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Sprawling ‘explorer class’ superyacht built for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has sold for almost £ 200million and is now available for charter to anyone with around £ 1million to drop off during one week.
Octopus was the world’s largest yacht when it was built for Allen in 2003 and the 126-meter vessel marked a turning point in the design of superyachts, capable of being used for deep sea exploration as well as for living. a life of luxury on the high seas.
In the market since Allen’s death in 2018, the superyacht was initially listed for € 295million (£ 250million) before being reduced to € 235million. It is believed to have sold slightly below the asking price. The Allen family office declined to comment.
The identity of the buyer is unknown, but must be made available for charter through the Mayfair-based yacht broker, Camper & Nicholsons. The broker, who declined to comment, has yet to set a weekly rental price. However, other very large superyachts can cost up to £ 1million per week to charter.
In 2019, Kylie Jenner, Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and billionaire cosmetics empire, spent $ 1.1 million to charter the 300-foot (91.5m) yacht Tranquility. .
The eight-decker Octopus has 13 guest suites, including a private terrace for the owner. There’s also a movie theater, gym, spa, basketball court, swimming pool (which turns into a dance floor), and a pizza oven. It includes not one but two helicopters, two submarines and room for seven tenders and a large SUV. The yacht can accommodate up to 63 crew members.
Allen, an avid adventurer, asked superyacht designer Espen Øino to create a yacht capable of performing expeditions. “It was a very ambitious dossier, because none of the tenders, tools, RVs, submarines, helicopters could be outside – they should all be hidden,” Øino said.
The ship was used by the director of the Titanic, James Cameron, for a 10,925 meter dive to Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world.
Allen also used the ship to help recover the bell from the British battleship HMS Hood, which was sunk by the Bismark in the North Atlantic.
“When I first stood on the bridge, I felt like I was in a spaceship,” Allen wrote in his autobiography Idea Man. He said having a pool, basketball court, movie theater and recording studio on the boat meant “all my passions come together in one mobile feast.”
“Turns out if you go down three hundred feet into the ocean it’s really dark and the animals are really weird,” Allen said in 2011. “But if you put on Pink Floyd it’s fantastic.”
The onboard recording studio was used by Mick Jagger, Bono, Usher and Joss Stone. Øino said fitting out the recording studio at Allen’s requests was a particular challenge.
“Mr. Allen’s interest in music was huge and the acoustic quality was nothing short of a down-to-earth quality,” Øino said. “There was 54 tonnes of AV / IT equipment on board. A very complex boat in many ways. I think he loved it.
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