The Top 20 Largest Yachts in Monaco

May 09, 2023

Every September since the year that Bryan Adams charted with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," yachting enthusiasts, buyers, charterers, yacht builders, and brokers have descended on the principality of Monaco for the annual Monaco Yacht Show. And this September, of course, is no different. Running September 26 through 29, show organizers expect 120 custom superyachts from builders, owners, and charter brokers around the globe to moor at the docks of Port Hercules. In addition, 40 of these yachts will be making their worldwide debut. The average length of participating yachts is 160 feet, but this year there will be seven superyachts between 230 and 328 feet in length. And four of them will be making their world debuts. In addition, watersports lovers can view and sometimes try out the 40 different tenders and toys on display. For those into automobiles, 10 luxury models will be exhibited at the show's Car Deck. And we mustn't overlook the two helicopters scheduled to appear. Overall, 580 companies participate in the annual show.

For superyacht clientele, the Monaco Yacht Show offers a VIP visit pack, the Sapphire Experience, which provides exclusive services to new yacht buyers and current owners. VIP visitors may participate in two invite-only events held the evening of September 25: the Monaco Yacht Summit—mini-lectures and discussions with a panel of yachting-industry experts to explore the practical questions of future yacht charterers or buyers—and the Inaugural Gala Event and 5th Monaco Yacht Show Superyacht Awards, where 400 guests celebrate the most spectacular yachts at the show.

Last year's Monaco Yacht Show saw 36,400 people roaming the tents, halls, and docks. And usually, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco takes a (highly secured) stroll through the event, as well.

Oceanco Dar. Photo: Courtesy of Oceanco

The 295-foot Oceanco Dar promises to be one of the most impressive debuts at Monaco, not only for its scale but also for the stunning profile, which is reminiscent of a smaller, sportier motor yacht. Dar's interior by Nuvolari-Lenard is just as stylish, with six large, contemporary staterooms for 12 guests, including a palatial master suite. The yacht has quarters for 31 crew. Dar also has the amenities one would expect on a gigayacht, including a spacious beach club, elevator, spa, swimming pool, sauna, and helipad. The Dutch yard, known for its technical prowess, has fitted the yacht with the latest technology, including state-of-the-art zero-speed stabilizers.

Pride Mega Yachts Illusion Plus. Photo: Courtesy of Y.CO

By Danielle Cutler

Pride Mega Yachts recently launched the 290-foot, six-deck gigayacht Illusion Plus. The interior design is by Netherlands-based Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. London's Rainsford Mann Design crafted the exterior, and Netherlands-based Azure Yacht Design performed the naval architecture. The interior fit-out was done by Dubai's Greenline Yacht Interiors. It's rare to find such an internationally respected group of names attached to a single build.

Combined with its nearly 300-foot length, Illusion Plus's 50-foot beam makes the yacht palatial. One of the yacht's most noteworthy features is the 860-square-foot owner's apartment situated on its own deck. In addition to the apartment, the yacht has two VIPs, two double guest cabins, one twin, and two staterooms for the owner's staff on the deck below. In total, the yacht accommodates 12 guests. Fifteen cabins house 25 crew members on the lower deck.

Illusion Plus features four interior saloons and two dining rooms. Two Jacuzzis (including a huge main-deck hot tub with waterfall), three custom guest tenders, and a four-deck elevator all add to the yacht's allure. A double-height atrium links the saloon on the main deck with the lounge on the deck. The tranquil spa offers a steam room, massage area, and sauna. The main deck has the gym and beauty salon.

Illusion Plus is propelled by a diesel-electric propulsion system with Azipull thruster pods that Pride developed with Rolls-Royce, making Illusion Plus ultra-efficient and quiet. The yacht still offers up a speedy 17-knot maximum speed, 15-knot cruising speed, and 5,000 nautical mile range.

Turquoise Yachts Go Photo: Francisco Martinez

By Danielle Cutler

Turquoise Yachts launched its flagship Go earlier this year. London-based H2 Yacht Design gave the 253-foot superyacht a long, sleek hull, a bulbous bow, and geometric rudders to minimize drag while the yacht is running and to deliver good fuel economy. You can't miss the yacht's turquoise-blue hull.

Other noteworthy features include a large entrance area that meets a central elevator running from the garage to the sundeck. The yacht can accommodate up to 18 passengers, with two VIP suites, six guest staterooms, and an owners’ full-beam stateroom with a private lounge area and hot tub on their own private deck. Go also provides housing for 20 crew members.

Go's amidships garage carries a 31-foot limo tender and a 26-foot general-use tender in addition to multiple water toys. The garage's location gave more space to the 1,744-square-foot aft beach club. Plus, the yacht's two rear side panels fold down, giving guests instant access to the water on three sides. Go's sundeck also features a large outdoor space and a 16-foot swimming pool. The foredeck is home to the helipad.

Tankoa Yachts Solo Photo: Courtesy of Tankoa

By Geri Ward

Tankoa's new 236-foot superyacht Solo, designed by Francesco Paszkowski, features a large winter garden, a large aft deck with a 20-foot transversal pool, an upper deck with a large saloon with incredible views, and glass bulwarks for unobstructed water views from the saloon and staterooms.

Margherita Casprini designed the warm and contemporary interior, with details such as Fendi Casa tables. Solo offers up six staterooms for 12 guests, including a VIP suite, four double cabins, and a master suite on the owner's deck. The private deck features fold-out terraces, direct access to the helipad, and a private exterior deck with a hot tub, bar, saloon, breakfast nook, and bathroom with shower. The owner's study and the beach club's massage room can transform into two more cabins; both have en suite bathrooms.

The beach-club area includes a glass-walled gym and foldout terrace, sauna (with its own foldout terrace), hammam, bathroom, bar, and TV. The side-loading tender garage houses two 24-foot tenders, personal watercraft, and a rescue boat.

Two 3516 Caterpillar engines give Solo a top speed of 17 knots. At 12.5 knots, the yacht has a range of more than 6,000 nm.

Amels Volpini 2 Photo: Courtesy of Amels

By Geri Ward

The 188-foot Volpini 2—the first Limited Editions superyacht using Dutch shipyard Amels's first hybrid power configuration—is the first new yacht to be Tier III compliant under new emissions standards put in place by the International Maritime Organization. Volpini 2 features exterior design by Tim Heywood and interiors created by UK firm Reymond Langton.

The yacht accommodates a total of 12 guests in an owner's suite with a 130-square-foot folding balcony and six guest suites, including a private VIP on the bridge deck. Volpini 2 also houses 12 crew and a captain. Guests will enjoy the water-level beach club with wellness center. A central staircase and an elevator join the decks.

Volpini 2 has a top speed of 15.5 knots and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 13 knots.

Mangusta El Leon. Photo: Courtesy of Mangusta

By Danielle Cutler

Mangusta's flagship El Leon was launched in May. Designed by Alberto Mancini, the 178-foot superyacht is the first of its long-anticipated, fast-displacement GranSport aluminum line.

Mancini gave El Leon a long, sleek, and straight profile, with banks of windows providing sunlight to the saloon, master suite, and guest staterooms. A bulbous bow provides efficiency at displacement speeds and a solid maximum speed of 30 knots, provided by four 16V MTU 2000 diesel engines. The yacht has a range of 3,500 miles at optimal cruising speed.

Thanks to rotating doors, the stern transforms into a huge beach club with terraces. Up on the flybridge, a central bar serves both the open aft deck and a shaded area for alfresco dining.

Heesen Irisha Dick Holthuis

By Geri Ward

The 167-foot all-aluminum Irisha from Dutch shipyard Heesen sports a stunning profile by Harrison Eidsgaard that was imagined to resemble a fighter jet with an unconventional color scheme. The designers combined a Snow White top with a Midnight Blue main deck, finishing with a metallic Pacific Blue hull. In changing sunlight, Irisha's hull transforms from blue to a dark, olive-green. Concealed LED strips trace the lines of its profile at night, flooding the yacht's glass surfaces with bright light.

The interior is a bit less dramatic but still beautiful with beige, gray, and blue. Special lighting was developed to draw a guest's eye to the architectural and design elements in each room by creating different atmospheres, all with the touch of a button. Irisha was also designed to be a spacious, elegant gathering place. The main deck has a formal reception area for large groups, with a protected, aft-deck winter garden connecting to the main interior saloon. The 30-foot-long saloon has an "imperial" dining table that seats from 14 to 22 guests. In contrast with the social areas, the owner's suite forward is a haven, with its own study, balcony with sliding glass doors, and his-and-her walk-in dressing rooms. Custom artwork defines the master suite and is laced across the yacht, including the main atrium with the yacht's primary staircase.

Benetti Seven. Photo: Courtesy of Benetti

By Geri Ward

Lucky number Seven boasts the longest fiberglass hull and aluminum superstructure that Italian yacht builder Benetti has ever launched. The 165-foot custom design has an impressive interior by London-based Bannenberg & Rowell Design, with an owner's apartment on the main deck and four generous staterooms, totaling 3,330 square feet, on the lower deck. Benetti says that the upper deck can be converted into a VIP stateroom. Seven was built to be exceptionally quiet and vibration-free, something the guests on the lower deck will appreciate. The lower transom houses a beach club that overlooks the ocean. The twin Caterpillar C32 Acert engines produce a top speed of 15.5 knots. At 11 knots, Seven has a range of 4,000 nautical miles.

Wider 165 Cecilia. Photo: Courtesy of Wider

By Geri Ward

Cecilia, the new Wider 165, has features that the Italian builder pioneered, including a massive master suite with balconies, hybrid propulsion, and unusually large interior spaces. The Wider Beach is probably the yard's most notable achievement. A Wider 32 is the yacht's tender and fits into a specially designed garage. When the boat is launched directly into the ocean, the area fills and turns into a saltwater swimming pool. The Fulvio De Simoni design includes abundant exterior spaces and full-height windows. Cecilia has five staterooms for 10 guests, with quarters for nine crew members.

Ada Yacht Works All About U. Photo: Courtesy of Ada Yacht Works

By Danielle Cutler

The 164-foot custom sloop-rigged motor sailer All About U from Turkey-based Ada Yacht Works launched this last summer. Now the company's flagship, the sailing yacht accommodates 12 guests in a full-beam master suite, full-beam VIP stateroom, and four double staterooms, plus four crew cabins. An open-plan saloon, dining room, and wheelhouse provide endless views. A 700-square-foot flybridge deck means plenty of room for plenty of guests, and a folding transom that transforms into a 280-foot beach club gets everyone into the water. The All About U sports a top speed of 15 knots, thanks to two Caterpillar engines.

CRN Latona. Photo: Federico Ferretti

By Danielle Cutler

Delivered in May by Italian yachtbuilder CRN, 164-foot Latona (formerly Project Superconero) makes its world premiere at the Monaco Yacht Show. Zuccon International Project and CRN's engineers collaborated with the owner's team to create a yacht that carries a glimmer of CRN's past, the project adopting the name of CRN's 75-foot SuperConero series of the 1960s and ’70s. That yacht, fairly small now, was an important project at the time because it was built in steel. The SuperConero design also had an iconic shape featuring an unusually long transom deck and sharp forefoot.

Latona inherited SuperConero cues such as a sharp entry and an extended transom deck, but modern features include a large social area on the foredeck, a terrace that folds out from the saloon, and a large beach club off the tender garage. Latona's flooding floating tender garage and beach club create a large waterside lounge area. The cockpit on the main deck, a level above, has a separate swimming pool and large area for socializing.

Boasting four decks and an underdeck, Latona's interior was created in the Liberty style, the Central European genre from the 1920s. The owner chose the sinuous dark-brown embroidery found across all decks. Depending on the area of the yacht, the pattern travels along both marble and carpeted floors as well as on the curved handrail of the internal staircase, contrasting nicely with the light-wood paneling on the walls. Full-height windows in the saloon and master suite provide incredible views of the water and welcome natural light. Latona accommodates 10 guests in five staterooms: the master, two VIPs, and two double cabins, plus housing for nine crew members.

Damen Yachts Power Play Photo: Courtesy of Damen

By Danielle Cutler

Damen's new 182-foot Power Play support vessel does more than carry tenders, toys, and extra supplies. It's kind of like a hybrid between a standard shadow boat and a primary superyacht, featuring a main-deck saloon, three large staterooms, and a rear deck for guests.

The sixth of Damen's YS-5009 series, Power Play was made for adventure. It can be used for long-distance trips as a standalone yacht or as a support vessel for extra crew, supplies, or security. Damen made sure Power Play could operate in zero-discharge zones like marine sanctuaries. Power Play features a 13-ton deck crane for launching large equipment such as personal submarines. Designed like a support vessel for running in rough seas, it sports a 20-knot maximum speed.

Rossinavi Flying Dagger. Photo: Sandro Bertozzi

By Geri Ward

Rossinavi has built some of the world's most interesting custom yachts in the world. Its recent launch, the 161-foot Flying Dagger, is no exception. Enrico Gobbi's Team for Design penned both the interior and exterior. The jaunty superstructure, sloped windscreen, and extended foredeck is mated to a straight-line hull, with large windows on both sides. The boat has three 2,600 hp MTU engines that are linked to three KaMeWa water jets. That will give the yacht a top end of 27 knots and a cruise speed of 23 knots. At a leisurely 12 knots, Flying Dagger has a 3,300-mile range.

Baglietto 48m T-Line. Photo: Giovanni Malgarini

By Geri Ward

Baglietto's new 157-foot superyacht, the 48M T-Line, can rightly claim to be the yard's first in-house design since the new executive team took over the iconic brand three years ago. Baglietto, which built its first boat in 1854, is clearly moving into the next chapter of its long history with this new design.

Francesco Paszkowski has shaped Baglietto for nearly a decade, giving the yacht line its signature look, and he was commissioned to do the exterior for the 48 T-Line. Baglietto's design team crafted the interior, using Italian walnut as the base wood and combining it with gold and bronze accents, light carpet, and cream-colored leathers. As a contrast to the dark joinery and tables, the team used a light-colored Canaletto-nut-pattern wood floor in the saloon and staterooms. The paneling on the walls features irregular cuts of inlaid wood to give it a modern feel without detracting from the yacht's elegance. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the saloon and skylounge with natural light.

An unusually large beach club, more than 500 square feet, is devoted to a steam room, bar, and an area that could be used as a gym, spa, or some sort of quiet retreat center—not to mention the actual beach club that provides easy water access and a nice reprieve to enjoy the view.

Paszkowski's exterior also includes social areas on the foredeck, flybridge, and aft cockpit—the sundeck alone has 1,400 square feet of open space.

Powered by twin Caterpillar diesel engines, the 48M T-Line has a 16-knot maximum speed and a cruising speed of 12 knots.

Mangusta Oceano 46 Q95. Photo: Courtesy of Mangusta

By Geri Ward

Mangusta's new tri-deck, 151-foot Q95 is a fresh departure for the Italian builder. The new steel-hulled model not only shows parent-company Overmarine's commitment to the long-range displacement segment, but the Oceano 46 was also designed by a dream team comprised of two of Italy's most celebrated designers. Stefano Righini's exterior gives Q95 its contemporary look, a trait demanded by Mangusta owners, but Righini made sure to include large spaces that make the yacht a pleasure to cruise on over long distances. Those spaces include a swimming pool on the foredeck, a skydeck that invites relaxation and exceptional views of the water, and a rear cockpit on the main deck for alfresco dining. The interior by Alberto Mancini includes light-wood paneling on the walls, backlit stonework, and details like a dark-framed painting of tigers overlooking the formal dining table. The master suite has three skylights as well as a foldout balcony. The yacht's staterooms can accommodate 12 guests.

Custom Line Navetta 42. Photo: Courtesy of Custom Line

By Geri Ward

Back in the day—as recently as just five years ago—the naveta-style boat was the closest thing the Italians made to an American trawler, with a seaworthy displacement hull, a no-frills interior, and not much in the way of exterior social space. It was the type of vessel on which roughing it was considered a virtue and modern conveniences like, say, a Jacuzzi were for wimps.

Over the last three years, the designers of Ferretti's Custom Line broke the naveta concept into small pieces and redesigned it for the modern superyacht world. The company's reinterpretation means the naveta is no longer Italy's equivalent of a slow boat to China, but a handsome, comfortable, and efficient design that is attracting owners of other types of motor yachts.

The 138-foot yacht is the largest semi-displacement hull that Custom Line has built, with a top-end speed of 22 knots and a transatlantic range of 3,000 nautical miles at its friendly cruise speed.

But that's just the start. The 42 has a huge social island on the exterior foredeck with a settee, table, and four-person sunbed. On the flybridge is a small Jacuzzi forward, loungers, and a helm station under the hardtop as well as an open area at the stern with space for loose furniture—perfect for savoring the view. The cockpit just below has a similar layout, with an outside dining table for eight. The lower area of the stern features a tender garage with a new launch-and-retrieval system and transom space for a beach club.

The interior is also ultramodern. The main deck has a long saloon that includes sofas at the rear and a formal dining area forward, plus a full-beam master suite with a patio on one side and a desk along the other bulkhead. On the lower deck, four double guest suites, all with large windows, are equal in size and positioned for maximum room to move around the double bed. An owner can also opt for a five-stateroom layout.

Conrad C133 Photo: Courtesy Conrad

By Geri Ward

Arguably the hottest studio in superyacht design, UK-based Reymond Langton was behind the contemporary but elegant look of the new Viatoris, the 133-footer from Conrad shipyard. The designers did away with the usual stacked wedding-cake look and instead introduced curves to the rear of the upper decks that lend an air of individuality to its blue-and-white profile while also providing an exceptional view for the owners and guests. Besides the unusually ornate interior, the 133 differs from other yachts in its class with the four balconies that open outward on the main deck (two in the master suite and two in the aft saloon) that give an open-air feel to these areas. The owner uses Viatoris as a home on the water rather than a weekend retreat, which explains the full-beam master suite, generous social spaces on the bridge and sundecks, and custom interior.

Princess Yachts Bandazul. Photo: Courtesy of Monaco Yacht Show/Princess Yachts

By Geri Ward

The semi-custom 131-foot Bandazul by Princess Yachts has a number of custom modifications from the UK builder's in-house design team. The owner opted for a combination of light stone, soft fabrics, and glossed wenge joinery. The yacht's extended saloon joins an open sundeck. The seating on the foredeck is also expansive with a table and seats, and there's another large area in the cockpit. The owner wanted four larger suites, rather than the traditional five-stateroom layout, so there's a large VIP stateroom belowdecks. Bandazul is powered by twin 1,920 hp MTU diesels for a maximum speed of 22 knots.

CBI Navi Stella di Mare Photo: Courtesy

By Geri Ward

The fully custom 131-foot Stella di Mare from CBI Navi is a long-range expedition yacht designed by Sergio Cutolo of HydroTec. The exterior design has multiple social spaces, including a flybridge with 915 square feet of open deck, a large upper foredeck, and a main-deck cockpit measuring 800 square feet. The interior by Fossati Design Bureau includes an expansive saloon with a formal dining area as well as five staterooms, with the owner's suite situated on the main deck. The yacht is powered by twin 1,000 hp Caterpillar C32 diesels, which delivers a maximum speed of 14 knots. Stella di Mare has a range of 6,900 nautical miles at 10.5 knots.

Sunseeker 131 Zozo Photo: Mike Jones

By Danielle Cutler

The first in Sunseeker's new 131 Yacht line, Zozo launched last year. The beauty about the 131-foot tri-deck Sunseeker model is that no two will look alike. Sunseeker's customization service not only personalizes the interior decor but also the internal configurations. The standard layout is for 10 guests in five cabins, though an owner can choose to increase or decrease the number of staterooms.

Building on the success of the Sunseeker 130, the 131 features improvements such as an extended skydeck and upper aft deck, allowing for a larger bar and more seating, as well as a hot tub on the skydeck. A deck below, the flydeck features a dining table for 10 that adjoins the upper saloon. On the main deck, the open-plan saloon has a large social area with sofas and a formal dining table. And the palatial main-deck master includes a large bedroom, separate desk and lounge areas, and a full-beam bathroom forward, with his-and-her sinks, a shower, a toilet/bidet, and even a bathtub.

The garage accommodates a 20-foot tender and two jet skis. Zozo hits a top speed of 25 knots— fast for a superyacht—and cruises at 10 knots to provide a 1,500-mile range.