A luxury yacht belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexey Mordashov is on its way to Cape Town.
The Nord left Hong Kong on Thursday, Reuters reported.
More than a dozen yachts connected to sanctioned Russians have been seized by US and European governments, Bloomberg reported, while some have fled to friendly havens such as Turkey. South Africa hasn’t so far been a destination that Russian vessels have sought out. South Africa has not imposed any sanctions on Russians.
In the secret world of super yachting, this yacht was labelled the most secretive of all. Until it arrived in Vladivostok.
Before Hong Kong, the vessel was "hiding" in the safe haven of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia after a trip to the Seychelles. They left the island for fear that the vessel would be seized due to the sanctions. Vladivostok is fairly poor and polluted and not a port where superyachts would normally dock. But it is a good place to lie low.
Upon arrival in the city, local law enforcement and custom officials went onboard for an inspection. They were so surprised by the opulence, that they posted a video of their walk-though on social media and leaked images to local media, giving a first look at what this beast look like inside.
The Nord is a bit of a dreamboat and is an obvious choice for an oligarch.
It has five decks and can host 36 guests in 20 cabins.
It is decked out with all the toys a young oligarch and their friends could possibly want, including mini-submarines, amphibious vessels, helicopters and remote vehicles, according to H I Sutton.
And in case you were coveting: it is not currently for sale or available for charter, the website says.
Mordashov of course owns more than one yacht. The other one is the Lady M, a much more modest 65m motor yacht. The vessel can accommodate 12 guests in six suites and carries a crew of up to 14. It is currently somewhere in the Mediterranean and no, you can’t buy or charter it either.
According to Bloomberg, the Nord caused quite a stir when it mysteriously sailed into Hong Kong earlier in October after being docked in Vladivostok for a while.
It is expected to arrive in the Mother City on the morning of November 9. It is not clear yet where it will dock, but yachts of that size usually head for the V&A Waterfront. Microsoft's Paul Allen docked his Octopus there a few years back.
It is unclear if Cape Town is the Nord’s final destination or whether its crew has received assurances that it will be safe there, Bloomberg reported.
A spokesperson for Mordashov, Russia’s third-richest person, said the billionaire has been in Moscow since the Nord’s arrival in Hong Kong and declined to comment on the vessel’s movements.
Mordashov was sanctioned by the United States and European Union, but not by the United Nations, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine for his close links to President Vladimir Putin.
While a number of Russian superyachts have been seized or denied entry in Europe and other jurisdictions, the Nord was left undisturbed in Hong Kong.
And currently it is merrily chugging south towards Cape Town at 15.4kn near the coast of Vietnam.