A (sailing yacht)
The sailing yacht A is a superyacht that was launched in 2017. The vessel is a sail-assisted motor yacht designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Kiel, Germany for the Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.
Design and construction
The vessel was constructed by Nobiskrug at their shipyard in Kiel, Germany with architecture by Nobiskrug & Dykstra Naval Architects and an interior/exterior design by Philippe Starck. A measures with a and. The vessel has a length overall of, a length between perpendiculars of, a beam of and a draught of. The yacht has a moulded depth of and seven decks. The vessel has accommodation for 20 guests and a crew of 54.Its propulsion consists of a variable-speed hybrid powerplant consisting of two MTU 20V 4000 M73L lineshaft diesel engines creating at 2,050 rpm with a superimposable/clutched diesel-electric transmission controlled by systems turning two lineshaft controllable-pitch propellers. A three-masted fore-and-aft sailing rig provides power assistance. The freestanding, carbon-fiber rotating masts were manufactured by Magma Structures at Trafalgar Wharf, Portsmouth, with the mainmast standing in height. Doyle Sailmakers USA manufactured the three fully automated carbonfibre/taffeta full roach sails. The total sail area is. The furling booms were built in Valencia by Future Fibres. The rigging of the yacht was developed partially to be implemented on cargo ships and for commercial use. The vessel features an underwater observation pod in the keel with -thick glass. It is the largest private sail-assisted motor yacht in the world.
Electricity is created by four 1,050–2,050rpm 2,800 kW hotel generators driving two Vacon 4,300 kW lineshaft motors Emissions are treated by four Emigreen diesel particulate filters on the diesel generators. A has a maximum speed of and a range of at a cruising speed of.
History
Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko sought to move on from his previous yacht project, the motor yacht, to a new design. Working with Starck and project manager Dirk Kloosterman, development of the yacht began in March 2011 and the keel was laid down on 17 August 2012. A was launched on 27 January 2017 and delivered by Nobiskrug on 3 February 2017. The vessel left Kiel on 5 February 2017 and exited the Baltic Sea in light mode on near-empty fuel tanks so to clear the Drogden channel in the Danish straits with minimum draught. It underwent final sea trials and the final fit-out at the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena, Spain. Boat International called it "the boundary pushing superyacht". The yacht is owned by Melnichenko through Valla Yachts Ltd. of Bermuda, and was initially registered there at Hamilton. In December 2021 the yacht was moved to the Isle of Man flag and registered at Douglas.The yacht was seized by the Italian Guardia di Finanza on 12 March 2022 in the port of Trieste, due to the EU's sanctions imposed on a number of Russian businessmen as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A spokesperson for Melnichenko vowed to contest the seizure. While under seizure, the yacht was re-registered in June 2022 at Freetown, under the Sierra Leone flag., the yacht was at an anchorage in the Gulf of Trieste.