The worlds ultimate toy

415 feet? Now I get your comment from earlier. I'm pretty sure that won't do 65 mph though..

Probably has a Bose system in it.

Regards,

I'll bet I had more fun when I was 16, in my jon boat with a fifth of liquor and Cindy Ryan :)

I believe I read somewere that Paul Allen is also an audiophile of sorts and owns Red Rose stuff.

And you thought that we audiophools were compulsive and spent ridiculous sums of money! Paul Allen owns the #1, #3, and #14 largest American documented (federally registered) yachts! Here is some info on them. Also, here is the link for the rest of America's 100 largest yachts [2003 list]...for all of you dreamers!

Really Big Boats!

1. OCTOPUS • L: 413'4" Y: 2003
Yacht-watchers worldwide have been waiting to catch a glimpse of this behemoth, the latest vessel to join the megayacht fleet of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen. (Allen, called the “accidental zillionaire” in his unauthorized biography, also owns Nos. 3 and 14.) Chatter kicked into high gear this summer when the rumor mill had the yacht planning to arrive in Antibes, France; alas, it was not to be, as some final deck and mechanical work needed addressing at the yard. Thankfully, though, the yacht had spent some time outside of Lürssen’s facility during the spring, shortly after she was launched, so an intrepid shutterbug caught this shot for us. The yard—and, for that matter, seemingly everyone else involved in the project, like the interior design teams from Jonathan Quinn Barnett and Christian Grevstad—is under a strict confidentiality agreement, which prohibits the release of any information, so there’s no official confirmation of Octopus’ features. That includes the LOA we have above; we based it on the majority of reports from reliable sources who’ve leaked information (just because a confidentiality agreement exists doesn’t mean everyone follows it, folks). But given the features we know about that are aboard Allen’s other yachts, we surmise that Octopus carries a full complement of dive gear, has a screening room, and, of course, has deck space set aside for a helicopter. And given how he’s had some of his celebrity friends aboard his other yachts, we fully expect that people like tennis great Monica Seles (seen here with Allen earlier this year), glass artist Dale Chihuly, and of course, Bill and Melinda Gates will eventually roam her decks. In fact, they could all be aboard at the same time and never run into one another, given the volume inherent in a vessel equipped with about seven decks and whose beam appears to exceed 30 feet. B: Lürssen, Germany; N: Espen Øino Naval Architects; H: Steel; E: MTUs (hp unknown)

3. TATOOSH • L: 301'8" Y: 2000
Yacht number two in Paul Allen’s fleet, and we’re not even out of the top five yet; dang! But then again, given that Forbes magazine estimates his worth at $20 billion, what else is he to do with all of that cash? At least he keeps his yachts moving, unlike some other owners. For example, Tatoosh, which he acquired last year, spent time in New Zealand around Christmas. (Interesting side note: She was too big to enter Auckland’s Viaduct Harbor and therefore had to stay at nearby Princess Wharf, the same spot that cruise ships use.) Then in July she was seen in Honolulu, Hawaii; unfortunately it seems she had some engine problems, judging by the radio conversations other boaters overheard. But the problems must have been addressed quickly, as Tatoosh was seen in Vancouver, British Columbia, a month later. Her arrival there generated nearly two dozen postings on an Internet forum that focuses on happenings in Vancouver; the first posting was under the startling heading “Paul Allen found floating in English Bay,” which the poster admits he wrote to attract attention. Interestingly, a photo and brief description that appeared just before Labor Day in The Juneau Empire, a newspaper in Alaska, generated less buzz. B: H.D.W. Nobiskrug, Germany; N: Studio Acht/Kusch Yacht Agenteur; H: Steel; E: 2/3,360-kW Deutz-MWMs

14. MÉDUSE • L: 198'10" Y: 1996
Paul Allen’s third yacht on our list (see nos. 1, 3) is also the second Feadship he purchased. Given her nearly 199 feet of length, you’d certainly expect her to be well laid out; but what you might not expect is the extraordinary headroom, enough for seven-foot-plus-tall members of the Portland Trailblazers basketball team, which Allen also owns, to comfortably move around. Should a vertically challenged individual be aboard and be unfortunate enough to sit behind one of the basketball players in the main-deck cinema, fear not: The rear settee can raise hydraulically. A Surround Sound system enhances the viewing experience. B: Feadship/De Vries Scheepsbouw, Holland; N: De Voogt Naval Architects; H: Steel; E: 2/1,700-hp Caterpillars