autoevolution
 

$120 Million Alfa Nero Superyacht Pops Up in Antigua, Still Has Tracking Turned Off

Where do the world’s most spectacular and expensive superyachts go when they “disappear”? In the case of Alfa Nero, a stunning Oceanco build estimated at more than $120 million, the answer is Antigua.
$120 million Alfa Nero was delivered by Oceanco in 2007 10 photos
Photo: Oceanco
Alfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero SuperyachtAlfa Nero Superyacht
Since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, but particularly after several countries around the world decided to impose sanctions against billionaires believed to be close enough to President Putin to finance the war effort, superyachts have been “disappearing” at an incredible rate. They’re not really falling off the face of the earth, of course: they are turning off their AIS tracking (automatic identification system), which makes them visible to authorities, other ships and, to a certain extent, the average Joe with an Internet connection.

The same happened to Alfa Nero, a custom Oceanco vessel owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, whose name happens to be on sanctions lists. Delivered in 2007 to a different owner, the 269-foot (82-meter) Alfa Nero is a gorgeous superyacht with incredible amenities, including what is believed to be the first rear-facing, convertible, statement pool of this size (12 meters / 39 feet) on a yacht. It comes with a matching tender, helipad, jacuzzi, diving gear, a spa, and a “beauty room.”

On March 3, Alfa Nero “went dark” in the Caribbean. It was already running on a skeleton crew when AIS tracking was turned off, and it is still “offline” as of the time of press. Last week, it was spotted in Antigua, the Guardian reports, but had been there for several days. Ironically, at about the same time when Alfa Nero “disappeared,” Antigua and Barbuda was expressing intent to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs, but nothing concrete has come out of it yet. Hence, Alfa Nero is still safe there.

If there was any doubt left as to why Russian-owned superyachts are turning off AIS tracking, which is mandatory for all vessels of over 300 metric tons unless when there’s the threat of piracy or they are at port, Sam Tucker of VesselsValue agrees to be Captain Obvious for a bit. “There are some vessels where we would be previously getting a signal every few minutes from transponders and we are now seeing gaps of months. It’s very likely that some have flicked off the switch and gone into stealth mode,” he explains for the media outlet.

Of the 9,300 superyachts currently sailing the world’s oceans, 10% are linked to Russian oligarchs. Many of them have “disappeared” or otherwise retired to safe, friendly waters.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories