Photo: YachtCharterFleet
You can hide small things of value to keep them safe, but you can also hide something as big as the world’s 50th biggest yacht. Alaiya, a gorgeous, $300 million vessel delivered by Lurssen in 2019, is a good example in this sense.
In what could be described as a proverbial and most spectacular fall from grace, the world’s richest men are rushing to hide their assets from international authorities, as their names are added to sanctions list. Alisher Usmanov, described by the media as President Putin’s “favorite” oligarch, is one of them. He was also among the first billionaires to be included on sanctions list after the start of the war in Ukraine.
In mid-April, Usmanov lost his most prized “toy,” when Dilbar, the largest superyacht in the world, was arrested in Germany, at the shipyard where it was undergoing refitting. Authorities also seized armored cars and private jets from Usmanov, but that’s not to say that he still doesn’t have stuff he wants away for safe-keeping.
One such asset is another impressive megayacht, Alaiya (formerly TIS and Lady Gulya). Alaiya may be smaller and less expensive than Dilbar, but it’s a record-breaking, gorgeous and opulent vessel nonetheless. Priced at $300 million, it is a 2019 build from Lurssen, with styling by Winch Design, and the most recent refit in 2020.
The 365-foot (111.5-meter) Alaiya has been missing for several days now. Its last known location was near the Maldives, heading towards Male, and then off the coast of South Africa, sailing at less than 4.5 knots (5.2 mph / 8.3 kph). Various tracking websites using AIS data show that it is currently “out of range,” which means tracking for it has been switched off. This allows the vessel to travel unseen (and illegally) – in what is a newly-emerging trend for Russian oligarchs to “disappear” their floating palaces.
And Alaiya is definitely a floating palace, with accommodation for 18 guests and 28 crew. Decked in marble and real 24-karat gold finishes, it boasts fancy amenities like private cinema, spa and beauty salon, tea room, elevator, a fully-equipped gym, and formal dining areas. It is powered by twin diesel MTU 4,963 hp engines that can take it as fast as 18 knots (20.7 mph / 33.3 kph).
In mid-April, Usmanov lost his most prized “toy,” when Dilbar, the largest superyacht in the world, was arrested in Germany, at the shipyard where it was undergoing refitting. Authorities also seized armored cars and private jets from Usmanov, but that’s not to say that he still doesn’t have stuff he wants away for safe-keeping.
One such asset is another impressive megayacht, Alaiya (formerly TIS and Lady Gulya). Alaiya may be smaller and less expensive than Dilbar, but it’s a record-breaking, gorgeous and opulent vessel nonetheless. Priced at $300 million, it is a 2019 build from Lurssen, with styling by Winch Design, and the most recent refit in 2020.
The 365-foot (111.5-meter) Alaiya has been missing for several days now. Its last known location was near the Maldives, heading towards Male, and then off the coast of South Africa, sailing at less than 4.5 knots (5.2 mph / 8.3 kph). Various tracking websites using AIS data show that it is currently “out of range,” which means tracking for it has been switched off. This allows the vessel to travel unseen (and illegally) – in what is a newly-emerging trend for Russian oligarchs to “disappear” their floating palaces.
And Alaiya is definitely a floating palace, with accommodation for 18 guests and 28 crew. Decked in marble and real 24-karat gold finishes, it boasts fancy amenities like private cinema, spa and beauty salon, tea room, elevator, a fully-equipped gym, and formal dining areas. It is powered by twin diesel MTU 4,963 hp engines that can take it as fast as 18 knots (20.7 mph / 33.3 kph).
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