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A new dawn: Inside China's rising superyacht market

China emerged as the great new hope for superyachting after the 2008 crash. One spectacular false dawn later, could it finally be taking off?

If 1421 was the zenith of China’s long yachting history, when legendary eunuch admiral Zheng He purportedly led his “treasure fleet” of hundreds of junks around the world (in the process, according to one historical account, discovering America 70 years before Columbus), 2013 could be considered the nadir. For that was when President Xi Jinping – only months into office – began a crackdown on “tigers and flies”, a euphemism for those government officials and businessmen (the genres blur in China) whose greed and corruption had begun to stir public anger.

Part of his anti-corruption crusade was an eye-watering 44 per cent import tax on luxury goods and a clampdown on lavish hospitalities and personal spending. Ostentatious symbols of wealth – fast cars, lavish banquets, his-and-hers diamond-studded Rolexes, Learjet jaunts, $20,000 gift-wrapped bottles of Rémy Martin and 50-year-old Moutai rice wine, and, of course, superyachts – became highly conspicuous and drew the wrath of the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

“We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time, resolutely investigating law-breaking cases of leading officials and also earnestly resolving the unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems which happen all around people,” Xi said at the time. Dozens have been investigated, arrested and jailed, including top ministers – so many the Qincheng maximum security prison in Beijing for disgraced senior Communist Party officials ran out of cells last year, according to credible reports. Orders for status-symbol trappings dropped off a cliff; Western luxury retailers and manufacturers saw exports nosedive.

The yacht market was especially devastated. It’s far harder to hide a superyacht than a diamond ring or a Porsche, after all. Prior to the crackdown, China’s boating sector had been inching its way towards some kind of momentum after its once illustrious sailing heritage, having been all but erased along with much of the country’s four millennia of history during Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, was resurrected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Then the financial crisis struck the West, and China, with its seemingly armour-plated economy and near-double-digit growth, emerged as the great Eastern hope for leading yacht brands. Into the Chinese market sailed an international fleet of brokers and builders. The 14,500-kilometre coastline, stretching from the Bohai Gulf in the chilly north to the Gulf of Tonkin in the tropical south, was eyed as a prime playground for China’s new billionaire class, which grew to 338 individuals in 2017, according to data company Wealth-X. Estimates put the number of millionaires in the country at more than 1.5 million. China was about to go boating again.

Exhibitions were hastily organised, rendezvous booked and property developers broke ground on scores of prestige marinas, charging top-dollar membership and mooring fees, many starting at ¥1 million (£110,000) a year. Local boatyards followed, laying keels of copied foreign and home-grown designs, some in joint ventures with overseas shipyards, many without.

The image-conscious Chinese super-rich responded in kind and started buying foreign-branded trophy boats at up to three times the market price, and moored them in the expensive marinas. Cost was not an issue. What mattered was so-called “face” or mianzi: the projection, and protection, of one’s reputation and social standing. In the West we call it ego.

A 2012 report by the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association found that there were 3,000 yachts of all sizes in China, and estimated that this figure would rise to 100,000 by 2020, in a market worth €10 billion. The international boating industry was washed along by this giddy, irrational wave of hyperbole. Across the board, orders for smaller superyachts went from zero – zoom! – skywards.

Local yards benefited. After years of being ignored by the domestic market, in 2010 Chinese yard Heysea received eight orders for its 82 model before it had even finished the mould. A year after the financial crash in the West, meanwhile, China recorded sales of ¥4.15 billion (£450 million), according to local media reports. “After 2008, the yacht market took off because the West’s financial crisis had negligible impact in China,” says Sunseeker Asia’s Gordon Hui from his office in Hong Kong. Jona Kan, from Australian yard SilverYachts , adds that demand suddenly grew for superyacht dayboats on which Chinese businesspeople could entertain clients.

But Icarus had flown too close to the sun. Within a couple of years, the world’s financial woes started to penetrate China’s economic model. Jobs were slashed and inflation was on the rise. Yet for the wealthy Communist Party cadres and their tycoon chums, it was business as usual. The restive masses looked expectantly – and threateningly – to Beijing to bring such conspicuous consumption to heel. President Xi responded with a dragnet that claimed scores of high-profile scalps, sending the message loud and clear: in-your-face luxury would no longer be tolerated.

Brokers’ phones stopped ringing, builders’ order books took a hit and showrooms became wastelands. All of those contacted by Boat International for this article echoed almost verbatim the sentiment expressed by Sunseeker’s Hui: “After more than three years of the anti-graft policy, the Chinese boating market has come to a halt, with a 95 per cent drop-off in sales. It has been all but dead since 2015.”

Sunseeker , bought in 2013 by China’s fourth-richest man, Wang Jianlin, has closed two of its three dealerships in mainland China. At one point, China accounted for 15 per cent of Sunseeker’s global sales. “Now it’s less than five per cent,” says Hui. Several Chinese yacht builders have gone bankrupt as hefty value added tax and duties on imported parts such as engines rendered operations unviable. Marinas have battened down the hatches, slashing their prices by half to avoid the fate of Xiangshan Yacht Club in Fujian province; billed as Asia’s largest marina when it opened, it went bust in 2014.

Yet to solely blame the anti-corruption drive and the global financial crash for China’s slumbering boating market is misguided. Prior to Xi’s clean-up, there had been attempts to build a culture of private boating after the former leader Deng Xiaoping launched economic reforms in 1981. But those attempts failed, says Hong Kong-based yacht broker Mike Simpson, of Simpson Marine, one of the region’s biggest boat dealers. Simpson agreed the import tax on foreign boats has had a near fatal impact, but he says there were already major hurdles to developing the fledgling market. “We have to remember China is relatively new to boating,” says Simpson, who set up his company in Hong Kong in 1983. “It’s been developing in fits and starts. An obvious curb on its development has been the import ban on second-hand boats, which was there before the luxury goods tax.”

He adds: “The last two to three years have been pretty desperate. I don’t think anyone has made money. Everyone’s been spending money just to stay in business in China over the past few years.”

The lack of a boating culture is also commonly cited as one reason that’s holding back the Chinese market. In the West, yachting is all about relaxing fun in the sun, a weekend jaunt from one marina to a secluded cove or island, or for sailing boat owners, the thrill of stealing an opponent’s wind during a regatta. In China, owning a yacht has been all about the optics, or “face”, and viewed by the public as the exclusive preserve of the ultra-rich. But even among this demographic, interest is limited. According to Wealth-X, just two per cent of all Chinese UHNW individuals own or even have an interest in yachting, compared to 6.7 per cent globally.

“The perception among the Chinese is that boating is for the very wealthy,” says Rocky Wang, chief representative of Burgess in China. “Many Chinese have yet to grasp what boating is all about. Boating culture remains in its very early stages. Yachting is very new to them. Those Chinese who think about buying yachts continue to do so with mainly a business objective in mind. Buyers are business owners, investors and entrepreneurs, who use the yachts as dayboats to entertain, rarely overnighting on board.”

Of the 200 yachts in the southern boom city of Shenzhen, where Deng Xiaoping launched China’s opening up and reforms half a century ago, about 70 per cent never leave the yacht club. Instead, they serve as venues to host wealthy clients and government officials; one pontoon legend has it that some boats were bought without engines because their owners never entertained the idea of going to sea.

In China, building a $30 million marina with a plush clubhouse and spa is the easy part. Not so easy is attracting the essential supplemental services: repair yards and chandlers, navigation aids, charts, a coastguard service willing to assist the stranded sailor, sail training schools and so on. A lack of trained Chinese crew is also a major problem. In China there are an estimated 60,000 sailors, mostly of school age, attending small sailing centres and learning in dinghies. Crews experienced enough to handle a 60-metre-plus seagoing vessel are a rarity. “Chinese yacht owners must, therefore, import foreign crews with the expertise to maintain and sail boats, and this comes with visa application headaches,” says Simpson.

Then there is the maddening red tape. China guards its coastal waters like a hawk; try to sail a nautical mile off Qingdao beach or a cable or two up the coast from Sanya and you’ll have patrol boats stuffed to the gunnels with uniformed boarding parties bearing down on you demanding papers; a day’s sail is treated like an invasion or a desperate escape with state secrets.

“It’s true,” concedes William Ward, CEO of the biannual round-the-world Clipper Race, which during its last edition stopped twice in China, in Sanya in the south and Qingdao in the north. “The government protects the inshore waters as it would an inland military installation. It’s overbearing, there’s too much red tape, and you just don’t need that. You need to be able just to hop on your boat, slip your lines and head out for some safe fun and relaxation, just as we can in the UK, or in the Med and everywhere else,” he says.

Then there’s China’s geography. Part of the appeal of cruising is exploring idyllic archipelagos or mooring off a chic seaside town. Only in the south, around the island of Hainan, can you find good cruising with accommodating marinas. Even then, as Ward recently experienced, just heading out for a day’s jaunt demands official clearance to slip your lines, which may or may not be granted.

Little wonder those Chinese who own a superyacht, or are still in the market for one, seek to moor their pride and joy outside China, in places like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, while the ultra-wealthy look to the US and the Med.

Not for the first time, there might be signs of a new dawn appearing for China’s boating market. In April, the Pride Mega Yachts shipyard in Yantai, China, rolled out the spec-built 88.5 metre superyacht Illusion Plus , which later appeared at the Monaco Yacht Show. She’s now listed for sale , asking $145 million. If she sells well, it will be a sign of faith in Chinese yacht building.

Chinese conglomerates are once more seeking to own international superyacht brands. China Zhongwang, the world’s second-largest producer of industrial aluminium extrusion products, recently acquired a controlling interest in Australia’s SilverYachts, which builds high-speed, fuel-efficient superyachts from high-grade aluminium. The yard’s commercial director, Jona Kan, says the boatbuilder will soon announce the acquisition of a shipyard in the Pearl River Delta.

Sunbird, a Chinese conglomerate with five shipyards including a large commercial facility, added IAG Yachts to its varied portfolio in 2015, and turned out to solid reviews the 42.7 metre  King Baby , the largest fibreglass motor yacht ever produced in China.

Heysea Yachts, founded in 2007 and one of China’s largest yacht builders, was a new entry in the Boat International Global Order Book’s Top 20 builders in 2018 and holds its place in this year’s report. Chairman Allen Leng says the company is seeing more interest from domestic buyers because it is adapting to local tastes, by placing the galley down below and including more living and entertainment space, with fewer cabins. “There is an increased number of Chinese clients who better understand the culture of boating and the lifestyle it offers; that boat ownership is more than having a floating platform for business and to boost one’s image,” says Leng. “More Chinese customers are accepting that China-made yachts offer quality and the same after-sales service as foreign brands. We’re also noticing a demand for smaller yachts, which shows the link between sailing and sport and leisure, and that boating is not just a rich person’s pursuit.”

Horizon Yachts says its product range, including new projects such as the FD series, are proving popular with Chinese clients, who are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes. “For example, a buyer in Shanghai or in Sanya will moor their yacht in a yacht club and let the club manage it. In the past five years, we have delivered a 120ft [36.5 metre] superyacht and 145ft [44.2 metre] superyacht, both to clients in Shanghai,” says Horizon Yachts’ chief marketing officer, Lily Li.

Simpson Marine’s Mike Simpson estimates that around 50 per cent of yachts being bought in China are now locally built. “The standard is improving,” he says. “Sometimes you have to do a double-take when you see yachts coming: you think it’s a well-known foreign brand. Then you look again and it’s actually a locally made boat.”

Sunseeker’s Hui also expresses modest optimism. “I think the market overall is getting better, albeit slowly,” he concedes. “I can say 70 per cent of our 2015 to 2018 customers are mainland Chinese with overseas-listed companies. But their boats are all outside China.”

Grassroots sailing and crew training recently received a much-needed boost. In April, the UK’s then deputy ambassador to China, Martyn Roper, and the president of the Chinese Yachting Association, Qu Chun, signed deals to open three training centres to bring Chinese seamanship up to British standards. The centres will offer the UK’s Royal Yachting Association courses. In the UK, seven per cent of the population goes boating. If the same percentage could be replicated in China, that would mean 80 million people taking confidently to the water.

Simpson says a new initiative called the Greater Bay Area development scheme is seeking to unify nine mainland coastal cities to allow yachts licensed in Hong Kong and Macau to cruise in the good southern cruising areas around Hainan without paying a hefty tax. And there is quiet and determined diplomacy afoot calling for Beijing to relax and standardise coastal regulations. Ward, the Clipper Race CEO, says he has been speaking to officials at city and provincial levels who understand the benefits of rationalising China’s sailing industry and its associated tourist trade. “I have spoken with many officials and they get this point. They understand the [stifling red tape] situation, and they’re passing these concerns up to Beijing, that leisure sailing is a different culture and is good for local and regional business,” he says.

There are signs of a cultural shift, too. At the 2018  Shanghai Boat Show , many of the exhibitors were proposing something different – more accessible yachting, with small fishing boats and cruisers standing cheek by jowl with the bigger craft, says Delphine Lignières, co-founder of the Hainan Rendez-Vous. “Contrary to myth, many Chinese enjoy watersports, including sailing and fishing. What I have seen now is more and more people boating on inland freshwater lakes in smaller-sized boats.

“That’s where I see the market developing this time, with smaller recreational boats being bought for use on lakes, rivers and estuaries. This will help establish a boating culture, and over time, the boats will again get bigger and bigger. And not in such a conspicuous way.”

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China’s Yacht Market: Opportunities and Challenges for Foreign Players (updated)

China appears well-positioned to become a prominent yacht market, given its 14,484km-long coastline and a class of millionaires expected to cross the 20 million mark by the mid-2020s. Despite this, however, sales have been disappointing i n the last 3-5 years due to high import tax and the inability of manufacturers to respond to Chinese client demands. In this article, we provide a general overview of China’s yacht market and discuss the differences in business outlook according to key stakeholders, ranging from optimism over market growth potential or concerns about limited domestic prospects . We also discuss the recent entry of Chinese capital in the industry and how Chinese companies are manufacturing for non-China markets. Finally, we look at opportunities for foreign investors in China’s boat market, including prospects for small and mid-cap companies, and showcase the success cases of Italian companies.

UPDATE: O n August 18, 2 0 22, the Ministry Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), together with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Ministry of Transport (MOT) , and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT), jointly released on the Guidelines on Accelerating the Development of Cruise and Yacht Equipment and the Industry (Guidelines) , clarifying China’s roadmap for the development of the yacht industry through 2025. More details are provided below .  

While North America and Europe remain in the lead as the world’s largest yacht consumers, the Asia-Pacific region has rapidly become one of the fastest-growing yacht markets.   The yacht market in Asia has been skyrocketing post-pandemic, with increased purchases and a growing interest in sailing – sparking what industry experts define as a ‘boom’. On the one hand, countries like Taiwan and China have increased their market share with new builds by locally-based shipyards. However, boat sales to the region are also on the rise.

As of 2021, Asian ownership of superyachts over 40 meters in service accounted for 5.8 percent of the global superyacht fleet. The number of Asian-owned yachts has progressively increased, from 91 at the beginning of 2016 to 109 at the start of 2021.    Countries like Singapore have become active once again in the yacht sales ad brokerage market s after a slow period  during the pandemic that triggered international and regional border closures.   

In China, heightened living standards have led to the increasing demand for luxurious consumer goods, including in the boating industry. According to the China Transport Association’s Cruise Yacht Branch, the total number of yachts in China will increase from 38,100 to 163,510 between 2020 and 2025.   

China’s yacht market: an overview    

Few geographical regions offer the superyacht sector as much room for expansion as the Chinese market does. China has a vast and increasing pool of potential superyacht purchasers, although the country is still in the early stages of yachting growth in terms of domestic infrastructure and ownership. It could still be the right time for such a high-potential market to flourish due to factors like the increase in the country’s per capita purchasing power and that of its ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) population.    

A 2021 wealth report revealed the 10 countries with the highest increase in their UHNW population in 2020 – the so-called ‘top 10 riders’ – with China leading the group at 16 percent growth. Furthermore, in 2021, China surpassed the United States to become the world’s first country with over 1,000 billionaires. The research highlighted that, despite the trade war and the pandemic, China was able to add 259 billionaires to its list, surpassing other nations like the US, India, and Germany.  

With a large number of prospective consumers, China’s relatively new market is even more attractive for foreign businesses. New yacht manufacturers, brand sales agents, yacht customers, private clubs, and exhibits have sprung up throughout the country in recent decades. Meanwhile, China’s boat manufacturing keeps rising steadily, from 29,100 units produced in 2011 to 48,300 units in 2015. China’s yacht industry is estimated to reach US$15.1 billion in 2027, accounting for 17.8 percent of the worldwide market and growing at a CAGR of 3.9 percent between 2020 and 2027.  

Less stringent regulations demonstrating the government’s commitment to the sector  

Many positive government efforts linked to the yachting industry and maritime activities, in general, have lately been enacted, and China is seeing a trend of loosening regulations. At the outset of this decade, two regulatory bodies – the Ministry of Transport and the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) – announced new, more liberalized criteria and standards for yacht registration and overseas-yacht entry/exit procedures.   

More limitations on boat ownership have been abolished in recent years, and clear maritime traffic legislation has been adopted. The increase of the navigability range, the streamlining of the examination/approval processes, and the inclusion of non-resident yacht registrations are the three most recent major amendments to the rules. These key developments show the government’s commitment to the sector’s growth.  

Also, as wealthy Chinese yacht owners spend about 10 percent of the yacht’s value on maintenance, a large portion of this wealth is reinvested in the local economy. This not only is a great boost for regional GDP but is also in line with the government’s will of shifting its economy away from production to consumption. It has likely prompted Chinese officials to ease the cumbersome registration process for importing a yacht into the country, as well as the requirements for traveling between provinces. Yachts registered in Hong Kong and Macao, for example, were allowed to sail in China’s Pearl River Delta beginning 2018. The first cross-border sailing program has also increased boat orders in the Chinese Mainland by 20 percent to 30 percent.     

Accordingly, The State Council Office evaluated the Guidance on Tourism Industry Acceleration and drafted a National Tourism and Entertainment Outline (2013-2020) in which measures were taken to improve the infrastructure for yacht marinas and cruise terminals, as well as encourage the growth of tourism products.   

Yacht market more prosperous in certain regions than others: The case of Hainan Free Trade Zone   

The yacht business in Hainan Province flourished in 2021 – the Sanya Yachting Association revealed that Sanya, China’s tropical island and premier destination for luxury tourism, hosted almost 160,000 yacht trips, up 47 percent compared to 2020. Moreover, by the end of 2021, the number of new yachts registered reached 323, surging 202 percent year on year.  

This increase is partly due to the Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port (“the Masterplan”) that was released in June 2020, which stipulates that by 2025, there will be no tariffs on the island’s import of ships for transportation, tourism, and other purposes. Import tariffs, the value-added tax, and the consumption tax will all be waived for foreign exporters – which will effectively cut prices for foreign-made products.   

Success stories: Italian yacht businesses in China  

With 407 projects and super-yachts totalling 14,994 meters in development in 2021, Italy continues to top the annual report issued by the nautical newspaper ShowBoat International. Azimut-Benetti, Sanlorenzo, and Ferretti Group occupy the first, second, and third place, respectively. 

Despite having eight well-known brands, six shipyards, and over 170 years of history, Ferretti Group is today the only rival in its business to provide a comprehensive range of yachts ranging in size from 8 to 95 meters, and it is very active in China’s yacht market. After defaulting in 2009, the company was bought in 2012 by SHIG–Weichai Group, a large Chinese machinery manufacturer that currently controls 75 percent of the Italian shipbuilder.   

Following the acquisition, the company focused on growing into new markets. It made a great impression in the Asia-Pacific region in the first quarter of 2020, selling about US$73 million and negotiating two new dealership agreements for the distribution of its yachts in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos.   The Italian shipbuilder now has offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as a fully equipped after-sales facility, to meet the needs of its customers in the region. It also inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sanya Central Business District (SCBD) to collaborate with the government on the development of the local industry and China’s yacht market in general.

Other than larger and well-established companies, opportunities are there for everybody. According to Giovanni Lovisetti , Senior Associate on the International Business Advisory at Dezan Shira & Associates’ Milan Liaison office , “while huge companies can approach Asian markets by themselves – such as Fincantieri, who has already established a presence in Hainan – several smaller companies are just waiting for the right stimulus to take the first step towards Asia.” This might be the right time for them to step in.   

Roadblocks to the development of China’s yacht market   

High import taxes on foreign boats are one of the primary hurdles to the development of China’s yacht sector. The country has a 43.65 percent tax on boats – although recently reduced to 38.1 percent for motor yachts and 35.6 percent for sailing yachts above 8 meters. Furthermore, since the beginning of the government’s Anti-Corruption Campaign in 2012, potential customers have been reluctant to flaunt their wealth, preferring to keep a low profile and avoid public scrutiny.  

Another considerable barrier to Chinese high-income individuals buying private boats in the Mainland, is the lack of well-equipped marinas, ship repair yards, spare parts suppliers, and all other necessary (and expensive) infrastructure for yacht upkeep and mooring.  

Lastly, in 2015, China strengthened its regulations for yachts travelling in its national waters, restricting the number of passengers onboard to a maximum of 12 people – which made it impossible to arrange large parties and gatherings on board since the crew alone counts six members. Furthermore, China’s southern shoreline land is a particularly difficult marine zone due to ongoing territorial conflicts with neighboring states.  

As a result, several of the world’s most prestigious shipbuilders, like Sunseeker and Ferretti Group, have shuttered their showrooms in Mainland China or eliminated the country from their core target markets, despite their Chinese ownership. Regardless, those companies continue to sell boats to Chinese customers for delivery outside of the Mainland.  

Understanding the Chinese market and its cultural context  

Four purposes for boats are sailing, sports, leisure, and entertainment. For wealthy Chinese buyers, the latter would be the most common option. Given that the high-income Chinese population has little interest in sunbathing, the primary aim of these luxury boats in the contemporary setting would be to serve as a business frontier for hosting meetings, parties, and other business-related events. Yachting, however, has a bad cultural connotation as compared to other activities in a wealthy society.

According to market research, affluent Chinese people like golf, swimming, spas, and yoga as leisure activities, since they are well-known in Chinese culture for providing health benefits , and are thus appealing. Yachting, on the other hand, does not provide comparable physical benefits in the traditional Chinese context. Such cultural premises are fundamental when considering the gap between target customers and the industry culture.  

All things considered, it is not impossible for Chinese customers to shift their perspective since the country’s shopping habits and tastes are fast changing because of the ongoing rise of HNWIs. This means that tastes are subject to change and may be molded if an industry pursues them aggressively. In reality, a lack of brand familiarity and awareness provides first-mover brand opportunities.  

The future of China’s yacht industry    

All in all, between financial crackdowns and setting up zones such as Hainan FTZ, what is the right space for the yacht market to develop?   China’s financial crackdowns continued throughout 2021, with Beijing slamming for-profit education, tanking Ant Financial and Didi IPOs, or bringing the entertainment and gaming business under control, and harnessing local digital titans. As a result, in the era of “Common Prosperity,” it’s worth considering whether China’s yacht market can take off and grow.  

Yet, the central government’s desire to boost consumption and encourage tourism (including yacht tourism) creates unprecedented potential for the boat sector in the coming years, at least for small-to-mid-sized boats. The formation of the Hainan Free Trade Zone and the development of a new port have the potential to turn the island into a hub for China’s yacht culture. The number of registered boats in Sanya has increased from 10 to 500 in the previous decade alone, and yacht rental services have grown in popularity in China, enhancing yacht culture among both the Chinese middle and high-income classes.  

Further, according to the Guidelines on Accelerating the Development of Cruise and Yacht Equipment and the Industry (Guidelines) jointly released by the MIIT and other ministries on August 18, 2 0 22 , there are four development goals to achieve in the yacht industry by 2025: improving the design and construction capacity, refining the foundation of the equipment industry, expanding the demands in the consumer market, and strengthening cooperation and talent cultivation. Sanya is expected to be transformed into a home port for international cruises, outlining several international first-class cruise tourism destinations. Priority is attached to the development of water tourism resources in areas such as the Circum-Bohai Sea Economic Zone, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the coastal city cluster that links Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang, the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Pearl River-West River Economic Belt, and the Grand Canal Cultural Belt. Meanwhile, Hainan is encouraged to pilot a yacht leasing business. The Guidelines also called for building teams of professional talents along the whole industry chain, covering the design, construction, operation, and management of cruises, yachts , and tourist passenger ships, as well as related tourism services and legal consulting.  

Catering to specific needs

With China’s yachting culture still in its infancy, yacht makers should concentrate on meeting the expectations of Chinese clientele, from emphasizing the design of entertaining rooms to making it easier to hire superyachts on a short-term basis. The scarcity of skilled Chinese Mandarin-speaking specialists and Chinese designers, on the other hand, is stifling the growth of China’s boat sector. Foreign shipbuilding businesses should tailor their offerings to the demands and preferences of Chinese boat buyers, keeping in mind lifestyle and cultural preferences.

For example, Chinese yacht owners seldom spend the night on board and prefer boats with leisure and recreational amenities like KTV (karaoke) rooms. Catering to such needs, which are specific to the Chinese clientele, is an essential part of challenging cultural differences and securing a spot in such a promising market.  

This article was first published on June 21, 2022 and last updated on September 29, 2022.

China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates . The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done so since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at [email protected] . Dezan Shira & Associates has offices in Vietnam , Indonesia , Singapore , United States , Germany , Italy , India , and Russia , in addition to our trade research facilities along the Belt & Road Initiative . We also have partner firms assisting foreign investors in The Philippines , Malaysia , Thailand , Bangladesh .

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For aspiring yacht owners looking for a luxury yachts, we have put together a fine selection of luxury explorer yachts, motor yachts, used yachts, sailing yachts, trawler yachts, classic yachts, boats and yachts for sale from all over the world. Search Yachts for Sale collection of superyachts for sale and filter by type, length, asking price or age. Narrow the results by selecting specific features, or browse by speed, designer and much more.

Used Yachts for Sale in China

Used yachts for sale near you in China and across world. Find your ideal boats, compare prices and more. Get an email alert for new ads matching your search. Buying a boats has never been so easy!

When looking for new, pre-owned, and used used yachts for sale in China, the amount of time it takes to narrow down exactly what you want can some times be intimidating. With so many manufacturers, models, and boats types, how do you begin to find the right yacht that meets your budget and your needs?

 Yachts for Sales is the one-stop professional yacht brokerage that can navigate you through the frustrations and help you make the best decision possible when it comes to the purchase of your next boats. We can help you find the yacht for sale, set up the showings, help negotiate pricing, handle the yacht closing and everything else involved, and we do all of this so you are able simply sit back and to enjoy the process. Buying a yacht requires a significant investment and it is our goal to provide you with detailed information and professional guidance.

When searching for a yachts for sale , there are a plethora of options. The yachts on our website number over 3,634 listings, including yachts built by top brands such as Grand Banks, Vanquish, Pursuit, President, Egg Harbor, Cranchi, Abeking & Rasmussen, Palm Beach and more. Yachts for Sale can also help you find the best used center-console boats for sale in China from brands like Yellowfin, Contender, and more. To view used yachts for sale in China, browse below and click the photo for more information.

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76M san bao

94.7m red star, 88.5m illusion plus, 92m ninetytwo, 108.8m tomorrow, 115m estatement, unlimited technology.

Pride Mega Yachts are world-class, competitive mega yacht builders, located in China’s Yantai Peninsula in the Bohai Gulf. Pride Mega Yachts designs and builds its yachts with an experienced, international team of world-class consultants and designers according to European standards. The use of tested, state-of-the art technologies allows for an unwavering focus on innovation and sustainability.

UNLIMITED PERFECTION

With more than 25 years of experience working in the superyacht industry, luxury shipbuilders Pride Mega Yachts have numerous high-quality international projects to their name. China is traditionally not associated with the global yachting industry but that is changing fast. Both country and Pride Mega Yachts have an obsession with perfectionism and a strong drive to significantly contribute to the qualitative aspects of the world economy.

UNLIMITED PROFESSIONALISM

The unrivalled level of professionalism is reflected in the high levels of naval expertise in the fields of engineering, construction, methodology, research and development, design and production. The desire to consistently delivers the very best drives in the constant search for excellence that is required for the creation of superior-quality superyachts. Extraordinary and meticulous craftsmanship forms the indispensable basis for the realisation of the largest, finest, unlimited high-end super yachts.

UNLIMITED IN SERVICE PROVISION

Flexible and client driven, Pride Mega Yachts is constantly seeking the best product and the best solution for the client. From the design process to the construction phase and after completion, Pride Mega Yachts knows that the customer’s experience with the shipyard is as important as the end product. It is therefore always fully focused on realising client wishes, while maintaining the highest levels of quality and safety on board.

UNLIMITED CHOICE

Luxury yacht builders, Pride Mega Yachts knows how keen owners are to feel proud every time they step onto their yacht to enjoy maritime life with friends and family. In order to realise this aspiration as rapidly as possible, Pride Mega Yachts builds its yachts on the basis of a fully tested and engineered standard platform, with several superyachts in various stages of completion at all times. Owners can decide at which stage they want to step in, depending on their wishes regarding time, budget and specifications.

UNLIMITED CUSTOMISATION

From superyachts being under construction based on pre-designed lay-out and outfit to fully customised yachts, Pride Mega Yachts can accommodate all a future owner may require at any stage in the yacht building process. There is no limit to available possibilities in terms of nautical architecture, interior design or technical equipment. All yachts are developed with world-class consultants and designers, paying meticulous attention to Pride Mega Yachts exacting standards. The result is a yacht that meets European standards, while maintaining competitive prices.

UNLIMITED INNOVATION

At Pride Mega Yachts, our team of specialist yacht builders use innovative designs and the finest materials to manufacture our range of custom built yachts. We recognise the importance of customisation when purchasing your own private mega yacht. Therefore, our goal at Pride Mega Yachts is to realise clients’ dreams, transforming complex ideas into a reality, whilst ensuring an outstanding client-driven customer service. Our accomplished team of experts ensures the highest quality experience throughout the entire process and gives you the opportunity to customise any aspect of the project at any stage.

UNLIMITED FLEXIBILITY

Combining the latest state-of-the-art technology and our team of world-class consultants, designers and engineers, Pride Mega Yachts provides an unparalleled fully comprehensive service that gives owners the flexibility to personalise every aspect of their yacht, from the technical specifications, to the interior design and special features. We are committed to providing you with a complete service, resulting in a personalised unique superyacht at the most competitive price.

UNLIMITED DEDICATION

We pride ourselves on our high-quality, client-orientated services. As part of our custom yacht sales strategy, we give owners illimitable customisation options. From the outset, choose the preferred layout, the technical specifications and then personalise the interior design and furnishing. Owners collaborate with our experienced consultants to create the perfect yacht suited to their requirements and expectations. Buyers can also optimise the special features aboard their custom built yachts and influence the project according their budget and time.

88.5M illusion Plus

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Guide to China

China, as the world’s most populous country, offers a yacht charter full of variety and a fascinating hybridisation of Asian and Western culture. Its blend of historical and contemporary landmarks which dot the rural landscape, inhabited by bustling urban areas, can satisfy every kind of traveller. China charter yachts can unlock a world of awe-inspiring artefacts and landmarks which line the landscape of the oldest living civilisation, delectable local delicacies and stunning scenery. Exploring the waters of the Pacific Ocean has never before led to so much possibility.

Surrounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East and South China Sea, China’s vast waters are home to more than 5,000 islands, each with its own vibrant culture and fascinating personality. The largest of the islands are Taiwan, found in the east, and Hainan located in the south, famous for its pristine beaches.

Rising in global notoriety as host to SO! Hainan and Hainan Rendez-Vous , Hainan may be the smallest province in the People's Republic of China, but is big on luxury. Boasting a tropical climate all year round and unforgettable scenery, Hainan and Sanya, found on Hainan Island, are not to be missed on a China yacht charter vacation. Yalong Bay and the surrounding beaches and national parks found along the 2km coastline offer both natural beauty and delightful seafood delicacies to try.

From forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts of the north to the subtropical greenery of the south, China’s immense landscape is richly diverse. The breath-taking vantage points from the iconic Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir and Tian Shan mountain range that border the China and South and Central Asia divide are a must-see for any China yacht charter vacation. Explore the mythical Forbidden City, find yourself in awe of the Great Wall or meet the captivating Terracotta Warriors one day of your charter itinerary, and the next surrounded by slick skyscrapers, wandering past luxury cars and watching the Maglev trains pass by.

Look no further than Dalian for your luxury charter yacht to complement glamourous surroundings. An impressive coastline and lively atmosphere has made Dalian the capital of China’s international yachting scene, successfully hosting events such as the SO! Dalian luxury yacht show . Offering a traditionally beautiful waterside featuring stunning archaic monuments and beautiful beaches such as Dalian Beach, the Lushun area is a thriving hotspot to visit.

If you are interested in a yachting vacation in China, view all luxury yachts for charter in China and contact your preferred charter broker  to discuss a charter itinerary. 

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Featured Luxury Yachts for Charter

This is a small selection of the global luxury yacht charter fleet, with 3569 motor yachts, sail yachts, explorer yachts and catamarans to choose from including superyachts and megayachts, the world is your oyster. Why search for your ideal yacht charter vacation anywhere else?

136m | Lurssen

from $4,342,000 p/week ♦︎

115m | Lurssen

from $2,822,000 p/week ♦︎

85m | Golden Yachts

from $977,000 p/week ♦︎

88m | Golden Yachts

from $1,194,000 p/week ♦︎

84m | Feadship

from $1,085,000 p/week ♦︎

93m | Feadship

from $1,520,000 p/week ♦︎

Maltese Falcon

88m | Perini Navi

from $490,000 p/week

122m | Lurssen

from $3,000,000 p/week

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Tatler Asia

Luxury yachts made in china.

McConaghy’s shipyard in China produces some of the best yachts in the world

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Aquitalia yachts fleet, leader in luxury custom yachts manufacturing in china (30ft~110ft).

FUJIAN YIHONG YACHT CORP

YIHONG GROUP shipyard ("Yihong") was founded in 2005, it is one of the four largest luxury yachts manufacturer in China. And it is the first Chinese yacht builder launched on the stock market successfully, its stock number "835558". Yihong's shipyard is located in Zhangzhou of China, the production facility covers an area of 670,000 sqm with 1,400m of coast line and is one of the biggest Yacht and RV manufacturing plant in China.

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About yihong.

YiHongYachts shipyard (“Yihong”) was founded in 2005, it is one of the four largest luxury yachts manufacturer in China. And it is the first Chinese yacht builder launched on the stock market successfully, its stock number “835558”.

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45 Chinese Sailing Boat Yards producing for China and Worldwide!

Published by sail on march 18, 2023 march 18, 2023.

China is a main sailboat manufacturing hub, including worldwide notorious brands.

Here is a list of 45 of the main Chinese sailing yards:

• Amel Yachts – Based in France with a manufacturing facility in China, Amel Yachts produces high-end bluewater cruising sailboats
• Bavaria Yachts China – Founded in 1978, Bavaria Yachts is a German sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of high-quality cruising and racing yachts. The company had a strong presence in China and produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Bayliner China – A subsidiary of the US-based Bayliner company, Bayliner China produces a range of affordable sailboats that are designed for family cruising.
• Beneteau China – Beneteau is a French sailboat manufacturer with a history dating back over 130 years. The company’s China division produces a range of sailboats, including cruising yachts, racing boats, and catamarans.
• Broadblue Catamarans – Based in Xiamen, this company produces high-performance sailing catamarans for the international market. China Sailing – Established in 1988, this company produces a range of sailing yachts, catamarans, and powerboats.
• Dalian Detai Yachts – Specializing in the production of high-performance racing yachts, Dalian Detai Yachts produces a range of cutting-edge designs that are popular with professional sailors.
• Delphia Yachts China – A Polish-based company with a manufacturing facility in China, Delphia Yachts produces a range of sailing yachts and motorboats.
• Dickey Boats – Based in New Zealand, Dickey Boats produces a range of high-performance sailing yachts that are designed for racing and cruising.
• Dufour Yachts China – Established in 1964, Dufour Yachts is a French sailboat manufacturer with a strong presence in China. The company produces high-quality, performance-oriented sailboats ranging from 30 to 63 feet.
• Far East Boats – Based in China, this company produces a range of dinghies, keelboats, and multihulls for racing and cruising.
• Fountaine Pajot China – Fountaine Pajot is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces a range of high-quality cruising catamarans. The company’s China division produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Grand Soleil China – A subsidiary of the Italian-based Grand Soleil company, Grand Soleil China produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts that are designed for both racing and cruising.
• Hanse Yachts China – Hanse Yachts is a German sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of high-performance yachts for cruising and racing. The company has a strong presence in China and produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Hansheng Yachts – A leading sailboat manufacturer in China, Hansheng Yachts produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts and catamarans.
• Hi Star Yachts – Based in Taiwan, Hi Star Yachts produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts that are designed for both racing and cruising.
• Hunter Yachts China – Hunter Yachts is an American sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of cruising and racing yachts. The company has a strong presence in China and produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Hylas Yachts – Based in Taiwan with a manufacturing facility in China, Hylas Yachts produces high-end bluewater cruising sailboats.
• J/Boats China – A subsidiary of the US-based J/Boats, this company produces a range of performance sailing yachts.
• Jeanneau China – Jeanneau is a French sailboat manufacturer that has been building boats for over 60 years. The company’s China division produces a range of sailboats, including cruising yachts, racing boats, and catamarans.
• Jiangsu Sirocco Marine Co. – A leading manufacturer of inflatable boats, Jiangsu Sirocco Marine Co. also produces a range of small sailboats that are designed for recreational sailing.
• Jinlong Yacht – A leading manufacturer of powerboats, Jinlong Yacht also produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts that are designed for both racing and cruising.
• Lagoon Catamarans China – Lagoon is a French catamaran manufacturer that produces a range of high-quality cruising catamarans. The company’s China division produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Maxima Yachts – Based in Qingdao, Maxima Yachts produces a range of affordable sailboats that are designed for recreational sailing.
• Ming Hui Yacht – Founded in 2008, this company produces a range of motor yachts, sailing yachts, and catamarans.
• Mingxing Yachts – Specializing in the production of traditional Chinese sailing junks, Mingxing Yachts produces a range of beautifully crafted wooden boats.
• Nautor’s Swan China – Nautor’s Swan is a Finnish sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing and cruising yachts. The company has a strong presence in China and produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Ocean Explorer Yachts – Based in Hong Kong, Ocean Explorer Yachts produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts that are designed for cruising in comfort.
• Oceanis Yachts China – Oceanis Yachts is a French sailboat manufacturer that produces a range of cruising yachts. The company’s China division produces boats that are tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.
• Oyster Yachts China – A subsidiary of the UK-based Oyster Yachts company, Oyster Yachts China produces a range of high-end sailing yachts that are designed for luxury cruising.
• Qingdao Wingo Star Yachts – Established in 2007, this company produces a range of luxury yachts, including motor yachts, sailing yachts, and catamarans.
• Rongcheng Tongmao Yacht Co. – Based in the coastal city of Rongcheng, Rongcheng Tongmao Yacht Co. produces a range of sailing yachts for both pleasure and racing.
• Rongsheng Yacht – Founded in 1996, Rongsheng Yacht is a leading sailboat manufacturer in China. The company produces a range of high-performance sailing yachts, catamarans, and powerboats.
• Royal Yacht Club – Founded in 1996, this company produces a range of luxury sailing yachts and motor yachts.
• Seafarer Yachts – Based in Taiwan with a manufacturing facility in China, Seafarer Yachts produces a range of bluewater cruising sailboats.
• Seaway Yachts – Based in Shenzhen, Seaway Yachts produces a range of high-quality sailing yachts that are designed for both performance and comfort.
• Seawind Catamarans – This Australian company has a manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China, where it produces a range of performance cruising catamarans.
• Shanghai Double Happiness Yachts – Founded in 1989, this company specializes in the production of racing sailboats and cruising yachts.
• Shanghai Far East Yachts – Founded in 2002, Shanghai Far East Yachts produces a range of affordable sailboats for recreational sailors.
• Sunbird Yacht Co. Ltd. – Founded in 1995, this company produces luxury motor yachts, sailing yachts, and catamarans. Based in Shanghai, Sunbird Yacht Co. produces a range of luxury sailing yachts that are designed for high-end clientele.
• Tsai Yachts – Specializing in the production of luxury sailing yachts, Tsai Yachts produces a range of beautifully crafted boats that are designed for high-end clientele.
• Vagabond Yachts – This company produces a range of bluewater cruising sailboats, with a focus on high-quality craftsmanship.
• Viko Yachts – A relatively new player in the Chinese sailboat market, Viko Yachts produces a range of affordable sailboats that are designed for family cruising.
• Xiamen Hansheng Yacht Building – This company produces a range of motor yachts, sailing yachts, and catamarans, with a focus on high-quality craftsmanship.
• Xiamen Hualong Marine – Specializing in the production of high-performance racing yachts, Xiamen Hualong Marine produces a range of cutting-edge designs that are popular with professional sailors.
• X-Yachts China – X-Yachts is a Danish sailboat manufacturer that produces high-performance racing and cruising yachts.
• Yachting France – This company produces a range of performance cruising sailboats for the Chinese market.

For a complete picture, please use our free searchable database here!

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Asteria 96 - 28.64m|6.68m

Sun odyssey 440 - 13.39m|4.29m, hd2 ob rs - 6.1m|2.54m, sanlorenzo 46steel - 46m|9m, sessa c38 - 11.7m|3.75m, lagoon 46 - 13.99m|7.96m, used yachts, heysea asteria 108.

Year:2018 | Caterpillar 1800hp*2 | ￥22,000,000

• Length: 33.1m

Ferretti 620

Year:2012 | Man 1100hp*2 | ￥10,000,000

• Length: 18.3m
• Beam: 5.25m

16.8m Fly bridge

Year:2019 | Volvo 435hp*2 | ￥4,280,000

• Length: 16.8m

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 33i

Year:2009 | Yanmar 20hp | ￥680,000

• Length: 9.74m
• Beam: 3.42m

8.88m Fishing boat

Year:2019 | Honda 115hp*2 | ￥380,000

• Length: 8.88m
• Beam: 2.65m

Year:2015 | Volvo 150hp | ￥4,600,000

• Length: 16.7m

Yacht driving training in China has been launched in Sanya, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Shanghai, etc. According to the navigation water area, length and type, the yacht driving license is divided into...

Yacht charter, adventurer 42.

Year:2019 | Producer:China | ￥2,100

• Length: 12.8m

Year:2016 | Producer:China | ￥1,580

• Length: 14.6m

jeanneau 50

Year:2017 | Producer:France | ￥2,200

• Length: 15.2m

Year:2019 | Producer:China | ￥2,200

Year:2013 | Producer:Italy | ￥15,000

• Length: 30m

Ferretti 80

Year:2016 | Producer:Italy | ￥13,000

• Length: 24.3m

DESTINATIONS

Xiamen seas are composed of Xiamen Port, the outer port area, Maluan Bay, Tong’an Bay, the estuary of Jiulon River and its eastern water channel...

Just 30 years ago, Shenzhen was a small seaside town. Now it's one of China's biggest and most important cities...

The southernmost city in China,Sanya has 20km long stretches of beach. As the only tropical city across the coastline, packed with a lot of water sports...

• China Rendez-Vous
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China Rendez-Vous has 1 Photos

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LADY J | From US$ 119,000/wk

China rendez-vous news.

SO! CANNES: 8th Annual China Night ...

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China Rendezvous 2020

Go here for the latest news and upcoming dates of the SO!DALIAN Event. 

For the latest news and dates related to the SO!HAINAN event go here .

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Calypso | from eur€ 300,000/wk.

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Charter yacht disclaimer.

This document is not contractual. The yacht charters and their particulars displayed in the results above are displayed in good faith and whilst believed to be correct are not guaranteed. CharterWorld Limited does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information and/or images displayed. All information is subject to change without notice and is without warrantee. A professional CharterWorld yacht charter consultant will discuss each charter during your charter selection process. Starting prices are shown in a range of currencies for a one-week charter, unless otherwise marked. Exact pricing and other details will be confirmed on the particular charter contract. Just follow the "reserve this yacht charter" link for your chosen yacht charter or contact us and someone from the CharterWorld team will be in touch shortly.

Just like home

Love for the sea since 1968

Ferretti Yachts, established in 1968, creates luxury yachts that embody lifestyle values, total wellbeing and the exhilaration of discovery. Every model in our fleet is permeated by refined design and a passion for the sea.

Discover our fleet

The new “Explorer-inspired” range INFYNITO amplifies the cruising experience to the nth degree introducing sustainable technologies and cutting edge solutions, that make Ferretti Yachts the first brand of Ferretti Group equipped with F.S.E.A. (Ferretti Sustainable Enhanced Architecture).

The flybridge range, expression of an eternal yet contemporary beauty, perfectly embodies the Just like home philosophy, an emblem of comfort and seaworthiness.

ferretti yachts 1000

No dream is too big: with a length of 100 feet, the breath taking new Ferretti Yachts flagship takes the company into uncharted territory. Majestic, versatile and suitable for all markets, Ferretti Yachts 1000 has reshaped spaces and changed the whole approach to life on board. It features unprecedented design solutions and a choice of two different moods for the interiors. Owners and their guests can enjoy complete privacy and make the most of the exterior thanks to an extremely innovative and practical aft beach area and a spacious flybridge that is connected directly to the forward section.

ferretti yachts 1000 SkyDeck New

Make room for the sky. Let the sky flood in to your exclusive upper-deck lounge.

ferretti yachts 920

Striking lines, unmistakable style, charm and performance – all in one remarkable yacht. This highly innovative maxi-flybridge is designed with an impressive collection of spaces, featuring sumptuous décor, multipurpose relaxation areas and a classic-contemporary interior feel. She is the quintessence of wellbeing and style.

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Composing a melody in which the notes of each individual instrument are beautifully orchestrated, Ferretti Yachts gears up to bring a new symphony to life: Ferretti Yachts 860. The flybridge yacht created by the Cattolica-based Shipyard features cutting-edge design and technology solutions, where the stylistic and architectural elements work together in harmony right down to the tiniest detail.

ferretti yachts 780

This flybridge yacht, with its streamlined design, sleek lines and sharp styling, satisfies the owner’s every wish in terms of comfort, style, seaworthiness and safety at sea. After the recent major restyling, Ferretti Yachts 780 features extensive glazed surfaces in the hull, giving the sleek and streamlined profile a sportier look, new furnishings, with an enlarged bar in a central position in the standard layout, and redesigned interiors, with the possibility of choosing between two moods: classic or contemporary.

ferretti yachts 720

Shaped by architect Filippo Salvetti, who worked with Ferretti Group to devise the external design, this newest member of the fleet opens up a whole new way to experience the sea. The 720’s remarkably ingenious solutions elevate the concept of cruising in luxurious comfort to new heights. It’s about living the sea life in style, in your home on the waves, with all the comforts of a yacht of timeless elegance and a sensation of wellbeing like never before.

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This fantastic vessel makes a captivating impression with her outstanding use of space. The fabulously luminous interiors and modular external areas hold particular appeal. Her latest-generation technology fashions a matchless cruising experience amid some truly iconic design. This is a yacht that makes room for beauty.

ferretti yachts 580

An emblem of Modern Luxury, the new Ferretti Yachts 580 has ideal features for an intimate and comfortable experience of the sea in perfect Ferretti Yachts style.

ferretti yachts 500

Breathtakingly beautiful, astonishingly comfortable, and personalisable inside with two alternative interior-design moods, the Ferretti Yachts 500 ushers in a new era for the brand. The brand new yacht combines nautical adventure with the domestic dimension in spaces and solutions of a comfort you’d normally expect only on rather larger craft. The overall effect is a family ambience that immerses guests in a sensation of total wellbeing.

infynito 90 New

The INFYNITO has finally taken shape: INFYNITO 90 is here, the first model in the new range, ready to chart a new course and propel Ferretti Yachts into the future.

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Sustainability criteria, more covered exterior surface area and continuity between interiors and exteriors are the key features of Ferretti Yachts INFYNITO 80.

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Palm Beach International Boat Show 2024

March 21 - 24 2024

Ferretti Yachts is pleased to welcome you to the Palm Beach International Boat Show from 21 to 24 March 2024.  

Ferretti Group at the Palm Beach International Boat Show with six stunning boats.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Forlì, March 19th, 2024 – The Ferretti Group fleet is ready to set sail for the Palm Beach International Boat Show, the prestigious luxury yachting event held this year from March 21 to 24 that attracts a huge audience of owners, enthusiasts, and industry professionals.

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Monday, February 26, 2024

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In the busy waters between China and Taiwan, the de facto border is being tested

After a fatal capsize off Kinmen island, China has rejected the existence of the prohibited waters line, which has been tacitly respected since the 1990s

M otoring across the calm waters of the South China Sea, Taiwanese captain Lu Wen-shiung recalls the old days, when Chinese and Taiwanese fishers used to meet behind rocky headlands, anchoring their boats out of the authorities’ sight, to share a meal. There was less surveillance then, and the two sides were more friendly, fishing the same waters, occasionally selling to each other on the sly.

“We were like brothers, we had a good relationship, they would even cook for us,” he says. “But … now the control has become more strict, the [Chinese] coast guard will call me if the boats are too close.”

Now a tour boat captain, Lu says if he even gets close to the prohibited water line – a de facto sea border with China – he’ll get a swift warning over the radio from the coast guard.

Lu and his boat are travelling through the busy waters surrounding Kinmen County, an archipelago controlled by Taiwan but sitting just kilometres away from China .

The Chinese Communist party government claims Taiwan (including Kinmen) as a Chinese province, and has become increasingly hostile in its pursuit of annexation, as Taiwan’s government and people only grow more opposed.

Despite the political tensions that exist, Kinmen-Xiamen is one area where official cooperation has actually managed to continue, with joint efforts to crack down on illegal fishing and smuggling, and on search and rescue missions. But a fatal maritime incident last month has threatened to derail it and raised serious questions about the strength of the border.

A new normal

Lu’s boat passes within throwing distance of Kinmen’s outer islands, some of which are open to tourists, while others are restricted for the military. Not far away is the gleaming skyline of China’s Xiamen city, and the surrounding seas heave with fishing boats, civilian ferries and foreign cargo ships. Among them are probably some Chinese vessels known to both sides as “three noes” – no name, no registration, no flag – which often engage in illegal fishing and smuggling. A few hundred metres away, on the other side of a narrow international shipping lane, a Chinese coast guard ship is on patrol.

In February these patrols increased after the fatal capsize of a three-noes boat in Kinmen waters. The boat had fled a Taiwan coast guard vessel which had ordered it to stop for inspection. Two of the four Chinese passengers died, for which China blamed Taiwan. The fury grew when it became clear the two boats had collided – a fact Taiwan’s authorities had initially omitted. Fifteen rounds of closed-door negotiations over responsibility and compensation have so far come to nought. China accuses Taiwan of evasion and Taiwan accuses China of “absurd” demands like wanting the Taiwanese officers to go to the mainland for questioning.

Chinese officials have publicly rejected the existence of the prohibited waters line. Such a statement is consistent with Beijing’s claim over Taiwan, but the line had been tacitly respected since its demarcation in the 1990s. In the days after the collision, China’s coast guard launched extra patrols, one stopping and boarding a Taiwanese tour boat for inspection and scaring the passengers, and some others crossing into Kinmen’s waters.

Experts say both sides are clearly trying to avoid seriously escalating the incident, but the Chinese reaction also fits a pattern of using an incident to establish new norms and encroach on Taiwan’s borders.

The starkest example of this tactic came in August 2022, when the US speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan . In response, Chinese military incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone increased and crossings of the median line – Taiwan Strait’s de facto border – have become a regular occurrence.

Around Kinmen, “Beijing has been careful to avoid looking excessively provocative even while using the incident to try to undermine Taiwan’s authority,” says Amanda Hsiao, a Taiwan-based senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group.

“The use of law enforcement patrols as a means of signalling displeasure is likely to continue, but Beijing may also choose to dial the frequency and intensity of those patrols up or down in response to events”.

Last week the director-general of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Tsai Ming-yen, told parliament that China was running “joint combat readiness patrols” on average every seven to 10 days in an effort to normalise the activity.

The end of the ‘silent agreement’

On Kinmen, residents are relaxed, and dismiss the recent furore as bad faith parties “internationalising” a tragic accident. Attitudes towards cross-strait relations and national identity are different to those on Taiwan’s main island . “The geographical economy and culture mean these two areas are always close,” says independent local councillor Tung Sen-po.

Kinmen is home to more than 140,000 people. It is a quiet, semi-rural community, with visible signs of thousands of years of culture and hundreds of being a military staging base or frontline to multiple conflicts. The economy once relied on the thousands of soldiers stationed there during and after the Chinese civil war, but has since pivoted to tourism and production of a local liquor, kaoliang. In 2020 it was Taiwan’s fifth-richest county in terms of median income.

The primary worries among Kinmen people are about the tourism economy, and the ongoing restrictions on bilateral travel and trade privileges between their island and Xiamen, which were suspended during the pandemic and only partially restored.

Still, there are some concerns that tensions after the capsize will deter tourists. A taxi driver and hotelier both thought fewer domestic visitors have come since the capsize incident. A couple from Taiwan’s main island, surnamed Qiu and Li, say they were worried while planning their visit, but felt reassured once they arrived.

Some residents are concerned about maritime enforcement. At a fish market in Jincheng township, vendors say some fishing crew and tour boats are nervous to head offshore since Chinese patrols ramped up.

“They are worried about safety, and we are also afraid of conflict,” says Zhang, a seafood seller.

“We don’t think there is any hostility because [fishing crews] sometimes trade at sea, [but] the problem of smuggling is very serious, and sometimes the marine patrols will take care of it, but there are few of us and a lot of them.”

In the past, China and Taiwan have cooperated on illegal activity in the strait but the future is now complicated.

Raymond Kuo, a political scientist at the Rand Corporation, says the standoff increases the risk of misunderstandings and accidents.

“Not just between Chinese and Taiwanese enforcement agencies, but also between those agencies and civilians in the area,” he says.

“Whose rules and orders should they follow? What if they receive contradictory instructions? This disagreement in enforcement jurisdictions also creates opportunities for illegal activity.”

Chinese negotiators left Kinmen weeks ago without an agreement on compensation. Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council minister, Kuan Bi-ling, has apologised for poor evidence-collecting by Taiwan’s coast guard, and expressed regret and condolences over the deaths. But Taiwan’s investigation is ongoing, and further information would not be released until it was completed, she said.

On Wednesday last week,, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, accused Taipei of stalling, and threatened further countermeasures.

Less than 24 hours later, at least two Chinese fishers were killed in another capsize, this time a registered fishing vessel near Dongding, Kinmen’s southernmost island. It was inside the prohibited waters, but the cause wasn’t clear. Chinese and Taiwanese authorities conducted the search and rescue, suggesting that at least for now, some cooperation is continuing.

But so are the increased patrols. Over the weekend , four Chinese coastguard vessels entered Kinmen’s waters on consecutive days, causing confusion among Taiwanese officials who had just sent help to the capsize.

Tung says the “silent agreement” on the border is gone now, but hopes the two sides can formalise it during negotiations.

Lu too is hopeful that the two sides can move on, and Kinmen’s unique position between the two can return to friendlier times.

“The incident could have been minimised in the first place, but now it has become an international issue,” he says.

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'Turn around immediately': Taiwan warns off Chinese coast guard boats again as tensions simmer

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Yimou Lee is a Senior Correspondent for Reuters covering everything from Taiwan, including sensitive Taiwan-China relations, China's military aggression and Taiwan's key role as a global semiconductor powerhouse. A three-time SOPA award winner, his reporting from Hong Kong, China, Myanmar and Taiwan over the past decade includes Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, Hong Kong protests and Taiwan's battle against China's multifront campaigns to absorb the island.

Prince Harry's landline calls bugged by Murdoch papers, lawyers say

Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid papers bugged Prince Harry's landline phones and accessed the messages on the pager of his late mother Princess Diana, the British royal's legal team told London's High Court on Thursday.

China blasts US declaration of ‘ironclad’ alliance with Philippines

Blinken’s pledge that US forces stand ready to defend key ally prompt Beijing to accuse Washington of interfering.

China has lashed out after the US secretary of state pledged that his country stands ready to back the Philippines, Beijing’s regional rival.

Antony Blinken promised on Tuesday during a trip to Manila that Washington retains an “ironclad” commitment to defend the Philippines. The United States has been deepening diplomatic and military contacts with its ally recently as tension with China rises.

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Beijing promptly responded to the US official’s statement, insisting that the US has “no right” to interfere in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have competing territorial claims.

Tension has risen in recent months, with incidents including a collision between Philippine and Chinese vessels near disputed reefs.

“These waterways are critical to the Philippines , to its security, to its economy, but they’re also critical to the interests of the region, the United States and the world,” Blinken said at a joint news conference with counterpart Enrique Manalo.

Several countries in the region maintain competing territorial claims to the waters of the South China Sea. China, however, claims almost the entire area .

China , which has accused Washington of using the Philippines as a pawn, quickly sought to hit back.

“The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in maritime issues that are between China and the Philippines,” said foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian.

US military cooperation with the Philippines “should not harm China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, let alone be used to prop up the Philippines’ illegal position”, he added.

Reporting from Manila, Al Jazeera correspondent Barnaby Lo said Blinken had been clear to note that only an armed attack against the Philippines would invoke the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty sealing Washington’s obligation to defend its ally.

China, he signalled, had not engaged in any armed attack, deploying what analysts call “grey zone tactics” using “water cannon and military-grade lasers”.

Meanwhile, the US had been helping the Philippines to “shore up its defence capabilities,” making the country the largest recipient of US military aid in the Asia Pacific from 2015 to 2022.

‘Hyperdrive’

Ties between the Philippines and China have soured amid the recent rise in maritime confrontations, especially around the Second Thomas Shoal, which lies about 200km (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000km from China’s southern Hainan island.

Manila has accused China’s coastguard of a policy of aggression. Beijing has maintained that Philippine vessels are intruding in its territory.

Meanwhile, there has been a marked improvement in relations between the US and the Philippines since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr came to power in 2022.

Meeting the head of state on Tuesday following his talks with Manalo, Blinken said relations between the two countries were now in “hyperdrive”.

In the past year, Manila has nearly doubled the number of its bases accessible to US forces, including three new sites facing Taiwan, which is also resisting pressure from Beijing, which claims the island state as its own.

Military exercises featuring US and Philippine forces have widened lately to include joint air and sea patrols over the South China Sea and close to Taiwan. China has viewed these war games as provocations.

US President Joe Biden is due to host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a summit in Washington in April to discuss economic ties and the Asia Pacific region.

China and Taiwan launch joint rescue bid after boat capsizes near sensitive islands

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan dispatched coast guard boats on Thursday to join a rescue mission at China’s request after a fishing vessel capsized near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands , amid heightened tension in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island’s strong objections, and has stepped up military activities near it in recent years, with almost daily incursions into air defense identification zones.

Authorities on both sides sent the rescue boats after a Chinese fishing vessel capsized in the early hours, Taiwan’s coast guard said in a statement, adding that two people were missing, though two had been rescued and two bodies retrieved.

Coast guard chief Chou Mei-wu told a parliamentary committee the boats were sent after Chinese authorities sought help, adding that such requests were common, with 119 people rescued in such efforts over the past three years or so.

“The waters are narrow around the Kinmen-Xiamen (area) and co-operation between Taiwan and China is very important,” he said, referring to the neighbors’ cities that face each other across the strait.

Taiwan sent four coast guard vessels and its Chinese counterpart six to participate in the rescue effort, the coast guard said.

Last month, China’s coast guard began regular patrols around the Kinmen islands close to its coast, after two Chinese nationals died while trying to flee Taiwan’s coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters.

The Chinese fishing boat capsized about 1.07 nautical miles west of Taiwan’s Dongding island, the coast guard said, with armed forces stationed there also engaging in the rescue, but did not elaborate.

In a statement, Taiwan’s Kinmen defense command said it had not received any request from Chinese authorities to search the island, but added that any survivors found would be handed to the coast guard.

Last week, Taiwan’s top China policy-making body urged its giant neighbor not to change the “status quo” around the waters there by sending coast guard boats into restricted areas, saying tension should be “controllable.”

As fears of war brew, China and Taiwan are still joining forces to rescue lost fishermen, Taipei says

• Taiwan and China authorities are still working together on at least one front: coast guard rescue.
• Taiwan's coast guard has helped China with 17 rescues in the last three years, the agency's chief said.
• Both coast guards launched a joint operation to search for Chinese fishermen on Thursday.

Taiwan's coast guard has run more than a dozen joint rescue operations with China in the last three years, the agency's chief said on Thursday — marking a rare area of cooperation between both governments amid mounting tensions.

Chou Mei-wu, the director-general of Taiwan's coast guard, made the comment in parliament on the same day that his agency announced one such joint effort.

Taiwan's coast guard said it's working with Chinese authorities to rescue crew from a Chinese fishing boat that capsized early Thursday morning near the Kinmen Islands.

The boat was carrying six crew, two of whom were found dead while another two were rescued, Taiwan's coast guard said.

Taiwan dispatched four vessels and China sent six to search for the remaining pair, per the agency.

"In the last three years, we had 17 such cases where they asked us for support, and we rescued 119 people," Chou told legislators.

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The joint rescue comes as Beijing's posture toward Taiwan — which it says falls under China's jurisdiction — grows increasingly hostile. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed that reunification is "inevitable," and hasn't ruled out using force to take the self-governed island.

Taiwan in January re-elected the Democratic Progressive Party, which aims to resist Beijing, indicating growing island-wide resentment toward absorption by the mainland.

Despite the tensions, China remains one of Taiwan's most important trade partners, with Taiwanese investments in the mainland totaling $203 billion in the last two decades . But cross-strait investments have fallen to 20-year lows as the threat of war looms and US-China tech disputes rise.

Indeed, Chou revealed the statistics on coast guard cooperation at a four-hour parliamentary hearing discussing the Chinese Communist Party's "normalized intrusion and threats" to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, some on Chinese social media treated the recent joint effort as a sign of Taiwan becoming more subservient to mainland rule. Yet many also expressed unhappiness that the incident was portrayed as Taiwan helping China, and therefore taking the lead.

In February, tensions flared again when a Chinese fishing boat carrying four people capsized in the Taiwan Strait while being pursued by Taiwan's coast guard.

Two of those on board died, while Taiwan temporarily detained the other two.

Taiwan's coast guard said the boat lost balance on a sharp turn. However, China has accused Taipei of lying after one of the fishermen claimed to state media that the coast guard rammed his vessel.

Watch: China shows how it would attack Taiwan as tensions rise

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