9 of the largest superyachts afloat, including one that sanctions barred from leaving Germany

Superyachts once measured success by beam and staterooms, but today’s giants compete on raw length, range and the exotic hardware stashed belowdecks. Some belong to royal families and Gulf ministries, while at least one now sits anchored under sanctions with nowhere to go. Here are nine of the largest yachts afloat, from a 180-meter flagship to a 482-foot giant that once sailed under a different name.

1. Azzam: World’s Longest Yacht

German shipyard Lurssen built the 180.65-meter Azzam and still calls it the world’s longest yacht, a title the vessel has held since its 2013 delivery. The hull is rated to exceed 30 knots, a speed more associated with naval vessels than private pleasure craft, achieved through a gas-turbine propulsion system unusual for a boat this size.

That turbine setup trades some of the smooth, quiet cruising most superyacht owners expect for raw speed, a compromise few builders attempt at this scale. It remains the benchmark every newer giant on this list is still measured against.

2. Fulk Al Salamah: Omani Royal Flagship

Italian builder Mariotti Yachts delivered the 164-meter Fulk Al Salamah in 2016, a vessel long linked to Oman’s royal family and one of the largest yachts ever built outside the German and Dutch yards that otherwise dominate this list. Its construction reportedly took years to complete, reflecting the scale of outfitting required for a vessel approaching the size of a small cruise ship.

Its size puts it within 17 meters of the record-holding Azzam, making it one of the few vessels anywhere close to that scale. Built for extended state voyages, it functions more like a small ship than a typical private yacht, carrying the range and crew capacity usually reserved for government or naval use.

3. Eclipse: Submarine Aboard

Roman Abramovich’s 162.5-meter Eclipse carries two helipads, a mini-submarine rated to dive to 50 meters, and a reported missile detection and self-defense system rarely found on a private vessel. The submarine reportedly launches and recovers from a hidden bay built into the hull, a feature more common on naval support ships than private yachts.

Those defenses turn a pleasure yacht into something closer to a private fortress at sea, complete with an escape submarine should the need ever arise. Few owners anywhere have matched that level of onboard security, and the yacht’s scale, at over 162 meters, keeps it near the top of every ranking of the largest private vessels.

4. Dubai: Disco Below Deck

At 162 meters, the yacht Dubai packs a helipad, a submarine garage, a cinema and a disco into a single hull, one of the more elaborately equipped vessels among the world’s largest private yachts. Its owner has kept much of the interior private, though its exterior scale alone places it among the handful of yachts longer than 150 meters.

That lineup of amenities reads more like a small floating resort than a boat, evidence of how far Gulf owners have pushed onboard entertainment over the past two decades. Its size alone still ranks it among the largest yachts ever built, trailing only a handful of vessels anywhere in the world.

5. Blue: Newest Emirati Giant

Lurssen delivered the 160-meter yacht Blue in 2022 for owner Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, making it one of the newest vessels to join the ranks of the world’s largest private yachts. Its build reflects continued demand from Gulf owners for record-scale vessels, even as other yards have slowed production of anything approaching this size.

Its recent build date sets it apart from most of the giants on this list, several of which have been afloat for well over a decade. Lurssen’s continued dominance of the largest-yacht rankings shows plainly in its build record, with Blue joining Azzam and Opera among the shipyard’s entries on this ranking.

6. Dilbar: Frozen By Sanctions

Businessman Alisher Usmanov’s Dilbar holds the largest indoor pool ever installed on a superyacht, at 180 cubic meters, but sanctions tied to Russia’s war have kept the vessel moored in Germany for years. The pool reportedly required extensive structural reinforcement to the hull, underscoring how far builders pushed the yacht’s engineering.

Export controls mean Dilbar cannot leave the country without special permission, leaving one of the most lavishly equipped yachts afloat effectively stranded at dock rather than cruising the waters it was built for. That standoff has already stretched on for years with no clear resolution in sight for the vessel or its owner.

7. Al Said: Concert Hall At Sea

Oman’s 155-meter yacht Al Said houses a concert hall large enough to seat a full 50-piece orchestra, a feature that sets it apart from nearly every other vessel of its size. The hall reportedly hosts performances for visiting officials, turning the yacht into a floating venue rather than a simple pleasure craft.

Few private yachts carry a genuine performance venue onboard, underscoring how state-owned vessels like this one double as floating palaces built for hosting visiting dignitaries rather than simple pleasure cruising. Its scale alone, at over 150 meters, keeps it among the handful of yachts long enough to justify a dedicated concert space.

8. Opera: Recent Lurssen Delivery

Lurssen handed over the 146.4-meter yacht Opera in 2023 to owner Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the latest in a long line of record-scale deliveries from the German builder. Its completion added yet another Gulf-owned giant to a fleet of Lurssen-built yachts that already crowds the top of nearly every ranking of the largest vessels afloat.

Its arrival kept Lurssen’s streak of enormous launches going, adding yet another entry to a ranking of the world’s largest yachts that the shipyard already dominates more thoroughly than any of its rivals. Few other builders anywhere have matched that level of sustained output at the very top of the market.

9. A+: Renamed Since Delivery

Delivered in 2012, the 147.0-meter superyacht A+ ranks ninth on Wikipedia’s list of the longest motor yachts, built by the German shipyard Lurssen, the same yard behind record-holder Azzam and several other entries on this list.

The same list notes the 482-foot vessel was originally named Topaz before it was renamed A+, a change that leaves its current owner’s identity less publicly tied to the yacht than the name it carried at delivery. Its length still places it firmly among the handful of private vessels anywhere in the world built past the 140-meter mark.