Which Are the "Best" Superyacht Shipyards?

This is a fairly common question (or debate, if you prefer), but what does "best" mean in superyacht design? Largest? Fastest? Most impressive? Most innovative? Most comfortable, most efficient, most devastatingly luxurious? All of the above? (Good luck trying to make that Venn diagram.)

With that established, here's a selection of well-regarded superyacht shipyards with notes on who might consider them the best, in alphabetical order:

BENETTI

Benetti set a standard for luxury that fit in perfectly with the global admiration of Italian design, as in this Classic 121 model — not to mention that the Azimut|Benetti Group is quite literally the leader in large yachts by number of deliveries. Benetti all but invented the notion of the "semi-custom" superyacht, with a number of classic silhouette hulls that customers could make their own via interior options; this operating model has since been adopted by nearly all makers of large yachts. Like other Italian brands known for uncompromising luxury — Ferrari, Versace, Gucci, et al. — Benetti, and more broadly Azimut|Benetti, has a lot of fans who won't take anything less.

HEESEN

Heesen has contributed enormously to the reputation of Dutch shipyards as leaders in quality engineering and seaworthiness, but they're also one of the best-known for custom builds, leading to eye-popping designs like the distinctive M/Y Aurelia, below. Their fast-displacement hulls are built to achieve speeds close to yachts with planing hulls, while offering fuel efficiency and stability similar to a displacement hull. As a testament to the strength of their engineering, their yachts are water-tested in the notoriously rough North Sea — making them good choices for owners who'd prefer to be a little more adventurous than cruising around calmer, shallower waters.

LÜRSSEN

German shipyard Lürssen would likely be many superyacht aficionados' pick for the cream of the crop, and with good reason: it's built plenty of the world's most distinctive custom megayachts, and consistently maintained a reputation for quality and innovation while doing so. The shipyard also delivers a staggering number of record-breaking yachts thanks to the size of its staff, with several closely-watched and intriguing (and giant) designs under construction even now. It was hard to choose one example, so I gave in and chose two: Marguerite and Ahpo. Marguerite was built in 2004, but looks as fresh as a 2025 superyacht — a testament to Lürssen's forward-thinking design philosophy.

See more of Ahpo, one of the most expensive superyachts in the world, at our full feature (including a 3D tour!) here.

Others to watch this year include the famed Oceanco and Feadship, both of which have highly-anticipated (and somewhat secretive) megayachts under construction. A number of shipyards largely known for smaller yachts have also begun aggressive pushes into the superyacht sector, including Sunseeker, Princess, and Riva — and while they may not be considered "top" contenders yet, their new designs will be interesting to see.