The Yas, docked in Malaga's megayacht marina on Thursday. Ñito Salas

One of the largest megayachts in the world turns heads in Malaga marina again

The 141-metre-long luxury vessel is based on the hull of an old Dutch navy frigate. It has a helipad, several swimming pools, and capacity for 60 passengers and 56 crew members

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Friday, 12 May 2023, 08:16 | Updated 10:44h.

One of the largest megayachts in the world, the 141-metre-long Yas, has cruised into Malaga’s marina for luxury vessels again.

It is the second visit by the colossal craft, a former Dutch navy frigate, and it remains the largest to moor in the city centre facility. In the process, it has put many of the Muelle Uno restaurants and shops in the shade - literally.

The Yas, as it is known today, is actually the second life of another ship. Named Swift141 during her reconstruction, the Yas is based on the hull of an old frigate; Piet Hein, a Kortenaer class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was launched in 1978 and later sold to the United Arab Emirates Navy, where she operated under the name Al Emirat. This practice is not that rare, as a second frigate of the same class is in fact undergoing a similar conversion; the Abraham Crijnssen, renamed Abu Dhabi.

One of the most impressive features of the Yas is its size. It is 141-metres-long and has several swimming pools and helipad. Its interior was created by French designers House Pierrejean Vision Design Studio.

The megayacht is capable of carrying up to 60 guests and 56 crew members. The facilities include a beauty salon and a lift. Powered by two diesel engines, she cruises comfortably at 23 knots, with a top speed of 26 knots and a range of up to 5,758 nautical miles.

The ship belongs to Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prince of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, so it can be considered the official yacht of the Emirati crown. Known as Fazza, 40, the prince is very active on social media, where he has more than 12 million followers. With his snapshots, you can get a closer look at his luxury day-to-day life in Dubai.