THE world’s longest gigayacht is being built for a Swiss billionaire who will have a private ship larger than the Titanic.
The Ulyssia is a unique luxury boat that is considered a gigayacht because of its impressive length of over 300 feet, making it one of the world’s largest privately owned yachts.
At 1,063 feet in length, the luxury yacht dwarfs famous cruise liners such as the Titanic at 882 feet and the Queen Elizabeth 2 at 964 feet.
It even makes battleships look small with HMS Belfast being 450 feet shorter than Ulyssia.
Ulyssia’s size is not the only striking feature with its unbridled opulence truly setting it apart from other vessels.
LIFE OF LUXURY
The “first of its kind” residential yacht will have 133 apartments, including 10 penthouses, and 22 guest suites and is being built to offer “a life without boundaries,” Ulyssia Residences has stated.
Each sleek apartment with between one and six bedrooms will “meet the standards of a five-star hotel” and have its own open-plan kitchen.
The gigayacht is set to feature a range of restaurants, swimming pools, and a theatre.
It will even come with two of its own helicopters.
It will also offer a library, a huge wine cellar, a medical centre and a range of conference rooms.
Guests will be able to enjoy food at the various onboard restaurants which will feature “world-famous and up-and-coming chefs.”
If dining out gets boring, there is always the ship’s grocery store.
A model of what Ulyssia will look like shows a large deck at the back that extends into the water with deckchairs, water sporting equipment, and even multiple jet-ski docks.
The interior features large windows making it a light and airy space with wooden floors and fixtures and cream furniture.
Swiss billionaire Frank Binder was inspired to build Ulyssia after learning about the World, a giant private yacht with permanent residences that continually travels the seas.
‘STATE-OF-THE-ART’
He told The Times: “I was totally intrigued with the idea and I looked into it, studied the floor plans and was very tempted to buy an apartment on the World.”
Now, with more time on his hands, the heir to Merck Pharmaceuticals and chair of Landbell Group has decided that his own gigayacht will surpass the World.
“An opportunity arose to team up with the management team of the World,” he said.
“I saw it as a chance to do something like the World but on another level. I’d like to have a place like that for myself.
“As an entrepreneur, I thought [instead of] buying an apartment, why don’t I just do it myself?”
“My first thought was to make it look like a yacht, not a cruise ship,” he added.
The 64-year-old also has the benefit of new technology that was not on offer when the World was under construction.
This is going to help the billionaire with his mission to ensure that his super vessel aligns with his concerns for the environment.
Revealing more about the design, Binder said: “Floor-to-ceiling glass walls to create a great connection to the sea and environment.
“State-of-the-art technology to have as little ecological impact as possible.
“I want to do that from the start, to do something that is sustainable.”
Ulyssia will be hybrid-powered using fuels and solar-powered batteries and there will be other design elements to increase recycling and sustainability.
There will also be a focus on marine conservation in the areas that the vessel visits.
He has also enlisted the help of the best figures in the industry including Norwegian yacht designer Espen Oenio and interior designer Francesa Muzio.
Those who want to buy a residence onboard Ulyssia will have to pay at least £10 million for a one-bedroom apartment.
Penthouses will be priced from £49 million ranging from 1,787 square feet to over 15,100 square feet.
The amount Binder is paying for the project is not known but some of the construction will be funded by protected customer deposits.
Work is projected to begin on the vessel by September 2025 and is hoped to finish at the end of 2029.
