Launchpad

• LOA: 118 m
• Gross tonnage: 5,528 GT
• Delivered: 2024
• Builder: Feadship (De Voogt Naval Architects)
• Exterior design: Espen Oeino International
• Interior design: Francois Zuretti
• Propulsion: Diesel-electric, four MTU engines
• Guests / crew: up to 26 / around 49

The measure of a modern flagship

Launchpad sits near the very top of Feadship's output, a 118-metre yacht completed in 2024 with a gross tonnage of 5,528 GT. Numbers like these belong to a small group of full-displacement flagships, and only a few yards will take on a private vessel at this volume. She began as hull number 1010 and was reportedly ordered by a different client before the contract moved on during construction. The result is a yacht designed to cross oceans in genuine comfort rather than to pose in a marina.

What makes her significant is the way that scale is put to work. The extra length and beam create room for facilities that smaller yachts cannot carry, from a large helipad arrangement to expansive deck spaces and a crew complement of around 49. Space of this order changes how a yacht is lived on, allowing owner, guests and service to coexist without friction. Launchpad shows what the yard can achieve when a client removes the usual ceiling on size.

Espen Oeino lines over Dutch volume

The exterior is the work of Espen Oeino International, a studio known for giving very large yachts a sense of purpose and proportion. On Launchpad the styling leans towards a clean, almost naval profile, with a near-vertical bow that lengthens the waterline and helps the hull move efficiently at cruising speed. Long horizontal windows and disciplined deck lines keep the 118-metre body from reading as a wall of superstructure. De Voogt Naval Architects handled the underlying hull form.

Those exterior decks are the real luxury on a yacht of this length. Launchpad carries acres of usable outdoor area across multiple levels, giving owner and guests room to spread out at anchor. A large aft beach club opens the lower deck to the sea, while upper terraces command long views and take full advantage of the yacht's height above the water. The helipad forward is sized for serious use rather than occasional show. Every deck reads as a distinct outdoor room with its own mood.

One of the largest yachts Feadship has ever built, engineered for genuine ocean crossings.

Francois Zuretti and interior scale

The interior is credited to Francois Zuretti, a designer with long experience of dressing very large yachts and grand hotels. At 5,528 GT there is volume here for genuinely tall ceilings and wide social rooms, the kind of proportions that make a superyacht feel closer to a private residence. The accommodation reportedly serves up to 26 guests across 13 staterooms, a count that few yachts anywhere can match. That capacity points to a vessel built for large family groups and extended cruising.

With space this generous, the interior can dedicate whole zones to single purposes. There is room for a full wellness suite, formal and informal dining, and quiet retreats set well away from the busier social decks. The owner's quarters on a yacht of this class typically occupy a private deck of their own, insulated from guest and crew movement. Materials and finish follow the Feadship standard, where joinery and detailing are executed to a level that stands up to very close inspection.

Diesel-electric power for ocean range

Launchpad is driven by a diesel-electric arrangement built around four MTU engines, a configuration that suits a heavy displacement hull intended for long passages. The yard quotes a top speed of around 24 knots and a cruising speed near 16 knots, strong figures for a vessel of this tonnage. Range is reported at roughly 6,000 nautical miles at 14 knots, enough to link continents without anxiety over fuel. Diesel-electric layouts also help with noise, since the engines can run at their most efficient point.

Engineering a hull this large is as much about comfort as speed. At 118 metres the naval architecture aims to keep motion gentle in a seaway, so that life aboard continues normally when the weather turns. The volume also allows large tankage and technical spaces, supporting long autonomy away from port. Redundancy is built in across critical systems, reflecting the expectation that a yacht of this value will cruise remote waters. The overall package is engineered for reliability over many thousands of sea miles.

Ownership and market standing

Launchpad has been widely reported in the international press as belonging to Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, a link that Feadship has never confirmed and that the yard treats as private. What is documented is her origin as project 1010 and her reported reassignment to a new owner during the build. Yachts of this scale rarely reach an open market, since the pool of buyers able to run a 5,500 GT vessel is very small. Estimates of her cost have circulated in the press, though no official figure exists.

In market terms Launchpad reinforces Feadship's position at the top of the large-custom sector. Delivering a yacht of this length and finish is a demonstration few competitors can answer, and it strengthens the yard's case with the very wealthiest clients. Operating costs at this size run into many millions each year, covering crew, berthing, insurance and maintenance. That reality means owners of such vessels are self-selecting and committed for the long term. Each flagship of this kind resets expectations for what full custom can deliver.

Design

• Exterior: Espen Oeino International
• Interior: Francois Zuretti
• Naval architecture: Feadship - De Voogt Naval Architects

Who it is for: Owners who want a true ocean-going flagship at the very top of the size range, with room for large family groups, extended cruising and serious onboard support.

Guide price: Press-estimated value approx. USD 300 million (some sources cite up to USD 400M); owner widely reported as Mark Zuckerberg (built as Project 1010). Sources: YachtWorld, SuperYachtFan. Unofficial estimate, not a Feadship-published figure.