If it’s a superyacht, it will sail regardless of sun, rain, sanctions, or sabbaticals. After a prolonged hiatus, due to being collateral for bail, billionaire Joe Lewis got back his $250 million motoryacht Aviva, and it is once again on the move after nearly a year. Facing insider-trading charges in the US, the British businessman relied on the massive 322-foot Aviva, along with his private jet, to secure a $300 million bond.
Now docked at Kalamata in South Greece, as per Marine Traffic, after bidding adieu to Zakynthos earlier this week, the swift journey must’ve allowed the floating mansion, complete with a paddle court, to stretch its legs after nearly seven months of being motionless.
While it’s unclear if the 86-year-old hopped aboard his pleasure craft, he did pay the $5 million fine after the settlement of his case in Manhattan, as reported by the publication. With a net worth of $7.3 billion, the tycoon must have heaved a sigh of relief.
Not only is the yacht a stellar asset, but it also houses impressive artworks from the Tavistock Group tycoon’s private art collection which itself is valued at over $1 billion and features works of Picasso, Freud, Klimt, and Degas.
It’s surprising that he chose to offer this magnificent vessel as collateral, considering the billionaire’s global empire includes several five-star hotels. The events that unfolded aboard the Abeking vessel were so significant that authorities deemed them key pieces of evidence.
According to Bloomberg, one night in September 2019, the billionaire received favorable news about Mirati Therapeutics Inc., an oncology company where he was a major investor, leading him to pass along the tip to various people, including the pilots of his private jet, as stated by US regulators. Even the pilots were charged with trading on inside information. Lewis was indicted in the US and accused of divulging inside information on the stock market with romantic partners, close friends, and assistants.”
Not his first yacht, but Aviva is the first with a paddle court –
Abeking & Rasmussen had delivered Lewis’s first 223-foot Aviva yacht for the yacht-enthusiast billionaire. Spending months on end on his pleasure craft for business and pleasure, Lewis returned to the shipyard with a ballooning net worth and interests, commissioning a boat that would essentially function as his primary home.
He desired more toys, a larger interior, and most importantly, a paddle court to support his passion for paddle tennis. The owner’s demand was to make the court permanent and indoors, as opposed to the modular paddle courts offered in today’s market.
The real challenge was placing the court at the maximum beam location with 22-foot-high ceilings, eventually incorporated into the lower deck. Paddle courts are typically built on concrete floors, but in Aviva’s case, the base was made of steel, with a sprinkling of two tons of special sand covered in astro-turf.
The grand master suite boasts a stunning 164-foot owner’s wardrobe inspired by Chanel boutiques, while guests are treated like royalty in eight well-appointed suites. Aviva superyacht also features a helipad, spa, and cinema. The motoryacht, powered by two MTU 16V 4000 turbo diesels, flaunts a speed of up to 20 knots.
