Motor Yacht Review | 2025

By Hugh Rayner

Style is never out of fashion, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder – two sayings I have been thinking about a fair bit during the last twelve months. Why do we buy the boat we do? What do different shapes do to different minds? What makes one boat click for one, whilst the same thing totally turns another off? The psyche of the boat buyer is an interesting one, and whilst thankfully we are not all alike, we do share the same need to float…

So how did the market look though 2024? Well, it has been defined by an interesting split during the year. Deliveries of new mass production line-built powerboats have taken a nosedive that is very much still in evidence as we head into the 2025 season. Material, labour and energy costs have all increased, and the delta between new and pre-owned has widened accordingly. As the manufacturer struggles to keep their staff on the tools, so the dealer is pressurised to take stock. As the purchasing market shrinks (due to costs of finance, and the inflated price of new build) so the dealer has to bear the cost of either owning or financing the stock that is being fed to them by the manufacturer. When the dealer cannot continue to finance the product that they are promoting, then either the dealer will fail, or they are forced to dump product onto the market to maintain cash flow. This drastic discounting is deadly for a product in a highly competitive market, and when stock levels are as high as they are today, the whole dealership and stocking cycle comes under pressure. We have sadly already seen collapses of some manufacturers, and doubtless this will be a real concern for those working in this mass production marketplace. Unless products are significantly different, we face a murky future of powerboats essentially all looking nearly identical, offering the market a relatively slim choice, with the rising costs of manufacture driving down quality, and increasing warranty spend for manufacturers and dealers. This exacerbates an already problematic trading environment. So – standing out from the crowd is not a bad thing!

On the other side of the market, the high quality, personalised and client-specific market is faring better, with niche manufacturers enjoying a resurgence of orders during 2024, which in turn has bolstered the brokerage market. More than half of our brokerage transactions in 2024 were in the traditional semi-displacement power sector, and the majority of these were from the stables of UK manufacturers. Until 2025, all UK brokerage transactions on my desk have remained in the UK, but 2025 has started with specific UK VAT-paid craft being sold outside of the UK (and thus attracting EU VAT). We have not experienced this since Brexit, and although these sales will be rare, it is encouraging to see that this market is not entirely lifeless. Sure, there are not so many good quality boats in the market generally, but we have a strong listings base, and consequently good turnover of powerboats on the Berthon gantries. Yachts sold have been generally larger than we have seen in previous years, and the quality of the listings has been key.

Windy 46 Chinook HAVILDAR II

Another significant trend has been the noticeable lack of Buyers – but is this a problem? Perhaps we have been fortunate, but in almost every transaction, the single enquirer is the person who has completed the purchase. With plentiful media available, there are no strings of viewings, and the blog, the moving image, the technical information package now ensure that the physical viewing is the very last step on the purchaser’s path. Vendors have been stoic in keeping their boats clean, well-presented, correctly maintained and well-priced, and thus the offers received have been full. Price corrections are the most blunt instrument to stir market interest, but to date, there has been no discernible softening in prices in the quality end of the market.

We really enjoy working with our colleagues in other Berthon offices, and this is key to building and maintaining profile for the whole Berthon brokerage fleet. Having regular online meetings allows us to share market thoughts, local trends and to understand what’s hot and what’s not. There is a vast depth of knowledge within the Berthon team, and, whilst perhaps we do not publicise this enough, it is a real advantage when times are more challenging. Personally, being based out of our main Lymington hub, we deal day to day with a range of motor yachts that are vastly different to the norm, from classic 1930’s commuter boats, through 1960’s vintage race boats, to cutting edge commercial kit, and thus our knowledge base is broad – yet relatively expert.

So, whatever area of motor-yachting floats your boat, we at Berthon have the tools to help with both the buying and the selling. You just have to work out which one catches your eye!

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