Pick a James Bond title and chances are you’ll find a yacht of the same name: There’s a Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, The World is Not Enough, Octopussy, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and more. In fact, ever since Denison built the 118.1-foot For Your Eyes Only in 1985 for John Staluppi, the American businessman has named his 22 yachts after 007 films.
If the movie titles are famous, the yachts are in a league of their own. The MI6 secret agent has chased bad guys on zippy go-fast boats, romanced Bond Girls on breezy sailing yachts and infiltrated villain’s lairs that masquerade as sleek pleasure yachts.
For some vessels, the big-screen appearance has boosted their charter credibility, while others have backstories straight out of a Hollywood script. A few have even become available on the brokerage market, offering buyers a chance to invest in a piece of 007 history.
Here are nine of the most recognizable.
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‘Delos’ (ex ‘Aurora’) in ‘From Russia With Love’
Image Credit: Courtesy Chris Wilson As well as starring as Spectre headquarters in 1963’s From Russia with Love, which was Sean Connery’s second role as 007, the 293-foot Delos inspired, of all things, “The Love Boat,” according to current owner Christopher Wilson. After falling into a state of disrepair, the German-built cruise ship was snapped up by Wilson, a former tech-entrepreneur in 2008 when he found it listed for sale on Craigslist. Wilson is now 15 years into an extensive restoration project and hopes to convert the historic vessel into a museum and boutique hotel.
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‘Kingdom 5KR’ (ex ‘Nabila’) in ‘Never Say Never Again’
Image Credit: Wikipedia Originally built for Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi by Benetti in 1980, Never Say Never Again’s fictional MY Flying Saucer has a Hollywood backstory of its own. After its turn alongside Sean Connery in the 1983 movie, the Sultan of Brunei seized the boat and sold it to Donald Trump and it became Trump Princess. In 1991, another Saudi billionaire businessman, Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, took ownership. He renamed it Kingdom 5KR and keeps the boat almost permanently based in Antibes on the Côte d’Azur.
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‘Trafalgar’ (ex ‘Moonmaiden II’) in ‘The Living Daylights’
Image Credit: Courtesy Ocean Independence In the pre-title sequence of 1987’s The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton smolders on-screen in his first outing as the gentlemen spy, quite literally, as he parachutes onto the aft deck of Moonmaiden II while on fire. Sure, there are easier ways to board a yacht, but when does 007 ever play it safe? Now known as Trafalgar, this classic canoe stern yacht from the 70s is currently looking for a new owner via Ocean Independence with an asking price of $2,500,000.
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Glastron GT-150 in ‘Live and Let Die’
Image Credit: Wikipedia The 1972 Glastron GT-150 used in Roger Moore’s chase scene in Live and Let Die was probably 007’s most action-packed water run. It involved ten minutes of running at speed through the backwaters of the Louisiana Bayou, jumping bridges and eventually seeing Bond blowing up his nemesis’ boat, all in the name of Her Majesty. As it turns out, 26 Glastrons were used in the filming, and nine were GT-150s—presumably to replace ones that were trashed during the action scenes.
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Riva Aquarama in ‘Goldeneye’
Image Credit: Courtesy Riva Yachts/Ferretti Group In 1995’s Goldeneye, Pierce Brosnan announced his arrival as 007 in typical Bond style as he sped out of Monaco’s Port Hercules on a stylish Riva Aquarama towards a tri-deck motoryacht at anchor. Cast for that part was the 142-foot Northern Cross, launched in 1991 from Sweden’s Marinteknik Verkstads. Fun fact: while Brosnan went on to appear in three more films, the glitzy Mediterranean principality hasn’t appeared in a Bond movie since.
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‘Soufrière’ in ‘Casino Royale’
Image Credit: Courtesy Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation Casino Royale heralded the start of a new era for the film franchise. Not only was the 2006 release the first time Daniel Craig’s gritty portrayal of the character graced the screen, but the film also marked a transition away from white boats: who can forget that classic scene where Bond glided into Venice with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) on the 54-foot Soufrière from British boatbuilder Spirit Yachts. The vessel is currently on the market with Berthon International for $534,000.
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‘Casino Royale’ in ‘Casino Royale’
Image Credit: Courtesy AeroVanti While Bond navigated the Grand Canal on Soufrière, nemesis Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) had set up a floating lair on a slick 108-foot Sunseeker Predator named Casino Royale. With top speeds of 45 knots, this sporty vessel is built for quick escapes — or, more realistically, nipping between Saint Tropez and Monaco for day trips during summer. A foredeck Jacuzzi and garage brimming with toys have made the boat a favorite. It is currently for charter by AeroVanti in Florida.
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‘Aria 1’ (ex ‘Regina’) in ‘Skyfall’
Image Credit: Wikipedia Continuing his penchant for timeless sailing yachts, Craig sails towards near-certain death — yet again — with Severine (Bérénice Marlohe) in 2012’s Skyfall. The fictional Chimera was played by Regina, a 183.1-foot schooner built by Turkey’s Pruva in 2011. The gulet-style boat was a popular charter vessel until its sale in 2018. Under new ownership and now called Aria 1, it is currently based in Greece.
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Spirit 46 in ‘No Time to Die’
Image Credit: Courtesy Danjaq, LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc Like any experienced yacht owner, Craig’s 007 understands that, when you find a yacht builder you like, you stick with it. Trading up in 2021’s No Time to Die, Bond’s companion to his idyllic Caribbean retirement is a Spirit 46, again from Spirit Yachts. Yet, similar to its owner, this model’s competitive edge is always simmering just beneath the surface and the sleek-46-foot sailing yacht has proven performance credentials in regatta racing.
