Did you ever wonder, what it must feel like to own a superyacht? They are pretty neat, they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but there is one that's bigger and more luxurious than anything we've ever fantasized about.

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The Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko (with estimated £6 billion net worth, he's 'only' the 97th wealthiest person on the planet, according to Forbes) decided his old, 190-million pound boat is ripe for an upgrade. We understand. It would be like driving the same old car your entire life and we just can't have that. He named his novice 'Sailing Yacht A', which is probably the simplest of names ever given to a beloved vessle - but it sticks and we assure you, you will never forget 'her' name.

This A-lister was built at a shipbuilding yard near Hamburg, Germany and was designed by the Frenchman Philippe Starck. It measures 468ft in length, with ship masts reaching almost 300ft high, making her the biggest sailing ship in the world. Her top speed is estimated at 21 knots and weighs almost 13,000 tons. The sailing dream comes with eight floors and even includes an underwater observation room on the bottom of the vessel, so rest assured, the view is quite out of this world!

According to Superyachtfan.com, Mr Melnichenko's boat is powered by a 'hybrid diesel-electric package with controllable pitch propellers,' and is said to accommodate up to 20 guests along with a crew of 54.

Mr Melnichenko invested $451 million into his new boat (which is only the initial cost - bare in mind this huge vessel needs to be properly taken care of on all levels at all times and provided with fuel), but expects to see the money flow back by licensing the technology developed for the vessel for commercial applications. 

The superyacht is ready to sail, but there is still a lot of work to be done inside. The utterly expensive interior will take several months to be completely furnished.

'Make no mistake - this will be a very significant ship. While precise details of the sailing rig have yet to be released, not since the days of the mighty clipper sailing ships, such as the Cutty Sark, has such a large sailing vessel been built," said Benjamin Maltby of MatrixLloyd.

Sept. 29, 2015 Driving photo: Carl Grol/yachtphoto.com

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