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From the archives: On board the iconic 74.5m Blohm+Voss superyacht Zeus, formerly Enigma

25 years after launch, Zeus (then Enigma ) was put under the spotlight. In this  2016 deep dive, Stewart Campell steps on board with Martin Francis to hear all about her remarkable first owner and those amazing windows...

Martin Francis has been waiting 25 years for this. Enigma's designer was denied the opportunity to speak to any media when the yacht was launched back in 1991 and so she has remained true to her name ever since — off the radar, a little mysterious.

But now the shroud has been lifted and Francis is basking in this long-delayed moment in the sun. “I’m terribly emotional,” he says on board. “I’ve given so many years to this boat.”

Born Eco , renamed Katana and then Enigma , (and later Zeus) she is still a gut-punch of a design: a long, lean destroyer dressed in silk. Technically, she’s a profound achievement. She was the first superyacht to be fitted with an underwater foil, which provides 120 tonnes of lift at the stern to help her achieve that outrageous top speed of 36 knots.

Those iconic windows are a masterstroke of design and construction. And, after all these years, Enigma ’s still totally vibration-free — even when the centrally mounted gas turbine is flicked on and winds up to its max output of 18,500hp.

This boat should be fêted, up in lights, on the marquee in massive capital letters — ENIGMA. Francis, meanwhile, should be one of the most in-demand superyacht designers in the world.

Yet… Francis’s phone didn’t ring for eight years after Enigma was launched. Meanwhile, some of the exciting young designers he had incubated at his South of France studio — Espen Øino , Dan Lenard , Mark Smith and Jonny Horsfield — drifted off to conquer the world on their own.

“It doesn’t always pay to be ahead of the curve,” he says a little ruefully as we tour the yacht. But regrets? Not one. Enigma was Francis’s first motor yacht design after a career spent penning sailboats and working with the likes of Norman Foster, and the pride he feels when showing me around the boat is evident. “See the shower drains?” he motions in the master cabin’s bathroom. “I even designed those.”

It’s easy to recognise the brilliance of Enigma ’s design today, but back when she was launched the reviews weren’t all glowing. Naval architects queued up to rubbish her: the bridge is on the wrong deck; the windows will break; who sticks a big appendage under the water when you’re trying to reduce drag? “The boat initially came in for an enormous amount of stick,” Francis remembers. “It was really quite vitriolic.”

Fortunately, he was working for a man who occupies a special place in the pantheon of visionary superyacht owners: Emilio Azcárraga. The Mexican billionaire was a media titan, owner of mega-brand Televisa, which ran — and still runs — TV networks and radio stations across Mexico and the US. He was, Francis says with genuine feeling, “the most amazing client I’ve ever had”.

Designer and owner became almost symbiotic, with Francis going on to design a number of projects for the Mexican, including a roof for the giant 100,000-seat Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

Azcárraga loved the boat Francis designed so much he chose to die on it. “He had homes all over the world, but he lived the last six months of his life on board, in Miami,” says the designer. In the six years of his ownership, Azcárraga became famous for the time he spent on board, including six transatlantics.

In one memorable season, he joined the yacht in Hamburg, took it up to St Petersburg, then across to the UK, down into the Med and the Balearics, then across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and up to Los Angeles. To assist all that passage-making, Azcárraga’s rep, the ageless George Nicholson, of the Camper & Nicholsons dynasty, bought a tanker so she could refuel mid-Atlantic.

“I found it in Denmark,” he recalls. “It was the smallest tanker that I could buy at 1,000 tonnes. We called her Eco Supporter . It would buy fuel at the best prices, then clean it so we always had a 200-tonne tank full of clean fuel. We used to send the tanker way ahead of Eco and make a rendezvous somewhere at sea.”

Nicholson also remembers the owner fondly. He sold him a 36 metre CRN, Caribe III (now Nordic Star ), in 1974, kick-starting a long association. Azcárraga then went on to buy two Feadships, Azteca (now Lionwind ) and Paraiso , both designed by Jon Bannenberg .

In the mid-1980s, he started thinking bigger and asked Bannenberg, Francis and the famed car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to dream up some concepts. “The ideas and suggestions from Martin were by far the most radical and pleasing to the client,” Nicholson says.

But Francis recalls the process of settling on a final design being slightly tortuous. Initially Azcárraga asked for something akin to Azteca , the 1983 Feadship designed by Bannenberg in his faceted, militaristic style, but he wasn’t happy with the proposals he was getting back.

Frustrated, Francis says he stormed back into the office one day and said: “Throw everything he said out of the window. We’re going to make it long and with everything curved.” So conceived was the legend.

Those windows are the first thing you notice. The idea came from curved Parisian windows, which are designed to limit internal reflections. Their installation on Enigma didn’t serve any practical purpose — it’s all about style — but the effect they have on the view from inside is dramatic. All the glazing was made by Flachglas in Germany and caused a few palpitations when first proposed.

“At that stage we did not know if the hull and superstructure would be really stiff, and were afraid that these large and special windows would crack,” recalls Nicholson. To date, in 25 years, only two panes have.

“It was a work of art to get them right,” says Francis, not least because the Lloyd’s surveyors weren’t big fans, thinking the frames fronting the bridge wouldn’t be able to take the force of a big wave — a problem on slender boats like Enigma , which tend to be wet.

They demanded Francis design some removable mullions that are supposed to be slotted into place to strengthen the screen in a big sea. “We’ve still got them,” says Enigma ’s captain, Stuart Lees. “We never use them.” The 19mm toughened glass has withstood it all — helped by a locker-cum-wave breaker on the bow.

The positioning of the bridge on the main deck was the main thing that riled rival designers when Enigma first appeared, with one even suggesting that placing a wheelhouse at this level should be illegal. The original plans had it higher but Azcárraga wanted the best views for himself.

“He said, ‘but that’s the best place. I want to be there. The pilot of my plane never looks out of the window. I don’t see why the captain needs to’,” remembers Francis. “And that was that. He had spoken.”

The current skipper says he has no complaints about the positioning, and often finds himself piling on the power when the water starts hitting the screens. “Sometimes, when it gets rough and the sea is picking up, especially if we’re heading straight into it, we’ll go faster and it just lifts the bow a bit and it almost wave-pierces through, so where you’re actually pitching quite heavily at 15 knots, at 25 knots you’re wave-piercing through it and you pull yourself out of bad weather.”

When it comes to Enigma ’s power, Francis loves one particular story. “On one of the first sea trials, we were having a problem with the gas turbine. We got it sorted out around lunchtime. We were off Palma and Azcárraga said: ‘Captain, let’s go to Porto Cervo’.

“The mistral had been blowing so we set off in a swell and had a Mexican lunch at about three and a siesta, and then watched a few movies, and a late dinner, and at midnight we were in Porto Cervo. There’s nothing out there that will do that. Nothing. Twenty-five years later there’s nothing that will do that.”

Speed was central to the brief from the start, Nicholson says. The engines chosen for the job were heavy-duty Deutz lumps, outputting 5,000hp. They were coupled to Kamewa waterjets, since Azcárraga loved nosing into deserted — and often poorly charted — anchorages, and had damaged props in the past.

The two diesels will get Enigma up to nearly 20 knots, but the punch to top speed is provided by the central General Electric gas turbine. “It was the first production turbine for civilian use,” says Nicholson. “I had to sign an official secrets paper in order to buy [the yacht] . The Aga Khan bought the next three engines for his transatlantic record-breaker, Destriero .”

All that muscle comes at a cost — Enigma is a thirsty ship at speed. At her 36 knot top end, she’s burning 5,000 litres an hour. In 48 hours at full pace she can empty her 240,000 litre fuel tank. “I know because we’ve done it several times,” says Captain Lees.

Drop back to her cruising speed of 18 knots and Enigma ’s range extends to about 2,200 nautical miles. Her efficiency is helped by a piece of revolutionary hydrodynamic hardware — a large underwater wing that sits slightly aft of the transom jets and attaches to the hull with two struts.

It took 11 tank-testing campaigns to settle on a final design for the hull and foil, which not only prevents the stern from “squatting” at speed, it also limits Enigma ’s trim, which varies just 1.5 degrees from zero to 36 knots.

It was originally thought hanging so much steel off the boat would have drag penalties at low speed, but in fact it was found that at 18 knots efficiency improved by almost 20 per cent. “The foil wasn’t in the original spec,” says Francis, “but when they saw how much performance it gave them, they couldn’t afford not to put it on.”

What was in the spec from the get-go was the Maule amphibious seaplane, which was stowed on the expansive aft deck. Azcárraga had lost a number of friends in helicopter accidents and so the plane was the only choice — and quite a challenge to incorporate into the design. It could be stored on board without folding the wings and was powerful enough to take off and land in the boat’s length.

The plane was ditched by _Enigm_a’s second owner, Larry Ellison, who turned the aft deck into a basketball court. He also added a glass-enclosed superyacht gym on the main deck aft, a new exterior stair to the upper deck and a spa pool on the top deck’s wing station.

Plug-in controls (now removed) meant the yacht could be controlled from this level and legend has it the former captain used to moor the boat while having a soak. Zero-speed stabilisers, meanwhile, were added in 2009.

The layout has been fiddled with rather than ripped up by the three successive owners — an upper deck dining room is now a saloon, for instance, while the position of the bed in the owner's cabin has changed a few times. Each time someone has wanted to change Enigma , they’ve called in Francis. He designed her interior originally with François Zuretti , working on his very first yacht.

A beam of 11.2 metres is modest for a 74.5 metre yacht, yet you don’t feel too pinched on Enigma ’s main deck. High central topsides mean the guest accommodation enjoys the full beam, and large windows give a real immediacy to the view.

The upper deck is the owner’s enclave and can be isolated from guests with a partition door. Another door on the deck above means the owner can turn the forward part of both decks into an exclusive duplex.

Sitting in that sundeck saloon, looking out at the world through those convex windows is a unique experience, doubly so because they’ve never been copied. In an industry sometimes notorious for producing “just another big white boat”, Enigma stands truly alone.

The only coverage Azcárraga would allow about the yacht all those years ago was an article in the February 1992 issue of this magazine, about her incredible performance.

“ Eco is one of those very special superyacht projects where the designers and builders have been encouraged to redefine the boundaries of their trade; to explore the limits of their ideas and to push the frontiers of technology and engineering,” we wrote.

Were Enigma launched tomorrow, those words would still apply — and might still in another 25 years. She is an icon, a great, a hall-of-famer and, after a quarter of a century, unmasked.

First published in the December 2016 edition of Boat International. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.

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ZEUS Yacht – Harmonious $50M Superyacht

ZEUS yacht is a 74-meter yacht that can accommodate up to 15 guests using her six cabins and fit up to 21 onboard qualified crew members in her nine spacious cabins.

She was built in 1991 by Blohm and Voss and was designed both on the exterior and interior by Francis Design.

She weighs approximately 1,150 tons and can cruise at speeds of 19 knots, and can go to a top speed of 35 knots.

ZEUS yacht interior

Designing the interior of the ZEUS yacht is Francis Design , a design studio led by Martin Francis. A UK-born and raised individual who graduated in Furniture and has since transitioned to yacht interior design.

He started designing yachts back in 1980 and has amassed tons of experience after working on several yacht projects.

One of these is GOLDEN ODYSSEY , a 123-meter superyacht owned by Prince Khaled bin Sultan.

This 400 million US dollar superyacht can welcome 32 guests in 16 cabins and fit 60 qualified crew members in 30 cabins.

She weighs 7,690 tons, can cruise at speeds of 11 knots, and can go to a top speed of 21 knots.

Another is the SENSES yacht, a 59.22-meter yacht capable of welcoming 14 crew members, and ten guests and can go to a top speed of 15 knots.

There is little known information regarding the amenities aboard the ZEUS Yacht, but pictures of her suggest that she has access to a sun deck and an outside dining area.

She can also welcome up to 15 guests using her six cabins with specifications of 1 Master, 1 VIP, and 4 Doubles. Additionally, she can also fit up to 21 qualified onboard crew members.

Specifications

ZEUS yacht spans an overall length of    244.5 feet or 74.5 meters, a beam of 36.9 feet or 11.2 meters, and a draft of 10.6 feet or 3.2 meters.

She is built with a teak deck, a steel hull, and an aluminum superstructure and was completed in 1991 by Blohm and Voss .

She weighs approximately 1,150 tons and is powered by two kamewa 112s mechanical engines that turn her twin screw propulsion systems, capable of outputting 10,010 hp, which enable her to cruise at 19 go to a maximum speed of 35 knots.

ZEUS Yacht is capable of storing 38,000 liters of fresh water and holding 230,000 liters worth of fuel in her fuel tanks which allows her to cover distances of over 4,031 nautical miles.

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Built for Speed and Loaded with Electronic Entertainment Options

VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS

TOYS AND TENDERS

Waterskis Inflatables Water toys 6 meter Nautica jet tender 3-person sitdown jetski stand-up jetski seabob seascooter 24 televisions pop-up - back-to-back plasma televisions in main salon and adjacent dining area

PRESENTING ZEUS

Stunning Mangusta 165 superyacht ZEUS is one of the largest open mega yachts in the world. She incorporates seamless design and the most sophisticated specifications and amenities.

Her interior includes an expansive main salon with cocktail tables and a long bar. In addition, abundant entertaining space and seating.  Megayacht ZEUS features the latest state-of-the-art entertainment extras.  She has twenty-four (24) televisions onboard. For instance, 2 pop-up back-to-back flat-screen televisions facing the main salon and the adjacent dining area.

The lower deck features five fabulous staterooms and the owner’s private office. Additionally, a separate cinema room.  In specific, all finished in sumptuous, elegant fabrics and dark woodwork.

The aft deck of the megayacht covers a garage that contains an extensive list of tenders and toys and opens hydraulically at the push of a button. Two heated jacuzzis, on the aft and foredecks, double as sunbathing pads.

At 50 meters, this sleek and sexy Mediterranean yacht charter vessel combines elegance, comfort, and cutting edge design to deliver a truly unique luxury yacht charter experience.

ACCOMMODATIONS

As to guest accommodations, the owner’s suite is a full-width master suite with a super king-sized bed, located amidships on the lower deck with 2 ensuite bathrooms, one with a full-size jacuzzi bath, and the other with a shower room.

The full-width VIP cabin offers a king-sized double bed with 2 ensuite bathrooms (1 shower, 1 bath).

There are two double guest cabins located on the lower deck with en suite shower rooms, as well as a triple cabin with an ensuite bathroom.

There is a self-contained office on the lower deck, adjacent to the owner’s suite.

A cinema room is also located on the lower deck.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR YACHT CHARTER

In conclusion, book motor yacht ZEUS for your own private luxury yacht charter vacation today. Contact your yacht charter brokers at 1-800 Yacht Charters at 305-720-7245. If you prefer, complete our online inquiry form at https://1800yachtcharters.com/book-now/  .

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Gods and mortals clash while Jeff Goldblum judges from on high in Netflix’s latest KAOS trailer

N o one knows chaos theory like Jeff Goldblum. In Netflix ‘s new KAOS trailer, the seriously sauve actor is about to teach a lesson in vengeance, disorder, and the consequences of messing with the natural order, his order. Suppose the world’s got you on edge, and the media cycle makes you want to bury your head in the sand until November 6. In that case, Netflix is about to unleash a distraction of epic proportions, thanks to a new series about faith, defiance, and owning up to one’s mistakes.

KAOS  is a dark comedy series from creator Charlie Covell and writer Georgia Christou. Georgi Banks-Davis directs five episodes of  KOAS , while Runyararo Mapfumo shoots the remaining three. Jeff Goldblum leads the cast, including Aurora Perrieau, Debi Mazar, Fady Elsayed, Sam Buttery, Matthew Koon, Elander Moore, Susan Wooldridge, Shila Ommi, and Amanda Douge.

The latest trailer for Netflix’s KAOS finds Jeff Goldblum’s King of the Gods lording over his creation (mortals) and disappointed by their lack of respect for his hard work. They’ve made a mockery of the world he helped create, and to teach them all a lesson, he’s going to turn up the heat, and by heat, I mean natural disasters, church-related scandals, and more. No human is safe from his wrath, but a select few could teach him a thing or two about his mistakes and how to right those wrongs.

Here’s the official synopsis for  KAOS  courtesy of Netflix:

Zeus has long enjoyed his status as King of The Gods. That is until he wakes up one morning and discovers a wrinkle on his forehead. Neurosis sets in, setting him off on a dangerous, paranoid path. Zeus becomes convinced his fall is coming – and starts to see signs of it everywhere.

Zeus’ once reliable brother, Hades, God of the Underworld, is secretly losing his grip on his dark dominion. There is a backlog of dead waiting to be processed and they are growing restless. Hera (Janet McTeer), Queen of the Gods, exercises dominion on Earth — and over Zeus — in her own unique way. But her power and freedom become threatened by Zeus’ growing paranoia, and she is forced to act, while Zeus’ rebellious son, Dionysus, (Nabhaan Rizwan), is out of control and on course for a cosmic collision with his father.

On Earth people are aching for change, however Poseidon (Cliff Curtis), God of Sea, Storms and Earthquakes (and Horses) is more concerned with the size of his super-yacht and where the next party is at. The wellbeing of mere mortals is of little interest to him. Unfortunately for the Gods some of those mortals are beginning to realise this…

These mortals – Riddy (Aurora Perrineau), Orpheus (Killian Scott), Caneus (Misia Butler) and Ari (Leila Farzad) – come from different walks of life and are all cosmically connected in the battle against Zeus. Each one has a very different role to play, any one of them may be destined to bring down the Gods.

Netflix’s  KAOS  trailer finds the gods in a contemporary setting instead of an imagined metropolis from thousands of years ago. Still, their vanity remains, and hell hath no fury like a god made to feel unimportant in the grand scheme of existence. With power on their side, the gods delight in demonstrating their wrath for non-believers, and not everyone will make it out of the exhibition alive.

What do you think about Netflix’s KAOS trailer? Are you ready to witness the end of days beginning on August 29? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Divers find 5 bodies during search of yacht wreckage off Sicily

The Associated Press

Italian firefighter divers bring ashore in a green bag the body of one of the victims of the U.K.-flag vessel Bayesian on Wednesday. The luxury sail yacht was hit by a violent sudden storm and sunk early Monday, while at anchor off the Sicilian village of Porticello near Palermo, in southern Italy. Salvatore Cavalli/AP hide caption

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily found the bodies of five passengers Wednesday and searched for one more as questions intensified about why the vessel sank so quickly when a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Rescue crews unloaded three body bags from rescue vessels that pulled into port at Porticello. Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, said two other bodies had also been found in the wreckage for a total of five.

Who are Mike Lynch and the other people missing after a yacht sank in Sicily?

The discovery made clear the operation to search the hull on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) underwater had quickly turned into a recovery one, not a rescue, given the amount of time that had passed and that no signs of life had emerged over three days of searching, maritime experts said.

The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged yacht, went down in a storm early Monday as it was moored about a kilometer (a half-mile) offshore. Civil protection officials said they believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, and sank quickly.

Fifteen people escaped in a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby sailboat. One body was recovered Monday — that of the ship’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, of Antigua.

Thomas was born in Canada, according to his cousin David Isaac, but would visit his parents’ homeland of Antigua as a child, moving permanently to the tiny eastern Caribbean island in his early 20s. Italian officials previously listed Antigua as the nationality of someone on board.

The fate of six missing passengers had driven the search effort, including British tech magnate Mike Lynch , his 18-year-old daughter and associates who had successfully defended him in a recent U.S. federal fraud trial.

Lynch’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Emergency services at the scene of the search for a missing boat, in Porticello, southern Italy, on Tuesday. Salvatore Cavalli/AP hide caption

What caused the ship to sink so quickly?

Meanwhile, investigators from the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office were acquiring evidence for their criminal investigation, which they opened immediately after the tragedy even though no formal suspects have been publicly identified.

Questions abound about what caused the superyacht, built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, to sink so quickly, when the nearby Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat was largely spared and managed to rescue the survivors.

Was it merely the case of a freak waterspout that knocked the ship to its side and allowed water to pour in through open hatches? What was the position of the keel, which on a large sailboat such as the Bayesian might have been retractable, to allow it to enter shallower ports?

“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to whether it had a lifting keel and whether it might have been up,” said Jean-Baptiste Souppez, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and the editor of the Journal of Sailing Technology. “But if it had, then that would reduce the amount of stability that the vessel had, and therefore made it easier for it to roll over on its side,” he said in an interview.

The captain of the Sir Robert Baden Powell sailboat, which came to the Bayesian’s rescue, said his craft had sustained minimal damage — the frame of a sun awning broke — even with winds that he estimated reached 12 on the Beaufort wind scale, which is the highest, hurricane-strength force on the scale.

He said he had remained anchored with his engines running to try to maintain the ship’s position as the storm, which was forecast, rolled in.

Search teams scour waters along Italy’s southwestern shore, where a luxury yacht sank

“Another possibility is to heave anchor before the storm and to run downwind at open sea,” Karsten Bornersaid in a text message. But he said that might not have been a viable option for the Bayesian, given its trademark 75-meter (246-foot) tall mast.

“If there was a stability problem, caused by the extremely tall mast, it would not have been better at open sea,” he said.

Yachts like the Bayesian are required to have watertight, sub-compartments that are specifically designed to prevent a rapid, catastrophic sinking even when some parts fill with water.

“So for the vessel to sink, especially this fast, you are really looking at taking water on board very quickly, but also in a number of locations along the length of the vessel, which again indicates that it might have been rolled over on its side,” Souppez said.

Italian coast guard and fire rescue divers continued the underwater search in dangerous and time-consuming conditions. Because of the wreck’s depth, which requires special precautions, divers working in tag teams could only spend about 12 minutes at a time searching.

The limited dive time is designed in part to avoid decompression sickness, also known as the “bends,” which can occur when divers stay underwater for long periods and ascend too quickly, allowing nitrogen gas dissolved in the blood to form bubbles.

“The longer you stay, the slower your ascent has to be,” said Simon Rogerson, the editor of SCUBA magazine. He said the tight turnaround time suggests the operation's managers are trying to limit the risks and recovery time after each dive.

“It sounds like they’re operating essentially on no decompression or very tight decompression, or they’re being extremely conservative,” he said.

Additionally, the divers were working in extremely tight spaces, with debris floating around them, limited visibility and oxygen tanks on their backs.

Search resumes for British tech magnate and 5 others after yacht sinks off Sicily

“We are trying to advance in tight spaces, but any single thing slows us down,” said Luca Cari, spokesman for the fire rescue service. “An electric panel could set us back for five hours. These aren’t normal conditions. We’re at the limit of possibility.”

“It’s not a question of entering the cabin to inspect it,” he added. “They’ve arrived at the level of the cabins, but it’s not like you can open the door,” he said.

The Italian coast guard said they had reinforced their dive teams and were using underwater remote-controlled robots, which can stay out for six or seven hours at a time and record the surroundings.

The lack of any signs of life and the recovery of bodies led outside experts to conclude that the search was now a recovery effort and investigation to determine how the tragedy had unfolded.

“I think the fact that there’s been quite a lot of diving presence around the vessel and that they haven’t been able to pick up any signs of life inside the vessel, is, is unfortunately, not a particularly good sign,” said Souppez.

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ZEUS I yacht NOT for charter*

49m  /  160'9 | overmarine | 2009.

• Amenities & Toys

Special Features:

• Full-beam master cabin with his/her en suite and study
• State-of-the-art cinema
• ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) classification
• Interior design from Michela Reverberi
• Cruising speed of 24 knots

The 49m/160'9" open yacht 'Zeus I' (ex. Zeus) was built by Overmarine in Italy at their Viareggio shipyard. Her interior is styled by Italian designer design house Michela Reverberi and she was completed in 2009. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Stefano Righini.

Guest Accommodation

Zeus I has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 suites. The supremely spacious full beam master suite incorporates its own study benefits from a his and her bathroom. She is also capable of carrying up to 9 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a movie theatre, deck jacuzzi, WiFi and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Built with a GRP hull and GRP superstructure, with teak decks, she has impressive speed and great efficiency thanks to her planing hull. Powered by 3 x diesel MTU (16V 4000 M90) 4,491hp engines, she comfortably cruises at 24 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 37 knots with a range of up to 600 nautical miles from her 40,000 litre fuel tanks at 25 knots. Her low draft of 1.6m/5'3" makes her primed for accessing shallow areas and cruising close to the shorelines. Her water tanks store around 4,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) classification society rules, and is MCA LY2 Compliant.

*Charter Zeus I Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Zeus I is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Zeus I Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

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Zeus I Photos

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

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Scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

A rescue operation is ongoing for 6 missing people, including british entrepreneur mike lynch. an american was also among the missing..

One person died and six people were missing after a luxury yacht sank Monday in Italy off the coast of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, after a sudden storm hit the area, according to Italy's coast guard.

The Bayesian, a 184-feet-long, British-registered sailboat, went down just before sunrise, capsizing its 22 passengers and killing one man, the ship's cook, t he coast guard said in a statement. On Monday, rescue teams identified the body as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.

Of the 15 passengers rescued, eight were taken to a local hospital for treatment and were in stable condition, local news reported. A 1-year-old was among those rescued.

"We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily and are in contact with the local authorities," the U.K Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY.

The people missing were American, British, and Canadian nationals.

What caused the Bayesian to sink?

The ship sank after unexpectedly strong storms recently dumped heavy rainfall, causing flooding and landslides, in parts of the country. Among those missing are British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, and his daughter, a person familiar with the rescue operation told Reuters.

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch in a  U.S. trial , were among the missing. The wives of both men were also unaccounted for, said Salvatore Cocina, head of civil protection in Sicily.

"The fear is that the bodies got trapped inside the vessel," he told Reuters.

The yacht was owned by Lynch's family and had 22 people on board when it sank just before sunrise. The captain of a nearby ship told Reuters his crew rescued some survivors from a life raft, including three seriously injured.

"We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone," Karsten Borner said. The other boat "went flat on the water, and then down," he said.

"A little baby and the wife of the owner" were rescued, while the ship's owner and a child were missing, he said.

The boat was located 160 feet under the water and divers were deployed to inspect the wreck, according to the coast guard.

The search-and-rescue operation continued on Monday morning, a Reuters live feed showed . A helicopter and four coast guard ships were at the scene on Monday morning, according to the coast guard.

Bayesian had set sail off Amalfi Coast in July

Prosecutors in a nearby town have opened an investigation into the events leading up to the ship sinking.

The Bayesian set off for Palermo from Positano, a village on Italy's southern Amalfi Coast, on July 30, according to marinetraffic.com . It last docked in the town of Milazzo, in Messina, on Wednesday, according to VesselFinder.

The ship has the tallest aluminum mast in the world, according to Perini Navi , its manufacturer. It was built in 2008.

Contributing: Reuters