{{Italic title}} {{Infobox ship |display_title=none |section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = | image_caption = }}
|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | name = ''Necker Belle'' | owner = Virgin Limited Edition | operator = Virgin Limited Edition | registry = | route = | ordered = | builder = CMN | original_cost = | yard_number = | way_number = | laid_down = | launched = | completed = | christened = | acquired = | maiden_voyage = | in_service = | out_of_service = | identification = | fate = | status = | notes = }}
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = | class = | tonnage = | displacement = | length = 32 m (105 ft) | beam = 14 m (46 ft) | height = | draught = | draft = 1.8 m (6 ft) | depth = | decks = | deck_clearance = | ramps = | ice_class = | sail_plan = | power = | propulsion = Sail | speed = 22 knots | capacity = 13 | crew = 5 | notes = }} }}
The '''''Necker Belle''''' is a 105-foot<ref name=eTBb-2009-09-10/> (32 m)<ref name=BTN-2009-09-30/> private charter catamaran yacht,<ref name=NYT-2010-03-28>New York Times, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E1DD163DF93BA15750C0A9669D8B63 "Ahoy, Matey - Let's Get Nautical"], '''Michael Cannell''', ''28 March 2010'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref> offered through Virgin Limited Edition and based at the resort Necker Island.<ref name=CNNMoney-2010-01-07>CNN Money, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100114051728/http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/news/1001/gallery.charter_Richard_Branson_yacht/index.html "Charter Richard Branson's yacht"], '''Hibah Yousuf''', ''7 January 2010'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref> The ''Belle'' superyacht is one of the few luxury sailing catamarans in the world.<ref name=CWc-NeckerBelle>CharterWorld.com, [http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=lady-barbaretta-1401 "Necker Belle - Luxury Catamaran"] (accessed 2 August 2010)</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.clubyacht.net/yachts-and-owners/richard-bransons-necker-belle/|title=Richard Branson's Necker Belle {{!}} Club Yacht|work=Club Yacht|access-date=2017-07-16|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730210106/http://www.clubyacht.net/yachts-and-owners/richard-bransons-necker-belle/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Prior to being purchased by Richard Branson's Virgin, the yacht was called ''Lady Barbaretta'', and cost £5.3 million for Branson to obtain.<ref name=eTBb-2009-09-10>eTravel Blackboard, [http://www.etravelblackboard.com/showarticle.asp?id=96869&nav=5 "Virgin Limited Edition welcomes Necker Belle into fleet"], ''Thursday 10 September 2009'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref> It required a two-year refit to emerge as the ''Belle'',<ref name=Glasgow-2010-01-04>Daily Record, "The £5.3 million Catamaran", '''Jon Kaila''', ''4 January 2010''</ref> operates with a crew of seven, and is currently captained by Captain Piers Helm.<ref name=BTN-2009-09-30>BTN, [http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/sir-richard-branson-says-ahoy-to-necker-belle/ "Sir Richard Branson says 'Ahoy' to Necker Belle ..."], ''30 September 2009'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref> The refit won the ''2010 best new refit'' at the World Superyacht Awards.<ref name=CWc-NeckerBelle/> The yacht has a top speed in excess of 20 knots,<ref name=Glasgow-2010-01-04/> being rare in the world as being able to do so.<ref name=CWc-NeckerBelle/>
The ''Necker Nymph'' excursion submersible also operates from the yacht.<ref name=SY-2010-01-31>SuperYachts, [http://www.superyachts.com/news/necker-nymph-%E2%80%98underwater-aircraft%E2%80%99-announced-by-virgin-limited-edition-327.htm "Necker Nymph 'Underwater Aircraft' announced by Virgin Limited Edition"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526131650/http://www.superyachts.com/news/necker-nymph-%E2%80%98underwater-aircraft%E2%80%99-announced-by-virgin-limited-edition-327.htm |date=2010-05-26 }}, '''M. Tempest''', ''31 January 2010'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref> It is reputedly the first-of-its-kind "aero submarine", buoyant when not under power.<ref name=ABC-2010-02-04>ABC News, [https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/richard-bransons-underwater-airplane-1st-kind/story?id=9738276 "Richard Branson's 'Underwater Plane' Is 1st of Its Kind"], '''Ki Mae Heussner''', ''4 February 2010'' (accessed 1 August 2010)</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.neckerbelle.virgin.com/}}
Category:Virgin Limited Edition Category:Individual catamarans Category:Individual sailing vessels
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