You may be able to take the superyacht Alfa Nero out of Antigua, but you can’t the curse off the Alfa Nero! What else could explain the 267-foot vessel, a $120 million Oceanco masterpiece, selling for a mere $40 million and still being mired in lawsuits? It wouldn’t be wrong to call the motoryacht, allegedly owned by Russian tycoon Andrey Guryev, a magnet for misfortune. Hopefully, its new Turkish billionaire owner can change its fate once he gets his ship and undertakes the much-needed work on its interiors and exteriors.
Abandoned since March 2022, the luxury vessel has seen its share of near-sales, failed auctions, and a steady stream of injunctions and lawsuits, turning this once-glorious four-decker into a financial drain on Antigua. While the sale of the Alfa Nero was momentous for the tiny island nation, it was followed by yet another lawsuit filed by the original owners. They seem unwilling to watch the Alfa Nero sail away or see Antigua’s taxpayers relieved of the $30,000 weekly burden it has become.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, the authorities seem unfazed. Cabinet Secretary Lionel Hurst stated that an undisclosed buyer had already paid the revised $40 million price tag. He also highlighted the intended use of the funds, with the first priority being to reduce the national debt.
“That frivolous lawsuit, the cabinet agreed, will not prevent the government from fulfilling its obligations incurred while the vessel was under its ownership; nor will it deter the administration from investing the surplus in constructing a hotel. The cabinet agreed that an investment in a tangible asset will serve as a reminder of the immense difficulties this lawful seizure and sale caused the people and government of Antigua and Barbuda,” Hurst said, per Caribbean Life.
The vessel remains moored near Falmouth Harbor, but the real spectacle will be seeing it in action, sailing away with its new owner.
