While German shipyard Lürssen finished a new record winning yacht the world
puzzles about the vessel’s prospect Middle East owner.
The 180 m long and 20.8 m wide megayacht »Azzam« (Arabic for »dedication«) left the finishing pier of Lürssen
dockyard in Bremen[ds_preview]-Aumund for the first test runs in the North Sea around Helgoland in June. At the end of August the world’s largest yacht was seen by yachtspotters again for further see trials off the German coast. Talking about the test runs, CEO Peter Lürssen says: »When we deliver this yacht it has gone through a building time of just three years plus one year engineering in preparation of the shipyard work.« As usual in this business no more information was given by the shipyard. The final delivery is suspected to take place in late summer or fall this year.
Mysterious owner
According to media reports the megayacht costs about 600 mill. $. She is going to outplay »Eclipse« delivered three years ago by Blohm + Voss which is 162.5 m long and owned by Roman Abramovich. The owner of »Azzam«, however, still remains a mystery. »Yachts France« revealed it belongs to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nayan (65), President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi. His family is believed to have a collective fortune of 150 bill. $. Other media previously reported that Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud (58) is the new owner. According to »Forbes« he has a net worth of 20 bill. $, which makes him the 26th-richest man in the world.
There is a hint, though, as the »Azzam« project was supposedly coordinated from engineer Mubarak Bin Saad Al Ahbabi, who is also the United Arab Emirates’ Chairman of the President’s Private Department. Lürssen also reported the yacht’s main destinations were warm and flat waters, probably around the Arabian Peninsula.
Vessel’s specifications
During the first test runs with the hydrojet propulsion system speeds over 30 kn were achieved. Thus, the »Azzam« is one of the fastest motor yachts worldwide. The ship’s main engine features two diesel engines and two gas turbines with an overall performance of 94,000 hp. The yacht is designed for 50 crew members and its draft is comparatively low with just 4.3 m. The top speed will be 31.5 kn. This is the only technical information given at the moment.
Few other features are discussed with certainty in the yachting community: two helipads, a defense missile system, bullet proof glass in and around safe rooms and the master bedroom, a mini-submarine that can be detached to visit the seafloor, a movie theater, a restaurant, and a disco.
Critics say the ship’s enormous length may prove to be a disadvantage as only few classic cruise destinations provide ports that are large enough for »Azzam«. Nevertheless, anchoring at a distance to the coast may exactly fit the owner’s operational profile. To call such ports, a 100 m convoying ship is planned which also provides supply.
The exterior design of »Azzam« was provided by Italian design company Nauta Yachts. The interior was drafted by Christophe Leoni, who took an accommodation in Abu Dhabi at this time. There he decorated the yacht’s 29 m long and 18 m wide lounge specified to be without pillars and shorings. The interior was decorated completely in the representative, straight and celebratory style of the French Empire fo the Napoleonic era, »Yachts France« reported.
Lürssen – a yard for yachts
With the current project Lürssen remains the leading megayacht builder in the world. The company was founded in 1875 by Friedrich Lürssen. Already in the yard’s early days it constructed luxurious motor yachts. »Onkel Fidi«, the first in the company’s yacht series, was launched in 1920 for his family. In 1924 and 1934 the dockyard exported many yachts to the USA. This is where the story of a leading producer of luxurious yachts begins. With the end of the 1980s the era of big yachts produced right after costumer requests started.
Architects and designers Norman Foster, Jon Bannenberg, Tim Heywood and Espen Oeino were responsible for many awarded yacht designs at the yard.
Christian Eckardt
