That Jeff Bezos is the world’s second-richest man with a fleet to match is no secret. His $500 million sailing yacht Koru has commanded attention ever since it was delivered to the tech tycoon in 2023. Soon after, her shadow vessel Abeona, a Damen Yachting masterpiece worth an estimated $75 million, followed suit.
A recently surfaced video shows the 247-footer in all its glory, complete with a sleek gray hull and a striking orange bootstripe running the length of the vessel. But the true showstopper is the pickleball court set up on the superyacht’s aft helipad. With helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez enjoying a bachelorette getaway in Paris with her gal pals, the helipad was free to transform into a sporty playground.
From the looks of it, the court uses a freestanding net system, lightweight, collapsible, and quick to deploy, allowing the helipad to remain operational when needed. Protective netting was set up around the perimeter to keep balls from flying overboard, since Abeona, unlike Larry Ellison’s yacht Musashi, doesn’t appear to have a designated crew member tasked with fishing balls out of the sea.
With everyone from Bill Gates to Leonardo DiCaprio picking up a paddle, it’s only fitting that Bezos’ crew brought the game to sea. While it’s unclear if the Amazon co-founder was aboard, the crew appeared to be enjoying a doubles game under the sun, with the 416-foot Oceanco-built mothership Koru in the background and the azure sea all around.
Weighing in at 1,900 GT, Abeona can carry a vast array of tenders, toys, marine gear, and emergency relief equipment. She accommodates up to 45 people, including crew, guests, and specialist staff. Her aft helipad, along with an integrated hangar, can host a rotary-wing aircraft with a D-value of 14. That means the helideck spans at least 57 feet across, making it more than suitable to host a pickleball court, which requires only 20 by 44 feet, leaving plenty of room to play with.
