The Flying Fox is the world’s largest superyacht available for charter — and it’s drop-dead gorgeous.
It currently sits on Monaco-based Imperial’s fleet of charter yachts, and was built by German yacht maker, Lürssen. The 136m-gargantuan towers 32m above the waterline and can accommodate up to 22 guests and 54 crew members. The exterior was designed by Espen Øino International while the interior was designed by Mark Berryman Design Ltd.
The Flying Fox features two helipads, a 12.2m swimming pool, a spa with health and wellness facilities that span two decks, and a cinema. There’s also the first-ever cryosauna installed on a yacht. It comprises of an antechamber of -60°C, followed by a main chamber of -110°C.
The upper deck master suite comes with a 48-square-metre bathroom, centred with an oval bathtub and huge shower, and providing views through double-fronted sliding doors onto the private deck that wraps around to the front of the suite. The owner’s suite has a sitting room and a cosy ethanol fireplace.
Another unusual feature of the superyacht is the amount of greenery found in the ship. Several plants frame the staircase from the upper deck, along with sprouts from planters on the balustrades giving the ship a very homely feel. There’s even a winter garden indoors that feels light and airy with two huge skylights made by Yachtglass.
In their absence at this year’s Met Gala, superstar couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z recently took a vacation aboard the Flying Fox. Beyonce even shared some glimpses of the inside of the boat on Instagram. Check it out below:
Ownership Controversy
There have been sources that claim the Flying Fox is owned by Jeff Bezos, although conflicting reports say he has never bought nor stepped foot onto the yacht. The rumour stems from a now-deleted tweet by journalist Yashar Ali. The tweet featured a photo of the yacht docked in Turkey and referred to it as “Jeff Bezos’ new yacht”. Ali says he tweeted it after seeing an Instagram post by Loree Rodkin, that suggested the superyacht belonged to the billionaire. The post has now been edited and does not mention Bezos.
While the former Amazon boss has been linked to this yacht since its production in 2017, a source with knowledge of the situation told Robb Report that he does not own the Flying Fox. Insider has also published a statement from Amazon denying the rumours that Bezos has ever owned the superyacht.
Recent Superyacht News
At the recent Cannes Yachting Festival, Wally unveiled its WHY200, a 78-foot yacht that offers 2,153 square feet of space, 50 per cent more than yachts of the same size. The WHY200 is Wally’s first hybrid yacht and features an adaptive Volvo multi-propulsion system that makes it cruise at an impressive 20 knots in hyper displacement mode.
The upcoming Monaco Yacht Show, however, is where Benetti will be showcasing the longest superyacht in the world at the Monaco Yacht Show. The IJE was built for Australian billionaire James Packer and was named after his children Indigo, Jackson, and Emanuelle (IJE). Benetti is also staging the debuts of the 65m Zazou, which launched this year, and the first Diamond 44M, a 145ft fibreglass yacht that launched in 2020.
The Monaco Yacht Show returns to Port Hercules from September 22 to 25 after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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