Famous all-carbon superyacht gets $2 million more knocked off price
Painted gold, and with a uniquely light and efficient construction, the 162-foot Khalilah has long been well known among yacht owners. But it can’t seem to find a buyer.
Some yacht owners like to be inconspicuous. That’s not the case for the owner of the 162-foot Khalilah, whose sports yacht is painted gleaming gold, has its own matching miniature chase boat and has a unique carbon-fiber construction that ensures reduced fuel consumption and maximum efficiency.
The yacht, the largest private ship built entirely out of carbon composite, was delivered to its owner in 2014, and appeared on the market briefly in 2019 and again in 2023. In November 2024, yacht brokerage My Ocean took on the task of selling it, knocking €1 million off the price and, this past week, slashing €2 million more. It’s now listed for €19.9 million ($20.5 million).
“This isn’t for someone who wants to blend in,” says Jonny Dodge, chief executive officer of My Ocean. Since his company has taken on the yacht, there’s been a cooling market, hence the price drops. According to a report published by the Monaco Yacht Show, the largest yacht sales event of the year, the market has been steadily quieting down over the past four years, and it’s not predicted to stop anytime soon.
Compared with 2023, sales of used yachts such as the Khalilah were down 9%. “Industry observers are seeing that sellers are gradually getting to grips with the price expectations that prospective buyers have as of mid-2024,” the report notes. “In practice, this means we are seeing more and bigger price adjustments.”
Dodge envisions its new owner as someone “young, forward-thinking” who is passionate about “innovation, impact and standing out.” The yacht’s buyer would also be potentially interested in crypto (because the company specializes in cryptocurrency sales).
They’re probably also on the hunt for a lot of space. The yacht has a unique tri-hull design that makes it especially wide. It gives the Khalilah a slightly bulky look at certain angles, but it feels like a fair trade for the extensive volume of the interior. Five cabins accommodate 11 people, plus extra space for a crew of nine.
The yacht’s name means “friend” and “paramour” in Arabic.The all-carbon-fiber yacht, currently moored in Barcelona, was built in the US in 2014 by Palmer Johnson; once one of the most prestigious builders in the US, the shipyard announced it was shuttering operations at its facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, a year later.
Of the 83 yachts in its fleet, 20 are currently on the market, and the Khalilah is the second-most expensive (following the 172-foot Sanam, built in 2016 and asking about $26.9 million).
Because it’s built out of carbon fiber, the yacht is slightly more lightweight and therefore more fuel-efficient than comparably sized yachts built out of metal or plastic.
Source: Bloomberg
