Eclipse

LENGTH: 534ft. 9in. (163m)
SHIPYARD: Blohm + Voss, Germany
YEAR: 2010

Eclipse took the crown as the reigning queen of private yachts in 2010 and, so far, has not been unseated though concrete evidence suggests this may happen soon. Rather stylish for her estimated 13,000 gross tons and 72-foot (22-meter beam), Eclipse owes her styling to UK-based designer Terence Disdale who also worked on Pelorus, once the flagship of Roman Abramovich’s fleet. Forbes estimated her owner’s net worth at approximately 12.1 billion this year, making the 45-year-old self-made billionaire the ninth richest man in Russia. This may help with the yacht’s operating expenses. Eclipse has been reported to have a crew of anywhere from 60 to 75 who cater to up to 36 guests, and an active rumor mill has placed a series of outlandish-sounding special features on the yacht including anti-missile system and an anti-paparazzi device. If you are inclined to charter the world’s largest yacht, you now can. Eclipse is on the list of very select yachts available for charter from SuperYachts Monaco, along with Abramovich’s other yacht, the expedition-style Luna. The weekly charter rate was once said to be $2 million but interested parties are encouraged to direct inquiries to the Monaco-based charter company (superyachtsmonaco.com). What is the problem with a superyacht of this size? There’s often no place to park it, which the crew of Eclipse discovered when they attempted to dock in Antibes last year. The only spot large enough for her was already in use by the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud’s yacht Kingdom 5KR, number 47 on the list in 2012. During the winter of 2011, Eclipse cruised in the Caribbean where she was photographed from a safe distance off the gorgeous beaches of Anguilla after a New Year’s batch in St. Barths.

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