It was there that the ‘Cool Breeze’ was born, a yacht which today enjoys almost legendary status. This is not just because of its striking Vespa green colour. It also embodies the essence of an idea that Michael Schmidt had developed over decades. Light. Fast. Elegant. Easy to operate. It is a yacht that enables long voyages while putting the immediate pleasure of sailing at the centre. Uncompromising.

“I wanted to build a boat that I liked to sail myself.”, he said at the time.

This statement explains a great deal about YYachts. Originally, the Cool Breeze was not intended to mark the beginning of a new shipyard. It was initially the realisation of a personal vision. However, the response was so positive that it led to the creation of something new. In 2016, Schmidt founded YYachts.

Today, ten years later, more than 50 carbon yachts have been delivered. The shipyard’s models have won international design and innovation awards, been named Yacht of the Year and established themselves as leading brands in the premium segment. The Y7 in particular has become the shipyard’s most successful model, with more than twenty units built, and has set new standards for modern performance cruisers.

Nevertheless, YYachts has remained down-to-earth to this day. Perhaps this is because the shipyard was never intended to be a purely commercial venture. Or perhaps it is because Michael Schmidt has surrounded himself with people who share the same enthusiasm.

The YYachts team consists of experienced yacht builders, designers, and sailors, many of whom have decades of industry experience. They are united by a shared conviction that the best yachts are not created by adding more technology, but by finding intelligent solutions. They always follow a principle which seems almost radical in its simplicity, the conviction that a sailing yacht should above all else be able to sail fantastically. And that is exactly what they do.

This sounds simple, but in reality it is a demanding discipline. Less weight. Less complexity. Less distraction.

Rather than cramming in as much technology as possible, YYachts focuses on what really matters out on the water. The full-carbon construction significantly reduces weight. The deck layouts are designed so that even large yachts can be sailed effortlessly by their owners, which is by no means a given in this size category.

This is precisely where that special feeling arises which YYachts owners describe time and again: lightness. Not just technically, but emotionally too. The lightness of setting sail on a whim. The lightness of mastering even a large yacht yourself. The lightness of turning the engine off and simply trusting the wind.

Take the Y8, for example. Many regard it as the most consistent embodiment of this philosophy. This 80-foot yacht combines seagoing capability with astonishing agility. Meanwhile, the Y7 has become the shipyard’s most successful model, with more than twenty units delivered and setting new standards for modern sailing in the luxury segment. With the new Y6, YYachts is applying this concept to a size that appeals to many ambitious owners.

Despite their differences, all the models have something in common. They were not developed to impress on paper. They were built to inspire out on the water.

To celebrate this milestone, YYachts will host the inaugural YYachts Cup as part of the Superyacht Cup Palma Richard Mille in June 2026. Eight Yachts will be competing. You might call it a family reunion on the water. This is perhaps the finest confirmation of the original idea. Even after ten years, Michael Schmidt and his team are still building yachts according to the same principle as in the days of the Cool Breeze: boats that he himself would love to sail. Fortunately, there are plenty of people who agree.