Sailing Yacht A – Meet The World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
Yesterday, Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko’s (who owns Motor Yacht A) Sailing Yacht A, now the world’s largest sailing yacht, took to the sea for a test run. She was reportedly pulled out of the German Naval Yards in Kiel, north of Hamburg, by a tugboat and eventually got to a speed of 20 knots. Her reported cruise speed is 18mph and she will hit a top speed of 24mph.
She was styled by the French designer Philippe Starck, as was Motor Yacht A.
Impossible to miss, she is 468ft long and has 3 mammoth masts, one that is over 300ft which stands taller than Big Ben’s tower.
‘”The masts were built by Magma Structures in Portsmouth – just a stone’s throw from another well known sailing vessel, HMS Victory, which is less than half the length of this new superyacht.”
“We are really proud of the team who build these masts, that are the largest free-standing rigs in the world”, said Sarah Johnson from Magma Structures.
“We are the only company who can produce structures like this of this size, it’s great for Britain to be involved.”
The superyacht that is estimated to be worth around £313 million ($450 million) could not reach her full potential as her huge sails hadn’t yet been unveiled, but are expected to be tested sometime next week.
It is believed that Andrey paid £260 million for the vessel.
She has an impressive eight floors, a helicopter pad on one of the decks and an underwater observation room. She can also accommodate 20 guests and a crew of 54.
According to Superyachtfan.com the superyacht is powered by a ‘hybrid diesel-electric package with controllable pitch propellers.’
Sailing Yacht A is made of steel and has a teak-finish deck. Her keel has incorportated one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made at 193 square feet and weighs an astonishing 1.8 tons. This was created so Andrey and his wife Aleksandra could enjoy the stunning views of the sea and everything around them.
