The Yacht Market

What The Yacht Market does

TheYachtMarket (legal entity TheYachtMarket.com Limited) is a UK-based, founder-owned online boat marketplace headquartered in Southampton, founded in 2003 by Richard W. Roberts and Simon White. The platform operates a two-sided marketplace connecting boat sellers—both private individuals and professional brokers/dealers—with buyers worldwide, spanning vessel types from sailing dinghies to superyachts. At the time of capture the platform listed roughly 23,629 new and used boats across 394 search pages, a directory of 600+ brokers concentrated in the UK (219), Spain (70), Netherlands (53), France (51), the US (45) and other markets, plus a smaller charter section (~77 listings). Marketing materials claim reach to 4 million boating enthusiasts, and the interface is localized across six languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch).

The core technology is a web-based listing, search and broker-directory platform supporting multilingual access and advanced filtering (boat type, country, fuel type, keel type). The company has built adjacent proprietary components: Stantia CRM, a customer relationship management system purpose-built for the boat sales industry (separate domain stantia.com); an API and datafeed layer enabling brokers to import/export inventory to and from other marine portals; and it was a founding participant in the 2007 Open Marine Initiative, an open standard for boat data exchange. Third-party integrations include Smart Currency Exchange (real-time FX on listing pages) and Yacht Share for fractional co-ownership.

The revenue model is mixed: private sellers pay a one-off fee for a three-month listing (unlimited photos, video, 360° tours, and reporting), while professional brokers and dealers pay recurring subscriptions for full-inventory advertising, datafeed/API access, broker-directory promotion and a dedicated account manager; charter operators list vessels for hire. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and professional tiers are quote-based. Go-to-market blends self-serve PLG for private sellers and buyers with a sales-led/account-managed motion for brokers, supported by SEO, email newsletters, content marketing, PR (via The MTM Agency) and boat-show sponsorships. The business is privately held, with no disclosed external funding, and operates with a headcount of 1–10.

Name

The Yacht Market

Legal name

TheYachtMarket.com Limited

Website

https://theyachtmarket.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TheYachtMarket is a UK-based online boat marketplace connecting private sellers and professional brokers with buyers worldwide, listing ~23,600 vessels across six languages, monetized via one-off private listings and recurring broker subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Seller Listings: One-off cost advertising for individuals selling their own boat privately. Advert lasts for three months with unlimited description, photos, videos and 360 degree virtual tours. Live statistics and reporting tools included.
2. Professional Broker/Dealer Subscriptions: Advertising service for brokers and dealers to list their entire boat inventory. Includes import/export of boat listings from/to other portals, promotion in Broker Directory, and Dedicated Account Manager support.
3. Charter Listings: Boat charter listings available on the platform alongside sale listings, allowing charter operators to advertise vessels available for hire.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TheYachtMarket operates a global online boat marketplace that connects private boat sellers and professional yacht brokers/dealers with buyers worldwide, listing 23,629+ new and used boats across power, sail, and commercial categories. The platform is available in 6 languages and offers tailored advertising services: one-off 3-month listings for private sellers and subscription-based inventory advertising with dedicated account management, datafeeds, and API access for professional brokers. Complementary offerings include the Stantia CRM (proprietary boat-industry CRM), a curated Yacht Broker Directory, charter boat listings, and editorial/news content.

Product overview

TheYachtMarket operates as a multi-module maritime commerce platform comprising a core global online boat marketplace (TheYachtMarket.com) alongside complementary professional tools. The platform enables boat buying, selling, and chartering through a searchable database of over 23,600 new and used boats. Supporting modules include Stantia CRM (a proprietary boat-industry-specific customer relationship management system), professional broker services with datafeeds and API access for inventory synchronization with other marketplaces, a global broker directory, and charter boat listings. Additional value-added services include a boating articles/news content hub and email newsletter. The platform is accessible in six languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch) and serves both private sellers and professional brokers/dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TheYachtMarket.com Online Boat Marketplace Global online boat marketplace connecting private boat sellers and professional yacht brokers with buyers worldwide, available in 6 languages and listing 23,629+ new and used boats across power, sail, and commercial categories.
• Private Seller Advertising One-off advertising service for individual boat owners selling their own boats privately (for sale by owner). Includes a 3-month advert with unlimited description, photos, videos, and 360-degree virtual tours, plus live statistics and reporting tools.
• Professional Broker Services Subscription advertising service for yacht brokers and dealers to advertise their entire boat inventory, import/export listings from/to other portals, get promoted in the Broker Directory, and receive a dedicated Account Manager.
• Stantia CRM Proprietary customer relationship management system developed by TheYachtMarket specifically for the boat sales industry, designed with brokers in mind to streamline workflows and manage leads, listings, and client relationships.
• Yacht Broker Directory Comprehensive directory of yacht brokers worldwide (600+ verified professionals across multiple countries), allowing buyers to find and contact professional brokers and dealers; only lists brokers who advertise boats with TheYachtMarket.
• Charter Boat Listings Boat charter service allowing operators to list vessels available for charter rental alongside sale listings, with pricing options per hour, day, week, or month.
• API Services Programmatic API access to TheYachtMarket platform enabling third-party integrations, data feeds, and automated listing management for professional brokers and dealers.
• Datafeeds Data feed services allowing professional brokers to import/export boat listings from/to other marine marketplace portals, enabling inventory synchronization across platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 million boating enthusiasts worldwide reached through advertising
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Qatar Boat Show 2025minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 September 2025TheYachtMarket.com announced as Official Media Partner for Qatar Boat Show 2025. This partnership enhances visibility in the Middle Eastern marine market and positions the platform as a global industry leader.
• The MTM AgencyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 August 2024TheYachtMarket.com appointed The MTM Agency to lead global communications and PR programme, enhancing their public relations and marketing communications efforts worldwide.
• Southampton International Boat ShowminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2023Sponsorship of TheYachtMarket.com Sparkling Wine Bar at the Southampton International Boat Show. Digital sponsor for BOATS2020 presented by Southampton International Boat Show Ltd.
• British MarinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheYachtMarket is a proud member of British Marine, part of a powerful network that underpins success, credibility, and global reach across the marine industry. They work together to drive strength, visibility and growth.
• Open Marine InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2007, co-founders Richard W. Roberts and Simon White were among the founding members of the Open Marine Initiative, which established an open standard for boat data exchange, bringing greater transparency and trust to the market.
• StantiacoreTechnology or IntegrationTheYachtMarket developed Stantia CRM - a powerful customer relationship management system built specifically for the boat sales industry. Designed with brokers in mind, it streamlines workflows and helps manage leads, listings, and client relationships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YachtWorld: Largest global online yacht marketplace, owned by Boats Group. Directly competes with TheYachtMarket.com in boat listings, broker directory and international audience; closest peer given overlapping inventory focus and professional broker customer base.
• Boat Trader: Leading US-focused boat marketplace owned by Boats Group. Directly comparable in business model (private seller listings plus professional broker subscriptions) and a primary competitive reference point for TheYachtMarket's US expansion plans.
• Rightboat: Global online boat marketplace with listings across multiple countries and languages. Closely mirrors TheYachtMarket's marketplace-plus-broker-directory model at smaller scale and serves as a near-direct European/international competitor.
• Boats.com: Global boat listings and editorial platform owned by Boats Group. Comparable in combining marketplace listings with editorial/news content aimed at boat buyers, overlapping directly with TheYachtMarket's core marketplace plus articles offering.
• Apollo Duck: UK-focused online boat classifieds marketplace. Directly comparable in business model (private and broker listings for sale and charter), competing for the same UK private-seller and small-broker segment that anchors TheYachtMarket's home market.

Broad incumbents

• Boats Group: Dominant marine marketplace operator owning YachtWorld, Boat Trader and Boats.com. Provides the broader industry context against which TheYachtMarket competes; not a direct single-product peer but the principal aggregator TheYachtMarket challenges via multi-language and broker-services focus.

Regional players

• Scanboat: Scandinavian-focused boat listings marketplace. Operates the same listings-and-broker model but primarily serves Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland; relevant comparator for TheYachtMarket's Northern European broker coverage and multilingual strategy.

Emerging players

• Yacht Hub: Smaller yacht-focused listings platform. Comparable in offering broker listings and yacht search; smaller scale than TheYachtMarket but addresses the same niche professional-broker segment with overlapping inventory types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theyachtmarket
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theyachtmarket-com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Yacht Market