wexner yacht limitless

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Iconic yachts: Inside the story of the 96m legendary superyacht Limitless

It is easy to say that a certain yacht is ‘influential’ but in the case of Carinthia VI (now named The One) you can actually see it. Leslie Wexner, head of Limited Brands, which includes Victoria’s Secret lingerie, so admired Carinthia VI that he asked Jon Bannenberg to design him a yacht that was essentially similar in appearance but much larger and more modern, and this was the starting point for Limitless , launched by Lürssen in 1997.

Carinthia VI had been based on a Lürssen patrol boat hull but for Limitless the shipyard and designer were able to start with a clean sheet and came up with a motor yacht of 96.25 metres. She was one of the largest around at the time, leaving aside Arab state yachts and the immense Lady Moura , and was, in fact, the largest American private yacht when launched. In spite of this, the lines of Limitless clearly mimic those of Carinthia VI , especially the curved front to the superstructure, made from a grid of small windows, and the way the forward lean of the transom matches that of the stem. Another point of similarity lies in the fact that Bannenberg did not want to spoil the lines of the bow with a forward mast, though in this case the solution was to use a retractable carbon fibre mast.

For some reason Wexner did not select Bannenberg as the interior designer – perhaps he found his modernism less than relaxing – instead using the well-known French interior designer François Catroux , whose repertoire included a small number of yachts. In any case, Wexner has never permitted any photographs of the interior to be published, so its style remains conjectural.

Wexner wanted his yacht to be as fast as Carinthia VI – a demanding requirement for such a large vessel. This led to a unique diesel-electric propulsion system being developed for Limitless , designed to allow her to make a transatlantic passage at 25 knots non-stop and a transpacific passage at 20 knots non-stop. One of her transatlantic trips from Nice, France to New York, USA was made in seven days, including a stop in Newport, Rhode Island to clear customs.

The propulsion system was originally designed for Controllable Pitch Propellers, but these were removed from the specification by the builder when new calculations indicated the boat would be 10% over its original calculation. The owner later added the Controllable Pitch Propellers and modifications were made to the diesel-electric system. The yacht’s design made it possible to swap out the propulsion generators through the tender bays by using the yacht’s own tender cranes, and this facility was actually used when a generator failed early in the yacht’s life.

It is fascinating that although Limitless is clearly inspired by Carinthia VI , the yachts are quite different in proportions: Carinthia with her long slim lines and narrow beam against the much larger and beamier Limitless , which looks equally good and arguably more elegant. The relationship between the two yachts is striking and extends down to having an identical dark blue colour scheme on the topsides and white superstructure.

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He started with a $5,000 loan from his aunt and went onto make billions from Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body works. Take a look at Leslie Wexner’s 316-feet long superyacht Limitless which was once the largest yachts in the world.

Who owned the Limitless Yacht?

Les Wexner, the billionaire retailer who made Victoria’s Secret one of the most famous brands on the planet, owned the Lürssen-built Limitless. The founder of L Brands is worth $10.7 billion. L Brands had about 2,700 company-owned stores prior to its re-organization, and the name changed to Bath & Body Works in 2021. Wexner started off by working in his parents’ store in the early 1960s, and was clear that women’s sportswear was the future of fashion. He founded L Brands in 1963 with a $5,000 loan from an aunt.

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• Impressions

The 96 metre Limitless was a pioneering yacht for Lurssen with her diesel-electric propulsion system, a novelty in 1997. She was conceptualised by the office of the late Jon Bannenberg, who had also been responsible for the design of superyacht Carinthia VI – which in turn inspired the design of Limitless. During the planning of Limitless, the owners of Carinthia VI also ordered a new yacht, which became Carinthia VII designed by Tim Heywood, who himself had worked at the Bannenberg office for many years. Limitless features an interior designed by Francois Catroux, who was also responsible for the beautiful interior of another Lürssen giant, EOS. Limitless, at the time of her construction in 1997, was the largest privately owned yacht in America.

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Limitless Yacht

Motor Yacht Limitless

Limitless is a 96.25m motor yacht, custom built in 1997 by lurssen yachts in bremen ( germany ). the yacht's interior has been designed by tim heywood design, françois catroux and has exterior styling by jon bannenberg. she was last refitted in 2004..

Limitless yacht has a steel hull with a aluminium superstructure with a beam of 12.40m  (40'8"ft) and a 4.40m  (14'5"ft) draft .This custom yacht is equipped with an ultra-modern stabilization system which reduces roll motion effect and results in a smoother more enjoyable cruising experience.

Performance + Capabilities

Limitless is capable of 25.00 knots flat out, with a cruising speed of 17.00 knots from her 400,000.00l. fuel tanks.

Limitless Accommodation

Limitless offers accommodation for up to 12 guests in 5 suites comprising 1 owner cabin, 3 double cabins, 1 twin cabin. She is also capable of carrying up to 20 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Limitless is currently not available for Charter on Superyachts.com. Click here to view similar Yachts Available for Charter.

• More Details:
• Specifications

Builder: Lurssen Yachts

Exterior Designer: Jon Bannenberg

Naval Architect: De Voogt Naval Architects

Interior Designer: Tim Heywood Design

M/Y Limitless

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