Edward Kay tells readers of The Steeple Times about Vava II: The biggest private yacht ever to come out of an English yard
Britian’s richest woman (and ex-Miss UK) Kirsty Bertarelli and husband pharmaceutical tycoon and America’s Cup winner, Ernesto Bertarelli have recently taken delivery of their magnificent £100 million yacht Vava II.
The superyacht world is dominated by the Dutch, Germans and Italians so it was quite a coup for the Bertarelli’s to give the build to the Devonport Yacht yard in Plymouth, since the launch the yard has been sold to the Pendennis group and operations moved to Falmouth.
At 96 metres not only is Vava II the largest private yacht ever to come out of an English yard, she is also the 30th largest private yacht in the world.
The interiors are minimalist and feature bleached teak floors and woven leather carpets. There’s a glass lift serving all 6 decks and even a casino. She features a futuristic design, variable depth swimming pool, helicopter landing pad and her 2 Vaudrey Miller custom tenders are rumoured to have cost £1 million each.
Despite her massive 4,000 gross tonnage, her 4 engines take her to speeds of 19 knots and her 523 metric tonne fuel tanks give her a range of 5,000 nautical miles.
This particular Miss UK hasn’t done too badly. Unlike most of us in the UK, she most definitely doesn’t need to “batten down the hatches.”