Photo: Lurssen
There’s an abundance of new luxury yachts for wealthy owners each year, but only a handful of the ones currently in operation are meant to go down in history. One of them is undoubtedly Ronin, this spectacular superyacht that could easily be mistaken for a naval patrol vessel. Only a few have had the honor of owning this masterpiece, the most famous of them being the IT superstar Larry Ellison.
Luxury yacht owners don’t always show exquisite taste, despite the ridiculous amounts they spend on such floating mansions. But Ellison is not one of them. The IT mogul is known for his series of exceptional superyachts, all of them named after various elements from Japanese culture. He currently still owns the 88-meter (288 feet) Musashi built by Feadship. Prior to that, he also owned the massive Rising Sun, the Katana, and the Ronin.
The Ronin, now allegedly belonging to Victor Vargas, a banker in Venezuela, was recently spotted on the French Riviera, anchored in Villeneuve-Loubet. Contrasting with the elegant and somewhat feminine silhouettes of other famous luxury pleasure craft showing off in the same area, Ronin’s profile is simply unmistakable. It looks as though a military ship has somehow made its way among unsuspecting yachts. Yet, it’s every inch as luxurious and sophisticated as them, if not more.
Designed for a Japanese millionaire, the 58.5-meter (191 feet) superyacht was originally named Izanami, after a Japanese goddess, and it’s the creation of the legendary Sir Norman Foster. The German shipyard Lurssen was in charge of bringing this visionary vessel to life back in 1993. The impressive naval-inspired exterior, with geometric accents, is as unique today as it was two decades ago.
A masterpiece in terms of design, Ronin is also a performance beast. A real global cruiser with a remarkable range, it can also hit up to 34 knots (39 mph/63 kph), but it typically cruises at 25 (28.7 mph/46 kph), which is still a lot more than many yachts today.
Privately owned, the Ronin has kept its luxurious interiors mysterious, so we can only imagine that they match its one-of-a-kind exterior profile.
The Ronin, now allegedly belonging to Victor Vargas, a banker in Venezuela, was recently spotted on the French Riviera, anchored in Villeneuve-Loubet. Contrasting with the elegant and somewhat feminine silhouettes of other famous luxury pleasure craft showing off in the same area, Ronin’s profile is simply unmistakable. It looks as though a military ship has somehow made its way among unsuspecting yachts. Yet, it’s every inch as luxurious and sophisticated as them, if not more.
Designed for a Japanese millionaire, the 58.5-meter (191 feet) superyacht was originally named Izanami, after a Japanese goddess, and it’s the creation of the legendary Sir Norman Foster. The German shipyard Lurssen was in charge of bringing this visionary vessel to life back in 1993. The impressive naval-inspired exterior, with geometric accents, is as unique today as it was two decades ago.
A masterpiece in terms of design, Ronin is also a performance beast. A real global cruiser with a remarkable range, it can also hit up to 34 knots (39 mph/63 kph), but it typically cruises at 25 (28.7 mph/46 kph), which is still a lot more than many yachts today.
Privately owned, the Ronin has kept its luxurious interiors mysterious, so we can only imagine that they match its one-of-a-kind exterior profile.
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