This could easily fit into a 007 script. At least one chapter
Lots of people have been in awe of the huge yacht that sat in Cabo Bay last week. No matter how many times we print its story, people keep on asking. Well, here we go again. Sigh.
The little toy belongs to Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov and the name of it is “La Datcha” which means “Summer House” in Russian.
For starters it measures 253-Foot and among other things, it has two helicopters, a professional dive center, an on-board hospital, and other standout features that are hallmarks of a world-class explorer yacht. The entire layout of the main deck aft is designed as an enclosed, functional work area for storing toys and tenders. The space includes a dedicated garage for a 30-foot RIB what is a RIB? that is launched through a shell door, and a second custom rescue limousine tender designed by Fassmer to be a mini-me of the mothership.
This Spectacular $100M icebreaker went missing in 2022 and then, resurfaced in 2023.
As it turns out, there was no disappearance to speak of, so just a big misunderstanding that was blown out of proportion. Lionel Pradines, director of Nova Yachts and manager of La Datcha, told to the magazine “Autoevolution” that the vessel sailed into Ensenada Mexico in February 2022 for a planned six-month refit. During this time, the superyacht was put into dry dock, so all equipment onboard was turned off, which sparked reports of its “disappearance.”
February 2022 marked the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Third-party countries voted for sanctions against Russian oligarchs only a few weeks later, saying that these sanctions – and subsequent seizures of luxury assets – would serve to discourage oligarchs from funding Putin’s war.
Oleg Tinkov, founder of Tinkoff Bank and a former multi-billionaire, was included on sanctions lists in the UK in May that same year. Within hours, two of his biggest assets, the $100 million La Datcha what, house, yacht? and a $63 million 2018 Dassault Falcon private jet, “disappeared.” Both craft stopped broadcasting their location and were stowed away to prevent British authorities from seizing them.
Meanwhile, Tinkov argued his case publicly, saying that he had long been a critic of Putin’s politics, for which reason he’d lost his business operations in the country and had been blacklisted. Earlier this week, his lobbying paid off, and after an intervention from Sir Richard Branson, the country’s what country? Most prolific prolific in what? Many children? Books? And popular businessman, Tinkov’s name was removed from sanctions lists.
Again, within hours, La Datcha pinged on the map. Vessels over a certain tonnage are obligated by international maritime law to have AIS tracking (automatic identification system) turned on at all times so their position and movement are visible to authorities and other vessels. As sanctions went into effect in early 2022, most Russian-owned superyachts used the turning off of AIS as a means to “disappear” while they fled and sailed to safety in friendly waters.
While under sanction, Tinkov’s UK assets were frozen, and he was forbidden from traveling to the UK. To protect his prized possession from being seized by the authorities, the vessel had shut off its AIS transponders from transmitting its live location in the month of May last year. Before going dark, the last location transmitted by the superyacht according to AIS data was Cabo San Lucas, in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Now that its owner is no longer sanctioned, La Datcha is able to move around freely.
What else is there? Well, as it was built to be an expedition vessel in every sense of the word, those garages are packed full of expedition gear, from the sub to two beach lander tenders, diving equipment (there’s also a decompression chamber), two helipads and hangars, RIBs, snow scooters, and bikes for all kinds of terrains.
But this is also a luxury vessel, so it comes with the usual amenities of a superyacht, from a jacuzzi on the sundeck to a gorgeous, glass-encased observation lounge with panoramic views, a fully-equipped gym, a wellness area with massage room, spa, treatment room, and Turkish Hammam. Interior spaces are lavish but elegantly styled in a way that invites calm and relaxation.
La Datcha has a 40-day autonomy at sea, which means it can travel 40 days without stopping at a port of call for resupplies. The Ice Class hull allows it to sail even through 16-inch (40.6-cm) thick ice, so it’s built to reach the farthest destinations on Earth.
Part of the 25-strong crew’s skillset is as varied as the yacht’s itinerary. That includes the captain, who holds an ice-pilot license and polar-code advanced qualifications. There are four commercial diving instructors with Nitrox certification, two submersible pilots, one submersible engineer, two helicopter pilots, and two helicopter technicians. And of course, a wealth of watersports, wellness and fitness instructors.
There are wellness centers, and then there is La Datcha’s shrine to wellbeing. With direct access to the beach club and gym, it includes two Jacuzzis—one inside, one on deck—a Turkish Hamman, a sauna, and a dedicated massage area. It’s rounded off with a stalagmite ice fountain with LED lighting (the only one of its kind on a yacht) for a frosty shock of cold ice on exiting the hot sauna.
An onboard hospital which is essential for when guests take part in higher-risk activities in remote regions. It has quarantine facilities, dedicated air-conditioning and sewage systems, and care from a trained ICU nurse. It also holds a full suite of Tempus equipment (used to monitor all vital signs of a patient) and a mobile blood analysis machine that produces and prints results in nine minutes after a sample is taken.
Fitted with enhanced fuel tanks, La Datcha can keep autonomy at sea for up to 35 days. Refueling is done via a tank carrying around 10,000 liters of aviation fuel (which is safer to store on board than gasoline), giving the yacht a 5,200-nautical-mile range when cruising at 12 knots.
La Datcha offers accommodation for 12 guests across six suites, including two master suites and one VIP, and 25 highly-specialized crew. In addition, it can sleep as many as eight expedition specialists who can be anything from photographers to volcanologists, ski instructors, fishing guides, and polar region experts.
One week onboard costs $730,000 in high season and $630,000 in low season, and neither figure includes fuel and expenses. Wanna book it? ,