Unwrapping a present, decoding a code, and unveiling a secret are some of the smaller joys in life. In this article, we reveal not one, but two secrets. The first is that the highly secretive Feadship 1011 is named the superyacht Ulysses. The second revelation is that it is owned by New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart. Few know that the billionaire once owned a motor yacht of the same name, which was sold in 2017.
The stunning superyacht, previously shrouded in secrecy, sailed in all its glory from Feadship’s Makkum site to its Amsterdam facility. Its appearance, with distinctive clean lines and a squared-off deck design, has intrigued onlookers since it hit the water in October.
The 338-foot vessel is a marvel with 100 square meters of exterior glass, featuring twenty exterior sliding doors, twelve glass windbreaks, and six-meter panels of glass along the main deck guest cabins. While Feadship successfully kept the remarkable Ulysses under wraps, Hart’s daughter took to social media to share details of the vessel. She revealed that the project was conceived during the lackluster Covid lockdown, involving “many hours of design and love.”
According to Stuff, Graeme Hart has taken delivery of his latest superyacht, equipped with four outdoor hot tubs, an expansive swimming pool spanning the full height of the main deck, and the largest tender boat garage door ever installed by the firm on a luxury vessel. Boat International reports that Ulysses is still undergoing final outfitting and will soon embark on sea trials later this year. Despite the ongoing work, the owners couldn’t stay away from their beautiful boat, which accommodates 20 guests and is serviced by a crew of 40.
The Hart family, including his daughter Gretchen Hawkesby, was present in Amsterdam for the boat launch. Ulysses is currently at the Feadship facility, but this didn’t stop the family from hosting a christening ceremony, complete with the traditional smashing of a champagne bottle against the hull. Hawkesby’s post read, ‘Such an amazing yet whirlwind trip to Amsterdam for the boat launch. Great friends, great boat, great memories made!’ It’s only a matter of time before the 338-foot superyacht Ulysses, with all the features of a 6000-ton yacht condensed into a sleeker 3000-ton model, sails to New Zealand.
About Graeme Hart –
With a new worth of $9.7 billion, Hart is New Zealand’s wealthiest person. He was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and attended the Mt. Rockhill Grammar School. He dropped out of school at 16 but worked hard with several manual jobs to keep the family running. From working as a tow truck driver to owning his own fleet of superyachts, the Kiwi billionaire has indeed come a long way. In 1977, he started his own printing press called Hart Printing and Office Supplies. The business was running smoothly but too slow for Hart’s ambition. Over the years, he changed and delved into several businesses, even managing an MBA from the University of Otago.
He bought and remade some of the most iconic businesses in New Zealand, like Whitcoulls and Reynolds Packaging Group. The 68-year-old has multiple residences in New Zealand, including in Auckland, Queenstown, and Waiheke Island. Hart also owns an entire island in Fiji. The tycoon also owned a fleet of yachts, namely the Amels ‘Here Comes The Sun,’ the U81 support vessel, and the CRN yacht Odyssey.
Note – As of the writing of this article, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Graeme Hart had a net worth of $9.7 billion (US).
