Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's megayacht named 'Koru', believed to be the largest sailing yacht in the world, has finally completed construction five years after it was commissioned in 2018, and made its maiden voyage
After recently completing sea trials in the North Sea, billionaire Jeff Bezos’ new sailing yacht was delivered by Oceanco late last week. The 417-footer vessel left the Dutch yard on April 6 for her maiden voyage to Gibraltar, as per the Superyacht Times report
Koru, previously known as Y721 or Project 721, is estimated to be worth $500 million. It is the tallest sailing yacht in the world with three towering masts that measure more than 230 feet. It is also one of the top 25 largest vessels in the world
The three-masted superyacht Koru features a black hull and white superstructure with classical lines. Details surrounding Koru have been kept tightly under wraps since her sale in 2018
Jeff Bezos' massive yacht Koru's name derives from the Maori fern-leaf motif, which is a symbol of creation and new beginnings to the native people of New Zealand
The megayatch’s triple masts towering at over 230 feet, make Koru nearly half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The yacht is 127 meters long and can accommodate 18 guests and requires a crew of 40, according to the New York Post
Koru, the aluminium and steel vessel, reportedly boasts three decks, including one with a swimming pool. Running the yacht will cost Jeff Bezos, the third richest person on the planet, around $25 million a year. Some reports even suggest that the vessel’s upkeep is likely to be no less than $50 million
In 2022, Koru found itself in the middle of a controversy after Oceanco requested for the dismantling of Netherlands’ Koningshaven bridge, which survived the Second World War bombings, because the yacht's three masts were too tall to pass under the bridge
Following an uproar from residents, shipbuilders Oceanco decided against applying for a bridge-dismantling permit, and the yacht was towed from its construction location to another shipyard in a nearby town where the enormous masts were installed
Despite all the expenses, Koru is not the world’s most expensive yacht. It ranks below the $4.8 billion 'History Supreme' yacht which features a T-rex bone wall made of meteoric stone. The vessel was reportedly bought in 2011 by an anonymous Malaysian businessman