How the world's most lavish yachts measure up ! Keeping up the Abramovichs.

When you have a fortune of billions, having the latest sports car or the largest house is child's play. For the likes of Roman Abramovich and the Sheikhs of the UAE, the real way to demonstrate one's financial worth is to have the grandest yacht.

The Russian oligarch.

And while size most definitely matters (no self-respecting tycoon would have a vessel less than 200ft, even a Malaysian tycoon!), the mod-cons are no less impressive, with helicopter landing pads and even missile detection systems.

Eclipse -The world's largest yacht!

The largest, and most famous, is of course Mr Abramovich's $500million Eclipse, which, at 557ft, is the world's largest boat.

It requires a team of 70 to run and comes complete with the aforementioned radar equipment and twin helicopter pads, as well as bullet-proof windows and armour plating on the bridge.

It even has its own submarine, which can dive to 160ft, and, in keeping with the safety-first theme, also functions as an escape pod.

The yacht joins a fleet owned by the oligarch, which includes the 377ft Pelorus, 282ft Ecstasea and 160ft Sussurro.

Its launch in 2009 caused outrage among fellow megayacht owners, who regularly compete to own the largest boat.

UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum


Sheikh Mohammed is now said to be building an even larger vessel to rival Mr Abramovich's. 

They are by no means the only megayacht owners. The Sultan of Oman launched the Al Said in 2008, a vast 508ft vessel that can reportedly host a crew of 154, 70 guests and a 50-piece orchestra.

Al Said - the super yacht

And according to Newsweek, Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz requires a crew of 96 on his 457ft Al Salamah boat - a mere little sister to the family's other boat, the 482ft Prince Abdulaziz - while Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, spends his free time aboard the 436ft Al-Mirqab. This shows how d*** rich the Sheikh are!!!

Prince AbdulAziz yacht

Al- Salamah yacht

A-listers, of course, will be more familiar with Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Octopus, which, like the Eclipse, docks at Cannes for the annual film festival. 

Octopus

The 414ft cruiser, which requires a crew of 60 to run, may be smaller than the Eclipse, but is by no means less well-equipped, with two helicopters, seven boats, a submarine, and a remote controlled vehicle that crawls the ocean floor.

Asean Lady

The Vincent Tan owned (yes, it's Malaysian Vincent Tan!) Asean Lady is relatively small-fry in contrast with those super-yacht. 

'Unique' Asean Lady

The 289ft ASEAN LADY is also 'unique' for her shape with a design based on a Proa, - a bamboo outrigger canoe known for their stability and long range used for centuries in the South Pacific. The design solved many problems for luxury yacht such as space, noise, stability at anchor and stability while cruising.

THE WORLD'S TOP TEN BIGGEST SUPERYACHTS

1. Eclipse (557ft) - owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich
2. Dubai (531ft) - owned by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum
3. Al Said (508ft) - owned by the Sultan of Oman
4. Prince Abdulaziz (482ft) - owned by the Saudi Royal Family
5. El Horriya (478ft) - owned by the Egyptian Navy
6. Al Salamah (457ft) - owned by Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz
7. Rising Sun (452ft) - owned by American media tycoon David Geffen
8. Savarona (442ft) - owned by the Republic of Turkey
9. Serene (439ft) - owner unknown
10. Al Mirqab (436ft) - owned by Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani