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LIONHEART Yacht – Enchanting $150M Superyacht

LIONHEART yacht is a 90-metre (295 ft) motor yacht built by Benetti in Italy. She was delivered in July of 2016 to the current owner who recently sold his brands Topshop and Selfridges, gaining him a net worth of US $2.4 billion.

LIONHEART features a sleek and modern design with space for up to 12 guests and 30 crew members. Her home berth lies in Monaco, which is where Green and his family spend most of their time.

LIONHEART yacht interior

The LIONHEART yacht features a lot of intricate details in its design that make her stand out from other comparable vessels on the market.

The interior of this yacht had exceptionally high-quality materials used in her construction, which gives her an elegant look and feel throughout all the different spaces on board. 

The design house Green & Mingarelli is responsible for the luxurious interior design of LIONHEART.

The LIONHEART yacht can welcome 12 guests in her six cabins as well as a crew of 30 members of staff. 

The interior of the yacht features a beach club, a beauty salon as well as expansive health and wellness facilities that include a spa, a hairdressing salon, a gym with a personal trainer, and a massage room with a masseur available at all hours.

The different floors of the yacht are connected by an elevator, and of course, the yacht has several pools, two of which are located on the upper decks. 

A grand staircase is situated in the center of the yacht, which gives the vessel the likeness of a luxury hotel. The interior is furnished with exclusive furniture with dark wood and cream upholstery.

The yacht features several sizable chandeliers and other extravagant lighting fixtures. Everything about the interior of LIONHEART is lavish and luxurious, flaunting the US $150 Million price tag that this incredible vessel bears.

Specifications

The LIONHEART yacht is 90 meters (296 ft) long with a beam of 14.4 meters (47.3 ft) and a draft of 7.5 meters (24.9 ft). She was built by Benetti Yachts in Livorno, Italy, and launched in 2016.

At the time, LIONHEART was Benetti’s flagship and the largest yacht they had ever produced, overtaking NABILA (later TRUMP PRINCESS owned by Donald Trump).

Her gross tonnage lies at 2,990 GT, reaching cruising speeds of 15 knots and maximum speeds of 16 knots.

She is definitely not the fastest yacht in her size category, but her caterpillar engines are reliable and robust.

LIONHEART has an immense aluminum superstructure, and her hull was constructed from premium steel. Her traditional teak decks nicely contrast her white exterior.

The LIONHEART yacht is values at US $150 million and has annual running costs of US $10-$15 Million. She is not currently available for charter or for sale, although Green’s other yachts are.

The exterior of the LIONHEART yacht was designed by Stefano Natucci, who was also responsible for LIONESS V, Green’s previous yacht by Benetti.

Natucci has designed a total of 45 yachts, the LIONHEART yacht being the largest of his past projects.

The yacht is fitted with a sophisticated stabilizer system that ensures a comfortable experience for guests when at anchor or underway. She has a total of four decks featuring generous outdoor spaces. 

The front of the bow has room for a small helipad where aircraft can land to pick up or drop off guests.

The top deck has an outdoor bar and jacuzzi, and behind the flybridge, there is a large pool.

All decks have luxurious outdoor seating with cream upholstery which is also the color of the crew uniforms aboard the LIONHEART yacht. 

At the aft, the yacht has a sizable beach club and extendable swimming platform where water toys can be launched.

She also has several smaller, shaded decks with ample space for dining or parties. On both her port and starboard sides, Lionheart has small balcony decks which are attached to two of the suites.

Toys and equipment

The LIONHEART yacht carries several tenders, although her most memorable is a VanDutch 55 named Lioncub.

This tender has a black and white photograph of a lion painted on its side, making it stand out from traditional tenders and attracting yacht spotters.

LIONHEART also has a Pascoe Limousine, a Pascoe Beachlande, and a Pascoe Outboard Shuttle giving her passengers a wide selection of transportation options for shore leave or excursions.

Although exact details aren’t known, the yacht carries a large number of water toys, including jet skis and water bobs.

With a large swimming platform at the back of the vessel and an attached beach club with a lounge area, a luxury that might be desired is available to her guests.

Additional information

Construction for LIONHEART began in 2012 after the owner Green commissioned his third yacht from Benetti .

The two previous vessels were also named LIONHEART but have since been renamed LUMIERE and LIONESS V. 

LUMIERE was built in 1999 and has a length of 49.9 meters (164 ft). Green sold her when he obtained LIONHEART V in 2006, and she is now available for charter.

LIONESS V has a length of 63.5 meters (208 ft) and was replaced by LIONHEART in 2016, 10 years after her launch. 

Interestingly all three vessels can welcome the same number of guests, and only their amenities and length changed over the years.

LIONESS V is still owned by the Green family, more specifically Tina Green. This yacht is available for charter.

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A closer look at the superyacht Lionheart offers insight into the lavish life of billionaire Philip Green. From its opulently designed outdoor spaces to its hot tubs, helipad, and roster of celebrities, this $150 million motor yacht is truly a head-turner.

Who is billionaire Philip Green?

Green is the color of money, and for a man with Green in his name, there can only be an abundance of wealth. He boasts a net worth of $1.2 billion and runs the British retail empire Arcadia Group with his wife, Cristina Green. The company was behind well-known fashion brands like Topshop, Top Man, and Dorothy Perkins but went bankrupt in 2020. The 72-year-old college dropout started his first business at age 21, importing jeans from Asia with a $30,000 loan from his family. Of course, he turned it all around and became a billionaire who is based at a London hotel during the week and spends time at home with his family during weekends in Monaco. The tycoon also owns a £20 million Gulfstream G550 private jet and two other superyachts in addition to a fancy Monopoly set gifted by his wife featuring his own acquisitions. Talk about being filthy rich!

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90m Benetti superyacht Lionheart delivered to owner

Benetti has delivered its largest yacht to date, the 90 metre Lionheart . Built as hull FB262, Lionheart is the third yacht to be ordered from Benetti by the same owner.

Lionheart  has a displacement steel hull and an aluminium superstructure, but the yacht and its build have been shrouded in secrecy from the outset. However, it is known that  Stefano Natucci  collaborated with Benetti on the exterior design and  Green & Mingarelli Design  is responsible for the interior design.

Lionheart has a sporty look, with a curved superstructure that ties the four decks together. It would appear from the photos that the garage is up forward, with side-opening doors for easy launching of the tenders.

The private balconies on the main deck are a notable addition and will offer great views from the accommodation, while more shell doors around the transom suggest a large beach club that can be opened on both sides.

Lionheart is the third Benetti to be ordered by the same owners, and replaces the 63.50 metre Lionheart (now Lioness V ), which was launched in 2006. Lioness V is one of the best luxury yachts newly available for charter in 2016 .

Lionheart is the biggest launch ever from the Italian yard. It overtakes the 85.9 metre Kingdom 5KR , which was launched in 1980 and is one of our favourite Benetti superyachts . Benetti has over 30 yachts on its order books, including an even bigger project, the 107 metre FB277 . Construction is well underway, with the three hull sections transported to the yard in December 2015 , and delivery is expected in 2019.

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90m Benetti Superyacht FB262 Lionheart Spotted in Livorno, Italy

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Written by Eva Belanyiova

The striking 90-metre Benetti superyacht believed to be called LIONHEART has been spotted in Livorno, Italy this morning. The yacht was designed by Benetti’s in-house team and boasts a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. She is believed to be the largest vessel ever built by Benetti to date, once delivered.

FB 262 Superyacht at Benetti in Italy – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

There is very little information available about her at the moment, however, we know that she will feature three guest and crew elevators by Lift Emotion , in addition to a dumb waiter supplied by the company. Photos of the yacht were taken by Roberto Malfatti.

Luxury vessel FB 262 by Benetti – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

FB 262 by Benetti – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

FB 262 detail – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

Benetti Superyacht FB 262 – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

Benetti FB 262 – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

FB 262 Yacht by Benetti – LIONHEART – Photo by Roberto Malfatti

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "90m Benetti Superyacht FB262 Lionheart Spotted in Livorno, Italy".

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LIONHEART Interior & Exterior Photos

90m  /  295'3 | benetti | 2016.

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Inside insane $2 billion mega yacht ‘Goliath’ with hangar for four aircraft & its own submarine

It’s a mega yacht unlike any other with the $2 billion vessel boasting its own submarine and five-star amenities like a beach club.

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An incredible mega yacht so large that has its own submarine could double as a billionaires playground and a research lab.

Plans for the 700ft Goliath yacht includes research equipment, jet skis, helicopters and three heated pools.

The vessel is touted to cost a whopping £1 billion - $A2 billion.

Part of the Goliath series, the Q-quest yacht designed by California based yacht designer Steve Kozloff.

The massive research floater has been described as an expedition dream, providing plenty of lab space for research, experimentation, and medical intervention.

The mega-yacht is also loaded with plenty of exploration vehicles, including six hydrofoil tenders, two seaplanes, three jet skies, two helicopters, a U-Worx Research submarine, and a garage for two overland SUVs.

A separate hangar at midship stores two Cessna Caravan Seaplanes, selected for their ability to transport resupply across long distances.

The three upper decks are reserved for the owner and guests, offering 18 VIP cabins and a primary suite with a private balcony and pool.

It also boasts five-star amenities like a beach club, Turkish bath, three heated pools, yoga studio, and a 20-person theatre.

The mega yacht also has an impressive 3,000-square-foot owner’s suite with panoramic views at the bow, a large spa and pool, a basketball court.

There’s another pool with a shaded lounge area above the hangar, a dining room at the stern, and a solarium with a second dining area, plus a beach club with a full bar.

A total of 26 owner’s guests will reside on the three upper decks, while an operating crew of 150 including doctors, scientists, pilots, nurses, research engineers will reside in unspecified quarters.

Luxury aside, the predominantly research vessel would carry a complete oceanographic laboratory, a medical laboratory with MRI and X-ray imaging.

It could even hold as many as 20 hospital beds with 5G-connected robotic surgery facilities.

Propelled by thrusters powered by batteries, the vessel can reach a top speed of 20 knots with a range of 20,000 nautical miles.

Kozloff told autoevolution : “The mission of G-Quest, a 705-foot yacht, allows its owner to oversee their philanthropic efforts while living in luxury at sea.

“It is designed for both humanitarian and research objectives.”

The G-quest isn’t the only luxury yacht to boast a helipad.

Plans for the “Floating Dubai” vessel include an enormous pool deck , a relaxing spa and not one, but two enormous helipads on board.

Christened UAE One, the superboat was designed by Milan-based Enzo Manca, who collaborated with a sheikh to make it the flagship of the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, Manca said: “The idea of UAE One was born in 2020, during a very special meeting between me and a sheikh of the United Arab Emirates on vacation in Italy.

“The sultan was very clear and categorical, he wanted something really special and unique.”

UAE One is inspired by historic defence ships, yet its curving lines distinguishes it from other vessels on the high seas.

It also stands over 130 feet tall and has tinted windows for extra privacy in true military style.

With nine decks and a total area of slightly over 30,000 square feet, the monster yacht is designed to give guests, diplomats, and kings the finest experience possible.

There is an owner’s suite, eight cabins, and 14 mini suites within.

The staff has 35 cabins as well.

The main deck, meanwhile, has a beautiful 18-metre geometric swimming pool.

There are also several outdoor lounges for sundowners, a platform for ocean swims, and a wellness centre with a spa on board.

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Due to the necessity of quick and simple transportation to and from a flagship, UAE One is able to maintain an extensive fleet of land, air, and sea vehicles.

The yacht features one hangar, two helipads ideal for foreign delegates, and a “mini-internal port” for tenders and submarines.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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Questions for Investigators Trying to Unravel Mystery of Luxury Yacht’s Sinking

The investigators searching for answers about the shipwreck, leaving seven dead, face questions about extreme weather and possible human error or problems with the yacht itself.

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By Alan Yuhas

More than 180 feet long, with a mast towering about 240 feet and a keel that could be lowered for greater stability, the Bayesian luxury yacht did not, in the eyes of its maker, have the vulnerabilities of a ship that would easily sink.

“It drives me insane,” Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company that made the ship, said after its wreck last week. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch’s friends and a member of the crew. Fifteen people, including the captain, escaped on a lifeboat.

Mr. Lynch had invited family, friends and part of his legal team on a cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate his acquittal in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

The Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation, searching for answers from the survivors, the manufacturer and the wreck itself. They face a range of questions and possible factors.

An ‘earthquake’ in the sky?

When the Bayesian sank around 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, the waters in its area, about half a mile off the Sicilian port of Porticello, were transformed by an extremely sudden and violent storm, according to fishermen, a captain in the area and meteorologists.

But what kind of storm is still a mystery, compounded by the fact that a sailing schooner anchored nearby did not have its own disaster. Also unclear is whether the crew was aware that the Italian authorities had issued general warnings about bad weather the night before.

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby passenger ship, said he’d had to steady his ship during “really violent” winds . During the storm, he said, the Bayesian seemed to disappear behind his ship.

Severe lightning and strong gusts were registered by the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, according to Attilio Di Diodato, its director. “It was very intense and brief in duration,” he said.

The yacht, he said, had most likely been hit by a fierce downburst — a blast of powerful wind surging down during a thunderstorm. His agency put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about possible storms.

Locals have said the winds “felt like an earthquake.” A fisherman in Porticello said that he had seen a flare go off in the early-morning hours. His brother ventured to the site once the weather had calmed about 20 minutes later, he said, finding only floating cushions.

The Italian authorities have so far declined to say whether investigators had seen any structural damage to the hull or other parts of the ship.

Open hatches or doors?

The boat executive, Mr. Costantino, has argued that the Bayesian was an extremely safe vessel that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing. His company, the Italian Sea Group, in 2022 bought the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, which launched the ship in 2008.

Mr. Costantino said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, would be to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

At a news conference on Saturday, almost a week after the sinking, investigators said the yacht had sunk at an angle , with its stern — where the heavy engine was — having gone down first. The wreck was found lying on its right side at the bottom of a bay, about 165 feet deep.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

Water pouring into open hatches or doors could have contributed to the sinking, experts say, but that on its own may not account for the speed at which such a large boat vanished underwater.

Asked about the hatches at the news conference, the authorities declined to comment on whether they had been found open at the wreck.

The authorities have also not specified whether the boat had been anchored, whether it was under power at the time or whether its sails had been unfurled.

A retracted keel?

The Bayesian had a keel — the fin-like structure beneath a boat that can help stabilize it — that could be retracted or extended, according to its manufacturer. On some yachts, keels can be raised to let the large vessel dock in shallower water, and extended downward to help keep a boat level.

But like the hatches, the status of the keel alone may not explain why a large ship sank with such precipitous speed. Investigators have not disclosed what divers may have seen at the wreck, aside from saying divers had faced obstacles like furnishings and electrical wiring in tight quarters. Officials want to raise the wreck to better examine it, a process that may take weeks.

Human error?

Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at the news conference that it was “plausible” crimes had been committed, but that investigators had not zeroed in on any potential suspects.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

It remains unclear what kind of emergency training or preparation took place before the disaster, or what kind of coordination there was during it. So far, none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened the night the ship sank.

Prosecutors said they want to ask more questions of the captain and crew, who have been in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors. They said that neither alcohol nor drug tests had been performed on crew members, and that they have been allowed to leave Italy.

Prosecutors also said they were also investigating why the captain, an experienced sailor, left the sinking boat while some passengers were still on board.

Besides possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck.

The bodies of five passengers were found in one cabin, on the left side of the yacht, the authorities said. The five were most likely trying to flee to the higher side of the boat and were probably sleeping when the boat started to sink, they said.