September 18, 2008
Luxury Real Estate – GigaYachts – “A”
Whilst not fitting the term “Luxury real estate,” in the traditional sense of the word, i.e. on land, the current crop of giga-yachts or mega-yachts certainly fall under my definition of the word. Massive, spectacularly-outfitted floating mansions in fact.
Conspicuous over consumption? Absolutely. Insanely expensive? Oh yes. Most of the final prices are carefully kept secret. Either that, or no one actually knows how much they cost.
Introducing “A” – the most recent member of the giga-yacht club, and to put things in perspective, the fuel tank is 757,000 liters. Diesel fuel costs around €1.40 per liter currently, so it would cost just over €1 million to fill the fuel tank. $1.4 million US just to fill the tank. That amount of fuel will last 15.5 days at cruising speed. So the cost of building the ship becomes a little academic when the running costs are taken into consideration. I am exaggerating slightly as I have no doubt they are not paying retail for the fuel, but you get the idea. Seeing as the owner also owns one of the largest coal companies in the world, I very much doubt the cost of fuel is an issue.
"A"
I was lucky enough to see “A” up close and personal recently and she is spectacular. I won’t say I like the design because it is so odd, but spectacular aptly describes her and it certainly grows on you.
You could hear the sound of penises shrinking from as far away as San Remo when “A” dropped anchor in the bay of Cannes recently. You could hear the sound of Billionaire’s accountants calculating the cost of building a more spectacular boat about thirty seconds later.
These photos were taken from a small tender and give an idea of the size of her. Click on any of the photos to see a full size image.
"A" in Cannes Bay
To give an idea of the scale, this is the author (yours truly) doing a little “showboating.”
118 meters long
“A” is 118 meters long, and from whichever angle you see her is perfect, not a poor line in sight. I understand there are three swimming pools aboard, an owner’s suite, 6 guest suites and accommodations for 42 staff, which includes 5 guest’s staff.
I was not fortunate to be invited aboard, so this is from the spec sheet. 
"A" anchored in Cannes
Viewed from the stern.
Stern view of "A"
Even these pictures do not really show the scale, and while there are larger mega-yachts around, none quite like this one. She was surrounded by smaller boats come to get a closer look, and all the other mega-yachts in the bay were strangely quiet, or quietly pulling up anchor to move to a less conspicuous part of the coast line – out of sight.
Getting a closer look at "A"
It is difficult to estimate the final cost of “A” but conservatively – 150 million Euros? The owner is Andrey Melnichenko, a Russian energy billionaire and financier. Mr. Melnichenko owns some pretty luxurious real estate on the Cote D’Azur, but I am also hearing a rumour that he is in fact the mystery buyer of La Leapolda. Unconfirmed as yet. She certainly is a beautiful piece of design and engineering, and here are some more photos from all sides.
Port side view
Starboard view
All of the above photos are copyright – Mark Knowles. If you want to take one and add it to your own website, please just take one and add a link back to this post for the rest.
“A” was built by Blohm & Voss, in Germany, and was previously designated SF-99, then “Sigma,” when the design went over 99 meters. The design was by Phillipe Starck, and has come in for some considerable criticism. You either love her, or hate her. The absence of any protuberances was one of his goals, and as you see from the photos, everything blends perfectly. In Mr. Starck’s words,
We worked for five years to avoid any small details like that which are common in boats… to finally have a boat which looks like the computer rendering. Such a boat is the vision, the dream.
As you can see from the original computer design, he certainly achieved his goal. Hard to tell which is real and which is the rendering.
Computer rendering Sigma2
"A" viewed from above
The technical specifications are certainly impressive, and if you are interested, this is a link to download them:
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Data and Facts on Motor Yacht “A” – PDF Download
Mr. Starck himself has an “eclectic” design philosophy, and this video makes interesting viewing.
No one has yet been allowed to take any photographs of the interior, but I understand it is as unusual as the exterior design, and includes some very special teak paneling.
The design detailing includes the tenders. (For those of you without a nautical bent, tenders are the small boats used to ferry the owners from ship to shore, fetch booze and cigars, or whatever else may be needed from the main land etc). In fact the tenders are works of art in their own right. Also designed by Phillipe Starck, there are two aboard, along with a high speed RIB by Pascoe. 11 meters long and built specifically for “A” by Vaudrey Miller in New Zealand. One is an open design, the other with a cabin, or “Limo-style.”
Tenders by Vaudrey Miller
All in all a beautiful boat. Radically different design certainly, and it is rather entertaining to listen to the gossip about the various billionaires who have been planning a competing boat since this one was first announced. No matter what Mr. Starck might say about not caring about the size, it is all about out-doing your peers. Nothing says “I have a bigger one than you do,” like actually having a bigger one, although, in this case, it is just a “better,” one. 
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Comments on Luxury Real Estate – GigaYachts – “A” »
Only 118 meters long!? It´s too short for me
But I must admit I love its feminine lines
118 meters is too short for you ?
You must have big……..
Wow, The styling looks more like a submarine than a GigaYacht!
Very Sexy looking lines
I don’t own a yacht but I do own the domain name GigaYachts.com
hmmm…maybe time I developed it.
Sexy is a good way of describing her. GigaYachts.com huh?
Drop me a line
Sexy?
No way! It’s cold, without personality, without flair.
At least from the outside.
I must admit, the photos give that impression, but in the flesh, she is stunning. Sexy – depends on what “floats your boat,” I guess.
I haven’t manged to get inside yet….
Hey WK when you decide do develop that domain just drop me an email and we can think of something
my email is peter@ooyes.net
A fool and his billions…
Pocket change………….
I want it
(((((((((((
What’s with the giant, ugly black mast near the bow? Sort of spoils the whole “no protuberances” thing, doesn’t it?
Good question. I will find out
is that a Kite Mast on the front?
Cool! I’ll look forward to hearing what you find. It sort of looks like it might be telescoping/retractable.
Its ugly. looks like a submarine with a too big conning tower.
jeez, 1.4 billion bucks to fill the friggin tank? i feel sooooooo poor…
I was just in Capri, Italy last week and got pictures of this boat. Its absolutely amazing:
Picture 1 and Picture 2.
a periscope?
no protruberances? yeah, except for the superstructure.*
*this may reflect my opinion that phillipe starck is a moron when it comes to design.
Another detailed look at Yacht “A” | LaRive @ 9:08 pm
[...] Yacht “A”? Now here is a more detailed look at it. For some reason I wish it can fly. →Link ⊕ Related [...]
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that mast is there in accordance to international shipping laws requiring a fwd mast head light on vessels over 200′ in lenght..
I guess its black so it doesn’t stand out ‘too’ much
Gary – thank you
I had just discovered that, but you beat me to it – I appreciate you taking the trouble.
it looks like something out of a james bond movie !!!
Geez, what a pity. It really does sort of spoil the appearance of what I think is a very handsome and unusual ship.
Oh, interesting. Just looked at Jesse’s pictures (linked above), and there’s no mast visible. I guess it really does retract and just comes out when required by the law.
Yes. It is not showing in the overhead shot either. Interesting….
wow, that makes my boat look like crap…. thank you
http://www.teachingutomakemoney.com
looks like a submarine that went to a beauty farm in beverly hills
pios last blog post..The best tips I found on the net to get back in shape trough zen
Phillipe Stark Designed Mega Yacht “A” | Ask the Boater @ 3:17 pm
[...] photos that Lee took are located here, and there are fantastic detail shots on this site. Yachts.Monaco Eye has additional shots of “A” and a video of Phillipe [...]
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[...] meu Mark a scris un articol pe unul din blogurile lui, Luxury Property, intitulat Luxury yacht “A”. Este vorba despre unul din cele mai de lux yacht-uri din lume, cu un design catusi de ciudat pe [...]
The Giga-Yacht | TheNews.com.au @ 3:57 pm
[...] or mega-yachts (that was so 2005) what you need is the giga-yacht. Simply called “A“, we could give you all the amazing specs of this baby, but we’ll just give you one, it [...]
Спер яхта Андрея Мельниченко (A, Project Sigma, sf99) | Val-hala @ 4:21 am
[...] Фото: Petter Emil, twiga_269, Mark Knowles. [...]
“A” Luxury Giga Yacht by Phillipe Starck | Future Technology @ 11:56 pm
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Modern Giga Yacht “A” For the Rich | StyleCrave | The Lifestyle Guide for the Modern Man. @ 10:28 am
[...] Being a designer yacht, the one and only Giga Yacht costs 150 million Euros to build and is owned by Andrey Meinichenko, a Russian billionaire and financer. The yacht is going to be a sure envy to the other billionaires of the world. It takes the cake for style and elegance and a high technology that glides through the blue waters. Now where’s Abramovici when you need him? [via LuxuryProperty] [...]
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wow…..I want that yacht!
Jerrys last blog post..Will LittleBigPlanet save the PS3 from the Wii & Xbox 360?
I did the logo for this yacht so was fortunate to see the inside. It is truly amazing! It is very similar to St Martins hotel in London, but with sea views. The cost was more around the 200m mark.
I witnessed “A” departing Malta several weeks ago. Upon leaving the break water, the foward mast extended from the forecastle…… It’s retractable!!!! as are the side ligts…..
The “free market” seems to have been pretty good for some Russians.
Erics last blog post..How to Find Foreclosures
Wow these are magnificent yachts. Never seen anything like it.
Dreamss last blog post..Mad Dog in Dreams
Wow, these boats are like floating cities!
Fahrens last blog post..Princess Grace Awards Gala
Очень признателен, на самом деле полезная инфа.
Cool V.I.P
This was really awesome. This one just looks like a submarine emerging up above the sea.
The Submarine from the film “League of Extraordinary Gentleman” flashes in my mind by looking at this Yacht.
Yacht searchs last blog post..Position: All Captain
I want mine in candy apple red
Well
is not that bad at first glance.
yet, if I were to design a yatch , believe me, it would be a piece of artwork, just like some of my bronze sculptures.
Much terrific and awe-inspiring anyway.
I was impressed. Let’s see if she goes up for sale now…..
Just heard about this from my HMS Conway worlwide club 1859-1974.
I hear one one my shipmates is current Master of this vessel and I’m trying to track him down.
What a lovely design-and I’m an old seadog!
CAN ANYONE HELP ME FIND THE MASTER OF THIS VESSEL PLEASE?
Lyme Regis Dorset England.
This is one of the most fantastic designs that I have ever seen for a yacht! I have noticed that most designs tend traditional and I appreciate the modern look of this new style.
I appreciate a nice yacht.
Scary big and probably a little scary expensive
Well I have had no reply to find the Master of this ‘A’ Super Cruiser.
I was told he is an ex HMS Conway shipmate of mine.
I would love to see that in Lyme Regis Bay Dorset England and we could have a gig rowing regatta with our Cornish Pilot Gigs first built in 1838 to race out to the square riggers from Australia where the first pilot to the ship got the money!
She really looks like something from an other planet-wow.
Michael.
“A” was visiting the Sognefjord in Norway today, and it dropped by my town as well, so I got to see it up close – if only I had a boat I would’ve sailed over there and eaten some caviar with them
Awesome design, might upload some pictures of that later.
The mast is a crane to get the toys from inside the boat to the water and vice versa.
This buet was tied up in Gib marina only last week (29/06/09)and was causing a lot of interest locally. We asked one of the Top of the Rock guides who owned it and he thought it was the head of Excel. This however would appear to be wrong!
In the flesh, ‘A’ is stunning, I had to find out more about her, so thanks for providing such brillient information on her.
Moored quite near by was a visiting cruise ship which in turn looked modern and streamlined, but ‘A’ looked way cooler.
FUCKIN A WHAT A BOAT
Cruise and Tell | Luxury Giga Yachts “A” @ 4:50 pm
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I was stuuned a couple of days ago whenI saw this beautiful ship it was anchored in Dubrovnik harbour. We were on a cruise when I saw this beauty and one of the speedboats raced past our liner when we departed for venice. Totally stunning radical design. I took loads of pics too and will upload them next week
Look forward to it. Drop me a link when you have done so. I still have not been able to obtain any interior shots.
I have seen August 18 anchored in front of the island brac dalmatia in, is incredible as the eye jumps the tip-shaped submarine, however, a delight for the eyes, those lucky if you can ‘afford ….
she’s unique looking and huge
I would love to see some photos of the interior. From the outside it looks astonishing.
I saw it this year too…on August second in Budva,Montenegro.Before I didnt like this yacht but when I saw it I was stunned how great it looks.I have read that today it was anchored in Venice.
Saw her last week (~Sept 2, 2009) in Fira, Santorini, Greece. Was fascinated as to what I was looking at. Google brought me here.
She is pretty – glad you found us.
Unless you see this baby “in the flesh”, it is difficult to comprehend her size and looks. I was in Kalkan (Turkey) last week, she came into harbour for two days 11th/12th Sept. Wow!
It is a beauty what more could I say…….
I saw this boat in Kalkan last week also. What an amazing piece of art and engineering. It caused quite a stir in the town on the two days it was there. Really has to be seen to be believed. Has anyone seen pictures of the interior?
I have been sent some mock ups of the proposed interior – but that is it. The owner will not allow any photos to be taken.
The boat is presently in Lisbon. it’s amazing…it’s realy “the vision of a dream!”…She’s staying i don’t know for how many days…so if you are in Portugal, Lisbon, don’t loose this opportunity to take some pictures.
Also saw ‘A’ in Kalkan, absolutely stunning. Looked at interior at night through binoculars when lights were on – looked more like a 7* hotel than a boat interior….come on euromillions I want one of those!!
Just seen it in Copenhagen.. pretty amazing!!
Another example of a double-wide on a raft of Clorox bottles, owned by someone who couldn’t dock a dory in Liverpool.
I don’t know – I rather like dit. Probably wouldn’t have built it like this myself.
i partied on this yacht once. it is impressive inside but it takes a certain taste, i dont like it and can do better things with my 180m
Question for all of you
How can a Russian that lived for decades under communist rule suddenly have so much money that buy a yacht that look out of this world?
It is a nice looking yacht but for me I prefer a yacht looking like a yacht. The Motor Yacht “Pedator” build by Feadship is so much better looking yacht than this “A” giga yacht.
Tom
THis ” A ” giga yacht was build in Germany and it is a standard practise that no info of any kind of mega yacht is given out to any one.
Tom
Now we all know about Tiger Woods and his problem we might see his 157 feet yacht coming onto the market, this yachts was build in the North Western States a verry good builder I might add. I like Tiger’s yacht much better than this ” A ” Giga yacht.
I want one!
i will take little dingy if theres one going!:)
what abeautiful boat the A is,and yet very unusual design…Atually when i first saw it i tought it was a submarine.The yatch is now dock at the port in BARBADOS and who ever is on board it is having a great time
Hi, I’m a Conway! Does this mean I have access?
Let me know!
Why no interior photos? I can’t yet decide if I like it or not….just intrigued.
The A was still in Barbados harbour yesterday, alongside Fred Olsen’s Braemar. I preferred the latter for cruising, but the former would have been handy if I’d been in a rush.
The ‘A’ Giga Yacht
I just returned from the Caribbean where it was moored in Barbados, looking secretive and stellar. A James Bond aura about it.
You can tell it’s German by the way it looks – long, stubby battering-ram-like, a bit like my, er, well, you get the picture! it looks like it would bulldoze its way into any old port in a storm! If it was Italian it would have been sensuous, shapely, sexy and feminine…
Hi there!
These giga-yachts and mega-yachts look amazing. Alomost at city at sea!
“A” docked right behind us (on Royal Caribbean) last week in St. Thomas. We got to watch her come in while we ate breakfast, then stand right on the dock as she moored. It is without question amazing to see in person. The whole ships crew was talking about it even and I’m sure they’ve seen a lot.
Camera pods swing out from the hull, along with everything else, to keep watch while they loaded. There was a mention of a James Bond look, and you know (and seriously) there is likely some serious fire power somewhere behind one of the many hull doors.
The crew I saw actually looked American, or at least northern European. Some attractive young crew members that are getting to see the world in a unique way.