Current Largest Yacht and Its Owner
The largest yacht in the world by length is the Sailing Yacht A, a sailing yacht measuring 142.81 meters (468.5 feet). The owner is Andrey Melnichenko, a Russian billionaire and industrialist, and the vessel was delivered by German shipbuilder Nobiskrug in 2017. The yacht combines a large sailing rig with a motor yacht hull and is frequently cited in global yacht rankings as the biggest sailing yacht ever built Forbes.
The largest motor yacht by length is the Azzam, measuring 180 meters (590.5 feet), owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family through the UAE government. The vessel was launched in 2013 by German shipyard Lürssen and is reported to have a build cost exceeding 600 million dollars. Azzam is widely cited as the largest privately owned motor yacht in the world, with its ownership structure tied to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Forbes.
Top Owners and Their Yachts by Size
The top owners of the biggest yachts include Andrey Melnichenko (Sailing Yacht A), the Abu Dhabi royal family (Azzam), and the Lurssen-built yacht Dilbar, owned by Alisher Usmanov, which measures 156 meters (511.8 feet). These yachts are ranked by length in global superyacht databases, with Sailing Yacht A and Azzam consistently appearing at the top for their respective categories Bloomberg.
The yacht industry tracks these vessels through classification societies such as Lloyd's Register and the International Superyacht Society, which publish data on length, gross tonnage, builder, and owner. The biggest yachts are often built at shipyards in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, with owners including billionaires from Russia, the Middle East, and the United States Lloyd's Register.
How the Biggest Yachts Are Built and Valued
The biggest yachts are constructed using advanced steel and aluminum hulls, with Sailing Yacht A featuring a hybrid sailing system and a carbon-fiber mast. The Azzam was built as a custom motor yacht with a displacement of over 13,000 tonnes and a top speed exceeding 30 knots, reflecting its design as a large-scale naval architecture project Lürssen.
Valuations for the biggest yachts are not publicly disclosed, but industry estimates place Sailing Yacht A and Azzam in the range of 300 to 600 million dollars, depending on specification and fit-out. Ownership structures often involve private holding companies or sovereign entities, with the vessels registered under flags of convenience for operational and tax purposes SEC.