Story and select photos by DinaRella / Professional imagery from Lürssen/Guillaume Plisson
The archetypical AHPO gigayacht – a title given to the next generation of yachts larger than the mere mega yachts – was the number one headliner at the 2023 Miami Boat Show. Longer than a football field and the 305-foot tall Statue of Liberty, the 378-footer broke all records and was the largest vessel to ever surface at a U.S. show.
Dominated by decadence, her name might mean grandmother in Hakka Chinese, but this $353 million modern floating wonderland ain’t your grandma’s gigayacht. Launched by Bremen, Germany-based shipyard Lürssen in 2021, and formerly known as Project ENZO (as in Ferrari), its inspirational cues from the Caribbean and nature, come courtesy of the owner, Michael Lee-Chin, a Jamaican-born Canadian entrepreneurial billionaire who owns an investment firm in Ontario.
With AHPO – the décor and details are the story! The list of materials used and staggering palette of precious stones, woods and marble is as long as the boat. Memorable black layers accentuate the six-deck aluminum superstructure and hull of steel designed by Italian powerhouse Nuvolari Lenard.
A prevailing natural winter garden theme envelops the interior which plays heavily on Asian influence from its silk wallpaper and flying flamingo inlays to its ginkgo leaves and red maple trees (artificial of course, since the sea would take its own salty course.) Key talking points include the antique map of Jamaica engraved in bronze and bordered by blue resin on the center table in the conference room and the self-playing Steinway piano to be enjoyed in the formal room after the on-water meeting is adjourned.
The wow-factor continues when stepping foot on the custom-built spiral staircase which eclipses the center of AHPO piece by piece and depicts an olive tree growing across the multiple decks by which the main column supports delicate crystal feathers that appear to fall to the floor. A large bamboo tree encased in backlit frosted glass also made its way to the wellness area embellished by a mosaic-tiled spa with a cold-plunge pool, Turkish hammam steam room and Himalayan salt sauna.
When the fitness routines and outdoor fun in the sun games are over, guests can grab a bag of popcorn and end the day at sea on a velvet seat in the IMAX cinema flanked by Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. The black and white fabric wall portraits of the owner’s favorite actor give the theater that old-school Hollywood feel.
Twin MTU 20V 4000-hp diesels deliver a high speed of 21 mph, whereas the sweet cruising spot around 14 mph will take you 8,500 nautical miles. Phenomenal in both radius and radicalism, checking out AHPO at the Yacht Harbor Grande Miami Marina, it was so immense that its 207-foot Lürssen sistership Utopia IV looked like a little Boston Whaler docked across from it. Most enamoring was the deeply-rooted family focus behind the build; and given what my gram meant to me; I found the AHPO moniker most apropos! The $30 mil operating cost per year is the equivalent of a mic drop; interested buyers should plan accordingly!
The archetypical AHPO gigayacht – a title given to the next generation of yachts larger than the mere mega yachts – was the number one headliner at the 2023 Miami Boat Show. Longer than a football field and the 305-foot tall Statue of Liberty, the 378-footer broke all records and was the largest vessel to ever surface at a U.S. show.
Dominated by decadence, her name might mean grandmother in Hakka Chinese, but this $353 million modern floating wonderland ain’t your grandma’s gigayacht. Launched by Bremen, Germany-based shipyard Lürssen in 2021, and formerly known as Project ENZO (as in Ferrari), its inspirational cues from the Caribbean and nature, come courtesy of the owner, Michael Lee-Chin, a Jamaican-born Canadian entrepreneurial billionaire who owns an investment firm in Ontario.
With AHPO – the décor and details are the story! The list of materials used and staggering palette of precious stones, woods and marble is as long as the boat. Memorable black layers accentuate the six-deck aluminum superstructure and hull of steel designed by Italian powerhouse Nuvolari Lenard.
A prevailing natural winter garden theme envelops the interior which plays heavily on Asian influence from its silk wallpaper and flying flamingo inlays to its ginkgo leaves and red maple trees (artificial of course, since the sea would take its own salty course.) Key talking points include the antique map of Jamaica engraved in bronze and bordered by blue resin on the center table in the conference room and the self-playing Steinway piano to be enjoyed in the formal room after the on-water meeting is adjourned.
The wow-factor continues when stepping foot on the custom-built spiral staircase which eclipses the center of AHPO piece by piece and depicts an olive tree growing across the multiple decks by which the main column supports delicate crystal feathers that appear to fall to the floor. A large bamboo tree encased in backlit frosted glass also made its way to the wellness area embellished by a mosaic-tiled spa with a cold-plunge pool, Turkish hammam steam room and Himalayan salt sauna.
When the fitness routines and outdoor fun in the sun games are over, guests can grab a bag of popcorn and end the day at sea on a velvet seat in the IMAX cinema flanked by Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. The black and white fabric wall portraits of the owner’s favorite actor give the theater that old-school Hollywood feel.
Twin MTU 20V 4000-hp diesels deliver a high speed of 21 mph, whereas the sweet cruising spot around 14 mph will take you 8,500 nautical miles. Phenomenal in both radius and radicalism, checking out AHPO at the Yacht Harbor Grande Miami Marina, it was so immense that its 207-foot Lürssen sistership Utopia IV looked like a little Boston Whaler docked across from it. Most enamoring was the deeply-rooted family focus behind the build; and given what my gram meant to me; I found the AHPO moniker most apropos! The $30 mil operating cost per year is the equivalent of a mic drop; interested buyers should plan accordingly!
