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The 25 Largest Yachts in the World

The list runs from lürssen's 592-foot 'azzam' to fincantieri 439-foot 'serene,' with a fascinating group of bespoke vessels in between..

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The new arrivals in 2024 knock the mighty 436.4-foot  Al Mirqab   and  Koru , Jeff Bezos’s sailing yacht, off the list. The “smallest” yacht— Serene —measures a whopping 439.3 feet. A raft of behemoths didn’t make it, including Feadship’s 290-foot Project 821 that is launching this year, the largest build from the Dutch shipyard to date.

Two of Lürssen’s 2024 deliveries also fell short, including Project Deep Blue and Project JassJ. That said, the German yard remains top of the leader board with the immoveable 592.6-foot  Azzam . It also claims 13 of the 25 world’s largest yachts, two of which are new entries.

The list is interesting because most were built in the last 15 years, but there are several historical yachts, including  Savarona , launched in 1931, and  El Mahrousa , launched in 1865, that withstand the test of time. Others like  Yas  and  OK are conversions from other types of vessels. The inimitable  A  is a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated sailing superyacht.

Here are the world’s top 25 yachts by length.

Azzam | 592 feet, 6 inches

Lürssen could never really boast about Azzam after its launch in 2013 because of the owner’s penchant for privacy, though it did describe the interior by Christophe Leoni, which features a 95-foot-long main salon, as “inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century.” Owner Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi directed a team of designers and engineers who started with the bare concept, worked through the technical challenges of what might be the most complex superyacht ever, and finished with an unusually large vessel that can top the 30-knot mark when operating in “sprint mode”. Its gas turbines, connected to water jets, also give it the ability to operate at high speed in shallow waters. Nauta Yacht’s exterior features a long, sleek forward area, with well-proportioned tiers moving up to the skydeck. It took an impressive six million man-hours—or four years including engineering—to build.  Azzam  accommodates up to 36 guests, and a crew of 80.

Fulk Al Salamah | 538 feet, 1 inch

Little information has been released about the world’s second-longest superyacht, the custom-built Fulk Al Salamah , and it has been shrouded in mystery since it was first announced in 2014. Even the overall length of 538.1 feet has been estimated from AIS data. However, the imposing vessel, built and delivered by Italian builder Mariotti Yachts in their Genoa shipyard in 2016, is believed to be owned by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman. Last refit in 2021, the yacht has an exterior design by Studio de Jorio, and it is considered by some to resemble more of a support vessel than a superyacht. Nonetheless, aerial photography shows an impressively large helideck, raked masts, and a bathing platform.

Eclipse | 533 feet, 1 inch

The 533.1-foot stately  Eclipse , one of two yachts on this list owned by sanctioned billionaire Roman Abramovich, took five years to design and build. When it left the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg in 2010, it was the world’s largest yacht. The interior has 17 staterooms and a palatial primary suite, with the capacity to carry 85 crew. Both the interior and exterior are designed by Terence Disdale. A proportional profile is defined by tiered decks that sweep upward and bend ever so slightly at the aft ends. Eclipse  has a 185-foot-long owner’s deck, the capacity to hold three helicopters, a sophisticated stabilization system, six tenders, and an enormous spa, gym and beach club, not to mention one of the largest swimming pools on any superyacht. Hybrid diesel-electric engines are connected to Azipod drives that give Eclipse a top-end speed of 21 knots, with a range of 6,000 nautical miles.

Dubai | 531 feet, 5 inches

Even at 531.5 feet, Dubai ’s all-white Winch-designed exterior belies the dramatic and vibrant interior within. Colorful mosaic floors, a spiraling glass staircase, 70-foot-wide atrium, and bursts of red, blue, and green create a carnival of scene. Originally commissioned for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei as a joint project between Blohm+Voss and Lürssen . Known as “Panhandle,” the project was halted in 1998 with just a bare hull and skeletal superstructure. The hull was sold to the government of Dubai, and, under the direction of the country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, work on the 531.5-footer began again, though this time by Platinum Yachts. Dubai delivered in 2006 and is now the sheikh’s royal yacht, with accommodations for 24 guests and quarters for 88 crew. The SOLAS-certified seven-decked yacht has a landing pad for a Black Hawk helicopter, submarine garage, disco and cinema, and can reach a top speed of 26 knots. There’s also a waterfall that cascades from the yacht’s pool, located aft of the main deck. The yacht’s range of 8,500 nm at 25 knots gives it the potential to cruise around the world in record time.

Blue | 518 feet, 3 inches

Lürssen’s newest entry on the list, Blue , which delivered to its Middle Eastern owner in July 2022, may rank at number five out of the world’s largest yachts, but its diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system goes a long way to minimize emissions. The yacht also features an electric Azimuth pod drive that can be used independently or in conjunction with the twin propeller shafts. There is a waste-water treatment system and an advanced exhaust treatment system to help reduce NOx levels, as well as cut down on vibration and noise pollution. Interior and exterior design is by Terence Disdale, Blue is defined in profile by a raked bow with a helipad, an aft deck pool, and twin balconies forward either side of the owner’s full-beam suite. There is a second, smaller helipad aft. The British designer has reportedly penned a feminine and elegant interior, though no images have yet been released.

Dilbar | 511 feet, 8 inches

The 2016 launch of Dilbar gave Lürssen the distinction of not only building the longest yacht ever ( Azzam ), but also the largest in terms of volume. Espen Øino designed the exterior, creating a full-bodied superstructure of long, flowing decks, along with two helicopter pads,two helicopter pads, one of which has a hangar with an H175 helicopter always on standby.  Dilbar  also has an oversized garden and an 82-foot swimming pool that can hold an incredible 6,357-cubic-feet of water and according to Lürssen, is the world’s longest on a yacht. The interior by  Winch Design  is defined by its “rare and exclusive luxury materials,” says the builder, declining to go into detail. Despite  Dilbar ’s volume, the designers did a masterful job making the yacht look relatively svelte. In June 2020, Dilbar returned to Lürssen for a significant refit, where the yacht remains following U.S. sanctions placed on the owner, Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, in 2022. The yacht’s value is estimated to be $600 million.

Al Saïd | 508 feet, 5 inches

Another 500-plus-foot yacht from Lürssen, the original Project Sunflower gained its official name of Al Saïd following its launch in 2016. Espen Øino’s exterior is akin to a classic cruise liner, complete with the twin-exhaust stacks in the center of the superstructure. Owned by the Sultan of Oman, the yacht was listed for the sale for the first time in April 2022 for an undisclosed sum, but a buyer has yet to be confirmed. The six-decked  Al Saïd  can carry 154 crew and an estimated 70 guests across 26 suites. Lürssen reports a top speed of 22 knots. The London-based Redman Whiteley Dixon studio designed the interior, which includes a concert hall that can hold a 50-piece orchestra, a private cinema for 50 people; you’ll also find a medical room and dental care on board.

A+ | 483 feet, 1 inch

Very little is known about A+ (formerly Topaz) , which was launched by Lürssen in 2012. Tim Heywood Designs did the exterior, which features helipads on the foredeck and amidships on an upper deck. A lower aft deck includes a swimming pool. The German yard has not released any images of the Terence Disdale interior. Reported to be owned by Manchester City Football Club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan—Emirati royalty and deputy prime minister of the UAE— A+  is equipped with a 40-foot Vikal catamaran beachlander and is powered by six Wärtsilä engines to reach a top speed of 22 knots. It can carry 62 guests and up to 79 crew and was last refit in 2022.

Prince Abdulaziz | 482 feet, 3 inches

The 5,200-tonne Prince Abdulaziz is one of the Saudi Royal family’s yachts, its first owner being King Fahd. Designed by Maierform, the yacht was the longest and tallest in the world at the time of its launch, a title the 482.3-foot  Prince Abdulaziz  held for 22 years until  Dubai  launched in 2006. The late David Nightingale Hicks, known for his use of bright colors, was the interior designer. The lobby is said to be a replica of the Titanic . The yacht is also rumored to be carrying surface-to-air missiles, though that may be an urban legend. Launched by Helsingør Værft in Denmark in 1984, it was last refit in 2023.

OK | 479 feet

Originally built by Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding in 1982, the semisubmersible heavy lift ship was used for decades by DYT Yacht Transport as float-on yacht carrier. In 2022, the vessel underwent a private conversion at Karmarine shipyard in Turkey, turning it into a luxury, though highly unusual, yacht named OK . Modifications include a matte-black paint job, gold-tinted glazing, and teak decking. The vessel’s 328-foot submersible aft deck—a feature that first attracted her new owner, who uses OK to transport their 150-foot ketch—is now covered in a carpet of artificial grass. A 40-tonne crane allows for the safe and easy launch and retrieval of a vast range of toys, including a seaplane. The interior by Bozca Design is reported to include accommodation for 20 guests, a botanical garden, and a crazy Willy Wonka–inspired glass elevator that operates outside of the yacht’s superstructure.

Opera | 479 feet

Very little is known about Lürssen’s mysterious superyacht Opera , though it’s thought to be a rebuild of Project Sassi, which was destroyed in a fire in 2018 at the German shipyard. Now four feet longer than the first iteration, the superyacht became the 11th largest yacht in the world when it delivered to its patient owner in 2023. Exterior and interior designed by Terence Disdale, Opera has a whopping 66-foot beam and an interior volume exceeding 10,000GT. No interior images have been released yet, though judging by its two swimming pools, one with a lifting floor, and two helipads—one on the bow and one on the upper aft deck—it seems no expense has been spared.

El Mahrousa | 478 feet, 1 inch

El Mahrousa , which means “The Protected” in Arabic, is currently Egypt’s presidential yacht, though the 478.1-footer has a separate history as that country’s royal yacht. The London-based Samuda Brothers began the build in 1863, and it was launched in 1865. The world’s oldest superyacht—and formerly the world’s biggest—was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile. The yacht was also at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. It features external design by the British naval architect Sir Oliver Lang and has had multiple modifications over the years, including a lengthening by 40 feet in 1872 and another 17 feet in 1905. During the second refit, the owners replaced its paddle-wheel engines with turbine-driven propellers. The yacht, in care of the Egyptian Navy, occasionally goes to sea for a day or two. In 2015, it was used to inaugurate the new Suez Canal.

Project Luminance | 475 feet, 7 inches

Delivered in 2024, Project Luminance (the real name is yet to be confirmed) is Lürssen’s newest entry on the list. Exterior designed by Espen Øino, the yacht has a raked bow, a contrasting paint job in a dark blue hull and silver superstructure and a whopping 8,999 gross tons of interior volume. Few details are yet known about the gigayacht owned by Ukrainian mining and financial services mogul Rinat Akhmetov, including the interior by Francois Zuretti, but aerial shots reveal twin helicopter pads—one on the foredeck and another high up aft—a large beach club, and an infinity pool, with a private spa pool area on the foredeck.

A | 468 feet, 5 inches

Undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects ever delivered by German shipyard Nobiskrug, the Philippe Starck-designed A is a wild fantasy of the future. Delivered in 2017, the futuristic look of  sailing yacht  A includes smooth, silver-metallic surfaces and windows that look nearly invisible, a 26-foot draft, three composite masts that bend slightly, and a deck hidden by high bulwarks. The Philippe Starck–design is a wild fantasy yacht of the future. The 468-foot sailing yacht is a technical victory for Nobiskrug , which developed composite fashion plates to create the unusual shapes without compromising any strength or fluidity. It has the tallest freestanding composite masts on any sailing vessel, a diesel-electric propulsion system, and state-of-the-art navigation systems. The boat also reportedly has an underwater viewing platform in the keel. Starck’s traditional interior features dark wood, copper accents, and cozy patterned carpets. The split-deck main salon is divided into zoned seating areas with integrated bookshelves. A remains today the world’s largest sailing yacht six years after its launch, though many argue it is better defined as a sail-assisted yacht.

Nord | 466 feet

Nord was announced in 2015 but didn’t hit the water until its 2020 sea trials in the Baltic Sea. The 466-foot yacht features interior design by Italian studio Nuvolari Lenard and was Lürssen’s first yacht launched from its floating shed at its facility in Vegasack. Boasting top-tier amenities, the yacht includes a sports and diving center on the lower deck, multiple tenders ranging in size up to 50 feet and a large swimming pool. The two helipads support the yacht’s long-range cruising capabilities for autonomous exploration, and a retractable hangar means a helicopter can slide neatly into the superstructure for storage when not in use. A generous 20 staterooms accommodate 36 guests across six decks, while a sleek aft-sloping superstructure gives Nord an individual profile on the water.

Yas | 462 feet, 6 inches

As a converted yacht, Yas is one of the most interesting vessels on this list. The dolphin-like exterior was originally a former Dutch Navy frigate that launched in 1978 and eventually sold to the navy of the United Arab Emirates, where it was renamed Al Emirat . The yacht underwent its dramatic conversion in a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, emerging as a gleaming superyacht in 2011, with one of the most interesting profiles on the water. It was eventually delivered four years later. Reportedly owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan, half-brother of the president of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the design by Paris-based Pierrejean Vision is defined by massive glass surfaces. Yas can accommodate 60 guests and 58 crew members. Mated to a steel hull, the superstructure is the largest composite edifice ever built.

Solaris | 459 feet, 3 inches

Owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the 476-foot  Solaris  was one of the largest yachts to deliver in 2021. Last refit in 2022 at MB92 in Barcelona, the vast, highly private explorer is built by German shipyard Lloyd Werft and features a displacement steel hull with bulbous bow and steel superstructure with teak decks. The eight-deck exterior by Australian designer Marc Newson houses a large helipad, sundeck, spacious beach club aft and 21,527 square feet of glass, the largest panes to ever be built into a yacht. Lloyd Werft also built the Russian billionaire’s previous explorer yacht Luna , which he reportedly sold for $360 million to his close friend Farkhad Akhmedov in 2014.

Ocean Victory | 459 feet, 3 inches

The largest motoryacht ever built in Italy, Fincantieri’s Ocean Victory is owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, who was sanctioned in 2022. The seven-deck exterior by Espen Øino includes two helideck platforms and a hangar belowdecks, as well as exceptional outdoor social areas and a floodable tender dock. Ocean Victory has accommodations for 28 guests as well as quarters for 56 crew. The interior by Alberto Pinto remains a secret, aside from the yacht’s six pools, a 3,300-square-foot spa, and an underwater observation room.

Scheherazade | 459 feet, 3 inches

The 459.3-foot, Lürssen-built Scheherazade (formerly known as Project Lightning) was delivered in June 2020, with exterior design by Espen Øino and interior design by Francois Zuretti. Two helipads, forward and aft, and a large beach club aft are visible from aerial photographs, but aside from the yacht’s reported seven-foot beam, 40 crew and unique drone-crashing system for privacy, further details have not yet been released. The reason may lie with the yacht’s unofficial owner, believed to be Russian president Vladimir Putin. In May 2022, Italian authorities froze Scheherazade in the port of Marina di Carrara following an investigation conducted by Italian financial police who found the ship’s beneficial owner had “significant economic and business ties” to high-ranking Russian government officials, though the results of the investigation to date remain inconclusive.

Al Salamah | 456 feet

When Lürssen launched Al Salamah in 1999, it was the third-largest yacht in the world. Its number 20 ranking shows how much has changed in the last 20 years. Code-named MIPOS, or Mission Possible, the yacht was designed by Terence Disdale . Originally owned by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the yacht was put up for sale for $280 million in in 2013 before it was reportedly given to Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa as a gift. The large imposing exterior is primarily protected space, with an upper deck exposed to the elements. Al Salamah has staterooms for 40 guests, including two owner suites, 11 VIP staterooms, and eight twin cabins. The yacht can carry up to 96 crew and has a top speed of 22 knots. Al Salamah was last refitted in 2009.

Rising Sun | 454 feet, 1 inch

Designed by the original guru of yacht designers, Jon Bannenberg, Rising Sun was built by Lürssen for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and is currently owned by billionaire David Geffen, who reportedly paid $590 million for the yacht. The yacht comes with a gym, a grand piano, multiple swimming pools, a beauty salon, and a spa with a sauna. Delivered in 2004 and last refit in 2022, the yacht’s exterior is defined by banks of windows across the superstructure. Rising Sun has 86,000 square feet of living space in 82 rooms. It can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins, with the capacity to carry up to 46 crew. The interior by Seccombe Design includes a gym, cinema, and wine cellar, and the rear cockpit deck was designed as a basketball court. Geffen received global media backlash in 2020 for his “tone deaf” social-media posts that pictured himself on board his yacht during Covid-19 lockdown.

Flying Fox | 446 feet, 2 inches

The 446.2-foot  Flying Fox is arguably the most high-profile yacht on this list, primarily for being the largest yacht available on the charter market. In 2022, it was also singled out as “blocked property” by U.S. authorities in 2022 due to its previous management Imperials Yachts, which was on the US sanctions list. The yacht’s owner, however, Russian billionaire Dmitry Kamenshchik, is not sanctioned, so the yacht was turned over to him and returned to charter in 2024. Key features of the Espen Øino-designed exterior are a curvaceous dove-gray hull and a 3.7-foot swimming pool that runs athwartship on the main aft deck, the largest ever found on board a yacht. A two-decked spa also gives guests access to a cryosauna, hammam, and relaxation room with a fold-down balcony at sea level. Packed to the rafters with the latest amenities, the yacht holds a diving center, a decompression chamber, and two helipads. Flying Fox is PYC compliant and can accommodate 25 guests.

Savarona | 446 feet, 2 inches

Launched in 1931, and by far the largest and fastest private yacht of her day, Savarona was built for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwalader and is easily identified by its two mustard-colored funnels. The yacht was eventually acquired by Turkey to be the presidential yacht of Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey. Jane’s Fighting Ships described the yacht in 1949 as “probably the most sumptuously fitted yacht afloat.”  Savarona was later converted to a training ship for the Turkish Navy and, in 1978, destroyed by fire. The yacht laid in tatters for 10 years. A Turkish businessman spent around $45 million refurbishing Savarona , commissioning Donald Starkey for the interior and replacing the original steam-turbine engines with modern Caterpillar diesels. Savarona became Turkey’s official presidential yacht again in 2014, accommodating up to 34 guests in 17 suites and carrying up to 48 crew. Amenities include a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a 280-foot grand staircase, a movie theater and a library dedicated to Atatürk.

Crescent | 443 feet

Last refit in 2021, Espen Øino’s dark hull and tiered superstructure was one of the most exciting launches of 2018. Called Project Thunder internally at Lürssen, the custom-built yacht features cutouts along the hull sides that allow full ocean views from the saloon on the primary deck, as part of Crescent ’s distinctive curved superstructure. Its most noteworthy feature is the jaw-dropping bank of three-deck-high windows in the center of the yacht. This architectural feature serves as the centerpiece of a very compelling design. The yacht has accommodations for 18 guests in nine staterooms. Little is known about the François Zuretti-designed interior, other than Lürssen describing it as being “traditionally styled.” If it lives up to Crescent ’s brash exterior, the complete yacht promises to be an entirely groundbreaking design. In March 2022, Crescent was detained by Spain as property of Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, who is sanctioned in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Serene | 439 feet, 3 inches

Serene  is the yacht that launched Fincantieri into the superyacht segment, and what a debut it was. The largest yacht ever launched in Italy when it was delivered in 2011 (surpassed three years later by Ocean Victory ), the Espen Øino seven-deck design features a long, sleek blue hull crowned by a white superstructure. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design created the 43,056-square-foot interior for a Russian owner, which includes a double height atrium with a piano lounge at the top and a vast open-plan main salon below. Sunken LEDs and bright pink and purple neon lights create a modern party vibe in the social areas, which contrast with the elaborate yet more traditional guest suites. A spiral staircase with intricate metal banisters soars through the heart of the yacht. The open stern area has a winter garden (enclosed glasshouse) that allows dining in all seasons. Serene also has two helipads and a hangar, a big swimming pool, and a tender garage large enough for a submarine.

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As Far As You Can Sea: World’s Largest Superyachts

Multimillion-dollar mega yachts.

by Emma Treagus Updated on May 22, 2024

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With onboard swimming pools, cinemas, helicopter landing pads, and spas, the world’s largest superyachts have more facilities than your ‘average’ five-star hotel.

Owned by some of the world’s wealthiest people—along with a few anonymous owners who’d prefer to keep their luxury transport a secret—these mega yachts redefine the word “boat” into something indescribably sleek, stylish, and seriously impressive. 

If superyachts are your thing, you’ll want to read on for all the facts and figures on all of the largest yachts in the world.

The 26 largest yachts in the world

Multimillion-dollar mega yachts: Our ranking methodology

A superyacht or mega yacht is typically a motor yacht or sailing yacht with a length of 30 meters (100 feet) or more. For this ranking, we looked at the superyachts and luxury expedition mega yachts that are used privately or made available for charter. We excluded so-called ‘residential superyachts’ (think Njord and The World), which are essentially luxury apartment buildings at sea where people own private residences inside the superyacht rather than the whole yacht. By researching diverse, reliable sources like Wikipedia and the Superyacht Times, we compile a list of the largest yachts in the world.

Curious about other striking superlatives? Check our round-up of the most expensive cars in the world and the most expensive private jets in the world . They are both perfectly good alternatives to owning a yacht. And if you prefer to stay home, we’ve ranked the biggest homes and the most expensive houses in the world to give you some inspiration too.

26. Y721 (aka Koru) | 417 feet—127m

Ever wonder where Jeff Bezos spends his downtime? As of today, we’re predicting it to be on his $500 million superyacht. Y721—nicknamed Koru—is 127m long. And featuring three sky-high slender masts, Koru is said to be the largest sailing yacht in the world . 

With dark exteriors and natural wooden decks, Koru is inspired by another one of Bezos’ yachts—the Black Pearl. The clean lines and classically curved bow speak to an understated elegance despite the yacht’s mammoth size. While a long line of portals indicates at least 9 guest cabins. In light of all the secrecy surrounding Koru, we doubt Bezos will ever charter her out, but we can still dream.

25. Al Mirqab | 436 feet—133m

Adorned with cascading chandeliers and gold accents, Al Mirqab is renowned for its unrivaled interiors. Surrounded by suspended glass artworks, a grand staircase floats throughout the four floors. And inspired by authentic Arabian styles, the magnificent superyacht is reminiscent of a magic carpet ride through the seas . 

Built for the former Prime Minister of Qatar, Peterswerft-Kusch spared no expense in delivering Al Mirqab to an impossibly high standard for luxury. The large swimming pool is a standout feature as it opens up into the sea, creating the ultimate playground for adults. Al Mirqab has a capacity for up to 60 guests and is manned by an equal number of crew. Although you have to be invited by the politician himself as Al Mirqab isn’t available for private charter.

24. Serene | 439 feet—134m

Adeptly named, the magnificent superyacht embodies the serenity of a life at sea. Serene was built in Italy for a Russian owner in 2011. She was leased to Bill Gates for the Summer in 2014 for $5 million per week. 

Designed by Reymond Langton, the 134m mega yacht marries elegant sophistication with state-of-the-art technologies. The seven decks leave ample space for guests to soak in scintillating views. While the underwater viewing room—nicknamed the Nemo room—is a permanent gallery of resplendent sealife. The real-life snow room makes up to four inches of snow. And whilst this may seem odd when your billionaire boss asks for snow—you make it snow.

23. Crescent | 445 feet – 136 m

Yet another Lurssen masterpiece, Crescent pays homage to classic naval designs with traditional architecture and elegant interiors. Formerly named Project Thunder, she was built in Germany and delivered to Igor Sechin in 2018. The Russian oligarch’s superyacht was seized by Spain after sanctions were placed on Russia in 2022. 

Crescent features low bulwarks and full-height windows to maximize the view from the center of the boat. Her distinctive wing station provides unrivaled views for up to 18 guests. But don’t get your hopes up—Crescent is strictly for private use only and isn’t available for charter. 

22. Savarona | 446 feet – 136m

Savarona is the second-largest yacht built by Blohm & Voss and spends most of her time in the Mediterranean. This luxury superyacht is one of the oldest in the market — a perfect fusion of traditional charm and modern facilities. 

Previously named Gunes Dil, Savarona was designed by Cox & Stevens, with interior design carefully handled by Donald Starkey. She’s available to charter on a weekly basis and has been refurbished over the years. Back in the day, her cost price was $4 million, and in 1989, she was chartered by Kahraman Sadikoglu, owner of the Turkish Sadikoglu Group, who spent an estimated $50 million on refurbishing her from top to bottom.

21. Flying Fox | 446 feet – 136m

Flying Fox is known as the most expensive charter yacht in the world , and a week aboard will set you back around $3 million. Chartered by the one and only power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z in 2021, it’s filled to the brim with all of the luxury facilities you could ever possibly want. 

The Flying Fox is rumored to be owned by Jeff Bezos, although that’s a claim that’s never been totally certified. She spends most of her time in the Mediterranean, specifically Cannes, Capri, and Sardinia, although she’s recently visited Norway, too. She can accommodate the largest helicopters on the market, and it reportedly took more than 50 meetings with her owner for interior design to be completed.

20. Rising Sun | 454 feet – 138m

The Rising Sun’s original owner, Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, sold her in 2010 as he considered her too large. Famously used by David Geffen for self-isolation, Rising Sun has also been a popular hang-out spot for celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Beatrice, the Princess of York. 

She’s a Superyacht with impressive attention to detail like interiors kitted out in teak and onyx and endless features like a full gym, a large wine cellar, a sauna, and a spa. She’s got a full-size basketball court that doubles up as a helicopter landing pad and a private cinema for those long evenings spent at sea.

19. Al Salamah | 457 feet – 139m

Al Salamah is part of the Omani Royal fleet and started her very secretive life in Genoa. Known as the world’s biggest superyacht right up until 2016, she’s a sleek masterpiece of a ship, with a distinctive cream color and beach club design. 

Al Salamah does everything in multiples, from the five galleys onboard (the main galley, a bakery, a crew galley, an owner’s diet galley, and an Arab galley), three hospitals (one for the owner, one for guests, and one for the crew) and 2,000 sqm of floor space. She was put on sale briefly for $280 million USD, before being delisted and instead given as a gift to the Crown Prince of Bahrain. 

18. Solaris | 458 feet – 139m

Everything about Solaris was supposed to be kept a secret when she was being built—a secret that didn’t last long when her huge size was spotted undergoing sea trials in the North Sea. One of this Superyacht’s main attractions is her beach club on the top floor: the perfect spot for relaxation during those long days out at sea. 

That beach club comes complemented with endless other stylish amenities, like a large helipad, sun deck, and a crane to launch tenders, toys, and subs. Interior design is largely unknown, but, if it’s anything as sleek and white as its exteriors, it’s sure to be impressive.

17. Scheherazade | 459 feet – 140m

Two helicopter landing pads, two outdoor Jacuzzis, and two outdoor fire pits: Scheherazade doesn’t hold back with not only the essentials but also the luxuries. Previously named Lightning, “Scheherazade” is mostly associated with a female character in the Middle Eastern folk tales in the series One Thousand and One Nights. 

Not much is known about this superyacht, and even her birth and building process were referred to under a codename: Project Lightning. No one involved in her creation, even Lurssen, has revealed anything about her interiors or her owner. All that’s really known is that she sailed from Germany to Norway initially after completion. 

16. Ocean Victory | 460 feet – 140m

Ocean Victory has traveled all over the world, from Europe to Southeast Asia and back again. Owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, she’s the upgraded vessel to follow his purchase of the 76-meter Ebony Shine. 

She’s one designed with pure luxury in mind, from the six individual swimming pools onboard to the 300-square meter spa area. She’s beautiful both inside and out, with a unique concept designed by Espen Oeino and interior designer Alberto Pinto. The largest superyacht ever built in Italy, Ocean Victory shows some of the finest in the world when it comes to premium quality adventures at sea.

15. Yas | 463 feet – 141m

Yas is known best for its seamless and rather unusual design — one that’s a little different from most superyachts out there. The owner of Yas wanted a yacht that lived up to his own heritage; one with a backbone reminiscent of the navy and with abstract lines throughout. 

He chose an existing boat in Abu Dhabi, which was deconstructed within the region before being shipped off and renovated into the wonder that it is today. The Yas yacht was originally a Dutch navy frigate, which you’d never guess from strolling around onboard today.

14. Nord | 465 feet – 142m

Nord’s distinctive bow design has never been seen before on a yacht. That’s one of the first things you’ll notice about her. The next thing you’ll notice is her unusual design, which verges on battle-esque and has been called “ a warship wearing a tuxedo ” by Dan Lenard of the Italian design studio Nuvolari-Lenard. 

She’s one of the best superyachts out there for fun, with a sports and diving center on the lower deck, a swimming pool higher up, overlooking the ocean, and a fleet of tenders. She was designed for global exploration: a yacht that will calmly cruise her way all across the world.

13. Sailing Yacht A | 469 feet—142.8m

Challenging the status quo and pushing design boundaries, Sailing Yacht A is an enigma. The sail-assisted superyacht was built in Germany and delivered to Russian tycoon Andrey Melnichenko in 2017. However, she was seized by the Italian police force, Guardia di Finanza, in 2022 after sanctions were placed on Russian businessmen following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Distinguished by soaring rotating carbon fiber masts, Nobiskrug’s hybrid approach to superyachts makes Sailing Yacht A more eco-conscious than other luxury yachts of her size. The u nderwater viewing pod molded into the keel speaks to her unrivaled innovation. And many balconies are enclosed by some of the largest pieces of curved glass ever made. 

12. El Mahrousa | 478 feet – 146m

El Mahrousa had a few different names in her time, ranging from the translated “The Protected” to El Horreya, which in Arabic translates to “Freedom.” It’s not surprising that she’s had more than one name when you take into account her age. As the oldest superyacht in the world, she’s undergone a lot of restoration over time, including multiple lengthenings and faster engines. 

She was renamed back to El Mahrousa in 2000 and gained even more recognition for being the first ship to cross the new Suez Canal extension in 2015. Back in her original days, she was built on the River Thames and took her first trip in 1867.

11. OK | 479 feet—146m

Delivered in Japan in 1982, OK is one of the largest and most unique superyachts in the world. Sprawling over 479 feet, the water giant is engineered to submerge almost seventy percent. This is accredited to the work done by Karmarine Shipyard. While the majority of the vessel was built by Oshima Shipping, it was privately converted to a semi-submersible yacht in Turkey. 

The superlative finishing on OK superyacht was designed by Timur Bozca, winner of the Younger Designer of the Year award in 2015. The blueprint being as many games as possible. The extraordinary vessel has the uncanny ability to hold over seventy toys, including a sailing yacht, a sea plane, tenders, buggies and even a tennis court.

10. Opera | 480 feet—146.4m 

Like many of the most majestic water titans, Opera was delivered by Lurssen in Germany and built for Abu Dhabi royalty. This time, the owner is Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, son of the founder of the United Arab Emirates. And while it may not be quite as astronomical as Lurssen’s previous builds—Azzam, Blue and Dilbar—the streamlined vessel is equally impressive onboard. 

The three-story superyacht proves large enough for a pair of helipads and two swimming pools, amongst many other toys, while simultaneously making room for up to 48 guests and 80 crew members. When it comes to the interior, details are sparse, but we do know that it was designed by Terence Disdale, a London firm renowned for creating bespoke luxury spaces. 

9. Prince Abdulaziz | 482 feet – 147m

The Prince Abdulaziz’s yacht was ordered by King Fahd, who named her after his son Prince Abdul Aziz. Now, she’s owned by his brother, Abdullah. Just one of the yachts owned by the Saudi royal family, she’s spotted frequently throughout Europe, especially in Cannes, where the royal family owns a property. 

She’s been redecorated once — in 2007 — in a project that took 15 months to complete, without even taking into account the rest of the ship’s upkeep. The Prince Abdulaziz is known for its combination of bold colors and fusion of traditional and modern design, thanks to its influence from the late David Hicks.

8. A+ | 483 feet – 147m

What do you do when the name “A” is already taken for your superyacht? Choose the next closest thing: A+. Previously named Topaz, this superyacht was the world’s fourth-largest luxury yacht when she was built, before being stripped of that particular title only a few years later. 

Nevertheless, she’s a seriously impressive superyacht, with endless facilities like a large jacuzzi, double helicopter landing pads, a swimming pool with a swimming platform and underwater lights, as well as a fitness hall, cinema, and a large conference room. She’s also well equipped with water toys, like jet skis, inflatable boats, a catamaran, and even a mini-submarine.

7. Al Said | 508 feet – 155m

Another Superyacht built, shrouded in secrecy, Al-Said was referred to as “Project Sunflower” the entire time she was being created, right up until she was delivered to her owner in 2008. Not much is known about Al Said, from her movements through to her amenities — although she is known to have a huge concert room with space for a full 50-person orchestra. 

Currently, she’s flying the flag of Oman and has spent a lot of time in its surrounding waters. Her interior was styled by British designer design house RWD, with exterior design being credited to Espen Oeino. When she was delivered to the Sultan of Oman, she replaced a previous ship of a smaller size. 

6. Dilbar | 511 feet – 156m

Dilbar, or Project Omar, as it was originally known as, is another superyacht designed with the help of exterior expert Espen Oeino, but with interiors strikingly designed by Andrew Winch. Dilbar is famously known as the world’s largest yacht by gross tonnage (interior volume) but as the fifth-longest superyacht in the world. 

She’s home to a spa pool and beach club, as well as a large private cinema, spacious cabins set high on the main deck, a spacious dining room, and a salon with its own piano. She’s just as classy and beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

5. Blue | 527 feet—160.6m

Sunday blues simply cease to exist on one of the world’s most extravagant superyachts. The elegant behemoth was built for member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and billionaire, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2022. Valued at over $600 million, Blue is one of the most expensive superyachts in the world. And with a strong emphasis on the environment, this superyacht is also one of the most sustainable. 

Blue strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible. She is equipped with a highly efficient Diesel-Electric Hybrid Propulsion Concept developed by Lürssen’s own engineering specialists. And the wastewater treatment plant allows water to be disposed of in drinking water quality.

4. Dubai | 531 feet – 162m

Dubai had multiple names in the planning stages—including Panhandle, Platinum, and Golden Star. Owned by the ruler of Dubai, it was aptly named after its home country and comes with all of the luxurious amenities you’d expect from such a name. 

The Dubai comes complete with a huge swimming pool and two jacuzzis. Further down, you’ll find a large dining room with striking blue and burgundy decor and space for up to 90 guests. Dubai usually spends her time moored at Sheikh Mohammed’s private island in front of his summer palace in Dubai. She’s basically the definition of a floating palace.

3. Eclipse | 533 feet – 162.5m

It took around five years for Eclipse to be built from start to finish. While she was always designed to be a huge, luxurious Superyacht, the focus was more on decking it out appropriately rather than breaking any records. An award-winning superyacht, she’s incredibly spacious, with endless rooms to explore and a sleek, neutral color palette running through. 

The Eclipse’s owner, Roman Abramovich, was more focused on facilities: he wanted more than one helicopter pad and a large swimming pool, too. Other than that, designer Terry Disdale had free reign for the rest of the superyacht. It’s just as much a clean piece of architectural styling as it is a stunning experience on deck.

2. Fulk Al Salamah | 538 feet – 164m

Fulk Al Salamah translates to “Ship of Peace” and that’s something that sounds like a given when you’ve taken a look at this superyacht’s incredible layout. Developed under the codename Project Saffron, Fulk Al Salamah is more of a support vessel than she is a typical superyacht. 

While she might still come complete with all of the necessities for a particularly relaxing voyage, she’s more so known for being a transport ship for the Royal Navy of Oman. She’s also used as a sort of friendship boat — pun intended — and is often sailed across the world with the intention of strengthening ties with the Sultanate. In some ports, influential people are welcomed onboard.

1. Azzam | 590 feet – 181m

Most superyachts in the top 10 category have a few mere inches between sizes, but the Azzam shoots far ahead with a large amount of extra length. The largest superyacht in the world, she was never designed to win the title — rather just to be a sleek and elegant vessel. Azzam was crafted backward, with the plans for her interior confirmed long before her exterior was fully signed off. 

Her length only came to be as such to incorporate everything required for the interiors, which added an extra 35 meters to her overall size. She’s also designed to look smaller than she actually is, with a blend of indoor and outdoor living. It took more than 4,000 people to build Azzam , clocking up six million man-hours over a period of four years.

The largest yachts in the world: Conclusion

The largest yachts in the world are:

• Azzam—590 feet
• Fulk Al Salamah—538 feet
• Eclipse—533 feet
• Dubai—531 feet
• Blue—527 feet
• Dilbar—511 feet
• Al Said —508 feet
• A+—483 feet
• Prince Abdulaziz—482 feet
• Opera—480 feet
• OK—479 feet
• El Mahrousa—478 feet
• Sailing Yacht A—469 feet
• Nord—465 feet
• Yas—463 feet
• Ocean Victory—460 feet
• Scheherazade —459 feet
• Solaris—458 feet
• Al Salamah—457 feet
• Rising Sun—454 feet
• Flying Fox—446 feet
• Savarona—446 feet
• Crescent—445 feet
• Serene —439 feet
• Al Mirqab—436 feet
• Y721 (aka Koru)—417 feet

The most expensive yacht in the world

The fact that the History Supreme, the world’s most expensive superyacht, comes coated in gold, is only part of the reason for its high cost. A superyacht with a real-life Midas touch, it was sold to an anonymous Malaysian businessman for $4.8 billion. 

Robert Kuok, the richest Malaysian businessman, is the rumored owner of History Supreme, but no one has confirmed for sure. The History Supreme also comes with plenty of other impressive touches: a master bedroom decked out in platinum, a wall feature made from meteoric stone, and a genuine T-Rex dinosaur bone, to add to the list. 

She took three years to build from scratch and comes with 10,000 kilograms of solid gold and platinum. Other seriously luxe features are her 68 kilograms 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic Wall Aquarium and a liquor bottle adorned with a rare 18.5-carat diamond . The base of the vessel comes wrapped in gold, too.

Frequently asked questions about the world’s largest yachts

The largest yachts in the world are owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Roman Abramovich, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Alisher Usmanov. Our guide tells you more about all the biggest yachts in the world .

At 417 feet (127 m), Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ sailing yacht, Koru (formerly Project Y721), is one of the world’s largest yachts.

The 181-m (590 ft) Azzam is the world’s longest yacht in length, but the 156-m Dilbar has a much larger internal volume (measured in Gross Tons) at 15,917 GT (Gross Tons) versus 13,136 GT for Azzam. As such, Dilbar is the world’s largest yacht in volume. Read our full guide to discover the largest yachts in the world .

The biggest yacht in the world is the Azzam , which has an estimated cost of $600 million. She’s owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and is not currently for sale.

In terms of the number of megayachts, the largest superyacht-owning country is the United States. Nationality-wise, beyond American, an increasing percentage of superyacht owners are Turkish, Greek, Emirati, German, Australian and Dutch.

About the author

Emma Treagus

Women’s fashion & travel editor.

A former fashion assistant and budding entrepreneur who calls the world her home, Emma writes many of Luxe Digital’s women’s style and travel stories, drawing on her passion and experience for slow fashion alongside an appreciation for current trends. When she’s not getting her way with words, you’ll find her exploring a new city (at quite a walking pace)—locating the nearest sushi restaurant or devouring a book on the beach.

Learn more about Emma Treagus

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Despite the pandemic, the superyacht world continues to welcome new entries. These are the world’s biggest yachts by length.

Even in a pandemic, the size of the global superyacht fleet keeps on growing. The top 25 largest yachts in the world now total a combined 11,849 feet, with the smallest yacht on the list,  Maryah , measuring a whopping 410 feet. Built by shipyards all over the world—from the Netherlands to the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, to name just a few—new launches and refits are delivered each year. The 2021 newcomers hail from Lürssen, Dream Ship Victory and Lloyd Werft. With many new gigayacht builds in the pipeline, the list will be much more competitive in the coming years. Here are the world’s top 25 yachts by size, from  Maryah  to  Azzam.

25. ‘Maryah’ (410 feet, 1 inch), Neorion

Neorion’s  Maryah  Photo: Manuel Hernández LafuenteWATCH

This former Russian research vessel was originally launched by the Szczecinska yard in Poland. In 2010, it underwent a five-year rebuild at the Elefsis yard in Greece. The stodgy research vessel that went in reappeared in 2014 as a thoroughly modern custom-built superyacht. The UK-based  H2 Yacht Design  did both the interior and exterior, incorporating all the luxuries one would expect in a yacht this size. The swimming pool, spa, contemporary decor (including custom furniture, signature joinery, and bespoke details like fixtures and lighting), and generous interior space turned the ugly duckling into a swan.  Maryah , which reaches a top speed of 18 knots powered by a twin azipods propulsion system, has accommodation for 54 guests.

24. ‘Octopus’ (414 feet), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Octopus  Elizabeth Withe

Originally built by Lürssen for Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, eight-decked  Octopus  is the world’s largest expedition yacht. Allen kept all the luxurious features of a superyacht, but wanted  Octopus  to be able to set anchor at the ends of the earth for exploration. The Lürssen, delivered in 2003, has storage for two helicopters, seven tenders, a large SUV and an internal dock that extends through the hull holding two submersibles. A glass-bottomed observation lounge makes for spectacular viewing when cruising. The yacht has been involved in multiple exploration discoveries, aided by its onboard dive centre and hyperbaric chamber. Espen Øino drew the exterior, including a full-sized basketball court on the aft deck, while Jonathan Quinn Barnett did the interior. The yacht underwent a refit in 2019. It reaches a top end of 20 knots.

23. ‘Al Mirqab’ (436 feet, 4 inches), Kusch Yachts

Kusch Yachts’ Al Mirqab  Photo: Shutterstock / PitK

Launched in 2008,  Al Mirqab  was built for Qatar’s former prime minister under the supervision of  Kusch Yachts  in the  Peters Werft shipyard  in Wewelsfleth, Germany. The Tim Heywood exterior includes a long, navy-blue hull with a white superstructure. The yacht’s diesel-electric propulsion involves an azimuth pod drive and gives the 436.4-footer a top end of 21 knots. Its interior by Andrew Winch won several awards, with images showing Arabic-influenced motifs on the marble floors of large social areas. The yacht’s centerpiece is a stunning, complicated floating staircase encircled by custom-made glass panels.  Al Mirqab  has staterooms for 36, and crew quarters for 45.

22. ‘Serene’ (439 feet, 3 inches), Fincantieri

Fincantieri’s  Serene  Photo: Nick Wells

Serene  was  Fincantieri ’s launch into the superyacht segment, and what a debut it was. The largest yacht ever launched in Italy when it was delivered in 2011 (surpassed three years later by  Ocean Victory ), the Espen Øino seven-deck design features a long, sleek blue hull, crowned by a white superstructure. The somewhat racy curves serve as a nice counterpart to the more serious-looking sections of the yacht, which include cutouts along the main and upper decks to allow strong visibility from the saloon and staterooms. The curved balconies on three levels are a nice touch that work aesthetically—and practically for better views. The open stern area has a winter garden (enclosed glass house) that allows dining in all seasons.  Serene  also has two helipads and a hangar, a big swimming pool, and a tender garage large enough for a submarine. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design created the 43,056-square-foot interior for the Russian owner, though its details have remained closely guarded.

21. ‘Crescent’ (443 feet), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Crescent  Photo: Klaus Jordan

Espen Øino’s dark hull and tiered superstructure was one of the most exciting launches of 2018. Custom-built Project Thunder, as it was called internally at Lürssen, features cut-outs along the hull sides that allow full ocean views from the saloon on the primary deck, as part of  Crescent ’s distinctive curved superstructure. Its most noteworthy feature is the jaw-dropping bank of three-deck-high windows in the center of the yacht. This architectural feature serves as the centerpiece of a very compelling design. The yacht has accommodations for 18 guests in nine staterooms. Little is known about the François Zuretti-designed interior, other than Lürssen describes it as being “traditionally styled.” If it lives up to  Crescent ’s brash exterior, the complete yacht promises to be an entirely groundbreaking design.

20. ‘Savarona’ (446 feet, 2 inches), Blohm+Voss

Blohm+Voss’s  Savarona  

Launched in 1931,  Savarona  was built for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwallader. The yacht was eventually acquired by Turkey to be the presidential yacht of Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey.  Jane’s Fighting Ships  described the yacht in 1949 as “probably the most sumptuously fitted yacht afloat.”  Savarona  was later converted to a training ship for the Turkish Navy and, in 1978, destroyed by fire. The yacht laid in tatters for 10 years. A Turkish businessman spent around $45 million refurbishing  Savarona , commissioning Donald Starkey for the interior and replacing the original steam-turbine engines with modern Caterpillar diesels. The yacht’s interior was refitted again in 2013, once again becoming the official presidential yacht in 2014.  Savarona  features a swimming pool, Turkish bath, 280-foot grand staircase, a movie theater, and a library dedicated to Atatürk.

19: ‘Flying Fox’ (446 feet, 2 inches), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Flying Fox  Photo: Courtesy of SuperYachtTimes/Youtube

Delivered jointly by Imperial and Lürssen in 2019, 446.2-foot  Flying Fox  is the largest yacht available on the charter market. Key features of the Espen Øino-designed exterior are a curvaceous dove-gray hull and a 3.7-foot swimming pool that runs athwartship on the main aft deck, the largest ever found on board a yacht. A two-decked spa also gives guests access to a cryosauna, hammam and relaxation room with a fold-down balcony at sea level. Packed to the rafters with the latest amenities, the yacht holds a diving center, decompression chamber and two helipads.  Flying Fox  is PYC compliant and can accommodate 25 guests.

18. ‘Rising Sun’ (454 feet, 1 inch), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Rising Sun  Photo: Courtesy of Lürssen

Designed by the original guru of yacht designers, Jon Bannenberg,  Rising Sun  was built by Lürssen for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and is currently owned by billionaire David Geffen. The yacht was delivered in 2004 and last refitted in 2011. Defined by banks of windows across the superstructure,  Rising Sun  has 86,000 square feet of living space in 82 rooms. It can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins, with the capacity to carry up to 46 crew. The interior by Seccombe Design includes a gym, cinema, and wine cellar. The rear cockpit deck was designed as a basketball court. Geffen received a global media backlash in 2020 for his “tone deaf” social media posts that pictured himself on board his yacht during Covid-19 lockdown.

17. ‘Al Salamah’ (456 feet), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Al Salamah  Lürssen

When Lürssen launched  Al Salamah  in 1999, it was the third-largest yacht in the world. Its ranking at number 14 shows how much has changed in the last 20 years. Code-named MIPOS, or Mission Possible, the yacht was designed by  Terence Disdale . The large imposing exterior is primarily protected space, with an upper deck exposed to the elements.  Al Salamah  has staterooms for 40 guests, including two owner suites, 11 VIP staterooms, and eight twin cabins. The yacht can carry up to 96 crew and has a top speed of 22 knots.  Al Salamah  was last refitted in 2009.

16. ‘Scheherazade’ (459 feet, 3 inches), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Scheherazade  Photo: SuperYacht Times/YouTube

The owner of 459.3-feet Lürssen-built  Scheherazade  (formerly known as Project Lightning) finally took delivery of the mega yacht in June 2020 after it was pictured during sea trials in November 2019. What can so far be deciphered from available photography includes two helipads, forward and aft, and a large beach club aft, as well as a reported seven-foot beam. Very few details have yet been released of the highly private vessel, including even the names of designers or naval architects involved with the build.

15: ‘Ocean Victory’ (459 feet, 3 inches), Fincantieri

Fincantieri’s  Ocean Victory  Photo: Trevor Coppock / TheYachtPhoto.com

The largest motoryacht ever built in Italy, Fincantieri’s  Ocean Victory  was delivered to its owner in 2014. The seven-deck exterior by Espen Øino includes two helideck platforms and a hangar belowdecks, as well as exceptional outdoor social areas, and a floodable tender dock.  Ocean Victory  has accommodations for 28 guests as well as quarters for 56 crew.  Ocean Victory  also has six pools, a 3,300-square-foot spa, and an underwater observation room. The interior by Alberto Pinto remains a secret.

14: ‘Solaris’ (459 feet, 3 inches), Lloyd Werft

Solaris  by Lloyd-Werft Courtesy Lloyd Werft

The 476-foot  Solaris  is one of the largest yachts to deliver in 2021, and yet still little is known about it. The highly private, vast explorer is built by German shipyard Lloyd Werft and undertook sea trials in the North Sea. The eight-deck exterior is by Australian designer Marc Newson and features a displacement steel hull with bulbous bow and steel superstructure with teak decks. Reportedly owned by Roman Abramovich, it houses a large helipad, sun deck and spacious beach club aft. Lloyd Werft built the Russian billionaire’s previous explorer yacht  Luna , which he reportedly sold for $360 million to his close friend Farkhad Akhmedov in 2014.

13. ‘Yas’ (462 feet, 6 inches), Abu Dhabi Mar

Abu Dhabi Mar’s  Yas  Photo: Harvey Barrison

As a converted yacht,  Yas  is one of the most interesting vessels on this list. The dolphin-like exterior was originally a former Dutch Navy frigate that launched in 1978 and eventually sold to the navy of the United Arab Emirates, where it was renamed  Al Emirat . The yacht underwent its dramatic conversion in a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, emerging as a gleaming superyacht in 2011, with one of the most interesting profiles on the water. It was eventually delivered four years later. The design by the Paris-based Pierrejean Vision, defined by massive glass surfaces, can accommodate 60 guests and 58 crew members. Mated to a steel hull, the superstructure is the largest composite edifice ever built.  Yas  is capable of a 26-knot top speed and was last refitted in 2019.

12. ‘Dream Symphony’ (462 feet, 6 inches), Dream Ship Victory

Dream Symphony  by Dream Ship Victory Courtesy Dream Ship Victory

Sailing yacht  Dream Symphony  is a magnificent 462.7-foot schooner built by the Turkish shipyard Dream Ship Victory. When delivered in 2021, she will become the largest private sailing yacht in the world, knocking current largest sailing yacht,  Black Pearl , off the podium. Featuring naval architecture by Dykstra Naval Architects and an exterior and interior by Ken Freivokh, she reunites the same team who were behind the legendary  Maltese Falcon ’s ground-breaking Falcon dynarig.  Dream  Symphony’s hull is being built in wood – glued and laminated using the latest epoxy and composite techniques. Wood, carbon and stainless-steel run throughout the contemporary interior, while the rig includes Hoyt booms for maximum control.  Dream Symphony  boasts a fully private owner’s duplex, with master suite, salon, and office at main deck level, and a further spa, gym and treatment rooms on the lower deck. A sheltered open deck between the owner’s facilities and the guest deck house can be closed off to bad weather, creating concealed channels for full protection. And when the sun is shining, a double-height glass swimming pool features a rising floor that can doubles up as a touch-and-go helipad or dancefloor.

11. ‘Nord’ (466 feet),  Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Nord  (Project Opus) Photo: SuperYacht Times/Youtube

Nord  (Project Opus) has been a long time coming. She was announced in 2015 but didn’t hit the water until November 2020 when she conducted sea trials in the Baltic Sea. The 466-foot yacht features interior design by Italian studio Nuvolari Lenard and is Lürssen’s first yacht launched from its newly upgraded floating shed at its facility in Vegasack. Boasting many top tier amenities, the yacht includes a sports and diving center on the lower deck, multiple tenders ranging in size up to 50-feet and a large swimming pool. The two helipads support the yacht’s long-range cruising capabilities for autonomous remote exploration and a retractable hangar means the helicopter can slide neatly into the superstructure for storage when not in use. A generous 20 staterooms accommodate 36 guests across six decks, while a sleek aft-sloping superstructure gives Nord an individual profile on the water.

10. ‘A’ (468 feet, 5 inches), Nobiskrug

Nobiskrug Sailing Yacht  A  Photo: Courtesy of Nobiskrug

Delivered in 2017, the futuristic look of sailing yacht  A  includes smooth, silver-metallic surfaces and windows that look nearly invisible, three composite masts that bend slightly, and a deck hidden by high bulwarks. The Philippe Starck-design is a wild fantasy yacht of the future. The 468-foot sailing yacht is a technical victory for German yard  Nobiskrug , which developed composite fashion plates to create the unusual shapes, without any compromises in strength or fluidity. It has the tallest freestanding composite masts on any sailing vessel, a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and state-of-the-art navigation systems. The boat also reportedly has an underwater viewing platform in the keel. “Sailing yacht  A  is undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects Nobiskrug has ever been involved in,” said Holger Kahl, the firm’s then managing director. Starck’s interior remains a secret. The yard reports the yacht has a top speed of 21 knots. She remains today the world’s largest sailing yacht three years after her launch.

9. ‘El Mahrousa’ (478 feet, 1 inch), Samuda Brothers

Egypt’s royal yacht,  El Mahrousa  Screengrab

El Mahrousa , which means “the protected” in Arabic, is currently Egypt’s presidential yacht, though the 478.1-footer has a separate history as that country’s royal yacht. The London-based Samuda Brothers began the build in 1863, and it was launched in 1865. It was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile. The yacht was also at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The world’s oldest superyacht features external design by the British naval architect Sir Oliver Lang, and has had multiple modifications over the years, including a lengthening by 40 feet in 1872 and another 17 feet in 1905. During the second refit, the owners replaced its paddle-wheel engines with turbine-driven propellers. The yacht, in care of the Egyptian Navy, occasionally goes to sea for a day or two. In 2015, it was used to inaugurate the new Suez Canal.

8. ‘Prince Abdulaziz’ (482 feet, 3 inches), Helsingør Værft

Helsingør Værft’s  Prince Abdulaziz  Photo: Shutterstock / Artesia Wells

This custom yacht, launched by Helsingør Værft in Denmark in 1984, was most recently refitted in 2005. The 5,200-tonne  Prince Abdulaziz  is one of the Saudi Royal family’s yachts, its first owner being King Fahd. Designed by Maierform, the yacht was the longest and tallest in the world at the time of its launch. At 482.3-feet,  Prince Abdulaziz  held the title for 22 years until  Dubai  launched in 2006. The late David Nightingale Hicks, known for his use of bright colors, was the interior designer. The lobby is said to be a replica of the  Titanic . Last refitted in 2005, it is rumored to be carrying surface-to-air missiles, though that may be an urban legend.

7. ‘A+’ (483 feet, 1 inch), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  A+  Photo: Klaus Jordan

Very little is known about  A+  (formerly  Topaz) , which was launched by Lürssen in 2012, other than it is the fourth-largest yacht ever built by the German shipyard. Tim Heywood Designs did the exterior, which features helipads on the foredeck and amidships on an upper deck. A lower aft deck includes a swimming pool. The German yard has not released any images of the Terence Disdale interior. Reported to be owned by Manchester City Football Club owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahnan – Emirati royalty and deputy prime minister of the UAE –  A+  has a top speed of 22 knots, and can carry 62 guests and up to 79 crew.

6. ‘Al Saïd’ (508 feet, 5 inches), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Al Saïd  Courtesy of Shutterstock

Another 500-plus-foot yacht from Lürssen, the original Project Sunflower gained its official name of  Al Saïd  following its launch in 2016. Espen Øino’s exterior is akin to a classic cruise liner, complete with the twin exhaust stacks in the center of the superstructure. Owned by the Sultan of Oman, six-decked  Al Saïd  can carry 154 crew and, according to some sources, 70 guests. Lürssen says  Al Saïd  has a top speed of 22 knots. The London-based Redman Whiteley Dixon studio designed the interior, which includes a concert hall that can hold a 50-piece orchestra.

5. ‘Dilbar’ (511 feet, 8 inches), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Dilbar  Photo: Josep Baresic

The 2016 launch of  Dilbar  gave Lürssen the distinction of not only building the longest yacht ever ( Azzam ), but also the largest in terms of volume. Espen Øino designed the exterior, creating a full-bodied superstructure of long, flowing decks, along with two helicopter pads.  Dilbar  also has an 82-foot swimming pool that can hold an incredible 6357-cubic-feet of water, and according to Lürssen, is the world’s longest on a yacht. The interior by Winch Design is defined by its “rare and exclusive luxury materials,” says the builder, declining to go into detail. Lürssen added that the world’s largest motor yacht was one of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, because of its dimensions and technology. Despite  Dilbar ’s volume, the designers did a masterful job making the yacht look relatively svelte, with no obvious bulges along the length of the light ivory and bronze-accented hull. In June 2020, Dilbar returned to Lürssen for a significant refit, the details of which are yet to be revealed.

4. ‘Dubai’ (531 feet, 5 inches), Platinum Yachts

Sheikh Al Maktoum’s yacht,  Dubai  Bigstock

This Andrew Winch design was originally commissioned for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei as a joint project between Blohm+Voss and Lürssen, before it was halted in 1998 with just a bare hull and skeletal superstructure. The hull was sold to the government of Dubai, and, under the direction of the country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, work on the 531.5-footer began again, though this time by Platinum Yachts.  Dubai  delivered in 2006 and is now the sheikh’s royal yacht, with accommodations for 24 guests and quarters for 88 crew. The seven-decked yacht has an impressive 70-foot-wide atrium, landing pad for a Black Hawk helicopter, submarine garage, disco, and cinema. Full certification was obtained from Lloyd’s Register in October 2006, and it can reach a top speed of 26 knots.

3. ‘Eclipse’ (533 feet, 1 inch), Blohm+Voss

Blohm+Voss’s  Eclipse  Photo: Shutterstock / R_Pilguj

Stately  Eclipse , the 533.1-foot yacht delivered to billionaire Roman Abramovich, took five years to design and build. When it left the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg in 2010, it was the world’s largest yacht. The interior has 17 staterooms and a palatial master suite, with the capacity to carry 85 crew. Both the interior and exterior are designed by Terence Disdale. A proportional profile is defined by tiered decks that sweep upward and bend ever so slightly at the aft ends.  Eclipse  has a 185-foot-long owner’s deck and, at the time of its launch, the largest swimming pool on any superyacht (the bottom raises and converts to a dance floor). Other features reflecting its stature: the capacity to hold three helicopters, including one in its belowdecks hangar, a sophisticated stabilization system, six tenders, and an enormous spa, gym, and beach club. Hybrid diesel-electric engines are connected to Azipod drives that give  Eclipse  a top-end speed of 21 knots, with a range of 6,000 nautical miles.

2. ‘Fulk Al Salamah’ (538 feet, 1 inch), Mariotti Yachts

Mariotti Yachts’  Fulk Al Salamah  Screengrab

Little information has ever been released about the world’s second-longest superyacht, custom-built  Fulk Al Salamah , and it has been shrouded in mystery since first announced in 2014. Even the overall length of 538.1 feet has been estimated from AIS data. However, built and delivered by Italian builder Mariotti Yachts in their Genoa shipyard in 2016, the imposing vessel is believed to be owned by the Omani royal family. Exterior design is by Studio de Jorio, and it is considered by some to resemble more of a support vessel than a superyacht. Nonetheless, aerial photography shows an impressively large helideck, raked masts and a bathing platform.

1: ‘Azzam’ (592 feet, 6 inches), Lürssen

Lürssen’s  Azzam  Screengrab

It’s not surprising that the world’s longest yacht hails from a shipyard with 13 out of the 25 top builds in the superyacht arena. Unfortunately,  Lürssen  could never really boast about  Azzam  after its launch in 2013 because of the owner’s penchant for privacy. Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi directed a team of designers and engineers who started with the bare concept, worked through the technical challenges of what might be the most complex superyacht ever, and finished with an unusually large vessel that can top the 30-knot mark. Nauta Yacht’s exterior features a long, sleek forward area, with well-proportioned tiers moving up to the skydeck. Lürssen describes the interior by Christophe Leoni as “sophisticated, with luxurious decor inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century.” Its gas turbines, connected to water jets, push  Azzam  to more than 30 knots, giving it the ability to operate at high speed in shallow waters. She also boasts an impressive build time for a yacht of her size, with construction taking only three years after one year of engineering.  Azzam  was last refit in 2020 at MB92 in Barcelona.

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Delivered in 2016, Dilbar is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage. She is one of the most complbuilt as and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology. At 15,917 tons, the 156-meter superyacht features entertainment and recreation spaces never before seen on a yacht. These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht. The exterior design, a classic profile with a light ivory hull and bronze accents, was developed by Espen Øino International. Her spectacular interior, created by the Winch Design team, uses rare and exclusive luxury materials.

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Top 49 Largest Yachts in the World – 2023

These are the biggest yachts in the world with a combined length of 20,343 feet.

The largest yacht in the world measures an incredible 590 feet!

Built by world-renowned shipyards  Lürssen , Blohm+Voss , Oceanco and Lloyd Werft , to name just a few – new yachts are built every year with increasing magnitude.

With the likes of  Amadea  coming in at #49 and working down to  Azzam  at #1, these yachts are a sight to behold. 

Length : 106.10 m (348.1 ft)  |   Year : 2017

Measuring in at a length of 348.1 ft Amadea was built by Lurssen Shipyard and launched in 2016.

Her modern exterior was by  Espen Oeinio  while Zuretti Interior was responsible for her gorgeous interior. 

Amenities that are of note include a double-height atrium, a 10-metre infinite pool, a 12-metre D-value helipad, a cinema and a spa area.

She also has a winter garden, coupled with the owner’s deck. 

Length : 106.50 m (349.41 ft)  |   Year : 2017

As the name suggests, this magnificent superyacht truly is a Dream .

Launched in 1997 this rare gem belongs to Greek billionaire, George Prokopiou. 

Some of her most noteworthy features include a sundeck, a swimming pool, a spa and a comprehensive gym. 

Her exterior was designed in a way to accommodate large groups of guests and to equally provide spacious outdoor lounges on the main deck aft.

47. Black Pearl

Length : 106.7 m (350 ft) |   Year : 2017

Black Pearl is one of two ‘sailing’ yachts on the world’s biggest yachts list.

She measures a length of 350 ft and was built in 2017 by well-known Oceanco. 

She features a 3-mast Dynarig system (masts free stand with the yards rigidly attached to the masts).

When the sails are adjusted the whole mast rotates in place and there aren’t any gaps between the sail resulting in twice the efficiency of a square rig. 

Length : 107 m (351 ft) |   Year : 2020

Lana is without a doubt one of the most luxurious yachts in the world.

Built by Benetti Shipyard and delivered in 2020 this 107-metre-long beauty was also designed by the Benetti Design Team.

Some of her most notable features include a cinema room, a large pool, impressive outdoor salons, a plethora of water toys and tenders, a beach club with folding terraces and a massage room.

She also boasts a centralized audio-video system catering to all areas onboard. 

45. Andromeda

Length : 107.40 m (351 ft)  |   Year : 2016

Andromeda is a stunning yacht that was launched in 2016 and measures a length of 107.4 metres making her 43rd on this list. 

The exterior of this vessel was designed by Oscar Mike, with her interior designed by well-known H2 Yacht Design. 

Andromeda includes a swimming pool, a helicopter deck with a garage, a spa and a large selection of tenders.

Andromeda has an amazing sea-keeping ability and her combination of ultimate luxury and expedition-style cruising makes her a sight to behold.

44. Luminosity

Length : 107.60 m (353 ft ) |   Year : 2020

Luminosity was built by Benetti Shipyard in 2020 and measures a length of 108 metres.

Her stunning exterior was designed by Reymond Langton Design Ltd, whereas her interior was the responsibility of Zaniz Interiors. 

Luminosity boasts many luxurious facilities.

Those worthy of note are: a beach club with a counter-flowing swimming pool, a gym, a plunge pool, a massage room, a bar, as well as several lounging and dining areas. 

She was designed to allow unmatched natural lights through her windows and in addition to this she has a glass elevator that offers access to all her decks. 

Length : 108 m (354 ft)  |   Year : 2019

Belonging to James Packer, Ije is a 108-meter yacht that was built by Benetti Shipyard and delivered in 2019.

She is a rare beauty when it comes to yachts of this size with her exterior designed by RWD. 

Ije has many wonderful features including a main desk aft swimming pool, an indoor cinema, an observation deck, several dining and sunbathing spots as well as an extensive collection of water toys. 

42. Bravo Eugenia

Length : 109 m (358 ft)  |   Year : 2018

Coming in at 40th on this list is Bravo Eugenia . The sleek exterior of this 109-meter vessel was beautifully designed by the well-known Nuvolari Lenard. 

Bravo Eugenia is able to comfortably accommodate up to 44 passengers, 14 of which are guests and the other 30 crew. 

She has many great guest facilities such as a beach club, a spa massage room with a sauna, a steam room, a plunge pool and a rain shower. 

41. Radiant

Length : 110 m (361 ft)  |   Year : 2009

Launched in 2009 by German shipyard Lurssen, Radiant is a 110-meter-long superyacht.

Radiant is owned by Emirati billionaire, Abdulla al Futtaim. 

Radiant was designed by Tim Heywood and her slender interior was designed by well renowned Terence Disdale.

She comes equipped with a helipad, a gymnasium, a cinema and a spa. 

The security specifications of Radiant are known to be the highest ever conceived for a superyacht. 

40. Al Raya

Length : 110 m (361 ft)  |   Year : 2008

Launched in 2008 in Germany, Al Raya was carefully built by Lurssen Shipyard.

Her exterior design was the work of  Tim Heywood  and the interior was designed by  Alberto Pinto . 

Al Raya was built with steel and aluminium and its major features include a large pool, a cinema, a sauna/steam room, a massage room and even a hospital. 

Length : 110 m (361 ft)  |   Year : 2018

Anna is a 110-meter long superyacht with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure that was designed by Michael Leach Design.

She was launched in 2018 and she is the largest yacht ever built by Feadship. 

This magnificent vessel belongs to Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian businessman who is renowned for becoming the president of Monaco’s football club AS Monaco.

Length : 110 m (361 ft) |   Year : 2017

Kaos is a 110-meter yacht that has the capacity to accommodate up to 31 guests and a crew of 45.

She is powered by MTU engines which gives her the power needed to reach speeds up to 18.5 knots.  

She comes equipped with a large swimming pool, a helicopter deck and fuel facilities, a large elevator, a steam room, a gym and a large beach club.

Length : 111.50 m (366 ft) |   Year : 2019

Formerly known as Lady Gulya, Alaiya is a stunning yacht that was launched in 2019.

She measures a length of 111.5 meters and was specially built by Lurssen Shipyard. 

Lady Gulya has 29 cabins which give her the capacity to comfortably accommodate 18 guests and 38 crew members. 

The interior and exterior of this massive yacht were designed by the reputable Winch Design.

Some of the most notable features include Two helicopter pads, a resort-inspired spa, a massive swimming pool as well as palatial staircases that are only seen in palaces.

36. Le Grand Bleu

Length : 113 m (371 ft) |   Year : 2000

Le Grand Bleu was built by Bremer Bulkan Shipyard in 2000 and she measures a length of 112 metres.

It is estimated that she has a worth of approximately US $150,000,000.  

Built with a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure she can reach speeds up to 17 knots. 

Le Grand Bleu has the space to comfortably accommodate up to 55 people at a time (35 of which are crew, 20 of which are guests).

35. Pelorus

Length : 115 m (377 ft) |   Year : 2003

Pelorus measures a length of 114.5 metres and was launched in 2003 by well known Lurssen shipyard. 

Her unique design was the work of Tim Heywood and the interior was the work of Terence Disdale.

This gorgeous vessel has the space to accommodate 18 people and a crew of 41 spread across 20 cabins.

Pelorus can reach speeds up to 20 knots.

Length : 115 m (377 ft)  |   Year : 2010

Built in 2010 by Lloyd Werft, Luna is well known as the world’s biggest expedition yacht.

With a length of 115 metres and a top speed of 22.5 knots, Luna can comfortably accommodate 18 guests spread across 9 rooms.

Previously owned by Russian billionaire Abramovich, she was sold for approximately $300,000,000 in 2014 to Akhmedov (an Azerbaijani born billionaire).

Length : 115.1 m (377 ft)  |   Year : 2021

The AHPO yacht is a spectacular new superyacht built by  Lurssen  and delivered in 2021.

The popular Italian designer  Nuvolari Lenard  styles the exterior and interior of this beauty.

Accommodating up to 16 guests in 8 cabins the superyacht includes a variety of facilities including a dancefloor, movie theatre, beach club, gym and spa.

 Owned by the Jamaican billionaire Michael Lee-Chin, the yacht can be chartered for approximately $2,720,000 per week, when available.

32. Navtilvs

Length : 115.76 m (380 ft) |   Year : 1973 |  ShipSpotting.com © Nektarios Papadakis Navtilvs is a motor yacht measuring a length of 115.7 metres.

She was built by Hellenic Shipyards in Greece back in 1973 making her one of the oldest yachts on this list.  She has a beam of 14.4 metres, a draft of 4.29 metres and a whopping volume of 3,156 GT. 

31. Atlantis II

Length : 115.82 m (381 ft) |   Year : 1980

Atlantis II is a 116-meter-long yacht launched in 1981 by the Hellenic shipyard.

It is estimated that she is worth approximately US $100,000,000. 

Designed by Caeser Pinnau she has the space to accommodate 26 guests across 13 cabins as well as a crew of 17 in 8 cabins.

Atlantis II is powered by Pielstick engines, resulting in the power to reach speeds up to 14 knots.

30. Ulysses

Length : 116 m (381 ft)  |   Year : 2008

Ulysses is a 116.1-meter long yacht that was built in Norway in 2018 and is the flagship of Kleven.

She is powered by Caterpillar engines which gives her the ability to reach speeds of 12 knots. 

She has a total of 39 cabins which can accommodate 30 guests and 48 crew members.

Her gross tonnage is a whopping 6862 GT and she has a beam length of 18 metres. 

Length : 116.41 m (382 ft)  |   Year : 2008

Turama is a powerful welded steel vessel with a length of just under 117 metres.

She was built by Finnish shipyard Rauma and features an extensive teak decking which offers ample space to accommodate her guests. 

Originally built as a cruise ship she was converted into the luxury megayacht she is today. 

28. Motor Yacht A

Length : 119 m (390 ft)  |   Year : 2008

Coming in this list in 27th position, Motor Yacht A is a glamorous yacht designed by Philippe Starck and launched in 2008.

Built by the world-renowned Blohm + Voss shipyard, she measures a length of 119 metres. 

Russian entrepreneur Andrey Melnichenko is the owner of this vessel and it is believed the name “A” was used in order to make the vessel appear first on shipping registers.

27. Alexander

Length : 122 m (400 ft)  |   Year :1966|  ShipSpotting.com © fabianv Alexander is a luxury yacht with an elegant design that was built back in 1966 by Lubecker Flender Werke in Germany.

She features a steel hull and measures just under 122 metres with the ability to accommodate 80 guests.  She was previously known as Regina Maris – a passenger vessel that was then converted into a megayacht between the years 1985 and 1987. 

26. Al-Lusail

Length : 123 m (404 ft)  |   Year : 2017

Al Lusail is a gorgeous 123-meter long vessel that was built by Lurssen in 2017 and her unique design makes her stand out from afar. 

Owned by the Emir of Qatar – Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani she can accommodate 36 guests and a crew of 56 at a time. 

She features her very own gym, an elevator to service all the decks, a swimming pool, a tender garage and a movie theatre. 

25. Golden Odyssey

Length : 123.20 m (404 ft)  |   Year : 2015

Golden Odyssey is a 123 m (404 ft) long superyacht which means it is one of the top 49 longest superyachts in the world. 

She was launched in 2015 and was built by the famous ‘Lurssen shipyard’.

The lucky owner of this magnificent vessel is Prince Khaled Bin Sultan.

Golden Odyssey can accommodate 32 guests in 16 cabins as well as a crew of 60 in 30 cabins.

She was designed by Martin Francis Design with Alberto Pinto designing her interior.

Length : 124.40 m (408 ft)  |   Year : 2010

Katara , also known as Project Crystal is a 124-metre yacht that was built by Lurssen Shipyard in Bremen, Germany.

She is one of the world’s largest yachts with a helipad and a plethora of tenders. 

She flies a Qatari flag and her home port is Doha which gives support to the belief that her name is an interpretation of the word ‘festivity’.

It was planned by Espen Oeino International which is also responsible for the planning of over 50 other well-known super yachts.

Length : 125 m (410 ft)  |   Year : 1991

Initially intended for use as a Russian research vessel, Maryah was built in Poland in the 1990s before later being acquired by Sheikh Tahnoon.

She was sent to Greece and rebuilt in 2014 by Elefsis Shipyard. 

She measures in at a length of 125 metres and can reach a top speed of 18 knots.

Maryah’s large interior can accommodate up to 54 guests.

22. Octopus

Length : 126 m (413 ft)  |   Year : 2003

Built-in 2003 this 126m long beauty belongs to American business magnate, Paul Allen.

Powered by Mercedes Diesel engines she can reach a speed of 20 knots while hosting 26 guests.

Octopus is home to a large helicopter hangar on the main deck which are home to two helicopters.

She also has a glass-bottom pool and a 10-person submarine which floats into Octopus through a large hatch.

She also has a music recording studio, a cinema, a gym and a medical centre.

21. Al Mirqab

Length : 133 m (436 ft)  |   Year : 2008

Al Mirqab , the 133m Super Yacht wonder can be seen in the footage arriving in Gibraltar.

Built in 2008 she is comprised of a whopping 38 cabins. 25 of which are for the crew, and the remaining 13 for guests.

With a volume of 9,604, she is one of the largest superyachts in the world and is owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.

With a net worth of over $1 Billion, he was the Prime Minister of Qatar from 2007 to 2013.

Length : 134 m (440 ft)  |   Year : 2011

Serene was launched in 2011 and measures an impressive 134 metres.

She was built by Fincantieri – one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups.

She was designed by Espen Oeino with the interior designed by Raymond Langton Design.

She has the capacity to accommodate 24 people and a crew of 52.

Powered by MTU engines she can reach speeds of up to 18 knots.

19. Crescent

Length : 135.50 m (445 ft)  |   Year : 2018

Crescent is a Super Yacht built in 2019 by famous shipyard Lurssen.

She is the 17th longest superyacht measuring a length of 135 metres. 

Powered by MTU engines it is estimated her top speed is 20 knots with a cruise speed of 12 knots.

Her large size has the room to accommodate 18 guests with a crew of up to 40.

Crescent features a retractable helicopter hangar and a large pool which is rumoured to have a glass bottom.

18. Savarona

Length : 136 m (446 ft)  |   Year : 1931

Savarona was built by Blohm + Voss in 1931 for Emily Roebling Cadwalader, the granddaughter of the Brooklyn Bridge engineer.

At the time she cost around $4 million which is over $80 million in today’s value. 

She was the largest superyacht in the world when she was first launched and now she sits in 17th position.

17. Flying Fox

Length : 136 m (446 ft)  |   Year : 2019

The breathtaking and unprecedented outside plan praised by her pigeon dark frame planned by winning designer Espen Øino makes Flying Fox an astounding vessel. 

At 136-meter length, her 22.5m wide shaft guarantees an open living space along with an extraordinary plan on both outside and inside. 

Her rich, contemporary inside plan from Mark Berryman offers 11 lodges for 25 visitors all with private ocean see patios.

16. Rising Sun

Length : 138 m (453 ft)  |   Year : 2004

The Rising sun yacht is a 138-meter-long superyacht built by famous shipyard Lurssen in 2004.

It has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. 

Powered by 4 MTU engines she can reach a top speed of 28 knots.

She is currently the 6th largest yacht in the world and was holidayed on by Oprah Winfrey in the summer of 2013.

15. Al Salamah

Length : 139 m (456 ft)  |   Year : 1999 Al Salamah is a motor yacht which belonged to the former Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and was put for sale for $280,000 in 2013.  It was later given to Bahraini Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa as a gift.

Construction began by HDW in Kiel, Germany and was finished by Lurssen. 

14. Solaris

Length : 139.7 m (458.4 ft)  |   Year : 2021

Solaris was newly launched in 2021 by Werft and belongs to Roman Abramovich who also owns the second-largest yacht in the world, Eclipse.

 She has a volume of just over eleven thousand tonnes and it is estimated that she can accommodate up to 36 guests and a crew of 60.

13. Ocean Victory

Length : 140 m (459 ft)  |   Year : 2014

Ocean Victory is a 140-metre super yacht that was built by Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri in 2014.

As of 2021, she is the 13th longest superyacht.

Ocean Victory was designed by Espen Oeino with the interior designed by Alberto Pinto.

She has the capacity to accommodate 84 people with 28 being guests and a crew of 56.

Powered by Wärtsila MTU engines she can reach speeds of up to 19 knots.

Length : 141 m (463 ft)  |   Year : 2012

Measuring in at a length of 141m Yas was originally a Dutch navy frigate.

The original steel superstructure was replaced with a new superstructure of composite materials in 2013.

She is one of the largest superyachts in the world.

Due to the size of the structure, the interior decks, support and shell were built in sections in order to facilitate shipping and assembly.

She can accommodate up to 60 guests with a crew of up to 56 at disposal.

Length : 142 m (466 ft)  |   Year : 2021

Nord was launched in 2019 and strikes an imposing 142m in length.

She was built by Lurssen shipyard which is at the top of the game when it comes to Yachts of this magnitude.

 Lurssen was responsible for the naval architecture while the styling for both the exterior and interior design came from Nuvolari Lenard, a multi-award-winning studio.

Nord can accommodate up to 36 people over the 20-suite layout.

10. Sailing Yacht A

Length : 142.95 m (469 ft)  |   Year : 2017

Sailing Yacht A was built in 2017 and measures a length of 143 metres long.

She has a beam of 25m and 8 decks. 

She is the world’s largest sailing-assisted motor yacht in the world.

Powered by MTU engines and with the sails as assistance, she can reach a top speed of 21 knots.

She features a 1-foot thick glass underwater observation area.

9. El Mahroussa

Length : 145.72 m (478 ft)  |   Year :1965 |  ShipSpotting.com © Walter Maifarth El Mahroussa currently serves as Egypt’s presidential yacht previously being the country’s royal yacht.

She was built by the British shipbuilding firm Samuda Brothers.  She is the oldest active superyacht having undergone a number of alterations during its years of service. 

8. Prince Abdulaziz

Length : 147 m (482 ft)  |   Year : 1984

Measuring an empowering 147 metres, Prince Abdulaziz was built in 1984 and was once the biggest yacht in the world. 

Due to many new yacht builds she now is the 7th biggest yacht. 

Her large size allows her to accommodate 64 guests and 65 crew members at any given time.

Prince Abdulaziz yacht was built in Denmark by Helsingor Vaerft after being ordered by King Fahd who named her after his son Prince Abdul Aziz.

Length : 147 m (482 ft)  |   Year : 2012

Launched in 2012 A+ measures in at a whopping 147 metres making her the 6th largest yacht in the world. 

She was built by the famous boat yard Lurssen in Bremen, Germany. 

She has twin Pielstick diesel engines with enough power to reach a cruising speed of 22.9 knots and a top speed in excess of 25.5 knots.

Among her features, she has zero-speed stabilisers, a helicopter landing pad, a swimming pool, a gym, a cinema and a tender garage.

Her lighting system pictured above also lights underwater.

Length : 155 m (509 ft)  |   Year : 2007 |  ShipSpotting.com © Vincent Thépaut Al Said is a 155-meter superyacht owned by the Sultan of Oman.

Construction was ordered in 2006 through the Lurssen shipyard and was launched in September 2007.  At the time of her launch, she was the world’s second-biggest yacht but since then she has been pushed back into the fifth position. 

Length : 156 m (512 ft)  |   Year : 2016

Dilbar is a 156-meter-long super yacht that was launched in 2016.

She was built by Lurssen shipyard which is at the top of the game when it comes to Yachts of this magnitude. 

She was designed by Espen Oeino with the interior designed by Andrew Winch Design.

She has the capacity to accommodate 36 people and a crew of 84.

Powered by Wärtsila diesel-electric engines she can reach speeds up to 22.5 knots.

Length : 160 m (524 ft)  |   Year : 2022

The Blue superyacht , a breathtaking 160-meter vessel designed by Terence Disdale and built by Lürssen, redefines luxury yachting by combining unparalleled opulence with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

As the fourth-largest yacht in the world, Blue boasts state-of-the-art diesel-electric hybrid propulsion, advanced wastewater treatment technology, and an array of lavish amenities, setting a new benchmark for innovation, elegance, and eco-friendly practices within the luxury yachting industry.

Length : 162 m (531 ft)  |   Year : 2006

Measuring a length of 162m Dubai is the world’s third-biggest yacht, built by Platinum Yachts.

She is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – the ruler of Dubai who has a Net Worth of $5 billion. 

It was the biggest yacht in the world from 2006 to 2009 however it was replaced by Eclipse and Azzam.

Dubai has four MTU diesel engines which can accelerate it up to a speed of 26 knots.

Length : 162.50 m (533 ft)  |   Year : 2010

Measuring a whopping length of 162 metres, Eclipse is the second biggest yacht in the world. 

Built-in 2010 by Blohm and Voss she was the largest until April 2013 when Azzam was launched.

Although she is known as the $1.5 billion yacht, Eclipse’s actual cost price was around $700 million. 

She is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich who is known to be one of the world’s wealthiest people having sold his oil company for $13 billion.

He also owns a second superyacht, Solaris.

1. Biggest Yacht In The World – Azzam

Length : 179.7 m (590 ft)  |   Year : 2013

Azzam is the largest yacht in the world measuring a whopping 180 metres.

Built by Lurssen she is estimated to have cost $600 Million. 

Powered by MTU engines she can reach a speed of 31 knots which is achievable by her shallow draft relative to her size.

Due to her large size, Azzam can comfortably accommodate 36 guests and has a crew of 60.

These Are 19 of the Largest Yachts in the World

Prepare to be amazed by these swoon-worthy boats with posh amenities galore.

SuperYachts released their predictions for the Top 100 largest superyachts in the world earlier this year, with the in-process REV currently anticipated to be the largest yacht in the world upon completion in 2021, but little yet is known about its features. We selected 19 of our favorite yachts on this list that represent leisure and opulence as its finest, many of these being considered “megayachts” (greater than 200 feet long). From helipads to palatial beach clubs, discover some of the world’s most expensive yachts and the fabulous amenities they have to offer.

This 457-foot yacht was built by Lurssen in 1999 with exterior and interior design from Terrance Disdale. Al Salamah is equipped to accommodate 40 guests and 96 crew members for the ultimate yachting experience. The boat features a gym, swimming pool and platform, beauty room, elevator, medical suite, and study spaces for both the owners and guests.

One of the newest ships on this list, Crescent was built by Lurssen in 2018 and is just less than 445 feet long. This sleek ship's exteriors were designed by French yacht design firm Zuretti and its interiors by Monaco's Espen Oenio. It can house up to 18 guests and 24 crew and features a two-level glass atrium, a helicopter hangar, and a glass-bottomed pool.

Prince Abdulaziz

This stunning megayacht is part of the Saudi family's royal fleet of yachts. It was built in 1984 at 482 feet, making it the largest yacht built in the 20th century, and held the spot as world's largest until Dubai was launched in 2006. Its interiors took 15 months alone to craft under the direction of the one-and-only David Hicks, who designed the space to suit 64 guests and 65 crew. The yacht is used for both business and pleasure and is rumored to house missiles and an underwater surveillance system.

This 416-foot megayacht was the passion project of Microsoft's cofounder Paul Allen and is currently owned by his wife, Jody Allen. The groundbreaking exploration yacht has the ability to travel to the world's mot remote and otherwise inaccessible locations. It was built by Lurssen in 2013 with exterior design by Espen Oenio and interiors by Seattle-based yacht designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett, housing 26 guests and 63 crew. A spa, library, multiple lounges, alfresco dining spaces, and a basketball court are just the beginning of Octopus's array of amenities.

Al Mirqab was built in 2008 by Peters Schiffbau and is owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who is Qatar royalty, a businessman, and a politician. Its exteriors were designed by Kusch Yachts and its award-winning interiors by Winch Design. Al Mirqab measures 437 feet and houses up to 60 guests and crew each. The yacht features a grand staircase with sides made from hand-cut crystal panels, cinema, spa, beach club and a lower deck swimming pool that can be opened up to the sea.

Launched in 2012, the yacht formerly known as Topaz stretches 483.1 feet long and reaches speeds up to 19.5 knots. And with interiors by the renowned Terrence Disdale , you know this behemoth is as spectacular on the inside as its exterior. It’s equipped with an on-deck Jacuzzi, double helicopter landing pad, swimming pool, fitness center, cinema room, and a snazzy conference room. A+ is reportedly owned by Sheikh Mansour, deputy prime minister of the UAE, and can accommodate up to 62 guests and 79 crew members.

One of the world’s largest “gigayachts”—measuring a whopping 456 feet—is also one of the newest, as it is currently undergoing trials in the Baltic Sea. This sleek structure, formerly known as Opus and Project Redwood, technically launched in January 2019 but came back to Lurssen for more fine tuning and upscale additions. The interiors and exterior are both by Nuvolari Lenard , and the yacht will reportedly sleep up to 36 guests. Some of the ultra-fabulous amenities include a beach club, fitness center, spa and sauna, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, elevator, two helipads, and an impressive study.

Katara was launched in 2010 and measures 408.2 feet long and reaches speeds up to 20 knots. The yacht’s interiors were reportedly done by Alberto Pinto and comfortably accommodate 34 guests and 95 crew members. Much of Katara remains a mystery, but we do know it belongs to either the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, or Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, chairman of the Katara Hospitality Group, and docks in the city of Dohu. Katara also reportedly has its own beach club with sea terraces.

Savarona is the oldest yacht on this list, as it was originally launched in 1931 and refitted in 1999. The 446-foot yacht boasts interiors by Donald Starkey, room to sleep 34 guests and 48 crew, and luxe amenities, like ample spa facilities, a spacious study, oversize media room, and plenty of fabulous deck space for lounging.

This sleek yacht belongs to Roman Abramovich, billionaire businessman, politician, and owner of the Chelsea Football Club. Some of the likely amenities on board include a three-person submarine, a 52-foot pool that can be converted into a dance floor, and an exterior fireplace. Eclipse is believed to accommodate 36 guests and 70 crew members.

Eclipse Yacht Interior

Eclipse 's interiors were designed by world-renowned Terence Disdale Design in London.

Dilbar is owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and is considered the largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage and interior volume. Usmanov named this Lurssen masterpiece after his mother. Some of this boat’s amenities include a 82-foot indoor swimming pool, sauna and massage room, movie theater, and underwater lights. Dilbar accommodates 40 guests and 80 crew members.

Dilbar Yacht Interior

Andrew Winch of Winch Design Group , a London-based design group for luxury homes, yachts, and planes, designed the interiors of Dilbar .

The 590-foot Azzam is considered the longest yacht in the world and is reportedly owned by the royal family of Abu Dhabi. Built in 2013, this Larsson yacht made yachting history for not only its size, but its ability to reach top speeds of more than 30 knots.

French designer Christophe Leoni spearheaded the interior design of this boat that accommodates 36 guests and 60 crew members.

This megayacht was constructed by Platinum Yachts for Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei and now belongs to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The yacht took 10 years to perfect and is widely considered one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. Dubai boasts a mosaic-tiled swimming pool, multiple Jacuzzis, disco, and a squash court. Its dining room alone can hold up to 90 guests, and the boat has room for 88 crew members.

Dubai Yacht Interior

The interiors of Dubai were designed by Andrew Winch of Winch Design .

Fulk Al Salamah

Fulk Al Samanah was assembled by Mariotti in Genoa, Italy, and is the world's second-largest superyacht. It is believed to belong to the Omani Royal Fleet. Notable amenities include a beauty salon, beach club, and conference facilities, and it requires 130 crew members for optimal ventures. Little information about the Fulk Al Samanah is known, but the boat's exterior was designed by Studio de Jorio.

This stunner belongs to billionaire and entertainment mogul David Geffen and has likely hosted a favorite celebrity (or 10) of yours over the past few years—even the Obamas. Complete with a gym, sauna, pool, and underwater lights, what more could you ask for in a party venue? This Lurssen yacht holds 18 guests overnight and up to 45 crew.

Rising Sun Yacht Interior

There isn't much out there about the interiors of Geffen's yacht, but we do know it was designed by Bannenberg and Rowell .

Ocean Victory

Ocean Victory was built in 2014 by Fincantieri and is owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov. It holds 26 guests and 50 crew. Notable amenities include six pools, a beach club, and an underwater observation room.

Little is known about the interiors of this ship, except that it was designed by Alberto Pinto and Laura Sessa Romboli, so you know it has to be absolutely fabulous.

Lauren Wicks is a freelance writer and editor based in Birmingham, Alabama. Before going on her own, Lauren worked for brands such as VERANDA, EatingWell, and Cooking Light , and she covers all things lifestyle from interior design and luxury travel to wine and wellness.

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The world’s biggest yachts – what’s behind the growth of the gigayacht

• Helen Fretter
• March 14, 2017

The last few years have seen launches of some of the world's largest yachts, truly gigayachts. Helen Fretter delves into the world of the gigayacht

Dwarfing not only any other yacht that happened to be on the River Eider, but even the buildings along the foreshore, the monolithic Sailing Yacht A made quite an impression when she was launched from the Nobriskrug yard in Hamburg in the autumn of 2016.

The 142m, eight-deck behemoth is the archetypal ‘gigayacht’, phenomenal not just in her dimensions but also in her radicalism.

The Philippe Starck-designed Sailing Yacht A , with her 20m freeboard, begs the question: is she even a sailing yacht? The last yacht to divide opinion, and attract the shock and awe of the non-sailing public in the same manner was Maltese Falcon , the glossy, experimental megayacht designed for Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tom Perkins.

But the Falcon was launched a decade ago, and Sailing Yacht A is just one of a crop of extraordinary gigayachts, or sailing superyachts of 80, 90 or 100m plus, to touch the water in 2016.

Besides the 142m Sailing Yacht A , another three-masted design was launched from OceanCo this autumn, the 106m  Black Pearl , which looks set to become the largest sailing yacht in the world – for a while at least. Black Pearl represents a modern evolution of the rotating Dynarig pioneered by Maltese Falcon . Meanwhile in the spring, the largest Bermudan rigged yacht ever launched, the 86m ketch Aquijo , powered through sail trials in preparation for a global adventure.

There are more in the pipeline also. Royal Huisman announced this autumn that they had been commissioned to design and build the 86m Project 400 , another three masted design, this one more conventionally rigged. A proposal for the 114m Endurance has just been unveiled, an explorer concept designed to be able to cruise unassisted for three months. There is also the 86m Komorebi , an experimental wingsail-assisted hybrid trimaran design from the French multihull experts VPLP.

Rise and rise of the gigayacht

Why the sudden flurry of these stratospherically ambitious projects? In truth, it is not that sudden – initial pitches for what ultimately became Sailing Yacht A were invited back in 2008, and pre-studies began in 2011. A decade between projects seems rather shorter when design and build takes at least five years – gigayacht owners may be exacting, but they also have to be extraordinarily patient.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony is currently in build out of wood in Turkey, and includes vast living accommodation, and a swimming pool that converts to become a helipad platform.

What is remarkable, though, is how rapidly the yachts have grown in size – raising the upper ceiling from 88 to over 140m in a decade. Dutch naval architecture firm Dykstra has been instrumental in many of the world’s most innovative megayachts, including Sailing Yacht A , Black Pearl , and Maltese Falcon .

Managing director Thys Nikkels comments, “Ten years ago a big boat was a very different size than a big boat is now. I can still remember when I started working in ’91 a 40-metre yacht in those days was a big boat. In the mid-90s we started to design the yacht Athena , which we thought was the biggest boat we were ever going to see in our lives, as a sailing yacht she was 80 metres on the water.”

The largest single sloop rigged yacht in the world remains Mirabella V , launched back in 2003 and since renamed (and slightly lengthened during a refit) M5 at just over 77m. Rob Doyle, who worked on the project led by Ron Holland, recalls:

“We started designing her 17 years ago now. We hit a very natural sweet spot with Mirabella and that’s why it has taken so long for other boats to suddenly go over her length and over her rig height.

“ Mirabella still has the highest ‘P’ measurement [distance from boom to top of mast] and the longest boom in the world, though there are taller masts now.

“She set a bar and we didn’t realise we’d actually set it. It came down to a ratio of the rig weight to the draught and the keel weights, and everything else to be able to carry that amount of sail and that ballast to satisfy the rules.

“We pushed technology a lot – about 16 companies went bust over Mirabella  because the jump was so massive. We were jumping from a 64m to a 75m [yacht] and that jump was like learning to fly, then going to the moon!”

Article continues below

Video of Sailing Yacht A, the world’s largest sail-assisted vessel, during early sea trials

This video footage of Sailing Yacht A shows her with her towering free-standing masts and illustrates the jaw-dropping scale of the world’s…

A look on board the extraordinary 86m Aquijo, the world’s largest ketch

The largest Bermudan rigged ketch ever launched, the 86m Aquijo was designed by Bill Tripp and launched last year. The build came…

Ken Freivokh, who was responsible for the radical styling of Maltese Falcon , also points out that after the much publicised launch of the Falcon many buyers did not want to be seen to be emulating Tom Perkins’s unique style, preferring to wait, or opt for a conservative design. After the Falcon , Freivokh’s next radical Dynarig yacht was Black Pearl , which he began work on six years ago. At 106m Black Pearl dwarfs Maltese Falcon , with a 2,700GT volume that puts her just under the key 3,000GT limit.

Surprisingly, Dykstra’s Thys Nikkels says that the Dynarigs being built today are not markedly different to the one developed for Maltese Falcon a decade ago. “In concept it is not very different. In detail there are a number of improvements that have been made.

But Maltese Falcon was – for her time – years far ahead and she proved to be very successful in sail handling and sailing, so there are not many improvements to be done. Nowadays you just have different materials you can use, or different electronics and software systems that you can use for control.”

Maltese Falcon, launched in 2006, pioneered the Dynarig concept utilised on many of the next generation of larger gigayachts.

Sail handling

Meanwhile a decade of development in superyacht rigs and sail systems, means that Aquijo ’s owner could opt for a conventional ketch rig, which can deploy over 3,000m2 of sails in around six minutes.

Sail handling routines are necessarily different – the jib is furled when tacking. “Vitters organised a nice system that keeps just a nice amount of tension on the jib sheets furling in and out so that they are not flailing about,” explains Aquijo ’s designer, Bill Tripp. “So it’s not a dinghy tack, but it is safe and orderly.

“The spinnaker is on a fast furler and furls up in 30 seconds, making gybes less complex. There is the ketch choreography of bringing the main and mizzen in, but the steering is precise and there is no need to put too much sail up for the conditions.”

Aquijo master cabin

The forces generated on yachts such as Aquijo may be enormous – mast compression can reach around 580 tons – but are no longer beyond the realms of riggers’ experience. “When we started building boats like Saudade [the 2009 45m Wally], 14 tonnes was a very big load. Once we understood racing these boats, and understood they were controllable, you can take another step.

“We were delighted when sailing Aquijo upwind in a lot of breeze that the load on the mainsheet was showing around 12 tonnes. It’s 2:1 so that’s 24 tonnes. I’m not saying that’s not a massive load, but it’s similar to what we have on Saudade ’s big sheet 1:1, and we have years of experience with handling that.” Custom built 40 ton carbon and alloy winches help manage the sheet loads.

Tripp notes that a Dynarig was never considered as an option. “What you’re really asking is do you want the ease of sailing or do you want to be able to access something exciting? And we wanted both of them.

“Sailors tend to like the more fundamental experiences, and when the technology allows them to access those more fundamental experiences, well that’s a great joy.”

Aquijo is the world’s largest ketch, with a mainsail that can be furled or unfurled in around four seconds

Finding the limit

Just how big can a sailing yacht go? Five years ago plans were unveiled for a 101m sloop, with a single 125m carbon mast, which raised a few eyebrows and discussions over whether it might be possible. Malcolm McKeon worked on the proposal and says that it was the cost, rather than technical limitations, which put the brakes on the project.

“It was an evolving process. The owner has a 50m-plus sailing superyacht, and he wanted a new yacht big enough that he could put a reasonably sized chase boat on board. He wanted an explorer type sailboat that he could go to the Pacific on, and carry all his toys with him, and not have to have a support boat.

“The design started at 65 or 70m and it just grew and grew and grew until it got to 100m, and then it basically just got too expensive.

Recent sail trials on Sailing Yacht A saw the 1,464m2 mainsail unfurled from the 27.5m carbon U-shaped boom. Incredibly she is designed to heel up to a maximum angle of 12 degrees under full sail.

“The big problem with the large sail boats is the mast price goes up by a bigger proportion to everything else so the rig price becomes a much bigger percentage of the overall build. Technically it can all be done, it’s just the value of that part becomes a much more significant part and sometimes more difficult for an owner to accept.

“If somebody came to me and said they wanted to build a boat with a 200m mast I would think well, is that really possible? Certainly rigs up to 100m and a bit more I think are possible today, but where we’re going to go after that I don’t know.”

Rob Doyle points out that sailing superyacht owners pay around a 30 per cent premium over opting for a motoryacht, yet the boats lose around a third of the equivalent interior volume. However, for him the biggest limitations are the humans onboard.

“I think we are coming to a stage where we need a new type of rig, to be honest, to be able to safely deploy these sails without killing people. I think we are getting very close to where the metal meets the flesh at the deck level where the people and the guests are hanging around.”

With the ever-increasing winch and line speeds needed to handle the huge loads, serious hand and limb injuries can happen in the blink of an eye. “There is a moral hazard there that keeps playing on my mind,” says Doyle. “We are building very dangerous machines and we have to be very careful of people.”

The newly announced Endurance concept design is a 114m four-masted explorer design with a 6,000 mile range under power.

More prosaically, the bigger your gigayacht, the bigger the challenge of just getting on and off it. “Once you are getting to a stage where you can’t get into anchorages you are in constant fear of drifting – even putting down an anchor you need a huge amount of space around you.

“So then you anchor further out into the slop and the big waves, so the owners find it difficult to get on and off the boat, and suddenly other problems can overwhelm the project,” Doyle points out. One increasingly popular solution to that particular problem is a luxury landing craft.

Too big for the Panama Canal

It might seem counter-intuitive, but it is Aquijo ’s owner’s focus on the sailing experience that has enabled the designers of the 86m ketch to push the size limits of a traditionally rigged yacht.

“ Aquijo is a sophisticated machine and brings most aspects of a 1,600GT motor yacht with her,” comments designer Bill Tripp. “But she does not aspire to helicopters or submarines, the feeling of the boat is one of use. She is for getting out there, and for going out sailing. In Greece this summer, she would go out for an afternoon of sailing in 35 knot Meltemi because it is so much fun to sail at 20 knots, as if on rails.

“We have always done sailboats that can get under the Panama Canal bridge, and the biggest we were happy to do and put under the bridge was really 46m because after that we didn’t have big enough sails for the boat.

“Then five years ago we launched A Better Place , and the owner said ‘I’ll go around, I don’t want to limit my boat because of the bridges.’ With Aquijo they said, we want to go to these places anyway, so let’s get the best sailboat we can. So suddenly, instead of having this 63m limit on the rig, that all opened up and we could start doing a sailing boat that had a gross tonnage like some of the bigger motoryachts.

“I think we’re going to see more of that. You can look at the Strait of Magellan [an alternative route to rounding Cape Horn ], as a place that’s a really long way away or a place you really want to go.”

The three-masted Black Pearl  has an angular ‘Pacman’ bow with a wave-piercing reverse sheer lower section, and extended traditional foredeck above

The wish list

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is keeping his Sailing Yacht A tightly wrapped under non-disclosure agreements, but a few intriguing details have been released, including magnifying windows which appear larger inside than outside, and a gimballed crow’s nest, accessible by lift, 60m high in the curved mast.

An observation pod embedded in the keel with foot-thick glass gives a mesmerising – and frankly terrifying-sounding – view of the propellers, and there’s a three-man submarine.

Gigayacht designers have come up with some imaginative solutions to meet owners’ foibles and demands. Drawings for the 101m sloop incorporated an entirely retractable hardtop to the flybridge to give the owner his requested uninterrupted view of the sails and sky.

Plans for the Japanese-influenced Komorebi design feature a live tree on the aft deck. Watersports toys are old news – now tender garages are specified to house motorbikes, amphibious quad bikes, even custom-built marinised supercars.

On Aquijo , the headline feature is the ‘beach club’ on the lower deck. “For a sailing boat it is a huge area, they have a sauna, hamman [Turkish Bath], a rainfall shower, a relaxing area, this huge whirlpool in the middle, a little pantry, and enough space for gym equipment around the pool,” explains interior designer Robert Voges.

Beach club on Aquijo.

Voges says the trickiest element on the yacht was the flawless high shine steel mast claddings which run through the interior. “It is like a piece of art. The mast was going through the main saloon and guest corridor, and we didn’t want to hide it. So we decided to make a feature out of it with seamless stainless steel cladding with integrated LED strip lights from top to bottom over two decks.”

One of the most radical projects in progress is the 141m Dream Symphony , a four-masted design currently in build in Turkey. Originally slated for launch this year, the project is progressing slowly – in part due to the fact the yacht is constructed of wood. Her design includes a large aft deck swimming pool that transforms into a raised helipad area.

This is the type of concept which seemed fantastical just a few years ago, but is now reality in the motoryachts world where designs like the 81m Alfa Nero have deployed it successfully.

“It’s a good solution because you usually have to drop down all the stanchions and any elements that are higher than the helipad itself, whereas if you lift the helipad you don’t have to lower the other elements,” explains Dream Symphony designer Ken Freivokh.

The 141m four-masted Dream Symphony

“The brief did not call for a resident helicopter that would have its own hanger – it’s just a ‘touch and go’. You don’t want to set aside space for a helicopter permanently that’s almost never there, so if you have a reasonably sized swimming pool why not use the base of a pool to just receive the helicopter, and then once the helicopter flies away you can put it back to normal operations?” Why not indeed?

No matter how grandiose your ideas, however, not even the vast volumes of a gigayacht can be entirely filled with art galleries and Reiki studios. Robert Voges explains that, like any other ship, “We have to start with all the emergency exits, the corridors, staircases . . . and from there we can work with the other areas which are left over.”

Ken Freivokh estimates that at least 20 per cent of the interior space has to be allocated to the back-of-house systems required to maintain the equivalent of a small hotel – air conditioning, waste, media, and other unglamorous elements behind the touch-screen luxury.

Edge of reason

At 12,700 GT, Sailing Yacht A has the vastest volume of all. But can she be called a sailing yacht? She carries three of the world’s largest carbon rigs – curved, unstayed, capable of rotating a maximum of 70 degrees – featuring in-boom furling that can deploy 3,747 square metres of sail area (67 per cent more than Maltese Falcon ) from a finger tip command. And yet she cannot help but look implausible.

The hull has a maximum beam of 24.8m and includes 24 shell doors.

No matter how innovative the technology on board, or how vast the expense, the elements will not bend to the will of man or millionaire. Various estimates have put her cost at $400-500million, or in the region of £320 to £400 million – to put those sort of figures in context, the bill for the London Olympics Aquatics centre came in at under £300m.

Sailing Yacht A will be ‘sail-assisted’, not wind-powered. Confounding, aggressive in her styling, she’s a yacht that has attracted scathing opinions as often as wide-eyed wonder. But what is the point of creating a gigayacht that doesn’t?

“It is a creative process with the owner,” comments Aquijo ’s designer Bill Tripp, “They have this idea that they can make something that speaks to them. They don’t write symphonies, and they’re not great painters or sculptors, but on the other hand money is vital energy, and they can create these things that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

“It’s great when someone says, ‘Life’s short, I’m just going to do this.’”

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Due to be launched in 2024, Vard's SOMNIO is set to be the largest superyacht in the world and the first ever 'yacht-liner'. With a LOA of 222m and a gross tonnage of 33,500, she is an unprecedented feat of design and engineering set to change the course of ultra-luxury travel. Winch Design and Tillberg Design are responsible for her interior and exterior design, a layout which features 39 exquisite high-end apartments offering the perfect combination of the superyacht lifestyle and premium hotel service. Amenities onboard will be aplenty, notably a 10,000 bottle capacity wine cellar and tasting rooms, a plethora of restraurants and bars, and a beach club with top-tier water sports offerings.

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On the 5th April 2013 Lürssen, the leading shipyard for large luxury yacht building, launched the 180m yacht AZZAM - the largest motor yacht in the world. The sleek and elegant superyacht features exterior design by Nauta Design.

Fulk Al Salamah

• Mariotti Yachts

This 164-metre (538ft) superyacht was built in Italy by Mariotti Yachts and now sits in the Omani capital as part of the royal fleet. The Italian built superyacht is currently the second largest privately owned yacht in the world, after Lurssen's Azzam.

• Blohm + Voss

Roman Abramovich's yacht Eclipse has received a huge amount of industry attention, not just for its size but for the celebrity of its owner. Eclipse is the largest and most expensive superyacht ever built. When initially ordered she was estimated to cost approximately £330million, by the time she was delivered however, her overall costs were closer to the £1billion mark due to the extra luxury fittings and security measures required by her owner. With a crew of up to 60, Eclipse is a giant of the sea. She was the fourth superyacht comissioned by Abramovich.

• Platinum Yachts

This magnificent yacht was originally commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei. Construction was suspended in 1998 and the vessel left unfinished until HH Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum secured the rumoured $300 million project. Platinum Yachts took the mega yacht to completion and in 2006 launched Dubai to become the world’s largest private yacht. Today however, Dubai is the second largest privately owned yacht in the world.

Launched in February 2022, Project Blue is Lurssen's latest secretive yacht project. With little revealed about her specifications and designers, her expansive size was confirmed by the German shipyard following her launch: an incredible 160m. Project Blue will be Lurssen's second-largest superyacht, and is due to be delivered in 2023. She was recently spotted in Bremerhaven, Germany, making her way out to sea for her maiden sea trial. She is expected to have a beam of 21m, and a gross tonnage of 15,320 GT. Her other specifications are currently unknown.

Originally known as Project Omar, the 156 metre superyacht Dilbar was launched in 2016 after over 4 years of construction. A favourite with yachtspotters worldwide, Dilbar is considered the largest superyacht in the world by volume.

Like most royal superyachts, little is known about Al Said, a giant mega yacht formerly codenamed "Project Sunflower". She was delivered to the Sultan of Oman in 2008 as a replacement for a smaller mega yacht of the same name. At a stunning 155m, Al Said consists of six large decks and features striking exterior and interior design by Espen Oeino International, the same company that designed the stunning 127m mega yacht Octopus. According to reports, Al Said is said to accommodate as many as 70 guests and 154 professional crew, as well as featuring a concert room capable of accommodating a 50 piece orchestra.

When construction of A+ (formerly named Topaz) first began she was forecast to be the 4th largest yacht in the world and to measure approximately 147m (482’3’’ft). Having left her floating shed at the Lürssen shipyard located in Bremen, Germany, she is now ready to claim that mantle and undergo the final phases of construction.

Prince Abdulaziz

• Helsingor Vaerft

As one of the yachts of the Saudi Royal Family, Prince Abdulaziz is used to conduct official business as well as for pleasure. The largest yacht built in the 20th century, the interior alone took 15 months to complete. Originally built for the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia who named the yacht after his son, it is now owned by his brother Abddullah.

Very little is known about Lurssen's mysterious superyacht OPERA. At 146m, the superyacht will be the sixth largest yacht Lurssen has built at the time of her launch in September 2022. OPERA was first spotted in May 2021 when she transported to the yard's Bremen outfitting facilities in Germany.

El Mahrousa

• Samuda Bros.

This Egyptian presidential yacht is not only one of the world’s largest but also one of the oldest. Built in 1865 in London, the yacht was intended for the King of Egypt. Originally named Mahroussa, El Horriya was extended in 1872 and again in 1905.  Nowadays she is berthed in Alexandria and is listed as a training ship by the Egyptian Navy.

Developed by German shipyard Lürssen, construction of Project Luminance is underway at their facilities near Lemwerder. Due to enter the esteemed list of the Top 10 largest superyachts in the world, information about the 145m superyacht is limited at this moment in time. Lürssen are world-famous for their incredible innovations and their capacity to build extremely large mega yachts filled with numerous features. Photos that have been captured of the boat indicate that she will have considerable deck space with plenty of room left over indoors to be packed out with luxury.

SAILING YACHT A

Sailing Yacht A is a highly unique vessel, with an LOA of 142.81m. She is one of the world’s largest and the most advanced superyachts with a number of unique features, including an underwater observation pod, hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and premium navigation systems. Her three masts are the tallest and most highly loaded freestanding composite structures in the world. Her futuristic design was created by Philippe Starck, her smooth silver-metallic surfaces challenging the expectations of conventional aesthetics.

As one of the most well-known builders of Top 100 yachts, Lurssen's NORD (formerly Opus and Redwood) has been highly anticipated as one of the largest ever to launch from the German yard. Also the largest project set to launch in 2020, at 142m, she will accommodate up to 36 guests in 20 cabins and was designed by Nuvolari Lenard.

• ADMShipyards

The 141m superyacht Swift141, now christened 'Yas', was successfully launched by ADMShipyards in November 2011; entering the record books as both the largest launch of 2011 and most significant superyacht in recent history. ADMShipyards, members of Privinvest, has proudly announced the launch of their first superyacht. At 141 meters, this stunning private yacht ranks as the sixth largest superyacht in the world.

• Lloyd Werft

Project Solaris is the revolutionary explorer yacht built by German masters of engineering Lloyd Werft. Topping off the yard's record for ultra large luxury yacht build, Project Solaris is an estimated 139m+ explorer yacht at the German giant's shed.

Scheherezade

As with most yachts in construction at Lurssen, little is known about this 140m project. We do not yet know the designer or architect, but she has been spotted moving around the build-hall. Her sightings have lead yacht spotters on the docks of the yard to aptly name her 'Project Lightning.' We hope to see her launch towards the end of 2019.

Ocean Victory

• Fincantieri Yachts

The largest yacht ever built in Italy and one of the ten largest in the world, Fincantieri has announced the successful delivery of Project Victory - a 140 metre superyacht launched in 2014 - under the official name of Ocean Victory.

Code named as Mipos (short for Mission Possible) during her construction, Al Salamah belongs to Saudi Arabian Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. Kept a great secret, rumours tell that she has over 80 rooms, a helipad, and an indoor swimming pool complete with glass roof. A real working wonder, this yacht was completed in 1999 after only two years.

Biggest diamond found since 1905 unearthed in Botswana by Canadian miner Lucara Diamond

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds the 2,492-carat diamond that was unearthed at one of its mines on Aug. 22 in Gaborone. The Associated Press

The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana, and the country’s president showed off the fist-sized stone to the world at a viewing ceremony Thursday.

The Botswana government says the huge 2,492-carat diamond is the second-biggest ever discovered in a mine. It’s the biggest diamond found since 1905.

The as-yet-unnamed diamond was presented to the world at the office of Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi. It weighs approximately half a kilogram and Masisi was one of the first to get to hold it.

“It is overwhelming,” Masisi said. “I am lucky to have seen it in my time.” He gasped and said “wow” before calling senior government officials over to take a closer look.

Officials said it was too early to value the stone or decide how it would be sold. Another smaller diamond from the same mine in Botswana was sold for $63 million in 2016, a record for a rough gem.

“This is history in the making,” said Naseem Lahri, Botswana managing director for Lucara Diamond Corp., the Canadian mining company that found the diamond. “I am very proud. It is a product of Botswana.”

Lucara said in a statement Wednesday that it recovered the “exceptional” rough diamond from its Karowe Mine in central Botswana. Lucara said it was a “high-quality” stone and was found intact. It was located using X-ray technology designed to find large, high-value diamonds.

“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara President and CEO William Lamb said in a statement.

The weight would make it the largest diamond found in 119 years and the second-largest ever dug out of a mine after the Cullinan Diamond that was discovered in South Africa in 1905. The famous Cullinan was 3,106 carats and was cut into gems, some of which form part of the British Crown Jewels.

A bigger, less pure black diamond was discovered in Brazil in the late 1800s, but it was found above ground and was believed to have been part of a meteorite.

Botswana, a country of 2.6 million people in southern Africa, is the second-biggest producer of natural diamonds behind Russia and has unearthed all of the world’s biggest stones in recent years. The Karowe Mine has produced four other diamonds over 1,000 carats in the last decade.

Before this discovery, the Sewelo diamond, which was found at the Karowe Mine in 2019, was recognized as the second-biggest mined diamond in the world at 1,758 carats. It was bought by French fashion house Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed amount.

The 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, also from Botswana’s Karowe Mine, was bought by a British jeweller for $53 million in 2017. Another diamond from Karowe, The Constellation, was sold for the record $63 million.

Diamonds are formed when carbon atoms are squeezed together under high pressure deep underground. Scientists say most diamonds are at least a billion years old and some of them more than 3 billion years old.

The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana, and the country's president showed off the fist-sized stone to the world at a viewing ceremony Thursday.

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Why Did The Bayesian Superyacht Sink So Disastrously? These Theories Could Explain It

Earlier this week, a luxury yacht belonging to British tech mogul Mike Lynch sank off the coast of Sicily following a storm. As of August 23, seven bodies have been recovered, with the Italian coastguard confirming its identity as that of Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of the deceased billionaire. Ever since the tragic incident, multiple theories have been spread across the internet, trying to decipher why and how the 184-foot Bayesian superyacht became the victim of a freak storm.

According to The Telegraph , Lynch reportedly planned to sell the luxurious yacht back in March, but merely after a few months on the market, he withdrew the listing. In the wake of the accident, investigators are said to be eyeing an analysis of the ship's keel, which was "partially elevated" and is being seen as a potential cause behind the tragedy.

Then there's the "human error" side of the story. Inquiry will also be made into the crew's response, specifically into their emergency protocol execution of closing the hatches. As of now, we don't have any conclusive evidence of how the events unfolded, but experts have pushed a few theories into what was the likely cause behind the yacht capsizing.

A Waterspout could have caused the disaster

According to Italian outlet La Repubblica , when authorities in the town of Termini Imerese interrogated 51-year-old James Cutfield, captain of the Bayesian superyacht, the New Zealander mentioned that he didn't see the storm coming. The fact that the nearby vessels didn't sink has raised suspicion that the cause was localized in nature. And given the erratic weather situation with storms, many are pointing fingers at waterspout, a phenomenon characterized by a whirling column of water and mist. 

Tornadic waterspouts can either move from land to water bodies or form directly over water and are often tagged along by strong winds, hail, and occasionally lightning, as well. The Tornadic waterspouts that triggered the Bayesian tragedy are said to have emerged from the recent wave of storms that have hit the Italian coastline in recent days, causing severe damage in some areas.

The biggest danger posed by waterspouts is what experts refer to as the knock-down effect, where sufficiently strong winds or waves hit a ship with enough force that it damages the mast. The Bayesian had a mast standing at 75 meters, which could have played a crucial role here. "In this case, having a tall aluminum mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm," an expert in nautical design told The New York Times .

Strong winds are said to have pushed the mast, triggering the whole event in the first place. According to the report, witnesses saw "a small tornado-like column" during an unexpected storm that ended up sinking the Bayesian. The ​​International Centre for Waterspout Research also claims to have recorded 18 waterspouts close to Italy, adding that one of them may have been responsible for the yacht accident.

It's undetermined if human error contributed

The Bayesian's mast was one of the biggest in the world, and questions are being raised as to whether it was partially responsible for the incident. However, the maker of the ship disagrees with the notion. In an interview with Sky News , Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of The Italian Sea Group, which owns Bayesian's builder Perini Navi, told the outlet that the core structural components of such ships are "unsinkable bodies."

He claimed that vessels like the Bayesian are "the safest in the most absolute sense," further adding that there were no inherent issues with the construction and design of the superyacht. Costantino blamed the accident on human error, the executive said in an interview with local outlet Corriere Della Sera . He questioned why the crew was unaware of the approaching storm despite it being predictable. Noting that the whole turn of events was predictable, Costantino questioned the survivor testimonies, adding that claims of the ship capsizing within seconds don't make sense, given the kind of failsafe measures built into the Bayesian. Following is a (translated) excerpt from the interview:

"I'm saying that, in fact, mistakes were made. Between the arrival of a storm and the loading of water there is a world. A series of activities had to be done to avoid finding ourselves in that situation. As the commander of the ship, I would have moved, but even if for some reason I had to stay there, I would have managed those weather conditions which, let's face it, weren't that crazy."

Open doors and hatches could have quickened the pace

In his interview, Costantino, citing divers at the rescue spot, claimed that the hatch was certainly open and that there may have been other similar mistakes that allowed water to come inside."I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side. I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that," Sam Jefferson, Editor of Sailing Today magazine, was quoted as saying by the DailyMail .

Nautical design professor at Milan Polytechnic University, Andrea Ratti, also shared similar concerns. "One or more portholes, windows or other openings may have been left open, broken or smashed by the waterspout, letting in water," claims a Reuters report citing Ratti. Based on pictorial analysis, Sky News mentioned the presence of air conditions in rooms aboard the Bayesian, but some experts note that due to hot temperatures outside, guests may have left the windows and portholes open.

This could have played a role in speeding up the boat's sinking process as it faced strong gusts of wind followed by an influx of water. Just four days before the Bayesian sank, the Mediterranean Sea recorded its highest-ever sea surface temperatures. According to Italian climate expert Luca Mercalli, who spoke to CNN , waters around the Sicilian coast were hotter than their usual levels.

The keel conundrum

The final theory about the Bayesian's sinking is linked to the keel, the structural beam that is responsible for maintaining a ship's stability . The Bayesian featured a retractable keel system, so that it can be pulled up and allow the ship to dock in areas where the water levels are low. However, according to some experts, poor decision-making in the face of challenging weather may have contributed to the tragedy.

Now, the wreckage of the superyacht was discovered at a depth of around 50 meters, which is not shallow, and that means there was no need for the keel to be retracted. But according to certain reports, it was "partially retracted." Investigators are now trying to establish details about the ship's keel at the time of the event.

But it seems owing to the Bayesian's engineering, it wouldn't have played any key role in how the ship actually sank . "Even without the keel completely out, the ship is stable, and only a massive entry of water could have caused the sinking," a spokesperson for the Italian Sea Group was quoted by the BBC . So far, no conclusive report has emerged, and we'll have to wait until local investigations dig up evidence and establish how the events unfolded.

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Hotshot nyc lawyer missing in bayesian yacht disaster had just made good on dad’s life’s work with victory in mike lynch fraud case.

Hotshot New York lawyer Chris Morvillo proved he was a “chip off the old block” when he beat the feds and won an acquittal for UK tech titan Mike Lynch in one of the biggest fraud trials in Silicon Valley history — carrying on his father’s legacy as one of the nation’s top white-collar criminal lawyers, a longtime family friend says.

Morvillo, 59, was on Lynch’s superyacht celebrating his legal victory in the $11 billion fraud case when the ship was hit by a surprise squall and sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

He and his wife, Neda, are missing and feared dead.

“I think it would be hard for any young lawyer to come into the business and make a reputation for yourself with the shadow of your dad’s influence,” veteran white-collar criminal attorney Ronald Riopelle, 65, told The Post.

He compared the father and son to baseball stars Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.

“It doesn’t happen that often — the son is able to play in the same league as their dad.”

Chris’ father, Bob Morvillo, who died in 2011 at age 73, got his start in the legal world in the 1960s as a federal prosecutor focused on securities fraud and targeted corporate leaders.

His prosecutions helped spark a surge in demand for corporate defense lawyers — which the elder Morvillo filled himself and became a pioneer in the field of white-collar criminal defense.

He represented the likes of Martha Stewart and ex-AIG CEO Maurice R. Greenberg. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance even worked at Morvillo’s firm — Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC.

When Chris Morvillo graduated from Fordham School of Law, he went into the family business and became a white-collar crime lawyer as well — serving as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York before moving on to his dad’s firm and then joining London-based firm Clifford Chance.

Even as Chris Morvillo carved out his own reputation as a litigator, he staked out a very different reputation from his father.

“Bob was a famously great lawyer — but, man, he did not suffer fools easily,” Riopelle said. “Bob was very tough. Chris was full of fun.”

He added: “Chris was just a doll … He was a fun guy. He was nice guy … He was happy-go-lucky guy, good sense of humor. His dad had a bit of a temper and a hard edge. Chris didn’t have that.”

What to know after a tornado sank the yacht Bayesian off the coast of Sicily:

• A superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily after a tornado hit the area early Monday, killing seven passengers.
• British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was identified as one of the bodies pulled from the wreckage. His teenage daughter, Hannah, was the final one to be recovered.
• Lynch — known as “Britain’s Bill Gates” — had invited guests from Clifford Chance, a legal firm that represented him, and Invoke Capital, his own company, on the voyage,  according to the Telegraph . 
• Security camera footage shot from 650 feet from where the  Bayesian sank Monday  shows it disappearing.
• A rare and unexpected “black swan” weather event may have led to the  Bayesian’s speedy demise , maritime experts say.

Chris Morvillo, however, proved his legal acumen once and for all in June when he helped secure Lynch — known as “the British Bill Gates” — a total acquittal on fraud charges alleging he’d cooked the books when he sold his company Autonomy to HP in 2011 for $11 billion.

HP later wrote down $8.8 billion from the acquisition and accused Lynch of inflating the value of Autonomy.

Lynch was charged by the US Justice Department, and faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted — but Chris managed to clear him of all federal charges in June after an explosive, three-month trial that was dubbed “one of Silicon Valley’s biggest-ever fraud cases.”

Colleagues of his father said he would have been glowing with pride to see his son secure a rare total victory. Less than 1% of federal charges result in acquittals.

“He would have said he’s a chip off the old block,” said Riopelle, who knew Bob Morvillo for more than 30 years.

Bob even tried cases with Chris over the years, along with his other sons, Scott and Greg.

“Their dad was very proud of their work and I know he’d be very proud of him now,” Riopelle said, adding that Chris was “at the peak of his career in a lot of ways.”

“He was a totally devoted father — he’d be totally heartbroken, as any father would be,” he said.

Morvillo’s firm Clifford Chance said it was “in shock and deeply saddened” by his loss in a statement to the Wall Street Journal .

“We are completely devastated by the news concerning Chris and Neda, and our hearts go out to all of those involved,” the statement said.

Since the Bayesian sank before dawn Monday, six bodies have been recovered from the wreckage lying under 160 feet of water.

Lynch’s body had been identified.

In addition to the Morvillos and Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, also missing are Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy.

Ship cook Ricardo Thomas — one of 10 crew members onboard — was found dead shortly after the disaster.

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The 10 biggest superyachts currently listed for sale

Related articles, superyacht directory.

Want to know how much boat you can buy for your buck? BOAT takes a look at the biggest yachts currently for sale, starting with the iconic 114.5-metre superyacht Pelorus ...

Pelorus | 114.5m

Year: 2003 Builder: Lürssen

Pelorus was commissioned by a Saudi businessman who enjoyed one long, glorious cruise aboard his new superyacht before tycoon Roman Abramovich made him an offer too good to refuse. Easily the largest yacht to be built by Lürssen at the time, her Tim Heywood exterior features a top deck "lido" with two swimming pools, two helicopter pads and a vast, sea-level platform revealed by opening the transom. Interiors were carried out by Terence Disdale , who opted to use natural materials wherever possible to maintain a "casual" atmosphere – in the hopes it would offset the yacht’s imposing frame.

Pelorus is asking €185,000,000 with Burgess .

Moonlight II | 91.4m

Year: 2005 Builder: Neorion

The brainchild of the late Andreas Liveras, Moonchild II was originally commissioned as the 85.3-metre Alysia alongside sistership Annaliesse (now Queen Miri ). Her transformative 2015 refit added the extra 6.1 metres alongside a brand new beach club made complete with a well-stocked bar, sunbathing areas and shell doors that reveal far-flung ocean views. Other highlights include a touch-and-go helipad and a full-beam spa with massage room, beauty salon, steam shower and gym.

Moonlight II is asking €68,000,000 with Fraser .

Phoenix II | 90.1m

Year: 2010 Builder: Lürssen

Phoenix II  takes a page (or two) from The Great Gatsby with her cherry velvet flooring and gilded details. The owner commissioned Winch Design to create her intricate "Art Deco meets the New York skyline" design concept, including a 5.7-metre phoenix figurehead modelled after the Chrysler building's mounted eagles. Roaring highlights include a sommelier room, three swimming pools, a plush cinema room and a custom Steinway for some musical accompaniment at mealtimes.

Phoenix II is asking €124,950,000 with   Cecil Wright and Burgess .

Lady Lara | 91m

Year: 2015 Builder: Lürssen

Debuting on the brokerage market in September 2023, Lady Lara has eluded the public eye for eight years – with BOAT International only recently stepping on board . She was designed inside and out by Reymond Langton and features two standout swimming pools . The first transforms into a dance floor with surround-sound while the second is fitted with a swim-up bar, large day bed and sunlounger. Lady Lara 's recently-completed winter works were valued at a staggering €15,000,000.

Lady Lara is asking €230,000,000 with Y.CO and Merle Wood & Associates .

Year: 2009 Builder: Abeking & Rasmussen

Another Reymond Langton entry, B2 remains the second-largest launch by the German shipyard (beaten out by the 118.2-metre Livao ). Her recent four-million-euro refit saw the hull extended by seven metres – allowing room for a spacious beach club, with a glass-bottom infinity pool acting as its rippling, refracted ceiling. The beach club is also outfitted with lounge chairs, a drinks bar and flatscreen television.

B2 is asking €79,000,000 with Moravia Yachting .

Chakra | 86m

Year: 1963 Builder: Van Der Werf

Delivered first as a commercial vessel, Chakra was converted into a full-fledged superyacht in 1998 by Devonport Yachts . The change saw her five decks rearranged with a dedicated yoga area, spa pool, beauty parlor, massage room and gym. This unconventional yacht also boasts a globe-trotting range (in exces of 10,000 nautical miles) and a spacious tender garage housing Yamaha Wave Runners, two RIBs and a 12-metre Sessa dayboat.

Chakra is listed for sale with Merle Wood & Associates, with POA.

O'Ptasia | 84.7m

Year: 2018 Builder: Golden Yachts

Superseded by 95-metre sistership O'Pari in 2020, Golden Yachts' former flagship is still one of the largest yachts on the market today. Her most attention-pulling feature is the beach club spa, fitted with a steam room, dry Finnish sauna, Hammam and massage room. Continuing the theme of wellness, a touch-and-go helipad on the foredeck can double as a yoga studio (with a view like no other) while her waterfall Jacuzzi is also a rejuvenating spot.

O'Ptasia is asking €89,999,000.00 with Burgess.

Elements | 80m

Year: 2019 Builder: Yachtley

The newest delivery on the list, Elements is Alpha Marine -made and "one of the world’s few purpose-built SOLAS yachts" according to her broker. Worthy of note is the master cabin, complete with its own oval lobby that doubles as a walk-in closet and a private deck with helipad, swimming pool, Jacuzzi and small private dining table. Her opulent Cristiano Gatto interiors see unconventional features (think Grecian-style pillars and etched-mirrored glass) incorporated alongside gold, silver and mother of pearl inlays.

Elements is asking €112,000,000 with Camper & Nicholsons .

Amaryllis | 78.4m

Year: 2011 Builder: Abeking & Rasmussen

Inspired by the Belle Époque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, it's no wonder Amaryllis'   interiors (owed to Reymond Langton) always dazzle those who step aboard. Leisure highlights include a piano lounge, cinema suite and five-metre pool with colourful underwater lighting for night-time swims. Her waterside set-up also impresses, with a beach club that features a fully-equipped (and perfectly paired) gym and spa.

Amaryllis is asking €89,000,000 with Moravia Yachting.

Yersin | 76.6m

Year: 2015 Builder: Piriou

Designed by Pierre-Jacques Kubis in the same scientific spirit as her namesake , Yersin is equipped with a barge, seaplane and enough provisions to keep 18 people fed for 50 days. But this military-style explorer is built not just for getting to extraordinary places, but also for making the most of them once there. Guests have free reign over a 30-square-metre spa, cinema and a pool deck complete with a teppanyaki galley, sushi bar and a large swimming pool. Other highlights include a library and an elevator accessing all decks.

Yersin is asking €59,000,000 with Fraser.

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Tragic reason divers took so long to find body of Mike Lynch's daughter on sunken Bayesian yacht

The final body of the six missing people from the sunken Bayesian yacht - believed to be Mike Lynch's daughter Hannah - has been found by the Italian coastguard

• 12:19, 23 Aug 2024
• Updated 13:29, 23 Aug 2024

Expert divers have now found the sixth missing body onboard the sunken Bayesian yacht , believed to be British billionaire Mike Lynch's teenage daughter Hannah.

The 56-metre luxury superyacht was carrying 22 people when it sank off the coast of Italy during a violent storm in the early hours of Monday morning. Fifteen people were initially rescued, with chef Recaldo Thomas tragically pronounced dead. Six people remained missing until five bodies were pulled from the water on Wednesday.

Technology tycoon Mr Lynch, who owned the £30million yacht, was confirmed one of them, alongside Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo. On Friday morning, the Italian coastguard retrieved the final body after a "difficult" five days of searching among the debris.

The sunken vessel currently sits fully intact on its starboard side around 165ft underwater on the seabed. Due to its location, experienced divers have only been able to explore the wreckage for around 12 minutes at a time.

The rescue team previously explained that the search had been made especially difficult by the amount of debris blocking accessibility to all areas of the yacht. It is therefore understood that the body believed to be that of Hannah Lynch had been trapped behind objects this whole time.

It is also believed that Mr Lynch's wife Angela survived and the father didn't because he potentially went to look for Hannah, who would have been sleeping away from the master cabin, giving his wife some comfort that he tried to go back to save her, according to reports.

Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire rescue service, told Sky News: "It's very difficult to move inside the wreckage. Moving just one metre can take up to 24 hours." The national head of the fire brigade, Carlo Dall'Oppio, told the Mirror on Thursday that operations were also taking time because they had to protect the safety of the divers. He explained: "These operations are proceeding slowly because we must first of all preserve the health of our operators," adding: "It is a difficult job - there are about 40 divers used, 28 of whom come from outside Sicily".

Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily previously said earlier this week that entering the yacht was so difficult because the hull is titled at a 90-degree angle. Member of the diving team Marco Tilotta said "there is a world of objects" obstructing the stairs that lead to the cabins, the BBC reports.

Hannah, 18, had this month received her A-level results and had secured a place to study English at the University of Oxford. She had attended the prestigious Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, west London. Her mother, Angela Bacares, was onboard the yacht and survived.

The trip appeared to be a celebration after Mr Lynch's acquittal of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US federal trial related to Hewlett Packard's $11 billion (£8.4 billion) takeover of his company, Autonomy Corp. Other guests on the yacht included people who had stood by him throughout the ordeal - such as his US lawyer, Christopher Morvillo and his wife.

Mr Lynch, a father of two, spoke to The Times in July of this year about his charges and how he may not have lived to see freedom had he been found guilty. He said: "If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of my life as I have known it in any sense. It's bizarre, but now you have a second life - the question is, what do you want to do with it?"

Mr Lynch candidly shared: "I'd had to say goodbye to everything and everyone, because I didn't know if I'd ever be coming back." If the businessman had been convicted of conspiracy and wire fraud, he would have faced up to 25 years in a US prison - and given his serious lung condition, it is unlikely he would have made it out alive.

He remained confident that he would be acquitted, but it didn't make it any less emotional when he finally heard those words. "When you hear that answer, you jump universes," he recalled to the newspaper. "If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense."

Mr Lynch was finally reunited with his family - including his other daughter, 21, and his six dogs - after spending 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco while awaiting trial. Of his return to the UK, he said tearfully: "It's a very strange situation to now be in a different mindset where you're back."

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