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Essence of all experience.

For the Y8, the follow-up model to the first ever YYacht, our design and development team cooperated with Surge Projects. The Mallorcan design studio around Javier Jaudenes has a "knack" for a timelessly elegant design, but also has great experience in designing fast yachts. 

In contrast to the previous Y8, the new model has a wider stern, so that in combination with the mast set further back, Javier Jaudenes attests to the high speed potential of his design: "A lot of R&D results from earlier projects have gone into the Y8. It is an essence of our experience and will be fast, but at the same time very safe under any conditions. The new Y8 is a lot of fun. I would describe her as a good-mood yacht."

Of course, the new Y8 also offers the innovative standard YYachts are accustomed to - such as the transverse garage in the stern, the self-tacking jib, the separate crew access in the cockpit or the flat deckhouse, whose optimally placed windows prevent the yacht from heating up too much.

By the way, the interior volume of the yacht is 20 percent larger than that of her predecessors "Cool Breeze", "Makai" or "Vegas Baby" - this results in many different layout options. And by moving the engine room under the saloon floor, the yacht has a lower centre of gravity and thus a better balance, which results in additional speed.

Our designers about the Y8

Javier Jaudenes from Surge Projects and Francesca Modica from the YYachts design team explain the exterior and interior concept of the Y8

• Easy handling

On this 25-metre yacht, all halyards, sheets and extensions run concealed to the steering columns - so the helmsman can operate the Y8 comfortably at all times and sail the yacht with a very small crew - "keep it simple".

Proven Technology

The electronics of a YYacht are based on the CZone system, which is connected to a transponder and thus to our technicians. We can troubleshoot remotely - no matter where in the world you are.

Sustainable luxury

Our yachts are built in lightweight construction and equipped with numerous sustainable materials. A YYacht can set sail in light winds, producing far fewer emissions.

Flexible layout

Due to the modular construction, the layout can be adapted to the owner's wishes. We can install the master suite either in the stern or in the bow. The number of guest cabins is also variable - up to five are possible.

OUR Y8 Custom

Based on their successful Y8 design the German boatyard YYachts has developed for a customer, a former racing sailor, a more made-to-measure version with a different philosophy.

YOUR Y8 Custom

The main salon is a sumptuous area that includes a relaxing lounge plus an exclusive dining area. This space can be used as part of the salon or, by closing the doors, can enlarge the master cabin converting into a fully equipped seagoing office. For this reason, here there are lockers dedicated to galley utensils and cutlery on one side and to office materials and equipment on the other side The crew quarters are located aft and are separate from the rest of the boat. The crew have two entrances, one connected to the cockpit and one close to the salon.

Layout Y8 Custom Layout 1

Specifications y8 custom.

Length overall (LoA) approx. 23.99 m (80 foot)

Bow sprit extension approx. 25.99 m (85 foot)

Length Waterline (LWL) approx. 22.4 m

Draft (fixed keel) approx. 4.80 m (optional 4.00 m / 3.50 m)

Draft (fixed keel) approx. 2.80 - 4.30 m

Beam approx. 6.58 m

Displacement (Light ship) approx. 37.3 t

Ballast (fixed keel) approx. 13.30 t

Ballast (telescopic) approx. 12.50 t

Ballast (shallow draft) approx. 13.80 t

Fuel Tank Capacity ca. 1600 l

Fresh Water Tank Capacity ca. 1000 l

Black Water Tank Capacity ca. 320 l

Naval Architects Surge-Projects / Javier Jaudenes 

Interior-Design YYachts Design Team

Yard YYachts GmbH

Structural Engineering AMS

Classification CE Category “A”

The current Y8 is a perfect blend of cruising and racing yacht. Surge Projects, together with YYachts, developed a fast and equally safe yacht that is suitable for both family holidays and racing. 

Harmonious, individual and flooded with light

The interior of a Y8 can be individually designed for each owner. With its soft edges and coachroof, and flooded with natural light, the Y8 has a relaxing atmosphere. 

SPACE FOR YOUR IDEAS

Your y8. your layout..

There are numerous options for a layout of a Y8 below deck. With the available options the Y8 can flexibly adapt to your requirements, with the possibility to divide the front and rear living areas. With this division implemented, the crews’ cabins, the navigation station, and the galley of the yacht are then located in the stern. This is the ideal layout to maximize privacy and remains undisturbed by the crew. With two cockpit solutions, variable headroom, and an interior that can be fully adapted to the customer, Y8 is a sailing yacht which is as individual as its future owner. A large dinghy garage with a transversal storage of the tender is a feature nearly all YYachts share so far. With state-of-the-art technology, the yacht can be handled even by a couple or with very small crew. The Y8 is one of the most customizable yachts in the 25 metre range providing speed, design, comfort and ease to use.

LAYOUT 2 - CENTRAL ENTRANCE Y8 CUSTOM

Layout 3 - central entrance y8 custom, layout 4 - central entrance y8 custom, layout 5 - asymmetric entrance y8 standard, layout 6 - asymmetric entrance y8 standard, layout 7 - asymmetric entrance y8 standard, specifications y8.

Beam approx. 6.6 m

Displacement (Light ship) approx. 37.9 t

Ballast (fixed keel) approx. 13.3 t

Engine 2x Nanni N4.115 SD, each 84.6 kW

Black Water Tank Capacity ca. 250 l

Mainsail Area approx. 179 m²

Self-tacking jib Area approx. 146 m²

Code 0 Area approx. 245 m²

Gennaker Area approx. 517 m²

Interior-Design YYachts Design Team / Francesca Modica

With Y ON WATCH, you can easily control the electrical and hydraulic systems on board with your smartwatch or smartphone. The best cutting-edge technologies are connected here.

Y ON WATCH stands for fun, comfort and safety on board. The hardware and software components enable 360° monitoring, with many great features for owners.

On board: yacht expert Toby Hodges visits the Y8 "Makai".

Room for your ideas, the first y8: discover the extraordinary "cool breeze"., additional features for an uncomplicated and luxurious sailing experience.

"Our yachts are a place of retreat from the constant hyperstimulation of this world."

The literature for the yacht you love

The highlights of a luxury carbon yacht from yyachts.

• Fast 80 foot sailing experience
• Light and safe construction
• High quality equipment
• Tailored layout
• Made in Germany
• A must have

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

First look: Y Yachts’ Y Breeze – a 75ft daysailer? (sold with crew included!)

• Toby Hodges
• June 22, 2023

A brand new 75ft 'luxury daysailer' concept, the Y Breeze YB75, has been unveiled by Michael Schmidt’s Y-Yachts. Toby Hodges got an exclusive chat to the design team behind this radical luxury yacht

Y-Yachts has unveiled a fascinating new 75ft luxury daysailer concept, the Y Breeze.

Y-Yachts founder Michael Schmidt, the veteran racing sailor, industry pioneer and former Hanse Yachts owner, is known for his innovation, particularly with a focus on making yachts simple, fun and approachable. The YBreeze YB75 strips things back to that – right back.

The YB75  is designed to be ultra clean and easy to sail. The sale of each boat will even include a crewmember to ensure it’s always ready for that quick sunset sail.

“For the last 30 years the number of powerboats have been increasing. Now it’s time to go back to sailing – with something eco and cool,” Schmidt told us at the announcement of the YBreeze project in his Y-Yachts office and home in Palma, Mallorca.

Designed by Cossutti Yacht Design, with an interior described as exclusive luxury by Gabriel Chipperfield’s Studio Wendover, the YB75 is reminiscent of some of the iconic Wally Yachts. Indeed the high bulwarks echo that of the 43m Esense .

High bulwarks create a very clean aesthetic while allowing for a safe, protected, walk around deck on the YBreeze

These bulwarks serve both aesthetical and practical purposes. Schmidt wanted the looks so clean that even stanchions could be avoided. The bulwarks give the required safe height for a full walkaround deck.

Further aft these bulwarks help conceal the steering consoles when not in use. And then, towards the transom, we see a feature adopted by powerboats of late: the bulwarks fold out like wings to create a vast sunbathing deck. The YB75 will be the first sailing yacht to feature such a system.

As well as looking ultra clean, the aim of the YB75 is to offer the comfort of a comparable powerboat. So while the decks are devoid of lines and clutter, a galley unit can rise up from below the deck. And Y-Yachts is devising its own standalone removable sunbeds including gimballing versions for the aft deck. Removable or fixed biminis can also cover this area.

A glance at the accommodation plan will show there is no interior space in the aft third of the boat, but instead a large garage for toys and dive gear.

75ft of instant fun

Making the boat easy to use is so important when comparing to the power market, believes Schmidt (and he knows from his experience with Fjord motor yachts) – hence crew will be included in the price!

“Each boat we sell we’ll sell with a crewmember,” Schmidt explained. “So you can call and say ‘in one hour I want to go sailing’ and the boat will be ready.”

Y-Yachts is even studying fenders that can automatically deploy and inflate. “We’re trying to avoid the hassle of having to ‘prepare and de-prepare a sailboat,” said Schmidt.

“We saw people buying power but getting bored quickly,” commented Y-Yachts head of design Francesca Modica. “The challenge was to make such a dayboat a sail boat.”

The YBreeze is designed to be allow owners to get off the dock quickly for fun, simple sailing

The YB75 is designed to appeal to owners who have houses in the sailing playgrounds of Palma, Sardinia and St Tropez areas. An app will not only be used to control the boat but Schmidt envisages it allowing multiple owners to share a boat.

Why this size? I asked. “It’s the best way to show the sexy concept – 55ft is too small I think… it’s a toy not an explorer,” he replied.

The YB75 is the largest project yet for the Italian designers and ORC specialists Cossutti, who first discussed Schmidt’s latest brainchild with him in September last year. The sheerline is particularly clever: modern, bold and actually relatively straight it helps disguise the bulwarks and coachroof which extends so far forward.

After analysing the type of Med sailing location the prospective owner will use, typically the Balearics/Costa Smerelda/south France, Cossutti found that 90% of the time the wind averages around 10 knots. So they chose a narrow hull with a low wetted surface.

“The idea is to have fun without needing many people on board, hence the water ballast,” Maurizio Cossutti explained. A tonne of water ballast will offset the need for lots of weight in the keel or crew on the rail.

Cossutti calculates that the YB75 will be competitive with a Maxi 72, yet can be handled on a race track by a crew of six as opposed to a team typically three times that size.

In some senses the interior design is a revisit by Gabriel Chipperfield (of Wendover Studio) of the interior his father David did for Schmidt’s first yacht, Cool Breeze . It’s an adaptable space, and while there are berths the expectation is not that owners will spend many nights aboard, instead using it as a daysailer for fun cruising, racing and entertaining.

“We wanted people to go inside and stay inside, not be depressed by it,” Chipperfield said at the project’s unveiling. He has chosen light, sustainable or natural materials, such as leather, timber, rattan and straw. The timber will be surplus material from outfitters of mega yachts.

YBreeze sustainable build

Y-Yachts has placed a strong focus on sustainability for YBreeze. It has already incorporated electric drives in its boats, but Schmidt believes synthetic diesel would be better in terms of carbon footprint for the YB75.

Y-Yachts is also working with a Spanish firm on using their green epoxy which can reportedly be separated and burned after use. And the innovative yard has already spent 18 months investigating ways to avoid moulds with composite yacht manufacturing – stay tuned for more on that and this intriguing project as details are released.

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A Boat Designed to Be a Breath of Fresh Air

The creators of the latest vessel from Azimut Yachts went to great lengths to reduce its emissions, but even they won’t call it green.

By Ian Volner

Reporting from Milan

This article is part of our Design special section about water as a source of creativity.

In the middle of Milan Design Week last month, in the middle of the Bagni Misteriosi — a historic bathing complex in the Porta Romana neighborhood — the Italian luxury shipbuilder Azimut Yachts hosted an unusual exhibition. It was a celebration of the company’s latest offering: the Seadeck 6, which made its debut last year and features interiors by the design team of Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez.

Having been lowered into the facility by crane, the nearly 60-foot vessel was set afloat in an outdoor swimming pool. There it bobbed, traversed by hordes of well-coiffed guests while a concealed apparatus shrouded it in bursts of atmospheric steam. Surreal, elegant, not a little absurd, it was a scene straight out of Fellini, with overtones of Werner Herzog’s boat-hoisting epic “Fitzcarraldo.”

But the thing that made it most unusual? “Azimut wanted to make this the most sustainable boat on the market,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “We tried to do that.”

The ultimate playthings for the ultrawealthy, high-end pleasure craft would not seem optimal candidates for greening. Yet a growing number of manufacturers and designers are trying to change that, producing yachts both large and (comparatively) small assembled from fewer and less carbon-intensive materials, requiring a fraction of the power to run and drawing more of their energy from renewable sources.

In a peculiar twist for an industry uniquely exposed to supply-chain shocks and the vicissitudes of geopolitics (the loss of the once-lucrative Russian market continues to smart), global brand leaders appear to be making the move toward energy efficiency of their own accord, rather than in response to any explicit demand from their clientele.

“We will have to see if the world is ready,” said Giovanna Vitelli, Azimut’s chairwoman, as she stood aboard the Seadeck 6 during its not-quite maiden, not-quite voyage.

It is an approach that entails some risk. In January, Silent Yachts — an Austrian solar-electric catamaran company with facilities in Fano, Italy — was reported to be approaching bankruptcy amid problems with both its corporate parent and a key subcontractor. A former client stepped in to rescue the brand from insolvency, yet challenges remain. In a recent interview with the trade publication Superyacht News, the company’s new chief operating officer, Fabrizio Iarrera, spoke of the “costs associated with creating an entirely new market.”

Still, the push toward more sustainable yachting appears to be barreling forward, part of a broader shift in the role of design in the industry. Seven years ago, Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture in New York — known for its plush hotel interiors for the hospitality magnate Ian Schrager — was invited by Azimut’s sister company Benetti to develop a new yacht concept, the Oasis. It was one of the rare instances in which Benetti, founded in 1873, had sought out collaborators with no previous maritime experience, and all parties took it as an opportunity to import a set of values they viewed as lacking in the boating world.

According to Enrico Bonetti, the architecture firm’s co-founder, boat design previously favored grand spaces that no one actually liked. “There’s always this big table nobody’s using, then you step into another place with shiny things,” he said. “We didn’t follow that.” With its open, airy living space, wood paneling and notable lack of gold leaf, the Oasis represented a more humane vision for the yacht of the future, one constrained by at least the appearance of refinement and reserve, though it was ritzy nonetheless.

That low-key tendency is very much in line with the decarbonization campaign now underway at Azimut and other builders. In recent years, design studios like Zaha Hadid Architects and Pininfarina have turned out yacht proposals that pair sleek visuals with reduced reliance on fossil fuels; later this year, Yves Béhar, the Swiss-born product and furniture maestro, will unveil his own take on the trend — a catamaran designed for an as-yet unnamed manufacturer. “It’s essentially an E.V.,” said Mr. Béhar, who was also in Milan for the design fair.

Underlying the designer eco-yacht phenomenon is the intuitive sense, as Antonio Rodriguez put it, that “silent luxury” is fast displacing opulence. Where previous generations of yachters sought to flaunt their wealth, today’s owners may be less keen to draw attention to their own affluence. In reducing their carbon footprint, boatmakers are hoping to lure customers eager to reduce their profile, while still allowing them to ply the seven seas in style.

The Seadeck 6 certainly does that. With a crisp, white exterior — the work of the veteran yacht designer Alberto Mancini — the ship sleeps up to eight in three below-deck cabins. Topside, guests can sprawl in fore and aft lounges, or take lunch prepared in a semi-concealed galley, served on an elegant foldout table. The interior palette is muted, the contours soft, and everywhere, Ms. Vitelli said, the intention was to let people “feel close to water” rather than immuring them in an oceangoing penthouse.

Relatively speaking, the Seadeck’s ecological credentials are also impressive. Nearly every feature has been retooled for minimal environmental impact: replacing the customary teak deck with sustainably sourced cork; covering the walls and upholstering the seating with organic and recycled materials; even sealing the hull with something the company refers to as an ‘eco-gel finish.’” Most important, the craft incorporates a still-novel (for marine propulsion) hybrid engine, capable of a top speed of 33 knots with the ability to navigate about 200 miles offshore — enough for a quick spin from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

Add it together, and the company claims the Seadeck 6 and its larger cousin, the 71-foot Seadeck 7, achieve an operational carbon output 60 percent that of comparable vessels.

It’s a start, but only that. A comparative analysis with a similarly sized Azimut product — coupled with statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency — suggests that the cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau would contribute roughly 4,400 pounds of carbon dioxide on the Seadeck 6, well over what the average American produces in a month.

And then there are the more immediate costs: around $2.8 million for the Seadeck 6 and $4.25 million for the Seadeck 7. Ms. Vitelli said the company hopes that enough buyers will come aboard to make price reductions possible in future.

A lot is riding on these hopes. Elsewhere in Milan, at the giant exhibition hall of the Salone del Mobile furniture fair, a talk session with a group of yacht experts underscored the stakes: During the panel, Stefano de Vivo, the chief commercial officer of the luxury yacht brand Ferretti Group, presented a slide showing Italy’s dominance in the custom-yacht sector, with domestic manufacturers taking a large share of the $9 billion global marketplace.

Mr. de Vivo declared sustainability essential to shipbuilding’s ongoing success and spoke of a general convergence with the design field at large. “As a shipyard, we’ve had to become less ‘marine,’” he said.

Back at the Bagni Misteriosi, mariners did seem in somewhat short supply, as various design lovers and Salone personalities (including the celebrated architect Michele de Lucchi, who helped create an on-site installation for Azimut) swanned around the bathhouse garden and its waterborne centerpiece. As an image of an ecologically sensitive future, the spectacle seemed off the mark — but then the Seadeck’s creators are careful not to make any overly sweeping claims as to whether their yacht, or any yacht for that matter, can truly be deemed an ecological asset.

“We don’t really like the word ‘sustainable,’” Mr. Rodriguez said. “We prefer to say it’s ‘conscious.’”

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg spend six figures a year maintaining their superyachts. Here's how.

• Superyachts  are one of the most expensive assets money can buy.
• The true cost of ownership is even more, adding up to millions a year.
• Here's how much it costs to own a superyacht — and what that money is going toward.

Financial advisors are quick to warn prospective owners that a boat is nothing more than a hole in the water in which to throw money. When it comes to superyachts , you'd better have bags and bags of cash.

As one luxury agent told Business Insider at the Palm Beach International Boat Show: "Buying a boat, it's a huge purchase — and nobody needs a yacht."

A superyacht, generally over 30 meters long, is one of the most expensive assets money can buy, with the largest costing more than a lot of real estate or a private jet. Billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs each spent nine figures on their megayachts.

That doesn't include operating costs. Owners should expect to pay about 10% of a yacht's new-build price each year, experts told Business Insider. That's tens of millions of dollars annually for the most luxurious boats.

"It's a small-to-medium-sized business in its own right," said Jeffrey Beneville, a senior vice president at insurance company NFP, where he specializes in consulting clients about yachts.

Unlike many smaller boats, superyachts need staff, not just a captain. Some superyachts have space for dozens of crewmembers , including a chef, engineer, and masseuse for the guests onboard. Each gets an annual salary — the highest-ranking members earn six figures — and benefits. Eric Schmidt's yacht fits a crew of 28 for a ratio of about two crewmembers per guest.

Then there's fuel, dockage fees, routine maintenance, and insurance. The latter hinges on everything from the reputation of a yacht's shipyard to where an owner wants to take it (if a vessel is taking frequent trips to the South China Sea, for example, expect to pay a higher premium). If a superyacht has a support yacht — or a support superyacht, in Bezos ' case — expect to pay another 10% of that boat's price annually.

"The cost to maintain a yacht is so high that they just think that money's getting lit on fire," Matthew Fleissig, the CEO of wealth management firm Pathstone, told BI of his clients who choose to charter rather than own.

One of his firm's clients who does own has a 23-meter yacht valued at $5.2 million. The annual cost to staff, maintain, dock, and insure the boat is $346,297, according to documentation provided to BI. The lion's share is spent on marina fees ($95,970) and maintenance work ($88,408.) While not exactly a Sunfish, that boat is too small to count as a superyacht.

At 106 meters, the Amadea, owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch , definitely does. The $300 million yacht, which was seized in 2022 and is docked in San Diego, cost $922,000 a month to maintain, a court filing showed: $360,000 for crew salaries, $75,000 for fuel, $144,000 for insurance, $178,000 in dry-docking fees, and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food for the crew, and miscellaneous expenses.

"And that's an inactive yacht that's in the water," NFP's Beneville said.

If it were operational and carrying guests, the costs would be about twice that, or between $20 million and $30 million a year, he added.

Of course, it makes more financial sense for the non-obsessives to charter, and many of Fleissig's clients do. And some owners choose to offer their yachts for charter — the most luxurious cost as much as $1 million a week — to offset the costs.

"If you charter the boat for 50 days a year, it's going to help a lot," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of brokerage firm Fraser Yachts, told BI.

Then again, the running costs don't matter as much at a certain point. "If you're worth $30 billion, it's nothing. And if you're worth $117 billion — and these are the guys we're talking about — they're in it as long as it's still enjoyable for them," Beneville said. "It's not a money thing."

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Lürssen's 122m superyacht Kismet delivered

The 122-metre Lürssen superyacht Kismet has been delivered following successful sea trials off the coast of Kiel, Germany. According to BOATPro , her final destination is Troon, Scotland.

Previously known as Project Jag, Kismet was commissioned by repeat Lürssen client Shahid Khan, who previously owned the 95.2-metre Lürssen yacht Whisper (formerly Kismet ) . His new yacht reunites him with Reymond Langton Design for the interior, but the exteriors on the new build have been helmed by Nuvolari Lenard .

The delivery news follows the reveal of Kismet 's computer-rendered interiors by her central agency for charter, Cecil Wright . Kismet charters for €3,000,000 per week plus expenses.

Interiors have been described as a "beautiful, bespoke homage to the owner’s lifestyle" by the yard. The renderings show a dramatic theme, with an elaborate staircase that appears to have the same video walls as the original Kismet .  Fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling glass and intricate paint and marble detailing also feature throughout. 

Speaking about her entrance on the charter market, Chris Cecil-Wright said: "Having sold the previous Kismet in September last year, we are delighted to be able to continue our relationship with her owner as the central agent for charter for his stunning new vessel."

The charter yacht features accommodation for 12 guests in up to nine cabins. The crew quarters, meanwhile, will accommodate a staff of 40. Other key details include a beam of 17.8 metres, creating "extraordinary volumes" and "sleek and elegant lines", according to the yard.

Standout features include a helipad, beauty salon, spa, sauna, swimming pool, indoor and outdoor cinema, dance floor, gym and elevator. There will also be ample room for a selection of tenders and toys including a sailing dinghy, Sea Bobs, sea scooters, windsurfers and a submarine.

Sold by Moran Yacht & Ship in 2019, Kismet is one of the largest superyachts under construction in the world . 

According to BOATPro , Lürssen has 12 yachts currently in build or on order. This includes the 107-metre explorer Project Icecap which, once delivered, will rank in the top 30 Lürssen yachts by size. Kismet first hit the water on August 11 at Rendsburg, following the drydock flooding on 10 August. 

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Business Insider

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

Posted: May 5, 2024 | Last updated: May 7, 2024

• 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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