Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko is worth $9.2 billion and already owns the world’s coolest yacht, the $300 million Philippe Starck-designed A. Before the paint was even dry on A, he had commissioned another vessel—not a replacement, but an addition to his fleet—and when completed it will be the largest sailing yacht in the world. Dubbed the White Pearl, the yacht will top out at around 482 feet and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. According to CNBC, the massive vessel is on track to be launched this time next summer and will dwarf the likes of the 298-foot Maltese Falcon (considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful sailing yacht). Currently the largest on the water is the 316-foot Sea Cloud, a historic yacht that was launched in 1931 and now operates as a cruise ship.
Sources at the Nobiskrug shipyard in Kiel, Germany where the White Pearl is taking shape say the new boat will have a design scheme inspired in part by the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. It will feature a soaring three-story atrium, a massive swimming pool and the latest high-tech sailing systems, including three carbon fiber masts—each of which is designed to withstand loads more than twice that of a Boeing Dreamliner wing. The combined mass of the sails alone will be larger than a football field. When it’s finally finished, a crew of 66 will sail the vessel and attend to the Melnichenko’s every need.
