Superyacht Times' Top Ten longest superyachts in the world

by Maarten Janssen, Superyacht Times/Sail-World on 25 Nov 2012 Superyacht Times have done it again, measuring all the great sailing superyachts in the world, and here are the ten longest. There's a great variety in their ages, the oldest being built in 1927, the newest just a few months ago. They are headed by Eos, six years old but still the longest sailing boat in the world.

At 93 metres, the 1500 GRT three-masted schooner EOS was launched by Lürssen in 2006. EOS is a very private yacht, so you won't find a lot of photos of her. However, the new http://www.lurssen.com/#en/yachts/gallery!Lürssen_website has a couple of very nice shots of her, well worth checking out. You can even catch a glimpse of her stunning interior, designed by François Catroux.

2) The 90 metre Royal Huisman Athena:

The 90 metre super sailing yacht Athena was built by the Dutch Royal Huisman shipyard in 2004, making her the longest at that time. The superyacht’s exterior lines were designed by Pieter Beeldsnijder Design, with naval architecture by Dykstra & Partners and an interior by Rebecca Bradley Interior Design. Athena is one of the largest sailing yachts launched since the 1930’s, and reaching speeds up to 19 knots, Athena can outrun most other sailing superyachts.

3) The 88 metre Maltese Falcon:

One of the most iconic of all yachts, and certainly the most photographed in modern times, the revolutionary 88 metre Maltese Falcon is famed for her sophisticated automated square rigged DynaRig sail plan. Three towering free-standing rotating carbon-fibre masts hold 25,800 sq. ft. of canvas on 15 square sails delivering exceptional performance, speed and manoeuvrability. The yacht, built by Perini Navi, was sold in August of 2009 to her current owner, who actively takes part in superyacht regatta's, showing off the yachts capabilities.

4) The 75 metre Ron Holland Designed M5:

The superyacht was built in the United Kingdom by Vosper Thornycroft to a design of Ron Holland Design. The yacht is undergoing a refit at Pendennis Plus right now. M5’s visit to Pendennis will see the stern redesigned and extended by 3m. Alongside this other exterior restyling work will include the installation of a side boarding platform. The interior aspects of the refit will see the main and lower decks undergo a complete restyle. M5’s main deck in particular will be completely transformed once all joinery is replaced to complement RWD’s new design.

5) The 75 metre Phocea:

Sailing yacht Phocea was built as a single-handed race yacht, built to compete in the Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race. After racing the Atlantic in 1976, she was converted to a cruise ship by the French shipyard DCAN. In 1999/2000 her owner, a well known lady, after whom the 105 metre Lady Moura was named, ordered a major interior and exterior refit at the Lürssen shipyard in Germany. The yacht was again sold in 2010 to her current owners. Phocea accommodates 12 guests in 1 Master, 1 VIP, 2 Double and 2 Twin cabins, and she sleeps 23 crew members. She has been making the news lately because she was impounded in Vanuatu, embroiled in that country's politics. (See http://www.sail-world.com/CruisingAus/Superyacht-Phocea:-glamour,-mystery,-fame-and-notoriety-galore/103741!Sail-World_story)

6) The 69.24 metre Atlantic:

The 69.24 metre Atlantic was designed by William Gardner and built by Townsend & Downey, Shooter Island, New York, in 1903 This replica was delivered in 2010, to the drawings of the original schooner collected from various archives in the USA, amongst which the MIT Museum in Massachusetts, which Doug Peterson, acting as consulting naval architect, has digitized guaranteeing the authenticity of the lines and floatation.

7) The 67.2 metre Alloy Vertigo:

It took New Zealand shipyard Alloy Yachts just 29 months to build the 67.2 metre Vertigo, which was launched in February of 2011. At 837 GRT, Vertigo, designed by Philippe Briands, is the largest yacht to be built at Alloy Yachts to date, and is even the largest luxury sailing yacht to be built in the Southern Hemisphere. She features a modern interior by Christian Liaigre.

8) The 66 metre Hetairos:

Launched a year ago, the 66 metre superyacht Hetairos was built at by Baltic Yachts in Pietarsaari, Finland. The exterior of Hetairos was designed by Reichel / Pugh Yacht Design and Dykstra & Partners, while the interior was designed by Rhoades Young. She was built for an experienced yachtsman, who previously owned a 1993 42 metre Abeking & Rasmussen sailing yacht.

9) The 66 metre Vitters Aglaia:

The 66 metre super sloop Aglaia was designed by Dubois Naval Architects with an interior by Redman Whiteley Dixon. She was delivered this spring to her owner by the Dutch shipyard Vitters. The Aglaia project is shrouded in secrecy, no details have been revealed by anyone involved in the project. We do know she has one of the largest composite rudders ever made, constructed by Green Marine.

10) The classic 65 metre Creole:

The 65 metre Creole is the 10th world's largest sailing yacht, and was built in 1927. She is designed by Charles E. Nicholson, and built at the Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard in Gosport in the United Kingdom. Launched as Vira, she was the largest yacht the shipyard had ever constructed. The yacht is being kept in pristine condition.

For more information about superyachts, both sailing and motor, go to http://www.superyachttimes.com/!Superyacht_Times