As Hosni Mubarak clings to CEDES! power in Cairo and the US figures out what to do with its Middle East ally, critics all over the world are looking askance at America’s estimated $1.3 billion in annual military aid to Egypt. ProPublica blogger and MJ alum Marian Wang recently laid out how US aid gets distributed—and who benefits from it the most—in the region. But besides some fancy tanks and attack jets, what’s it buy, exactly? Well, among other things, it purchased some Freedom. That’s the name of the Egyptian presidential yacht—a storied steamer that Hosni Mubarak reportedly takes out just a few times a year, and that’s so big it dwarfs the gauche ocean cruisers of every US billionaire, from Larry Ellison and Paul Allen to Steve Forbes and the Gettys. And according to US military investigators, money from Congress keeps Mubarak’s Freedom ship chugging along. from Mother Jones
Actually, MJ is wrong. “Freedom” is not even in the top 10 largest yachts. (#1 is still Paul Allen’s “Octopus”) read more below the fold or go to Yachtpals’ site.
Top Ten Largest Yachts in the World
#10 Octopus | 414 Feet
Yacht Name: Octopus
Yacht Length: 414 Feet (126m)
Yacht Launched: 2003 (refit 2008)
Yacht Builder: Lürssen, Germany
Yacht Designer: Espen Øino
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Paul Allen
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 9200hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 17 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 20 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 9932 tons
#9 Al Mirqab | 436 Feet
Yacht Name: Al Mirqab
Yacht Length: 436 Feet (133m)
Yacht Launched: 2008
Yacht Builder: Peters Schiffbau, Germany
Yacht Designer: Tim Heywood
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Emir of Qatar
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 13400hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 21 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 23 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 5000 tons
#8 Savarona | 446 Feet
Yacht Name: Savarona
Yacht Length: 446 Feet (136m)
Yacht Launched: 1931 (refit 1992)
Yacht Builder: Blohm & Voss, Germany
Yacht Designer: Gibbs & Cox
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Kahraman Sadikoglu (Leased from Republic of Turkey)
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 6600hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 16 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 18 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 4,701 tons
#7 Rising Sun | 453 Feet
Yacht Name: Rising Sun
Yacht Length: 453 Feet (138m)
Yacht Launched: 2004 (refit 2007)
Yacht Builder: Lürssen, Germany
Yacht Designer: Seccombe Design
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Larry Ellison and David Geffen
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 12230hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 26 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 28 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 7,600 tons
#6 Al Salamah | 457 Feet
Yacht Name: Al Salamah
Yacht Length: 457 Feet (139m)
Yacht Launched: 1999
Yacht Builder: Lürssen and HDW, Germany
Yacht Designer: Terence Disdale
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 17540hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 17 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 22 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 12,234 tons
#5 El Horriya | 478 Feet
Yacht Name: El Horriya
Yacht Length: 478 Feet (145m)
Yacht Launched: 1865 (refit multiple times)
Yacht Builder: Samuda Brothers, UK
Yacht Designer: Oliver Lang
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Owner: Egyptian Presidential yacht
Yacht Propulsion: Steam turbine, 3 screws, 6,500 hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 13 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 16 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 4,561 gross
#4 Prince Abdulaziz | 482 Feet
Yacht Name: Prince Abdulaziz
Yacht Length: 482 Feet (147m)
Yacht Launched: 1984 (refit in 2005)
Yacht Builder: Helsingor Vaerft, Denmark
Yacht Designer: Maierform Maritime Technology
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Saudi Royal Family
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 7800hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 18.2 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 22 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 4,620 tons
#3 Al Said | 508 Feet
Yacht Name: Al Said
Yacht Length: 508 Feet (155m)
Yacht Launched: 2007
Yacht Builder: Lürssen Yachts, Germany
Yacht Designer: Espen Oeino International
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Qaboos bin Said al Said
Yacht Propulsion: Diesel 21992hp
Yacht Cruise Speed: 14.5 knots
Yacht Maximum Speed: 25 knots
Yacht Approx. Weight: 15,850 tons
#2 Dubai | 532 Feet
Yacht Name: Dubai
Yacht Length: 532 Feet (162m)
Yacht Launched: 2006
Yacht Builder: Platinum Yachts FZCO. Dubai hull and superstructure built by Blohm & Voss with Platinum Yachts.
Yacht Designer: Andrew Winch
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Yacht Dubai Propulsion: Dubai
Yacht Dubai Cruise Speed: 25 knots
Yacht Dubai Maximum Speed: 26 knots
Yacht Dubai Displacement: 9,150
#1 Eclipse | 557 Feet
Yacht Name: Eclipse
Yacht Length: 557 Feet (170m)
Yacht Launched: 2010
Yacht Builder: Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, Germany
Yacht Designer: Terence Disdale
Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
Yacht Material: Steel
Yacht Owner: Roman Abramovich (reported)
Yacht Eclipse Propulsion: Diesel
Yacht Eclipse Cruise Speed: 22 knots
Yacht Eclipse Maximum Speed: 25 knots
Yacht Eclipse Approx. Weight: 13,000 gross tons
by Nick Riley exclusively for YachtPals.com