The largest motor yachts in the world can make familiar surroundings look strangely small. A marina becomes a backdrop. A tender alongside looks like a toy. From a distance, it can be difficult to judge where a private yacht ends and a passenger ship begins.
Azzam leads the conventional private motor-yacht length rankings at 180.65 meters. Behind her are vessels with very different purposes and personalities: royal yachts, historic state vessels, modern private commissions, and remarkable conversions.
Length gives us a way to arrange them. Their stories explain why they deserve our attention.
This guide covers the first 20 yachts in the referenced motor-yacht list. Approximate lengths preserve that list’s presentation; individual shipyard measurements sometimes provide greater precision. The selection includes royal and state vessels, so it should not be read as a list of 20 privately available charter yachts.
Key Takeaways
- Azzam measures 180.65 meters according to her builder, Lürssen.
- Length and internal volume describe different aspects of size.
- Launch, completion, and delivery dates can differ.
- Some yachts have been lengthened, converted, renamed, or completed by more than one yard.
- These positions concern length, not price, quality, or charter availability.
- A yacht’s design and history reveal more than its position in a table.
The Top 20 Motor Yachts at a Glance
The order below follows the reference list. Rounded measurements can conceal small differences between similarly sized vessels.
| List position | Yacht | Approximate length | Builder or construction background |
| 1 | Azzam | 180.65 m | Lürssen |
| 2 | Fulk Al Salamah | 164 m | Mariotti |
| 3 | Eclipse | 162.5 m | Blohm+Voss |
| 4 | Dubai | 162 m | Platinum Yachts; earlier Blohm+Voss and Lürssen involvement |
| 5 | Blue | 160 m | Lürssen |
| 6 | Dilbar | 156 m | Lürssen |
| 7 | Al Said | 155 m | Lürssen |
| 8 | Prince Abdulaziz | 147 m | Helsingør Værft |
| 9 | A+ | 147 m | Lürssen |
| 10 | Opera | 146.4 m | Lürssen |
| 11 | El Mahrousa | 145.7 m | Samuda Brothers; subsequently altered |
| 12 | Nord | 142 m | Lürssen |
| 13 | Dragonfly | 142 m | Lürssen |
| 14 | Yas | 141 m | ADM Shipyards conversion of an earlier naval vessel |
| 15 | Ocean Victory | 140 m | Fincantieri |
| 16 | Scheherazade | 140 m | Lürssen |
| 17 | Al Salamah | 139 m | Lürssen |
| 18 | Solaris | About 140 m | Lloyd Werft |
| 19 | Luminance | 138.8 m | Lürssen |
| 20 | Rising Sun | About 138 m | Lürssen |
A measurement clarification: Lloyd Werft gives Solaris a length of 139.7 meters, while Lürssen gives Nord 141.6 meters. More precise measurements therefore change some positions within a strictly descending ranking. The numbered profiles below retain the reference list’s sequence.
1. Azzam: Extraordinary Length With a Demanding Brief
At 180.65 meters, Azzam is the clearest starting point for a discussion of exceptionally long private yachts.
Delivered by Lürssen in 2013, she combines an exterior by Nauta Design with an interior by Christophe Leoni. The builder describes a brief that included high speed and operation in warm, shallow waters.
That combination matters. Producing an immense yacht is one challenge; making its proportions and performance serve a specific operating brief is another. Azzam is compelling because the engineering ambition extends beyond the length figure. For a closer look at how vessel size influences onboard space and design, explore these 100-foot boats and their luxury designs.
2. Fulk Al Salamah: Scale With a Different Purpose
The 164-meter Fulk Al Salamah was delivered by Mariotti in 2016.
Her inclusion reminds us that large-yacht lists encompass vessels associated with state and royal service as well as conventional private leisure. Comparing their accommodation, operational roles, or internal volume without recognizing those differences can lead to misleading conclusions.
Studio de Jorio is credited with her design. She is a useful example of how large-yacht architecture can accommodate a substantial operational program rather than simply stretching a smaller leisure yacht. Her design also reflects the engineering and craftsmanship associated with leading yacht brands.
3. Eclipse: A Defining Modern Megayacht
At approximately 162.5 meters, Eclipse remains one of the most recognizable names in large-yacht construction.
Built by Blohm+Voss, she represents an era when private yacht dimensions were reaching a dramatically different scale. Her long profile provides an immediate visual lesson in how multiple decks can be arranged without the vessel appearing simply like a stack of rooms.
She also attracts an extraordinary amount of speculative reporting. Her documented construction and dimensions are substantial enough without relying on unverified stories about security equipment or price.
4. Dubai: One Yacht, Several Chapters
The 162-meter Dubai has a construction history that deserves more than a single builder label.
Blohm+Voss and Lürssen were involved in the early German stages of the project. Platinum Yachts later completed the vessel in Dubai, with delivery in 2006.
That sequence explains conflicting attributions in yacht lists. The accurate story includes both the early construction and the later completion.
It also illustrates something easy to overlook: an unfinished hull can become the foundation for a very different final chapter.
5. Blue: The Engineering Behind the Calm Exterior
Lürssen’s 160-meter Blue combines exterior and interior design by Terence Disdale Design.
The builder documents a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion concept, an azimuth pod drive, exhaust treatment, and wastewater-treatment technology.
These systems are less visible than the decks above them, yet they are central to understanding the yacht. At this scale, propulsion, hotel services, noise, and waste handling form part of the same design conversation.
Blue gives readers a reason to look beneath the familiar language of “luxury amenities.”
6. Dilbar: Why Length Is Only Half the Story
The 156-meter Dilbar demonstrates why the longest yacht and the most voluminous yacht need not be the same vessel.
Lürssen records her gross tonnage at 15,917 GT. Gross tonnage describes enclosed volume; it is not the yacht’s weight.
Her exterior is by Espen Øino, with interiors by Winch Design. The builder also documents a 25-meter swimming pool.
The interesting part is the integration. A substantial pool affects far more than decoration: it becomes a structural, technical, and operational consideration aboard a moving vessel.
7. Al Said: A Private Commission With Liner-Like Presence
The 155-meter Al Said was delivered by Lürssen in 2008.
Her exterior, designed by Espen Øino, draws on the visual language of classic cruise liners. RWD created the interior.
That reference gives her a different character from yachts pursuing a low, sporting silhouette. Her scale is expressed openly through the arrangement of decks and the substantial superstructure. Readers interested in experiencing large luxury yachts can also explore options for luxury yacht rentals in the US.
She is a reminder that yacht design does not follow one approved definition of elegance. Different briefs produce different kinds of presence. Those interested in experiencing distinctive yacht designs firsthand can also explore luxury yacht charters in Mallorca.
8. Prince Abdulaziz: A Landmark From an Earlier Generation
Built by Denmark’s Helsingør Værft in 1984, Prince Abdulaziz measures approximately 147 meters.
The date is essential to appreciating her. Dimensions that remain remarkable today were already being achieved decades before many familiar modern superyachts appeared.
Her inclusion also challenges the assumption that the upper reaches of yacht lists belong entirely to recent deliveries.
For anyone interested in the development of large-yacht design, she provides an important historical reference alongside newer, more extensively publicized vessels.
9. A+: The Yacht Originally Known as Topaz
Delivered by Lürssen in 2012, A+ was originally named Topaz.
The builder describes her at approximately 147 meters, with exterior design by Tim Heywood and interiors by Terence Disdale Design.
Her former name matters when researching the vessel. Reports published under Topaz and A+ concern the same yacht, not two separate entries.
The design credits also reveal how often the world’s largest projects bring together specialist teams whose individual contributions shape the completed vessel.
10. Opera: Large Dimensions, Carefully Managed Systems
Opera measures 146.35 meters according to Lürssen.
Her exterior and interior are the work of Terence Disdale Design, while the builder identifies diesel-electric propulsion among her technical features.
The relationship between scale and systems is especially interesting here. A yacht of this size needs to support extensive accommodation and services while remaining an integrated vessel.
The name may invite theatrical descriptions, but the documented engineering and design are enough to make the project worth studying.
11. El Mahrousa: History Among Modern Giants
El Mahrousa introduces an entirely different timescale.
Originally built by Samuda Brothers in 1865, she is recorded today at approximately 145.7 meters. Her present dimensions belong to a vessel altered over a long working history, rather than an untouched yacht delivered in that form in the nineteenth century.
Her place among modern motor yachts is particularly fascinating. The list becomes a record of continued adaptation as well as new construction.
She deserves to be read as a historic vessel, with the care that such a long chronology requires.
12. Nord: A Yacht With an Unmistakable Profile
Lürssen gives Nord a length of 141.6 meters and identifies 2021 as her delivery year.
Nuvolari Lenard designed both the exterior and interior. The distinctive bow is central to the builder’s description of the yacht’s visual character.
Nord shows why two yachts of similar length can feel entirely different. The shape of the bow, the relationship between decks, and the treatment of the superstructure all influence how we perceive scale.
Length puts her in the conversation. Design makes her recognizable.
13. Dragonfly: A New Interpretation of Sea-Level Living
The 142-meter Dragonfly combines exterior design by German Frers with interiors and exterior social spaces by Nauta Design.
Lürssen describes a double-folding stern platform connecting the main deck and beach-club area. The builder also documents a diesel-electric propulsion arrangement.
That stern detail offers a particularly useful way to understand contemporary yacht design. A closed hull can become a different kind of living space when platforms are deployed.
The attraction lies in how the vessel changes during use.
14. Yas: A Major Transformation
At approximately 141 meters, Yas has a background that separates her from purpose-built private yacht commissions.
The project involved converting an earlier naval vessel at ADM Shipyards in Abu Dhabi. Her modern yacht identity therefore sits on a much longer construction story.
Conversion projects require careful interpretation of dates. Original construction, conversion launch, completion, and subsequent work may appear separately in different records.
Yas is compelling precisely because she represents reinvention. Her history should not be compressed into a misleading single-year description.
15. Ocean Victory: Fincantieri at Superyacht Scale
Fincantieri delivered the 140-meter Ocean Victory in 2014.
She is an important example of large-scale shipbuilding expertise applied to a private yacht project. The coordination involves structural construction, machinery, accommodation, and the many systems required to support life aboard.
For readers exploring the builders behind very large yachts, Ocean Victory broadens the picture beyond the familiar German yards.
Her verified dimensions and construction history provide a stronger introduction than an uncertain headline valuation.
16. Scheherazade: Separating the Vessel From the Headlines
The approximately 140-meter Scheherazade appears in Lürssen’s published fleet.
She is also a useful reminder that reporting about a yacht can become dominated by matters beyond its construction. Those stories should not be allowed to blur basic vessel information.
For a length-focused guide, the relevant starting points are her identity, dimensions, and builder. Claims about private interiors, ownership arrangements, or present availability require their own evidence.
A yacht profile becomes more useful when it distinguishes what is documented from what is merely repeated.
17. Al Salamah: Privacy as a Design Priority
Lürssen describes Al Salamah as a 139-meter yacht launched in 1999.
Terence Disdale Design created both the exterior and interior. The builder specifically highlights protected and private spaces.
That is a worthwhile detail. On a large yacht, privacy depends on more than closing a cabin door. The relationship between decks, guest areas, service routes, and outside seating shapes how people experience the vessel.
Al Salamah brings that quieter design consideration into a list otherwise dominated by size.
18. Solaris: Read the Builder’s Measurement
Lloyd Werft records Solaris at 139.7 meters, with a beam of 21.35 meters.
The shipyard describes her as an expedition motor yacht and identifies the broad arch connecting the two sides of the superstructure as a distinctive visual element.
Her measurement also demonstrates why rounded rankings need care. Reducing 139.7 meters to “139” can place her incorrectly beside other yachts.
The lesson is simple: use the source list to discover the vessel, then check the builder’s figures when precise comparisons matter.
19. Luminance: A Collaboration Between Design Specialists
At 138.8 meters, Luminance was delivered by Lürssen in 2024.
Espen Øino International handled the exterior, while Zuretti Design created the interiors.
Her profile illustrates the collaborative nature of custom yacht building. The yard constructs and integrates the vessel, while different design practices contribute to its outward character and internal experience.
Following those credits gives readers a richer understanding than attaching every creative decision to the shipyard alone.
20. Rising Sun: A Significant Design Legacy
Built by Lürssen in 2004, Rising Sun is described by the yard as a 138-meter yacht, while specialist records publish more precise figures.
Her exterior design is associated with Jon Bannenberg’s final work. That connection gives her significance beyond the length table.
She belongs in the conversation about how individual designers changed the appearance and arrangement of large private yachts.
The lasting interest is not simply how much yacht was built, but how a recognizable design approach was expressed at that scale.
How Should You Compare the World’s Largest Yachts?
Start by deciding which kind of “large” interests you.
Length overall measures the vessel from end to end. Beam describes its width. Gross tonnage measures enclosed volume. None of these, alone, establishes comfort, beauty, cost, or capability.
Then examine the vessel’s purpose. A royal yacht, a converted naval ship, and a private leisure commission may share a length category while answering very different briefs.
A Better Yacht-Comparison Checklist
- Confirm whether the figure describes length or enclosed volume.
- Check whether dates refer to launch, completion, or delivery.
- Look for former names before treating two records as separate yachts.
- Distinguish original construction from later conversion or lengthening.
- Read multi-yard construction credits carefully.
- Keep price estimates separate from physical specifications.
- Confirm availability independently before discussing charter or purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which yacht is longest in this list?
Azzam, which Lürssen records at 180.65 meters, leads the referenced selection.
Is Dilbar larger than Azzam?
Azzam is longer. Dilbar illustrates a different measure of size through her substantial enclosed volume. State which measurement you mean when comparing them.
Why does Solaris appear below shorter yachts in some lists?
Rounded figures and inconsistent source data can affect ordering. Lloyd Werft publishes her length as 139.7 meters.
Are all these yachts privately owned leisure vessels?
No. The selection includes vessels associated with royal or state service, as well as private commissions.
Why are sailing yachts missing?
This is a motor-yacht selection. Sailing yachts belong in a separate category rather than being added without explaining the change in scope.
Can you charter any yacht on this list?
Inclusion does not establish charter availability. Check a yacht’s current offering through an authorized representative before making plans.
Final Thoughts
The fascination of these yachts goes beyond their dimensions. Some represent a fresh technical brief; others carry decades of design history or an extraordinary second life.
Look closely and the list becomes more than a competition for length. It becomes a story about the different ways people have imagined life at sea—and the shipbuilders who made those ideas possible.
