Inside world’s first $100m icebreaker superyacht that VANISHED when Russian billionaire owner was slapped with sanctions
THE world's first $100million icebreaker superyacht featured a deep-sea submarine, two helipads and was built to power through the Arctic.
The beastly 253-foot bronzed La Datcha could navigate through 16-inch-thick ice and had retractable stabilisers to help with drifting floes.
Furthermore, its crew can stay afloat without refuelling for 40 days due to advanced fuel tank and waste disposal systems.
Launched in the port city of Vlissingen in the Netherlands, she cost a reported £80million to build.
Onboard, the vessel provided an endless list of amenities than can keep crew and passengers entertained for weeks.
Not only can you enjoy a sauna, but you can also pay a visit to the massage room or take a dip in one of two onboard hot tubs.
Each of its six cabins feature a dressing room, toilet and a shower or bathtub.
There's even two helicopters, a professional dive centre, an on-board hospital.
Those are just some of the standout features of the world-class explorer yacht, which comes with 25 specialised crew on hand.
La Datcha, which translates to "summer house" in Russian, was commissioned to be the ultimate adventure vessel.
That was, of course, until it vanished into thin air.
The ship was built for Russian billionaire Oleg Tinkov, a Russian billionaire who was the founder and shareholder of Tinkoff Banks.
The oligarch, who previously boasted a net fortune of $1.2billion (£950m), was even happy to rent it out for other people to enjoy.
That was, however, if you could afford the £666,000 weekly fee.
Having planned to use the private icebreaker for just 20 days a year, Tinkov rented it out for the remainder of the time.
But when the UK placed sanctions on him just a month after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, La Datcha suddenly disappeared.
Tinkov had been named as "a prominent Russian businessman" who had been involved in an area of strategic significance to the Russian government, and was stripped of all his assets.
In July 2023, however, Britain removed its sanctions on Tinkov nine months after he renounced his Russian citizenship.
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It was unclear whether the mogul reclaimed one of his most valued assets.
But a recent report from Vessel Finder claims La Dacha is currently in the Southern Ocean and sailing under the flag of Panama.
La Datcha's best features
La Datcha offers some incredible onboard features to make it one of the luxurious superyachts in the world.
Icebreaker hull
The main asset of the ship, the icebreaker hull ensures La Datcha can navigate from the Arctic to Antarctica with ease, thanks to a retractable stabilisers and a signature Sea Axe hull.
Two helicopters
Not just one but two helicopters are prepared for lift-off from the giant vessel - which of features its own personal helipad.
A professional dive centre
Not only can you enjoy swimming, but you can also learn to dive thanks to onboard professional trainers.
Triton submersible
The superyacht has its own three-person submarine that guests can use for exploring beneath the waves.
25 specialised crew
Included is the captain, four commercial diving instructors, two submersible pilots, one submersible engineer, two helicopter pilots, and two helicopter technicians.
Elaborate wellness centre
With direct access to the beach club and gym, it includes two Jacuzzis—one inside, one on deck— a sauna, and a dedicated massage area.
Private hospital
The yacht contains a dedicated medical room, as well as quarantine facilities and care from a trained ICU nurse.