We watched the superyachts of Russian tycoons pass from one country to another like a tennis ball in Wimbledon. The $325 million Amadea megayacht especially has seen so much action that its movements in the last few months could be the premise of a Hollywood blockbuster. From treading choppy waters as seen in spy movies to getting embroiled in a high-octane court controversy, the Amadea has witnessed more than what’s natural for a luxury vessel. Call her what you may, a hero, villain, or escapee; the beautiful Amadea yacht has been ridiculously opulent and decadent. As revealed by a Forbes report, this includes a pretty hefty price tag on its fleeing attempt.
If a business class ticket makes you gasp, the Amadea will leave you in absolute shock. According to Bloomberg the 384 feet long luxury vessel needs an upward of $500,000 for just a re-fuel. Denis Suka, a yachting influencer known as the Yacht Mogul stated, the Cayman Islands-flagged ship can sail about 10,000 nautical miles on a full tank — enough for its whirlwind voyage from the Caribbean to Fiji, as per G Captain. The fact that billionaire Suleiman Kerimov embarked Amadea on an 18-day journey from the Caribbean to Fiji, knowing perfectly well he was running up a fuel bill north of $500,000 (a full tank would cost its Russian owner about $530,000 at current diesel prices in Europe) gives us a good understanding of his wealth and love for the ship.
Unfortunately for the Russian tycoon, all his attempts to save his beloved yacht from seizure, including the pricey $500k re-fuel to race the boat across the Pacific, utterly failed. While we are on the subject of Kerimov’s earnest attempts, let’s take a detailed look at the journey of Amadea in these past few weeks:
The Amadea tried to avoid seizure at top speed:
French designer Francois Zuretti gave the interiors of the spectacular Amadea its refreshing appeal with hand-painted Michelangelo clouds on the ceiling, an imposing double-height atrium, and a party space with 20,000 watts of built-in speakers, lights, and lasers. Sanctioned Russian billionaire, Suleiman Kerimov, knew better than to leave his beloved 347-foot ship free to be captured.
No wonder Kerimov aimed to avoid seizure at all costs and had Amadea making a trans-Pacific run ailing towards Australia. The tedious 18-day journey began from Mexico and was received in Nadi, Fiji.
Amadea superyacht comes under the steely grasp of Fiji officials:
The Fiji police captured Kerimov’s prized possession after it arrived at the Pacific island nation without customs clearance. This resulted in the onboard crew being detained and interrogated, including the ship’s captain. The U.S. embassy had been closely following the movements of Amadea and cooperated with Fijian authorities on the matter.
Confusion over ownership of the luxurious Amadea megayacht ensues:
As determined as the U.S. government was to seize the lavish Amadea, the lawyers of the sanctioned oligarch Suleiman Kerimov were to obstruct that from happening. To deter the capture of the stunning $325 million Lürssen-built megayacht, its registered owner, Millemarin Investments, named Eduard Khudainatov as the owner.
Until ownership was proven to the sanctioned tycoon Kerimov, Amadea couldn’t be seized. Nonetheless, Amadea was barred from leaving Fiji’s waters under a restraining order granted by the country’s high court in Suva. Fiji’s director of public prosecutions, Christopher Pryde, applied to the High Court to prevent Kerimov’s 347-footer from leaving Fiji.
Amadea’s seizure saga lingers as the Fijian court pauses its U.S. confiscation:
After all the action on the high seas, retraining orders, questioning, and ownership confusion, Fiji’s High Court finally granted an order to register a U.S. seizure warrant, only to pause it later. According to Aljazeera, the case concerning the yacht is scheduled to return to court, and the U.S. warrant remains officially registered with the Fiji courts. With the court granting an interim stay on the execution of the warrant, the yacht is restrained from leaving the Fiji waters until further notice. A spokesperson said, “It is in Fiji police custody at this point.”
For one oligarch the long and expensive journey paid off –
What almost every sanctioned oligarch tried and failed at, Russian steel billionaire Alexei Mordashov did well. The tycoon managed to descend one of the world’s biggest superyachts, the Nord yacht, home to the port of Vladivostok. He improved his hide-and-seek superyachts game, where oligarchs race luxury vessels across oceans to locales that aren’t as likely to impose or enforce sanctions. After losing his $71 million, 215-foot superyacht Lady M and a Sardinian property worth $116 million, Mordashov whisked his 464 feet long megayacht, Nord, to the port of Vladivostok right under the nose of authorities.
As per G Captain, the Nord ship has logged about 6,701 nautical miles in the period — mostly on its voyage to get back home to Russia’s Vladivostok port in March. A full tank for its Russia trip would cost about $465,000. The rag-to-riches oligarch managed this feat by possibly turning off the transponders, making leaving European resort towns easier. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible to cruise the massive $500 million Lürssen behemoth.
