AZZAM

Yard Lürssen Year 2013 LOA 180.0m Designer Nauta Yachts

Why is she so special? This is not just a case of size mattering. The largest private yacht by length is always something of note, but this is not merely a small cruise liner pretending to be a yacht: she’s an athletic beast with 33-knot potential from the diesel and gas turbine propulsion system, but the most surprising thing about Azzam on the water is her balance and elegance – she looks anything but a collection of staterooms piled up on a substantial deck. “When we were first involved she wasn’t this large – she got bigger in the first year of the design process. She grew by almost 30 metres,” says Mario Pedol of Nauta Yachts. “It was a really exciting and incredible project. From my point of view, the beam-to-length ratio makes the yacht so balanced on the water. A lot of people have noticed that from a distance it’s impossible to see how big the yacht is. The bow design was crucial. It has something of the military frigate about it, and was also designed for functionality at 33 knots. She cuts through the water at speed and is designed to ensure comfort on board. It was emotional to see her on sea trials, We rode back to shore by helicopter and I could see her under way from different angles. It was quite something.”

Where is she now? Cruising privately.