The Trieste anchorage

Sailing Yacht A was built to cross oceans on a hybrid rig and variable-speed diesels. Since the European Union froze her owner’s assets and Italian authorities seized the hull in March 2022, she has sat at anchor in the gulf of Trieste, her registry shifting three times in response to legal pressure rather than navigational demand.

The European Union placed Andrey Melnichenko on its consolidated list of sanctioned individuals on 9 March 2022. The listing identifies him as one of the leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia. Melnichenko had served as a non-executive director at both EuroChem Group and SUEK until that same date, stepping down and withdrawing as a beneficiary immediately following the publication of the measure. He called the decision absurd and nonsensical and vowed to contest it. The European Court of Justice rejected his petition against the sanctions on 17 December 2024, confirming the listing remains active. Additional restrictions followed from the United Kingdom in 2022, Japan in January 2023, and Canada under the Special Economic Measures Act. The combined effect of these measures prevents Melnichenko from travelling to the European Union or the United States and freezes any assets held within those jurisdictions.

The legal blockade

On 12 March 2022, five days after the initial EU designation, the Italian Guardia di Finanza seized Sailing Yacht A in the port of Trieste. The seizure occurred while the vessel was undergoing final fit-out and sea trials at the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena, Spain, before being moved north to the Adriatic. The Italian authorities acted on the basis of the newly imposed asset freezes. While the hull remained under seizure, the registry was transferred from the Isle of Man to Freetown, Sierra Leone, in June 2022. The vessel has not left the gulf of Trieste since the seizure took place. She sits at an anchorage in the same waters where she was detained.

The dry-dock exit

The hull itself represents a departure from conventional superyacht architecture. Designed by Philippe Starck for exteriors and interiors, and engineered by Nobiskrug alongside Dykstra Naval Architects, the vessel measures 144.03 metres overall with a beam of 24.80 metres and a gross tonnage of 12,558. Construction began in March 2011, with the keel laid on 17 August 2012 at the Nobiskrug yard in Kiel. The Yacht was launched on 27 January 2017 and delivered on 3 February 2017. Her departure from the Baltic required careful weight management; she left Kiel on 5 February 2017 in light mode, running on near-empty fuel tanks to reduce her draught to 8.00 metres and clear the shallow Drogden channel in the Danish straits. Final commissioning took place in Cartagena, Spain.

The propulsion system combines mechanical and electrical drives to manage the vessel's mass. Two MTU 20V 4000 M73L lineshaft diesel engines produce 3,600 kilowatts each at 2,050 revolutions per minute. Power transfers through a superimposable and clutched diesel-electric transmission controlled by DEIF systems to two lineshaft controllable-pitch propellers. Electricity for hotel loads comes from four 2,800 kilowatt generators operating between 1,050 and 2,050 revolutions per minute, which drive two Vacon 4,300 kilowatt lineshaft motors. Exhaust treatment relies on four Emigreen diesel particulate filters installed on the generators. The system allows a maximum speed of 21.0 knots and a cruising range of 5,340 nautical miles at 16.0 knots.

The Sailing rig forms the most visible structural intervention. Three freestanding, carbon-fibre rotating masts manufactured by Magma Structures at Trafalgar Wharf in Portsmouth rise to a height of 100 metres for the mainmast. Doyle Sailmakers USA produced the fully automated carbonfibre and taffeta full roach sails, covering a total area of 3,747 square metres. The furling booms were constructed by Future Fibres in Valencia. The rigging geometry was partially developed for implementation on cargo ships and commercial vessels, prioritising load distribution over traditional aesthetic conventions. An underwater observation pod sits inside the keel, protected by 30-centimetre-thick glass. The accommodation layout provides space for twenty guests and fifty-four crew across seven decks.

The registry flight

Ownership traces through Valla Yachts Ltd of Bermuda, which initially registered the vessel at Hamilton. The flag changed to the Isle of Man in December 2021, moving the home port to Douglas. The shift to Sierra Leone in June 2022 occurred while the Italian courts maintained the seizure order. Registry changes of this kind are standard responses to asset freezes, allowing operators to bypass jurisdictional restrictions on title transfer and maintenance contracts. The financial mechanics of keeping a 12,558-tonne vessel in operational condition while her beneficial owner is barred from the European Union remain undisclosed. Maintenance crews, insurance premiums, and berthing fees continue to accrue in the gulf of Trieste.

The vessel's specifications indicate a design intent focused on long-range autonomy and mechanical redundancy. The hybrid powertrain eliminates the need for frequent refuelling stops, supporting the stated range of 5,340 nautical miles. The variable-speed diesel engines and clutched transmission allow the sailing rig to assist propulsion without interrupting the mechanical drive, a configuration suited to open-ocean passages rather than coastal cruising. The choice of a 30-centimetre observation window in the keel suggests an emphasis on submerged visibility during slow transits. These features require consistent engine runs and sail handling drills to prevent degradation. A vessel of this complexity does not degrade passively; it requires scheduled maintenance cycles that are difficult to execute when the hull is legally immobilised.

The original estimate places the build value at $450,000,000. The cost of preservation since March 2022 operates on a different scale. Insurance markets restrict coverage for sanctioned owners, forcing policies onto specialised marine brokers who charge premium rates for political risk. Berthing in Trieste involves municipal fees and security requirements that escalate when a vessel is subject to international enforcement actions. The crew of fifty-four must be retained or rotated according to maritime labour standards, regardless of whether the yacht is underway. All of these line items accumulate against a holding company that cannot access western banking channels.

The legal status of the hull remains unresolved. Melnichenko's attempt to overturn the EU designation failed at the European Court of Justice in December 2024. The Italian seizure continues to hold the vessel in place. There is no public record of a sale, a lease, or a transfer of operational control. The AIS broadcast confirms her position at 45.66° N, 13.73° E, with the transponder active but showing no course changes. The Yacht sits exactly where the Guardia di Finanza left her, four years into a regulatory standoff that has converted a blue-water engineering project into a fixed-point liability.