While the United Kingdom may lack the plentiful sun and warm seas of France and Italy, there's evidently still an appeal among owners, with an increasing number of yachts setting a course for its capital city. BOAT takes a look at the latest superyacht sightings in London...
Asteria
Those who saw Asteria cruising past Tower Bridge this week might not have taken her for a superyacht – and they'd have missed a trick. Asteria started life as a salvage tug in 1970 at Greek shipyard Anastassiades & Tsortanides, but has been functioning as a world-girdling explorer yacht since 2002. She won the Voyager's Award at the 2022 World Superyacht Awards for her journey from Central America to Alaska and has plenty of superyacht touches, including a Jacuzzi on the upper deck, a five-tonne helipad and two large teak wet bars. Accommodation is across seven cabins, including a children's cabin aft of the master which can be converted into a gym, study or wellness centre. The 48.8-metre was most recently listed for sale in 2023 at an asking price of $19,900,000.
The owners of Asteria recently sat down with BOAT International to discuss their summer cruising plans in Norway.
Samadhi
Sold after just three months on the market, the new owners of the 60.9-metre Samadhi decided it would be best to bring her back to her home shipyard Feadship for a thorough – but sensitive – refit. Earlier this week, BOAT International was invited to her mooring in Tower Bridge to see the result. While imagery is undisclosed, her new owners are big fans of colour which has translated into the interiors, particularly the colourful carpets. A unique addition is the aft deck pool, which has gym equipment installed inside, including resistance bands for a more intense swim. The owner's suite has also received a refresh, with a new treatment room in place of the wardrobe complete with an ice bath and massage table. According to BOATPro, the superyacht has since wound her way up to the Hebrides, an archipelago in Scotland.
Iris Blue
Delivered early this year, Iris Blue has arrived in London following six months of cruising the fjords of Norway and the Netherlands. The 55-metre is the first of Heesen's Steel Class series to sport a revised design by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects (the original designer of the Steel Class series). The result is a more "aggressive" and "masculine" look, thanks to a larger expanse of floor-to-ceiling tinted glass. Other design highlights include the sundeck, which has a bar built around a whirpool Jacuzzi and the owner's suite with its veranda and walk-in wardrobes. Iris Blue has been photographed just in front of the iconic Gherkin tower, which was designed by Lord Foster – the man behind the Yacht Club de Monaco and the 41-metre Ocean Emerald.
Scout
With her buttercup-yellow awnings and distinctively brawny exterior, 63.7-metre Scout was spotted brightening up London's waterways this week. The flagship of Dutch yard Royal Hakvoort, Scout is named after the owner and his partner's beloved dog and the mascot that sometimes sits on the bow is a custom-made impression of it. H2 Yacht Design has helmed the interior, and according to our first look inside superyacht Scout, the inside is a wacky and wonderful mix of “what the future was once expected to look like”, with features including an LCD skylight that streams various scenes into the main saloon. Scout is no stranger to Butler's Wharf, having paid a visit to the UK capital last year.
Read More/Inside the fantastical 64m Hakvoort explorer ScoutScintilla Maris
In April, Scintilla Maris was photographed departing from Damen Maaskant's shipyard in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 45.6-metre converted fishing trawler then completed her maiden voyage to London and was docked in Canary Wharf, according to BOATPro. Scintilla Maris' ambitious refit project has earned her a nomination at this year's World Superyacht Awards in the 'Rebuilt Yacht' category. Works included reducing the yacht's 570GT to below the 500GT threshold and the installation of eclectic, loft-like interiors by Dutch studio Vripack.
Read More/Trawler to private yacht: the conversion that gave Scintilla Maris a second lifeTriton
The 49.7-metre Triton was seen moored near Tower Bridge in April 2024. She was launched and designed by Delta Marine in 2004 and was the largest composite yacht built in the United States at the time. Triton is best suited to worldwide cruising, deep-sea fishing and exotic reef diving, with an underwater camera in the bow and a lighting rig at the stern that "provides guests front-row seats for observing the ocean’s mysteries". A sonar and bottom-mapping system by Simrad can also photograph and 3D map the bottom of the ocean, easily locating any nearby wreckage. Interior highlights include a full-width master cabin with a sitting room, library, office and his and hers bathroom.
Bravo Eugenia
Oceanco's 109-metre Bravo Eugenia has visited the Big Smoke many times, showing off a chiselled Nuvolari Lenard exterior and dazzling underwater light display. A sharp plumb bow and extended waterline make her one of the distinctive superyachts on the water, and she certainly cuts an elegant profile whenever she arrives in London. With her hybrid propulsion engine, she offers a quiet electric mode which allows her to consume 30 per cent less fuel than other motor yachts in her size class, making her one of the more eco-friendly yachts in the world. She was most recently sighted in November 2023 at Butler's Wharf Pier, Tower Bridge.
Norn
The 90-metre expedition yacht has been spotted anchored in front of Tower Bridge following delivery from Lürssen's yard in Germany. Launched in February 2023, Norn has since travelled across the Baltic and North Sea, including a skirt around Sweden’s Skåne County and a brief stop in the port of Helsingborg on the 9 of June, according to BOATPro. Key features include an outdoor cinema and changeable-depth pool floor with dance floor illumination.
Australia
Prior to arriving in Canary Wharf, the 56-metre Benetti build enjoyed a cruising expedition in the cruising grounds from where she gets her name. Australia’s Stefano Ricci lines and navy hull attracted plenty of attention along the Gold Coast, and the 2012 build has an equally impressive interior with three individual dining saloons. She was launched as Ulysses and later became known as Bash, and was formerly owned by two serial yacht owners.
Revelry
Fresh from an Atlantic crossing that began in early May and a stop-off in Portsmouth, the 54.3-metre Amels yacht Revelry was spotted docked in Canary Wharf. The yacht has a textbook Tim Heywood exterior and interiors by Laura Sessa, as part of the Dutch yard's Limited Editions 177 series. She was launched as 4You in 2012 and changed ownership in 2021.
Kaos
The 110-metre Kaos (ex Jubilee) is the largest yacht to pay a visit to London in recent years. She cruised up the Thames in May 2023, stopping in front of Butler's Wharf and Tower Bridge to show off her unique blue exterior penned by Lobanov Design. The multi-award-winning yacht has a stellar range of onboard amenities, including an 8.5-metre pool, aquarium and a multitude of custom-designed pieces not found on any other yacht. At the time of her last sale in 2018, she was one of the largest sales in yachting history.
Read More/Jubilee: Inside Oceanco’s 110m flagship superyachtPhoenix
The third unit in Benetti's highly popular Oasis 40M series, named Phoenix, has spent a significant amount of time cruising the coastline of Great Britain. Since her delivery in 2021, she has paid visits to Southampton and Ireland as well as to Canary Wharf and Tower Bridge. Key features include the signature Oasis deck, which boasts a glass-fronted dipping pool and unfolding bulwarks. The design of this model was so popular it inspired a smaller 34 metre series, with Zlatan Ibrahimović buying the first unit.
Reef Chief
The 49.1-metre Reef Chief was spotted docked in the heart of Canary Wharf in 2022. The yacht was delivered by American yard Trinity in 2009 and has been designed with entertainment at its core. She is crowned by a large sundeck with an exterior bar, shaded dining area and TV screen, along with a Jacuzzi. Ten guests can be accommodated in five cabins, which are styled in classic polished wood and cream tones.
Blue Jeans
The 33.7-metre Van der Valk superyacht Blue Jeans made her maiden voyage to London after departing the shipyard in the Netherlands. Her cool blue hull added a touch of brightness to a dreary London day, and she spent her time cruising up and down the river showing off her custom Guido De Groot exterior. The all-aluminium yacht is one of the builder's most complex undertakings to date and is home to a foredeck "chillout lounge" with sun pads tucked into the bow, a U-shaped sofa and a dining table that pops up from the deck.
Read More/On board Van der Valk’s custom 34m Blue Jeans designed over ZoomBrazil
Fresh from a comprehensive refit and extension, the 44-metre motor yacht Brazil paid a visit to the River Thames in December 2022. The yacht was spotted moored outside St Katharine Docks Marina enjoying some winter sunshine in front of Tower Bridge. She was originally delivered by Heesen in 1993 and was relaunched in October following an extensive refit courtesy of a collaboration between three Dutch firms – Snijders Yachts, Zwijnenburg and Dutchflows. Work was primarily focused around the stern area, where the yacht was given a new beach club. The yacht is listed for sale with IYC.
Slipstream
Slipstream was delivered in 2009 as one of two 60-metre models from French shipyard CMN, Both exterior and interior were curated by Winch Design and the British studio has given her a smart navy hull with a distinctive grey superstructure. She features generous living and entertainment areas with an outdoor cinema on the sundeck and a hand-carved 4.5-metre totem pole at the centrepiece of a feature staircase. Owned by Canadian businessman Jack Cowin, Slipstream is currently available for charter by Burgess.
Read More/On board Slipstream with owner Jack CowinStardust
Having recently completed a cross-planet navigation that included Norway, the Maldives and Australia, 62-metre Stardust was spotted cruising up the Thames and into Canary Wharf in July 2022. The Amels build was handed over to her owners in 2020, and is the first and only hull in the Dutch yard's Limited Editions 206 series. Interior design comes from Laura Sessa, while Tim Heywood is responsible for the yacht's distinctive exterior, which is characterised by long lines of circular portholes and a cut-out segment in the hull line.
Boardwalk
The 75.6-metre Boardwalk is one of the newer deliveries from prestigious Dutch shipbuilder Feadship, and she caused a big buzz when she moored up on the Thames against the backdrop of Tower Bridge. Her aft deck helipad, generous beach club and huge TV screens were on full display to lucky onlookers who were able to catch a glimpse of her.
Read More/On board the 77m Feadship superyacht Boardwalk owned by Tilman FertittaBella Vita
Delivered in 2010 from Lürssen, 60-metre Bella Vita paid a brief visit to London, where she was seen along Butler's Wharf, just in front of Tower Bridge. Launched under the name Katie Sue II, the yacht became one of the top 50 most expensive yachts for sale in the world prior to her sale in January 2021. No doubt her new owner is enjoying her Glade Johnson interior and well-equipped sundeck.
Moon Sand
The 55.5-metre Moon Sand made waves when she cruised up the Thames shortly after her delivery from Lürssen. The yacht has a number of innovative features on deck, including a recessed pool that can be drained and raised flush with the deck when not in use. The yacht's crisp profile and clean, soothing interiors are by legendary yacht design studio Bannenberg & Rowell.
Read More/For charter: On board the 55m Lürssen superyacht Moon SandAviva
With her sky-blue hull and buttercup yellow exterior accents, the Abeking & Rasmussen-built 98 metre motor Aviva added some colour to the city when she visited. The yacht is home to an onboard paddel tennis court - the first of its kind ever installed - which had to be carefully engineered in order to create the correct level of bounce.
Read More/Aviva: Inside the 98.4m Abeking & Rasmussen flagship yachtLusine
Heesen's largest steel superyacht to date was spotted in London displaying her new name Lusine. The yacht hit the water in 2021 sporting a masculine exterior courtesy of Omega Architects and an interior by Sinot Yacht and Architecture Design. A glass elevator lies at the heart of the design while a touch-and-go helipad forward allows guests to come and go in complete privacy.
Read More/Exclusive: On board Heesen's 60m lunar-themed LusineKismet
With her "champagne and caviar" interiors and two-deck video walls in the lobby, 95-metre Kismet is all about the wow factor. Her interiors are by Reymond Langton, while her exteriors are the work of Espen Øino and she features an impressive jaguar statue on the bowsprit. She marks one of the most expensive yachts for charter in the world, asking a cool €1,200,000 for one week.
Read More/The story of Shahid Khan's 95m superyacht KismetMotor Yacht A
One of the most recognisable yachts in the world, Motor Yacht A is sure to have drawn the crowds in the UK capital with her unconventional design. The 119-metre Blohm + Voss was commissioned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. Following the Ukraine war, the superyacht was moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where it remains to this day, according to BOATPro.