Eclipse (yacht)
 Eclipse (September 21, 2009) |
|
| Career (Bermuda[1]) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | M/Y Eclipse |
| Owner: | Roman Abramovich |
| Port of registry: | Hamilton, Bermuda[1] |
| Builder: | Blohm + Voss |
| Cost: | €340 million (circa US$590 million)[2] |
| Launched: | June 12, 2009[1] |
| In service: | December 9, 2010[3] |
| Status: | Delivered[3] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Motor yacht |
| Tonnage: | 13,000 GT[4] |
| Length: | 163.5 m (536 ft)[5] |
| Boats and landing craft carried: |
1 mini-submarine, 3 landing boats |
| Crew: | 70 crew members[4] |
| Aviation facilities: | 2 helicopter pads |
M/Y Eclipse is a luxury motor yacht constructed by Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, Germany. Its exterior and interior were designed by Terence Disdale Design and its naval architect was Francis Design.[4] The yacht was delivered to Russian businessman Roman Abramovich on 9 December 2010. At 163.5 metres (536 ft) long,[5] Eclipse is the world's largest private yacht, 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) longer than the Dubai, which belongs to Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai.[2] The yacht's cost has been estimated at €340 million (approx. US$475M as of September 2011),[2] but a September 2009 report indicated that final costs could approach €800 million (US$1.12B).[6]
Eclipse has two helicopter pads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, several hot tubs and a disco hall.[7] It is also equipped with three launch boats, and a mini-submarine that is capable of submerging to 50 metres. Approximately 70 crew members are needed to operate the yacht.
For security, Eclipse is fitted with intruder detection systems and a German-built missile defence system.[2][8] Abramovich's master suite and the yacht's bridge are fitted with armour plating and bullet-proof windows.[8] The yacht is reportedly equipped with an anti-paparazzi shield in the form of lasers that sweep the surroundings, and when they detect a CCD, they shine a light right at the camera to prevent the photograph. According to The Times, these do not run all the time, so friends and guests should still be able to take pictures. Instead, they will be activated when guards spot likely professional photographers nearby. How such a system could feasibly work has not been demonstrated, however.[6]
Eclipse was launched on 12 June 2009.[9] It arrived in Frederikshavn, Denmark on September 18, 2009 for tests, and was delivered to Abramovich on December 9, 2010.[3] First pictures of the completed yacht were taken at Kristiansand, Norway during its refuelling.[10]
In February 2011 Eclipse was made available for charter through SuperYachtsMonaco,[11] a yacht brokerage company based in Monaco.
Abramovich's private fleet consists of five motor yachts: Eclipse, Sussurro, Titan, Umbra, and Luna. He gave Le Grand Bleu to his associate and friend Eugene Shvidler in June 2006. He sold Ecstasea in June 2009 to an unknown Egyptian. Pelorus was received by his ex-wife Irina in 2009 as part of their divorce settlement. She then sold the yacht to David Geffen for $300 million in 2011.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Motor Yacht ECLIPSE Launched". LiveYachting.com. 2009-06-12. http://www.liveyachting.com/motor-yacht-eclipse-launched. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ a b c d "Russian tycoon buys a yacht to eclipse all others". Smh.com.au. 2009-06-17. http://www.smh.com.au/world/russian-tycoon-buys-a-yacht-to-eclipse-all-others-20090616-cgkn.html. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ a b c "Superyacht Eclipse: World's Largest Yacht Delivered". SuperYachts.com. 2010-12-14. http://www.superyachts.com/news/superyacht-eclipse:-worlds-largest-yacht-delivered-998.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ a b c "M/Y Eclipse". agent4stars.com. 2009-06-12. http://www.agent4stars.com/billionairesclub/luxuryitems/yachts/Eclipse_BV978_163m_535ft_Blohm___Voss_GmbH__84.html. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ a b "Top 100 Largest Yachts". boatinternational.com. 2010-12-16. http://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/the-register/top-100-largest-yachts/. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ a b Sorrel, Charlie (2009-09-21). "Russian Billionaire Installs Anti-Photo Shield on Giant Yacht". Wired.com. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/russian-billionaire-installs-anti-photo-shield-on-giant-yacht/. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ Pancevski, Bojan (2009-09-20). "Roman Abramovich zaps snappers with laser shield". The Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6841380.ece. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ a b Liz Hull (2008-10-06). "Floating fortress: Chelsea owner Abramovich builds £200m super-yacht half the size of the Bismarck | Mail Online". Mailonsunday.co.uk. http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1069270/Floating-fortress-Chelsea-owner-Abramovich-builds-200m-super-yacht-complete-anti-missile-radar.html. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ "Eclipse | Blohm & Voss, Roman Abramovich, Recent Launches, Gigayachts, Terence Disdale |". Yachts.monacoeye.com. 2009-07-06. http://yachts.monacoeye.com/files/blohm_voss_eclipse.php. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ "The world's biggest yacht in Kristiansand". fvn.no. 2010-12-10. http://www.fvn.no/lokalt/kristiansand/article814704.ece. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ^ "Superyacht Eclipse joins charter fleet of SuperYachtsMonaco". SuperYachtTimes.com. 2011-02-23. http://www.superyachttimes.com/editorial/22/article/id/5777. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eclipse (ship, 2009) |
