Oligarch’s Frozen Superyacht Disappears From Dry Dock, Is Replaced by Another Vessel

Following the frenzied luxury asset seizures of last year, which started as soon as the first round of sanctions against Russian oligarchs went into effect, it’s been quiet on the superyacht front. Russian oligarchs, suspected of or accused of funneling dirty money into President Putin’s war in Ukraine, have either taken their most prized (and movable) assets to safety or have lost some of them to international authorities.

In the latter category were mansions and villas, luxury cars and private jets, and superyachts – including some of the world’s biggest and most expensive vessels ever built. The enormous Dilbar, which carries a cost of at least $600 million and is believed to be the most exclusive and outrageous vessel built by Lurssen, is just one example of pleasure craft seized by authorities.

With an estimated worth of almost $15 billion, Dilbar has been sitting in Germany since March this year. Compared to its total length of 156 meters (511.8 feet), the Irina VU is positively tiny and almost insignificant, at just 34 meters (111 feet).

Irina VU also has something Dilbar doesn’t: freedom. This is perhaps the strangest story of the kind this week: the Irina VU superyacht has disappeared. We’re not talking about the kind of disappearance act Russian-owned vessels pulled early last year, when they would turn off AIS (automatic identification systems) and would become untrackable, but an actual, physical disappearance.

The strangest part is that the superyacht disappeared from dry docking, from a marina in Croatia, in the port of Betina from the island of Murter, while it was in the custody of local authorities. And that’s not even the cherry on top: the disappearance actually took place months ago, but authorities only realized it this week. The superyacht sailed off and was replaced by a similarly-looking one, in what is either a classic switcheroo case or the world’s biggest coincidence.

Reports in the local media note that an investigation is now underway, involving both local and international organizations. It would first look into how such an embarrassing incident was possible, when the vessel was in police custody – frozen, as is the preferred term. Shortly after Irina VU sailed off and another superyacht came in its place, Irina was broadcasting its location via AIS from Turkey.

That is to say, a vessel that was supposedly arrested in Croatia and was unable to move from there, was broadcasting its position from Turkey, clearly on the move. And authorities back in Croatia had no idea about it.

According to the State Secretary in the Ministry of the Sea Alen Gospocic, who is overseeing the current investigation, there is a very simple explanation for how this snafu came to be: there is no security to the marina. Gospocic says in a statement that authorities did everything by the book when the superyacht was arrested, which included contacting the owner and letting them know that they could no longer use or dispose of the asset, and then took it to Betina, where it was taken out of the water and put in dry docking.

From thereon, the matter was out of their hands, so no one even bothered to check in to see if the yacht was still there. Since there were no guards in position and access to the marina is possible for anyone, it sounds like authorities assumed the owner would simply do as they were told, and leave the boat there.

Of course, this was no silly boat that a couple of dudes could lift and launch to water. Irina VU is one of the 20 examples of the 115 Sport Yacht model, which is also known as the Predator 115 from Sunseeker Yachts. Irina VU was delivered in 2012 after completion at the British shipyard, and offers accommodation for 10 guests and 5 crew, a jacuzzi, ample exterior lounging space, and elegant interior entertaining spaces, all wrapped up in an instantly recognizable GRP dark blue hull with a white superstructure.

Powered by twin MTU diesel engines, it can travel at a top speed of 26 knots (30 mph / 48.2 kph), and has a range of 1,250 nautical miles (1,438 miles / 2,315 km) when cruising leisurely at 12 knots (14 mph / 22.2 kph). It’s not among the biggest or the fastest superyachts out there, let alone among the most luxurious, but with a reported price of €5 million ($5.4 million at the current exchange rate), it’s definitely beyond the reach of the regular Joe. As of right now, it’s also outside the reach of Croatian authorities.

This is not the only incident of this kind, when a superyacht simply vanishes from docking while presumably under arrest, but it’s in the running for the most embarrassing.