Monster 258ft £80 million superyacht owned by American billionaire games developer moors in Cornwall – dwarfing boats alongside it in harbour

A monster £80million superyacht owned by an American billionaire games developer has moored up in Falmouth, Cornwall.

The 258ft luxury yacht Rocinante took pride of place in Falmouth marina, making everybody else’s boats look small by comparison.

Built in 2008 by the Lurssen shipyard in Germany, Rocinante was formerly known as Madsummer, before being bought by billionaire Gabe Newell.

The man behind the development of the company’s first game ‘Half-Life’ in 1998, Newell is the president of gaming company Valve and was reported to have a net worth of $3.9billion in 2021.

Despite being a floating gin palace, Rocinante takes its name from a less luxurious mode of transport – Don Quixote’s horse.

The 258ft luxury yacht Rocinante took pride of place in Falmouth marina (pictured)

The superyacht, bought by billionaire Gabe Newell, made the others boats on the marina look a little small in comparison 

Rocinante was in good company this week, with another billionaire’s £40million superyacht not far away. 

Game Changer, complete with helicopter landing pad and owned by Hong Kong based billionaire heiress Karen Lo, was conducting sea trials today as part of work at Pendennis Shipyard.

Initially designed as a support vessel to allow owners of superyachts to carry more equipment, Game Changer was adapted and upgraded to become a superyacht in her own right. 

The 230ft Dutch-built vessel not only has a helicopter landing pad, but also a submarine and custom dive centre.

Another billionaire’s £40m superyacht, Game Changer (pictured), was not far away and was conducting sea trials today 

Game Changer, complete with helicopter landing pad, is owned by Hong Kong based billionaire heiress Karen Lo

The yacht’s appearances come just a week after locals in a tiny Cornish town have blasted the arrival of a massive cruise ship that increased the local population by 50 per cent during its visit.

The 58,000-ton Spirit of Adventure stopped in Fowey on Friday. While some admired its size, others weren’t happy about the 775ft ship docking at Fowey Harbour.

Residents said on social media that the ship’s visit was ‘awful’ and ‘shouldn’t be allowed’. 

Some also highlighted how the fumes being pumped into the air by the Spirit of Adventure had affected air quality in the coastal town.

This comes after it was revealed that Fowey residents were being priced out of their homes due to an influx of second-home buyers, which has pushed house prices up by more than £100,000 in just a year, according to the Sunday Times. 

Three years ago residents in the coastal town voted in favour of banning new-builds being sold as second homes in a referendum, adding fuel to the fire in the long-running dispute between local residents and second-home owners.