Yacht Russian billionaire made a splash in London September 13th, 2016
The spectacular superyacht of Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, worth $320 million, sailed along the Thames the other day, impressing the residents of London. 
The 44-year-old owner of a $10 billion fortune has two reasons to be proud: his wife and yachts. In 2005, the Russian oligarch married former Miss Yugoslavia, Serbian top model Aleksandra Nikolic, in a wedding that cost him $40 million. 
Therefore, when three years later, in 2008, Melnichenko built himself a new yacht worth $320 million, he did not have a shadow of a doubt what name to give the vessel. He named the yacht briefly and laconically, in honor of his beloved wife (and a little in honor of himself): “A”. 
Since then, the vessel has been considered one of the most famous and luxurious on the planet. It is not surprising that when the yacht sailed along the Thames under Tower Bridge last Sunday, the spectacle attracted a considerable number of onlookers. 
Looking at the unusual ship, Londoners took pictures against its background and published the footage on social networks. Pictures of “A” plying along the main river of the British capital circulated in the English media. “Tens of thousands of ships have passed under Tower Bridge, but few have been as big and luxurious as this one,” writes the Daily Mail. 
Megayacht “A” was designed by the famous French designer Philippe Starck and built at the Hamburg shipyard Blohm + Voss. The length of the vessel is 119 meters. The design of the yacht caused a variety of opinions. The yacht has been compared to submarines and warships, and journalists agreed that “this is the most attractive and repulsive ship in the world.” 
Andrei Melnichenko's wife Alexandra poses on a yacht. 
Spacious, with an area of 240 square meters, Melnichenko’s cabin is located above the wheelhouse. A spiral staircase leads to it along the walls lined with silver sheets, the railings of which cost the billionaire $60 thousand. 
The double bed stands on a podium that rotates at the touch of a button. Another button controls the rotation of the bed itself, so that the owner lying on it can admire the sunset and sunrise from any position. The yacht owner's bathroom faucet alone cost him $40,000. 
Each guest cabin has a Jacuzzi in the middle and floor-to-ceiling mirrored walls. According to Stark, the yacht's design is a mix of Manhattan loft and Las Vegas casino aesthetics. He also designed uniforms for the ship's 37 crew members. The yacht also has three swimming pools, one of which has a glass floor, a helipad, boats and even its own submarine. 
The Russian tycoon of Belarusian origin is called the “King of Fertilizers” in the West. Melnichenko takes 11th place in Russian rating Forbes billionaires and 139th in the world. The businessman owns the Siberian Coal Energy Company, EuroChem OJSC and the Siberian Generating Company. 
Melnichenko has long been able to afford not to sit for days in a stuffy office, but to enjoy the fresh sea breeze on board his yacht in the company of his beautiful wife. With these two things he, in fact, thunders in last years in the gossip column, inviting Hollywood stars of the ranks Demi Moore and Sharon Stone to stay on his ship. 
Over the course of several years, yacht "A" has been spotted in various parts of the world. 
Over time, the old yacht seemed a little cramped to the billionaire, and last year he built another, larger one, worth $450 million. The oligarch again named the new vessel “A” (Sailing Yacht A), its length is 142 meters. She became the ninth in the list of the largest yachts on the planet. 
The annual ranking of the world's largest yachts includes eight ships owned by Russian entrepreneurs. Including two Abramovich yachts, one of which (Eclipse) with a length of 164 m tops the rating, and the second (Luna) occupies 19th place. There are three more yachts in the ranking that previously belonged to Abramovich - Pelorus (115 m, 19th place), Le Grand Bleu (112.8 m, 21st place), Ecstasea (86 m, 51st place). According to some sources, he sold the first of them in 2009 to American David Giffen for $300 million, according to others, he gave it to his ex-wife, gave the second to his partner Evgeny Shvidler, and sold the third in 2009 to an unknown American. In addition to Abramovich and Shvidler, among the owners of the hundreds of yachts were Andrei Melnichenko, Yuri Shefler, Alisher Usmanov, Mikhail Prokhorov and Suleiman Kerimov.
№1
Name: Eclipse Owner: Roman Abramovich
Length: 164 m
Approximate price:$800 million
Year of construction: 2009
Maximum speed: 25 knots
Roman Abramovich's motor vessel Eclipse (Eclipse) is the largest private yacht in the world. On board the vessel there is a helicopter landing pad, a submarine, a 16-meter open pool, health Center, cinema hall. The nine-deck yacht is equipped with an anti-missile system and bulletproof glass. And the interiors are decorated with 35 works of contemporary art.
In 2005, Abramovich entered into a firm contract with the German shipyard Blohm + Voss, under the terms of which he must pay 340 million euros for the yacht. However, the actual costs of its construction amounted to about 800 million, and the shipyard was forced to take on the shortfall. Annual maintenance of the yacht costs approximately $50 million.
Initially (in June 2009), the length of Eclipse was 162.46 m. Later it became known that the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed, whose yacht was only 46 cm shorter, plans to regain the title of owner of the largest yacht by increasing the length of his vessel by 61 cm. After this, Roman Abramovich decided to lengthen his Eclipse by another one and a half meters, without losing his championship to anyone. Since the spring of 2011, the yacht Eclipse is available for selective charter (the owner determines the maximum full information about who plans to rent the yacht and why, and only after that makes the decision to rent it out) for $2 million a week.
№10
Length: 134 m
Approximate price:$300 million
Year of construction: 2010
The Serene yacht was launched in 2010. And its construction was started by Fincantieri Yachts in 2007. Serene became the debut yacht for the Italian shipyard and is considered one of the most technically advanced. The owner of the SPI group has equipped his seven-deck vessel with two helicopter landing pads with a hangar and a compartment for a submarine capable of diving to a depth of 100 m, as well as an indoor swimming pool. total area the internal space is 4500 sq. meters, of which 2700 are intended for the owner of the vessel and his guests. The exterior design was carried out by the famous design bureau Espen Oeino, and the interior by the London company Reymond Langton Design.
№15
Length: 119 m
Approximate price:$300 million
Year of construction: 2008
Maximum speed: 23 knots
The ship with the laconic name “A” was built in 2008 by the German shipyard Blohm&Voss (which also developed Abramovich’s Eclipse) by order of Andrei Melnichenko. The owner of MDM Bank tried for a long time to keep the existence of the ship a secret. Yacht “A” (the name is the first letter of the name of Melnichenko’s wife Alexandra) weighs 5,900 tons and looks like a submarine. An innovative design for modern yachts was developed by the famous designer Philippe Starck. It has six guest cabins and a staff cabin (42 people). The yacht's decks are mostly hermetically glazed, and the hull is equipped with spotlights and modern tracking sensors. There is a helipad, an amphibious vessel, a car garage and three swimming pools, in one of which you can optionally exchange fresh water for sea water. In addition, the ship is equipped with hundreds of audio speakers and more than a dozen plasma panels. Among the interior delights are bathroom taps worth $40,000 each and silver staircase handrails worth $60,000. Maintenance of the yacht costs Melnichenko $20 million per year.
№19
Name: Luna Owner: Roman Abramovich
Length: 115 m
Approximate price:$175 million
Year of construction: 2009
Maximum speed: 18 knots
Luna is one of the largest expedition yachts and is designed for navigation in all weather conditions. The six-deck vessel is equipped with two helipads, is powered by diesel-electric engines and is capable of traveling long distances without refueling. Luna was built specifically for Roman Abramovich at Lloyd Werft and Stahlbau Nord Shipyards. Equipped with two helipads and a communications tower with radars. On the rear deck of the yacht there is a swimming pool and beach area with access to a swimming platform. True, the large dimensions of the yacht are not only a source of pride for its owner, but also cause inconvenience: mooring in port cities such a vessel is very problematic: this particular yacht did not impress the residents of Venice, blocking their view of the Gulf of St. Mark, and the mayor of the city proposed introducing a tax for such large ships.
№21
Name: Le Grand Bleu Owner: Evgeny Shvidler
Length: 112.8 m
Approximate price:$90-130 million
Year of construction: 2000
Maximum speed: 17 knots
Le Grand Bleu was built in Germany at the Vulkan Bremen shipyard by order of the American industrialist John McCaw. According to other sources, Roman Abramovich bought Le Grand Bleu for £50 million from one of the founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen. The yacht was modernized in 2004, its interior was redesigned and its length was increased. And in 2006, Abramovich gave the ship to business partner Evgeniy Shvidler as a token of gratitude for his good work. In addition to the crew of 35 people, it accommodates 20 guests. The annual maintenance of the vessel costs $15 million. The yacht has a helipad with a two-seater helicopter, a 20-meter Sariusa hydrofoil, and a sailing yacht.
№22
Length: 110 m
Year of construction: 2008
Maximum speed: 21 knots
The technical characteristics of the Dilbar engines (originally Opal Project) are kept secret by the German shipyard Lürssen. It is only known that when creating the vessel, much attention was paid to its environmental friendliness; the exhaust gases of thermal engines are cleaned using particulate filters. The yacht was modernized in 2009. The vessel is designed for 21 guests and 47 crew members. The exterior design was developed by the famous designer Tim Heywood, the author of the interior decoration and interior design was Alberto Pinto. It is known that Alisher Usmanov relaxes on the yacht with his family and from time to time gathers the board of directors, and the owner of Metalloinvest gave the name Dilbar to the yacht in honor of his mother.
№31
Length: 96 m
Year of construction: 2010
Maximum speed: 19 knots
The Palladium yacht (originally Project Orca) was designed by Blohm + Voss Shipyards, and the unusual futuristic design was created by the British bureau Michael Leach Design. The yacht has 8 cabins for 16 people. The yacht was nominated for the World Yachts Trophies 2010 in the Innovation category and won in the Design category. “Of course, working on Palladium, we had the advantage of being very familiar with the owner’s lifestyle, tastes and needs. He loves water sports. Knowing this, we knew that the tender garage would likely house more than just two custom Cougar limousine tenders. There will also be a full set of equipment for aquatic species sports We were right. The Palladium garage is reminiscent of a Formula 1 pitlane with all the mechanics, trainers, and wetsuits. Unlike most conventional yachts, where this location is located beach club, this is not the place for a gin and tonic…. Gin and tonic is best sipped on the deck above. There is a wonderful lounge where guests can relax and enjoy the sun. It's like a cozy private club around a pool and jacuzzi. Very informal seating, more like sunbathing chairs. But here, too, guests can feel part of what is happening on the water, exchange remarks, etc.,” the yacht designers say about their creation.
№39
Name:ICE Owner:Suleiman Kerimov
Length: 90.1 m
Approximate price:$150-170 million
Year of construction: 2005
Maximum speed: 17.5 knots
The yacht ICE (originally Air) was built in 2005 by the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen on the order of the co-owner of Polyus Gold and Uralkali Suleiman Kerimov and was modernized in 2008. The diesel-electric ICE was designed to be one of the most environmentally friendly yachts of its time, incorporating the most advanced noise and vibration absorption technologies. The designers were Terence Disdale and Tim Heywood Design. In 2006 she received the title of superyacht of the year. It has four decks, on which there is a large swimming pool, a jacuzzi, and a platform for a Eurocopter EC135 helicopter. Capable of carrying 14 guests and 27 crew members. It was reported that ICE wanted to buy Bill Gates for $160 million, but Kerimov refused to sell it.
Built by order of Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich. At the time of its launch (June 12, 2009 in Hamburg) it was the largest private motor vessel in the world. The main attraction on board is 2 swimming pools, one of which is almost Optimus Prime: it transforms into a dance floor, writes mport.ua.
Length - 162.5 meters;
Width - 21.5 meters;
Draft - 5.9 meters;
Maximum speed is 25 knots (46 km/h).
The total cost of Eclipse, including equipment, is about $1.2 billion. Registered as a charter vessel - so that it is cheaper to maintain, does not pay property tax, and receives benefits when docking in European ports. The price is about $1 billion.
In 2013, Azzam was recognized as the largest private yacht. All thanks to the 180-meter length and 20.8-meter width of the ship. At the same time, the draft is quite shallow for its dimensions - only 4.3 meters. Another interesting fact- short-term design (only 12 months) and construction (3 years) of Azzam. This is a record for yachts of this size.
The Sea Palace is equipped with two turbines and two diesel engines, the total power of which is 70 MW = 94,000 hp. Maximum speed is 31.2 knots (almost 58 km/h). The owner (Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan) registered the yacht as a charter yacht - so that it would also be cheaper to maintain and maintain. Approximate price: $600 million.
The 147-meter yacht Topaz was built in 2012 by Lurssen Yachts. The cost is approximately $527 million. On board there is a jacuzzi, a helipad, a garage, a fitness center, and a cinema. The owner is Mansour Bin Zayyad Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, whose net worth is about $8.7 billion.
Yacht A
This elegant yacht, designed by Philippe Starck, is the property of Russian oligarch Andrei Melnichenko. The main features of the ship are water taps worth $40,000, stair railings worth $60,000, and a bed that rotates when you press a button, allowing you to fully admire the sunset or sunrise.
Russian tycoon Yuri Sheffler is the owner of this 134-meter yacht. The total area of the ship's closed area is almost 4,500 square meters. There are 7 decks on which there are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a cinema hall open air. Some sources claim that Scheffler acquired Serene in 2011 for $330 million.
Initially, the construction of the yacht was ordered by the Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, but after that the ship was sold to Abdullah Al Futtaim, a billionaire from the UAE. The yacht is equipped with a sonic gun that can rupture the eardrums of intruders, as well as water cannons that can sink an approaching boat over 90 meters away. In addition, there is a speedboat on board, designed specifically in case of escape. And if the guests (no more than 20) decide to take a break from waiting for an attack, they will be able to enjoy life, think about good things, and even philosophize while taking a jacuzzi or working out in the gym. Approximate price: $320 million.
Dubai is a yacht today owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE. Due to its 162-meter length, the vessel is recognized as the 3rd largest yacht in the world. Beam - 22 meters, draft - 5 meters, speed - 26 knots (48 km/h). On board there is a landing pad for helicopters weighing up to 9.5 tons, and a swimming pool on one of the ship’s 8 decks.
Al Said was built for the Omani Sultan Qubas bin Said. Huge, 155 meters long, it can accommodate up to 70 guests + a crew of 154 people. On board there is a helipad, an elevator and concert hall, which can accommodate a 50-piece orchestra. The price is at least $300 million.
Built by order of Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich. At the time of its launch (June 12, 2009 in Hamburg) it was the largest private motor vessel in the world. The main attraction on board is 2 swimming pools, one of which is almost Optimus Prime: transforms into a dance floor.
- Length - 162.5 meters;
- Width - 21.5 meters;
- Draft - 5.9 meters;
- Maximum speed is 25 knots (46 km/h).
The total cost of Eclipse, including equipment, is about $1.2 billion. Registered as a charter vessel - so that it is cheaper to maintain, does not pay property tax, and receives benefits when docking in European ports. The price is about $1 billion.
Azzam
In 2013, Azzam was recognized as the largest private yacht. All thanks to the 180-meter length and 20.8-meter width of the ship. At the same time, the draft is quite shallow for its dimensions - only 4.3 meters. Another interesting fact is the short-term design (only 12 months) and construction (3 years) of Azzam. This is a record for yachts of this size.
The Sea Palace is equipped with two turbines and two diesel engines, the total power of which is 70 MW = 94,000 hp. Maximum speed is 31.2 knots (almost 58 km/h). The owner (Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan) registered the yacht as a charter yacht - so that it would also be cheaper to maintain and maintain. Approximate price: $600 million.
Topaz
The 147-meter yacht Topaz was built in 2012 by Lurssen Yachts. The cost is approximately $527 million. On board there is a jacuzzi, a helipad, a garage, a fitness center, and a cinema. The owner is Mansour Bin Zayyad Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, whose net worth is about $8.7 billion.
Source: charterworld.com
Yacht A
This elegant yacht, designed by Philippe Starck, is the property of Russian oligarch Andrei Melnichenko. The main features of the ship are water taps worth $40,000, stair railings worth $60,000, and a bed that rotates when you press a button, allowing you to fully admire the sunset or sunrise.
Source: yacht-trend.com
Serene
Russian tycoon Yuri Sheffler is the owner of this 134-meter yacht. The total area of the ship's closed area is almost 4,500 square meters. There are 7 decks on which there are outdoor and indoor swimming pools and an open-air cinema. Some sources claim that Scheffler acquired Serene in 2011 for $330 million.
Source: flickriver.com
Radiant
Initially, the construction of the yacht was ordered by the Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, but after that the ship was sold to Abdullah Al Futtaim, a billionaire from the UAE. The yacht is equipped with a sonic gun that can rupture the eardrums of intruders, as well as water cannons that can sink an approaching boat over 90 meters away. In addition, there is a speedboat on board, designed specifically in case of escape. And if the guests (no more than 20) decide to take a break from waiting for an attack, they will be able to enjoy life, think about good things, and even philosophize while taking a jacuzzi or working out in the gym. Approximate price: $320 million.
Source: yachtcrew.lu
Dubai
Dubai is a yacht currently owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE. Due to its 162-meter length, the vessel is recognized as the 3rd largest yacht in the world. Beam - 22 meters, draft - 5 meters, speed - 26 knots (48 km/h). On board there is a landing pad for helicopters weighing up to 9.5 tons, and a swimming pool on one of the ship’s 8 decks.
In 2017, sailing yacht “A” set out on its first voyage. This is already the second ship of Russian businessman Andrei Melnichenko. It is even larger and more luxurious than you can imagine.
Motor yacht "A"
The first motor yacht “A” was built according to the design of the French designer Philippe Starck. He drew a sketch appearance ship in just 3.5 hours. The sloping bow and stern make the yacht look like a submarine or battleship from the early 20th century. The yacht cost the Russian entrepreneur approximately $300 million. For this, he received a spacious luxury vessel with a displacement of 6,000 tons, 119 m long and 19 m wide.
Motor yacht “A” was built by shipbuilders from Blohm + Voss at a shipyard in Kiel (Germany). It is powered by two MAN diesel engines, which produce a total of 12,000 hp. power. The maximum speed of the vessel is 23 knots (42 km/h).
The maximum cruising range of the yacht is 6,500 kilometers. This requires 750 tons of fuel.
Motor yacht “A” is designed for only 14 passengers, who have at their disposal rich interiors, designer finds and a lot of entertainment. The interior spaces span 2,200 square meters, including a 230 square meter master suite. Four large cabins can be converted into six suites using sliding walls. The decoration uses genuine leather of sharks and crocodiles. And during the first voyage in 2008, the interior of the yacht became richer by three paintings by Claude Monet.
Philippe Starck, known for his risqué designs, placed lots of mirrors and Baccarat crystals throughout the interior. The latter are used in dishes, cutlery and furniture elements.
At the front of the deck there is a swimming pool and a helipad. At the stern there are two more swimming pools. Through the water, the sun's rays illuminate the deck with a disco below.
Sailing yacht "A"
The next vessel of the oligarch Andrei Melnichenko was a sailing yacht with the same name, “A”. This is a real sea giant, 143 m long, 25 m wide. And the tops of its masts are located a hundred meters above the water level!
The sailing monster has already been tested in the fjords North Sea. It is expected that in the spring of 2017, “A” will be transferred to the Russian customer, who paid $318 million for it.
Sailing yacht "A" was designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug at the Kiel shipyard. She has a steel hull with a displacement of 12,700 tons with a composite superstructure. The yacht has eight decks lined with teak.
"A", the world's largest sailing ship, is propelled by the wind and propellers. The rotating monolithic masts, approximately 90 meters high, are made from carbon fiber at the Trafalgar shipyard in Portsmouth (UK). The rotating booms are built in Valencia (Spain) and the 4,460 square meter sails are built in the USA. All sailing equipment The vessel is installed, retracted and controlled fully automatically.
The yacht's hybrid power plant contains two MTU 20V 4000 ML73 diesel engines of 3600 kW each and two electric motors of 4300 kW each. With them, yacht “A” develops a cruising speed of 16 knots (30 km/h) and a maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h). The range is 5,320 nautical miles (9,850 km). The yacht is managed by a crew of 54 people.
Motor and sailing yacht"A" produce unforgettable impression. They can only be compared with .
