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Who Owns the Most Superyachts?

Plus 3 other facts we bet you didn’t know about the global yachting industry.
Lürssen Yachts
On April 5, 2013, Lürssen Yachts launched the 590-foot Azzam. Courtesy Klaus Jordan

Sure, everybody knows the world’s largest superyacht, Azzam, is owned by a man from the Middle East. But did you know that a full third of the top 200 largest yachts in the world have Middle Eastern owners?

Traditionally, Europeans and North Americans have dominated the market for superyacht sales. New reports indicate that Middle Eastern owners are taking over in a major way, with nearly half of the ultra-high net worth individuals there saying they either own or intend to buy a large yacht.

That got us to thinking about other trends across the global yachting industry. Here are three more facts we bet you didn’t know:

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Fraser Yachts Worldwide seems hell-bent on global dominance. The company recently opened a new office in Australia, and the most recent sales data says Fraser has the largest share of the superyacht brokerage market for all of 2013, selling 50 percent more yachts than its closest competitor and closing 30 percent more deals than in 2012.

• _ The 2014 Monaco Yacht Show is expected to be the biggest ever._ Berthing will be available for 118 yachts this year, with some slips able to accommodate LOAs of more than 390 feet.

Asian superyacht owners prefer onboard conference rooms to outdoor beach clubs. Superyacht buyers from China and across Asia prefer to use their yachts for business, so they seek out designs with smart interior hosting spaces as opposed to the types of outdoor beach clubs that are popular with owners from other parts of the world. Designers worldwide are taking notice.

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