Superyacht

Azzam, at 180.6 metres (592.5 ft) the longest superyacht, as of 2020
A, at 142.8 metres (468.5 ft) the largest "sail-assisted" motor yacht, as of 2018[1]

A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from 40 metres (130 ft) to more than 180 metres (590 ft) in length, and sometimes include yachts as small as 24 metres (79 ft).[2]

Superyachts are often available for charter with a staff that caters to guests at a high standard of comfort. They may be designed to emphasize comfort, speed, or expedition capability. Depending on the season, superyachts may be most frequently found in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Many are available for charter at prices that exceed €100,000 per week. Larger examples may have more than one swimming pool; they may carry a variety of water toys, other boats, and some have helipads to receive guests from helicopters.

Characterized as symbols "of great wealth and excessive consumption",[3] superyachts have been controversial due to their adverse environmental impact. According to one estimate, a superyacht is the single most polluting object a person can own, more so than private jets.[4][5] A superyacht, large enough for a helicopter pad, submarine and a permanent crew, emits 1,500 times more carbon in a year than a typical family car.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Nineham, Laura (22 August 2016). "Megayachts explained". Boat International. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  3. ^ Mallet, Victor (1 September 2022). "Superyachts aim to go green — but at what cost?". Financial Times.
  4. ^ Niranjan, Ajit (21 November 2023). "'I cannot stress too much about it': Monaco yacht buyers shrug off climate concerns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  5. ^ Barros, Beatriz; Wilk, Richard (2021). "The outsized carbon footprints of the super-rich". Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 17 (1): 316–322. Bibcode:2021SSPP...17..316B. doi:10.1080/15487733.2021.1949847. ISSN 1548-7733.
  6. ^ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (29 January 2022). "Superyacht sales surge prompts fresh calls for curbs on their emissions". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712.