Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Allegedly Aga Khan's £100m yacht is more carthorse

by Christopher Leake / dailymail.co.uk on 30 Mar 2008
Allegedly the Aga Khan’s £100m yacht is more carthorse than racehorse Daily Mail UK Associated Newspapers Ltd http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Allegedly the Aga Khan's £100m yacht is more carthorse than racehorse according to the dailymail.co.uk

They write:
More carthorse than racehorse ... the Aga Khan's £100m yacht

With a £100million price tag, the Alamshar was intended to be a superstar among super-yachts, 165ft of exquisite luxury powered by engines capable of blasting it to more than 60 knots - and on to a new transatlantic speed record.

But the vessel's billionaire owner, the Aga Khan, has reportedly been left hugely disappointed by claims that his eagerly awaited new possession cannot reach half the expected speed - and is now considering launching a major legal battle against the British dockyard that built it.

The 70-year-old, who leads the world's 20million Ismaili Muslims, ordered the vessel to be built specifically to take the record.

But sources say the Alamshar, named after a racehorse he owns, attained only 30 knots during sea trials off Plymouth -so the Aga Khan has hired a firm of top international maritime lawyers to handle any potential claim against boatbuilders Babcock Marine, who own Devonport naval dockyard where the Alamshar was built.

Although no High Court writ has been issued, the disagreement could lead to a multi-million-pound payout.

A source said: 'This was supposed to reach 60 knots but it can go only half that speed, so the Aga Khan is taking legal advice. He's not a happy man.'

The row is the latest setback to have hit the Alamshar. Last year, during an earlier test, the turbine blades in its three Rolls-Royce gaspowered engines - which were originally designed for Sea King helicopters - burnt out. They were replaced with engines made by Rolls's US rivals Pratt & Whitney, which were used to drive water jets.

At full power the Alamshar was hoping to break the world speed record for super-yachts, currently 65 knots, as well as beat the transatlantic record of two days, ten hours and 34 minutes - an average speed of 53.1 knots - set in 1992.

The Alamshar, codenamed Project 305, is made of aluminium and at 400 tons is a fraction of the weight of other yachts of its class. It has been built under a veil of secrecy but luxury will not have been sacrificed in any of the three bedrooms or the stateroom

The Aga Khan's vast assets include homes on five continents, three private jets, several yachts - one worth £56million - an airline, hotels, factories and 600 racehorses.

Neither Babcock Marine nor the Aga Khan's spokesman would comment last night

http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterMaritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERTrofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca 2025

Related Articles

Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland overall
Jürg Menzi wins third on Marie-Françoise XXII Marie-Françoise XXII (SUI 233, Jürg Menzi, Jürgen Eiermann, Christof Wilke) has won the 2025 Scandinavian Gold Cup in Sopot, Poland, after the event went the full length to seven races.
Posted today at 4:20 am
SailGP: Final race win saves series for BlackFoils
A victory in the final fleet race of the day boosted the Black Foils into fourth after three races A victory in the final fleet race of the day boosted the Black Foils into fourth after three races on the opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix.
Posted today at 4:12 am
SailGP: Spain lead in New York - Day 1
Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day's sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River. Full replay and leaderboard in this story.
Posted on 7 Jun
Freestyle Pro Tour Sardinia day 3
Tow-in time in Porto Pollo Day 3 marked the start of the tow-in action at the 2025 Freestyle Pro Tour stop in Porto Pollo, with two qualification rounds splitting the 12 riders into two groups of six, each providing the top 3 riders with a ticket to the finals at sundown.
Posted on 7 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix day 1
Spain overcomes storm clouds, topping the standings Diego Botin's Spain SailGP Team leads the fleet after a stormy and tactical opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. France, ROCKWOOL Denmark and New Zealand are all hot on his heels for all-important leaderboard points.
Posted on 7 Jun
Strong start at Loro Piana Giraglia
Saint-Tropez laid on fine conditions for the first day of inshore racing Saint-Tropez laid on fine conditions for the first day of inshore racing at Loro Piana Giraglia, organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.
Posted on 7 Jun
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 5
Veterans and Rookies each demolish their fleets to win with two races to spare Both the 49er and Nacra 17 European Championships were secured with one fleet race and one medal race remaining to be sailed.
Posted on 7 Jun
Loro Piana Giraglia day 1
Spectacular conditions welcomed the competitors, with a beautiful sunny day. The 72nd edition of the Loro Piana Giraglia kicked off this morning in Saint-Tropez. A total of 139 boats hit the water: 29 Maxis competed on the Pampelonne course, while the rest sailed a coastal course in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Posted on 7 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup overall
American Magic Quantum Racing are Galician royalty, winning 2nd event of 2025 with a race to spare. Delivering an impressively consistent series across 10 races sailed in broad range of weather conditions Doug DeVos's US flagged crew of American Magic Quantum Racing won the second regatta of the 2025 season to lift the prestigious Royal Cup.
Posted on 7 Jun
Freestyle Pro Tour Sardinia day 1 and 2
Foilstyle, flowstye and tow-in at Porto Pollo Day 1 at the Freestyle Pro Tour (FPT) in Porto Pollo started slow, with the forecast showing light winds - riders completed registration and attended the initial skipper's meeting in the morning.
Posted on 7 Jun