Roman Abramovich, his girlfriend Daria Zhukova and his yacht Eclipse
Can a boat simply be too big? Ask your average Saudi or Russian multi-billionaire and they'd probably say of course not. Ask your average mere mortal and they might well beg to differ, and a recent event would underline their point.
The Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich's yacht Eclipse, larger than a Channel ferry and currently the world's biggest private craft, has just been refused entry to the elite aquatic playground that is the Royal Yacht Club Antibes. The only berth big enough to take it was already occupied, by an 80-metre yacht - half the size of the Russian's - already owned by the Saudi sheikh Prince Aziz al Saud.
For the rest of us, the nearest we'll come to enjoying the mega-rich lifestyle is by chartering a vessel or taking a luxury cruise. But if you've never been on a boat with its own swimming pool and spa, beach deck and cigar bar - not to mention personal submarines and a missile defence system (hello, Roman! OK, it probably does make sense when you're that rich) - we've done the work for you. Here's our guide to Eclipse and the rest of the most luxurious boats afloat.
Chris Alden is a freelance travel writer.
I dont think mr Abramovich would be to bothered about sailing off the coast of Somalia. There will probably be more than enough weaponry on the yacht to sort any aggro out, and i dont think he will be under orders not to shoot. I can not see him dishing out his caviar butties etc to help them get back home.
I hope it sinks with all the GREEDY RICH EXPLOITERS OF MANKIND ON BOARD.
I AM JEALOUS!.......NOT!
obscene!
161 ft long, with it's own helipad, motor launches and space for a car. It was never made clear how the car would be useful or would get from the yacht to the shore. Never-the-less, there was a jeep on board.
The people who commissioned it had owned a sport boat business and had this made for their retirement. They were cat lovers and had lots of tunnels for the cats to play in built into the structure of the boat. .
It was built in Port Townsend Washington USA , where I used to live and I watched it being launched.
The water in PT Bay is not very deep and they damaged the bottom of it and it ran aground.
Funny and heartbreaking at the same time.
They allowed a certain number of people to go on board for a look, giving a couple of hours window and I went on. It is truly an amazing and beautiful vessel.
Check it out here ...... http://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/details/1112/
He want`s to downgrade the yacht, and buy some feckin razor blades he looks like a russian big issue seller.
Mind u you selling that u could afford a boat like his
