The first superyacht ever built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, the 134-meter Serene was delivered in 2011 to Russian billionaire, Yuri Scheffler. As was later revealed, the oligarch sold his superyacht in July 2015 to Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The royal spent $458 million to acquire the former largest yacht in Italy.
Featuring a salt-water swimming pool, a supersized hot tub, a sauna in front of the sea and a fully-operational helipad, Serene became known in yachting as one of the most inspiring superyachts ever completed.
At the time of her delivery, Serene was the 9th largest yacht in the world, barely topping the Emir of Qatar's 133-meter Al Mirqab and outdone by David Geffen's 138-meter Lurssen, Rising Sun. For the state-controlled Italian shipyard, Fincantieri, Serene was, however, the first yacht the company ever built, having primarily focused on commercial ships before.
Currently the 15th largest yacht, Serene turns heads anywhere she goes, not only due to her giant-like size, but also her exterior lines drawn by Espen Oeino and series of innovations in the interior.
Following the sale, her former owner, Scheffler claimed that Fincantieri's second yacht, the 140-meter Ocean Victory built for Russian billionaire, Viktor Rashnikov, had infringed on his intellectual property by building the superyacht on the same platform as Serene. As a result, Scheffler filled a suit against Fincantieri claiming €20,9 million from the shipyard in damages.
Whereas it is unknown how much exactly Scheffler spent building the 134-meter Serene at Fincantieri, it is widely believed in the superyacht sector that the vessel was sold at a profit by Scheffler to the Saudi Arabian deputy crown prince. As revealed by media as part of the Paradise papers, Serene was sold for €420 million.
At the time of the sale, some publications had reported that the sale was closed within several hours with the buyer having asked Scheffler to vacate the yacht within hours of the purchase. The new documentation that emerged through the Paradise papers leaks, however, tells a different story as the sale took at least 10 days to close. Before it could change hands, Serene had to cruise into international waters.
Stretching over a beam of 18.5 meters, Serene is 6 decks tall and boasts a myriad of amenities that few five-star hotels have. One of her most noticeable features from the outside is her supersized bathtub located aft of the sundeck.
One of the seven pools onboard Serene, the Jacuzzi on the top deck is surrounded by lounging pad for sunbathing. Forward of the hot tub is a fully-stocked, wet bar underneath the yacht's observational deck that features an additional set of sun loungers.
Up on the sundeck is yet another spa pool surrounded by lounging pads, located forward of the deck. This particular pool features bar stools and is connected to a fully stocked bar surrounded by two additional hot tubs. A table for casual dining can also be found in the shaded area of the sundeck.
Serene's interior was designed by British design studio Reymond Langton, incorporating a sophisticated mix of cream and dark colors with wooden fixtures. Offering views from any imaginable vantage point, Serene's sky lounge is equipped with a myriad of sofas, chairs and coffee tables for cocktails and tea.
A more formal location designed for the entertainment of larger groups, the main lounge features white colors with dark tones. At the center of the room is a piano with cocktail tables spread out across the room. Interestingly, this lounge sits just over the main dining room with its chandelier hanging through the two spaces and letting the music spread.
The formal dining area features two tables, capable of each accommodating up to 12 guests, bringing the total to 24 guests. Its layout, however, allows for the possibility to extend the table in order to hold larger banquets. On both sides of the room are floor-to-ceiling windows. In terms of food, Serene features a fire pizza oven as well as a teppanyaki grill.
Each space on Serene features a different set of colors, all coordinated across one central theme that spreads around the yacht with circles both on the floor and on the ceiling to create a sense of symmetry. Some of Serene's unique features include an indoor climbing wall as well as an underwater observation lounge.
The 134-meter yacht can carry a total of 24 guests across 12 staterooms divided into one master suite with essentially an owner's deck, a VIP cabin, three twin cabins and seven double staterooms. Serene carries a crew of over 40 people onboard.
Prior to the yacht being sold to the Saudi Arabian crown prince, Serene was made available for charter to select guests by Scheffler. These have included Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, who reportedly chartered Serene at a price tag of $5 million per week during the summer of 2014.
In addition to her vast interior spaces, Serene's exterior lounging spots have been optimized to best utilize the space onboard the 134-meter superyacht. Forward on the bow, for example, forward of the commercial-grade helipad can be found a lounging spot on the bow of the yacht. Although a long walk from the aft deck, these spaces are often used for maximum privacy when moored in a harbor.
Perhaps the most unique space onboard Serene is her swimming pool located aft of the main deck under a retractable glass roof. Up on the main deck, this opening can be closed with glass panels and is surrounded by lounging areas.
One of the most advanced swimming pools ever built on board a superyacht, it is the key element of the beach club that stretches for a large portion of the yacht's lower deck. Within the pool area are two additional Jacuzzis for the yacht's guests to relax in. On both sides of the yacht are lounging areas with access to the sea through foldable platforms.
Serene's beach club facilities, however, do not stop just with its pool. The superyacht features a full-sized spa with a sauna room with glass doors looking out onto the sea through a foldable platform. Next to the sauna are a hammam as well as a snow room.
Lighting systems were installed throughout Serene's exterior to ensure that the yacht could boast a sleek look at night as well as during the day. During the summer, the yacht could previously often have been seen lighting up Monaco and the Côte d'Azur.
Photo by Julien Hubert
Following her sale to the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the yacht started spending time in the Persian Gulf. During the summer of this year, Serene ran aground on a reef near Tiran Island in the Red Sea. Some damage is believed to have been sustained to her bow at the time, although the superyacht has been repaired since. Several days ago, she cruised to a shipyard in the Netherlands for maintenance work.
Currently valued at $1,6 billion by Forbes, Yuri Sheffler made his fortune in the alcohol business. Venturing into business in 1993, Sheffler made a series of moves that got him the rights to brands of vodka such as Stolichnaya, which was previously owned by a state-owned corporation. This has put him at the center of long litigations with the Russian government over the ownership of the brand.
Having left Russia for Switzerland and the United Kingdom during the early 2000s, Sheffler is currently the main shareholder in SPI Group, a conglomerate that sells alcohol under 380 brands in 160 countries. Earlier this year he acquired an estate in Scotland at an asking price of £25 million.
In 2014, Fincantieri launched its second megayacht, the 140-meter Ocean Victory which was commissioned by another Russian oligarch, Viktor Rashnikov, whose net worth is estimated at $4.8 billion. Prior to its launch in December 2014 however, Fincantieri was ordered to pay €20.9 million to Serena Equity Limited (the company controlled by Shefler that owned Serene) by London courts.
Shefler's main claim was that Fincantieri had used Serene, on which the billionaire says he holds intellectual property, to develop Ocean Victory which he says is a near sistership. In fact, both superyachts boast an exterior design by Espen Oeino and seem to have similar technical characteristics.
As such, English courts have granted Shefler €13,2 million for the violation of his intellectual property and €7.7 million for late deliveries, which were to be paid by Fincantieri where the Italian government holds a 70% controlling stake. Fincantieri, however, filed a motion in Trieste's Court of Appeals in 2015 to dismiss the fact that London's ruling applied.
Mohammad bin Salman, born in 1985, is the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia and currently sits as the youngest defense minister in the world and the first deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
Julien Hubert
From a technical standpoint, Serene can reach a top speed of 25 knots and cruise at 15 knots. Reportedly, her interior volume comes in at 8,231GT, ie, half of Dilbar, the world's largest yacht by gross tonnage.
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Yacht Harbour takes a look over the best images from the social media world from the past week.#1. 156m DilbarPhoto by @ronraffetyKnown during her highly secretive build as Project Omar, the 156-meter yacht was launched at Lurssen facility in 2015. She became Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's third yacht and the third yacht to bear the same name Diblar, after the businessman’s mother.With her gross tonnage of 15.917 tons, she has officially become the world's largest yacht by volume.Diblar boasts exterior design by Espen Oeino and interior styling by Andrew Winch. Dilbar features a combined 3,800 square meters of living space, being able to host up to 40 guests and a crew of 80.#2. 85,6m AquilaPhoto via @theyachtmogulFormerly known as Cakewalk, this 85-metre yacht was sold to her current owner at an asking price of €119,000,000 at the end of 2014, followed by 12-month refit for 12 months at Pendennis in the UK and her name changed to Aquila.The largest yacht built in the United States since the 1930s, she has now become the largest yacht to be refitted in the UK with improvements focusing on the interior. For instance, the owner's stateroom was entirely remodelled and a 60 sqm private deck was added.#3. 77m Go by Turquoise YachtsPhoto by @ronraffetyRegarded as modern classics, Go sports a fluidly sinuous exterior profile complemented by a rich contemporary interior, both developed London- based H2 Yacht Design. Her turquoise painted hull enhances the connection to the sea and is unified by a “water in motion” narrative that influenced the interior colours, metallic finishes, fabrics, textiles, and stonework.All the tenders and toys, including the 5,5-metre rescue tender, are painted the yacht’s signature turquoise hull colour.#4. 43m Infinity III (ex. Cheers 46)Infinity III was built by Benetti in 2014 with an interior designed by Redman Whitley Dixon and exterior styling by Stefano Righini. She was sold in July, 2018 asking $13,450,000. Amongst her key features are a Jacuzzi and an ample lounging area located on the bow of the yacht, a fully-equipped gym with a sea view and a spacious sitting area for entertaining located on the main deck.This 42,67 motor yacht offers accommodation to 10 guests in 5 cabins on-board. Powered by MTU engines of 3460 HP each, she can reach her maximum speed oat 22 knots and a cruise comfortably at 18 knots.#5. 85.5m M/Y Vibrant CuriosityPhoto by @yacht.photographyThis yacht was built in collaboration between the Dutch shipyard Oceanco and the Italian Nuvolari & Lenard design house, working both in the yacht’s exteriors and interiors. She was built in 2009, featuring a beam of 14,2 m and a draft of 4 m, steel hull and aluminium superstructure. With her gross tonnage of 2000 tones, Vibrant Curiosity can accommodate 14 guests in 7 cabins on-board.As to Vibrant Curiosity' speeding options, powered by MTU 6V 595 TE70 engines of 4680 HP each, she reaches a maximum speed at 18.5 knots and cruises at 17 knots for 5500 nautical miles.
March 22, 2019
Espen Oeino was born and brought up in Norway. Completing naval architecture studies in Normandy, he further worked his way from employment with UK designer Martin Francisto to building his own renowned design company based in Monaco. Espen Oeinio is nowadays considered one of the most influential exterior designers in the yachting world, with his project REV, the largest vessel ever, currently being built in Norway. Yacht Harbour takes a look over some of his most legendary works.#1. Ocean VictoryLength: 140 mBuilder: FincantieriYear: 2014Ocean Victory was built for Russian billionaire steel magnate, Victor Rashnikov and delivered in 2014. At the time of delivery, she was the largest superyacht constructed in Italy and the 9th largest yacht in the world.This seven-deck vessel is packed with such alluring features as 6 pools spread out over her 7 decks, an internal foldable dock hosting a 14-metre tender, a helideck with lifting platform and internal helicopter hangar and a spacious (over 300 m2) spa zone. As to accommodation capacity, she can house up to 36 guests on-board.#2. DilbarLength: 156 mBuilder: LurssenYear: 2016Currently the world's largest yacht by gross tonnage with 15,917 GT of interior volume, Dilbar has once redefined the notion of space in yachting. She became Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's, valued by Forbes at $16 billion, third yacht and the third yacht to bear the same name, after the businessman's mother.With the yacht’s beam of 23 meters and a deep draft of 6 meters, cabling used on board stretches over 1,100 km with guests and owner's spaces totally combined to 3,800 square meters of living space. What is more, Dilbar was the largest yacht, featuring a diesel electric power plant from an engineering standpoint.Ever since her delivery in 2016, Dilbar has been drawing great attention of press as well as social media users around the globe. Her travels throughout the Mediterranean have been essentially documented, with photos of her taken from almost every possible angle.#3. REVLength: 182,9mBuilder: VARDYear: 2021Nothing less than the largest superyacht in the world once completed, this is one of the recent ambitious projects designed by Oeinio. REV is currently taking shape at the VARD shipyard in Tulcea, Romania.Built for environmental research missions in partnership with WWF Norway, the Research Expedition Vessel (REV) will also be available for charter for recreational purposes and expeditions.By virtue of her purpose, REV is designed for long-term operation in remote and harsh waters without external support, able to operate autonomously for up to 114 days. The ship will be equipped with laboratories and hi-tech instruments for exploration of the entire marine ecosystem, able to analyse, document and collect. REV’s robust exterior lines and modern features ensure she is able to cruise in both arctic and tropical areas alike, with her hull built to ICE PC 6 for navigation in ice. The yacht will also deploy mini-submarines and actual submarines, drones and helicopter, while overhead cranes can lift and launch equipment weighing up to 20 T over the side.With a beam of 22 metres, REV will also become the largest yacht in the world by gross tonnage of 16,000GT, reportedly overtaking Alisher Usmanov's Dilbar by 100 GT. When in expedition, the vessel will be able to accommodate up to 90 people including the crew. #4. DreAMBoatLength: 90mBuilder: OceancoYear: 2019According to the information from social media, DreAMBoat was built for US billionaire and owner of the Atlanta Falcons NFL team Arthur Blank, who is valued at $4.7 billion by Forbes. Her delivery is scheduled to summer 2019.DreAMBoat is trademarked with generous overhangs from the superstructure and cut outs in the bulwarks lending her classic and strong appearance. The vessel’s exterior features numerous large windows offering panoramic views. Swimming pool aft at the main deck, a partially closed sundeck with Jacuzzi and plenty of seating and entertainment zones and a private Jacuzzi at the Owner’s deckHer impressive interior volume of 2,950 GT allows accommodation for 23 guests on-board, along with up to 33 crew members.#5. Silver FastLength: 77mBuilder: Silver YachtsYear: 2015The vessel represents one of the most advanced and eco-fuel efficient vessels built by Silver Yachts. She is one of the world's largest and fastest aluminium motor yacht with conventional propulsion in terms of length to speed ratio. Silver Fast is capable of crossing the Atlantic at approximately 22 knots cruising speed. Silver Fast’ alluring amenities include a winter garden, helipad, outdoor cinema, Jacuzzi with capacity for 8 people, a spa area fitted with sauna, steam room, beauty salon and a gym. She can accommodate up to 18 guests in 8 cabins on-board.#6. SolandgeLength: 85,1mBuilder: LurssenYear: 2013The yacht that won the Monaco Yacht Show Award for Best Exterior Design in 2014. Espen Oeino has created harmonious lines and balanced proportions for the yacht, encasing a vast selection of outdoor living, dining and entertainments zones.Solandge’ panoramic top deck plays host to a beach club area with customised dance floor, Jacuzzi and a bar while the bridge deck is ideal for relaxation and casual al fresco dining with a spacious seating area. On the bridge deck, there is also a fully-equipped health spa featuring massage room, sauna and gymnasium leading out onto a glass-edged plunge pool.The yacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in 7 staterooms on-board, including a panoramic master deck featuring 180 degree windows, and a private deck with spa pool.At the moment of sale in 2017, Solandge was asking €155,000,000.#7. Flying FOXLength: 130mBuilder: LurssenYear: 2018Delivered in March, 2019, Flying Fox is the world’s 14th largest yacht at the moment of writing. Nonetheless, she boasts the most elegant and graceful exterior design, maintaining striking looks despite her massive volume of 9,100 GT.This superyacht’s key features include two helipads, capable of hosting the largest helicopters. Another highlight of the vessel is the large swimming pool located aft of the main deck. Flying Fox also boasts vast sea terraces, swim platforms for watersports.#8. KismetLength: 95,2mBuilder: LurssenYear: 2014This superyacht is owned by Shadid Khan, Pakistani-American billionaire and business tycoon, who is also the owner of the Fulham FC and Jacksonville Jaguars.Kismet is stretching over five decks, designed with corporate entertainment and charter in mind, thus suitable for parties of up to 270 guests. As an innovative feature, Kismet boasts video walls, extending up to two decks high, able to show regular television but programmed to display high-definition moving artwork.A large swimming pool and Jacuzzi area, spa zone, movie theatre, an outdoor fireplace and winter garden can be found among the yacht’s luxury amenities.The yacht’s entertainment and design characteristics have been attracting top artists and events on-board. For example, Jay-Z and Beyonce were spotted on-board last year, while Netflix filmed Kismet in party scene from its biggest production so far, "Six Underground".#9. OctopusLength: 126,2mBuilder: LurssenYear: 2003At the time of writing, Octopus remains the largest explorer yacht in the world, not surpassed in 16 years from her launch. She belonged to Paul Allen, one of Microsoft founders, who passed away in late 2018. Allen once described his yacht: "Octopus is less a Bentley than a Range Rover".As part of this, the yacht is fitted with two submarines, one of which can dive for up to 8 hours with 10 people on it; the second submarine can be remotely controlled. Octopus is capable of accommodating 26 guests in total, with up to 57 crew members. Other amenities found on-board include a second helipad, a swimming pool and a music studio as well as a courtyard-like set up on the third deck of Octopus occupied by guest space.Despite her expedition nature, the yacht has been much favoured by the world’s first-class celebrities, with Mick Jagger recording an album in on-board studio in 2011 and Usher, U2 and Johnny Cash listed among other performers.
March 22, 2019
Numarine unveiled its latest model, the Numarine 78HTS called “Adonis”. It will debut at the Palm Beach International Boat Show next week.
Adonis is a 78-foot luxury smart yacht developed by Numarine, building and naval architecture; design and technical outfit by Furrion. The concept combines living luxury with futuristic innovation and artificial intelligence, with its virtual concierge Angel. Using facial recognition, it determines who’s aboard and who it’s “speaking” with at any given time. It can provide personalized news and weather alerts, guide passenger, order food from the kitchen, or suggest new activities or restaurants at the next destination. A voice modul located throughout the yacht, and with the simple command “Hi Angel” it will listen to your command and execute it. The yacht also features Furrion Smart Mirrors with an interactive display found in the master cabin and throughout the yacht. The Smart Mirrors function like a large tablet or touch screen and with voice control, Angel also can use the drone to take photos of moments and places.
Adonis has a very spacious saloon surrounded by giant windows and glass roof with enough natural light, along with Numarine’s signature modern furniture, makes the saloon the perfect entertainment and social area. Accommodation is for eight guests in four lower deck en-suite cabins, including a full-beam owner’s cabin with its own shower.
This aggressive-style smart yacht powered by a Twin MAN 1550 HP V12 Diesel engines and capable of a top speed of almost 40 knots, has a maximum range of up to 400 nautical miles with cruising speed. @Photos by Numarine Yachts
March 22, 2019
The first Canados 120’ Caesar is near completion at Canados’ superyacht shipyard in Rome. She is the first highlighted hull where the Caesar represents the latest version of the series, which has a redesigned superstructure, flybridge, aft deck and transom. 120’ Caesar yacht will be the first 30m-plus delivery since the yard has acquired by Michel Karsenti in 2015. The first yacht after the ownership changed was 27,5-meter Canados 90 Gladiator. The engines installed in January and the hull and superstructure joined in October 2018. The fully-custom 36,62-metre yacht is going to deliver to the owner in May 2019 than spend summer season in Southern Italy and will show at Cannes Yachting Festival in September.The superyacht features exterior and interior designs developed by Cristiano Gatto studio together with the owner and his own personal designer. All fitted furniture was hand-crafted in-house at Canados, while free-standing furniture manufactured and decorated by Reflex Angelo.The kitchen is custom-made by Italian designer Boffi. The salon will have massive windows to create a close to the ocean view and a large amount of natural light inside. The concept behind this extraordinary yacht was to create genuine leisure and lifestyle. The oversized bathing platform, under-sole storage for personal watercraft, plus the 4.30m tender’s garage that turns into a beach club all these optimising on-water activities. A series of unique technical innovations mark apart 120’ Ceasar from the others: floor to ceiling main deck side glass walls and optional terraces featuring pop-up security guardrails. Acoustically insulated engine and studied noise management plan provide owner and guest silence and comfort while cruising. At 22-knots the engines are inaudible on the flybridge, and all over the main deck!Canados 120' will accommodate ten guests in five cabins. The owner’s suite with two fold-out balconies will locate on the main deck, while four rooms will be on the lower deck.Powered by two MTU 16V 2000 M96L 2,600hp engines the yacht will be able to reach a top speed of 27 knots and a cruising speed of 23 knots.@Photos by Canados Yachts
March 22, 2019
A new 47,6-metre vessel from Italian shipyard’s T-Line will take part in this year’s Palm Beach International Boat Show. First known as project Baglietto 10228, the vessel has been later christened Silver Fox.This is the second hull from the company’s T-Line, the first one was reportedly delivered to an Mexican owner in 2017. With Silver Fox also first revealed in the USA, at Miami Yacht Show 2019, Michele Gavino, CEO of Baglietto, comments on the importance of US market for the company: “As a company, we see great potential for our brand in the Americas and we are honored by the compliments and admiration we have received since our grand debut during the Miami Yacht Show.” The sleek exteriors of a 9,5-metre-beam vessel were developed by Italian designer Francesco Paszkowski. Silver Fox is trademarked with a 140 m2 sundeck hosting dining and sunbathing areas and an infinity pool. The yacht also fits a side-loading superyacht tender garage, leaving the transom free for a proper beach club area, complete with gym and hammam. Featuring 350-square-metre on-board space in general, Silver Fox can accommodate up to 12 guests within 6 cabins, including a master suite on the main deck and 2 doubles and 2 twin rooms with pullman berths on the lower deck.Silver Fox’ interiors, developed by Baglietto in-house team, transmit modern and luxurious layout. Key interior materials include Italian walnut combined with touches of gold and bronze, complemented with the Canaletto nut pattern used for the floors in the living areas.Powered by two Caterpillar 3512C diesel engines with her total fuel capacity of 80,000 litres, Silver Fox will boast top speed of 16 knots and cruising speed of 12 knots at a maximum range of 4,500 nautical miles.As to other current activities of Baglietto, it is currently busy constructing five yachts under at its La Spezia facility. Among others, the builder is now working on the third hull from the T-Line planned for delivery in 2020 and a 550-metre hull designed by Francesco Paszkowski Design.To check out the list of the largest yachts to be seen at Palm Beach International Boat Show 2019, click here.
March 21, 2019