Every December, St Barths slips into its most glamorous costume. The turquoise water turns into a floating red carpet as some of the world’s grandest superyachts glide in to claim their spots for the New Year celebrations. It has become a ritual—owners, charter guests and crews converging on the French Caribbean island for sunshine, champagne, and a front-row seat to midnight fireworks.By the final week of the year, familiar giants were already holding court in the bay.
The mighty Rising Sun, 138 metres of gleaming steel, made a triumphant return after wowing onlookers in seasons past. Not far away, Kismet, Kaos and the vast Renaissance traced elegant silhouettes against the skyline, the kind of vessels that make seasoned yacht-watchers pause mid-conversation.But it wasn’t only the veterans stealing attention.
2025’s newest launches swept into Gustavia like debutantes at a ball. Moonrise, the 101-metre Feadship fresh from her delivery voyage, led the newcomers, with recent launches from Amels, Benetti, Baglietto and Royal Huisman following her wake. As of December 29, roughly 135 yachts had clustered around the island—yet by New Year’s Eve that number swelled to nearly 180.And still the parade wasn’t finished.
Smaller but no less striking craft slipped in at the eleventh hour—Dragonfly, all sleek lines and speed; the ultramodern Breakthrough; and sailing royalty in the form of Black Pearl, whose futuristic rigs whispered promises of fuel-free crossings. The freshly polished Maltese Falcon unfurled her distinctive wings once again, drawing both admiration and nostalgia.
Together, they transformed St Barths into a temporary floating metropolis—a shimmering, ever-shifting city of decks, masts and twinkling lights—ushering in 2026 with style that only the superyacht world can muster.
