25 largest superyachts in the world in 2023

25. Octopus (126.18 m), Lürssen

Octopus was owned by the late Paul Allen, one of the founders of Microsoft, who also owned Tatoosh. It is one of the largest explorer yachts in the world and was designed by Espen Øino with interiors by Jonathan Quinn Barnett and Sam Sorgiovanni. Octopus has a helicopter runway and garage at the stern and can also accommodate a second helicopter at the bow. Its impressive deck also features a glass-bottomed pool that can transform into a dance floor with a nearby bar for drinks served poolside. Another innovative structure in his design is his inner pier, which, opening from the transom, flows forward through the yacht, allowing a 20-meter submarine and a similar-sized tender to float in their storage positions. Once fixed, water is pumped out, leaving them resting on the invaders. The yacht underwent a refit in 2019. It reaches a maximum speed of 20 knots.

24. Al Mirqab (133 m), Kusch Yachts

Launched in 2008, Al Mirqab was built for the former prime minister of Qatar under the supervision of Kusch Yachts at the German Peters Werft shipyard in Wewelsfleth. La Diesel-electric propulsion of the yacht includes an azimuth pod – a ship thruster that can be rotated along a vertical axis (hence the name) and therefore oriented in any horizontal direction, rendering the presence of the rudder unnecessary – which allows this superyacht to reach a maximum speed in excess of 21 knots. The exterior, designed by Tim Heywood, includes a long, navy blue hull with a white superstructure. Its interiors, designed by Andrew Winch, have won numerous awards. The centerpiece of the yacht is a stunning and intricate floating staircase surrounded by custom-made glass panels. Al Mirqab has cabins for 36 people and a crew of 45.

23. Serene (133.8 m), Fincantieri

Fincantieri thus made its debut in the world of superyachts. At the time of delivery in 2011 (surpassed three years later by Ocean Victory), she was the largest yacht ever launched in Italy. Designed by Espen Øino, it is a seven-deck yacht and features a long blue hull crowned by a white superstructure. On board Seren the owner has two helipads and a hangar, a large swimming pool and a garage large enough for a submarine. Pascale Reymond of Reymond Langton Design designed the interior (4,000 square feet) for the Russian owner, although its details remained jealously guarded.

22. Crescent (135 m), Lürssen

Completely renovated in 2021, Espen Øino’s dark hull and superstructure was one of the most important variants of 2018. Created as the Thunder project, it was built by Lürssen and has a superstructure that makes glass and three-deck-high superwindows that allow a full view of the ocean from the salon on the main deck. The yacht has accommodations for 18 guests in nine cabins. Little is known about the interiors designed by François Zuretti, except that Lürssen describes them as “traditional in style.” In March 2022, Crescent was seized by Spain because it was owned by the CEO of Russian state-owned energy company Rosneft, Igor Sechin, who was sanctioned following the invasion of Ukraine.

21. Savarona (136 m), Blohm+Voss

An old lady of the sea, launched back in 1931, Savarona was built for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwallader. The yacht was later bought by Turkey to become the presidential yacht of Mustafa Kemal “Atatürk,” founder of modern Turkey. Savarona was later converted into a training ship for the Turkish Navy and, in 1978, was destroyed by fire. Ten years later, because of its historical value, a Turkish businessman spent about $45 million to refurbish it, commissioning Donald Starkey for the interior and replacing the original steam turbines with modern Caterpillar diesel engines. The yacht’s interior was refitted in 2013. A year later, Savarona is back as Turkey’s presidential superyacht. Savarona has a swimming pool, Turkish bath, a grand 85-meter staircase, a cinema, and a library entirely dedicated to Atatürk. It can accommodate up to 34 guests in 17 cabins and carry up to 48 crew members.

20. Flying Fox (136 m), Lürssen

At 136 meters , it is the largest yacht available on the charter market. Jointly delivered by Imperial and Lürssen in 2019, Flying Fox is a superyacht whose exterior design is the work of the “usually well-known” Espen Øino. The main features of the exterior are a curvaceous taupe hull and a pool over 1.12 meters deep running across the main aft deck, the largest ever seen aboard a yacht. Inside, a two-story spa offers guests access to a cryosauna (a glacial sauna), a hammam, and a relaxation room with a fold-down balcony at sea level. The yacht houses a dive center, decompression chamber and two helipads. Flying Fox complies with PYC regulations and can accommodate 25 guests. It was seized by U.S. authorities in 2022 as it is believed to be owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Dmitry Kamenshchik.

19. Rising Sun (138.4 m), Lürssen

Designed by Jon Bannenberg, Rising Sun was built by Lürssen for Larry Ellison, CEO of IT giant Oracle, and is currently owned by billionaire David Geffen, who reportedly purchased it for $590 million. The yacht was delivered in 2004 and refitted in 2011. Impressive is its superstructure, propped up with windows. Rising Sun has 8,000 square meters of living space in 82 rooms. It can accommodate 18 guests in nine cabins and has 46 crew members. Seccombe Design’s interiors include a gymnasium, a cinema, a wine cellar, several swimming pools, a beauty salon, and a spa with a sauna. The rear cockpit deck is designed like a basketball court. Geffen was widely criticized in 2020 for his inappropriate social media posts depicting him aboard his yacht during lockdown from Covid-19.

18. Al Salamah (138.9 m), Lürssen

When Lürssen launched Al Salamah in 1999 it was the third largest yacht in the world. Its current position number 18 shows how much the market has changed in the past 20 years. The construction project was known as MIPOS, or Mission Possible, and is by Terence Disdale. Originally owned by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the yacht was put up for sale in 2013 for $280 million before being given as a gift to Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The large and imposing exterior is primarily a protected space. Al Salamah has cabins for 40 guests, including two master suites, 11 VIP cabins and eight double cabins. The yacht can carry up to 96 crew and has a maximum speed of 22 knots. Al Salamah was last refitted in 2009.

17. Scheherazade (139.99 m), Lürssen

The 140-meter Scheherazade (formerly known as Project Lightning), built by Lürssen, was delivered in June 2020. Two helipads, fore and aft, and a large beach club aft are visible from aerial photographs, but apart from the more than 23-meter maximum beam, no further details of this Highly private superyachts, including the names of the designers or naval architects involved in construction. The reason may be due to the unconfirmed owner of the yacht: Russian President Vladimir Putin. In May 2022, Italian authorities seized Scheherazade in the port of Marina di Carrara following an investigation by the Finance Guard that found that the yacht’s actual owner had “significant economic and business ties” with senior Russian government officials, although the results of the investigation to date remain inconclusive.

16. Ocean Victory (139.99 m), Fincantieri

This panfilo boasts the title of the largest motor yacht ever built in Italy. Its name is Ocean Victory and it was built by Fincantieri and delivered to its owner, Russian billionaire Viktor Rashnikov, in 2014. Espen Øino’s seven-deck exterior includes two helipad platforms and a hangar below deck, large outdoor social areas, and a floodable tender dock. Ocean Victory has cabins for 28 guests and can accommodate up to 56 crew members. Also on board are six swimming pools, a 300-square-meter spa, and an underwater observation room.

15. Superyachts. Solaris (139.99 m), Lloyd Werft

Owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, Solaris was one of the largest yachts launched in 2021. The last refit was performed in 2022 by MB92 in Barcelona. Built by the German Lloyd Werft shipyard, it features a steel displacement hull with a bulbous bow and steel superstructure with teak decks. The eight-deck exterior by Australian designer Marc Newson houses a large helipad, sundeck, large aft beach club and 2,000 square meters of glazing, the largest window area ever on a yacht. Lloyd Werft also built the Russian billionaire’s previous yacht Luna, which was reportedly sold for $360 million to his close friend Farkhad Akhmedov in 2014.

14. Superyachts. Yas (141 m), Abu Dhabi Mar

She looks like a dolphin now, but think about the fact that when she was launched in 1978, she was a Dutch Navy frigate. Sold to the UAE Navy, it was renamed Al Emirat. The yacht underwent its complete transformation to a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, being reborn as a superyacht starting in 2011. It was finally delivered in 2015. The design by Paris-based Pierrejean Vision involved massive use of glass. Yas can accommodate 60 guests and 58 crew members.

13. Superyachts. North (142 m), Lürssen

North (Opus project) was announced in 2015 but did not enter the water until November 2020, when it conducted sea trials in the Baltic Sea. The interior of this 142-meter yacht was designed by Italian firm Nuvolari-Lenard and is Lürssen’s first yacht launched from its new floating shipyard in Vegasack, Germany. Equipped with many high-end amenities, the yacht includes a sports and diving center on the lower deck, several tenders up to 15 meters in size, and a large swimming pool. The two helipads support the yacht’s long-range cruising capabilities for autonomous exploration, and a retractable hangar allows a helicopter to be stowed in the superstructure when not in use. As many as 20 cabins can accommodate up to 36 guests on six decks, while an elegant sloping superstructure aft gives North a unique profile on the water.

12. A (143 m), Nobiskrug superyacht

Without a shadow of a doubt one of the most talked about yachts in the world. We are talking about the Sailing A, the Philippe Starck-designed sailing behemoth that wreaks havoc at every landing it passes. Aesthetically unconventional, Russian tycoon Andrei Melnichenko’s maxi yacht is a three-masted (including one around 100 meters), 142-meter-long yacht launched in 2017 by German shipyard Nobiskrug. This superyacht reportedly has an underwater observation platform in the keel. Starck’s traditional interiors feature dark wood, copper details and comfortable geometric-patterned carpets. The two-story main salon is divided into seating areas created from built-in bookcases. She remains the world’s largest sailing yacht today six years after her launch, although many argue that she is better called an assisted sailing yacht. Its twin 4827-horsepower MTU engines enable it to reach 21 knots maximum speed and 16 knots cruising speed

11. El Mahrousa (145.70 m), Samuda Brothers superyacht

El Mahrousa, which means “The Protected One” in Arabic, is currently Egypt’s presidential yacht. London-based Samuda Brothers began its construction in 1863 and it was launched in 1865. The oldest superyacht in the world, and previously the largest in the world, it was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile. The yacht was also present at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. It features an exterior design by British naval architect Sir Oliver Lang and has undergone numerous modifications over the years, including a 12-meter extension in 1872 and another 5 meters in 1905. During the second refitting, the owners replaced the paddle engines with turbine propellers. The yacht, entrusted to the Egyptian Navy, occasionally goes to sea for a day or two. In 2015 it was used to inaugurate the new Suez Canal.

The 10 largest superyachts in the world

10. OK – 146 m; 9. Prince Abdulaziz – 147 m; 8. A+ Topaz – 147 m; 7. Al Saïd – 155 m; 6. Dilbar – 156 m; 5. Blue – 158 m; 4. Dubai – 162 m; 3. Eclipse – 162.5 m; 2. Fulk Al Salamah – 164 m; 1. Azzam – 180 m

10. Superyachts. OK (146 m), Oshima Shipbuilding

Originally built by Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding in 1982, the semi-submersible heavy-duty vessel has been used for decades by DYT Yacht Transport as a floating yacht carrier. In 2022, the ship was converted by Karmarine Shipyard in Turkey into a luxury, albeit very unusual, superyacht called OK. Modifications include a matte black paint job, gold-colored glass, and teak siding. The ship’s 100-meter submersible aft deck-a feature that first attracted its new owner, who uses OK to transport his 46-meter ketch-is now covered with a carpet of artificial turf. A 40-ton crane enables the launching and hauling of a wide range of vehicles, including a seaplane. Bozca Design’s interiors are said to include accommodations for 20 guests, a botanical garden, and a crazy Willy Wonka-inspired glass elevator that operates outside the yacht’s superstructure.

9. Superyachts. Prince Abdulaziz (147 m), Helsingør Værft

In the year that the first Mac was launched by Apple, the royal family of Arabia was handed one of the largest units in nautical history. Her name is Prince Abdulaziz, and from 1984 to 2001 she held the title of the world’s largest yacht, thanks to her 147 meters in length. Owned by Arabia’s King Fahd and now part of the Saudi royal fleet, it continues to be frequently used. Built by the Danish shipyard Helsingor Vaerft, she is capable of reaching 22 knots, traveling at an average of 18 thanks to her 2 7800-horsepower Pielstick engines. It would undergo a refit in 2023. David Kicks did the interior design, and a lobby, a very faithful replica of Titanic’s interior, has been placed on the second floor. It is also said that the yacht carries surface-to-air missiles, although this may be an urban legend.

8. A+ (147 m), Lürssen

Very little is known about A+ (formerly Topaz), launched by Lürssen in 2012, other than that it is the fourth largest yacht ever built by the German shipyard. Tim Heywood Designs did the exteriors, which feature helipads on the foredeck and amidships on an upper deck. The lower aft deck includes a swimming pool. The German shipyard has not released any images of Terence Disdale’s interior. It is said to be owned by the owner of Manchester City Football Club, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, king of the United Arab Emirates and deputy prime minister of the UAE. A+ has a maximum speed of 22 knots and can carry 62 guests and up to 79 crew members. It underwent refit in 2022.

7. Al Saïd (155 m), Lürssen

Don’t be fooled by Al Said’s two smokestacks and superstructure: you are not looking at a ferry! The Omani family’s taste for imposing and very “ferry-like” superstructures is also reconfirmed in Fulk Al Salamah’s “little brother” Fulk Al Salamah (second largest yacht in the world), which at 155 meters is seventh on the list. Also here at the stern is a huge platform for helicopter landing. This yacht, delivered in 2008 by Germany’s Lürssen, at 15,850 tons almost reaches the tonnage of Dilbar, which weighs only 67 tons more. Very large interior volumes, curated by Redman Whiteley Dixon, are one of the hallmarks of Al Said, which is also equipped with two MTU engines of about 11,000 horsepower with which it can develop 22 knots of top speed. Owned by the Sultan of Oman, the yacht was first put up for sale in April 2022 for an undisclosed sum.

6. Dilbar (156 m), Lürssen

Mega yacht of another Russian entrepreneur: we are talking about Alisher Usmanov, the Russian-Uzbek “lord of metals,” prime producer with his Metalloinvest. Dilbar is 156 meters long, but by tonnage it is the largest in the world at 15,917 tons, and not even Azzam can compete with this titan, built by Germany’s Lürssen in 2016. The engine is a 30,000 Kw diesel electric, spinning Dilbar at 23 knots maximum speed and 18 knots cruising speed, a considerable speed considering the weight of this mega yacht. In June 2020, Dilbar returned to Lürssen for significant refitting, where it remained following U.S. sanctions imposed on the owner in 2022.

5. Blue (158 m), Lürssen

The latest from Lürssen shipyards to make the list, Blue, was delivered to its Middle Eastern owner in July 2022. With its diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system, it does much to minimize emissions. The yacht also has an electric azimuth pod (like the small Al Mirqab) that can be used independently or in combination with the two propeller shafts. On board is a wastewater treatment system and an advanced exhaust gas treatment system to help reduce NOx levels, as well as reduce vibration and noise pollution. The interior and exterior design is by Terence Disdale. Blue is defined in profile by a sloping bow with a helipad, a pool on the aft deck, and two forward balconies on either side of the full-beam master suite. There is a second, smaller heliport aft. The British designer has reportedly designed feminine and elegant interiors, although no images have yet been released.

4. Dubai (162 m), Platinum Yachts

In fourth position is Dubai, the yacht of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, emir, needless to say, of Dubai. Just 50 centimeters shorter than Eclipse its construction began in 1996 in Germany, at Blohm+Voss shipyards in collaboration with Lürssen, for the prince of the Sultanate of Brunei, Jefri Bolkiah. The project was discontinued in 1998 with only a bare hull and skeletal superstructure. In 2001, the hull was sold to the Dubai government, and under the direction of the country’s ruler, work began again, this time by Platinum Yachts. Dubai was delivered in 2006 and is now the Sheikh’s royal yacht, with accommodations for 24 guests and accommodations for 88 crew members. The seven-deck yacht has an airstrip for a Black Hawk helicopter, underwater garage, disco and cinema, and can reach a maximum speed of 26 knots.

3. Superyachts. Eclipse (162.5 m), Blohm+Voss

Since it was built in 2010, Eclipse, the mega-yacht of Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich, dominated the ranking of the world’s largest for nearly five years before being dispatched to the bottom step of the podium by Azzam and Fulk Al Salamah. And many will recall that at the time of Azzam’s launch, the headlines focused almost more on Abramovich, ousted from the top position, than on the Abu Dhabi emir’s yacht. The Russian entrepreneur has never hidden his passion for extreme luxury, and Eclipse, from German shipyard Blohm+Voss, fully represents his owner’s style. At 162.50 meters long, she is significantly less powerful than her “rival” Azzam, being able to rely “only” on a 10,000-horsepower MTU quadruple engine that still allows Eclipse to reach the not inconsiderable speed of 25 knots. Anti-missile systems, submersibles, bullet-proof glass and all sorts of other luxuries? Here you go, Eclipse!

2. Fulk Al Salamah (164 m), Mariotti Yachts

From Genoa comes Fulk Al Salamah, the yacht of the Sultan of Oman, Qabus Bin Said. Given the never-ending waiting list in the Lürssen warehouses, the sultan turned to the Italian Mariotti shipyard in 2014 to have what at first glance may look like a giant ferry built. Delivered in 2016, at 164 meters the Omani royal family’s yacht is the second largest in the world. Although it does not go unnoticed, it is shrouded in mystery regarding its actual motorization. It can reach a top speed of 19 knots with a weight of 11,000 tons. In this giant, the huge helicopter landing pad located on the penultimate aft deck certainly does not go unnoticed.

1. Superyachts. Azzam (180 m), Lürssen

Leading the ranking as the largest ever pleasure yacht has held out for several years now as Azzam, the 180-meter giant owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family. The builder is the German shipyard Lürssen, “king of luxury” with no fewer than five superyachts in the world’s 10 largest. There is also some made in Italy for the world’s largest yacht: the exterior design was taken care of by Nauta Yachts. There were no particular limitations in the budget for the construction of Azzam, commissioned by the Emir of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, with a portfolio of around $21 billion. But how much horsepower does it take to move a 180-meter, 13,136-ton giant? Nearly 100,000 – one hundred thousand (!) – horsepower, 94,000 MTU to be precise, with which the large and powerful Azzam easily reaches 30 knots, with a cruising speed around 25. Construction took 4 years and involved 680 people for an operation with a total value of $600 million.