This is the moment the
world's largest private yacht took to the sea. Azzam, which was built by
German firm Lurssen, is a staggering 590 feet long - a £400million floating
palace which has knocked Roman Abramovich off the owners' top spot. It was
officially unveiled for the first time in April following three years at the
shipbuilder's docks in Bremen. Yachtspotters have now photographed
Azzam, believed to have been ordered by a Middle-Eastern billionaire, being
tested on the North Sea. Azzam has taken pole position as the world's largest yacht
off Eclipse, a 533-foot boat owned by Roman Abramovich. It can travel in excess of
30 knots, with power coming from a combination of two gas turbines and two
diesel engines with a total of 94,000 horsepower. Peter Seyfferth, from TheYachtPhoto.com, said: 'During the three days of
trials, Azzam reached an amazing top speed of 31.5 knots, making her not only
the longest but also by far the fastest megayacht in the world. 'Such a speed is absolutely exceptional for a yacht of this size. 'Her elegant, sleek lines
are another feature which distinguish Azzam from all the other yachts above 150
metres.' Mubarak Saad al Ahbabi was
the engineer behind the megayacht, and assembled a team to work on the
ultra-sophisticated project. He was told by the yacht's secret buyer to build a
vessel which was innovative and had a timeless design which would be able to
travel at high speed and in shallow waters.The exterior design, which has been
described as 'surprisingly slender' was carried out by Nauta Yachts, with
interior designer Christophe Leoni working on Azzam's inside. Azzam is expected
to be delivered to its owner later this year.
more pics after the cut...........
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