Christmas season has officially started, and the world’s second-richest man would better have a ginormous tree to stuff his present under. Project 721, soon to become the largest sail-assisted yacht in the world, is ready for delivery to its alleged owner, Jeff Bezos.
For months, we’ve been hearing about Jeff Bezos’ most recent and outrageous purchase: a sailing yacht inspired by the iconic Black Pearl, one of the most spectacular and technologically-advanced sail-assisted vessels in the world, delivered by Oceanco in 2018 after a six-year construction period. Bezos would employ similar tech, but it would be bigger, fancier and way more expensive.
That vessel, which neither Oceanco nor Bezos would confirm was built for him, is known as Project 721 or Y721: a gigantic, black-hulled 417-foot (127-meter) megayacht rigged as a three-masted schooner.
It was in the headlines a lot this past year, especially after builders Oceanco filed a request with the city of Rotterdam to temporarily dismantle the historic bridge Koningshaven, so they could take it out for sea trials with the 230-foot (70-meter) high masts already assembled. The people of Rotterdam came together to object to the request, saying that the bridge, though no longer in use, was a historic landmark that should stay as it was – even if the plan was to put it back together after the ship had passed.
Eventually, Oceanco took Y721 down a different route, on two separate transports, one for the hull and the other for the masts. The final assembly was at another Oceanco location, and the vessel proceeded to sea trials.
That stage completed, Y721, which carries an estimated cost of $500 million and is on track to becoming the world’s largest sail-assisted yacht when it’s delivered, is now back in Rotterdam. Boat International reports that it’s back to sitting at the Oceanco dock, awaiting delivery to its rich owner. Whether that’s Bezos or not we’ll probably learn in the following months.
Once delivered, Y721 will set a bunch of new world records, in addition to becoming the largest of its kind. It will also become the longest to be built in The Netherlands and the largest Oceanco project ever. With the price tag of $500 million, it will also become one of the world’s most expensive – and the best part is that the amount doesn’t even include its shadow yacht, a custom support vessel known as YS 7512 built by Damen Yachting that has also completed sea trials.
December is the season for gift wrapping and giving, but if you’re Jeff Bezos and you have a net worth estimated at nearly $120 billion, the best gift is the pair of superyachts you give yourself.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' sailing yacht has completed construction...https://t.co/qcJwj4MYVs
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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