A super yacht belonging to a Swiss businessman arrived in Aberdeen harbour yesterday.
Social media erupted as the 195ft Vive La Vie berthed at Regent Quay at about 10.50am.
The yacht belongs to entrepreneur Willy Michel, who founded Ypsomed – a company that manufactures and distributes infusion systems in medicine.
The 67-year-old has owned Vive La Vie since 2008.
Designed by Monaco’s Espen Oino and built by German shipbuilder Lurssen, Viva La Vie was made exactly to Mr Michel’s specifications.
The yacht includes seven cabins comfortably housing 13 guests, as well as separate accommodation for crew.
A striking design feature is the interior stairwell, which includes glass bridges suspended in woven steel grids. An illuminated glass sculpture incorporated within the nearby glass elevator can change colour depending on the mood of the guests.
The most impressive cabin belongs to the owner, and includes a rotating circular platform beneath the bed, to make the most of spectacular views through the full-height windows.
The vessel, which is registered in the Cayman Islands, features various other luxury features including a gym, Jacuzzi, two on-board tenders, and a dining table which can be raised to ceiling height to create a disco space.
Vive La Vie arrived in Aberdeen from Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, after making stops in Lerwick and Stromness.
With a top cruising speed of 15.5 knots (17.8mph) and a cruising speed of 12 knots (13.8mph) the yacht has a maximum range of around 7,000 nautical miles, or almost three times the distance of London to New York.
The yacht is expected to remain in the harbour until Wednesday, but its next destination is not yet known.
Mr Michel lives in Schloss Gumligen, an 18th century castle in the municipality of Muri bei Bern, Switzerland, and works as CEO of the Ypsomed Group. Most recent figures, from 2012, show the businessman to have an estimated fortune of £493million.
