Solaris: How Odessa athletes blocked Abramovich's yacht

Background

Russian businessman Roman Abramovich was no exception and fell under Western sanctions. At the beginning of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich announced that he would even sell his Chelsea football club and transfer money to a fund to help Ukrainians. Alas, the process of selling the club stalled, and the businessman was overwhelmed by sanctions. 

The oligarch owns the Solaris superyacht, which is also potentially subject to sanctions. It was decided to transfer this very yacht to the Turkish port of Bodrum. Probably, so as not to be arrested in the ports of Europe. We have already written about several high-profile arrests of yachts - the oligarchs Melnichenko and Medvedchuk. Abramovich decided not to stand on a par with these people and save his yacht.

What happened?

The superyacht attempted to dock in Bodrum yesterday afternoon. However, on the way to the pier, they were already waiting for her. According to the speaker of the Odessa Regional Military Administration Sergey Bratchuk, a group of yachting and water sports enthusiasts from the Odessa region tried to prevent this.

The video was posted on his Facebook page by one of the children's parents, Vyacheslav Madonich. Boys and girls from Zatoka, Sergeevka and many other settlements of the Odessa region took part in the protest action “on the water”. All of them are members of the “Sailing Team of Ukraine”, currently they are training in Turkey.

The guys could not stay away from such an event as the arrival of the superyacht of a sanctioned businessman who directly or indirectly sponsors the war in Ukraine.

For 15 minutes, the teenagers, literally on a boat, prevented Solaris from approaching the pier. According to Sergei Bratchuk, it all ended with the arrival of the police. Alas, the yacht could not be arrested, but such a protest action is more than indicative. It looked like a fight between David and Goliath.

About Solaris

Solaris is a 139.7m motor yacht built by Lloyd Werft of Germany, who delivered Solaris in 2021. The superyacht has a beam of 21 m, a draft of 5 m.

The yacht's exterior design was designed by Marc Newson Ltd. Superyacht Solaris can accommodate up to 36 guests, as well as 60 crew members, including the captain. Solaris has a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. She is powered by 6 engines which give her a top speed of 18 knots.

In the ranking of the largest yachts in the world, the Solaris superyacht takes 18th place. This is the 1st largest yacht built by Lloyd Werft. 

Liked the article? Rate it! We value your feedback on our work. Do not forget about other interesting materials on our site. Everything you need is in the links below.

22.03.2022