It’s anchors aweigh at the 67th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), the most over-the-top and off-the-deck show yet.
“Boats just keep getting bigger,” said Megan Lagasse, marina director at the show’s Superyacht Village and at Pier Sixty-Six. “That’s been the one constant in this business.”
Running through Nov. 1, the world’s largest in-water boat show generates an astounding $1.79 billion in economic impact annually and supports some 100,000 jobs across South Florida. It’s also a heck of a spectacle for all who attend (single-day adult tickets start at $48; children under six attend free with a ticketed adult). And you definitely don’t need to be shopping for a yacht to have a great day at FLIBS.
“Walking the docks and stepping aboard some of the world’s most remarkable vessels is an experience in itself, and that’s the heart of the show for a lot of our visitors,” said Andrew Doole, president of Informa US Boat Shows, which produces the show.
There is fun to be had at the floating pickleball court at Las Olas Marina and at the Broward County Convention Center, home to the FLIBS Kids Corner and Don Dingman’s kids fishing clinics.
Those who bought into the Windward VIP Experience — an upgraded pass packed with perks — will get chow by Chef Ryan O’Sullivan of “Hell’s Kitchen” and Chef Dave White of “Below Deck” and “Chopped.”
Getting around is part of the fun, too. Doole suggests hopping on the water taxi or taking a free shuttle connecting you to all six show locations.
This year, the boat everyone is buzzing about is Oceanco’s Draak, clocking in at a wow-worthy 305 feet, making it the largest vessel at this year’s show.
Launched in 2014 as a superyacht, “It’s been rebuilt from the inside out to support scientific research and deep-sea exploration as a companion to the yacht Leviathan,” said Doole.
Instead of a floating penthouse, today’s billionaire yacht owner wants “a platform for diving, research and reaching remote places,” he added. “That shift brings new skills, new jobs and new technology into our industry.”
Draak also features an onboard medical treatment area with a hyperbaric chamber and a fully equipped dive center.
“Getting somewhere remote is only part of the equation,” said Oriana Schneps, owner of the Yacht Edit, a marketing agency for the industry. “Being prepared when something goes wrong should be just as important, but very often, it’s not.”
Schneps also singles out the unique, high-design superyacht Ikigai, the first Sirena 118, which is being showcased at FLIBS. “She was so busy during the European shows that I couldn’t get aboard, and it’s easy to see why,” she said. “Moss green, burgundy and mustard bring so much personality to the interior, alongside unexpected details like pressed leaves encased in glass, decorative peacock-feather surfaces and seashells incorporated into countertops.”
FLIBS will also feature a range of innovative hybrid-propulsion and electrified vessels.
“Owners aren’t going to embrace something just because the industry tells them it’s innovative,” said Tampa-based Chuck Cashman, senior vice president of global yacht sales at MarineMax. “Give them quieter operation, less vibration, greater efficiency and a better experience at anchor, and suddenly the technology sells itself.” (To see this trend firsthand at FLIBS, step aboard The Pearl 100 Hybrid, “the builder’s largest and most advanced model yet and its first with a hybrid powertrain,” said Doole.)
Monaco-based Anders Kurtén, CEO of Fraser Yachts, calls out another yachting trend that you’ll spy front and center at this year’s show.
“Particularly among younger clients, there is an expectation that much of their lifestyle on land can come with them,” he said, adding that today’s yacht crew members are expected to show up with multiple languages, a deep understanding of food and wine, and the ability to plan wellness programs. “The yacht might need to function as an office, a wellness space, a restaurant, a family home and an exploration platform during the same trip.”
At FLIBS, the Princess X90 makes its North American premiere with the yacht manufacturer’s “first expandable beach club cockpit, with fold-down balconies on both sides and curved patio doors joining the indoor and outdoor entertaining areas,” said Maryline Bossar, yacht broker and COO at Current Yachts.
Better still, the aft deck can accommodate an optional glass-fronted hot tub and a hydraulic swim platform with a graduated staircase.
You’ll also see this trend aboard the Absolute Navetta 66, another FLIBS debut. Bossar said its standout feature is a fourth cabin set above sea level, with a view of an infinity pool, oak flooring and a sofa that converts electrically into a double bed, steps from the swim platform.
At the show, the Galeon 570 SKY offers a “Beach Mode” package with fold-down balconies that create additional space above the water, while the new Princess C48 features an unusually open indoor-outdoor layout designed to bring passengers closer to the water.
At the same time, AI is changing the way yachts work. Camera-based assistance, smarter routing and docking support are becoming increasingly common, helping captains interpret conditions and make better decisions. During Schneps’ visit to Oceanco’s 364-foot Leviathan at the Monaco Yacht Show, robots greeted visitors on the aft deck, while robotic dogs retrieved used welcome towels.
“Bringing robots and AI onto private yachts understandably raises questions about privacy, security and safety,” Schneps said. “However, I see real potential in handing repetitive, physically demanding or hazardous tasks to machines, giving crew more time to focus on guests and work that requires human judgment.”
Whether you’re shopping for the ship of tomorrow or simply daydreaming, there’s no better ticket.
Yachts to watch: Four of the top showstoppers
Oceanco Draak
At a mighty 305 feet, this former pleasure yacht, originally delivered in 2014, was entirely overhauled for research and exploration, complete with a dive center, decompression chamber and 12.6-tonne crane. It’s the FLIBS 2026 “Queen of the Show.”
“The boat everyone will be talking about is Draak,” said Andrew Doole, president of Informa US Boat Shows, noting that it’s on display, not for sale. “It’s a superyacht built to work, and it shows people a side of yachting they rarely get to see.”
But as big as it is, Draak is just a companion to Leviathan, the 364-foot Oceanco superyacht delivered last year to Gabe Newell, the American video game kingpin and owner of yacht manufacturer Oceanco.
Royal Hakvoort Shipyard Scout
Measuring 209 feet long, this ice-class explorer, with a helideck and a range of 4,800 nautical miles, is the polar opposite of your average pleasure craft — literally.
“Clients are looking beyond familiar itineraries in the South of France or the Caribbean and asking where else they could go, what they could discover, and how they want to spend their time,” said Kirsten Schwalgien, a superyacht designer and founder of Barcelona-based Schwalgien Yacht Design. “[Scout’s] ‘ice class’ gives that desire to explore a practical foundation, opening up possibilities for travel in colder, more remote regions.”
But getting to remote “there” ain’t cheap. It’s currently on the market for about $106 million with Fraser Yachts.
Feadship Rock.it
Another Feadship marvel, this long-haul vessel boasts a staggering range of 5,300 nautical miles and is just shy of 200 feet long. Meticulous planning went into every detail of this six-cabin oasis, delivered in 2014 and updated inside in 2024.
Sit back and enjoy the good life in the main salon (which can be converted into a cinema), mingle in the skylounge or spend endless hours on the sun deck, complete with a Jacuzzi, a fully equipped bar and shaded seating.
The dining table is crafted from 188 hand-cut pieces of Macassar ebony, and the owners’ bathroom vanity is carved from a single block of Portoro Gold marble. If that doesn’t sound very rock ’n’ roll, check this out: The illuminated yacht sign at the stern was designed so that parts of the “R” and the top of the “O” do not light up, creating a secret four-letter saying.
It’s currently on the market for $47.9 million with Denison Yachting.
Oceanfast Idol
This 2007 vessel measures 196 feet long. Sleek and streamlined, the Australian shipbuilders at Oceanfast and its parent company, Austal, know what they’re doing when it comes to designing a yacht with a roomy layout.
They also know that discerning yacht owners want all the bells and whistles. Here, those extras come in the form of a helipad, a gym with TechnoGym equipment, an outdoor teppanyaki grill and a Jacuzzi on deck.
Revamped in 2022, this yacht sleeps up to 14. It’s listed for $22 million with SI Yachts.
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