Leaving the Lürssen shipyard this month after a recent refit is the ground-breaking superyacht 58.5-metre Ronin, a Norman Foster design originally launched by Lürssen in 1993 as Izanami. During her 11-month stay at the yard she has undergone a complete facelift, which has included the removal of the old teak deck, and the installation of cork underlay for noise reduction and new teak decking. Almost half the interior was dismantled to allow for the installation of a new state-of-the-art AV, telephone and camera system. Other work included a hull and underwater repaint, a complete overhaul of pumps and valves in technical areas, and a new sun awning system for the bridge deck.



Ronin, shown above on her sea trials a fortnight ago, has a top speed of 34 knots. The sharp angles of her superstructure give the yacht an aggressive and military profile that is still a startling sight on the water. She was voted at number 44 in SuperYacht World’s recent poll of the Top 50 Finest Superyachts Ever. Originally commissioned by a Japanese businessman, she is now owned by Larry Ellison.