How to buy a superyacht on the cheap
SUPERYACHT
Many of you will have at some stage sat on the shore and watched a yacht slip by, its reflection dappling on the azure waves, the sun glinting from its portholes, the distant susurration of merry revelers drifting over the water, and envied the fortunate souls able to afford such a delightful possession. If you recognise yourself in that description, be of good cheer, for this could be your moment. The alarmingly-named superyacht Alfa Nero (was Caligula already taken?) is up for sale and — chances are — the price will be low, relatively speaking.
- “ALFA NERO is a unique masterpiece, built to inspire. The stunning Alberto Pinto design features an innovative infinity pool that transforms into a dancefloor, creating ample deck areas with state-of-the-art party set-up and warm interiors.” Apparently the pool/dance floor also triples up as a helicopter pad, should you need one.
Alfa Nero’s charmed existence ended this time last year, when it was named by the U.S. Department of Treasury as the property of the fertilizer tycoon Andrei Guryev, who’s been sanctioned in the U.S. and the U.K., along with his son, also called Andrei. Alfa Nero has since dropped off the Cayman Islands shipping registry and been more or less abandoned in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua, the bills unpaid, the pool unsplashed in, the dance floor untrodden. Its 41-strong crew has gradually dispersed, and now there are just five people left on board, and they only have enough money left for a fortnight’s worth of food.
The Guryevs have previously denied owning the Alfa Nero. Its ownership documents name the British Virgin Islands-registered company Flying Dutchman Overseas Limited and Guernsey’s Opus Private Limited, but the Antiguan authorities have got fed up with not hearing from them and have declared the yacht to be abandoned.
- “It has lost its registration and its sea-worthiness and it has been here in Antigua and Barbuda accumulating waste water, other waste and debts…the resources raised will be placed in the Consolidated Fund - the Treasury - and the government will meet some of the obligations that were incurred and it will also be provided with a new name and the flag of Antigua and Barbuda so it can sail out of port,” said the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Lionel Hurst.
So, should you decide to make an offer, how much should you expect to pay? The superyacht Axioma sold for a mere $37.5 million at auction (to settle a debt to JPMorgan) in Gibraltar last year, despite being valued at twice that, which is why this may be your best chance to snap up a superyacht for a song.