They took styling cues from bug-eyed Parisian buses, levied terrifying bets on contract speeds, tested the limits of structural glass, plated staircases in silver and redefined the explorer yacht. The last four decades in superyachting have offered a frenzy of innovation, passion and ingenious solutions. Marilyn Mower leads us through 40 of the most significant superyachts from the past 40 years...
Margaux Rose (now The Mercy Boys)
Builder Schweers | Length 49.6m (46m originally) | Year: 1986
This incubator of the expedition yacht craze was built for Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli. Daring and versatile exterior designer Gerhard Gilgenast chose the cab-aft style of a commercial ship for her lines, which allowed Agnelli to delight guests with hot air balloon launches from the raised fo’c’s’le. John Munford’s interior and de rigueur disco were refreshed by H2 in 2008.
In her wake: Cupani, Andiamo, Pangaea, Big Roi
Stefaren (now Maridome)
Builder Brooke Marine | Length 54m | Year 1989
In 1986 and riding high, wily New York investor Bennett LeBow ordered a yacht designed by Jon Bannenberg. While the boat was pretty flashy – the atrium staircase leading to the upper deck with flashing slot machines comes to mind – it had naval architecture by Diana Yacht Design and was noted for its hull being eight per cent more efficient than similar vessels due to its bulbous bow. Australian Solomon Lew purchased the yacht in 2006 and had her refitted at Nobiskrug with a Donald Starkey interior.
Octopussy
Builder Heesen | Length 43.6m | Year 1988
Hitting 53.17 knots with three MTUs and Kamewa waterjets, Octopussy was the fastest yacht in the world when delivered. Owner John Staluppi famously said he knew he couldn’t have the biggest yacht in the world so he wanted the quickest. Naval architect Frank Mulder drew up the hull and tank testing looked promising. There was only one builder, he said, who might accept such a challenge – or the penalty clause that Staluppi wouldn’t owe a dime if the boat didn’t go over 48 knots: Heesen. On the boat’s first run, Octopussy hit over 40 knots. Next speed run: 50 knots! But Mulder and Staluppi thought a small stern modification could make her even faster. Heesen hauled the boat and nervously made cuts where directed. Final speed run: 52.1 knots. Heesen was paid.
In her wake: El Corsario, Moonraker, The World is Not Enough
Cedar Sea II
Builder Feadship | Length 65.2m | Year 1986
No list of important yachts is complete without the 65-metre Cedar Sea II, launched in 1986 with an exterior and interior by Jon Bannenberg. She was built for a Lebanese-Canadian jeweller whose company made tiaras for European royals. Builder Dick van Lent recalls: “The owner had initially commissioned a smaller yacht, but when I told him how full the order books were, he said: ‘If I have to wait three years for a 40-metre yacht, I might as well have a 60-metre!’” It was worth the wait, with features including a 30-seat dining room, an underwater observation window set in a well, a medical centre, a computer room, and a swimming pool complete with waterfall and fountain.
Lady Moura
Builder Blohm+Voss | Length 104.9m | Year 1990
She’s the genesis of all beach clubs and the first yacht with an indoor swimming pool – on the top deck no less. Diana Yacht Design and Blohm+Voss don’t get enough credit for this truly ground-breaking yacht that still looks modern at 33 years of age. To sum up the work that went into Lady Moura, just know the Luigi Sturchio interior ran $60 million over budget, and included a crew hospital, a bakery and a beauty salon.
Eco (now Zeus)
Builder Blohm+Voss | Length 74.5m | Year 1991
In the late 1980s, one-percenters were dropping wads of cash on lookalike yachts. But original owner Emilio Azcarraga tapped Martin Francis to draw a fast 50- to 60-metre with “wow factor”. This turned out to be Eco, “with bug-eyed windows inspired by Paris buses of the 1970s”, curved to minimise reflection. Twin diesels drove wing jets for cruising to 20 knots with the Lycoming LM1600 turbine, the largest built to date, dialling up the fun factor to 35 knots. Eco Supporter, a small tanker, enabled “mid-flight” refuelling on crossings – Azcarraga often along for the ride. None of the team of young designers and architects that was assembled to work on Eco had previous yacht experience but many later made their mark in the industry: François Zuretti, Clifford Denn, Espen Øino, Jonny Horsfield, Mark Smith and Dan Lenard all worked on the project at various times.
Katamarino (now Paris)
Builder Amels | Length 56.2m | Year 1991
The largest yacht designed by US naval architect Jack Hargrave, Katamarino introduced the concept of a half-deck separation between the fore and aft portions. Staggered deck heights reduced the length of stairs that Hargrave felt segregated guests and allowed room forward for laundry, refrigeration and storage. The idea spread, helping 50-metre-ish boats live larger.
In her wake: Double Haven, Gallant Lady
Coral Island (now Coral Ocean)
Builder Lürssen | Length 72.6m | Year 1994
Built for a Saudi diving enthusiast, this was the largest yacht from Lürssen at her launch, its first with a wellness spa, and also notable because a Picasso masterpiece, Dora Maar, was stolen from the boat in 1999. Jon Bannenberg’s design was edgy but now seems timeless. The interior, secret until 2017 when Lürssen updated it for charter as Coral Ocean, was an inspired mix of Polynesia and Boho chic. Bannenberg once beat a brand-new custom chest with chains until it had the right patina to fit the decor. The yacht was sold to Aussie Ian Malouf in 2021.
Wallygator II (now Nariida)
Builder Concordia Custom Yachts | Length 32m | Year 1994
The 1991, 25-metre Wallygator, with naval architecture by Luca Brenta, was Luca Bassani’s personal laboratory for testing his thesis that a lightweight, high-performance sailing yacht could be sailed single-handedly. With propulsion, sail handling, anchor operation and daggerboard adjustments all muscled by hydraulics activated by joysticks and push-buttons, Wallygator was a pioneer of power-assisted sailing. Three years later Bassani followed up with the plumb-bow ketch Wallygator II, which included two game changers: diesel/hydraulic propulsion with twin retractable four-blade thrusters – one amidship and one in the bow – that allow the boat to move sideways or power ahead at 12 knots; and a change to the sailplan dumping big overlapping genoas in favour of self-tacking jibs and high-aspect mains. Both of these changes supported Bassani’s belief that sailing should be fast, easy and comfortable. By his third boat, 24-metre Genie of the Lamp, the industry began to follow.
Turquoise (now Double Trouble)
Builder Gunay Construction Company | Length 49.9m | Year 1994
Builder Mehmet Karabeyoglu quickly changed the name of his yard to Turquoise Yacht Construction to take advantage of this boat’s overwhelming success. Built for a US owner, her lines were by Ed Dubois and her interior and exterior design by Donald Starkey. European yards took notice of her modern, light interior and quality construction. In 1997 Karabeyoglu teamed up with the Proteksan yard; their combined output went from strength to strength, and in doing so put Turkey on the map for superyacht construction. In 2015 Mohammed Al Barwani, owner of Oceanco, acquired a majority stake.
In her wake: Mosaique, Turquoise II
Tigre D'or
Builder Amels | Length 49.9m | Year 1997
The first yacht meeting the new commercial LY1 rules was also the first of what became an eight-yacht series brokered by Burgess with Amels, and the precursor for the yard’s Limited Editions. Terence Disdale created the look for the first hull in 1997, which solidified with a 52-metre Tigre d’Or in 1999. From then, six of the boats were built for the same client – Ian McGlinn – to sell. Full-displacement, five-cabin yachts were perfect for private use or charter use and became the basis of the Amels 171. This concept of custom-quality platform boats produced with shortened delivery times has been parlayed into a billion-dollar business by Damen Yachting, with more than 52 Limited Editions vessels delivered.
Sussurro
Builder Feadship | Length 49.5m | Year 1998
Not since Eco had an owner ordered a superyacht that was all about speed, and this one was to take him to a Red Sea dive spot. The owner insisted on a speed clause in the contract, with a severe penalty if the boat failed to achieve the target. Semi-displacement hulls not being in De Voogt’s wheelhouse, speed merchant Don Shead supplied hull lines. Fun facts: Feadship cut its lightweighting teeth on composite superstructures with Sussurro... The inspired beach-house and “found materials” theme by Terence Disdale is a funkier, boys’ weekend version of Pelorus.
In her wake: Detroit Eagle, Ecstasea, Azzam
Limitless
Builder Lürssen | Length 96.3m | Year 1997
The name of Leslie Wexner’s super secret yacht is a play on his company, The Limited. Wexner originally asked Jon Bannenberg for a boat that mimicked the look of Carinthia VI (which launched too early for this list), but larger and more modern, and Tim Heywood was assigned project lead. When Heywood went out on his own, he got Bannenberg’s blessing to take this project with him. Limitless was a pioneering yacht for Lürssen, with her diesel-electric propulsion system a novelty in 1997. While this yacht was starting, Carinthia’s owners asked Heywood to draw Carinthia VII, just a teeny bit longer...
Stella Fiera
Builder Benetti | Length 35m | Year 1998
The first Benetti Classic 115, Stella Fiera was the beginning of Benetti’s composite semi-custom lines. This clever little tri-deck package was a huge commercial success that helped the builder expand and then spin off the Tradition and Vision series. It was the brainchild of serial Benetti owner Ambrous Young, who was for a time an investor in the brand.
Senses
Builder Schweers | Length 59.2m | Year 1999
Jack Setton had already gone around the world on a Feadship and converted an ice-breaking tug, but for his next adventure he asked Martin Francis to come up with a yacht purpose-built for expeditions. Setton compared it to a Hummer, for its ability to go anywhere comfortably, and it went a long way to defining the modern expedition yacht. The boat has a helipad and carries numerous tenders and toys and can sleep 12 guests and 14 crew in a relatively small package. All cabins including the owner’s suite are on the lower deck since Setton thought the upper deck space, which might logically be an owner’s suite, would be better as an observation lounge. The interior is by Philippe Starck and the owner. Senses is now owned by Google co-founder and Alphabet CEO Larry Page.
Tatoosh
Builder Nobiskrug | Length 92.4m | Year 2000
The handsome yacht was built for AT&T entrepreneur Craig McCaw but soon became part of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s fleet. Davits on either side for launching large tenders make her easily identifiable, while the clean lines show Claus Kusch’s influence. The panoramic lounge on the boat deck is superb, has its own private galley and can be incorporated into the owner’s two-deck apartment. At 3,229GT, the boat lives large, has 11 cabins and space for 30 crew.
Skat
Builder Lürssen | Length 70.7m | Year 2002
Skat was one of the earliest yachts to establish Espen Øino as a free thinker. Opionistas called her militaristic, but this bold yacht is all about the windows the owner enjoys at his ultra-contemporary home near Seattle. Inside, the brightly coloured interior by Marco Zanini is a 180-degree flip colour-wise, but minimalist to showcase modern art and provide a workspace when original owner Charles Simonyi assembled his Microsoft team. He sold the boat in 2022 in advance of taking delivery of his new 90-metre Norn.
In her wake: Tanzu’s wood/epoxy series, Atlante, Bold, Mizu, Main, Sherpa, Pacific, Norn
Octopus
Builder Lürssen | Length 126m | Year 2003
If there is ever a zombie apocalypse, this is the yacht you want to be aboard. The self-sufficient ice-class expedition yacht with 12,500nm range has a 36-metre two-level drive-in floodable garage at the stern, an underwater observation lounge, a control room for an ROV, a video editing suite, three galleys, multiple lifts, a medical suite, recording studio (just part of the 53 tonnes of AV and IT equipment), a basketball court and the capability to carry two Sikorsky S-76s. Add multiple bars, a cinema and a library, all in a traditional interior that made designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett’s career, and you can see why owner Paul Allen said Octopus was the place where all of his passions came together.
Pelorus
Builder Lürssen | Length 115m | Year 2003
When the owner of Coral Ocean asked Tim Heywood if his yacht could be lengthened to 85 metres, Heywood brilliantly said no, and drew him a new one much longer. The result, with Disdale interior, knocked everyone’s socks off with opening terraces on various decks, two pools, a diving centre and spa to die for. Pelorus is for sale, asking €185million – more than her cost 20 years ago.
Athena
Builder Royal Huisman | Length 90m | Year 2004
How cool it was that an owner who lives and works at the cutting edge of technology took delivery of a modern classic three-masted gaff schooner. With her clipper bow, long stern overhang and decks worthy of a proper promenade, Athena is a tour de force by Dykstra Naval Architects that reads classic in profile but with all the mod cons. The romantic interior by Pieter Beeldsnijder is just modern enough not to be a classic cliché. Nearly double the length of her owner’s previous yacht from Royal Huisman, the builder had to erect a new construction hall just to fit her.
M5
Builder VT Shipbuilding | Length 77.6m | Year 2004
The world's largest single-masted sailing yacht was built for Joe Vittoria as Mirabella V. For speed and an uncompromised interior, naval architect Ron Holland chose to go sloop, and for access to Palm Beach he devised a massive lifting keel. This magnificent beast can set 3,380 square metres of sail area including the world's largest genoa. Sailing speed exceeds 19 knots.
Rising Sun
Builder Lürssen | Length 138m | Year 2004
Built for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, this statement yacht grew 18 metres during construction, allegedly to make it longer than Paul Allen’s Octopus, a rumour supported by the fact that the project code name was LE120. It was to be Jon Bannenberg’s last yacht and everything imaginable is included in her 8,000 square metres of living space, including a wine cave, double-height cinema and a basketball court. Ellison found Rising Sun a bit big and sold half of it to David Geffen a year later and the rest of it in 2010, just before taking delivery of his more personal size 88-metre Musashi in 2011.
Maltese Falcon
Builder Perini Navi | Length 88m | Year 2006
Maltese Falcon rewrote the book on sailing yachts. Period. Her US owner, the late Tom Perkins, was also an engineer. Working with naval architect Gerard Dykstra, they developed the engineering of the unstayed, rotating DynaRig first proposed in 1967. Appropriating an unused hull at the Turkish yard, he stripped everything above deck level and gave Ken Freivokh a blank canvas for the yacht’s radical styling and interior. Perini Navi was so sceptical of the technology that Perkins hired UK firm Insensys to build the carbon rig that would set 15 square sails at the touch of a button.
Turmoil (now Cupani)
Builder Royal Denship | Length 63.8m | Year 2006
Replacing a 46-metre Palmer Johnson of the same name and style, Turmoil is a top example of the cab-aft style expedition yacht that carries its tenders in a well deck forward. The previous one logged 100,000 nautical miles and this one was built to take US clothing brand Lands’ End founder and former Olympic sailor Gary Comer to the ends of the earth. Turmoil was equipped with a scientific climatology lab and research facilities to investigate the consequences of global warming in the oceans. Sadly, Comer lost his battle with cancer only a few months after taking delivery.
Ambrosia III
Builder Benetti | Length 65m | Year 2006
The third Benetti for Hong Kong businessman Ambrous Young, this is the first yacht to use ABB diesel-electric azimuthing pod drives. Built to cruise the world, it has a surveillance and deterrence sustem for navigating in dangerous waters. Fun fact: Linking the yacht's GPS to a controller for hundreds of fibre optic strands embedded in the ceiling of the upper deck's Stargate Room allows an accurate projection of constellations currently overhead.
Alfa Nero
Builder Oceanco | Length 81.3m | Year 2007
Hats off to Carlo Nuvolari for his concept of a huge open beach club aft around a huge, technically challenging infinity pool. Cleverly, its floor can be raised to a safe depth for toddlers or made flush with the deck to become a helipad. Built for 12 guests and 12 crew, a skeleton crew of six has been minding the store since the yacht was seized from a sanctioned Russian owner in March 2022. The process of Alfa Nero's auction is currently under way, with the buyer rumoured to be Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Eleven other Oceancos from 80 to 91.5 metres were built on this platform: AALTO, Vibrant Curiosity, Sunrays, Amore Vero, Man of Steel, Barbara, Nirvana, Cloud 9, DAR, DreAMBoat and Tranquility.
Deniki
Builder Amels | Length 52.3m | Year 2007
In the mid-2000s Amels hired Tim Heywood to design a large yacht that could be built in series and started on spec. A 52-metre named Deniki became the cornerstone of the Limited Editions semi-custom programme when she went to the slipway in 2007. Heywood has created seven models in the Limited Editions series totalling 46 boats to date but none so successful as the 52s which morphed to 55 metres and were actually called the Amels 180. Twenty-five were built before the design was retired with Galene in 2020 and replaced with the Espen Øino-designed Amels 60 in 2022.
Motor Yacht A
Builder Blohm+Voss | Length 119m | Year 2008
In the past 15 years, the appearance of Motor Yacht A has grown on a lot of people. It is strange but purposeful. Owner Andrey Melnichenko’s brief was just length and six cabins (there are actually seven). French designer Philippe Starck dreamed up the boat in short order and it took Melnichenko just 15 minutes to say “yes”, grab the model and leave. Fun fact: Martin Francis had also proposed a design for Melnichenko; the Russian picked Starck’s plan, but kept Francis to make it work. The hull shape is extremely efficient and very dry, thanks in part to the gorgeous chine.
In her wake: Predator, Excellence, Forever One
Ethereal
Builder Royal Huisman | Length 58m | Year 2009
Bruce Katz’s 44-metre Juliet (1993) and Al Gore’s admonitions to go greener were Ethereal’s antecedents. Employing Ron Holland and Pieter Beeldsnijder for lines and decor of their new yacht, software gamechanger Bill Joy and his documentary filmmaker wife, Shannon, set out to challenge the status quo and reduce the yacht’s carbon footprint. A three-day marathon meeting of experts, academics and suppliers subjected every element of the yacht’s design and operation to scrutiny. Energy expert Amory Lovins calls this “abundance by design” – reduce demand for energy and resources and then right-size the supply.
Silver Cloud (now Nurja)
Builder Abeking & Rasmussen | Length 40.5m | Year 2008
She’s the only one. This long-range yacht is a SWATH (small-waterplane-area twin hull) design. Most of the displacement is carried by big tubes located below water level, negating wave action and keeping living areas well above the water. Gyro-controlled horizontal fin stabilisers smooth out what pitching remains. Locating all the machinery in these tubes also greatly reduces noise and vibration. The 17.8-metre beam makes the flow of the interior superb with all guest cabins, living, dining and crew quarters on the main deck.
Palladium (now AV)
Builder Blohm+Voss | Length 95m | Year: 2010
The owner worked with Michael Leach Design to create an interior on this 95-metre that is masculine and somewhat moody, and an exterior that is a fantasy of line and shadow. Incredible sculptural furniture by the British maker Based Upon seemed to grow out of the floor. Instead of a beach club, there is a watersports staging zone aft with the spa tucked between the saloon and guest suites. Serial yacht owner Dennis Washington added the yacht to his fleet in 2022, shortening the Attessa handle to just A for his fifth superyacht.
In her wake: Anna, Lady S
Eclipse
Builder Blohm+Voss | Length 162.5m | Year 2010
Eclipse is Terry Disdale's magnum opus. Designing both the interiors and exterior brought him the freedom to approach Eclipse from how it needed to work. Design-wise, it's the intersection of function, artistry and proportion. The owner's requirement was multiple helicopter capability, Disdale's requisite was making it look balanced with helicopters on deck fore and aft. For three years it was the world's longest yacht. The statistics are staggering; 13,564GT, 6,000nm range, 66 crew, 56-metre-long owner's deck, 39,700-horsepower diesel-electric propulsion, 21.5-knot top speed, 18 guest suites, 16-metre pool-cum-dance floor - the largest at the time - nine decks, two SOLAS lifeboats and a mini-sub.
Exuma (now Falco Moscata)
Builder Perini Navi | Length 49.5m | Year 2010
Exuma introduced the Vitruvius motor yacht concept by Philippe Briand and Veerle Battiau. Their slim and sleek designs aim to create the most efficient and balanced yachts possible, consuming 20 to 30 per cent less fuel and reducing their carbon footprints. Surprise; this deliciously sleek thing is an expedition yacht, which it proved by taking its original owner to the far corners of the globe. From the full beam owner’s suite to the gym and spa pool, nothing is missing except a sundeck, but there is a large teak-clad foredeck for use at anchor.
In her wake: Galileo G, Grace E (now Nautilus), Najiba
Serene
Builder Fincantieri | Length 133.9m | Year 2011
The first superyacht from an Italian cruise ship builder, this SOLAS-classed yacht’s volume is a staggering 8,231GT. Unique amenities among seven decks include multiple fireplaces, a spa with a snow room, a Nemo room with underwater viewing ports, two helipads and a helihanger, and stowage for a mini-sub. Her diesel-electric power plant is fuelled by eight MTUs. Espen Øino’s well-proportioned exterior is elevated by Reymond Langton’s imaginative and luxurious use of space and decor. Originally built for Russian vodka mogul Yuri Shefler, she was sold in 2014.
Venus
Builder Feadship | Length 78.2m | Year 2012
People might not have paid attention to the first superyacht with a vertical bow, except that it was designed by Philippe Starck and built for Steve Jobs. But it’s not just the bow, there was so much technology developed for Venus, it could fill a book; perhaps it will if the NDAs are ever lifted. Vertical bows are not novel – think ocean liners of the 1920s – but their application to increase yacht efficiency is. Builder Henk de Vries calls Venus “the project that moved the goalposts”. Starck says it was a yacht designed by the two biggest control freaks in the world and was “designed to be invisible by transparency”. Among the quantum leaps built into her are window walls engineered by Eckersley O’Callaghan that test the limits of structural glass. Venus is all about Job’s love of minimalism and streamlined design, which coalesced beautifully with Starck’s belief that 40 per cent of the “materiality” on most modern yachts is without purpose.
In her wake: Savannah, Syzygy 818 (now Pi)
Ace
Builder Lürssen | Length 85m | Year 2012
This gorgeous example of imaginative creativity set Winch Design up for more breakout boats to come, such as Madame Gu and Excellence. Creative control over both interior and exterior design allowed Winch to dare the unusual profile with large arches surmounted by oval balconies port and starboard. The interior defies description, in parts neoclassic, deco and contemporary, but everywhere over the top from the silver and ebony baroque staircase bannister to the spa to end all spas.
Azzam
Builder Lürssen | Length 180.6m | Year 2013
This mammoth yacht was built to whisk her Emirati owner to his favourite Red Sea diving spot at speeds over 31 knots thanks to two diesels and twin gas turbines that together develop 97,000 horsepower. Designed by Italy’s Nauta Design and currently the world’s longest yacht, Azzam has a 13,136GT interior that is said to be in a “relaxed” 19th century Empire style, featuring lots of wood, marquetry and mother-of-pearl, styled by Christophe Leoni.
Lady M
Builder Palmer Johnson | Length 64m | Year 2013
The PJ 210 was the flagship of the now-defunct US aluminium boatbuilder and the largest of the PJ SportYacht series designed by Nuvolari Lenard that began with a jazzy 120-footer in 2003 named Cover Drive. The 28-knot yacht features five M26000 Seakeeper gyros instead of stabiliser fins. Lady M's tender bay on the bow converts to a saltwater pool.
Ulysses (now Multiverse)
Builder Kleven | Length 116.2m | Year 2018
An immediate replacement for a 107-metre expedition yacht of the same name (now Andromeda) launched in 2015, this one carries six more people, more fuel and bigger auxiliary craft. Multiverse's got an 8,000-nautical mile range, which is about the only cap on the original owner’s “no limits” cruising philosophy. Builder Kleven is a Norwegian commercial shipyard specialising in tough offshore support vessels. The hull is by Marin Teknikk, exterior design by Oscar Mike and the interior design is by RWD. She carries six tenders on deck including a 20-metre Princess. The covered side decks, enclosed wing stations, climate-controlled heli-garage and protected, partially recessed balconies are ready for cruising in polar regions.
Savannah
Builder Feadship | Length 83.5m | Year 2015
Savannah is her builder’s first big leap forward in delivering environmentally friendly superyachts. Her hybrid propulsion system resulted from in-house R&D and pairs a centreline azipulling electric thruster with fixed props and a 1MW battery bank. A computer decides the most efficient combination of battery, main engine and gensets to deliver house power or propulsion at a 30 per cent fuel saving from conventional setups. She’s no slouch on amenities with a huge pool deck aft, a Nemo room with an underwater viewing port, a secret forward bow lounge and full-height windows throughout.
In her wake: Elandess (now M'Brace), Moonrise