Today, a monumental launch took place at Lürssen. She’s the yacht Topaz, ranking as the fifth-largest private vessel globally. She’s understandably taking yacht spotters and the industry alike by storm.
In fact, Topaz has been a topic of conversation for some time, despite (and, in some respects, because of) being a confidential project. It was just over one year ago that we showed you how super-size Topaz was taking shape. At that point, essentially just the bare structure of the steel hull and aluminum superstructure were completed, being transferred from one build shed to another. The photo above, taken today, show just how far Topaz has come in a year’s time. It also strengthens our belief that the styling is from Tim Heywood Designs.
For an even more interesting perspective, take a look at the photo below, shot on Saturday. Topaz was still under cover, and without her satcom domes. The domes are actually in the picture, too, on the barge floating directly in front of Topaz’s bulbous bow.
Even with Topaz having emerged into the open, many details are being kept under wraps. Some information is available through public records, such as her gross tonnage of 11,589. But there’s also conflicting information available from these and other sources. For example, in 2010, when Lloyd’s Register included Topaz in a list of megayacht projects adhering to its classification standards, it indicated her LOA as 472’4” (144 meters). But last year, sources associated with the project stated she was longer, at 482’3” (147 meters). Similar sources say the same now, too.
Then, of course, there’s the speculation over who owns her. Reputable and disreputable media alike have run stories surmising that a member of the Saudi royal family commissioned her. Even a yacht-brokerage firm’s own website joined the guessing game, repeating word that a member of the ruling family from Abu Dhabi is the owner.
Regardless of LOA or ownership, upon delivery, Topaz will be among the top 10 largest megayachts in the world, and the second-largest megayacht to date from Lürssen. To that latter point, only Al Said outranks her, measuring 508 feet (155 meters).
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