Abandoned superyacht Alfa Nero attracts $50m-plus bids
Alfa Nero, courtesy of Merjin der Waard, SuperYachtTimes.
Bids are rolling in for Alfa Nero, the superyacht that has been abandoned in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda, West Indies for more than a year. The 270ft (82m) superyacht, believed to belong to a sanctioned Russian oligarch, was put up for judicial auction after the owner failed to come forward following numerous attempts by the government to make contact.
Ambassador Lionel Hurst, chief of staff, Government of Antigua and Barbuda told Superyacht Investor that the government has already received “serious offers” of more than $50m for the vessel.
“We have received bids from two candidates, one of $54m and the other $74m,” said Hurst. “One of the bidders has already sent a deposit of $10m to show how serious he was.” According to Dennis Causier, senior superyacht specialist, VesselsValue the superyacht is worth a cool $79.5m (€75.3m).
The auction follows a turbulent timeline for the superyacht. Having been left in the harbour since February 2022, the government made several public pleas to find the owner and have the yacht removed, deeming it a danger to people and other yachts in the harbour. However, no one came forward.
According to a government statement, unnamed international law enforcement agencies have advised the beneficial owner of the vessel is the Russian oligarch, Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev and his daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov.
This was after a Russian businessman named Alexander Mavrodi claimed the yacht belonged to him. “The suggestion that the vessel is owned by a Mr Alexander Mavrodi is unsubstantiated, indicating that it is either a hoax or it is a deliberate fabrication,” said the government statement.
The statement continued to say that if by March 31st, no person proves they are the beneficial owner, the yacht will be “declared as abandoned”. It will then be seized and “offered for sale by auction in the interest of the well-being of the economy and the people of Antigua and Barbuda”. Hurst confirmed that no one has come forward and the sale will go ahead.
Hurst added that the crew and fuel companies are owed around $500,000. “So, after the sale, we will ensure the proper parties are paid and the rest will go to the government of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.
Hurst dismissed suggestions the owner may take legal action to prevent the sale. “We are acting in line with our own laws and a with international maritime laws,” he said. “This is the right thing for us to do and we will continue to act in the interests of the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
Image credit: SuperYachtTimes
