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Delivered in 2016, Dilbar is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage. She is one of the most complbuilt as and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology. At 15,917 tons, the 156-meter superyacht features entertainment and recreation spaces never before seen on a yacht. These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht. The exterior design, a classic profile with a light ivory hull and bronze accents, was developed by Espen Øino International. Her spectacular interior, created by the Winch Design team, uses rare and exclusive luxury materials.

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Step on board the 162.5m Eclipse - the second largest superyacht in the world

Designer Terry Disdale talks us through the four and a half years, nine decks and 162.5 metres of the world’s second largest superyacht.

Terry Disdale didn’t set out to design the biggest superyacht in the world. “No one ever said to me, ‘I want a 160 metre boat’,” he says over breakfast near his office in Richmond, London. “When the yacht was still on the drawing board, there was a rumour going round that someone was building an even bigger boat, and the owner was asked if he knew about it. He said he didn’t, and that he didn’t care. Breaking records was the farthest thing from his mind.”

What he did care about was helicopters – he wanted to carry more than one; and the pool – it had to be big. There were also some early discussions about low bulwarks and big windows, and that was the totality of the brief for what would become Eclipse . “To be given free rein is actually a dreadful thing,” says Disdale.  “I asked myself what I wanted: something timeless. How do you design something timeless that’s still going to look good and not be anaemic? It’s so easy to get carried away, but you’ve got to be able to look at it in 20 years and decide it still looks OK.” But that’s the trick, isn’t it? And the measure of a designer.

• The 25 largest yachts in the world

At least Disdale had some hooks on which to hang the design. “Part of what creates the yacht looking like that is you’ve got to land this huge helicopter on the front, so the superstructure is pushed back. The formation of the boat is built around helicopter usage. And we didn’t want the boat to look unbalanced when the helicopter is on the foredeck. Some boats have a foredeck that looks wrong whenever a helicopter sits there.”

The lines of the boat were dictated by another prerequisite: the two significant lifeboats demanded by Solas. The sheerline runs straight aft from the bow and steps up amidships, the high freeboard created giving visual support to the lifeboats. “If you’d had a different sheerline, the lifeboats wouldn’t have looked comfortable,” the designer says. This, plus the addition of a 15 metre pool aft on the main deck, meant that the overall length of Eclipse – 162.5 metres – was defined not by ego but by practicality.

“Everyone thinks that a boat starts with a sketch, some glamorous visual of the outside of the boat. But that’s not how things work in my office – we start with a plan, a general arrangement.” The project, from this first design stage to the boat’s launch at Blohm+Voss ’s Hamburg yard in 2009, took four and a half years – a remarkable achievement given the scale of the yacht, which was only overtaken as the world’s biggest in 2013 with the launch of 180 metre Azzam . 

Up to 20 engineers from Blue Ocean Yacht Management were present on site throughout the build, whipping it along to meet the aggressive delivery schedule. Disdale doesn’t recall any sleepless nights – “at least, no more than usual!” he laughs. The pressure of designing what was then the world’s top yacht – both inside and out – did obviously register, though. “It’s a huge responsibility building something of that magnitude, which is going to be under everyone’s magnifying glass. It’s not just ‘doing a job’, this thing is going to be scrutinised and analysed by everyone. There’s a responsibility to yourself as a designer.”

A decade from delivery, and more than 15 years from the moment Disdale first put pen to paper, he says he wouldn’t change a thing – and nor has the owner, who has kept Disdale’s designs largely unchanged. “For me, it’s more a clean piece of architecture than it is a piece of styling. The fact that you have a helipad on the front creates the superstructure to bow dimension, which is beautiful. If it wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have that length. And then when you get to the back of the boat, the swimming pool is dictating another piece of the story. I don’t know what I would change now. I don’t sit around saying, ‘I wish I did this or that’. Maybe I’d make the rear end look a bit more inviting, the way the staircases lead into the boat, but anti-piracy was a concern, plus there are a load of services and facilities back there. There’s a full-size pantry to serve the beach club, which very few boats have, and gull-wing doors with a pullout barbecue and pizza oven. There’s a lot you don’t see.”

Disdale’s long experience in the business means he is able to resist the temptation to force designs, or slavishly follow trends that flare and fade, leaving boats looking old before their time. “ Eclipse is a handsome boat, and it looks like a boat. It doesn’t make any pretence,” he says. “The key word is elegance. Very few boats can make that claim any more. Modern boats are purposeful, aggressive, macho, which has led to them all having snub noses. They look angry. You could paint them grey and stick a cannon on the front and it wouldn’t upset their stance at all. Eclipse is not like that.” It’s a familiar sermon from Disdale, who famously posts his 10 “design commandments” up round his office. “One of  the most important tools in your box is restraint. I can have complete freedom when designing a superstructure, but restraint is actually the most important thing – knowing when to stop gilding the lily. Don’t gild it! Use silver leaf.”

• Inside the Surrey home of legendary superyacht designer Terence Disdale  

The obvious benefit of a single designer being responsible for the interior and exterior of a yacht is a seamless flow between the two, and that is absolutely true of Eclipse , whose interior conforms to another one of Disdale’s mantras: “ beach house not penthouse ”. “If you’ve got a dining room with satin on the chairs and gold braid around them, but you live in a T-shirt and shorts, then you’re not comfortable,” he says. 

The pool is a vast entertaining space, with 3.2 metre overheads and a retracting glass sunroof. “The ambience of the pool is as important as how it looks. You’ve got to want to sit by it.” Or dance on it: the blue granite bottom of the pool rises up to sit flush with the deck. It can also be lowered a touch to create a paddling pool.

The interior of any boat should be about “pure relaxation”, says Disdale. “People are on vacation, people are chilled.” He relates one story of an Arab client in the 1980s, who he dissuaded from fitting gold taps to his superyacht. “I told him he already had a 65 metre on the quay – he had already made his statement. It was a process of trying to quieten his ostentation.” You get the feeling no such effort was needed with the owner of Eclipse . “He had already owned three yachts to our design, so consequently was very familiar with my way of working and the habitat I create.” It’s impossible to miss the very deliberate warmth of that habitat and a design miracle that, despite using broadly the same colour palette throughout, nowhere do you tire of the ochre-like shades. 

This uniformity wasn’t applied to the lobbies between decks: different artists were tasked with creating unique works to give each lobby a flavour, so there is no confusion about what deck you’re on – a problem when you have nine. One of these pieces is a wooden sculpture made up of seven pieces, the design for which was hand drawn by Disdale and sent to Japan for manufacture. It’s a stunning work and symptomatic of the detail shown throughout – even in more mundane pieces, like the sideboards in the cabins that were designed in Europe and crafted in Chile.

With no clear-cut brief on the yacht’s layout, Disdale was forced to second-guess, “but that’s my job”, he says. “You have to work out how people will move around the boat.” The benefit of an LOA like Eclipse ’s is the owner can swallow serious acreage without impacting the guest experience. It’s not about avoiding guests, but being able to operate independently of them.

It would be easy to mistake the guest suites for the owner’s own quarters, such is their footprint. There are 18 guest cabins in total, served by 100 crew. From the moment the guests arrive by chopper, mainly on the top helideck, they’re absorbed in the comfort of the boat and have access to the main stairwell and elevator. It’s a transition of which Disdale is particularly proud. “It came from understanding how a boat is used. When you get out of the helicopter, you’re blown to pieces, and then where do you go?” The answer is an intimate lounge, where you can freshen up before entering the interior proper. It also gives pilots somewhere to conduct safety briefings, he points out. Eclipse is able to travel with multiple helicopters on board because one can be housed in the forward hangar, one above it on the retractable platform and another on the sundeck.

At the other extremity of the boat, the convenience continues with a huge bathing platform and staircases that fold down into the water for easy boarding – even for those wearing full dive gear. The beach club wasn’t maxed out, with a comfortable lounge along the centreline preferred to a big open area that is harder to secure. Beyond, though, the lower deck opens up into a huge 77 square metre gym and spa area, complete with massage room, beauty salon, sauna, shower areas and the yacht’s second plunge pool. Visual interest is added by banks of portholes with views into the swimming pool, which dapple light across this whole space. Choosing somewhere to relax on deck is slightly harder – where do you start? The options are endless but special mention has to be made of the wood-burning fire pit on the upper deck – perfect for nights on deck under the stars.

Disdale and his team were present in June 2009 when the boat appeared from the giant drydock in Hamburg. No butterflies – he claims to have been pretty zen about seeing her free of scaffolding and plastic. “Although you design every part of it and you see it being built, nothing prepares you for the feeling you get when you actually see it in the flesh. The tug pulled it out and there was the thickness of a mattress between the wing stations and the shed walls. Literally – they tied mattresses to the stations. When it appeared I was gobsmacked.” As was the owner, pleasingly for the man who’d dedicated nearly five years to the project.

“It’s like cars,” explains the car fanatic. “I was talking about Lamborghinis the other day. They used to have the Miura, a beautiful car. But they replaced it with the Countach, which looks like it was carved from cheese. One is ageless and one looks stuck in time. Elegance is the most important thing. The Miura is elegant, the Jaguar E-Type is elegant.” He’s too modest to say but Eclipse belongs in that league – beautiful for ever.

First published in the April 2016 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Dilbar – the world’s largest super yacht

Dilbar – the world’s largest super yacht launched on 14 November 2015 at the Lürssen shipyard.

It was built as Project Omar. The interior design of Dilbar was designed by Andrew Winch. The exterior by Espen Oeino.

As of 2020, Dilbar Mega Yacht is the sixth longest yacht in the world. At 15,917 gross tons, it is the third largest yacht by volume, after Fulk Al Salamah and REV Ocean.

The length of the yacht is 156 m, with a beam of 24 m and a draft of 6.1 m.

Dilbar features a displacement steel hull with an aluminium superstructure. High quality teak is the selected material for decks. This yacht meets “Lloyd’s Register classification society rules”. Also, Dilbar meets “Safety of Life at Sea” requirements. Her flag state is Cayman Islands.

These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht. Espen Øino International was exterior designer. Her spectacular interior, created by the Winch Design team, uses rare and exclusive luxury materials.

We know that it has two hellipads and 41,000 square feet of living space, but beyond that, details on the yacht are few and far between.

Dilbar, the world’s largest super yacht owner

Dilbar was custom-built for Alisher Usmanov, a 62-year-old Russian billionaire who is one of Arsenal FC’s largest shareholders. Usmanov has an estimated networth of $13.4 billion USD, making him one of Russia’s richest citizens. The billionaire’s new yacht completed sea trials earlier in the year and was recently spotted around Gibraltar and France. Unfortunately, as is the case with many vessels custom built for the super-rich, the details of Dilbar’s interior and amenities remain a secret.

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By itself, a personal helicopter is a fact already speaking about the viability of its owner, and here he is like a small detail. Well, a helicopter and a helicopter.

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Inside insane concept for 700ft £1BILLION megayacht ‘Goliath’ with hangar for four aircraft & its own submarine

• Vera Demertzis
• Published : 18:14, 29 Aug 2024
• Updated : 0:46, 30 Aug 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

AN INCREDIBLE mega yacht so large that has its own submarine could double as a billionaires playground and a research lab

Plans for the 700ft Goliath yacht includes research equipment, jet skis, helicopters and three heated pools.

The vessel is touted to cost a whopping £1 billion.

Part of the Goliath series, the Q-quest yacht designed by California based yacht designer Steve Kozloff.

The massive research floater has been described as an expedition dream, providing plenty of lab space for research, experimentation, and medical intervention.

The mega-yacht is also loaded with plenty of exploration vehicles, including including six hydrofoil tenders, two seaplanes, three jet skies, two helicopters, a U-Worx Research submarine, and a garage for two overland SUVs.

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A separate hangar at midship stores two Cessna Caravan Seaplanes, selected for their ability to transport resupply across long distances.

The three upper decks are reserved for the owner and guests, offering 18 VIP cabins and a primary suite with a private balcony and pool.

It also boasts five-star amenities like a beach club, Turkish bath, three heated pools, yoga studio, and a 20-person theatre.

The mega yacht also has an impressive 3,000-square-foot owner’s suite with panoramic views at the bow, a large spa and pool , a basketball court .

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There's another pool with a shaded lounge area above the hangar, a dining room at the stern, and a solarium with a second dining area, plus a beach club with a full bar.

A total of 26 owner’s guests will reside on the three upper decks, while an operating crew of 150 including doctors, scientists, pilots, nurses, research engineers will reside in unspecified quarters.

Luxury aside, the predominately research vessel would carry a complete oceanographic laboratory, a medical laboratory with MRI and X-ray imaging.

It could even hold as many as 20 hospital beds with 5G-connected robotic surgery facilities.

Propelled by thrusters powered by batteries, the vessel can reach a top speed of 20 knots with a range of 20,000 nautical miles.

Kozloff told autoevolution : "The mission of G-Quest, a 705-foot yacht, allows its owner to oversee their philanthropic efforts while living in luxury at sea.

"It is designed for both humanitarian and research objectives."

The G-quest isn't the only luxury yacht to boast a helipad .

Plans for the "Floating Dubai" vessel include an enormous pool deck, a relaxing spa and not one, but two enormous helipads on board.

Christened UAE One, the superboat was designed by Milan-based Enzo Manca, who collaborated with a sheikh to make it the flagship of the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, Manca said: “The idea of UAE One was born in 2020, during a very special meeting between me and a sheikh of the United Arab Emirates on vacation in Italy.

“The sultan was very clear and categorical, he wanted something really special and unique.”

UAE One is inspired by historic defence ships, yet its curving lines distinguishes it from other vessels on the high seas.

It also stands over 130 feet tall and has tinted windows for extra privacy in true military style.

With nine decks and a total area of slightly over 30,000 square feet, the monster yacht is designed to give guests, diplomats, and kings the finest experience possible.

There is an owner's suite, eight cabins, and 14 mini suites within.

The staff has 35 cabins as well.

The main deck, meanwhile, has a beautiful 18-metre geometric swimming pool.

There are also several outdoor lounges for sundowners, a platform for ocean swims, and a wellness centre with a spa on board.

Due to the necessity of quick and simple transportation to and from a flagship, UAE One is able to maintain an extensive fleet of land, air, and sea vehicles.

The yacht features one hangar, two helipads  ideal for foreign delegates, and a "mini-internal port" for tenders and submarines.

The fate of billionaire Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov's $600 million mega-yacht is unclear

• Sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs have been implemented by several countries.
• It's unclear if a Russian billionaire had his yacht seized by German authorities on Wednesday, Forbes reported.
• In the past, Alisher Usmanov has spoken highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The fate of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's mega-yacht is unclear. Forbes initially reported that the yacht was seized on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, but later issued a correction on Thursday, saying it was not seized.

"Three sources had told Forbes it had been seized, but a representative for Usmanov cited the statement from the ministry in Hamburg to confirm that it had not," according to Forbes' update. "In its statement, the ministry elaborated that the German federal customs agency is the 'responsible enforcement authority' and would have to issue an export waiver for the yacht to leave, and that 'no yacht leaves port that is not allowed to do so.'"

Usmanov's yacht has been docked in Hamburg, Germany, for months for a refitting. 

Dilbar, a 512-foot yacht that weighs 15,917 tons, "is the largest motor yacht in the world by gross tonnage," said Lürssen , the German ship's maker.

Usmanov bought the custom-built yacht for an estimated $600 million, and it took 52 months to build, Forbes reported. 

The US State Department was unable to confirm to Insider whether the yacht was indeed seized. Usmanov and Germany's   Federal Foreign Office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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Many countries, including the US and those in the European Union, have implemented sanctions — financial consequences applied by one party to another — against Russian banks, Russian oligarchs, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an effort to end the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Usmanov's assets are threatened as part of sanctions levied by the European Union, The Guardian reported. After the European Union announced sanctions against Usmanov and other Russian oligarchs, he stepped down as president of the International Fencing Federation.

"I believe that such a decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," Usmanov said in a statement on the organization's website.

"I hereby suspend the exercise of my duties as the President of the International Fencing Federation effective immediately until justice is restored," he added.

The oligarch has historically supported Putin, though he has not commented on the attack on Ukraine.

"I am proud that I know Putin, and the fact that everybody does not like him is not Putin's problem," the Uzbekistan-born oligarch told Forbes in a 2010 interview. 

Correction 3/3/2022: This post has been corrected to reflect changes to the Forbes report that the yacht has not been seized.

Watch: BILL BROWDER: How sanctions on Russia hurt Putin's closest allies

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UNITED STATES NEWS

Lawyers for man charged in deaths of 4 Idaho students say strong bias means his trial must be moved

Aug 28, 2024, 9:04 PM

FILE - Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, is escorted into court for a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File) Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Attorneys for the man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022 say the pressure to convict is so severe that some Latah County residents are predicting lynch mobs or riots if he is acquitted.

Bryan Kohberger’s defense lawyer Elisa Massoth made that argument in a filing this month, saying the only way he can get a fair trial is to move it to a new location.

Second District John Judge is scheduled to preside over a hearing on the motion for a change of venue Thursday morning. If he agrees, the trial, set for June of 2025, could be moved from Moscow to Boise or another larger Idaho city.

Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University, which is across the state line in Pullman, faces four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

The four University of Idaho students were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, in a rental house near the campus.

Police arrested Kohberger six weeks later at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, where he was spending winter break.

The killings stunned students at both universities and left the small city of Moscow deeply shaken. They also prompted widespread media coverage, much of which Kohberger’s defense team says was inflammatory and left the close-knit community strongly biased against their client.

Kohberger first requested a change of venue in January, when his attorney Anne Taylor wrote in a court filing that a fair and impartial jury could be found in Latah County “owing to the extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity, allegations made about Mr. Kohberger to the public by media that will be inadmissible at his trial, the small size of the community, the salacious nature of the alleged crimes, and the severity of the charges Mr. Kohberger faces.”

Defendants have a constitutional right to a fair trial, and that requires finding jurors that can be impartial and haven’t already made up their minds about the guilt or innocence of the person accused. But when the defense team hired a company to survey Latah County residents, 98% percent of the respondents said they recognized the case and 70% of that group said they had already formed the opinion that Kohberger is guilty. More than half of the respondents with that opinion also said nothing would change their mind, according to defense court filings.

Some respondents also made dire predictions, according to the filings, saying that if Kohberger is acquitted, “There would likely be a riot and he wouldn’t last long outside because someone would do the good ole’ boy justice,” “They’d burn the courthouse down,” and “Riots, parents would take care of him.”

Prosecutors wanted the judge to disregard the survey, saying it didn’t include all the data about people who declined to respond to the survey. Prosecutor Bill Thompson and Special Assistant Attorney General Ingrid Batey said in court documents that there are other ways to ensure a fair trial short of moving the proceeding hundreds of miles away, including widening the pool of potential jurors to include neighboring counties.

Any venue change would be expensive and also force court staffers, witnesses, experts, law enforcement officers and victims’ family members to make an inconvenient trip to the new location, the prosecution team said.

The media coverage of the investigation into the killings wasn’t limited to local and national news outlets. True crime-style television shows, books, podcasts and YouTube broadcasts also focused on the case, as have social media groups on sites like Facebook, Reddit and TikTok.

Taylor said the media coverage has “utterly corrupted” the atmosphere in Latah County.

“Once the police arrested Mr. Kohberger the public was ready to, and has, proceeded to vilify him without regard to the Constitutional guarantee of the presumption of innocence and a right to an impartial jury and fair trial,” Taylor wrote. “The media focus on Mr. Kohberger has been relentless and highly inflammatory.”

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Boat of the Week: Meet the 446-Foot ‘Flying Fox,’ the Largest Superyacht Available for Charter

Chartering for almost $4 million per week, the vessel is the owner's fantasy come true, with a two-deck spa, dive center, 54 crew that include former olympic athletes, two helipads, hospital and, of course, a cryotherapy center., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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Three time’s a charm for the owner of Flying Fox . Not only did he want hearts to beat faster when guests came aboard this magnificent 446-foot Lürssen, the owner wanted to make sure he included every whim and fantasy for his own pleasure. Think features like the two-deck spa, a professional dive center, two helipads for corporate helicopters, the world’s largest transverse swimming pool and, naturally, a cryotherapy center. He also staffed it former Olympic athletes and British ex-military to provide a first-class crew.

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The good news is that Flying Fox can be shared by the rest of us—or some of us, for about $4 million per week. The length makes her the  largest yacht available for charter . Delivered in 2019, she has just about every luxurious amenity imaginable. In a very real sense, she doesn’t just raise the bar—she sets a new one.

The first glimpse of the turquoise Espen Øino exterior is a quick reveal of the scope of the six-decked vessel. On the aft end, the 40-foot swimming pool immediately catches the eye. The largest transverse pool on any yacht, it has a retractable wall that can divide the water in two. That gives guests a choice between fresh water or salt, and temperatures ranging from steaming to icy.

The yacht has every possible toy imaginable—and many others that surprise, including a professional dive center, cryotherapy spa, and an onboard hospital.  G. Plisson for Imperial

The yacht’s two helipads also offer owners and guests a degree of flexibility. The 60-foot spot on the stern is the primary landing area for the owner’s H175 Airbus helicopter, with a second 49-foot helipad on the bow. Capable of carrying 12 guests, the H175 is one of the few VIP-configured models on the market. It’s also the owner’s favorite mode of transport.

Built for private use but conceived with the potential for charter, Flying Fox took three years to design. The owner wanted to make sure he included everything he’d missed on his previous two yachts. Imperial Yachts managed the build and is now overseeing charter.

“The original design process was about finding the balance between what the client was expecting and what was possible in terms of technology,” Eric Lepeingle, Imperial’s head of sales and charter, told Robb Report during an exclusive virtual tour. “The idea of having a meticulously designed yacht that also delivers on a technological front really pleased him.”

This view of the stern gives a sense of the vast but proportional scale of the 446-ft. gigayacht. Not pictured is the 60-ft. helipad on the swim platform.  G. Plisson for Imperial

Beyond her sheer size, the intersection of technology with gracious living is what defines Flying Fox . A large sundeck converts into a dance floor by night, offering live music, private dining and fireworks for the ultimate shindig. The 1,300-foot, two-decked wellness spa is one of the signature accomplishments of the design. Its “sea lobby,” with heated limestone floors and louvred oak paneling, one of the inspirations from interior designer Mark Berryman, makes a beautiful welcoming area, while the sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and relaxation room (with a fold-down balcony at sea level) set the tone.

Flying Fox also has the first cryo-sauna ever installed on a yacht, bringing the spa experience to the next level. It has an antechamber set at -40 ̊F, followed by a main chamber at -116 ̊F. Cryotherapy is typically favored by elite athletes for muscle regeneration. “When he’s on board, the owner enjoys kitesurfing, jet skiing, diving,” says Lepeingle. “He wants to be able to recover quickly. He also wants charter guests to be able to enjoy any activity, so the yacht is designed to anticipate all requirements.”

Adjacent to the Zen-themed spa is the dive center, which includes a three-person decompression chamber and the option to dive depths of up to 328 feet. “To date, our charter guests have enjoyed diving depths of no more than 165 feet,” says Lepeingle, “but if people want to push their limits, we can help them to do that in the most secure way.”

Designer Espen Øino took great care to ensure that the exterior spaces flowed easily into each other.  G. Plisson for Imperial

Supporting this ethos are the 54 onboard crew. The sports, gym and diving instructors are either former Olympic athletes or ex-British military. The helicopter is serviced by a dedicated pilot and engineer, and the onboard hospital (directly connected to a mainland hospital on a 24/7 basis) has a permanent medic. “Most the crew are typically ex-military because the owner believes military personnel have discipline and experience that normal crew don’t,” says Lepeingle.

Another prerequisite of the owner is the aft open-air galley. Five different types of ovens—tandoor, pizza, barbecue and two rotisseries—are joined by two teppanyaki grills and an alfresco dining area that seats 24 guests. Its five chefs cater for multiple diets and cuisines, all freshly prepared in full view. “One of the rotisseries can fit an entire lamb,” says Lepeingle. “The banquet opportunities are exceptional.”

As a PYC-classified yacht Flying Fox sleeps up to 25 guests, with a crew-to-guest ratio of two to one. The 328-square-foot master suite on the main deck stretches the full 74-foot beam width and takes in a dedicated salon, gas firepit and private jacuzzi (one of three on board). Even the onboard 20-foot irrigated trees are well-watered.

The yacht has two helipads on the bow and stern. Pictured is its Airbus C175 corporate helicopter, the owner’s favorite mode of transport.  G. Plisson for Imperial

Flying Fox has mostly cruised the Eastern Mediterranean, with Turkey and Greece being the owner’s preferred cruising grounds. The yacht did a stint last winter in the northern most atolls of the Maldives. Currently in port in the Mediterranean, she will be heading to Croatia this summer and is available for charter through Imperial.

Here’s an exclusive video tour of the yacht. Check out other images below.

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