Luxury yachts - whether motor or non-motor - have always been the noble, proud queens of the world's oceans and seas. Consider the opulent Christina O, owned by billionaire Aristotel Onassis and used by the most famous aristocrats, artists and politicians of the time. Or the History Supreme, currently the world's most luxurious yacht, owned by Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok - this 30-metre beauty was crafted from 10 tonnes of gold and platinum and on board you'll find such rarities as a diamond-studded liquor bottle worth one billion crowns and bedroom walls lined with meteorite stone and tyrannosaurus bones.

Since the early 21st century, however, among the luxury motor superyachts, hypermodern stunning beauties that are powered by hydrogen and therefore emission-free are also beginning to appear on the ocean waves (or so far only in the visions of engineers and designers). Let's take a closer look at three such super beauties.

 

HYDROGEN VIKING

The first ever hydrogen superyacht to sail the seas. It was built in 2003 by Sunseeker from Great Britain. It is a luxury sports yacht whose first owner was the Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi - at that time the yacht was called Che Guevara. Hydrogen Viking has a length of 28.75 m. Up to 8 guests plus 3 crew members can be comfortably accommodated on board.

 

ENERGY OBSERVER

Is a yacht with two hulls - a catamaran, and with a length of 30.5 meters. In 2017, she set sail from the French port of Saint-Malo on a very special "hydrogen" expedition: a six-year voyage around the world. You can follow her amazing voyage, called The Odyssey, here: www.energy-observer.org/odyssey . The ship is the first vessel in the world that can produce decarbonised hydrogen directly from seawater on board. ENERGY OBSERVER is the pride of France and French science.

 

ZERO

You won't see this hydrogen yacht at sea yet, it is a concept presented by designer Sam Sorgiovanni at the Monaco Yacht Show 2021. The length of the yacht (96 metres) and its elegance are breathtaking. Sam Sorgiovanni told Top Yacht Design magazine: "When I designed ZERO, I had an elegant, minimalist form in mind with a soft, compact superstructure. The look is futuristic but also has a timeless elegance with the hull hugging the superstructure. Oval windows of various sizes are integrated into the hull and configured for different layouts based on the client’s preferences."

 

Pictures: YachtCharterFleet.com, Energy Observer and Sorgiovanni Designs