It started as a simple idea, really: Since everybody loves lists and we at PMY love yachts, why not create an annual register of the world’s largest yachts, complete with photos and stats on everything from who built them to where they’re spotted and to whom they belong? It’d be a lot of work to put together, but no doubt boaters like you would get a kick out of reading it.
Christopher Suffeleers
From left to right: Poor Capri – she looks tiny by comparison, and at only 192 feet she’s too tiny for our list; No slouch this – but even at 245 feet, Leander (no. 42) pales next to Octopus; A Hatteras 68 Convertible (68’6 1/2″) could sit across Octopus’ 68’9″ beam.
Little did we know just how much of a kick. The seemingly simple thought that crossed our minds 22 years ago turned out to be a smashing success. Indeed, judging from the letters and calls from readers wanting to know more and from owners and builders wanting to know how to get their yachts on the list—with a nearly equal number insisting their yacht measured, say, 150 feet and six inches, not three—we were onto something (pardon the play on words) big.
The decision to make it an annual feature was easy, although it required us to constantly pound the docks, peek into shipyards, rattle anchor chains, and bribe any insider who had the information we wanted. Emulators and even imitators followed, but “The World’s 100 Largest Yachts,” which for a short while was nicknamed the PMY 100, remained the originator and most-often-referred-to authority on megayachts.
Yet with this issue, we’ve decided to start all over.
If you’ve been following this feature for a while, you probably already noticed a difference. We’ve created a new logo to underscore the identity of our list, just as publications such as Forbes and Fortune have done with their famous lists. But we’ve also done it to reconnect with the nickname created 20-some years ago—although now we’re referring to it as the Power & Motoryacht 100.
You’ll also notice a difference as you click through the feature. We’ve specially designed the pages to call more attention to a handful of these megabeauties, including additional photos and more detailed information about everything from complex engineering features to fascinating facts about the past lives of converted craft. There are interviews with owners amd crewmembers about their passion and even details on how many gallons of fuel a particularly fast yacht burns when her gas turbine kicks in. And because the world in which we live in is a digital one (and we know you just can’t get enough of these megastars), you’ll find exclusive content online—things like videos, slide shows, and even downloadable Podcasts.
Our goal with this expanded edition is to give you information and an experience you can’t get anywhere else.
KEY:Y=year launched (where two dates are given, the second is a refit date); B=builder; N=naval architect; H=hull material; E=engines (The 2006 Power & Motoryacht 100 ranking is in parentheses.)
Slide show:
Interactive deck plans:
Video:
WORLD’S 100 LARGEST YACHTS 2007
The State Yachts
When the Power & Motoryacht 100 debuted in 1985, it included yachts maintained for heads of state. We now list them separately because citizens bear the brunt of the funds used to maintain and fuel the yachts and the vessels are often registered as part of the country’s Navy—quite a different story compared to a yacht maintained by a person or corporation. But since some truly monstrous megayachts are used by heads of state, here’s a look at the five largest ones. None of these rulers should get too comfortable, though—given a soon-to-be-delivered 436-footer rumored for the emir of Qatar and some other orders at European shipyards, they’ll be eclipsed soon enough.
1.Dubai
2.Prince Abdulaziz
3.Isham Al Baher
4.Al Said
5.Al Yamamah
World’s 100 Largest Yachts 2007: By Rank
World’s 100 Largest Yachts 2007: By Country of Origin
World’s 100 Largest Yachts 2007: Alphabetically
Vikal Limo
Roman Abramovich’s Flotilla
The World’s Most Expensive Charter Yachts
Most Prolific Megayacht Builders
Megayacht Builder Directory 2007
Pleasure Pursuit
Fine Focus
Video: Floridian
Video: Utopia
Podcast: Henk De Vries Interview
This article originally appeared in the August 2007 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
