Building the superyachts

They’re the kind of mega vessels which only a handful of people on the planet can afford.

We go to the Netherlands, where building and maintaining the most expensive yachts in the world is big business.

We visit Dutch yacht builder Heesen to look at the intricate design of these vessels, their opulence, and the huge amounts of money involved in building and selling them.

Plus we hear from those who actually help put the boats together.

And we get an expert view on the importance of the Superyacht sector to the country's overall maritime industry, and hear how politics, public perceptions, regulation and international sanctions have impacted the industry in recent years.

Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon

(Image: Vida superyacht 55m built by Heesen Yachts and owned by Brooks Smith moored in Malaga, Spain in April 2023 (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)