Every charter season, shipyards push the same handful of ideas a little further: more usable outdoor space, easier handling, and interiors that blur the line between the boat and the water around it. The 2026 season is no exception, and several of those ideas are already built into yachts currently in the Maréa fleet, worth knowing about before choosing which one suits your trip.
Open-Plan Living Takes Over the Catamaran
The biggest shift in catamaran design over the past few seasons has been the disappearance of hard boundaries between saloon, cockpit and sea. Wide aft doors, level flooring between indoor and outdoor living areas, and social layouts built for groups rather than solo sailors are now the norm on newer multihulls.
The Lagoon 450 F | Divalto, based in the Caribbean, reflects this shift well. With six cabins, a flybridge and a genuinely spacious social layout across 13.96 metres, it is built around exactly this kind of open, communal living, and its solar power system adds a quieter, more self-sufficient edge to longer days at anchor.
Smarter, More Approachable Sailing Yachts
On the monohull side, the trend has moved away from sheer size and toward refinement, cleaner hull shapes, better balance under sail, and handling that doesn’t demand a large, experienced crew to feel comfortable.
The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 | Barca, based in Santorini, sits well within that spirit. At 15 metres with four cabins, a bow thruster and a teak deck, it offers a proper sailing experience without asking guests to manage any of the handling themselves, since a professional skipper is aboard throughout.
The Rise of the Flybridge
Perhaps the clearest trend across both motor yachts and power catamarans this season is the flybridge, an elevated outdoor helm and lounge area that adds a second social level above the main deck. It has become less a luxury feature and more an expectation on larger vessels.
Two Maréa yachts lead with this feature directly. The Highland 35 | Enjoy, a power catamaran in Santorini, pairs a flybridge with a BBQ setup across three cabins for up to ten guests. The Princess 50 | Vamos, based in Cape Town, brings the same flybridge layout to a more classic motor yacht profile, with radar and a flat-screen TV rounding out a vessel built for comfortable coastal cruising along the Atlantic seaboard.
Comfort at Scale for Larger Groups
At the top end of the fleet, the trend is toward genuine scale, more cabins, more crew, and amenities built for multi-generational groups or longer stays rather than a single day on the water.
In the Maldives, the Custom Built 118 | Duke of York and the SFW 31 | Alice both reflect this, each offering ten cabins and space for twenty or more guests, with water makers, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards built into the standard equipment list. The Custom Built 153 | Black Pearl, also in the Maldives, goes further still, at 46.8 metres with twelve cabins, built for guests who want the scale of a small resort with the flexibility of a private yacht.
A Quick Look at the Fleet
A snapshot of where each of these design directions currently lives across the Maréa fleet:
| Yacht | Destination | Design Highlight | From (per day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagoon 450 F | Divalto | Caribbean | Open-plan social layout, solar power | €330 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 | Barca | Santorini | Refined monohull handling, bow thruster | €780 |
| Highland 35 | Enjoy | Santorini | Flybridge power catamaran | €2,900 |
| Princess 50 | Vamos | Cape Town | Flybridge motor yacht, radar | €3,445 |
| Custom Built 118 | Duke of York | Maldives | Large-group scale, 10 cabins | €6,179 |
Booking Ahead for the Season
Yachts with the newest features and the most in-demand layouts tend to book earliest, particularly around peak summer weeks in each destination. Guests with specific dates or a particular yacht in mind are generally better placed securing the itinerary a season ahead rather than close to travel.
The Short Version
This season’s design story is really one of space and ease: catamarans opening further onto the water, monohulls getting easier to handle without losing their character, and flybridges becoming a standard rather than a luxury add-on. Several of those ideas are already sitting in the current Maréa fleet, across five destinations, waiting on an itinerary.
FAQ
What’s the biggest trend in catamaran design this season? Open-plan living is the clearest shift, with wide aft doors and level flooring blurring the line between saloon, cockpit and sea, prioritising social space for groups.
What is a flybridge, and why has it become more common? A flybridge is an elevated outdoor helm and lounge area above the main deck. It has become a near-standard feature on larger motor yachts and power catamarans, adding a second social level to the vessel.
Which Maréa yacht is best for a larger group wanting scale and space? The Custom Built 118 (Duke of York) and SFW 31 (Alice), both in the Maldives, offer ten cabins each and are built for larger groups wanting significant scale and onboard amenities.
How far in advance should I book for the 2026 season? Yachts with in-demand layouts and features, particularly around peak summer weeks, tend to book up early. Booking a season ahead generally offers the widest choice of dates and vessels.
Do newer yacht designs require more sailing experience to handle? No. Every yacht in the Maréa fleet, regardless of design or size, is chartered with a professional skipper, so no additional experience is required from guests to enjoy these newer layouts.
Which Maréa yacht best reflects the open-plan catamaran trend? The Lagoon 450 F (Divalto), based in the Caribbean, is a strong example, with a spacious, socially oriented layout across six cabins and a flybridge.
