Today there are around 200 builders of luxury yachts worldwide. Holland has a reputation for building exceptional yachts, as do the Italians and the Germans. New Zealand is also gaining an excellent reputation for beautifully crafted yachts, as is South Africa.

Some famous names are Feadship, Baglietto, Hatteras, Oceanco, Sovereign, Wally, Abeking and Rasmussen, Benetti, Palmer Johnson, Perini, Bertram, Westship, Lurssen and many more.

How Much Do Superyachts Cost?
Obviously this varies greatly. Is the yacht new? Has it just had a refit? How big is it? What is the interior like? How many decks does it have? And so on. For a second hand yacht of around 50 metres at 2003 prices you are looking at paying around roughly seven million pounds but much will depend on how old she is, her condition and so forth. For a brand new yacht you could be looking at more than double this.

How Big Are Superyachts?
In order to be classed as ‘Super’, a yacht has to be 24m (80ft) or bigger. There are yachts that are 100 to 150m in length, known as the gigayacht. At that size they are more like private ships than private yachts. Some will have just two decks and there are those that have as many as five. Some will have heli-pads, motor car garages, swimming pools, even hydraulically powered private beaches that slide out of the side of the yacht. Crews can range in numbers from just one or two up to sixty or more.
Generally these yachts have suites or cabins for around twelve to sixteen guests. Although this will vary depending on the size of the yacht and the owners’ specifications it is surprising how little that variation can be. You can find the same number of cabins on a 26m as you can on an 80m yacht. The cabins are perhaps not quite in the same class though!

What Are Superyachts Built From?
Their hulls can be made from composite metals, aluminum, steel, GRP/Carbon, wood. Super structures can be aluminum, plastics, woods and steel. Interiors can be constructed from the finest timbers, marbles and fabrics. Much of the trim consists of chrome and premium timbers. Security and safety does play a part and an increasing number of yachts are having bulletproof windows and doors. How long they take to build obviously depends on the availability of a working budget, size and design but between 18 months to two and a half years is a rough guide.

What the Law Demands
Many new builds are being built to the standards set out by the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency). These rules are fairly rigorous in terms of health and safety and deal with the subjects highlighted below. These laws are retroactive and will cover yachts already built, so in order to comply many vessels have to return to the yard to undertake modification. The MCA and what it means is discussed in the chapter Acronyms and Regulations but in the past two or three years the MCA have started to enforce many existing and new laws. This has caused a real shake up in the industry and currently there is much discussion about the subject and the ramifications thereof.

Engines, Top Speeds, Sails
This is a very individualistic subject. Speeds will vary from an achingly slow 7 knots to an impressive 40 knots and sometimes even a bit more. Engines are diesel. MTU, CAT, Deutz, Yanmar, Cummins are some of the more commonly known. Engine power ranges from around 300 hp for some the smaller sailing yachts rising up to a chunky 2000 hp and more.
For sailing yachts, top speed will depend on how many sails, how aerodynamic the yacht is, how big she is, what her draft is, under pure sail or engine assisted. This all plays a part. Generally expect a range of around 7 to 20 knots.

An Atlantic crossing from France to Florida may take anything from around ten days to six weeks depending on the type of vessel, the weather conditions and the urgency demanded by her crew.