super segelyacht triest

Watch Police Seize $578 Million Superyacht Linked To Russian Billionaire

MILAN — Italian financial police has seized a Russian-owned superyacht valued at $578 million in the port of Trieste as part of seizures of oligarch wealth to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war on Ukraine.

The “Sy A” yacht was identified by Italian police as belonging to billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertilizer production and coal energy. It was seized Friday evening.

Italy’s financial police ( @GDF ) has just frozen “SY A” - a sailing yacht worth ~€530m located in the Port of Trieste. The yacht could be linked indirectly to Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko - an individual in the EU sanctions list. pic.twitter.com/fRg6ZTIQRH — Ferdinando Giugliano (@FerdiGiugliano) March 12, 2022

Video shows police in cars with flashing lights approaching the triple-mast yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized some 143 million euros ($156 million) in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in such picturesque retreats as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como.

Sanzioni contro la Russia: A Trieste, nel rimessaggio del porto, è stato sequestrato dalla Guardia di Finanza lo yacht a vela più grande del mondo, del valore di 530 milioni di euro. Lo "SY A" è riconducibile all'imprenditore russo Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko. pic.twitter.com/xj0V728Qsa — Tg La7 (@TgLa7) March 11, 2022

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Here are the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs

As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized more than a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The yacht seizures since the Feb. 24 invasion are "just the beginning," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in March, as an international task force worked to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen.

“The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said of the ongoing efforts in May.

Here are the superyachts government officials have seized since Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

The Justice Department announced May 5 that the Fijian government had seized billionaire oligarch Suleiman Kerimov 's 348-foot yacht Amadea. The vessel, which is valued at more than $300 million , arrived in Fiji last month. Kerimov, who's worth an estimated $14 billion and has ties to the Russian government, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department over alleged money laundering in 2018.

Special features on the sprawling yacht include a helipad, infinity pool, a jacuzzi and multiple bars, according to a report in Boat International . It can accommodate 16 overnight guests in addition to 36 crew members, the report said.

In April, Spanish law-enforcement officials seized a 255-foot yacht called the Tango, which Justice Department says is owned by oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Vekselberg is an aluminum magnate who the Treasury Department says has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Tango is worth an estimated $90 million, prosecutors said , and Vekselberg allegedly purchased it through shell companies. The 11-year-old yacht has seven staterooms and reportedly includes amenities such as a pool, gym and beauty salon .

Authorities in Italy seized a 215-foot superyacht called the Lady M this month. It's owned by Alexei Mordashov, Russia's richest businessman, and it’s estimated to be worth $27 million . The vessel, which requires a crew of 14, has six guest cabins , a pool and a gym.

But it pales in comparison to another of Mordashov's yachts, the $500 million Nord . The 464-foot vessel, which has two helipads and a waterfall and can accommodate 36 guests, was anchored this month in the Seychelles, where the U.S. and European Union sanctions don’t apply.

Italian officials also seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, owned by the energy magnate Gennady Timchenko. Estimated to be worth $8 million, it has five cabins and can accommodate 10 guests.

SY A — short for Sailing Yacht A — is one of the world's largest superyachts. Valued at over $440 million, the 469-foot vessel, owned by the fertilizer magnate Andrey Melnichenko, has eight decks, multiple elevators, an underwater observation area and the world's tallest masts . It was seized in the Italian port of Trieste.

Authorities in Spain seized Sergei Chemezov's Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht that had been moored in Barcelona. Chemezov , a former KGB officer, heads the state conglomerate Rostec. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez touted the seizure on La Sexta television. “We are talking about a yacht that we estimate is worth $140 million,” Sanchez said.

Officials in France announced this month that they had seized the 289-foot Amore Vero, which was undergoing repairs in a shipyard near Marseille. When they arrived, authorities said, they found the crew preparing for an urgent departure, even though the repair work was scheduled to last through April. The $120 million boat, which has seven cabins , is linked to Igor Sechin, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a close ally of Putin's.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Italy seizes Russian billionaire Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A

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Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in Tivat Writing by Giselda Vagnoni Editing by Frances Kerry

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The $578 million megayacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italy

• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's yacht was seized Friday, Italian authorities said.
• Sailing Yacht A is the world's largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long and has eight decks.
• Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A megayacht belonging to Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italian authorities on Friday, CNN reported.

A statement from Italy's finance police said the yacht, known as SY A or Sailing Yacht A, was worth around 530 million euros, or $578 million, according to CNN. It also said the yacht was currently in storage in Trieste, Italy. Maritime tracking data viewed by Insider confirmed the location of the yacht in the Adriatic Sea.

Melnichenko is one of the billionaire oligarchs sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melnichenko, who is worth $11 billion according to Forbes, founded fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal energy company SUEK.

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In announcing its decision, the EU council said Melnichenko "belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government." It also said he was among a group of 37 businesspeople who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials on February 24 to discuss the impact of potential sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine," the EU said, adding it also showed he is "providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia."

In a statement provided to Insider, a spokesperson for Melnichenko denied the EU's accusations about his connections to the war in Ukraine.

"Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations. To draw a parallel between attending a meeting through membership in a business council, just as dozens of businesspeople from both Russia and Europe have done in the past, and undermining or threatening a country is absurd and nonsensical," the statement said.

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail," the statement continued.

The spokesperson also noted Melnichenko resigned as a member of the board and main beneficiary of both EuroChem Group  and SUEK this week, as the companies announced in separate statements on Thursday. He also said both companies are privately owned and not affiliated with any government, and that EuroChem Group is based in Switzerland.

Sailing Yacht A is the worlds largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long, according to SuperYachtFan.com . It has 300-foot masts, eight decks, a swimming pool, and an underwater observation pod. It's one of several megayachts owned by Russian oligarchs that are subject to sanctions.

Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires have tried to escape sanctions by transporting their luxury yachts to places like Dubai, which has not enacted sanctions, and the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

• Main content

Ukraine war: £443m superyacht owned by oligarch Andrey Melnichenko seized in Italy as part of sanctions

The vessel, the biggest sailing yacht in the world, is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

News reporter

Sunday 13 March 2022 01:14, UK

A Russian-owned superyacht valued at £443m has been confiscated by Italian police in the port of Trieste as part of a global crackdown on wealthy oligarchs.

The Sy A yacht is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, 50, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

The vessel was seized on Friday evening.

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht at 143m in length.

Read more: Russia says Western arms shipments now 'legitimate military targets' - follow latest updates on Ukraine war

Footage shows police cars approaching the triple-masted yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized £120m in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in picturesque retreats such as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como as part of sanctions against oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin.

A statement from the Official Journal of the European Union described Melnichenko as belonging to the "most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government".

It added: "On 24 February 2022, in the aftermath of the initial stages of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, along with other 36 businesspeople, met with President Vladimir Putin and other members of the Russian government to discuss the impact of the course of action in the wake of Western sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine."

A spokesperson for Melnichenko said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine and has no political affiliations".

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list.

"We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail."

A number of oligarchs have sought to move their superyachts to safe locations to avoid confiscation.

Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris has been spotted in the small Adriatic Sea state of Montenegro.

The 533ft Solaris was seen on Saturday outside the Porto Montenegro marina in the coastal town of Tivat after arriving from Barcelona.

There was no immediate comment from the Montenegrin authorities on the arrival of the £460m vessel.

The NATO country has joined Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government .

The Chelsea Football Club owner is one of seven more Russian oligarchs who have had sanctions placed on them by ministers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A government document announcing the move said that Abramovich has had a "close relationship for decades" with Putin.

The UK is the first nation to sanction Abramovich, who has been described by the government as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch".

The government has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals and entities.

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Italian authorities seize one of world’s largest superyachts from oligarch – video

Italian authorities have seized a €530m (£444m) superyacht owned by Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko as part of EU sanctions following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of  Ukraine .

Video footage shows police cars with flashing lights approaching the yacht, said to be one of the largest in the world, and officers boarding it.

Sy A – short for Sailing Yacht A – was seized on Friday evening in the port of Trieste after being identified by Italian police as belonging to Melnichenko

• Italian authorities seize one of world’s largest superyachts from oligarch
• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news

Source: Reuters

Sat 12 Mar 2022 16.13 GMT Last modified on Sat 12 Mar 2022 17.35 GMT

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Italy seizes billion-dollar superyacht Scheherazade, reportedly linked to the Russian government

The Italian government says it has seized a luxury yacht worth almost a billion dollars, which is reportedly linked to the Russian government.

Key points:

• The 140-metre superyacht has been rumoured to have links to Russia's President, but its actual owner isn't publicly known
• Italian authorities have seized the vessel, which they say is linked to "prominent elements of the Russian government"
• Italy has asked the EU to introduce sanctions against the yacht's true owner

The 140-metre, six-deck Scheherazade had been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara since September, but recent activity at the dockside suggested the crew might be preparing to put the vessel to sea.

Italy's Finance Minister had adopted a decree to stop the superyacht from sailing away from the Tuscan port earlier this week, after an investigation of the vessel linked it to "prominent elements of the Russian government".

Police boarded the yacht late on Friday to execute the seizure order, the Italian government said.

The vessel has previously been linked by some media organisations to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While Italy's finance ministry has not named an owner, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation into the vessel told the Reuters news agency that Italian police believed the owner was Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft, who is not currently a target of European Union sanctions.

Italy's finance ministry said the probe carried out by the country's financial police corps found "significant economic business links of the beneficial owner" of the Scheherazade as well to other subjects included in a list issued in 2014 as part of EU measures prompted by Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The ministry said the owner was not on any sanctions lists drawn up by Brussels following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, it said Rome had asked the EU to rectify this and had ordered the boat be seized pending a decision.

Based on the Italian investigation, minister Daniele Franco adopted a "freezing decree'' regarding the yacht, which flies the flag of the Cayman Islands and which had "long been under the attention of the authorities", a statement said.

It comes after the superyacht Amadea — believed to belong to sanctioned Russian oligarch Sulieman Kerimov — was  seized by Fijian authorities and put in the custody of the United States  earlier this week.

A few weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to Italian politicians, urged Italy to continue freezing the assets of Russian oligarchs and officials. He cited the Scheherazade by name.

The luxury vessel has two helicopter pads and can host up to 18 guests and 40 crew.

Its owner has never been publicly identified, but there have been rumours that it belongs to Mr Putin or a member of his inner circle.

An organisation set up by imprisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny released a report in March saying it had evidence that the boat belonged to Mr Putin.

It said many of its crew were drawn from Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO), which is tasked with protecting the Russian President.

The Kremlin did not respond at the time to a request for comment on whether Mr Putin was the owner or whether members of the FSO were crew members.

Italy has sequestered villas and yachts from wealthy Russians, who regularly came to the country on holiday and had bought property in many prestigious locations.

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Black Pearl is  one of the largest and most ecological sailing yachts in the world . She can cross the Atlantic without burning even a liter of fossil fuel. This is thanks in part to her DynaRig sailing system and an innovative propulsion system that harvests kinetic energy under sail.

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FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11

Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 11.

Italian police have seized a superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the prime minister's office said on Saturday, a few days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The 143-metre (470-foot) Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of 530 million euros ($578 million), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

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Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht, the government said.

Melnichenko owned major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK. The companies said in statements on Thursday that he had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective Wednesday.

The luxury yacht " Sailing Yacht A " with her unique form, which was built for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, sails past Italian Isola del Giglio island on July 10, 2018, near the "Scole" rocks where the Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed l ((Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Melnichenko, Alex Andreev, said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations".

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH YACHTS, LUXURY COASTAL PROPERTIES SEIZED BY ITALY: PHOTOS

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list," Andreev said. "We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.

Since last week Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth more than 700 million euros ($763.63 million) from high-profile Russians who have been placed on the EU sanctions list, Economy Minister Daniele Franco said on Saturday.

This photograph taken on March 10, 2022, shows a sailing yacht A owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko in Trieste, Italy. - The sailing yacht A is the largest private sail-assisted motor yacht in the world. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) (Photo ( (Photo by JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

"So far we have hit what was visible, now we have to hit the rest such as shareholdings. We are doing a great job to bring out what is shielded by trusts and front names," Giuseppe Zafarana, head of the Italian tax police, told journalists in Bergamo on Saturday.

The police operations were part of a coordinated drive by Western states to penalise wealthy Russians they say are linked to President Vladimir Putin.

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH ALISHER USMANOV’S $600M YACHT SEIZED IN GERMANY: REPORTS

Separately, a superyacht reported to be owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich arrived in Montenegro's territorial waters on Saturday morning, according to a Reuters photographer.

A Finance Police officer boards the superyacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko which has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, Italy, March 12, 2022, in this screen grab taken from video, Finance Police/Handout via R (Finance Police/Handout via REUTERS / Reuters Photos)

The Solaris is one of a string of yachts owned by Chelsea Football Club owner Abramovich, according to reports in luxury goods publications SuperYachtFan, SuperYacht Times and Forbes.

The 140-metre (460-foot) vessel is moored off the luxury resort Porto Montenegro in the town of Tivat. The boat left Barcelona on Tuesday.

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Britain imposed sanctions on Abramovich on Thursday, freezing his assets and citing what it called his close relationship with Putin. Abramovich has denied having such ties.

($1 = 0.9167 euros)

(Reporting by Emilio Parodi in Bergamo and Stevo Vasiljevic in TivatWriting by Giselda VagnoniEditing by Frances Kerry)

Putin-Allied Oligarch's $860 Million Superyacht, The Largest Sailboat In The World, Abandoned After It Was Seized As Part Of Ukraine War Sanctions

A Russian oligarch, who spent four years and $860 million building a superyacht, has abandoned the vessel for the last two years after it was seized by Italian police in March 2022.

Italy took the step to comply with European Union sanctions against Russian oligarchs who have supported their country’s war with Ukraine.

The vessel, constructed by German Naval Yards, is gargantuan in size and has three masts that tower 300 feet high and a length stretching to 468 feet long. These dimensions make this boat the largest current sailboat in the world.

Its height surpasses that of Big Ben by approximately ten feet. The boat is considered to be a medium-sized cargo ship and can reach speeds up to 20.8 knots or 24 miles per hour.

Since its seizure in 2022, the yacht has been sitting in the custody of the Italian government, waiting dormant off of the coast in the Trieste Gulf. The Italian government claimed that they have spent over $11.5 million on the upkeep of the ship.

The yacht is owned by Russian business tycoon Andrey Melnichenko , who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘s top allies.

Melnichenko made his fortune off of a fertilizer company and a coal company, which have made him one of the richest men in the world.

Melnichenko is among 36 wealthy Russian businessmen sanctioned by the E.U., whose assets may be subject to seizure.

This yacht seizure is just a small part of many repossessions of Russian goods by the Italian government since 2022 – it is estimated that a total of $230 million in Russian property has been appropriated.

In October 2023, the United States government seized a 348-foot yacht originally owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov .

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said that the war in Ukraine was “a tragedy.”

Source: uInterview

The post Putin-Allied Oligarch’s $860 Million Superyacht, The Largest Sailboat In The World, Abandoned After It Was Seized As Part Of Ukraine War Sanctions appeared first on uInterview .

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16 superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs

Western sanctions over moscow's invasion of ukraine led to many luxury vessels being detained in europe.

Two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich were spotted on the Turkish coast on Tuesday, 'Eclipse' and 'My Solaris'. Mr Abramovich is among several wealthy Russians added to an EU blacklist as governments act to seize their yachts and other luxury assets. AP

Live updates: follow the latest news on Russia-Ukraine

Several luxury yachts owned by wealthy Russians have been detained across Europe this month.

It comes after the West imposed sanctions on oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine .

Some have taken evasive action – two such superyachts linked to billionaire Roman Abramovich were spotted approaching the Turkish coast on Tuesday. A group of Ukrainians tried to stop one of the yachts from docking in Turkey.

Chelsea FC owner Mr Abramovich is one of several oligarchs who were added to an EU blacklist last week as governments acted to seize yachts and other luxury assets owned by the billionaires.

Western sanctions resulted in many large vessels relocating from Europe in the past few weeks. Several have headed to places such as the Maldives, which have no extradition treaty with the US.

Where is the Abramovich-owned yacht heading?

Mr Abramovich's yacht Eclipse was seen heading towards Marmaris on Tuesday, according to data compiled by monitoring site Marine Traffic, which was seen by Reuters.

The previous day, his superyacht Solaris was moored in Bodrum, about 80 kilometres from Marmaris, data showed, after skirting waters of EU countries.

There was no suggestion Mr Abramovich was on board either of the yachts.

Ukrainians attempt to stop Abramovich's yacht docking in Turkey

Which yachts have been detained?

On Monday, a superyacht linked to another Russian billionaire was detained by authorities after docking in Gibraltar.

The Axioma , believed to belong to Dmitrievich Pumpyansky, moored at Gibraltar on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Reuters TV footage showed.

Mr Pumpyansky, who is under UK and EU sanctions, owns Russia's largest steel pipe maker TMK. Data shows the 72-metre vessel is owned by a British Virgin Islands holding company called Pyrene investments, Reuters reported. An article published as part of the Panama Papers leaks names Mr Pumpyansky as a beneficiary of the holding.

On March 12, the world's biggest sailing yacht, called Sailing Yacht A and owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko , was seized by Italian police.

Several other luxury yachts have also been detained across Europe, including in Gibraltar, Mallorca in Spain's Balearic Islands and the French coast.

Here are 16 superyachts linked to wealthy Russians

1. Eclipse , a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich , was this week spotted heading in the direction of Marmaris in Turkey.

2. Solaris , belonging to Mr Abramovich , moored in Bodrum at the start of the week.

3. The Axioma superyacht, belonging to Russian oligarch Dmitrievich Pumpyansky , who is on the EU's list of sanctioned Russians, was detained by authorities after docking in Gibraltar on Monday.

4. The Crescent , which was seized by the Spanish government in Tarragona, Spain, on March 17. The ship's owner is not publicly known, although it is believed to belong to Russian Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft Oil in Moscow.

5. Ragnar , owned by former KGB officer and Russian oligarch Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, who is not on the EU sanctions list.

6. Tango , owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who was sanctioned by the US on March 11.

7. Lady Anastasia , owned by Russian arms manufacturer Alexander Mijeev, is retained at Port Adriano, Mallorca, as a result of sanctions against Russia and Belarus issued by the European Union.

8. Valerie was seized by the Spanish government in Barcelona, Spain, on March 15. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the ship is linked to Rostec State Corporation’s chief executive Sergey Chemezov.

9. The $578 million Sailing Yacht A owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko was seized by Italian police in the port of Trieste on March 12.

10. The 156-metre Dilbar superyacht is owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.

11. La Datcha belongs to Russian billionaire businessman Oleg Tinkov.

12. Lady M , owned by Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, was seized by Italian police on March 5.

13. Amore Vero was seized in the Mediterranean resort of La Ciotat on March 3 by French authorities. The yacht is linked to Igor Sechin, a Putin ally who runs the Russian oil giant Rosneft.

14. Quantum Blue , owned by a company linked to Russian billionaire Sergei Galitsky, the head of Russian oil giant Rosneft, was seized in southern France on March 3.

15. Superyacht Luna is owned by Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov.

16. Triple Seven is owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov, according to media reports. The yacht was last up for sale in 2020 for €38 million ($41.85 million).

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No Wind. No Problem. The Sailing Race Must Go On.

The suspense mounted at the world’s largest regatta in Trieste, Italy: Which boat would come in last?

By Jason Horowitz

TRIESTE, Italy — The Bora wind blows so fiercely through Trieste, a melancholic port town on the Adriatic Sea, that some sidewalks are lined with handrails. The wind maddens pedestrians, but it also fills the sails of skippers who come from all over to compete in Italy’s aquatic equivalent of the New York City Marathon.

Before this year’s race, the sleepy docks that once served as the main port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire buzzed with life. Olympic sailing crews, boating enthusiasts and excitement-thirsty locals packed Trieste’s piers, old world cafes and vast square facing the sea.

Everything was in place.

Except the wind.

“Not a breath of it,” Pietro Faraguna, 36, said before dawn on race day as he and members of his crew collected their boat in a neighboring town.

Last year, the 50th anniversary of the Barcolana, as the race is called, included 2,689 boats with 16,000 sailors, making it the largest regatta in the world by some counts. Mr. Faraguna and his friends finished in 15th-to-last place.

This year he was not sure whether to try for a better finish or compete for a newly introduced last-place trophy or “give up if it’s going nowhere.”

For now, Mr. Faraguna and his crew just needed to get into position at the starting line. In the calm morning air, they loaded up their secondhand boat, the Confinandante , with supplies of wine and beer, and motored toward the race’s starting line.

As one of the crew put bottles of friulano, prosecco and sauvignon in the fridge, the decades-old boat puttered past mussel farms and the Duino Castle , a 14th-century fort overlooking the Gulf of Trieste.

Mr. Faraguna, an amiable father of two and constitutional law professor, reflected on his previous 12 Barcolanas. He talked about how the thermodynamic differences caused by the shape of the coast altered wind conditions and how the Bora — named for Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind — howled down from the Julian Alps to the sea.

“But this isn’t going to happen,” Mr. Faraguna said, observing that the dark, flat water looked as motionless as an oil spill.

On the other side of the boat, Giacomo Longo, 32, received a picture from a friend already chugging a white wine spritz near the starting line. Mr. Longo checked his nautical watch and reported a meager high of 4.35 knots of wind. The crew shrugged and decided to unfurl the white-and-blue-striped sail. Some stink bugs fell from it onto the deck.

A couple of hours later, the Confinandante reached a harbor near the Barcolana’s starting line and just behind the Miramare Castle, built by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who, tradition holds, was forced to dock at this spot in 1855 by strong gusts of the Bora.

Duino Castle

Miramare Castle

Unity of Italy square

Gulf of Trieste

Friends of Mr. Faraguna climbed aboard, carrying more refreshments and a guitar. One of the men’s wives, Giada Dal Mas, 36, told the crew, “Since there is no wind, at least try and catch some sea bass for tonight.”

The Barcolana began in 1969, when a few friends at a local sailing club organized a race with 51 boats. Since then, the winds have come and gone as the skippers race from Miramare Castle toward Slovenia and back to the finish line near Trieste’s Unity of Italy square.

Some years, the Bora has been so vicious as to break masts. Others it has been so nonexistent that boats drifted back to Trieste backward.

Over the years, the race has grown into a major enterprise. Last year, the 50th anniversary brought about 70 million euros into Trieste. Its corporate sponsor, Generali, the insurance giant founded in Trieste during the port’s glory days, slaps its name everywhere, from the race bibs on the boats to the red inflatable buoy marking the finish line.

In the days before the race, the dock in front of Trieste’s main square turns into a nautical Times Square, with beer, sausage and Barcolana merchandise vendors dwarfed by the sails of megayachts advertising luxury cars (“Sail With Land Rover”), banks, fashion brands and prosecco.

But the spirit of the race, said the Barcolana’s president, Mitja Gialuz , a 44-year-old law professor and former sailing world champion, was better captured by the hundreds of smaller sloops, ketches and traditional wooden passera fishing boats that competed, or got completely sloshed, in the big boats’ wake.

He noted how last year’s official regatta poster featured the celebrated artist Marina Abramovic declaring, amid a national crackdown on migrants, “We’re all in the same boat.” Local officials in the anti-migrant League party were furious, but Mr. Gialuz said it was just the right, inclusive message for a faded cosmopolitan city looking to shed its provincialism and make a global comeback.

“Once we became the biggest race in the world,” he said in front of a boat-sized sardine sculpture made from recycled Trieste plastic, part of the race’s expanded environmental consciousness, “we assumed a bigger responsibility.”

Still, most of this year’s participants focused mostly on the task at hand — getting their sailboats to go anywhere.

On the eve of the race , a room of skippers listened to organizers wish them “fair winds” but also remind them that “since there are very, very light winds in the forecast,” judges will be especially watchful of boats that used their engines at the opening bell.

Just before 10:30 a.m., Mr. Faraguna’s boat inched forward to the starting line of white sails, which from a distance resembled a long mountain range of snow-capped peaks. Surrounded by boats named Lady Killer, Passion Fruit and Stairway to Heaven, Mr. Faraguna waited, ready to race.

The starting cannon fired. The smoke cleared. Nothing changed.

Eventually, some of the professional crews sailing state-of-the-art ships captured enough puffs of air to move forward . The race’s organizers decided two legs of the race was enough and canceled the last two.

The Way of Life, an early favorite, won with a time of one hour, 54 minutes and 10 seconds. Mr. Faraguna’s boat hardly moved at all.

For the next few hours, Mr. Faraguna and his friends drank white wine and Union Svetlo beer and sang old Trieste folk songs about how life was better under the old empire (“We weren’t lacking pasta and chickpeas”). They went swimming.

Early in the afternoon, with no wind in sight, they called it quits and motored back to the pier, where they happily basked in the applause directed at Way of Life, which finished another victory lap behind them.

Mr. Faraguna went home to see his wife and take a nap. As he slept, some of the last boats sprinted, or inched, to the finish line.

“Five, four, three, two, one” the crew members of Itaparica shouted with relief as they finished in 948th place. It was just shy of 5 p.m., nearly seven hours after the start. A few minutes later, the Cassiopeia II crossed and one of its passengers screamed wildly into the no wind.

Dario Motz, an official from the Italian Sailing Federation, stood on the elevated deck of a vessel recording the finish times. He looked at the ships lingering in the distance and debated with his colleagues whether they had frozen purposefully in pursuit of the loser’s cup.

“It’s a fight for last,” he said.

At 6 p.m., as Mr. Faraguna woke to play with his young children, the Xeinos, a 50-foot yacht sailed by Serbian, Montenegrin and Italian dentists, took the last-place trophy with 1,098th place.

Mr. Gialuz, the Barcolana’s president, was there to climb aboard and celebrate. This was the spirit, he said, that would reinvigorate his town.

“For a long time, Trieste was like a dark and stuffy room,” he said. “The Barcolana opens up the windows. It lets the fresh wind in.”

Jason Horowitz is the Rome bureau chief, covering Italy, the Vatican, Greece and other parts of Southern Europe. He previously covered the 2016 presidential campaign, the Obama administration and Congress, with an emphasis on political profiles and features. More about Jason Horowitz

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By Jack Hogan 22 Dec 2023

Submersible Operators Group

Leighton rolley, science systems manager at rev ocean, discusses the recently published sog report and the evolution of the submersible sector….

The first annual Submersible Operators Group was held in Avonmouth, UK, on October 3-4, 2023. Hosted by REV Ocean and DEEP, the international research and development organisation, the inaugural meeting brought together operators, manufacturers, certification bodies, and pilots from all over the world. With the first report now published and available for download, SuperyachtNews speaks with Leighton Rolley, Science Systems Manager at REV Ocean, about the outcomes and goals of the meeting and where this fascinating sector is heading next.

The submersible community has a long history of safe operations in extreme environments. The deep has drawn the world’s most intrepid explores for generations, with some of the most incredible feats of human endeavour coming from the field. From the Trieste in the 1960s, through to the Limiting Factor, built by Triton Submarines today, these submersibles and their operators have advanced our knowledge of the marine environment.

Following the loss of the Titan submersible, built by Oceangate, there was a recognised need for collaboration. As Rolley stresses, this was not due to safety concerns. He is quick to highlight that the last fatality attributed to a submersible was in the 1970s. However, the use of private submersibles is expanding, and coordinating the operators of these highly specialised machines is vital.

The report highlights the need for a united community voice to effectively address safety and operational improvements in the submersible sector. “We haven't talked as much as we should have as a community,” says Rolley. “This is probably the biggest meeting of submersible pilots and operators in two or three decades.”

In the superyacht context, for example, there is a divergence in the operational profile for many of the subs. “The research community treats their subs like a consistently operating piece of equipment with dedicated teams. But on Superyachts, if the owner's not there, how often do they use the submersible? How much training do they do with the crew? Does the captain allow them to put it in the water? These are some key considerations for the superyacht fleet.”

The REV Ocean and Nekton Maldives mission in 2022 was the first systematic survey and sampling of the Maldives from the surface to 1000 metre depths, using a custom-built submersible from Triton Submarines. 

Rolley also highlights the challenges posed by rotating crew and high turnover onboard yachts. These specialised subs and their operation on unique vessels require distinct skill sets. While submersible and yacht-specific training has sufficed for existing private yacht subs, there's a growing need to address this for continued safety in the sector.

“Crew, especially those on smaller yachts, have multiple roles onboard simultaneously,” says Rolley. “The captain and yacht management may not have the time or resources to invest full time in the maintenance and operations that go into submersible management.”

There is an overhead associated with having a sub onboard. An example Rolley highlights is that of recruitment time. If something happens to the jet ski or dive instructor onboard, you can call a crew agent and have a replacement with you within a few hours. If a sub-pilot leaves or is ill, it’s going to take a lot longer. “These are not off-the-shelf items, and the same can be said for their operators,” underscores Rolley.

Superyachts are about service. Having a sub pilot who is not only highly technically proficient but can also interact with the guests and enhance the underwater experience is a very specific skill set. Traditionally, many pilots came from naval or offshore backgrounds, making them safe and highly efficient pilots, but, as Rolley freely admits, “Not every yacht owner wants to work with a gruff Welshman like me every day!”

Superyacht-specific training is often conducted onboard during the initial purchase. The STCW modules only prepare a crew member so far for the idiosyncrasies of superyacht operations. In line with this, the SOG report also highlights the need for more specialised training for sub-pilots. “There are numerous training documents out there,” says Rolley. “The Koreans have their regulations, Cayman Islands, the IMO etc. They all request that the pilot has a certain amount of experience with the sub. This is usually a manufacturer-based course.”

The implication here is not that manufacturers give subpar training, Rolley stresses, drawing on the analogy of Airbus and Boeing. The aviation industry has a standardised set of training for pilots, followed by type-specific specialisations.

The VARD shipyard now expects to deliver the REV Ocean vessel in February 2025, which means that the vessel will be operational from Q4 2026.

Sub pilots generally undertake their training in Curaçao, the UK, or the US, where many of the major manufacturers have their facilities. These are perfect places to show off the sub and get pilots used to the controls. But what happens then when the owner wants to dive under in Antarctica or in, the waters off Greenland?

“A more complete understanding of the differences in the physical environment within the ocean needs to be added to the training, superyachts especially are likely to take a sub to some remote and very different locations,” says Rolley.

The SOG is also working to enhance the application of privately owned submersibles for research purposes. A key part of the coordination of the operators that underscores the SOG report is also to maximise the potential of the private sub fleet to actively contribute to marine scientific research.

“The public may view yachts as part of the problem,” says Rolley, “so why not give back as much as you can but take local scientists when you can, gather data, record underwater footage wherever possible.” As he underscores, deep-sea research can involve activities such as simple as high-resolution video recording.

The global superyacht community can collaborate to produce a pool of submersibles and trained pilots, greatly expanding the number of active vessels collecting data for science. “If you have a submersible, it’s an amazing piece of kit, not only for your guests but its potential to contribute to marine science,” concludes Rolley “There are over 5000 superyachts in operation, and if just 10 per cent had a sub or were participating in active research, that 500 vessels would already be equal to the entire global marine scientific research capacity today.”

With the potential for a substantial increase in the number of research focussed vessels and the wealth of knowledge they can provide; the future of submersibles is promising. Built on a storied history of safe exploration, the newly formed Submersible Operators Group aims to support an interconnected, and scientifically engaged superyacht and submersible industries.

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