Walter Finch
THE mega yacht of Manchester United’s new billionaire sheriff in town has been making waves in Mallorca.
The luxurious Hampshire II, owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has most recently been spotted off Puerto Portals in Calvia.
Measuring an impressive 78.5 metres, Hampshire II is a floating palace on the sea fit for the new minority owner of England’s biggest football club.
The vessel boasts ample accommodation for up to 14 guests, plus space for up to 23 crew members including the ship’s captain.
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Inside, guests will find a beach club at the rear that features terraces and views of the ocean, plus an obligatory helipad.
Once they leave their luxury rooms, Ratcliffe’s chums will sup in an impressive dining room and hang out in a huge living area.
And the crowning adornment, reportedly, is a deck that can be, most fittingly, converted into a football pitch.
But as impressive as Hampshire II is, in the global rankings of the largest yachts, she fails to even come in the top 200, dropping anchor at the number 203 spot.
Perhaps Sir Jim will even be thinking of upgrading to a superyacht more befitting his own standing in global wealth leagues.
As of now, there have not actually been any confirmed sightings that Britain’s richest man is actually aboard the yacht on its Balearic sojourn.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is currently ranked as the 31st richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of €34 billion as of March 2024.
A British chemical engineer and businessman, Ratcliffe is the chairman and CEO of the INEOS chemicals group, which he founded in 1998.
But the publicity shy billionaire really hit the headlines with his purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United on Christmas Eve 2023.
He’s assumed sporting control of the ailing behemoth from the much-loathed Glazer family who have largely run the club into the ground since they bought it in 2005.
