Speculation on billionaire ambassador Tilman Fertitta’s second superyacht has been percolating since construction began on the ship in Germany in 2001. But details have been kept tightly under wraps. That was until Thursday when the 384-foot Boardwalk hit the waters, as first reported by Superyacht Times. That massive length catapults the Lürssen vessel into the gigayacht category far surpassing mere superyacht status.
At these dimensions, Boardwalk outsizes even Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ 370-foot Bravo Eugenia, which became NFL Draft famous during the pandemic. It also far outsizes Fertitta’s first superyacht Boardwalk, which measured in at a mere 251 feet with seven state rooms for 14 guests. Fertitta recently sold that vessel for an estimated $192 million. With the sale, the name of that yacht will change.
The Amsterdam-based website observes from photographs that Fertitta’s new floating behemoth boasts two helipads, two swimming pools, a Jacuzzi and a swim platform providing direct access to the water. Details of the interiors remain under wraps for now.
As Fertitta noted previously, the new Boardwalk will have multiple entertaining areas and bars and a decor perhaps based on his swank five-star Post Oak Hotel in Houston, which also provided design inspiration for the original yacht.
The United States Ambassador to Italy, as protocol might dictate, has nothing to say, at least at the moment, on the yacht. But he is well aware of the interest surrounding the launch. After all, the original Boardwalk made international headlines when sailing through a narrow passage in Greece and made local headlines each Mardi Gras when the Houston proud billionaire would anchor the yacht in Galveston for the seasonal festivities.
Already, Galveston Mardi Gras regulars are hoping the yacht makes its way to the Gulf Coast in mid-February. However, that would seem to be unlikely as Fertitta while living in Rome for his ambassadorship has made it known that he will anchor Boardwalk in the nearby port of Civitavecchia. That puts it a mere 10-minute helicopter jaunt from embassy to port.