Legendary motor yacht Octopus heading to Antarctica
by Camper & Nicholsons 20 Apr 2022 14:47 BST
Legendary motor yacht Octopus heading to Antarctica © Camper & Nicholsons
The 126-metre motor yacht Octopus - commissioned and formerly owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen - is travelling to Antarctica in late 2022 and will be available for charter.
This iconic superyacht was built by the renowned German shipyard, Lürssen, to a design by Espen Øino, and is one of the largest superyachts in the world. Up until her sale in 2021, she was kept incredibly private with few images of her interior ever released to the public. That she will now be available for exclusive charter groups to explore the wonders of Antarctica, is an incredibly exciting opportunity for any discerning luxury traveller.
Ground-breaking design
At the time of her launch in 2003, she heralded the beginning of a new era in yachting, commencing a trend for vessels to be equipped for science, research, and true ocean-crossing travel. To that end, she sports an ice-class 1A steel hull, allowing her to safely traverse the iceberg-filled seas surrounding the southern-most continent.
"She's the perfect yacht to undertake such a voyage," says Jacqui Lockhart, Head of Charter Marketing Europe for Camper & Nicholsons, who travelled to Antarctica herself in 2018. "She's well-equipped to host intrepid charterers off the beaten track with a fully equipped medical suite and dive centre on board - complete with hyperbaric chamber - as well as a submarine and two helipads. Octopus was truly built for explorer expeditions!"
Octopus also boasts an underwater lounge and a forward-facing indoor observation deck, providing an unbeatable viewing platform from which to take in the sights.
In 2021, Octopus was sold and joined the Camper & Nicholsons charter fleet. This is the first time Octopus has been available for charter, making the occasion with a two-year round-the-world tour, which began in January this year. So far, her plans include Costa Rica, Panama, South America and will wrap up with her Antarctica tour in early December 2022.
The trip of a lifetime
Octopus' tour of Antarctica is truly the trip of a lifetime. Her voyage is among the first superyacht expeditions to the region and guests will do so aboard one of the world's largest superyachts available for charter. This opportunity, often only afforded to researchers and documentary-makers, will bring intrepid explorers face to face with some of the most breath-taking landscapes and wildlife, opening up the least-explored continent on earth for ski touring, ice exploring, polar plunges, and even contributing to wildlife conservation with alongside locally-based scientists.
Camper & Nicholsons International is one of the oldest yachting companies in the world, founded in 1782 as a shipyard in Gosport, England. Today, Camper & Nicholsons is the global leader in luxury yachting activities with 11 offices around the world. The company's operational headquarters is located in Monaco. Camper & Nicholsons provide full-scale turnkey services for clients including: New Construction, Sales & Purchase, Yacht Charter and Charter Marketing, Yacht Management, Crew Placement, and Insurance.
Camper & Nicholsons have been involved in over 2,400 yacht projects since 1782. Today, we have over 50 yachts in our charter management fleet and over 44,000 gross tonnes of yacht under our management.