Sunreef Yachts blends AI and craftsmanship for smarter catamarans

Sunreef Yachts is pushing artificial intelligence into the place luxury catamaran buyers care about most: the build process itself. In Gdańsk, the Polish builder said AI was being used not just in design, but across recruitment, accounting, production and the onboard experience, a move aimed at trimming waste, speeding decisions and tightening customization on high-end multihulls.

Francis Lapp, Sunreef’s co-founder and chief executive, described a broad rollout that went beyond buzzwords. AI was helping generate lifelike renders and animations for virtual client tours, and it was also being used in contract drafting, while human judgment still handled the final calls. That matters on the shop floor and in the sales process, where clearer visuals and faster back-and-forth can shorten the path from first concept to signed order on a custom yacht.

The company tied that digital shift to a bigger sustainability play that has become central to its brand. On April 27, 2025, Sunreef introduced Solar Skin 3.0, which it said used AI-enhanced efficiency and smart algorithms to optimize solar output, including in shaded areas created by sails or rigging. Sunreef has also pointed to electric propulsion, smart energy management, in-house solar panels, ethically sourced finishing materials and teak-free decking as part of an eco-focused lineup built for quieter, vibration-free, fumeless cruising.

That positioning rests on a long runway. Sunreef was founded in Gdańsk in 2002, and the company says it launched the world’s first 74-foot luxury oceangoing catamaran with a flybridge in 2003, the 22.5-meter Sunreef 74. Today, it says it designs, builds and charters custom yachts from 60 to 200 feet, a range that has helped make it one of the best-known names in sailing and power multihulls. SuperYacht Times said more than 170 Sunreef yachts were already sailing the world’s oceans, while the builder’s expansion to a new facility in Ras Al Khaimah underscored demand that now stretches well beyond Poland.