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1. LE GRAND BLEU
- L: 354'3" Y: 2000
Ever since yacht-watchers
laid eyes on this big blue yacht—whose name, not coincidentally,
means “Big Blue”—rumors have swirled that the owner
is Craig McCaw, the Pacific Northwestern billionaire who is widely credited
with pioneering cellular technology. Once and for all, folks, he’s
not the owner. Paul Allen, the Microsoft billionaire who owns another
yacht on our list, is—although he’s not the original owner.
And no, we’re not going to tell you who is—that’ll spoil
the guessing game, after all—although we’ll drop some heavy
hints. Here’s one: He’s from the same area of the country
as McCaw. Okay, okay, here’s a better one: He’s a relative
of McCaw’s. This summer Allen bought Le Grand Bleu from him.
One rumor had Allen intending to put her and Tatoosh (see no. 3)
into the charter fleet. Simply put, that’s a load of you-know-what.
What is true? Recent excursions have taken Le Grand Bleu through
the Caribbean and overseas to England, where she caused quite a stir in
March. The size of her “toys” probably made the crowds turn
wide-eyed, too, given that they include a 72-foot sailing yacht and 68-foot
Guy Couach power yacht. B: Vulkan, Germany; N: Kusch Yachtagentur; H:
Steel; E: 2/4,570-hp Deutz-MWMs
2. LIMITLESS
- L: 315'7" Y: 1997
Limitless,
which has cruised more than 100,000 miles and is still going strong, was
one of the worst-kept secrets while under construction, partly due to
the fact that the then-captain was seen walking around the various boat
shows with a rendering of the yacht on his T-shirt and the name “Limitless”
beneath it. Another poorly kept secret was the identity of her owner,
Leslie Wexner, owner of Victoria’s Secret and other stores. While
the rest of the yachting world waited to see what his yacht would look
like, Wexner was busy making sure his requirements were met. One of the
many no-compromise stipulations was a 25-knot top speed; Anything less
would mean that the yard would end up owning her. (Obviously the speed
was attained.) Limitless has several fascinating features, including
an F-16 joystick control at her helm, a “dolphin cam” in her
bow, and lights encircling her waterline to make her anchorage glow at
night. Wexner reportedly considers the interior his private domain and
won’t permit it to be shown, despite it having been photographed.
B: Lürssen, Germany; N: Builder; H: Steel; E: 3/7,268-hp Caterpillars
(diesel-electric drives)
3. TATOOSH -
L: 301'8" Y: 2000
Remember how we
said Le Grand Bleu (see no. 1) isn’t Craig McCaw’s yacht?
The reason we’re sure is because this used to be his yacht, before
he sold it to Paul Allen last year. The sale was well-documented in the
nation’s biggest newspapers, many of which reported the selling
price was $100 million. Regardless of whether or not that price was right,
Allen is keeping the yacht busy. Tatoosh rang in the new year in
St. Barts. She was also spotted in New Orleans and Port Everglades this
past spring. One of the yacht’s more interesting features: a nearly
six-foot-deep pool, located aft on the main deck beneath a full overhang.
Not only does it feature lighting and round windows on each side, but
it also has a floor that rises up flush with the deck level when the pool
is not in use. Another fascinating feature is a lobster tank in the lazarette.
Just like Leslie Wexner (see no. 2), Allen is keeping interior photos
under wraps. B: H.D.W. Nobiskrug, Germany; N: Studio Acht/Kusch Yacht
Agenteur; H: Steel; E: 2/4,505-hp Deutz-MWMs
4. BART
ROBERTS - L: 265'6" Y: 1963/1986/2002
Ahoy,
mateys! Black Bart is not only the namesake of this black-hulled expedition
yacht, but also the star of a few portraits and murals onboard. The pirate
theme is everywhere, from the crossed swords painted on the funnel to
the guest staterooms named for other famous bucaneers (although what’s
with the kids’ stateroom being named for Captain Kidd?). A big focal
point (and we do mean big) is the stone fireplace, adorned with the halves
of a brass cannon. All of these details were part of a 60-week conversion,
which transformed the vessel from a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker into
a Lloyd’s-and-SOLAS-approved charter yacht. And while unruly charter
guests won’t have to walk the plank, they probably should take note
of the four-ton piranha tank in the saloon. The chairman of refit company
Tradepower International owns the yacht and oversaw the refit for an international
investment group, of which he’s a member. The pirate theme was his
idea; he says he’d seen enough sculpted carpets and glossy tables
onboard yachts in his 20 years in the business to want something that
was truly unusual. B: Canadian Vickers, Canada; N: Lennart Edstrom; H:
Steel; E: 2/2,000-hp Rustons
5. LONE RANGER
- L: 255'0" Y: 1972/1994
Lone Ranger
dropped by the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands a few
months ago; while folks there are used to seeing megayachts in the harbor,
they were blown away by this lady’s imposing presence. Her deep-green
hull is certainly eye-catching, and her superstructure retains much of
the character of her original purpose (the vessel was built as a commercial
salvage tug). Lone Ranger has been actively crossing the world’s
oceans for several years now, traveling throughout the Caribbean and in
New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. Her owner, who’s from Ohio, found
great success in the car insurance business and cruised the Baltic Sea
with his family earlier this year. Besides yachting, he’s reportedly
passionate about collecting art and philanthropy, having generously supported
his alma mater, Princeton University, and the Guggenheim. He’s also
admitted in interviews to being an eccentric person; but if we were worth
about a billion dollars, we would be, too. B: Schichau-Unterwesser, Germany;
N: Claus Kusch (conversion); H: Steel; E: 2/4,400-hp Deutz-MWMs
6. KATANA - L:
244'4" Y: 1991
You won’t
be seeing Katana stateside for a while—her owner, Oracle
Corporation CEO Larry Ellison, has her berthed in New Zealand through
the completion of next year’s America’s Cup race because he
has a team in the competition. The yacht arrived in late December last
year, and Ellison flew in to enjoy a little R&R onboard, which according
to a local newspaper included shooting hoops on the aft deck. Yes, you
read that right—Ellison had a basketball court (actually, a half-court)
installed for his personal enjoyment. We’ll take bets he also spent
quality time in his two-level master suite, which is aptly called an apartment.
As for the crew, they seem to be adjusting just fine to their new surroundings—in
fact, Ellison’s chef took advantage of the opportunity to try some
local angus beef and was reportedly so delighted with it that he’s
serving it aboard the yacht when Ellison entertains. But that entertaining
may not last much longer, as Ellison is selling her in anticipation of
taking delivery of a larger yacht next year. Asking price: a cool $68
million. B: Blohm & Voss, Germany; N: Martin Francis; H: Steel; E:
2/5,000-hp Deutz-MWMs with 1/18,500-hp GE turbine
7. TERAAKA -
L: 220'0" Y: 1961
A West
Coast resident informed us two years ago that he’d purchased the
former presidential yacht of Marshall Tito. He also informed us he planned
to have her fly the U.S. flag when she was ready to cruise again. Since
that time, however, we’ve been unable to determine if the planned
major refit in Baja California went according to schedule. B: Brodogradiliste
Titovo, Yugoslavia; N: Builder; H: Steel; E: unknown
8. BIG ROI -
L: 206'0" Y: 2002
The second-biggest
debut on this year’s list is a purpose-built expedition yacht that’s
the largest private vessel to emerge thus far from Danish yard Royal Denship.
She’s also a big step up for her owner, a gentleman in the media
business who last owned the 184-foot Dream (since sold to another American
and renamed Pangaea). Earlier this year he took her for a shakedown
cruise to Sweden and later in the summer cruised to Gibraltar, en route
to enjoy the rest of the Med. Big Roi, featuring a mahogany interior
and Italian-crafted furniture from Milan, is for sale for $25 million,
since her owner is already planning a larger yacht. B: Royal Denship,
Denmark; N: Tom Fexas Yacht Design; H: Steel; E: 2/Caterpillar 3512Es
9. CAKEWALK -
L: 203'5" Y: 2000
If you are welcomed
aboard Cakewalk as a guest of the owners or as a charterer, don’t
become confused if you’re told the limousine will take you to shore
from your anchorage—“The Limousine” is actually a custom
26-foot tender that has lift-out sides, allowing you to literally step
right onto the beach. This was surely put to good use this summer, which
the yacht spent cruising in Italy. Guests got the chance to vicariously
cruise other famed spots worldwide, thanks to the decor themes of the
six VIP staterooms: China Sea, Mediterranean, Coral Sea, Caribbean, Aegean,
and The Bahamas. Want to learn more? Log on to the yacht’s official
Web site, www.my-cakewalk.com. B: Feadship/Royal Van Lent Shipyard, Holland;
N: H.W. De Voogt Naval Architects; H: Steel; E: 2/2,000-hp Caterpillars
10. CLAIRE T
- L: 200'10" Y: 1973
This canoe-sterned
lady is undergoing a refit that includes rebuilding her main engines and
gensets, modifications to her aft deck to create an alfresco dining area,
and a few general upgrades to prepare her for her debut in the charter
market this winter in the Caribbean. She’s for sale for $6.9 million,
and her owner is reportedly motivated. B: Astilleros y Talleres Celaya,
Spain; N: Sparkman & Stephens; H: Steel; E: 2/1,125-hp Caterpillars
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