- A $500 million yacht believed to belong to Jeff Bezos has been delivered to the Amazon founder.
- The 417-foot vessel, the largest sailing yacht in the world, recently made its maiden voyage to Gibraltar, according to Boat International.
- It previously stirred controversy for nearly dismantling a historic bridge for it to pass.
A $500 million megayacht believed to be commissioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has finally completed construction and made its maiden voyage.
The vessel, called Koru, left facilities owned by Dutch shipmaker Oceanco on Thursday and traveled to Gibraltar, according to yachting publication Boat International. At 417 feet long, the boat is believed to be the largest sailing yacht in the world.
It began sea trials — a series of tests that mark one of the last phases of construction — in February.
The ship’s construction hit a few snags over the over the past year. Last year, Oceanco, requested that a historic bridge in Rotterdam be dismantled because the yacht’s three masts were too tall to pass under the bridge, despite its 131-foot clearance.
The 100-year-old Koningshaven Bridge, known to locals as “De Hef,” was renovated in 2017, at which point the city vowed not to take it apart again, according to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond.
The request sparked public outcry, prompting more than 1,000 residents to threaten to throw eggs at the yacht if the bridge ended up being dismantled. Oceanco later nixed its request, and the yacht was towed under cover of night to another shipyard, without its masts, which were installed later.
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