biggest russian superyacht

The National

16 superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs

Western sanctions over moscow's invasion of ukraine led to many luxury vessels being detained in europe.

23 March, 2022

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Here are the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs

As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized more than a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The yacht seizures since the Feb. 24 invasion are "just the beginning," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in March, as an international task force worked to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen.

“The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said of the ongoing efforts in May.

Here are the superyachts government officials have seized since Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

The Justice Department announced May 5 that the Fijian government had seized billionaire oligarch Suleiman Kerimov 's 348-foot yacht Amadea. The vessel, which is valued at more than $300 million , arrived in Fiji last month. Kerimov, who's worth an estimated $14 billion and has ties to the Russian government, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department over alleged money laundering in 2018.

Special features on the sprawling yacht include a helipad, infinity pool, a jacuzzi and multiple bars, according to a report in Boat International . It can accommodate 16 overnight guests in addition to 36 crew members, the report said.

In April, Spanish law-enforcement officials seized a 255-foot yacht called the Tango, which Justice Department says is owned by oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Vekselberg is an aluminum magnate who the Treasury Department says has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Tango is worth an estimated $90 million, prosecutors said , and Vekselberg allegedly purchased it through shell companies. The 11-year-old yacht has seven staterooms and reportedly includes amenities such as a pool, gym and beauty salon .

Authorities in Italy seized a 215-foot superyacht called the Lady M this month. It's owned by Alexei Mordashov, Russia's richest businessman, and it’s estimated to be worth $27 million . The vessel, which requires a crew of 14, has six guest cabins , a pool and a gym.

But it pales in comparison to another of Mordashov's yachts, the $500 million Nord . The 464-foot vessel, which has two helipads and a waterfall and can accommodate 36 guests, was anchored this month in the Seychelles, where the U.S. and European Union sanctions don’t apply.

Italian officials also seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, owned by the energy magnate Gennady Timchenko. Estimated to be worth $8 million, it has five cabins and can accommodate 10 guests.

SY A — short for Sailing Yacht A — is one of the world's largest superyachts. Valued at over $440 million, the 469-foot vessel, owned by the fertilizer magnate Andrey Melnichenko, has eight decks, multiple elevators, an underwater observation area and the world's tallest masts . It was seized in the Italian port of Trieste.

Authorities in Spain seized Sergei Chemezov's Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht that had been moored in Barcelona. Chemezov , a former KGB officer, heads the state conglomerate Rostec. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez touted the seizure on La Sexta television. “We are talking about a yacht that we estimate is worth $140 million,” Sanchez said.

Officials in France announced this month that they had seized the 289-foot Amore Vero, which was undergoing repairs in a shipyard near Marseille. When they arrived, authorities said, they found the crew preparing for an urgent departure, even though the repair work was scheduled to last through April. The $120 million boat, which has seven cabins , is linked to Igor Sechin, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a close ally of Putin's.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

10 of the most impressive superyachts owned by billionaires

From a sailing yacht owned by a russian billionaire industrialist to the luxury launch of the patek philippe ceo, here are the best billionaire-owned boats on the water….

Words: Jonathan Wells

There’s something about billionaires and big boats . Whether they’re superyachts or megayachts, men with money love to splash out on these sizeable sea-going giants. And that all began in 1954 — with the big dreams of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

Onassis, keen to keep his luxury lifestyle afloat when at sea, bought Canadian anti-submarine frigate HMCS Stormont after World War II. He spent millions turning it into an opulent super yacht, named it after his daughter — and the Christina O kicked off a trend among tycoons. To this day, the world’s richest men remain locked in an arms race to build the biggest, fastest, most impressive superyacht of all. Here are 10 of our favourites…

Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich

Built by: Blohm+Voss of Hamburg, with interiors and exteriors designed by Terence Disdale. Launched in 2009, it cost $500 million (the equivalent of £623 million today).

Owned by: Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, the owner of private investment company Millhouse LLC and owner of Chelsea Football Club. His current net worth is $17.4 billion.

Key features: 162.5 metres in length / 9 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / Two swimming pools / Disco hall / Mini submarine / 2 helicopter pads / 24 guest cabins

Sailing Yacht A, owned by Andrey Melnichenko

Built by: Nobiskrug, a shipyard on the Eider River in Germany. The original idea came from Jacques Garcia, with interiors designed by Philippe Starck and a reported price tag of over $400 million.

Owned by: Russian billionaire industrialist Andrey Melnichenko, the main beneficiary of both the fertiliser producing EuroChem Group and the coal energy company SUEK. Though his current net worth is $18.7 billion, Sailing Yacht A was seized in Trieste on 12 March 2022 due to the EU’s sanctions on Russian businessmen.

Key features: 119 metres in length / 8 decks / Top speed of 21 knots / Freestanding carbon-fibre rotating masts / Underwater observation pod / 14 guests

Symphony, owned by Bernard Arnault

Built by: Feadship, the fabled shipyard headquartered in Haarlem in The Netherlands. With an exterior designed by Tim Heywood, it reportedly cost around $150 million to construct.

Owned by: French billionaire businessman and art collector Bernard Arnault. Chairman and chief executive of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company, his current net worth is $145.8 billion.

Key features: 101.5 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 22 knots / 6-metre glass-bottom swimming pool / Outdoor cinema / Sundeck Jacuzzi / 8 guest cabins

Faith, owned by Michael Latifi

Built by: Similarly to Symphony above, also Feadship. With exteriors designed by Beaulieu-based RWD, and interiors by Chahan Design, it cost a reported $200 million to construct in 2017.

Owned by: Until recently, Canadian billionaire and part-owner of the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team , Lawrence Stroll. Recently sold to Michael Latifi, father of F1 star Nicholas , a fellow Canadian businessman with a net worth of just under $2 billion.

Key features: 97 metres in length / 9 guest cabins / Glass-bottom swimming pool — with bar / Bell 429 helicopter

Amevi, owned by Lakshmi Mittal

Built by: The Oceanco shipyard, also in The Netherlands. With exterior design by Nuvolari & Lenard and interior design by Alberto Pinto, it launched in 2007 (and cost around $125 million to construct).

Owned by: Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. He owns 20% of Queen Park Rangers, and has a net worth of $18 billion.

Key features: 80 metres in length / 6 decks / Top speed of 18.5 knots / On-deck Jacuzzi / Helipad / Swimming Pool / Tender Garage / 8 guest cabins

Odessa II, owned by Len Blavatnik

Built by: Nobiskrug, the same German shipyard that built Sailing Yacht A . Both interior and exterior were created by Focus Yacht Design, and the yacht was launched in 2013 with a cost of $80 million.

Owned by: British businessman Sir Leonard Blavatnik. Founder of Access Industries — a multinational industrial group with current holdings in Warner Music Group, Spotify and the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat — he is worth $39.9 billion.

Key features: 74 metres in length / 6 guest cabins / Top speed of 18 knots / Intimate beach club / Baby grand piano / Private master cabhin terrace / Outdoor cinema

Nautilus, owned by Thierry Stern

Built by: Italian shipyard Perini Navi in 2014. With interiors by Rémi Tessier and exterior design by Philippe Briand, Nautilus was estimated to cost around $90 million to construct.

Owned by: Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern. Alongside his Gulstream G650 private jet, Nautilus — named for the famous sports watch — is his most costly mode of transport. His current net worth is $3 billion.

Key features: 73 metres in length / 7 guest cabins / Top speed of 16.5 knots / Dedicated wellness deck / 3.5 metre resistance pool / Underfloor heating / Jet Skis

Silver Angel, owned by Richard Caring

Built by: Luxury Italian boatbuilder Benetti. Launched in 2009, the yacht’s interior has been designed by Argent Design and her exterior styling is by Stefano Natucci.

Owned by: Richard Caring, British businessman and multi-millionaire (his wealth peaked at £1.05 billion, so he still makes the cut). Chairman of Caprice Holdings, he owns The Ivy restaurants.

Key features: 64.5 metres in length / Cruising speed of 15 knots / 7 guest cabins / Lalique decor / 5 decks / Oval Jacuzzi pool / Sun deck bar / Aft deck dining table

Lady Beatrice, owned by Frederick Barclay

Built by: Feadship and Royal Van Lent in 1993. Exteriors were created by De Voogt Naval Architects, with interiors by Bannenberg Designs. She cost the equivalent of £63 million to build.

Owned by: Sir David Barclay and his late brother Sir Frederick. The ‘Barclay Brothers’ had joint business pursuits including The Spectator , The Telegraph and delivery company Yodel. Current net worth: £7 billion.

Key features: 60 metres in length / 18 knots maximum speed / Monaco home port / Named for the brothers’ mother, Beatrice Cecelia Taylor / 8 guest cabins

Space, owned by Laurence Graff

Built by: Space was the first in Feadship’s F45 Vantage series , styled by Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and launched in 2007. She cost a reported $25 million to construct.

Owned by: Laurence Graff, English jeweller and billionaire businessman. As the founder of Graff Diamonds, he has a global business presence and a current net worth of $6.26 billion.

Key features: 45 metres in length / Top speed of 16 knots / Al fresco dining area / Sun deck Jacuzzi / Breakfast bar / Swimming platform / Steam room

Want more yachts? Here’s the handcradfted, homegrown history of Princess…

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Watch CBS News

Superyacht seized by U.S. from Russian billionaire arrives in San Diego Bay

June 27, 2022 / 3:40 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A $325 million superyacht seized by the United States from a sanctioned Russian oligarch arrived in San Diego Bay on Monday.

The 348-foot-long (106-meter-long) Amadea flew an American flag as it sailed past the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway and under the Coronado Bridge.

"After a transpacific journey of over 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers), the Amadea has safely docked in a port within the United States, and will remain in the custody of the U.S. government, pending its anticipated forfeiture and sale," the Department of Justice said in a statement.

The FBI linked the Amadea to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, and the vessel became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. said Kerimov secretly bought the vessel last year through various shell companies.

But Justice Department  officials had been stymied  by a legal effort to contest the American seizure warrant and by a yacht crew that refused to sail for the U.S. American officials won a legal battle in Fiji to take the Cayman Islands-flagged superyacht earlier this month. 

The Amadea made a stop in Honolulu Harbor en route to the U.S. mainland. The Amadea boasts  luxury features  such as a helipad, mosaic-tiled pool, lobster tank and a pizza oven, nestled in a décor of "delicate marble and stones" and "precious woods and delicate silk fabrics," according to court documents.

"The successful seizure and transport of Amadea would not have been possible without extraordinary cooperation from our foreign partners in the global effort to enforce U.S. sanctions imposed in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine," the Justice Department said.

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Putin-Allied Oligarch's $860 Million Superyacht, The Largest Sailboat In The World, Abandoned After It Was Seized As Part Of Ukraine War Sanctions

A Russian oligarch, who spent four years and $860 million building a superyacht, has abandoned the vessel for the last two years after it was seized by Italian police in March 2022.

Italy took the step to comply with European Union sanctions against Russian oligarchs who have supported their country’s war with Ukraine.

The vessel, constructed by German Naval Yards, is gargantuan in size and has three masts that tower 300 feet high and a length stretching to 468 feet long. These dimensions make this boat the largest current sailboat in the world.

Its height surpasses that of Big Ben by approximately ten feet. The boat is considered to be a medium-sized cargo ship and can reach speeds up to 20.8 knots or 24 miles per hour.

Since its seizure in 2022, the yacht has been sitting in the custody of the Italian government, waiting dormant off of the coast in the Trieste Gulf. The Italian government claimed that they have spent over $11.5 million on the upkeep of the ship.

The yacht is owned by Russian business tycoon Andrey Melnichenko , who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘s top allies.

Melnichenko made his fortune off of a fertilizer company and a coal company, which have made him one of the richest men in the world.

Melnichenko is among 36 wealthy Russian businessmen sanctioned by the E.U., whose assets may be subject to seizure.

This yacht seizure is just a small part of many repossessions of Russian goods by the Italian government since 2022 – it is estimated that a total of $230 million in Russian property has been appropriated.

In October 2023, the United States government seized a 348-foot yacht originally owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov .

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said that the war in Ukraine was “a tragedy.”

Source: uInterview

The post Putin-Allied Oligarch’s $860 Million Superyacht, The Largest Sailboat In The World, Abandoned After It Was Seized As Part Of Ukraine War Sanctions appeared first on uInterview .

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Every Russian Oligarch Yacht Seized So Far—In Pictures

Before the invasion of Ukraine, the world was a playground for the Russian mega-rich.

Now, Russian oligarchs are struggling to hold on to their wealth, as their private jets and superyachts get seized and their properties impounded as a result of the heavy sanctions much of the world has imposed on the circle of billionaires around Vladimir Putin .

Since the European Union started imposing sanctions on an increasing number of Russian oligarchs, the list of luxury superyachts owned by Russian billionaires seized by authorities has steadily kept on growing.

Here's a breakdown.

On March 2, French authorities seized a yacht they said belonged to Rosneft's boss Igor Sechin in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat.

The owner of Amore Vero wasn't formally Sechin, but French authorities said they found him to be the main shareholder.

On the same day, news spread that German authorities had seized a luxury yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. But German officials denied that the Dilbar , a $600 million yacht named after the billionaire's mother, had been seized in Hamburg.

The yacht, over 490 feet long and boasting an 80-foot swimming pool, two helipads and a garden, is now simply blocked in the northern port and is not allowed to leave.

Usmanov is one of the richest men in Russia and the world, with an estimated worth of $14.2 billion. The European Union has frozen his assets and described him as "pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin."

On March 14 in Barcelona, Spanish police seized a $140 million yacht belonging to Sergei Chemezov, a former KGB officer who now heads the state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. Following the seizure, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised "there will be more."

The Valerie , a 280-foot yacht, is technically registered to Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova. She is under U.S. sanctions, as is Chemezov and his wife.

The next day, Spanish authorities seized Lady Anastasia , reportedly owned by Alexander Mikheyev, in Mallorca. Mikheyev, director of Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport, is under EU sanctions.

A day later, Spain seized another yacht believed to belong to Sechin, the 440-foot-long Crescent , in the port of Tarragona in Catalonia.

Since the beginning of March, Italy has seized three yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs.

Lady M , owned by steel magnate Alexey Mordashov, Russia's richest man, was seized in the port of Imperia on the same day as Lena , belonging to oil and gas mogul Gennady Timchenko, was seized in the port of Sanremo.

Lady M , formally registered in the Cayman Islands, has been docked in Imperia since January. The yacht is equipped with a beauty salon and a helicopter pad.

Lena , registered in the British Virgin Islands, has been in Sanremo since November 2021.

On March 12, Italian authorities seized Andrey Melnichenko's Sailing Yacht A , a $580 million yacht docked at the port of Trieste. Coal and fertilizer magnate Melnichenko was sanctioned by the EU on March 9.

The Ragnar , another superyacht owned by Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, wasn't confiscated, but it's stuck in Norway because nobody will sell it fuel to leave.

According to Croatian media reports, Viktor Medvedchuk's 300-foot mega yacht, The Royal Romance, was seized in the bay of Rijeka on Wednesday. Medvedchuk is leader of Ukraine's main pro-Russia party.

More yachts owned by Russian oligarchs and currently docked around Europe could yet be seized, as not all billionaires have been sanctioned by the EU and the ownership of some yachts is yet to be determined.

Those Russian oligarchs whose yachts haven't been seized are scrambling to take them far away from the grasp of European authorities, although they're running out of safe havens to hide their luxury vessels.

At least five Russian billionaires have moved their yachts to the Maldives as the EU imposed sanctions, ship-tracking data has shown. In early March, five superyachts were reportedly harbored in the Maldives, which doesn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S.

About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs and housing. She has covered the ups and downs of the U.S. housing market extensively, as well as given in-depth insights into the unfolding war in Ukraine. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University. Languages: English, Italian, French.

You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing [email protected].

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What might have caused Sicily yacht to sink

Specialist divers continue to search for the remaining people who were on board a luxury superyacht which capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning - but questions have been asked about why the vessel sank.

According to vessel tracking app Vesselfinder, the boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of "at anchor".

It is believed the ship was struck by a tornado over the water - otherwise known as a waterspout - causing Bayesian to capsize.

Waterspouts - more common in Italy than you think

Witnesses have described seeing a waterspout form during the storm before the sinking of the Bayesian.

Most are familiar with what tornadoes look like - they are rotating columns of destructive winds, protruding from the base of clouds down to the ground.

According to BBC Weather, waterspouts are just that too, but are over water rather than land.

Instead of dust and debris swirling around the core of strong winds, it is water mist whipped up from the surface.

Like tornadoes, most are only short-lived, narrow columns and are not easily picked out on weather radars, so many will go unreported.

However, they are not as rare as you may think.

According to the International Centre for Waterspout Research there were 18 confirmed waterspouts off the coast of Italy on 19 August alone.

In the northern hemisphere, waterspouts are most common in late summer and through the autumn, when sea temperatures are at their highest, fuelling the storm clouds.

However, with sea temperatures rising due to climate change there is a concern that they could become more common.

In the last week, the Mediterranean has registered its highest sea surface temperature on record, which has helped to energise this recent storm outbreak.

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Another factor for investigators to consider is the role of the boat's keel in the stormy weather.

A keel is a weighted, fin-like part of the boat that protrudes from its base and helps keep the boat stable.

When the wind pushes the boat onto its side, the weight of the keel counteracts the lean and pushes the boat back level.

On a large yacht like the Bayesian, keels are often designed to be retracted so that the vessel can dock in areas that are not as deep, like a harbour.

When the keel is raised, it makes the boat much less stable.

In this case, the wreck of the Bayesian was found at a depth of 50m (164ft), which suggests there was no reason that the keel needed to be retracted.

Did Bayesian's mast snap?

The Bayesian was built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020.

According to Perini's website Bayesian has a 75m (246ft) mast which it claims is the tallest aluminium mast in the world.

Karsten Borner, the captain of another yacht anchored nearby at the time of the storm, said there was a "very strong hurricane gust" and he had to battle to keep his vessel steady.

He saw the Bayesian's mast "bend and then snap", according to Italy's Corriere della Sera daily newspaper.

But, providing an update on the rescue mission, Marco Tilotta, from the Palermo fire service divers' unit, told AFP the ship was lying on its side in one piece.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, explained it is difficult to say whether the mast broke.

"I think, and this is pure guess work, but the evidence that we are getting from the divers is the vessel is basically intact, lying on its side reportedly," he told the BBC.

"If the mast was broken, that would be a significant thing that would be reported."

Mr Schanck added he believed what happened to Bayesian was "a freak event".

"Vessels aren't designed to be out sailing in that weather - 65 to 85mph that's the top of what a vessel would be out in and that's with its sails down," he said.

"They aren't designed to sail through tornadoes or water spouts."

Separately, Sam Jefferson who is the editor of Sailing Today magazine, added: “The manner in which the yacht was built - how many watertight bulkheads it had et cetera - is vital to understanding what happened.

“Superyachts are air conditioned so most, if not all, the windows and doors are closed at night to keep the boat cool."

Record-breaking Mediterranean temperatures

Since mid-June the sea surrounding Sicily – the western Mediterranean Basin – has been experiencing a severe heatwave.

The European Union’s climate change service, Copernicus, has been reporting sea surface temperatures in the region have repeatedly breached 30°C (86F) - four degrees higher than the 20-year average for this time of the year.

Spanish researchers at the Institut de Ciencies del Mar in Barcelona confirmed last Thursday the maximum sea surface temperature record had been broken in the Mediterranean Sea.

In both 2023 and 2024, the record was broken for the highest average temperature recorded around the world on one day .

Scientists put the rapidly rising temperatures down to climate change – oceans have taken the brunt of rising temperatures absorbing around 90% of the excess heat.

Following last year’s record ocean temperatures, Prof Mike Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey told the BBC: "The fact that all this heat is going into the ocean, and in fact, it's warming in some respects even more rapidly than we thought it would, is a cause for great concern.”

What we know about the Bayesian superyacht that sank

The Bayesian, which capsized in the early hours of Monday, was an award-winning yacht with the second-tallest mast in the world.

News reporter @niamhielynch

Friday 23 August 2024 12:37, UK

The Bayesian, an award-winning superyacht, sank during bad weather off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.

On Thursday, authorities confirmed divers had found the bodies of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, Morgan Stanley International boss Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, and one of Mr Lynch's lawyers Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda.

Recaldo Thomas, the on-board chef, was the first to be confirmed dead earlier this week.

Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued along with 14 others - including Charlotte Golunski, a mother who told la Repubblica she held her one-year-old baby above the waves to save her from drowning.

Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah is missing, but believed to be the seventh body recovered from the wreckage on Friday.

But what do we know about the ship?

The British-flagged 56-metre ship - previously called the Salute - was built in 2008 by Italian shipyard Perini Navi, and refitted in 2020.

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Its 72-metre mast was the world's tallest aluminium mast, and the second-tallest overall. The yacht could reach a maximum speed of 15 knots and weighed 543 tonnes.

The French design house Remi Tessier fitted out the Japanese-style interior decor, with touches of light and dark beige and dark wood furnishings, as well as a teak deck.

It won the best exterior styling at The World Superyacht Awards in 2009, and best interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards 2008.

It had six guest bedrooms - one master, three doubles, and two twins - holding 12 people, and could carry another 10 crew members.

Pictures show air conditioning units in several of the bedrooms, which could counter expert claims open windows may have caused water to rush in and tip the boat over faster.

Shipspotting.com says it was owned by a firm called Revtom Limited. Mike Lynch's wife, Ms Bacares, is named as the sole shareholder of the firm on company documents.

Read more from Sky News: Lynch's co-defendant dies after being hit by car We can learn from Lynch's unsuccessful prosecution

The yacht's name would resonate with Mr Lynch because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune involved a statistical method known as Bayesian inference, based on an 18th-century theory, which helps forecasters predict outcomes more reliably.

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It was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter sites.

Related Topics

The $578 million megayacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italy

• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's yacht was seized Friday, Italian authorities said.
• Sailing Yacht A is the world's largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long and has eight decks.
• Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A megayacht belonging to Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italian authorities on Friday, CNN reported.

A statement from Italy's finance police said the yacht, known as SY A or Sailing Yacht A, was worth around 530 million euros, or $578 million, according to CNN. It also said the yacht was currently in storage in Trieste, Italy. Maritime tracking data viewed by Insider confirmed the location of the yacht in the Adriatic Sea.

Melnichenko is one of the billionaire oligarchs sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melnichenko, who is worth $11 billion according to Forbes, founded fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal energy company SUEK.

In announcing its decision, the EU council said Melnichenko "belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government." It also said he was among a group of 37 businesspeople who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials on February 24 to discuss the impact of potential sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine," the EU said, adding it also showed he is "providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia."

In a statement provided to Insider, a spokesperson for Melnichenko denied the EU's accusations about his connections to the war in Ukraine.

Related stories

"Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations. To draw a parallel between attending a meeting through membership in a business council, just as dozens of businesspeople from both Russia and Europe have done in the past, and undermining or threatening a country is absurd and nonsensical," the statement said.

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail," the statement continued.

The spokesperson also noted Melnichenko resigned as a member of the board and main beneficiary of both EuroChem Group  and SUEK this week, as the companies announced in separate statements on Thursday. He also said both companies are privately owned and not affiliated with any government, and that EuroChem Group is based in Switzerland.

Sailing Yacht A is the worlds largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long, according to SuperYachtFan.com . It has 300-foot masts, eight decks, a swimming pool, and an underwater observation pod. It's one of several megayachts owned by Russian oligarchs that are subject to sanctions.

Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires have tried to escape sanctions by transporting their luxury yachts to places like Dubai, which has not enacted sanctions, and the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

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Five bodies found in sunken superyacht, officials say

Divers have found five bodies in the sunken wreckage of a superyacht that sank off Sicily this week, Italian officials told news agencies and local media Wednesday, leaving one person still missing.

Three bodies were brought ashore and two others were also found inside the shipwreck, Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, told the Associated Press, after divers were photographed by the agency unloading body bags. Cocina did not identify the deceased.

The British-flagged, 183-foot-long Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members roughly half a mile from the Sicilian fishing village of Porticello when it encountered what authorities called a “violent storm” about 4 a.m. Monday.

Of the 15 people rescued, eight – including a 1-year-old girl – were taken to hospitals in conditions that were not life-threatening. The body of the yacht’s chef, identified as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan, was found during initial recovery efforts.

Among the passengers was Mike Lynch, 59, the British founder of the tech venture capital firm Invoke Capital and co-founder of the tech firms Autonomy and Darktrace. This summer, he was acquitted of all charges after a decadelong U.S. fraud trial related to the 2011 sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard.

The voyage on the Bayesian, owned by a company controlled by Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was intended to be a celebration of his legal victory, Britain’s Telegraph reported.

Among those missing were Lynch; his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and attorney Chris Morvillo, a partner at Clifford Chance in New York who represented Lynch in the recently concluded legal battle, and his wife, Neda. Bacares, Lynch’s wife, was among the survivors.

It’s not clear exactly what type of storm struck the Bayesian, but weather data suggests it was probably a tornadic waterspout or severe thunderstorm.

Charlotte Golunski, a guest of Lynch who was rescued, described to Italian media holding onto her 1-year-old daughter, Sophie, amid the storm. “For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea,” she told Giornale di Sicilia. “Then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves.”

Lynch sold Autonomy, which was once England’s biggest software company, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for more than $11 billion. He was subsequently accused of overvaluing the company and was charged in the United States with fraud. He was acquitted in June.

The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Italian shipmaker Perini Navi, according to the SuperYacht Times.

The Sir Robert, a Dutch-flagged sailing vessel anchored nearby, responded immediately to help survivors before the Italian coast guard arrived.

The yacht sank to a depth of more than 160 feet. The first attempt by fire-brigade cave divers to search inside the yacht was unsuccessful, rescue authorities said.

Bryan Pietsch contributed to this report.

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Moment ukraine destroys russian bridges in kursk with us-made weapons.

Dramatic video has captured Ukraine blowing up one of Russia’s pontoon bridges to handicap Moscow’s response to the incursion in Kursk, where Kyiv seeks to keep its foothold.

The Ukrainian military released the footage Wednesday of the pontoon bridge along the Seym River , in Kursk, being blown to bits by a hail of bombs.

“Where do Russian pontoon bridges ‘disappear’ in the Kursk region ? … Operators, together with units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, are accurately destroying them,” Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces touted in a post on Telegram.

The video goes on to show several other heavy bombardments along shorelines in the area, including strikes against a Russian munitions warehouse and electronic warfare complex.

While the location of other strikes could not be independently verified, the Kremlin has said at least three bridges in Kursk have been decimated by Kyiv in less than a week.

The destruction of the bridges greatly hinders Moscow’s supply lines and ability to deploy its troops to fight off the advancing Ukrainian army.

It also hinders civilian evacuations in the area as more than 120,000 Russians have already fled from Kursk after Kyiv troops took over dozens of towns in the region.

Moscow has also accused Ukraine of conducting the bridge attacks with US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) , with Kyiv acknowledging for the first time Wednesday that it was in fact using the American weapons inside Russia.

President Biden had previously greenlit HIMARS to be used against Russia when defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which saw some of the most intense fighting of the war in June.

The US and other allies have previously barred Ukraine from conducting long-range missile strikes with their weapons inside Russia.

Washington has yet to respond to the use of HIMARS so deep inside Russia as part of Kyiv’s incursion, by which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to establish a “buffer zone.”

With Post wires

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Mike Lynch: Who is UK tech tycoon missing after superyacht sank?

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Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate Holton and Andrew Heavens

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China, Philippines clash in South China Sea despite efforts to rebuild trust

The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway.