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109m superyacht Bravo Eugenia arrives in London

The 109-metre Oceanco superyacht Bravo Eugenia has arrived in London and berthed at Butler's Wharf Pier in Tower Bridge. According to BOATPro , the yacht began her journey to the UK capital when she departed from Lisbon approximately two weeks ago, which included a stopover in Rotterdam, the Netherlands last week.

Bravo Eugenia is famously owned by American businessman Jerry Jones, who also owns the American football team, Dallas Cowboys. Delivered in 2018, the motor yacht is christened after his wife, Eugenia Jones.

At 109 metres, Bravo Eugenia sits in the same size category as Lady Jorgia , Kaos and the newly delivered Renaissance (though the yacht doesn't quite qualify for the top 25 largest yachts in the world ).

The superyacht first hit the water in November 2018 sporting a slender, low-profile designed by Nuvolari Lenard . Jerry Jones has the inside of his yacht firmly shielded from the public eye, with interior photos hard to come by. But with a 16-metre beam to play with and British studio Reymond Langton Design at the helm, Bravo Eugenia 's interiors are surely impressive. Naval architecture is owed to   Lateral Naval Architects .

Oceanco described Bravo Eugenia as "a prime example of [our] new wave of forward-thinking yachts”, being highly efficient in spite of her impressive length. Powered by a hybrid propulsion system, she can run on a "quiet electric mode" that allows her to consume 30 per cent less fuel than other yachts in her size class.

Bravo Eugenia is one of the largest yachts to visit London in recent times – her last sighting on the Thames was in January 2022.

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10 interesting vessels to sail through Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is world-famous for many reasons: its iconic architecture; its location in the heart of London; and that it opens for vessels. In fact, around 800 vessels still pass through the bascules each year. 

The types of boats, barges and ships that visit continue to change, from cargo vessels and paddle steamers to pleasure cruises and royal yachts. We’ve taken a look through our archives to find some of the most interesting and iconic boats and ships that have passed through Tower Bridge and present ten of the best Bridge Lifts below.

1. The first Bridge Lift, 1894

Everyone wants to be the ‘first’ to do something: first man on the Moon (1969), first selfie (1893), first video on YouTube (2005), but what was the first vessel to pass through Tower Bridge?

Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by HRH the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII from 1901-10). Huge crowds lined the Thames in giddy anticipation. As the clock turned midday, the ceremonial trumpets sounded, the Bridge was blessed and, after a two minute delay ‘during which the crowd held their breaths’, the Bascules lifted for the first time. In celebration, the guns of the Tower of London fired a Royal Salute and the ships began their approach…

First through the Bridge was the Harbour Master’s vessel Daisy . It may have been the first, but it was quickly followed by a procession of honourary vessels: the Conservator Steamer ; then the Trinity House Yacht Irene ; the gunboat HMS Landrail ; the Bismark ; and the Clacton Belle . These last three can be seen in William Lionel Wyllie’s painting ‘Opening of Tower Bridge’, pictured adjacent, which is on show at the Guildhall Art Gallery .

2. London’s own sea cruise

The British seaside getaway is an iconic part of the country’s history. Ice cream, arcades, beaches and piers; what’s not to love.

In 1932 the Royal Eagle was one of the biggest, fastest, luxury paddle steamers, ferrying passengers between London and several seaside destinations including Southend-on-sea, Ramsgate and Margate. Between 1932 and 1938, it’s estimated it carried more than three million passengers – that’s half a million passengers every summer.

The Royal Eagle   would take day trippers through Tower Bridge and along the Thames towards Ramsgate and Clacton. Guests were treated to fine dining and relaxing lounges. Passengers snooze on deck, and, as was the fashion of the day, almost everyone wore a hat.

You can still take this journey on either pleasure Steamers Waverley & Balmoral , which depart from Tower Pier. You can sail back in time aboard these wonderful historic passenger ships to the Kent and Essex coasts and to the historic Thames Forts.

3. The Royal Yacht Britannia

In the Spring of 1954, thousands of Brits flocked to the banks of the River Thames to see the Royal Yacht Britannia pass under Tower Bridge, bringing Her Majesty the Queen and her family home from a Commonwealth tour that lasted six months. It was the first to be undertaken by the Royal Yacht Britannia, which the Queen had launched herself in 1953. 

During its career as Royal Yacht, Britannia conveyed the Queen, members of the Royal Family and various dignitaries on 696 foreign visits and 272 visits in British waters. Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, took their honeymoon cruise on Britannia in 1981. The Royal Yacht Britannia also made a visit to the Thames at Tower Bridge to honour the Queen Mother's 90th birthday in August 1990.

On 20 October 1997 the royal yacht made its final journey passing through Tower Bridge . It was decommissioned in 1997 and is now berthed in Edinburgh, where it opened in 1998 as a star tourist attraction . 

Image: © Topfoto

4. HMS Belfast

Light cruiser HMS Belfast passed under Tower Bridge to take its mooring in the Pool of London on 14 October 1971.

The following day, 15 October 1971, HMS Belfast was towed to its resting place and attached to two dolphins, which guide the ship during the rise and fall of the tide. 

Built by Messrs Harland & Wolff in 1936 and launched on 17 March 1938 by Anne Chamberlain, the wife of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, HMS Belfast was opened to the public six days later, on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1971. It became part of the Imperial War Museums in 1978.

5. The bridge lift that wasn’t booked

On the morning of 15 May 2004, the STS Lord Nelson set off along the Thames towards Tower Bridge and the Pool of London, expecting the Bridge to lift. The impressive three-mast vessel, along with the SV Tenacious, were the only wheelchair accessible tall ships in the world, built so that both disabled and non-disabled people could sail as crew.

As the vessel approached Tower Bridge, they radioed ahead, as is normal procedure, but received no response. As the Nelson got closer and closer to the the Bridge, further attempts to contact were met with silence and the Bridge didn’t look like it was ready to open. Finally, through Woolwich Radio, the crew had made contact with the staff at Tower Bridge and it was ascertained that no Bridge Lift had been booked! The experienced crew set to action to turn the boat around in time… but it was too late.

Due to the current, and the proximity to other vessels the Lord Nelson struck the south pier of Tower Bridge just after 10am. Fortunately, no one was injured and there was very little damage to the ship.

A later enquiry vindicated Tower Bridge authorities, after it established that no notice for a Bridge Lift had been sent or received.

The Lord Nelson was decommissioned in 2019 but the SV Tenacious still sails today.

6. Third time's the charm

If you think hitting the Bridge once is embarrassing, spare a thought for the Spanish Cargo Ship Urquiola . On 30 January 1967 the Urquiola hit Tower Bridge for the third time in ten years (1957, 64 & 67). A police spokesman announced: ‘they are starting to make habit of it’.

The damage report, date 30/1/1967 states:

'Tower Bridge was closed to traffic for an hour and a half today (Monday) after being hit and damaged by a Spanish cargo vessel. The 7,000 tom 'Monte Urquiola' swung broadside into the bridge as it was being towed to the Pool of London. It smashed into the north east buttress sending blocks of masonry tumbling into the river.'

The Monte Urquiola (1949-74) was one of four ships operating for the Aznar Line until Autumn 1974, and was a frequent guest in the Pool in London. The Aznar Line operated a large share of the Canary Islands fruit and vegetable market to Britain, sailing to both London and Liverpool. 

The Monte Urquiola was renamed In 1974 and decommissioned in 1977.

7. London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

In the Summer of 2012, Olympic fever struck London. For just over two weeks, athletes came from all over the world to compete in the world’s greatest sporting event. London 2012’s opening ceremony, arguably the best yet, showcased the British spirit to the world and some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. 

An estimated 900 million people watched David Beckham driving the speedboat Max Power , carrying Torchbearer Jade Bailey and the flame on its penultimate stretch along the Thames. As the speed boat powered towards the Bridge, the Bascules raised and fireworks flew from the high-level Walkways. A curtain of sparks fell from the Bascules as the boat continued on its way to the Olympic Stadium - one of the defining images of the London 2012 Games.

The speedboat was a Bladerunner BR RIB 35 called 'Max Power' and fitted with two Mercury Verado V6 engines providing a maximum speed of 65 knots (75mph). It is reported to have been sold for £250,000 after the opening ceremony.

Image: © Clive Totman

8. Cruise Ships in Central London

It’s not everyday you expect to see a cruise ship entering central London, but since 2013, the city has attracted no less than 30 cruise ships a year: the Hamburg , Le Boreal , Silver Cloud and Silver Wind and many others have passed under Tower Bridge. 

These mammoth vessels are much larger than the ships that originally passed through in 1894, but ships like the enormous Silver Cloud, at 157m long, still manage to squeeze through carrying up to 300 passengers and a crew of 222.

You can get a spectacular view of the ship passing under Tower Bridge through the Glass Floor . They are so tall, sometimes it seems you can almost touch them.

9. JS Kashima

Japanese ship Kashima  (TV-3508) passed under Tower Bridge in the morning of 22 June 2022. The training vessel made its way upstream the Thames and berthed near the Tower of London, where it stayed until 25 June. It then sailed downstream, crossing our bascules once more on its way back to the sea.

The Kashima came to London, while JS Shimakaze was called at Portsmouth, to promote ‘friendship and goodwill’ between the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Navy. On 28 June 2022, the ships conducted a bilateral exercise with HMS Severn in the English Channel.

The visit of the Kashima and the Shimakaze to England echoed a stopover to Japan by Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group in 2021, and it marked the 120th anniversary of the Japan-UK alliance.

The Kashima visited London and passed under Tower Bridge once before, on 31 July 2016.

10. Götheborg of Sweden

The  Götheborg of Sweden , one of the world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing vessels, passed through Tower Bridge’s bascules up and down the river on 8 August 2022.

The ship moored in Canary Wharf until 12 August as part of a two-year-long expedition from Stockholm to Shanghai. The Götheborg is a replica of an 18th-century ship that sank off the coast of Sweden in September 1745 and that it was owned by the Swedish East India Company.

The Götheborg first visited in London in 2007, when it fired its cannon in salute, with HMS Belfast’s guns firing in return.

Götheborg of Sweden crossing Tower Bridge in June 2022 ©Edward Hasler

Since 1894, Tower Bridge has opened hundreds of thousands of times and it will lift for more extraordinary vessels in the years to come. 

Let us know if we've missed your favourite Bridge Lift on Facebook and Twitter . Follow the link below to find out when the Bridge will lift next.

View scheduled Bridge Lifts

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Huge £25m superyacht arrives in London amid uproar over plans to hold late night parties on River Thames

The superyacht docked at Newham's Royal Docks last week

• 13:14, 23 MAY 2023
• Updated 16:29, 23 MAY 2023

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A £25 million super boat, longer than the world’s biggest commercial jet, has arrived in London amid uproar over its plans to hold late-night events for up to 1,000 people on the River Thames.

Luxury party yacht Oceandiva docked at moorings in Newham’s Royal Docks at the weekend after being towed 300 miles from a shipyard in the Netherlands, where it was under constructions.

The mega boat - which locals have branded an ‘eyesore’ - hopes to play host to high-end weddings, conferences and exhibitions when launches in the coming months. But the superyacht has been beset by opposition from Londoners and local politicians who fear the boat will be a magnet for antisocial behaviour and harm the environment.

READ MORE: Elderly people moved to failing South London care home where dementia patient became stuck in cupboard for 2 hours

The vessel will be based at Newham’s Royal Docks but Oceandiva ultimately wants to make stop-offs at six piers in Greenwich , Southwark and Tower Hamlets as it transports revellers along the Thames.

At present, privately-owned Butler’s Wharf Pier near Tower Bridge is the only place the super boat is understood to be able to hold events and drop off passengers. It is also believed to have permission to disembark passengers at West India Pier, but not to remain there for events.

Many of the other piers Oceandiva wants to use are managed by Transport for London (TfL). As of January, TfL had yet to grant Oceandiva permission to unload passengers at any of its piers on the Thames. In a response to a Freedom of Information request, the City Hall body said it hadn’t granted the boat a licence as it was “yet to see the vessel in London.”

Kathleen Ehrlich, chair of Shad Thames Residents Association - many of whose members’ flats overlook Butler’s Wharf Pier - said the boat would ruin the city’s skyline.

She said: “This will be an eyesore of a vessel impacting on the world famous views along the Thames, not just around the Tower of London and Tower Bridge where it plans to hold up to 140 events a year. It will bring a huge disruption and disturbance to riverside communities.”

Rachel Bentley, Liberal Democrat councillor for North Bermondsey, where Butler’s Wharf Pier is located, said: “The owners and operators of Oceandiva have been trying to bring their super luxury events vessel to London for many years and need to respect residents’ repeated message that it is not wanted.”

Oceandiva currently can’t serve booze onboard. Smart Group, the entertainment company that owns the vessel, withdrew a licensing application to serve alcohol until 2am in February after hundreds of people sent objections to Newham Council.

If the council had approved the application, the licence would have allowed the boat to serve alcohol anywhere on the Thames. Oceandiva is expected to make a fresh application to Newham in June.

While berthed at Royal Docks, Oceandiva is undergoing a £1.8 million fit-out. When the boat’s trial period on the River Thames begins, events on the vessel are expected to be initially limited to 400 guests.

Smart Group has dubbed Oceandiva the first carbon neutral vessel on the Thames. The company says the boat could add up to £77 million to the capital’s economy over the next five years.

Chloe Jackson, managing director of Smart Group, said: “We are thrilled to have the vessel arrive in London, and we look forward to sharing our vision of revolutionising the events industry with a sustainable, carbon neutral venue on the River Thames.

“Our commitment to consultation with the communities in which we will operate is a top priority, and we are excited to work together to create a project that benefits London and everyone in the community.

“Consultation with riverside communities, local groups, and responsible authorities is critical to our approach. Our ambition is to create a project that delivers real benefits to the communities in which we operate and that we can all be proud of.”

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Superyacht owned by Fulham FC chairman Shahid Khan moors near Tower Bridge … and it’s available to rent

Luxury megayacht Kismet comes complete with a spa, a plush bar and even a helipad

• Published : 23:00, 28 Sep 2016
• Updated : 14:15, 26 Apr 2018

A LUXURY superyacht owned by Fulham FC chairman Shahid Khan has moored in central London.

The 308-feet long party boat named Kismet parked at Butlers Wharf on the River Thames near Tower Bridge on Wednesday.

It has 6 staterooms, with the master bedroom having its own private deck with jacuzzi and helipad.

There is even a cinema room and fully kitted gym on-board to be enjoyed by anyone with the cash to rent it out.

Estimates place its rental value at around £1MILLION a week...

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The master bedroom treats guests to the lap of luxury

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Tower Bridge launch for new Oyster 565 bluewater cruiser

The new £1.3m oyster 565 has been revealed to the world at an event in london, with an eye-catching photo opportunity as the yacht sailed under tower bridge..

Based on feedback from Oyster owners, the latest range has better storage, larger berths and more headroom than ever before. The new generation has moulded-in bowsprits for easier flying of downwind and reaching sails; twin rudders for better handling under sail and less drag; and flush decks. We’re told they also offer better stability, thanks to a 10 per cent deeper keel and lighter hull weight.

Sneaking in below the psychologically important 60ft (18.2m) LOA mark, the two 565 is designed to appeal to sailing families with bluewater plans. Configuration options include a novelty for Oyster: the master cabin up in the fo’c’s’le and the aft cabin split into two, with a dinghy garage down the middle.

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