Over the last couple of weeks, many well-known superyachts linked to sanctioned Russian oligarchs have stopped transmitting their live location and gone dark to avoid being seized. A few of them have even reappeared after making perilous journeys to their respective safe havens, which includes Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson’s $150 million superyacht Pacific that switched off its tracking device for two weeks. Turning off a vessel’s automatic identification system (AIS) is a serious offense that is usually done only when there is a serious threat of piracy. But, with more than $2 billion worth of Russian superyachts already seized by the US and its allies, sanctioned oligarchs are resorting to this desperate measure to protect their multi-million dollar pleasure crafts.
However, there are a few Russian billionaires who have not been sanctioned by any country as of yet but are adopting the same dangerous and illegal measures to protect their superyachts. Self-made Russian businessman Sergei Galitsky is one of them whose superyacht Quantum Blue has stopped broadcasting its location for more than two months.
Sergei Galitsky is the founder of Magnit, one of Russia’s biggest supermarket chains and cosmetics retailers with more than 15,000 stores. Although he has been hailed as the posterchild of Russian entrepreneurship, he has not been sanctioned by the US or its allies after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The 54-year-old is considered one of those Russian businessmen who have distanced themselves from the Kremlin.
However, the threat of being sanctioned by the US and its allies is still very prevalent. After all, Galitsky features on the list of 210 wealthy Russians close to the Kremlin that was published by the United States Treasury Department back in 2018, which was met with heavy criticism for its reportedly random selection criteria. It could very well be that Galitsky is taking anticipatory protective measures and switching off the Quantum Blue’s AIS transponders in a part of it. The luxury vessel last broadcasted its location more than 80 days back while sailing close to East Africa.
Quantum Blue
Galitsky’s superyacht that sails under the flag of the Cayman Islands was built by Lurssen in Germany at their Bremen shipyard. The work was completed in 2014 and the vessel was delivered to her owner in January 2015. The uber-luxurious superyacht measures 104 meters, which made it the second-largest vessel to be built in 2014. The elegant and clean exterior of Quantum Blue was penned by well-known yacht designer Tim Heywood.
The award-winning designer has also worked on some very high-profile projects such as Dilbar. The all-white vessel is built with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, along with boasting an impressive beam of 16.8m. The vessel was built to Lloyds Register PYC classification society rules.
Quantum Blue has four decks, all equipped with comfortable seating areas for guests. The spacious lower deck features a swim platform that offers a big sunbathing area beside the water. The swim platform also connects through to the lower deck beach club. The foredeck is designed as a helipad but it can also be used as a sunbathing area. The swimming pool is located on the sundeck forward between two large sunbeds. The vessel’s top deck features a large jacuzzi that provides exceptional views of the surrounding.
The yacht’s interior was designed by famed French designer Alberto Pinto before he passed away in 2012. Although the superyacht’s interior design has been kept a secret, it is believed to feature Pinto’s signature style of classic design choices mixed with modern touches.
The 104-meter superyacht has room to accommodate fourteen guests in seven spacious cabins, including one suite that can be split into two units. The vessel needs eighteen crew members to operate. In terms of amenities, it has a spa, a gym, a cinema room, and a beautiful beach club on board, along with separate elevators for the crew and guests. The Quantum Blue is powered by twin diesel MTU engines, which gives it an average cruising speed of 13 knots and a top speed of 22 knots. The luxury vessel is also equipped with zero-speed stabilizers which helps in offering a comfortable experience to her guests by stabilizing the vessel when it is at anchor.
Who is Sergei Galitsky
Russian businessman Sergey Galitsky was born on 14 August 1967 in Sochi, southern Russia. Galitsky started out as a mover driving trucks; however, he went into the perfume wholesale business in 1994, which became the starting point of his entrepreneurial journey. A few years later, he opened the first grocery store “Magnit”. In 2000, he switched to retail and created the largest network by the number of stores in Russia. Forbes Russia estimated his fortune at $3.5 billion a year ago. The Russian billionaire is also an avid soccer fan and is the president of the Russian soccer club FC Krasnodar. In addition to the Quantum Blue superyacht, Galitsky also owns a Gulfstream G650 private jet.
