Battle of the Cannes superyachts: How Jeff Bezos, James Packer and their fellow billionaires competed for the most impressive vessel at the French film festival
- Cote d’Azur is a hotspot for boats big and small at all times, but the Cannes Film Festival attracts the very best
- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ $500m mega yacht, the Koru, took pride of place on the French Riviera this week
- But a host of other staggering floating palaces are still on show as they jostle for position off the coastline
The world-renowned Cannes Film Festival brings a who’s who of movie stars, celebrities and millionaires to the South of France each year, and inevitably many of them are intent on arriving in style.
The Cote d’Azur is a hotspot for boats big and small at all times, but the weeks surrounding the famed festival see some of the world’s most decadent superyachts glide into Cannes’ harbour.
Recent days have seen all manner of stunning vessels jostling for position off the French coast, with the likes of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – the third richest man in the world according to Forbes – pitting his prized floating palace against that of Australian casino and media magnate James Packer, serial investor Todd Chaffee, and more.
Here, MailOnline compares the two most impressive megayachts to descend on Cannes this year – both of which carry nine-figure price tags, before investigating some of the more some of the most stylish and sleek crafts to have been spotted dropping anchor near the Palais des Festivals for the 76th edition of the internationally acclaimed movie gala.
Jeff Bezos $500 million megayacht is named Koru after the Maori word for ‘new beginnings’
Jeff Bezos’ New $500 Million Superyacht ‘Koru’
Bezos and Sanchez are pictured aboard Koru in Cannes earlier this week
The Koru (background) alone is simply not enough for the ex-Amazon chief, who also arrived in the French Riviera with a support yacht, the Abeona (foreground), which itself measures 246ft and carries a slew of gadgets, as well as a helicopter
Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez are holidaying on his yacht ‘Koru’ (left) with escort yacht ‘Abeona’ (right) in Cannes
Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the polished wooden sculpture of a curvaceous woman carved in the style of a Roman goddess, dressed in a flowing gown and with long hair
Taking pride of place among the superyachts in Cannes this year is the stunning $500 million Koru – the brand new pearl of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ fleet.
Measuring a whopping 417ft, the Koru – so named after the Maori word for ‘new beginnings – is a fitting vessel for the third-richest man in the world.
The seafaring mansion is the world’s second largest sailing ship, surpassed only by the somewhat underwhelmingly-named ‘Sailing Yacht A’, owned by Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.
The staggering vessel wraps the very best of modern maritime technology with the look and feel of sailing ships of old.
The Koru is powered by a pair of extremely powerful MTU Rolls Royce engines, but also comes complete with an array of sails which allow the craft to harness the power of mother nature.
A polished wooden sculpture of a Roman goddess is carved into the ship’s bow, which some have commented looks as though it is styled on Bezos’ glamorous girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.
Not much is known about the interior of Bezos’ superyacht, but with a price tag of $500 million – and estimated running costs of roughly $25 million – it is sure to be dripping with luxury.
But the Koru alone is simply not enough for the ex-Amazon chief, who also arrived in the French Riviera with a support yacht, the Abeona, which itself measures 246ft and carries a slew of gadgets, machines and toys for Bezos and his entourage to enjoy.
These include a selection of supercars, motorbikes, smaller boats, jetskis, and a helicopter.
With the absence of several huge luxury vessels this year at Cannes – many of which include the fleet of yachts maintained by various members of the Russian oligarchy amid the war in Ukraine – Bezos’ Koru is undoubtedly the most impressive.
James Packer’s $282 million IJE superyacht in Antibes, France on May 23, 2023
American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire visit James Packer on his yacht IJE off Antibes, France, on May 22, 2023
Built by Benetti, the IJE measures 354ft and is the flagship of the boat makers’ custom fleet. It has 11 cabins which have enough space to accommodate up to 22 guests
Australian billionaire James Packer’s luxury superyacht IJE (pictured)
DiCaprio and Maguire are pictured aboard IJE earlier this week
Bezos’ has since decided to jet off for northern Italy, but Kora and Abeona are just two of many opulent crafts that dropped by the Palais des Festivals.
Australian billionaire James Packer’s luxury superyacht IJE – worth a staggering $282 million, is also in town for the famed festival and is the only ship capable of rivalling the Koru.
Named after the first initial of his three children’s names, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle – was crafted by master shipmakers Benetti in Livorno, Italy.
The IJE – named after the first initial of Mr Packer’s (pictured) three children’s names, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle – was crafted by Benetti in Livorno, Italy
The superyacht was bought by the media mogul in April 2019 for an estimated $200 million after it took four years to construct.
Weighing in at 300 tonnes and measuring 354ft, the IJE is designed to be a true party destination that can accommodate up to 22 guests – four more than the Koru – as well as 32 crew members.
It is equipped with a large swimming pool on the main deck, an integrated cinema, a gym, a beauty salon, a helipad, and even a nightclub, which is sure to go down well with Hollywood’s darlings.
While Bezos’ Koru may dwarf the IJE in terms of sheer size and its price tag, the attractions aboard Packer’s craft have clearly proven attractive to some of the world’s most recognisable faces.
Leonardo DiCaprio was just one such celebrity spotted aboard the mesmerising craft this week, stepping aboard alongside fellow film star Tobey Maguire before the evening’s festivities.
Lower down the order, serial investor Todd Chaffee – known for his scoops in Netflix, Twitter and travel comparison website Kayak to name a few – pulled up in a $70 million yacht named Artisan.
Measuring up at a paltry 207ft in comparison to the heavyweights described above, Artisan’s interior is handcrafted by London design house Bannenberg & Rowell, and sleeps up to 13 guests alongside a 15-strong crew.
The craft was built by Benetti in 2019, but was then retrofitted just last year to bring the latest technological upgrades.
It set off from Mallorca on May 15, cruising up through the Balearic sea before coming into Cannes for Chaffee and his entourage to enjoy the festivities.
Another yacht commanding a $70 million price tag is Siren, which has also been spied floating on the Riviera just off Cannes.
The 241ft vessel, which outperforms Artisan in terms of its overall size, belongs to David Reuben – the Indian-born British businessman who together with brother and fellow entrepreneur Jason constitutes one of the UK’s wealthiest families.
Siren was built entirely in Germany. The hull and the frame of the craft were manufactured by German shipmakers Nobiskrug in 2006 and launched in 2008, while its interior design was taken care of by Newcruise, which has earned a reputation as one of the leading German design studios.
Up to 12 guests can be accommodated aboard Siren, which is operated by 17 crewmembers.
It is certainly an impressive craft, but at 17 years old, it is now lagging behind Artisan and other similar vessels of its class in terms of its raw capability and technology, and despite its size eclipsing that of Chaffee’s Artisan, the Siren cannot host as many guests.
KORU
- Owner: Jeff Bezos
- Price tag: $500 million
- Size: 417ft
- Can accommodate: 18
- Crew size: 36
- Power: 2x MTU Rolls Royce Engines AND sails
- Top speed: Unknown
IJE
- Owner: James Packer
- Price tag: $282 million
- Size: 354ft
- Can accommodate: 22
- Crew size: 32
- Power: 2x MTU Rolls Royce Engines
- Top speed: 16 knots
Chaffee pulled up in a $70 million yacht named Artisan, whose interior is handcrafted by London design house Bannenberg & Rowell
Another yacht commanding a $70 million price tag is Siren, which belongs to businessman David Reuben and was also been spied floating on the Riviera just off Cannes
One final vessel that is sure to catch the eye off the coast of Cannes is the Montkaj – a superyacht belonging to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Fahd. A son of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed certainly has the fortune befitting a royal, and a superyacht to match
One final vessel that is sure to catch the eye off the coast of Cannes is the Montkaj – a superyacht belonging to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Fahd.
A son of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed certainly has the fortune befitting a royal, and a superyacht to match.
Montkaj is even older than Siren, having been constructed in 1995, but it outstrips both Artisan and Siren in terms of its size, measuring 256ft-long.
The yacht’s exterior and interior design was crafted by Terence Disdale, who has been described as the ‘rockstar’ of yacht design and is responsible for some of the most impressive interiors of any seafaring vessels.
Montkaj can handle double the number of guests versus Siren – up to 24 people can be accommodated in luxury, with room for an additional 22 crew members.
It is currently moored just across the bay from the Palais des Festivals, taking the leading berth on the harbour of Cannes’ Boulevard de la Croisette.
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