While the tiny nation of Antigua happily sold off the abandoned Alfa Nero superyacht and used the funds to reduce part of its fiscal deficit, the daughter of the allegedly sanctioned owner is now challenging the sale and suing the Antiguan government in its own courts

The Alfa Nero may have finally sailed into the arms of its new owner, but a masterpiece like the 267-footer is not easily forgotten or relinquished. Even after Oceanco’s $120 million+ crown jewel was sold to a secretive Turkish billionaire for a measly $40 million, two parties have challenged the sale, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, the daughter of a sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, and Flying Dutchman Overseas Limited (a British Virgin Islands company that is registered as the owner of the yacht).

Andrey Guryev, the alleged sanctioned owner of the Alfa Nero.

According to The Antigua Observer, a legal decision on the matter is expected in February 2025, addressing the constitutionality of the government’s actions in seizing and selling the Alfa Nero.

Reportedly, a legal team of eleven lawyers, including six representing the government, presented arguments during the hearing. Representing the oligarch’s daughter, attorney Dr. David Dorsett specifically challenged the Port Authority Amendment Act 2023, questioning the validity of the law that justified the sale and calling it unlawful. In defense, the government’s lawyers maintained that the yacht was classified as abandoned after its owner failed to claim it within the required timeframe.

Also read - The troubled saga of the Alfa Nero continues, as the court rules against alleged owner Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov. The tiny nation of Antigua could be spending $62,000 per month on diesel alone for the next two years just to keep the air-conditioning running on the superyacht.

The Alfa Nero at Falmouth harbor. Image- Antigua Observer

To set the record straight, the Alfa Nero motoryacht was abandoned by Andrey Guryev, its alleged owner, in Falmouth Harbor way back in February 2022, where it remained until the government sprang into action to salvage the superyacht. During this period, the government footed a staggering $100,000 monthly maintenance bill while no one stepped forward to reclaim the vessel.

Eventually, the government took matters into its own hands, selling the ill-fated yacht for $40 million to a Turkish billionaire and using the proceeds to address public debts. Since then, the Alfa Nero has shed its “unfortunate” tag and the Antiguan shores. The magnificent vessel is now set to make a grand reappearance at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, ready to cruise the Caribbean and the Bahamas before heading to the Mediterranean for the 2025 season.

Also read - A Russian spy turned banker is selling his 257-foot superyacht for $100 million. Regularly featured as a backdrop by his glamorous wife on Instagram, the Amaryllis boasts palatial guest suites, striking Art Deco interiors, two gyms, a spa, and even a self-playing piano.

The spa onboard the Alfa Nero. Image – Charterworld

For the oligarch’s daughter, the sale remains a bitter pill to swallow as she continues to fight its seizure in court. Meanwhile, several deep-pocketed billionaires and their entourages would be excited to revel in the yacht’s opulent Art Deco interiors, its infinity jet pool with a glass waterfall that transforms into a dance floor, all for an indulgent $812,500 per week.