Asia's Top 20 Superyachts

The superyachting world is now casting its eye on Asia. We have just seen the first ever regional superyacht conference, with all participants focusing their attention on how to draw more superyachts to the region. But what also must be of interest is the number of superyachts being purchased by Asian-based businesspeople

Asia's Top Superyachts

ASEAN ON TOP

The superyachting world is now casting its eye on Asia. We have just seen the first ever regional superyacht conference, with all participants focusing their attention on how to draw more superyachts to the region. But what also must be of interest is the number of superyachts being purchased by Asian-based businesspeople. This list reveals the diversity in superyachts that are afloat in Asia. Some are privately-owned and privately used. Some are constantly chartering. Others are visitors, but like so many visitors that make the trip to Asia, they often become long-term stays. And many reflect the traditional art of Phinisi building, which seems to be growing in popularity as new charter yachts emerge from the builders in Sulawesi.

Because of this diversity, our friends at Asia-Pacific Boating have always had some trouble counting the superyachts that could be called Asian. For the purposes of this article, which includes only the Top 20 such yachts (down from the Top 50 published by Asia-Pacific Boating), the entries range from India to Polynesia, and from Indonesia to Japan. It's a broad swath to be sure, but it also reflects the true size and geographic scope of this region. The article also takes into account whether an owner is based in Asia, and whether the yacht spends most of its time (or at least the coming year for visiting yachts) in our region.

Because of these considerations, there have been a few changes to this year from last. Readers will notice that the number one spot has been reclaimed by Asean Lady. This is because the Indian Empress, the 95-metre number one entry from last year, is not be spending the coming year in the region, but instead in the Caribbean. Still, it was good to see India make its "move" in the superyacht ranks, and given the growth of India's economy and the ranks of its wealthy, we expect to see plenty more in the near future. All that's missing is a marina…

Asean Lady is a very fitting number one to this year's list. Her owner, Brian Chang, is very active in commercial shipbuilding with his Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China, and considering that his firm is now moving in the direction of building yachts, expect a few more unique Yantai creations to find their way into Asian waters. We hope so. Asean Lady is a truly unique creation – no yacht worldwide remotely resembles her.

What is also of interest in this year's list is the inclusion of two refitted (in one case, completely converted) superyachts, both in the top ten. One is Fox, positioned at number eight, and the other is Lady D at number 10. Fox is nearing the completion of her conversion in Bangkok, while Lady D is back afloat at Raffles Marina after extensive refit work (including a complete reworking of her propulsion package), and given the near-completion of both projects, we have included them in this year's list. Both cases illustrate the potential for refit work that can be done in Asia, and this is surely good news, both for prospective superyacht owners in Asia and overseas.

The superyacht world took a big economic hit since our last list, and prices of large yachts have fallen worldwide. Chartering has also taken a hit. But it seems that Asia's wealthy are ready to step into the gap. There are plenty of buying opportunities now, and we look forward to ever larger yachts in next year's list. Our cut off has been raised from 103 feet last year to 112 feet this year.

Southeast Asia is full of fantastic cruising waters, and a journey by superyacht is a treat that mere mortals can only dream of. Amazing marine life, tremendous geological formations, vast cultural diversity, intriguing historical legacies and of course, crystal waters all add up to a region that equals anything in the established superyacht grounds of the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Here's to the world's next superyacht playground.