A Yacht for Your Yacht

“Among the rarefied owners of the world’s largest superyachts, one floating villa is not enough. Sometimes you need two: one for the family, and another for the toys. This shadow yacht ferries the jet skis, helicopter and submarine. It also holds the smaller boat that zips you into Monaco in time for lunch at Le Louis XV.

 

Or perhaps you have a chase boat, a speedy, smaller vessel with its own crew that rides alongside the yacht but is zippy enough for shorter day trips.

 

“People have full fleets, and a private jet to get you there,” said Farouk Nefzi, chief marketing officer for Feadship Royal Dutch Shipyards, sitting in a tent at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world’s largest in-water boat show, which ended Nov. 2. “These people live intense lives.”

 

Unlike a billionaire’s other indulgences, like a home or private jet, which have practical uses, the yacht “is totally unnecessary,” Mr. Nefzi said. “It’s 100 percent emotion.”

 

On Oct. 29, as Hurricane Melissa bore down on the Caribbean, more than 100,000 people flocked to Fort Lauderdale to look at the 1,300 vessels on display. More than 200 of them were classified as superyachts, meaning they were at least 24 meters long (78.7 feet), or about the length of a tennis court. On the opening day, as rain pelted the docks, crews mopped the decks and leaned over the hulls to wipe the fiberglass dry. A squad of cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms, clutching their pompoms, practiced a routine to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” amid the crowd.

 

Weaving through the bustling docks, brokers and buyers in khakis and loafers, speaking English, French, Italian and Portuguese, skipped over puddles to survey the inventory during appointment-only viewings. Step aboard a superyacht, and a crew, dressed in matching uniforms, would be waiting with a basket for your shoes and cloth booties for your bare feet.

 

At 85 million euros, or nearly $100 million, the most expensive offering was Hampshire, a 66.25-meter vessel owned by the British billionaire Andrew Currie. It comes equipped with two helipads, an infinity Jacuzzi and a shell door that opens at sea level for lounging.

 

Today’s superyacht buyers are younger and richer than they were a decade ago, and they’re increasingly American, enriched by the pandemic business boom, a roaring stock market and deep tax cuts.

 

Rather than wait for a gilded retirement, they are buying in their prime, looking for a plaything with all the trappings of home. They’re tethered to the world with Starlink internet while they play in St. Barts or Sardinia, or venture to more out-of-reach corners, like the Arctic. Among the coveted features are basketball courts, discos, underwater lounges, gyms, and wellness spas.

 

While yacht sales overall are down amid concerns about tariffs and an uncertain economy, sales of superyachts 40 meters and larger are up from last year, according to SuperYacht Times, which provides industry data. The company also reported that in 2024, sales of boats over 80 meters, about the length of a riverboat cruise ship, almost doubled from 2023 levels, and are on track to hold steady in 2025.

 

Americans own more superyachts over 40 meters than anyone else in the world, accounting for 23 percent of the global fleet, according to SuperYacht Times. Russians, who have vanished from the market since the events in Ukraine, are a distant second, at 7 percent.

 

“American buyers are the cork that keeps everything floating,” said Ralph Dazert, head of intelligence for SuperYacht Times.

 

The top 0.1 percent of American households saw their wealth grow by 90 percent, to a collective $23.3 trillion, from the fourth quarter of 2017, when President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, to the second quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Reserve.

 

Americans for Tax Fairness, a tax policy advocacy group, found that the number of billionaires tracked by Forbes grew by nearly 40 percent, to 905 people, during the same period.

 

“The wealthy became very wealthy in the U.S. You can attribute that to Trump,” said Jan VanHogerwou, an executive at the Dutch shipyard Amels, while standing in front of the 74-meter Casino Royale, the largest vessel at the Fort Lauderdale show, which his company built.

 

A decade ago, Americans accounted for a sliver of Amels’ superyacht business. Today, they make up 85 percent of it. Among the company’s commissions is a superyacht that can grow its own food so its owner can live onboard autonomously if necessary to escape land during a pandemic or war. “They call them Armageddon buyers,” Mr. VanHogerwou said.

 

He declined to name the buyer of that particular boat — the world of superyacht purchasing is obsessively secretive — but did imply the person was notable.

 

At Benetti, an Italian shipyard, the vessels under production are given numbers, not names, so even the workers do not know who the clients are. But there are clues. A gym in the hull, a barbecue on the deck or plush, oversized furniture are telltale signs that the owner is American. “They are very obsessed with foam upholstery,” said Enrico Bonetti, a Manhattan architect who has designed yacht interiors for Benetti. For Americans, “the look of comfort is very puffy.”

 

The priciest superyachts have traded for over half a billion dollars. By comparison, the most expensive home in the United States, a condo at 220 Central Park South in Manhattan, sold in 2019 for roughly $240 million. But unlike real estate, a yacht is a depreciating asset with enormous overhead. Hampshire has a crew of 17. The Casino Royale has a crew of 18. Annual maintenance costs run at about 10 percent of the boat’s value a year.

 

“It’s expensive to be rich,” said Espen Øino, a naval engineer who has designed nearly 70 yachts, including the Octopus for the Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

 

John Staluppi, a New Yorker from Brooklyn who made his fortune as the founder of Atlantic Auto Group, and later Millennium Superyachts, owns two superyachts, Casino Royale and Golden Eye, a 54-meter vessel that he hopes to sell for $32.9 million.

 

Mr. Staluppi bought Casino Royale for 120 million euros (about $140.8 million) eight months ago. Sometimes, he and his wife have dinner on it when it’s docked near their home in West Palm Beach, Fla. “A yacht is like a home away from home,” said Mr. Staluppi, 78, sitting at a chess table on an upper deck. But, unlike a house, “if you don’t like the neighbors, when you own a boat, you move.”

 

This home away from home has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three dining areas, and a full spa with a gym, hot tub, a sauna and a steam room. But still, there are “a few things that we don’t have here,” Mr. Staluppi said, like a private bathroom inside his office.

 

So, he’ll probably buy a bigger boat.” [2]

 

 

 

1. An infinity Jacuzzi is a hot tub with a "vanishing edge" design where water flows continuously over one or more sides into a hidden trough or basin below. The water is then collected, filtered, heated, and pumped back into the tub, creating the illusion that the water extends into infinity. This design is highly visual, especially when paired with a scenic view, and the continuous water flow creates a soothing, waterfall-like sound.

Key features of an infinity Jacuzzi

 

    Vanishing edge: The most distinctive feature is the one or more edges where the water flows over, making it look like the tub has no edge.

    Water circulation system: Water spills into a trough below, which is then pumped to a balance tank. From the balance tank, the water is sent through a filter and heater before being returned to the tub.

    Constant water level: The system maintains a consistent water level in the tub, regardless of how many people are in it, as the displaced water flows over the edge.

    Aesthetic appeal: This design is prized for its visual elegance, creating a seamless connection with the surrounding environment, such as a landscape, ocean, or skyline.

    Therapeutic experience: The sound of the flowing water and the ability to relax without the sight of an end can enhance a stress-relieving and therapeutic experience.

    Cost: They are generally more expensive to build and install compared to traditional hot tubs.

 

2. A Yacht for Your Yacht. Kaysen, Ronda.  New York Times (Online) New York Times Company. Nov 8, 2025.