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DAR Yacht – Exceptional $175M Superyacht

Launched in 2018, DAR yacht is everything a luxury yacht needs to be. With an aggressive-looking exterior and a modern, spacious interior, she brings her guests close to nature with her many windows and glass features.

DAR yacht interior

With floor-to-ceiling windows, the Dar yacht can give its guests a great view of the outside world at any time. Designed by Nuvolari Lenard, the interior has some interesting features throughout.

There are underwater lights placed inside, and the owner specifically requested that no dark wood would be used in the interior design.

Instead, a blend of sycamore fiddleback and maple bleached grey was used, and to bring everything together, the details were made using Brazilian Caballo wood.

There are even more details throughout the yacht, with 3D-cut leather and 3D-lacquer in the living spaces.

The idea was to bring nature as the main source of inspiration. Light colors and timber help bring the look together.

Guests can find motifs of leaves, fish, and other things from nature featured throughout the yacht.

Specifications

The Dar yacht is 90 meters (295,3 ft) long and was built by Oceanco. Her beam is 14,6 meters (47,10 ft) and the draft reaches 3,95 meters (12,11 ft) in length.

Her top speed is 20 knots, her cruising speed is 8 knots, and she’s powered by twin diesel MTU (20V 4000 M73L) 20-cylinder 4,828hp engines.

She has the capacity to keep up to 14 guests in the seven suits available, and a crew of 31.

The Dar yacht has an exterior that’s almost futuristic in its design. Behind it, all is Luiz de Basto Designs, and the thought behind the exterior design was to make her look a bit like a shark.

A hammerhead shark, to be exact. This can be seen in the shape of the wing stations, for example.

The glass features on the Dar yacht are extensive. The exterior glass alone weighs about 22 tonnes, and there is a total of 390 square feet of glass on board. The black parts of the exterior are mostly made up of glass as well.

The owner’s private deck has been designed to be just that – private. He can look out at the world, but the world can’t look back in through the windows.

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Oceanco 90m/295ft superyacht DAR (Project Shark, Y717) delivered

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Written by Maria Korotaeva

Oceanco ‘s new 90m/295ft superyacht DAR, (ex PROJECT SHARK (Y717) , is the first yacht from the Netherlands to be given official Lloyd’s Register Integrated Bridge System (IBS) notation and designation, and the shipyard has announced that she has now been delivered to her owner.

DAR. Photo credit Francisco Martinez

The stunning black steel hull and aluminium superstructure use sweeping white lines to accentuate her exterior styling from  DeBasto Designs , and the dark-tinted reflective windows blend seamlessly with the finish for a desirable modern look.

From the interiors by Nuvolari Lenard , the floor-to-ceiling glazing offers panoramic views and a greater connection with the marine environment.

Oceanco Mega yacht Dar. Photo by Francisco Martinez

There is an entire deck dedicated to the owners with a forward Jacuzzi included in the amenities, and to ensure their privacy there are no walk-around passages. Access to the exterior is gained through private balconies, which further benefits the indoor spaces with fresh air, excellent views and even more natural light.

When designing the interiors, the owners stated that they did not want to use dark timbers, instead opting for sycamore fiddleback, maple bleached gray and Brazilian carballo wood for detailing. 3D lacquer, wallpaper and high quality fabrics add to the homely feel of the interiors and bas-reliefs; metallic surfaces and 3D cut leather panels add further textural interest.

Valentina Zannier, chief interior designer and junior partner at Nuvolari Lenard described the interiors and the intention behind the design:

“The main theme is nature, starting from blossom cascades, and moving to feathers, fish, waves and so on. It is all nicely integrated in a fluent feeling that would make every guest feel very comfortable in any room, any time of the day. The richness is almost invisible because it’s expressed by the quality of the details and the tasteful combination of complete bespoke finishes.”

DAR was nicknamed PROJECT SHARK due to the shape of the wing stations from an aerial view; the contours have the appearance of a hammerhead shark and the fin-like mast profile stands out against the sleek hull lines beneath.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DAR (ex PROJECT SHARK)

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44M CUSTOM SUPERYACHT

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DAR YACHT CHARTER

89.99m  /  295'3   oceanco   2018.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Guest elevator
• Impressive 5,500nm range
• Multi-award winning
• Vast array of toys
• Premium beauty and wellness amenities, including beach club and beauty salon

With plenty of onboard entertainment, motor yacht Dar is an exceptional yacht charter choice

The 90m/295'3" 'Dar' motor yacht built by the Dutch shipyard Oceanco is available for charter for up to 12 guests in 7 cabins. This multi-award winning yacht features interior styling by Italian designer Nuvolari Lenard.

Built in 2018, Dar is custom-built for world-class luxury yacht chartering, offering a wealth of spacious living areas and fabulous amenities, you'll be in for a treat from the moment you step on board. She is equipped with a beauty salon, movie theatre, spa, elevator, underwater lights, beach club and gym.

Guest Accommodation

Dar offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests in 7 suites comprising a master suite, two VIP cabins and four double cabins. Excellent service is guaranteed, with thirty crew members on board to look after your every need.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

A charter on Dar is comfortable and convenient thanks to the provided amenities such as a state-of-the-art movie theatre for movie nights. If you're in need of indulgence, the beauty salon offers a range of treatments to pamper and restore. Revive yourself after an intense workout in the sauna plus kick back and relax in the well-appointed spa. The swimming pool is perfect for exercising or admiring a romantic sunrise. Even the most discerning of charter guests will enjoy the included beach club and a gym with all the latest equipment is available for a good work out. Soak up the bubbles in style in the deck jacuzzi.

Dar benefits from some excellent features to improve your charter such as an elevator, making any part of the yacht quickly and easily accessible. Make your evenings more memorable with stunning underwater lights plus whether you want to work, use social media or stream movies on board this yacht, you can with Wi-Fi connectivity. Guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin MTU engines, she comfortably cruises at 13 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 20 knots with a range of up to 5,500 nautical miles at cruising speed. Dar features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels.

Onboard Dar has a large selection of toys and accessories to keep you and your guests entertained on the water throughout your stay. Principle among these are Tiwal inflatable sailboats to bring out the explorer in you. Take to the sea on the Jet Skis offering you power and control on the water. Guests can experience the thrill and adventure of riding one of the two Seadoo GTX LTD 300 (2021) WaveRunners. If that isn't enough Dar also features towable toys, waterskis, a Kite Surfer, a seabob, wakeboards and much more. Dar features three tenders, but leading the pack is a 10.5m/34'5" Hodgdon Limo Tender to transport you in style.

Dar and her crew are available for charter this winter for cruising within the Caribbean. She is already accepting bookings this summer for cruising in the Mediterranean.

With its luxurious interiors, vast array of onboard facilities and a highly-trained and professional crew, a luxury yacht vacation onboard motor yacht Dar promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for Dar, please provide .

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Dar has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Dar is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 1 x 10.5m  /  34'5 Hodgdon Limo Tender
• 1 x 10.5m  /  34'5 Hodgdon Sports Tender
• 1 x 6.2m  /  20'4 Cobra Patronus Tender

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

Dar Awards & Nominations

• Monaco Yacht Show Awards 2018 The Finest New Yacht of the MYS Winner
• Monaco Yacht Show Awards 2018 The Exterior Design Award Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Judges’ Commendation for Best Technical Achievement Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Exterior Styling Motor Yachts 60m and Above Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Interior Design Motor Yachts 500GT and Above Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best General Arrangement and Deck Design Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Lifestyle Feature Design Finalist
• The World Superyacht Awards 2019 Displacement Motor Yachts 2,000GT and above Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2019 Motor Yacht of the Year Winner
• World Yachts Trophies 2018 Yacht of the Year Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2019 Best Power 65m+ Finalist
• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'Dar' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€1,200,000 p/week + expenses Approx $1,306,500

High Season

€1,400,000 p/week + expenses Approx $1,524,500

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean Croatia, Greece, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Cannes, French Riviera, Mykonos, Santorini, St Tropez

Winter Season

October - April

Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Saint Martin, St Barts

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

Charter Dar

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker or

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DAR Superyacht Dares to Be Different

Miami–based Luiz DeBasto Designs a Groundbreaking Superyacht.

The first thing that strikes you when you see DAR on the water is how decidedly different she is. Despite being a staggering 295 feet (90 meters) in length, DAR’s aggressive exterior styling by DeBasto Designs is also surprisingly elegant and sporty. Unlike the majority of white–hulled superyachts whose profiles consist of multiple stacked decks, DAR’s unique structure is comprised of largely of glass—4,198 square feet (390 sqm) of glass in the superstructure alone, not counting doors and hull windows. In total, with all of its windows and doors DAR carries nearly 24 tons of exterior glass. “We believe DAR is the first of a new generation of yachts to take advantage of recent advances in glass technology in a prominent way,” says, Luiz DeBasto, president and founder of DeBasto Designs. The glass allows for an overall innovative layout, lending maximum privacy while at the same time offering incredible views from almost everywhere onboard. While one can certainly appreciate the grandeur of DAR from afar, the immense scale and extreme attention to detail is not truly evident until it’s witnessed up close.

There are three distinct complementary exterior decks on board: social, semi-private and totally private. While the owners have their own personal deck and spa pool, there is a central outside “social” space on the Upper Deck with alfresco dining adjacent to the sky lounge, as well as a large swimming pool. A cascading waterfall flows into the swimming pool from the Bridge Deck. DeBasto made the design-based decision to have the prime living areas concentrated aft on all decks versus the foredeck. As DAR is a serious ocean-going vessel, he thought it prudent to keep guests well protected from the elements.

DAR is a 21st century tour de force , not only visually, but also technologically. DeBasto collaborated closely with the Netherlands-based Oceanco, one of the world’s premier superyacht builders, as well as with the owner’s representative and the interior design firm Nuvolari Lenard, based in Venice, Italy to achieve a truly groundbreaking superyacht that will no doubt set new standards for future yachts.

Miami is home base for the international DeBasto Designs

Luiz DeBasto, principal of DeBasto Designs, has been designing boats for over 40 years. Of Portuguese descent but born and raised in Angola until the age of 12, DeBasto moved with his family to Brazil at the outbreak of the Angolan Civil War. After earning a degree in architecture from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, Brazil, he spent his early career designing houses and buildings and also teaching at São Paulo School of Architecture. One of his students asked him if he would consult with her father who was building a yacht yard as well as a 56-foot flybridge yacht. He did so and thus initiated a longstanding relationship with that yard. While DeBasto always had a passion for architecture, art and cars, this was his first foray into the world of boats and he rapidly developed a new passion and a new impetus to his career. DeBasto met his wife Cristina in São Paulo and in 1990 the couple moved to Miami to raise their son. Cristina works closely with Luiz in his office on Brickell Avenue; she is his partner in the business and is often involved in the interior styling of the yachts and homes he designs. DeBasto has several projects in the works including a special 174-foot (53 meter) motoryacht called Tala being built at Turquoise Yachts in Istanbul, Turkey. For more information visit debastodesigns.com or builtbyoceanco.com.

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• Open Space, Eco-Friendly Tech: What a Rising Class of Millennial Superyacht Owners Looks For

Surveys predict that, 10 years from now, the average age of a superyacht buyer will be 35 to 40.

Kevin koenig, kevin koenig's most recent stories, ‘people don’t want to be inside’: how the outdoors became yachtmakers’ most coveted design element, azimut’s new 72-foot yacht has one of the largest flybridges in its class. we hopped onboard..

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Ten years from now, Millennials will have taken over the superyacht world. At least that’s the forecast by several experts who are seeing ages of yacht buyers trending younger.

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That trend is expected to continue, according to research from Italian yacht builder Rossinavi and the University of Monaco, with the average age of superyacht buyers decreasing 10 to 15 years over the next decade. That could make Millennials the primary buyers of superyachts.

The topic of younger buyers is a constant discussion in shipyard boardrooms and among designers looking to modify their designs to this changing market. It was also one of the topics at the recent Yachtmaster event in Key West, hosted by Benetti Yachts . Benetti sponsors Yachtmaster events twice a year (the European edition was in Budapest last month) to brief captains and other professionals on new trends in the superyacht industry.

“We have been doing this event for 24 years now,” Benetti Americas manager Nick Bischoff told Robb Report . “The intent is to continue to build relationships with influencers of our current and prospective owners. In the beginning that meant mostly captains, but it’s expanded to include surveyors and owners’ reps, too.” The ultimate goal, says Bischoff, is for participants not only to network, but “put their heads together to create an ever-improving onboard experience both for owners and crew.”

Many seminars focused on the concept of onboard lifestyle, which most brokers and shipyards see as a primary driver for purchasing a yacht. Benetti’s head of product, Sebastiano Vida, also spoke about how lifestyle influences new designs in the yachts.

But Jason Dunbar, a broker and appraisal surveyor with Vessel Value Survey, recommended tough love to the brokers. His discussion about managing expectations for newbie owners included advice about being “realistic” with owners who are flush with cash, but might be new to the superyacht world. If an owner wants a brand-new 120-footer with a crew of six, but has a budget of $8 million, the broker is the one who needs to break the bad news. “A good broker has to tell people ‘Listen, that’s just not going to happen,’” says Dunbar. “That will save a lot of headaches down the road and will hopefully keep a client in boating for the long term.”

A new buyer is often coming off a one-week charter that was magical: perfect weather, a well-oiled boat, and a crew looking forward to a little R&R after hustling all week for the charter guests. “It’s relatively easy to make things work like that one week at a time,” says Dunbar. “But a new owner who wants to use their boat for 10, 15, or 30 weeks, that’s a totally different thing. You may have to tell them they need to hire two crews and rotate them—which will be news to them.” He said that overworking the crew will “burn through humans.” The crew will be miserable, he says, which will make the boat not live up to the owners’ expectations. “The next thing you know these new owners will be long gone from yachting.”

Fraser Yachts CEO Anders Kurtén sees the new buyers as a boon for design creativity in an old-school industry. “It starts with a piece of paper,” he says. “We sit down and start designing these boats for younger clients and we see similar trends. Basically they all want to live their shore-based lives on a yacht.”

The segmented and often claustrophobic interiors of many current superyacht designs, says Dirand, just doesn’t float with the new generation. “Young owners’ preferences are honed by hospitality and a knowledge of architectural trends,” he says.

Because of that, wellness centers have become focal points of design. As moguls like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have made clear as of late, having six-pack abs in middle age is the new Lamborghini. These new owners expect their boats to be designed with beach clubs with gyms, saunas, massage areas that allow owners and guests to work out or relax, amidst warm sun rays and luscious sea breezes.

Kurtén also pointed to green tech as key for the new generation of clients. “We’ve hit a point where a 150-foot sailboat can go across the Atlantic without burning a drop of fuel. And motoryachts can function on battery-only mode, at least when they are close to port,” he says. “That’s important to these new clients—they want to be green. A few years ago that was something you said at a cocktail party, but today it’s a reality for a lot of buyers.”

Peter Selivanoff, senior yacht service manager for Fraser, also spoke about how owners are seeking highly specialized crews who can perform multiple functions across the yacht.

Navigating these new realities is an important part for the industry to future-proof itself in the competitive realm of ultra-luxury products. This is a place where youth may not spring eternal but, at least for now, it reigns supreme.

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Yacht of the Week: M/Y DAR

By Catriona Cherrie

The editorial team at Superyachts.com is proud to introduce a new feature series called Yacht of the Week. It is an opportunity to exhibit a superyacht we feel to be particularly noteworthy, whether for her stunning exterior, interior, technology or pioneering qualities.

This week our focus is M/Y DAR , previously known as Project Shark — a strikingly modern 90-metre superyacht that was launched and delivered to her owners this summer by Dutch shipyard Oceanco .

This build has caught our eye because of her superb exterior design from Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto . Standout features include her monolithic reflective glass panelling that flows down through the decks, and a distinctive black and white colour scheme. DAR is a call back to the hay-days of Alfa Nero with a bold, futuristic style that echoes true custom design evolution.

DAR’s profile is long and sleek, giving it the impression of being lean and powerful in similarity to that of a shark’s body. Even the mast on top of the yacht has been designed to resemble a shark’s fin, a very contemporary detail.

This came after the initial design was noticed to resemble a hammerhead shark when viewed from above, and the design team decided to run with that vision. The long design has lent itself to the sprawling beach club area, where de Basto has managed to incorporate a dive centre, sauna, submarine storage and hammam.

“The profile has a unique sense of contrast and homogeneity between the dark glass and the white balconies, providing a constant exchange in shape and lines between the two elements,” says DeBasto.  “My initial drawings may have looked like a futuristic concept, yet she is now a very real yacht on account of the execution made possible by the advanced technology of the Oceanco engineering team and by the vision of her experienced owner and his team.” 

De Basto has designed the entire upper deck without walkaround access to ensure complete privacy for the owners, to whom the entire deck is dedicated, including a private forward-facing Jacuzzi. The vast use of black tinted glass offers glorious panoramic floor-to-ceiling views of the marine environment to the aft, port and starboard. The huge windows will also ensure that the yacht is flooded with light from all angles, creating light, bright spaces.

Little is known about the interior design by Nuvolari & Lenard , but it is said to echo the exterior with the interior woods providing stark contrast to the dark exterior. The owners insisted on the use of light woods, opting for different shades of sycamore fiddleback, small details in Brazilian carballo wood and use of grey-bleached maple. Other accents include bas-reliefs, metallic surfaces and 3D leather lacquers. 

The tasteful combination of bespoke finishes brings the interior masterfully together with the exterior to create a seamless transition from one to the other to maximise the connection to the outdoors.

Yacht of the Week will return next week with another in-depth exploration of an extraordinary superyacht. 

"The profile has a unique sense of contrast and homogeneity between the dark glass and the white balconies, providing a constant exchange in shape and lines between the two elements... My initial drawings may have looked like a futuristic concept, yet she is now a very real yacht." Luiz DeBasto

"The profile has a unique sense of contrast and homogeneity between the dark glass and the white balconies, providing a constant exchange in shape and lines between the two elements... My initial drawings may have looked like a futuristic concept, yet she is now a very real yacht."

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9 photos inside 90 metre Oceanco superyacht DAR

The release of never before seen images from Oceanco comes after DAR received her world debut at the Monaco Yacht Show last month.

Four deck view

DAR became one of the world's top 200 largest superyachts when she was delivered in July. The four decked yacht includes a bridge deck swimming pool, helipad and sprawling beach club.

Swimming pool

The swimming pool is fed by a cascade of waterfalls starting on the upper deck.

Exterior design

DAR features exterior styling by Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto — a first for the yard.

Dining table

Accommodation on board DAR is for up to 12 guests split across six cabins.

DAR's spa includes a hammam and sauna.

Interior design detail

Head interior designer Valentina Zannier said DAR is "replete with curves and organic shapes" and "comes alive with light timbers, bright colours and references to flora, fish and sea life".

The interior design of DAR  by Nuvolari Lenard features art glass, sculpted leather panels and metal decoration.

Owner's deck

The upper deck owner’s suite comes complete with a private terrace over the bow and includes a superyacht spa pool.

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U.S. Eyes $156 Million Yacht in Dubai Linked to a Russian Oligarch

The U.S. Justice Department is taking steps to seize the Madame Gu, a 324-foot luxury yacht, but it will be diplomatically thorny.

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By Kate Kelly ,  Michael Forsythe and Julian E. Barnes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On a clear morning in late October, the jewel-blue hull of the Madame Gu, one of the world’s most luxurious superyachts, gleamed, its aluminum rails shimmering in the sun. Workers on the pier said they had recently seen people painting, cleaning and generally keeping the ship with its helipad and six guest staterooms in pristine condition.

In past years, such a scene would not have been noteworthy. Many superyachts come and go from Dubai’s Mina Rashid Marina, best known as the home of the Queen Elizabeth 2, the trans-Atlantic ocean liner-turned-hotel that dominates the waterfront here.

But Russia’s war in Ukraine has turned an otherwise routine tableau into a diplomatic battleground between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, an important American ally that has established itself as a safe haven for Russian money and assets out of the reach of U.S. sanctions.

The $156 million Madame Gu epitomizes the problem. In June, the United States designated the vessel, which is linked to Andrei Skoch, a Russian steel magnate and lawmaker under sanctions, as blocked property. That means the yacht cannot use American companies for its upkeep, employ U.S. citizens or even use the dollar. The Justice Department is now taking steps to seize the Madame Gu, according to people with knowledge of the plan.

But the United States can’t seize property in a sovereign nation without permission from its government. The Emirates, which has taken a friendlier position toward Moscow, is balking at cooperating with the United States to pursue oligarchs, American officials said. The Kremlin is also using oligarch-controlled companies in the Emirates to acquire war supplies that the West is trying to keep out of Russia’s reach, according to a Western official involved in the sanctions effort against Russia.

Emirati officials did not comment specifically on the Madame Gu but said in a statement that they took their role “protecting the integrity of the global financial system extremely seriously.”

A closer examination of Russian assets in the Emirates shows that even before the war in Ukraine, Dubai had become a playground for Russians with links to President Vladimir V. Putin. At least 38 businessmen or officials with ties to the Russian president own homes in Dubai that are collectively valued at more than $314 million, according to the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. Five of those owners are under U.S. sanctions.

Since the Russian invasion, Dubai has established itself as a safe haven for Russian yachts and aircraft unable to sail or fly elsewhere. After Russian jets were barred from the European Union in late February, the Emirates became the destination for 14 percent of all private flights leaving Russia, up from 3 percent before the invasion.

“It’s frustrating when you see huge assets that are sitting out there and it appears that the country is not cooperating,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, referring to the Emirates. “It would be nice if there were more common cause against Putin while he’s busy shelling hospitals and schools.”

Mr. Whitehouse is sponsoring legislation that would use proceeds of the sales of seized Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine. Senior officials at the Treasury and State Departments have also complained publicly about the situation.

U.S. officials view the presence of superyachts in places like Dubai and Bodrum, Turkey , as a symptom of wider Russian circumvention of sanctions and continued access to financial markets. Yachts have also come to symbolize the decadence of Russia’s oligarchs, especially at a time when Russian soldiers are scrounging for body armor and sleeping bags on the front lines.

Pursuing the Madame Gu

Built by the Dutch firm Feadship and put into service in 2013, the Madame Gu has a large helicopter pad on its forecastle with a hangar underneath that can double as a squash court when the chopper isn’t on board. The vessel has berthing for 36 crew members, according to one trade magazine.

Mr. Skoch, a member of Russia’s Parliament who is linked to assets worth billions of dollars, according to U.S. court filings, has had sanctions imposed on him twice by the United States, first in 2018 and then after Russia’s invasion this year. The Treasury Department has cited his “longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups.”

Mr. Skoch could not be reached and did not respond to messages left at his office at Parliament.

In an interview in October about the government’s broader efforts to go after the assets of oligarchs, Andrew Adams, a federal prosecutor leading the Department of Justice’s KleptoCapture task force, declined to discuss the Madame Gu. But the United States, he said, is warning companies they must not do business with individuals and assets under sanctions. The government, he said, will pursue oligarch-owned assets whose sale could be used to aid Ukraine.

“Where we know there is an asset that can potentially provide significant remuneration for Ukraine, that obviously is an attractive case to pursue,” he said.

U.S. officials are likely to use the case they made for impounding a $90 million Airbus business jet linked to Mr. Skoch in August as a blueprint for seizing the Madame Gu, said people familiar with the plan.

That means investigators will aim to show that the owner of the vessel, or the companies that have been providing services to it, have intersected with the U.S. financial system.

“If there are U.S. dollars or a U.S. nexus associated with supporting this vessel, massive enforcement actions could take place,” said Adam M. Smith, a former official overseeing sanctions at the Treasury Department. Companies that provide support to entities under sanctions could potentially face their own sanctions, said Mr. Smith, who is now a lawyer at Gibson Dunn in Washington.

This year the United States has carried out two high-profile seizures of yachts tied to Russians under sanctions, working with cooperative governments. The $300 million Amadea was taken in Fiji in May and sailed to San Diego under an American flag. In April, the United States worked with Spanish police to seize the $90 million Tango.

A Problematic Partner

Diplomatically, the Emirates has been reluctant to take a clear anti-Russian position when it comes to the war in Ukraine. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, recently met with Mr. Putin in St. Petersburg, and the Emirati foreign minister recently hosted his Russian counterpart. Yet Sheikh Mohammed has also talked with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, more than once and recently gave the country $100 million in humanitarian aid.

The United States has publicly expressed dismay over the mixed messages.

During a visit to Dubai in June, Wally Adeyemo, the U.S. deputy treasury secretary, warned of the need for vigilance and proactive steps in combating Russian evasion. That same month Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s under secretary for Near East Affairs, said at a congressional hearing that regarding the Emirates, she was “not happy at all with the record at this point” on sanctions enforcement. Mr. Adeyemo reiterated his concerns in a meeting with Emirati officials in October in Washington.

A senior State Department official said in a statement to The New York Times that the agency continues “to reinforce the importance of conducting enhanced due diligence to prevent sanctions evasion and investigating allegations of such activity” to the Emirates.

The Treasury Department declined to comment on the Madame Gu or the relationship with the Emirates.

Last month, the Treasury Department announced it had placed sanctions on an Emirates-based company, Constellation Advisors Ltd., that the American government said was operating on behalf of a nephew of another Russian oligarch, Suleiman Kerimov. Mr. Kerimov, according to American court documents, was the owner of the Amadea superyacht .

American officials are also worried the Russian government is using the Emirates to acquire military supplies for its war in Ukraine. On Nov. 15, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Emirates-based transportation firms that had worked with another Iranian firm under sanctions, which in turn had helped transport drones and personnel from Iran to Russia.

Moored in Dubai

Based on a recent visit to Dubai’s Mina Rashid Marina , where the Madame Gu is moored, it is clear that international companies are playing a critical role in its care.

The Emirates-based company DP World, through its subsidiary P&O Marinas , oversees the pier where the Madame Gu is moored. Employees from another DP World subsidiary , World Security, staff the small guard box at the entrance. That makes DP World, which is owned by Dubai’s royal family, potentially vulnerable to American sanctions.

DP World “fully complies with all applicable local and national laws and intends to continue doing the same regarding the Madame Gu and other vessels utilizing our services,” said Adal Mirza, a spokesman for the company. He added that DP World had not yet heard from the United States or other countries that had placed Mr. Skoch under sanctions, including Britain and the European Union.

A generator set that dock workers said in late October was powering the Madame Gu — two container-like structures near its stern — bore the distinctive orange logo of Aggreko , a British company. The generator set was connected to the superyacht by thick cords; one of the containers was emitting grayish exhaust.

At the Mina Rashid Marina, soon after Aggreko was contacted by The Times, workers removed the generator. “Having identified that the generator was being used to power a vessel that is allegedly connected to a sanctioned person, we immediately terminated this rental and have since recovered the generator,” the company said in a statement.

Mr. Mirza, the DP World spokesman, said the Aggreko generator had been replaced with one from a local supplier.

P&O Marinas arranged for the diesel generator to provide power for the Madame Gu because that part of the pier, a holding area, has no shore-supplied electric power, said a port official in Dubai, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the press.

“At the end of the day, if the U.A.E. hasn’t imposed sanctions, it’s not really their job to enforce other countries’ laws within their borders,” said Nabeel Yousef, a Washington-based partner at the law firm Freshfields, where he runs the sanctions practice. Nevertheless, “companies should not take comfort in the fact that their country has not imposed sanctions,” he added, “because even the smallest connection to the U.S. can lead to U.S. penalties.”

There has also been a notable absence onboard the Madame Gu in recent weeks: a flag. Unlike other ships moored nearby, including the Quantum Blue, a superyacht linked to the billionaire Sergei Galitsky, the Madame Gu appears to be stateless, apparently having been deflagged by the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands officials didn’t respond to an emailed inquiry about the ship’s status.

If DP World were to face fallout from U.S. sanctions enforcers, it wouldn’t be the first time the company has been the focus of attention in Washington. In 2006, DP World was seeking to manage some terminal operations at six American ports but dropped out of the deal after a bipartisan uproar in Congress.

Anton Troianovski contributed reporting from Turin, Italy, and Oleg Matsnev from Berlin.

Kate Kelly covers money, influence, and policy as a correspondent in the Washington bureau of the Times. Before that, she spent twenty years covering Wall Street deals, key players and their intersection with politics. She is the author of three books, including "The Education of Brett Kavanaugh." More about Kate Kelly

Michael Forsythe is a reporter on the investigations team. He was previously a correspondent in Hong Kong, covering the intersection of money and politics in China. He has also worked at Bloomberg News and is a United States Navy veteran. More about Michael Forsythe

Julian E. Barnes is a national security reporter based in Washington, covering the intelligence agencies. Before joining The Times in 2018, he wrote about security matters for The Wall Street Journal. More about Julian E. Barnes

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

Ukraine fired a volley of exploding drones  at Moscow and other targets on the final day of Russia’s presidential vote, the local authorities said, continuing a flurry of attacks timed for the rubber-stamp election .

The United States and six other major world powers warned Iran not to provide ballistic missiles to Russia  to aid Moscow’s war against Ukraine and threatened to retaliate if it did by cutting off Iranian air travel to Europe, among other measures.

A U.N. commission said it had uncovered new evidence of widespread torture of Ukrainian prisoners  held by Russian security forces, detailing a range of what it described as Russian war crimes, including summary executions and sexual violence.

Targeting Russia’s Oil Industry: With its army short of ammunition and troops to break the deadlock on the battlefield, Kyiv has increasingly taken the fight beyond the Ukrainian border, attacking oil infrastructure deep in Russian territory .

Electronic Warfare: Drones have become a critical weapon for both Russia and Ukraine. But Moscow’s capability to overpower Ukrainian signals  by broadcasting on the same frequencies at higher power is putting Kyiv at a disadvantage.

Helping the War Effort: Since the early days of the war, thousands of Ukrainian volunteers have led crowdfunding efforts that have been crucial in supplying the military with equipment. But as the conflict drags on, it is becoming harder to raise money .

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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California yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker in vicious showdown, cali yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker drops pants for rude salute, 95 3/13/2024 8:09 am pt.

A California yacht owner's vicious beef with a dock worker has reached death-threat levels -- and their exchange was caught on camera and included a nude, and very rude, gesture!

Check out the clip ... it all unfolds when San Diego entrepreneur Ajay Thakore swings by the swanky Marriott Marquis Marina in his rare $4.5M Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht to pick up one of his employees -- but things boil over when dock worker Joseph Holt tells him he can't be there.

Thakore, the CEO of medical advertising firm Doctor Multimedia, flips out on Holt big time ... and starts spewing threats like, "I will kill you, you know I will kill you, I will kill."

And it doesn't stop there -- as Thakore's pulling out of the harbor, he drops trou to make a full frontal salute in Holt's direction. Stay classy, San Diego!

Holt's only retaliation was flipping the bird, and he later told CBS8 that was all he could do to keep his cool and avoid escalating the situation.

Holt says parts of the altercation were not captured on camera, and he adds ... Thakore not only threatened to kill him, but also claimed to have connections who could totally mess up his life.

Holt also says Thakore pulled out $100 bills and tossed them at him, even chucking some in the water.

BTW, Thakore's done some backpedaling since the ugly exchange -- he now says, "The interaction that occurred yesterday was regrettable. What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

FWIW ... One of Thakore’s employees claims the whole thing began because other dock workers blocked him from boarding the yacht.

Oh, and if that fancy Lambo yacht looks familiar -- it's the same one Chuck Liddell recently tumbled off just last month. Now it's famous AND infamous!

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Restaurants, Food and Drink | Saratoga restaurant owners open Dar in Los…

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Restaurants, food and drink | saratoga restaurant owners open dar in los gatos’ soda works plaza, milad shaqir says former eleven college avenue space feels like ‘coming home’.

A hot restaurant spot in Los Gatos’ Soda Works Plaza has a new name, new owners and a new menu. Dar has replaced Eleven College Avenue at the eponymous address.

“We have so much love and respect for this place,” says new owner Milad Shaqir, who lived and worked in Los Gatos for 10 years, when the location was first Tapestry and then Nick’s Next Door. “It was our go-to place for all kinds of occasions, and my wife and I loved sitting out on that patio, next to that beautiful redwood tree.

“It always felt like coming home for us, and that is why we call it Dar, which literally means ‘house (of)’ or ‘family (of)’ and symbolizes the essence of home, warmth and hospitality, where every door opens to welcome friends, family and guests with open arms.”

Shaqir co-owns Dar with his brother, Chef Esam Shaqir. The siblings hail from Nazareth, where they grew up learning their family recipes.

“My mother always sourced her spices from a neighborhood shop in nearby Tamra, and that’s where we get many of our spices and rubs,” Shaqir says. “That is the inspiration for the name of our first restaurant, Tamra Mediterranean Grill in Saratoga.”

The brothers, who both worked at Bella Saratoga restaurant for 10 years, have built a following for their uniquely flavored dishes like roasted lamb, grilled ribeye and chicken shawarma. At Dar you’ll find Aegean mussels with tomatoes, capers and oregano; and Casablanca carpaccio, featuring house-cured salmon with arugula, red onion, red bell pepper, capers and dill-Dijon dressing. There’s also Zahra—roasted cauliflower topped with tahini and roasted pine nuts—and of course, falafel.

Lunch will feature a tangy beet salad with mandarins, haloumi salad with fried haloumi and citrus olive oil dressing, and a Mediterranean harvest salad with roasted eggplant, arugula, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes, garlic labneh dressing and goat cheese.

Sandwiches include the falafel pita with tahini, eggplant pita with chermoula, or lamb pita with tarragon tzatziki sauce. The Dar burger is served with caramelized onions and harissa garlic sauce on a ciabatta roll.

For dinner, Shaqir says they’ll prepare a special vegetarian moussaka, featuring mashed potatoes as an alternative to the traditional Béchamel sauce. Fear not: There will be pomegranate braised lamb shanks, ribeye steaks and short ribs served with harissa potatoes.

Also on the Dar dinner menu are two pastillas, duck confit and savory garden vegetable, both encased in a crispy pastry shell. Other dinner items include saffron risotto primavera, a fileted Moroccan sea bream with basil chermoula stuffing, and a whole European Branzino served with basil lemon-garlic sauce.

Those looking for plant-based, high-protein options will find side dishes like mujaddara—lentils cooked with rice and sautéed onions—couscous pilaf, and smoked green durum wheat known as freekeh. The latter has 8 grams of protein per half cup serving, while mujaddara boasts 12. Shaqir praises his brother’s ability to blend many different flavors and ingredients from diverse Bay Area cultures. “Esam is a very talented chef, and has learned so much from all the places he worked. He has developed his own style and flavors, and his food is simply delicious.”

No competition

Suhail Karimi, former proprietor of Eleven College Avenue, says that after four years of trying to make his restaurant concept work, he has decided to take a break from the culinary business. He recently welcomed a baby son into the family, and found this a good time to focus on domestic duties.

Shaqir, whose family came to America in 1994 and lived on the East Coast for two years before moving to Los Gatos, went to West Valley College and then transferred to Chico State. He worked as a bartender at California Café from 2006 to 2008, and says he was meant for a career in hospitality, as was his brother Esam, who also attended West Valley College. He relishes the challenges of working in the fast-paced and demanding environment.

“When people ask if we can cater an event for 100 people, I say, ‘Sure, we can make it happen.’ We will always provide our customers with exemplary service,” Shaqir says. “We try our best to be accommodating. If you want us to make a certain dish in a certain way for a special gathering, we are going to do it.”

Dar will initially be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Shaqir says he plans to have brunch on weekends starting at 10 a.m., featuring Mediterranean treats like shakshuka and frittata.

The wine list, curated by sommelier Chris Black, will highlight pours from California and around the world, including from Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon, Palestine and New Zealand. Dar’s signature crafted cocktails are meant to pair with the restaurant’s cuisine.

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