The 290-foot Illusion Plus, the biggest Chinese-made yacht ever, has a list price of $145 million.
Source: Y.CoChina’s Rich Are Different: They Don’t Buy Superyachts
In the wake of campaign against corruption, conspicuous toys have become a hard sell.
There’s a method to selling a superyacht, and for Hong Kong boat broker Eric Noyel, it hasn’t been working. At least not with the Chinese.
You start, of course, with a very big boat. It doesn’t have to be the yacht you’re trying to unload. One evening in January, Noyel uses a 79-foot vessel he partly owns to wow would-be buyers. Then, like he did, you line up a few deep-pocketed prospects, including, in this case, the handler of the rare Chinese-born mogul who already owns a yacht and is said to be in the market for something bigger. Finally, you pile on the extravagances. Noyel’s team at Asia Marine Yacht Services Ltd. recruited a harpist to pluck gentle melodies during a seven-course meal prepared by an onboard chef, along with a French sommelier to suggest wine pairings. But the night didn’t end in a sale.