After mysteriously sailing into Hong Kong two weeks ago, Russian tycoon Alexey Mordashov\u2019s $500 million (R9.2 billion) superyacht weighed anchor Thursday (20 October) and departed for South Africa. It was southeast of Hainan Island on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The 142-meter Nord, which caused a stir when it arrived in Hong Kong earlier this month, registered that it expects to arrive in Cape Town on 9 November. Prior to coming to Hong Kong, it was docked in Vladivostok, according to vessel data compiled by Bloomberg.<\/p>\n
Mordashov, the biggest shareholder in steelmaker Severstal PJSC, was sanctioned by the European Union, the UK and US following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
While the US warned Hong Kong that its status as a financial hub could be threatened if it assisted sanctioned individuals, the city said it didn\u2019t have the legal authority to take action on sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Mordashov, Russia\u2019s third-richest person, said the billionaire has been in Moscow since the Nord\u2019s arrival in Hong Kong and declined to comment on the vessel\u2019s movements.<\/p>\n
It is unclear if Cape Town is the Nord\u2019s final destination or whether its crew has received assurances that it will be safe there.<\/p>\n
More than a dozen yachts connected to sanctioned Russians have been seized by US and European governments, while some have fled to friendly havens such as Turkey. South Africa hasn\u2019t so far been a destination that Russian vessels have sought out.<\/p>\n