Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the richest men in the world, is paying the city of Rotterdam to dismantle a historic bridge so his 412-foot yacht can pass from its shipyard to the sea.
Earlier this week, Bezos and Oceanco, the Dutch yard that’s building the yacht, reached an agreement with the Rotterdam city council about the bridge. Bezos’ yacht has three 229-foot masts. The Koningshaven Bridge, built in 1927, has a clearance of 131 feet.
The central portion of the bridge will be reassembled after Bezos’ yacht, which will be the largest sailing vessel in the world when it’s completed, passes through.
Bezos, who’s worth about $170 million or so, commissioned the yacht from Oceanco in 2018, and it’s known as Y721. It’s based on Oceanco’s earlier eco-friendly Black Pearl (pictured below).
The Koningshaven Bridge was destroyed by the Germans in 1940 and rebuilt after the war. Rotterdam is one of the busiest ports in the world. The bridge is one of Rotterdam’s most popular tourist sites: Tripadvisor calls it a “must-see.”
The new sailboat will be Bezos’ second yacht. The Damen yard, also in The Netherlands, is building a shadow yacht for him that measures 246 feet and can carry 45 guests and crew. It will be equipped with a helipad and a meeting space plus a large complement of water toys. Read more:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/jeff-bezos-dismantle-dutch-bridge-yacht
