Sanlorenzo chairman and CEO Massimo Perotti says a strong July and August have created a flow of new enquiries ahead of a crucial run of boat shows and yachting events, with the company expecting the next 30 to 35 days to provide a clearer indication of demand.
“July and August was [a] good two months. We sold boats. There is quite good demand coming,” Perotti says.
The comments came as Sanlorenzo presented its first-half 2026 results, with the company heading into Cannes Yachting Festival with five new boats to introduce across its brands.
Hot summers generate more interest
Perotti says the combination of a hot summer and owners using their boats has generated fresh interest in new yachts, with customers now making appointments.
“We received a lot of phone calls,” he says.
“When the customer has a good holiday, they enjoy the boat. There is a need to come and see the boat show: what is new, the new model, a larger model.”
On top of this, Perotti notes that July and August generated contacts from eastern Europe, and describes the region as an increasingly important source of business – the company gave detailed insight into its geographic targets as it released its latest financial information last week.
Sanlorenzo is now entering what Perotti (pictured) describes as a “dramatic” 30- to 35-day period, beginning with the Cannes Yachting Festival and continuing through the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, the Monaco Yacht Show and the Genoa show.
“We expect to have quite a good result,” he says.
Five new boats head to Cannes Yachting Festival
Sanlorenzo’s Cannes offering includes SHE, the first model in the company’s new heritage range, with six units already sold and a number of appointments arranged for the show.
Read more about SHE and the biggest launches at Cannes Yachting Festival.
The 74Steel will also be presented. The first unit was delivered in spring 2026, with the second due for delivery in October or November. Both are diesel-electric yachts of approximately 2,000GT.
Bluegame will use Cannes for the world premiere of its BG64, while Nautor Swan will present the new Swan 80. The 24m sailing yacht had its first delivery in July in Finland.
Second-hand market offers new-build signal
One of the more significant indicators for Perotti is activity in the second-hand market.
“From the Palma show in April, and until today, many second-hand boats, maxi boats between 90 and 110 feet have been sold.” He regards that movement as a potential precursor to new-build demand.
“That is a good sign. When the second-hand market is moving quickly that is normally a sign and expectation of new boat buyers coming to the boat shows.”
That makes the autumn show circuit particularly important for Sanlorenzo, as it looks to convert the enquiries generated during the summer into new orders.
Larger yachts remain stronger
The demand picture is not uniform across the market.
Perotti says Sanlorenzo is seeing “Quite a good and strong order intake on yachts above 30 metres.”
Below that level, however, the market is softer.
He says the pressure is particularly evident below 24m, despite Bluegame maintaining what he describes as a strong position in the segment.
“The geopolitical situation does not really allow the market to come back strong for the boat below 24 metres.”
The US market is performing well overall, although smaller yachts continue to face the impact of tariffs, which the market is still digesting. “Fifteen per cent tariff for a boat below 30 metres is something.”
Swan remains the weak spot
The sailing market is another area where Sanlorenzo is seeing softer conditions following its acquisition and consolidation of Nautor Swan.
“A small problem we are facing in the last months is the Swan sailboat. The market has been pretty low.”
Perotti – citing low contact and order activity for Swan over the past six to eight months – expects the situation to become clearer during September and October.
Swan remains a relatively small-volume business, the brand builds around 25 boats a year. The Swan 80 is therefore being positioned as part of a longer-term effort to build volume and broaden the sailing range rather than as a major driver of Sanlorenzo’s overall numbers.
For Sanlorenzo, the immediate test is now the autumn event calendar. The company enters Cannes with evidence of stronger summer engagement, a moving second-hand market and continued strength at the larger end of the new-build market – but with smaller yachts, sailing and parts of Europe still requiring closer scrutiny.
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