The world's 100 largest yachts for 2006. Information for the one hundred biggest megayachts in 2006. List of the largest yachts in the world.

By Diane M. Byrne

Gentle reader, it's time we had a talk. We've noticed you've been behaving rather, well, peculiar lately. You know, like how you've been describing leaving your car in your driveway as Med-mooring. And how you've been referring to 30-odd-foot speedboats as tenders.

There are a few other things we've noticed, too:

—you've been insisting that your "crew" (a.k.a. your kids) paint better graphics on your RIB to compete with the ones on the aptly named Lioncub, the tender to Lionheart (no. 77)

—you've been overheard asking technicians if your baitwell can keep piranhas alive better that the fish tank aboard the pirate ship Bart Roberts (no. 27) and, when told it can't, challenged the poor souls to a duel by sword or pistol.

—you want to know why your home-entertainment center doesn't have 10,000 songs and 600 films available on demand, the way they are aboard Constellation (no. 18)

—you continually complain during dinner that you can't see straight up through an atrium to an opaque glass-bottom Jacuzzi tub on your rood, the way Sherakhan (no. 53) does on her top deck

Relax. You're in good company. After all, we've been compiling stats on (read: obsessing over) and tracking (read: chasing after) the largest private cruisers in the world for more than 20 years. And if you still have any doubt that you have lots of company, take a good look at the time stamp on some of the posts on our Megayachts forum; there are a bunch of sleep-deprived Europeans and Aussies playing yacht trivia and waxing poetic about Octopus at all hours of the morning and night.

So without further ado, here are the largest yachts in the world. Just as we did with last year's edition, we've included the five largest yachts owned by heads of state, listed separately at the end.

Let the obsessing begin.

KEY: L=length; Y=year launched (where two dates are given, the second is a refit date); B=builder; N=naval architect; H=hull material; E=engines

World’s 100 Largest Yachts 2006

State-Owned Yachts

For the second year in a row, we're taking a separate look at the five largest yacht maintained by heads of state. We list them this way because whether a state yacht is used for private cruises or official government business, arguably each comes at the taxpayers' expense. They're also registered as part of the country's naval fleet.

Now, this separate categorization is not to imply that these yachts are any less captivating—on the contrary, their sheer size is enough to make Rising Sun and Octopus look like bathtub toys in comparison. And chew on this: With other even larger craft rumored to be under construction for other heads of state, they'll soon be given a run for their money.

1. Dubai
2. Prince Abdul Aziz
3. Isham Al Baher
4. Al Said
5. Al Mirqab