Octopus is the most recently built yacht of Paul Allen, one of the founders of Microsoft, who also owns the 92.38m Tatoosh and the 60.6m Méduse.

Octopus features a helicopter pad and garage aft and can also accept a second helicopter on the bows. A novel facility of her design is her internal dock, which, opening from her transom, runs forward through the yacht, allowing a 20m submarine and a tender of similar size to float into their storage positions. Once secured, the water is pumped out, leaving them resting on chocks.

The yacht has a permanent berth in the International Yacht Club Marina in Antibes, where her owner acquired the largest dock by buying the 55.78m superyacht Hanse together with its berth – he kept the berth and immediately sold Hanse, which has now been renamed Insignia.

• Builder / naval architecture: Lürssen
• Exterior styling: Espen Oeino
• Interior design: Jonathan Quinn Barnett / Sam Sorgiovanni

Luna was built for Roman Abramovich as an upgraded replacement for his former exploration yacht Le Grand Bleu, always a favourite among his many yachts. Luna, ice classed and built to the highest possible standards, features six decks and a rapid launching and recovery tender system on her stern, similar to that found aboard the 57m Senses, but for a significantly larger tender.

Diesel-electric powered, she has two helipads, one forward and one aft, and the ability to stow a helicopter below decks for transit. Her tenders are stored in two garages in the stern that open through shell doors on each side of the hull. She was delivered in June 2010.

• Builder: Lloyd Werft / Stahlbau Nord
• Naval architecture: Blue Ocean Yacht Management
• Exterior styling: Newcruise - Yacht Projects & Design
• Interior design: Donald Starkey

Le Grand Bleu was built for US telecommunications baron John McCaw and was subsequently sold to the Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, who had it refitted to his own preferences, including the addition of a 16ft swim platform at the stern. According to Internet sources, Abramovich passed Le Grand Bleu to his friend and business associate Eugene Shvidler in June 2006.

The yacht has a crew of 65 and carries a veritable arsenal of tenders and watertoys, both on her aft decks and in her extensive below-deck garage, where there is a large aquarium. Her watercraft include a 22m Dubois-designed sailing yacht, Bellatrix; a 21m Guy Couach motor yacht; two 11m, 60-knot Buzzi sports boats; and a landing craft to carry a 4x4 Land Rover used for excursions ashore.

• Builder: Bremer Vulkan
• Naval architecture / exterior styling: Kusch Yachts
• Interior design: Di Pilla

The owner’s brief was to maximise fuel efficiency and reliability and obtain the minimum noise and vibration. This was achieved using two 2,500kW ABB Azipod units powered by up to eight Deutz generating sets that also provide household power. Launched as Air, she reached a maximum of 18.67 knots and proved to be extremely quiet and free from vibration.

Following delivery, she was sold to Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian industrialist and Duma Deputy, who renamed her Ice. The modern interior by Terence Disdale Design offers a Zen-like atmosphere and makes use of a limited palette of materials to create a style that is unique among Disdale’s work.

Accommodation includes a master suite, two VIP cabins and four guest cabins, all with huge bathrooms fitted with baths carved from limestone blocks. Ice was acclaimed Superyacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards in 2006 and featured in volume 20 of The Superyachts book.

• Builder / naval architecture: Lürssen
• Exterior styling: Tim Heywood
• Interior design: Terence Disdale
• Former names: Air

Arctic P was built in 1969 in Bremerhaven, Germany, as an ice-classed, oceangoing tug for the Bugsier Towing & Salvage Company. Her length of 87.58m made her Germany’s largest tug. She was converted into a yacht for the late media baron and casino owner Kerry Packer, formerly Australia’s richest man, at the Malta Drydock Company in 1995 under the project management of the late Claus Kusch, who was also responsible for the conversion of the smaller tug Simson S (now Lone Ranger). The yacht remains in the ownership of Packer’s family. This world-roaming vessel can often be seen in Sydney and is also a regular visitor to the Mediterranean.

• Builder: Schichau-Unterweser (1969) / Malta Drydock Company (1995)
• Naval architecture: Kusch Yachts
• Exterior styling: Lothar Schimpf
• Interior design: Pauline Nunns
• Former names: Arctic

The 85 metre Pacific, formerly known as Project Josi, launched in Fall 2010 from the Lürssen shipyard in Vegesack. The unusual exterior styling of the yacht comes from the drawing board of the Argentinean naval architect German Frers, while the interior of Pacific was created by Bannenberg & Rowell Design of London.

• Builder / naval architecture: Lürssen
• Exterior styling: German Frers
• Interior design: Bannenberg & Rowell

Built in 1963 as the Canadian Coastguard ice class vessel Narwhal, this yacht was put up for sale by closed bid by the Canadian authorities in 2002, complete with a huge inventory of spares. There were only two bidders – the Russian government and Arnie Gemino, a Floridian with business interests in the aviation industry. To his surprise, Gemino won the auction, and his company, Tradepower International, managed the conversion of the vessel into a SOLAS-approved 36-passenger charter yacht with a flamboyant buccaneering theme, for which her new name of Bart Roberts – a notorious pirate – is eminently suitable. She is featured in Volume 16 of The Superyachts.

• Builder: Canadian Vickers (1963) / Tradepower International (2002)
• Naval architecture: Lennart Edstrom (refit)
• Interior design: Tradepower International / K Bamford (refit)
• Former names: Narwhal

Known under its build name of Project Scout, this yacht was delivered to the owner of the former Northern Star, now renamed Polar Star. Very similar in style to his previous yacht, she also features an ice-class hull and is designed for robust and permanent use in the northern hemisphere.

Her country-house style interior, again by Pauline Nunns, is also similar and once again positions the owner’s suite on the upper deck. The galley is located on the lower deck, freeing up main deck space for the use of guests. Features include huge outdoor spaces and two
fireplaces, one on the main deck and one on the owner’s deck. The yacht is featured in volume 24 of The Superyachts.

• Builder / naval architecture: Lürssen
• Exterior styling: Espen Øino
• Interior design: Pauline Nunns

Built in Holland for the Soviet Union merchant marine, Giant I, a Class 1 icebreaker, served the Russians for 26 years as an oceangoing salvage tug and electronic eavesdropping vessel. In the post-Soviet era the vessel was employed as a ‘nanny ship’ for a Russian fishing fleet but, putting into an American port following mechanical breakdown, she was abandoned by her Russian owners and sold at auction by the American authorities.

Subsequently, she was bought and converted into a yacht by René Herzog, who offered her for charter, but she has recently been withdrawn from this market. She boasts sumptuous guestrooms and luxurious, art-filled accommodation for up to 24 guests in 12 cabins. Other facilities include a cinema, sauna, gymnasium, spa, a hospital, and two 40ft sport fishing boats as well as the usual range of smaller tenders. Powered by twin 3,400hp diesels, Giant I has a cruising speed of 14.3 knots, at which she has a range in excess of 14,300nm. She is manned by 30 crew.

• Builder: EMC Holland (1974) / Giant (2003)
• Naval architecture: EMC Holland
• Interior design: John Misiag

Skat, owned by Charles Simonyi, who was responsible for Microsoft’s Excel program, is unique both in its stern exterior appearance and interior decoration. From the outside she has the grey paint scheme and angular features associated with a naval vessel, blending these with large areas of glass in the aft parts of the superstructure, which create amazing panoramas from the interior.

Designed by Marco Zanini, the interior decoration is minimalist, with ultra-clean lines and an economic use of colour. With the whole of the lower deck devoted to crew, machinery and services, the owner’s suite and the three guest staterooms are located on the main deck, together with the saloon and dining saloon.

• Builder / naval architecture: Lürssen
• Exterior styling: Espen Øino
• Interior design: Marco Zanini