The world of yachting has long been associated with the common man in the street with unprecedented luxury, chic and eccentricity. The multi-billion dollar industry today brings together the largest shipbuilding companies, talented superyacht designers, yacht brokers and suppliers of related luxury goods. Own or chartered yacht is access to the world of wealth and power. In this article, we tried to collect interesting facts and records from the field of yachting.
Yachting has served for the joy of people since ancient times, and initially light and fast ships were used by the Dutch fleet to chase pirates and criminals. Until the middle of the 20th century, yachts were built from wood, but today the range of materials used is much more extensive. From time immemorial in Europe, single-hull vessels have been used for trade and for military purposes, the beginning of the use of catamarans in yachting dates back to the 20s of the 19th century. During World War II, yachtsmen served in the Baltic Sea and in the waters of other seas; after the end of the war, amateur sailing on sailing yachts became extremely popular. Sailing has developed primarily in economically developed countries, the massive industrial production of yachts has made yachting accessible to wide strata of society. In yacht building, plywood and other modern materials began to be used. Sea and ocean tourism gained great popularity, the professionalism of yachtsmen increased, and over time, round-the-world travel ceased to be a sensation, and people moved from sailing yachts to powerful motor yachts. In the modern world, an extensive yachting infrastructure is constantly being built and developed on the coasts of different countries - the number of sailing schools, yacht clubs, marinas, etc. is growing.
Many of the world's most influential and influential people invest in superyacht building, and the yachting world has recently come to be associated with wealth and luxury. Modern yachts are varied in size, and specific models have extensive and complex classifications. And if the length of a regular yacht today is up to 100 feet, megayachts are from 100 to 200 feet, and superyachts are over 200 feet in length. Let's consider what records from the world of yachting are worthy of our attention and cause surprise and admiration.
The largest yacht in the world today is the motor ship "Azzam" (in Arabic for "resolute"), built at the German shipyard Lürssen Yachts (Bremen). Yacht "Azzam" 180 m long and worth $ 610 million belongs to UAE President Khalifa ibn Zayed Al Nahyan (yachting is very popular in the Middle East, it is no coincidence that the first 2 hundred largest yachts in the world belong to the inhabitants of this region of the world). The maximum speed of the vessel is 58 km / h, and the total power of the power plants is 94,000 hp. The previous record holder was considered the yacht of Roman Abramovich - the 162-meter ship "Eclipse" worth $ 1.2 billion.
The 42-meter mega-yacht Millenium-140 (also called “And the World is Not Enough”) has outstanding technical characteristics and is capable of speeds up to 70 knots (almost 130 km / h!). The hull of an ergonomic, powerful and light yacht is made of aluminum alloy, and the interior is fabulously rich - with marble, Swarovski crystals, carbon fiber elements, Italian furniture with high-tech fabrics, etc. .d. Also, besides the record speed, this yacht has very low noise and vibration indices.
Equipped with high-tech equipment, the private 126-meter OCTOPUS superyacht is so huge that it can accommodate 2 submarines and has two helipads. The purpose of the vessel is to conduct geological exploration and research work, it is used to study marine underwater life in the most remote and inaccessible parts of the world. Facilities on board include a basketball court, cinema, library, jacuzzi, pool, bar, spa and observation deck for watching underwater life. The yacht is owned by one of the founders of Microsoft, philanthropist and billionaire Paul Allen.
Held annually in Monaco, the world capital of yachting, the yacht show brings together superyacht manufacturers, prominent designers, brokerage employees and yachting fans from all over the world. 2yachts showcases the latest and greatest yacht models at this grand event , as well as helicopters and private jets for VIP clients. The yacht show is accompanied by many parties organized on the presented yachts. Over the years, the Monaco Yacht Show has become one of the main events in the yachting industry, gathering key players and summing up the past year.
Over the centuries-old history of yachting, there were many daredevils who made a round-the-world voyage, but those who did it alone are much less. Note that there are more climbers on the planet who conquered Everest or even people who have been in space than travelers who dared to conquer the endless ocean alone. Joshua Slokum is the first yachtsman who managed to sail around the world on a yacht all alone (he did it 5 times in his life!). From the age of 16, Joshua sailed as a sailor on a merchant ship, running away from home (his father was against his passion for sea life). The Spray yacht, donated by a friend, was repaired by him with the simplest tool and withstood the ordeal of a round-the-world voyage. Later, Joshua publishes the book "Alone Sailing Around the World", in which he describes his adventures - the product of the seafarer's creativity became a bestseller.
Francis Jouillon is a French sailor who managed to set a solo sailing record around the world. The journey took 57 days, the previous record was held by the British Ellen MacArthur, who circled the planet in a period of 14 days longer. We also note that the record for a team round-the-world trip on a yacht belongs to the French traveler Loic Peyron and his team - they coped with this difficult task in 45 days.
Dutch traveler Laura Dekker was born on board a yacht while her parents were on a round-the-world voyage. In 2011, a 14-year-old yachtswoman sailed on a yacht across three oceans alone, a journey that took her one year and one day. According to the traveler, most of all she liked to meet with local residents, watch dolphins, admire the fantastic beauty of sunrises and just spend time alone with herself. At this time, Laura is going to open a school for teenagers, in which they could combine practical knowledge with the theory of navigation.