For more than 35 years, Vitters Shipyard has built a reputation as one of the most technically ambitious and client-focused names in the sailing superyacht sector. With a fleet of 35 yachts on the water and three substantial projects currently in build, the Dutch yard is refining its position at the top end of the 40- to 75-metre full-custom market. BOAT sits down with sales and marketing director Bas Peute to learn more...
A focused market
Vitters has deliberately positioned itself within the 300GT to sub-1000GT segment. “It’s not that we don’t have the facilities to build bigger,” says Peute. “It’s more about the project teams. Today, we have three 500GT projects under construction, so in total, we have 1,500GT. It’s not doable for a company our size to go over 2,000GT in total.”
With around 110 people, Vitters remains a relatively small organisation. But that intimacy is part of its appeal. Owners are welcome at the yard and remain connected to the same core team from contract signing through to delivery, making the build journey feel distinctly personal.
“Their vision, our values. This is what shapes each and every yacht we build,” says Peute. “A yacht built by Vitters is a superyacht in every sense of the word – intrinsically unique, expertly crafted to meet personal requirements, elevating the on-water experience and lifestyle in new ways.”
Peute recounts one owner who hoped to launch on his birthday. When unavoidable design changes extended the build schedule, the team instead surprised him with a birthday celebration on board during construction. It is a small but telling example of how Vitters sees yacht building as a relationship rather than simply a transaction.
Innovation that changes the sector
Vitters’ fleet demonstrates innovations introduced on a yacht that often become industry standard years later.
The 66-metre Anatta was, according to the shipyard, the first sailing yacht fitted with a sail drum in the forepeak. The V-Drum system allows sails to be stored compactly below deck, reducing the need for crew to drag heavy sail bags across teak decks while enabling faster sail changes during racing. The concept has since appeared on other Vitters yachts, including Unfurled, Alea and Maximus.
On the same yacht, Vitters introduced what it describes as the first submarine anchor system on a sailing yacht. By deploying the anchor beneath the waterline, the solution avoids the risk of chain damage to popular plumb bows while maintaining a clean aesthetic. Today, variations of this idea are increasingly common across modern builds.
Performance has been another driver. Vitters developed a propulsion system with retractable pods, first implemented on the 46-metre Unfurled, enhancing hydrodynamic efficiency under sail. The yard also pioneered retractable cleats on Anatta, achieving an uncluttered deck profile that has since been widely replicated.
Each innovation serves the broader goal of combining racing capability with luxury superyacht comfort. “It’s like you’re driving a Rolls-Royce on a race track,” Peute says with a smile. “At the end of the day, the boat must be capable of giving the level of comfort that owners expect after racing. Performance and comfort is a difficult combination. It’s a balancing act.”
Project Zero and a vision for change
The yard's ambition is made poignantly clear in the 69-metre Project 3094, known as Project Zero. Scheduled to launch this year, the yacht is described by the yard as one of the most innovative sailing yachts in the world.
“The build of Zero is unlike any other build we have ever undertaken,” says Peute. “Not only are we constructing a yacht, but we are constructing a vision for the future.” At the heart of the project is energy reduction. “The greatest challenge of Zero is reducing the amount of energy the boat consumes,” he continues, “The less energy you consume, the less energy you need to harvest.”
Alongside Project Zero, Vitters is advancing the 68-metre Project 3095 and 63-metre Project 3096, known as Project Dreamer. Managed by Greg Monks of Monks Large Yacht Consultancy as the owner’s representative, Dreamer has been conceived as a next-generation performance cruiser with exceptionally low noise and vibration levels and environmentally conscious engineering at its core. Most recently, the yard announced the contract signing for 53-metre Project 3097 with Dykstra Naval Architects.
A fleet that races and wins
Vitters yachts are not built to sit at anchor. “Every design brief starts with ‘the boat will maybe do some racing, sooner or later’,” says Peute. Racing DNA is embedded from the outset.
The 59-metre Maximus will compete in the St Barths Bucket 2026. Cervo is a regular on the Mediterranean regatta circuit, while Inoui is set to race at this year’s Maxi Rolex Cup and Cyclades Cup. The yard’s J Class yacht Svea exemplifies a mix of classic lines and cutting-edge engineering required at the highest level of competitive sailing.
At the larger end of the spectrum, the 85-metre Aquijo, delivered in collaboration with Oceanco, demonstrated Vitters’ ability to execute complex, large-scale sailing projects. Meanwhile, more recent yachts highlight the yard’s continued design and technical advancement: 56-metre Alea was a winner at the World Superyacht Awards 2024 and 44-metre Magic is in the running for the upcoming 2026 awards.
To learn more about current projects or to arrange a visit, contact Vitters Shipyard directly. The team will also be present at this year’s Palma Superyacht Village, with a stand in the New Build Hub and a number of Vitters-built sailing superyachts on display.
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