Most of us are on a tight budget when we buy a boat and it’s a case of what do we actually need and how much we can afford. Compromise is the order of the day.
In the world of the billionaires, however, it’s a different story; more to do with how to outdo their peers with bigger and faster boats, but also furnishing them with original paintings and throne rooms and equipping them with a multitude of toys for air, sea and underwater fun and even integrated weapons systems.
Here are five of the most outrageously priced powerboats around today.
5 “Dubai” – £225 million
This 531 feet (162 metres) superyacht, launched in 2006 and is owned by Prime Minister of the UAE. (David Cameron – eat your heart out!) She can accommodate 24 guests in 12 suites, all having private balconies and panoramic sea views. She boasts seven decks, a huge central atrium over 70 feet wide and comes with a range of luxury features including swimming pool and jacuzzis, cinema, helipad, gym, diso, barbecue deck, two 10m long tenders and a submarine. Another exceptional feature is the dramatic circular staircase with glass steps that change colour. She has a top speed of 26 knots and can cruise an impressive 8,500 miles at 25 knots.
4 “Eclipse” - £300 million
In 2010 she became the biggest superyacht in the world at 534 feet (163 metres) and is owned and designed by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich to outdo Dubai by 3 feet. Winning the coveted title of “Motor Yacht of the Year, at the World Superyacht Awards in 2011, she boasts a 180 foot owner’s deck and berths for up to 92 crew. Her features include a 50 foot swimming pool with a base which can be raised to form a dance floor, three helicopters and an anti-missile defence system. She is also said to have an anti paparazzi system; a laser which can detect the electronic light sensors used by digital cameras. The camera is then targeted with a beam of bright light that overexposes the photo. (Clever!)
3 “Azzam” - £390 million
At a whopping 590 feet (180 metres) in length, Azzam is currently the largest superyacht in the world and is owned by the President of the UAE. Not much is known about the yacht except that she was built by Lurssen, with exterior styling from Nauta Yacht Design and a French style interior from Christophe Leoni. She is propelled using 2 fixed and 2 directional water jets and can reach speeds of 32 knots. She breaks new ground in terms of her technology, dimensions and performance. In spite of her size she can reach top speeds of over 30 knots.
2 “Topaz” - £400 million
Who says bigger is better? At 483 feet (147 metres) Topaz is an incredible 50 feet shorter than Abramovich’s Eclipse. Built by Lurssen, she was launched in 2012 – a 12,000-tonne vessel designed by British designer Tim Heywood and thought to have been commissioned by the Saudi Royal family. Details about her are scarce but she has a steel hull, aluminium superstructure and a 70 foot beam. There are two Pielstick diesel engines, each with a power of 7990 hp, enabling the vessel to reach a top speed of 25.5 knots and cruising speed of 22.9 knots.
1 “Triple Deuce” - £640 million
She is not yet completed, but at an enormous 728 feet (222 metres) in length she is due to become the biggest and most expensive private superyacht in history. She is expected to carry up to 36 guests and 100 crew. With that sort of ratio they should be well looked after! She will have triple gas turbine engines generating more than 100,000hp and should achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots. The massive owner’s suite will comprise 3,000 square feet over 2 decks, with access up to the helipad and down to the drive-in-dock. As well as all the water toys that the yacht can carry, there will also be two swimming pools, multiple jacuzzis and spa facilities galore. The identity of the owner is not known at the moment but his aim is certainly to totally eclipse the rest of the billionaire yachting fraternity and make it unlikely that anyone will ever commission a yacht longer than this. Or will they? Triple Deuce’s projected launch date is spring 2018.