Germany is perhaps better known for its superior luxury yacht building industry than for its superyacht charter industry. It is true that Germany produces some of the largest and best quality private luxury yachts in the world and you can see the yachting news below for more on that. However, in the last few years there has been an increase in interest form luxury yacht charterers about cursing the Baltic, Germany and Scandinavia.
Go to this page to read about some of the Germany yacht charter areas and some of the main attractions to see when on a German yacht charter holiday.
Three excellent Russian sailors will join the Esimit Sailing Team, composed of all-star sailors coming from 10 European nations and Russia, as recently announced by Igor Simčič, founder of the Esimit Europa project. Alexander Ekimov, Egor Larionov, Nikolay Kornev as well as the last year’s addition to the team, Anton Sergeev, represent the Russian part of the Esimit Sailing Team.
The Esimit Europa 2 yacht skippered by the best German sailor Jochen Schümann will not only further extend her message of Pan-European collaboration, but will also enter the new season with some technological improvements to be able to keep up her record breaking performances in the northern Europe.
“The Esimit Europa 2 yacht symbolizes the future of a successful European continent, which tightly lies in cooperation between Europe and Russia. I am convinced that as on our yacht, the foundation to common success is in close collaboration and mutual understanding, a winning mentality and constant innovations. Only by doing this, we at the Esimit Europa project can be a step ahead of the competition, achieving victories and setting records and remaining the most ambitious sailing project in the world.
Therefore, I am extremely happy and proud to welcome to our Pan-European team 3 excellent Russian sailors, multiple Russian and European champions in various Olympic sailing classes, winners of match races and the most prestigious big boats regattas. After the extremely successful run in the Mediterranean, when we crossed the finish line first at every attended race and also set 5 records, now together with the newly joined Russian sailors, we await new challenges in the seas of northern Europe – in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom – before returning back to the Mediterranean in the second half of the season,” said Igor Simčič, founder of the Esimit Europa project.
Along with announcing new sailing challenges (Kieler Woche in Germany, ÅF Offshore Race in Sweden and Cowes Week and Rolex Fastnet Race in the United Kingdom), Simčič presented also the new technological perfections to the world’s fastest monohull yacht. “With a clear goal of taking line honours at all the attended races in the upcoming season in mind new sails with technologically revolutionary processes of construction have been developed in collaboration between our crew member Jordi Calafat as a designer and North Sails company as a manufacturer. We have also placed a couple of new yacht’s components made of titan and carbon fibres, while at the same time we did an extensive revision of electronics and hydraulics. Therefore, nothing is left to coincidence and we are ready for the tough conditions awaiting in the seas of northern Europe,” added Simčič.
After nearly 14 years in Hamburg, the prestigious German luxury yacht design studio, NEWCRUISE, moves to the south side of the Elbe. As reaction on the continuous tense situation in yacht design market, the company’s founder, Roland Krueger, has taken the decision to close the Hamburg-based office in late July 2013.
180m mega yacht My World concept by Newcruise
For Germany NEWCRUISE is and remains a pioneer in the market, looking back on a long history of design, styling and build implementation of exteriors and interiors of yachts of various sizes.
“The label NEWCRUISE will remain available in the future for the known services of interior and exterior design. As before, we have got our professionals around us, but the sustained tight market in yacht design makes it impossible for us to continue working in the existing size and cost structure”, informs Roland Krueger.
All running projects will continue to be accompanied, of course, in the usual way. NEWCRUISE is excited about the current and future inquiries and is sure to bring them to success with expertise, enthusiasm and commitment.
The build time of the fully custom 82m motor yacht Graceful will be just 3 years, thanks to a combined project management team consisting of the Owner’s representative, Dörries Maritime Services (DMS) as well as Blohm+Voss. Luxury mega yacht Project Graceful is due to be delivered at the end of this year.
82m Blohm + Voss superyacht Graceful
“The owner’s desire to work with the shipyard has turned out to be a winning solution and we are looking forward to another collaboration with the shipyard soon”, says Werner Dörries, CEO of Dörries Maritime Services.
The sleek exterior and classic interior of superyacht Graceful is designed by H2 Yacht Design. Unique features include an impressive 15m x 3m indoor pool with raising dance floor, as well as a substantial helicopter deck. Accommodations consisting of a duplex master cabin, two VIPs cabins and three guest cabins are laid out for a total of 14 guests and 24 crew. The 82m steel and aluminium yacht Project Graceful is classed to Lloyd’s SS Code and MCA LY2. Twin 2300kW MTU engines will assure a top speed of 18 knots and a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.
Currently being completed at the Blohm+Voss facilities in Hamburg with the support of the best industry subcontractors, the 82m luxury yacht Graceful is in her final stages before being put in the water in October.
Following three fantastic seasons in the Mediterranean, the fastest as well as most successful European sailing yacht Esimit Europa 2 sails to the northern Europe for the first time. Esimit Europa 2 yacht will participate in the races in Germany (Kieler Woche), Sweden (ÅF Offshore Race), United Kingdom (Cowes Week and Rolex Fastnet Race), Italy (Bernetti Lombardini Cup and Barcolana) and will attempt to set a new world sailing record from Trieste – Valletta for the Medot Sailing Trophy and race in Malta (Rolex Middle Sea Race). New design of the Esimit Europa 2 yacht and her sails reflects new challenges and her mission in encouraging unity among Europeans.
Esimit Europa 2 Yacht - Photo by Esimit Europa/Vicent Bosch
On the Europe Day, during the first official training in the new season, Igor Simčič, founder of the Esimit Europa project, and Jochen Schümann, skipper of the Esimit Europa 2 yacht, revealed ambitions for the upcoming sailing season. After achieving 19 victories at all the attended races so far and setting 5 new course records, one of the fastest yachts in world is eager to repeat its success – for the first time outside the Mediterranean since its christening in 2010. New challenges will be accompanied with the new hull and sails design. Brand new big yellow stars on the sides of the hull and on top of the mainsail, together with new light blue lines, illustrate new ambitions in the northern seas, while they project the team spirit among crew members and cooperation within all partners in the Esimit Europa project at the same time.
Luxury superyacht Esimit Europa 2 - Photo by Esimit Europa/Vicent Bosch
At the end of June, superyacht Esimit Europa 2 will race at the Kieler Woche. The happening with more than 3 million visitors, 1800 sailing yachts and 450 races is one of the biggest sailing events in the world. The Esimit Sailing Team will perform at 2 races and will move to Stockholm immediately after for the start of the most renowned Swedish regatta, the ÅF Offshore Race, on 30. June. The 350 nautical miles long race, which rounds the scenic Gotland Island and ends in Sandham, will see the record fleet of extremely attractive yachts, all of them eager to take line honours at this Swedish classic.
After her performance in Sweden, the 30-meter luxury yacht Esimit Europa 2 will be shipped to the United Kingdom for the start of the Cowes Week at the beginning of August, one of the oldest continuing sporting events in the United Kingdom (established in 1826). 18-member crew will show its skills at 3 inshore races and prepare for one of the toughest and most renowned European races, the famous Rolex Fastnet Race.
Esimit Sailing Team - Photo by Esimit Europa/Vicent Bosch
With 608 nautical miles in front of legendary Jochen Schümann and his all-star crew, the Rolex Fastnet Race represents season’s highlight, but also a big test for the Esimit Europa 2 yacht herself due to always unpredictable weather conditions. In addition, the competition will be very tough, many excellent boats registered for the race, in total 380 yachts from 20 countries.
Schuemann and Simcic - Photo by Esimit Europa/Vicent Bosch
New sailing challenges of the Esimit Europa 2 yacht and her mission in fostering European unity are embodied in the new yacht’s design. It features two big yellow stars on the sides of the hull and additional one on the top of the mainsail. Accompanied with light blue waving lines, showing a dynamic environment we are living in, all new graphic elements illustrate collaboration among crew members and cooperation within the partners of the Esimit Europa project.
Originally built by Burger Boat Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin USA, the now called motor yacht Zerlina was constructed under Hull 216C and named Leipal at her launch in 1967. Her first owner, Doyke W. Cotton Jr, sold the yacht after 18 years to Paul R. Ilyinsky, who renamed her Angelique. Once Ilyinsky sold the yacht, she fell into disrepair and got abandoned. In 2011, Angelique was purchased by her current owners, Bjarke Fugl and Karla M. Polito, who restored the newly renamed ZERLINA yacht to her full glory. After 44 years, Zerlina was ready to take on the longest journey of her life, with her initial voyage, from Florida to Denmark, being just the beginning …
Motor yacht Zerlina
ZERLINA’s Journey: Six weeks and 4860 nautical miles
Captain/Owner: Bjarke Fugl and Karla M. Polito
Crew: Anders Bjarnø Rasmussen, Richard DeWolf and Robert Keim
Motor yacht Zerlina
June 12, 2012—ZERLINA yacht is launched in Green Cove Springs, Florida. Having been restored by her owners, ZERLINA was ready for her voyage to her new home. As it was time to bid farewell, almost everyone from the city came to the docks to see us off. The voyage to Denmark had just begun!
Motor yacht Zerlina
June 16 2012—Green Cove Springs, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida
June 18, 2012—Jacksonville, Florida to Charleston, North Carolina
June 26, 2012—Charleston, North Carolina to Atlantic City, New Jersey
June 28, 2012—Atlantic City, New Jersey to New York, New York
Motor yacht Zerlina
We arrived in New York harbor on the eve of America’s 236th birthday and found no place to dock ZERLINA. Captain Bjarke, maneuvering in the choppy waters of the Hudson River, brought the nimble motor yacht ZERLINA alongside the walls of Battery Park, where our new crew members, eager to start the voyage, tossed their bags and leaped aboard ZERLINA.
There is no greater place to enjoy the Macy’s fireworks spectacular then on your own yacht in the Hudson River! An evening of fireworks, seeing old friends and creating new ones was what the first day of our voyage was all about. Bjarke, Anders, Richard and Bob were now the team to take ZERLINA to Denmark.
Zerlina Yacht by Burger Boat Company and her incredible journey
July 7, 2012—New York, New York to New Bedford, Massachusetts
The first couple of days were spent taking small trips and getting ready for the Atlantic crossing. We spent a day in New York City where we took the tender into the city and walked to Fin’s. We decided that since it may be the last time we saw a real city; we would enjoy singing Neil Diamond’s “Ramblin Rose” at the karaoke bar while indulging in the salty taste of fresh margaritas. ZERLINA’s final preparations were made; food was stored, loose items were packed for safe keeping, a lengthy systems testing, safety check lists reviewed and drills performed. No matter the confidence of the crew or how stout and dependable the quality of a Burger yacht, safety is paramount. But now, a big decision needed to be made. Which direction would we head? With a democratic vote, we chose the northern route. This route included Greenland, the land of glaciers and polar bears, as opposed to the shorter and warmer route to the popular islands of the Azores, maybe next time.
Zerlina's journey
July 10, 2012—New Bedford, Massachusetts to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada
While crossing Cape Cod Bay, we were joined by a large whale and three dolphins on our portside. Absolutely beautiful!
Earlier that day, Bjarke, Richard and Anders decided that these might be the warmest waters we might be in for some time, so we jumped off the swim platform! Once we realized how cold the water really was, there was an even quicker jump out of the water. It was a sunny day and the temperature of the water was soon forgotten so we repeated the routine two or three more times. The four of us are different ages, but we all felt like little kids playing in our local swimming hole.
A whale passed us early that day, showing its large tail and slapping the water—by contrast, a Disney and Carnival ship passed in the evening. The moon rose with its fiery glory, does the moon always rise over the ocean so beautiful?
Early on the ninth day of our voyage, we pulled ZERLINA into Port Hawksburry. The hills were a pleasant change of scenery but, when Bjarke called customs we found out that they were a four hour drive away. Waiting aboard ZERLINA made the hills feel even further away, but an older couple in the boat next to us kept us company with their 9-month old puppy and fresh cookies. Puppies, cookies, grandparents!
Zerlina yacht's journey
July 12, 2012—Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia to Nanortalik; Greenland to Frederiksdal; Greenland to Prins Christian Sund Greenland—one of the most beautiful places on earth with huge icebergs.
The straits of Bells Isle are where we started keeping a double watch for icebergs. During Richard’s watch, he spots another whale—a Killer Whale this time. It was noted by all that the whales were always seen on Richard’s watch. To our starboard side is Cape Breton Island with vertical cliffs and quaint white farmhouses dotting the shoreline. The waters off Newfoundland and Labrador can be rife with ice and icebergs, so caution is advised. Icebergs are usually visible on radar, but the bergy bits (small icebergs) and growlers (small remnants) may not be.
Zerlina Yacht by Burger Boat Company
The moon is getting smaller each evening. The compass slowly and gracefully swings, telling us which way to go. As we are drawing a line to Greenland, we clear the deck of anything that could be lost to the seas in rough weather. Expecting 20’ waves on a calm day, what should we expect or be ready for? Of all the boats built in the world, most stay close to their home port, but ZERLINA is in unfamiliar waters, with unfamiliar sunsets and sunrises.
What a week! Nothing was written as the seas of the Labrador Sea were very heavy. The crew watches were now four hours on and four hours off, with two people having a two hour overlap. We zigzagged through the fjords to the weather station on the eastern side of Greenland, called Prins Christian Sund, where we were served Danishes, coffee and juice. The weather report showed a favorable high pressure so we headed out into the arctic, dodging icebergs, growlers and bits for 24 nautical miles.
Zerlina Yacht by Burger Boat Company
We arrived in Nanortalik earlier in the week after four days of bad weather and angry waves! Tossing about makes some men tougher and weakens others. No matter which you are; it feels good to have your feet on solid ground. Darkness was still on the shore as we approached Nanortalik, forcing us to take turns on the bow with the VHS giving signals to Bjarke as we navigated the iceberg strewn waters. The fog began to lift and an incredible coastline of jagged mountains, towering icebergs and small islands softened by the power of the eroding waves gave us a view worth the four days at sea. Bjarke skillfully docked ZERLINA and, after crafting a rum and coke with ice from our travels, we jumped ashore.
The next morning we enjoyed fresh bakery and headed back to the boat. Bob had stayed on board to protect the fuel from thieves. Bob and Richard changed the oil and Bjarke and Anders worked on adjusting the starter motor. ZERLINA was carrying the four of us through the most amazing waters with icebergs of every shape and size. We had two goals for icebergs: to get beautiful photographs with ZERLINA and to climb aboard an iceberg and make it our playground.
Yacht Zerlina during restoration
To get photographs meant we had to be in a different boat, so Richard captained the dinghy while Anders took the photographs. The iceberg we wanted to photograph was simple in shape but with two ribbons of blue flowing through it with grace and beauty. The ribbons somehow matched the shape of ZERLINA. We spent an hour taking the most incredible photos. Driving the dinghy so the sun would shine through the pure blue streaks, maintaining proper distance from ZERLINA and keeping Anders with the lens pointed in the right direction was Richard’s job. It was beautiful, pure perfection, the best, or so we thought. After capturing the best photos anyone could possibly get, we took off towards Frederiksdal.
Just a few miles further east, Bjarke’s and Anders’ eyes lit up as we saw another iceberg we had to check out. Back into the dinghy and we were off. The right side had a gentle curve to the top, the left side was much steeper, but the two sides were about the same height. What drew our attention to this iceberg was that it gradually sloped to a perfect flat center, just about 3’ from the surface of the icy arctic water, providing us a perfect height to climb aboard.
Zerlina Yacht by Burger Boat Company - Happy Birthday
Bjarke donned a bright red US Coast Guard survival suit and was the first one to the dinghy. Richard drove the dinghy and pushed the nose straight into the berg and let the motor run so there was constant pressure between the two. With a successful dismount, the big red Bjarke was running around the ice. Feeling that everything was safe, Anders joined Bjarke and Richard stayed in the dinghy for security reasons.
Climbing onto a huge chunk of ice was like stepping on the moon. Something you just can’t imagine, so beautiful and scary at the same time. Tossing the anchor onto the ice, the three of us met and played like little kids seeing snow for the first time. There was a shallow pool, maybe 20 yards across, where we all drank the coolest and most refreshing water ever. Climbing to the top was, to say the least, very difficult and slippery. We slowed as we reached the tiny summit because we didn’t know what was on the other side. We were climbing with our hands and feet, but when we reached the top, we were able to stand and face a perfectly blue lake, about 80’ across, with the sea between us and the mountains of Greenland. Though it was so inviting to try and go swimming, we were sure the shock of the ice cold water would paralyze us. Instead, we slid down the hill we had just climbed. Not with a sled, or disk, or chunk of plastic, just on our rears, our backs and arms, laughing all of the way. We had too much adrenaline to feel how cold we should have been and, after a few moments of reflecting on where we were, what we had just seen and done, we got back in the dinghy and headed back to ZERLINA.
July 30, 2012 – Thurso, Scotland through the Kiel Channel
August 3, 2012 – Rendsburg, Germany – A sailor’s welcome, Bjarke and crew were welcomed by his 80 year-old German grandmother and his parents
August 4, 2012 – Thurøbund Shipyard, Thurø, Denmark four days before Bjarke’s 27th birthday. Captain and crew warmly welcomed by friends and family all waving the Danish flag.
The plan for motor yacht ZERLINA is to cruise around Scandinavia for a few years before she again will cruise the seven seas.
For a product to become a real brand, it has to bring a number of benefits, including functionality as well as quality, but above all character, which represents a tangible, visible asset that has a vital effect on the customer’s decision to buy and subsequent satisfaction.
DEY32M and DMY32M Yacht Concepts by Drettmann Yachts
That Claudia and Albert Drettmann cultivate and embody this sense of brand identity is clearly evident from the positive development of their firm, Drettmann Yachts. The highly committed owners have succeeded in transforming their passion for yachts into an impressively thriving business.
In the last two years alone, the Drettmanns have not only sold 200 pre-owned yachts, but also excelled in the new-build segment.
Two completely new yacht lines by the Bremen company, which are outstanding in every respect, have attracted a great deal of attention since their rollout last year.
New standards
Drettmann Motor Yachts (DMY) and Drettmann Explorer Yachts (DEY), which range from 20 to 45 metres, boast features that have never been seen before in this class: for instance, a beach club with bar, wellness area and direct access to the guest cabins or the sea, garages for tender and jet-ski or the new diesel electric pod propulsion systems with comfortable joystick steering, which makes manoeuvring the vessel fun, as it is both simple and safe.
This is altogether a new form of maritime experience which thoroughly fulfils the wish for more comfort, the ultimate closeness to the water and maximum facilities on board.
Drettmann Yachts Fleet
New options
The wealth of innovative and ingenious solutions has obviously struck the right chord in the market: the keel of the first DMY is about to be laid, no fewer than two vessels from the new Explorer Yacht series have already been sold in 2013 and other negotiations are in process.
Needless to say, Albert Drettmann is delighted that Drettmann Yachts has picked up speed so soon. Increasing interest, however, means lower capacities for building new yachts. Drettmann has accordingly been keeping its eyes open for potential new partners all over the world, for people who share our ideas and can live up to our exacting technical standards.
This search has been successful – and has taken us back to the Netherlands once again and also back to Asia:
The Dutch shipyards are regarded as market leaders in international yachting circles, and back in the early days of the company, Drettmann already cooperated successfully with Neptunus Shipbuilding in the Netherlands. By the year 1998, Drettmann had commissioned and sold more than 700 yachts with lengths of up to 20 metres by the yard.
Nor is Asia “new territory” for the Drettmanns. For almost 20 years, up until 2010, Drettmann collaborated with the Taiwanese yard “Horizon”.
From the initial figure of 90 employees, Drettmann raised the workforce to a total of 1300 and, in its heyday, purchased 80% of the yard’s production. Drettmann commissioned a total of more than 300 Motor and Explorer Yachts from its own well-known “Elegance” and “Bandido” lines, in a class of up to 55m, and found satisfied owners for them on behalf of the yard.
The Bremen company gradually evolved into the world’s most success-ful yacht vendor in this class.
The next chapter in this success story is now to be written in cooperation with shipyards in the Netherlands and Asia and – if all goes according to plan – will surpass the company’s previous performance.
“Our new partner yards belong to the top players in the high-end shipbuilding market. They have already delivered proof of their experience, skilled craftsmanship and quality awareness for many years,” explains Albert Drettmann.
Then, as today, compliance with quality criteria takes top priority. “Our brand name guarantees that we provide our customers with quality “Made in Germany” – regardless of where the yachts are actually built. The new generation of “Elegance Yachts” and “Bandido Yachts” will soon be an added attraction on the seven seas …” promises Claudia Drettmann.
The voluminous 86-metre mega yacht Quattroelle (Project Bellissimo) is a breath-taking vessel, delivered by the respected German builder Lurssen in early 2013. Quattroelle yacht boasts both exterior as well as interior design by acclaimed Nuvolari Lenard. She is currently cruising the lovely yacht charter destination – Caribbean.
Luxury mega yacht Quattroelle - Photo by Klaus Jordan
Nuvolari Lenard designed motor yacht Quattroelle features luxurious and comfortable accommodation for up to 12 guests in 6 elegant and lovely cabins. There is also space for the vessel’s impressive crew of 28 professionals, sleeping in 14 crew cabins. Moreover, Quattroelle offers all the luxury amenities of a superyacht, including a heli pad, large gymnasium, spa/salon, cinema, art gallery, an eight-person Jacuzzi, a direct positioning system, as well as a wide range of water toys, such as three tenders, four Waverunners, water skis, along with a complete dive equipment.
85 m Lurssen superyacht Quattroelle - Photo by Klaus Jordan
Launched by the prominent German builder Abeking & Rasmussen last month, the all-new 82-metre mega yacht Secret is currently undergoing sea trials. Featuring exterior design by Sam Sorgiovanni and interior design by Jim Harris, the majestic Secret yacht is scheduled for delivery in May 2013. Below are videos of Secret undergoing sea trials, published on YouTube and created by DiFooll.
Nauta Yachts has issued a press release talking about the recently launched 180m AZZAM yacht – the largest superyacht in the world. Mega Yacht Azzam boasts exterior design by Nauta Yachts and was constructed by the prestigious German shipyard Lurssen. Her interior was created by Christophe Leoni.
180m Azzam superyacht designed by Nauta Yachts
“Seven years ago we began to navigate in the wide ocean of superyacht design. We were lucky to start with a commission for an 80 metre motor yacht with moderate volumes and above all the possibility to open large glass surfaces on the superstructure of each deck. We called this project Light with the double meaning of brightness and lightness. When we were then called in to participate in the design and exterior styling of AZZAM we immediately realised that this project would be one of the most demanding of our careers. The brief was strict and challenging in terms of dimensions, performance and technology. At the same time we were pleased to note that the Client’s brief was not calling for large volumes in relation to the overall length. This would give us the possibility to express our vision of balance between airiness and light on a larger scale. Our lines could stay neat and essential, one of the hallmarks of Nauta Yachts, without overflow, redundancy and massive volumes.”
Azzam superyacht - Photo by Klaus Jordan
“The yacht was to be able to navigate at speeds in excess of 30 knots, powered by a combination of two gas turbines and two diesel engines with a total 94,000 horse power. The highest technology to obtain the highest performance possible for a 180m hull would require, from our point of view, a rational, modern architecture composed by straight lines and balanced and proportioned volumes, outlining her advanced contents and stunning performance.”
“Ever since the first sketches, we could sense that we were on the right track. The design had strength of character and sense of purpose, yet also had timeless elegance, even while incorporating elements of visionary contemporary modern design.”
Luxury mega yacht AZZAM - Photo by Klaus Jordan
Nauta CEO Mario Pedol states: “When I saw the scale model before the general presentation to the Principal, I was 100% happy with the outcome. So was the Principal. Such recognition made me confident that we had achieved our goal.”
The Client representative assembled a world-class team, composed by Lürssen engineers, technical project managers from Burgess, the interior designer Christophe Leoni, and by ourselves here at Nauta Yachts.
M/Y Azzam - Photo by Klaus Jordan
AZZAM breaks new ground in terms of dimensions, performance and technology. In addition to being the largest yacht in the world with a length of 180 meters and in addition to her staggering top speed of over 30 knots, she shatters records in terms of building time: after a year of engineering, she was constructed in just three years, another milestone in yachting history.
According to Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett the construction of this yacht – with its highly complex technical features – has been extremely demanding and challenging. “It has been a real team effort – he says – between all the professionals involved, including ourselves, the builder and the designers, and we are proud to be associated with this extraordinary and unique project as Owner’s technical consultants.”
Luxury superyacht AZZAM - Photo by Klaus Jordan
The renowned French designer Christophe Leoni has been able to realize a sophisticated and luxurious interior in Empire style. “Though yachting is not my main area of business – he comments – I thoroughly enjoyed the cooperation with Nauta and Lürssen and I am confident that the final yacht is everything and more that the Owner expects.”
While waiting for mega yacht Azzam’s final delivery, we can state that all our efforts were concentrated to achieve a design defined by a strong character, but dressed by a timeless elegance. We believe Azzam will be able to represent a milestone in the superyacht fleet for decades.
Mega yacht AZZAM by Lurssen - Photo by Klaus Jordan
This morning saw the most awaited launch of 2013: that of the 180m PROJECT AZZAM Yacht by LURSSEN. Motor yacht Azzam is the largest luxury yacht in the world, followed by the 162.5m luxury yacht Eclipse. Her exterior lines were designed by Nauta Yacht Design and her interior was created by Christophe Leoni. Lurssen supplied the technical engineering of this remarkable yacht, with Engineer Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi assembling the team behind this project.
Eng. Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi assembled a world-class team which he personally directed in all areas of the development of this sophisticated project. Under his leadership the original concept of the yacht Project Azzam was developed starting with the overall requirements with regards to general layout, size and performance and exterior style.
His brief was to build a large luxury yacht with an innovative and timeless design that would be able to travel at high speed in warm and shallow waters, whilst providing luxurious and sophisticated accommodation to its guests.
Under the personal guidance of Eng. Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi, the technical engineering was developed by Lürssen, the exterior design by Nauta Yachts and the interior design by Christophe Leoni to create what is, without doubt, the most complex and challenging yacht which has ever been built.
The yacht AZZAM is breaking new grounds in terms of dimension, performance and technology. In addition to being the largest yacht in the world with a length of 180 meters and with a top speed of over 30 knots she adds another record in terms of building time. Lürssen Managing Partner Peter Lürssen proudly said: “When she will be delivered later this year, she will have been in build for only three years following one year of engineering.” ”She truly represents another milestone in not only our history but yachting history as well” he adds.
The design has strength of character and sense of purpose, yet has a timeless elegance, incorporating all the elements of visionary contemporary modern design.
Nauta CEO Mario Pedol stated: “When I first saw the scale model before the general presentation to the Principal, I was 100 % happy with the outcome and so was the Principal. Such recognition made me confident that we had achieved our goal”.
Under the direction of Eng. Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi the best solutions were found in order to satisfy the specific requirements with regards to design and technology and thereby creating a yacht that meets all the expectations. The end result is a truly sophisticated Super Mega Yacht.
Amongst many other features the Project Azzam yacht has a main salon with a lengths of 29 m and a beam of 18m with an open plan and no pillars. She will travel in excess of 30 knots, powered by a combination of 2 gas turbines and 2 diesel engines with a total of 94000 horse powers.
Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett said: We are proud to be associated with this extraordinary and unique project as the Owners technical consultants. The construction of this yacht- with its highly complex technical features- has been extremely demanding and challenging. It has been a real team effort between all the professionals involved including ourselves, the builder and the designers.
The interior decoration of the superyacht AZZAM was undertaken by the renowned French designer Christophe Leoni who is proud to have been able to realize a sophisticated and luxurious interior in a turn of the century Empire style. “Though Yachting is not my main area of business, I thoroughly enjoyed the cooperation with Nauta and Lürssen and am confident that the final yacht is everything and more the owner expects.” he said.
Name: AZZAM
Loa: 180 m / 590’4’’
Beam: 20,8 m / 68’22’’
Draft: 4,3 m / 15’8”
Speed: > 30 knots
