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Inside Jeff Bezos’s Spectacular 127-Metre Oceanco Sailing Superyacht ‘Koru’

Howard Walker
September 16, 2024

From its 76-metre support tender to its voluptuous wooden figurehead, the Amazon founder’s €450 million+ superyacht is full of surprises.

According to the latest Forbes ‘s Real-Time Billionaires List, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is currently worth around $204 billion (€185 billion), making him the second-wealthiest person on the planet, just behind Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

So handing over an estimated €454 million for his 127-metre Koru , the world’s largest sailing yacht, another €68 million for Abeona , its 76-metre support vessel, and then paying the €27 million or so a year to cover running costs for both, should be well within his budget.

Bezos surprised the boating world when he opted for a classically styled, three-masted sailing yacht instead of some flashy mega motoryacht. What’s more, it has a buxom wooden sculpture on the forepeak, typical of 19th-century sailing vessels. And since taking delivery last year, he and his fiancé, Lauren Sánchez, have been using the yacht to cruise the world in style.

While secrecy still shrouds Koru , especially its interior and many of its technical features, we take a closer look at eight things that make it, arguably, the most interesting sailing superyacht in years.

Designed as a Modern Classic

Koru would never be described as sleek, or elegant even. But she does have a classical style. Designed by the Dutch masters at Dykstra Naval Architecture, the boat is distinguished by its towering navy-blue steel hull, snowy-white, two-level aluminum superstructure, sweeping canoe stern, and a trio of soaring masts. Her design inspiration is said to be the triple-masted schooner Eos , built by Germany’s Lürssen Yachts in 2006 for American media mogul Barry Diller. And, ignoring the current trend of oversized windows, Koru ‘s hull sides are dotted with traditional portholes with smaller-than typical windows for the upper decks (no doubt helping to protect guests from paparazzi lenses).

Little is known about the yacht’s interior design, other than it’s the work of London-based Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi studio. Oceanco’s website describes the interior as a “timeless, contemporary style, with natural wood tones complemented by a palette of warm neutrals and beautifully patterned textiles.”

Claiming the Prize for Size

At 410 feet bow to stern and with a beam of 56 feet, Koru is the largest sailing yacht in the world. Some might argue the title should go to the 143-metre Sailing Yacht A . But that quirky, Philippe Stark–designed triple-master is considered a “sail-assisted motoryacht” rather than a true sailing yacht. Koru is also big inside, with a reported internal volume of 3,300 gross T=tons, that offers room for up to 18 guests in nine cabins and accommodations for a crew of 36.

A True Sailor

Full credit to Jeff Bezos for ignoring his fellow billionaires’ penchant for giant, diesel-guzzling superyachts. (Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently took delivery of his 118-metre Launchpad , powered by quadruple MTU engines packing a combined 23,400 hp.) With its giant, more-than-20,000-square-foot sail plan (including three mainsails and three, cutter-style headsails), Koru has been regularly photographed cruising under sail. It’s also believed the yacht is making an effort to focus on sustainability, from reports of it testing out a prototype kinetic energy recovery system that converts wave-induced motion into electrical energy. The vessel is also believed to feature a hybrid power system with large battery banks that run its systems at night while at anchor.

Its 250-Foot, $75 Million “Tender”

The challenge with sailing yachts, even one that’s 125 metres long, is that it’s nearly impossible to land a helicopter on the deck. So Bezos commissioned a 76-metre support vessel, named Abeona after the Roman goddess of travelers. The largest shadow vessel ever built by Holland’s Damen Yachting, this explorer comes with a rear-deck helipad and hangar big enough to accommodate an Airbus ACH-135 helicopter. There’s also space aboard for a small armada of water toys and tenders, plus accommodations below decks for up to 45 crew and support staff.

Built Under Total Secrecy

Tasked with taking Koru from concept to reality was the superyacht builder Oceanco, based south of Rotterdam in Alblasserdam, Holland. The famed yard, owned by billionaire Mohammed Al Barwani, who also owns Turquoise Yachts in Turkey, recently completed Steven Spielberg’s new superyacht Seven Sea s, and the similar-sized Bravo Eugenia , launched in 2018 for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Koru was reportedly first commissioned in 2018 as Project Y721 and delivered to the Amazon founder in Gibraltar in April 2023.

What’s in a Name?

While a betting person might have predicted that Bezos would have given his sailing yacht a more Amazon-connected name, like Prime, Deliverance, or even Blue Origin after his space company, he picked Koru . The name is said to be Maori for “loop” or “coil” and resembles the spiral shape of an unfurling silver fern frond. It’s said to be an integral symbol of New Zealand Maori art that symbolizes new life and new beginnings. Look closely at the wooden figurehead on Koru ‘s bow and the necklace around the woman’s neck features a pendant shaped like the koru symbol.

A Bridge Too Far

As Koru was nearing completion in 2021, word got out that builder Oceanco had approached the city of Rotterdam in Holland, offering to pay for the partial disassembly of the historic 97-year-old Koningshaven lift-bridge, which was too low for the yacht with its triple 70-metre masts in place, to pass under on its way to the North Sea. The city reportedly consented, but the move resulted in a huge public outcry with threats to plaster Koru with eggs as it passed through the bridge. Oceanco withdrew its application and instead towed the yacht to Rotterdam’s Greenport shipyard west of the city, transported the masts by barge, and installed them there.

The Places You’ll Go

Hot on the heels of Koru ‘s handover in Gibraltar in April last year, the superyacht has seemingly been cruising non-stop. It was spotted exploring Spain’s Balearic Islands, anchored off Cannes during the film festival, and moored at celebrity hot spots like Saint-Tropez, Capri, Portofino, and Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Bezos reportedly proposed to Sánchez on the bow of Koru off Cannes in May last year, followed by an engagement party aboard in Positano, Italy with a guest list that included Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kris Jenner, Toby Maguire, and Queen Rania of Jordan. Then Koru cruised the 4,000-plus miles across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale for a re-fuel and re-supply before heading to the Caribbean for winter cruising. This summer it was back to the Mediterranean for more island-hopping.

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The World’s 2nd Largest Sailing Yacht, Built by Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, is Currently Here

You know you live in an amazing place when the world’s 2nd largest, newly-built sailing yacht chooses your backyard as its first vacation destination in the United States.

Koru is a 416-foot sailing yacht that was commissioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. It reportedly cost $500 million to build and is accompanied by Abeona, its 246-foot support vessel. Both boats are currently anchored near Mingo Cay, which is roughly a five-minute boat ride from Cruz Bay. This is the same area where The Rising Sun, David Geffen’s 453-foot mega yacht, spent time last month. (Click here to read that story.)

Koru, a Maori word meaning “new beginnings”, is the largest boat ever built in the Netherlands. It was delivered in April and spent time in the Mediterranean before making the 4,400-mile crossing to the United States. It arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on November 22nd where it was forced to dock in a seaport beside oil tankers and a cruise ship due to its massive size. It arrived in St. Thomas on December 5th and spent five days in Charlotte Amalie before sailing over to us.

Koru is reportedly one of the most ecological megayachts in the world due to its sails and technology on board.

Abeona, its “dinghy”, will serve as a support boat, essentially a toy hauler. It will carry luxury cars, smaller boats, a helicopter, and additional crew.

Is this boat excessive? Yes. Did many of us shop way too often on Amazon, which in a way contributed to its creation? Yes. However it is a beautifully-designed sailboat, and it’s pretty darn cool that they chose to come here for their first vacation on this side of the world. Those of us who call St. John home are pretty darn lucky, and those of you who are able to visit this beautiful island are pretty darn lucky too.

Have a beautiful day everyone, and a big thanks to Palm Tree Charters for these great pics.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with us!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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St. john real estate: gorgeous, grande bay condo just listed for sale an amazing investment, remember when: st. john restaurants of yesteryear, fly to st. john for as little as $128 direct, roundtrip.

Thank you for all the informative information you provide. We just got back home from 12 beautiful days on island. (First 3 rained ALL day) I have read your e mails for 1/ 1/2 years and learned so much. We have been to STJ 8 times and always learn something new! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

We’re in St Thomas this week (Jan 27-Feb 3, 2024) The yacht is docked in Charlotte Amalie. We have a view of the beautiful boat, and his support ship (with all the toys) from our balcony