Running from May 14-17 at Premier's Swanwick Marina on the River Hamble, the appointment-led show focuses on direct access, side-by-side yacht comparisons, and serious buyer engagement across the sub-25m motor yacht market. As official media partner, YachtBuyer will be on site throughout the event capturing onboard tours and exclusive show coverage.
For a comprehensive overview of the lineup, head to our dedicated British Motor Yacht Show 2026 event page, where yachts are organized by debut status and YachtBuyer review coverage.
Three Premieres Lead the 2026 Show Lineup
This year’s edition opens with three major show premieres that collectively highlight how rapidly the owner-operator market continues to evolve across the 11m-17m size range.
Among the most closely watched arrivals is the new-generation Fairline Targa 47, making its British Motor Yacht Show debut following its earlier world premiere in Palm Beach. Measuring just under 15 meters, the latest Targa moves the long-running Fairline platform toward a more flexible cruising brief, with a retractable roof, adaptable cockpit arrangement, and increased accommodation usability aimed at longer weekends aboard.
Alongside it, the second-generation Beneteau Gran Turismo 35 introduces a different interpretation of modern express cruising. Designed around outdoor living, the updated 11m platform places greater emphasis on open social space, fold-down balconies, and simplified outboard-powered usability, while still retaining overnight accommodation for short stays on the water.
The Absolute 52 FLY rounds out the show’s premiere lineup from the larger end of the spectrum. At just under 17 meters, the latest-generation flybridge yacht arrives with a strong awards record already behind it, including recognition at the 2025 Motor Boat Awards. Its appearance at Swanwick gives UK buyers an opportunity to compare one of the market’s most volume-focused sub-55ft flybridge layouts alongside direct rivals from Princess, Sunseeker, and Azimut.
Read More
Proven YachtBuyer-Reviewed Models To Watch
Beyond the premieres, several of the show’s strongest attractions come from models that have already established themselves through our independent sea trials and owner-focused testing.
The Princess X80 remains one of the headline yachts attending this year’s show and one of the largest models on display at Swanwick. Following its YachtBuyer Hall of Fame induction after achieving a perfect YB 5-Star score, the X80 continues to stand out for its enclosed upper deck, flexible four or five-cabin arrangement, and unusually expansive internal volume for a yacht in this category.
Sunseeker’s Manhattan 55 also returns as one of the most proven owner-operator models attending the show. Its class-leading flybridge, practical three-cabin layout, and balanced cruising performance helped secure its own place within the YachtBuyer Hall of Fame, reinforcing its continued relevance several years after launch.
Elsewhere across the pontoons, visitors can also step aboard reviewed models including the Sunseeker 90 Ocean, Sunseeker 76 Yacht, and Azimut Fly 68, creating a particularly strong field for buyers looking to compare different approaches to space planning, helm design, and onboard usability within the modern production market.
British Builders Remain Central to the Show
Princess arrives with one of the widest ranges at the show, spanning flybridge, sportsbridge, and X Class platforms, while Sunseeker’s lineup continues to stretch from performance-oriented models through to higher-volume cruising yachts such as the 90 Ocean. For Fairline, the debut of the Targa 47 marks an especially important moment within the brand’s current model evolution, bringing one of its best-known product lines into a newer generation focused on flexibility and broader cruising use.
Together, the three builders continue to define much of the UK production yacht sector, and their concentration at Swanwick remains one of the clearest distinctions between BMYS and many larger European events.
Beyond the British Builders
Alongside the British shipyards, the 2026 lineup also presents a broader cross-section of European builders than in previous editions. Italian brands remain strongly represented through Absolute, Azimut, and Pardo, while Galeon contributes its increasingly popular flybridge and transformable deck layouts to the display. Beneteau also returns with multiple models spanning both express cruising and longer-range family boating segments.
Several newer exhibitors further widen the show’s reach, with brands such as Marex, Targa, Sasga, Haines, Viggo, and Interboat adding a broader mix of Nordic, Mediterranean, and practical cruising approaches across the marina.
YachtBuyer Partners With British Motor Yacht Show 2026
As media partner for the 2026 edition, YachtBuyer will be publishing ongoing coverage from Swanwick throughout the event, including onboard walkthroughs, social content, model highlights, and review-led comparisons from across the lineup.
With the docks now open and viewings underway, the British Motor Yacht Show 2026 once again offers a concentrated snapshot of the current motor yacht market - from compact express cruisers through to larger owner-operated flybridge platforms - while continuing to strengthen its position within the UK boating calendar.
Looking to buy a yacht? View all new and used yachts for sale, tracked in real-time by YachtBuyer MarketWatch. We scan the entire market to ensure access to all genuine listings, saving you time. Alternatively, you can view all other motor yachts for sale.
