big c yacht

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Crazy or sane? Record attempt for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic

• Katy Stickland
• May 18, 2022

Andrew Bedwell is planning to smash the record for sailing the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic. His vessel, Big C is just over 1m/3.2ft long

The smallest boat to cross the Atlantic was 5ft 4inches, sailed by American sailor, Hugo Vihlen in 1993.

Many have tried but failed to break this record. But sailor Andrew Bedwell believes he can regain this most unusual of crowns for Britain.

The 48-year-old solo skipper is no stranger to sailing in small craft or pushing the limits.

In 2015, he finished the Jester Baltimore Challenge aboard his 23ft Hunter 707, Outlaw .

The following year, Andrew sailed around Britain singlehanded in his 6.5m (21.3ft) Mini Transat 241 Blue One.

Big C will be sailed using dual furling headsails, outriggers and an A frame mast. Credit: Andrew Bedwell

This was eclipsed by his most extreme challenge to date – sailing 241 Blue One from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Iceland and into the Arctic Circle and back in 2019.

The yacht has no creature comforts – which Andrew actually prefers, being of the Roger Taylor school of ‘back to basics’ sailing.

He slept no more than 20 minutes at a time on a beanbag (the boat had no bunk) and had a bucket as a toilet.

In May 2023 he plans to push himself further and attempt the record for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic.

The 1,900 mile voyage will start in St Johns, Newfoundland and finish off Lizard Point in Cornwall.

He expects it to take 60 days (that is what he has told his wife) but admits it might take longer, as he will be at the ‘mercy of the weather ‘.

‘There will be days when the wind s are not favourable and I just have to chuck out a sea anchor which is mounted on the bow and just furl everything in and sit there. These will not be the pleasant days,’ he noted.

For now, Andrew is concentrating on finalising his vessel – Big C, which was designed and built by Liverpudlian sailor Tom McNally, a legend in micro-yachting who died in 2017 from cancer.

Tom McNally with his boat Big C which he planned to sail across the Atlantic and back. Andrew Bedwell has now modified the boat to make his own record attempt. Credit: Lorraine McNally

Tom set the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic record in 1993 in his 5ft 4.5 inch boat, Vera Hugh . It was broken by Hugo Vihlen.

Andrew, who has run a boat repair business, has modified Big C himself. The boat is built out of GRP with a foam core. He has modified McNally’s plans, making the boat smaller and essentially custom building the vessel for his height.

Even so, at 6ft tall, he still can’t stand up in the craft when the dome is down and will have to follow exercises provided by a physiotherapist to keep his legs functioning.

‘When my backside is sitting on the floor, my head is literally an inch away from the dome at the top and being just over a 1m long, I can only stretch my legs out about two-thirds of the way,’ explained Andrew.

‘I do appreciate the nice things in life but I prefer to rough it and making my life harder for myself; this seemed the ultimate challenge, especially as it is my 50th birthday next year. There is no toilet on board so in fact my only comfort on board Big C will be a flannel, which will be heavily tied on to the outside and hanging overboard.’

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The boat has 12 watertight compartments – eight internally and four externally – as well as open and closable vents. Once fully sealed, Big C only has 40 minutes of air inside before Andrew would pass out.

Food has been worked out by a nutritionist and will be made by Andrew’s wife, before being packed into the craft.

‘I don’t want to say vile, but the food is not the most flavoursome. We will pack it outside of Big C in the external tanks to increase stability and internally, using the external food first.’

Big C ‘s keel will hold 5 litres of drinking water and there is a manual watermaker to top up the tank which will be operated by Andrew’s right hand.

Power will be provided by solar panels on the back of the craft, and there will be a hand-cranked generator which will be operated by both Andrew’s left and right hand.

The main compartment will have AIS, VHF radio and a small chartplotter to keep power consumption down.

Big C will begin sea trials in mid-June ahead of the challenge in May 2023. Credit: Andrew Bedwell

Big C is a ‘downwind, tradewind vessel’. She has twin rudders (in case one breaks) dual furling headsails, outriggers and an A frame mast.

‘We have twin furling headsails, you can furl them or unfurl them. I can unfurl them from inside, I can sheet them from inside. We will be relying on the tradewinds,’ said Andrew, who is from Scarisbrick, Lancashire.

In heavy weather , Andrew will use a full harness to strap himself to Big C . He will also have a full support crew to track and guide his passage.

Andrew Bedwell will be trying to break the record set by American sailor Hugo Vihlen in 1993 in his 5ft 4in boat, Father’s Day . Credit: Tom Meaker/Alamy Stock Photo

Big C will start sea trials in mid-June, and Andrew has several longer passages planned before the record attempt.

He is also looking for sponsors. He had hoped the drinks firm, Red Bull would back him but the firm declined saying of the challenge it was ‘inspirational, but mad’.

‘My 9 year old daughter thinks it is incredible. I hope she is proud. My wife thinks I am absolutely crackers,’ said Andrew. ‘But you have to push yourself. Life is about challenges and there are an awful lot of people going through life thinking ‘I wish I had done…’ I’ve gone the other way and say I will do it.’

The Big C Atlantic Challenge will be raising money for Cancer Research in tribute to Tom McNally.

Who was Tom McNally?

Liverpudlian Tom McNally was intent on setting records for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic.

He achieved his goal in July 1993 when he sailed the 5ft 4.5 inch boat, Vera Hugh , from Lisbon, Portugal to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida via Puerto Rico, despite a cracked hull and having run out of water and food.

The boat was partly built out of an old discarded wardrobe and the hatch was made out of an old washing machine door.

Tom beat the world record set by American sailor Hugo Vilhen in 1968 after he crossed in April Fool, which was 5ft 11in.

But Tom’s glory was was short lived when Vilhen sailed the 5ft 4in Father’s Day from Newfoundland to Cornwall in 105 days, reclaiming the crown in September 1993.

Tom McNally designed Big C himself. Credit: Ajax News & Feature Service / Alamy Stock Photo

Undeterred, Tom tried to take it back.

In 2002 he attempted, but failed, to cross the Atlantic in the tiny 3ft 10.5in Vera Hugh – Cancer Research. Having sailed 800 miles from Gibraltar to Gran Canaria, the boat and all his equipment was stolen from the harbour at Mogan.

In 2009, he planned a double Atlantic crossing in his purpose-built 3ft 10inch boat, The Big C , to raise money for Sail 4 Cancer.

His route would have seen him sail from Cadiz to the Canary Islands, and on to Puerto Rico. Tom was then planning on sailing north along the eastern seaboard of the USA before heading back to him home port of Liverpool.

Sadly, illness thwarted his plans.

After battling cancer for more than eight years, Tom McNally died on 12 June 2017 at the age of 77.

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A British Man Will Attempt to Cross the Atlantic in This Suitcase-Sized Sailboat

Andrew bedwell knows big dreams can come in tiny packages. he plans an atlantic crossing in the 3'3" "big c," spending 60 days alone at sea., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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Next spring, British sailor Andrew Bedwell will attempt to break the record for sailing across the Atlantic, in a boat that’s just 39 inches long. That’s right: 3’3″, or roughly the size of a large suitcase.

Bedwell, 48, will set off from St. Johns, Newfoundland in May and make the perilous 1,900-mile crossing to Lizard Point in Cornwall on England’s west coast, hoping to set a new record for the smallest vessel to ever sail across the Pond.

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“I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be easy. But all my life I’ve taken on unusual challenges, though this is the ultimate,” Bedwell told Robb Report . He adds: “My wife thinks I’m crazy.”

Andrew Bedwell on Big C . The solo navigator will be locked into the tiny helm seat during the 1,900-mile crossing.  Courtesy Andrew Bedwell

Bedwell’s goal is to break the record set in 1993 by American sailor Hugo Vihlen in his 5’4” boat Father’s Day . More than two feet shorter, his pint-sized craft will be even more spatially challenged for the six-foot-tall Englishman.

“I can just about sleep if I’m curled-up tight. And if I’m sitting upright, the top of my head is just an inch below the transparent dome that I use to see out of. There’s not much room to move around.”

Restroom facilities? Don’t ask.

“Big C” has a lead keel so it will right itself after capsizing—something Bedwell expects regularly. The mini boat was also designed to handle 60-mph gale-force winds and big seas.  Courtesy Andrew Bedwell

There are also 12 watertight compartments—eight inside and four on the outside—to store supplies. Andrew hopes to complete the journey in 60 days, but will carry enough provisions for 90 days at sea. He’ll also have a manual watermaker that will fill a 1.3-gallon container in the bilge.

To power the yacht’s navigation gear, chart-plotter and radio there are solar panels on the stern, plus a tiny, hand-cranking generator as back-up.

Home sweet home: Bedwell will sit in this helm seat 24/7 for nearly two months on the crossing.  Courtesy Andrew Bedwell

“We’ve designed the boat to survive a Force 10 storm [average wind speeds of 59 mph] with the hope that it’s just a Force 6 [28 mph]. For such a small boat, a massive amount of thought and planning has gone into its design.”

In a single-minded focus on using every inch of space, Bedwell’s wife Tracy has concocted a special high-protein dried beef jerky that will line parts of the hull.

A sense of scale with Big C out of the water.  Courtesy Andrew Bedwell

“I’ll literally be eating the boat,” he says. “The stuff tastes pretty nasty, but it’s packed with all the nutrients I need. Sadly, there’ll be no room aboard for treats.”

The boat was originally designed by Bedwell’s close friend, fellow micro-yachting enthusiast and trans-Atlantic record-breaker, Tom McNally, who died in 2017 of cancer. In honor of his friend, the little boat is named Big C —also a play on big seas—and next year’s voyage will raise money for Cancer Research.

The current transatlantic record holder is Father’s Day , a 5’4″ boat sailed by Tom Vihlen in 1993.  Courtesy National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Bedwell, a sailmaker by trade, isn’t new to sailing big oceans in small boats. In 2016, he single-handedly piloted his 21-foot Mini-Transat yacht around the entire coast of Britain. Two years later, he sailed the same tiny vessel to Iceland and into the Arctic Circle.

Bedwell has also set up a GoFundMe account . His progress can be followed through the Facebook page “Big C Atlantic Challenge.”

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Amateur yachtsman announces world record attempt for smallest sailing vessel to cross the Atlantic

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Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Big C Atlantic Challenge ends in disaster as the 1m boat is smashed while being lifted from the water

• Katy Stickland
• May 30, 2023

Andrew Bedwell's Big C Atlantic Challenge is over, after his 1m boat was smashed while being lifted from the water...

The Big C Atlantic Challenge was a lifelong dream for skipper Andrew Bedwell.

Now that dream lies in pieces – as does his 1m/3.2ft long boat, Big C .

The vessel was being lifted out of the water in St Johns, Newfoundland when it fell onto the harbour side.

Andrew Bedwell started the Big C Atlantic Challenge two days ago, but decided to return to harbour for safety reasons after noticing water ingress into the boat.

The cause was a bolt that he had cut slightly too much last minute, and the replacement of which allowed water ingress around an O-ring.

“My dad had died two days before I left, I probably wasn’t in the right place. In all honesty, I probably could have pumped all the way there, but I’d promised my wife that if there was anything I wasn’t happy with, I’d always turn back, so that’s what I did,” he explained.

As his microyacht was being lifted out of the water, it fell onto the harbour side, causing irreparable damage.

Big C being towed out for the start of the Atlantic crossing in his 1m boat from Newfoundland to The Lizard. Credit: Big C Atlantic Challenge

“We got back to the harbour and the boat basically sunk, because she was full of water and we had to lift her out by her framework rather than putting straps underneath the boat. We lifted her up, got her up to the harbour wall and the framework gave way and she dropped down onto the harbour side and basically it has destroyed the boat,” explained an emotional Andrew.

“And I don’t know what to say to everyone who has supported me and helped me. You have all been absolutely amazing, but Big C is no more. She can’t carry on. I can’t do it. I am sorry.”

Big C was originally built by micro-yachting legend, Tom McNally, who in 1993, set the record for the smallest boat to cross the Atlantic. He completed the record in his 5ft 4.5 inch boat, Vera Hugh.

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Tom built Big C with the aim of re-taking the title from American Hugo Vihlen, who beat Tom’s record after he sailed a 5ft 4inch boat across the Atlantic.

Sadly, Tom died from cancer in 2017, without having regained the record.

Andrew Bedwell, who has his own boat repair business, approached Tom’s family who allowed him to modify Big C for his own record attempt, which, if successful, would have seen him sailing 1,900 miles from St Johns, Newfoundland to the finish off Lizard Point, Cornwall.

Andrew Bedwell catches up on some quality reading before leaving. Credit: Big C Atlantic Challenge

Big C was built out of GRP with a foam core. Andrew made the boat smaller for his challenge, and carried out extensive sea trials ahead of his record attempt.

It had 12 watertight compartments and vents which could open and close. The boat’s keel could hold 5 litres of drinking water and had a manual watermaker to refill the tank. She had twin rudders (in case one broke) dual furling headsails, outriggers and an A frame mast.

Andrew, who is from Scarisbrick, Lancashire, has spent years sailing small boats, finishing the Jester Baltimore Challenge in 2015 aboard his 23ft Hunter 707, Outlaw .

He has circumnavigated Britain solo in a 6.5m Mini Transat 6.50, and then sailed the boat from Cumbria to Iceland and into the Arctic Circle.

The Big C Atlantic Challenge aimed to raise money for Cancer Research in tribute to Tom McNally and Andrew’s mother and father, who also both died from cancer.

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Sail Far Live Free

Andrew bedwell and the big c atlantic challenge.

"From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow." - Aeschylus

Have you seen the seed of a redwood tree?  The Aeschylus quote above embodies what many of us know in our minds but still sometimes find hard to believe with our eyes.  It was that way when I first heard about Andrew Bedwell's next big adventure and laid eyes upon his tiny sailboat.  There are plenty of sailors who have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a wide variety of vessels, but none who have done so aboard a sailing vessel so diminutive as Bedwell's ironically named "Big C".  Ready for the specs?  Big C is just 39 inches long!  This is a boat that even my 10-year old daughter would find cramped, and yet Andrew Bedwell intends on sailing it from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Cornwall, England in May of 2023, and by so doing breaking the world record for the smallest vessel to sail across the Atlantic.  

The ~1,900 mile record is currently held by American sailor Hugo Vihlen who completed the Atlantic crossing in a comparatively lengthy 5'4" sailing vessel during 1993.  Vihlen's voyage took 115 days to complete.  Bedwell hopes to complete it in 60 days but is provisioning Big C for 90 days if need be.  Most everything is to be stored in watertight compartments both on the interior and exterior of the tiny vessel.  

You might be wondering about the "Big C" name.  It's in honor of Andrew Bedwell's friend Tom McNally, who also has held a trans-Atlantic record.  McNally died of cancer in 2017 and Bedwell is using "Big C" as both a play on words ("Big Sea") and as an effort to raise money for cancer research.  

I recently interviewed Andrew Bedwell about his upcoming voyage and record breaking attempt.  I am pleased to share some of the interview here on SailFarLiveFree.  A big "thanks" goes to Andrew for taking the time to share his thoughts.  And may something mighty grow from the small seed that he's planting while sailing Big C.  

SFLF: What's your sailing background and how has it prepared you for the Atlantic crossing on Big C?

Andrew: I sail solo most of the time and have done so since I started yacht sailing, and have had many vessels through the years. The biggest challenges so far have been a solo sail from the UK around Iceland, up into the Arctic, all in a 21ft prototype mini transat sailing boat.  That was basically a bare carbon interior, with no creature comforts at all, but at least that had a bucket to go to toilet in. 'Big C' being so small hasn't even got a bucket!

SFLF: I often hear people who are considering a major sailing voyage repeat Lin and Larry Pardey’s advice of “go simple, go small, go now”.  Your Big C boat seems to be the epitome of those words.  What do you think about that advice?

Andrew: I've read that many times, and agree, that started me pushing my boundaries and I've just gone on to push them further and further. Big C is as you say the epitome of 'go simple, go small"!  A lot of sailors always want to go larger and larger with more creature comforts.  I've had a 30ft trimaran, but it just had too many creature comforts for me (cushions, sinks, toilets and proper berths aren't for me!).  I 100% like the simple ways of living.

SFLF: What design features and equipment make Big C the right boat for this challenge?

Andrew: Firstly and mainly 'Big C' was designed and the construction started by Tom McNally who held the world record for the exact same route back in 1993.  His design and construction was fairly similar to his last vessel, but this one was made even stronger. The A-fame mast works exceptionally well as it's so strong, but also everything else is triangulated which helps makes the rig as strong as it can be. The biggest thing is the minimal space, as I've been needing to make everything as small and strong as possible, and with many things having multiple uses.

SFLF: Similarly, what is it about your own personality and character that makes you able to attempt such a feat?

Andrew: In addition to what I've already noted, the weather.  And that's why we've chosen  mid-May to leave as the weather and gulf streams are in our favor.

SFLF: What advice would you give to others contemplating an epic adventure?

Andrew: Go fo it!  Life is short and you need to fill it with as many adventures as you can. Just don't try to break this record !!

SFLF: Thanks Andrew, and as always, fair winds and calm seas!

If you're looking for an adventure to follow next summer, I encourage you to follow Andrew's progress on his Face page at Big C Atlantic Challenge .  Similarly, you can support Andrew's journey via his GoFundMe campaign . 

Like this post? Consider checking out the interview I did with another sailor doing big things on small boats in this post:

An Artist of Words, Wind, and Women (SFLF interviews Webb Chiles before his 6th circumnavigation)

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Smallest boats: The bonkers world of Microyacht adventures

• Elaine Bunting
• November 28, 2022

What are the smallest boats sailors consider for crossing and ocean? For ‘microyacht’ voyagers, there's no limit. Elaine Bunting finds out why they put to sea in tiny vessels

Often the smallest boats to cross oceans look much like a child’s crayon picture of a little boat on a big sea, certainly Yann Quenet’s Baluchon does. Baluchon is only 13ft 1in (4m long), with one simple sail and a stubby, blunt-nosed hull painted cherry red and ice cream white.

Baluchon is no toy, though. When Quenet sailed it back to Brittany in August, he had fulfilled his childhood ambition of circumnavigating in a tiny boat. Its simple appearance is emblematic of his philosophy. “I have loved little boats since I was a child,” he says, “and I am still a child at heart. Sailing round the world on a little boat is something I have dreamed about since I was a teenager.”

Quenet, now 51, has dedicated much of his adult life to designing, building and sailing microyachts. Whereas most of us progress in incrementally larger boats, Quenet’s craft have always been minuscule. He has created numerous self-build designs for plywood construction from a 9m gaffer to a 5m trimaran and a 6.5m gaff yawl (see them at boat-et-koad.com ).

In 2015, Quenet attempted to cross the Atlantic in a 14ft 1in (4.3m) plywood scow, but it capsized in a storm off the coast of Spain and he was rescued by a ship. After that experience he resolved to come up with a bulletproof self-righting microyacht suitable for ocean sailing, and went back to the drawing board.

His solution was a pram-style design that could be built in plywood in under 4,000 hours and would cost no more than €4,000. Baluchon is the result, a tiny boat to be sailed by one person for up to six weeks at a time and resilient enough to take anything the oceans throw at it.

Yann Quenet’s 4m long Baluchon

Smallest boats getting smaller

The history of sailing across oceans in the smallest boats is a surprisingly long one. With a few exceptions (of which more later), it is not about breaking records. This is about stripping away everything complex and extraneous – including other people.

One of the most famous small boat voyages was nearly 70 years ago when Patrick Elam and Colin Mudie made several ocean passages in Sopranino , which was only 17ft 9in (5.4m) on the waterline. Elam observed: “I would not pretend that Sopranino is the optimum size. At sea she is near perfect, but could with advantage be a few inches longer to give a slightly bigger cockpit and a separate stowage for wet oilskins below. In harbour, she is too small (for comfort) and too delicate and vulnerable.”

Also in the 1950s, John Guzzwell consulted Jack Giles about the smallest boat practical to sail around the world and Giles drew the 20ft 6in (6.2m) Trekka , which Guzzwell built and circumnavigated in twice. Smaller still was Shane Acton’s 18ft 4in (5.5m) Shrimpy , a Robert Tucker design which he sailed round the world in 1972 despite having very little sailing experience when he left.

Tom McNally planned to retake his small-boat Atlantic crossing record in Big C. Photo: Ajax News

In 1987, Serge Testa beat that by sailing round the world in his self-designed 11ft 10in (3.6m) aluminium sloop, Acrohc Australis . He broke the record for the smallest yacht to be sailed round the world, one that is still standing 35 years later.

This feat, together with Acton’s well-publicised voyages in the 1970s, ignited a lasting interest in small boat or microyacht voyages. Money is usually a factor in the choice of such small craft but overlaid by a streak of determined romanticism, the almost spiritual challenge of sailing a nutshell craft across a vast ocean.

Yann Quenet is not alone in creating self-build plans for aspiring micro-voyagers. New Zealander John Welsford also specialises in small boats such as the 18ft (5.5m) junk-rigged Swaggie – ‘a mighty, miniature long range cruiser’ – and a sturdy oceangoing 21ft (6.5m) gaff cutter, Sundowner (see jwboatdesigns.co.nz ).

As with Quenet’s little boats, Welsford’s designs are for plywood construction. The plans, he says, are detailed for “real beginners with very basic woodworking skills and a good attitude… the other skills will come as the project progresses.”

In his thinking, people can experience a deep sense of escape even through the process of building such a boat. “I anticipate a lot of builders will be people who find themselves trapped in a soulless desk job which condemns them to commuting for hours in heavy traffic, living in a thin-walled and crowded apartment and dreaming with longing of the freedom of the seas, golden sands and warm breezes.”

John Guzzwell’s Trekka. Photo: Historic Images/Alamy

Perhaps unsurprisingly the small boat community attracts a mixture of adventurers, inventors, idealists and eccentrics. One of the less successful was the self-styled ‘Admiral Dinghy’, a former Hollywood B-movie star and retired dance teacher from the US whose longtime aim was to sail round the world in a 9ft 11in (3m) boat. He had scant ocean sailing experience and no money. He’d been building and tinkering with his tiny junk-rigged boat since 1975 and began preparing for a circumnavigation in earnest in 2009. But he had problems with his boat, never went offshore and has since vanished from the radar.

A small boat living legend

A mixture of naïve courage and inexperience appears characteristic of many of the smallest boat sailors. It’s easy to imagine a dichotomy at the heart of it: many of the ideas could be perilous in hands of someone inexperienced, yet how many seasoned sailors would contemplate voyaging in a tiny craft?

Someone who has, numerous times, is Sven Yrvind. A Swedish sailor and boatbuilder, now aged 83, he has been designing and sailing tiny yachts for more than 60 years. He built his first tiny open boat in 1962, and decades of experimentation and voyaging followed.

In 1969, he built a 15ft 7in (4.2m) boat and sailed to Ireland. In 1971, he built his first Bris (or Breeze) in his mother’s basement, its size dictated by the dimensions of the cellar and the door it would have to be taken out through. He sailed this 19ft 8in (6m) cold moulded epoxy double-ender across the Atlantic seven times in four years and went as far as Argentina and Tristan da Cunha. (I highly recommend reading his fascinating and entertaining account at yrvind.com/my-life-texts ).

Yann Quenet completed a three-year world tour on his 4m Baluchon. Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty

In his next boat, the 15ft 9in (5.9m) Bris II , he went much further, sailing south to the Falkland Islands in 1980, before rounding Cape Horn and going north to Chile.

Over the decades, Yrvind (his birth surname was Lundin but he changed it to the Swedish term for a turbulent wind) has continually experimented with tiny yachts. In 1986, he built a 15ft 8in (5.76m) double-ender and sailed it to Newfoundland. In his most recent boat, Exlex (Outlaw), he sailed to the Azores in 2018, and in 2020 from Norway to the Azores and Madeira, returning to Ireland, a voyage of 150 days.

Right now, he is working on Exlex Minor , a glassfibre sailing canoe design of 20ft 4in (6.2m) which he intends to sail round Cape Horn to Valdivia in Chile. This new boat has twin keels and 12m2 of canvas split between three square sails on freestanding masts.

His food, water and all his possessions for up to 150 days at sea amount to around 1 tonne. He stores 111 litres of water on board as he “doesn’t trust desalinators. They can break down.” At sea, his diet is a simple mix of oatmeal and almond flour – “like muesli” – and sardines. “I eat the same every day,” he says, “and at lunchtime, not any other time.”

“I am a health nut. I believe in running and eating once a day for a long life.”

small-boat sailing legend Sven Yrvind. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty

Yrvind’s way of life divides opinion. Many casual followers think his choice of yacht slightly mad, but the tiny boat community reveres him as a living legend. To him, it just makes plain sense. “My boats are very functional. If you go back to old magazines from the 1950s and 1960s, boats were not much bigger. Back then, a 30ft boat was quite a decent size. The Hiscocks sailed twice round the world in such a boat. Now 40ft is too small; it must be 50ft.

“And what is big enough? With a small boat, you don’t have a lot of problems with money. You go back to first principles. You also have a boat you can tow behind a car. I have been doing that down to France and Ireland. Or you can put it in a container. So small boats are really handy.”

Yrvind in his 15ft 8in Exlex. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty

No room to stretch out

Smaller even than Sven Yrvind’s vessels are the record breakers’ boats, no bigger than a bathtub.

For many years, the record for the smallest yacht to cross the Atlantic was held by Hugo Vihlen, a former Korean War fighter pilot and Delta Airlines captain from Florida. In 1968, he crossed from west to east in the 5ft 11in April Fool . In 1993, his record was broken by Tom McNally, a fine arts lecturer from Liverpool, in his 5ft 4 1/2in (1.6m) Vera Hugh .

That prompted Vihlen, then aged 61, to go back out a few months later to recapture his record in Father’s Day , which was half an inch shorter than Vera Hugh . Vihlen crossed from Newfoundland to Falmouth in 105 days.

Andrew Bedwell intends to take former record holder Tom McNally’s modified 1.1m Big C to a new Atlantic record. Photo: Paul Larkin Photography

Not to be outdone, McNally designed and built an even smaller boat for the record, the 3ft 10in (1.1m) Big C . His plans were shattered when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and he was unable to sail it before he died in 2017.

Next year, British sailor Andrew Bedwell hopes to break Vihlen’s 30-year record. As a sailmaker and experienced sailor, he knows exactly what he is getting into. Bedwell has previously sailed a Mini 6.50 to the Arctic and been round Britain in a Class 40 .

In 2018 he started reading up about small boats. “I had always had an interest in unusual challenges and things that were raw. I saw these boats and was amazed by them, and I started designing a vessel.”

He contacted Tom McNally’s daughter and was amazed to learn that Big C was still lying in her garden. “It had never been in the water, or fitted out. Sails had been made for it, but they had never been used.”

Lorraine McNally agreed to sell, and Bedwell worked out how he could modify it for him to sail across the Atlantic. He calculates that it will take him around 60-80 days to cover the 1,900 miles from Newfoundland to the Lizard, sailing at an average of 2.5 knots. It has twin headsails set on one furler, and external floats, or pods, that make it behave a little like a trimaran when heeled. Freeboard is only 35cm and “she really does bob like a cork”, Bedwell says.

The boat is so tiny he cannot stretch out in it. “When in there I have to sit. It is dead flat in the bottom and in calm conditions I can just about get into a foetal position – and I mean just. I’ve modified the hull so my hip can just fit into a recess.”

Big C is a tight squeeze for British sailor Andrew Bedwell, and he could spend up to 80 days in it crossing the Atlantic from Newfoundland to the Lizard.

With the hatch fully shut the boat is watertight and airtight, but has only 40 minutes’ worth of air, so Bedwell is making two rotating air scoops at the bow.

When conditions allow, he might be able to stand up, or even go for a swim, but mainly “there is very little you can do with the lower body at all.”

Muscle wastage will be a major issue. To offset this at least partially, Bedwell will use a manual desalinator to make water. “We looked at putting in a generator to pedal but there isn’t space.”

His rationed food will amount to only 1,000 calories a day, “so I will lose weight and muscle mass, but I want a slow, slow decline.”

The food will all be the same. “It is a protein food similar to Shackleton’s pemmican, a clever nutritional bar made of fat and protein, salt and honey, with a little bit of paracetamol to thin the blood and ascorbic acid to preserve it and prevent scurvy,” he explains. “I will eat that for at least a month before I go, to get used to it.”

All 12 of the boat’s watertight compartments will be filled with it. “It will be moulded in bags and pushed into the hull. I will take food from the external pods to start with and work inwards, so increasing stability as we go.”

Italian skipper Alessandro Di Benedetto returns to Les Sables d’Olonne in 2010 after a non-stop circumnavigation with his 21ft Mini Transat 6.50. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty

Bedwell’s planning sounds scrupulous. But… isn’t it the definition of suffering?

“Yes, very close to it,” he replies cheerfully. “If you said you were going to do this to prisoners, you wouldn’t be allowed to, it’d be against human rights.

“There’s not going to be any comfort in it whatsoever. Food and navigation equipment are the absolute keys. There’ll be no changes of clothes, for example, as there’s no room. It’s so tight. I can use some water to wash but it will be a flannel wash. l’ll do what I can to prevent saltwater sores but there’s not going to be any soap.”

When close to the finish of one of his voyages, Tom McNally was hit by a ferry. The hull of his boat split and he had to be fished out of the water almost by the seat of his pants. Bedwell says: “If I’m hit by a tanker I’m not going to survive that, but tech has changed. Tom didn’t have AIS but we have a standalone Class B transponder as well as a VHF with AIS receiver . I have a masthead light – the boat is so short it doesn’t need to be a tricolour.”

Bedwell says: “Planning this keeps your mind completely occupied as every single little detail has to be completely thought through.” He rejects any suggestion that he is ‘making a bid’ for the record or similar phraseology. “I am not attempting it. I’m doing it. My theory is if I’m just trying, I’m not really pushing myself.”

Matt Kent’s 2017 solo Atlantic crossing attempt in the 42in Undaunted ended in failure.

Smallest boats, smallest problems

The micro-voyagers seem to share a different way of looking at the world, a can-do attitude galvanised by their repudiations.

“Human beings are very adaptable,” says Sven Yrvind. “Lawrence of Arabia lived simply in the desert and said wine takes away the taste of water. It is the same with comfort. It depends on your mindset and how you think, how you look at life. Some people go on holiday on bicycles and put up a tent. Some want a car and a caravan. I think when they get back the man with the bicycle is happier and has more to think about.”

“You can get spoilt,” he argues. “If you get something without fighting for it, you’re not so happy when you get it.”

Returning after 31,000 miles and 360 days under sail in his little yacht, Yann Quenet insists that a small boat is the best. “Small boat equals small problems. When there is no engine, there is nothing to go wrong, just a simple boat that is simple to sail.”

Andrew Bedwell explains how he gradually dismissed fripperies. “I’d had plusher boats, but hated it – all the cushions and wiring hidden behind panels. It’s just not me. I kept coming back to the simple things.” Like Sven Yrvind and Yann Quenet, he made the realisation that his sense of achievement might be in inverse proportion to boat size.

When people ask now about what he is doing with Big C , he tells them, without a hint of irony: “Everyone is different. I need something really big.”

If you enjoyed this….

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The top 25 largest yachts in the world

Every year, shipyards from around the world push the boundaries of superyacht design to deliver bigger and better yachts. The Samuda-built El Mahrousa may have carried the title unchallenged for a remarkable 119 years, but in the 21st century, she has descended down the pecking order to make room for even larger and longer yachts. German shipyard Lürssen currently holds a near monopoly in the construction of supersized superyachts, having delivered 13 of the world’s top 25. But the list is ever-changing with the 158 metre Blue breaking into the top five in 2022. These yachts, all measuring over 100 metres, are impressive not only for their hull length but for what they carry above and below deck. From submarines and helicopters to swimming pools , cinemas and science labs, the onboard features of these superyachts show them to be truly ground-breaking pieces of engineering. Read on to discover our official list of the largest, privately owned yachts in the world.

1. Azzam | 180.6m

In October 2013, Lürssen delivered the largest privately owned superyacht in the world in the form Azzam . Originally, she was designed to be 145 metres, but in the process of optimisation grew to 180 metres. Other stunning facts about Azzam’s impressive design include her staggering 13,000 GT and accommodation for 36 guests and as many as 80 crew members. The behemoth was reportedly built for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, for use as a dayboat to reach his favourite diving grounds. The main saloon alone encompasses nearly 522m² and has a relaxed French Empire style and mother of pearl finishes, designed by Christophe Leoni . On board features include a gym, pool and a special ‘golf training room’.

Exteriors have been penned by Nauta Yacht Design , and the technical engineering was directed by Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi for the owner. The yacht has an impressive speed for her size owing to her innovative water-jet propulsion system (two fixed jets, two directional), which catapults her along at a staggering 31.5-plus knots. At 17.5 metres longer than Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse , this boat takes the prestigious title of the world’s largest yacht. The all-white superyacht has held her title unchallenged for nearly seven years, but this reign will come to an end with the expected delivery of 183 metre REV .

• Builder: Lurssen
• Country of build: Germany
• Delivery year: 2013
• Length Overall: 180.61 m
• Gross Tonnage 13136 t

More about this yacht

More stories, 2. eclipse | 162.5m.

After five years of intensive design, development and construction, Eclipse left the Blohm + Voss yard in December 2010. She carried the title of world’s largest superyacht for just three years before being usurped by Azzam . Managed by Blue Ocean Yacht Management, Eclipse features a diesel-electric propulsion system with generators powering rotating Azipod drives, dramatic exterior styling and a stunning interior design by London-based Terence Disdale Design , which has been responsible for all aspects of aesthetic design and layout, including the superstructure design, deck layouts, interior design and construction supervision. Eclipse was voted Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards in 2011 and Motor Yacht of the Decade at the 10th World Superyacht Awards in 2015.

Her accommodation includes an owner’s deck of 56 metres in length and facilities for up to 92 crew. Her interior boasts hundreds of custom finishes exclusively developed especially for this project, while her deck areas include a 16 metre swimming pool which can be transformed into a dance floor. The yacht can also accommodate three helicopters, one on each of the two helipads and the third in a storage hangar below the fore deck.

• Builder: Blohm & Voss
• Delivery year: 2010
• Length Overall: 162.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 13564 t

3. Dubai | 162m

Dubai was originally commissioned by Prince Jefri of Brunei with exterior styling and interior design by Andrew Winch . The Blohm & Voss project was suspended in 1998 with just the bare hull and partially complete superstructure. It was eventually sold to the Dubai government, and responsibility passed to Kostis Antonopoulos of Platinum Yachts , which prepared a new in-house interior design completed in 2006.

The aptly named Dubai is the royal yacht of Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai. The accommodation, styled by Nakheel Interiors , is designed for 24 guests and comprises an owner’s suite, five VIP suites and six guest suites, all with open balconies. Special features include a 21.3m-wide atrium, a swimming pool, barbecue area, cinema, disco, a landing platform for a Blackhawk helicopter, a gymnasium, and a garage for the yacht’s submarine and a vast array of water toys. Full certification was obtained from Lloyds Register of Shipping in October 2006 and she has since made several voyages. She can reach a maximum speed of 25 knots.

• Builder: Platinum
• Country of build: United Arab Emirates
• Delivery year: 2006
• Length Overall: 162 m
• Gross Tonnage 12488 t

4. Blue | 158m

Taking her place at number four in the list of the world’s longest yachts, Lürssen’s Blue is so voluminous that she beats all the longer boats in terms of gross tonnage. Built for a Middle Eastern owner, she is exceeded for internal space only by those behemoths Dilbar (15,917GT) and Al Said (15,850GT). Terence Disdale has penned classic exterior lines with a sharply raked bow and gentle curves to the deep overhangs of the decks. The main helipad is positioned on the bow, with a smaller one aft. Other exterior features include a pool under cover on the main deck aft, a bathing platform at the stern and twin balconies flanking the owner’s cabin forward. Blue ’s interior is designed to be timeless and rich in “feminine elegance”, a deliberate contrast to the exterior. 

Blue is equipped with a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system that was developed in-house. An electric Azimuth pod drive can manoeuvre the boat alone or in conjunction with the twin propeller shafts. To reduce noise, vibration and NOx levels, Blue has a state-of-the-art exhaust treatment system. The boat is also equipped with new membrane technology that means her treated waste water achieves drinking water quality.

• Delivery year: 2022
• Length Overall: 160.6 m
• Beam: 22.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 14785 t

5. Dilbar | 156m

With a total interior volume of over 15,000 GT, Dilbar is the largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage, if not by length. She was built in steel and aluminium by Lürssen to a design by Espen Øino . In 2016, she was delivered in the Mediterranean for her owner, the Uzbekistani billionaire Alisher Usmanov. She replaced Usmanov’s previous yacht of the same name, which has since been renamed Ona . She is usually spotted cruising around the South of France, northern Spain and sometimes Cyprus.

Record-breaking features on board this SOLAS-class superyacht include her 180 cubic metre swimming pool and her 30,000KW electric diesel power plant. Her interiors, styled by Winch Design, can accommodate up to 24 guests served by nearly 100 crew members. She also has two helipads, 3,800 square metres of living space amd an expansive garden complete with a specially developed variety of grass that tolerates salt air, according to its creator Axel Massmann. Dilbar has a single colour for her exterior, a buttery cream shade, that makes her instantly recognisable at sea and can reach a top speed of 21 knots.

• Delivery year: 2016
• Length Overall: 156 m
• Beam: 23.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 15917 t

6. Al Said | 155m

This Lloyd’s-classed vessel, known as Project Sunflower during construction, was delivered by Lürssen’s Vegesack yard to her owner, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman, in March 2008. Measuring an impressive 155 metres, Al Said is the principle vessel of the Oman Royal Yacht Squadron. Designed by Espen Øino with the looks of a classic cruise liner, she sails under the Omani flag and her home port is Muttrah Harbour in Muscat. 

This Germanischer Lloyd-classed, 15,850GT yacht can reach a top speed of 25 knots and is reported to have a crew capacity of 150. Her panelled interiors, designed in a traditional style by Jonathan Quinn Barnett , offers huge entertaining spaces and accommodation for 65 guests. Her pièce de résistance is the on-board concert hall that can accommodate a 50-strong orchestra, but across her six decks she also has a helipad and a cinema.

• Delivery year: 2008
• Length Overall: 155 m
• Gross Tonnage 15850 t

7. El Mahrousa | 150.6m

El Mahrousa was first delivered by the Samuda Brothers shipyard in 1865. She held on to the title of longest yacht in the world for over a century before finally being usurped by the delivery of Prince Abdulaziz in the 1980s. She was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, receive visiting dignitaries. and was present at the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in 1869, when she was used to receive visiting dignitaries. She was lengthened by 12.1 metres in 1872, when her paddle wheels were removed, and by a further 5.2 metres in 1905. Her last major rebuild was in 1950.

Significant moments in her lifetime include her participation in 1976 as the Egyptian representative at the Bicentennial Fleet Review in New York harbour. She slipped into disrepair after this while being used as a museum ship. In 1992, a major effort was put into making her seaworthy enough to travel to Italy for the Christopher Columbus Fleet Review. She now serves as the Egyptian Presidential Yacht but is seldom seen in public. She is usually berthed in Alexandria, where she is cared for by the Egyptian Navy, which lists her as a training ship. Powered by three Parsons steam turbines, she can achieve a top speed of 16 knots.

• Builder: Samuda
• Country of build: United Kingdom
• Delivery year: 1865
• Length Overall: 150.57 m
• Beam: 12.98 m
• Gross Tonnage 4560 t

8. A+ | 147.3m

Formerly known as Topaz , the Tim Heywood -designed A+ was launched by Lürssen in 2012 and uniquely features Heywood’s signature illuminated on her superstructure. Although she flies a Cayman flag, her owner is a member of the UAE elite – reportedly Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who also owns the UK’s Manchester City football club.

Having previously been chartered twice by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the 147.25 metre superyacht features a helicopter landing pad located at the bow and her interiors have been designed by Terence Disdale – but not much else is known about this superyacht, as many of her details are still shrouded in secrecy.

• Delivery year: 2012
• Length Overall: 147.25 m
• Beam: 21.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 12532 t

9. Prince Abdulaziz | 147m

The 5,200-tonne Prince Abdulaziz was delivered by Danish shipyard Helsingor Vaerft in 1984 to her first owner, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Since then, she has continued to serve the Saudi royal family and is berthed beside the king’s palace in Jeddah. She has been refitted three times; in 1987, 1996 and in 2005.

Prince Abdulaziz was built at a reported cost of $184m to a design by Maierform . Her interior, designed by the late David Hicks , blends ancient and modern. One notable feature is the large lobby, said to be designed to mimic that of the Titanic . She includes a hospital, a mosque and a cinema, and there are also rumours of surface-to-air missiles and an underwater surveillance system on board. The mega yacht can accommodate as many as 64 guests and is manned by a crew of 65.

• Builder: Helsingor Vaerft
• Country of build: Denmark
• Delivery year: 1984
• Length Overall: 147.01 m
• Beam: 18.3 m
• Gross Tonnage 8233 t

10. Opera | 146.4m

Reportedly built for a senior Emirati royal, Opera 's size and gross tonnage catapult her directly into the ranks of the world's 10 biggest private yachts. The 146.4-metre yacht certainly has some of the hallmarks of a Middle Eastern boat, with deep overhangs between decks and lots of enclosed deck space hinting at use in an aggressive climate. Pictures taken during a maiden voyage from Bremen to Portsmouth last summer showed lots of floor-to-ceiling glass across six guest decks, as well as two helicopter landing spots and a beach club whose twin staircases must climb two decks to reach a 10-metre, stone-lined pool aft of the main deck. The pool rises to form a dance floor.

Lürssen has kept the project shrouded in secrecy, but designer Terence Disdale confirmed that interior facilities include a cinema and an extensive spa and wellness centre, plus other features that are being kept under wraps. He also mentioned an upper lounge with a 110-inch television and bay windows.

• Delivery year: 2023
• Length Overall: 146.35 m
• Gross Tonnage 12518 t

11. OK | 146m

This unusual vessel spent decades plying the seas as a float-on yacht carrier for DYT Yacht Transport with the unglamorous moniker Super Servant 3 – and it is this carrying ability that caught the owner’s eye.

40 years after its original launch by Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding , the yacht emerged from a root-and-branch refit at Karmarine in Turkey. The exterior has been smartened up, with a new matt-black paint job, gold-tinted glazing, teak decking at the bow, stern and sides and an expanse of artificial grass on the submersible aft deck – an idea of the owner’s, to enliven the guest cabins’ view. There are reports that this space doubles as a tennis court and, at 32 metres by 100 metres, there would certainly be the room for it.

With a strengthened hull, the boat’s original role as a yacht carrier has been enhanced. Pumping ballast into tanks under the aft deck allows the platform to lower so that the owner’s 46-metre ketch can be floated aboard and secured. There’s also a 40-tonne crane for positioning other toys – reportedly up to 70 of them, from launches and cars to a seaplane.

Under the direction of Bozca Design , Karmarine has stripped out and rebuilt the accommodation area at the front of the yacht. There are cabins for up to 20 guests, a glazed sundeck spa pool, a "botanical" garden and an outdoor cinema. The lift between decks runs through a glass tower outside the superstructure. 

• Builder: Oshima Shipbuilding
• Country of build: Japan
• Delivery year: 1982
• Length Overall: 146 m
• Beam: 32.01 m
• Gross Tonnage 11296 t

12. Sailing Yacht A | 142.8m

This Philippe Starck -designed vessel is the second superyacht commissioned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko, after his first Motor Yacht A . She was built in Germany by the Nobiskrug yard and delivered in February 2017.

A sail-assisted yacht like no other, Sailing Yacht A comprises eight decks, and her rotating curved carbon fibre masts tower to 100 metres. She is made to set 3,747 square metres of sail and is manned by crew of 54. She sports an underwater viewing pod (moulded into the keel) and balconies enclosed by the largest pieces of curved glass ever. There are 24 shell doors in her hull, and she has a diesel-electric power plant controlled by computer. Records claimed by the Starck superyacht include the world's tallest carbon masts, with the tallest standing at 100 metres above sea level.

• Builder: Nobiskrug
• Delivery year: 2017
• Length Overall: 142.81 m
• Beam: 24.88 m
• Gross Tonnage 12700 t

13. Nord | 142m

Nord started life as Project Redwood, then Opus. Everyone involved in her design and build has remained tight-lipped about the details, but build manager Rob Moran shared some exclusive insight with BOAT International .

First up, she has an Ice Class hull for real exploration. Her aluminium superstructure runs to four decks, contained within the dramatic sweep of a black-painted arch – a key part of the vision of designers Nuvolari Lenard . Not one but two helipads are in evidence, while a vast beach club and tender garage gives  "space to store a plethora of toys including 16 tenders, a submarine and an ROV", according to Moran. The largest tender reportedly measures 15 metres, and there is a watersports and dive centre on the lower deck. Nord has a generous touch-and-go helipad at its heavily flared aircraft carrier bow, but there is also a much bigger space aft up on the bridge deck that offers landing, parking and bunkering for the owner’s helicopter, as well as an entire hangar for protection during longer passages. 

Also visible to onlookers was the exceptional 25-metre-long swimming pool on the main deck aft, plus a spa pool on the upper deck. Her interior is reported to include a gym, spa, sauna and a whole deck devoted to the owner.

• Delivery year: 2021
• Length Overall: 141.6 m
• Beam: 19.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 10154 t

14. Yas | 141m

Delivered in 1978 by De Schelde as a navy frigate, Yas was rebuilt in 2013 by Abu Dhabi MAR. Previously known under the project name Swift 141, she was completely modified with new machinery and electronic systems and outfitted with a luxurious interior. It has been suggested that her owner is a member of the Emirati royal family.

She has been designed inside and out by Pierrejean Design Studio of Paris . The unique superstructure of Yas is built in advanced composites and glass and was supposedly inspired by the profile shape of a dolphin. She is reportedly able to accommodate 60 guests and 56 crew, and on-board features include a heli-pad and al fresco dining spaces aft, and a Jacuzzi on her top deck. Her beach club Jacuzzi is complemented by a waterfall feature and a spiral staircase connects her the multiple decks. Powered by twin MTU diesels, Yas has a top speed of 26 knots.

• Builder: De Schelde
• Country of build: Netherlands
• Length Overall: 141 m
• Beam: 14.6 m
• Gross Tonnage 5002 t

15. Ocean Victory | 140m

Ocean Victory was completed at Fincantieri’s Muggiano yard in Italy after launching in April 2014. This seven-deck yacht is based on a design by Espen Øino and her interior is by Alberto Pinto and Laura Sessa . She has internal seawater dockage for a 14-metre tender and six pools of up to 8 metres in length. There’s a certified helideck and a hangar to store the aircraft, while inside Ocean Victory boasts an underwater observation room and more than 300 square metres of spa facilities. She is SOLAS-classed and is the largest yacht ever built in Italy. 

In 2016, the superyacht world was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of one of Ocean Victory’ s crew members, who suffered critical leg injuries while setting the anchor off the coast of Mu Ko Similan National Park in Thailand. Little else is known about this top-secret yacht, which is kept much under wraps and away from prying eyes.

• Builder: Fincantieri
• Country of build: Italy
• Delivery year: 2014
• Length Overall: 140 m
• Gross Tonnage 8506 t

16. Scheherazade | 140m

Another titan by Lürssen , Scheherazade carries the same name as the enigmatic story-teller of the Middle Eastern epic One Thousand and One nights . She hit the water in July 2019 and offers phenomenal volumes at 10,167 GT. Her Espen Øino exterior features a four-deck aluminium superstructure with elegant tapering roofs and an eclectic range of coloured LED exterior lighting. She also has two large helipads – one at the bow and one on the upper deck – plus a prominent beach club aft. 

There is very little information regarding her interior by François Zuretti , but if the work of the French design house on 106-metre Amadea is anything to go by, it is imperious and sophisticated. With the owner known to be a Middle Eastern billionaire, this yacht is designed with warmer climates in mind. Temperatures in excess of 45 degrees Celsius are quite normal in the region during the summer months, so Scheherazade has relatively little exterior space for a yacht of this size. There is limited covered deck space at the aft end of the main and upper decks, but it is well enclosed by glass sides for cooling. Even the sundeck is completely shaded by a hardtop, which all helps to give her an astonishing internal volume.

• Delivery year: 2020
• Beam: 23.3 m
• Gross Tonnage 10167 t

17. Solaris | 140M

The 140-metre expedition yacht Solaris was launched in the city of Bremerhaven in February 2021 as the flagship model of German shipyard Lloyd Werft . She is the debut project of Australian designer Marc Newson , who has given her a dramatic grey and white superstructure which features a unique fashion plate which wraps around the mast and connects both sides of the hull. Spanning eight decks in total, Solaris has been constructed in aluminium and steel and offers a 26-metre beam. Little information has been shared about her interiors, but her exterior is equipped with a large helipad, a sun deck and a spacious beach club aft.

Turning to the technical elements, Solaris is reportedly outfitted with a power and energy management system from ABB and features two Azipods powered by nine megawatts – the most powerful propulsion system of its kind to ever be installed on a yacht. She runs on a total of eight MTU diesel engines, providing 19,040hp. Little else is known about the superyacht, on which construction first began in 2018.

• Builder: Lloyd Werft
• Length Overall: 139.7 m
• Gross Tonnage 11247 t

18. Al Salamah | 139.3m

Built by the consortium of Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel and the Lürssen shipyard in Germany, Al Salamah is often referred to as "Mipos", the code name used during the construction of this most secret of yachts. Mipos was short for "Mission Possible" – a statement proved correct by her delivery in 1999.

She has a length of 139.3 metres, a massive beam of 23.5 metres, and is reported to have a top speed of 21.5 knots. Both the interior design and the exterior styling are by the London-based Terence Disdale Design . Al Salamah was owned by the late Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who also owned 147 metre Prince Abdulaziz . She was refitted by Lürssen in 2007 and is rumoured to carry a hospital room with an underwater treadmill for physical therapy on board.

• Delivery year: 1999
• Length Overall: 139.29 m
• Gross Tonnage 12234 t

19. Luminance | 138.8m

Espen Øino is repsonsible for this giant yacht's crisp exterior lines. Despite a traditional raked bow, she looks bang up to date with a gleaming hull and superstructure that counterpoise dark blue and silver to create a masculine look. Øino has played with the profile of the overhangs to give the illusion of reverse sheer amidships. The effect is especially striking when viewing the yacht from beam-on. Her twin helicopter pads – one on the foredeck and another high up aft – will make her capable of ambitious explorer programmes. She also boasts a large beach club and an infinity pool, with a private spa pool area on the foredeck of what may be an owner's deck.

Luminance was expected in 2023, but delivery has fallen back a fraction. It is a mammoth project, whose true length has only just been confirmed at 138.8 metres. Her Ukranian owner, mining and financial services mogul Rinat Akhmetov, told The New York Times last year that he was mulling the boat's sale following Russia's invasion of his homeland, but it's not known whether he followed through.

• Delivery year: 2024
• Length Overall: 138.8 m
• Gross Tonnage 8999 t

20. Rising Sun | 138m

Rising Sun was built for Larry Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Oracle. She's the last yacht that ever came from designer Jon Bannenberg’s drawing board, with interiors styled by   Laura Seccombe . Rising Sun ’s naval architecture experimented with an extensive use of structural glass for a clean and stripped-down profile.

In 2006, Ellison sold half ownership to media mogul David Geffen, who bought the remaining half in 2010. Rising Sun is reported to have cost more than $290,000,000 and was extended by 18 metres in-build to ensure she was larger than the 126.2-metre Octopus , belonging to Microsoft’s co-founder, Paul Allen. Her 8,000 square metres of living space can accommodate 45 crew members, and includes a wine cellar and basketball court, plus accommodation for 16. One of her tenders, a catamaran, carries the yacht’s 4x4 vehicle ashore.

• Delivery year: 2004
• Length Overall: 138.01 m
• Gross Tonnage 7600 t

21. Flying Fox | 136m

Formerly Project Shu, PYC-compliant Flying Fox was built by Lürssen for a serial charter yacht owner and completed her sea trials off the coast of Germany in May 2019. The 136-metre, six-deck yacht towers 32 metres above the waterline – as tall as three London buses balanced end on end. Her elegant, well-balanced profile by Espen Øino conceals an extraordinarily voluminous interior by Mark Berryman , including a double-height atrium that forms the main deck lobby. There are 11 cabins for 36 guests, all with private sea-view terraces, and expansive outdoor living spaces, such as a 12-metre swimming pool transversing the main deck aft, swim platforms and two helipads. The 400-square-metre spa is the stand-out feature. It has heated limestone floors, a Hammam, massage and beauty treatment rooms and the first cryosauna ever installed on a yacht, with a main chamber that reaches a chilly -110C. There’s also an on-board hospital.

One of the most expensive superyachts in the world available for charter , Flying Fox is crewed by an experienced team of 54. She boasts a toybox stuffed with jet skis and other Seabobs, hoverboards, room for a submarine and and nine different tenders. Plus, she even has her own dive centre and kite surf store on board.

• Delivery year: 2019
• Length Overall: 136 m
• Beam: 20.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 9100 t

22. Savarona | 135.9m

Built by Blohm + Voss for American bridge cable heiress Emily Roebling Cadwalader in 1931, Savarona was sold in 1938 to the Turkish government and became the presidential yacht of Kemal Atatürk. In 1989, Kahraman Sadikoglu obtained a 50-year lease and, with investors, spent $35,000,000 on the refit of this classic superyacht, including a library suite dedicated to the memory of Atatürk and furnished with his personal artefacts. In 2010, after an alleged scandal, the Turkish government cancelled the lease and resumed ownership. In 2014, she was refurbished and now serves as the state yacht of Turkey. 

Savarona was, for a time, offered on the market for superyacht charters around Istanbul, although she is no longer available to the public. Key features onboard this superyacht include a marble-finished Turkish hammam bath that spans the entire 16-metre beam, a swimming pool, a gold-trimmed grand staircase and a private cinema. She is named after a type of black swan found in the Indian Ocean region.

• Delivery year: 1931
• Length Overall: 135.94 m
• Beam: 16.12 m
• Gross Tonnage 4701 t

23. Crescent | 135.5m

Crescent , formerly Project Thunder, has what the yard called a "traditionally-styled" interior by Zuretti , exterior design by Espen Øino and naval architecture by Lürssen . Øino went to great lengths to maximise what he calls the "vision lines" from the interior and the decks – especially from the centreline, which on such a beamy boat is a long way from the sides – by having full height windows and keeping the bulwarks as low as possible.

She has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and was built to DNV GL standards. Her striking black hull is matched with a silver superstructure that has distinctive wing stations amidships. Just forward of the wing stations are three-deck windows, providing spectacular views for her 18-strong guest list.

• Delivery year: 2018
• Length Overall: 135.5 m
• Gross Tonnage 9194 t

24. Serene | 133.9m

Built for a Russian owner, Serene was the first superyacht delivered by Italian yard Fincantieri . She can accommodate up to 24 guests and 52 crew, and boasts 4,500 square metres of interior space designed by Reymond Langton .

Serene has seven decks, two helipads and a hangar, carries a custom submarine certified to 100m depth and has underwater viewing ports in her Nemo room. A "snow room" can make up to four inches of snow, while the impressive spiral staircase rises through six decks and is lit by a large skylight. Serene won Best Motor Yacht of 3,000GT and Above at the 2012 World Superyacht Awards. Powered by a diesel engine, Serene can reach a top speed of 20 knots and has a maximum cruising range of 6000 nautical miles.

• Delivery year: 2011
• Length Overall: 133.9 m
• Beam: 18.6 m
• Gross Tonnage 8231 t

25. Al Mirqab | 133m

Al Mirqab was built by Peterswerft - Kusch for Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani – the former prime minister of Qatar. Her exterior design is by Tim Heywood and her interiors were styled by Winch Design . She is propelled by five generators that power two electric motors driving conventional shafts and a centrally positioned azimuthing electric pod drive. A grand staircase floats through four floors and surrounds suspended glass artwork by Dale Chihuly. 

Al Mirqab won Motor Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards 2009 and Best Interior Design among motor yachts. She can accommodate 60 guests and is manned by an equal number of crew.

• Builder: Peterswerft - Kusch
• Length Overall: 133 m
• Gross Tonnage 5000 t

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The largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos

• Megayachts have become a status symbol for the richest of the rich.
• In recent years, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have splurged on enormous boats.
• These are the biggest yachts owned by tech billionaires.

The average Joe celebrating a personal renaissance after, say, the end of a long-term relationship or when approaching a fresh decade might commemorate it with an ankle tattoo or a sports car. But if you're a billionaire, you may instead spend hundreds of millions on a yacht .

A few years after he and his wife divorced, Jeff Bezos shelled out on a megayacht. Last year, Bezos debuted the 127-meter vessel "Koru," a Māori symbol that signifies a fresh start — perhaps referring to that with his fiancée Lauren Sanchez.

Earlier this year, just before his 40th birthday, Mark Zuckerberg became the rumored owner of a yacht originally built for a Russian oligarch.

Superyachts have increasingly become ultrawealthy status symbols , providing highly secluded leisure and networking sites. They are — even more so than real estate — the single most expensive asset you can own.

"It's a bit of a celebration of your success in life, of wealth," Giovanna Vitelli, the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts, told Business Insider.

While many tech billionaires have bought yachts, the richest of the rich, like Bezos, Zuckerberg, and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, have gone bigger. Their boats are virtual palaces at sea, decked with amenities like gyms, spas, pools, nightclubs, and movie theaters.

A look at these megayachts — broadly defined as over 70 meters long, mostly custom-built, and often costing nine figures — offers a glimpse into how the .00001% lives. It's something few others will ever get to experience. Even chartering a yacht of this size for a week typically costs upwards of $1 million.

One major thing that hundreds of millions of dollars can buy is privacy. There are likely yachts that have not been publicly recorded or registered — for example, Evan Spiegel is rumored to own the 94-meter megayacht Bliss. In an industry ruled by discretion , deciphering who owns what is typically an exercise in stringing together many clues.

Here are the largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, listed in order of length.

Jeff Bezos: Koru and Abeona

Amazon founder Bezos' $500 million megayacht, the 127-meter Koru, made a splash last year as she crisscrossed the Mediterranean in her first summer at sea, with her 75-meter support vessel Abeona in tow.

The sailing yacht, which is hard to miss thanks to her massive size and unique design, was host to Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez's famous friends . The couple held an engagement party on board, which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week later, they were seen on the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, and Usher.

Even before her completion, Koru made headlines. She drew the ire of some Dutch people, who vowed to hurl eggs after she was announced a historic bridge in Rotterdam might be taken apart to allow the Oceanco boat through. Luckily, the shipyard made alternative plans, and an egg crisis was averted.

Among yacht world insiders , Koru is widely praised for her craftsmanship.

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," one superyacht expert told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Mark Zuckerberg: Launchpad

Earlier this year, the yacht world was rife with rumors that Zuckerberg purchased Launchpad, a 118-meter superyacht originally designed for a sanctioned Russian businessman.

The ship made her maiden voyage in March, going from Gibraltar to St. Maarten and mooring in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Little is known about her interior, but photos show a large swimming pool and helipad. Her price, too, has been kept under wraps but is said to be nine figures.

Eric Schmidt: Whisper

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt made waves last year when he agreed to buy the Alfa Nero , the yacht of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, for $67 million in an auction conducted by Antigua and Barbuda. But he backed out of the deal following legal issues over her true owner. He quietly purchased Kismet instead. The 95-meter-long Lürssen-built boat was formerly owned by the Jacksonville Jaguar's billionaire owner Shahid Khan . Schmidt renamed her Whisper.

The ship can fit 12 guests and a crew of 28, according to Moran Yacht & Ship, which oversaw her construction. She features a master deck with a private jacuzzi, full-service spa, lap pool, movie theater, and outdoor fireplace.

While her final sale price was not public, she was listed for 149 million euros (about $161 million at current exchange rates), and at a charity auction in January, one week aboard the ship went for $2.4 million, according to industry outlet Yacht Charter Fleet.

Barry Diller: Eos

Barry Diller , the chairman of digital media company IAC, co-owns the megayacht Eos with his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg , who is immortalized by a figurehead sculpture by Anh Duong.

One of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, the three-masted Lürssen schooner measures 93 meters long. She took three years to be built before being delivered to Diller in 2009, and since then, little has come to light about her interior and features.

The power couple has hosted many celebrities on the Eos, which spends her summers crisscrossing the Mediterranean and New Year ' s Eve in St. Barts . Over the years, guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Emma Thompson, Anderson Cooper, and Bezos, leading some to believe she provided inspiration for his Koru.

Jim Clark: Athena

Netscape founder Jim Clark purchased the 90-meter sailing yacht Athena in 2004.

"I could easily have built a 50- or 60-meter motor yacht that would have had the same space as Athena, but I was never really interested in building a motor yacht," he told Boat International in 2016. "To my eye, she's one of the most gorgeous large sailing yachts, maybe the most gorgeous large sailing yacht in the world."

Athena has room for 10 guests and 21 crewmembers, and the only change Clark says he'd make in her design is adding more space for his kids.

"If I was forced to change something, I would convert the office on the lower deck into a children's room," he said.

The former Stanford professor tried to sell her at various points — listing her for $95 million in 2012 , $69 million in 2016, and $59 million in 2017 — but she has yet to change hands.

Larry Ellison: Musashi

Oracle founder Larry Ellison has owned several superyachts over the years, including the Katana, the Ronin, and the Rising Sun — which he sold to fellow billionaire David Geffen .

He purchased his current boat, Musashi, in 2011 for a reported $160 million from custom-yacht giant Feadship.

Named after a famous samurai warrior, the 88-meter-long yacht has both Japanese and Art Deco-inspired design elements. She also boasts amenities including an elevator, swimming pool, beauty salon, gym, and basketball court.

Ellison is known for his extravagant spending — private islands, jets, a tennis tournament — and yachting is among his favorite and most expensive hobbies. He took up racing them in the 1990s and financed the America's Cup-winning BMW Oracle Racing team .

Laurene Powell Jobs: Venus

Steve Jobs' wife, investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, inherited a nearly finished 78-meter yacht named Venus when the Apple cofounder died in 2011.

After spending years vacationing on Ellison's yachts, Jobs wanted one for himself. He designed Venus with French starchitect and decorator Philippe Starck , and she was worth $130 million at completion.

"Venus comes from the philosophy of minimum," Starck said of her design. "The elegance of the minimum, approaching dematerialization."

Jobs and Starck began working together in 2007, the designer told Vanity Fair , and held monthly meetings over four years. Venus was delivered in 2012 to Jobs' specification: six identical cabins, a design to ensure spaces of absolute silence, and the most up-to-date technology.

"There will never again be a boat of that quality again. Because never again will two madmen come together to accomplish such a task," Starck told the magazine. "It was not a yacht that Steve and I were constructing, we were embarked on a philosophical action, implemented according to a quasi-religious process. We formed a single brain with four lobes."

Charles Simonyi: Norn

Early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi has purchased two megayachts from the German shipyard Lürssen: the 90-meter Norn and 71-meter Skat.

Delivered in 2023, Norn is full of luxe features, including an outdoor cinema and a pool floor that lifts to become a light-up dancefloor. She shares a militaristic style with Skat , which Simonyi sold in 2021.

Skats's name is derived from the Danish word for treasure, and she had a listing price of 56.5 million euros and was launched in 2002.

"The yacht is to be home away from my home in Seattle, and its style should match the style of the house, adapted for the practicalities of the sea," Simonyi once said .

Sergey Brin: Dragonfly

Google cofounder Sergey Brin has built a flotilla of yachts, boats, and toys known as the "Fly Fleet."

Named after a once-secret Google product , the largest of Brin's armada is the sleek Dragonfly , which boasts a movie theater and a helipad. The 73-meter-long vessel was built by the Australian shipyard Silver Yachts and can fit up to 18 guests and 16 crew members, according to SuperYacht Times.

Also in his fleet is the superyacht Butterfly, a mere 38 meters long. Often moored in the Bay Area, her crewmembers spend their downtime kitesurfing and giving swimming lessons to local kids.

The rest of his marine lineup includes a smaller boat called Firefly, as well as Jet Skis, foilboards, dinghies, and kiteboards. She takes a team of 50 full-time employees to manage, steer, and maintain the entire operation.

Sindhu Sundar contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Correction: May 6, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Giovanna Vitelli's title. She is the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, not a vice president.

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