Luxury Yachts: Drum roll, please. In the never-ending battle of the attention-seeking super-rich owners of yachts, superyachts, and megayachts, Roman Abramovich is now roosting at the top with his 557-foot long yacht, the Eclipse. According to the Daily Mail, the price tag on the world's largest privately owned yacht is £300 million. The ship was seen recently around the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, apparently, on a test cruise.

There are two helipads, a missile detector, a military-grade defense system, and a 12-seat miniature submarine aboard the elaborate luxury watercraft. The Abramovich's master's suite, which is a mansion within a yacht, is armor-plated and has bulletproof windows. The Eclipse lives up to its name richly with a swimming pool and a full spa on board. There are 24 guestrooms, and each has a private balcony. The saloon areas are enormous with lounges and bars positioned throughout. There also is a screening room and a disco.

The $400-million-plus yacht has as many lavish amenities in place as it has surveillance and security devices. A fleet of recreational watercraft and devices will be available as well when the ship launches in 2010.

Abramovich's Eclipse puts the 525-foot megayacht Dubai, which is owned by Sheikh Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, in second place. However, whether the Dubai is privately owned or the property of the UAE is an issue that has risen over the yacht's ownership status. According to an article published by Yachting Partners International, Andrew Winch Designs did the lavish interiors of the Dubai. The ship, which launched in 2006, came from the same Blohm & Voss shipyard, as the Eclipse.

Along with being an oil magnate, Roman Abramovich is the owner of the Chelsea Football Club of the Premier League of England. Upon the 2010 launching of the Eclipse, the Forbes-listed eleventh richest man in the world will have a four-yacht fleet afloat. The Pelorus, another of Abramovich's yachts, is among the top 12 largest privately owned yachts at 377 feet long.

For JustLuxe James Rothaar

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James Rothaar

James has written content for Justluxe.com and other leading online luxury lifestyle magazines. Rothaar previously served as the senior-tenured staff writer for JustLuxe, having worked with the digital magazine since 2005. He resides in Jacksonville, Florida, and works as an independent marketing consultant and freelance writer and copywriter. He is the co-owner of Wild Owl Digital, a boutique mar...(Read More)