gigayacht

Dubai Ruler Refits Yacht to Beat Abramovich's Eclipse

Just as we predicted in our latest story (dated Aug. 23) on Roman Abramovich's gigayacht Eclipse (above), it won't be the world's largest privately owned yacht for very much longer. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum is reportedly having his own floating palace, the Dubai, refitted to literally eclipse the Eclipse. As we noted in our previous story, at 531.5 ft. the Dubai is already only 18 inches shorter than the actual length of the Eclipse, which yachting experts Camper & Nicholsons finally pegged at 533 ft. Now the London Sunday Times reports that Sheikh Mohammed is planning to have the Dubai extended by at least two feet, and possibly as much as eight feet, easily beating the Eclipse to recapture the World's Largest title. The UAE's Platinum Yachts, which built the Dubai, is considering updates that could include a black box radar to be mounted jutting forward from under the prow. [continued]

Source

Tags: Dubai, Eclipse, gigayacht, megayacht, Platinum Yachts, Roman Abramovich, russian billionaire, sheikh, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, superyacht, UAE, worlds largest, yacht

Continue reading “Dubai Ruler Refits Yacht to Beat Abramovich's Eclipse”

Ship of Fools: Abramovich's Billion-Dollar Yacht Beset by Problems

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Roman Abramovich's new 557-ft. Eclipse (above), the world's largest and most expensive privately owned yacht, is awash in a sea of snafus leaving the oligarch steaming mad, the London Daily Mail reports. Abramovich has yet to take delivery of the jaw-dropping ship, which is said to have cost up to $1 billion and features a military-grade missile defense system, armor plating, bullet-proof windows, three helipads, two swimming pools and a wellness center. He is reportedly feuding with the boatyard, Germany's Blohm + Voss, over allegedly defective finishes and fittings.

The paper reports that the problems are said to include a giant mirror on one of the nine decks being smashed during tests in the North Sea; vibrations from the electro-diesel engines rattling the billionaire's bespoke crystal glassware; a dispute over demands by Abramovich that exotic animal and reptile skins used on chairs and to line the walls of a massage room be ethically sourced; an argument over who should pay for shifting the location of one of the helipads; difficulties with the French-made navigation system; and flaking paint on some of the decks. Neither Blohm + Voss nor Abramovich would comment for the Daily Mail's story.

Source

Tags: Blohm + Voss, Eclipse, gigayacht, megayacht, Roman Abramovich, Russia, Russian billionaires, superyacht, yacht

German Newspaper Scores Sneak Peek Inside Abramovich's Eclipse

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

German newspaper Bild has scored an exclusive sneak peak inside Roman Abramovich's new 557-ft. Eclipse (above), the world's largest and most expensive privately owned yacht which was recently completed by Hamburg shipyard Blohm + Voss at a cost estimated to be near $1 billion. The gigayacht boasts every luxury finish imaginable in its nearly 20,000-sq-.ft. interior, including a master suite upholstered in shagreen (stingray skin) on the topmost sixth deck with a retractable moon roof. On Deck 4 there are two VIP suites and eight guest cabins, while accommodations for the 80 crew members needed to man the massive vessel are located in the bow. The décor however is fairly understated with earth tones predominating, we note. One of the three helicopter landing pads disappears under the deck with the push of a button, and the yacht also features the world's largest onboard swimming pool which converts into a dancefloor, in addition to a wellness center including a fitness studio, hairdresser, massage parlor, sauna, steambath and whirlpool. Bild notes the Eclipse will cost about $100,000 per day, or $36.5 million per year, to operate. Check out some exclusive interior images here.

Tags: Blohm + Voss, Eclipse, Germany, gigayacht, helicopter, megayacht, oligarch, Roman Abramovich, Russia, Russian billionaires, shagreen, swimming pool, yacht

Abramovich's Gigayacht Eclipse Sets Sail

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

When we last checked in on the progress of Roman Abramovich's new 557-ft. Eclipse (above), the world's largest and most expensive privately owned yacht, the Russian oligarch had installed a high-tech anti-photo shield designed to keep the paparazzi at bay. After numerous delays and costs spiraling to an estimated $1 billion, it seems as if the gigayacht is now finally ready to be delivered. The Huffington Post found some pix of the massive vessel leaving the dock of the Blohm +Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, the other day, a sight to behold (apparently the photo shield isn't working yet). In addition to the paparazzi spoiler, the Eclipse features a military-grade missile defense system, armor plating and bullet-proof windows. It also has three helipads, two swimming pools – the larger of which converts into a dance floor when drained – six foot home cinema screens in every guest cabin, and a master suite where the roof opens to allow Abramovich and his girlfriend Dasha Zhukova to sleep under the stars.

Gallery: The Eclipse Sets Sail

Tags: Blohm + Voss, Blohm Voss, Dasha Zhukova, Germany, gigayacht, megayacht, Roman Abramovic, Russia, Russian billionaire, Russian oligarch, superyacht, yacht

Emocean Design for World's Largest Yacht to Beat Abramovich

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Roman Abramovich's recently launched Eclipse is currently the world's largest private yacht at a whopping 557 ft. His oceanic supremacy may be short lived however, as Belgium-based Emocean Yacht Design has just unveiled plans for a 656-ft. gigayacht (above) which would put the the oligarch's new toy to shame. Like Emocean's 541-ft. design for the UK's Devonport Yachts to be featured at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, the 656-footer is a completely bespoke design, with equipment, styling, configuration, and class tailored to the desires and tastes of the client.

The monstrous but attractively styled vessel features a drive-in garage, two 98-foot day boats, helipad and hanger, a 100-ft. swimming pool, nightclub, casino, games room, two-level cinema, three beach clubs, a health spa, and 10 VIP rooms, 22 guest suites and a private owners deck accommodating a total of 45 passengers, along with 70 crew. Even at that size she'll be impressively fast, with a planned maximum speed of 28 knots, a cruising speed of 20 knots and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at cruising speed. No price has been mentioned yet but expect it to clock in at well over $500 million.

[via JamesList]

Tags: Belgium, Emocean, gigayacht, megayacht, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich, superyacht, yacht

Everest Gigayacht Offers to Beat Abramovich by 100 Ft.

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Wealth

Regular Luxist readers have followed the saga of the Eclipse, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's newly launched megayacht which at 557 ft. is the largest private yacht in the world. Now anyone with $500 million to spend can top his triumph by nearly 100 ft. with the 656 ft. Everest designed by Donald Starkey. Rumors about the Everest have been kicking around for a while but it seems the ship, which ushers in a new class of "gigayachts", is actually under construction in Fort Lauderdale and is slated for completion next year, meaning Abramovich has only a few months left to enjoy his naval supremacy. The Everest will be longer than two football fields and have five decks serviced by two elevators, a helipad, a submarine and accommodations for 36 passengers in 17 apartments, including an owner's private penthouse suite on the top deck.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Donald Starkey, DonaldStarkey, Eclipse, Everest, Fort Lauderdale, FortLauderdale, gigayacht, megayacht, Roman Abramovich, RomanAbramovich, superyacht, yacht

Update on the eBay Yacht: Is It Abramovich? Is It A Fraud?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Auctions

Last night we mentioned the eBay auction of a huge yacht. The sale of the 405-foot yacht has people speculating that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich might be the buyer of the as-yet-unbuilt yacht which was, at $168 million (with an $85 million downpayment), the most expensive eBay auction ever. From Moscow News to Forbes, speculation is swirling about whether the auction is a real deal or not. Last time I checked, the yacht was still up for auction on eBay and is still listed on the 4Yacht website. BYM News spoke with Craig Timm of 4Yacht and found out that the auction had indeed not resulted in a firm sale and that the yacht is still up for bid. No comment though on whether Roman Abramovich is actually among those interested in buying.

Source

Tags: abramovich, auction, ebay, gigayacht, megayacht, yacht