TO AVOID GETTING CAPTURED, A $250 MILLION YACHT OF ONE OF RUSSIA’S WEALTHIEST OLIGARCHS IS SAILING AT FULL SPEED TOWARDS AUSTRALIA. THE VESSEL ‘AMADEA’ IS LONGER THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD, IT HAS A DEDICATED PARTY DECK WITH 20,000 WATTS OF SPEAKERS AND A CINEMA WITH A POPCORN MACHINE.

The E.U. sanctions have Russian oligarchs’ ships sailing helter-skelter. The latest one to join this bandwagon of scrambling superyachts is the $334 million superyacht Amadea is owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a sanctioned Russian billionaire. His sanctions are based on allegations of money laundering and his ties to the Russian government since 2018. The 347-footer is now siling towards Australia to avoid seizure at all costs and will be received in Nadi, Fiji, as early as next week. New Zealand journalist Michael Field suggests the Russian billionaire could be “making a trans-Pacific run for Vladivostok, Russia’s Pacific watersport,” like many other Russian-owned yachts have supposedly done. Sanctioned oligarch Alexei Mordashov managed to successfully sail $500 million megayacht ‘Nord’ home to Russia at full speed, concealing its location by turning transponders off. Mr. Kerimov may be relying on the path in the Pacific as a way back to his homeland since sanctions restrict him from using usual ports around Europe and the U.S. While the law has caught up others, recently The FBI intercepted the location of Putin ally and sanctioned aluminum billionaire Viktor Vekselberg’s $90 million yacht Tango and seized it in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands.

Lurssen created Amadea at the owner’s request to make it exceptional. We take a closer look at what sets Amadea apart from other luxe counterparts:

The amazing Amadea megayacht:
“The key to his brief was to make Amadea one of the most detailed vessels ever built: millions of hours spent on creating and assembling… and then finding the smallest snagging points,” says Evgeniy Kochman, founder, and CEO of broker Imperial, which acted as the owner’s representative. Amadea is extraordinary. It flaunts a beautiful exterior which most megayachts dont. The exterior design by Espen Øino, sports a clamshell deck (three overlapping shells cascading down from the four silver satellite domes) and a massive 18-meter beam, boasting extraordinary volumes, to house the fantastic luxuries and the owner’s requirements.

Interior designer François Zuretti turns the interiors into a warm, elegant, and inviting space with a double-height atrium, Pleyel grand piano, leather-book-clad walls, and full-beam dining table. The designer fuses alcohol, books, and accessories as an integral part of the design. His touch is exceptional, from hand-painted Michelangelo clouds on the ceiling above the dining table; to backlit whiskies, brandies, and rums in clear bottles behind bars. Another rare inclusion is the galley on the top deck, beaming with copper pots and pans, a huge grill area, and even a live tank for lobsters.

A lot can happen over food, and this area allows guests to get involved with their food if they want to. Amedea is a yacht designed while keeping entertainment in mind. Whether it is living in luxurious amenities, cooking up a storm or dancing the night away. There is a dedicated spot for everything. It serves the so-called winter patio – a dining area that will seat up to 24 in a space decked with ferns and painted with lianas. As per Boat International, the main deck converts to a party space with 20,000 Watts of built-in speakers, lights, and lasers. The spa pool gets transformed into a stage where bands and D.J.s plug straight into the ship’s audio system.

A storage area to one side reveals equipment, including a teppanyaki grill, a rotisserie, and a hog-roaster. There’s even a crane available to lower it over the side so it can be taken ashore for a beach party. “This is something unique,” says the captain. The larger-than-life owner’s deck accommodates every luxury like a dressing room, a bathroom with an ornate bath recessed slightly into the floor, a beauty salon, and a gym. The owner’s deck holds a separate saloon, bar, and dining area with the best materials like marbles, rare woods, exceptional stone, and wood inlay work. The $250 million vessel has a large pool, a Jacuzzi, and a helipad. Besides the grand private quarters, the schooner accommodates 16 guests across eight cabins. Amadea is one of the larger yachts globally and among the most beautiful with 18th-century influences.

About Suleiman Kerimov:
Suleiman Kerimov is worth $13.7 billion and credits most of his wealth to a 76% stake in Russia’s biggest gold producer, Polyus. Forbes magazine describes Kerimov as one of the most private Russian billionaires who has not given a single interview in 20 years in business. His journey began with working as an economist at the Eltav electrical plant in Makhachkala and earned $250 a month. He gradually climbed the ladder of success first by handling relations between Eltav and Fedprombank, a Moscow bank established by the electrical company. He then became the head of the banking and trading company Soyuz-Finans, in 1995. Eventually, the trained economist made a career investing in distressed companies in Russia.