As fascinating as a luxury vessel itself is the name it carries. Often, these names are quite revealing. For instance, Mark Zuckerberg’s superyacht, named Launchpad, was aptly chosen as it propelled the centibillionaire into the elite circle of billionaires with grand boats. Similarly, the mighty Koru, named after a Māori term meaning growth, strength, and peace, reflects the strength of centibillionaire Jeff Bezos. It grew to become the world’s largest sailing yacht and offers abundant peace to the Amazon co-founder and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez. Another superbly named megayacht is tech tycoon Bill Gates’s $645 million luxury vessel, aptly christened ‘Breakthrough.’ We couldn’t have suggested a better name.
This 390-foot ship is the first of its kind, becoming the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht that sails with a zero-diesel approach, powering the yacht’s hotel load and amenities with emission-free energy from green hydrogen. If this isn’t a breakthrough in the yachting world, then nothing is. Feadship released the specifications of the newly-named innovation-packed superyacht that took five years to complete.
According to the shipyard, the vessel sails at a speed of 17 knots with an impressive range of 6500 nautical miles. This means that Breakthrough can take its owner on a transatlantic journey from Fort Lauderdale to Piraeus, the main port near Athens, Greece (4,700 nautical miles), and beyond without refueling.
Popular YouTube channel ESysman SuperYachts highlighted the outstanding feature of the luxury vessel outfitted with sixteen 185kW PowerCell H2 generators. In addition to the sixteen hydrogen fuel cell generators that help keep the yacht emission-free, the yacht also includes two 900kW MTU generators and three 2,500kW MTU generators. The gorgeous green vessel was formerly known as Project 821, and till she finds an owner, it will be known as Bill Gates’s yacht—for only a maverick could have given the world a breakthrough like this.
Boasting a net worth of $133 billion, Gates has also listed his Wayfinder yacht, valued at $59 million with Edmiston. Having backed out of owning the glorious $645 million Breakthrough, there was no need for a support vessel. The Microsoft co-founder’s sea-faring dreams may have ended, but a lucky billionaire is certainly close to making a breakthrough.
