The largest sailing boat in the world is 142.81 meters long, 24.88 meters wide, and reaches 90 meters in height : practically as much as the tower of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. With such exaggerated dimensions, it is not surprising that the weight is also very important, reaching 12,600 tons, with a draft of 8 meters. With these features, in addition to being the largest sailing boat in the world, Sailing Yacht A is also the 15th largest yacht in the world. In short, a floating villa, which can accommodate up to 20 passengers, as well as a crew of 54 members.
Thanks to its two very powerful hybrid-diesel engines, the Sailing Yacht A can reach a maximum speed of 21 knots. There are 8 decks in total, one of which houses an area dedicated to helicopter landing. There are 3 very tall masts and they host a sail surface which overall is larger than a football field.
Among the incredible peculiarities of this enormous sailing boat is its keel, which is made of glass, for a total surface area of 18 square meters: it therefore follows that it is possible to navigate and, at the same time, enjoy a view wonderful underwater, without resorting to the depth sounder to see what is sailing immediately underneath the boat!
This floating monument was designed inside and out by the French architect Philippe Starck, who made some decidedly interesting choices. The masts are made of carbon fiber, the hull is made of carbon fiber and aluminum, while the decks are, obviously, covered in teak. The sails, operated automatically, are made with a mixture of carbon and taffeta, while everything is controlled by a digitalized system that allows you to take commands even remotely, using a tablet. Having arrived this far, it is not surprising to discover that the largest sailing boat in the world cost a fortune that is almost difficult to imagine: we are talking about 425 million dollars.
