143m of awesomeness
She's one of the most impressive private superyacht's out there. We can love it or hate it for her looks, but she's a great feat of engineering.
The 143m motorsailer belongs to Andrey Melnichenko, a Russian businessman that also own M/Y A.
Sailing Yacht A was designed by Philippe Stark and was built by German yard Nobiskrug. Delivered in February 2017, S/Y A has made appearances in Monte Carlo and the Med.
Sailing Yacht A is one of the world’s largest and the most advanced superyachts, with unique features such as underwater observation pod, hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system and state-of-the-art navigation systems.
The story of Sailing Yacht A is not without controversy. The vessel was impounded by the Gibraltar Port Authority just after the launch over claims by Nobiskrug of a disputed payment. The financial situation was settled and the vessel was later released.
The motorsailer is easy to spot due to its three large masts. These are the tallest freestanding composite structures in the world. The center mast stands at 91m tall, a fraction shorter of the height of Big Ben. The masts are designed to sustain 90 knots of wind. The composite masts were built in the Great Britain, while the sails are made by an American company.
The yacht is built from steel hull and steel superstructure with high-tech composite fashion plates.
Nobiskrug’s managing director, Holger Kahl said: “Born from the desire of the owner to ‘push the boundaries of engineering and challenge the status quo of the industry’, “Sailing Yacht A” is undoubtedly one of the most visionary projects Nobiskrug has ever been involved in.”
No official numbers have been communicated, but it's believed the total build costs for S/Y A are around $400 million. Also, the cost of operating this ship is estimated at $40 million a year.
Since its launch, S/Y A turns heads in any harbor. She was seen in Monte Carlo alongside M/Y A, the other yacht owned by Andrey Melnichenko, but also in the waters close to the island of Formentera in Spain. Here was spotted by UFC Lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The fighter was on a yacht holiday after losing the fight with Floyd Mayweather. He took to Instagram to document his spotting of S/Y A.
Sailing Yacht A has eight decks and more than 4,400 square meters of sails. The propulsion system includes two MTU diesel engines of 4,896 hp each and two electric motors of 4.300 kW each.
The yacht uses a digital control system with touch-sensitive sheet of black glass that allows the crew to raise and lower sails or the anchor with a simple swipe. The guests can also enjoy an underwater observation pod and a large swimming pool with a retractable roof. S/Y A has a 54 people crew.
During sea trials, the motorsailer achieved a top speed of 20 knots without the use of sails. The cruising speed is 16 knots and has a transatlantic range of 5,320 nautical miles.
Take a look at this stunning video of Sailing Yacht A and Motor Yacht A: