Sailing into the metawaves

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

The superyacht industry is currently in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Over the past couple of years, shipbuilders around the globe have had their order books filled and the refit and repair sector is almost overheating from the influx of work. While the market is currently in a very good place, that momentum will only be maintained if the industry continues to mature and appeal to the next generation of potential clients.

At a glance, it would be easy to say that the fleet of private 30m+ vessels is simply getting bigger and even more ostentatious. But it’s not all about having a big white yacht in the Mediterranean any more. The giants of the superyacht industry, such as Lürssen, Feadship and Oceanco, have upped the ante in a big way in the past two years. They are building and designing superyachts that are not only marvels of naval architecture, but that also boast incredible utility and engineering. The most audacious superyacht designs on the drawing boards of today will be made for cruising around the Galapagos Islands and sightseeing in the Arctic Circle in ten years’ time.

Remote locations aren’t the only places seeing more superyachts along their shores. Migration numbers increased by almost 50% in the Pacific North-West between 2015 and 2018. Similarly, it seems absolutely clear that the Middle East and North Africa region (that is, the Red Sea and the Gulf) will be the world’s next major superyacht hub by 2050. The area has seen a rise in superyacht migration of 47% since the winter of 2015/16. Moreover, roughly 60% of the 30m+ new-build vessels delivered since 2008 are owned by those with UAE nationality.

However, on a more cynical note, the industry is only recently waking up to the benefits of hybrid propulsion and future fuels. You could probably state with some confidence that superyachts will be sailing in the metaverse before they are all running on nuclear energy and hydrogen in the real world.

A render of Alice, the new superyacht concept from shipbuilder Lürssen

Despite the cynicism, there has been a lot of innovation in the naval engineering sector recently which can offer some clarity and inspiration for any future-thinkers. German shipbuilder Lürssen released arguably the most impressive superyacht concept last year in the form of “Alice”. If one wishes to have a glimpse at what the industry is looking to achieve in the next eight years, this 98m methanolpowered motoryacht is a good place to start any ambitious yet conceptual forecasting.

Without sounding too much like the harbinger of doom, from a human perspective, if the past couple of years are anything to go by then the future looks relatively bleak. But as we’ve seen, unfortunate events in the outside world don’t necessarily correlate to bad business in the superyacht industry. The allure of being able to escape reality and venture into new regions from a perspective that very few get to experience is, and will always be, a superyacht’s strongest unique selling point.

That said, the superyacht of 2050 will certainly need to be completely carbon neutral. Ideally, it will require absolutely no crew and will likely never need to undergo refit or repair work. It will be able to fly over mountains and submerge itself deep into the depths of the ocean. The current pace of evolution in the superyacht industry means the requests of potential owners in 30 years’ time will most likely only be possible in the virtual world. And that is why the seemingly inevitable transition of life into the metaverse will almost definitely work to the superyacht industry’s advantage come 2050.

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