150 YEARS of SUPERYACHTS STYLE

Here's why Benetti's expensive-but-worth-it vessels have been favored by the beautiful people, from James Bond to Donald Trump, David Bowie and Jay-Z

- JARED PAUL STERN

It's safe to say that when it comes to chartering a superyacht, Beyoncé and Jay-Z can literally choose any vessel in the world. Price is obviously no object-their combined net worth is said to be about $3 billion-and even an owner who doesn't normally rent out his yacht could hardly resist an offer from the superstar duo. So it's telling that on an epic trip to Croatia in 2020, they decided to set sail on the 350-ft. Benetti-built "Lana," one of the most luxurious and expensive yachts in the world.

"Lana," which reportedly cost around $2 million per week to charter at the time, houses 12 guests along with 34 crew in an array of sybaritic staterooms. It features a spa with multiple treatment rooms, a cinema, beach club, helipad and more, helping it win numerous design awards, including "Yacht of the Year" (270 ft.-plus LOA) during the 2019 edition of the World Yachts Trophies in Cannes. It has since reportedly been acquired by a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family, who joins a long list of illustrious Benetti owners, from Prince Rainier of Monaco to David Bowie and Donald Trump; a Benetti superyacht belonging to the infamous Adnan Khashoggi was even featured in the 1983 Bond film "Never Say Never Again."

The iconic Italian shipyard, now part of Azimut Benetti Group, has been in the business for 150 years, and to help celebrate the milestone, Assouline has brought out a suitably stylish, oversized book titled simply "Benetti" from the French luxury publisher's Legends Collection. "This new volume is a celebration of the heritage and dedication of all the people-founders, designers and the entire workforce-who have made Benetti a touchstone in the global luxury yachting world," as Assouline put it in a promo for the book written by Kevin Koenig, one of the world's most authoritative yachting journalists.