Do as I say, not as I do

For any Optimist regatta, or Olympic class regatta, or pretty much any regatta where professional crew are present, dock space for coach boats is required. The proliferation of on-the-water support is not making the sport more affordable, but also not a big deal when you are the richest person in the world. In this report by Denison Yachting, they offer an update on how profits from online shopping are getting spent:

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly commissioned a 127-meter (417-foot) sailing yacht called Project Y721 with this new record-breaking yacht to make its official debut in 2022.

A black hull with classic exterior lines supports one of the longest yachts built in the Netherlands. Interior details of the project are still a secret, but the exterior will hold three masts and a bowsprit with plenty of deck space.

Project Y721 is set to be the largest sailing yacht in the world. The current holder of that title is a 109-meter Krupp Germaniawerft delivered in 1931.

Bezos’ new yacht is estimated to be upwards of $500 million making it among the most expensive boats in the world. Topping that list is 531-foot ECLIPSE, currently valued at $1.2 billion and the third largest yacht in the world. It’s owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich.

It’s not uncommon for the ultra-high net worth, like Bezos, to own a yacht. But the caveat to this new construction project is that, because of the sailing masts, his yacht can’t support a helipad. So he also commissioned a second support yacht that can accommodate a helicopter landing.

While motherships and their support vessels are not uncommon, the news about his superyacht needing a smaller yacht has gotten traction on the late night talk show circuit:

“The founder of Amazon is reportedly building a $500 million superyacht that is so big, it requires a support yacht to travel with it. This is like the billionaire version of having a second fridge in your garage.” – Jimmy Kimmel

“Truth is, Bezos didn’t really need the support yacht, but Amazon did one of these upsells where they go, ‘People who buy this, also buy this.’” – James Corden

“Today, we learned that Bezos will soon receive delivery of a $500 million megayacht. Don’t know exactly when it will be delivered, but we do know it will come in a much bigger box.” – Stephen Colbert

While Amazon has made a climate pledge to be net-zero carbon by 2040, and are on a path to power their operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, someone should tell Bezos that a typical superyacht kept on permanent standby generates around 7,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

The Guardian also reports that the richest 1% of the world’s people produce 15% of the world’s carbon emissions, so while his company may be committed to and invested in sustainability, his personal commitment is a bit less.