Chartering Richard Branson's Former Yacht Is the Best Way to Feel Like a Billionaire for a Week
Oh, you thought Richard Branson only had two private islands, a space tourism company, and a new cruise line for you to enjoy? Well, you thought wrong because you can apparently charter his former luxury catamaran, too.
Branson was the long-time owner of the boat the Bella Vita, which used to be called Necker Belle, likely after one of Branson’s private islands, Necker Island. Though he sold the boat in 2018 for an asking price of $3 million, fans of the entrepreneur can still rent the boat for a week so they too can feel like a billionaire.
As the boat’s listing on Charter World noted, the 105-foot vessel “is one of the world’s few very large luxury sailing catamarans.”
And, not only is the boat gorgeous, but she’s a winner too — she apparently won the 2010 best new refit at the World Superyacht Awards.
The boat, which is constructed using ultra-light carbon fiber helping it achieve “impressive 14 knots under power" and making it "capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots under sail."
The catamaran, built in 2003 and bought by Branson in 2009, can accommodate 10 charter guests in four cabins, along with six crew members. The boat comes with a master suite, a double cabin, and two twin cabins, each coming with its own en-suite shower rooms. In each room, guests will find a flat-screen T.V. and iPod docking stations.
Beyond the rooms, guests can also spend time in the boat’s main saloon. As the listing noted, its “spacious interior is furnished with maple and bamboo generating a cool, calm and relaxed atmosphere throughout.”
But, forget all that. According to Branson, the beauty of the catamaran is just how much fun you’ll have sailing it.
"I love the platform of a big catamaran. There's tons of space on board and it's so much more stable than a conventional monohull, so it's great for guests who sometimes feel queasy afloat," Branson previously shared. "I love to have friends on board to explore the nearby islands, and of course the submarine adds another whole dimension to cruising the Caribbean. It's like flying a mini fighter jet under water."
So, want to give it a try? All it takes is $70,000 a week and she’s yours.