SPECIAL REPORT: Largest single-masted sailboat in the world at Dysart's Marina

SOUTHWEST HARBOR, July 24, 2024 - Sorry Charlie, you’re gonna need a bigger boat.

Another Texan has claimed bragging rights for having the largest sailboat on MDI - at least temporarily.

The yacht M5 was docked this morning at Dysart’s at the head of the harbor. According to Superyachtfan.com, it is owned by US billionaire Rodney Lewis, the CEO of the Lewis Energy Group, one of the top natural gas producers in South Texas.

It carries a sea plane on deck and a Hinckley tender in an aft compartment below deck.

The eight bumpers between the boat and the dock are the size of refrigerators.

Boat International said it is the largest single masted sailboat in the world at 77 meters long.

From a distance M5 can be mistaken for Charlie Butt’s Rebecca, which is 45 meters long and a two-masted ketch. Butt is the owner of the largest grocery chain in Texas, H-E-B. Rebecca was built in 1999. Its worth has been estimated at $15 million, with an annual operating cost of $1 million.

The yacht Rebecca, owned by Northeast Harbor summer resident Charles Butt

Superyachtfan.com stated that the M5 is “an extraordinary spectacle within the world of luxury vessels, setting a remarkable precedent with its sloop-rigged design.

“The SY M5 was designed by renowned yacht designer Ron Holland and constructed under the supervision of High Modulus Europe Ltd. The yacht broke new ground by being constructed with the largest mast and largest jib of any sailing craft ever built.”

Photo by Giuliano Sargentini

“The yacht is valued at approximately $50 million with annual running costs around $5 million.” Superyachtfan.com reported. It was built in 2004.

Read more about it and get a tour on BoatInternational.com with videos and photos like the ones below.

M5’s interior