The second Heesen largest superyacht, 65-metre Galactica Star, was announced sold on July 25, with Fraser representing the seller and Burgess representing the buyer. The vessel was listed for sale earlier this year asking $ 42,000,000, as a result of a notorious corruption case in Nigeria.
Custom-built by Dutch yard Heesen in 2013, the vessel seconds only to the builder’s 70-metre Galactica Super Nova in terms of LOA. She features exterior styling by Omega Architects, engineering by Van Oossanen & Associates, finished by interiors from the boards of Bannenberg & Rowell.
In April 2019, the vessel was offered for sale in a sealed bid arrangement, proposed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and approved by U.S. federal court. The sale process roots back to corruption case against two Nigerian nationals.
Allegedly, the superyacht was originally owned by Nigerian oil magnate Kolawole Aluko, who is one of four defendants accused of cheating Nigeria out of almost $1.8 billion in siphoned crude oil sales, reports The Marine News. The U.S. government also accused Aluko and another oil executive, Olajide Omokore, of laundering money in the United States and using it to acquire the yacht, among other assets.
The sale followed a court-ordered seizure of the yacht's owner's assets due to possible connections to an ongoing Nigerian oil corruption scandal, triggered by the Panama Papers investigation. The latter refers to 11.5 million leaked encrypted confidential documents that were the property of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, exposing the network of more than 214,000 tax havens.
Thus, the US and Nigerian governments received Federal Court approval to sell the arrested superyacht due to high maintenance and dockage fees, estimating the combined cost at around $170,000 per month. Managed by Fraser, the vessel was listed at $42,000,000.
Galactica Star accommodates up to 12 guests overnight in 6 cabins, comprising a master suite, 1 VIP stateroom, and 4 double cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 13 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.
The most alluring feature about the vessel is what goes on below the waterline. Van Ossaanen Naval Architects successfully created a yacht that cruises 30% more efficiently than a conventional round-bilged motor yacht in this size range.
Powered by 2 MTU 5,592 HP diesel engines and propelled by twin screw propellers, Galactica Star is capable of a top speed of 27 knots, and comfortably cruises at 24 knots. With her 90,000 fuel tanks she has a maximum range of 4,200 nautical miles at 14 knots. Her water tanks store around 30,000 litres of fresh water.
The yacht used to be popular for charter among celebrities, for instance, once rented by American music industry power couple, Jay Z and Beyonce for a holiday cruise, according to WithinNigeria.
In the meantime, acting as the seller's representative Fraser, one of the world’s leading brokerage companies, has been recently announced acquired from the Italian AzimutBenetti Group by US broker MarineMax.
The brand new superyacht Olivia O has been recently seen on the French Riviera. Planning and engineering work began on the boat in November 2016 and earlier in 2020 the superyacht was finally delivered to her experienced owner.One of the largest explorer yachts in the world was designed and built by Ulstein Verft, which is known for commercial vessels, ferries, and workboats. Well-known superyacht designer Espen Oeino was chosen by the owner to develop the exterior lines and the general arrangement of Olivia O. The 88.5 m motor yacht is not typical in style, she features a trademarked reverse-bow design called the X-Bow.She is owned by Eyal Ofer, a Monaco based billionaire, active in shipping and real estate. He is not the last man in shipping indeed since in 2014 Eyal was ranked number 7 in Lloyd’s List 100 People in Shipping. With the net worth, which is estimated at US$ 9.4 billion, he definitely can afford this US$ 200 million luxury superyacht. Eyal is Chairman of Ofer Global, Zodiac Group, and Global Holdings. His father Sammy Offer was Israel’s richest man.Some of her impressive highlights are a large swimming pool on the main deck aft and a helicopter deck with a D-value of 16. Olivia O offers accommodation up to 20 guests in 8 cabins, including Pullman bunks while crew accommodation is for 30 people.
July 10, 2020
The 99.95 m superyacht Moonrise, the largest superyacht by waterline length built in the Netherlands to date, has been recently delivered after successful sea trials in the North Sea. Built by the Feadship yard in Makkum, she also has an impressive volume thanks to a 15.50-metre beam.The shipyard described the yacht's key features as “sleek, sensual lines” with a “modern masculine profile”. Some of the highlights of Moonrise are it's a large beach club, a gym, and the huge living space areas.Her stylish details, such as long hull windows, a glorious grey hull, and striking vertical bow add to the elegance of the design by Studio De Voogt. The interior of the boat was created by Remi Tessieir Design.Moonrise has a 15.5-meter beam and is equipped with a pair of MTU engines for a maximum speed of 19.5 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots.Moonrise equipped with a pair of MTU engines for a top speed of 19.5 knots at top speed and she is designed to cruise comfortably at 16 knots. The dimensions of the yacht are impressive and can accommodate up to 16 guests in 8 staterooms. There are also exceptionally high-end crew accommodations for up to 32 crew members.
July 10, 2020
Lürssen's superyacht Opus, which was previously named Redwood, hit the sea for the first time. The 142m vessel featuring six decks was launched yesterday July 9th. The technical concept was launched in January 2019.The management of project Opus is done by Moran Yacht & Ship, overseeing the construction process. This project sets a new record as the largest project for the company to sell.Moran Yacht & Ship commented:She is feature-rich with high-end amenities to delight and cater to every imaginable whimThe motor yacht can accommodate 36 guests in 20 cabins. Opus was designed by Italian design studio Nuvolari & Lenard. After the sea trials are completed, Opus will be delivered to her owner later this year.
July 10, 2020
Madame Gu is a 99.00 m luxury motor yacht. She was built by Feadship in 2013. This week this majestic superyacht has been seen in Saint Tropez. With a beam of 16.50m and a draft of 4.60m, she has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. This adds up to a gross tonnage of 2900 tones.Madame Gu is powered by MTU 20V 4000 M73 engines of 4,828hp each, capable of reaching a maximum speed of 24 knots and cruise at 22 knots.She can accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins including a master stateroom and five guest cabins. Both, an interior and exterior design by Andrew Winch make up one of Holland’s largest yachts ever built. The superyacht a fully enclosed helicopter hangar with a Eurocopter Dauphin AS 365N3, which costs around US$ 9 million. Also, there are two 11-metre tenders and scuba gear as well as a beach club, gym, and jacuzzi on deck.
July 9, 2020
Lürssen shipyard delivered 180 metre superyacht Azzam in 2013. With such an impressive length, she is the largest privately owned superyacht in the world and held its title unchallenged for nearly seven years. With a beam of 20.8 m and a draft of 4.3 m, she has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. This adds up to a gross tonnage of 13136 tons. Azzam is powered by engines of 23,500 hp each giving her a maximum speed of 30 knots.The all-white motor yacht can accommodate guests in cabins with an interior design by Christophe Leoni and an exterior design by Italian studio Nauta Design.Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design commented:Azzam features balanced, modern architecture composed of straight lines and proportional volumes, which are some of the main design principles of Nauta Design When we were called to participate in pitching for the exterior styling of this yacht we knew it would be the most demanding work of our career, defined by the strictest and most challenging requests in terms of dimensions, performances, and technology. What made us confident to be able to deal with such a challenge was the interpretation of the client’s brief. The best technology was required in order to obtain the highest performance possible.There is not much information about her interior design, but it’s not a secret that the interior layout includes an open-plan main saloon measuring 29 metres by 18 metres.Pedol said about it:We’ve had a lot of compliments for Azzam. They all talk about elegance and balance, that she doesn’t look as big as she is, and I think this is a good achievement.
July 9, 2020