Superyacht with 66-metre support yacht spotted off Victoria
A pair of multimillion-dollar yachts sailed past Victoria on Monday, both owned by billionaire brothers who made the bulk of their fortunes as owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The 87-metre yacht Lonian was trailed by its 66-metre support yacht Hodor, described by Boat International magazine as "the world's largest floating toy box."
Support vessel Hodor is pictured in a handout photo from 2019. (Incat Crowther)
While the Lonian can accommodate 12 guests, 27 crew and a helicopter of its own, the catamaran-style support ship acts as a kind of floating garage, carrying speedboats, jet skis, motorcycles and ATVs.
The helicopter pad of the support vessel Hodor. (Incat Crowther)
"The idea was to get all the clutter off the mothership and on board a dedicated vessel," the Hodor's first officer told the magazine last year.
"There was no need to restrict the quantity of toys we put on board. The owner just let us go ahead and fill it with cool stuff."
The rear-deck of the support vessel Hodor. (Incat Crowther)
The Hodor's designer, Incat Crowther, says the support ship "accommodates an astounding number of toys, facilities and personnel," which includes a submarine garage and a scuba-diving platform complete with onboard air compressors and "a hospital with decompression chamber."
The 66-metre "support yacht" Hodor is seen from Victoria on July 11, 2022. (CTV News)
According to financial transparency website OpenCorporates, the vessels are owned by a pair of holding companies controlled by Fertitta Enterprises, the family company of Lorenzo Fertitta and brother Frank Fertitta III.
The 87-metre yacht Lonian pictured off Victoria, B.C. (Sooke Coastal Explorations)
According to Forbes magazine, the casino-magnate brothers bought the UFC for US$2 million in 2001 and sold it in 2016 for US$4 billion, while retaining stakes in the company which sold in 2017 at a US$5-billion valuation.
Vessel-tracking website marinetraffic.com indicates the yachts were en route to Vancouver from Seattle.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.