Is this where the billionaires are spending Christmas? Superyachts including Roman Abramovich’s 533-feet vessel and music mogul David Geffen’s beloved Rising Sun descend on Caribbean resorts
- The Chelsea Football Club owner’s Eclipse is currently in picturesque St Maarten
- Billionaires have flocked to the Caribbean islands with 52 superyachts in area
- Joining Abramovich, is mogul David Geffen’s Rising Sun, in nearby St Barts
Superyachts including Roman Abramovich’s 533 ft vessel and music mogul David Geffen’s Rising Sun have descended upon the Caribbean ready for Christmas.
The Chelsea Football Club owner’s vessel, called Eclipse, is currently in St Maarten along with at least 50 other superyachts.
Billionaires the world over have clearly decided the luxury islands are the place to be to see in Christmas and the New Year, as the amount of vessels has swollen from 16 in November to 52 in December.
At the time of writing, Abramovich’s superyacht is currently the biggest in the area, as reported by Bloomberg Quint.
The Chelsea Football Club owner’s Eclipse is currently in St Maarten along with at least 50 other superyachts
Roman Abramovich’s superyacht, Eclipse, pictured, is currently the biggest in the Caribbean
The Chelsea Football Club owner’s Eclipse is currently in St Maarten along with at least 50 other superyachts
Russian billionaire Victor Rashnikov’s Ocean Victory is the second largest in the area, coming in at 459 ft.
Closely followed by music mogul David Geffen’s Rising Sun at 456 ft, which is currently moored in St Barts.
Russian oil tycoon Evgeny Shvidler, with his 371 ft superyacht Le Grand Bleu, is also thought to be in St Barts.
Fashion mogul Bernard Arnault, who owns Louis Vuitton, is thought to be on route to St Maarten in his 333 ft vessel Symphony.
And Ace, the 278 ft vessel owned by Walmart heiress Ann Walton is thought to be in Antigua, as reported by Forbes.
It comes just a week after the yacht formerly owned by Abramovich, the 282ft Esctasea, crashed while docking at a Marina, at St Maarten.
Russian billionaire Victor Rashnikov’s Ocean Victory is the second largest in the area, coming in at 459 ft
Music mogul David Geffen’s Rising Sun at 456 ft, which is currently moored in St Barts
Entering the bay last Sunday at 3pm, it is believed a combination of adverse wind and current conditions caused the superyacht to veer right and hit the control booth.
The impact forced almost all of the booth to come away and fall into the water below, seconds after the bridge operator manages to jump out of his seat inside it.
No one was harmed during the incident, and the bridge was fully functional, as the control gears were not damaged during the incident.
The Ecstasea was commissioned by Abramovich in 2004, who built his fortune during the opening up of the Soviet Union to private business in the early 1990s.
David Geffen aboard his yacht Rising Sun. It is understood the superyacht is currently in St Barts
It was constructed by First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders, a collaboration between two Dutch shipyards known for building the custom superyachts. At the time, it was the largest vessel the group had built.
In 2009, Abramovich sold the vessel to Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, for $120 million.
Sheikh Mohammed then sold it to shipping magnate Alshair Fiyaz in 2014.
The country of Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and forms part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean.
The country of Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and forms part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean