Berthon Spain Yacht Sales Review | 2026

BY SIMON TURNER, HENK SIJBRANDA AND NATHALIE MIQUEL-ELCANO

BERTHON AT THE PALMA SUPERYACHT VILLAGE & INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

The last twelve months have been an important time for the Berthon Spain Sales Team. Henk Sijbranda joined us in April 2025 (just in time for the ever-important Palma International Boat Show). Tim Carbury, now Joint MD of the Berthon Sales Group, spent two and a half months in Spain getting to know the business on the ground before taking up his post at our UK HQ. The office now has two experienced sales brokers to carry us on through 2026 and beyond, working together with Andrew Fairbrass from Berthon Spain Service, and ably assisted, of course, by Nathalie Miquel-Elcano.

In 2026, our target is to work to own the yacht brokerage fleet segment from 20 metres to 40 metres. Already, just as the new year opens, we have new listings in this range including: 2007 Swan 75 SIMPLE HARMONY II, 2012 73’ Dixon custom sloop KAHUNA, 2008 Swan 66’ GANESH, and 2022 Solaris 64 PETIT CHEVAL BLANC. These yachts add to our current listings over 22m, which include a Swan 80, Swan 77, a Brenta 80 / Y8, and more.

We are also focused on the motor yacht market in 2026. Tim will work with the Spanish team to orchestrate our move into the larger yacht market in Palma from his new post, drawing on his experience in this market after 10 years yacht broking in Palma with both Fraser and Moravia. So, watch this space, as they say…

In terms of sales in 2025, there were no “stand out” deals. Business was steady through the year and we delivered on multiple mandates from owners to sell their yachts effectively at market value. In our market in 2025, yachts over 22m (70 ft) were harder to sell as buyers worried about carrying costs. More popular were the “family yacht” segment, which do not require professional crew, and we know that this was a trend in other Berthon offices. We expect that the 22m+ segment will need a reset on pricing to find new owners in 2026.

As usual, Simon sold a wide selection of Nautor Swan builds, for 2025 mostly in the 50–60ft range. At the time of writing, he has no fewer than thirteen Nautor Swan yachts listed for sale, reflecting his experience and expertise in this market, whether a classic S&S design or a more modern Frèrs model. Many of you will know Simon for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the Swan brand as well as his huge experience of the market for high-quality sailing yachts from 60 to 120 feet.

At the end of 2025, we sold METOLIUS, a stunning German Frèrs designed, Royal Huisman built, 84 ft sloop from 1992, and the third time Simon had been involved in her sale. This was a good example of teamwork, with the buyer coming via the UK Berthon office. Also, pricing was key. We had reduced the asking price quite substantially in late October. It can be noted that despite works and good care over the years, each sale saw her trade at a lower level than the time before.

Sellers must be realistic and know that despite necessary investment in care and maintenance, and even with sometimes substantial refitting, this does not add to the later sale price as much as may be presumed or hoped. The market dictates the final selling price.

Another interesting fact was that approximately 50% of Simon’s sales were to “non-European” based buyers, and the majority of those were to US buyers. Some were looking to sail in Europe, others taking off for adventures either around the world or to the Caribbean.

Henk joined the Palma team at the beginning of April 2025, and took part in his first PIBS with Berthon. Ever since, he has been building up his portfolio, with twelve yachts listed in 2025, and four sales in the second half of the year.

Looking back at the last six months, Henk comments that joining Berthon is like joining a family, with professional and friendly colleagues – each with their own skillset. To work and live on the island is a dream come true. Working with Simon, Andrew, Nathalie, and the rest of the Berthon team, he’s looking forward to the new year.

Collectively as an office, and with guidance from Tim and the rest of the Berthon Crew, our mission for 2026 is to cement our position within our target market, which is both motor and sailing yachts in the 20m to 40m range. It is a competitive market, but with the team in place in Palma and the support of Berthon globally, we are all confident that we will grow in both the number of quality listings and awareness of our brand in the important Mediterranean market.

At Berthon we are fond of saying that the voyage to excellence is never complete, but we have the expertise and infrastructure to offer great support to our clients, whether buyers or sellers. We are all highly driven to prove this in tangible results.

As usual during the year, we were actively in contact with and co-operating with our international colleagues, in Sweden, the UK, and the USA. There is always cross-over between us, and the fortnightly online meetings are vital to keep us informed about the wider marketplace. Working as a team helps us all to list and sell more yachts, which is of course the object of the game.

We also cooperate closely with the service team at Berthon Spain. MD Andrew Fairbrass is part of our sales team and brings his own perspective to the sales office. He feels the market in 2025 proved noticeably choppier than usual. Yachts in good condition from established brands sold far more readily than custom builds or boats requiring significant work. In fact, three yachts under Berthon Spain’s care, all presented in tip-top condition, sold for strong prices.

Andrew has noticed increased hesitation amongst clients when committing to larger refit projects. Owners are understandably inclined to wait, but yachts with major works looming on the horizon quickly become less attractive to prospective buyers.

Our advice to any yacht owner thinking of selling is to address as many routine service items as possible ahead of going to market. These issues will inevitably be highlighted during the survey process. Large cosmetic works, such as a full repaint, can often wait, but mechanical, maintenance, and presentation details should not.

Our guardiennage team are experts at preparing yachts for sale, ensuring they not only look right but feel right when a potential buyer steps on board. A buyer decides if they are interested 45 seconds after they step aboard, so first impressions are everything. The close synergy between our sales and service teams is a unique part of what Berthon offers. It allows us to identify and resolve potential hurdles early, often eliminating issues before they have a chance to disrupt or delay a sale.

With new listings being signed as we write, and three very nice yachts already registered for the Palma International Boat Show, we are off to an excellent start for this year and we look forward to working with you in 2026.

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