Andrey Melnichenko New Boat
Russian billionaire builds largest sailing yacht in world.
Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is building what is believed to be the largest sailing yacht ever built, at a length of more than 480 feet. The boat has been shrouded in secrecy ever since work began in 2012. Yet new photos of the ship, called «White Pearl,» have started to emerge on TheYachtPhoto.com and on SuperYachtTimes.com.
According to yacht workers in Germany familiar with the project, the ship will be around 147 meters, or 482 feet. That would easily surpass the 96-meter «Sea Cloud»— built in the 1930s—and the 289-foot «Maltese Falcon,» built by Silicon Valley venture-capitalist Tom Perkins and launched in 2006.
Melnichenko, a Russian billionaire who made his fortune from banking, steel and fertilizer, couldn’t be reached for comment. Yet «White Pearl,» being built by Nobiskrug shipyard in Kiel, Germany, is expected to be even more jaw-dropping. According to workers familiar with the project, the ship will have a soaring, open atrium that will rise to three stories. It will also have a massive swimming pool and a design scheme that, in some sections, will be reminiscent of «Pirates of the Caribbean.»
The combined mass of the sails will be larger than a football field and the mast system, which appears to be made up of three masts, will be made of super lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber, these people said. It will have a crew of 66 people. ‘White Pearl’ will make ‘A’ look like a dinghy,» one yacht worker said. It’s unclear how much the ship will cost. But since «A» cost more than $300 million, it’s safe to say «White Pearl» will also be nine figures.
«White Pearl» is still being fitted out, and it’s expected to launch in July 2016, according to one yacht worker. Melnichenko is expected to keep «A» after «White Pearl» is finished, so he’ll be able to use his sailing or motoryacht, depending on his mood. «He wanted to do something unique and eco-friendly with ‘White Pearl,’ « one worker said. «And this is certainly unique.»
(Information by Robert Frank / CNBC.com)
