, she sits firmly in explorer territory. For context, Breakthrough, more than three times her length, extends that range by only around 30 percent, to approximately 6,500 nautical miles.
Capability, rather than sheer volume, is shaping these builds.
In the 70 to 80 metre bracket, the Giorgio Armani-designed No Rush stands out. Delivered by Admiral, this 72-metre ice-class yacht combines long-range capability with high-end design.
With a top speed of 15.5 knots and a 13-metre beam, she balances scale with real capability. Beyond the Armani association, her volume reflects what is now expected at this level. Space is given over to pools, spas, cinemas, and gyms, along with a 93m² aft platform. Her cruising performance also sits above class averages. Range and usability remain central, reinforcing the move toward yachts built to go further in comfort.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: designers shaping the industry
Design continuity stands out across the list. Names like Espen Øino, Paszkowski, and Hydro Tec appear across multiple projects. These designers shape not only how yachts look, but how they are used. Italy’s influence is strong. Benetti, Baglietto, and Admiral feature heavily. Northern Europe answers with Feadship, Damen, Heesen, and Lürssen. The balance between these regions continues to define the market.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: sailing yachts pushing performance
Sailing yachts remain a smaller but competitive category. Larger projects like the 65-metre Aquarius (whose 10.8-metre beam places my 4.4-metre 1989 Jeanneau Sunkiss beam in a different light) down to the 44.3-metre Magic (9.7-metre beam by comparison offering a top speed of 12-knots) highlight the continued push for performance without losing comfort.
In the smaller class sit the 38.98-metre BeCool, 35.51-metre Kalantis, and 33.42-metre wallywind. These offer different approaches, but share the same brief: balance performance with liveability.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: refits and rebuilds on the rise
The world of refits and rebuilds are on the rise, each with its own constraints and complexities. Starting with a full sheet, the World Superyacht Awards 2026 entries such as Moonstone and Q show how far that transformation can go.
YachtBuyer notes that the 72-metre Q began with the 2017 acquisition of Sanaborg, an ice breaking offshore support vessel originally made for the offshore gas and oil logistics industry, marking the shift from commercial platform to luxury yacht.
The 79.2-metre Moonstone refit, carried out by Amels Yachting, reshaped both structure and layout. A 7.5-metre transom extension created space for a dedicated wellness hub, while a pool was added to the main deck aft. Internally, around 80% of the yacht was reworked, moving from a classical style to a more contemporary, residential feel aligned with the owner’s brief.
World Superyacht Awards 2026: what defines a winner
The 2026 shortlist reflects an industry still pushing forward, still reaching for more innovation driven by adventure and lifestyle. Larger builds at the top end. More capable yachts through the middle. A steady commitment to performance in sailing.
Each superyacht reflects a different brief. Scale sets them apart, but it is the engineering, design, build, and use that define them.
What has changed is the focus. Yachts are more complex, more specialised, and more purposeful. That makes them harder to judge, and gives a win more weight.
Come early May in Venice, the debate closes. Then we find out which superyacht has done enough to stand apart.
References
- BOAT International / World Superyacht Awards: 2026 Nominees
- BOAT International / World Superyacht Awards: The inside story of the yachting industry’s Oscars
- Yacht Buyer / Q Yacht
