In the world of superyachts, one of the most expensive and lavish ships in the world is the Radiant. As of 2018, it was the sixth most expensive yacht in the world and it’s one that is boardable by invitation only. If you’re as intrigued as we are about this floating luxury vessel, here are the details about what makes the Radiant so highly valued.

The history of the Radiant

The Radiant was originally built as a commissioned vessel ordered by Boris Berezovsky, who is a Russian media magnate. His intention was to have a superyacht built that would outshine the yacht owned by his enemy Roman Abramovich, who was the owner of the Pelorus. This gives us the back story that inspired the specifications of the luxury yacht that was intended to be one of the most glorious yachts to float the seas. The construction code name for the yacht was Darius with the first name to replace the code name as Radiant. The naval architect and builder of the ship is the German shipbuilder Lurssen, and she was launched in 2009 under the Cayman Islands flag. The Radiant was sold by Berezovsky to its current owner, Abdulla Al Futtaim. He hails from the United Arab Emirates and made billions of dollars in the car dealership industry.

Specifications of the Radiant

The Radiant was built with an aluminum superstructure and a strong steel hull. The total length is 360 feet and 10 inches which qualifies it as a superyacht. the beam is 53 ft and 5 inches and the draft is 14 ft 9 inches. The deck material is teak wood. The exterior of the Radiant was designed by Tim Heywood with the intention of making the beam large to provide for an ultra spacious luxury interior. The interior design is provided by Glen pushelberg of Terence Disdale Design. The ship launched in April of 2009 and was delivered to its Russian owner in 2010.

Power of this motor yacht

The tonnage of the Radiant is 5027 tonnes. She is powered by an 8715 horsepower MTU, 16 V 1163 TB73L diesel engine. The maximum speed of the ship is 21 knots. She is also equipped with zero speed stabilizers for the ultimate in guest comfort when the ship is docked, even in rough seas.

The amenities and equipment of the Radiant

We attempted to discover how many cabins were built into the Radiant, but this information is not readily available. It is our assumption that the configuration of the interior may have changed from one owner to another as it is standard practice to make changes to suit the personal tastes and preferences when it changes hands. When it comes to passenger capacity, the Radiant has accepted between 16 to 20 guests aboard. We also assume that there is a crew size of approximately 44 hands for the daily maintenance and operational needs of a craft this size. What we do know is that there are some sweet amenities on board. The Radiant features a helipad so guests and VIPs can easily gain access or leave the vessel, and this also comes in handy in the event of a medical emergency. There is also a cinema for the entertainment of guests, a gymnasium, a spa and jacuzzi for relaxation and a garage to store the tenders. There is also a swimming platform, swimming pools, a beach club, air conditioning and a massage room on board.

Safety equipment

The Radiant is equipped with a state of the art personal protection and security system that is unlike most other defense systems. The comprehensive system includes a barrage of sonic guns that have the capacity to burst the eardrums of any unwelcomed guests such as hijackers or other types of attackers. The yacht is also armed with a series of water cannons that can hurl jets of water that could sink a smaller boat form up to 100 yards from the vessel. A special escape pod has been designed with a speedboat to carry the occupants of the boat to safety if all other measures of protection and security fail. (www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-yachts-2014-9#6-radiant-is-worth-320-million-5). These safety and protection measures were instituted at the insistence of Berezovsky and the speedboat can reach 75 knots or better. The man who commissioned the building of the Radiant was taking no chances when it came to his personal safety and that of his guests.

Final thoughts

The Radiant remains one of the most expensive and lavish luxury yachts in the world today. It’s the sister of the Dilbar, another highly ranking vessel in the collection and the ship was initially built to go one better and deliver a yacht which was superior to the yacht of the commissioning owner’s rival, which was the Pelorus. One-upmanship was the passion that was behind the design and ultimate building of this $320 million dollar superyacht, which commands the attention of onlookers at whatever port it is docked. If you’re fortunate enough to be one of the invited guests out of the 16 or 20 the ship is intended to accommodate, you will be aboard one of the safest and most secure yacht on the seas and there are a couple of different ways for you to escape if an emergency takes place. From the teak decks to the lavish design features of the interior of this seaworthy paradise, the Radiant is among the most expensive and admired vessels in the world today. Of course, both owners just happen to be billionaires several times over, but it’s nice, sometimes, to see how the other half lives.

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