The Top 100: Our Annual Review of the World’s Largest Yachts
July 18, 2018
Six exciting new launches this year join the list of the world’s largest superyachts afloat.
Six exciting new launches this year join the list of the world’s largest superyachts afloat.
Nuvolari-Lenard designed the largest yacht yet launched at CRN, the superyacht builder based in Ancona. Azteca’s classic appearance and huge open sun deck embody today’s new luxury, according to her designers. The design team had already worked with the shipyard on the commissioning owner’s previous boat, named Clarena.
Coral Island, a Jon Bannenberg design built in 1994, is notable, in part, because of her perfect proportions. She was quite large at the time of her launch especially, but she is harmonious and, to this day, does not look out of fashion. It is said that interior photography has never been allowed, possibly a security precaution in the aftermath of the theft of a $6 million Picasso in 1999.
Espen Øino and Donald Starkey designed the yacht previously known as Queen M. When it changed hands a few years ago, the new owner had his vessel altered to suit his lifestyle, ordering a complete interior makeover by Eidsgaard Design. The addition of a glass-enclosed room aft of the top deck and a newly painted gray hull give the yacht a new, distinctive look.
Predator’s radical reverse bow, engineered by De Voogt naval architects to slice through waves, has stimulated more discussion in the yachting industry than many contemporary yachts dubbed revolutionary and, for a time, inspired a number of concepts with a similar bow.
Laurel, for many years one of the world’s best-kept secrets, has come out of anonymity in the past few months. Having completed a number of circumnavigations, she is now listed for sale. She is the largest yacht launched by Delta Marine and of the largest yachts built in the United States in the past 86 years.
Espen Øino designed this slender and swift semi-displacement yacht, which claimed the title as the world’s longest aluminum motoryacht until the arrival of sistership Silver Zwei, now Dragonfly. The vessel has an aircraft-style interior and displaces just 540 tons, which means that—powered by twin MTU 4000 16V diesels—Rabdan can cross the Atlantic at a swift 18+ knots.
After her launch in 2009, this slender and contemporary aluminum yacht appeared in Abu Dhabi in time for the Grand Prix. Watchers soon discovered she was none other than Hull No. 2 of Hanseatic Marine’s innovative series (the ex Silver Zwei). Hull No. 1, formerly known as Silver and now called Rabdan, was already in the United Emirates as a new royal yacht.
Hamburg-based Newcruise designed Siren inside and out, as they did sistership Sapphire and the slightly smaller Triple Seven. Built with transoceanic capability, Siren has a steel hull, aluminum superstructure and reaches a maximum speed of 17.5 knots with a range of 5,000nm thanks to twin MTU 16V4000M60 engines producing 4,520 bhp.
If this yacht reminds you of Siren it is no coincidence. These yachts share elegant styling by Newcruise and engineering by Nobiskrug. Nobiskrug’s hull 781 was listed for sale for around $115 million during construction and was reportedly sold for about $110 million to new owners last year through Edmiston.
Six exciting new launches this year join the list of the world’s largest superyachts afloat.
Nuvolari-Lenard designed the largest yacht yet launched at CRN, the superyacht builder based in Ancona. Azteca’s classic appearance and huge open sun deck embody today’s new luxury, according to her designers. The design team had already worked with the shipyard on the commissioning owner’s previous boat, named Clarena.
Coral Island, a Jon Bannenberg design built in 1994, is notable, in part, because of her perfect proportions. She was quite large at the time of her launch especially, but she is harmonious and, to this day, does not look out of fashion. It is said that interior photography has never been allowed, possibly a security precaution in the aftermath of the theft of a $6 million Picasso in 1999.
Espen Øino and Donald Starkey designed the yacht previously known as Queen M. When it changed hands a few years ago, the new owner had his vessel altered to suit his lifestyle, ordering a complete interior makeover by Eidsgaard Design. The addition of a glass-enclosed room aft of the top deck and a newly painted gray hull give the yacht a new, distinctive look.
Predator’s radical reverse bow, engineered by De Voogt naval architects to slice through waves, has stimulated more discussion in the yachting industry than many contemporary yachts dubbed revolutionary and, for a time, inspired a number of concepts with a similar bow.
Laurel, for many years one of the world’s best-kept secrets, has come out of anonymity in the past few months. Having completed a number of circumnavigations, she is now listed for sale. She is the largest yacht launched by Delta Marine and of the largest yachts built in the United States in the past 86 years.
Espen Øino designed this slender and swift semi-displacement yacht, which claimed the title as the world’s longest aluminum motoryacht until the arrival of sistership Silver Zwei, now Dragonfly. The vessel has an aircraft-style interior and displaces just 540 tons, which means that—powered by twin MTU 4000 16V diesels—Rabdan can cross the Atlantic at a swift 18+ knots.
After her launch in 2009, this slender and contemporary aluminum yacht appeared in Abu Dhabi in time for the Grand Prix. Watchers soon discovered she was none other than Hull No. 2 of Hanseatic Marine’s innovative series (the ex Silver Zwei). Hull No. 1, formerly known as Silver and now called Rabdan, was already in the United Emirates as a new royal yacht.
Hamburg-based Newcruise designed Siren inside and out, as they did sistership Sapphire and the slightly smaller Triple Seven. Built with transoceanic capability, Siren has a steel hull, aluminum superstructure and reaches a maximum speed of 17.5 knots with a range of 5,000nm thanks to twin MTU 16V4000M60 engines producing 4,520 bhp.
If this yacht reminds you of Siren it is no coincidence. These yachts share elegant styling by Newcruise and engineering by Nobiskrug. Nobiskrug’s hull 781 was listed for sale for around $115 million during construction and was reportedly sold for about $110 million to new owners last year through Edmiston.
Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Boating may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site.
Copyright © 2025 Boating Firecrown. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
