The 142.8m S/Y A, largest private sailing yacht in the worldhad been arrested in Gibraltar following a €15,3 million claim filled by Nobiskrug, the shipyard it was built at, late last week. According to our sources the judge approved the order to release the yacht and it will leave Gibraltar soon.


This unfortunate incident concerning Sailing Yacht A is now resolved. The yacht will now be handed over to the owner’s project team and will leave Gibraltar shortly
Spokesman for the owner

On February 5th, the sailing yacht left Kiel to undergo further fit out works and sea trials in Spain, and arrived in Gibraltar a few days ago. The vessel is scheduled to be handed over to Mr Melnichenko in late Spring 2017.

However, lawyers acting for Nobiskrug have filed a claim against the yacht for a breach of contract. The claim indicated that the final €9,8 million installment was not paid by Valla Yachts Limited, the company that owns S/Y A,  despite its January 27th deadline stated in the shipbuilding contract according to their lawyers. This sum is however now in arbitration.



A further €2,6 million and €2,9 million were being claimed and are currently disputed costs also under arbitration. Nobiskrug's total allegations therefore amounted to near €15,3 million plus interest. Two days ago S/Y A was moored in the Bay of Gibraltar under the custody of admiralty marshals.

With masts taller than Big Ben at nearly 100 meters in height, S/Y A had managed to provide a top speed of 20 knots without using her sails during her first sea trials. The yacht is projected to have a cruising speed of 16 knots powered by twin MTU engines of 4,827hp each which will give her a transatlantic range of 5,320 nautical miles.



S/Y A also 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 according to the Daily Mail. Amongst the yacht's key features is also an underwater observation pod and a large swimming pool with a retractable roof located towards the bow of the yacht.

Philippe Starck, who had also worked on M/Y A, is responsible for the design, whilst the rig and keel were done by Dutch-based Dykstra Naval Architects, with the masts constructed by British firm Magma Structures and the sails by Doyle Sails in the United States. The yacht boasts eight decks and her keel incorporates one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made at 193 square feet and weighs a whopping 1.8 tons. S/Y A is expected to be operated by a crew of 54.



When the project for S/Y A was first announced in August 2015, she was first referred to as a sail-assisted motor yacht and can in fact reach up to 20 knots without using her sails as became known during her sea trials. Stretching across a beam of 24.8 meters at her widest point, she comes in at just 3,100GT less than Dilbar, the largest yacht in the world by interior volume.

Photos by Nicolas Canepa

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