The posh yacht business is using a wave of transformation. Constitution bookings have surged as Covid launched a brand new era of shoppers who view yachting much less as asset possession and extra as gateway to experiential luxurious. In the meantime, sustainability has advanced from business buzzword to enterprise crucial, with house owners and operators racing to scale back their environmental footprint with out compromising the ultra-high-end expertise.
Main this evolution is Anders Kurtén, CEO of Fraser Yachts, the Monaco-based brokerage with a 78-year legacy and international attain. A 25-year business veteran who beforehand spearheaded the turnaround at Baltic Yachts in Finland, Kurtén shares his insights on how the marine business is navigating this sea change—and why the long run belongs to those that can steadiness heritage with innovation.
Inform us extra about Fraser Yachts, notably your U.S. operations.
With greater than 230 specialists and 21 workplaces throughout the globe, we offer experience in gross sales and buy, new construct administration, yacht administration, constitution, luxurious yacht holidays and crew placement. Our in-house central intelligence crew offers shoppers real-time insights into market developments and pricing, whereas our international community ensures entry to the best yachts on and off the market.
The U.S. is a key marketplace for us, and we’re proud to have three workplaces right here. Our U.S. specialists are seasoned business professionals with a deep understanding of the posh yacht panorama. Whether or not advising an skilled proprietor, guiding a first-time purchaser, managing a brand new construct or refit challenge, or matching constitution shoppers with the proper yacht and vacation spot—our crew presents the data and community to make sure seamless, stress-free experiences.
What does the long run maintain for the marine business?
The way forward for the marine business is more and more formed by the rise of experiential luxurious. Yachting is not seen solely as possession of a prized asset—it’s about unlocking a life-style centered on privateness, freedom and the love of the open sea.
Covid accelerated this shift. First-time constitution shoppers surged from about 10 p.c to almost 30 p.c of bookings. This new era of shoppers—starting from youthful households to journey seekers—has broadened the demographic footprint of our business and created a extra resilient, sustainable constitution market.
Trendy yachts at the moment are designed to replicate that precedence: open layouts for connection, wellness facilities and spas, expansive seaside golf equipment, versatile water toys and multitalented crews. These yachts have turn into platforms for residing, entertaining and discovery. Effective examples are Carinthia VII, which has her personal hammam and artwork assortment, and O’Madeleine, delivered in 2025 to our Greek fleet and on show at this yr’s Monaco Yacht Present.
When it comes to locations, the Caribbean, Western Mediterranean and the Bahamas stay robust, however what shoppers are actually searching for is flexibility—last-minute escapes, immersive itineraries and seamless integration of on-board and on-shore experiences. This demand continues to drive bookings properly into 2026, underlining that experiential luxurious is just not a passing pattern, however the defining power for the following period of yachting.
How do you view your position in making certain that sustainability stays prime of your business’s agenda?
Sustainability is not non-compulsory in our business—it’s an important a part of doing enterprise. At Fraser, we see it as our duty not solely to adapt, however to guide. That’s why we have been the primary brokerage to undertake the Water Revolution Basis’s Yacht Environmental Transparency Index, which provides us clear, data-driven insights into the environmental efficiency of yachts beneath our administration.
These insights enable us to information house owners in lowering their footprint—whether or not by means of vitality effectivity upgrades, cleaner applied sciences or smarter refit selections. By way of our in-house FUTURE initiative, we’re embedding sustainable practices throughout our international workplaces: working with eco-conscious suppliers, equipping captains and house owners with our “Information to Going Inexperienced,” and championing forward-thinking tasks like ArtExplorer and Anjelif, that are setting new benchmarks for eco-conscious yacht design.
My very own dedication to this problem goes again years to my time at Baltic Yachts, the place we constructed 100-plus foot crusing yachts able to crossing oceans with out fossil fuels. The know-how exists right now to construct totally sustainable superyachts, however that’s solely a part of the equation.
Out of the 6,000 to 7,000 superyachts afloat, solely about 200 are new builds every year. The actual alternative lies in enhancing the present fleet. House owners, constitution operators and managers could make a right away distinction by means of sensible steps: switching to HVO gas, lowering cruising speeds, connecting to inexperienced shore energy and coaching crews in sustainable practices.
None of those steps are revolutionary on their very own, however collectively, they add as much as significant affect. And as one of the vital seen service suppliers within the business, Fraser is set to guide by instance—serving to shoppers make knowledgeable decisions right now that may form a extra sustainable tomorrow as a result of we consider sustainability strengthens—not compromises—the posh expertise.
What’s subsequent for Fraser Yachts?
Our focus stays on what Fraser does greatest: delivering world-class service with integrity, belief and respect, whereas staying agile and future-ready. Constitution continues to be a significant progress driver and demand stays exceptionally robust, with 2025 bookings already outpacing final yr and reservations being positioned as far forward as summer season 2026.
We’re deepening our presence in rising markets, increasing our use of know-how and investing in sustainability initiatives that may outline the business’s subsequent chapter. One yacht that captures this imaginative and prescient is Venture Grasp. Initially an offshore rescue vessel, it’s now being reworked right into a 2,801GT international cruiser designed for distant exploration with minimal environmental affect.
With the backing of MarineMax, a powerful industrial proprietor with a long-term imaginative and prescient, we have now the steadiness to spend money on expertise, know-how and new alternatives. Fraser has thrived for 78 years by combining heritage with ahead considering, and that steadiness will proceed to information us to stay “Fraser, First and Foremost.”
