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FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – Reflecting continued optimism in the face of a rapidly
changing global and political climate, new orders for luxury yachts grew 7.9
percent compared with year-earlier figures, according to ShowBoats
International’s 2006 Global Order Book.
The data appears in the magazine's December/January 2006 issue, now on newsstands.
A barometer of the fiscal health of international luxury yacht industry, the
Global Order Book reports that 81,852 feet of yachts or 688 projects are
currently contracted or under construction. The increase was spurred
primarily by orders for motor yacht projects of 80 to 119 feet, as well as those
150 feet and larger. Orders for motor yachts between 120 and 149 feet
declined 5 percent, according to the annual report.
“The luxury yacht market
continues to show strong growth despite increasing fuel prices and other
negative economic indicators,” said Jill Bobrow, Showboats International’s
editor-in-chief. “The numbers represent sustainable growth and, hopefully,
signal an underlying confidence among affluent consumers that the global economy
will continue to expand.”
The Global Order Book also reports a 35-percent
increase in expedition-style yachts. In other categories, open-style
yachts held stable at 87 builds, while sailing yachts continued to slide,
declining nearly 12 percent.
Ranked by country, Italy has retained its
position as the world’s leading luxury yacht-building nation, with 260 units and
29,804 linear feet of boats. The United States again placed second in that
category, with 85 units accounting for 10,621 linear feet. The Netherlands and
the United Kingdom retained third and fourth place, respectively, while Germany
surged to fifth place.
On the strength of its total construction footage of
8,450 feet, Azimut-Benetti retained its position as the world’s leading builder,
while The Ferretti Group, with 77 charter yachts under construction, held its
position in second place. With a total build length of 4,363 feet,
Sunseeker advanced to third place, supplanting Rodriguez Group, which fell to
fourth. Royal Denship, which ranked ninth last year, jumped to fifth
place, with 29 projects representing 2,976 feet.
The “custom builders”
category was again paced by Benetti (Italy), with 14 projects totaling 2,640
feet. Feadship (Netherlands) jumps into second place with 11 projects
amassing 2,107 feet, while Lürssen Yachts (Germany) falls to third, with nine
projects totaling 2,072 feet. Trinity Yachts, the largest builder in the
United States, moves up to fourth place, while Heesen Yachts (Netherlands)
places fifth.
The definitive guide to the global luxury yacht community,
ShowBoats International produces its Global Order Book annually, examining the
scope and breadth of economic activity for boats over 80 feet in length.
Each year, the publication’s team of editors canvasses the luxury yacht
construction industry, gathering critical information from builders, designers,
naval architects and major systems manufacturers.
ShowBoats
International
Now in its 17th year, ShowBoats International is uniquely
positioned as the ultimate lifestyle magazine dedicated to an exclusive
readership of super-luxury yacht owners. The publication is operated by Malibu,
California-based CurtCo Media, publisher of Robb Report and Worth magazines and
a family of titles similarly targeted to the world’s most affluent readers.
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