9 Joy
Ball overboard, goodbye
Larry Ellison brought the basketball court on deck 20 years ago with the refit of "Enigma". On "Rising Sun", Ellison even played during the voyage and hired a ball boy especially for this purpose, who, armed with a landing net, collected balls that had gone overboard in the tender. On "Joy" this position remains vacant among the 19-strong crew; whenever one of the twelve guests feels like a few throws, a railing system turns the court into a cage and makes daring ball-overboard manoeuvres superfluous. The young owner, who ordered the 70 metres from Feadship, has direct access from his flat on the upper deck. Alternatively, the twelve-metre-long foredeck becomes a badminton arena. In charter mode, the airy and angular Bannenberg & Rowell lines sail for 600,000 US dollars a week.
8 Gene Machine
Mobile 19th hole
The crew of this 55-metre-long Amels 180 chose a particularly prominent place for tee-off training - the bow tip. On the sundeck - an otherwise very popular spot - is the laboratory for the daughter of "Gene Machine" owner Dr Jonathan Rothberg. The US chemical engineer named his yacht after his company Ion Torrent's pioneering DNA sequencing machines. In the photo, First Engineer Liam Quilter is working on his swing in the Bahamas. If you miss the FunAir floating green, you don't have to worry about having a green conscience: only bio-balls from AlbusGolf land in the water. The outer shell of the one-euro balls dissolves completely, revealing the fish food core after 48 hours.
7 Sherpa
Explorer with many quirks
The water cannon is the most obvious special design on board the 73 metre long explorer. The RWD design was originally planned as a supply vessel, but grew rapidly in size and equipment as construction progressed. The bulwark in front of the bowsprit is adorned with mahogany seat shells, for which the owner is even said to have had a trial run at Royal Van Lent in Kaag, the Netherlands. Another special feature is the contrast between the matt steel hull with visible weld seams and the partially filled and highly polished aluminium superstructure. On the 13.20 metre wide main deck, two cranes hoist vehicles ashore or into the water. On the other hand, the real wood fireplaces and the purple-coloured 16-cylinder MTU and propeller, which guests and crew can admire through the windows, remain completely hidden from the outside world.
6 Game Changer
An underground car park for the Aerotender
On the 69.15 metre long Expedition yacht the heli-hangar is just one of many features that go beyond the norm. An Airbus H130 T2 lands on the fully certified heliport, even under harsh conditions. Before the aerotender is allowed to descend, however, the last of the salt crystals must be removed. Refuelling, maintenance and evaluation of the 8K camera below the nose then begin below deck. Below the hangar is a Trimax-capable diving centre that provides a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and helium for technical diving at great depths. The crew launches amidships an open tender, a landing craft, a submersible from U-Boat Worx and a diving robot from Saab. Both can penetrate to depths of up to 1100 metres.
5 Elandess
At eye level with Neptune
In close consultation with the shipyard and the designers at Harrison Eidsgaard, the owner designed the 74 metre A-&-R as a family yacht, which also takes into account the needs of the grandchildren. The little ones often want to observe the underwater world without having to dive into the unfamiliar darkness themselves. In the two-row "Neptune Lounge" behind the nine-centimetre-thick glass laminate consisting of ten layers, the eager sea watchers are safe at all times, as this is more than equivalent to steel; the North German glass experts from GL Yachtverglasung simulated the unlikely event of a collision for the classification society, in which only the first four panes were broken. In the dark, the crew switched on the underwater lighting and sound system. For the time being, the owner has decided not to use the third option as a cinema.
The yacht was sold and now bears the name "M'Brace" (editor's note)
4 Driftwood
Perfect wave finder
Every surfer's greatest dream is to ride the perfect wave. However, you can usually only experience such a wave if you can hold your own against hordes of pros at world-class spots or if you have hollow breaking waves all to yourself for a long time or share them with your friends. For this reason, surfers also use yachts to search for remote reefs, for example off Fiji or Barbados. Driftwood" takes twelve people there for a weekly charter rate of 275,000 US dollars. The jewel of the 55-metre-long Amels 180 is the beach club. It has a floating surf centre with two dozen surfboards for every wave height, and the "Driftwood" crew consists mainly of experienced surfers. If the ocean is shallow, seabobs, jetboards or diving equipment are used. Or you can go on an extensive exploration tour with the chase boat, a 19 metre long SACS Strider.
3 Solandge
Creative Jacuzzi cover
The 85 metre long Lürssen building in Øino styling achieves the greatest effect of the ranking with comparatively small means. On the front sundeck, the whirlpool decorated with mosaic stones mutates into a dance floor thanks to a plate mounted on eight stainless steel rods. Then the DJ behind the bar takes his desk and provides the dancing crowd with sounds from the Dolby surround system. Colourful LEDs round off the party evening far above the surface of the water. The Jacuzzi brothers, the inventors of the bubbling round pool, would certainly have no objection to the creative cover.
If the "Solandge" guests are in the mood for entertainment, the crew sets up a screen measuring around six square metres and activates the projector above the bar. If rain clouds roll in, the film is finished in the cinema on the tank deck. For one million euros, twelve people can enjoy all the amenities of the "floating spa" for a week. Those who want to get off the boat during this time can hop on the eleven and ten metre tenders, the wakeboard boat or the jet skis.
2 Serene
Exclusive elven cove
The 134 Fincantieri metres launched in 2011 stand out in many respects. Star yacht designer Espen Øino was unusually generous when awarding the nocks. And perhaps also wanted to send a message to the commercially extremely active Fincantieri shipyard. This is because the forward side decks have overflowing bays on three levels, which are traditionally used on the side of the bridge for mooring manoeuvres, fire protection or visual navigation. Nautical hardliners, on the other hand, may find the hedonistic nock utilisation one level below disrespectful. From oval jacuzzis next to his upper deck suite, the owner can watch the helicopter operating from the foredeck or indulge in extended contemplation of nature. To make the unique bathing experience even more spectacular far above the 18.50 metre wide hull, the owner insisted on glass pool floors.
It is doubtful that the current "Serene" owner Mohammed bin Salman regularly enjoys the pool nook; the Saudi crown prince is said to spend a lot of time on board primarily for security reasons and keeps a low profile accordingly. The previous owner, on the other hand, used the seven-decker with a helicopter, a tender armada including a docking pool and a submarine for long-distance adventure trips. The photo below was taken in northern Alaska, where 98 per cent of the coastline is inaccessible, but can be easily observed from the private pool.
1 Anna
Training camp with the club boss
The 110-metre Feadship, on the foredeck of which this 19-metre-long artificial pitch stands, belongs to the majority owner of AS Monaco, Dmitry Rybolovlev. He acquired 66.7 per cent of Grimaldi's shares in 2011 for a symbolic euro and led the princely club from the French second division to the Ligue 1 title within five years with his 300 million investment. The 52-year-old was the one who had the Da Vinci painting "Salvator Mundi" auctioned by Christie's. It remains to be seen whether the oligarch will welcome his team on board as a championship bonus.
The games deck from Superyacht Tenders and Toys (SYTT) certainly has what it takes to be a professional course. The corner posts, which like all the poles and goals are made of prepreg carbon, are each stretched over violin blocks and held in place by diagonal supports. The boards form three metre high nets made of Dyneema, which pull the talus cables so tightly that they can withstand wind speeds of up to 30 knots. The SYTT crew certified the Games deck for body checks involving three people. LED spotlights project six metres upwards from the corners. And the game on the small pitch is also becoming increasingly popular among the big players. There are separate leagues for "5-a-side football" (five against five) in the UK. To ensure equal opportunities, the sides should be switched regularly. This is because the pitch is only 6.50 metres wide at the front and a full 10.50 metres wide on the other side.
Visions of the future
REV
From the pool under the keel
Here we present equipment that has not yet found its way into yachting or, as in the case of "REV", will only be realised in the near future. Whether the 182 metres with its angular Øino styling is a yacht or a ship in the service of science is irrelevant at this point. The focus here is on the moon pool, a hull opening below the waterline from which divers or small submarines glide into the underwater world in cinematic style; an airtight seal prevents the space from flooding. Paul Allen (†) already used a moon pool for research purposes on his 126-metre "Octopus". Norwegian-Canadian businessman Kjell Inge Røkke has similar plans. But on "REV", the pool measures five by 7.70 metres and also sends out drones.
Mauna Kea
Eruptive sliding fun
Italian designer Roberto Curtò named this 101 metre project after Hawaii's largest mountain. Firstly, because the superstructure resembles the trapezoidal silhouette of the volcano, which rises 4205 metres above the sea. Secondly, a slide leads from the owner's deck one deck up into the pool on the aft main deck. Although Mauna Kea is a dormant representative, the water flowing down is intended to symbolise a lava flow. SuperYachtsMonaco is marketing Curtò's splendid concept study, and Fincantieri Yachts has come on board as the shipyard responsible for the project. The only thing missing is an owner who is young at heart or someone who wants to give their children or grandchildren a great deal of pleasure.
Standing wave
Surf action at the beach club
No, this artificial wave does not yet break on any superyacht. The 15 x 7.50 metre wave pool is located - no less unusually - in a sports department stores'. At L&T in Osnabrück, sports enthusiasts have been surfing waves up to 1.40 metres high ten metres underground since February 2018. The pool, which holds 800 cubic metres of water, is supplied with 2,000 to 3,000 litres of fresh water every day. For a beach club located at the rear, this would be equivalent to a load of 800 tonnes. The 15 metre long pool on the 82 metre long "Graceful" weighs a tenth of that. The two possible realisation options: either reduce the size of the pool and thus the wave slightly or install it on a much larger yacht. The BOOTE EXCLUSIV team is in favour of prompt implementation.
This article appeared in BOOTE Exclusiv issue 03/2019 and was revised by the editorial team in July 2023.
