Zeus Yacht
Motoryacht Zeus
The 1,150 ton, 244-foot (74 meter)-long
Zeus is the fastest
megayacht in the world. Two 5,000 horse power diesel engines and a 18,500
horse power gas turbine engine power
Zeus to reach a top speed of 36 knots,
which is 3 knots faster than
Azzam,
the world's
largest megayacht.
Zeus' speed is by design. Every detail of
the yacht was intended to make it fast, right down to its aerodynamic convex
windows (above) that minimize wind resistance. And to handle its power and
speed, the yacht is equipped with a state-of-the-art stabilization system that
minimizes side-to-side roll motion, as well as bow thrusters.
Zeus can carry 230,000 liters of fuel and has a maximum range of 4,030
nautical miles at 18 knots. The yacht accommodates twelve guests in six cabins, including a master suite, a VIP
stateroom, and four double cabins, as well as a crew of twenty in ten cabins.
Zeus was designed by Francis Design of London, UK and built in Hamburg,
Germany by Blohm & Voss Shipyards, which also built
Dubai
and
Eclipse.
Who commissioned and owns Zeus?
Emilio Azcarraga, the Mexican media magnate who founded
Televisa, Mexico's dominant media company, commissioned the yacht, received delivery in 1991, named it "
Eco,"
and died on board of it in 1997.
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, bought
Eco
later that year, renamed it
"
Katana," which means "
sword"
in Japanese, removed the Maule turboprop floatplane facilities on the
rear deck and replaced it with a basketball court. In 2004, Ellison took delivery
of the 453 foot-long
Rising Sun,
which he had commissioned, and then sold
Katana.
Its buyer was Aidan Barclay, the son of David Rowat
Barclay, one of the twin brothers who control a UK publishing empire that includes
The Telegraph.
Aidan Barclay renamed the yacht, "
Enigma," refitted it in 2009 and 2014, and
then sold it in 2017 for $57 million (48.5 million euros) to John
Christodoulou, a Cyprus-born, Monaco-based, UK property developer who
renamed the yacht, "
Zeus" after the god of
Greek mythology.
What is wrong with Zeus?