Two of the world’s greatest yachts, the 115,000-tonne behemoth Eclipse and the mega-yacht Europa, docked together for the first time this week, as an early sign of how the market for superyachts is returning to normal, following the crash of 2008.
Europe was the last market for large-scale superyachts to recover in 2009, as new boats are booked for more than three years in advance. Two more powerful offshore developments are set to hit the market within the next two years: a 450,000-tonne steel monstrosity will launch from China in 2020, and a huge 770,000-tonne ship will appear from the waters of South Africa in 2021.
The first new superyacht to be built from scratch in Spain in 30 years is also on the way. The moniker — Autavia — and its long-term owner are undisclosed, but it’s believed to be a European-owned superyacht that will be called Crescent, and will only set sail when it has completed in 2021.
A1 Black Caspian’s stunning 40,000-tonne wedge, Colossus, is long believed to be towing Atlas. Legend has it that it is originally a 275,000-tonne vessel, called Vulture, owned by the Qatari royal family, which sunk by hitting an underwater earthquake.