3 days ago
Photos of bizarre yacht near port spark backlash: 'Can't believe someone spent millions and millions on that thing'
Seen from a distance, it looked more like a floating bird's head than a yacht.
One Redditor caught sight of the Olivia O near Capri and dropped a few blurry photos into r/yachtporn. "Sorry for the grainy and distant photos. The distance we were away doesn't do the size justice," they wrote. "Very interesting bow. Wish I had more to go on but any details?"
The comments section didn't disappoint. One user quickly identified it: "Olivia O 89m with an X bow. Made by Ulstein out of Norway." Another added: "Owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. Google Circle Search is very handy sometimes." And then came the performance talk: "Great use case on expedition vessels, but I highly doubt Olivia O sea states that large on a regular basis."
So what's the deal with Olivia O? SuperYacht Fan reported that the vessel cost roughly $200 million and runs about $15 million to $20 million per year on twin Rolls-Royce marine engines over 2,000 horsepower each. Ulstein Verft in Norway built the yacht and delivered it in 2020 after a design collaboration with Espen Øino. It's the first private superyacht to use Ulstein's X‑Bow inverted‑bow hull, a design that cuts through waves instead of pounding them.
Now zoom out. Oxfam estimates that billionaire toys such as megayachts and private jets can dump more pollution in 90 minutes than the average person does in a lifetime. With Olivia O's scale and engine power, it's safe to assume that cleaner fuel use still can't cancel out the sheer volume of pollution.
To its credit, Ofer Global says it's aiming for net‑zero emissions with a focus on hydrogen. That said, yachts like this one aren't outliers. One yacht made headlines for being built specifically for dogs — complete with fake grass for puppy paws. Others stack up along the shores of Porto Cervo and Monaco during luxury-packed events such as the Grand Prix. Ownership is booming in places such as Ha Long Bay, where more travelers are buying sea-based status symbols.
Here's how Reddit wrapped it up.
"Is it an icebreaker? Cant believe someone spent millions and millions on that thing. Did the designer ever step back from the drawing board and go, 'Yes, that looks amazing'?" said one commenter.
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