Sardinia Records 3,176 Unique Superyachts in Summer 2026
By Stephen Yardley · Edited by Stephen Yardley
Image: CIPNES Gallura
CIPNES Gallura and UniOlbia counted 3,176 unique 24m+ superyachts in north-east Sardinia from June to August 2026, up almost 10% year-on-year.
CIPNES Gallura and UniOlbia have recorded 3,176 unique superyachts of 24 metres and above in the waters of north-east Sardinia between June and August 2026. The figure is 9.97% higher than the 2,888 yachts detected in 2025 and 27.29% above the 2,495 recorded in 2024.
The study was presented during the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 as part of Sardinia's regional programme for the internationalisation of its nautical industry. It provides one of the clearest recent measurements of how strongly large-yacht traffic is growing around Gallura and the Costa Smeralda region.
The research counted 1,139 unique MMSI numbers in June, compared with 978 in June 2025. July reached 1,870 unique superyachts against 1,672 a year earlier, while August recorded 2,039 unique yachts compared with 1,864 in August 2025.
The monthly totals cannot simply be added together because the same yacht can appear in more than one month. The 3,176 figure is the de-duplicated total for the full June-to-August period, with each MMSI counted only once across the summer study window.
CIPNES reports that the increase is not confined to the best-known Costa Smeralda anchorages. Compared with 2024, both Olbia and Tavolara were up 48.5%, while Cannigione increased by 42.5%, showing broader distribution of large-yacht movements across Gallura.
The study also cautions that local-area counts include both yachts remaining in an area and yachts merely transiting through it. That is particularly relevant around La Maddalena and the Bocche di Bonifacio, where heavy through-traffic can inflate local presence figures without necessarily representing long stays.
A second phase of the study identified and profiled 291 of the 3,176 unique MMSI records, equal to 9.2% of the total sample. Among those yachts, Italian shipyards accounted for 106 builds, or 36.4%, making Italy the largest builder nation represented in the profiled group.
The ownership-sector analysis found finance and investment associated with 42 profiled yachts, or 14.4%, followed by manufacturing with 35 yachts, or 12%. Fashion, luxury and consumer goods accounted for 27 yachts, while real estate, construction and infrastructure represented 25.
The growth supports the case for further investment in refit, technical services, marinas and shore-side infrastructure in north-east Sardinia. A larger and more widely distributed 24m+ fleet creates demand not only for berthing and hospitality but also for engineering, logistics, provisioning, crew services and maintenance capacity.
For Superyacht Guide market intelligence, the study is especially useful because it counts unique MMSI records rather than marina reservations or anecdotal sightings. That makes it a stronger indicator of actual fleet presence and gives Sardinia a measurable year-on-year benchmark for large-yacht traffic.
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