The 8 Most Exciting Yachts at This Year’s Monaco Yacht Show

Leviathan may have been the largest yacht in the show this year, but that’s not what set tongues wagging. This 364-foot hybrid vessel (our best gigayacht of the year) breaks the yachting mould on multiple levels, which isn’t surprising considering the owner, Valve founder Gabe Newell—who also owns the Dutch shipyard that built it—made his fortune by turning the gaming industry on its head. The focus here is on the yacht’s community-driven, crew-centric approach to design and operations, from the 50-seater mess hall shared by guests and crew to the dedicated gamer’s lounge with 15 stations and two racing simulators for work, rest, and play. Even the crew quarters mirror the guest cabins in size and style with large picture windows and even larger ensuites, while low-maintenance materials, from Bolidt decking to narrow interior handrails to prevent dust settling, aim to eliminate menial tasks and maximise crew productivity. For fun, there is a basketball court, an outdoor cinema, a serious dive centre for Newell’s daily excursions, and myriad socialising hubs, not to mention a hospital and a science laboratory to complement his six-strong fleet of marine research vessels.

More than a shadow vessel to Leviathan, the 305-foot Draak is a companion yacht conceived as part of a “collaborative ecosystem,” or in other words, a side dish to the main meal. Formerly known as Equanimity and Tranquility, Draak underwent a complete rebuild that saw the wheelhouse converted into a highly functional space, the helipad reconfigured as a tender deck, and the main saloon reimagined as an experimental chef’s laboratory, all in the name of remote scientific research. A sizeable decompression chamber for advanced diving is twinned with heavy-duty lifting systems for the launch and recovery of a capable tender fleet.

Designed inside and out by British studio RWD, the 336-foot Nixie isn’t only Lürssen’s sixth delivery of 2026, but also a long-range cruising yacht with a heavy emphasis on the onboard owner experience, from grand-scale entertaining to family life at sea. A 20-foot-wide glass pool extends beyond the main deck aft. It elaborately hangs above an expansive beach club with four fold-down sea terraces, a gym and cryosauna. Even the engine room stands out with a soundproofed glass walk-through, though it’s the main deck “cabana lounge” that sets the laid-back interior scene, compounded by undulating curves and soft lines. On the top deck is a dedicated wellness centre for hydrofacial skincare treatments, lymphatic drainage, and both a nail and hair salon for extra pampering.

As the largest yacht built by Sanlorenzo to date, Silver Fox splashed onto the yachting scene as a 1,900 GT poster child for health and well-being—helped along by Alo Yoga, which chartered the 240-footer as a floating flagship during the Cannes Film Festival. The vessel has an exterior by Zuccon International Project and an interior hailing from Francesco Paszkowski. Inside, curved furniture, matte woods, and individually selected marbles bring warmth and character, while the wellness slant continues with a fully equipped gym offering up a fold-down sea terrace, a massage room, a sauna, a hammam, and a plunge pool, as well as a beach club illuminated by a glass-bottomed pool above. All those touches helped Silver Fox nab our Best of the Best award for Outstanding Detail earlier this year.

The inaugural yacht in Sirena Marine’s new steel-hulled superyacht fleet turned heads for all the right reasons, from large open entertaining areas and spacious external relaxation zones to a vast beach club with drop-down bulwarks and a distinctive master cabin with that private outdoor patio. Oozing more Ottoman sophistication than a typical private owner’s foredeck, walking into the tiled “avlu” with a pergola, optional pool, and curved stair that connects to the upper deck feels like stumbling upon a hidden gem. On the interior, textured detailing continues with ceiling ripples and statement leathered marble throughout.

Built under the project name Maranello—the historic birthplace and HQ of Ferrari—CRN’s Amor à Vida is an homage to motorsports (and yet another Best of the Best winner). Unsurprisingly, the origins of the 220-footer lie in the owner’s passion for luxury cars, as represented in the taut, sculpted exterior lines by Nuvolari Lenard. Full-beam glazing on every deck offers endless views—including a few well-placed skylights on the main deck that feed light into the sprawling beach club below. Ferrari red is the star in one of the colour-coded guest cabins, though it’s the owner’s penchant for peacock blue that leads the design, from the main deck mosaic Jacuzzi with hydromassage jets to the deep-veined marble ensuites to the bold modular seating on the sundeck.

Fitness and flow are the signature markers of Tankoa’s T52 Vitruvius, christened Spirit. The owner’s passion for workouts sees the traditional stern beach club dedicated to an all-singing gym and spa with a close connection to the sea that continues throughout the design. A refined interior palette of natural materials, soft textures, and understated detailing by Italian studio FM Architettura is supported by the owner’s love of the arts, emphasised by the careful placement of bespoke mirrors, tables, vases, and lighting specially commissioned for the yacht, with pieces even extending to the crew quarters.

Ipharra, meaning “north wind” in the Basque language, is a fitting moniker for the first hull in Sunreef’s electric sailing 100 Eco catamaran. The hull and superstructure feature nearly 2,700 square feet of Sunreef’s state-of-the-art Solar Skin technology, while the inside has generous volumes and smart design elements, including a retractable projector screen concealed within the headlining. Behind the technology, Ipharra is a bluewater sailing yacht, commissioned by an owner whose long-standing association with Le Rosey, one of the world’s most prestigious boarding schools, will see much of its time on the water dedicated to education.