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There's more to this year's Monaco Yacht Show than just superyachts
Personal submarines, amphibious vessels, jetpacks the new must-have toys
New generation of younger millionaires looking for adventure holidays
Deluxe water toys sit on superyachts, and can cost almost $2m alone
Gaze across the luxury stalls at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled upon James Bond’s secret gadget lab.
Personal submarines, jetpacks, even a fantastical “walking” boat are all on offer for a new generation of thrill-seeking millionaires.
Younger than ever before, today’s super rich are no longer content to spend their holidays lounging on sundrenched superyachts.
Instead, they’re willing to pay millions for high-tech water toys unimaginable when the prestigious boat show first launched 24 years ago.
“Fifteen years ago a person who owned a superyacht was usually 50 years old,” explained Monaco Yacht Show managing director Gaëlle Tallarida, in her lilting French accent.
“Now we’re seeing people who are 30 years old owning one.”
Hailing from emerging economies such as China and South America, this new generation of wealthy holiday-makers are looking for unique adventures at sea – from exploring the ocean floor in a submarine, to zooming 10 meters into the air with a jetpack.
“These toys attract them because they have a special way of enjoying yachts, compared to their parents who perhaps had to wait until they were older to buy one,” said Tallarida.
“They like sports and really enjoy being in the sea – not just sailing and lying on the sundeck.”
Main Sail takes a look at four of the most eye-popping toys on show:
DeepFlight Super Falcon
Price: $1.7 million
Is it a jet? A sports car? What about a submarine? At first glance, the futuristic DeepFlight Super Falcon is hard to pin down.
But the unusual two-person electric submersible, which can plunge 393 feet under the sea, appears to be to the taste of millionaire owners Richard Branson, and Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
“Just as private individuals are now able to explore space, we see our submarines as opening up the oceans for private exploration,” said Karen Hawkes, who founded the DeepFlight company with engineer husband Graham in 1996.
“Except unlike spacecraft, these owners get to the pilot their own vessels.”
The Falcon follows an earlier model, the DeepFlight Dragon, valued at $1.5 million. Both are positively buoyant, meaning they always float back up to the surface, rather than sinking.
Triton Submarine
Price: $2.35 – $4.89 million
The giant squid is real. How do we know? The Triton Submarine caught it on camera during an expedition to the bottom of the ocean last year.
The brightly-coloured vessel is available in 11 different models, and able to plunge anywhere between 1,000 and 36,000 feet under water.
“It gives clients the opportunity to see a part of our planet that no human has ever visited before,” said Marc Depp, the company’s sales and marketing manager.
“Many of our clients are also concerned about their legacy and the condition of the oceans, and make their submarines available to marine scientists.”
The company expects to build between four and six submarines a year.
Iguana Yachts
Price: $388,000 – $518,000
Part speed boat, part rolling tank, the Iguana Yacht has unsurprisingly elicited some curious looks from passersby as it “walks” out of the water.
Featuring two hydraulic “legs,” the amphibious vessel can travel for around 800 meters on dry land – though it’s not intended for public roads.
“All of our customers bought the yacht because they have a legitimate use for it, such as entering or exiting a waterfront property,” said the company’s sales manager Steve Huppert.
“We haven’t had people buying it simply to show off.”
Regardless of their intentions, new owners will certainly be part of an elite group – six of the unusual yachts have so far been sold.
Jetlev Flyer
Price: $35,600 – $129,400
Bond fans who watched their jetpack-wearing hero blast into the sky in 1965 film “Thunderball,” can now relive the scene – at a price.
The Jetlev Flyer is powered by water shooting through a 10 meter hose, and can travel through the air for up to three hours.
It is one of dozens of high-end accessories – including inflatable slides and jet skis – available through Superyacht Toys & Tenders, who have stall at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.
“Generally people are getting more adventurous with their luxury toys,” said Josh Richardson, managing director of Superyacht Toys & Tenders, which first launched three years ago.
Around 200 of the water-based jetpacks have been sold.
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