A (sailing yacht)
 Sailing yacht A, starboard
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Sierra Leone | |
| Name | A |
| Namesake | A |
| Owner | Andrey Melnichenko, but seized by Guardia di Finanza |
| Port of registry | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Ordered | March 2011 |
| Builder | Nobiskrug |
| Yard number | 787 |
| Launched | April 2015 |
| Acquired | May 2017 |
| Identification | IMO number: 1012141[1] |
| Status | Seized by authorities; currently anchored in the Gulf of Trieste |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 12,558 gt |
| Length | 142.81 m (468.5 ft) |
| Beam | 24.80 m (81.4 ft) |
| Height | ~100.00 m (328.1 ft) |
| Draught | ~8.00 m (26.2 ft) |
| Decks | 8 |
| Installed power | Variable-speed diesel-electric plant |
| Propulsion | Lineshaft controllable-pitch twin screw |
| Sail plan | 3,747 m2 (40,330 sq ft) 3-mast schooner rig |
| Speed |
|
| Range | 5,340 nmi (9,890 km) |
| Crew | 54 |
Sailing Yacht A is a sailing yacht launched in 2015.[2] The vessel is a sail-assisted motor yacht[3] designed by Philippe Starck (exteriors and interiors)[4][5] and built by Nobiskrug in Kiel, Germany for the Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.[6]
History
[edit]Its propulsion consists of a variable-speed hybrid powerplant with two lineshaft controllable-pitch propellers that is sail-assisted by a three-mast fore-and-aft sailing rig. The freestanding carbonfiber rotating masts were manufactured by Magma Structures at Trafalgar Wharf, Portsmouth.[7] Doyle Sailmakers USA manufactured the three fully automated carbonfiber/taffeta full roach sails. The furling booms were built in Valencia by Future Fibres. The rigging of the yacht was developed partially to be implemented on cargo ships and for commercial use.[8] The vessel features an underwater observation pod in the keel with 30 cm (12 in)-thick glass. It is the largest private sail-assisted motor yacht in the world.[9]
Sailing Yacht A was delivered by Nobiskrug on 3 February 2017, and left Kiel on 5 February 2017.[10][11][12] It exited the Baltic Sea in light mode on near-empty fuel tanks in order to clear the Drogden Strait with minimum draught. It underwent final sea trials and the final fit-out at the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena, Spain. Boat International called it "the boundary pushing superyacht".[3] The yacht is owned by Melnichenko through Valla Yachts Ltd. of Bermuda, and was initially registered there at Hamilton.[13] In December 2021 the yacht was moved to the Isle of Man flag and registered at Douglas.[14]
Sanctions
[edit]The yacht was seized by the Italian Guardia di Finanza on 12 March 2022 in the port of Trieste, due to the EU's sanctions imposed on a number of Russian businessmen as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for Melnichenko vowed to contest the seizure.[15] While under seizure, the yacht was re-registered in June 2022 at Freetown, under the Sierra Leone flag.[14] As of September 2024, the yacht was at an anchorage in the Gulf of Trieste.[16][17]
Specifications
[edit]- Building site: Kiel, Germany[18]
- Builder: Nobiskrug
- Naval architecture: Nobiskrug & Dykstra Naval Architects
- Exterior design: Philippe Starck[4]
- Interior decoration: Philippe Starck
- Diesel powerplant: two MTU 20V 4000 M73L 2,050 rpm 3,600 kW lineshaft engines[19]
- Electric powerplant: four 1,050–2,050 rpm 2,800 kW hotel generators driving two Vacon 4,300 kW lineshaft motors[20]
- Transmission: superimposable/clutched diesel-electric transmission controlled by DEIF systems
- Propulsion: Andritz Hydro / Escher Wyss & Cie. 5-bladed controllable-pitch lineshaft twin screw[6]
- Emission treatment: Emigreen, 4 × diesel particulate filter (soot filtration) on diesel generators.[21]
See also
[edit]- List of large sailing yachts
- A (motor yacht)
- Black Pearl (yacht)
- Yachts impacted by international sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine
References
[edit]
- ^ "SY A (1012141)". LR ships in class. Lloyd's Register.
- ^ "The best photos of Sailing Yacht A". www.boatinternational.com. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Exclusive: 6 facts about the build of Sailing Yacht A". Boat International. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ a b Martin Hager (2 November 2015), "Sailingyacht "A" - Ein bau der Superlative" (PDF), Boote Exclusiv, no. 6/15, pp. 8–11
- ^ "SAILING YACHT A | Luxury Sailing Yachts | Nobiskrug". Nobiskrug Superyachts. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ a b Amanda McCracken (November 2015), "Nobiskrug visit report", Boat International, no. 353, pp. 128–138
- ^ The World's tallest freestanding masts (PDF), Magma Structures, archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2021, retrieved 21 October 2015
- ^ "Sailing Yacht A". www.superyachttimes.com. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
- ^ Laura Nineham (30 October 2015), Facts about the build of Sailing Yacht A, Boat International
- ^ Chris Jefferies (3 February 2017), "Sailing Yacht A delivered by Nobiskrug", Boat International
- ^ Vesna Blötz (3 February 2017), Nobiskrug to deliver sail-assisted superyacht "Sailing Yacht A", German Naval Yards Kiel, archived from the original on 4 August 2020, retrieved 24 February 2017
- ^ Charl van Rooy (6 February 2017), "Sailing Yacht A delivered", SuperYacht Times
- ^ Tognini, Giacomo (12 March 2022). "Italian Police Freeze Russian Billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A". Forbes. Jersey City. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b "SY A (1012141)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Italy seizes Russian oligarch Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A". Reuters. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Team, SuperYacht Times Editorial (26 September 2023). "143m Sailing yacht A in Trieste". www.superyachttimes.com. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Da due anni nel golfo di Trieste yacht A dell'oligarca - Notizie - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 11 March 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Sailing Yacht A". www.superyachttimes.com. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- ^ "Diesel Engines for Patrol Crafts and FPBs".
- ^ "Six facts about the build of Sailing Yacht A". www.boatinternational.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Nicholls, Laura (2 July 2020). "Tech 101: How superyacht exhaust after-treatment systems work". Superyacht Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.