Russian Billionaire Buys £260m Superyacht Replacing His Measly £190m Boat

This luxury yacht is the definition of 'mega.' Built for Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the 'White Pearl' is making its test voyage in Kiel, northern Germany. The ship is believed to have cost almost £260million and will be the world's largest sailing yacht. At 468ft in length, with ship masts nearing 300ft high, the 'mega-yacht,' has eight floors and will include an underwater observation room. 

The epic vessel boasts a staggering eight decks and its keel incorporates one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made at 193 square feet and weighs a whopping 1.8 tons. It dwarfs other famous super-yachts like The Maltese Falcon, which is 298ft and weighs 1,367 tons. Cruise speed of the ship is 18mph, with a top speed of 24mph. The hull is made of steel, with a teak-finish deck. It is also an improvement on his last vessel, the Super Yacht 'A' (inset), which at 390ft was a full 78ft shorter.

MailOnline