Giga League: recalling the 10 largest Lürssen yachts

The world’s largest sailing superyacht, the 106-metre Black Pearl has arrived in Saint-Petersburg, Russia on August 21, reports Forbes. According to the information from vesselfinder.com, the superyacht was also spotted in the ports Gdansk (August 14) and Riga (August 18) on her way from Portland where she had been seen earlier. The yacht tracking source MarineTraffic also indicates the vessel’s current location at the Saint-Petersburg’s marina. In addition to local media covering the newsbreak, social media users were also quick to post pictures of the extraordinary vessel on their accounts. The Black Pearl was built in 2017 by Dutch yard Oceanco, contending for the title of the largest sailing yacht in the world against the 143-metre Nobiskrug Sailing Yacht A ever since. Despite her larger size, some experts consider the latter rather a sail-assisted motor yacht than a sailing vessel. Meanwhile, she has been recently seen off Monaco coast.Designed by Nuvolari Lenard and Ken Freivokh, with naval architecture by Dyksra, who had previously worked on the 88-metre Maltese Falcon, the Black Pearl boasts a similar structure with three rotating masts. As a result of a highly beneficial collaboration, Dykstra's team were able to refine and further advance the DynaRig system they designed, driven by the owner to push the technology boundaries beyond what the Maltese Falcon had already achieved.A spa pool aft of the main deck and a large hot tub aft of the upper deck are amongst the key features on the 106-metre. Two tenders are further located on the bow of the yacht with covers placed on top of them. Aft of the yacht is a fold-down platform that likely leads to a beach club.Meanwhile, Black Pearl's interior framework and layout was initially created by Ken Freivokh before being refined by the owner, working closely with designer Gerard Villatte. Featuring a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, Black Pearl boasts 6 cabins for a total of 12 guests across 2,700GT of interior volume. From a technical side, the yacht will be powered by twin Caterpillar engines giving her a maximum speed of 20 knots. In addition, she deploys alternative energy sources, and her sails produce energy thanks to solar panels built within the fabric.Since the beginning of 2019, The Black Pearl has been collecting design awards, picking up ‘Best Sailing Yacht of 60m and above’ at the World Superyacht Awards, and winning top honours at Boat International Design & Innovation Awards in ‘Best Naval Architecture for Sailing Yachts’.

With the charter period already over its peak, there is still time to celebrate the beginning of mellow season aboard a charter yacht. While charter prices on some of the largest vessels traditionally remain unrevealed, Yacht Harbout lists 10 of the most expensive superyachts officially seen on charter market this summer.#1. Flying FoxBuilder: Lurssen (2019)LOA: 136mCharter price: upon requestThe impressive 130-metre Lürssen superyacht Flying Fox was delivered to her owner in March 2019, later sensationally listed for charter with Imperial. The superyacht boasts the most elegant and graceful exterior design by Espen Oeino, maintaining striking looks despite her massive volume of 9,100 GT.This superyacht’s key features include two helipads, capable of hosting the largest helicopters and a generous swimming pool located aft of the main deck. Flying Fox also boasts vast sea terraces, swim platforms for watersports. She can accommodate up to 22 guests across 11 staterooms, along with a crew of 54. Noteworthy, Flying Fox has recently caused vast social media buzz, rumouring the vessel belongs to the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos. According to Business Insider, a representative of Amazon responded to the media, the Amazon CEO did not own the superyacht, and they had no information on who it belonged to. The superyacht is available for charter in the Mediterranean in summer season and in the Indian Ocean in the winter season. According to MarineTraffic, Flying Fox is currently floating Turkish cost.#2. TISBuilder: Lurssen (2019)LOA: 111mCharter price: from € 2,200,000 per week (?)One of the rear vessels of over 100 metres publicly listed for charter, the 111.5-metre Lurssen TIS was made available in July 2019 from € 2,200,000 per week, just a month after delivery. At the moment, however, she is not on the list of charter superyachts anymore.TIS was commissioned for a long-time charter client of Moran Yacht & Ship. The vessel boasts exterior and interior styling by Andrew Winch Design and features 2 helicopter pads, a 12-metre swimming pool on the main deck aft, a resort inspired spa at beach club level, and opulent palatial staircases. TIS comes with the tender storage able to house two 13-metre tenders, two additional 10-metre tenders, a submarine and diverse watersports toys.With her impressive interior volume within a beam of 18.4 metres, TIS will accommodate up to 16 guests across a massive private owner’s deck and eight guests staterooms, served by the crew of 38. The featured top speed of the vessel makes 18 knots. #3. MadsummerBuilder: Lurssen (2019)LOA: 95mCharter price: from €1,400,000 P/W (summer rate)Firsr known as Project Fiji, the 95-metre superyacht Madsummer, has been recently delivered to her owner, a repeat client with Lürssen. During her construction period of nearly 2,5 years, the project was supervised by the owner’s captain and brokerage company Moran Yacht & Ship.Featuring a 14-metre beam, the exterior profile of Madsummer comes from a British designer Harrison Eidsgaard maintaining sleek and elegant lines within impressive volumes, complemented by interior design for 20 guests across 10 suites by Laura Sessa.Photo: Carl GrollThe vessel's main trademarks are the 12-metre swimming pool and Jacuzzi laid on the aft deck and protected with glass bulwarks. Spacious beach club and spa zone with a sea terrace on the lower deck also belong on the list of Madsummer’s special features. The bow is equipped with a helipad, while the sun deck aft features hidden crane in the bulwark, aimed to handle an aeroboat.The superyacht is available for charter in the Mediterranean in summer period and in Caribbean/Bahamas in winter.#4. KismetBuilder: Lurssen (2014)LOA: 95.2 mCharter price: from € 1,200,000 p/w95-metre superyacht Kismet was built in 2014 by Lurssen and is owned by Shadid Khan, Pakistani-American billionaire and business tycoon, who is also the owner of the Fulham FC and Jacksonville Jaguars. The yacht's interior has been designed by Reymond Langton Design and her exterior styling is by Espen Oeino. Kismet is stretching over five decks, designed with corporate entertainment and charter in mind, thus suitable for parties of up to 270 guests. As an innovative feature, Kismet boasts video walls, extending up to two decks high, able to show regular television but programmed to display high-definition moving artwork.A large swimming pool and Jacuzzi area, spa zone, movie theatre, an outdoor fireplace and winter garden can be found among the yacht’s luxury amenities.In general, Kismet’s entertainment and design characteristics have been attracting top artists and events. For example, Jay-Z and Beyonce were spotted on-board last year, while Netflix filmed Kismet in a party scene from its biggest production so far, "Six Underground", making Kismet one of the largest superyachts appearing on screen.Kismet is available for charter in the Mediterranean in summer period and in the Caribbean waters in winter.#5. TranquilityBuilder: Oceanco (2014)LOA: 91.5Charter price: from € 1,100,000 p/wBuilt in 2014, Tranquility features exteriors by Oceanco’s in-house design team and interiors by Winch Design. Trademarked with extensive spa area on the lower deck, plunge pools and customised interior, the yacht can accommodate up to 26 guests on-board, along with 28 crew members. First known as Equanimity, the vessel has undergone a notorious chain of events, being seized and then auctioned by the Malaysian government, alleged purchased by her former owner Low Taek Jho on money embezzled from the 1MDB state fund.In 2019, the vessel was finally sold to Malaysia-based hospitality investment holding Genting Group for $126,000,000, receiving a new name and a clean state.Recently, Tranquillity has once again returned into the spotlight with the world’s youngest self-made billionaire Kylie Jenner chartering the superyacht to celebrate her 22nd birthday off the coast of Italy.Tranquility is available for charter in the Mediterranean (Western) in summer period and in the Caribbean waters in winter.#6. Here Comes The SunBuilder: Amels (2016)LOA: 83mCharter price: from € 1,200,000 p/wPhoto by maritimephotoThe largest Amels superyacht to date, Here Comes The Sun became her Russian owner's 4th superyacht named after The Beatles' song. The superyacht features exterior design by Tim Heywood and interior style by Winch Design. Amongst her main features are a 5.5-metre swimming pool aft of the main deck, an extensive 87-square-metre beach club area located right underneath with a sitting area, sauna and gym. Other amenities also include a cinema room and a large Jacuzzi on the sundeck.As for the accommodation, there are 8 guest cabins on board and space for 27 crew. The six-decks yacht comprises 900 square metres of outside deck space and a garage capable of storing four jet skis and two 11m tenders. The superyacht is available for charter in Western Mediterranean in winter and summer periods. Meanwhile, the superyacht generated one of the highest charter revenues during the summer 2017, estimated at €9-9.5 million.#7. Phoenix 2Builder: Lurssen (2010)LOA: 90.02mCharter price: from € 1,000,000 p/wPhoto: @Superyacht_stylesLaunched in 2010 by German shipbuilder Lurssen and last refitted in 2011, the 90-mere Phoenix2 boasts design by Andrew Winch and offers elegant exterior lines, complemented by beautiful interiors and spacious socialising areas throughout. The most notable feature is definitely the giant sculpted phoenix figurehead that sits proudly on the prow of the vessel.Built for the late Polish billionaire, Jan Kulczyk as a replacement for his previous 61-meter Lurssen, Phoenix was delivered by the German shipyard in 2010. Designed by Andrew Winch, Phoenix boasts over 100 metres of steel handrails built specially to follow the shape of the hull.Photo by @sublime.imageryThe owner's stateroom located forward of the yacht is styled like a New York duplex from the 1930s with a private staircase linking the two areas together and leading to a private jacuzzi and owner's deck on the yacht's bow. Other features include a spa pool, Jacuzzi and cinema on the sundeck.#8. SavannahBuilder: Feadship (2015)LOA: 83.5mCharter price: from € 1,000,000 p/wLaunched in January 2015, the 83.5-metre Savannah was built to a design of CG Design in collaboration with Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects. The vessel boasts a one-of-the-kind seafoam green paint job.One of the first examples of a hybrid superyacht, Savannah is powered by extremely quiet electric-diesel engines. At the urging of her owner, the system has been optimized to feature five operation modes from diesel to diesel-electric combinations to fully electric - courtesy of a 30-ton lithium-ion battery bank capable of holding a million watts of electricity.Another innovation onboard the superyacht is the underwater observation room letting charter guests see both over and under the sea. More traditional amenities also include a large swimming pool aft of the main deck, an extensive master suite forward of the upper deck with panoramic windows and a private deck as well as a gym with a sea view, a spa and a hammam.Savannah is available for charter in Western Mediterranean in summer and in Indian Ocean in winter. During the summer period of 2017, she made one of the highest charter revenues of estimated €10-10.5 million.#9. SolandgeBuilder: LurssenLOA: 85.1mCharter price: from € 1,000,000 p/wThe yacht that won the Monaco Yacht Show Award for Best Exterior Design in 2014 features harmonious lines and balanced proportions by Espen Oeino, enhancing a vast selection of outdoor living, dining and entertainments zones.Solandge’ panoramic top deck plays host to a beach club area with customised dance floor, Jacuzzi and a bar while the bridge deck is ideal for relaxation and casual al fresco dining with a spacious seating area. On the bridge deck, there is also a fully-equipped health spa featuring massage room, sauna and gymnasium leading out onto a glass-edged plunge pool.The yacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in 7 staterooms on-board, including a panoramic master deck featuring 180 degree windows, and a private deck with spa pool. The interior designs have been thought-out by Rodriguez Interiors.At the moment of her sale in March 2017, Solandge was asking €155,000,000. She is available for charter in the Mediterranean in winter and summer seasons.#10. AquilaBuilder: Derecktor (2010)LOA: 85.6mCharter price: from € 945,000 p/wFormerly known as Cakewalk, the largest superyacht built on the territory of the USA since the 1930s, was sold to her current owner at an asking price of €119,000,000 at the end of 2014. Consequently, the 85-metre vessel underwent a 12-month refit at Pendennis in the UK and had her name changed to Aquila.The motor yacht can accommodate 14 guests in 7 cabins with an interior design by Dalton Designs and an exterior design by Tim Heywood. She is powered by MTU engines of 3306 hp each giving her a maximum speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots.Aquila's improvement focused mainly on the interior. For instance, the owner's stateroom was entirely remodelled, a 60 square metre private deck was added, while the Jacuzzi was repositioned to the forward sun deck.

Italian yacht builder Benetti has announced the sale of the first 40-metre superyacht Oasis BO101 to a former world champion and offshore powerboat racer Tim Ciasulli from the USA, represented by Merle Wood & Associates.The yacht with a fibreglass hull and superstructure and a gross tonnage of 385 tonnes, is already being outfitted at the Livorno facility, planned for completion in summer 2020. The assembly has already been completed of the hull and superstructure, with outfitting began on July 26.BO101 is going to be the first Oasis 40M, a 40.80-metre yacht with a maximum beam of 8.5 metres, a draft of 2.14 metres and a gross tonnage of 385 tonnes. Oasis 40M is a fruit of collaboration between Benetti and UK-based design studio RWD, working in liaison with Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture, a New York-based firm commissioned to design the interiors. Tim Ciasulli, who himself holds 4 World Speed Records, expressed:I’ve been going fast my whole life. So when it came time to build a yacht, I wanted to collaborate with a shipyard that shared the same core values that my wife and I believe in: integrity, passion and accountability! <…> We expeditiously negotiated a great deal, and in just two meetings, nailed down the equipment, interior decor and colours…just the way we wanted!On-board Oasis 40M, the owner and his guests will enjoy wide, welcoming spaces characterised by a design that is both smart and sophisticated. The high ceilings, the special arrangement of the indoor and outdoor spaces, and the extensive glazed surfaces all contribute to this yacht’s spectacular appearance, while the unusual layout features lateral stern platforms that can be open out with great ease to facilitate access to the sea and an extended beach area, complete with an infinity pool practically at water level.The designers strived to eliminate the barriers between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a unique setting akin to a loft on the water. Enrico Bonetti, architect and partner of Dominic Kozerski with Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture explains:On this yacht, we wanted the settings to have an unprecedented fluidity, which is why identical materials and colours are used for both the interiors and exteriors, giving a sense of apparent informality to what is in fact an extremely elegant and sophisticated yacht.The sale marks another success for Benetti in the Americas where, after the recent sales of FB278 67-metre custom build 'Project Fenestra', multiple award-winning 69-metre 'Spectre' and 49-metre custom yacht 'Eladrea+', the brand continues to forge ahead.Noteworthy, while the first Oasis 40M’s fiberglass hull arrived for the start of outfitting operations at Benetti’s Livorno shipyard on July 26, the owner of Giga yacht FB275, who is according to media sources an Australian billionaire and casino mogul James Packer, set sail on his 108-metre gigayacht in a perfectly synchronised handover.

The world's largest superyacht's construction is going under a tight schedule at the VARD shipyard in Tulcea, Romania. The 181-metre explorer REV will hit the water in Tulcea on August 22 for the first time, then within approximately 30 days being towed to the Brattvåg shipyard on the west coast of Norway for more construction work.REV has been commissioned by Norwegian ocean research company Rosellinis Four-10, owned by Norwegian industrialist billionaire Kjell Inge Roekke. His real-time net worth is estimated at $3.2 billion (Forbes).Built for environmental research missions in partnership with WWF Norway, the Research Expedition Vessel (REV) will also be available for charter for recreational purposes and expeditions. She will be able to accommodate up to 60 scientists and 30 crew during research expeditions once finished.REV is cincidered a significant project for all Norwegians, as Norway is one of a world-leading maritime nations and has the opportunitiy of taking on a global leadership role for exploring and taking care of the ocean. The Prime Minister of Norway supports the vision that ‘oceans are under pressure due to climate change, overfishing and waste pollution. To ensure the future growth of the ocean economy, we need to harvest resources in a sustainable way’.Designed to operate in remote and vulnerable waters for long periods without additional external support, the ship will be equipped for research and investigation of the entire marine ecosystem. The superyacht disposes of a range of equipment designed to explore, document and collect. She will also qualify for the Polar Code adopted by The International Maritime Organisation for ships operating in Arctic and Antarctic conditions and can operate autonomously for 114 days. Thought-out by acclaimed desiner Espen Eino, REV is tailored for research and expedition activities. Her robust exterior lines and modern features ensure she is able to cruise in arctic and tropical areas alike, with a hull built to ICE PC6 for navigation in ice. Two helipads can host drones and helicopter, while overhead cranes can lift and launch equipment weighing up to 20T over the side. Her drop keels enable echo sounders and sonars to be placed in undisturbed water below the hull for research of the world’s ecosystems, and built into her stern is a trawl hangar and pelagic trawling system.Built to the highest standards for both expeditions and recreational purposes the ship includes such features as a hospital with a medic cabin, High-tech equipment to monitor and survey marine areas, currents, the seabed, fish and plant life, while cutting-edge laboratory facilities enable on board analysis. There will be an auditorium for lectures, and the capacity for live streaming, also a Moonpool, an eco-harvesting system for live catch and release of biomass and pelagic samples, and an underwater hydrophone system for listening to ocean mammals.The giant vessel is scheduled for delivery in early 2021, aimed to surpass the current largest superyacht in the world in terms of LOA, the 180.6-metre Azzam. The official website reports, that REV is completed to 42.5 percent at the moment.

OceanX, ocean exploration initiative founded by billionaire philanthropist Ray Dalio, has launched a vote for the name of their newest explorer superyacht, the 85.3-metre Alucia 2. The explorer previously known as Volstad Surveyor and built in 2010 by Freire Shipyard is currently being rebuilt in Rotterdam. The superyacht will operate as a marine research vessel platform and continue the revolutionary work currently being done by Alucia, her older and smaller predecessor. Equipped with two manned subs that can take researchers 1,000 metres deep, a fleet of support ships, an on-board helicopter, and fully equipped science labs, Alucia can bring back fantastic discoveries.Meanwhile, Alucia2 has been commissioned by Ray Dalio who together with OceanX aims to further explore the secrets of the ocean together with director James Cameron and BBC’s Blue Planet. The design concept was created by Gresham Yacht Design.Steve Gresham, founder and principal designer at Gresham Yacht Design, said earlier:We are thrilled to be a part of such an exciting and unique project. These types of projects are rare to come by and we are honoured to have been commissioned by the owner to deliver a design that is extremely functional and robust, it is a true explorer vessel.Built by Freire as a deep-sea survey vessel in 2010, Alucia2 is undergoing transformation into a high-tech scientific research vessel, with significant improvements made to enable the OceanX team explore further than ever before.To take on global expeditions, Alucia2 will be fitted with state-of-the-art marine research labs, cutting-edge media equipment, manned and autonomous deep-sea submersibles, helicopters and drones.OceanX will use Alucia2 as a next generation platform to discover 70 per cent of the planet that remains mostly unexplored and share this secret world through carefully executed media centre developed in consultation with filmmaker and ocean explorer James Cameron.The vessel features a 40-ton A-frame at the stern designed specifically to deploy the two submersibles that can dive to depths beyond 3,000 feet for up to eight hours. Underwater discoveries will be analysed in the state-of-the-art dry and wet labs on board, while Alucia 2’s media studio will be able to document and broadcast the ground-breaking discoveries in ultra high-definition around the world.James Cameron stated:With OceanX and Alucia2, we will reignite global passion for and curiosity about the ocean in our global, digitally-connected age.Once delivered, Alucia2 will replace the 55.7-metre Alucia, which is currently for sale through Fraser for $19,750,000. In the meantime, American residents are invited to select from a list of six names and vote for the explorer’s name. The list comprises the names Oceanus, Neptune, OceanXplorer, Audacious etc.The vote is set to be a part of promotional campaign ahead of the release of a new six-part ocean documentary series. The series will premiere in the USA on September 2, bringing together an all-star team including National Geographic, BBC Studios and James Cameron along with Dalio Philanthropies’ OceanX. y begun a major refit with a delivery expected in early 2019. Once delivered, it will replace the owner’s existing vessel 55.7-metre Alucia, which is currently for sale through Fraser for $19,750,000 and owned by Ray Dalio.