joe lewis yacht tennis court

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Aviva: Inside the 98.4m Abeking & Rasmussen flagship yacht

The owner of Aviva challenged his design team to build a yacht around a padel tennis court — and 98m, 4,966GT and a mere three years later, she was launched.

She’s big — let’s get that out of the way. At 98.4 metres,  Aviva  became the 46th longest yacht in the world when she was delivered by  Abeking & Rasmussen  in 2017, and there are very few boats of her length that can match her for volume.

Her 17.24 metre beam is so generous that the designers pulled in the bridge deck superstructure to add side decks — improving crew circulation and refining the profile — because “we just didn’t need that much beam”.

They were right: spaces on board are magnificently expansive, from guest suites the size of the master suite on a 50 metre to an owner’s wardrobe that is, designer Andrew Langton notes quite seriously, “bigger than my house in France”. The fact that scale sits fairly low down on the list of Aviva ’s extraordinary features speaks to the imagination and belief-beggaring ambition of this project.

Aviva is the third yacht of her name delivered to owner Joe Lewis, British businessman and major shareholder in Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The first, a 62 metre Winch design, was built at Feadship in the Netherlands; the second, a 68 metre Reymond Langton design , at Abeking & Rasmussen on the banks of the Weser river in Lemwerder, near Bremen.

For his grandest project yet Lewis returned to Abeking. “They were, surprisingly, much less conservative than other people. Maybe it’s because of the military stuff they do,” says Toby Silverton, head of design on the project, working with Reymond Langton, and who was also involved in Lewis’s two previous projects.

The yard’s biggest project had been 82.48 metre Secret and to take on Aviva it extended its build shed to accommodate yachts of up to 125 metres — a bold move into a larger size category. And its courage didn’t end there.

“Build a big yacht around a padel tennis court was the main brief, I guess,” says the yard’s project manager Andreas Hering, with admirable understatement. “In three years.”

• How 74.5m Abeking & Rasmussen Elandess sprang from a blank sheet of paper

A project of this size might easily take five years, even if the yard already had a shed big enough for the purpose. And this was a highly unusual project. Design was accelerated too: the complex interior was penned in six months, when they would have liked a year; and the exterior in just one month, when it might more comfortably have taken six.

Knowing that makes Aviva ’s elegant profile even more impressive. “There was a lot of work to [visually] break up the mass, using facets,” says Langton. “We also tried to keep the lines long, so the sheer line is very long and jumps up forward with a clean line.”

They also minimised the details that act as size references, to disguise the scale. Rub rails are eliminated, stanchions replaced with glass, crew quarters windows are grouped to create long lines of glazing and even the anchor pocket has been elongated and disguised, lest a little square of gleaming stainless gives the game away.

Some upright elements of the silver superstructure were also picked out in a darker shade. “They disappear a bit, which makes the slope of the boat more raked,” says Langton.

The long bow adds to the effect, but the aesthetic is the beneficiary of a practical decision: this boat will roam far and the long covered bow makes it likely to survive the kind of rogue waves that have battered a few cruise ships over the years.

“I talked to the captain of the QE2 who went through a wave, and what happens is all the wheelhouse windows smash, they had four foot of water, you then lose all your instruments and they had no ability to control the boat, communicate or navigate,” says Silverton.

To strengthen Aviva he added extra watertight doors and armoured the two forward VIP cabins and superyacht wheelhouse so that they could be sealed off to save the boat. “You can lose everything on the bridge and you can still navigate and control the boat from the engine room,” he says.

Apart from safety, the main aim of the naval architecture was stability. Before the build of Lewis’s second Aviva , Silverton had been frustrated by a lack of data on how rolling motion affects passengers, so he put 36 people in a motion simulator for three days.

“There’s two things: one is the period of roll and the second is the way it rolls,” he says. “The typical roll period of the 62 metre would be around 7.5-7.8 seconds, one of two roll periods people were particularly upset by. And we found that if it was a soft stop and then a soft movement away again, people were much more tolerant of it.”

The design of the second boat addressed those concerns and the new Aviva ’s hull — patent pending — is an evolution of that. It has a nipped in “waist” which bulges back out below the waterline. This both slows and softens the roll. Her near-vertical bow and narrow sailing boat-like stern (which helps reduce pitching) also aid efficiency.

So much so that they were able to go down two engine sizes from the original spec (she has two MTU 16V4000 M73Ls, which put out 2,880kW each) and still hit 20.3 knots in sea trials. Silverton notes that she runs most comfortably at a zippy 16.5 knots, despite an official cruising speed of 14 knots.

Supplementary electric motors offer smooth manoeuvring and silent 11 knot running at night, while extra solidity comes from MAGLift stabilisers aft and one pair of fin stabilisers forward.

But it is the padel tennis court that lies literally and metaphorically at the heart of this project. This high intensity squash-tennis hybrid is a daily routine for Lewis and his explorations with his previous yachts had been limited to destinations with courts.

“The original idea I had was to put it on the aft end main deck and have folding panels and sliding walls,” says Langton. “It never even entered my head to put it inside, because it’s so big.”

Not only would putting the court at the back have made for a profile that Langton likens to a pick-up truck, but Silverton notes that the court would not have been playable at main-deck level. “You’re way above the roll centre, so it’s moving sideways – humans can’t cope with sideways movement of the ground,” says Silverton. “So we looked at putting it as low down as possible.”

Achieving such a large area in that position was an engineering feat but the results are spectacular. Its dimensions short-circuit spatial understanding — it seems impossible that this towering 6.65 metre tall space could be accommodated in Aviva ’s profile.

But it is, and it functions beautifully. “We’re running along at 19 knots, white horses everywhere, and they’re downstairs playing padel having no idea that there’s any sea at all,” says Silverton.

This sort of intelligent ambition has transformed every space on board into something special. “The owner has been in many businesses – hospitality, hotels – so he really understands how spaces work,” says Silverton.

Apart from strategically placed pantries and concealed crew entrances, there are three massive dumb waiters, a lower deck entrance for loading supplies, a dedicated crew galley and much more. The final GA was version 57.

On the more glamorous side of this equation, the upper saloon is a highly functional family room that’s comfortable, bright and airy. The sofas are extra squashy, and there’s a games table as well as a sculptural Bogányi piano.

The head height is 2.6 metres and nine metres of openable full-height windows run along each side of the room – with balconies. Rather than the usual glass, doors to the aft deck are leather clad, making the room feel more private. In fine weather, with those doors open, glass panels slide out to surround the aft deck dining area, creating one long, protected inside/outside space.

Designing such a huge area without pillars for support was a challenge and the corners are, says Hering, packed with extra structure. “Also, in the ceiling, all the girders are very thick because the unsupported length is just enormous.”

In contrast to this space, the main saloon below is a glamorous introduction to Aviva , up the sweeping superyacht staircase from the swim platform and inside to take in starry pieces from the owner’s art collection from a round of sunken seating. Adding a dash of intrigue there’s a secret cinema forward of the space, behind a hidden door.

The master suite is in the nose of the main deck rather than higher up, for extra stability. It stretches from a full-beam cabin to a massive bathroom centred with a monolithic Corian bathtub (there’s a spa just aft of the cabin for even more serious pampering), to a wardrobe-cum-dressing room of spectacular scale and glamour, inspired by Chanel boutiques.

But while some spaces are grand in scale, others are decidedly intimate. Rather than a dining saloon, there are two art-filled “bistros” on board for cosy meals, and many other small dining areas elsewhere. The owner’s bridge deck office is also modestly proportioned, with a conference room next door for larger meetings.

In terms of interior style, the owner’s brief was for something revolutionary. “He didn’t want anything to be symmetrical, it had to be curvy or organic,” says Langton. “He wanted it to be very different. No wood, nothing traditional.”

From the furniture and fittings to walls and overheads, there is barely a straight line on this boat. That was no mean feat for Abeking & Rasmussen’s outfitter Rodiek, which, as well as building most of the yacht’s bespoke furniture in organic forms, produced undulating wall panels from high density CNC-milled foam. “Five or ten years ago this was only used to do models or moulds for the car industry. It is very expensive,” says Langton.

It is, however, perfect for creating curves. “For this boat we decided to use a lot of new materials, even for the base materials, because of the big curved ceiling spaces,” says Hilmar Westermeyer, COO of Rodiek, who had to buy a new CNC milling machine for the project. Rodiek works only for Abeking & Rasmussen (and vice versa) in a symbiotic relationship.

In terms of the interior styling, the ethos was love it or lose it — at least visually. “This door disappears when it is closed and becomes part of the wall,” says Langton in one of the forward VIPs, swinging it to the latch, where its undulations perfectly meet those on the wall. “You either make a door a feature, make it beautiful, or you make it disappear.” The same goes for handles: those on wardrobes are invisible, but ones used on cabin doors are gnarled and textural, incorporated into a cracked bronze plate “like desert clay”.

“Because we’ve not used any wood, basically the whole interior is a mixture of leather and lacquer, it’s really almost tailored.” Take the artfully stitched cream leather of window frames, or the iridescent shot silk that runs down the broad main deck corridor, printed with a bespoke cartographical motif.

A neutral palette is enriched with precious materials: sunset-toned onyx, vanilla marble, shagreen, shimmering leathers. There are glossy panels dripping with resin and acrylic by Alex Turco in the lobby, and panels of velvet mottled with gold, by Sabina Fay Braxton, above guest beds. Staircases are works of art; one with floating treads like turbine blades, another a leather and glass form that spirals up from the floor.

This interior — where, as Langton puts it, almost every surface has “richness and form” – melts into the deck spaces via visual tricks: organic patterns in the Esthec decking that continue in the interior carpets; or the bar that is half in the main saloon and half on the aft deck, a mirror image joining the two spaces.

The superyacht sundeck is the exterior equivalent of the upper saloon — a comfortable family lounge. This massive space, with sunshine yellow upholstery, runs from a shaded central area for dining, with a projector for movie nights, to an aft sunbathing area with sunpads (with a wedge shape to sit as well as lie) and another forward around a spa pool, set low against a glass windbreak for spectacular views.

This forward end is a cosy space like so many on board. It’s that understanding of usable, enjoyable spaces, of human scale, human comfort and passions that makes Aviva a truly grand design. Those 98 metres just help pack it all on board.

First published in the April 2018 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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The first yacht to house a  full-sized 

Padel tennis court.

98M SUPERYACHT- 'AVIVA' 

Joe Lewis, the British billionaire, Chairman of Tavistock Group and the 5th richest man in the UK, commissioned this stunning superyacht which was launched in January 2017. She is believed to be valued at US$250 million! That’s £204,225,000.00 GBP!  

When Joe’s not at his home in the Bahamas, where Tavistock Group is based, he will be enjoying the luxury on board this 98-metre (322 ft) vessel. He says it’s his ‘home away from home’ and spends much of the year on board, using it as a floating office, wherever in the world it might be. 

At the time, Aviva was the largest creation designed by Reymond Langton. It was built by Abeking & Rasmussen who had to create a special system and pontoon in order to launch the super structure, 33 months after signing the contract. 

Her hybrid drive system is a special feature whereby using just electric power, and not the main engines, she can cruise at 11 knots. With an eco-friendly system that requires less engine output and reduced fuel consumption, she can reach a max speed of 20 knots. 

She sleeps 16 guests in 8 cabins and accommodates a crew of 25 over 12 cabins. 

TENNIS COURT

  Although you won’t see Aviva in the first half of the ‘top 100 largest yachts in the world’, she is the first yacht to house a full-sized padel tennis court. The indoor court stretches across a 10 metre width, 20 metre length, and 6.65 metre height. It’s hard to imagine a space like this inside any type of yacht, but with her 5000 gross tonnage of interior volume, the size of the court didn’t have to be compromised. 

 Joe plays the sport with his guests or his crew members, who are also encouraged to use the ‘sports hall’ for football and other exercise activities when the net is removed. Not only that, but there is a small lounging area for spectators, hidden behind a protective net. 

Aviva’s tenders are launched through her side doors, and she also boasts a ‘beach club’ area created by a swimming platform that opens up onto the ocean.  

This year Forbes valued Joe Lewis at £4.358 Billion

  The 82-year-old owner has an impressive portfolio after starting his career at the age of 15, joining his father’s catering company in London. He made his initial wealth from the sale of that company in 1979, then switched his residency to the Bahamas and moved into currency trading. He now has investments in over 200 businesses and is a Tottenham Hotspur FC major shareholder.  

FOURTH YACHT

  Prior to his 98-meter flagship, Joe owned 3 other yachts. His first was a 62-meter Feadship in 1998, called Lady Aviva. However, this caught fire later, in the Red Sea, and was eventually salvaged by Dennis Washington, who transformed the yacht, renaming her Attessa III. Joe’s second yacht was the 60-meter Oceanco, named Alfa Four, which was built in 2004. She is now known as Sea Pearl. In 2007, Joe took delivery of a 68-meter Aviva, also built by Abeking & Rasmussen. 

Joe must like his toys as we are also aware that he owns a private jet worth US$30 million (£24,504,600.00 GBP). The Embraer Legacy 600, which seats 12 passengers, has a registration that refers to Tottenham Hotspurs FC and reads; ‘G-THFC’. 

 Aviva was recently moored at Keppel Bay in Singapore, where we managed to get a few shots of her in all her glory! 

The blue innovative steel hull design really stands out in the crowd.  

  For more Motor Yacht News, click the link below.

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Inside Tottenham owner Joe Lewis' £113m superyacht: Luxurious private haven features a full-sized tennis court, a floating office, PRICELESS art work and can carry 35 crew members... as billionaire is indicted in the US

• Tottenham owner Joe Lewis has been indicted in the US for insider trading 
• The billionaire spends most of the year on board his luxurious superyacht, Aviva 
• His vessel, worth £113million, holds a large tennis court and numerous amenities 

By Daniel Davis For Mailonline

Published: 11:15 EDT, 26 July 2023 | Updated: 13:57 EDT, 26 July 2023

View comments

Tottenham owner Joe Lewis is seldom seen at Spurs matches, instead preferring to enjoy a life of luxury floating through the Caribbean on his luxury yacht.

Lewis, a self-made billionaire from the East End of London, is a reclusive businessman who resides primarily in the Bahamas aboard his £113m boat, Aviva.

According to the Forbes Rich List, he holds an estimated fortune of £4.3bn, allowing him to make full use of his riches and invest in a number of flashy amenities. 

One of these, his superyacht, is believed to be his home for most of the year and has been referred to as his private office. 

When he is not working, Lewis is able to use a full-sized tennis court below decks, as well as a pool, gym and a spacious sundeck.

Yesterday, however, the reclusive 86-year-old was thrust into the spotlight in the US after being indicted for 'brazen' insider trading . Federal prosecutors have alleged that he had passed on inside information 'to compensate employees'.

Joe Lewis' incredible £113million superyacht is one of his most treasured possessions 

The incredible yacht features ultra-modern design and sleek interiors throughout

The rear view of the boat displays its enormity spread over five above-water floors

There are workout facilities on board and also a tennis court on the inside 

Tottenham's British billionaire owner Lewis has been indicted in the United States

Lewis, founder of investment firm The Tavistock Group, faces more than a dozen charges, though his lawyers have said they plan to defend him 'vigorously' and he has handed himself in to the authorities in Manhatten.

The next steps of the unfolding legal bombshell are uncertain, but at least for now, Lewis or his associates are expected to continue making use of his seaworthy haven.

Aviva, crafted by Abeking and Rasmussen and designed by Reymond Langton, was built in 2007 and is 323ft in size. It can host up to 16 people and 35 crew members, and in sea trials reached an impressive 20 knots (23mph). 

The standout feature is the state-of-the-art tennis court, located in the lower deck. The room is 20 metres long and the yacht was effectively designed around it. 

Elsewhere, the owner's suite on the upper deck features an office, private lounge and a large en-suite bathroom.  The remaining guest cabins, made up of two VIP suites and five more double cabins, are also completed with en suite facilities.

Lewis' yacht also contains a beach club, a gym, a swimming pool and a spa, with an elevator making for easy access to each of the decks. 

Furthermore, there is thought to be a 'secret' cinema on board and tucked out of sight, as well as a piano and large salon with sprawling windows and balconies. 

The behemoth serves effectively as a floating office for the 86-year-old Lewis

The panoramic view from the control room offers the captain a full range of vision

Lewis is seen here in his younger years while moored at Fife in Scotland 

There is intense security on board and with good reason, with plenty of art to protect

The boat carries part of Lewis' sizeable art collection, made of genuine originals, too.

It  is understood to have a priceless work by British painter Francis Bacon on a wall on its lower deck. And his collection also includes works by Degas, Lucian Freud, Klimt, Modigliani, Matisse and Picasso. 

Aviva is made from steel and an aluminium superstructure, with the yacht powered by twin diesel-electric engines with an output of 3,862 horsepower. 

Once spotted moored on the Thames, Aviva has been refitted twice since launch.

In May 2013, Spurs' players embarked on a trip to the Bahamas and were welcomed on board the sleek vessel, leaving Michael Dawson, their former captain, stunned.

'I had never met him before, so it was nice to go over there and a great experience,' Dawson said, reflecting on his experience on Aviva.

'What a really nice guy. And that yacht is unreal! But he's just a normal guy.

'You could chat to him about anything. He tunes into all the games, he loves it.

'We just sat there chatting. He made us feel so welcome over there. It was relaxed. A lot of team-bonding together.'

On Lewis' indictment, a statement from Tottenham read: 'This is a legal matter unconnected with the club and as such we have no comment.'

In a dramatic statement delivered by video, US Attorney Damian Williams said: 'My office, the Southern District of New York has indicted Joe Lewis, the British billionaire, for orchestrating a brazen insider trading scheme.

Aviva was crafted by Abeking and Rasmussen and designed by Reymond Langton

Tottenham players have been on board previously when Lewis decides to entertain

Aviva was effectively built around the state of the art tennis court on board

There are myriad options for anyone on board to relax, including by the rear of the yacht

There is a beach club, swimming pool and spa on board the Aviva, worth more than £113m

The yacht is vast and can reach speeds of up to 23mph in full flight if required

'We allege that for years Joe Lewis abused his access to corporate boardrooms and repeatedly provided inside information to his romantic partners, his personal assistants, his private pilots and his friends.

'Those folks then traded on that inside information and made millions of dollars on the stock market because - thanks to Lewis - those bets were a sure thing.'

Williams then added: 'Now, none of this was necessary. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man. But as we allege he used inside information as a way to compensate his employees or shower gifts on his friends and lovers. It is classic corporate corruption. 

'It's cheating and it's against the law. That's why Joe Lewis has been indicted and will face justice here in the Southern District of New York.'

Share or comment on this article: Inside Tottenham owner Joe Lewis' £113m superyacht: Luxurious private haven features a full-sized tennis court, a floating office, PRICELESS art work and can carry 35 crew members... as billionaire is indicted in the US

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Billionaire ex-Tottenham owner's massive superyacht labelled an 'eyesore' by Dartmouth residents

The colossal 322ft Aviva, owned by former Spurs owner Joe Lewis, has been anchored in the picturesque town since early August

• 08:39, 2 SEP 2024

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Locals have branded a superyacht owned by billionaire former Spurs owner Joe Lewis an "absolute eyesore" after it moored in their Devon town a month ago.

The massive £250 million, 322ft Aviva, which serves as the magnate's floating home and office complete with a full-size padel tennis court, has been anchored off Dartmouth since early August. The vessel embarked from Troon, Scotland, docking around August 5.

It was one of its few UK appearances since being detained by US courts for over a year while Mr Lewis was embroiled in "brazen" insider trading allegations. The 87-year-old avoided prison time, due to poor health, but was handed a £3.8million fine and a three-year probation period, the Express reports.

• Plans for new 8,000-home Devon town to go on show
• Sports pitch moved to make way for major Devon relief road

Yet, the yacht's prolonged presence has irked some Dartmouth locals, with Michael Rowland condemning the yacht as "an absolute eyesore" and Geraldine Wood criticising it as "totally out of place in beautiful Dartmouth".

A local told The Sun : "I love this town and I wouldn't want to do it down but why does a billionaire want to stay here for the whole of August instead of the Caribbean or the Med? It's been raining constantly for the last few weeks. I guess he's here for the regatta that starts this week but who knows how long he'll stay.

"It's just a huge floating gin palace, miles bigger than anything else in the harbour. We've seen his crew come and go in a tender but I don't know if he's even onboard - nobody's heard anything."

The Aviva was built in 2017 and can sleep 16 people, with a top speed of 20 knots and an environmentally friendly hybrid electric propulsion system. Last month, t he vessel was spotted alongside two other superyachts, the Elysian and the Constance , on the river Dart.

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$220 Million Superyacht With Onboard Tennis Court Spotted In Holland

Image Credit: Superyacht Times

The Aviva, Joseph C.Lewis’ superyacht, has been spotted in Vlissingen (a municipality in The Netherlands), reportedly on its way to Hamburg. The incredible feat of engineering is built around a tennis court, a cinema, a spectacular main salon and huge guest rooms.

Billionaire football club owner Joe Lewis’ superyacht Aviva has been spotted in The Netherlands (after being seen three weeks ago in Malaga). Lewis reportedly spends most of his time onboard, living a quiet life in the Bahamas. Lewis is the majority owner of English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, and is a British businessman and investor. According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2021, Lewis has a net worth of 4.33 billion pounds ( AU$7.36 billion).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bjorn Mierop (@bjorn_mierop)

He may keep his life quite low profile on land, but when it came to building his boat he went all out, constructing it around a tennis/squash court (some people even think it looks more like a padel court) as well as including such luxuries as a cinema, a truly eye watering (in a good way) main salon and massive rooms for friends and family.

WATCH: Inside The Superyacht Built Around A Tennis Court

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Aviva is 98 meters long and cost $152 million USD (AU $220 million). It has a distinctive design. Its hull is turquoise, and the yacht has bright yellow accents. According to AutoEvolution , Aviva has a crew of 35-people and can reach a top speed of 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph) thanks to twin MTU engines of 3,916 HP each.

The news that it has been spotted in The Netherlands comes from AutoEvolution . If you are interested in seeing what it’s like inside, check out the above video in which TikTok users superyacht and anchorlife share footage of the magnificent Aviva.

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Joe Lewis’ $250 million superyacht, ranked among the world’s 25-most valuable, sets sail after he pays US fine

Joe Lewis’ superyacht is on the move again after spending most of the past year holed up in a Mediterranean port while the British billionaire faced insider-trading charges in the US.

His 322-foot (98-meter) Aviva — which he put up as collateral for bail —  has traveled more than 400 nautical miles from Malta to cities along Albania’s coast as well as the Greek island of Zakynthos since  he was sentenced  April 4 to three years probation, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

After departing Zakynthos earlier this week, the Tavistock Group founder’s yacht was near Kalamata in southern Greece on Thursday morning local time, the data show. It’s the most the roughly $250 million vessel has traveled in about seven months, though it’s unclear if Lewis is on board.

Lewis, 87, pledged his yacht along with his private jet to secure his release following his arrest in July. A few months later, Aviva docked until April 5 in the Maltese capital of Valletta, where it can cost as much as €750 ($800) a night to moor vessels that exceed 75 meters.

Lewis, who was scheduled to have eye surgery in London recently, was prohibited from setting foot on the yacht that has long served as part-residence, part-office while awaiting trial. He was only allowed on board after paying a $5 million fine after sentencing, which he settled soon after the verdict in Manhattan.

A representative for Lewis, who has a net worth of about $7.3 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, declined to comment.

Lewis, whose global empire includes five-star hotels, private lenders and enclaves for the wealthy, launched Aviva in 2017. It includes eight guest suites, a helipad, padel tennis court, spa and a cinema. It ranked among the world’s 25-most valuable superyachts shortly after its launch, alongside those owned by Middle Eastern royals.

The yacht has also displayed works from Lewis’ private art collection, which is valued at more than $1 billion and includes pieces by Picasso, Freud, Klimt and Degas.

Events that authorities say took place on the yacht were a key piece of evidence that prosecutors used against him. 

At dinner one night in September 2019, the billionaire received favorable news about Mirati Therapeutics Inc., an oncology company where he was a major investor, leading him to pass along the tip to a host of people, including the pilots of his private jet, according to US regulators.

Those pilots — Bryan “Marty” Waugh and Patrick O’Connor — were also charged with trading on inside information. O’Connor pleaded guilty to securities fraud and conspiracy and is due to be sentenced in May, while Waugh is fighting the charges.

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AVIVA Yacht – Unique $250 M Superyacht

Delivered in 2017, the AVIVA superyacht is a striking sight with its length of 98.4 meters (322.83 ft), ranking it high on the list of largest yachts worldwide .

Built by the renowned German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen, AVIVA has been a standout in the world of luxury yachts since its inception, winning the Motor Yacht of the Year award at the World Superyacht Awards in 2018.

AVIVA Yacht

Mr. Lewis started his early entrepreneurial life by currency trading, enabling him to have a more thorough insight into the business world.

Making him one of the wealthiest people on the earth with an accumulated net worth of over 4.5 billion pounds; enabled him to buy many luxury cars and Aviva yacht, the 250-million-dollar beast.

AVIVA was built by the boat building company Abeking & Rasmussen , situated in Lower Saxony. Abeking & Rasmussen is a company aimed at engineering yachts, naval vessels, and cruise ships.

They were also responsible for building AVIVA’s sisters Elandess , Cloudbreak, and Excellence.

Reymond Langton Design was responsible for designing this gorgeous yacht. They are an award-winning company that prides itself on its creativity and passion with well over a decade of experience in the superyacht designing industry.

They were also responsible for creating the Serene superyacht and Nobiskrug yacht  Mogambo.

AVIVA Yacht Exterior

AVIVA’s exterior displays a sleek and modern all-blue design, distinctive among today’s superyachts. Notable outdoor facilities include a Jacuzzi, a large swimming pool, a helipad, and a spacious sundeck for relaxation and entertainment.

The yacht also boasts a collection of water toys, including jet skis, sea bobs, and inflatable slides for guests to enjoy.

AVIVA Yacht Interior

Designed by Reymond Langton Design in collaboration with Toby Silverton, AVIVA’s interior offers a contemporary and luxurious aesthetic. The yacht can accommodate up to 16 guests in eight state-of-the-art suites, complemented by a crew of 35.

The owner’s suite, located on the upper deck, features an office, private lounge, and a large en suite bathroom. The remaining guest cabins, consisting of two VIP suites and five double cabins, can be found on the main deck, each outfitted with en suite facilities.

AVIVA’s standout feature is a full-size padel tennis court, located in the lower deck. The yacht also features a beach club, a spa, a gym, a swimming pool, and an elevator connecting all the decks.

Similar to her sister yachts, she is also made of steel and has a solid superstructure made out of aluminum.

Powering this 98-meter-long superyacht are twin diesel-electric MTU engines capable of outputting 3,862 horsepower.

Along with her 364,705-litre fuel tanks, she can run comfortably at a speed of 14 knots and reach a max speed of 20 knots.

AVIVA can now comfortably accommodate 16 guests and carry up to 35 crew members after being refitted twice since its launch.

AVIVA Yacht Price

The estimated cost of AVIVA was around US $150 million. The annual running costs are estimated to be between US $12 to 15 million, based on usage.

AVIVA is not currently for sale or available for charter.

AVIVA yacht in Gibraltar

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Billionaire Joe Lewis, who was forbidden to use his $250 million superyacht for close to a year, can finally use his dream boat after paying a $5 million fine. Used as his residence and office the 322 feet long stunning vessel is built around a padel court.

Not his first yacht, but Aviva is the first with a paddle court –

Abeking & Rasmussen had delivered Lewis’s first 223-foot Aviva yacht for the yacht-enthusiast billionaire. Spending months on end on his pleasure craft for business and pleasure, Lewis returned to the shipyard with a ballooning net worth and interests, commissioning a boat that would essentially function as his primary home.

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Tottenham billionaire owner Joe Lewis has an amazing £113m superyacht, which features a full sized tennis court

• Published : 7:22 ET, Sep 16 2022
• Updated : 10:31 ET, Sep 16 2022
• Published : Invalid Date,

WHEN you have an estimated wealth of around £4.3billion, you aren't going to skimp on boys' toys.

And billionaire Spurs owner Joe Lewis is testament to that fact - owning an astonishing £113million superyacht which measures 321-feet long.

The East End-born businessman is believed to live on board the Aviva, once spotted docked on the Thames, which has been referred to as his mobile office.

Better still, it has everything an 85-year-old would need in terms of amenities, including the very first full-size indoor tennis court ever installed on a yacht.

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Lewis does not need to  be on dry land to get his tennis fix.

After all, he has an incredible tennis court built into the Aviva - the first of its kind - that he and his guests can play on.

At 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, the court area goes up to 6.65 metres high.

And it's not just for tennis, as the yacht's designer Reymond Langton explained.

"It is not only a lifestyle change for the owner but also for the crew as this is also the largest gym of any yacht," the British design studio told Yacht Harbour .

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"The crew is encouraged to play with the owner and guests and when the court is not in use for padel (tennis), the net can be removed and the crew plays football and use other exercise equipment in the space.

"It is after all a sports hall."

A MOBILE OFFICE

Lewis, who made his millions in currency trading after running several restaurants and nightclubs from the 1960s, spends most of the year on his boat.

For the Spurs boss, it's not just a place where he can enjoy a luxurious life, the Aviva is perfect for working remotely.

"Communication and information are critical to me." Lewis said in an interview with regards to his requirements for his floating office.

"To be effective, I need reliable phones and internet, these have improved much over the past few years, but, it is too expensive, too slow and not consistently reliable.

"Aviva is more than an office; it is also my home for much of the year. So for me, it is relaxing working from home, wherever Aviva may be in the world."

It can also be used to entertain, just as it was when he invited the Spurs team on board in 2013 during their tour of the Bahamas.

Then-skipper Michael Dawson said: "I had never met him before, so it was nice to go over there and a great experience.

“What a really nice guy. And that yacht is unreal! But he’s just a normal guy. You could chat to him about anything. He tunes into all the games, he loves it. We just sat there chatting. He made us feel so welcome over there. It was relaxed. A lot of team-bonding together."

BAHAMAS-READY

It's mostly in the Bahamas where Lewis - among the richest men in the UK - spends his days as a tax exile.

And the Aviva, which can house up to 16 guests, is fully equipped for the Caribbean lifestyle.

The exterior relaxation area features a circular set of lounging pads on the sun deck, as well as smaller lounging pads towards the yacht's bridge.

A cool swimming platform can also open up into the sea, that means you can have your own beach area with Aviva's tenders coming out of side doors.

Talking about boys' toys, the superyacht even has a speedboat and jet skis on board.

PERFORMANCE

The German-built Aviva, the 46th longest yacht in the world, took three years to complete.

And it's certainly not lacking in spec, either.

Powered by an eco-friendly drive system, it can reach a top speed of 20 knots.

The unique hull design that comes together with an electric propulsions system means that less fuel is used.

Unbelievably, the Aviva can cruise at 11 knots purely on electric power only.

Now, where can we get one?

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Billionaire parked superyacht off Devon coast for nearly a month

B illionaire former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis has 'taken over' a picturesque Devon town after parking his £250million superyacht off the coast for almost a month.

The superyacht acts as a floating home for the private businessman, who is worth approximately $6.4billion (£4.8billion), and features onyx and marble interiors, an office and even a padel tennis court.

The 322-foot custom-built yacht has been docked in Dartmouth since the beginning of August after arriving from Troon, Scotland around August 5.

But local residents have complained about the boats long-term presence, calling it 'an absolute eyesore' and saying it is 'totally out of place in beautiful Dartmouth'

Aviva had not been seen in British waters for some time as it was held as collateral by US courts for over a year whilst Lewis faced charges of 'brazen' insider trading conspiracy charges which he pleaded guilty to in January, admitting to sharing insider secrets about publicly traded companies with several individuals.

Under US sentencing guidelines, Lewis faced 18 months to two years behind bars but he escaped jail time because of his age and medical issues and was instead handed a sentence of three years probation and $5million (£3.8million) fine.

One lifelong local questioned why the billionaire would want to spend nearly a month in Dartmouth, where it has been raining a lot, instead of somewhere more tropical like the Caribbean or the Mediterranean

They told The Sun : 'I guess he’s here for the regatta that starts this week but who knows how long he’ll stay.

'It’s just a huge floating gin palace, miles bigger than anything else in the harbour. We’ve seen his crew come and go in a tender but I don’t know if he’s even onboard - nobody’s heard anything.'

Aviva was built in 2017, sleeps 16 people and has a top speed of 20 knots and an eco-friendly hybrid electric propulsion system.

Lewis was born and raised in the UK, and turned his father's catering business, Tavistock Banqueting, into a company that sold luxury goods to American tourists, before turning to currency trading in the 1970s.

He moved to the Bahamas to avoid paying UK tax rates, and made millions betting against the British pound and the Mexican peso in the 1990s.

He eventually bought Tottenham Hotspur, though was removed as a 'person of significant control' in 2022 after it was handed over to a family trust.

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Billionaire ex-Premier League owner’s £250m superyacht has ‘taken over’ our town for WEEKS – it’s ‘totally out of place’

• Stephen Moyes
• Ryan Merrifield
• Published : 14:17, 1 Sep 2024
• Updated : 21:13, 1 Sep 2024

A SUPERYACHT owned by billionaire former Spurs owner Joe Lewis has been branded an eyesore by locals after it was moored in a Devon town for almost a month.

The £250 million, 322ft luxury yacht 'Aviva' - which acts as the reclusive billionaire’s floating home and office and features a full-size padel tennis court - has been moored in Dartmouth since the start of August.

It arrived from Troon, Scotland , around August 5 - one of the first times the floating palace has been in UK waters since it was held as collateral by US courts for over a year while British tycoon Lewis faced charges of “brazen” insider trading.

In April, the 87-year-old was spared jail due to his ailing health but was fined $5million (£3.8m) and sentenced to three years probation.

But the ongoing presence of the yacht has upset some in the town with Michael Rowland branding the boat “an absolute eyesore” and Geraldine Wood arguing it was “totally out of place in beautiful Dartmouth”.

Another lifelong resident told The Sun: “I love this town and I wouldn’t want to do it down but why does a billionaire want to stay here for the whole of August instead of the Caribbean or the Med?

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"The weather is crap, it's been raining constantly for the last few weeks.

"I guess he’s here for the regatta that starts this week but who knows how long he’ll stay.

"It’s just a huge floating gin palace, miles bigger than anything else in the harbour. We’ve seen his crew come and go in a tender but I don’t know if he’s even onboard - nobody’s heard anything."

Aviva was built in 2017 and has a capacity of 16 with a top speed of 20 knots and an eco-friendly hybrid electric propulsion system.

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Lewis started out working for his father’s catering business in London before selling up and moving to the Bahamas to live as a tax exile.

He started currency trading in the 1980s and made a fortune betting against the pound in the 1992 crash dubbed Black Wednesday.

According to the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List, the East End-born, twice-married tycoon has an estimated fortune of £5.1billion.

He reportedly has an art collection worth £1 billion.

He bought Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur in 1991, and the club was transferred to the Lewis Family Trust in 2022.

JOE LEWIS' LUXURY YACHT AVIVA

Joe Lewis rarely attended Tottenham Hotspur matches despite being owner for 30 years.

A tax exile since his days as a currency trader in the 1980s, he prefers life on his superyacht in the Caribbean.

Lewis' vessel - which measures 98 metres or 322ft - is the fourth yacht named Aviva built specifically for him.

It replaced the 68m Aviva III, with both designed by Reymond Langton and built by Lemwerder-based German builder Abeking & Rasmussen.

The hull was built at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft and launched in 2015.

Aviva acts as Lewis' floating office and home, and features an indoor, full-sized padel tennis court.

In May 2013, Spurs went on a trip to the Bahamas and were welcomed on board the vessel by host Joe.

Michael Dawson, who was the club captain at the time, said: "I had never met him before, so it was nice to go over there and a great experience.

“What a really nice guy. And that yacht is unreal! But he’s just a normal guy.

"You could chat to him about anything. He tunes into all the games , he loves it.

"We just sat there chatting. He made us feel so welcome over there. It was relaxed. A lot of team bonding together.

"It helps to be able to put a face to the person investing so much in this club he wants to be successful.

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"He’s always watching. He knows what goes on. He would remember every game, every little thing."

The Sun has contacted Lewis' company Tavistock for comment.

WHO IS JOE LEWIS?

Joe Lewis is a billionaire British businessman and investor, best known for being the majority owner of Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur between 1991 and 2022.

He was born on February 5 1937 and lived above a pub with his family in Bow, East London.

Lewis left school at 15 to help run his father's West End catering firm, Tavistock Banqueting.

He went on to takeover the business and expand it before selling up in 1979 to make his initial wealth.

The entrepreneur moved into currency trading in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time he moved to the Bahamas as a tax exile.

In 1992, Lewis made a fortune betting against the pound prior to the Black Wednesday crash.

The previous year he had taken ownership of Spurs.

He remains the main investor of Tavistock Group, which owns more than 200 companies worldwide.

Lewis is also the largest shareholder in pub group Mitchells & Butlers via his investment vehicle Piedmont, and was previously majority owner of ENIC Group.

In July 2023 the US attorney for the Southern District of New York charged him with multiple counts of insider trading.

He pleaded guilty in January this year but in April was spared jail and instead sentenced to probation and fined $5 million (£3.8m).

According to the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List, he has an estimated fortune of a whopping £5.1billion.

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Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra [lower-alpha 1] , commonly shortened to Khantia-Mansia, is a federal subject of Russia (an autonomous okrug of Tyumen Oblast ). It has a population of 1,532,243 as of the 2010 Census . [4] Its administrative center is located at Khanty-Mansiysk .

Administrative divisions

Demographics, settlements, ethnic groups, vital statistics, external links.

The peoples native to the region are the Khanty and the Mansi , known collectively as Ob-Ugric peoples , but today the two groups only constitute 2.5% of the region's population. The local languages, Khanty and Mansi , are part of the Ugric branch of the Finno-Ugric language family, and enjoy a special status in the autonomous okrug. Russian remains the only official language.

In 2012, the majority (51%) [7] of the oil produced in Russia came from Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, giving the region great economic importance in Russia and the world. It borders Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug to the north, Komi Republic to the northwest, Sverdlovsk Oblast to the west, Tyumen Oblast to the south, Tomsk Oblast to the south and southeast and Krasnoyarsk Krai in the east.

The okrug was established on December   10, 1930, as Ostyak-Vogul National Okrug ( Остя́ко-Вогу́льский национа́льный о́круг ). In October 1940, it was renamed the Khanty-Mansi National Okrug . In 1977, along with other national okrugs of the Russian SFSR , it became an autonomous okrug (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). In 2003, the word " Yugra " was appended to the official name. [8]

The okrug occupies the central part of the West Siberian Plain .

Principal rivers include the Ob and its tributaries Irtysh and Vatinsky Yogan . There are numerous lakes in the okrug, the largest ones are Numto , Tormemtor , Leushinsky Tuman and Tursuntsky Tuman , among others. [9]

The northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude traverses the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

Population : 1,674,676 (2020); [10] 1,532,243   ( 2010 Russian census ) ; [4] 1,432,817   ( 2002 Census ) ; [11] 1,268,439   ( 1989 Soviet census ) . [12]

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has an area of 523,100   km 2 , but the area is sparsely populated. The administrative center is Khanty-Mansiysk , but the largest cities are Surgut , Nizhnevartovsk , and Nefteyugansk .

The Indigenous population ( Khanty , Mansi , Komi , and Nenets ) is only 2.8% of the total population in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The exploitation of natural gas in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has attracted immigrants from all over the former Soviet Union. The 2021 Census counted 17 ethnic groups of more than five thousand persons each. The ethnic composition is as follows:

Population of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug: [13]

Historical population figures are shown below:

Source: [15]

According to a 2012 survey [16] 38.1% of the population of Yugra adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church , 5% are unaffiliated generic Christians , 1% of the population adheres to the Slavic native faith (Rodnovery) or to Khanty-Mansi native faith. Muslims (mostly Tatars ) constitute 11% of the population. In addition, 23% of the population declares to be spiritual but not religious , 11% is atheist , and 10.9% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question. [16] According to recent reports Jehovah's Witnesses have been subjected to torture and detention in Surgut. [18]

In Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the primary transport of goods is by water and railway transport; 29% is transported by road, and 2% by aviation. The total length of railway tracks is 1,106   km. The length of roads is more than 18,000   km.

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The Eurasian Center for Project Initiatives in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra will Gather International Experts to Discuss Issues of Preserving the Identity of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

On April 23, 2024 at 2.00 p.m. Moscow time an International teleconference will be held in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk on the theme: “Traditional knowledge: acquisition, transmission and protection.”

The international teleconference is going to be a prominent event of the All-Russian Forum of National Unity and will unite federal experts, representatives of the international community from the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, the Tunisian Republic, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North.

The teleconference was organized by the Department of Youth Policy, Civil Initiatives and External Relations of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra and the “Eurasian Center for Project Initiatives” ANO with the support of the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra.

The event will consist of two parts. First, the participants will share the traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the North, talk about the possibilities of the Ugra digital project “IT-Stoibishche”, and present prospects for the development of ethnotourism in the places of traditional residence of the indigenous peoples of the North. Then international experts will present their own experience in preserving traditions and the cultural code of the world's indigenous peoples.

The International teleconference will be moderated by Natalia Viktorovna Zabolotskikh , General Director of the ANO "Eurasian Center for Project Initiatives", General Director of Sirius Consulting LLC, coordinator of the International Competition "Leader of Public Diplomacy", political scientist and Tatyana Aleksandrovna Dyatlova , member of the Presidium of the Association of Finno-Ugric Peoples of the Russian Federation, Vice-President of the Public Organization “Saving Ugra”, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Head of the Finno-Ugric Department of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Ugra State University”.

The diversity of traditions and customs of indigenous peoples of Ugra Autonomous Okrug has formed a unique mosaic. The mutual influence of cultures and worldviews is the basis for the development of the Autonomous Okrug, and at the same time a prospect for the exchange of experience with the international community.