Yard number 787 Launched April 2015 | Namesake A Ordered March 2011 Length 143 m Range 9.85264 million m | |
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Owner Valla Yachts, Ltd. (Andrey Melnichenko) | ||
Sailing Yacht A is a sail-assisted motor yacht built in Kiel by Nobiskrug for Andrey Melnichenko. Her propulsion consists of a variable-speed hybrid powerplant with two lineshaft controllable-pitch propellers and is sail-assisted by a three-mast fore-and-aft sailing rig. The freestanding carbonfiber rotating masts were manufactured by Magma Structures at Trafalgar Wharf, Portsmouth. Doyle Sailmakers USA manufactured the three fully-automated carbonfiber/taffeta full roach sails. The furling booms were built in Valencia by Future Fibres. The vessel features a unique underwater observation pod in the keel with 30cm-thick glass. S/Y A is the largest sailing yacht ever built.
A was delivered to her owner on February 3rd, 2017. She exited the Baltic Sea on near-empty fuel tanks in order to clear the Drodgen Strait with minimum draught and called at Kristiansand for export (VAT exemption) purposes. Whilst bunkering fuel in Gibraltar on February 15th, she was impounded for six days on the claims of overdue installments to the builder and its subcontractors. She is to undergo further sea trials and final fitout at the Navantia shipyard.
