Greg Norman's Yacht
Pictures Contributed by Gary Richardson
Story Written by Rick Archer
First Published: August 2005
FORWARD: Greg Norman, also known as "The Shark", has been a
highly
successful golf pro on the PGA circuit for a number of years.
His prowess at golf and great popularity has obviously rewarded him
well.
In addition to his athletic ability, it is a
well-known fact that Mr. Norman is a shrewd businessman.
Furthermore he is very personable which has led to many
endorsements.
You are about to see what kinds of material rewards
come to someone as talented as Greg Norman.
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Here is Greg Norman's yacht. Say hello to
Aussie Rules as she is
called.
Have you ever dreamed of buying your own yacht and putting out to
sea to cruise the world?
This story answers the question of what the super-rich do with
their money when they decide to have fun. Most of us have no shot
at something this magnificent, but it is pretty wonderful to see what is
possible nonetheless. I suppose some people might criticize Mr.
Norman for making his opulent toy so conspicuous, but I don't mind at
all. Indeed, I feel very grateful that I have been permitted to
get a peek at this marvelous lifestyle. I thoroughly enjoy stoking
my fantasies!
I am sure that right about now you are wondering to
yourself if it is too late to take up golf.
Who would have ever imagined that an odd little Scottish game like
GOLF could be parlayed into a yacht as magnificent as
this!?! Wow!
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Rick Archer's Note:
May 2008
Before we continue, I would like to explain more about
this web page. I have no connection to Mr. Norman.
These pictures were simply forwarded to me in an email
from a friend back in 2005. I was so amazed by the beauty
of the yacht that I immediately posted them on the Internet for
my friends to see.
It wasn't until I did an update in 2008 that I realized
these pictures were taken from a web site titled
AUSSIE
RULES. I assume that Mr. Norman had this site
created. Now that I realize the true origin of the pictures,
let me state that I will remove these pictures without any
hesitation if asked to do so.
I hope that Mr. Norman and his representatives would
understand that I maintain this page strictly out of admiration
for his floating work of art. Any cursory glance around my
SSQQ web site would show I
am not exploiting the pictures in any commercial way. Mr.
Norman certainly has every right to be proud of this beautiful
ship and I thank him for sharing its beauty with the rest of us.
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So now
let's have a closer look!
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That's quite a home-viewing
theater! However, to make a small joke, this
magnificent room is 'par for the course'. Everything
about this ship is both colorful and rich as well as
tasteful and warm.
Greg Norman took delivery of his new toy
in 2005. At 69.5 metres (228 feet) in
length, it's the world's largest aluminum and composite private yacht.
He named
his beautiful yacht
"Aussie Rules".
Back when
Greg Norman first cruised into Sydney Harbor, onlookers
gasped at the immense size of the yacht.
They remarked, "What a massive
ship! Why, it's nearly three times the size of the ferries in the Harbor!"
Norman had
his yacht built for $70 million dollars.
He helped design
the yacht himself. Rumor has it the company meant to build
it for him "at cost" in return for the excellent advertising of having him
as an owner, but they actually lost money on it.
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In
addition to being opulent, the yacht is also built for Jacques Cousteau-type fun
and exploration.
There is onboard diving equipment for 30 people including
a decompression chamber and two huge compressors. Dives of all types can
be accomplished by operating the Nitrox Mixing Panel onboard, enabling
each guest's air tank to be customized with a mixture of gases.
Even the Bridge looks comfortable. That
helps make those long nights of cruising the Pacific Islands more
enjoyable.
The more we see, the more the yacht resembles
a floating mansion!
Very pretty. As you see, dining can be held outdoors if the
weather permits.
The picture above gives us an idea of the
breath-taking views that might accompany a simple morning breakfast at
this open air table! Now check out the sunken cocktail
area. Are you envious yet?
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When night falls or stormy weather comes
calling, we see that the yacht has an exquisite interior dining room as
well. All the comforts of home but no grass to mow and no property
taxes to pay! What a dream.
THE FUN SHIP!
Mr. Norman wanted his yacht to be practical in
addition to comfortable. When visiting tropical
islands and scuba locations, he wanted everyone to have as much mobility as possible.
To get the people out to those choice dive spots or maybe
to visit a deserted beach for
a splash in the warm water, the following additional "small" boats are
kept onboard:
A 42-Foot Custom Built
"Game Fisher" can be launched and retrieved
from the deck. Perfect for a 4-person overnight fishing expedition. Has
a gourmet galley for cooking up the catch while it's still fresh.
There is a 22-Foot Novurania Equator with a meager 800 horsepower so you can get to
the best diving sites ahead of everyone else. It has beach landing
capability as well.
Two 18-Foot Hewes Bonerfishers for those special occasions when
Norman and
his friends wish to maneuver over the sand flats in Key West, Florida.
Plus a 30-Foot SeeVee for afternoon
fishing.
Plus a 13-Foot Narwhal Rescue Boat in case someone falls off one of those other
boats.
Plus 4 Yamaha Waverunners!!!
Good grief already! Where
do they store it all? Watching all
those boats emerge reminds of a Russian Matryoshka
Doll where the little dolls just keep coming out of the bigger ones!
There seems to be no end to the storage space in this
magnificent vessel. You almost begin to look for a car and
a helicopter to emerge as well! So much pleasure and
so much comfort.
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Well, now it's time to wrap it up. Hope you enjoyed the visit.
If you have
enjoyed viewing these pictures, you will definitely enjoy seeing
even more pictures at the home page for
AUSSIE RULES
What you see here is only the tip
of the iceberg. There you will find dozens more pictures
plus a great deal of explanation about the yacht.
As for me, I'm signing up for
golf lessons today. Maybe I will see you on the golf
course! Rick Archer
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