The world kept its eagle-eyed focus on the luxury vessels of centibillionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, hardly noticing what the Microsoft co-founder’s motoryacht managed to achieve. And no, we’re not talking about the $645 million Feadship masterpiece Breakthrough but a smaller, 224-foot superyacht catamaran named Wayfinder, commissioned by one of the wealthiest men in the world, worth $103 billion.
While Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million Launchpad superyacht and Wingman, its support vessel, cruised an impressive 29,932 nautical miles combined, Wayfinder set its own records, becoming one of the most traveled superyachts in 2024.
The Astilleros Armon-built vessel, delivered in 2021 as the Spanish yard’s largest creation to date, covered an extraordinary 27,825 nautical miles, according to Boat International. Onboard, it carried an armada of water toys, including Jet Skis, water skis, wakeboards, Seabobs, and a dive compressor.
Wayfinder consumed approximately 1,272,000 liters of fuel during its journey (the yacht boasts a fuel capacity of 200,000 liters and a maximum range of 4,400 nautical miles). Powered by twin MTU 16V 4000 M73L diesel engines, this record-breaking voyage also resulted in the production of approximately 3,387 metric tons of CO₂, equivalent to traveling 1.29 times the Earth’s circumference!
As for its features, Wayfinder accommodates 12 guests across 11 cabins and is equipped to host a helicopter and five large tenders. The vessel made its way to the Strait of Gibraltar in May, spending the summer cruising the picturesque Mediterranean, including stops in Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, and Greece.
Intriguingly, the catamaran, which can host up to 200 guests for events, was one of the first to grace NEOM’s Sindalah Island in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Province in October 2024.
Intended as a support vessel for the mothership Breakthrough, Wayfinder clocked even more miles, doubling back to celebrate New Year’s in Miami, Florida. Whether the 68-year-old Gates ever boarded this remarkable yacht remains uncertain, as Wayfinder was listed for sale with Edmiston Yachts in June 2024.
The same luxury broker that managed its charter listing facilitated its sale in September 2024. The $59 million vessel, featuring a pickleball court, a medical room, a fold-out gym, and other luxe amenities, closed its chapter in Gates’ fleet, marking yet another milestone for this extraordinary superyacht.
