Superyachts are treasured possessions; until they get sanctioned and become a burden so beautiful you have little choice but to maintain it. That’s precisely the case with Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev’s $120 million superyacht Alfa Nero. After being moored and motionless in Falmouth Harbour for over a year, Alfa Nero cost the government a hefty $112,000 monthly in maintenance. The seized 267-feet-long vessel with only a captain and a skeleton crew onboard for care was also recently boarded by the Antiguan military. For a minute there, it did feel like they would finally be free of the floating palace and its long list of expenses, which does not include fuel charges.
The Antiguan Defense Force took over the luxury vessel and expedited its sale process. There was a lot of interest expressed in the 279-foot Alfa Nero; it is not in distress but in demand! Port Manager Darwin Telemaque shared that he receives several offers for the Alfa Nero yacht as the auction draws closer. So far, more than 20 possible buyers have offered to buy the elegant Oceanco beauty.
The FBI fervently captured Alfa Nero –
Among the few superyachts that became the FBI’s target was tycoon Andrey Guryev’s Alfa Nero. Another was the spectacular Tango yacht belonging to sanctioned Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg. Billionaire Guryev duo, both father and son, tried every trick to save their 269-foot steel and aluminum superyacht; but the FBI is not known for their misses. The Oceanco superyacht was seized in February 2022 and has since been moored in Falmouth Harbour.
Since then, it has been bleeding the nation dry. The Information Minister, Melford Nicholas, said the Alfa Nero was “abandoned” in Antigua and Barbuda by its owner. He further stated the government’s move is only trying to deter damage to the luxurious $120 million vessel by auctioning it. Steadroy Benjamin, Minister of Justice and attorney general of Antigua and Barbuda, declared the vessel “a hazard to shipping and to the harbor where it is moored.”
