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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 quaint Devon town where billionaire former Spurs owner has moored his £250m superyacht all summer

The superyacht is on the move around the uk after joe lewis’ sentencing for inisder trading in april, article bookmarked.

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The former owner of Tottenham Hotspur FC has moored his £250 million superyacht in the middle of a town in Devon , leaving locals baffled.

Billionaire Joe Lewis, who was recently sentenced for insider trading charges in the US, has moored his giant blue superyacht in Dartmouth for weeks after arriving in the UK tourist destination at the beginning of August.

The 322-foot (98m) luxury vessel Aviva, which the 87-year-old uses partly as a residence and partly as an office, arrived from Troon, Scotland, to the Devonshire coast around 5 August.

The yacht has been pictured dominating the entire landscape of Dartmouth, overshadowing smaller yachts that are docked in the harbour next to the small seaside that lines the shore.

The scenic coastal town of Dartmouth, situated on the banks of the River Dart, has a rich maritime heritage and boasts independent locally-owned boutiques as well as beaches such as Castle Cove and Sugary Cove that attract hundreds of visitors to the small town.

The town holds an annual regatta, one of the oldest events of its kind in the country, that invites yachts, keelboats, sports boats and dinghies to the sporting event held in its port. This year’s event took place on 29 to 31 August while Lewis’ yacht was also moored in the area.

The giant yacht is hard to miss, leaving some residents perplexed as to why such a huge boat would want to be moored in a small English town that does not offer the same tropical weather that most superyachts are spotted in .

“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?” one lifelong resident told The Sun .

"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,” they added.

It is unclear if Lewis is present on the superyacht while it is being anchored in Devon .

Aviva was built in 2017, can host 16 guests, 25 crew members, and also features an indoor padel tennis court, according to SuperYachtFan .

The superyacht had not been spotted around British waters until recently, as Aviva, along with the owner’s private jet, was put up as collateral for bail after the British billionaire’s arrest in July 2023 for insider trading charges in the US.

Lewis was not allowed to set foot on the vessel until he paid a $5m fine after his sentencing in April for sharing business secrets with friends, which also includes three years of prison.

After leaving its base in Malta following the sentencing, Aviva set sail to cities along Albania’s coast as well as the Greek island Zakynthos and Kalamata in southern Greece, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Along with the padel tennis court, the yacht also includes a helipad, spa and a cinema, and was ranked among the world’s 25-most valuable superyachts shortly after its launch, the outlet added.

Aviva is also home to one of the most expensive art collections in the world, with original works by Picasso and Matisse aboard the yacht.

Lewis made his fortune primarily in foreign exchange and investment before buying Tottenham Hotspur in 1991. He is ranked 38th among the UK’s wealthiest people, according to the Sunday Times Rich List , with a net worth of £5.3bn.

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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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Tottenham owner’s 98m superyacht sets sail after he pays $5m fine

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024

Written by: Anna Cummins

Joe Lewis, the convicted billionaire owner of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., can use his superyacht again after paying a US$5m fine.

The 98-metre Aviva — which Lewis put up for collateral for bail last year — has been in a Mediterranean port for most of the last 12 months. In January, the British billionaire pleaded guilty to insider trading charges in the US, and on 4 April was sentenced to three years probation. Lewis, who admitted to sharing business secrets with personal friends and associates to enrich them, apologised to a judge, saying he was “embarrassed” by his conduct.

Tavistock Group founder Lewis, a British businessman based in the Bahamas, was banned from stepping onto the superyacht while waiting for his trial. After sentencing, he paid a US$5m fine, which was reportedly settled in Manhattan shortly after the verdict.

Since the verdict, the yacht has sailed over 400 nautical miles from Malta for ports in Albania and is currently in Kalamata in Greece, according to AIS data. It is the furthest the ship has travelled in over seven months, although there have been no confirmed reports that Lewis, 87, is aboard.

Aviva was designed by Reymond Langton, and built by Lemwerder-based German builder Abeking & Rasmussen. Launched in 2017, it is the fourth yacht named Aviva built for Lewis.

Aviva acts as Lewis’s floating home and office, and features an indoor, full-sized padel tennis court. The vessel also boasts eight guest suites, a helipad, spa and a cinema.

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

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This 321-Foot Superyacht Was Allegedly Used as a Secret Venue for Insider Trading, According to a Lawsuit

The securities and exchange commission claims billionaire joe lewis shared insider information while aboard the outlandish vessel., tori latham, tori latham's most recent stories.

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British billionaire Joe Lewis—the owner of the Tottenham Hotspurs—has become embroiled in an insider trading case. But there’s a surprising side character in the saga: Lewis’s superyacht , Aviva .

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Brought by the U.S. government, the suit alleges that Lewis used his connections to gain access to sensitive intel. He then shared that info with his employees, friends, and lovers so they could benefit financially. At a hearing on Wednesday, Lewis pleaded not guilty; his lawyers didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment on Thursday.

In one example of such alleged activities, Lewis learned that the oncology company Mirati Therapeutics—in which he owned a stake—had received positive results for a cancer drug. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission complaint, that info was shared over Aviva ’s dining table. Lewis then told several associates to buy stock in the company, and when those shares rose following the public reveal of the cancer-drug results, Lewis’s friends and employees sold their shares for a handsome profit.

With a current net worth of $6.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Lewis was able to snap up Aviva in 2017. At the time, it was one of the 25 most valuable superyachts in the world , and the 51 st largest yacht. Since Lewis was charged this week, the vessel has left the Bahamas, and early Thursday it was heading away from the U.S. toward Bermuda, according to vessel data cited by Bloomberg.

For his part, Lewis can no longer board the superyacht: He used the ship and his private jet as collateral for a $300 million bail package on Wednesday. So it’s bon voyage to Aviva for now.

Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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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

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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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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 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 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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Tottenham hotspur owner joe lewis posts $300m bond with help of superyacht, private plane in insider trading case.

That’s a boatload of money.

British Billionaire and Tottenham Hotspur soccer club owner Joe Lewis is putting up his superyacht and private plane to secure a $300 million bond so he can walk free after he was arrested on insider trading charges .

Lewis, 86, surrendered to federal authorities in New York on Wednesday morning on charges he gave inside information to a slew of people in his life — including romantic partners, friends, personal assistants and even private pilots — who made millions by using his tips on the stock market.

Lewis later appeared in Manhattan federal court wearing a grey suit, white shirt and black tie and told the judge he pleaded “not guilty.”

He was released on a $300 million bond that will be secured by his yacht, called “AVIVA,” and his personal plane.

AVIVA is a $250 million superyacht that was built in 2017 and is one of the largest yachts in the world at 322 feet in length, according to Yachtbible.com .

Lewis must keep the FBI abreast of the movements of his yacht, and he is only allowed to use his plane to travel to court appearances, according to the agreed-upon bail conditions.

The soccer club owner — who is worth $6.1 billion, according to Forbes — cannot go abroad and his US travel is limited to parts of New York and Florida.

Lewis, who founded the investment firm Tavistock Group, was hit with a 19-count indictment on charges of securities fraud and conspiracy.

The feds say that from 2019 through 2021 Lewis shared confidential intel about companies including Mirati Therapeutics, Solid Biosciences and Australian Agricultural Co.

He also allegedly conspired to defraud Mirati, the US Securities and Exchange Commission and investors from 2013 through 2018 by hiding his over 20% stake in Mirati — a cancer therapy company, according to the indictment.

The billionaire then lent his own money so that people could invest the cash based on his tips — including in October 2019 when Lewis wired $1 million to two pilots so they could buy shares of Mirati, prosecutors claim.

“Boss lent Marty and I $500,000 each for this,” the indictment alleges one of the pilots said in a text to a friend.

The aviator went on to say, “the Boss has inside info” because “otherwise why would he make us invest,” the court papers allege.

The two pilots paid the money back after the stock spiked by 16.7% when Mirati announced a successful clinical trial, prosecutors claim.

“The government has made an egregious error in judgment in charging Mr. Lewis, an 86-year-old man of impeccable integrity and prodigious accomplishment,” defense attorney David Zornow said in a statement Wednesday.

“Mr. Lewis has come to the US voluntarily to answer these ill-conceived charges, and we will defend him vigorously in court.”

The pilots, Patrick O’Connor and Bryan Waugh, were also charged in the case. They pleaded not guilty at the Wednesday arraignment and were each released on a $250,000 bond.

Attorneys for Waugh didn’t return requests for comment Wednesday. O’Connor’s lawyers declined to comment.

Lewis is due back in court on Sept. 5.

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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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NEW BALLS, PLEASE

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 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?

READ MORE ON JOE LEWIS

Spurs billionaire Joe Lewis lives on £195m yacht and is pals with Tiger Woods

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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.

"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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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?

READ MORE ON JOE LEWIS

Spurs billionaire Joe Lewis lives on £195m yacht and is pals with Tiger Woods

Former Spurs chief Joe Lewis, 87, AVOIDS JAIL over insider trading

"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.

• Tottenham Hotspur