BIGGEST SUPERYACHTS IN THE WORLD

Small, luxurious, large, fast: superyachts come in all shapes and sizes. MASTERS lists the five largest yachts ever built. Fasten your seat belts, because the following eye-catchers are really true mind blowing.Online editor: Natasha Hendriks

Azzam

The German shipyard Lürssen, describes the interior of Azzam as “refined, with luxurious furnishings, inspired by the Empire style of the early 19th century.” Its gas turbines, connected to water jets, push Azzam up to more than 30 knots, allowing it to operate at high speed in shallow water. Azzam is 180 meters long, the longest in the world. She also has an impressive build time for a yacht of her size, with construction taking just three years after a year of engineering. Photo: Screengrab

Fulk Al Salamah

Not much is known about it Fulk Al Salamah. Built and delivered by Italian builder Mariotti Yachts at their shipyard in Genoa in 2016, the vessel is believed to be owned by the Omani royal family. The exterior design is by Studio de Jorio, and some consider it more like a support ship than a superyacht. Yet aerial photography shows an impressively large helicopter deck, raked masts and a swim platform. Photo: Screengrab

Eclipse

The stately Eclipse, the 160-metre yacht delivered to billionaire Roman Abramovich, took five years to design and build. When it left the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg in 2010, it was the world's largest yacht. Its interior has 17 staterooms and a luxurious master suite, with a capacity of 85 crew members. Both the interior and exterior were designed by Terence Disdale. Other features reflecting its status: the capacity to hold three helicopters, including one in the hangar below deck, six tenders and a huge spa, gym and beach club.Photo: R_Pilguj

Dubai

This Andrew Winch design was originally commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei as a joint project between Blohm + Voss and Lürssen, before being discontinued in 1998 with only a bare hull and skeletal superstructure. The hull was sold to the Dubai government and under the leadership of the country's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, work on the yacht began again, but this time by Platinum Yachts. Dubai was completed in 2006 and is now the Sheikh's royal yacht, with accommodation for 24 guests and quarters for 88 crew. Dubai is 160 feet long, it has an impressive 70-foot wide, seven-story atrium, a Black Hawk helicopter landing pad, an undersea garage, a disco and a movie theater.Photo: Bigstock

Dilbar

The launch of Dilbar In 2016, Lürssen shipyard had the distinction of not only building the longest yacht ever (Azzam), but also the largest in terms of volume. Espen Øino designed the exterior, creating a full superstructure of long, flowing decks, along with two helipads. Dilbar also has a 25-metre swimming pool and according to Lürssen it is the world's longest on a yacht. Dilbar itself is 156 meters long. Photo: Josep Baresic