Although the Global Order Book for 2012 is down again, the descent has slowed to just under a 3 per cent decline year on year. This is the third year of decline in the number of yacht projects under way or on order. The statistics measure both custom and production yachts – power and sail – of 24 metres (80 feet) and up.
The smallest segment, yachts 24 to 27metres (80 to 89 feet) LOA, appears to be getting some traction, however, with an actual uptick in orders to 178 vessels, up 20 from this time in 2011. The 30 to 36 metre (100 to 119 foot) sector stayed steady at 151 projects. The total number of yachts reported to Boat International Media is 728 vessels. Their cumulative LOA equals a stunning 29 kilometres (18 miles) and the average length of new builds figures in at 40 metres (131 feet).
While there are more yards than ever before building yachts – 209 – the map of yacht construction powerhouses remains unchanged. The top ten builder nations remain unchanged from last year and Italy remains number one with 317 projects reported for a total length under construction of more than 11,580 metres (38,000 feet).
The Netherlands is second by virtue of the size of its yachts. Its 61 projects at 3,074 metres (10,085 feet) eclipse Turkey’s 68 projects at 2,904 metres (9,529 feet). The USA is in fourth place with 71 builds (2,737 metres/8,980 feet) and the UK is fifth with 45 projects (1,378 metres/4,521 feet).
Among the top 20 builders, Ferretti Group and Azimut-Benetti switched places this year with Azimut-Benetti nosing ahead on the basis of the total length of boats in production (2,640 metres/8,661ft), while Ferretti Group, with 76 projects, actually has one more boat under way. When it comes to custom orders, Benetti is the leader at 33 projects with Lürssen second and Feadship third. The average size of yacht under construction at Lürssen, however, is more than twice the size of that underway at Benetti (107 metres/353 feet vs. 43 metres/142 feet). Feadship has eight projects underway at an average length of 71 metres (233 feet).
Full details of the 2012 Global Order Book are included with the January issue of Boat International and inside the December/January issue of ShowBoats International.