Photo: Tom van Oossanen for SuperYacht Times (Composite)
Any given day of the week is a good day to be Jeff Bezos, seeing how he's estimated at well over $120 billion and is an accomplished businessman, family man, and whatever-else-you-can-think-of-man. But even so, these past few days must have been a tad more special for him.
Exactly one month ago, Jeff Bezos took delivery of his brand-new megayacht, the occasionally-controversial and record-breaking sail-assisted Oceanco build he named Koru, which he commissioned in 2018 after falling in love with the shipyard's Black Pearl. Koru completed the first round of sea trials in February this year and headed out on its maiden journey towards Gibraltar right after delivery to owner.
It is now undergoing sailing sea trials, according to the latest reports and videos shot off the coast of Palma de Mallorca, where it's been joined by the shadow vessel Abeona, the superyacht that will carry all the toys for Koru guests and additional crew. Because Bezos opted for a sail-assisted yacht that is shaped like a classic three-masted schooner, there was no room on deck for the toys that any vessel requires for longer transports, whether inflatables for guests' use or tenders for more practical resupply runs or other exploration machines.
As such, a toy carrier was needed, and it comes in the shape of the 246-foot (75-meter) Abeona from Damen Yachting. It's a proper superyacht, relegated to shadow duties but perfectly capable of catering to 45 people in total, with all the luxury amenities expected of a superyacht.
That said, Koru was on its own on the first days of sailing sea trials, as shown in the video below. This marks the first time this gigantic 417-foot (127-meter) vessel is seen with all its sails unfurled – and it makes for quite a breathtaking sight. Koru is huge even without a point of reference, but it's also well-proportioned and elegant, with its classic black steel hull and white superstructure, and sky-high masts.
Each mast is 230 feet (70 meters) high, with furlers that weigh around 900 kg each and serve one of the largest sail areas ever done in yachting, according to one trade publication. Koru is the largest vessel built in the Netherlands and the world's largest sail-assisted yacht; its scale alone called for several innovations and many naval firsts.
It came at a reported cost of $500 million, not including whatever Bezos paid for Abeona, and came close to causing public protests in the city of Rotterdam, when Oceanco asked for permission to temporarily dismantle a historic bridge so it could take it out with the masts on.
Controversy aside, Koru is a beauty – one that is well on its way to becoming a legend in the private naval sector.
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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