Atlantis II

LENGTH: 379ft. 9in. (115.8m)
SHIPYARD: Hellenic, Greece
YEAR: 1981

Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos reputedly ordered Atlantis II to compete with Aristotle Onassis’ Christina O. The Hellenic shipyard in Skaramanga built the yacht in 1981. Twin 12-cylinder, 4800-hp Pielstick diesel engines power Atlantis II, which is equipped with a retractable swimming pool. Niarchos joined his uncle in the family shipping business after earning his doctorate in law. During World War II he served as an officer in the Greek Navy. After his uncle’s shipping fleet was nearly destroyed during the war, Niarchos invested $2 million in insurance proceeds into rebuilding the family business. In 1952 he built his first supertanker only four years before the Suez Canal crisis created a demand for these huge ships, making him a billionaire like his rival Onassis. An art aficionado who owned paintings by Goya, Rubens and Van Gogh, he once bought a Picasso self-portrait for $48 million. Since he passed away in 1996, the yacht rarely moves from her berth at the entrance of Monaco’s Hercule Harbor.

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