It’s not every day that one gets closeup shots of the second biggest yacht in the world. Roman Abramovich‘s yacht, Eclipse is a mysterious beast and whilst these pics show closeups of the outside, we’re yet to see inside.

Apparently this beast cost $1.5 billion to build. So even if you won tonight’s R1.2 billion MegaMillions jackpot AND tomorrow’s R2 billion Powerball lottery (buy tickets here), you would struggle to get close to owning something as ridiculous. But I assue you there are some GREAT yachts for a mere billion Rand. Like this or this or this. Shame, not the end of the world, hey?

Just to recap (courtesy wikipedia):

Eclipse has two helicopter pads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, several hot tubs, and a disco hall. It is also equipped with three launch boats and a mini-submarine that is capable of submerging to 50 metres. Approximately 70 crew members are needed to operate the yacht.

For security, Eclipse is fitted with intruder detection systems and a German-built missile defense system. Abramovich’s master suite and the yacht’s bridge are fitted with armour plating and bulletproof windows. The yacht is reportedly equipped with an anti-paparazzi shield in the form of lasers that sweep the surroundings, and when they detect a CCD, they shine a light directly at the camera to prevent the photograph. According to The Times, these do not run all the time, so friends and guests should still be able to take pictures. Instead, they will be activated when guards spot likely professional photographers nearby. How such a system could feasibly work has, however, not been demonstrated, leading some to doubt the claims credibility.

Eclipse is also the largest vessel employing a novel rotor-based stabilization system against roll motion at anchor and at low cruise speeds, based on the Magnus effect.

So anyway, check out the pics below, courtesy of BusinessInsider: