World's Biggest (Sort of) Sailboat

I have a friend that believes in the theory of two extra paychecks each year. Hypothetically, most people budget to pay their expenses from their minimum monthly income (two checks), so when the rare third monthly paycheck arrives--and its funds aren't committed to anything--it's a bonus. Free money. Collect $200 when you pass Go.

So what do you do with that extra money? Or, to segue into the topic of this blog, what do you do with all those extra millions of rubles if you are Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko? He made his fortune by banking, mining coal, producing fertilizer, building a power plant and exporting pipelines. He may only be the 97^th richest person in the world and ninth richest in Russia (net worth $8.8 billion USD), but Melnichenko knows opulence like few others.

In 2004 he commissioned the construction of his first supership, which would eventually be called Motor Yacht A for his first initial and so it would be listed first in vessel registers. Motor Yacht A is powered by twin MAN RK280 diesel engines--at the time were the most powerful diesel engines available--that supply 12,000 hp. The fuel reservoir is 200,000 U.S. gallons and provides a 7,500 mile range. It takes 37 crew to cruise the Motor Yacht A. The exterior features a reverse bow to reduce wake and a thinning beam that seems similar to U.S. Navy stealth warships. Features of the ship include more than 25,000 ft.² of living space, a helipad, three swimming pools, a dance club, and seven sleeping quarters. Bomb-proof glass, 40 CCTV cameras, biometric access and an escape pod ensure guest safety. The owner's quarters contain 2,500 ft.² of living space, about the size of an average American home. Estimates place the construction cost at $250-300 million dollars. Here's a more illustrative gallery of Motor Yacht A's extravagance.

Presumably bored with Motor Yacht A, Melnichenko has now commissioned Sailing Yacht A. Since it's still under construction, many of the design specs are still speculative. Yet it's hard to keep a 468-foot-long yacht under total secrecy. Technically the boat is a sail-assisted motor yacht, as even with three masts the sails won't create enough drag or lift to propel the ship. The masts are the tallest and most highly-loaded freestanding composite structures ever and can accommodate loads of more than 40 MN. When sails are deployed they will cover 48,500 ft.² and fiber-optics will deliver real-time data about sail performance. Two MTU 3,600 kW diesel engines and two 4,300 kW electric motors deliver power to two adjustable-pitch propellers. Everything on the ship will be controlled from customized touchscreens.

Believe it or not, Sailing Yacht A will also be relatively sustainable. High ratios of carbon fiber and other advanced materials help keep the weight down. Melnichenko plans to license some of the innovative technologies to help recoup research, development and building costs-and estimated $450 million. Many of the features of Motor Yacht A reappear in Sailing Yacht A, such as pools, a helipad, a dance club, and extensive security. Just like a modern sloop, Sailing Yacht A also includes a keel, but this keel has a 1.8 ton piece of glass so travelers can climb into the keel and watch the ocean. And here's a gallery of this massive motor-sailor.

To really put this in perspective, this is someone's toy. The Melnichenkos will likely spend just a few weeks aboard this ship every year. Meanwhile the common people are crowding 5,000+ people on cruise ships. At least they're keeping the sailing industry running downwind.