Lionheart yacht: The $150M Benetti Superyacht of Sir Philip Green

The Lionheart yacht lives up to its noble name. This 90-meter (295-foot) Benetti-built superyacht, reportedly worth about $150 million, is a floating palace of luxury at sea. Owned by British retail tycoon Sir Philip Green, Lionheart embodies the opulence and grandeur that yacht enthusiasts dream about. Sir Philip – of Topshop/Arcadia fame – commissioned Lionheart as the third in a line of family yachts. Today, her gleaming white decks and distinctive lines turn heads wherever she sails, from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. In this article we’ll explore Lionheart’s cutting-edge design and amenities, the story of its high-profile owner and brand legacy, famous ports of call, and the yacht’s coveted status in the global luxury yachting world.

Design and Features of the Lionheart Yacht

Benetti’s 90m Lionheart was unveiled in 2016 as the Italian builder’s first yacht over 80 meters. She was designed by Benetti’s own team – with Stefano Natucci handling the exterior lines and Monaco’s Green & Mingarelli studio (led by Tina Green) creating the interiors. The hull is made of high-tensile steel with an aluminum superstructure, giving the yacht both strength and speed. Her sleek profile spans four decks, including broad side balconies and a sky lounge. On deck, the amenities read like a five-star resort: a sprawling beach club at the waterline, a fully-equipped gym and day spa midships, a beauty salon and a cinema-style lounge.

Lionheart’s upper deck is an entertainment platform: it hosts a swimming pool with hot tub, ample sun lounges, and even a helipad for VIP arrivals. Multiple guest elevators whisk owners and guests effortlessly between decks. Beneath the luxury fittings, engineers packed in features for smooth sailing: she has state-of-the-art diesel-electric engines and at-anchor stabilizers for rock-steady comfort. In short, Lionheart combines hardened yacht engineering (steel hull) with resort-style extras – the ultimate in high-seas extravagance.

Lionheart’s Owner: Sir Philip Green and Brand Legacy

Lionheart is famously tied to British billionaire Sir Philip Green. Green made his fortune as chairman of Arcadia Group, the high-street retail empire behind Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and others. Often called the “King of the High Street,” he built a reputation for luxury and celebrity association. Green’s personal life is as lavish as his business: he and his family split time between London hotels and Monaco, and he’s known for throwing epic parties on yachts. In fact, The Guardian observed Green “pacing the decks of his £100m superyacht Lionheart…in the tax haven of Monaco” as a frequent sight.

Tina Green – Sir Philip’s wife – plays a key role in Lionheart too. A successful entrepreneur herself, Tina co-founded the Green & Mingarelli design studio. She took the lead on Lionheart’s interior decor, ensuring every detail matched the family’s taste. According to LuxuryLaunches, Tina gave the yacht a signature style: “interiors stem from the stable of Green & Mingarelli…refined by the personal touch of the owner’s wife, Tina Green”. The result is a cohesive blend of personal branding and yacht glamour – for example, one of Lionheart’s tenders (a VanDutch motorboat) is famously airbrushed with a lion motif, a nod to the family crest.

Lionheart isn’t the only vessel in the Green family’s fleet. Sir Philip and Tina also own the 63m Benetti Lioness V (originally named Lionheart in 2006) and a fast Mangusta 108 speedboat called Lionchase. The Lioness V is a smaller six-cabin yacht also built by Benetti, while Lionchase serves as a high-speed tender (capable of ~37 knots) for quick excursions. Together, these yachts reflect the Greens’ decades-long love affair with the sea, luxury design, and large-scale yacht projects.

Notable Voyages and Destinations

Since her delivery in 2016, Lionheart has crisscrossed prime cruising grounds worldwide. Her maiden voyage was a commissioning trip through the Mediterranean – from Benetti’s Livorno shipyard down to Malta. In summer months she often lingers in the Riviera: Lionheart is a familiar sight in Port Hercules, Monaco, especially during high-profile events like the Monaco Grand Prix. In fact, Megayacht News notes that Lionheart “calls on Monaco…regularly” and is often spotted among the flotilla of megayachts in Port Hercule. This makes sense since the Greens keep a residence in Monaco; Sir Philip himself has been described as “most at home” onboard Lionheart in the tax-friendly harbor of Monaco.

Outside Europe, Lionheart has ventured across the Atlantic. In late 2017, Curbed Miami reported the 295-foot yacht docked at Miami’s Watson Island marina. The Miami stop showcased the yacht’s top-deck jacuzzi, beach club and other features to the U.S. market – Curbed noted: “the Benetti vessel features a jacuzzi on the top deck with surround sound; a helipad; an elevator; a pool; a beach club; and a beauty salon.”. She’s also been seen in the Bahamas and Caribbean, often anchoring at exclusive islands and resorts while her owners vacation in privacy. Wherever Lionheart sails, she cruises at a leisurely pace (around 15 knots), giving guests time to enjoy the views and amenities.

Lionheart in the Global Luxury Yacht Industry

In the world of superyachts, Lionheart ranks as an elite vessel. With a length overall of 90.0 m and nearly 3,000 gross tons, she sits among the largest private yachts ever built. In fact, industry trackers list Lionheart in the top 100 longest and highest-tonnage yachts worldwide. Upon her 2016 launch, Benetti proudly promoted Lionheart as a milestone: “Through her grand presence of 90 meters, Benetti officially gains status as one of the few manufacturers of yachts over 80 meters”. That special division of 80m+ projects is a rarefied category – only a handful of shipyards (like Lürssen, Feadship, Oceanco, and Benetti) build yachts of this scale.

Benetti itself is part of the Azimut|Benetti Group, a leading name in luxury yachts. Lionheart helped reinforce Benetti’s reputation for custom megayachts. Globally, yachts like Lionheart are symbols of the upper echelon of wealth and design. They push the boundaries of naval architecture (crafting steel/aluminum hulls, sophisticated systems and opulent interiors) and are built to exacting standards (Lloyd’s Register certification in Lionheart’s case). In short, Lionheart stands at the crossroads of cutting-edge yacht engineering and ultra-luxury lifestyle – a true icon in today’s superyacht fleet.

Conclusion

The Lionheart yacht is more than just a boat; it’s a statement. From her meticulous Benetti design and deck-load of amenities to her famous owner and globe-trotting voyages, Lionheart represents the pinnacle of modern yachting prestige. She offers yacht enthusiasts a glimpse into a world where no expense is spared for comfort or style. Whether cutting through Mediterranean waves or anchored in a tropical cove, Lionheart commands attention as one of the most luxurious private yachts afloat. For fans of high-end boating, her story – and Sir Philip Green’s personal touch – make the Lionheart an unforgettable legend of the sea.

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