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Prime Time - Rumored Amazon Founder's Sailing Yacht Now on the Move

Yesterday morning (August 2), the massive 416-foot (127 meter) Oceanco Y721 was slowly rolled out of the shipbuilder's Alblasserdam, Netherlands, facility, and floated for the first time before being towed by numerous tugs to Rotterdam.
Oceanco Y721 16 photos
Photo: Tom van Oossanen
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The journey down the Niewue Mass, a tributary of the Rhine River, ends any speculation over the final assembly point of what will be the world's largest sailing vessel.

Earlier reports indicated that Oceanco had planned to petition the city to dismantle a landmark bridge in order for the completed super-yacht to pass through. Rumors of the plan to dismantle the Koningshaven bridge, known locally as De Hef, drew outrage from locals who planned to bombard the vessel with eggs as the ship passed by if the bridge plan was approved.

The $500 million (490 million euro) is thought to be destined for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, but the company has yet to confirm who will take ownership.

The yacht was initially spotted in October of 2021, igniting gossip about who commissioned what is the longest yacht to have been built in the Netherlands, and the largest ever built by Oceanco.

A book titled Amazon Unbound published in 2021 seemingly confirmed Bezos as the owner and described the Y721 as “one of the finest sailing yachts in existence,” with "several decks" and "three enormous masts."

The black hull is constructed of steel with a volume of 3,300 gross tonnes. She will be rigged in classic Schooner fashion with three towering masts. Engine power will come from two Rolls-Royce MTU engines with an estimated top speed of 20 knots per hour. Additional details regarding sail type, sail area and configuration have not been published.

Oceanco's Rotterdam's facility will complete the vessel by stepping the masts and rigging the vessel for sea trials, expected in the fall.

The shipbuilder continues to be tight-lipped about the owner, saying to Boat International "Oceanco values the privacy and confidentiality of all our clients and prospective clients and therefore does not comment on our involvement or non-involvement in specific projects."

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