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Yachting Monthly

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Crazy or sane? Record attempt for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic

• Katy Stickland
• May 18, 2022

Andrew Bedwell is planning to smash the record for sailing the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic. His vessel, Big C is just over 1m/3.2ft long

The smallest boat to cross the Atlantic was 5ft 4inches, sailed by American sailor, Hugo Vihlen in 1993.

Many have tried but failed to break this record. But sailor Andrew Bedwell believes he can regain this most unusual of crowns for Britain.

The 48-year-old solo skipper is no stranger to sailing in small craft or pushing the limits.

In 2015, he finished the Jester Baltimore Challenge aboard his 23ft Hunter 707, Outlaw .

The following year, Andrew sailed around Britain singlehanded in his 6.5m (21.3ft) Mini Transat 241 Blue One.

Big C will be sailed using dual furling headsails, outriggers and an A frame mast. Credit: Andrew Bedwell

This was eclipsed by his most extreme challenge to date – sailing 241 Blue One from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Iceland and into the Arctic Circle and back in 2019.

The yacht has no creature comforts – which Andrew actually prefers, being of the Roger Taylor school of ‘back to basics’ sailing.

He slept no more than 20 minutes at a time on a beanbag (the boat had no bunk) and had a bucket as a toilet.

In May 2023 he plans to push himself further and attempt the record for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic.

The 1,900 mile voyage will start in St Johns, Newfoundland and finish off Lizard Point in Cornwall.

He expects it to take 60 days (that is what he has told his wife) but admits it might take longer, as he will be at the ‘mercy of the weather ‘.

‘There will be days when the wind s are not favourable and I just have to chuck out a sea anchor which is mounted on the bow and just furl everything in and sit there. These will not be the pleasant days,’ he noted.

For now, Andrew is concentrating on finalising his vessel – Big C, which was designed and built by Liverpudlian sailor Tom McNally, a legend in micro-yachting who died in 2017 from cancer.

Tom McNally with his boat Big C which he planned to sail across the Atlantic and back. Andrew Bedwell has now modified the boat to make his own record attempt. Credit: Lorraine McNally

Tom set the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic record in 1993 in his 5ft 4.5 inch boat, Vera Hugh . It was broken by Hugo Vihlen.

Andrew, who has run a boat repair business, has modified Big C himself. The boat is built out of GRP with a foam core. He has modified McNally’s plans, making the boat smaller and essentially custom building the vessel for his height.

Even so, at 6ft tall, he still can’t stand up in the craft when the dome is down and will have to follow exercises provided by a physiotherapist to keep his legs functioning.

‘When my backside is sitting on the floor, my head is literally an inch away from the dome at the top and being just over a 1m long, I can only stretch my legs out about two-thirds of the way,’ explained Andrew.

‘I do appreciate the nice things in life but I prefer to rough it and making my life harder for myself; this seemed the ultimate challenge, especially as it is my 50th birthday next year. There is no toilet on board so in fact my only comfort on board Big C will be a flannel, which will be heavily tied on to the outside and hanging overboard.’

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The boat has 12 watertight compartments – eight internally and four externally – as well as open and closable vents. Once fully sealed, Big C only has 40 minutes of air inside before Andrew would pass out.

Food has been worked out by a nutritionist and will be made by Andrew’s wife, before being packed into the craft.

‘I don’t want to say vile, but the food is not the most flavoursome. We will pack it outside of Big C in the external tanks to increase stability and internally, using the external food first.’

Big C ‘s keel will hold 5 litres of drinking water and there is a manual watermaker to top up the tank which will be operated by Andrew’s right hand.

Power will be provided by solar panels on the back of the craft, and there will be a hand-cranked generator which will be operated by both Andrew’s left and right hand.

The main compartment will have AIS, VHF radio and a small chartplotter to keep power consumption down.

Big C will begin sea trials in mid-June ahead of the challenge in May 2023. Credit: Andrew Bedwell

Big C is a ‘downwind, tradewind vessel’. She has twin rudders (in case one breaks) dual furling headsails, outriggers and an A frame mast.

‘We have twin furling headsails, you can furl them or unfurl them. I can unfurl them from inside, I can sheet them from inside. We will be relying on the tradewinds,’ said Andrew, who is from Scarisbrick, Lancashire.

In heavy weather , Andrew will use a full harness to strap himself to Big C . He will also have a full support crew to track and guide his passage.

Andrew Bedwell will be trying to break the record set by American sailor Hugo Vihlen in 1993 in his 5ft 4in boat, Father’s Day . Credit: Tom Meaker/Alamy Stock Photo

Big C will start sea trials in mid-June, and Andrew has several longer passages planned before the record attempt.

He is also looking for sponsors. He had hoped the drinks firm, Red Bull would back him but the firm declined saying of the challenge it was ‘inspirational, but mad’.

‘My 9 year old daughter thinks it is incredible. I hope she is proud. My wife thinks I am absolutely crackers,’ said Andrew. ‘But you have to push yourself. Life is about challenges and there are an awful lot of people going through life thinking ‘I wish I had done…’ I’ve gone the other way and say I will do it.’

The Big C Atlantic Challenge will be raising money for Cancer Research in tribute to Tom McNally.

Who was Tom McNally?

Liverpudlian Tom McNally was intent on setting records for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic.

He achieved his goal in July 1993 when he sailed the 5ft 4.5 inch boat, Vera Hugh , from Lisbon, Portugal to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida via Puerto Rico, despite a cracked hull and having run out of water and food.

The boat was partly built out of an old discarded wardrobe and the hatch was made out of an old washing machine door.

Tom beat the world record set by American sailor Hugo Vilhen in 1968 after he crossed in April Fool, which was 5ft 11in.

But Tom’s glory was was short lived when Vilhen sailed the 5ft 4in Father’s Day from Newfoundland to Cornwall in 105 days, reclaiming the crown in September 1993.

Tom McNally designed Big C himself. Credit: Ajax News & Feature Service / Alamy Stock Photo

Undeterred, Tom tried to take it back.

In 2002 he attempted, but failed, to cross the Atlantic in the tiny 3ft 10.5in Vera Hugh – Cancer Research. Having sailed 800 miles from Gibraltar to Gran Canaria, the boat and all his equipment was stolen from the harbour at Mogan.

In 2009, he planned a double Atlantic crossing in his purpose-built 3ft 10inch boat, The Big C , to raise money for Sail 4 Cancer.

His route would have seen him sail from Cadiz to the Canary Islands, and on to Puerto Rico. Tom was then planning on sailing north along the eastern seaboard of the USA before heading back to him home port of Liverpool.

Sadly, illness thwarted his plans.

After battling cancer for more than eight years, Tom McNally died on 12 June 2017 at the age of 77.

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Record attempt for atlantic crossing in smallest boat ends in tears as 3-foot vessel is destroyed.

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He’s gonna need a bigger boat.

A sailor’s record-setting quest to cross the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest boat ever ended in tears when the 3-foot 10-inch boat began taking on water shortly after his departure and smashed on a seawall as it was being hauled out for repairs.

Andrew Bedwell, a 49-year-old sailor and sailmaker from England spent three years outfitting his micro yacht named “Big C” and finally set out on the planned 1,900-mile voyage from Newfoundland to the southern tip of England last weekend.

In a video posted on Instagram the day before his Sunday departure, Bedwell appeared positively chuffed to be on his way.

“So, tomorrow’s the day!” he said with a twinkling eye, before telling followers how they could track his progress across the deep.

But within hours of his grand departure, Bedwell explained in a decidedly more muted video that he’d been forced to return to port. The Big C began taking on water, a problem he suspected was brought on by last-minute modifications he’d made.

Undeterred, he said he was shortly heading back out to the harbor to assess the situation.

On Monday, Bedwell posted a tearful video describing the tragedy. Through shuddering sobs, he explained how Big C had “basically sunk” by the time he’d returned to the harbor. The boat was filled with “half or three quarters of a ton or a ton of water” and had to be lifted out by her framework instead of with straps run under the hull.

“We lifted her up, got her up to the harbor wall. And the framework gave way…” Bedwell said, gasping for air between sobs and pulling at his hair in agonized despair. “And she dropped down onto the harborside, and basically it destroyed the boat.”

“Big C is no more. She can’t carry on. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, Um, I’m just. I…” Then the message cut off.

Bedwell captioned the video “Big C – the end of a dream.” His accounts have gone radio-silent since.

The decline was a startling and raw display for Bedwell, a salty Sir Edmund Hillary-looking Brit who’s previously sailed to the Arctic in a 21-foot boat and always appeared the consummately stolid seaman in his countless Instagram posts and media appearances promoting the Big C journey.

But his inconsolable state was more than understandable — for the past three years Bedwell had dedicated all his energies to preparing for the trip. He raised thousands in funding and sponsorship. He had planned to donate proceeds to cancer charities in honor of his parents.

Bedwell purchased Big C itself from the daughter of Tom McNally, according to Yachting World , a sailor who once set the record for a trans-Atlantic Crossing in the world’s smallest vessel in 1993 before being beaten out by a competitor. McNally had built Big C to reclaim the record but died of kidney cancer in 2017 before he could mount the voyage.

Once in his hands, Bedwell undertook a considerable overhaul of Big C. He modified elements of the hull design to increase stability and speed, doing his own metal and fiberglass work along the way to machine one-of-a-kind parts for his one-of-a-kind boat.

The boat’s keel was outfitted to store fresh water, and the inner wall of the hull was designed to maximize compartment space that he filled with enough vacuum-sealed packs of a bizarre raisin and beef jerky recipe of his own creation to last the more than 90 days he expected to be at sea.

Big C’s cabin was only big enough for cramped sitting and sleeping in a tight fetal position, but Bedwell managed to rig it with comfortable seating and chose efficient clothing like a long mariner’s overcoat which served as both a warm waterproof jacket and sleeping bag.

Bedwell placed a domed weather-proof hatch window over the cabin, used an outrigger system to maximize sail space, hooked up the running lights and navigational computers to solar panels, and let his 10-year-old daughter Poppy decorate the interior with drawings of their family.

In the video announcing Big C’s demise, Bedwell thanked his supporters for their support and apologized for how the adventure ended.

“I don’t know what to say to everyone who’s supported and helped me. You’ve all been incredible.”

Asked whether he planned to mount another record attempt, Bedwell told The Post “It’s still early days.”

“It has to be a new vessel though as there’s lots of damage on Big C, so it’s speaking with current sponsors and I’ve had some very kind offers from a lot of people who can assist with a new vessel.”

One of Poppy’s decorations inside Big C was a hatch filled with urgings that her dad return safely and soon, listing the “cuddles,” the “tickles,” and the “trampolining” she’d miss while he was away.

On it, she also printed a message in green marker with a reminder to her dad: “Always try your best and never give up!”

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Why I’m crossing the Atlantic in the world’s smallest yacht

• Alison Wood
• September 23, 2022

Andrew Bedwell can't even sit straight in his 1m boat, let alone stand, yet he plans to spend 60+ days at sea in his microyacht, sailing solo and eating cold squares of dehydrated beef 

What’s inspired this world record microyacht attempt?  

I’ve always dreamed of breaking the world record for the smallest vessel to cross the Atlantic . Big C is just over a metre long, and the current record is held by US sailor Hugo Vihlen, whose boat Father’s Day was 5ft 4in. The plan is to do exactly the same route as he did. Leaving in May 2023, I’ll be sailing the northern route from St John’s Newfoundland back to the UK. 

What was the last sailing challenge you did? 

I took a 21ft Mini Transat up into the Arctic – it was a prototype with a canting keel – around Iceland towards Greenland, through Denmark Strait and back home to the UK. I raised money for my daughter’s school. Now I’ve gone for a bigger project but in a smaller boat .

Andrew Bedwell with Big C , his transatlantic microyacht

What’s the appeal of microyachting? 

I love the simplicity of microyachting. I like the unusual side of life; sleeping in my van or on the mountainside in bivvy bags with my 9-year-old daughter. I don’t need luxuries, and this boat here obviously hasn’t got any of those. 

Inside Big C . Andrew’s daughter has illustrated the hatch

What does your daughter think of your voyage? 

She thinks it’s just a brave thing to do. She’s drawn pictures on my boat. I want this challenge to show her that she should be able to get out and do things. If you don’t go for it, you’ll never know what could have been. It might not work but we’re going to go as far as we can.

Is it typical for a microyacht to just have twin headsails?

No, it’s not typical, but there’s no room for a mainsail on here, and the boat is designed to sail dead downwind . It’s tried and tested. We’ve got spare sail if we need it, but it’s a simple system and not a lot can go wrong. 

Who designed the boat?

Tom McNally. Unfortunately he died of cancer. That’s why he named the boat Big C . He was a microyachter. In 1993 he broke the record in a 5ft 4½inch boat [which was trumped the very same year by Hugo Vihlen in a boat half an inch shorter!]. Tom designed and started building this boat so we’ve got great confidence in the boat’s design. All we’ve done is brought it up to date. 

How far have you gone on Big C to date?

Not so far, initially, because it’s really difficult to get a downwind boat in and out of the harbour. We’ve only done about 10 miles in it, but you know what? That’s probably more than a lot of the other people have done before attempting to break the record. When Tom McNally and other microyachters have had a go they’ve literally gone to the quayside, put the boat in, maybe done some last-minute modifications, then shot off! You often find it’s the more quirky people who do this kind of challenge. 

With twin headsails but no mainsail, Big C can only sail downwind

Just how seaworthy is Big C ?

We’ve made the boat so it’s actually quite lightly ballasted so it reacts to the waves really well. Big, big rolling seas are no issue at all. With breaking waves, the boat can still contain itself. The whole hull is about 12mm thick everywhere so it is absolutely solid and designed for the job. It’s a complete safety cell.

Small is actually sometimes better in a big sea state. We see big container ships breaking up in the middle because they’re on the peak and the trough and basically on the peak of the next wave. With Big C , we can actually fold the boat away – by which, I mean, we take the outriggers up against the mast – so if we know that we’ve got a big weather system coming through, we can get the hatch down, buckle up and sit it out.

It’s going to be like the best fairground ride! A lot of people pay for that kind of thing at Alton Towers. It’s not going to be pleasant but then no real record attempt will be too pleasant! 

Will the boat invert then right itself?

If we get storms, that’s what the boat is designed to do. Tom didn’t want Big C to be too deep drafted because that gives it a very odd motion when it’s sitting in the waves. Yes, this will roll, but because it’s actually quite light, as soon as the wave passes it will pop to the top. It won’t stay inverted or anything like that. 

How much air do you have inside?

We can actually manage the way that the air is getting in and out of the boat. We’ve got about 40 minutes of air in there so we’ve got two dorade vents on the front that can rotate. We’ll have one into the wind and one away from the wind, and then there’ll be butterfly flaps (they’re not on there yet) so the wind can pass through but if a wave hits them they’ll just snap shut . 

What will you eat?

Pemmican – it’s what Amundsen ate on his Antarctic expeditions. My version is beef drippings, beef and raisins – all dehydrated. My wife and I made it. I’ll have two slabs a day. 

Will you have satellite communications?

We’ve got an Iridium Edge Solar, which has been used up into the Arctic and down in the Antarctic, and that’s a very small self-contained solar beacon that will be mounted on the deck. Internally we’ve got a class B AIS transponder, then we’re going to have an AIS receiver – two separate units so that if one fails I have backup. There’ll be a fixed VHF, handheld VHF and then obviously EPIRBs . There’ll be as much in there as we can carry. There are so many different companies creating amazing products but we’re limited by space . 

How long will the Atlantic crossing take?

With perfect conditions it would take 60 days, but we’ve modelled the voyage over the last 20 years and worked out that I’ll probably be sitting through around 20 days of storms with the sea anchor out.

Where will you sit and sleep?

I’ve got a little hammock that sits on deck so I can actually put my legs up. I can stand up for a lot of the time. I’ve got exercises I’ve been given by a physiotherapist, and I can stretch myself up against the rig. When I’m asleep I’ll need to curl up into the foetal position at the bottom of the boat, but in inclement conditions I’ll just be harnessing myself in and sleeping upright. I’ve got a beanie hat that’s got this special foam in so my head won’t rattle around in the cage… did I say ‘cage’? I mean cockpit!

• Follow’s Andrew’s preparations and adventures on Facebook at Big C Atlantic Challenge  

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Sail Far Live Free

Andrew bedwell and the big c atlantic challenge.

"From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow." - Aeschylus

Have you seen the seed of a redwood tree?  The Aeschylus quote above embodies what many of us know in our minds but still sometimes find hard to believe with our eyes.  It was that way when I first heard about Andrew Bedwell's next big adventure and laid eyes upon his tiny sailboat.  There are plenty of sailors who have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a wide variety of vessels, but none who have done so aboard a sailing vessel so diminutive as Bedwell's ironically named "Big C".  Ready for the specs?  Big C is just 39 inches long!  This is a boat that even my 10-year old daughter would find cramped, and yet Andrew Bedwell intends on sailing it from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Cornwall, England in May of 2023, and by so doing breaking the world record for the smallest vessel to sail across the Atlantic.  

The ~1,900 mile record is currently held by American sailor Hugo Vihlen who completed the Atlantic crossing in a comparatively lengthy 5'4" sailing vessel during 1993.  Vihlen's voyage took 115 days to complete.  Bedwell hopes to complete it in 60 days but is provisioning Big C for 90 days if need be.  Most everything is to be stored in watertight compartments both on the interior and exterior of the tiny vessel.  

You might be wondering about the "Big C" name.  It's in honor of Andrew Bedwell's friend Tom McNally, who also has held a trans-Atlantic record.  McNally died of cancer in 2017 and Bedwell is using "Big C" as both a play on words ("Big Sea") and as an effort to raise money for cancer research.  

I recently interviewed Andrew Bedwell about his upcoming voyage and record breaking attempt.  I am pleased to share some of the interview here on SailFarLiveFree.  A big "thanks" goes to Andrew for taking the time to share his thoughts.  And may something mighty grow from the small seed that he's planting while sailing Big C.  

SFLF: What's your sailing background and how has it prepared you for the Atlantic crossing on Big C?

Andrew: I sail solo most of the time and have done so since I started yacht sailing, and have had many vessels through the years. The biggest challenges so far have been a solo sail from the UK around Iceland, up into the Arctic, all in a 21ft prototype mini transat sailing boat.  That was basically a bare carbon interior, with no creature comforts at all, but at least that had a bucket to go to toilet in. 'Big C' being so small hasn't even got a bucket!

SFLF: I often hear people who are considering a major sailing voyage repeat Lin and Larry Pardey’s advice of “go simple, go small, go now”.  Your Big C boat seems to be the epitome of those words.  What do you think about that advice?

Andrew: I've read that many times, and agree, that started me pushing my boundaries and I've just gone on to push them further and further. Big C is as you say the epitome of 'go simple, go small"!  A lot of sailors always want to go larger and larger with more creature comforts.  I've had a 30ft trimaran, but it just had too many creature comforts for me (cushions, sinks, toilets and proper berths aren't for me!).  I 100% like the simple ways of living.

SFLF: What design features and equipment make Big C the right boat for this challenge?

Andrew: Firstly and mainly 'Big C' was designed and the construction started by Tom McNally who held the world record for the exact same route back in 1993.  His design and construction was fairly similar to his last vessel, but this one was made even stronger. The A-fame mast works exceptionally well as it's so strong, but also everything else is triangulated which helps makes the rig as strong as it can be. The biggest thing is the minimal space, as I've been needing to make everything as small and strong as possible, and with many things having multiple uses.

SFLF: Similarly, what is it about your own personality and character that makes you able to attempt such a feat?

Andrew: In addition to what I've already noted, the weather.  And that's why we've chosen  mid-May to leave as the weather and gulf streams are in our favor.

SFLF: What advice would you give to others contemplating an epic adventure?

Andrew: Go fo it!  Life is short and you need to fill it with as many adventures as you can. Just don't try to break this record !!

SFLF: Thanks Andrew, and as always, fair winds and calm seas!

If you're looking for an adventure to follow next summer, I encourage you to follow Andrew's progress on his Face page at Big C Atlantic Challenge .  Similarly, you can support Andrew's journey via his GoFundMe campaign . 

Like this post? Consider checking out the interview I did with another sailor doing big things on small boats in this post:

An Artist of Words, Wind, and Women (SFLF interviews Webb Chiles before his 6th circumnavigation)

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Smallest boats: The bonkers world of Microyacht adventures

• Elaine Bunting
• November 28, 2022

What are the smallest boats sailors consider for crossing and ocean? For ‘microyacht’ voyagers, there's no limit. Elaine Bunting finds out why they put to sea in tiny vessels

Often the smallest boats to cross oceans look much like a child’s crayon picture of a little boat on a big sea, certainly Yann Quenet’s Baluchon does. Baluchon is only 13ft 1in (4m long), with one simple sail and a stubby, blunt-nosed hull painted cherry red and ice cream white.

Baluchon is no toy, though. When Quenet sailed it back to Brittany in August, he had fulfilled his childhood ambition of circumnavigating in a tiny boat. Its simple appearance is emblematic of his philosophy. “I have loved little boats since I was a child,” he says, “and I am still a child at heart. Sailing round the world on a little boat is something I have dreamed about since I was a teenager.”

Quenet, now 51, has dedicated much of his adult life to designing, building and sailing microyachts. Whereas most of us progress in incrementally larger boats, Quenet’s craft have always been minuscule. He has created numerous self-build designs for plywood construction from a 9m gaffer to a 5m trimaran and a 6.5m gaff yawl (see them at boat-et-koad.com ).

In 2015, Quenet attempted to cross the Atlantic in a 14ft 1in (4.3m) plywood scow, but it capsized in a storm off the coast of Spain and he was rescued by a ship. After that experience he resolved to come up with a bulletproof self-righting microyacht suitable for ocean sailing, and went back to the drawing board.

His solution was a pram-style design that could be built in plywood in under 4,000 hours and would cost no more than €4,000. Baluchon is the result, a tiny boat to be sailed by one person for up to six weeks at a time and resilient enough to take anything the oceans throw at it.

Yann Quenet’s 4m long Baluchon

Smallest boats getting smaller

The history of sailing across oceans in the smallest boats is a surprisingly long one. With a few exceptions (of which more later), it is not about breaking records. This is about stripping away everything complex and extraneous – including other people.

One of the most famous small boat voyages was nearly 70 years ago when Patrick Elam and Colin Mudie made several ocean passages in Sopranino , which was only 17ft 9in (5.4m) on the waterline. Elam observed: “I would not pretend that Sopranino is the optimum size. At sea she is near perfect, but could with advantage be a few inches longer to give a slightly bigger cockpit and a separate stowage for wet oilskins below. In harbour, she is too small (for comfort) and too delicate and vulnerable.”

Also in the 1950s, John Guzzwell consulted Jack Giles about the smallest boat practical to sail around the world and Giles drew the 20ft 6in (6.2m) Trekka , which Guzzwell built and circumnavigated in twice. Smaller still was Shane Acton’s 18ft 4in (5.5m) Shrimpy , a Robert Tucker design which he sailed round the world in 1972 despite having very little sailing experience when he left.

Tom McNally planned to retake his small-boat Atlantic crossing record in Big C. Photo: Ajax News

In 1987, Serge Testa beat that by sailing round the world in his self-designed 11ft 10in (3.6m) aluminium sloop, Acrohc Australis . He broke the record for the smallest yacht to be sailed round the world, one that is still standing 35 years later.

This feat, together with Acton’s well-publicised voyages in the 1970s, ignited a lasting interest in small boat or microyacht voyages. Money is usually a factor in the choice of such small craft but overlaid by a streak of determined romanticism, the almost spiritual challenge of sailing a nutshell craft across a vast ocean.

Yann Quenet is not alone in creating self-build plans for aspiring micro-voyagers. New Zealander John Welsford also specialises in small boats such as the 18ft (5.5m) junk-rigged Swaggie – ‘a mighty, miniature long range cruiser’ – and a sturdy oceangoing 21ft (6.5m) gaff cutter, Sundowner (see jwboatdesigns.co.nz ).

As with Quenet’s little boats, Welsford’s designs are for plywood construction. The plans, he says, are detailed for “real beginners with very basic woodworking skills and a good attitude… the other skills will come as the project progresses.”

In his thinking, people can experience a deep sense of escape even through the process of building such a boat. “I anticipate a lot of builders will be people who find themselves trapped in a soulless desk job which condemns them to commuting for hours in heavy traffic, living in a thin-walled and crowded apartment and dreaming with longing of the freedom of the seas, golden sands and warm breezes.”

John Guzzwell’s Trekka. Photo: Historic Images/Alamy

Perhaps unsurprisingly the small boat community attracts a mixture of adventurers, inventors, idealists and eccentrics. One of the less successful was the self-styled ‘Admiral Dinghy’, a former Hollywood B-movie star and retired dance teacher from the US whose longtime aim was to sail round the world in a 9ft 11in (3m) boat. He had scant ocean sailing experience and no money. He’d been building and tinkering with his tiny junk-rigged boat since 1975 and began preparing for a circumnavigation in earnest in 2009. But he had problems with his boat, never went offshore and has since vanished from the radar.

A small boat living legend

A mixture of naïve courage and inexperience appears characteristic of many of the smallest boat sailors. It’s easy to imagine a dichotomy at the heart of it: many of the ideas could be perilous in hands of someone inexperienced, yet how many seasoned sailors would contemplate voyaging in a tiny craft?

Someone who has, numerous times, is Sven Yrvind. A Swedish sailor and boatbuilder, now aged 83, he has been designing and sailing tiny yachts for more than 60 years. He built his first tiny open boat in 1962, and decades of experimentation and voyaging followed.

In 1969, he built a 15ft 7in (4.2m) boat and sailed to Ireland. In 1971, he built his first Bris (or Breeze) in his mother’s basement, its size dictated by the dimensions of the cellar and the door it would have to be taken out through. He sailed this 19ft 8in (6m) cold moulded epoxy double-ender across the Atlantic seven times in four years and went as far as Argentina and Tristan da Cunha. (I highly recommend reading his fascinating and entertaining account at yrvind.com/my-life-texts ).

Yann Quenet completed a three-year world tour on his 4m Baluchon. Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty

In his next boat, the 15ft 9in (5.9m) Bris II , he went much further, sailing south to the Falkland Islands in 1980, before rounding Cape Horn and going north to Chile.

Over the decades, Yrvind (his birth surname was Lundin but he changed it to the Swedish term for a turbulent wind) has continually experimented with tiny yachts. In 1986, he built a 15ft 8in (5.76m) double-ender and sailed it to Newfoundland. In his most recent boat, Exlex (Outlaw), he sailed to the Azores in 2018, and in 2020 from Norway to the Azores and Madeira, returning to Ireland, a voyage of 150 days.

Right now, he is working on Exlex Minor , a glassfibre sailing canoe design of 20ft 4in (6.2m) which he intends to sail round Cape Horn to Valdivia in Chile. This new boat has twin keels and 12m2 of canvas split between three square sails on freestanding masts.

His food, water and all his possessions for up to 150 days at sea amount to around 1 tonne. He stores 111 litres of water on board as he “doesn’t trust desalinators. They can break down.” At sea, his diet is a simple mix of oatmeal and almond flour – “like muesli” – and sardines. “I eat the same every day,” he says, “and at lunchtime, not any other time.”

“I am a health nut. I believe in running and eating once a day for a long life.”

small-boat sailing legend Sven Yrvind. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty

Yrvind’s way of life divides opinion. Many casual followers think his choice of yacht slightly mad, but the tiny boat community reveres him as a living legend. To him, it just makes plain sense. “My boats are very functional. If you go back to old magazines from the 1950s and 1960s, boats were not much bigger. Back then, a 30ft boat was quite a decent size. The Hiscocks sailed twice round the world in such a boat. Now 40ft is too small; it must be 50ft.

“And what is big enough? With a small boat, you don’t have a lot of problems with money. You go back to first principles. You also have a boat you can tow behind a car. I have been doing that down to France and Ireland. Or you can put it in a container. So small boats are really handy.”

Yrvind in his 15ft 8in Exlex. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty

No room to stretch out

Smaller even than Sven Yrvind’s vessels are the record breakers’ boats, no bigger than a bathtub.

For many years, the record for the smallest yacht to cross the Atlantic was held by Hugo Vihlen, a former Korean War fighter pilot and Delta Airlines captain from Florida. In 1968, he crossed from west to east in the 5ft 11in April Fool . In 1993, his record was broken by Tom McNally, a fine arts lecturer from Liverpool, in his 5ft 4 1/2in (1.6m) Vera Hugh .

That prompted Vihlen, then aged 61, to go back out a few months later to recapture his record in Father’s Day , which was half an inch shorter than Vera Hugh . Vihlen crossed from Newfoundland to Falmouth in 105 days.

Andrew Bedwell intends to take former record holder Tom McNally’s modified 1.1m Big C to a new Atlantic record. Photo: Paul Larkin Photography

Not to be outdone, McNally designed and built an even smaller boat for the record, the 3ft 10in (1.1m) Big C . His plans were shattered when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and he was unable to sail it before he died in 2017.

Next year, British sailor Andrew Bedwell hopes to break Vihlen’s 30-year record. As a sailmaker and experienced sailor, he knows exactly what he is getting into. Bedwell has previously sailed a Mini 6.50 to the Arctic and been round Britain in a Class 40 .

In 2018 he started reading up about small boats. “I had always had an interest in unusual challenges and things that were raw. I saw these boats and was amazed by them, and I started designing a vessel.”

He contacted Tom McNally’s daughter and was amazed to learn that Big C was still lying in her garden. “It had never been in the water, or fitted out. Sails had been made for it, but they had never been used.”

Lorraine McNally agreed to sell, and Bedwell worked out how he could modify it for him to sail across the Atlantic. He calculates that it will take him around 60-80 days to cover the 1,900 miles from Newfoundland to the Lizard, sailing at an average of 2.5 knots. It has twin headsails set on one furler, and external floats, or pods, that make it behave a little like a trimaran when heeled. Freeboard is only 35cm and “she really does bob like a cork”, Bedwell says.

The boat is so tiny he cannot stretch out in it. “When in there I have to sit. It is dead flat in the bottom and in calm conditions I can just about get into a foetal position – and I mean just. I’ve modified the hull so my hip can just fit into a recess.”

Big C is a tight squeeze for British sailor Andrew Bedwell, and he could spend up to 80 days in it crossing the Atlantic from Newfoundland to the Lizard.

With the hatch fully shut the boat is watertight and airtight, but has only 40 minutes’ worth of air, so Bedwell is making two rotating air scoops at the bow.

When conditions allow, he might be able to stand up, or even go for a swim, but mainly “there is very little you can do with the lower body at all.”

Muscle wastage will be a major issue. To offset this at least partially, Bedwell will use a manual desalinator to make water. “We looked at putting in a generator to pedal but there isn’t space.”

His rationed food will amount to only 1,000 calories a day, “so I will lose weight and muscle mass, but I want a slow, slow decline.”

The food will all be the same. “It is a protein food similar to Shackleton’s pemmican, a clever nutritional bar made of fat and protein, salt and honey, with a little bit of paracetamol to thin the blood and ascorbic acid to preserve it and prevent scurvy,” he explains. “I will eat that for at least a month before I go, to get used to it.”

All 12 of the boat’s watertight compartments will be filled with it. “It will be moulded in bags and pushed into the hull. I will take food from the external pods to start with and work inwards, so increasing stability as we go.”

Italian skipper Alessandro Di Benedetto returns to Les Sables d’Olonne in 2010 after a non-stop circumnavigation with his 21ft Mini Transat 6.50. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty

Bedwell’s planning sounds scrupulous. But… isn’t it the definition of suffering?

“Yes, very close to it,” he replies cheerfully. “If you said you were going to do this to prisoners, you wouldn’t be allowed to, it’d be against human rights.

“There’s not going to be any comfort in it whatsoever. Food and navigation equipment are the absolute keys. There’ll be no changes of clothes, for example, as there’s no room. It’s so tight. I can use some water to wash but it will be a flannel wash. l’ll do what I can to prevent saltwater sores but there’s not going to be any soap.”

When close to the finish of one of his voyages, Tom McNally was hit by a ferry. The hull of his boat split and he had to be fished out of the water almost by the seat of his pants. Bedwell says: “If I’m hit by a tanker I’m not going to survive that, but tech has changed. Tom didn’t have AIS but we have a standalone Class B transponder as well as a VHF with AIS receiver . I have a masthead light – the boat is so short it doesn’t need to be a tricolour.”

Bedwell says: “Planning this keeps your mind completely occupied as every single little detail has to be completely thought through.” He rejects any suggestion that he is ‘making a bid’ for the record or similar phraseology. “I am not attempting it. I’m doing it. My theory is if I’m just trying, I’m not really pushing myself.”

Matt Kent’s 2017 solo Atlantic crossing attempt in the 42in Undaunted ended in failure.

Smallest boats, smallest problems

The micro-voyagers seem to share a different way of looking at the world, a can-do attitude galvanised by their repudiations.

“Human beings are very adaptable,” says Sven Yrvind. “Lawrence of Arabia lived simply in the desert and said wine takes away the taste of water. It is the same with comfort. It depends on your mindset and how you think, how you look at life. Some people go on holiday on bicycles and put up a tent. Some want a car and a caravan. I think when they get back the man with the bicycle is happier and has more to think about.”

“You can get spoilt,” he argues. “If you get something without fighting for it, you’re not so happy when you get it.”

Returning after 31,000 miles and 360 days under sail in his little yacht, Yann Quenet insists that a small boat is the best. “Small boat equals small problems. When there is no engine, there is nothing to go wrong, just a simple boat that is simple to sail.”

Andrew Bedwell explains how he gradually dismissed fripperies. “I’d had plusher boats, but hated it – all the cushions and wiring hidden behind panels. It’s just not me. I kept coming back to the simple things.” Like Sven Yrvind and Yann Quenet, he made the realisation that his sense of achievement might be in inverse proportion to boat size.

When people ask now about what he is doing with Big C , he tells them, without a hint of irony: “Everyone is different. I need something really big.”

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Big C – 1m yacht crossing the Atlantic

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The 25 Largest Yachts in the World Right Now

The 2023 newcomers to our annual list hail from german yard lürssen, dutch builder oceanco and turkish refit yard karmarine..

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As we round 2023, 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, Koru , measuring a whopping 417 feet. Built by shipyards all over the world—from the Netherlands to the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom—new launches and refits are delivered each year. The latest newcomers to make the list hail from Lürssen, Oceanco and Karmarine. With many new gigayacht builds in the pipeline, the list promises to be even more competitive in the coming years. Here are the world’s top 25 yachts by size, from Koru to Azzam.

Azzam (592 feet, 6 inches), Lürssen

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, 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.” The 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. 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—as fast as a Navy frigate—giving it the ability to operate at high speed in shallow waters. It also boasts an impressive build time for a yacht of its size, with construction taking only three years after one year of engineering. Azzam  accommodates up to 36 guests, and a crew of 80.

Fulk Al Salamah (538 feet, 1 inch), Mariotti Yachts

Little information has 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 Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman. Last refit in 2021, 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.

Eclipse (533 feet, 1 inch), Blohm+Voss

The 533.1-foot stately  Eclipse , the second yacht 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 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, 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. Other features reflecting its stature: 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), Platinum Yachts

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, 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 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.

Blue (518 feet, 3 inches), Lürssen Yachts

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 it’s 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), Lürssen

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 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 US sanctions placed on the owner, Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, in 2022.

Al Saïd (508 feet, 5 inches), Lürssen

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. 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, plus a medical room and dental care on board.

A+ (483 feet, 1 inch), Lürssen

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 Nahyan—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. It was last refit in 2022.

Prince Abdulaziz (482 feet, 3 inches), Helsingør Værft

This custom yacht, launched by Helsingør Værft in Denmark in 1984, is reportedly undergoing a refit in 2023. 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.

OK (479 feet), Oshima Shipbuilding

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.

El Mahrousa (478 feet, 1 inch), Samuda Brothers

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.

A (468 feet, 5 inches), Nobiskrug

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, 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. She remains today the world’s largest sailing yacht six years after her launch, though many argue she is better defined as a sail-assisted yacht.

Nord (466 feet), Lürssen

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 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), Abu Dhabi Mar

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), Lloyd Werft

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 sq. ft. 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), Fincantieri

The largest motoryacht ever built in Italy, Fincantieri’s Ocean Victory was delivered to its owner, Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, 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, aside from the yacht’s six pools, a 3,300-square-foot spa and an underwater observation room.

Scheherazade (459 feet, 3 inches), Lürssen

The 459.3-foot, Lürssen-built Scheherazade (formerly known as Project Lightning) was delivered in June 2020. 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 further details have not yet been released of the highly private vessel, including the names of designers or naval architects involved with the build. 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), Lürssen

When Lürssen launched Al Salamah in 1999, it was the third-largest yacht in the world. Its  number 18 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, in 2013 the yacht was put up for sale for $280 million, before 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), 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, who reportedly paid $590 million for the yacht. The yacht comes with a gym, grand piano, multiple swimming pools, a beauty salon, and a spa with a sauna. Delivered in 2004, and last refit in 2011, 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. 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), Lürssen

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, as well as being singled out as “blocked property” by US authorities in 2022 due to its reported ownership by sanctioned Russian oligarch Dmitry Kamenshchik. 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.

Savarona (446 feet, 2 inches), Blohm+Voss

Launched in 1931, 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 suits, and carrying up to 48 crew. Amenities include a swimming pool, Turkish bath, 280-foot grand staircase, a movie theater and a library dedicated to Atatürk.

Crescent (443 feet), Lürssen

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 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. 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), Fincantieri

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 the 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. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design created the 43,056-square-foot interior for the Russian owner, though its details have remained closely guarded.

Al Mirqab (436 feet, 4 inches), Kusch Yachts

Al Mirqab was a yacht before its time. Launched in 2008, the yacht’s diesel-electric propulsion involves an azimuth pod drive and gives the 436.4-footer a top end of 21 knots. With 36 staterooms, and crew quarters for 45, it 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.

Koru (417 Feet), Oceanco

Only just making the cut on this list, Jeff Bezos’ new 417-foot sailing yacht, Koru , was the subject of worldwide controversy even before its 2023 delivery. Built by Dutch shipyard Oceanco and reportedly costing $450 million, the Amazon founder’s first vessel is the tallest sailing yacht in the world with masts that measure over 230 feet tall, the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza. It’s so tall, in fact, that Bezos petitioned the Dutch city of Rotterdam to temporarily dismantle the Koningshaven Bridge, a 95-year-old landmark, to allow his yacht to pass under. His request was denied, and the yacht was instead partially towed through Rotterdam without its mast. The towering design also makes it unsafe to land a helicopter onboard, prompting Bezos to commission his second yacht, the 246-foot custom support yacht Wingman . Delivered in early 2023, and featuring a helipad, Wingman is Damen’s largest support vessel to date. No details have yet been released about Koru ’s interior or exterior design, including who penned the design.

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The top 25 largest yachts in the world

Every year, shipyards from around the world push the boundaries of superyacht design to deliver bigger and better yachts. The Samuda-built El Mahrousa may have carried the title unchallenged for a remarkable 119 years, but in the 21st century, she has descended down the pecking order to make room for even larger and longer yachts. German shipyard Lürssen currently holds a near monopoly in the construction of supersized superyachts, having delivered 13 of the world’s top 25. But the list is ever-changing with the 158 metre Blue breaking into the top five in 2022. These yachts, all measuring over 100 metres, are impressive not only for their hull length but for what they carry above and below deck. From submarines and helicopters to swimming pools , cinemas and science labs, the onboard features of these superyachts show them to be truly ground-breaking pieces of engineering. Read on to discover our official list of the largest, privately owned yachts in the world.

1. Azzam | 180.6m

In October 2013, Lürssen delivered the largest privately owned superyacht in the world in the form Azzam . Originally, she was designed to be 145 metres, but in the process of optimisation grew to 180 metres. Other stunning facts about Azzam’s impressive design include her staggering 13,000 GT and accommodation for 36 guests and as many as 80 crew members. The behemoth was reportedly built for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, for use as a dayboat to reach his favourite diving grounds. The main saloon alone encompasses nearly 522m² and has a relaxed French Empire style and mother of pearl finishes, designed by Christophe Leoni . On board features include a gym, pool and a special ‘golf training room’.

Exteriors have been penned by Nauta Yacht Design , and the technical engineering was directed by Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi for the owner. The yacht has an impressive speed for her size owing to her innovative water-jet propulsion system (two fixed jets, two directional), which catapults her along at a staggering 31.5-plus knots. At 17.5 metres longer than Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse , this boat takes the prestigious title of the world’s largest yacht. The all-white superyacht has held her title unchallenged for nearly seven years, but this reign will come to an end with the expected delivery of 183 metre REV .

• Builder: Lurssen
• Country of build: Germany
• Delivery year: 2013
• Length Overall: 180.61 m
• Gross Tonnage 13136 t

More about this yacht

More stories, 2. eclipse | 162.5m.

After five years of intensive design, development and construction, Eclipse left the Blohm + Voss yard in December 2010. She carried the title of world’s largest superyacht for just three years before being usurped by Azzam . Managed by Blue Ocean Yacht Management, Eclipse features a diesel-electric propulsion system with generators powering rotating Azipod drives, dramatic exterior styling and a stunning interior design by London-based Terence Disdale Design , which has been responsible for all aspects of aesthetic design and layout, including the superstructure design, deck layouts, interior design and construction supervision. Eclipse was voted Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards in 2011 and Motor Yacht of the Decade at the 10th World Superyacht Awards in 2015.

Her accommodation includes an owner’s deck of 56 metres in length and facilities for up to 92 crew. Her interior boasts hundreds of custom finishes exclusively developed especially for this project, while her deck areas include a 16 metre swimming pool which can be transformed into a dance floor. The yacht can also accommodate three helicopters, one on each of the two helipads and the third in a storage hangar below the fore deck.

• Builder: Blohm & Voss
• Delivery year: 2010
• Length Overall: 162.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 13564 t

3. Dubai | 162m

Dubai was originally commissioned by Prince Jefri of Brunei with exterior styling and interior design by Andrew Winch . The Blohm & Voss project was suspended in 1998 with just the bare hull and partially complete superstructure. It was eventually sold to the Dubai government, and responsibility passed to Kostis Antonopoulos of Platinum Yachts , which prepared a new in-house interior design completed in 2006.

The aptly named Dubai is the royal yacht of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai. The accommodation, styled by Nakheel Interiors , is designed for 24 guests and comprises an owner’s suite, five VIP suites and six guest suites, all with open balconies. Special features include a 21.3m-wide atrium, a swimming pool, barbecue area, cinema, disco, a landing platform for a Blackhawk helicopter, a gymnasium, and a garage for the yacht’s submarine and a vast array of water toys. Full certification was obtained from Lloyds Register of Shipping in October 2006 and she has since made several voyages. She can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots.

• Builder: Platinum
• Country of build: United Arab Emirates
• Delivery year: 2006
• Length Overall: 162 m
• Gross Tonnage 12488 t

4. Blue | 158m

Taking her place at number four in the list of the world’s longest yachts, Lürssen’s Blue is so voluminous that she beats all the longer boats in terms of gross tonnage. Built for a Middle Eastern owner, she is exceeded for internal space only by those behemoths Dilbar (15,917GT) and Al Said (15,850GT). Terence Disdale has penned classic exterior lines with a sharply raked bow and gentle curves to the deep overhangs of the decks. The main helipad is positioned on the bow, with a smaller one aft. Other exterior features include a pool under cover on the main deck aft, a bathing platform at the stern and twin balconies flanking the owner’s cabin forward. Blue ’s interior is designed to be timeless and rich in “feminine elegance”, a deliberate contrast to the exterior. 

Blue is equipped with a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system that was developed in-house. An electric Azimuth pod drive can manoeuvre the boat alone or in conjunction with the twin propeller shafts. To reduce noise, vibration and NOx levels, Blue has a state-of-the-art exhaust treatment system. The boat is also equipped with new membrane technology that means her treated waste water achieves drinking water quality.

• Delivery year: 2022
• Length Overall: 160.6 m
• Beam: 22.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 14785 t

5. Dilbar | 156m

With a total interior volume of over 15,000 GT, Dilbar is the largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage, if not by length. She was built in steel and aluminium by Lürssen to a design by Espen Øino . In 2016, she was delivered in the Mediterranean for her owner, the Uzbekistani billionaire Alisher Usmanov. She replaced Usmanov’s previous yacht of the same name, which has since been renamed Ona . She is usually spotted cruising around the South of France, northern Spain and sometimes Cyprus.

Record-breaking features on board this SOLAS-class superyacht include her 180 cubic metre swimming pool and her 30,000KW electric diesel power plant. Her interiors, styled by Winch Design, can accommodate up to 24 guests served by nearly 100 crew members. She also has two helipads, 3,800 square metres of living space amd an expansive garden complete with a specially developed variety of grass that tolerates salt air, according to its creator Axel Massmann. Dilbar has a single colour for her exterior, a buttery cream shade, that makes her instantly recognisable at sea and can reach a top speed of 21 knots.

• Delivery year: 2016
• Length Overall: 156 m
• Beam: 23.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 15917 t

6. Al Said | 155m

This Lloyd’s-classed vessel, known as Project Sunflower during construction, was delivered by Lürssen’s Vegesack yard to her owner, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman, in March 2008. Measuring an impressive 155 metres, Al Said is the principle vessel of the Oman Royal Yacht Squadron. Designed by Espen Øino with the looks of a classic cruise liner, she sails under the Omani flag and her home port is Muttrah Harbour in Muscat. 

This Germanischer Lloyd-classed, 15,850GT yacht can reach a top speed of 25 knots and is reported to have a crew capacity of 150. Her panelled interiors, designed in a traditional style by Jonathan Quinn Barnett , offers huge entertaining spaces and accommodation for 65 guests. Her pièce de résistance is the on-board concert hall that can accommodate a 50-strong orchestra, but across her six decks she also has a helipad and a cinema.

• Delivery year: 2008
• Length Overall: 155 m
• Gross Tonnage 15850 t

7. El Mahrousa | 150.6m

El Mahrousa was first delivered by the Samuda Brothers shipyard in 1865. She held on to the title of longest yacht in the world for over a century before finally being usurped by the delivery of Prince Abdulaziz in the 1980s. She was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, receive visiting dignitaries. and was present at the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in 1869, when she was used to receive visiting dignitaries. She was lengthened by 12.1 metres in 1872, when her paddle wheels were removed, and by a further 5.2 metres in 1905. Her last major rebuild was in 1950.

Significant moments in her lifetime include her participation in 1976 as the Egyptian representative at the Bicentennial Fleet Review in New York harbour. She slipped into disrepair after this while being used as a museum ship. In 1992, a major effort was put into making her seaworthy enough to travel to Italy for the Christopher Columbus Fleet Review. She now serves as the Egyptian Presidential Yacht but is seldom seen in public. She is usually berthed in Alexandria, where she is cared for by the Egyptian Navy, which lists her as a training ship. Powered by three Parsons steam turbines, she can achieve a top speed of 16 knots.

• Builder: Samuda
• Country of build: United Kingdom
• Delivery year: 1865
• Length Overall: 150.57 m
• Beam: 12.98 m
• Gross Tonnage 4560 t

8. A+ | 147.3m

Formerly known as Topaz , the Tim Heywood -designed A+ was launched by Lürssen in 2012 and uniquely features Heywood’s signature illuminated on her superstructure. Although she flies a Cayman flag, her owner is a member of the UAE elite – reportedly Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who also owns the UK’s Manchester City football club.

Having previously been chartered twice by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the 147.25 metre superyacht features a helicopter landing pad located at the bow and her interiors have been designed by Terence Disdale – but not much else is known about this superyacht, as many of her details are still shrouded in secrecy.

• Delivery year: 2012
• Length Overall: 147.25 m
• Beam: 21.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 12532 t

9. Prince Abdulaziz | 147m

The 5,200-tonne Prince Abdulaziz was delivered by Danish shipyard Helsingor Vaerft in 1984 to her first owner, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Since then, she has continued to serve the Saudi royal family and is berthed beside the king’s palace in Jeddah. She has been refitted three times; in 1987, 1996 and in 2005.

Prince Abdulaziz was built at a reported cost of $184m to a design by Maierform . Her interior, designed by the late David Hicks , blends ancient and modern. One notable feature is the large lobby, said to be designed to mimic that of the Titanic . She includes a hospital, a mosque and a cinema, and there are also rumours of surface-to-air missiles and an underwater surveillance system on board. The mega yacht can accommodate as many as 64 guests and is manned by a crew of 65.

• Builder: Helsingor Vaerft
• Country of build: Denmark
• Delivery year: 1984
• Length Overall: 147.01 m
• Beam: 18.3 m
• Gross Tonnage 8233 t

10. Opera | 146.4m

Reportedly built for a senior Emirati royal, Opera 's size and gross tonnage catapult her directly into the ranks of the world's 10 biggest private yachts. The 146.4-metre yacht certainly has some of the hallmarks of a Middle Eastern boat, with deep overhangs between decks and lots of enclosed deck space hinting at use in an aggressive climate. Pictures taken during a maiden voyage from Bremen to Portsmouth last summer showed lots of floor-to-ceiling glass across six guest decks, as well as two helicopter landing spots and a beach club whose twin staircases must climb two decks to reach a 10-metre, stone-lined pool aft of the main deck. The pool rises to form a dance floor.

Lürssen has kept the project shrouded in secrecy, but designer Terence Disdale confirmed that interior facilities include a cinema and an extensive spa and wellness centre, plus other features that are being kept under wraps. He also mentioned an upper lounge with a 110-inch television and bay windows.

• Delivery year: 2023
• Length Overall: 146.35 m
• Gross Tonnage 12518 t

11. OK | 146m

This unusual vessel spent decades plying the seas as a float-on yacht carrier for DYT Yacht Transport with the unglamorous moniker Super Servant 3 – and it is this carrying ability that caught the owner’s eye.

40 years after its original launch by Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding , the yacht emerged from a root-and-branch refit at Karmarine in Turkey. The exterior has been smartened up, with a new matt-black paint job, gold-tinted glazing, teak decking at the bow, stern and sides and an expanse of artificial grass on the submersible aft deck – an idea of the owner’s, to enliven the guest cabins’ view. There are reports that this space doubles as a tennis court and, at 32 metres by 100 metres, there would certainly be the room for it.

With a strengthened hull, the boat’s original role as a yacht carrier has been enhanced. Pumping ballast into tanks under the aft deck allows the platform to lower so that the owner’s 46-metre ketch can be floated aboard and secured. There’s also a 40-tonne crane for positioning other toys – reportedly up to 70 of them, from launches and cars to a seaplane.

Under the direction of Bozca Design , Karmarine has stripped out and rebuilt the accommodation area at the front of the yacht. There are cabins for up to 20 guests, a glazed sundeck spa pool, a "botanical" garden and an outdoor cinema. The lift between decks runs through a glass tower outside the superstructure. 

• Builder: Oshima Shipbuilding
• Country of build: Japan
• Delivery year: 1982
• Length Overall: 146 m
• Beam: 32.01 m
• Gross Tonnage 11296 t

12. Sailing Yacht A | 142.8m

This Philippe Starck -designed vessel is the second superyacht commissioned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko, after his first Motor Yacht A . She was built in Germany by the Nobiskrug yard and delivered in February 2017.

A sail-assisted yacht like no other, Sailing Yacht A comprises eight decks, and her rotating curved carbon fibre masts tower to 100 metres. She is made to set 3,747 square metres of sail and is manned by crew of 54. She sports an underwater viewing pod (moulded into the keel) and balconies enclosed by the largest pieces of curved glass ever. There are 24 shell doors in her hull, and she has a diesel-electric power plant controlled by computer. Records claimed by the Starck superyacht include the world's tallest carbon masts, with the tallest standing at 100 metres above sea level.

• Builder: Nobiskrug
• Delivery year: 2017
• Length Overall: 142.81 m
• Beam: 24.88 m
• Gross Tonnage 12700 t

13. Nord | 142m

Nord started life as Project Redwood, then Opus. Everyone involved in her design and build has remained tight-lipped about the details, but build manager Rob Moran shared some exclusive insight with BOAT International .

First up, she has an Ice Class hull for real exploration. Her aluminium superstructure runs to four decks, contained within the dramatic sweep of a black-painted arch – a key part of the vision of designers Nuvolari Lenard . Not one but two helipads are in evidence, while a vast beach club and tender garage gives  "space to store a plethora of toys including 16 tenders, a submarine and an ROV", according to Moran. The largest tender reportedly measures 15 metres, and there is a watersports and dive centre on the lower deck. Nord has a generous touch-and-go helipad at its heavily flared aircraft carrier bow, but there is also a much bigger space aft up on the bridge deck that offers landing, parking and bunkering for the owner’s helicopter, as well as an entire hangar for protection during longer passages. 

Also visible to onlookers was the exceptional 25-metre-long swimming pool on the main deck aft, plus a spa pool on the upper deck. Her interior is reported to include a gym, spa, sauna and a whole deck devoted to the owner.

• Delivery year: 2021
• Length Overall: 141.6 m
• Beam: 19.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 10154 t

14. Yas | 141m

Delivered in 1978 by De Schelde as a navy frigate, Yas was rebuilt in 2013 by Abu Dhabi MAR. Previously known under the project name Swift 141, she was completely modified with new machinery and electronic systems and outfitted with a luxurious interior. It has been suggested that her owner is a member of the Emirati royal family.

She has been designed inside and out by Pierrejean Design Studio of Paris . The unique superstructure of Yas is built in advanced composites and glass and was supposedly inspired by the profile shape of a dolphin. She is reportedly able to accommodate 60 guests and 56 crew, and on-board features include a heli-pad and al fresco dining spaces aft, and a Jacuzzi on her top deck. Her beach club Jacuzzi is complemented by a waterfall feature and a spiral staircase connects her the multiple decks. Powered by twin MTU diesels, Yas has a top speed of 26 knots.

• Builder: De Schelde
• Country of build: Netherlands
• Length Overall: 141 m
• Beam: 14.6 m
• Gross Tonnage 5002 t

16. Scheherazade | 140m

Another titan by Lürssen , Scheherazade carries the same name as the enigmatic story-teller of the Middle Eastern epic One Thousand and One nights . She hit the water in July 2019 and offers phenomenal volumes at 10,167 GT. Her Espen Øino exterior features a four-deck aluminium superstructure with elegant tapering roofs and an eclectic range of coloured LED exterior lighting. She also has two large helipads – one at the bow and one on the upper deck – plus a prominent beach club aft. 

There is very little information regarding her interior by François Zuretti , but if the work of the French design house on 106-metre Amadea is anything to go by, it is imperious and sophisticated. With the owner known to be a Middle Eastern billionaire, this yacht is designed with warmer climates in mind. Temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius are quite normal in the region during the summer months, so Scheherazade has relatively little exterior space for a yacht of this size. There is limited covered deck space at the aft end of the main and upper decks, but it is well enclosed by glass sides for cooling. Even the sundeck is completely shaded by a hardtop, which all helps to give her an astonishing internal volume.

• Delivery year: 2020
• Length Overall: 140 m
• Beam: 23.3 m
• Gross Tonnage 10167 t

15. Ocean Victory | 140m

Ocean Victory was completed at Fincantieri’s Muggiano yard in Italy after launching in April 2014. This seven-deck yacht is based on a design by Espen Øino and her interior is by Alberto Pinto and Laura Sessa . She has internal seawater dockage for a 14-metre tender and six pools of up to 8 metres in length. There’s a certified helideck and a hangar to store the aircraft, while inside Ocean Victory boasts an underwater observation room and more than 300 square metres of spa facilities. She is SOLAS-classed and is the largest yacht ever built in Italy. 

In 2016, the superyacht world was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of one of Ocean Victory’ s crew members, who suffered critical leg injuries while setting the anchor off the coast of Mu Ko Similan National Park in Thailand. Little else is known about this top-secret yacht, which is kept much under wraps and away from prying eyes.

• Builder: Fincantieri
• Country of build: Italy
• Delivery year: 2014
• Gross Tonnage 8506 t

17. Solaris | 140M

The 140-metre expedition yacht Solaris was launched in the city of Bremerhaven in February 2021 as the flagship model of German shipyard Lloyd Werft . She is the debut project of Australian designer Marc Newson , who has given her a dramatic grey and white superstructure which features a unique fashion plate which wraps around the mast and connects both sides of the hull. Spanning eight decks in total, Solaris has been constructed in aluminium and steel and offers a 26-metre beam. Little information has been shared about her interiors, but her exterior is equipped with a large helipad, a sun deck and a spacious beach club aft.

Turning to the technical elements, Solaris is reportedly outfitted with a power and energy management system from ABB and features two Azipods powered by nine megawatts – the most powerful propulsion system of its kind to ever be installed on a yacht. She runs on a total of eight MTU diesel engines, providing 19,040hp. Little else is known about the superyacht, on which construction first began in 2018.

• Builder: Lloyd Werft
• Length Overall: 139.7 m
• Gross Tonnage 11247 t

18. Al Salamah | 139.3m

Built by the consortium of Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel and the Lürssen shipyard in Germany, Al Salamah is often referred to as "Mipos", the code name used during the construction of this most secret of yachts. Mipos was short for "Mission Possible" – a statement proved correct by her delivery in 1999.

She has a length of 139.3 metres, a massive beam of 23.5 metres, and is reported to have a top speed of 21.5 knots. Both the interior design and the exterior styling are by the London-based Terence Disdale Design . Al Salamah was owned by the late Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who also owned 147 metre Prince Abdulaziz . She was refitted by Lürssen in 2007 and is rumoured to carry a hospital room with an underwater treadmill for physical therapy on board.

• Delivery year: 1999
• Length Overall: 139.29 m
• Gross Tonnage 12234 t

19. Luminance | 138.8m

Espen Øino is repsonsible for this giant yacht's crisp exterior lines. Despite a traditional raked bow, she looks bang up to date with a gleaming hull and superstructure that counterpoise dark blue and silver to create a masculine look. Øino has played with the profile of the overhangs to give the illusion of reverse sheer amidships. The effect is especially striking when viewing the yacht from beam-on. Her twin helicopter pads – one on the foredeck and another high up aft – will make her capable of ambitious explorer programmes. She also boasts a large beach club and an infinity pool, with a private spa pool area on the foredeck of what may be an owner's deck.

Luminance was expected in 2023, but delivery has fallen back a fraction. It is a mammoth project, whose true length has only just been confirmed at 138.8 metres. Her Ukranian owner, mining and financial services mogul Rinat Akhmetov, told The New York Times last year that he was mulling the boat's sale following Russia's invasion of his homeland, but it's not known whether he followed through.

• Delivery year: 2024
• Length Overall: 138.8 m
• Gross Tonnage 8999 t

20. Rising Sun | 138m

Rising Sun was built for Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle. She's the last yacht that ever came from designer Jon Bannenberg’s drawing board, with interiors styled by   Laura Seccombe . Rising Sun ’s naval architecture experimented with an extensive use of structural glass for a clean and stripped-down profile.

In 2006, Ellison sold half ownership to media mogul David Geffen, who bought the remaining half in 2010. Rising Sun is reported to have cost more than $290,000,000 and was extended by 18 metres in-build to ensure she was larger than the 126.2-metre Octopus , belonging to Microsoft’s co-founder, Paul Allen. Her 8,000 square metres of living space can accommodate 45 crew members, and includes a wine cellar and basketball court, plus accommodation for 16. One of her tenders, a catamaran, carries the yacht’s 4x4 vehicle ashore.

• Delivery year: 2004
• Length Overall: 138.01 m
• Gross Tonnage 7600 t

21. Flying Fox | 136m

Formerly Project Shu, PYC-compliant Flying Fox was built by Lürssen for a serial charter yacht owner and completed her sea trials off the coast of Germany in May 2019. The 136-metre, six-deck yacht towers 32 metres above the waterline – as tall as three London buses balanced end on end. Her elegant, well-balanced profile by Espen Øino conceals an extraordinarily voluminous interior by Mark Berryman , including a double-height atrium that forms the main deck lobby. There are 11 cabins for 36 guests, all with private sea-view terraces, and expansive outdoor living spaces, such as a 12-metre swimming pool transversing the main deck aft, swim platforms and two helipads. The 400-square-metre spa is the stand-out feature. It has heated limestone floors, a Hammam, massage and beauty treatment rooms and the first cryosauna ever installed on a yacht, with a main chamber that reaches a chilly -110C. There’s also an on-board hospital.

One of the most expensive superyachts in the world available for charter , Flying Fox is crewed by an experienced team of 54. She boasts a toybox stuffed with jet skis and other Seabobs, hoverboards, room for a submarine and and nine different tenders. Plus, she even has her own dive centre and kite surf store on board.

• Delivery year: 2019
• Length Overall: 136 m
• Beam: 20.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 9100 t

22. Savarona | 135.9m

Built by Blohm + Voss for American bridge cable heiress Emily Roebling Cadwalader in 1931, Savarona was sold in 1938 to the Turkish government and became the presidential yacht of Kemal Atatürk. In 1989, Kahraman Sadikoglu obtained a 50-year lease and, with investors, spent $35,000,000 on the refit of this classic superyacht, including a library suite dedicated to the memory of Atatürk and furnished with his personal artefacts. In 2010, after an alleged scandal, the Turkish government cancelled the lease and resumed ownership. In 2014, she was refurbished and now serves as the state yacht of Turkey. 

Savarona was, for a time, offered on the market for superyacht charters around Istanbul, although she is no longer available to the public. Key features onboard this superyacht include a marble-finished Turkish hammam bath that spans the entire 16-metre beam, a swimming pool, a gold-trimmed grand staircase and a private cinema. She is named after a type of black swan found in the Indian Ocean region.

• Delivery year: 1931
• Length Overall: 135.94 m
• Beam: 16.12 m
• Gross Tonnage 4701 t

23. Crescent | 135.5m

Crescent , formerly Project Thunder, has what the yard called a "traditionally-styled" interior by Zuretti , exterior design by Espen Øino and naval architecture by Lürssen . Øino went to great lengths to maximise what he calls the "vision lines" from the interior and the decks – especially from the centreline, which on such a beamy boat is a long way from the sides – by having full height windows and keeping the bulwarks as low as possible.

She has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and was built to DNV GL standards. Her striking black hull is matched with a silver superstructure that has distinctive wing stations amidships. Just forward of the wing stations are three-deck windows, providing spectacular views for her 18-strong guest list.

• Delivery year: 2018
• Length Overall: 135.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 9194 t

24. Serene | 133.9m

Built for a Russian owner, Serene was the first superyacht delivered by Italian yard Fincantieri . She can accommodate up to 24 guests and 52 crew, and boasts 4,500 square metres of interior space designed by Reymond Langton .

Serene has seven decks, two helipads and a hangar, carries a custom submarine certified to 100m depth and has underwater viewing ports in her Nemo room. A "snow room" can make up to four inches of snow, while the impressive spiral staircase rises through six decks and is lit by a large skylight. Serene won Best Motor Yacht of 3,000GT and Above at the 2012 World Superyacht Awards. Powered by a diesel engine, Serene can reach a top speed of 20 knots and has a maximum cruising range of 6000 nautical miles.

• Delivery year: 2011
• Length Overall: 133.9 m
• Beam: 18.6 m
• Gross Tonnage 8231 t

25. Al Mirqab | 133m

Al Mirqab was built by Peterswerft - Kusch for Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani – the former prime minister of Qatar. Her exterior design is by Tim Heywood and her interiors were styled by Winch Design . She is propelled by five generators that power two electric motors driving conventional shafts and a centrally positioned azimuthing electric pod drive. A grand staircase floats through four floors and surrounds suspended glass artwork by Dale Chihuly. 

Al Mirqab won Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards 2009 and Best Interior Design among motor yachts. She can accommodate 60 guests and is manned by an equal number of crew.

• Builder: Peterswerft - Kusch
• Length Overall: 133 m
• Gross Tonnage 5000 t

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Take a sneak peek at the biggest and most expensive boats at 2024's Palm Beach yacht show

• The Palm Beach International Boat Show kicks off later this week.
• Eight megayachts are expected to be on display for would-be buyers and charter customers.
• These are the show's biggest yachts — and how many millions of dollars they are going for.

The Palm Beach International Boat Show — the yacht world's flashiest event stateside — is returning this year with over 800 boats for both deep-pocked potential owners and window shoppers to peruse.

While it's impossible to know what exactly will be on display until the show begins on Thursday, it's expected that eight megayachts — generally defined as ships over 60 meters long — will be docked at the show and at nearby marinas like the Rybovich Marina in the ritzy Florida town.

Some of these are for sale at eye-popping prices, but others are available to if in case you fancy living like a billionaire for a week or two this summer (and if you have six figures to spare on a vacation).

These are the eight biggest yachts that will be at the Palm Beach International Boat Show and nearby marinas, in size order.

Nero: 90.1 meters

Price: From $497,000 a week (charter) Standout features: Pizza ovens, beauty salon, massage room, resistance pool

Reportedly owned by Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien, Nero is modeled after J.P. Morgan's 1930s ship , and was built in 2007 and updated in 2021.

She now boasts a gym on her sundeck with multiple cardio machines and a beauty salon, and has an on-board beautician for manicure, pedicure, hair, and massage needs. There's also an upgraded movie theater, two new pizza ovens, and both a pool and a jacuzzi.

For those who want to go overboard, she has more than a dozen toys, including a waterslide, Jet Ski, and flyboard.

Victorious: 85 meters

Price: From $876,600 a week in the summer and $950,000 a week in the winter Standout features: Hammam (Turkish bath), wine cellar, wood-burning fireplace, children's playroom

Victorious brings a party vibe to the yacht show. With a beach club on board, a wine cellar, a cigar clubroom , multiple bars, and a lounge with a piano, the vessel is made for entertaining. Plus, there's a playroom and movie theater to entertain the kids.

For tamer charter clients, Victorious has a suite of wellness features such as a gym, massage room, beauty salon and hammam, or Turkish bath — perhaps a custom request of her owner, Turkish businessman Vural Ak.

She also boasts a treasure trove of water toys, including Jet Skis, jetsurfs, inflatable kayaks, and scuba equipment.

Casino Royale: 72 meters

Price: TBD Special Features: Infinity pool, helipad, private jacuzzi

Purchased and refitted by car dealer magnate John Staluppi last year, Casino Royale is the latest of his James Bond-inspired yachts (he's also owned an Octopussy and a Skyfall, among others).

Casino Royale has a helipad that turns into a dancefloor, an infinity pool, and a wellness center with a gym and sauna. The owner's cabin has its own deck, which features a private bar and jacuzzi.

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However, the boat's price isn't listed, and while she's not necessarily officially for sale, that might change depending on who's prepared to buy, Mr. Bond.

Talisman C: 70.6 meters

Price: $60 million (or from $567,000 a week to charter) Special features: Massage and beauty room, private library

Likely the largest yacht for sale (not just charter) at the show, the Talisman C is a 2011 six-bedroom boat. The owner's cabin comes with an en suite bathroom, dressing room, private library, and crystal chandeliers.

Amenities include a gym, a beauty room, oversized jacuzzi, and a fully equipped bar. Her crew of 19 includes a trained masseuse, and the toy room comes equipped with a wakeboard, eFoil , and WaveRunners.

Joy: 70 meters

Price: From $650,000 a week Special features: Disco club, basketball court, onboard fitness instructor

Superyacht Joy testifies to the fact that owners want as many on-board experiences as they can get.

There's an expansive suite of fitness features, including a basketball court (don't shoot that hoop too hard!), a personal trainer on staff, boxing equipment, and a handful of machines. For post-workout winddowns, there's a spa with a steam room and onboard masseuse. And for entertainment, there's both an outdoor and indoor cinema, and a disco club.

Triumph: 65.4 meters

Price: From $707,600 a week in the summer and $650,000 a week in the winter Special features: Sauna, helipad, banana boat

This 2021 superyacht is named after Triumph motorcycles — a reported favorite of her rumored owner, British businessman Chris Dawson — and even has one on display as an art piece in the upper deck's lounge. The primary suite is 1,400 square feet and has its own study , and there's a sauna, an indoor-outdoor gym, a helipad, and a massage room spread among her six decks.

She boasts an "armada of water toys," including two kinds of Jet Skis, electric water bikes, and a banana boat.

Seanna: 64.5 meters

Price: $54,000,000 (or from $462,000 a week to charter) Special features: marble foyer, movie room, sundeck pool

The recently refurbished Seanna is available for sale and charter.

Her indoor-outdoor gym is on sea level so that passengers can take a dip after a session with the onboard personal trainer. There's also a sundeck pool, a helipad, a two-room massage facility, and, for the more cerebral guests, a library with an electric fireplace.

There are a number of toys on board, including a popular water trampoline and two WaveRunners.

Come Together: 60 meters

Price: $65,000,000 Special Features: DJ and videographer on board, ice bath, sauna

Next-to-new yacht Come Together is looking for a new owner after doing charters during the 2023 season.

The Beatles' influence is evident beyond the yacht's name, with guitars dotting the sky lounge and a crewmember who doubles as a DJ. There's also an outdoor cinema and bar for entertainment and an ice bath and sauna for the day after the party. The owner's suite has a private study and lounge, and each guest cabin has its own ensuite.

The sale includes a number of toys, like Jet Skis, kayaks, and Seabobs.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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