The sale of the superyacht Alfa Nero by the Antigua and Barbuda government is edging closer, with more details on the bidding process set to be revealed later this week.
The vessel, which has been moored in Antigua’s Falmouth Harbour for more than a year, is said to be owned by sanctioned Russian fertiliser tycoon Andrey Guryev.
Having arrived in the twin island state around last year’s start of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, it has not been moved since and was recently deemed a hazard to the harbour and the marine environment.
As such, the government voiced its intention to have it removed, whether through a sale or through the owner claiming it, and passed legislation in the Parliament last month to bolster its legal footing to embark on the former.
A public notice – signed by Port Manager Darwin Telemaque and addressed to Guryev, an entity named Flying Dutchman Overseas Ltd and a wealth management firm, Opus Private – was then published, giving the owner 10 days in which to claim the vessel before essentially forfeiting ownership and paving the way for the forced sale. That 10-day window expired late last week.
In recent days, international media reports have claimed Guryev’s legal representatives have denied the Russian’s ownership of the vessel, though the government has not yet commented on that claim.
Well-placed sources have disclosed that the Gaston Browne-led administration has already been entertaining multi-million-dollar bids for the 267ft luxury vessel from overseas entities – some reportedly close to its near US$80 million valuation.
According to said sources, the matter is set to be deliberated during today’s weekly Cabinet meeting; a decision could be made and the successful bidder notified within days, the sources added.
While the identities of the bidders are likely to remain a secret for now, government pledged last month to make public both the buyer’s name and final sale price, in a bid to maintain transparency.
Based on the circumstances surrounding the vessel, as a sanctioned piece of property, the funds generated from its sale are set to be placed into a consolidated fund accessible by the government.
Some of the proceeds will reportedly go toward settling the arrears accrued during its stay in the country – such as wages for the crew, fuel, and other maintenance costs.