What's more indulgent than a superyacht? A golden superyacht, of course. Reserved for the boldest of owners, this eye-catching colour is a surefire way to make a statement on the water. And most don't stop there, with geode walls, glass animals and gold-painted Jet Skis adding another touch of extravagance.
From a recent Monaco Yacht Show debut to a striking design by Nuvolari Lenard, BOAT takes a look at the coolest gold superyachts...
Anjelif
Builder: Columbus Yachts
Length: 50m
A gentler gold – her Italian yard calls her "champagne-coloured" – Anjelif made her grand debut at last year's Monaco Yacht Show. Her shimmering exterior is not the only precious material on board, with a series of backlit Taurini geode walls featured throughout (and selected by the owner for their energetic and spiritual properties). A slate of brilliant yellow quartz can be found in the owner's quarters, which also features a massage room, office, gym, wardrobe and en suite with Jacuzzi and Hammam.
There are two more Jacuzzis to spot on board – one on the upper deck, the other on the sundeck – with a main deck swimming pool also on offer for guests not fond of bubbles.
Khalilah
Builder: Palmer Johnson
Length: 49.5m
Befitting her gold exterior, Khalilah was launched in 2014 as a superyacht of many firsts. The 49.5-metre trimaran was the world's largest carbon-composite yacht, the first and only Super Sport 48 model and held the record for the largest windows installed on a superyacht in the United States.
Her interiors have a welcoming Middle Eastern touch – the name Khalilah has Arabic origins meaning "friend" – combined with several zany design details, from a glass octopus and spiralling LED lights to colourful cartoon mosaics in the owner's en suite. And with a maximum speed of 24 knots (30 knots in her prime), Khalilah is as speedy as she is shiny.
Aquanova (then O'Khalila)
Builder: Palmer Johnson
Length: 45.7m
Another Palmer Johnson, Aquanova has lived a colourful life. She's been white, two shades of blue and (of course) gold, with her resprays only serving to highlight her lithe Nuvolari Lenard exterior. Interiors are also by the Italian studio, with a layout that includes a formal dining area, a cinema and a full-beam master suite with a kingsize bed and his and hers en suite.
For those more interested in open-air experiences, Aquanova has an abundance of watertoys – including big game fishing equipment – a sea pool with sunloungers and an open sundeck offering a spa, barbecue, wet bar and air-conditioned seating area.
AK Royalty
Builder: Palmer Johnson
Length: 41.4m
As the third unit in the PJ 135 series, AK Royalty started cruising in a classic shade of white. It wasn't until she was purchased by Aaron Fidler – a chief engineer turned entrepreneur – that the superyacht underwent her Cinderella-style transformation. The exterior was resprayed in a custom cocktail that contained real 24kt gold (meant to match the owner's Lamborghini SVJ Roadster), with "champagne gold" steel decor on the aft deck to match.
Other customisations involved remodelling bathrooms and a massive investment in toys, including two gold-painted Jet Skis, three underwater scooters, an anti-jellyfish pool, a waterslide, a climbing wall and a trampoline.
Read More/The story of the crew member who struck gold and became a superyacht ownerStefania
Builder: Dynamiq
Length: 41m
These first stirrings of Stefania happened when her owner toured the 38.6-metre Spring. He had been searching for "the perfect yacht" for more than two years and was sold the moment he entered the main saloon. Stefania is a "larger", "more refined" (and very gold) version of the earlier Dynamiq – in fact, she is the largest in the Turkish yard's Gran Turismo Transatlantic (GTT) range.
As such, accommodation is across five voluminous cabins (Spring has four), including a glamorous full-beam master suite on the lower deck. There was also room for head heights of 2.2 metres on all decks, a 10-guest swimming pool and a 120-square-metre sundeck with a spa pool, bar, television, shaded dining and sunpads. The glittering theme continues with gold inserts in the white marble flooring and metals burnished in shades of champagne.