10 Most Expensive Sailboats
Sailing yachts are some of the most expensive sailboats in the world for a good reason. Yachts tend to be on the luxury side of sailing, with many of them simply having engines to power the boat.
Depending on how much a consumer wants to spend on one will all vary based on the features they want it to be equipped with. For now, there are a handful of the most expensive sailboats to compare to.
Pelorus
Pelorus was last known to be worth around $300 million and it has changed owners a few times. It was crafted by Lürssen Shipyard in 2003 but quickly acquired in 2004 by Roman Abramovich.
The current owner is believed to still be Samuel Tak Lee from Hong Kong. This boat is a massive 377 feet long and has a 56-foot beam.
The weight is around 5500 tonnes and has a few luxury amenities such as jet skis, two helicopter pads, and even landing boats. There are also hot tubs on the top deck.
Al Said
Al Said is another insane boat size for around $300 million, accommodating up to 70 guests and 26 suites. The boat typically has around 170 crew members on board to keep the boat in top shape.
This 500 foot super yacht was built by Lurssen Yachts and was specifically catered to the current owner, Qaboos Bin Said Al Said. There is not a lot known about this one, but there are a few known features.
There is a master bedroom and a concert hall to entertain guests. In addition, there are elevators to help guests easily go from one floor to the next.
Radiant
As the 53rd largest yacht in the world, it comes at a hefty price tag of around $320 million. This is another built by Lürssen in 2009 and is believed to have been delivered to Abdulla Al Futtaim in 2010.
This sailboat is around 360 feet long and has about 5027 in gross weight tonnage. The extra weight could be caused by the gym, movie theater, beauty salon, elevators, beach club, and heavy-duty air conditioning units peering through multiple rooms.
Radiant can accommodate up to 20 guests and 62 crew members. Surprisingly, the boat averages around 16 knots with top-out speeds ranging up to 21 knots.
Serene
Serene is a custom-built yacht by Fincantieri, which is an Italian Shipyard. The estimated value is around $330 million, but could definitely be worth more.
This boat is about 440 feet long with about a 61-foot beam. It is quite heavier than the others already listed, with a gross tonnage of about 8230.
There are plenty of accommodations, such as multiple swimming pools, a seawater pool, a snow room, saunas, a submarine, a jet, a conference hall, and two helipads that can be converted to a dance floor. It is currently owned by Mohammed bin Salman, who is the Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Dubai
The Dubai yacht is roughly 531 feet long and is the second longest yacht. It is currently owned by Mohammed Rashid al-Maktoum, who is the Sheik of Dubai.
Dubai was built in 2006 by a joint effort from Voss, Blohm, and Lürssen shipyards. It is considered the golden child of yachts, so to speak, so a lot of extras went into this one.
There are custom-made tiles throughout, a helipad, and a glass staircase that lights up. In addition, it hosts many VIP parties, has tons of guest suites, and has its own owner's deck. This was estimated to be worth around $400 million for this yacht.
A
Sailing Yacht A is one of the most magnificent yachts in existence. It is estimated to be worth over $500 million and was originally developed by the 787 Project back in 2017, which was delivered to Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.
It sports a sleek futuristic metal design on the outside, with three enormous sails, and is about 469 feet long. It has a beam of 81.4 feet and has almost 12,600 tonnage.
There are eight decks and a handful of elevators to get you where you need to go. You will also see a retractable roof, a helipad, an underwater observation pod, and a digital system to help raise or lower sails.
Topaz
M/Y A+ Yacht, formerly known as Topaz, was constructed in 2012 by Lurssen Yachts in Germany. This yacht is roughly 482 feet long and has a gross tonnage of about 11,600.
It boasts a 7990 HP engine that provides a maximum speed of 25.5 knots. There are 32 cabins that can accommodate up to 64 guests.
There are seven decks to have plenty of room to play with, especially with the large jacuzzi, swimming pool, and gym. There is also a double helipad, movie theater, and a beautiful conference room. This boat cost nearly $530 million, but of course, could be worth more now.
Azzam
Another development from Lurssen Yachts, Azzam is the longest private sailboat in the world at 590 feet. On top of that, it cost $650 million to put together and be handed over to United Arab Emirates’ former president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nayan Emir.
With over 4,000 people in charge of this task, the team that built this one claimed it was one of the most sophisticated and challenging builds they have ever done. In addition, it is quite fast for its size at 30 knots.
The yacht can handle 80 crew members and accommodate 36 guests. There is a golf training room, swimming pool, gym, and an open floor plan saloon.
Eclipse
The Eclipse superyacht is the second most expensive sailboat in existence and is owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. For $1.5 billion, this boat is 536 feet long and was put together by Blohm and Voss of Hamburg.
There are plenty of lavishing features such as 24 guest cabins, a handful of hot tubs, and even a disco hall. The added benefit of something this expensive though is the security features, which have similarities to you would see in an action-packed movie.
There are defenses against intruders with detection devices and a missile defense system. In addition, there are even bulletproof windows, shielding against paparazzi, and lasers to sweep the area.
History Supreme
An interesting choice for a name, the History Supreme is the most expensive yacht ever sold at $4.8 billion. This 100-foot yacht is literally covered in gold and platinum, about 10,000 kg all the way from the stern to the bow.
It was supposedly built for Robert Kuok, who happens to be the richest man in Malaysia, but at first, it was anonymous. The boat itself rivals other ones with similar features, but it is the amount of gold and platinum throughout that makes it worth more.
In addition, the master bedroom has a meteorite rock wall and a statue constructed from real Tyrannosaurus Rex bones. On top of that, there is an aquarium that is decked out with a 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic model.
How to Find Expensive Sailboats
Finding expensive sailboats is going to mean different things to various people. For one individual, $20,000 is going to be expensive, while other people might think $1 million is too much.
So how do you find a happy medium to get what you want, but not feel like you are overpaying? This is where research is going to be your best friend.
Know Your Budget
As mentioned, most people might have to adjust their tastes based on price alone. After all, the price is usually a good indicator of value but not necessarily all that is required for a good sailboat.
You might have to consider choosing a boat loan to help fund your purchase. If that is the case, you need to make sure you are getting a good deal and not being charged a ridiculously high amount of interest.
You should only get a loan for a boat if the purchase price is within your means. The loan is meant to help bridge the gap between what you have and what you can pay off in years.
You should avoid taking out a larger loan on a more expensive boat just because the payments are “not that bad”. This is where you need to calculate your finances and what you can afford.
In addition, the year that a particular boat was built makes a huge difference in price and performance. This would be another factor to consider, especially if you find an older boat that is in good shape.
Determine Your Sailing Goals
Once you have figured out how much you can afford to spend, you need to narrow down what your sailing goals are. Do you want a fast yacht or a single person dinghy? Maybe you enjoy catamarans for a large group of people on the weekends?
Whichever sailing goal you have in mind, this should be applied to your sailboat search. This can easily range in prices no matter what style of boat you decide to buy.
It would not make a lot of sense if you want to travel full time in your sailboat with just two people and decide you want a boat that requires six people on deck to operate. A lot of factors will come into play, you just need to make sure you can adjust accordingly.
Online Brokers and Marinas
If you want to find expensive sailboats quickly, searching online is going to be your best friend. This will save you a lot of time and hassle with just a few clicks into your search.
Depending on your location, you can search for brokers online and find one near you to look at. You can easily mark your price points and see thousands of boats in an instant.
As for marinas, this will be a smorgasbord of opportunities to check out various sailboats. You will likely find at least one expensive boat and the potential to speak with the sailor to see where they got it and other important information.
What Makes a Sailboat Expensive?
Sailboats are expensive for a lot of reasons, mainly having to do with size and tons of features. So depending on what the boat is equipped with, it could mean the difference between a few thousand dollars or buying the equivalent of a large house.
Size of the Hull
The size of your sailboat is a big factor in the price, but there are times where the hull makes it even more expensive. For example, a catamaran has two hulls and a trimaran has three hulls.
These boats are typically more expensive, especially since they will hold a lot more people. As you can see from the yachts, they can all hold roughly 100 people depending on the size.
Type of Sailboat
Some sailboats will be more expensive than others if they can handle diff types of water. Other boats might cater to shallow waters or calmer conditions, where other boats might be able to handle it all.
Depending on the type of sailboat and the experience you are trying to achieve makes a huge difference in the price. Of course, any yacht will be expensive in most consumer’s eyes, no matter how it is used in the water.
Various Technology
An older sailboat is not going to have near the same amount for technology as newer ones. These include navigation systems, electric winches, and radios.
Some are already equipped with solar panels or have the capability to. Other boats might have traditional useful features, such as a refrigerator or an oven.
Buying New or Used
You can often find cheaper sailboats if you know which year they are built in. There is nothing wrong with buying used, but you still need to make sure that it is in good shape and has the features you need.
Whether you purchase new or used, these can still be pretty expensive. Even used superyachts can still be around $10 million depending on the brand and what is equipped on it.
As for new sailboats, you get the latest technology and improved designs from previous models. You do pay a premium for a newer version with these added features, so that should be factored into the price.
Materials
Some sailboats are made out of interesting materials. For example, the History Supreme has gold and platinum all throughout, making it the most expensive in the world.
Most sailboats today are made out of fiberglass since it is easy to manufacture and lightweight. Some are still made out of wood, but are harder to find and take longer to build. Wooden sailboats are sturdy and last a long time, driving up their value.
