Russian Billionaire Builds Super Yacht A for $450 Million

The vessel is expected to be one of the most advanced yachts of its kind and boasts three masts.

Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko has built a luxury yacht for a reported $450 million.

The vessel is expected to be one of the most advanced yachts of its kind and boasts three masts, all of which stand taller than Big Ben, the clock tower beside the Houses of Parliament in London. The boat itself is approximately 468 feet long – roughly the size of a standard American football field – dwarfing everything that surrounds it.

The yacht, named Super Yacht A, boasts eight decks while its keel includes one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made measuring 193 square feet. The three masts are more than 328ft tall each and stand above Big Ben, which by comparison, measures 298ft. They all carry sails that when places side by side are larger than a football pitch. There will be room for approximately 54 crew members and will also have a high-tech digital control system. It will be powered by two diesel engines and two electric motors, and while the interior design is being kept under wraps, it is expected to incorporate luxury and technology.

Melnichenko is no stranger to yachts, having previously built Motor Yacht A, a superyacht that was developed using similar technology to Super Yacht A. Once again the Russian billionaire called on the help of yacht designer Philippe Starck to help oversee the project.

The yacht is due to begin its first trials later this year and will dwarf other superyachts, including The Maltese Falcon, which is 298ft.