Billionaire boat show
Words | Miles Kendall Russia’s wealthy have an insatiable demand for bigger and better superyachts. So just which luxury features will be on their shopping lists at the forthcoming Moscow International Boat Show? WHEN IT COMES to messing about in boats, the rich have always led the way. The trend started at the turn of [...]
Words | Miles Kendall
Russia’s wealthy have an insatiable demand for bigger and better superyachts. So just which luxury features will be on their shopping lists at the forthcoming Moscow International Boat Show?
WHEN IT COMES to messing about in boats, the rich have always led the way. The trend started at the turn of the last century when Europe’s royalty decided that yacht racing was the true sport of kings. Wealthy industrialists from both sides of the Atlantic battled for prizes such as the America’s Cup in vast, powerful yachts. In those days the vessels were as beautiful as they were quick and were used for sport rather than relaxation.
Fast forward 100 years and the super-rich are still drawn to water, though now they look for luxurious escape rather than close-fought
competition. Power has replaced sail and the royals are selling their superyachts while the billionaires of the new millennium are spending
eight-figure sums on ever-bigger boats.
Leading the way in the demand for these floating palaces are the Russian oligarchs. They can afford to really splash out but must have
the latest of everything. The truly rich seem immune to the credit crunch so there is likely to be a long queue of limousines outside the
Moscow International Boat Show next month. Inside the giant hall there will be some of the world’s most spectacular power boats as
well as representatives from the superyacht builders who charge around £1 million per metre and for whom a 40-metre yacht is considered small.
So just what does your average billionaire oligarch look for in his next floating gin (or vodka) palace?
1/SAFETY FIRST
Security is always an issue for the super-rich and for Russian billionaires such as Roman Abramovich, owner of the 115-metre Pelorus, it is often an obsession. Captains are careful not to divulge protection measures but surveillance submarines and anti-aircraft missiles are rumoured to be among the on-board armouries. Less extreme deterrents include special speakers that produce an intolerable noise that drives attackers away. It may sound far-fetched but such ‘sound cannons’ were recently used to prevent pirates boarding a cruise ship in the Red Sea.
2/TOYS
Tired of being waited on hand and foot? So why not play with some of the on-board toys without which no superyacht would be complete. The 75-metre Anastasia is equipped with six jet skis, four Bond-style sub-aqua scooters, racks of dive tanks and a mass of windsurfing and kite surfing kit. If wakeboarding or waterskiing is your thing, there’s a 6.5-metre Malibu ski boat in addition to three other speedboats.
3/AUTOMATIC EVERYTHING
Billionaires don’t like to break into a sweat and almost everything on board a superyacht operates at the touch of a button. Need to go from one deck to another on the Vinidrea II but can’t see the stairs? Just flick a switch and a flight of telescopic steps descends as if by
magic. The boarding ladder is an amazing structure of teak and steel designed like a robot’s arm. Don’t bother looking for the switch though – it’s operated by a remote control worn around the captain’s neck.
4/TENDER MOMENTS
Tenders are the boats that carry passengers from boat to shore and back and provide another opportunity for decadence. Styles range from super sleek ‘limousines’ to wet and wild rigid inflatables. The unbelievably wealthy Prince Jefri of Brunei took bad taste to new heights when he named his superyacht ‘Tits’ and the two tenders ‘Nipple One’ and ‘Nipple Two’.
5/EXCLUSIVE MATERIALS
Leather and marble may sound luxurious to most people but superyachts are all about excess and exclusivity. Goatskin replaces wallpaper and gold is preferred to steel. Onyx is the work surface of choice and python skin is not unheard of. The most outrageous material must surely be the whale foreskin which was used to upholster the bar stools on the former yacht of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis (below), Christina O, where guests such as Winston Churchill, Maria Callas and Marilyn Monroe were entertained.
6/TAKETHE BEACH WITH YOU
Billionaires don’t do beaches – they’re just not exclusive enough. Instead they have teak platforms fitted to the back of their superyachts that can be lowered into the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean or Caribbean. These moveable beaches allow jet skis to be launched and landed and can also double as ramps to allow cars to be driven onboard. Luxury yacht designer Wally is working on an onboard garden so that the beach scene can be completed with palm trees.
7/SAIL AWAY
While most Russian oligarchs opt for brute power, some billionaires prefer the grace of sail. Having a mast is no obstacle to luxury as shown on board the 75-metre Mirabella V, the world’s largest singlemasted yacht. The 11-strong crew will ensure you are well fed and there’s a choice of wines from the 600-bottle cellar. To help cover some of the $50m building costs it is possible to charter Mirabella V, but expect to pay $275,000 a week.
8/BLADE RUNNERS
There’s nothing like a helicopter sitting on an aft deck to show that you have shifted out of superyacht territory and into the world of the megayacht. Rising Sun is one such vessel, owned by Larry Ellison of Oracle. The $200m craft is a staggering 138 metres long and has a helipad that doubles as a basketball court. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen may have a yacht that’s 10 metres shorter than Ellison’s, but his Octopus boasts two helipads.
THE MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
9-12 April 2009
This is the event for the boat and yacht industry in Russia. The show will feature a stunning array of boats and yachts, while also catering for the parts and accessories producers, whose products have a huge influence on the technical ability and aesthetic appeal of the finished vessel.
Last year, the event welcomed over 21,000, who browsed stands from 300 exhibitors from all around the globe.
This year, look out for crafts from international boat manufacturers including Fairline, Princess, Sunseeker, Burger Boat, Baja, SeaRay, ChrisCraft, Seabob, Ferretti, Pershing, Apreamare, Mochi Craft, Azimut, Benetti and Timmerman Yachts.
www.mibs-expo.ru/eng
