German Superyacht Conference 2026: High-tech and luxury at the centre of the family get-together

Many things about this industry meeting remained the same, such as the conference room in the Hotel Hafen Hamburg, the moderator Michael Antwerpes and the warm welcome from the editor-in-chief of the superyacht magazine Boote Exclusiv, Martin Hager. But some things were new, such as the format in which the sponsors introduced themselves. Instead of a welcome round at the beginning, the companies (Pantaenius, Pianohaus Möller, Oldenburger, Panoblu, Nomen and HB Technics) brought along short videos, which they interspersed between the presentations.

The panel discussion, chaired by Dr Tim Schommer and Dr Volker Lücke (law firm Clyde & Co), with Dr Heiko Herold (security policy expert), Dr Justus Reinke (Lürssen), Dr Kolja auf der Heide (Yachtwerft Meyer) and Benjamin Bäker (Oldenburger) was also new. The speakers included Tanno Weeda (De Voogt), Michael Jost (eD-Tec) Hermen de Jong (Royal Huisman), Dr Julia Riedmeier, (Code\Luxe), Sascha Meinhardt (Quantum) and Thedodoros Fotiadis (Astra Nord).

German Superyacht Conference with piano concert

That was a surprise. Pianohaus Möller had set up a grand piano on the stage, but the "Sabre Dance" was played "remotely", i.e. at the headquarters in Rostock. The music came into the hall via the screen, but primarily via the piano on site, which played along in real time. Owner Peter Möller: "On yachts, the piano on board plays like a radio or gives a remote concert." A special anchoring system fixes the instrument securely on board.

Immediately afterwards, Tanno Weeda took over the microphone, Head of Design at De Voogt Naval Architects spoke about the various steps leading up to the yacht, from the white sheet of paper to the finished concept. The Dutchman picked out some illustrious examples, such as the Nemo Lounges on board the Feadship projects "Breath" and "Savannah". Here, guests sit deep down in the belly of the ship and look out over the underwater world through large windows.

100 per cent clean

"The world is going electric" was the motto of the former chief strategist at Volkswagen. Michael Jost emphasises the role model function that superyachts have in terms of clean drives. He founded eD-Tec to push the topic forward, with the aim of further developing simple and robust motors along with powerful batteries and efficient boat hulls with foils. He relies on synthetic alcohols for the additional fuels required, and he is telling the shipyard representatives present: "Make your yachts fit for methanol!"

Hermen de Jong, Innovation Manager at Royal Huisman, looks at two yachts under construction, an 85-metre sloop and an 81-metre schooner. He then picks out the 60 metre long sailing yacht "Sarissa" (2023) as an example of an environmentally friendly design. The diesel-electric drive enables silent hotel operation for eight hours. When the two rotating propellers are not in use, they retract into the hull at the push of a button. Aera" with a fixed wing sail also shows what "the future can look like", says de Jong, "We like to bring a bit of excitement to the market."

Beautiful things, great challenges

Dr Julia Riedmeier then spoke about luxury trends and what they mean for the yachting industry. "Luxury is motivating and can create a bridge to the ideal self," says the lecturer and founder of the consultancy and trend studio Code\Luxe. The Munich native took the audience at the German Superyacht Conference on a journey around the term and to well-known examples of luxury made in Germany, such as cars, suitcases and even boats. She sees yachts at the top of the luxury pyramid, although they are surpassed by residences. Luxury is more commonplace today than it used to be, and increasingly younger customers expect their favourite brand to be more accessible to them.

The novelty of the day was the panel chaired by lawyers Dr Tim Schommer and Dr Volker Lücke. Against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation, security policy expert Dr Heiko Herold, Dr Justus Reinke (CEO of Lürsen), Dr Kolja auf der Heide (Managing Director of Meyer Werft) and Benjamin Bäker (CEO of Oldenburger Interior) took part in the discussion: Where is yacht building going in Germany, how are you using AI, how secure are the supply chains in relation to China? When asked what the managing directors would like to see from politicians, they explain: "more decisiveness, deregulation and an improvement in competitive conditions". Or as Dr Justus Reinke puts it: "Step on the gas, clear course!"

Remedy for seasickness

Sascha Meinhardt, Sales Manager at Quantum, looks back on 40 years of experience with stabilisers. 80 percent of superyachts made in Germany over 60 metres have "his" products on board. Meinhardt explains the causes of and remedies for seasickness, and also describes how gyro and fin systems counteract the rolling and pitching of a yacht. The new F 45, for example, is 60 per cent more effective than the "old" models and is also "significantly quieter and more efficient".

The German Superyacht Conference was concluded by Theodoros Fotiadis, yacht designer based in Berlin and recently founder of Astra Nord shipyard in Stralsund. He says that Germany still stands for technical precision and that he wants to fill the gap in the market in the 65 to 70 metre range and strengthen "the superyacht business" in general. Building on the basis of prepared platforms guarantees quality, is faster and predictable and reduces the technical risk. When asked how he manages to juggle both tasks, designer and shipyard boss, he just laughs: "I like problems."

The entertaining and informative presentations ended at around 6 p.m. and the guests moved to the bar to network. Save the Date: The Superyacht Conference 2027 will take place again on the last Thursday in February.

Video: Impressions of the German Superyacht Conference 2026