The billionaire Amazon founder is temporarily deconstructing a Dutch landmark to get the world’s largest sailing yacht to the U.S.
Not only is Jeff Bezos’ new $500 million megayacht so gigantic that it requires a dedicated support yacht, passage of the lavish vessel to the U.S. will require the dismantling of a historic Dutch bridge.
The Netherlands’ Oceanco is currently constructing Bezos’ Y721—the name of what will be the largest sailing yacht in the world. But according to a report by DutchNews.nl cited by InsideHook, the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge will need to be taken down to get the Amazon billionaire’s towering yacht out of the country and into the sea.
The bridge was reportedly “renovated in 2017 and the council pledged at the time it would never be dismantled again.” Oceanco and Bezos will reportedly foot the bill to have it reconstructed.
The reason for desecrating an almost century-old landmark comes down to sheer size. Y721 is based on on Oceanco’s triple-mast Black Pearl, which was already the largest and most ecological at 350 feet long.
But Bezos’ will be even bigger at 417 feet long. No images have been released, but Black Pearl specs and renderings (above) give an idea of what to expect—a top speed of least 25 knots (29 mph) under massive carbon fiber sails, a steel hull, aluminum superstructure, and composite decks.
And given the $300 million price gap between the $200 million Black Pearl and Bezos’ reportedly $500 million sailing yacht, expect a plethora of upgrades.