Currently the 10th largest superyacht in the world and one of the most futuristic ones, the 142.8-metre sailing yacht A has been spotted in Monaco, reports The Sun. The vessel is owned by a Russian industrialist tycoon Andrey Melnichenko, whose net worth is estimated at $13.4 billion by Forbes.


Photo Credit: BackGrid via The Sun

Estimated at about $500 million, the yacht was built by German yard Nobiskrug in 2017.  Although her 142.8-metre LOA would give Melnichenko's new flagship the title of largest sailing yacht in the world, many experts rather consider her more of a hybrid between the two types due to her technical classification as a sail-assisted motor yacht.

Part of the renowned A fleet, the yacht features exterior and interior designs by Philippe Starck. With masts taller than Big Ben at nearly 100 meters in height, S/Y A reaches a top speed of 20 knots without using her sails. 


Photo Credit: BackGrid via The Sun

S/Y A boasts a digital control system that has a touch-sensitive sheet of black glass, allowing the crew to raise and lower sails and the anchor with a simple swipe.

The vessel offers accommodation to up to 20 guests as well as a crew of 54 across her eight floors. Shrouded in secrecy throughout her build and following her delivery, very little details are known about the amenities onboard the sailing yacht. 


Photo Credit: BackGrid via The Sun

Among the yacht's key known features is an underwater observation pod and a large swimming pool with a retractable roof located towards the bow of the boat. She is also equipped with a helipad.

Reportedly, Melnichenko also owns the $300 million motor yacht A, a custom Boeing 737 private jet as well as properties around the world, including a penthouse in New York City and a villa in the French Riviera. He lives a jet-setting lifestyle with his wife Aleksandra, former model and pop star from Serbia. The pair married in an opulent wedding in the south of France in 2005, which featured performances by Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera.

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