It’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a splash at the Monaco Yacht Show, if you’ll excuse the pun. Joking aside, the expectations of Champagne-swilling yacht buyers, charterers and brokers seem to increase exponentially as bigger and better craft float into the tranquil, turquoise waters of Port Hercule each year. It’s the very definition of one-upmanship, but despite the deepening absurdity of the superyacht world, there is one name that’s continually caused a storm at sea for the best part of two decades: Kismet.
The first iteration of Kismet, owned and commissioned by the Pakistan-born, US billionaire businessman and sports tycoon Shahid Khan, first floated onto the superyacht scene in 2007, measuring 68 metres. The Lürssen-built superyacht was made to a simple brief provided by Khan, which reportedly just read, “make it impressive”. Used for Khan’s corporate entertaining as well as for charter service, the first Kismet served its purpose well, but something even more august was hovering on the horizon for Khan a few years later. Enter the second iteration of the Kismet name, which arrived in 2014. Let’s call it Kismet II,for ease. Bigger than its predecessor by an additional 27 metres, Khan and Kismet II were together for just short of a decade until they parted ways in the days leading up to the 2023 Monaco Yacht Show. The ‘champagne and caviar’-themed yacht was sold by Cecil Wright & Partners to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt for around the $161m (£126.5m) mark, and was renamed Whisper.
At this point in the superyacht saga, it’s reasonable to assume that another, similar-sized craft was waiting patiently in the wings for Khan, and that’s almost exactly what emerged. When the covers finally came off Project JAG – Kismet III’s code name – there were some obvious clues to its true identity. With a large Jaguar emblem incorporated into the bowsprit, coupled with its not-so-cryptic project designation, it was clear the 122-metre JAG was destined to take up the storied Kismet moniker.
With snippets of information making their way into the world during the course of 2024, the full, supersized picture of the new yacht started to come together, culminating in its grand debut at the Monaco Yacht Show, in 2024. Catching a glimpse of all 122-metres of it lying in Port Hercule on the morning of the show, one could tell that the latest iteration sets itself apart from the ‘competition’ – really the only term to describe the flotilla of other 100-metre-plus yachts residing in the harbour at that event.
On approach from the water, Kismet’s dark hull is difficult to miss in a sea of lighter-coloured yachts. It sits in stark contrast with Khan’s previous Champagne-shaded yacht and highlights the craft’s six decks, which stand out in white. Compared to Kismet II, Khan’s third custom-built Lürssen is 27 metres longer, with a gross tonnage of almost 5,000 GT.
Once on board, it’s difficult to know where to look first. There are more entertaining spaces, showpiece staircases and artworks than in a five-star hotel, and all eyes are immediately drawn to Kismet’s set of ornate stone fireplaces, complete with lapping flames, despite the sultry temperatures outside. Venture further in and you’ll find endless polished marble, gilded ceilings, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper and textured walls, some of which incorporate vast video screens – a specific request of the sport-loving Khan to watch the games of two of the teams he owns: Fulham FC and Jacksonville Jaguars. “Louis XIV meets Interstellar,” was how Kismet’s British interior design team, Reymond Langton, explained its development to Boat International at the time.
Further on, you’ll find no end of areas for dining, cocktail bars for sipping and lounges for, well, lounging. When it comes to guests, there’s more than enough space for 20 and a crew of double that, with the bedrooms channelling the same ornate, maximalist style that runs through the more open parts. Kismet’s interior spaces are decadent, sumptuous and dramatic – you won’t find much in the way of Scandinavian minimalism here. Sit back and soak up the heavy marble, grand chandeliers and fresco ceilings, inspired by the Sistine Chapel. The term ‘floating palace’ is overused in the yacht world – but for Kismet, it might as well have been the leading line in the design brief.
In the exterior spaces, it’s a slightly different story. Think lighter-coloured linens and bleach-blonde decking, with the odd touch of Ibiza-inspired boho chic, save for the retro, neon-lit dance floor. When it comes to catering, take your pick of the cooking stations, which range from a pizza oven to a barbecue and teppanyaki grill, while wet play can take place in any one of the three pools, complete with four outdoor showers. There’s a Jacuzzi pool with a waterfall feature on the top deck, a main mosaic-lined pool with a waterfall feature and swim-up bar on the pool deck aft, and another Jacuzzi pool forward on the upper deck. For those looking for something a little more therapeutic, Kismet’s full-service Balinese-inspired spa wouldn’t look out of place in a wellness retreat and comes equipped with hammam, sauna, and cryotherapy chamber.
Though few guests will need to venture deep enough to come across the engine room, it’s nice to know that the yacht’s not exactly lacking when it comes to power, either. A team of engineers ensure Kismet’s glass-lined engine room is kept pristine, looking more like a nuclear laboratory than an area that houses both a hybrid system, which can see the vessel sail under electric power for 15 minutes, and two MTU engines, giving a top speed of 18 knots and space for 360,000 litres of fuel.
And the price for this awesome mix of power and decadence? While there’s no official figure given to Kismet’s overall build cost, estimates suggest it wasn’t far off the £300m mark, which would go some way to explaining the £2.5m per week charter cost, available through Cecil Wright.
Sure, there’s a handful of heftier yachts you can charter to power across the waves, but if size is the ultimate goal, be warned: few will match up to Kismet’s unabashed charm and penchant for executive-level theatrics on the high seas.
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