In an age in which technology is king, sailing yachts offer nostalgia-tinged balm. But the latest vessels on the sea are far from throwbacks, with innovative ideas cascading from brands such as Royal Huisman, the Dutch shipyard that specialises in producing truly custom-built sailing yachts, and Wally, which has recently delivered the wallywind110, and come up with a new racer, the wallyrocket. And there’s more: Swan 88 from the Finnish Nautor Swan is the yard’s first hybrid electric propulsion sailing yacht, while the Hallberg-Rassy 69 from the eponymous Swedish shipyard is an award-winning design for blue-water sailing.

Within this category, there is a huge amount of variety – Royal Huisman’s completely customised builds are the ultimate sailing yachts; Wally and Nautor Swan specialise in building big sailing maxis and holding their own regattas around the world; the highly awarded Hallberg-Rassy stands out within a large pool of producers.

Whether big or small, global sailing events are the leading occasions where owners and potential owners gather and share their experiences, ideas and all-consuming passion for sailing. The pinnacle such event in 2024 was no doubt the America’s Cup, won for a third time in succession by New Zealand in Barcelona this October, with Team Emirates beating off the challenge of the Ben Ainslie-led British team Ineos (which had edged out the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, the Orient Express Racing Team, Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic to win the Louis Vuitton Cup and qualify to as challenger). Meanwhile, the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup was also held – with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team trouncing another British challenger, Athena Pathway.

Every four years, the America’s Cup undoubtedly piques renewed interest in sailing, but it’s not the only thing responsible for the spike in enthusiasm for the sport. On 16 September, the 22nd Rolex Swan Cup, a biannual event for Swan yachts, owners and sailors that began in 1984, kicked off in Sardinia. The Rolex Middle Sea Race, starting and finishing in the Maltese capital Valletta, is a popular 606-nautical-mile offshore race with a challenging course around Sicily that is considered one of the premier offshore regattas, while SailGP and the Vendée Globe continue to attract large numbers of spectators with a love of sailing.

Emphasising the continued relevance of sailing yachts, this September’s Monaco Yacht Show featured a plethora of innovative craft at which to marvel. While sailing yachts have always striven to optimise for speed and comfort onboard, new materials and technologies – especially AI – are changing the game at breakneck speed. These are machines with a mission. Plus, in an environmentally conscious world, vessels propelled by the wind attract attention for their sustainability credentials: no fuel, no fumes, no noise. The mystery and unpredictability of the sea is somewhat tempered by these magnificent yachts, which offer a sense of tranquillity and balance in a turbulent world (and seascape).

What Makes a Great Sailing Yacht?

Compendium asked the finest purveyors for their take on producing these striking feats of nautical engineering.

Illustrations by Jörn Kaspuhl

Jan Timmerman, CEO of Royal Huisman, The Netherlands

“At Royal Huisman, innovation comes from solving problems and working closely with clients, their teams, naval architects and designers. Some unique features include the Featherlight construction method that combines aluminium with carbon composites for an ultra-light hull. This was used in yachts like Nilaya, which set new standards for comfort, efficiency and performance. Other innovations include the forward-facing retractable propulsion system, and advanced laser exterior lighting.”

Magnus Rassy, CEO of Hallberg-Rassy, Sweden

“A Hallberg-Rassy has a special character that makes it possible to recognise the yacht as a Hallberg-Rassy, even at a distance, no matter if it is a new design, ten years old or several decades old. It is a mix of many things: the sheerline, the proportions, the blue stripe, the windscreen, the well-protected cockpit, the effortless sailing, the robustness, the interior on one level, the style that combines the magic charisma between the contemporary and a classic touch.”

Giovanni Pomati, CEO of Nautor Swan, Finland

“You have to reinvent values if you are going forward. Style – that has always been there, and we always say that when you arrive in a bay you should always recognise a Swan without having to read that it is a Swan. Of course, you have to anticipate some of the trends, and this is an important time for us in this respect. For example, years ago the performance and speed upwind was important, now the speed of the boat at low wind is interesting. Why? To introduce more sustainable usage onboard. People want to go around the world much more than in the past, they want to go with a reduced crew, and the boats are becoming more and more complex – you can have everything that you can have in a modern villa in a miniature villa at sea. You have to offer something that is more comfortable than in the past: noise control, temperature control – all things that have been invented.”

Illustrations by Jörn Kaspuhl

Bruce Brakenhoff, Executive director of Edmiston, USA

“Typically, a sailboat guy learns it from their family; as they grew up they sailed – there is a connection with sailing from when they were children, with their parents and their grandparents. I think that sailors have a different connection to the sea.  [Then there is the racing connection], for me, that is the greatest advantage that a sailboat offers. A motor yacht owner could possibly never have this feeling – of competing – and every sailing yacht owner can have those five minutes where he thinks that he can win.”

Luca Bassani, Founder and president of Wally Yachts, Italy

“I am not an engineer and not an architect, but I have always been a client. All of my ideas come from my experience. Since before setting up Wally, I was always wondering, ‘Why? Why do we have this problem? Why couldn’t we do this better? Why couldn’t we change something?’  As a sailor, my idea is always trying to improve the problem [with sailing yachts], and this is why I started Wally – to change the life onboard to make it better. When I think of Wally, I think of a boat that looks totally different compared to what we have seen before.”

Sailing the Modern Way

When it comes to the most exciting new sailing yachts, it’s not always about length but about the upgrades and advanced tech specs that supercharge performance and enhance the onboard experience. Herewith, six exemplars that tick all the boxes: functionality, safety and comfort.

Photo: Ugo Fonollá/North Sails

Royal Huisman Sarissa

This ultimate high-performance sloop from the Dutch shipyard, with retractable propulsion, is an award-winning sailing yacht with a LOA of 59.7m. Designed by the naval architects at Malcolm McKeon as a fast and fun-to-sail superyacht, Sarissa was conceived to compete with the best in racing competition while also reducing noise and vibration levels as much as possible. Comfortable on the high seas, she is easy to handle and steer manually, as the owners want to feel the power through their fingers. 

Photo: Michael Kurtz

Baltic 110 Zemi

The brief for this all-carbon sloop was for a luxuriously appointed, fast-cruising yacht for global family adventures. Malcolm McKeon designed the exteriors of the yacht (with an LOA of 33.5 metres) for the Finnish yard. She features a bronze hull, a low-profile coach roof and a spectacular interior by Stockholm-based Andreas Martin-Löf Arkitekter. With electric propulsion with twin rudders and a lifting keel, she also offers a multifunctional transom with a beach club and a stern garage for a tender. 

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Wally wallywind110

The new performance sloop was designed by Luca Bassani, the founder of the Italian firm which is now part of the Ferretti Group. The minimalist lines Wally is famous for have created a flush deck with unique seating areas onboard Galma, the first model of the 33.4m vessel. It is something new but also true to Wally’s tradition, adding an industrial approach – as it is a series – but completely customisable. The 80sq m cockpit is impressive, and below deck, Galma has three cabins, and one master cabin for the owner.

Photo: Anton Bylund

Hallberg-Rassy 69

As Magnus Rassy has said: “My best boat is always the last boat that comes out of the shed.” The new flagship in the fleet is the largest yacht ever built in Ellös, Sweden, with a LOA of 22.22 metres, including the bowsprit. It has a graceful exterior with sweeping lines and a one-level interior. A potential owner can opt for a soft-top or hard-top version for the centre cockpits. Designed by Frers Naval, it offers superb sailing — and if things get a bit spicy, reducing sail is a push-button away.

Photo: © Nautor Swan

Nautor Swan 88

The Finnish shipyard launched the first in its series of hybrid electric sailing yachts – DreamCatcher. In cooperation with Torqeedo, it has developed a system to cruise emission-free for 40 nautical miles. The aim was to build a superyacht with an efficient platform, which also simplifies the charter-certification process. This no-compromise cruiser with a racer soul is designed by veteran Swan designer Germán Frers with interiors by Misa Poggi. With a LOA of 28.27 metres, including bowsprit, it is an entry size to the world of maxi yachts.

photo: Nautic

Vitters Maximus

A showcase of classic elegance, this 59m ketch was designed by Frers Naval. Below the waterline, Maximus is all about performance. The twin rudders, lifting keel and an optimised wetted surface area stand for speed. The Dutch shipyard describes the model, which sailed the Caribbean season last winter, as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” because she looks classical but deep in her heart, she is a performer. Onboard facilities include a gym, which converts into a treatment cabin. And the crow’s nest on top of the main mast offers spectacular views.