pacific motor yacht

Please use a modern browser to view this website. Some elements might not work as expected when using Internet Explorer.

• Landing Page
• Luxury Yacht Vacation Types
• Corporate Yacht Charter
• Tailor Made Vacations
• Luxury Exploration Vacations
• View All 3623
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Classic Yachts
• Catamaran Yachts
• Filter By Destination
• More Filters
• Latest Reviews
• Charter Special Offers
• Destination Guides
• Inspiration & Features
• Mediterranean Charter Yachts
• France Charter Yachts
• Italy Charter Yachts
• Croatia Charter Yachts
• Greece Charter Yachts
• Turkey Charter Yachts
• Bahamas Charter Yachts
• Caribbean Charter Yachts
• Australia Charter Yachts
• Thailand Charter Yachts
• Dubai Charter Yachts
• Destination News
• New To Fleet
• Charter Fleet Updates
• Special Offers
• Industry News
• Yacht Shows
• Corporate Charter
• Finding a Yacht Broker
• Charter Preferences
• Questions & Answers
• Add my yacht

NOT FOR CHARTER *

This Yacht is not for Charter*

SIMILAR YACHTS FOR CHARTER

View Similar Yachts

Or View All luxury yachts for charter

• Luxury Charter Yachts
• Motor Yachts for Charter
• Amenities & Toys

PACIFIC X yacht NOT for charter*

85.2m  /  279'6 | lurssen | 2010.

Owner & Guests

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Elevator for convenient access
• State-of-the-art cinema
• Germanischer Lloyd ✠ 100 A5 Motor Yacht, ✠ MC AUT classification
• Interior design from Bannenberg & Rowell
• Spa facilities

The 85.2m/279'6" expedition yacht 'Pacific X' (ex. Pacific) was built by Lurssen in Germany at their Lemwerder shipyard. Her interior is styled by English designer design house Bannenberg & Rowell and she was delivered to her owner in October 2010. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of German Frers.

Guest Accommodation

Pacific X has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 28 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a movie theatre, spa, elevator, underwater lights and gym.

Range & Performance

Pacific X is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by twin diesel MTU (20V4000 M93L) 20-cylinder 5,764hp engines running at 2100rpm, she comfortably cruises at 12 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 20 knots. Pacific X features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. She was built to Germanischer Lloyd ✠ 100 A5 Motor Yacht, ✠ MC AUT classification society rules, and is MCA LY2 Compliant.

*Charter Pacific X Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Pacific X is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Pacific X Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Pacific X Photos

Pacific X Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2011 Best Displacement Motor Yacht of 1,300GT to 2,999GT (approximately 60m – 84m) Special Commendation

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Pacific X

SIMILAR LUXURY YACHTS FOR CHARTER

Here are a selection of superyachts which are similar to Pacific X yacht which are believed to be available for charter. To view all similar luxury charter yachts click on the button below.

88m | Schichau Unterweser

from $487,000 p/week ♦︎

69m | Svendborg Skibsvaerft

from $130,000 p/week ♦︎

Bleu De Nimes

72m | Clelands Shipbuilding Co

from $533,000 p/week ♦︎

85m | SilverYachts

from $946,000 p/week ♦︎

75m | Abeking & Rasmussen

from $811,000 p/week ♦︎

71m | Richards Shipbuilders

from $315,000 p/week ♦︎

71m | Royal Denship

from $389,000 p/week ♦︎

76m | Lurssen

from $725,000 p/week

77m | Damen Yachting

from $740,000 p/week

77m | IHC Verschure

from $644,000 p/week ♦︎

74m | Freire Shipyard

from $595,000 p/week

73m | Picchiotti

from $814,000 p/week ♦︎

As Featured In

The YachtCharterFleet Difference

YachtCharterFleet makes it easy to find the yacht charter vacation that is right for you. We combine thousands of yacht listings with local destination information, sample itineraries and experiences to deliver the world's most comprehensive yacht charter website.

San Francisco

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Find us on LinkedIn
• Add My Yacht
• Affiliates & Partners

Popular Destinations & Events

• St Tropez Yacht Charter
• Monaco Yacht Charter
• St Barts Yacht Charter
• Greece Yacht Charter
• Mykonos Yacht Charter
• Caribbean Yacht Charter

Featured Charter Yachts

• Maltese Falcon Yacht Charter
• Wheels Yacht Charter
• Victorious Yacht Charter
• Andrea Yacht Charter
• Titania Yacht Charter
• Ahpo Yacht Charter

Receive our latest offers, trends and stories direct to your inbox.

Please enter a valid e-mail.

Thanks for subscribing.

Search for Yachts, Destinations, Events, News... everything related to Luxury Yachts for Charter.

Yachts in your shortlist

Find anything, super fast.

• Destinations
• Documentaries

Motor Yacht

Pacific is a custom motor yacht launched in 2010 by Lurssen Yachts, in Germany.

Lürssen has remained a family-run German shipyard since its inception in 1875 and is now in its fourth generation of private ownership. The company was founded by Friedrich Lürssen with a desire to create a leading shipyard in both quality and performance.

Pacific measures 85.20 feet in length and has a beam of 16.00 feet.

Pacific has a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure.

German Frers is an Argentinian company responsible for naval architecture and engineering, producing designs considered to be some of the most aesthetically pleasing currently on the water.

Her interior design is by Bannenberg & Rowell Design.

Pacific also features naval architecture by Lurssen Yachts.

Performance and Capabilities

Other specifications.

Pacific has a hull NB of 13658.

Pacific flies the flag of the Cayman Islands.

• Yacht Builder Lurssen Yachts View profile
• Naval Architect Lurssen Yachts View profile
• Exterior Designer German Frers No profile available
• Interior Designer Bannenberg & Rowell Design View profile

Yacht Specs

Other lurssen yachts, related news.

PACIFIC Lurssen

• Inspiration

PACIFIC has 6 Photos

Pacific News

34m sailing yacht ZEMI is christened at ...

Similar yachts.

SOLANDGE | From EUR€ 1,000,000/wk

• Yachts >
• All Yachts >
• All Motor Yachts Over 100ft/30m >

If you have any questions about the PACIFIC information page below please contact us .

Superyacht Pacific (ex Josi) is an outstanding 85m (278') vessel, built by the prestigious German shipyard Lurssen and launched in 2010. The wonderful distinct exterior of mega yacht Pacific has been designed by the renowned German Frers studio, while her stylish interior is by Bannenberg & Rowell Design.

PACIFIC Specifications

Lurssen luxury yacht Pacific can sleep up to 12 guests in utmost in luxury. Guests are pampered by a numerous crew of 28 professionals.

Made of steel and aluminium, super yacht Pacific (ex Josi) can reach a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots, thanks to her twin powerful MTU 20V4000 M93L diesels. She is Lloyds registered.

Yacht Accommodation

Accommodation aboard Pacific yacht is offered to a total number of 12 guests in beautifully appointed cabins. There is also space for a highly professional crew of 28 members.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 85m (278') yacht PACIFIC, so please enquire for more information.

PACIFIC Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht PACIFIC displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

Quick Enquiry

"I once had a client who told me, “I will put your name on the side of my boat if it’s good, but if the boat is not good, your name will appear three times as big.” We were brought up with the sense that it is a very personal obligation for the family when we sign a contract to deliver a yacht that the client expects. I cannot go to a client and say “One of my guys made a mistake.” He would say “Is he Mr. Lürssen, or are you Mr. Lürssen?” But a successful delivery is also a great reward. I take the relationships of my clients very personally." - Peter Lürssen of Lürssen Yachts (courtesy SuperYachtTimes)

BOLD | From EUR€ 875,000/wk

85m CUSTOM SUPERYACHT | From US$ 945,000/wk

85M EXPLORER YACHT | From US$ 950,000/wk

• Yachts for sale
• Yachts for charter
• Brokerage News

• Yacht Harbour
• Yacht Pacific

About Pacific

Contact agent.

Specifications

Similar yachts.

New listings

Luxury boat builder Pacific Motor Yachts’s $23m collapse leaves customers high and dry

A Gold Coast builder of luxury yachts has collapsed leaving customers’ million-dollar vessels stranded in Chinese boatyards.

Coverage Details

Bias distribution.

• 100 % of the sources lean Right

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

Similar News Topics

Pleasure Listings

Commercial fishing.

Pacific Boat Brokers & Covid 19

As per government instruction during this Covid 19 pandemic, and in the best interest of our staff and clients, we are complying with social distancing by being available to our clients via phone, fax and email as well as our website.

Please contact us at 250-248-0010, fax us at 250-248-4693, email us at [email protected]

You will find all cell phone numbers for our local Brokers in the window of our reception area and on our contact page

Best of health to you all.

Boat Search

Bc's largest pre-owned vessel brokerage, peace of mind, featured listings.

SQL: SELECT TOP (3) fi.ID, fi.feature_page, fi.file_number, fi.display_position, fi.highlight, bn.Vessel_Name, bn.Vessel_Location, bn.Length_Feet, bn.Length_Inches, bn.Listing_Price, bn.Manufacturer_ID, bn.Model, bn.page_name, dm.Manufacturer_Name FROM featured_items AS fi INNER JOIN Boats_new AS bn ON fi.file_number = bn.File_Number INNER JOIN DATA_Manufacturers AS dm ON bn.Manufacturer_ID = dm.Manufacturer_ID WHERE feature_page = 'Pleasure' ORDER BY NEWID()

  ...more

Quick Links

Pleasure boats for sale, commercial fishing boats for sale, industrial boats for sale.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

PACIFIC PROVIDER

PACIFIC PROVIDER, a 47.55 m Motor Yacht built in the United States of America and delivered in 1978, is the flagship of Blount .

Her top speed is 11.0 kn and her cruising speed is 10.0 kn and her power comes from two General Motors diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 staterooms, with 8 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 664.0 GT and a 10.7 m beam.

She was designed by Boris Kirilloff , who has designed 3 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database.

The naval architecture was developed by Blount Marine - she is built with a Steel deck, a Steel hull, and Steel superstructure.

PACIFIC PROVIDER is in the top 10% by LOA in the world. She is one of 510 motor yachts in the 45-50m size range, and, compared to similarly sized motor yachts, her volume is 180.45 GT above the average.

PACIFIC PROVIDER is currently sailing under the United States of America flag, the most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 1637 yachts registered. She has recently entered the superyacht marina Marina Bahia Golfito, in Costa Rica. For more information regarding PACIFIC PROVIDER's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

Specifications

• Name: PACIFIC PROVIDER
• Previous Names: SHEILKOF,STATE HAWK,SHELIKHOV
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Displacement , Expedition Yacht
• Builder: Blount
• Naval Architect: Blount Marine
• Exterior Designer: Boris Kirilloff

Yacht featured in

Yachts like this, from our partners, sponsored listings.

Western Canada's Authorized Beneteau Dealer

Set sail with a new beneteau.

See the latest from Beneteau

We have high visibility docks

When it's easy to see, it's easier to sell..

List with us

Our Reputation Speaks for Itself

Integrity with Results

Our Services

We at Grand Yachts Inc. are passionate about boating, we enjoy building relationships with our clients and we strive to meet their expectations.  

Our history runs deep and wide:  We have specialized in fine yachts since 1976 as a new boat dealership and a yacht brokerage with two locations in British Columbia — Vancouver and Sidney, on Vancouver Island.  The products that we have chosen to represent are high quality brands which suit the waterways and oceans of the Pacific Northwest.  As the world changes we adapt.

Featured Inventory

LENGTH: 32 ft

PRICE: $185,000 CAD

View Details

Oceanis 46.1

LENGTH: 48 ft

PRICE: Call for price

Roué Bird Class 47

LENGTH: 47 ft

PRICE: $49,000 CAD

Ocean Alexander

LENGTH: 50 ft

PRICE: $324,500 CAD

65 Pilothouse

LENGTH: 65 ft

PRICE: $3,850,000 CAD

PRICE: $859,000 CAD

Skylounge 630

LENGTH: 64 ft

PRICE: $775,000 CAD

Grand Banks

LENGTH: 43 ft

PRICE: $99,000 CAD

Two Great Locations in B.C.

See our current inventory of sailboats and motor yachts.

Testimonials

Christopher friesen, beth and dave o'connor - bellingham, w.a. | beneteau 36.7 owners.

We recently purchased our Beneteau 36.7 with the assistance of Brad Marchant.  Due to the COVID-19 situation, we were unable to view the boat prior to purchasing it.  

Ralf and Helga Schmidtke | Fleming 65 Owners

Having decided after 30 years of sailing to change to power, the wide choice of brands made the selection task a daunting one. We wanted the most reliable, comfortable, safest, practical and best thought out boat that we could find. Attention to detail and quality was paramount, as was after purchase servicing. She also had to be an attractive boat that we could be proud of. After several months of extensive research, one name easily made it to the top.

Joel Nauss | 75’ President Yacht Owners

Craig and stacey | beneteau oceanis 31.1 owners.

Stacey and I both want to extend our gratitude for your help in acquiring "Margie." She is exactly what we were looking for, and the entire process was as seamless as you had described it would be. She did well on our trip from Anacortes to Kirkland.

By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko berths superyacht in UAE

• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko berths superyacht in UAE on x (opens in a new window)
• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko berths superyacht in UAE on facebook (opens in a new window)
• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko berths superyacht in UAE on linkedin (opens in a new window)
• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko berths superyacht in UAE on whatsapp (opens in a new window)

Simeon Kerr in Ras al-Khaimah

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Investigators around the world have been searching for sanctions-hit Russian oligarchs’ yachts. One has been hiding in plain sight.

Italian authorities in March impounded Russian coal and fertilisers magnate Andrey Melnichenko’s $600mn Sailing Yacht A after Russia invaded Ukraine. Another yacht, the $300mn Philippe Starck-designed Motor Yacht A, has been anchored for weeks in the port of Ras al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates.

By placing his yacht in the UAE, Melnichenko has put it beyond the reach of western governments enforcing sanctions on those deemed supportive of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Its presence is a symbolic reminder of the Gulf monarchy’s ambivalence towards western sanctions on Russia, allies of Putin and the wealthy businessmen who have often benefited from ties to the state.

While the UAE government is trying to enhance measures against money laundering to exit a global dirty-money watchdog’s watchlist, the economic foundation of cities such as Dubai has long been based on welcoming flows of assets and people.

“Given its non-enforcement of western sanctions, the dilemma for the UAE is how to sustain its place as an open destination for capital while also appearing to be a good global citizen,” said one compliance professional. “It’s a tricky balancing act.”

The government of the Isle of Man said it had in March deregistered Melnichenko’s yachts, including Motor Yacht A, because of western sanctions, saying, “we will continue to act with appropriate robustness should the situation warrant it”.

Marine locator services placed Motor Yacht A off the Maldives in March. The Financial Times then saw the yacht on April 18. On Saturday it remained moored opposite Ras al-Khaimah’s city-centre fish market.

Businessmen in the UAE say Melnichenko, who denies affiliations to the Kremlin, held meetings there in April, but the tycoon has since returned to Moscow. A representative of Melnichenko, who has been placed under sanctions by the EU and UK as well as Switzerland and Australia, referred questions on the yacht to a lawyer who declined to comment.

UAE authorities in Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Abu Dhabi declined to comment.

European officials say they have raised concerns with Emirati counterparts that the UAE could become a financial haven for Russians placed under western sanctions. “We don’t want our allies to become facilitators for the Putin regime,” said one.

The UAE government has said it is maintaining a neutral course through the war, calling for an end to hostilities and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Abu Dhabi, which has developed closer ties with Moscow in recent years, has also assured its allies that sanctions-hit entities will not be able to operate in the UAE. The Gulf monarchy, which has long argued that it is not compelled to enforce other nations’ sanctions, is keen to maintain its historical role as an apolitical territory focused on business.

Thousands of wealthy, non-sanctions-hit Russians have relocated to the UAE to escape economic uncertainty and political instability at home, even though they sometimes struggle to access the financial system. “Big banks are more cautious but smaller banks are offering help to those wishing to relocate. It’s just taking a lot of time,” said a Russian businessman.

Very wealthy Russians generally find financial institutions accommodating. Most of the wealthy elite have second passports from countries that sell nationality, such as Malta or Portugal, which facilitates the opening of new accounts with lenders that are warier of Russian passport holders.

Others have turned to alternative routes, such as cryptocurrencies and hawala, or informal money exchange services. The cost of this service has risen from 1 per cent of the transaction value to 5 per cent since the war broke out as demand surges, said one person aware of the trades.

Many in the UAE see a hypocrisy in western concern over the presence of the yacht and the Russians building new lives there. “So it was OK for London to take all the oligarch money but not for Dubai?” asked one lawyer.

Additional reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya in Riga

Promoted Content

Follow the topics in this article.

• War in Ukraine Add to myFT
• Financials Add to myFT
• Russian business & finance Add to myFT
• Government of Russia Add to myFT
• United Arab Emirates Add to myFT

Comments have not been enabled for this article.

International Edition

Hot on the trail of 56 superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs and subject to seizure

• Published: Mar. 06, 2022, 2:04 p.m.

French authorities have seized the yacht Amore Vero linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, as part of EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The boat arrived in La Ciotat on Jan. 3 for repairs and was slated to stay until April 1 and was seized to prevent an attempted departure. (AP Photo/Bishr Eltoni) AP

• The Associated Press

The massive superyacht Dilbar stretches one-and-a-half football fields in length, about as long as a World War I dreadnought. It boasts two helipads, berths for more than 130 people and a 25-meter swimming pool long enough to accommodate another whole superyacht.

Dilbar was launched in 2016 at a reported cost of more than $648 million. Five years on, its purported owner, the Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, was already dissatisfied and sent the vessel to a German shipyard last fall for a retrofit reportedly costing another couple hundred million dollars.

That’s where she lay in drydock on Thursday when the United States and European Union announced economic sanctions against Usmanov — a metals magnate and early investor in Facebook — over his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

“We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets,” President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, addressing the oligarchs. “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”

But actually seizing the behemoth boats could prove challenging. Russian billionaires have had decades to shield their money and assets in the West from governments that might try to tax or seize them.

Several media outlets reported Wednesday that German authorities had impounded Dilbar. But a spokeswoman for Hamburg state’s economy ministry told The Associated Press no such action had yet been taken because it had been unable to establish ownership of the yacht, which is named for Usmanov’s mother.

Dilbar is flagged in the Cayman Islands and registered to a holding company in Malta, two secretive banking havens where the global ultra-rich often park their wealth.

Still, in the industry that caters to the exclusive club of billionaires and centimillionaires that can afford to buy, crew and maintain superyachts, it is often an open secret who owns what.

Working with the U.K.-based yacht valuation firm VesselsValue, the AP compiled a list of 56 superyachts — generally defined as luxury vessels exceeding 79 feet in length — believed to be owned by a few dozen Kremlin-aligned oligarchs, seaborne assets with a combined market value estimated at more than $5.4 billion.

The AP then used two online services — VesselFinder and MarineTraffic — to plot the last known locations of the yachts as relayed by their onboard tracking beacons.

While many are still anchored at or near sun-splashed playgrounds in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, more than a dozen were underway to or had already arrived in remote ports in small nations such as the Maldives and Montenegro, potentially beyond the reach of Western sanctions. Three are moored in Dubai, where many wealthy Russians have vacation homes.

Another three had gone dark, their transponders last pinging just outside the Bosporus in Turkey — gateway to the Black Sea and the southern Russian ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.

Graceful, a German-built Russian-flagged superyacht believed to belong to Putin, left a repair yard in Hamburg on Feb. 7, two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. It is now moored in the Russian Baltic port of Kaliningrad, beyond the reach of Western sanctions imposed against him this past week.

Some Russian oligarchs appear to have not gotten the memo to move their superyachts, despite weeks of public warnings of Putin’s planned invasion.

French authorities seized the superyacht Amore Vero on Thursday in the Mediterranean resort town of La Ciotat. The boat is believed to belong to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs Russian oil giant Rosneft, which has been on the U.S. sanctions list since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

The French Finance Ministry said in a statement that customs authorities boarded the 289-foot Amore Vero and discovered its crew was preparing for an urgent departure, even though planned repair work wasn’t finished. The $120 million boat is registered to a company that lists Sechin as its primary shareholder.

On Saturday, Italian financial police in the port of San Remo seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, which is flagged in the British Virgin Islands. Authorities said the boat belongs to Gennady Timchenko, an oligarch close to Putin and among those sanctioned by the European Union. With an estimated net worth of $16.2 billion, Timchenko is the founder of the Volga Group, which specializes in investments in energy, transport and infrastructure assets.

The 213-foot Lady M was also seized by the Italians while moored in the Riviera port town of Imperia. In a tweet announcing the seizure on Friday, a spokesman for Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the comparatively modest $27 million vessel was the property of sanctioned steel baron Alexei Mordashov, listed as Russia’s wealthiest man with a fortune of about $30 billion.

But Mordashov’s upsized yacht, the 464-foot Nord, was safely at anchor on Friday in the Seychelles, a tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean not under the jurisdiction of U.S. or EU sanctions. Among the world’s biggest superyachts, Nord has a market value of $500 million.

Since Friday, Italy has seized $156 million in luxury yachts and villas in some of its most picturesque destinations, including Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Most of the Russians on the annual Forbes list of billionaires have not yet been sanctioned by the United States and its allies, and their superyachts are still cruising the world’s oceans.

The evolution of oligarch yachts goes back to the tumultuous decade after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, as state oil and metals industries were sold off at rock-bottom prices, often to politically connected Russian businessmen and bankers who had provided loans to the new Russian state in exchange for the shares.

Russia’s nouveau riche began buying luxury yachts similar in size and expense to those owned by Silicon Valley billionaires, heads of state and royalty. It’s a key marker of status in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and size matters.

“No self-respecting Russian oligarch would be without a superyacht,” said William Browder, a U.S.-born and now London-based financier who worked in Moscow for years before becoming one of the Putin regime’s most vocal foreign critics. “It’s part of the rite of passage to being an oligarch. It’s just a prerequisite.”

As their fortunes ballooned, there was something of an arms race among the oligarchs, with the richest among them accumulating personal fleets of ever more lavish boats.

For example, Russian metals and petroleum magnate Roman Abramovich is believed to have bought or built at least seven of the world’s largest yachts, some of which he has since sold off to other oligarchs.

In 2010, Abramovich launched the Bermuda-flagged Eclipse, which at 533 feet was at the time the world’s longest superyacht. Features include a wood-burning firepit and swimming pool that transforms into a dance floor. Eclipse also boasts its own helicopter hangar and an undersea bay that reportedly holds a mini-sub.

Dennis Cauiser, a superyacht analyst with VesselsFinder, said oligarch boats often include secret security measures worthy of a Bond villain, including underwater escape hatches, bulletproof windows and armored panic rooms.

“Eclipse is equipped with all sorts of special features, including missile launchers and self-defense systems on board,” Cauiser said. “It has a secret submarine evacuation area and things like that.”

Eclipse was soon eclipsed by Azzam, purportedly owned by the emir of Abu Dhabi, which claimed the title of longest yacht when it was launched in 2013. Three years after that, Usmanov launched Dilbar, which replaced another slightly smaller yacht by the same name. The new Dilbar is the world’s largest yacht by volume.

Abramovich, whose fortune is estimated at $12.4 billion, fired back last year by launching Solaris. While not as long as Eclipse or as big as Dilbar, the $600 million Bermuda-flagged boat is possibly even more luxurious. Eight stories tall, Solaris features a sleek palisade of broad teak-covered decks suitable for hosting a horde of well-heeled partygoers.

But no boat is top dog for long. At least 20 superyachts are reported to be under construction in various Northern European shipyards, including a $500 million superyacht being built for the American billionaire Jeff Bezos.

“It’s about ego,” Cauiser said. “They all want to have the best, the longest, the most valuable, the newest, the most luxurious.”

But, he added, the escalating U.S. and EU sanctions on Putin-aligned oligarchs and Russian banks have sent a chill through the industry, with boatbuilders and staff worried they won’t be paid. It can cost upwards of $50 million a year to crew, fuel and maintain a superyacht.

The crash of the ruble and the tanking of Moscow stock market have depleted the fortunes of Russia’s elite, with several people dropping off the list of Forbes billionaires last week. Cauiser said he expects some oligarch superyachts will soon quietly be listed by brokers at fire-sale prices.

The 237-foot Stella Maris, which was seen by an AP journalist docked this past week in Nice, France, was believed to be owned by Rashid Sardarov, a Russian billionaire oil and gas magnate. After publication of an earlier version of this story, AP was contacted Sunday by yacht broker Joan Plana Palao, who said his company represents a U.S. citizen from California who purchased the Stella Maris last month. He declined to disclose the name of the buyer or the person from whom the boat had been purchased.

On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a new round of sanctions that included a press release touting Usmanov’s close ties to Putin and photos of Dilbar and the oligarch’s private jet, a custom-built 209-foot Airbus A340-300 passenger liner. Treasury said Usmanov’s aircraft is believed to have cost up to $500 million and is named Bourkhan, after his father.

Usmanov, whose fortune has recently shrunk to about $17 billion, criticized the sanctions.

“I believe that such a decision is unfair and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity and business reputation,” he said in a statement issued through the website of the International Fencing Federation, of which he has served as president since 2008.

Abramovich has not yet been sanctioned. Members of the British Parliament have criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not going after Abramovich’s U.K.-based assets, which include the professional soccer club Chelsea. Under mounting pressure, the oligarch announced this past week he would sell the $2.5 billion team and give the net proceeds “for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, location transponders showed Solaris moored in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. Eclipse set sail from St. Maarten late Thursday and is underway in the Caribbean Sea, destination undisclosed.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Welcome to Pacific Motor Boat Design

Pacific Motor Boat Design - Classic Motor Yacht design, restoration, maintenance, and operations.

Rick Etsell is a consulting naval architect and professional engineer, based in Anacortes, Washington, near the San Juan Islands. His career has spanned over 35 years, encompassing:

• shipyard production engineering
• naval architecture design
• New designs, small passenger vessels and workboats, yachts, fishing vessels, etc.
• Engineering support, stability studies, USCG and classification society submittals, etc.
• vintage and historical vessel restorations and refits.
• motor yacht operations as a Master Mariner. 200 GT captain's license.

Now mostly retired from naval architecture practice, Rick works primarily as a yacht captain, operations and maintenance manager for select clients.

Client Menu

Contact Form

Info @ pacificmotorboat.com