alpha nero yacht owner

Superyacht abandoned by a Russian fertilizer billionaire has a new secret owner, who got it for a huge discount

The Alfa Nero superyacht, which has been abandoned in the Caribbean for more than two years, has a new owner.

The 267-foot (81-meter) vessel, complete with a baby grand piano and a swimming pool that turns into a helipad, sold for $40 million last week, said Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the US. He declined to name the buyer, citing a confidentiality agreement.

The sale marks the latest attempt to end the years-long Alfa Nero saga. A Russian oligarch abandoned the luxury yacht in Antigua in March 2022, after being sanctioned by the US Treasury. Then tech billionaire Eric Schmidt tried buying it at auction, only to  give up  when the sale became a legal quagmire. 

Meanwhile, the vessel sat in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour being tended to by a skeleton crew and costing over a $100,000 a month to maintain.

At $40 million, the new Alfa Nero owner will end up paying far less than the $67.6 million that Schmidt, a former Google CEO, had offered last year. Sanctioned Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Guryev had originally bought the Alfa Nero in 2014 for $120 million, the US Treasury Department said — which Guryev denies. 

His daughter, Yulia Gurieva-Motlokhov, later stepped forward to claim ownership of the yacht, triggering a legal dispute.

“It’s not worth 40 million, it’s worth way more,” said Richard Higgins, a broker with Northrop & Johnson who represented the undisclosed buyer. “They needed to get the boat sold.”

Higgins said the new owner is European and will likely put the Alfa Nero on the charter market.

The Alfa Nero is among more than a dozen superyachts pinned down in ports around the globe after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought a series of economic sanctions against Russian oligarchs. Many of the vessels have been stuck in limbo amid costly legal disputes and racking up maintenance costs.

The Phi superyacht has been moored in London since 2022 while other vessels are stuck in Italy and Spain. There’s also the Amadea, a 348-foot ship with a lobster tank and hand-painted clouds on the dining-room ceiling, which was seized from its alleged oligarch owner in Fiji and now sits in California. Last month, a New York court denied the US government’s request to sell the Amadea, Voice of America  reported .

Alfa Nero’s new owner “is not included in the sanctions list of any country or institution,” Ambassador Sanders said.

The latest attempt to sell the Alfa Nero was brokered through a private contract, the port manager, Darwin Telemaque, said in a phone call. He also declined to name the buyer. Telemaque expects the proceeds will cover the millions of dollars in port fees the Alfa Nero has racked up.

“I am very happy that the ship is no longer the responsibility of the people and the government of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. 

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ALFA NERO yacht NOT for charter*

81.27m  /  266'8 | oceanco | 2007 / 2021.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Iconic superyacht
• Large infinity pool transforms into a helipad
• Huge master suite with private deck & spa pool
• Beauty and hair dressing salon
• Modern interior with pop art influences
• State-of-the-art party setup

The multi-award winning 81.27m/266'8" motor yacht 'Alfa Nero' was built by Oceanco in the Netherlands at their Alblasserdam shipyard. Her interior is styled by design house Alberto Pinto and she was completed in 2007. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Nuvolari Lenard and she was last refitted in 2021.

Guest Accommodation

Alfa Nero has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 suites comprising two VIP cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 23 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a dancefloor, beauty salon, spa, beauty salon, elevator, beach club, gym, deck jacuzzi, WiFi and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Alfa Nero is built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by twin diesel MTU (16V 595 TE 70) 16-cylinder 4,682hp engines, she comfortably cruises at 15 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 20 knots with a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles from her 295,000 litre fuel tanks at 14 knots. Her water tanks store around 150,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1SSC YACHT(P), MONO, G6. ✠LMC, UMS classification society rules, and is MCA Compliant.

*Charter Alfa Nero Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Alfa Nero is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Alfa Nero Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Alfa Nero Photos

Alfa Nero Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2008 Best Interior Design - Motor Yacht Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2008 Best Exterior Styling - Motor Yacht Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2008 Best Power 65m+ Winner
• Asia Boating Award 2008 Most Innovative Exterior Yacht Design of the Year Winner
• ShowBoats Awards 2008 Best Motor Yacht (over 75m) Winner
• World Yachts Trophies 2008 Most Innovative Custom Motoryacht (over 40m) Winner
• Indian International Boating Award 2008 Most Innovative Interior Yacht Design Winner
• The ShowBoats Design Awards 2010 Design & Technology Award Finalist

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Alfa Nero

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ALFA NERO Yacht – Splendid $120M Superyacht

The ALFA NERO yacht is an 82.27 meter (266.8 ft) luxury yacht first built by Oceanco in 2007.

She ranks in 121st place on the list of largest yachts in the world and was designed by Alberto Pinto and ​​Nuvolari Lenard. She is currently available for charter for a weekly price between US $730,000 and $940,000.

ALFA NERO yacht interior

Alberto Pinto Design Studio worked on the interior of the ALFA NERO yacht. Twelve guests can be accommodated in six beautiful cabins, and a crew of 26 finds space below deck. The massive master suite even has a private terrace and spa pool.

The yacht has an onboard hair and beauty salon, a spa, a dance floor, and a gym. Her interior design is heavily influenced by pop art, which sets her apart from other charter yachts.

Her luxurious furnishings were hand-picked by her designers and let the interior space of the vessel appear inviting and open.

Specifications

The ALFA NERO yacht is 82.27 meters (266.8 ft) long with a 14.2-meter (46.7 ft) beam and a 3.9 meter (12.1 ft) draft.

She weighs 2,159 tons and can reach top speeds of 21 knots but cruises comfortably at 14 knots. She is powered by twin MTU diesel engines .

The exterior of the ALFA NERO yacht was developed by Nuvolari Lenard , an Italian yacht design studio.

She has actually won numerous awards for her exceptional exterior and continues to impress the industry despite her age.

The onboard beach club is very large considering she only has a total length of 82.27 meters (266.8 ft).

She also has an infinity pool on the aft deck that can be converted into a helicopter landing pad if required which is yet another unusual feature. 

Guryev bought ALFA NERO for US $120 million in 2014 and had her refit in 2021. She has annual running costs of US $6 to 12 million.

Her weekly charter price lies between US $730,000 and 940,000, depending on the season.

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• Albert Pinto
• Andrey Guryev
• Nuvolari Lenard

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By Conor Feasey 09 Jan 2024

From Nero to Hero

A high court judge has ruled in favour of nautilus’ claim, with more than a year’s wages set to be paid to the crew of alfa nero….

Nautilus International has secured a settlement in favour of its members working aboard the abandoned Alfa Nero following an Antiguan High Court judgement. As a result of the lengthy legal battle, the crew are set to receive more than a year’s worth of unpaid wages. While what happens next in the Alfa Ner o saga remains unclear, with the government setting its sights on yet another auction, Charles Boyle, Director of Legal Services, Nautilus International, tells SuperyachtNews that the ruling is a huge victory for the union and its members.

“Although some crew may be slightly disappointed as they wanted to be successful on all aspects of the claims, securing payment for over a year’s worth of wages for our members is an amazing result,” he says. “This is especially true given the context of the Russian sanctions, which has been a completely new legal territory for everyone.”

The legal dispute revolved around outstanding payments owed to the original crew members before the yacht's abandonment and those who continued on board or were hired as part of the skeleton crew between March 2022 and April 2023.

Represented by Captain Christopher Malcolm Lewis and the UK-based trade union, the unionised crew members claimed that they were entitled to €2.2 million in unpaid wages with a 4 per cent interest rate. Their argument was grounded in Section 49(1) of the 2006 Merchant Shipping Act, asserting priority for maritime liens, including wages, over other debts. Simultaneously, non-unionised crew members filed a separate claim seeking payment of €439,494.40. The combined payment sought totalled around €2.7 million.

The claim arrived with Nautilus’ legal department via its yachting team. It quickly became very clear to the organisation that it had a lot of members who were owed payment for their work on Alfa Nero  which had not been paid due to the sanctions.

“The cohesiveness of our yachting and legal teams is what really spurred this battle on and allowed us to achieve the result that we did,” says Boyle. “Once the crew contacted our helpline, the yachting team were especially effective and efficient in handling the data collected from their seafarer’s employment agreements, payslips and other details about the claim, and then coordinating the best plan of action.” Nautilus’ legal team then took the initial approach of enforcing the claim as a maritime lien against the vessel, which was subsequently arrested by Nautilus.

Alfa Nero has been stationed in Antiguan waters since March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Registered to Flying Dutchman Overseas, it faced sanctions from the US, prompting the termination of crew services by management company Burgess Crew Services. The yacht was declared abandoned and subsequently seized by the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority in April 2023, enabling its eventual removal from the list of sanctioned vessels and allowing its potential sale.

The Antiguan government initially intended to use the proceeds of the sale for its own benefit after repaying all creditors of the yacht, which was met with some controversy when first announced. However, ownership disputes, particularly involving Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev's daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, and Flying Dutchman Overseas, have complicated the transaction. Notably, the government has continued to pay significant sums of money for the boat’s upkeep. This has in turn led to complications surrounding the crew’s pay.

“[Government officials] have acted as interveners and somewhat prevented our members from securing payment,” says Boyle. “They of course have the best interests of their government at heart and have been paying a huge amount of money on the yacht’s maintenance, not to mention the environmental risk it poses too. But whilst they are not saying that the crew shouldn’t be paid on principle, they have forced us to prove what our members are actually entitled to, and nothing more, because that would be less for them.”

High Court Judge Nicola Byer oversaw the hearing and addressed issues concerning the crew, Captain Lewis’ authority and ownership disputes. The judge determined that while Captain Lewis hired crew members out of necessity, any pay increase or promotion given between 17 March, 2022, and 10 April, 2023, was beyond his authority.

The judgment also dismissed claims of double pay, as the crew could not demonstrate their employer’s ability to fulfil promises. Byer then stated that crew members hired through Burgess were entitled to their holiday pay per their contracts before termination. Ultimately, the judge ruled that crew were entitled to be paid for the specified period as per their originally agreed upon rates.

No specific date for crew payment was provided in the judgment and given the nature of the sanctions and the yacht’s ownership disputes, what happens next is speculative. Usually in this situation, the funds for the crew’s wages would be covered in the proceeds of the sale. But having failed once already in auctioning the yacht, alternative routes may be the best course for both parties.

“The government could take the approach of issuing a bond to pay the crew, allowing them to deal with the claim immediately and then tackle the sale of the Alfa Nero on their own terms,” says Boyle. “The money flow still can’t come through the employer channel because of the sanctions, so they are going to have to get it from some other means.”

Until a buyer is found, Alfa Nero continues to pose challenges for the Antiguan government, accumulating lawsuits amid taxpayer concerns over ongoing maintenance costs. To tackle this, government officials have openly discussed the possibility of another auction to get rid of the vessel once and for all while simultaneously raising the capital to pay for the debts it has incurred while stationed in Falmouth Harbour.

The two preferred bidders in the initial auction last June, Eric Schmidt and Warren Halle, have retracted their interest in the superyacht. Former Google executive Schmidt withdrew his $67 million bid as a result of the legal delays relating to the yacht’s ownership, which prevented him from acquiring the rights to the vessel.

Meanwhile, Halle has sued the Antiguan government over its alleged failure to adhere to the auction’s rules, which by its own account would have seen Halle purchase the yacht following Schmidt’s failure to transfer the funds. The government is reportedly in talks with Halle to drop the lawsuit and sell the superyacht, but neither party can seem to agree on a price for the Oceanco yacht.

Following the High Court ruling, however, Nautilus has ensured that the crew can find solace in the fact that their pay has been secured, regardless of how the funds are raised. What this situation, among others, has shown amidst the issues the industry has faced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the necessity for crew to perform their due diligence on their ultimate employer.

“This case also shows us how vital it is to keep copies of your employment agreements and correspondence records, so if you ever do effectively have a claim, you have written evidence to back it up,” adds Boyle. “This judgment is a massive win for us and the Alfa Nero crew, and it was the result of months of hard work. It is an outcome we are immensely proud of, and one we aim to replicate for those in need in the future.”

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Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Alfa Nero was launched in 2007 by renowned Dutch shipyard OceAnco, bursting onto the yachting scene with uncommon fervour by breaking the contemporary mould of large superyacht design. At 82 metres her build triggered a paradigm shift in luxury yacht design with exteriors by the celebrated team at Nuvolari & Lenard and interiors from the talented Alberto Pinto.

Constructed with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, Alfa Nero can accommodate 12 guests in six lavish cabins. With 1,250-square metres of living space across her 82 metre hull, she provides plenty of space for a bridge deck gym, three separate dining areas, a dance room, pantries on the three guest decks, a separate crew lounge, and a lift servicing and connecting all decks.

The build of motor yacht Alfa Nero was driven by a desire to offer her owners the ultimate luxury cruising experience in their home sailing grounds of the Mediterranean, maximising the lifestyle elements of this part of the world.

This easily recognisable luxury vessel is anything but short of innovative facilities. Amongst her stand-out features is the Nuvolari-designed aft deck ‘beach club’ which features an immense glass-ended pool whose floor can be partially or fully raised, transforming it into a dance floor or helipad on demand.

Her exterior is highlighted by a long, low stern which dominates a large proportion of the super yacht’s length and leads her sleek profile. To outside on-lookers, her most eye-catching feature is the open aft deck and minimal overhangs that offer a departure from conventional design. Each overhang is defined by a stainless steel, oval rail that serves a purpose as illuminative, decorative or environmental.

Outdoor living is undoubtedly a significant feature of her design as she features an impressive amount of space for leisure and entertainment including the 7 x 3.5m swimming pool which stands as one of the largest ever incorporated on a yacht.

The pop-art inspired Pinto interior hints at a nautical theme, particularly evident in details such as side tables resembling staghorn coral and seashell images lining the guest hallway. The intricate staircase wrapping around the glass elevator shaft, two al fresco spa-pools, massage room and gym only add to the subtle elegance of the luxurious vessel.

Amongst her six cabins are an indulgent master stateroom; two double VIP suites; one double guest cabin; and two twin guest cabins. Luxury yacht Alfa Nero is powered by two MTU 4,680hp diesel engines that allow her to reach a maximum speed of 20 knots and cruise comfortably at 18.

• Yacht Builder Oceanco View profile
• Exterior Designer Nuvolari & Lenard No profile available

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The long tale of the yacht linked to a Russian oligarch and abandoned in the Caribbean for more than 2 years finally draws to a close

• An undisclosed buyer picked up the Alfa Nero for $40 million last week.
• The yacht was originally seized from a Russian oligarch in 2022.
• The sale ended an ownership tug-of-war, which included ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

An undisclosed buyer has finally stepped up to the helm of the Alfa Nero superyacht, ending a two-year-long saga, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

That buyer agreed last week to pay $40 million, a huge discount to the $67.6 million that former Google CEO Eric Schmidt bid last year, a deal he eventually abandoned.

The Antigua and Barbuda government sold the superyacht, which houses an infinity pool that converts to a helipad or dancefloor.

The massively discounted price can be attributed to authorities' need "to get the boat sold," Richard Higgins, a broker who represented the buyer, told Bloomberg.

Higgins said the European buyer, whose identify was kept secret, intends to put the superyacht on the charter market.

The person "is not included in the sanctions list of any country or institution," Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador to the US, told Bloomberg.

Related stories

The 267-foot-vessel was seized by Antigua and Barbuda authorities after it was linked to Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, who was accused by the US Treasury Department of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Guryev is the founder of Phosagro, Europe's largest producer of phosphate fertilizers, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index .

The Alfa Nero was among dozens of superyachts seized following global sanctions against Putin's closest associates, which led to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

The Alfa Nero's maiden owner was Guryev, who purchased the vessel for $120 million, according to the US Treasury and the Antigua and Barbuda government . The Russian billionaire had adamantly denied ownership.

After the vessel was seized in 2022, it remained docked in Antigua's Falmouth Harbour, which cost residents of the Caribbean nation $28,000 in weekly tax dollars for maintenance, which took as many as 44 crew members . The superyacht was then valued at $81 million.

In 2023, the Antigua and Barbuda government put the Alfa Nero up for auction, citing hazards due to a lack of maintenance.Eric Schmidt initially won the bidding, for $67.6 million , but eventually backed out after Guryev's daughter claimed ownership of the superyacht.

The most recent acquisition of the Alfa Nero finally ends its ownership limbo, during which it racked up millions of dollars in port fees under the custody of the Antigua and Barbuda authorities, Darwin Telemaque, the Alfa Nero's port manager, told Bloomberg.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Antigua and Barbuda taxpayers were footing a $28,000-a-week bill to maintain the Alfa Nero, including the salary of an Italian captain and $2,000-a-day in diesel to keep its air conditioning running. That's because if the AC is turned off, it could let mold spread throughout the vessel and ruin the hardwood interior or a Joan Miró painting onboard, per the WSJ.

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• Main content

Residents of Antigua may finally rejoice, as for the first time in two years, the abandoned Alfa Nero superyacht has changed its flag state, indicating that the money-burning vessel has finally been sold.

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Crew of 81m Oceanco superyacht Alfa Nero awarded unpaid wages

The crew of the abandoned 81.3-metre Oceanco motor yacht Alfa Nero will receive more than a year of unpaid wages following a ruling by a high court judge. The case against the owner was brought before the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda by Nautilus International and Captain Christopher Malcolm Lewis in September 2023. 

Declared seized on 11 April 2023, the ruling concerns the wages owed to crew members originally employed on the superyacht before its abandonment and those who remained on board or were hired as part of a skeleton crew from March 2022 to April 2023.

The report by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court explains: "After a much-publicised arrival and subsequent abandonment by the owner of the yacht under international sanctions, the superyacht was left in the waters off Antigua and Barbuda. Its crew had been terminated in large part and the yacht was manned by a skeleton crew until the same was officially acquired by the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority."

Flying Dutchman Overseas Ltd., the registered owner of the vessel, had not given instruction on the maintenance of the superyacht or its staff when she was seized, leading to controversy around whether Captain Lewis was acting within his jurisdiction to rehire previously dismissed crew. The judge ruled that it "was in fact a reasonable course of action".

Nautilus International, a trade union and professional organisation registered in the United Kingdom, and Captain Lewis (on behalf of crew members) filed a claim on 17 March 2023 seeking payment of the sum of €2,242,991.62, including interest at the rate of four per cent. Their argument was grounded in Section 49(1) of the 2006 Merchant Shipping Act, which asserts priority for maritime liens, including wages, over other debts.

Non-unionised crew members filed a separate claim seeking payment of €439,494.40. The combined payment sought totalled around €2.7 million.

Another point of contention arose regarding the fact that several crew members were promoted between March 2022 to April 2023 and were therefore claiming for higher rate of pay from their original contracts. The report explains: "None of these people who were promoted held their positions substantially. In other words, they all were promoted for a period of time to facilitate a senior officer taking leave".

The judge ruled that they were "temporary appointments" and that they were instead to be "paid according to the rate for which they were paid at the time of termination by Burgess ".

Further claims for travel expenses, gratuity, crew training and attorneys fees, were also rejected.

The yacht was one of the latest superyachts to be sold at auction on 16 June 2023 for $67,000,677, having been declared abandoned by the government of Antigua and Barbuda. Ever since, she has been wrapped up in litigation and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was reported to have backed out of the deal amid "legal wrangling". The fate of Alfa Nero is now unknown.

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This Abandoned 267-Foot Superyacht Has Links to a Russian Oligarch. Now It’s Heading to Auction.

Alfa nero will be sold to the highest bidder if it remains unclaimed., rachel cormack.

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“A notice to the newspapers and other media will be published for a period of 10 days, notifying the sale of the Alfa Nero vessel in order to satisfy the requirements under the law for a forced sale,” a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda read. “If the owner fails to claim the vessel within that time period, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will sell it to the highest bidder.”

Delivered in 2007 by Oceanco, Alfa Nero features a striking exterior by Nuvolari Lenard and interior styling by Alberto Pinto that together have landed the yacht a number of awards. The beautiful behemoth notably features six staterooms, accommodation for 28 crew, a hydraulically operated pool and a large helipad aft. Alfa Nero was sold in 2011 to its current owner with an asking price of $115 million, according to Marine Industry News . The Guardian has previously reported that the yacht is linked to the Russian oligarch (and Putin ally) Andrey Guryev.

The Antigua and Barbuda government reportedly consulted with the US authorities prior to taking the action. During a media briefing, Information Minister Melford Nicholas told reporters that any proceeds from the sale of Alfa Nero would remain in the Antiguan government’s hands, but the US could request access to the funds in the future.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Ex-google ceo eric schmidt wins russian oligarch’s superyacht for $67.6m at auction.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt sailed off with the superyacht abandoned in the Caribbean by its Russian oligarch owner after the invasion of Ukraine with a winning $67.6 million bid during an auction Friday.

Schmidt bought the 267-foot Alfa Nero yacht after it was left moored in Antigua by Andrey Guryev, the Russian billionaire who was slapped with sanctions by the US Treasury last year, according to Bloomberg News.

The Treasury Department claimed that Guryev, who made his fortune in the fertilizer industry and is thought to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, initially bought the yacht for $120 million in 2014, but the Russian oligarch has denied the claim.

The former Google boss, whose net worth was valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $25 billion as of Friday, “won the auction this morning in a fully transparent process,” according to Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua’s ambassador to the US.

The vessel, which has been described by its manufacturer Oceanco as “one of the world’s most iconic and highly awarded yachts,” includes amenities such as a baby grand piano and a swimming pool that converts into a helipad, Bloomberg News reported.

Antigua and Barbuda was eager to sell the vessel due to mounting maintenance costs totaling some $112,000 per month that accumulated while it sat in Falmouth Harbor.

Schmidt served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, a time of rapid growth for the California-based technology company.

He later became executive chairman for Google, and in 2015, for its new parent company, Alphabet, before resigning as chairman in 2018.

The US and other Western countries sanctioned several Russian oligarchs following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

An Antiguan port official told Bloomberg News that Guryev’s daughter filed a last-minute injunction claiming ownership of the yacht.

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