Yachts boasting extreme design elements make the megayacht industry all the more interesting. You’ll hear plenty of designers and owners talk about how they dislike “cookie-cutter” designs. Even if a particular yacht’s looks aren’t your cup of tea, there’s still reason to celebrate the desire for something different.
Then there are yachts with long histories and widespread travels. The ups and downs over their lifespan and the exotic locales they’ve ventured to make them extreme in a sense, too.
More than 20 superyachts falling into these categories are highlighted in the new book Outrageous Yachts. Co-authors Jill Bobrow and Kenny Wooton, both longtime yachting journalists, focus on classic and contemporary yachts alike. Thanks also to the foreword from George Nicholson, chairman of Camper & Nicholsons, and images by Dana Jinkins, an accomplished photographer, you get a good sense of why they selected the boats they did.
For example, there’s Delphine, truly a golden-era gentleman’s cruiser. Launched in 1921, she famously entertained friends and family of the American businessman Horace Dodge (as in Dodge cars). The yacht saw service under the U.S. Navy during World War II, and later went on to serve as a training ship for merchant seamen two decades. After a few never-fulfilled plans for restoration back in private hands, Delphine finally received a much-needed refit from 1998 to 2003. She looks much as she did when she was originally delivered, and she charters in the Med to this day.
At the other end of the design spectrum, there’s Guilty, belonging to the art collector Dakis Joannou. You’d have to have your eyes closed to miss this 35-meter (114-footer) on the horizon: a cornucopia (some might say cacophony) of color and angles. It’s courtesy of Jeff Koons, an artist whose work is alternately revered and reviled – much like the design of Guilty.
Other yachts featured in the book include Christina O, Maltese Falcon, and Esense, with all ranging in size from 138 to 424 feet (42 to 129 meters).
List price for Outrageous Yachts is $50. It’s available for purchase from leading retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
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