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• Dutch Yacht Building
• Mooring Lines

Ending uneasy year, Heesen Yachts looks forward with confidence

By Robert Wielaard

MONACO – It’s a high point at the start of each Monaco Yacht Show. The Heesen Yachts breakfast in a swank hotel is always a useful update of the work of the Dutch builder of 50-to-70m superyachts.

It’s a job CEO Arthur Brouwer handled with aplomb even in 2022, a year, Brouwer said, “has not been easy for us.” Addressing brokers, clients and suppliers, he said:

“It’s not all plain sailing. 2022 is proving to be a year to remember for all the wrong reasons. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has caused Europe’s worst security crisis in decades. The entire world is now facing a long and difficult period of conflict with Russia.”

The crackdown on Russian oligarchs worldwide forced Heesen to become 100% Dutch-owned. It shifted the yard’s ownership into a Dutch foundation, away from Russian-Azerbaijani businessman Vagit Alekperov, saving the yard and all its jobs.

Heesen launched the Xventure four years ago. Brouwer said its latest explorer, the “XV67, “creates a new audience. The platform embodies all of Heesen’s performance innovations. It is not a re-invented commercial ship. Hybrid propulsion is now an option on all Heesen yachts. The  XV67 is no exception.”

True to tradition, he also gave a state-of-the-superyacht-world update that should reassure many builders of large yards everywhere, giving the ballooning ranks of the ultrarich. He cited this data:

• The Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report shows that by late 2021, global wealth totaled 463.6 trillion, up 9.8% from 2020 and well over the average annual 6.6% rise recorded since 2000.
• The US leads the pack with 140,000+ ultra-rich individuals whose wealth exceeds $50 million. China is second with 32,710. There were 62.5 million millionaires in 2021, up 5.2 million from 2020.
• The post-Covid boom revealed record-breaking orders for superyachts of 40m and more: 134 in 2021 alone!
• The Ukraine war will set off a global economic slowdown and higher inflation. The IMF sees global growth slipping from 6.1% in 2021 to 3.6% in 2022 and 2023. “I expect most shipyards will be able to leap over this period with relative ease and absorb the decline in demand.”

Heesen’s top market is North America with the Middle East and rates the Middle East as “an up and coming spotlight region.”

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By SuperyachtNews 11 Mar 2022

Heesen board members resign following Ukraine crisis

The departure of the russian board members has stoked rumours of the shipyard being discreetly put up for sale….

Following the developments of the current international situation in Ukraine, Heesen Yachts supervisory board members Pavel Novoselov and Pavel Sukhoruchkin have taken the decision to step down from their positions. In a recent press release, Heesen stated that this ‘further emphasises the shipyard's independence’ and ‘True Dutch nature’. While the managers of the shipyard are indeed Dutch, the yacht makers are owned by Morcell ltd. of Cyprus, the investment vehicle of Azerbaijani Billionaire Vagit Alekperov - the former First Deputy Minister of the Oil and Gas Industry of the USSR.

The press release also included a joint departure message from both Novoselov and Sukhoruchkin, “We have worked closely with Heesen's board of directors for over ten years with passion and dedication to develop what once was a family-owned business into an internationally reputed shipyard. The current situation imposes us to step back for the good of a company that is close to our hearts. We wish success and strength through these times to the Heesen board of directors and all the employees."

Arthur Brouwer, Heesen CEO, offered his ‘thoughts and prayers’ to those suffering from the international crisis before adding, “Heesen’s specialised workers perform their job with great dedication, and we have the moral duty to ensure they can do so for many years to come. We are most grateful to Pavel Novoselov and Pavel Sukhoruchkin for their professionalism and invaluable contribution and appreciate their choice."

Vagit Alekperov, the alleged investor of the shipyard, is also the owner of Lukoil - Russia's second biggest oil company responsible for 2% of the world's crude oil. The company lost 99% of its share value following the invasion of Ukraine. CNN Business reported that the oil company had broken ranks with President Vladimir Putin and that they were calling for a ‘lasting ceasefire of the war and to settle problems through serious negotiations and diplomacy’.

Vagit Alekperov is the owner of Galactica Super Nova (70m), Galactica (50m), and Space  (35m). Although the yachts have stopped sending their tracking signals, it should be noted that Alekperov is not currently on the international sanctions list.

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Forget a merger superyacht, authorities have actually seized ownership of one of the worlds largest and most reputed luxury yacht builder from this sanctioned oligarch.

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An $80 million superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian oligarch has spent 7 weeks lingering off the coast of Montenegro, tracking data suggests

• A superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian oligarch has been lingering off Montenegro's coast.
• Galactica Super Nova has been in roughly the same spot since March 2, tracking data shows.
• The ship has been linked to Vagit Alekperov, CEO of Russian energy giant Lukoil.

An $80 million superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian oligarch has been lingering off the coast of Montenegro for seven weeks, according to ship-tracking data.

Galactica Super Nova is owned by Vagit Alekperov,  according to the website SuperYacht Fan . Alekperov, president and CEO of Russian oil giant Lukoil, was sanctioned by the UK on April 13. He isn't on European Union or US sanctions lists.

Marine Traffic , a ship-tracking service, shows that Galactica Super Nova arrived in the port of Tivat, Montenegro, on March 1 and departed the next day, after the country's government said it would adopt EU sanctions even though it isn't a member of the EU.

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Galactica Super Nova has remained off the coast of Montenegro since March 2, according to Marine Traffic.

The ship was docked in Barcelona, Spain, until late February. The day after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the ship's captain reportedly gave his crew 48 hours to leave the port . The ship then sailed for Tivat.

After leaving Tivat on March 2, the ship's tracking signal went offline , leading to speculation it could be trying to avoid detection .

Alekperov has an estimated net worth of nearly $23 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index . He was sanctioned by the UK on April 13 when it introduced 178 new measures against Russia and Russian individuals.

As the war in Ukraine rages, the West continues to place sanctions on people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. If the EU decides to sanction Alekperov and freeze his assets, this could put Galactica Super Nova at risk of seizure if it moors in an EU country – or in Montenegro, should the nation indeed adopt EU sanctions.

Luxury yachts, private jets, and properties owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs including Roman Abramovich  and Igor Sechin have been seized in EU countries since the bloc imposed sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war.

The deputy prime minister of Montenegro said in early April that his country had adopted sanctions against Russia but didn't specify what they were.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

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