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This 218ft ketch is the biggest yacht Baltic have launched to date and in many ways she remains in a class of her own.

Despite her classic looks with a plumb stem and sweeping counter, she is a thoroughly modern high performance yacht taking full advantage of Baltic’s carbon composite building and engineering expertise.

Apart from her powerful sailplan, Hetairos sports not only a lifting keel, but also an unusual lifting rudder enabling her to fulfill her potential while sailing and access shallower anchorages and harbours when at rest.

She has proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the race course, but is just a capable as a world girdling cruising yacht capable of independent sailing for long periods of time.

Hetairos was one of the most challenging projects undertaken by Baltic Yachts and she remains one of the most outstanding sailing superyachts in the world.

Hetairos was delivered in 2011.

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MAIN SPECIFICATIONS

• L.O.A. 59.90 m
• D.W.L. 49.76 m
• BEAM 10.54 m
• DRAFT 3.5/6/9 m
• DISPLACEMENT 220 ton
• BALLAST 83,000 kg
• NAVAL ARCHITECT Dykstra & Partners Naval Architects
• CO-NAVAL ARCHITECT Reichel Pugh Yacht Design

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About the Project

The 197ft (66.7m) S.Y. Hetairos has set many new benchmarks in superyacht construction. It is, for example, the largest yacht that has been built from carbon-fibre composite to date.

The owner’s brief was to build the largest and fastest yacht that would still be capable of crossing the Panama Canal, and still have that classic look. However she is capable of speeds to rival many racing yachts, achieving a top speed of 25.7 knots during an Atlantic crossing.

She sports a full set of ECsix rigging.

There is a very small window for clearance below the Panama Bridge and because of this, the equipment on top of both the main and mizzen masts, such as aerials have been designed to be removable.

Designer: Dykstra & Partners/Reichel Pugh LOA: 197ft Mast Height: 62.5 metres

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Hetairos   /    Panamax Project

Specifications

Hetairos is a fast performance sailing yacht with the classic appearance and styling of a Bristol Pilot Cutter. This 66.90-meter ketch was built at Baltic Yachts in Finland and refitted by Vitters Shipyard in the Netherlands.

Dykstra Naval Architects (co design R/P), are responsible for the Naval Architecture and exterior styling working in close collaboration with the owner and the owner's project manager Jens Cornelsen. Intensive towing tank and wind tunnel tests have been carried out to increase performance with the largest composite standing rigging to date.

Hetairos won the judges' special award during the the World Superyacht Awards 2012: 'Notable contribution to the technical advancement of sailing superyachts'.

Interior design by Rhoades Young Design.

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Superyacht Awards : "Hetairos" is honoured

Dieter Loibner

 ·  10.05.2012

"Hetairos", the 66-metre Panamax ketch designed by Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design and Dykstra & Partner and built by Baltic, not only wins regattas, but also awards. For example, the special honour from the jury at the World Superyacht Awards in Istanbul for the "remarkable contribution to the technical progress of sailing superyachts". What a bland title for such an exciting ship.

Her size of almost 220 feet and the retro look make "Hetairos" an eye-catcher on the outside. The traditional deck superstructure, the long bowsprit and the classic stern shape, which are all somewhat reminiscent of a windjammer, are unique in this combination. But the rest of the yacht represents the state of the art. The latest construction methods for building from carbon fibre (she is said to be the largest yacht built from this material to date) and a consistently implemented philosophy based on the greatest possible weight saving give the ship the performance potential of a racing yacht.

The development work at Reichel/Pugh began in 2003 and was in no way inferior to that of an America's Cup racer. They built a model on a scale of 1:7.5 to check the flow data in the tank tests, which were calculated by Frank DeBord using FloSim and Splash (Computational Fluid Dynamics). "We tested 17 different configurations until we arrived at the one that was actually built," explained designer Jim Pugh. And these measures paid off, as "Hetairos" impressively demonstrated with her victories in terms of time sailed at the Transatlantic Superyacht Regatta and the RORC Caribbean 600.

Length works and lightness even more so. But what "Hetairos" also showed was stability. A collision with a submerged rock - a real danger with a draught of 9 metres - during the St. Barth regatta was relatively minor because the crash box installed at the front of the keel bomb was able to absorb the forces released on impact. Project manager Jens Cornelsen stated that "the rest of the keel, as well as the keel suspension that extends through the entire hull, did not suffer any significant damage". A shipyard that can crane a ship of this size first had to be found for the repair...

So big ships have their own problems. But "Hetairos" could have been even bigger. But the owner wanted a yacht with which he could pass through the Panama Canal, which is why the rig was limited by the maximum clearance height of the canal bridge. The main mast is therefore "only" 62.5 metres high. Hence the term "Panamax ketch", which is sometimes used for "Hetairos".

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Sailing Yacht Hetairos (ex Project Panamax) is a 66.9 metre luxury superyacht launched by the Finish shipyard Baltic Yachts in July 2011. Superyacht HETAIROS features stunning naval architecture and external lines designed by the well known design studio Reichel / Pugh Yacht Design in collaboration with equally well known Dykstra & Partners design studio. Her interior styling was done by Rhoades Young.

The modern classic ketch Hetairos boasts a distinctive appearance with an aggressive, near-plumb bow and a very long stern overhang, reminiscent of the British pilot cutters that sailed the seas in the mid- to late- 1800s. Hetairos' poject name Panamax refers to a maximum mast height that can pass through Panama Canal which is 62.5 metres. Measuring 66.9 metres in length over all with a waterline length of 49.8 m and a beam of 10.5 metres, mega yacht Hetairos was designed to provide an impressive performance aver all. The yacht features a classic look and was built to be the largest and fastest possible yacht capable of crossing the Panama Canal.

Hetairos Specifications

Hetairos modern classic yacht has a hull built out of High Tech Carbon with pre-impregnated carbon skins and Corecell and Nomex Core. The light weight and stiff construction of the hull, her deck made of carbon prepreg with a Nomex core as well as an emphasis on a lightweight interior all helps to provide weight savings which is expected to help her to attain an impressive sailing performance, especially when married with her deep lifting keel for extra upwind pointing.

Accommodation onboard superyacht Hetairos boasts a large Owner's suite found aft of the mizzen mast with a skylight providing impressive straight up the mizzen mast and four guests cabins for total of up to 10 guests. Ten crew members are accommodated in four crew cabins and one Captain's cabin.

Yacht Accommodation

Hetairos can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests in 5 cabins.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 66.9 m yacht Hetairos, so please enquire for more information.

Hetairos Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht Hetairos displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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

• 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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It Sure Looks Like Mark Zuckerberg Is Taking a Brand New Superyacht Out to Celebrate His 40th Birthday The yachting world has been speculating that the Facebook founder purchased the vessel.

By Madeline Berg and Kelsey Vlamis May 14, 2024

Key Takeaways

• It seems as if Mark Zuckerberg will celebrate his 40th birthday on the megayacht, Launchpad.
• The yachting world has speculated for months that the Meta CEO is the owner of the vessel.
• Now, both the boat and Zuckerberg's private jet have landed in Panama.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider .

All signs point to Mark Zuckerberg celebrating his 40th birthday on what many speculate is his brand-new superyacht Launchpad .

The boating world has been buzzing about Launchpad — a 118-meter yacht built by the Dutch shipyard Feadship — for months, with rumors swirling that her owner is none other than the Meta CEO. But in the yachting world, where privacy is paramount , no party would confirm her owner.

"It is Feadship's standard policy to never divulge any information about our yachts with reference to ownership, costs, or delivery, etc," Feadship, the ship's builder, wrote to Business Insider in March. "Whether it is an 18-meter Feadship from the 1960s or a 118-meter Feadship from the 21st century, we do not share private information."

Representatives for Zuckerberg did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Now there's even more evidence: The megayacht arrived in Panama on Monday, making her way there from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she's predominantly been moored since she made her maiden voyage across the Atlantic in March, according to public ship-tracking data. Wingman, the support superyacht that he is suspected to have purchased with Launchpad, made the journey with her.

Zuckerberg's plane also landed in Panama on Monday, per a private jet tracker, and if his Instagram is any indication, he was on board.

Putting two and two together — along with the many other clues linking Zuckerberg to the yacht — we can surmise that the Meta CEO is likely kicking off his new decade aboard his new toy.

Aerial shots of the yacht seem to show a pool on its main deck and a helipad. Ruben Griffioen/SuperYachtTimes

Little is known about the luxury vessel, which was said to have been built for a sanctioned Russian businessman before it was handed over to the Dutch government, which served as a middleman for the purchase. Her final purchase price is unknown, but it's safe to say a yacht of that size from that shipyard would cost nine figures upfront and six figures a year to maintain.

The few photos of Launchpad available on the industry site SuperYacht Times show there appears to be a helipad and a swimming pool on her main deck.

A vessel of her size can typically sleep dozens of guests and crewmembers and likely has an expansive gym (where Zuckerberg could practice his jiu-jitsu), a spa, a movie room, and a garage to fit plenty of toys like his viral hydrofoil .

Zuckerberg's name was first connected to Launchpad in December when reports swirled that he visited Feadship's shipyard in the Netherlands. By March, yachting blogs like eSysman SuperYachts and Autoevolution suggested he officially snagged the boat at a $300 million price tag. Launchpad also bears the flag of the Marshall Islands, a US territory that is commonplace for American buyers to register their ships.

We will never know for sure whose name is on her title, so unless Zuckerberg confirms he's Launchpad's owner, we will have to wait for an invitation to Zuck's birthday party to confirm.

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Man gets realistic picture of his boat painted on a fence intended to hide it

A California man who was ordered to keep his boat out of sight has had the last laugh by commissioning an artist to paint a realistic image of it on the fence that obscures it.

Local government officials told Etienne Constable, of Seaside, California, in July that he had to build a 6-foot fence to hide the boat from view of his neighbors.

In a light-hearted jibe at officialdom, Constable decided to follow the directive, which said nothing about how the fence should be decorated, and asked local artist Hanif Panni to create a mural that makes it look as if the fence isn't there.

"I’m not a rule-breaker, but I like to make a political statement as necessary, as well as a humorous statement and a creative statement," he told NBC affiliate KSBW of Monterey Bay .

He is yet to have had any contact from the city about the mural — but he said he considers it to be covered by the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the First Amendment.

"The reaction is extremely more than we ever expected, and we’re both just tickled about it," Constable said, referring to the stir the image has made on social media, where it has been shared many times.

Panni, who paints images across the Central Coast area, told KSBW: "I’m a big proponent of public art in spaces. It engages people in ways that reaching out and having conversations doesn’t sometimes."

And Panni added that since the Seaside boat mural has gone viral, other boat owners have approached him to see whether he can do the same for them.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

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Yacht Rocker Walter Egan Joins Nashville’s Hippie Radio

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American rock artist Walter Egan is set to host a new radio show on Nashville’s Hippie Radio 94.5 ( WHPY-FM/WYGI-AM ). Titled Walt’s Record Vault , the program will debut on Sunday, May 19. Egan is best known for his 1978 Top 10 hit “Magnet & Steel” which was inspired by Stevie Nicks, featuring both her and Lindsey Buckingham on backing vocals.

Over the years, he has performed alongside Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and Bob Welch. Currently residing in Middle Tennessee, Egan remains active in the music scene, collaborating with bands like Ambrosia, Orleans, and Firefall, and participating in Yacht Rock Tours.

Egan says, “The show will be a lot of original hippie music from the late 60’s early 70’s centered around the Haight-Ashbury era. It’s kind of a post-grad college radio playlist. Should be lots of fun!”

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The 10 Best Explorer Yachts for High-Seas Adventures

A 350-foot gigayacht or 60-foot cruiser size isn't what defines an explorer yacht. the devil's in the details when it comes to authenticity., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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Unlike fashion trends that seem to move as fast as a Redbull F1 car, the yachting industry takes its time adopting new ideas. There seems to be one exception. Explorer vessels, born out of the owners’ desires to go farther and stay longer, without sacrificing creature comforts, is developing with some urgency.

Several dozen builders and designers are now focusing on explorers, but they are also consulting with adventure travel firms that have a long history of using expedition yachts in remote parts of the globe. ICON Yachts, for example, collaborated with Cookson Adventures and the International Seakeepers Society on its Project Mission in both the overarching design and the details found across the yacht. Adventure outfitter EYOS employs its expertise routinely with Damen’s explorer vessels, most recently with the 190-foot Pink Shadow.   EYOS has a list of 50 features that separate authentic explorers from faux versions that might look the part but lack the necessary infrastructure and design elements.

Long-range cruising, system redundancy for autonomy at sea, and storage to carry specialist equipment like submersibles are some of the requirements that define expedition boats. There’s also deck configuration for the easy launch of tenders and toys, along with strong, ice-class hulls and climate-controlled areas comfort in extreme polar and tropic regions.

We culled through the latest fleet of explorers with multiple lengths and designs, selecting a single feature that we think makes it best in class. Here are 10 of our favorites.

Best Pilothouse: Doggersbank 77 Offshore

More than 700 Doggersbank motoryachts have been built since the 1960s, with the latest model scheduled for delivery in 2025. The robust, offshore vessels are designed by Dutch studio Vripack for long ocean passages, assisted by a high, flared bow. “It prevents green water from hitting the wheelhouse windows in rough seas, and together with the Portuguese bridge, ensures the captain’s view is not obstructed,” Joost Mertens, Doggersbank fleet manager, told Robb Report . “The yacht’s steel hull ensures the yacht sits better in the water making it less vulnerable to wind and high waves.”

Best Deck Configuration: Columbus Crossover 42

The Columbus Crossover 42 is defined by both straight and angled surfaces,  tapered stern sections and a concentration of volume in the bow that is becoming on many explorers. What is atypical is the yacht’s compact but flexible dimensions that accommodate a large cockpit tender and a 108-square-foot swimming pool with relaxation areas. Sold to an U.S. customer, it’s scheduled for delivery in 2025.

Best Multipurpose Stern: Bering B165

Turkish boatbuilder Bering Yachts revealed details of its new 162-foot flagship explorer yacht, the B165 , at the Dubai International Boat Show in March. The yacht can carry 18,400 gallons of fuel, which the builder says will give it a 4,000 nautical mile range when cruising at 12 knots. It also has a 2,640-gallon holding tank. What singles the B165 out among other explorers, however, is its multi-purpose stern area for both function and form. The elongated aft deck has a swimming pool surrounded by sunbeds. When the bulwarks are folded down, the space becomes an even larger overwater terrace. When the pool is not in use, it can be used as a covered storage area for water toys and expedition equipment. The yacht’s two tenders are also stored on the aft, making it a flexible space for both equipment and guests.

Best Family-Friendly Concept: Project Mimer

This 197-foot expedition concept by Tillberg Design of Sweden caters to family travel with a helicopter pad as well as multiple tenders and toys. It’s pitched by the studio as an introduction to true explorer yachting. It has a functional crew layout for efficient operations and an upper deck owner’s suite with a forward terrace and spa pool. With a hull that will be built to the Polar Code Category, the concept also has an optional helipad aft and long list of toys, from an electric luxury tender and two expedition RIBS to quad bikes, a submersible, Jet Skis, and, of course, an amphibious vehicle. The five-decked yacht sleeps 12 guests with crew quarters for 17 and an additional staff member, such as a nanny.

Best Ice Explorer: Damen SeaXplorer 105

Damen’s 345-foot SeaXplorer 105 is the largest model in the SeaXplorer range, with exterior design by Azure Yacht Design. The platform was developed under the guidance of expedition specialists EYOS Expeditions, who considered over 150 design criteria, from the hull form and bridge layout to the tender davits and Zodiac boarding arrangements. But it is EYOS’s expertise in the polar regions—it facilitated the first heli-ski charter in Antarctica and the first 3,200-foot sub dive to the Antarctic midnight zone—that gives the vessel its point of difference. The SeaXplorer has an ice-strengthened hull and a specially shaped icebreaking stern to maneuver through rough terrain.

Best Interior: Project Fox

On top of having a cool name, Project Fox has a bright, contemporary interior, courtesy of London’s Q Design, that is becoming more common on expedition yachts. The full-beam owner’s stateroom is also one of the yacht’s standout features, with its marble en suite and hardwood floors. The salon is also luxe, with white walls that brighten up travel even in areas that are sunlight deprived. Project Fox also has four other staterooms.

Best Autonomy: Project Master

ICON Yachts’s Project Master was a transoceanic offshore support vessel before the Dutch shipyard began a refit to turn it into an explorer yacht (see before and after inset). It’s equipped with diesel-electric hybrid propulsion, a wide beam for multiple tender spaces, a 7,200-nautical mile range, and flexible cabin arrangements for expedition crew. Other features include a science lab and a certified heli-deck. “The yacht’s helicopter and sub capability mean it can offer assistance in areas with challenging access and little infrastructure,” Micca Ferrero, owner of ICON Yachts, told Robb Report . “The design is for the demands of self-sufficient voyages.”

Best Use of Volume: Arcadia Yachts A96

The A96 mixes the lines, volume, and open-plan layout of Arcadia’s Sherpa series with the speed, joystick maneuverability, and quality of the yard’s A range. It’s the first Arcadia to have an Igor Lobanov-designed interior, as well as a high bow and high deckheads for traversing rough water. But its big differentiator is the 214 gross tonnes of volume and 24-foot beam that generate big volumes—4,300 square feet of usable space, which is 30 percent more than on other similar-sized yachts. Low bulwarks and lateral walkways emphasize the sense of openness.

Best Bow: Project Shackleton

This 351-foot build from Lürssen has an inverted bow that looks like an eagle’s beak. The shape is designed to slice through waves with much lower vibration through the hull, while also reducing rock and roll in rough seas. Unlike the quasi-research vessel exteriors of many explorers, this vessel is representative of the changing look of many in this growing segment. 

Best Multi-Mode Hull: Azimut Magellano 60

The Magellano 60 isn’t technically an explorer yacht. Think of it as a cruiser  designed for some long-distance travel. But it does have one very interesting feature, what its builder Azimut calls a “dual-mode” hull. The semi-planing shape is designed to optimize fuel consumption (and therefore lower emissions) by about 20 percent (compared to similar-sized vessels) at low and medium speeds. The yacht’s bow is also designed to cut through waves for better seakeeping at a range of speeds. The boat cruises very efficiently at 18 knots but will hit a top end of 26, thus delivering the performance of a planing hull with the benefits of a displacement hull.

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• Expedition Yachts
• Explorer Yachts

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Archipelago Yachts reveals first 24m+ explorer model for "visionary owner"

Archipelago Yachts has unveiled a new 24.4-metre model called the Archipelago 80. The first unit is being built "for a visionary owner", according to founder Dr Stephen Weatherley, and once delivered shall become the flagship of the British shipyard's leisure expedition range.

The explorer yacht will be owner-operated and is designed with a Chartwell Marine hull form utilised extensively in the offshore wind industry. The high-capacity helipad is a particularly noteworthy feature considering the model's size bracket, with the roof area also able to accommodate solar panels or extra storage, facilitated by a Palfinger crane.

The cockpit will feature an expansive "working area" equipped with tie-down points that can accommodate expedition gear or superyacht toys. The crane and reinforced deck structure can facilitate the transportation of a six-metre ISO container, a personal submersible, an amphibious vehicle and various heavy-duty equipment. Alternatively, it can be left free for leisure activities, including game fishing.

Meanwhile, the open-plan main saloon is arranged with a bar and a day galley said to offer "panoramic views". Accommodation is found within the hulls, as is the main galley and crew quarters. The wheelhouse serves as an adaptable living space, featuring another bar and an entertainment area on its shaded balcony. There is also the option to install a hot tub.

"This model represents ultimate versatility in a sub-24-metre, owner-operator platform, and the embodiment of our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences on the water," added Weatherley. "I am very excited to see this project come to life and welcome the customer on board for some unforgettable journeys at sea."

The Archipelago 80 will be powered by a diesel-electric system for a maximum speed of 28-30 knots. A paravane kite can also be deployed for decreased fuel consumption, while an optional generator will equip the yacht with an additional 180kW of electrical power.

Earlier this year, Archipelago Yachts was chosen as one of 33 successful applicants for £33 million in government funding . The prize will enable the progression of a new methanol-powered leisure vessel from Archipelago, the design for which was revealed in late 2023.

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