Enigma (Ex-Katana, Eco)

LENGTH: 244ft. 5in. (74.5m)
SHIPYARD: Blohm+ Voss, Germany
YEAR: 1991

Blohm + Voss built the yacht, originally known as Eco in 1991 for Emilio Azcarraga, a Mexican media magnate. It was a leap forward in the yachting industry in many ways. The innovative Eco was the first pleasure vessel to combine a composite superstructure and a metallic hull, for instance. She also had a futuristic design by Martin Francis, with bubble-like windows all around the front of the superstructure. Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison, her next owner, renamed her Katana, changed the aft deck, designed to house tenders and a seaplane, into a half basketball court, and lowered the main deck to create an expanded outdoor dining area, gym and swim platform. Martin Francis oversaw the refit. One of many imaginative design features allows the owner to close guest access to the sundeck at the entrance to the master suite and create a two-level apartment. Twin Deutz MWM engines and 18,50 hp GE gas turbines power the yacht to achieve a maximum speed of 30 knots and a 4,000-nm range at 18 knots. Enigma inspired a new concept Blohm + Voss introduced in 2010—a 110-meter yacht with a top speed in excess of 40 knots. The present owner is media-shy Aidan Barclay, Sir David Barclay’s son. Brecqhou Island, one of the Channel Islands, the Ritz Hotel in London, The Daily Telegraph and several other newspapers are just a few of the family’s assets that reportedly encompass more than 50 international companies and is estimated at 3.2 billion.

All photography contained within the Top 100 web pages remain the sole property of their photographers and may not be copied, sold, reused or distributed without the express permission of the owner.