The Hero
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- Jun 29, 2008
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Making a splash! £100m superyacht owned by Britain's richest woman takes to the waves for the first time
A £100million superyacht commissioned by Britain's richest woman has taken to the seas for the first time.
The luxury vessel - the biggest this country has ever seen - was constructed for former Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli over two years in Plymouth, Devon, and boasts a helipad and six decks.
Mrs Bertarelli and her Swiss husband Ernesto had the 96-metre Vava II built to replace their previous 47m ship.
Luxurious: The Vava II superyacht is the biggest ever built in the UK at 96 metres
Expensive tastes: Wealthy couple Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli commissioned the extravagant vessel two years ago
Pharmaceuticals tycoon Mr Bertarelli, 45, has twice won the prestigious America's Cup yacht race and is worth a reputed £6.8billion, making him the 81st richest man in the world and the fifth richest in the UK.
The couple's lavish craft was put through its sea trials at the weekend, as onlookers crowded the harbour to take photos.
The remarkable feat of engineering features a fold-down beach club and a pool which can be varied in depth to cater for guest preferences.
The yacht, which was built by 200 craftsmen at the Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, also has opulent guest cabins and four boats to ferry passengers to shore.
Vava II: The incredible £100m superyacht has been built for Britain's richest woman Kirsty Bertarelli and her billionaire husband Ernesto at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth
Super-sized: The impressive, six-deck craft was built over two years in the utmost secrecy
Stunning: Kirsty Bertarelli when she won Miss UK in 1988 when she was 17 (right), she now lives in Switzerland
The exteriors of the Vava II were designed by Hampshire-based specialists Redman Whiteley Dixon while the interiors were styled by Remi Tessier.
Its hull was built in Appledore, Devon, before Devonport Yachts took on the project. The luxury yacht company was bought from dockyard owners Babcock last year by Falmouth-based Pendennis shipyard.
Keen sailor Mr Bertarelli triumphed in the America's Cup when crewing his Team Alinghi boat in 2003 and 2007.
But the team was roundly beaten twice by San Francisco-based BMW Oracle Racing in 2010.
The races followed a bitter two-and-a-half year legal battle between Mr Bertarelli, and Oracle's backer, American software boss Larry Ellison.
Managing Director Stephen Hills said the Vava II was 'an
absolute credit to the capacity of the South West as a superyacht building location'.
He added: 'We are looking to continue this industry in the South West.'
Captain Brendan O'Shannassy said of the yacht: 'To have such a ground breaking construction unveiled in Plymouth should make the region justly proud.
A £100million superyacht commissioned by Britain's richest woman has taken to the seas for the first time.
The luxury vessel - the biggest this country has ever seen - was constructed for former Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli over two years in Plymouth, Devon, and boasts a helipad and six decks.
Mrs Bertarelli and her Swiss husband Ernesto had the 96-metre Vava II built to replace their previous 47m ship.
Pharmaceuticals tycoon Mr Bertarelli, 45, has twice won the prestigious America's Cup yacht race and is worth a reputed £6.8billion, making him the 81st richest man in the world and the fifth richest in the UK.
The couple's lavish craft was put through its sea trials at the weekend, as onlookers crowded the harbour to take photos.
The remarkable feat of engineering features a fold-down beach club and a pool which can be varied in depth to cater for guest preferences.
The yacht, which was built by 200 craftsmen at the Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, also has opulent guest cabins and four boats to ferry passengers to shore.
Stunning: Kirsty Bertarelli when she won Miss UK in 1988 when she was 17 (right), she now lives in Switzerland
It will be delivered to the couple in February, when it could be made available for private charter at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds a week.
The exteriors of the Vava II were designed by Hampshire-based specialists Redman Whiteley Dixon while the interiors were styled by Remi Tessier.
Its hull was built in Appledore, Devon, before Devonport Yachts took on the project. The luxury yacht company was bought from dockyard owners Babcock last year by Falmouth-based Pendennis shipyard.
Keen sailor Mr Bertarelli triumphed in the America's Cup when crewing his Team Alinghi boat in 2003 and 2007.
But the team was roundly beaten twice by San Francisco-based BMW Oracle Racing in 2010.
The races followed a bitter two-and-a-half year legal battle between Mr Bertarelli, and Oracle's backer, American software boss Larry Ellison.
Managing Director Stephen Hills said the Vava II was 'an
absolute credit to the capacity of the South West as a superyacht building location'.
He added: 'We are looking to continue this industry in the South West.'
Captain Brendan O'Shannassy said of the yacht: 'To have such a ground breaking construction unveiled in Plymouth should make the region justly proud.