Directory · Size Classes

Size classes

"Superyacht," "megayacht," and "gigayacht" are used loosely in casual conversation, but the industry generally organizes vessels into fairly consistent length-based classes. This section breaks down how those classes are typically defined and what changes as a yacht gets larger.

4 classes

All profiled size classes

24m – 40m (approx.)

Superyacht

Crew 8 – 15 · Guests 8 – 12

"Superyacht" is the broadest and most commonly used term in the industry, generally applied to private motor or sailing yachts starting around 24…

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60m – 90m (approx.)

Megayacht

Crew 20 – 40 · Guests 10 – 20

"Megayacht" is used, somewhat inconsistently across the industry, to describe substantially larger vessels — typically starting somewhere around 60…

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100m and above

Gigayacht

Crew 40 – 100+ · Guests 12 – 36+

"Gigayacht" is an informal term used for the small number of private yachts that exceed 100 meters in length — a scale that historically was reserved…

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40m – 90m (approx.)

Explorer Yacht

Crew 15 – 35 · Guests 10 – 20

Explorer yachts are defined less by length than by build purpose: reinforced, often steel or ice-classed hulls, greater range and fuel capacity, and…

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Size Class	Length Range	Typical Crew	Typical Guests
Superyacht	24m – 40m (approx.)	8 – 15	8 – 12
Megayacht	60m – 90m (approx.)	20 – 40	10 – 20
Gigayacht	100m and above	40 – 100+	12 – 36+
Explorer Yacht	40m – 90m (approx.)	15 – 35	10 – 20