The largest sailing yachts in the world: super ships for the super rich

Only the length counts - at least in the ranking of the specialist magazine "boats Exclusiv", which produces the ranking of the 200 largest sailing yachts in the world every two years. In the new ranking published, there are twelve new entries - but none of them make it into the top group. This is further led by the "Sailing Yacht A" , the three-master of the Russian billionaire Andrej Melnichenko.

The ship, completed two years ago, was built by German Naval Yards in Kiel and designed by Philippe Starck. At 142.81 meters in length, the luxury yacht is still the number one among mega sailing yachts.

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Of course you could argue about whether the term sailing yacht still applies here. The Lloyd's Ship Register leads the pott as a "motor yacht with sailing support" - on the one hand. "On the other hand," says Martin Hager, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Boote Exclusiv", "there is no reason not to regard a ship with about 4,500 square meters of sail area and three masts almost one hundred meters high as a sailing yacht."

Not only the sheer size or the martial-minimalist design impress, but also extravagances like the underwater lounge in the keel of the ship as well as the on-board mini-submarine. It is said that the colossus cost about 400 million euros.

Hundreds of highly specialized companies were involved in the construction. The "Sailing Yacht A" provides about 50 jobs for the crew on board and a few more on land to ensure the operation of the ship. Basically, yachts of this caliber are small medium-sized companies at sea.

Sailing with solar power

And sometimes even ecologically oriented. Like the "Black Pearl" , at 106 meters in length, the second largest ship in the current ranking. Almost an entire deck of the three-master is reserved for a total of 384 lithium-ion battery packs.

They serve as power storage for the CO2-free hotel operation of the ship, so everything that does not have to do directly with the advance at sea. The batteries are charged by the propeller being driven by the water flow under the stern when the wind is good and generating electricity by means of a generator.

"In the future, the sails with a total area of ​​around 2900 square meters will be equipped with high-tech solar panels," says Hager. Then the "Black Pearl" also generates electricity from solar energy and could be completely emission-free - even in a light breeze.

The highest placed newcomer in the current ranking is ranked 23rd. It is the 60-meter three-master "Seven" of the Italian owner Ennio Doris. The ship with a sail area of ​​2097 square meters is operated by a nine-member crew. Below deck are, among other things, five luxurious guest cabins. The ship was built at the shipyard Perini Navi in ​​Viareggio.

The trend is to motor yacht

What is striking in the world of superships for super-rich: Among the approximately 800 boats with a length of more than 24 meters, which are currently being built worldwide, are only 50 sailing yachts. Who indulges in a luxury villa on the water, so usually decides for the more comfortable and schwanzungsärmere type of sea travel.

Nevertheless, when the next super yacht ranking appears in two years, there will be a rearrangement in the top. The "Sailing Yacht A" is likely to retain its top spot for the foreseeable future, but at the Dutch shipyard Oceano is just a 125 -meter-long sailing yacht under construction - presumably the future number two. And the Dutch company Royal Huisman is also creating an 81-meter schooner - presumably the future number seven.

However, the example of the "Dream Symphony" shows that things could be quite different. The 141-meter sailing ship laid down in Turkey was to be built entirely of wood. The hull is long finished, but the further construction has stalled. About the reasons can only be speculated, perhaps the client has lost the enthusiasm - or the money.