Standout superyacht helicopter decks

Bold carries a certified helideck with a D value of 13 making it suitable for a craft such as the 3.2-tonne, twin-engine, eight-seat AgustaWestland AW109S Grand. Equipped with proper lighting and fire-safety gear, it is far from any structure that can create turbulence and features opening bulwarks to expand the deck width. While there is plenty of room to stow the craft on deck, the ocean environment is notoriously detrimental to delicate electronics, and big waves or wind can tip even a large heli over. So Bold transports its helicopter over long passages in a garage with a ceiling that adjusts in height to accommodate the craft with its rotors removed.

A defining feature of Geco's exterior design is the touch-and-go helipad on the foredeck. The minimalist platform complements the modern and slender profile of the 55 metre superyacht, and when not hosting a chopper, this round platform is instead transformed into a Moroccan-style cocktail area best enjoyed at sunset. After dark, the helipad also works as the perfect spot for stargazing.

Designed in a military-inspired style by Espen Øino, the helideck area on 71 metre Lürssen Skat was the first to be penned by the designer for a superyacht. Located on the aft deck, the helipad has a dual purpose as a landing site for choppers and also providing shade to the deck space below.

Lürssen superyacht Ace features a foredeck helipad marked that bucks tradition by replacing the usual "H" sign with a giant "A" to represent her name. But this distinctive helideck is not actually the main landing site for arrivals from the air. Instead, landings would usually take place on support vessel Garçon, leaving the forward end of Ace, which features a swimming pool and sunbeds free for fun. 

Once an oil survey vessel, the 87 metre OceanXplorer completed a refit by Damen in 2020 that turned her into the ultimate expedition yacht complete with high-tech toys, scientific research labs and Hollywood-standard editing facilities. This includes the addition of new helipad at the bow, which has been shifted three frames (1.8 metres) further forward, in order to create enough room for a proper hangar behind it which has been finished with a futuristic top-hinged door.

Ragnar is one of the coolest conversion projects to splash in recent years. Having started life as an icebreaking tug, even the harshest environments are a walk in the park for this Viking-inspired explorer. Unsurprisingly, Ragnar is jam-packed with some serious tools for exploring ashore, including an Airbus EC145 which sits atop a certified helideck, perfect for whisking thrill-seeking guests off for an afternoon of heli-skiing.

Octopus is perhaps one of the best known explorers on the water. The 126 metre Lürssen hit the water in 2003, commissioned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and was designed for far-flung global adventures. She has two helipads on board, one fore and one aft, with a hangar that can store two aircraft. Since her delivery, Octopus has explored the coast of Antarctica, traversed the Northwest Passage and discovered the wrecks of long-lost WW2 battleships off the Philippines.

The foredeck on the 95.2 metre Lürssen superyacht Kismet is marked for half-court basketball, but it can also double up as a touch-and-go helipad. Her sport-loving owner Shahid Khan has sports interests on both sides of the Atlantic, owning both the Jacksonville Jaguars basketball team and Fulham FC.

Espen Øino designed the 72.25 metre Abeking & Rasmussen explorer yacht Cloudbreak with a cinema lounge right next to the helipad, so returning heli-skiers could step straight inside from the Bell 429 Global Ranger and watch GoPro footage of their day’s performance on the slopes.

The bottom of the pool on the legendary 81.27 metre Oceanco superyacht Alfa Nero rises up to deck level to become a helideck. It’s a clever use of space and the teak “H” design looks smart whether up or down.