One of the richest people in the world has a superyacht that is breaking records and, after being stuck in port, is finally ready to sail. Here are the latest details.
What Happened: A massive superyacht that has a price tag of $500 million and is the tallest ship in the world is ready for adventures with Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos. The boat is now being spotted testing in the North Sea, potentially ending the controversial story of the boat soon.
Kodu, code-named Y721, was supposed to be delivered to Bezos months ago, but faced several setbacks before its eventual sailing adventures. The superyacht took five years to complete and now appears ready to begin taking Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez on seafaring voyages.
As Benzinga previously reported, the superyacht was too tall to fit through a passageway after being built in a Dutch city. The ship needed a historic bridge known as “De Hef” to be dismantled for the boat to fit through.
The bridge serves as a national monument after being bombed during World War II. The decision to dismantle the bridge temporarily was met with extreme backlash from local residents, who threatened to egg the yacht.
Ship builder Oceanco eventually withdrew its request to dismantle the bridge after the public backlash, and instead sent the ship off to another shipyard 24 miles away to complete construction.
New footage of the superyacht in the North Sea has emerged and was shared recently on YouTube by Dutch Yachting.
Koru means “new beginnings” in Maori. The Daily Mail reports the boat is ready to be delivered to Bezos in the next couple of months.
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Details About Koru Emerge: As one of the largest superyachts ever built and owned by one of the wealthiest people in the world, the boat is likely to generate interest from people around the world
Koru is 417 feet long and has three decks, one hosting a swimming pool. A secondary support vessel that is 250 feet long and has a helipad is required for the Koru, according to the New York Post. The secondary ship is currently being built by Damen Yachting in the Netherlands.
To put the size of the yacht into perspective, the Daily Mail reports it is around half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
At 230 feet tall, Koru is the tallest in the world, which created the original problems with fitting under the bridge. The three huge masts help the superyacht operate with kinetic energy from the sails, adding a green technology element to the vessel.
The boat needs a crew of 40 sailors to operate and can host 18 guests.
Along with the $500 million construction costs, Koru will cost around $25 million annually to operate, according to the report.
Bezos has a wealth of $118 billion, ranking third in the world according to Bloomberg.
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Photo: Shutterstock
Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.