A superyacht is pretty much the ultimate symbol of wealth, a statement of power that’s as much a fortress as it is a means of transport. Commissioning one of these behemoths is a defining statement of taste; for all the ego (and not to mention, jaw-dropping sums of money) involved, there really doesn’t seem much point in building one unless it looks attractive – and, to put it mildly, many don’t. But even if you regard them as icons of megalomania, you’d be hard pushed to claim that the best designs were devoid of aesthetic worth; you could, if you wished, argue that they’re the Taj Mahals and Blenheim Palaces of our time.
The best of the bunch are not always the flashiest, the fastest or the most expensive – it’s the same as anything: good looks are good looks. To illustrate the point, we’ve chosen our favourites.
ENIGMA
Although she’s now nearly 25 years old, Aidan Barclay’s yacht Enigma still stands our as a particularly innovative design. Streamlining is the key here, as testified by the extraordinary speeds she is capable of reaching.
Length: 74.5m, Built: Hamburg, Germany, 1990, Horsepower: 28,500, Max speed: 35 knots
ICE
The brainchild of ex-SAS officer Tim Heywood, Ice is currently owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, and is one of the biggest yachts in the world. Quite rightly so, she won ‘Superyacht of the Year’ in 2006.
Length: 90m, Built: Bremen, Germany, 2005, Horsepower: 6,800, Max speed: 18.6 knots
PELORUS
A real monster of a yacht – in a good way. Pelorus was bought by Roman Abramovich in 2004, and has been used as a holiday toy by Chelsea footballers Frank Lampard and John Terry. The yacht, which carries two helicopters, was passed on to Abramovich’s ex-wife Irina as part of their deforce settlement. She later sold it on to music mogul David Geffen for $300 million.
Length: 115m, Built: Bremen, Germany, 2003, Horsepower: 10,600, Max speed: 20 knots
SKAT
Skat doesn’t look a world away from super villain Elliot Carver’s stealth boat in the James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies – it is, in short, a millennial classic. Owned by tech whizz Charles Simonyi, this is a design fetishist’s dream.
Length: 70.7m, Built: Bremen, Germany, 2002, Horsepower: 2,717, Max speed: 17 knots
118 WALLYPOWER
This is surely the blueprint for the next generation of superyacht. The 118 WallyPower may be small, but she sure as hell packs a punch. Just look at the technical stats – and, no the speed listed isn’t a typo. she’s a looker, too.
Length: 36m, Built: Sarzana, Italy, 2003, Horsepower: 5,600, Max speed: 60 knots
This article was taken from our 2014 Summer Issue. To read more like this, subscribe to our print magazine here.
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