Billionaires would be glad to know that a new spot has opened up at the French superyacht spa La Ciotat as the $120 million superyacht Amore Vero has finally departed her temporary home after five long years. The 282-foot superyacht of sanctioned Russian oil baron Igor Sechin was seized by French authorities in 2022 and remained there till her recent departure. During her detention, the ship’s scheduled three-month refit turned into a prolonged standstill, while some of the world’s largest superyachts, such as Jeff Bezos’s Koru and the Dragonfly yacht and others, came and went. The beautiful Amore Vero yacht was a mere stationary spectator with no destination in sight.
Built by the Dutch shipyard Oceanco and delivered in 2013, the motor yacht finally saw action, reaching Antibes on November 2, according to MarineTraffic. The farewell party saw customs officers from Nice and French military personnel monitoring the Var coastline. According to Le Figaro, onlookers finally caught a glimpse of the vessel’s immaculate hull, multiple decks, and its famous swimming pool that transforms into a helipad.
The real travesty here is that an elegant vessel, featuring interiors designed by the late Alberto Pinto as one of his final yacht projects, was wasting away. In a cruel twist of irony, the vessel arrived for a $5 million upgrade only to end up completely stranded, rendering the expensive refit entirely futile. The sting of this failed endeavor included a $450,000 berth security deposit, a cost explicitly detailed in La Ciotat Shipyards’ 2024 financial reporting, as highlighted by Le Figaro. All this time, she was maintained by the alleged owner, Russian billionaire Igor Sechin, as a French maritime-law firm’s published commentary specifically stated that the upkeep responsibility falls on the shipowner. As a matter of fact, eSysman SuperYachts confirmed the same with information from a Forbes article mentioning that the Russian tycoon is behind the upkeep of the $120 million ship at the French shipyard.
Neither the crew nor the owner could’ve imagined this 90-day visit would turn into a 1,705-day nightmare. Whether this is a dream come true or merely temporary solace is unclear, but for now, Amore Vero and La Ciotat will not belong in the same sentence or vicinity. As for the alleged owner known as the ‘Darth Vader’ of Russia, the ship was formerly known as St. Princess Olga, after his lovely wife, and then renamed Amore Vero after the couple split. The stunning yacht features a two-level owner’s apartment with a private deck, fold-down balconies, and a Jacuzzi, alongside six luxury cabins and two VIP suites featuring elegant interiors and private balconies.
