It’s hard to say which is more exciting – having a brand-new luxury yacht built for you from scratch, or buying a prestigious superyacht that has passed the test of time? While many yachting enthusiasts picked their favorite new toys at some of the greatest shows in the industry, earlier this year, others, like the new owner of Sairu, preferred to spєɴԀ their millions on an old, but still impressive vessel.
The superyacht market is always full of surprises. A megayacht that’s worth hundreds of millions can be snatched relatively fast, especially if it’s a famous one, while a ɾєɑȿօɴably-priced, smaller yacht can wait for years to find its new owner.
The stunningSairudidn’t have to wait too long, but at the same time, it seems to have changed ownership quite often. It was launched in 2015, as Ann G. Its original owner was ɾυмօɾed to be a Ukrainian millionaire, and the initial in the yacht’s name seemed to confirm that.
Later on, Ann G. became Lady Li and Sairu, respectively (suggesting an Asian ownership). Starting this week, its new name is Julia, following a successful in-house sale at the same brokerage company that was involved in the initial building project.
The 163-foot (50 meters) Julia was built by one of the top names in luxury yachting – Heesen. It was introduced as a highly-customized pleasure craft, boasting a spectacular, modern reinterpretation of the Art Deco style. Even the hull paint color, a mysterious Dark Night Blue, was specifically designed for this yacht. Inside, it’s filled with dazzling decor items that some might find overly indulgent, such as the enormous chandelier in the main dining room (also custom, of course).
The Van Oossanen exterior includes an unusually large beach club for a yacht this size, fitted with a glamorous, fully equipped bar. There’s also plenty of room onboard for a spa area and a gym, in addition to the five staterooms. The master suite dominates the main deck, while the other four cabins are all placed on the lower deck.
Clifford Den and Reymond Langton turned thismillionaire’s luxury toyinto a sparkling beauty, thɾօυɢҺ the use of precious marbles and stones, alongside rare exotic woods. Yet, Julia never seems cluttered or suffocated by the rich ornaments, also thanks to its extra-wide doorways and stairwells, which would typically be found only on larger superyachts.
Performance-wise, despite its age, the newly renamed Julia promises a medium range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) powered by twin MTU engines.
Sairu was up for grabs for approximately one year, before fetching somewhere around $31 million (its last-known asking price was €28,5 million). Its new owner will continue to share his toy with charter customers, although the steep weekly rate of $283,000 makesJuliaa hard-to-reach beauty.
