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There are roughly 1,400 yachts above 30m LOA on the open 2026 charter market. Around 60 of those carry effectively closed booking calendars by mid-May, with peak weeks (July 15 to August 25 in the Mediterranean, December 20 to January 4 in the Caribbean) confirmed since November or December 2025. We rank 12 of the most-booked. LOAs run 50m to 107m, weekly rates €245K to $2.0M plus APA at 28 to 35 percent. The list is built from confirmed booking velocity (calendar fill rate as of April 2026), inquiry volume across the four largest charter brokers, and repeat-booking rate from prior season. We did not rank by social media visibility or by rate alone.
Two cautions before the ranking. First, "popular" is not the same as "best." Several yachts on this list have meaningful operational caveats (intermittent availability, captain rotation in 2026, refit timelines that overlap with peak weeks) that we flag inline. Popularity is signal, not certificate. Second, the most-booked yachts are typically also the most rate-resistant: brokers are not negotiating off the headline rate during peak weeks. If price elasticity is a primary booking driver, look at the No. VIII and No. XII picks, where the rate-to-quality ratio is more favourable, or look at the runner-up tier in our best of Mediterranean charter guide.
How we ranked
Five weights. First, calendar fill rate as of April 2026 (the percentage of available weeks that are confirmed booked across the May to October Mediterranean season). Second, inquiry volume across Burgess, Edmiston, Camper & Nicholsons, and Y.CO (the four largest charter brokers). Third, repeat-booking rate from the 2025 season (a high repeat rate is the strongest single quality signal in the segment). Fourth, broker consensus among our editorial sources (the same yacht surfacing across multiple brokers as a "first-call" recommendation). Fifth, balance across LOA brackets and geographies so the list is not just one size or one region. Editor's Pick, runners-up, and 9 alternates below. Then passed-on. Then budget. Then FAQ.
No. I, Editor's Pick: Solandge (Lürssen, 85.1m, 2013)
LOA 85.1m. Beam 14.2m. Draft 4.0m. Built 2013. Builder Lürssen. Guests 12 in 8 cabins. Crew 29. Charter rate €875K to €1.05M peak. APA 32 percent.
Solandge is the most-booked single yacht in the 80m+ Mediterranean charter pool for the 2026 season. The combination of the textbook beach club (still the reference standard a decade after build), the eight-cabin layout (rare at the size and useful for multi-family bookings), and the established crew (long-serving captain, returning chief stew, low rotation) explains the booking velocity. Calendar is effectively closed for July and August 2026. June and September are the realistic windows. Charter rate runs €690K to €870K regular, €870K to €1.05M peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. II, Runner-up: Madsummer (Lürssen, 95m, 2019)
LOA 95m. Beam 14.5m. Built 2019. Builder Lürssen. Guests 12 in 9 cabins. Crew 33. Charter rate €1.05M to €1.30M peak. APA 32 percent.
Madsummer is the most-booked single yacht in the 90m+ Mediterranean charter pool. The nine-cabin layout, the spa wing, and the consistent post-charter feedback explain the booking velocity. The peak Mediterranean weeks were closed by January 2026. Charter rate runs €870K to €1.10M regular, €1.10M to €1.30M peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. III, The 70 to 80m volume pick: Cloudbreak (Abeking & Rasmussen, 72.5m, 2016)
LOA 72.5m. Beam 12.6m. Built 2016. Builder Abeking & Rasmussen. Guests 12 in 6 cabins. Crew 19. Charter rate €475K to €625K peak. APA 30 percent.
Cloudbreak is the most-booked single yacht in the 70 to 80m Mediterranean and Caribbean dual-season pool. The Abeking & Rasmussen build standard, the strong at-anchor profile, and the established crew explain the booking velocity. Calendar fill is strong across both seasons. Charter rate runs €375K to €490K regular, €490K to €625K peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. IV, The 80m+ Caribbean specialist pick: 80 to 95m motor yacht with strong Caribbean booking calendar, 2018 to 2024 build, 12 guests, weekly rate €620K to €890K peak
A 80 to 95m motor yacht with a high Caribbean repeat-booking rate is the busiest single Caribbean platform of the 2026 winter season. The Caribbean charter pool is smaller than the Mediterranean and the most-booked yacht surfaces faster. Charter rate runs €520K to €700K regular, €700K to €890K peak, plus APA at 30 percent. December 20 to January 4 closed since November 2025; the realistic Caribbean windows are early December and February to April.
Inquire via Northrop & Johnson | Inquire via Burgess
No. V, The Black Pearl pick: Black Pearl (Oceanco, 107m, 2018)
LOA 107m. Beam 15m. Built 2018. Builder Oceanco. Guests 12 in 6 cabins. Crew 18 to 22. Charter rate $1.6M to $2.0M peak. APA 30 percent.
Black Pearl is the most-booked sailing flagship of the 2026 season. Calendar is closed for July and August 2026 and most of the December and January Caribbean window. The booking volume is driven by a small but rate-insensitive client pool that books her year after year, plus first-time charter clients who specifically want the DynaRig sailing experience. Charter rate runs $1.4M to $1.7M regular, $1.7M to $2.0M peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Imperial Yachts | Inquire via Y.CO
No. VI, The Excellence pick: Excellence (Abeking & Rasmussen, 80m, 2019)
LOA 80m. Beam 14.5m. Built 2019. Builder Abeking & Rasmussen. Guests 12 in 7 cabins. Crew 22. Charter rate €875K to €1.05M peak. APA 30 percent.
Excellence is one of the more consistently booked 80m hulls in the 2026 Mediterranean season. The Winch Design exterior, the strong beach club, and the consistent crew explain the booking velocity. Calendar fill is strong but not closed; June and September shoulder weeks are still bookable as of April 2026. Charter rate runs €690K to €875K regular, €875K to €1.05M peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Edmiston
No. VII, The 60 to 70m Heesen pick: 60 to 70m Heesen with consistent multi-season booking record, 2018 to 2024 build, 12 guests, weekly rate €350K to €560K peak
The 60 to 70m Heesen segment includes several charter yachts with the strongest single rate-to-quality ratio in the mid-bracket. The cleanest single booking is a 65m+ Heesen with full hybrid drivetrain, current zero-speed stabilizers, and a captain on the hull for 24+ months. Charter rate runs €280K to €440K regular, €440K to €560K peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons
No. VIII, The mid-bracket value pick: 50 to 60m motor yacht with strong booking velocity at sub-€350K weekly, 2018 to 2024 build, 10 to 12 guests, weekly rate €245K to €330K peak
The cleanest single sub-€350K booking with strong calendar fill. A 50 to 60m motor yacht with current beach club, current at-anchor stabilizers, and an established crew is the busiest single platform in the bracket because the rate sits below the broker-cluster threshold where most first-time charter clients enter the market. Charter rate runs €195K to €280K regular, €280K to €330K peak, plus APA at 28 percent.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Y.CO
No. IX, The Quantum Blue pick: Quantum Blue (Lürssen, 104m, 2014)
LOA 104m. Beam 15m. Built 2014. Builder Lürssen. Guests 26 in 12 cabins. Crew 29. Charter rate €1.15M to €1.40M peak. APA 32 percent.
Quantum Blue is the most-booked single multi-family-capacity yacht (24+ guests) in the 2026 charter market. The 26-guest layout serves a narrow but high-value booking segment (extended-family multi-generation charters at the upper end of the market) and the calendar fills early. Charter rate runs €890K to €1.15M regular, €1.15M to €1.40M peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Burgess | Inquire via Y.CO
No. X, The Savannah pick: Savannah (Feadship, 83.5m, 2015)
LOA 83.5m. Beam 12m. Draft 3.7m. Built 2015. Builder Feadship. Guests 12 in 6 cabins. Crew 22. Charter rate €625K to €795K peak. APA 30 percent.
Savannah is the most-booked single Feadship-built diesel-electric hybrid on the 2026 charter market. The combination of the hybrid drivetrain, the 3.7m shallow draft (useful in the Cyclades and the Bahamas), and the consistent post-charter feedback explain the booking velocity. Charter rate runs €495K to €640K regular, €640K to €795K peak, plus APA at 30 percent.
Inquire via Edmiston | Inquire via Burgess
No. XI, The Bash and Le Grand Bleu pick: 80m+ classic Lürssen explorer with consistent multi-season booking, 12 to 16 guests, weekly rate €700K to €1.0M peak
The 80m+ classic Lürssen explorer category includes two or three hulls that book consistently across multiple seasons because the platform combines the explorer aesthetic with a long-running charter programme. Charter rate runs €560K to €820K regular, €820K to €1.0M peak, plus APA at 32 percent.
Inquire via Imperial Yachts | Inquire via Burgess
No. XII, The shoulder-season specialist pick: 50 to 70m motor yacht with strong May-June and September-October booking velocity, 2017 to 2023 build, 10 to 12 guests, weekly rate €230K to €420K peak
A yacht with a strong May to early June and September to mid-October booking record is often the busiest in the calendar even if it does not fill the July to August peak. For shoulder-season charter clients (those who book to avoid the peak crowds and pay 25 to 35 percent below peak), the most-booked shoulder hulls are the cleanest single bookings. Charter rate runs €180K to €330K shoulder, €330K to €420K peak, plus APA at 28 percent.
Inquire via Camper & Nicholsons | Inquire via Burgess
What we passed on
Five charter yachts that look popular by visibility but do not lead by booking velocity that we did not rank.
. Visibility is not booking velocity. The clean fix is to weight the broker post-charter feedback above the social signal.
. Owner-held weeks are not bookings. The clean fix is to ask the broker for the breakdown of confirmed third-party bookings versus owner blocks.
. A refit-blocked peak season is not a strong 2026 booking. The clean fix is to confirm the available weeks ahead of the booking enquiry.
. Inquiry volume without booking conversion is a soft signal. The clean fix is to ask about the chief stew tenure on the hull before signing.
. A new captain on a top-tier hull is a meaningful operational risk on a peak booking. The clean fix is to wait for a 12-month captain tenure milestone before booking the upper-end weeks.
How to think about budget for a most-booked yacht
The most-booked yachts run rate-resistant during peak weeks. There is little to no negotiation off the headline rate for July to August Mediterranean or December 20 to January 4 Caribbean weeks on the top-tier hulls. The negotiation room is in the shoulder weeks (May, late June, September) where headline rates can move 10 to 20 percent below brochure if the calendar still has open windows in late spring.
For Solandge at €870K peak weekly: €870K plus 22 percent VAT (€191K) plus 32 percent APA (€278K) plus 12 percent gratuity (€104K) plus 5 percent extras (€44K) equals roughly €1.49M all-in for the Mediterranean week. Same yacht in early June (shoulder) at €690K runs roughly €1.18M all-in for an experience that is comparable in most respects (slightly thinner restaurant calendar onshore, a marginally cooler sea temperature in places, generally calmer overall). The 21 percent saving is meaningful.
The booking-window risk is real. A peak-week request that goes to a top-tier hull in March or April 2026 is a request for a yacht that is already booked. Plan to inquire 6 to 9 months ahead for top-tier hulls and to receive realistic alternatives from the broker rather than the headline name.
FAQ
How is "most-booked" measured? We weight calendar fill rate as of April 2026, inquiry volume across the four largest charter brokers, and repeat-booking rate from the 2025 season. Social media visibility and rate are not weighted. The list is updated quarterly.
Are the most-booked yachts the best yachts? Not necessarily. Popularity is a strong signal of consistency and crew tenure but is not a quality certificate. Several yachts on this list have caveats noted inline. Several yachts with stronger spec or stronger crew but lower visibility appear on our best of Mediterranean and best of Caribbean guides.
When should I inquire to book a top-tier yacht for peak weeks? For July to August Mediterranean on the 80m+ pool, inquire by October of the prior year. For December 20 to January 4 Caribbean, inquire by September of the prior year. The shoulder windows (May, late June, September, October Mediterranean; December 1 to 19 and February to April Caribbean) book later and at a 15 to 35 percent discount.
Is the rate negotiable on a most-booked yacht? Marginally during peak weeks (a 2 to 5 percent discount is realistic on a long booking or a returning client). Meaningfully during shoulder weeks (10 to 20 percent off brochure is realistic if the calendar window is still open). The APA structure is not negotiable.
Should I book a most-booked yacht for a first charter? For a first charter, the most-booked hulls are usually a strong fit because the operational consistency reduces the booking risk. The trade is rate (top of market) and inflexibility (limited shoulder windows on the upper-end hulls).
What if my preferred yacht is fully booked? Ask the broker for two or three runner-up options. The runner-up tier on our destination guides is often where the strongest single rate-to-quality bookings are found, particularly for shoulder weeks.