The new superyacht with the project name “Deep Blue” is nearing completion at the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen-Aumund. The owner is said to be entrepreneur Richard Liu, also known as the Chinese Jeff Bezos.
The 134 m long and 19.8 m wide yacht is valued at $450 million in industry circles. The new build is currently still undergoing final outfitting in Bremen-Nord, but technical processes have now made it necessary to turn the project 180 degrees in front of the shipyard’s outfitting quay on the Weser. It can be assumed that the “Deep Blue” will be delivered by the Lüssen shipyard this year as the largest construction project of the year. The Winch Design office is said to be responsible for both the exterior and interior design, but this has not been confirmed. In the world ranking list of the largest yachts, this project is listed at number 29.
The “Deep Blue” with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure has a gross tonnage of around 9,000 GT and has five passenger decks designed as luxurious living areas for owners and guests. In total, she offers space for 24 guests, who are accommodated in elegant suites, and a crew of 45. Special features include a beauty salon, a cinema, a spa and a helipad in the forward area.
The DNV-classed yacht has eight MTU engines for diesel-electric propulsion via azimuth thrusters. During initial test runs in August on the Weser and in the German Bight, speeds of up to 18 knots were achieved.
Various media outlets have linked Chinese businessman Richard Liu to the yacht project. He is the founder and chairman of JD.com (short for Jingdong), which is often described as China’s Amazon. Liu grew up in rural Jiangsu and built JD from a single electronics counter into the country’s second largest e-commerce group. Liu’s fortune was estimated at $19.3 billion in 2021 by Forbes.
