Yachting Intelligence

When I first wrote about the world’s new largest yacht in 2007, I said it would be slightly longer than 525 feet.

Yet during construction, the length of the ship–named Eclipse and owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich–started to increase. By 2010, the ship was reported to be anywhere from 530 to more than 550 feet.

Forbes and others pegged it at 557 feet–24.5 feet longer than its nearest rival, the ship Dubai, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashi Al-Maktoum.

Now comes the widely respected Superyacht Index from SuperYacht Times and the yacht broker Camper & Nicholsons International. The Index lists Eclipse at 162.5 meters, or 533.1 feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Russian multimillionaire, Roman Abramovich is going to follow the South African World Cup matches from his luxury yacht called Eclipse, near the South African shores.

According to SuperYachtTimes.com online rankings, the 162,5 meters long ship is the biggest motor yacht in the world. The German press reported that the ship will take off in a few days from Hamburg towards South Africa. The Blohm + Voss shipyard – where the yacht was manufactured – doesn’t want to reveal any information about the ship nor the owner, due to strict fiduciary settlements. Read the rest of this entry »

Roman Abramovich has become so frustrated over delays to the completion of his new £310 million superyacht Eclipse that he has allegedly threatened to withhold the final payment for the vessel.

The Eclipse, the biggest and most luxurious private yacht ever built, was due to be delivered on December 22 this year.

But four years after it was originally commissioned, the 548ft (167m) yacht is months behind schedule, stretching the Russian billionaire’s patience to breaking point.

The oligarch’s representatives have held a series of anxious meetings with the managers of the German shipyard which has built the superyacht Read the rest of this entry »

Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, has installed an anti-paparazzi shield on his newest vessel, the world’s biggest and most expensive private yacht.

The Chelsea Football Club owner has splashed out on the hi-tech system for Eclipse, a mega-yacht measuring up to 557ft.

Infrared lasers detect the electronic light sensors in nearby cameras, known as charge-coupled devices. When the system detects such a device, it fires a focused beam of light at the camera, disrupting its ability to record a digital image.

The beams can also be activated manually by security guards if they spot a photographer lurking. Read the rest of this entry »

On the 12 of June 2009 Roman Abramovich’s motor yacht ECLIPSE underwent a preliminary launch at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The superyacht will undergo further construction and finishing before being delivered to her owner later in the year.

You can see a video of the yacht’s launching here: http://www.liveyachting.com/ambramovich-super-yacht-eclipse-launch Read the rest of this entry »