This yacht is worth R5.5 billion
What do you do when you get bored with your R4 billion yacht? You upgrade, of course.
This is what Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko has decided to do in building the Sailing Yacht A – a three-mast monstrosity that is now the biggest yacht in the world.
The ‘boat’ measures just under 143 meteres in length, with its three masts stretching over 120 metres high – quite a jump from the billionaire’s last vessel, which was ‘only’ 120 metres long.
This makes the Sailing Yacht A taller than London’s Big Ben, and longer than a Boeing 747 – all that space for 20 guests and a crew of 54 – and all for just $400 million (R5.5 billion).
The 8-deck yacht will cruise at around 30 kilometers per hour, with a top speed of 40 kph. It was designed by Frenchman Philippe Starck and built by German Naval Yards, Nobiskrug.
Sailing Yacht A
Sailing Yacht A
According to Forbes, Melnichenko is worth over $8.5 billion, and is the 137th richest man on the planet.
He is a founder of Russia’s MDM Bank, and has massive stakes in a number of industrial companies, including Eurochem, Suek and SGK.
The ship has been descriped as a “monument to invention” and features high-tech gadgetry and high luxury. The interior reportedly cost at least R210,000 per sqare metre to outfit.
The costs do not stop at the build, however.
According to the Daily Mail, insurers estimate that as much as 10% of the initial value of the yacht can go into operating costs.
This includes about R5.6 million on fuel a year; docking fees (R4.9 million); insurance (R3.3 million); staff costs (R19.5 million) and maintenance (R19.9 million) costs.
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