A New Host of Mega Yachts
Making the high seas more luxurious
WRITTEN BY Kevin Koenig
JANUARY 14, 2022
There is perhaps no truer staple of the ultra-elite than the mega yacht. Art, diamonds, planes, perhaps a library at a NESCAC school of your choice—these things all cost money, but few of them across the board can compete with a proper super yacht for the pure punch of opulence.
Case in point is Tilman Fertitta’s 252-foot Feadship Boardwalk, which dominated the docks at the 2021 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Dutch-built super yacht reportedly cost $150 million, and it’s no surprise why. An Airbus EC-130 helicopter sat on the aft portion of its top deck, leading gaggles of showgoers to crane their necks skyward.
Onboard, a massive beach club had a full gym and a stocked bar that looked as if it belonged in the lobby of a five-star hotel. Art Deco design is the word of the day in the interior where muscular and geometric patterns show up everywhere, from the artwork to the bannisters. A massive swimming pool on the forward portion of the top deck is reportedly Fertitta’s favorite spot to relax. When playtime is over, he also has a fully appointed office adjacent to the master suite. After all, these boats don’t buy themselves.
Besides Boardwalk, three large Italian builds have also caught our particular interest as of late—call them a Roman triumvirate, if you will.
First is the Azimut Grande 38 Metri Trideck. The boat’s interior, done by Achille Salvagni, absolutely pops. Salvagni concentrated on keeping the spaces fluid, informal, and organic—so much so that he eschewed a formal dining table in favor of al fresco options complemented by a casual dining nook in the upper salon. The vessel’s namesake third deck also makes her distinct among her peers. It resides above the swim platform, and could perhaps best be described as an elevated cockpit of sorts. Extra privacy and a deep connection with the marine environment are the intention with this design.
Azimut’s sister company Benetti has also found time to shine, with its new B.NOW 66M Oasis. The mega yacht is notable particularly for its cockpit and beach club setup. The cockpit has massive terraces to either side that greatly expand the entertainment area. It also has an infinity pool on the aft end that peers out over a beach club that acts as the ideal setup for all water-based activities. The exterior design of the two areas is such that the cockpit seems to cascade like a waterfall down to the beach club and the waterline. It’s a striking appeal to the eye that has made the model extremely popular both in the domestic market and abroad.
Lastly, the Sanlorenzo 62M named Cloud 9 rounds out our list. With a traditional profile opting for clean, straight lines, as opposed to the swirling and bending lines that have become en vogue as of late, the yacht harkens back to a different time (albeit not so long ago, as super-yacht design trends tend to turn on a dime). The steel-hulled beast has a Jacuzzi plunge pool on its top deck, a swimming pool on the main deck, a movie theatre, and a spa and beach club down close to the water’s surface. It is, in effect, an entertainer’s dream—and worth every cent of her reported 66-million dollar price tag.
