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PHOTOS: Claus Schäfe/TheYachtPhoto.com
These are some of the first photos of Topaz as she underwent sea trials in Germany today. Topaz took off from Lürssen’s shipyard in Bremen for what’s expected to be several days of equipment testing and evaluation. Ship- and yacht-spotting websites that track publicly available AIS information recorded her hitting speeds just shy of 19 knots.
The exact LOA of Topaz is somewhere between 472 and 482 feet (144 and 147 meters, respectively). Lloyd’s Register had her at the first LOA in a newsletter some time ago. Meanwhile, one of the ship- and yacht-spotting websites mentioned above, which tends to be pretty accurate itself, has her at 146 meters, or 479 feet. Still other people insist she’s the longest LOA above.
No matter the true LOA, Topaz may not be the largest megayacht in the world, but she’s definitely the largest delivery of the year. She also ranks as the second-largest completed superyacht from her builder, outranked only by Al Said, which comes in at 508 feet (155 meters). We’re not including the much-talked-about Azzam, since she’s still some time from completion.
When we got our first glimpse of Topaz taking shape at Lürssen, we surmised that her styling was the handiwork of Tim Heywood. In seeing her at launch this spring and now in her finished state, we’re even more convinced of it. We’re also pretty convinced there’s a pool on the main aft deck, judging by the green glass panel there. Unfortunately not everything about her is as clear. Her transom and superstructure nameboards were covered, so no clues there as to a logo. And, we are not entirely convinced of the owner’s identity, though the rumor mill is consistently spinning stories that Topaz belongs to Middle Eastern royalty.
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