Nero is one of the world's largest luxury motor yachts, measuring in length. The design was inspired by J.P. Morgan's Corsair yachts. She was commissioned by Neil Taylor and built in China at Yantai Raffles Shipyard by Corsair Yachts in 2007 with architecture by IMT Marine Consultants. She features a master duplex suite with ensuite bath and shower rooms, a private sundeck and swimming pool. Guest accommodation includes two 'VIP' suites and two cabins. She is one of the yachts in the Burgess Charter Fleet. The yacht was listed for sale with Merle Wood & Associates and Burgess in 2009. The asking price was €75 million. However, in April 2011, it was reported that the asking price for the yacht was reduced to €67.5 million. The price was further reduced to €59.9 million in 2012. Costa Crosiere Italy chartered the nero in April 2015 for its new Luxury Cruising Concept, to be Released in December 2015
''Nero'' and J.P. Morgan's legacy
The Nero was commissioned by London-born entrepreneur Neil Taylor. He had originally intended to restore a yacht from J.P. Morgan's era but, when he was unable to find one that met his requirements, he set out to build a modern replica. Morgan built four large yachts with the name Corsair. The last, Corsair IV, launched in 1930, was 343 feet in length and cost of $2.5 million. Corsair IV was at the time the largest yacht ever built in the US. Morgan used her for 10 years before turning her over to the British Admiralty in 1940. After World War II, there was high demand from rich Americans for luxury cruises. The Skinner and Eddy Corporation established Pacific Cruise Lines in 1946 and quickly acquired Corsair IV, converting her into a luxury cruise vessel. The new Corsair began service in September 1947 offering two-week cruises out of Long Beach, California. However, during a cruise to Mexico, she struck rock on12 November 1949 and was beached at Acapulco. She can now be explored by divers in the seas off Acapulco. Corsair II had been chartered by the US Navy in 1917 and, as the USS Corsair, took part in patrols against enemy submarines off the west coast of France, being returned to Morgan in 1919 with an outstanding rescue record. She was acquired by the US Navy in 1942 and renamed the USS Oceanographer, serving with the Coast and Geodetic Survey. She was decommissioned in October 1944 and broken up for scrap. Corsair Yachts, Nero's shipbuilder, was a new facility created for the project at Yantai Raffles Shipyard on Shandong Peninsula, China. Taylor designed the yacht, which was built by 400 craftsmen over three and a half years.
