Dream holiday gift, or why yachts are a girl’s best friends

Can’t think of a present for your other half? Buy her a luxury superyacht, following the example of those rich and famous, who never spare a thing for their favorite ladies.

Tina + Anil = Tian



Malicious tongues say that the Indian business magnate Anil Ambani went to great lengths to outdo his elder brother, Mukesh Albani, who in 2007 had gifted his wife Nita a corporate jet estimated to cost over $50 million. But most likely buying Tina a 35-meter Ferretti custom yacht for about $80 million was a pure act of love, as it had been his wife’s cherished dream to own a luxury boat. The yacht was named Tian, by merging the first two letters of Tina and Anil.

The wealthy Indian couple enjoy many amenities onboard their yacht dubbed the Rolls Royce of water, due to her stunning architecture by Zuccon and interior design, epitomizing sophistication and class, conceived by the same Italian brand. Tian features a formal dining in classic style and provides accommodation for 12 guests in six cabins with impeccably decorated en-suite bathrooms. Powered by twin MTU engines, she reaches a maximum speed of 26 knots, while comfortably cruising at 23 knots.

A Benetti yacht for a dream marriage



Australian born soap opera actress and singer, widely known for her sexy “Kiss Kiss” single, Holly Valance received a 63-meter Benetti masterpiece from her husband, British real estate developer Nick Candy. The superyacht was christened 11.11 after their little daughter’s birth day.

An opportunity to acquire a yacht presented itself in 2014, when the original owner of Hull FB265 walked away from the project 10 months before the delivery. Although the new owners loved the profile of the boat with her distinctive vertical bow, they had many objections against her layout and furnishings that at that point were almost fitted:

“It was designed for a Rolls-Royce Phantom to be kept in the tender garage! I didn’t need any of that. The sundeck was all wrong – everything was too small, the Jacuzzi, the seating. Inside it was like a Russian tsar’s palace. It was too heavy, too classical and it was quite dark.”

“It’s not my family’s style. Functionality and comfort are the most important things. My wife told me, ‘I’m not sitting on another sofa that’s uncomfortable’,” Nick added.

The result was an essentially monochrome interior in Art Deco style, resembling the couple’s Los Angeles residence. Holly got involved in the redesigning process too, insisting on an enlarged relaxation area on the sundeck complete with an all the way aft swimming pool.

The Benetti superyacht often takes Nick Candy’s family to the Caribbean and the French Riviera, while a crew of 16 caters for their safe and pleasant traveling.

What happened to Tiger Woods’ wedding present

 

American golfer, one of the highest-paid athletes of all time, Tiger Woods gave to a Swedish model, Elin Nordegren a generous present on their wedding day in 2004: a 48-meter new Christensen yacht. The three-deck vessel, boasting a storage space for a number of kayaks and Vespa scooters, as well as a bar and an 8-person Jacuzzi for a bit of relaxation after a tough training session in the yacht’s fully-equipped gym, was named Privacy.

However, privacy was something that Tiger couldn’t keep in his personal life. The couple split, after Elin found out that her loving husband was, in fact, a serial adulterer. In 2010 Woods offered her Privacy as part of a $100 million divorce settlement. Nevertheless, the beautiful blond rejected the yacht, as she couldn’t afford the $2 million a year maintenance cost.

Unable to sell the boat, the golf star keeps sailing onboard Privacy at a cruising speed of 16 knots for a maximum range of 4000 nautical miles.

Why Johnny Depp had to rename his yacht after he got married



Hollywood star Amber Heard wouldn’t step onboard Johnny’s 48-meter yacht, as long as she bore the name Vajoliroja, standing for the initial letters of the actor’s former love of 14 years, Vanessa Paradis, and their children Lily-Rose and Jack. So, as a wedding present for Amber, the Pirate of the Caribbean had to rename his glamorous yacht to Amphitrite – ancient Greek goddess of the sea – a name, obviously alluding to his bride’s divine beauty.

Unfortunately, this measure wasn’t enough, and shortly after, in 2016 Depp was obliged to sell the yacht to "Harry Potter" author, Joanne Rowling. The British writer has been since then extensively chartering the five-stateroom Proteksan Turquoise boat, inspired by the classic gentleman’s yachts of the 1930s, for £ 72.000 a week.

Anyway, we can only welcome Johnny’s wise decision, because, above all precious things, what is really important is to keep the marriage afloat.