Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, has reportedly taken delivery of his new 417-foot sailing yacht Koru after she recently completed her initial sea trials. Oceanco built the stunning superyacht and delivered it to Mr. Bezos, and she’s now purportedly completed her first maiden voyage.
After finishing sea trials in the North Sea back in February, the huge three-masted schooner set off on its first-ever voyage from the Netherlands to Gibraltar on April 6th, 2023. Currently, the vessel has been observed docked in an anchorage in the bay of Palma, situated on the Balearic island of Mallorca.
Above: Video footage of Koru – Jeff Bezos’ yacht – on YachtWorld’s YouTube channel that shows the superyacht on her maiden voyage before setting sail into serene waters amidst the morning air.
A $500 Million Masterpiece
Koru, formerly referred to as Y721, is a sailing yacht that stands out in multiple ways. Constructed with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure she has three towering masts that measure over 230 feet (the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza), making her the tallest sailing yacht in the world, unseating Sea Cloud a 357-foot Cox & Stevens sailing vessel built in Germany in 1931 that is still in use today as a luxury charter yacht and cruise ship. The launch of this boat also pushed Black Pearl from third place to fourth place on our list of the world’s largest sailing yachts, eclipsing her in overall length by 69 feet. This puts Koru at just below the reigning heavy weight champion Sailing Yacht A, who remains at first place on the roundup of biggest sailing vessels on the planet (although true sailors delineate Sailing Yacht A as a sail-assisted vessel).
Named after the Māori phrase for “new beginnings,” Koru showcases a glossy black hull and a white superstructure. Additionally, the big sailboat boasts a capacious pool located on the aft deck and several plush outdoor lounges for guests to relax in.
Topping The Charts: Big And Expensive
The staggeringly large vessel is not only one of the most expensive private boats ever built and purchased, but she is also among the top largest private yachts on the planet, and the biggest ever to be built in The Netherlands. It’s worth mentioning that the yacht comes with a staggering price tag of $485 million – a hefty price tag even for the uber-wealthy Mr. Bezos.
Controversy
Last year Koru was transported from the shipbuilding facilities located in Alblasserdam to Rotterdam using the canal network in Holland. There was a contentious issue that emerged in Rotterdam, where locals threatened to pelt eggs en masse over rumors that Oceanco was going to dismantle a historical bridge temporarily. This move was meant to create clearance for the yacht in order to pass, since she exceeded the bridge’s maximum height of 131 feet. However, an alternative route was found and the yacht left in the dead of night to evade attention.
Above: Jeff Bezos’ yacht under construction at the shipyard, then named “Project Y721” by OCEANCO – a 417 foot super yacht sailing vessel. Photo by Guy Fleury Photography.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is an American entrepreneur, investor, and media proprietor who is the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce and cloud computing company. Born in Albuquerque and raised in Houston and Miami, Bezos graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science, Bezos is also a boat lover and reportedly enjoys spending time on the water with his friends and family.
Above: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez at 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images.
Bezos worked on Wall Street for several years before founding Amazon in late 1994. Initially an online bookstore, the company has since expanded to offer a wide range of e-commerce products and services, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and audio and video streaming. With a net worth of $125 billion as of April 2023, Bezos is currently the third-wealthiest person in the world, according to both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes. He regularly tops other lists of the richest people in the world.
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