Superyacht plus: The new millionaire water toys

Thought the Monaco Yacht Show was just about superyachts? Think again. This is where the world's deluxe water toys are also floated to the public. Here, Virgin CEO Richard Branson (right) takes a dip in the DeepFlight Super Falcon with creator Graham Hawkes.

Gaze across the luxury stalls at this year's Monaco Yacht Show, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled upon James Bond's secret gadget lab.

Personal submarines, jetpacks, even a fantastical "walking" boat are all on offer for a new generation of thrill-seeking millionaires.

Younger than ever before, today's super rich are no longer content to spend their holidays lounging on sundrenched superyachts.

Instead, they're willing to pay millions for high-tech water toys unimaginable when the prestigious boat show first launched 24 years ago.



"Fifteen years ago a person who owned a superyacht was usually 50 years old," explained Monaco Yacht Show managing director Gaëlle Tallarida, in her lilting French accent.

"Now we're seeing people who are 30 years old owning one."

Hailing from emerging economies such as China and South America, this new generation of wealthy holiday-makers are looking for unique adventures at sea -- from exploring the ocean floor in a submarine, to zooming 10 meters into the air with a jetpack.

"These toys attract them because they have a special way of enjoying yachts, compared to their parents who perhaps had to wait until they were older to buy one," said Tallarida.

"They like sports and really enjoy being in the sea -- not just sailing and lying on the sundeck."

Main Sail takes a look at four of the most eye-popping toys on show:



DeepFlight Super Falcon
Price: $1.7 million

The DeepFlight Submarines were originally inspired by quadcopter drones.

Is it a jet? A sports car? What about a submarine? At first glance, the futuristic DeepFlight Super Falcon is hard to pin down.

But the unusual two-person electric submersible, which can plunge 393 feet under the sea, appears to be to the taste of millionaire owners Richard Branson, and Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

"Just as private individuals are now able to explore space, we see our submarines as opening up the oceans for private exploration," said Karen Hawkes, who founded the DeepFlight company with engineer husband Graham in 1996.

"Except unlike spacecraft, these owners get to the pilot their own vessels."

The Falcon follows an earlier model, the DeepFlight Dragon, valued at $1.5 million. Both are positively buoyant, meaning they always float back up to the surface, rather than sinking.