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T H E W EALT H REPORT 2 022
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Fast forward:
Sailing into the metawaves The pandemic-induced “race for space” has extended to the high seas with new superyacht orders up by 6% in 2021 on what was already a bumper year in 2020. But what do the coming decades hold for a sector whose sustainability credentials are often questioned? Max Stott of Superyacht Intelligence shares his views
A render of Alice, the new superyacht concept from shipbuilder Lürssen
T
he superyacht industry is
in the Mediterranean any more. The giants
and 2018. Similarly, it seems absolutely
Despite the cynicism, there has been a lot
outside world don’t necessarily correlate to
time will most likely only be possible in the
currently in the middle of a
of the superyacht industry, such as Lürssen,
clear that the Middle East and North Africa
of innovation in the naval engineering sector
bad business in the superyacht industry.
virtual world. And that is why the seemingly
feeding frenzy. Over the past
Feadship and Oceanco, have upped the ante
region (that is, the Red Sea and the Gulf ) will
recently which can offer some clarity and
The allure of being able to escape reality and
inevitable transition of life into the metaverse
couple of years, shipbuilders
in a big way in the past two years. They are
be the world’s next major superyacht hub by
inspiration for any future-thinkers. German
venture into new regions from a perspective
will almost definitely work to the superyacht
around
have
building and designing superyachts that
2050. The area has seen a rise in superyacht
shipbuilder Lürssen released arguably the most
that very few get to experience is, and will
industry’s advantage come 2050.
had their order books filled and the refit and
are not only marvels of naval architecture,
migration of 47% since the winter of 2015/16.
impressive superyacht concept last year in the
always be, a superyacht’s strongest unique
repair sector is almost overheating from the
but that also boast incredible utility and
Moreover, roughly 60% of the 30m+ new-build
form of “Alice”. If one wishes to have a glimpse
selling point.
influx of work. While the market is currently
engineering. The most audacious superyacht
vessels delivered since 2008 are owned by
at what the industry is looking to achieve
That said, the superyacht of 2050 will
in a very good place, that momentum will
designs on the drawing boards of today will
those with UAE nationality.
in the next eight years, this 98m methanol-
certainly need to be completely carbon neutral.
only be maintained if the industry continues
be made for cruising around the Galapagos
However, on a more cynical note, the
powered motoryacht is a good place to start
Ideally, it will require absolutely no crew
to mature and appeal to the next generation of
Islands and sightseeing in the Arctic Circle in
industry is only recently waking up to the
any ambitious yet conceptual forecasting.
and will likely never need to undergo refit or
potential clients.
ten years’ time.
benefits of hybrid propulsion and future fuels.
Without sounding too much like the
repair work. It will be able to fly over
the
globe
At a glance, it would be easy to say that
Remote locations aren’t the only places
You could probably state with some confidence
harbinger of doom, from a human perspective,
mountains and submerge itself deep into
the fleet of private 30m+ vessels is simply
seeing more superyachts along their shores.
that superyachts will be sailing in the metaverse
if the past couple of years are anything to
the depths of the ocean. The current pace of
getting bigger and even more ostentatious.
Migration numbers increased by almost
before they are all running on nuclear energy
go by then the future looks relatively bleak.
evolution in the superyacht industry means
But it’s not all about having a big white yacht
50% in the Pacific North-West between 2015
and hydrogen in the real world.
But as we’ve seen, unfortunate events in the
the requests of potential owners in 30 years’
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