Visitors and workers at Canary Wharf in London can’t help but have noticed the armada of super yachts moored in West India Dock for the London Olympics - including the huge ‘Octopus’ owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The 126 metre megayacht is moored facing Londonewcastle’s forthcoming Dollar Bay development and the bow is an imposing sight for residents in the current apartment block facing the dock.

The yacht, built by the famous Lurssen shipyard in 2003 was, at the time of its launch, said to the longest private yacht in the world. But in a sign of continued global one-upmanship in the rarefied megayacht market, it’s now slipped to 13th place.

No matter. What is beguiling is seeing the yacht so close to the surrounding 6 and 7 storey residential blocks in Canary Wharf where it dwarfs the surroundings in a way that it doesn’t seem to in the wide expanses of the Cote d’Azur or even, in the megayacht moorings of Antibes.

Octopus is one of a number of yachts that have come to London to visit during the Olympics so if you’re a fan of boats - or just plain nosey - then Canary Wharf is worth a visit over the next 10 days.