Editors' Picks -- 1 month ago
Words: Guy Aubrey Devito
Yachts often garner the attention of the world’s media and lovers of luxury when they’re built, but many fail to stand the test of time. Here are five yachts that will always look as great as they did on the day they were launched.
Lady Beatrice
Built by Feadship and Royal Van Lent and launched in 1993, Lady Beatrice is a supreme, traditional super-yacht that still looks fantastic 21 years later. Her interior was designed by Bannenberg Designs and can only be described as tastefully opulent. She has a gross tonnage of 970 and aa length of 60 meters. Lady Beatrice was named after the mother of the Barclay brothers who own her and her home port is Monaco.
The One
Formerly Carinthia is 71.5 meter super-yacht built by Lurssen in 1973, with the interiors again designed by Bannenberg. She was refitted in 1993 and is one of the most graceful yachts currently on the sea. The low, sleek, navy blue hull gives The One a classical majesty that is not easily emulated. She has a maximum speed of 28 knots and a gross tonnage of 853.
Leander
Owned by Sir Donald Gosling, the car park tycoon, Leander was recently in the public eye when Sir Donald offered the Royal Family its use for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and was very popular with the Queen. She was built by Peene-Werft in 1992 and has been one of the most chartered yachts of the last 20 years. She has a length of 75 meters and a formidable gross tonnage of 1,930.
Velsheda
A J-class yacht, Velsheda was designed by the prominent boat designer Charles Ernest Nicolson and built by Camper and Nicholsons in 1933. Velsheda was one of the great yachts of the 20th century and was a racing champion in the 1930s. Sadly she was laid up between 1937 and 1984 until she was rescued and put to charter work. After a complete refit in 1997 she was returned to her former glory and is quite simply one of the most beautiful sailing yachts you will ever see – 39 meters of sheer elegance.
Talitha
A charter yacht with an astonishing provence, Talitha was built in 1929 in Germany but ended up fighting the Germans in WWII as the USS Beaumont. Bought by John Paul Getty Jr and named after his wife, Talitha has somehow managed to keep her iconic funnels, even as she was modernised and adapted as a modern, luxury super-yacht. At 82 meters long, with a gross tonnage of 1,103 – and with yellow funnels and wooden masts Talitha is easily one of the most distinctive yachts on the ocean today.
Guy de Vito
