“Escape from the Caribbean”
Where are the oligarch yachts?
4/2/2022, 4:07 p.m
Russian oligarchs are trying to rush their yachts to safety, fearing Western sanctions. For fear of being arrested, the luxury ships even go as far as Vladivostok. Martin Hager and his team from the magazine “Boote Exclusiv” keep an eye on the yachts.
Why are you researching the oligarchs and their yachts?
Martin Hager: It’s no secret that some of the largest yachts in the world belong to Russian oligarchs. And “Boote Exclusiv” is a magazine that deals exclusively with the subject of superyachts, for us it’s day-to-day business.
On your website you write about an “escape from the Caribbean”. What do you mean by that?
When a 162-meter yacht speeds across the Atlantic at 18 knots instead of the usual economical cruising speed of around 10 knots, this is a sign that the yacht – or the owner – is in a hurry…
You allude to the “Eclipse”, Roman Abramovich’s boat.
Exactly. And shortly thereafter, Abramovich was on the sanctions list.
When did you first realize that the superyachts were making the journey?
The war began on February 24th, and then it was initially unclear what would happen. The focus was really not on yachts. It was only after the EU and Great Britain had finalized the sanctions lists a week later that the oligarchs and their possessions became the focus of attention – both from the authorities and from us media.
How did you go about tracking the Russian yachts?
The yachts can be tracked via tracking websites.
What else do you know about the boats?
We know many details from many oligarch yachts. This includes technical data, the names of the designers and sometimes equipment details. Unfortunately, many of the characteristics that are circulating about these yachts on the internet and in the press are based on speculation. For example, I think it is very unlikely that Roman Abramovich’s 162-meter-long “Eclipse” actually has a much-cited anti-missile defense system.
But what they apparently have is some kind of GPS system – otherwise you wouldn’t be able to track them.
Yes, this must permanently send the position for yachts of a certain size. Although it is illegal and violates international maritime law, many yachts currently have their AIS (Automatic Identification System) turned off and are sailing veiled. That’s a sign that they don’t want to reveal where they’re going.
How does the AIS work?
It’s kind of like a black box. It also shows where an aircraft is, but what happens on the bridge, for example, is not recorded on the ship. It simply sends and receives the GPS signal.
And they just shut down the system even though it’s illegal?
That is the captain’s decision – but he acts according to the owner’s instructions. Incidentally, most large yachts are not directly registered to the owner, but to complex company constructions. There are also tax reasons for this, many yachts are also registered in Malta or the Cayman Islands for this reason.
How is our knowledge?
Even now, not all yachts are 100% clear who owns them. Of course there are ships that can be clearly assigned. For example, the yachts of Andrei Melnichenko, whose ships “SY A” and “A” were recently confiscated. It is also known that the “Lady M” belongs to Alexei Mordashov, while the 141-meter-long “Nord” is only speculation. Finding out is now the task of the authorities.
How do they go about confiscating?
This differs from country to country. Basically, there is the difference between an arrest and a confiscation. If the authorities arrest the yacht in a port, the mostly numerous crew remains on board the yacht; in the event of confiscation, the crew is released and has to leave the ship. Then, as far as I know, government agencies organize the necessary crew.
Can a yacht be stopped midway?
It has never happened before that authorities have stopped yachts and then confiscated them. In fact, Melnichenko’s yacht “A” was stopped while sailing, but only because it was sailing without a flag. This is just as illegal as a switched off AIS device.
They track where the yachts that have not yet been arrested are moving. Is there a pattern?
They cannot stay in the EU, they will be confiscated. Montenegro, a NATO member, has also joined the EU sanctions, they can’t go there. Britain doesn’t work either. At some point the owners will run out of options. It can be assumed that at least two yachts will set off for Vladivostok in Russia. It’s a really long way, far away from everything. It is speculated that more yachts will not go in this direction. Some yachts owned by Russian oligarchs also showed up briefly in Port Said, at least briefly transmitting GPS signals from there. The Egyptian port city is a hub for the Suez Canal. From there it is possible to continue to Dubai – or to Vladivostok.
To Vladivostok?
Normally no one would anchor their ship there, it’s too far north and in the middle of nowhere. However, Vladivostok is a large Russian military port and yachts cannot be confiscated there. How things will continue for many of these yachts can currently only be speculated on. The fact is, they can’t hide forever.
Jaris Lanzendörfer spoke to Martin Hager.
The interview appeared first at “Capital”.