synonyms for yacht sailboat

Synonyms of sailboat

• as in yacht
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Thesaurus Definition of sailboat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• square - rigger

Thesaurus Entries Near sailboat

Cite this entry.

“Sailboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sailboat. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sailboat

Nglish: Translation of sailboat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sailboat for Arabic Speakers

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noun as in pleasure boat

Strongest matches

Strong matches

Weak matches

• cabin cruiser
• sailing boat

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Related words.

Words related to yacht are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word yacht . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in vehicle for water travel

noun as in a boat propelled with wind by sailcloth

• gaff-rigged sailboat
• wooden boat

noun as in boat

Example Sentences

As City News explained it, the bribes were paid not only in cash but through rugs, antiques, furniture, yacht club fees, boat repairs and more.

In Ashburn, Snyder is always lurking in spirit, even if he is on his 305-foot yacht somewhere in the Aegean.

Driving across country in a gigantic land yacht—with its crushed-velour seats and faux wood siding—was more practical than a two-door hot rod.

Host Jason Moore chats with experts who share tips harvested from their real-life experiences, such as a couple who paid off their $70,000 debt to travel full time and a woman who left her corporate job to work on a yacht.

Until Thursday, when federal agents escorted him off a 150-foot yacht moored in Long Island Sound, the word often used to describe Steve Bannon was “irrelevant.”

Instead the money allegedly was spent on luxury cars and a yacht club membership, among other things.

Loeb owns a $100 million penthouse on Central Park West and a $50 million yacht.

Solaire has set up charging capabilities at a project it built at a yacht club in Massachusetts, for example.

On my way back into town, I walked by the fortress of tents surrounding the harbor, readying for the yacht show.

Newly-minted Londoner, Lindsay Lohan, is currently chilling out on a yacht in Italy.

I heard her say to one of the servants once that my father had been lost on a yacht, and that he was oh, ever such a handsome man.

He owned a 54-ton yacht named the Opal, and attributed the wonderful health he enjoyed to his numerous sea voyages.

Another yacht had started from the old boathouse at about the time our friends and their new-fangled craft got under way.

Caermarthen ordered out his wonderful yacht, and hastened to complain to the King, who was then at Loo.

The yacht had long turned the head of the island and was beating down alongshore in the eastern bay.

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On this page you'll find 11 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to yacht, such as: racer, sailboat, sloop, cruiser, ketch, and yawl.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Sailboat synonyms

What is another word for sailboat .

• sailing boat sailing vessel
• windjammer boat propelled with wind by sailcloth, sailing vessel
• yacht boat propelled with wind by sailcloth
• ship boat propelled with wind by sailcloth
• craft boat propelled with wind by sailcloth
• catamaran boat propelled with wind by sailcloth
• sail sailing vessel
• sailing vessel yachting
• sailing ship sailing vessel, sailing boat
• sailing craft sailing vessel

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Synonyms and antonyms of sailboat in English

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Punch and Judy show

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a traditional children's entertainment in which a man, Mr Punch, argues with his wife, Judy. It was especially popular in the past as entertainment in British towns by the sea in summer.

Paying attention and listening intently: talking about concentration

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Boat Mavens

Boating Lifestyle | Boats | Boat Shop

Synonyms for Sailboats Explained – Find Alternatives

Are you curious to know what other terms can be used to describe sailboats? Perhaps you’re looking for sailboat alternatives or simply seeking a synonym for sailboats . In this article, we will explore different words and terms that can be used interchangeably with sailboats, expanding your nautical vocabulary and enhancing your understanding of various water vessels.

When we think of sailboats, several other terms come to mind. Some alternatives to the word “sailboat” include yacht, ship, schooner, sloop, dinghy, frigate, vessel, galley, bark, windjammer, catamaran, catboat, corvette, and more. These terms refer to different types of watercraft equipped with sails for traveling on the water.

Table of Contents

Exploring Different Boat Types

In addition to sailboats, there are various other types of boats and vessels that you may come across. Familiarizing yourself with sailboat terms and vocabulary can enhance your understanding of the nautical world and its terminology. Let’s take a closer look at some common boat types and their unique features and purposes:

A yacht is a luxurious recreational watercraft designed for pleasure cruising or racing. These boats are often equipped with sails, but they can also have engines for propulsion.

A canoe is a lightweight boat typically made of wood, aluminum, or fiberglass. It is propelled by paddling with single or double-bladed paddles and is commonly used for recreational activities like fishing or leisurely paddling on calm waters.

A kayak is a slim, narrow watercraft designed for one or two people. It is propelled by a double-bladed paddle and is commonly used for recreational kayaking, whitewater rafting, or touring.

A raft is a simple watercraft made by tying together logs, barrels, or other buoyant materials. It is commonly used for leisurely floating or short-term transport on calm waters.

A ferry is a larger boat used for transporting passengers, vehicles, or both across bodies of water. Ferries typically operate on fixed routes and schedules, serving as a means of public transportation.

The term “craft” is a general reference to any small water vessel, including rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and sailboats. It encompasses various watercraft designed for specific purposes and activities.

Similar to “craft,” the term “watercraft” is a broader term that encompasses any type of boat or vessel that can navigate on water. It includes sailboats, motorboats, yachts, canoes, and more.

A schooner is a sailing vessel that typically has two or more masts. It is known for its versatility and has been historically used for both cargo transportation and recreational sailing.

A lifeboat is a small, sturdy boat carried on a larger vessel for use in emergency situations. Its primary purpose is to rescue passengers and crew in the event of a shipwreck or other maritime disasters.

Although commonly associated with land transportation, a water taxi is a small boat used for short-distance passenger transportation on water, similar to a commuter taxi on roads.

These are just a few examples of the many boat types and terms you may encounter while exploring sailboats and the broader world of boating. By expanding your sailboat vocabulary and understanding alternative boat types, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for the diverse watercraft that navigate our oceans, lakes, and rivers.

Synonyms for Ships

While sailboats are a type of ship, there are also other synonyms for ships in general. These include vessel , liner , steamship , freighter , warship , tanker , cruiser , ferryboat , cutter , corvette , and more. Each term refers to a larger watercraft designed for transportation or military purposes.

Expand your knowledge of ship alternatives and enrich your nautical vocabulary. Whether you’re fascinated by large vessels or interested in the complexities of naval architecture, familiarizing yourself with these synonyms allows you to better appreciate the diverse world of ships and their functionalities.

In conclusion, sailboats can be referred to using various synonyms, including yacht , ship , schooner , sloop , and more. These alternate terms for sailboats provide a rich vocabulary to describe different types of watercraft equipped with sails for navigating the waters.

Furthermore, expanding your nautical vocabulary beyond sailboats opens up a whole world of terminology and terms used to describe different types of boats and ships. For example, you may come across words such as canoe , kayak , raft , ferry , craft , and watercraft , each having its own unique characteristics and purposes.

By familiarizing yourself with sailboat synonyms and broadening your understanding of sailboat terms and vocabulary, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse array of water vessels and their distinct features. Whether it’s a majestic yacht, a sturdy ship, or a sleek sloop, exploring the world of sailboat synonyms and related terminology enriches your knowledge of the maritime world.

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Bodies of 3 Rohingya refugees are found dead as Indonesia ends rescue for capsized boat

C ALANG, Indonesia (AP) — The bodies of three Rohingya refugees were found in the sea as the Indonesian authorities ended a search for survivors from a boat that capsized near Aceh province, the provincial search and rescue agency said Sunday.

Fishers and a search and rescue team rescued 75 people from the boat on Thursday — 44 men, 22 women and nine children — after they huddled on its overturned hull throughout the night.

A few were taken to a local hospital for treatment, but most were sent to a temporary shelter in the Aceh Barat district. Several told UNHCR workers they had lost family members on the journey.

Fishers first spotted the three bodies and reported them to local authorities on Saturday.

“After we searched the area, the team found three bodies, two adult women and one boy. They are allegedly Rohingya refugees who were the passengers of the capsized and sunken boat,” Al Hussain, chief of Banda Aceh Search and Rescue Agency in a statement on Sunday.

The bodies were immediately taken to the hospital in Calang city in Aceh Jaya district, before local authorities buried them.

Faisal Rahman, a UNHCR staff member in Aceh, said that some of the survivors also helped to identify the bodies.

“We have verified as we take one of the refugees to identify and verify that they were together on the boat,” Faisal Rahman, a UNHCR staff member in Aceh, said Saturday evening.

Local authorities in Aceh have received several reports about dead bodies floating in nearby waters since Saturday.

U.N. agencies in a statement on Friday said that about 70 Rohingya refugees are feared missing or dead from a boat that made a grueling sea voyage from Bangladesh and sank off Indonesia’s coast this week.

About 1 million of the predominately Muslim Rohingya live in Bangladesh as refugees from Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled in 2017 to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by Myanmar's security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings and burning thousands of homes. The Rohingya minority in Myanmar faces widespread discrimination and most are denied citizenship.

Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention, and so is not obligated to accept them. However, the country generally provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress.

Tarigan reported from Jakarta.

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No joke pete davidson’s big bucks party boat plan still afloat: report.

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Saturday Night Live buds Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are working with a high-powered architect to keep afloat their dream of transforming a decommissioned Staten Island ferry into an entertainment destination, according to a report.

Just when it seems the nearly 60-year-old John F. Kennedy ferry, which the pair bought two years ago for more than $280,000, was going to be left to rot, Curbed reported Davidson and Jost have hired Ron Castellano to help rehabilitate the vessel.

“It’s going to have a lot of things. I think right now, we have six bars and two venues, operated separately or combined. We have outdoor event space, we have two restaurants”— in addition to 24 hotel rooms, said Castellano, who developed the Garfield at 142 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights and the Nine Orchard Hotel, which occupies a former bank off Canal Street.

The big bucks venture for a floating nightclub appeared to have turned into an unfunny eyesore with pieces falling off it just last month, The Post reported.

The JFK Ferry is listed on the website for Castellano’s firm, Studio Castellano, as a project he’s working on for “JFK Partners.”

There is no mention of Davidson or Jost.

The project has a budget of $34 million and a floor plan of 65,000 square feet, according to the website.

The venue’s aesthetics will harken back to 1965, when the vessel was built, Castellano told Curbed.

The architect shared he, Davidson, Jost, and their partner, comedy club owner Paul Italia, regularly meet to discuss the ferry.

“They [Davidson and Jost] have input. They see everything,” said Castellano.

A brief video shown on the website last month revealed his renderings for each floor: a top deck furnished with patio tables set with umbrellas, another floor with two rows of hotel rooms that open onto sundecks, and a lower level with two clubs, the outlet reported.

The plan is for the boat to go between Miami and New York City, Castellano said.

Castellano, Davidson and Jost did not immediately return messages Saturday.

When the ship  was auctioned off  in Jan. 2022, it was listed in “poor condition” because of mechanical issues, but the hull was in good shape.

The ferry used to commute up to 5,200 passengers daily before it was taken off duty in 2021.   

Davidson, 30,  warned last year  on Seth Meyers’ “Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers” podcast the overhaul of the boat could take about five years.

He said the plan is to completely gut the inside, which had bench style-seating.

The outside is intended to remain as true to its current form as possible, “The King of Staten Island” actor also said.

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Victorian ferry rescues children from boat after fears of fire off Queenscliff

Victorian school students have been rescued from a boat in Port Phillip this morning after its engine started smoking.

Police said 22 passengers, including school students, were in the boat off Queenscliff when a suspected engine bay fire broke out about 8:30am.

A ferry and a Parks Victoria vessel quickly responded a short time later and all passengers were safely evacuated onto the ferry.

Nobody was injured, a police spokesperson said.

A spokesperson from the school, Hamilton and Alexandra College, said a group of year eight and nine students were attending a two-day outdoor education camp in Queenscliff when the incident occurred.

"This morning, 20 students and two staff members were on board a snorkelling boat when the engine stopped working and a small amount of smoke was detected," the spokesperson said.

"As a precautionary measure, action was taken immediately to have all passengers calmly evacuated onto the Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferry."

The owner of the boat escorting the students, James Murphy, said the evacuation of was a standard procedure following a "very minor incident".

"Shortly after departure the skipper noticed a little bit of smoke coming from the engine room, he's then reverted back to our safety management system procedures," Mr Murphy told ABC.

"Part of those procedures is to ensure everybody on board are safe, so [the skipper] has called the local vessel … and they've collected the passengers while he ascertained what the challenge was.

"He was able to get the boat started again, no challenge, and driven it back to the harbour so we're treating it as a very minor incident."

Police said the exact circumstances surrounding the fire were still being investigated, but it was not being treated as suspicious.

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Chinese coast guard hits Philippine boat with water cannons in disputed sea, causing injuries

In this screen grab from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese coast guard ship uses water cannons and closely maneuvers beside a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

In this screen grab from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese coast guard ship uses water cannon on a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

In this screen grab from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese coast guard ship tries to block a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

In this screen grab from video provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese coast guard ship uses water cannons on a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 as it approaches Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin shoal, at the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP)

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships hit a Philippine supply boat with water cannons Saturday in the latest confrontation near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea , causing injuries to its navy crew members and heavy damage to the wooden vessel, Philippine officials said.

The United States and Japan immediately expressed their support to the Philippines, as well as alarm over Chinese forces’ aggression off the Second Thomas Shoal , which has been the scene of repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels over the past year.

The far-flung shoal has been occupied by a small contingent of Philippine navy and marines on a marooned warship since 1999, but has been surrounded by Chinese coast guard and suspected militia vessels in an increasingly tense territorial standoff . It’s the second time the Philippine boat Unaizah May 4 has been damaged by the Chinese coast guard’s water cannon assault in March alone.

The repeated high-seas confrontations have sparked fears they could degenerate into a larger conflict that could bring China and the United States into a collision.

Washington lays no claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has deployed Navy ships and fighter jets in what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations, which China has criticized .

The U.S. has also warned repeatedly that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines — its oldest treaty ally in Asia — if Filipino forces, ships or aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement Saturday that the United States “stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23.”

He said the Chinese ships’ “repeated employment of water cannons and reckless blocking maneuvers resulted in injuries to Filipino service members and significant damage to their resupply vessel, rendering it immobile.”

Escorted by two Philippine coast guard ships, the Unaizah May 4 was en route to deliver supplies and a fresh batch of Filipino sailors to the territorial outpost in the shoal at dawn Saturday when they were blocked and surrounded by Chinese coast guard ships and suspected militia vessels.

“Their reckless and dangerous actions culminated with the water cannoning of Unaizah May 4, causing severe damage to the vessel and injuries to Filipinos onboard,” a Philippine government task force dealing with the territorial conflicts said without elaborating.

The two Philippine coast guard patrol ships maneuvered through the Chinese blockade to treat the injured Filipino crew members and tow the disabled supply boat away. Another motorboat managed to transport the new batch of Filipino sailors and supplies to the Philippine outpost in the shallows of the shoal despite the Chinese coast guard’s attempt to block them by placing a floating barrier in the waters, Philippine officials said.

The hostilities dragged on for about 8 hours, they said.

“The Philippines will not be deterred — by veiled threats or hostility — from exercising our legal rights over our maritime zones,” the government task force said in a statement. “We demand that China demonstrate in deeds and not in words that it is a responsible and trustworthy member of the international community.”

Chinese coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu said the Philippine vessels intruded into what he said was China’s territorial waters despite repeated warnings. “The China coast guard implemented lawful regulation, interception and expulsion in a reasonable and professional manner,” Gan said.

Washington’s ambassador to Manila, MaryKay Carlson, said that “the U.S. stands with the Philippines against the PRC’s repeated dangerous maneuvers and water cannons to disrupt” the Philippine coast guard’s “lawful activities” in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

Japan’s ambassador-designate to Manila, Endo Kazuya, reiterated his country’s “grave concern on the repeated dangerous actions by the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea, which resulted in Filipino injuries.”

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, which Beijing continues to claim virtually in its entirety despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated its expansive claims on historical grounds.

Video released by the Philippine military shows two Chinese coast guard ships hitting the smaller wooden-hulled boat Unaiza May 4 with high-pressure water cannon sprays at close range, causing the boat to shift in the high seas.

Chinese coast guard previously blasted the Unaizah May 4 with high-pressure water cannons in a confrontation near the Second Thomas Shoal on March 5, shattering its windshield and slightly injuring a Filipino admiral and four of his men with glass shards and splinters of debris.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila summoned China’s deputy ambassador after the March 5 confrontation to convey a protest against the Chinese coast guard’s actions, which it said were unacceptable.

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees rescued in Indonesia after night on capsized boat

An Indonesian search and rescue ship on Thursday located a capsized wooden boat that had been carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees and began pulling survivors who had been standing on its hull to safety.

An AP photographer aboard the rescue ship said 10 people had been taken aboard local fishing boats, and the Indonesian craft was saving another 59.

Men, women and children, weak and soaked from the night’s rain, wept as the rescue operation got underway, and people were taken aboard a rubber dinghy to the rescue boat.

It was unclear how many refugees were aboard the small craft when it capsized off Indonesia’s northernmost coast on Wednesday, with six survivors initially rescued by local fishermen estimated between 60 and 100 people.

It was unclear whether all managed to cling to the capsized craft overnight or whether some had drowned.

Indonesia’s search and rescue team only left Banda Aceh city in the evening on Wednesday, many hours after the boat capsized.

They initially had difficulty locating the boat in the choppy waters off the coast.

It finally found the boat and the survivors about midday on Thursday.

Amiruddin, a tribal fishing community leader in Aceh Barat district, said those rescued indicated that the boat was sailing east when it started leaking.

Then, strong currents pushed it toward the west of Aceh. The six said others were still trying to survive on the capsized craft.

About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh to escape the brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces in their homeland of Myanmar .

Thousands have been trying to flee overcrowded camps in Bangladesh to neighboring countries, with Indonesia seeing a spike in refugee numbers since November, which prompted it to call on the international community for help.

Rohingya arriving in Aceh face some hostility from some fellow Muslims.

Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention outlining their legal protections, and so is not obligated to accept them. However, they have so far provided temporary shelter to refugees in distress.

Last year, nearly 4,500 Rohingya — two-thirds of them women and children — fled their homeland of Myanmar and the refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh by boat, the United Nations refugee agency reported.

Of those, 569 died or went missing while crossing the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the highest death toll since 2014.

Returning safely to Myanmar is virtually impossible because the military that attacked them overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021.

No country has offered them any large-scale resettlement opportunities.

The Associated Press

The superyacht world is speculating that Mark Zuckerberg just bought this 118-meter boat

• The 118-meter superyacht Launchpad made her maiden voyage last week.
• The yacht world is speculating that her owner is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• Here's what we know about the luxury vessel.

In the world of superyachts , privacy is the most valuable asset. It can be next to impossible to discern the details of a superyacht transaction — and that's particularly true if the vessel in question is worth nine figures.

Yet some in the boat blogging world are speculating that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the new owner of Launchpad, a megayacht currently moored in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after she made her maiden voyage from Gibraltar to St Maarten last week. Launchpad clocks in at 118 meters long, about nine meters shorter than Jeff Bezos' superyacht Koru .

The transaction could not be confirmed, with yacht world insiders declining to share what they know and representatives for Zuckerberg not responding to a request for comment from Business Insider. In the past, reports about Zuckerberg owning superyacht Ulysses have proven false.

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"It is Feadship's standard policy to never divulge any information about our yachts with reference to ownership, costs, or delivery, etc," Feadship, the ship's builder, wrote to BI. "Whether it is an 18-meter Feadship from the 1960s or a 118-meter Feadship from the 21st century, we do not share private information."

But Zuckerberg's name has been connected to Launchpad for a few months now, beginning in December when reports swirled that he visited Feadship's shipyard in the Netherlands.

Then, earlier in March, yachting bloggers like eSysman SuperYachts and Autoevolution started speculating that he officially snagged the boat, originally built for a sanctioned Russian businessman, at a $300 million price tag. (While that's a seemingly huge amount, it's still less than 0.2% of Zuckerberg's $177 billion net worth.)

Another clue that might point to US ownership is that the yacht bears the flag of the Marshall Islands, a US territory and commonplace for American buyers to register their ships, according to public marine tracking.

If Zuckerberg were to have bought Launchpad, he would join a cohort of superyacht-owning tech billionaires . Along with Bezos, the likes of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison and Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have purchased impressive boats with even more impressive amenities.

SuperYacht Times , an industry publication and intelligence platform, has some of the best images of the yacht. Photos show a swimming pool on her main deck and a large helipad.

While less is known of the interior, a vessel of her size can likely sleep dozens of guests and crew and may have amenities like an expansive gym where Zuckerberg could practice his jiu-jitsu or a spa with a massage area. We suspect there's also space for plenty of toys — which could include his viral hydrofoil foil .

Do you have any details about Launchpad or any other superyachts? Email reporter Madeline Berg at [email protected].

Watch: Walmart heiress' superyacht vandalized by activists in Ibiza

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Revealed: UK-funded French forces putting migrants’ lives at risk with small-boat tactics

Exclusive: newly obtained footage and leaked documents show how a ‘mass casualty event’ could arise from aggressive tactics employed by border forces

French police funded by the UK government have endangered the lives of vulnerable migrants by intercepting small boats in the Channel, using tactics that search and rescue experts say could cause a “mass casualty event”.

Shocking new evidence obtained by the Observer , Lighthouse Reports, Le Monde and Der Spiegel reveals for the first time that the French maritime police have tried physically to force small boats to turn around – manoeuvres known as “pullbacks” – in an attempt to prevent them reaching British shores.

Newly obtained footage, leaked documents and witness testimonies show that the French authorities have used aggressive tactics including circling a migrant boat, causing waves to flood the dinghy; ramming into a small boat while threatening passengers with a large tank of pepper spray; and puncturing boats when they are already at sea, forcing migrants to swim back to shore.

The French authorities have previously refused the UK’s requests for them to carry out interceptions at sea, stating that they contravened international maritime law. But evidence indicates there has been an escalation in the use of these tactics since last summer.

Rishi Sunak has pledged to “stop the boats” crossing the Channel and has promised hundreds of millions of pounds to France to pay for more surveillance and border guards to prevent people making the journey. Last Wednesday the government’s safety of Rwanda (asylum and immigration) bill suffered several defeats in the House of Lords, delaying the prime minister’s plan to see flights for Kigali take off until after Easter.

Ministers claim that the bill will act as a deterrent to all those crossing the Channel from northern France to the UK. In the first video obtained and verified for this investigation, a police boat in Dunkirk harbour circles close to a dinghy holding about 25 people, creating a wake that floods the boat.

The police vessel is seen advancing towards the dinghy at speed, before turning sharply to create waves, circling and coming back again. Migrants are seen wearing foam-packed lifejackets and attempting to bale water out using their shoes.

Sources confirmed that the police patrol vessel used to carry out the manoeuvre seen in the video was bought by the French authorities with funding provided by the UK government under the “Sandhurst treaty” , a bilateral border security deal signed at the royal military academy in 2018.

“This is a textbook pushback – exactly the same as we see in Greece,” said one search and rescue expert who was shown the footage. “That one manoeuvre alone could cause a mass casualty event. The water is deep enough to drown in. I’ve seen this in the central Mediterranean many times, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this happening in the Channel.”

Previous evidence has shown how the Greek coastguard has forced boats carrying migrants back into Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea, in some cases by manoeuvring around them at high speed to create waves.

Two senior UK Border Force sources confirmed that the tactic could lead to multiple deaths and injuries. “If the blades [of the French boat] make contact with the vessel, it will slash right through it,” said one operational Border Force official.

“The other thing is a collision. The weight and the force of that vessel could ride straight over the top of the rib. It would knock the passengers out, knock them unconscious and into the water. It could potentially lead to death. I can’t believe any mariner could condone that.”

Maritime experts added that they would be “very surprised” if Border Force and HM Coastguard were not aware of these tactics being used, with one adding: “One hundred per cent, someone high up will definitely be aware of this.”

In a second video, members of the French gendarmerie drive alongside a dinghy in a speedboat about 12 miles from the French coast, threatening to use a large tank of pepper spray against a boat carrying migrants. They then proceed to ram their vessel into the dinghy. “They don’t even know who’s on board – whether there’s someone asthmatic that you’re using pepper spray against, or pregnant women,” said a Border Force official. “That could really harm people.”

In evidence of a third attempted pullback, a complaint filed by a member of the French customs coastguard to the public prosecutor in Boulogne-sur-Mer alleges that on 11 August 2023 police officers ordered a National Society of Sea Rescues (SNSM) crew to puncture a small boat that had already set sail. In an email seen by this investigation, the complainant, Rémi Vandeplanque, states that the SNSM crew “obviously refused” to do this, adding that the risk of drowning if they had done so was “obvious and imminent”.

Testimony from several sources who boarded small boats bound for the UK supports the claims that French police have used such tactics. “There were four of them [French gendarmes] on the boat,” said one man, who was from India. “They went round the boat in a circle and then they stabbed the boat and left. We had to swim for about 10 minutes … We nearly died.” On 9 February 2024, the man lodged a complaint with the French human rights ombudsman. The incident is under investigation.

Sources within France’s interior ministry have described the UK government’s “enormous pressure on a daily basis” for the French maritime police to prevent small boat departures, with one French civil servant describing the pressure as “intense” and “nonstop”.

Another senior civil servant, who was in post until the end of 2020, added: “As far as the British were concerned, the boats had to be caught at sea. They sometimes insisted on it.”

In September last year, then immigration minister Robert Jenrick said in the House of Commons that “there is clearly more that we need the French to do for us”, pointing to a recent trip to Belgium, where he said the authorities had “been willing to intercept in the water small boats leaving its shores”. He added: “That has proven decisive. Small boats from Belgian waters are now extremely rare, so that is an approach that we encourage the French to follow.”

In August 2021, during a visit to the Greek island of Samos , then home secretary Priti Patel went out on patrol with the Greek coastguard, which is known for its use of aggressive pushbacks in the Aegean.

“She came back invigorated,” said a Home Office source with knowledge of the trip. “They were very aggressive, had a good success rate of detection and were swift in how they processed them [asylum seekers]. She liked their posturing of ‘protecting borders’ and working with the military, though there was recognition that a lot of this wouldn’t be lawful in the UK.”

Britain has allocated more than £700m to France to prevent irregular migration since 2014.

At a summit in March 2023, Sunak announced that Britain would give France £500m over three years to fund additional border guards and a new detention facility, as well as video surveillance cameras, drones and night-vision binoculars, among other equipment.

The package was, according to several sources at the French interior ministry, a turning point. “This has really put the relationship between the two countries on a contractual footing,” said one senior official.

Last month the UK signed a working agreement with the European border agency Frontex to bolster intelligence sharing and deploy UK Border Force officials to coordinate the Channel response.

When contacted by this investigation, the prefecture for the north of France confirmed that a police boat had circled a dinghy and that the aim of the intervention was to “dissuade passengers” from approaching the open sea, adding: “It’s the only time we’ve been able to intercept a small boat using this manoeuvre and it was a deterrent. All the migrants were recovered and the smugglers arrested.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “An unacceptable number of people are crossing the Channel and we will do whatever is necessary to end these perilous and fatal journeys. We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year.

“Not only have we introduced tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, but we continue to work closely with our French counterparts, who are working tirelessly to save lives and stop the boats.”

• Immigration and asylum
• The Observer
• Home Office
• Rishi Sunak

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