World’s Largest Charter Superyacht, The Flying Fox, Redefines Luxury Cruising

The Flying Fox is unlike anything else done before in maritime design. Its sheer size is impressive, but even more so is the way in which all these ample spaces are used.

It was built by German shipyard Lürssen on an exterior design by Espen Øino with interior designs by Mark Berryman. The owner was involved in every step of the process, the CEO of brokerage house Imperial, Evgeniy Kochman, who acted as the owner’s rep on The Flying Fox project, tells Boat International. He has an entire fleet of superyachts and he wanted the best features from them put together into a single boat.

It was never designed for chartering, though it’s perfect for it – and it’s available through Monaco-based Imperial. Measuring 466 feet and spanning 6 decks, The Flying Fox cost an estimated $400 million to build, with maintenance costs running up to $40 million a year, according to reports.

This superyacht can accommodate 25 guests and 55 crew, and includes all the amenities you can ever imagine on a vessel of this type, and then some. The owner has a passion for watersports and wellness, so the highlights include the fully-equipped tender garage and 2 helipads that can fit even the world’s largest passenger helicopters, and a 2-deck wellness center that is state of the art.

Boat International describes the latter as “the best superyachts spa to date.” It’s not just the largest wellness-dedicated area ever encountered on a yacht, but it also features industry firsts like the first cryosauna ever installed on a yacht. The massive spa pool sits transversely on considerations of space, which is uncommon in maritime design.

“I don’t think there is another project with a pool arranged this way,” says Florian Preuss, project manager at Lurssen, explains. “And this is, of course, difficult from an engineering side because of the movement of the water – if the ship is rolling it is difficult to keep it in the pool.”

Two retractable baffles break up the volume of water, preventing it from building momentum. The water can go from warm to icy cold in just 10 minutes: it takes 3 minutes to empty it and it’s fitted with dual warm and cold tanks. The pool has height-adjustable floor.

The same spa area features heated limestone floors, a sauna and hammam. Those of a more active inclination can head to the fully-equipped gym or the open-air yoga studio to train with ex-British military instructors, or further unwind at the beauty center, which includes anything from electrical facials to body-shaping treatments, as well as two different massage rooms: a dry one and a wet one.

Lounging in the dedicated area, simply taking in the views or tanning is another possibility.

Then, there’s the kind of fun you can only have on water. The Flying Fox comes with a kite surf store and a dive center packed with every gadget imaginable.

“We can cater for anyone who has never dived before,” the dive instructor tells the same media outlet. “We can start you up in the main swimming pool on the aft deck, all the way through to technical rebreather diving here – if we have certified clients on board, we can do expeditions down to 100 meters. We can do enriched air nitrox just for recreational diving or trimix as well.”

The tender garage houses five tenders and anything from Seabobs and windsurfs, to flyboards and hoverboards. Fueling of the tenders can be done on the spot, and there is also the possibility to put a personal submarine on board, if the guests desire it.

Interior décor is “clean-lined, contemporary,” because this is how the owner wanted it. Accommodations are made in a total of 11 gorgeous cabins, one master suite and 10 VIP cabins. Rustic materials mix with soft, delicate hues and plenty of greenery (including actual trees), to create an atmosphere of total relaxation. Use of the ample space available is rendered even more versatile through hidden sliding panels, which can offer privacy according to a guest’s liking.

The kitchen and dining areas represent another highlight of The Flying Fox. There are actually 2 kitchens because of the size of the crew and guest capacity, one of which is entirely outdoors, featuring a pizza oven, a coal-powered grill, a rotisserie capable of cooking an entire lamb, among other things. The chef working in this kitchen is often the “superstar” of the cruise.

Other amenities include five fireplaces, two fire pits, and a dance floor (one of the helipads can convert into one, for all-night parties) with a DJ alcove. A fully soundproof cinema comes with motion and vibrations, and the latest releases from Hollywood.

You’d think a superyacht this big and heavy would lack on the performance side, but it doesn’t. Fitted with two MTU 16V 1163 M84 diesel engines, it’s capable of reaching top speeds of 20 knots, and a more leisure cruising speed of 15 knots.

In short, this isn’t just the world’s largest charter superyacht, it’s a wonder in and of itself.