A £330-MILLION (US$403-million) superyacht owned by a Russian billionaire is thought to be the largest sailing vessel to ever take to the seas after it underwent its first official sailing test.

    The behemoth vessel, called Sailing Yacht A, is the latest superboat to make its way into the expansive collection of industrialist Andrey Melnichenko, thought to be worth £8.5 billion.

    It was seen undergoing tests and employing its sails for the first time in Strande, nearby Kiel, northern Germany, its shadow dwarfing other nearby sailing boats.

    At eight decks and with masts that are nearly 330 feet (100 meters) tall, it eclipses the height of London’s Elizabeth Tower, which houses the Great Bell known as Big Ben, and has its own underwater lounge surrounded by thick glass.

    It also boasts a digital control system that has a touch sensitive sheet of black glass, allowing the crew to raise and lower the sails and anchor with the swipe of their fingers.

    Sailing Yacht A’s keel incorporates one of the largest single pieces of curved glass ever made at 193 square feet (17.9 square meters), creating an underwater lounge on the bottom deck, and it is powered by a hybrid diesel-electric system at a top speed of 21 knots (38.9 kph).

    Melnichenko, who has made his vast fortune with investments in coal, fertilizers and banking, was said to have put his other superyacht Motor Yacht A up for sale, as he replaces it with the grander Sailing Yacht A.

    The 44-year-old lives a glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle with his 39-year-old wife Aleksandra, a former model and pop star from Serbia.

    Motor Yacht A itself boasts an opulent lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood and leather furniture, and a spacious owner’s cabin that is larger than most London flats — and is said to have bomb-proof glass and a rotating bed.

    Three spa pools with current-generating technology are spread throughout the yacht, and one has a glass floor that passengers can look into from the lower deck, according to the Yacht Harbor database.

    There are seven luxurious cabins for up to 14 guests and accommodation for 42 crewmembers. Over the years it has been spotted in places such as Honolulu, Malibu, Monaco, Puerto Rico, Turkey and Thailand.

    Powered by two diesel engines, the yacht has a top speed of 42.6 kph and a cruising speed of 36 kph, with a range of 6,500 nautical miles.

    It was built by leading shipyard Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, Germany, and designed by Frenchman Philippe Starck, a renowned contemporary designer who is responsible for the look of Melnichenko’s new toy, Sailing Yacht A.

    In addition to two massive yachts, Melnichenko owns a customized Boeing 737 private jet, a villa in the French Riviera, a penthouse in New York and a sprawling estate near Ascot, England.

    Speaking when the yacht was rumored to be up for sale, Dimitri Semenikhin, founder of Yacht Harbor, said, “Motor Yacht A is a unique boat in terms of its design and there is quite literally nothing like it on the market.

    “If they were to find a buyer who would fall in love with the design, the price could go as far up as US$300 million. It will, however, be a tough sell at such a price as the design is very polarizing.”

    (SD-Agencies)