Photo: YachtCharterFleet
Many of the world’s most famous, most expensive, and most impressive superyachts are currently in trouble due to their confirmed or supposed connections to sanctioned Russian oligarchs. Scheherazade, the 12th vessel in the world by size, is among them.
Scheherazade is a relatively new build, delivered by Lurssen in 2020 to an owner whose identity is yet to be established. Authorities in Italy believe that the owner is none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin, the number one on the international sanctions list over the violent invasion of Ukraine.
Scheherazade has been in the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara for several months, and just recently, authorities launched an investigation to determine its direct beneficiary (aka owner) and proceeded to impound it if he was on the sanctions list. Until the investigation concluded, Scheherazade was to remain in the dock.
Whoever owns it has no plans to stick around for the investigation to end, the New York Times reports. A former crew member tells the publication that Scheherazade has refueled and resupplied, and has been refloated, which most likely means it’s about to set sail very soon. Protective screens on the decks of Scheherazade have also been removed, in what is yet another sign that it’s getting ready to leave port. To flee, more specifically – if the owner is a sanctioned Russian oligarch.
The same former crew member says that Scheherazade will first have to undergo sea trials for equipment checks before sailing out, but signs point that it’s on its way there. No one refuels and resupplies a gigantic, $700 million, 459-foot (140-meter) megayacht only for the sake of it. More importantly, no one can do that with a megayacht that’s under investigation when fuel and supplies are cut off. In other words, getting fuel and supplies on board must have been a huge challenge, and it was probably done in view of making a clean escape and avoiding sanctions.
Assuming Putin is the real owner of Scheherazade and it is successful in its attempt at fleeing sanctions, this would mean that the Russian President has been able to put all his expensive superyachts to safety. In preparation for the war and anticipating international sanctions, in early February, Putin moved the tri-deck $100 million Graceful superyacht out of Germany into Russian-friendly waters.
Scheherazade has been in the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara for several months, and just recently, authorities launched an investigation to determine its direct beneficiary (aka owner) and proceeded to impound it if he was on the sanctions list. Until the investigation concluded, Scheherazade was to remain in the dock.
Whoever owns it has no plans to stick around for the investigation to end, the New York Times reports. A former crew member tells the publication that Scheherazade has refueled and resupplied, and has been refloated, which most likely means it’s about to set sail very soon. Protective screens on the decks of Scheherazade have also been removed, in what is yet another sign that it’s getting ready to leave port. To flee, more specifically – if the owner is a sanctioned Russian oligarch.
The same former crew member says that Scheherazade will first have to undergo sea trials for equipment checks before sailing out, but signs point that it’s on its way there. No one refuels and resupplies a gigantic, $700 million, 459-foot (140-meter) megayacht only for the sake of it. More importantly, no one can do that with a megayacht that’s under investigation when fuel and supplies are cut off. In other words, getting fuel and supplies on board must have been a huge challenge, and it was probably done in view of making a clean escape and avoiding sanctions.
Assuming Putin is the real owner of Scheherazade and it is successful in its attempt at fleeing sanctions, this would mean that the Russian President has been able to put all his expensive superyachts to safety. In preparation for the war and anticipating international sanctions, in early February, Putin moved the tri-deck $100 million Graceful superyacht out of Germany into Russian-friendly waters.
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