Luxury yachts all the rage for rich Russians
The glitzy casinos of Monte Carlo and the posh Alpine ski resorts of
Courchevel and St Moritz have become familiar with the Russian accent.
Now, wealthy Russians are invading the open seas, swapping fancy cars
for multi-million dollar yachts with a sharp increase in the number of
high-class boats over the past year.
Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of English Premier League
club Chelsea, already boasts a fleet of yachts, one of which cost at
least $300 million.
Russian businessman Ruben Khokhryakov has tried to capitalise on the
craze by building a unique three-masted sailing ship, tailor-made for
his deep-pocketed compatriots.
The special design of the boat enables it to float much higher than
most other yachts of its class, generating a top speed of up to 20 knots
and prompting Khokhryakov to name the ship “Running on Waves”.
Chris Weafer, expert on Russia’s business elite, told Reuters that
for many Russian oligarchs owning a yacht is simply a way of showing off
their wealth to their peers. Weafer, who is chief strategist for
investment bank Uralsib, said that yachts are this year’s must-have toy.
“But for many new owners of these expensive toys the enjoyment is
more about ownership than actually taking it out on the water,” he said.
“Many of these yachts will simply stay moored to jetties on the
Moscow River or on the side of one of the many lakes surrounding Moscow
and St. Petersburg, where they will host parties rather than sail on the
water.”
Khokhryakov disagreed, saying his mega-yacht, with room for 45
passengers and 12 crew members, will sail for the Red Sea later this
year before cruising the Mediterranean next year.
The yacht is equipped with jacuzzis, tanning booths as well as a huge
sun deck and satellite TVs, expected amenities for luxury cruises.
British explorer Tim Severen — attending the boat’s presentation in
the Polish city of Gdansk — praised its unusual design and the
technology on board.
“I’ve seen a lot of sailing ships in my life, but I must say there is
no other boat like it,” he said.
Sailing does not come cheap, however, with the price for a week-long
trip ranging from 3,500 to 35,000 euros ($46,960) per person. The man
behind the project said it was his childhood dream to create a sailing
boat that is both unique and can withstand the roughest waters the open
sea can throw at it.
One thing that worries Khokhryakov and his business partners from the
United States, Britain, Germany and Israel, are the pirates in the
Indian Ocean near the northwest coast of Africa. “It’s true, we were
planning a trip to the Indian Ocean but had to cancel it,” Khokhryakov
told Reuters.
Reuters |