A seized vessel is like an uninvited guest, you never know when it will leave (if ever). That has been the case with superyachts like Amadea, Sailing Yacht A, and many more. Sailing Yacht A did surprise yacht enthusiasts when it was seen leaving dock for the first time in two years and sailing in the azure blue waters off the coast of Trieste, Italy. No, the $580 million megayacht hasn’t gone back to its alleged owner, Russian oligarch Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, but was taken for a spin owing to tumultuous weather in Trieste, per the YouTube Channel eSysman SuperYachts.
It was indeed a special moment to see the majestic 470-footer of the sanctioned billionaire finally leave Trieste after 2 long years. Sailing Yacht A is the world’s second-largest sailing yacht, after Jeff Bezos’s Koru. She was seized by the Italian police and placed in a special dry dock at the northern port of Trieste in March 2022.
On Wednesday, the mammoth left the port and took a trip to an anchorage in Venice owing to tumultuous weather. The entire time, Sailing Yacht A was escorted by an Italian military vessel called GDF G222.
The motor-assisted sailing yacht was originally held in the dry dock but had to be moved for the shipyard to use the facility once the refit was complete. The goliath is still controlled by the Italian government, which only permitted moving the vessel for its safety. The megayacht of Melnichenko returned to Trieste after 24 hours. The ship is maintained by the government at an eye-watering cost of a minimum of $900,000 per month. It is a financial fact that irks the mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza: “This is called a waste of public money, shame. To date, it has cost the State over 7 million euros. We will never get them back because they will certainly find a way not to pay them.” The statement was made in April 2023.
The Italian government is now spending 12 million euros ($13 million) a year and has already spent close to 24 million euros or $26 million in total. Had the ship been under the control of its billionaire owner, the maintenance cost would be no less than $50-$60 million annually, going by the 10% rule. Italy has definitely had it easy, then. The YouTube channel also pointed out the boat is looked after by its original crew though the number of staff is now down to 20 crew as opposed to 40-50 in its hay days.
The eight-decker that sleeps 20 guests in 40 rooms flaunts masts taller than Big Ben, features an underwater observation pod, swimming pool, several luxe amenities, and was designed by French architect Philippe Starck.
