What better way to ring in the New Year than with a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience that includes sailing a privately chartered, world-famous superyacht to Antarctica? Shaun White and Lewis Hamilton just did, onboard the Octopus.
Octopus is one of the first superyacht explorers in the world, delivered as a private commission to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. He was looking for a Land Rover instead of a Bentley of the sea, as per the briefing: a vessel that would be able to take him to the farthest and most remote regions of the world, with reduced impact on the environment and no compromise in terms of luxury amenities.
In 2003, Lurssen delivered Octopus, with an exterior by Espen Oeino and interiors by Jonathan Quinn Barnett, and a reported cost of $226 million. With its ice-class hull, hybrid propulsion by means of twin ABB Industry AG E-Motors, and the ability to carry an incredibly large assortment of toys and exploring gear, the 414 foot (126 meter) Octopus set the tone – and the bar – for many of the superyacht explorers of today.
Octopus sold in 2021 after two years on the market and, in early 2022, it was announced that it would be offered for charter for the first time that year. The plan was to have it round off the year with a trip to Antarctica, with highlights like the Gerlache Strait, Port Lockroy, the Lemaire Channel, and Deception Island. It did just that, and carried two of the biggest names in sports while doing so.
As superyacht vlogger eSysman says in the first part of the video below, it takes some Internet sleuthing to come to the conclusion that Formula 1 ace Lewis Hamilton and Olympic-gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White were on the Octopus. Neither said so explicitly on their social media, but they did leave enough breadcrumbs for fans and superyacht-watchers looking to piece together the puzzle: separate shots against icy backgrounds or penguin-watching on an island, a quick look at Octopus anchored in the distance, and a video of White swimming in the frozen waters, after jumping off a deck that looks just like one of the folding side terraces on this particular superyacht.
One week of charter for the Octopus is $2.2 million, which doesn’t include expenses like fuel and supplies. That’s obviously a lot of money whichever way you look at it, but it’s pennies to guys like Hamilton and White, who have amassed impressive fortunes in their respective careers, especially through advertising. That is, assuming they paid for the charter themselves.
Octopus has a 12-guest capacity across 13 luxurious suites, and carries a crew of 50. It is packed with luxury amenities, including a jacuzzi on said fold-out terrace (shown in the IG embed below), a pool that converts into a dancefloor, two helicopters in dedicated garages, a custom Pagoo submarine, seven tenders, an ROV (autonomous robotic boat), and several jetskis.
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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