Here’s a quick guide with some fast facts so you know what you’re looking at when Superyachts steam through the mooring field.
By
PMY Staff
The World’s Largest Yachts
Tied for number 89 on this year’s World’s 100 Largest Yachts list, Amevi is a 262-foot, 5-inch Oceanco that debuted at number 32 in 2007.
The World’s Largest Yachts
The Lürssen Dilbar joined the list in 2008 and still comes on strong tied for number 27.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Octopus, owned by Microsoft cofounder and Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen, played a role in the discovery of the final resting place of Musashi, Japan’s largest battleship in World War II.
The World’s Largest Yachts
The 258-foot Feadship Hampshire II took number 97 on this year’s World’s 100 Largest Yachts list, but she showed up on the list for the first time in 2012.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Orchid hit the list this year, and at 299 feet, the Lürssen should be around a while.
The World’s Largest Yachts
At number 69, Sunrays is a 280-foot, 5-inch Oceanco that made her debut in 2010 at number 39 on our list. That means it’s just five years to drop 30 positions.
The World’s Largest Yachts
The Feadsip Air (number 85) launched in 2011 from Feadship at number 54. About her we wrote: “Repeat Feadship clients commissioned Air, the largest yacht ever constructed at the original De Vries yard. Her hull is painted Harley-Davidson black.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
In 2004 (cover shown at right, with the covers of the 2001 and 2002 issues of the list—it’s the RED one, you can’t miss it), Octopus, at 414 feet long, had the number 1 position on Power & Motoryacht’s list of the World’s 100 Largest Yachts. How the world has changed (including how we decide which boats are included and which are not).
The World’s Largest Yachts
About the Lürssen Ace in 2012, Diane Byrne wrote: “In January Ace emerged from her build shed. She had been known by two different code names, Flash and Rocky, since being signed. No one associated with the build or design teams is permitted to discuss her, which is a shame, given how incredibly different in appearance she is. She has a creamy-tone hull that strikes a nice contrast against her white superstructure, accentuating her sweeping lines all the more.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Unreal! We thought this rendering would give you an idea of what to look for when you seek Ulysses a 351-footer from Kleven.
The World’s Largest Yachts
The 2004 Feadship Ecstasea comes in tied at number 64. We wrote back then: “Ecstasea was expected to join Roman Abramovich’s other yachts in Portugal in early July, marking the first gathering of his entire fleet. ”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Back in 2009 when Vibrant Curiosity made her debut, we wrote: “Talk about pedigree. Vibrant Curiosity is the fourth in Oceanco’s line of Y700-code yachts, which means she counts as sisterships fellow Top 100-ers like Alfa Nero (35) and Amevi (39). And though Oceanco says the sleek appearance of this full-displacement, deeply flared beauty mixes ‘luxury’ and ‘sobriety,’ we think she’s just plain cool.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
The Feadship Fountainhead is tied with Musashi at number 59 both Feadships, both 288 feet. But only one is owned by Mark Cuban, and we can’t imagine that tie sits well with him.
The World’s Largest Yachts
You want to see what 456 feet looks like? Feast your eyes on Al Salamah, a Lürssen launched in 1999.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Last year the Oceanco Equanimity hit the list at number 40. She dropped ten slots to 50 on this year’s list.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Of the Lürssen Ice we wrote in 2006: “Formerly known as Air under Italian ownership, this Lürssen sold to 40-year-old oil billionaire Suleiman Kerimov of Russia last year. The yacht ventured from Barcelona to Antigua before ringing in 2006, then visited Aruba in March, where some people were under the impression that she belonged to Microsoft chief Bill Gates.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Seven Seas is the 2010 Oceanco build rumored to belong to acclaimed movie producer Steven Spielberg. Here’s what we said about her in 2011: “Another yacht that made her debut on our American-owned list last year (at No. 8 as Y706), she (but not her famous owner) has been spotted in the Caribbean and the Bahamas.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Yacht designer Tim Heywood cited inspiration from various places, including warships. The belt line of his design of Pelorus came from the design of the HMS Belfast, moored at the Imperial War Museum in London.
The World’s Largest Yachts
And here’s 377-foot Pelorus, showing off the belt line designer Tim Heywood mentioned as a signature feature he uses to add contour to enormous expanses of hullside.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Hey we goof sometimes. Topaz is 482 feet 3 inches and yet in 2012 she was listed between Al Salamah at 456 feet 10 inches, and Rising Sun at 454 feet 1 inch. We’re fixing the error as we speak, but you can’t rewrite history even on the Internet!
The World’s Largest Yachts
Here’s what Diane Byrne wrote about Nirvana in 2012: “Known since signing as Oceanco Y707, her hull number, Nirvana was handed over to her owner in the spring. Some yacht spotters might mistake her for another Oceanco, Anastasia, given their nearly identical profiles, right down to the faux caprail (it’s actually paint). Nirvana is capable of a reported 20-knot top end. Features include a master suite forward on the main deck with private access to an alfresco area outfitted with a pool.”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Rumor has it the guy who owns Rising Sun (number 11) owns another yacht on this year’s list of the World’s 100 Largest Yachts…
The World’s Largest Yachts
Oh, that infinity pool. Alfa Nero still wows ’em even in slot number 79.
The World’s Largest Yachts
That’s Al Said (509 feet) and Katara (408 feet) showing what a difference 101 feet can make…
The World’s Largest Yachts
In 2006, Diane Byrne cited some humorous examples of readers’ peculiar behavior: “You want to know why your home-entertainment center doesn’t have 10,000 songs and 600 films available on demand, the way they are aboard Constellation ([then] no. 18).”
The World’s Largest Yachts
Where would you take a yacht like Quantum Blue, a 2014 Lürssen measuring 344 feet? We can think of a few choice ports of call.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Of the relationship between yacht-building client and designer, Espen Øino told us: “The owner is very much an important element in inspiration, definitely. But he’s not the only source of inspiration.” Sounds like Kismet to us.
The World’s Largest Yachts
Here’s a closer look at Musashi, the Japanese battleship that was sunk in World War II.
The World’s Largest Yachts
And here’s the superyacht that bears the name of that battleship (see previous image) tied for number 59 on this year’s list. Here’s what we wrote about her upon the occasion of her debut in 2011: “New to the world’s Top 100, Musashi made her debut in November at No. 7 on our list of American-owned yachts. It’s widely believed she belongs to Larry Ellison, as smaller alternative to his former Rising Sun, which currently holds the No. 5 position.”
Azzam (2015 number 1)
Cost an estimated $600 million dollars to build, or about roughly twice the GDP of the Federated States of Micronesia.
